Living life expressed ...

We enjoy and live with art casually displayed throughout our row-home. Art John and I have collected over our many years together. I think of myself as an artisan with a curators aesthetic in a lifelong journey of observation. In past posts I've shared many pieces and in this post I will focus in on our newest art purchase displayed in our Living room. This is part 1 of our Living room's reveal of décor updates and will continue in my following post with many detailed photos taken throughout the room. 

Titled "Le Salon" and handmade with Cartapesta (Papier Mâché) over a wooden antique drawer. Each element is handmade by Méa StauB of Méa's Vintage in Hamburg Germany. 

Méa is designing/building and creating a unique mice journeymen dwellings series. Her first piece was the "Le Library" and when she posted it I wrote asking to purchase it but it had already been sold. In an email I wrote her that I'd like to purchase her second piece "Le Salon". But it was well before Christmas and work on "Le Salon" hadn't even began. Design would not start until the second week in January. Méa agreed that I would have 1st dibs on the piece as she shared all her plans for the piece. Many of Méa's handmade furniture, mirror with foxed glass, daybed, fabrics, pillows are from her kingdoms "Salon" made in miniature scale for this piece. She's currently working on her 3rd journeymen's piece titled "Le Chateau".

We decided to display "Le Salon" on a Black Walnut raw edge wood shelf. Custom made for us by the Pank Family on etsy from salvaged vintage wood. Purchased from their store Reclaimtofame1 on etsy. It is our second shelf they have custom made us. We have hung it with contemporary brushed nickel brackets to blend with the other metals in our home. The other shelf by the Pank family is hung over our riddling rack in the dining room's wine corner displaying a vintage French oil painting and straw covered vintage Demi-John.

Through personal emails over the years we both have been blogging Méa has become a friend. During our exchanges about "Le Salon" Méa would describe her vision and I would write her back "love it - have fun Méa and go wild"! Our conversations were immensely entertaining and makes this art emotionally meaningful to me. 

As a poet my writing is often sparked by my imaginations flight into fantasy through play. My poetry below is a poetic fable.  My perceived story about the married intellectuals living out their retirement in the casbah. I will admit I have a very active imagination and have been truly enjoying playing with "Le Salon".

Retired and living in an old funky part of Marrakesh you'll find husband Honoré Beaulieu and Amélie Berlioz his wife.

Honoré a highbrow scholar was a French Literature professor at the Université Sorbonne in Paris for over 30 years of his life.

Amélie a poet had owned a Parisian bookstore which housed a rare collection of 18th century poetry but felt her prose had become ineffectual.

Moved to Morocco with a love of moorish architecture, pigment painted plaster and hidden treasures that offered Honoré adventure as an intellectual.

But lately days are spent in a pompous aristocratic fantasy world drinking Absinthe chasing La Tee Verte - the Green Fairy.

Smoking a hookah, daydreaming, reading while indulging in drink months have turned into years in their ramshackle of a sanctuary.

Now who's to judge that our bohemian couple hasn't the perfect respite for retirement to indulge in wherever their daydreams may roam.

Warmed by a wood burning fireplace, surrounded by books they idle away years reading under a chandelier dripping in crystals brought from home.

Retirement years can be a simplistic indulgence through self expression in ones chosen dwelling that offers mystery and intrigue.

Especially our exotic couple whose career driven past added up to a retirement need spent in comfort and relaxation to combat mental fatigue.

© Vera

Meet Amélie Berlioz. Méa named the mice Honoré and Berlioz. I took artistic liberty and added my addition to their names. Funny how these two characters instantly encouraged engagement in play to cheer my day. Moroccan slippers are on and suddenly they are off... I love this piece because it is interactive art. 

But along with my enjoyment in my French Opera/Ballet theatre and the mice I've been creating out of clay for all my productions, our French car parking garage and also my Vampire castle and now "Le Salon" may just be part of my continuing childhood. As a child I had a play kitchen, easy bake oven but not a doll house. I think I'm making up for that void during my childhood part 2!

Notice Amélie looking over at Honoré? Well that's because...

Amélie's a tad bit annoyed since Honoré is drunk on Absinthe and has over indulged smoking the Hookah. Oh please Honoré pull down your Caftan, we don't need to see you man-spreading! Honoré loves wearing his Fez hat with a silk tassel that dangles ... But if Honoré doesn't pull down that Caftan it may not be the only thing we see dangling, just saying!

The Hookah and Absinthe bottle are handmade out of glass. I adore the Green Fairy label. No detail has been overlooked creating "Le Salon". The patina, the iron daybed, the books, well everything's just so surreal. 

Dripping in crystals a beautiful Parisian 5 light chandelier. I love walking by and catching it's reflection in the mirror inside made with antique foxed glass. This art is indeed magical.

A handmade curtain with crocheted fringe helps ward off breezes from the open moorish window while lounging on the iron daybed reading idling the day away. What I didn't capture was the little hand sewn patches on the floor cushion and drape adding in the ramshackle feel, love those.

I hope you've enjoyed the little make believe journey to Marrakesh through our latest art acquisition. Measuring 15.5" high, 10" wide and 5.5" deep it seems/feels larger than its size in creative presence. 

Now you knew I would have to include a Black and White photo. I've decided I will post my en noir photos that capture a mood or an emotion on Instagram. Hopefully by sometime in mid April. I appreciate all your encouragement to join Instagram through your emails last post. 

Our recent updates all started with my heart's insistent desire to have a vintage French petite chandelier hanging over our factory table. Wanting to add mood and a dramatic flair to it I searched everywhere I could think of for antique Purple drop crystals to add to the vintage clear crystals. I found amazing ones on eBay and purchased them on a buy-it-now auction. They are stunning.

During a late night phone chat with Doré from Burlap Luxe I shared my plans for our living room's update. Doré's remark was "you're adding a French Boho vibe". Tis true ... To be continued next post. But if you would like to see a 2014 post of our Living room please click here. It goes into detail about our art collections in the room.

The photo below is one of Méa's taken of her first piece in the journeymen dwellings series titled "Le Library". Since I mentioned in this post how much I enjoyed it I thought I'd include it. I also have included a link to visit Méa's blog. There is a language translation button on her blog. See you soon as I will reveal how a Rust color washed Persian rug and Purple drops playfully come together in part 2.

xx,

Vera

PS I love reading all your comments and thoughts and enjoy answering any of your questions. Thanking you in advance for leaving me a comment.

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