Andree Putman - RIP Iconic Interior Designer

Today we mourn the passing of the famed French illustrious interior designer Andree Putman. Her work once once described as...

"A taste setter, much in the French style: elegant, sophisticated, feminine and absolutely glamorous. As well as multiple objects and furniture, there is her refined interior design work, which ranges from the most luxurious hotels in New York, Hong Kong and Paris to the shops of Anne Fontaine and Guerlain and the offices of French ministers and presidents: très chic."

Her stylized designs grace the homes of esteemed tastemakers throughout Paris.  Her furniture designs remain, long copied by both domestic and international furniture makers.  In addition, she collaborated with Christofle, Ralph Pucci on Mannequins, Dornbracht bath fittings and so much more.  Born to a wealthy family in Lyon, France luxury was in her blood and never left.  She was born with a silver spoon and later in her career designed them as well.  Her work will long live, and I thank her for her unbelievable contribution to the world of interior design.  One of the reasons I love it so!

Kim Kardashian / Kanye West - Got A New Crib!

Because of my celebrity interior design projects, The Huffington Post asked what I imagine Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests' baby nursery to look like. I thought what fun!  So I paused to give some thought to who they are, and what their merged styles would create.  My submission is below.  

Here's my description of what I believe the nursery would be...

"Kim and Kanye's baby's has the DNA of two trendsetting tastemakers.  No pink or blue nursery would do here!  I imagine ceiling fixtures of black Swarovski crystals and 30"s vintage bronze, living side by side.  Hanging delicately as if they were Celine or Chanel bracelets dangling from Kims' wrist.  I imagine a Black pony Egg chair, cradling Kim and Kanye as they nurse the baby.  High polished chrome contemporary accessories throughout - giving  nod to the masculinity of the room (if the baby is a boy).  Beautiful E. Braun or Pratesi linens for the white lacquer and ebony metal framed crib.  A natural gesture, visible in the hand carved table lamps over the brushed metal dressers.  Of course, the television holds a prominent space, so they can watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Kayne's tour clips 24 hours of the day."

You can see the entire piece here.

With their much lauded recent home purchase, surely this is light stuff!  I'm ready for some real fun now!

Martin Luther King Jr. - Honoring a King... The Kings Speech

With Martin Luther King Day soon approaching, I thought it the proper time to re-issue his 'I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH'.  It STILL moves me whenever I read it.  With it's unwavering passion, compassion and positivity.  I hope it touches you the very same way.  Be Inspired, and live the DREAM.

Attribution to OnlineCollegeCourses.com  

Graphic by Allison Morris

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Partial Speech courtesy http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

Sarah Houston Couture - Spring 2013

It's that special time of year again.  You can almost mark your calendar for it.  The wedding dress rush! My wedding photographer husband Nick Carter Weddings phone is REALLY starting to ring.  With Christmas and New Years engagements, bridal binders once stashed secretively under beds - are basking in the glorious light of day.

First mission... finding the purrrrrfect wedding dress.  

Sarah Houston Couture is a Canada based couture bridal atelier with some of the most graceful and elegant dresses on the market.  If I weren't already blissfully wed, I certainly would be crossing the border bridal binder in hand.  Happy shopping Ladies and and CONGRATULATIONS!

For those of you wishing to book your Trunk Show                                     please contact Kim to find out available dates.                                   e:  kim@sarah-houston.com                                    w: www.sarah-houston.com

Sarah Houston Couture                                                        24 Hazelton Ave                                                        Toronto, ON.                                                        Canada

Happy New Year 2013!

"I love construction.  My specialty... building legacies of Love"

- Joy Moyler (Hautezone)

Happy New Year everyone! 

I hope 2013 arrived at your door in the most festive manner imaginable.  I hope it arrived bearing the very best of Health and Love.  Being at the peak of a new year is exhilarating and thought provoking.  So much thought is given to the year past, and all that lies before us.  

How do we make a new year special? How do we dig deep maximizing our creative efforts?  How do we bask in the creative juices of groundwork laid last year? These are somewhat selfish thoughts yes.  

Beyond that, how can we enrich someone else's life?  How can we be in the right place at the right time to serve someone other than ourselves?  The answer for me is... by being there. By being present in the relationships we have and truly nurture.  By letting the people we love KNOW they can count on us.  At the end of the day we are all naked.  Feelings, hurts, desires are all exposed for the world to see.  Fashion falls aside. Trends are vacant.  All left is self.

So 2013 finds me very much holding on memories of lives lost in 2012, knowing the value of nakedness of raw emotion.  Looking forward to all which lies before me, and continuing to construct, layer by layer new legacies and friendships of love.  That is the very best of whats to come.  It is going to be a GLORIOUS year.

My dad used to say "I don't collect things, I collect people.  Treat everyone the same because you never know who will give you your last drink of water".  I try to continue to live that mantra daily.  That continues to be one of my biggest goal of this year. Building love, one brick at a time.

Something else I like to say... "Time is fleeting. If you treat people well, they don't flee".

Happy New Year and a world of blessings to you all!

Image from Pinterest