John Robshaw on One Kings Lane!

photo from One Kings Lane 

I'm overdue on continuing to post pictures and design inspirations from my travels in Europe, but our apartment is quickly getting packed neatly into seemingly hundreds of boxes today (thanks to the relocation services of my husband's new company) and I have been relegated to a single spot on my bed with only a phone and laptop.

So, what's a girl to do other than hunker down to comb through the latest issue of Rue Mag (just out yesterday) and to online shop? And lucky for me the "Prince of Prints", John Robshaw, has bedding featured today on One Kings Lane.  I'll work on chronicling my time in Florence and Venice after I fill up my OKL cart.

Trunk Show

Richard Avedon photography

My favorite animal has always been the elephant. They are majestic and graceful relative to their enormous size, and they have better memories and display true humanistic emotions more than most creatures in the kingdom.  Flipping through the winter issue of Luxe magazine this weekend, I found this porcelain urn by French artist Jean Boggio.

My earliest indicator of my love of elephants is recalled by my parents when they took me to see Disney's "Dumbo" in the theater.  I was four-years old and apparently I could not bare the scene when Dumbo is separated from him mother.  Despite attempts to keep her little son with enormous ears by her side, she is helpless to the circus' metal shackles and Dumbo is torn away, sold to another circus.  I became hysterical, and crying ran out of the theater, flinging myself on the lobby floor.  I never finished watching "Dumbo" that day and scarred for life, I adamently boycotted Barnum & Bailey and began collecting elephants.  Throughout the years, friends and family have bestowed upon me many elephant-themed gifts.  I have over 30 minatures mainly attributed to my grandmother.  She has travelled the world--literally every continent--and whenever she saw a pacaderm figurine she would purchase it for me.

gold elephant necklace
my friend in NYC found it at a street vendor in the city for me

I have collected pictures of elephants in fashion photography for my inspiration book.  They include Richard Avedon's famous photos (see above), Keira Knightly with a baby elephant from Vogue, and a photo of an elephant in front of a gorgeous facade in Paris.

Vogue June 2007

Here are some pieces I'm trumpetting for the home.


a carved wood elephant carries the weight in this airy sun room
(decorpad.com)

gilded bookends take a set of novels Out of Africa
(amazon images)

Thomas Paul Bali red pillow adds pop to a white chair
(apartmentherapy.com)

never forgt your luggage with this tag
(johnrobshaw.com)

white ceramic garden stool
(West Elm) 

elephant toy keeps guard in a children's room
(wolfeyebrows.wordpress.com)



Souk Searching



A simple Souk setting (farm3.static.flikr)

I feel like I'm in need of some serious souk searching. Our current apartment with its white walls and white carpet has always felt too sterile and expected. My next home will be decorated with pieces I find, curate, scavenge, uncover. No more cookie-cutter Pottery Barn post-college decor for me!

My souk searching starts in Morocco. On my short list of places to visit has always been Marrakech.  The obsession began in 2002 when I studied their ancient buildings in an art and architecture class in college. Then last New Year's my colleague attended a wedding there and he returned raving about the city. Here are some pics of Morrocco I like.



Marrakech College (National Geographic)



Moorish home in Morocco (ArhDecor.com)



Moroccan portico (prlog.org)

 

Then last fall I was in Middleburg VA for a wedding and I discovered the eye-catching patterns of John Robshaw at the home store Creme de la Creme. My husband and I came out with two oversized pillows and a newly ignited love of Indian textiles. Here is the designer...



John Robshaw and his pillows (Oprah.com)

And here are his pillows adding some pop to our white sofa...

John Robshaw's accent pieces (pillows, table cloths, napkins, rugs) will make any space instantly souk chic.  Below are our pillows doing wonders for our plain white sofa.  Once we move into our new home, I plan to purchase a few of his woven dhurries. They would make an elegant runner down a hallway, a clean palate for a dining room with a large wood table, or I would put one of their more whismical patterns in a children's room.



John Robshaw Woven Dhurries