Candella Artificial Flames

Every night at sunset, you can find me flitting around the house dimming sconces, switching one lamp on and others off, and – of course – lighting candles in all corners of the room.  My evening can only begin after the appropriate lighting has been created to suit my mood.

As a designer, and someone who is visually inspired by my surroundings, I’ve always respected lighting and its power to set a tone and create a specific energy.  Perhaps this appreciation for lighting was born in me as a small child during our family’s annual visit to Disneyland, and especially to the Haunted Mansion, where whimsical ghosts dressed in ball gowns and tails are found dancing around a haunted ballroom, chandeliers are covered in wax drippings a hundred years old, and dark and eerie rooms are lit only by quivering candlelight.

Disney's Haunted Mansion

So, it could hardly be more exciting for me to discover the new company, Candella, a visionary start-up that owns the exclusive worldwide rights to the artificial flame technology originally developed for Disney’s Haunted Mansion.  Based in the UK and the US, Candella has successfully commercialized Disney’s inimitable battery-powered flame technology for business and personal use by designing the first realistic faux flame.

Normally, I make it a rule to steer clear of anything artificial (flavors, boobs, plants, people), but Candella’s flame flickers and oscillates as if it were alive, thereby creating the charming and enchanting ambiance that, until now, could only be produced by a real flame.

Beyond being brilliant and elegant, Candella’s artificial flames are low-maintenance (powered by rechargeable batteries), clean (don’t put out dirty smoke) and safe (no open flames to catch on fire).  The applications are plentiful and I expect that interior designers will soon be “burning the midnight oil” decorating all types of spaces with this innovative product.  Think: bars, restaurants, outdoors, hotels, spas, yoga studios, and anywhere else an open flame is too dangerous.

One thing is for sure, you’ll find Candella votives by the dozen in my home as soon as I can get my little hands on them.

I wish I had the guts (and talent) to paint my home in abstract streaks and swirls with vivid color on a larger-than-life scale like the work of artist Katharina Grosse.  There’s something personal, enveloping, inspiring, free, fearless and utterly fun about her work.  All the adjectives that help to make a house a home.

Armed with a spray gun, any object, material or structure becomes her canvass.  The result employs the whole room and energizes the space with the sensation of the physical movement that was gracefully exercised in order to complete the work.

Katharina Grosse was born in Freiburg, im Breisgau, Germany in 1961, she now lives and works in Berlin.  Her resume is celebrated and lengthy, but mostly, I just think she’s a cool woman with an enviable and limitless vision.  Fair warning to my family, a bold burst of color might find its way into our home in the near future.

various works by Katharina Grosse

Being a blogger in NYC means that your part of a very large club.  Being a house blogger makes you a member of a more elite group.  My Husband, the founder and editor of Charles and Hudson is one of the latter.

Obviously, his position as a top DIY authority doesn’t mean that we get invited to P. Diddy’s parties or have a sitting reservation at The Waverly Inn, but it does afford us some perks of the household variety.  The most recent being our inclusion in Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s new book:  Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces

Having had our West Village apartment featured on the Apartment Therapy website, it’s so much fun to now have professional record of our West LA Bungalow – even if just for posterity.

It was two months after we packed up our tiny NYC home and made the trek across country in our newly purchased car (we hadn’t owned one for 9 years) to settle ourselves near the surf of Los Angeles, when Maxwell and his NYC crew came knocking on our door.

His professional team of assistants, stylists and photographer Jim Franco, made themselves at home in our small bungalow and with a few tweaks and a couple props, they made our small space photo worthy.

I’ve been involved in countless fashion shoots and I’ve worn every hat from producer and designer, to stylist, intern/slave, and even photographer and “model”, but I had never been behind the scenes at a still-life shoot.  In fashion our subject (the clothing) takes on life by its relationship to the model who flaunts it.  Garments gain attitude and breath simply by being draped on a living being.  With still-life, the challenge is intensely aggravated.  How does one bring energy and life to something totally inanimate.  It’s a different art all together.

