Best Foot Forward

I can only imagine what these designers would do with a whole room - anyone who can imagine and create such a work of art from the humble shoe is an across the board genius. They are miniature masterpieces. Without further ado, twelve of the wildest and most radical pieces of footwear to ever grace the planet. 
Dragon shoe:

 The Wolf

Mia Lamore. 18 carat gold heel, gold, onyx and agate bee, hand dyed silk petals.

H.R Geiger, the designer responsible for the Alien films, teams with McQueen

 Prada Cadillac with tail fins

Polyvore butterfly

Dolce & Gabbana black Jacquard with opening window pane to encased jewels.

McQueen's butterfly

Seriously metal boot

The Madonna shoe. Brilliance!

Dolce & Gabbana caged flowers

The inimitable Alexander McQueen, spiked jewels and jet

Pastel Noir

Pastels with black - a combination which was practically invented by the domestic Art Deco bathroom. Of all the places I've lived, I have never been lucky enough to land one, but settled for adoring them from afar. They're making a bit of a comeback currently, with a modern twist. Hands up to confessing I'm a purist when it comes to restoring, not imitating, but one earned my admiration recently, here, because they had honored the original tile and ethos. The vanity is a restored antique sympathetic to the room, if not purely 1930's. I'm yelling Chrome Handles at the screen.

However, pastels with black are simply too good to limit to the 30's. They work together like a dream. Not easy to source either! An untapped vein, if you will, but naturally some stunners are lined up for your delectation. I winkled them out of the ether. I'm so good to you. 
The next photo is possibly my dream room. It's an over-used phrase, but I cannot see a single element I'd alter, which is rare. I always want to fiddle around with everybody else's decor, it's a disease. My compulsion. I need Decorators Anonymous. 

OK, maybe I'd change the table cherubs into roses. And that cherub on the velvet painting. Oh fuck it. 
Anyway, anyway. Lemon with a black Verner Panton chair from 1960.

Modern with retro impact. Bloody nice chrome molding, hate them for thinking of it. Irascible today. Or possibly curmudgeonly.

Look at these Deco doors defining the powder blue room beyond! Swooning.

Mobalpa mint kitchen..sleek, sophisticated. Check out that light. Perfection.

 Country cottage with edginess.

 Kept it simple.

Sensational - and a pretty brave decision considering the Georgian plaster they were working with. I do love a risk, and look how it pays off!

Love these rugs, modern take on a very traditional theme. Go big.

Ornately feminine: black walls set behind the furniture makes the pieces sing.

What, you thought I was leaving you without a Fabulada picture? Wait for it, it doesn't get camper than this ~

Rusty Rockets

It's not that easy finding examples of a good old fashioned rust in decor, even though it's one of the best colors that works with velvet - always has been and always will be. I think though that it's gradually making a comeback and creeping into contemporary pieces. I thought it would be very Autumnal to feature this wonderful tone of russet and just to prove how topical it is, here are some rust velvet covered pumpkins! 

They're bloody gorgeous, innit? Especially in velvet, rust reminds me of the rich, warm tones used from Elizabethan times right up to the 1920's. Have a butchers at what I mean. Going way, waaay back, as an idea of how long it's been prized, the Pazryk Rug, 5th century BC, the oldest surviving carpet in the world  

       

Still got a few years tread left in it. In fashion, rust is unequaled in it's jewel like quality. Coat, fur and velvet,1920:

                             

 Liberty's, 1920 kimono

 D&G, 2007

Dress, 1930

All stunning. So what about the past, in decor? Some examples that you'd expect to see - the Dennis Severs house, museum in the East End of London

 And a retro couch used in a neo-vintage way. Lovely.

Who is doing what with it right now? Jacques Grange's showcase Parisian apartment:

Christian Lacroix's take for his Paris hotel:

Peter Marino's 5th Avenue design in New York:

Joana Vasconcelos's crochet bull on rust damask:

Michael Bechara in New York

Neo-Gothic skeleton chairs

 Jenny Brandt's delicious tufted Chesterfield at Dos Familias

and two fabulous new recreations of old luxury, Bohemian style. It's coming back, I say. Get some in. 

Jimmie Martin...Punk Mozarts

Usually I source pictures from far and wide on a theme, but this week I stumbled across the design duo of Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar, collective known as Jimmie Martin. 

Based in Church Street, Kensington, London, since 2005 they have produced the most spectacular and cool furniture to be found anywhere. Three years ago they teamed with interior designer Sally Anne McCoy to move forward into residential and commercial design, but it's the furniture I want to celebrate here. You may have already seen their work, they were commissioned by Madonna to create the golden throne she used at her Superbowl performance and have worked with rock royalty globally, from Kylie Minogue to Liam Gallagher. Their work is a superb bland of punk, Rococo, retro and pop art.
I could rave on about each piece, but they very eloquently speak for themselves. Believe me, I seriously had to employ some restraint to only select a handful. Love these guys. Enjoy, and do seek them out further at www.jimmiemartin.com if you want to see more!