What I'm Looking At Today: HI-LOW

A long time ago, when I was still in school, one of my favorite teachers gave me a great piece of advice.....'never compete with your clients' she said. Better words were never spoken and so now that I have been working for about 20 years, where does the time go? I have accumulated a good amount of stuff.....most all of it is from friends or things from various houses throughout the years, none of it is precious in any way.....nothing is terribly expensive but it all has a look and a good memory, so every time my eye lands on an object I remember a happy time or a friend.

I had always wanted a Biedermeier vitrine...don't ask me why.....They were popular in the 80's and 90's and there was a fabulous shop on 10th St, Bernd Goeckler,  that had a huge assortment....and then there was  Niall Smith with his great collection....I eventually found a nice one which we still have....filled with books, on top sits a Deco bust of Hercules from my friend Leo Mavrovitis. Beyond the door is our living room, small but charming, we're decidedly old school but not afraid of a few new tricks 

Plain colors, all earth tones with a bit of blue. The rug came from an auction down south, the sofa is from Crate and Barrel, but the chairs and curtains are custom. The Chinese low table came from my friend Danny. Inexpensive modern lighting and some cool pillows keep it fresh.

The 19 thc portrait is a new find, Ric wants to paint 'Where am I' or 'Who am I' in a translucent glaze...we've started calling it Dorian Gray. The small drawing is from our friend Jim Bloom, the frame came from the Clingancourt flea market and the landscape above it is from a small shop on Rue Jacob in Paris.

One of Ric's pictures above an unsigned  WPA painting. I had bought one of these drop leaf tables years ago at the now defunct B. Altmans....what a great store that was.... and sold it...then we came across a pair that now have a home in our living room....for now...

The Regency bookcase is probably the best bit we own. I got it from A.I.D.S. when I was still in school...eating Ramen noodles and paying off Virgil. The bust was the first Xmas gift Ric got me....so it's always around. Sitting on the right is a small David Salle......I had worked briefly in the 80's with his wife Carol Armitage...there's a small octagonal box from the 80's as well...I got that from Norman Crider when I was his assistant for the armory shows.....funny how everything is something...

Table came from Freeman's, rug is 19th Indian from one of my pickers as is the cartonnier. I think we've had at least 6 different sets of chairs, these are Jansen, the last batch were Madeliene Castaigne, the ones before were 1940 iron and the ones before that are wonderful centennial chairs given to me by Merle Hubbard in the 80's...industrial bookshelves hold a fraction of Ric's books.

Another view looking at our small hallway with another drawing by Jim Bloom and a series of flower prints by Ric. All in all, I'm pretty lucky that I have lots of artist friends and pickers...or I really wouldn't be able to afford myself.....but it's really about having things that are fun and not too precious and as with everything, all meant to be used. And above all making sure that it's not too OTT.