A lot of things inspire me. In fact, I have the “shiny red ball” syndrome when it comes to creativity. I can be traveling down a path when suddenly, OH! A shiny red ball! And I’m off in another direction. It makes for some interesting chaos but in the end it all comes together quite beautifully. My approach to creating the environment at Apartment 46 has very little to do with the “right” and “wrong” of design protocol and everything to do with what feels good to me and what I find beautiful. So far, this combination has worked well in this space. It always feels comfortable here and it always feels well-centered, even when I myself am not. That’s a good thing!
I am always going on about how lucky I am to have the clients I have but it’s so true. The energy at the store on any given day is a sum of the store itself, those who visit, and me. Some days it’s full of laughter and ideas and other days it’s full of deep conversation and a yearning for comfort. Each week brings me the most interesting and amazing people. Some very well-known, some known only to their close friends and family. Regardless, the shop is an equalizing space in which we can all get excited about how cool Tillandsias are to how perfect an antique Ikat pillow looks on a wrought iron bench. I love to geek out with my clients on the teeny tiny flowers springing from a garden vine or the simple beauty and strong scent of Paperwhite Narcissus. It’s a safe place where many of my customers come to unwind and get away from whatever is bugging them. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to create something so unifying but ever day I am thankful that I have.
I was asked by a friend what sort of things are my “go to” inspirations – the things I return to time and again as a foundation for designing a space. Not a very complicated question, but it was one that caused me to take a deeper look at who I am and what makes me feel. Right off the bat I have to cite both Tony Duquette and Axel Vervoordt and the two couldn’t be more dissimilar. It makes perfect sense to me to love both of these styles since I crave both a colorful and lively environment as well as a spare, precious, and almost monastic environment – simultaneously. I think I would go mad if I were stuck in one type of space day in and day out. I am head over heels in love with Mexican religious art, Thai carvings, hand-tied rugs, big, shiny, stones, chrome, rusted metal and soft, fluffy, things. Together, these are my go-to inspirations. Looking at a small vignette in my store I have put together a very modern Italian white and chrome chair, a very soft beige and chocolate zebra print pillow, an antique Peruvian throw, a vintage painted, worn, Japanese tall table, a little Mexican goat (who is painted super cool green), a 1960’s porcelain urn with a phenomenal pink and green leafy plant in it and a teal, needlepoint footstool with a picture of a Geisha on it. That’s it in a nutshell really.
As time winds on for me I am finding more fascination in very small things. Last year I discovered how much I admire bees. Watching them so very up close while they worked in my garden was an almost holy experience. Last week, I was pulling vines from a bush to bring in to the store when I suddenly noticed it had the smallest white flowers I have ever seen on it. To my surprise, they also smelled heavenly – like Jasmine! The whole time I’ve been living in my home I have smelled that smell and thought it was wafting on the breeze when really, it was right in my own backyard! I now find myself wandering down the sidewalk looking at cast off twigs from recent storms and the color and leaves sprouting from dormant branches. I’m in awe. To that end, when I do my bouquets, I always include “humble” ingredients. Plants and greens that are often overlooked by themselves but when paired with something more colorful and flashy, they make an incredible marriage. My wonderfully talented photographer friend Sara Wood has provided me with the pictures she took of the Christmas flowers I did for her table.
The arrangements consisted of a central bouquet in a vintage 1950’s porcelain urn and two smaller end bouquets in sterling silver creamer pots. I love the way the colors splash out against the rustic table and formal place-settings.
I hope that this update finds you well, and I hope that the coming months will bring hopefulness and joy to all you do.
All my best,
Melisa
