Archive for the ‘antiques’ Category

One of the largest single-owner sales of all time is hitting the auction block on February 23, 24, & 25 at the Grand Palais in Paris.  The Collection Yves Saint Laurent et Pierre Bergé is being offered by Christie’s in association with Pierre Bergé Associés (PBA) with a pre-sale estimate of $280-560 million.  The collection was amassed […]


Stanley Boxer’s No. 30 from Flitofloat series, lot 7126 in Bonhams upcoming Sunset Estate Auction in Los Angeles on February 8th.  Estimate:  $800-$1,200. By Emily Waldorf Have you ever wondered if that dusty oil painting or antique clock you inherited from your great aunt is worth something but thought it was too complicated to get […]


By Emily Waldorf High-profile Los Angeles decorator Michael Smith has been chosen by the Obamas to renovate their personal living quarters at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers introduced the Obamas to Mr. Smith whose celebrity clients include Rupert Murdoch, Cindy Crawford, and Steven Spielberg, among many others.  It has been slyly […]


Christie’s To Cut Jobs as Crisis Cuts Auction Sales (Bloomberg) Connoisseurs Take Back Control of Art Market (IHT) High-Rated, Bargain Priced Wines (WSJ) Fiction Reading Increases for Adults (NY Times) Museums Make Deep Cuts in Face of Global Financial Crisis (The Art Newspaper) Museums Look Inward for Their Own Bailouts (NY Times) Grand Jury Hears […]


By Emily Waldorf President-Elect Barack Obama promises to bring change to America but will Michelle Obama bring change to the White House interiors?  The responsibility of decorating and maintaining the historic 132 room White House has always fallen under the domain of the First Lady and is filled with potential pitfalls that are easily attacked […]


By Emily Waldorf In an effort to transform Qatar into an official global arts destination, the I.M. Pei designed Museum of Islamic Art recently unveiled itself. The building is an imposing, fortress-like geometric shape, with a refreshing simplicity and sense of purpose that is rarely seen in the glitzy cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. […]


By Emily Waldorf Veranda magazine and the City of Beverly Hills, are currently presenting “The Great House at Historic Greystone Estate,” a who’s who of some of the very best interior designers working right now, through November 16.  All proceeds benefit the restoration of the Greystone estate.  Click here to read The Peak of Chic’s, […]


By Laura Gatewood I recently had the opportunity to visit Japan and while there had the good fortune to attend not one, but two exhibitions exploring the role of decoration in Japanese culture. Contrary to the widely held assumption that minimalism or simplicity, known as wabi-sabi, is the primary motivation throughout Japan’s decorative history, both the Museum of […]


I can’t get enough of of the virtual antiquing opportunities on 1stDibs and frequently stay up into the wee hours, designing fantasy rooms with my new finds.  The beauty of it is that you can find the best selection of antiques from well-vetted dealers all over the world from the privacy of your home.  Here […]


Today is your lucky day if you consider yourself part of that rarified and dying breed: the antiques aficionado.  The Wall Street Journal published an article about the recent dramatic downshift in 18th and 19th century antiques prices.  In our uber-sanitized, clean-lined, contemporary culture, antiques are no longer in vogue (they actually haven’t been in a […]