I haven’t seen any of the photos from the shoot and I really don’t know what to expect…I’m hoping our home is photogenic and oozes spirited personalty.  What I do know is that, as the head of a blogging empire Apartment Therapy, Maxwell has incredible taste and must have chosen some unique and creative spaces to feature.  I’m sure even those living in mansions and plantations will find the book to be interesting and inspiring.

Needless to say, I’m quite flattered that our home was one of the few chosen to be featured, and I’m thoroughly excited to pick up my copy of the book when it drops on May 11, 2010.

I can hardly believe it but autumn has officially arrived.  All the usual yet ever amazing seasonal changes will occur.  The leaves will fade and fall.  The air will become crisp and waft a new fragrance combining ground roots, cinnamon and tobacco.  The sun will ease off and allow the moon to work longer hours.  Our farmer’s markets will boast root vegetables and rich, warming spices.  We will be reacquainted with our loyal wardrobe that has been patiently waiting to come out and play, and we will begin to spend more time at home cozying up next to the fireplace.

It seems you can find tips everywhere on how to transition your wardrobe, make-up and diet to welcome this special season but I fear our homes might be feeling a little neglected.  Being that our surroundings have the power to influence and inspire your mood, I’ve laid out a few ways that, with just a few tweeks and only a few dollars, you can make your home more Fall friendly.  Here’s to a creative, charming and cozy autumn!

ACCESSORY ALTERATIONS
Sometime just re-styling your existing décor is all you need to autumn-ize your home.  Start by bringing in fall flowers, leaves and twigs.  Textured fabrics scream autumn, so switch out the light and airy for rich and substantial.  Drape metal and plastic furniture with fabrics to warm them up, and think about adding a hat rack, umbrella stand and boot bin to your entryway.

For an autumn transition with more impact, below are some design ideas that pack a powerful punch.

Throw Pillows are an inexpensive way to bring autumn to your couch and bed.  Swap out bright colors and smooth, silky pillows with new covers made of velvet, wool, felt, shearling, mohair, leather and bulky knits.  By simply buying new covers and using the same pillows, inter-seasonal storage is a breeze and the expense is minimal.

Rugs – If you have the budget and storage space, consider going all the way by completely changing out your area rugs with plush pile weaves designed with warm colors.  Even if you don’t have the extra cash, you can get the same updated feeling by simply swapping rugs from one room to another as the seasons change.  Another way to go is to layer several small rugs of different patterns and piles in opportune spots.

Window Treatments – By swapping out your light colored and shear summer drapes with warm tones and textured fabrics you can turn any room into a place worthy of lounging.

Blankets – We all snuggle up in them during the fall and they are a permanent fixture on the couch, so choose your colors and fabrics according to the season.  For fall, opt for rich shades and a luxurious hand.  This is a great place to bring in cable knits, faux fur and even animal prints if you dare.

Bathing Room – Give your bathroom a total makeover by simply swapping your towels and bath mats for darker shades.  Changing a linen shower curtain to a heavier canvass or waffle knit in a richer tone will warm up the space with impact.  Odds are you’ll be spending more time soaking in the tub on those chilly autumn nights, so add plenty of textured and colored votives to add life and warmth to an otherwise cold room made of porcelain and tile.

Sleeping Room – Bring out your flannel sheets and replace your crisp white duvet cover with something that invites you to snuggle up for a long winter’s nap.  Maybe add a knobby throw at the foot of the bed for that extra layer of texture.

LIGHT IT UP
Lighting is perhaps the most important element to a home and it has an amazing power to influence and create moody ambiance.  To add designer worthy depth, accent each room with a variety of light sources with different qualities.

Think up-lighting in corners, sconces on the walls, interesting lamps on tables combined with floor lights that throw a blanket of light.

Dimming bulbs are an absolute must as they enable you to control the room’s atmosphere, and therefore the mood, throughout the day.

And of course, fall requires the romantic flickering of candles.

PLAY WITH COLOR
Though it requires a bit of work, paint can make a light and summery room instantly warm and cozy.  If the thought of taping and painting a full wall is daunting, opt instead to paint large canvasses, available at any art store, and hang them wherever a touch of color is needed.  You can always paint over them when spring comes or simply replace them altogether.