The September Issue

Let's talk shelter mags for a minute here:  1. Architectural Digest used to be total crapola.  Like, really bad.  Then 2.  Margaret Russel left her post as Editor in Chief at Elle Decor for the same position at AD last fall and ever since 3.  Architectural Digest has been pretty awesome.  Simultaniously 4.  Elle Decor: not so good (as evidenced by this cover, hello zombi cox).  However, and this is what I really want to talk about today 5.  The September issue of Elle Decore Brought. It.  It killed.  Not only was it better than AD, it was easily one of the best issues of ED I've ever ever seen. My very favorite article featured the San Antonio home of designer Gwynn Griffith and, wouldn't you know it, my scanner doesn't work and there are NO pictures of this home online save one crappy one:

No justice is done here and I encourage you to pick up the rag and check it out.  Meanwhile, I'll show you pictures of another stunning home from the September Issue which probably has Erin panting and sweating with all it's acid-waspy wonder:

Behold, the San Francisco home of Alexis and Trevor Traina. Exaggerated proportions plus 80's symmetry plus ironic, expensive art = trippy good times.

Yes to all of this.  Even those upholstered dining chairs aren't getting me down, which is unusual

Could you imagine growing up here?  We need to make this happen for Eero

There are, like, 12 elements here that Erin currently has in her home.  I think she might cry when she sees this

Another day another giant ball sculputure right in the middle of a million dollar gallery space.  yawn.

Ficus Figs on steroids: check.

Yes to that tarot card photo.  If I were Erin I could probably tell you who took it.  But I'm not.  I'm Karly, enjoying our all-time record breaking 70th day of triple digit, rain-free heat, not to be confused with Erin who is currently laying on the beaches of Hawaii.  Small difference, easy mix-up.

Also in this issue:  The San Francisco loft of designer Steven Volpe, which is pretty dang awesome.  Just go pick the dumb magazine up already.

Blue Monday

It's Monday. The gods in all of their infinite wisdom have decided to bless me with a filthy house, no food in the fridge, and a computer in revolt. Also we leave for Hawaii in two days. The gods be crazy, yo. I may have to take matters into my own hands.

I'm working on my serenity now pose. It looks a little something like Mike Myers' fantasy sequences in Wayne's World, but maybe a little more like this room.

If this is back to school day for you or your little person, then you need a steaming dose of serenity even more than me. Let's hold hands and sing kumbaya and try to survive this day, friends. Or we could just take this post to its logical conclusion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJZomwDhxQ&feature=related

Happy Monday. Try not to die.

[Richard Powers]

Vincent Leroux

There is nothing sweeter than an interesting room seen through the eyes of a fantastic photographer. Ok, perhaps world peace, equal rights, and true love might give a pretty picture a run for its money -- but not much else. So it is with much whiz bang shazam that I present the work of Vincent Leroux, whose photographs strike a perfect balance between edgy and sophisticated, all seen through the glory of natural and ambient light. Overdone photography is the devil's work. Thanks the lords of the internets for showering us with some good stuff.

Later, y'alluns. Gotta go run errands before it gets face meltingly hot.