Category Archives: My Likey

Whut Glamour: Salon Walls

Dear Diary,

The other day I was perusing Apartment Therapy when I came across something so delightful that it filled me with desire, jealousy, and bitterness. It was this photograph of a home in Hollywood:

The home is owned by these three hunks:

Seeing their awesome salon style living room made me want an entire salon style house. For those of you not familiar with salon style galleries, this is where artwork is hung all the way to the ceiling, in order to fit the most art possible into a space. Graduates of art school are familiar with this style because many of our undergraduate shows are exhibited like this. I’ve always kind of hated salon style hanging because it takes a little bit of importance away from each piece by crowding it. But who wouldn’t want to live in a house that was so chock full of art that there was always something new to see? Here are some other glamourous examples of salon style walls:

I suppose one technique to creating a successful salon wall is to choose a theme for your collection. Like here where it’s mainly portraits of gentlemen. Completely random collections can work, too.

I’m pretty sure this is an actual museum, but that’s cool with me because I’ve always wanted to live in a pristine white museum surrounded by beautiful and/or weird art.

I’m such a sucker for bright white room. Especially when it allows the art to provide the pattern and color.

Everyone needs a grand staircase with a picture wall behind it.

In conclusion, I want to hang art on my walls until the buckle under the pressure and fall down. I want to suffocate in my art collection. Now I guess I have some art shopping to do…

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Interiors, My Likey, Whut Glamour!

Haute Thing: Table Calendar

Dear CB2,

I’m totally a sucker for adorable little calendars that I can put on my desk and then forget to update. Thus, I was totally excited when I found this piece the other day whilst shopping for this week’s episode of SFAS. I’m going to stick this on my desk and just pretend it’s my birthday every day, leaving the calendar stuck on July 5.

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Five Haute Things, My Likey, Secrets From A Stylist

LA Street Art: Destroy All Design

Dear LA Street Artists/Sticker Enthusiasts,
For some reason there’s tons of street art all over Los Angeles and I always find it a delightful surprise to come across a new piece. Recently, I saw this piece across the street from my (soon to be adorable) apartment:

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under My Likey, Outdoor Art, The Artz

Whut? Ty Pennington Designs Fabriques?

Dear Ty Pennington,

A month or two ago Emily and I saw you at the Rose Bowl Flea Market and we both, like, totally freaked out. We chased you around for a while before we realized we had no actual plan to talk to you. Then, the other day, we were at Michael Levine Fabrics downtown and we saw that [GASP!] you have a fabric line. Now, I have no idea what it means for Ty Pennington to have a fabric line. Do you actually design it? Or do you walk around the design studio with a megaphone screaming in designers ears when they make a design you hate. I expected your prints to be all wood grain and stripes, but there is a huge variety and they are actually quite nice. Here are some examples:


You can see more Ty Pennington Fabrics here.

Well done, Ty.

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under My Likey, Secrets From A Stylist

Hungrytimez: What To Eat When You’re Downtown and You Don’t Know Anything!

Dear Diary,

I have to go to downtown LA a lot for work a lot, usually to go to Michael Levine to buy bargain (yet high quality!) fabric for our makeovers on SFAS. One thing I’ve learned is that you should never go to a crazy ass giant fabric store when you are starving, because it’s IMPOSSIBLE to choose nice colors when your stomach is eating itself. Michael Levine is downtown, and I don’t really know downtown very well. The weird thing about that part of Los Angeles is that one block feels like fancy uptown Manhattan and the next block is full of hobos, feral cats, and burning trash cans. Thus, it can be difficult to find a decent place to eat here because you might accidentally wander into a crack den. Don’t get me wrong, I love it down here (Editor’s Note: As I’m writing this I just heard the following soundbite from the table next to me: “Yes, there was a shooting. Right over there, just 40 feet from where you’re sitting. They both died.”). Anyway, one day I wandered into LA Cafe, which looks kind of like a New York bodega but actually makes really delicious iced coffee and has at least one DIVINE menu option. It’s definitely not a fancy place, and it seems kinda dirty, but it’s filled with ubertrendy downtown people wearing asymmetrical feather earrings and covered in tattoos. The item I always order is called the Farmers’ Market Salad (with Chicken added). It’s totally delicious and always fuels me to get through the rigor of a visit to Michael Levine. The salad looks like this:

It’s totally delicious and I could eat it every single day for the rest of my life. Seriously. As a final note, have you ever told a totally long story and thought it was super fascinating until it was over and then you realize it was probably boring for everyone listening? I feel like I just did that. Sorry.

Love,
Orlando

PS: The people next to me are talking about models. And they are models. Downtown LA is SO glamourous.

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Filed under I Love LA, My Likey

“Just Give Up.” And Other Treasures.

Dear Diary,

I recently bought these “just give up” sweats from Toddland. Love them.

I’m also into this wallet, but I think it’s slightly too teen for me.

Oh my god. And this. SOMEONE PLEASE BUY THIS FOR ME!

I didn’t know much about this Toddland company before, but I like what I see. I want everything.

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Fashiontimez, My Likey

Take a Look: Rodarte

Dear Kate and Laura Mulleavy,

I heard you on The Madeleine Brand Show this morning and learned that you currently have work on exhibit at MOCA’s Pacific Design Center annex. I had no idea that you were California designers and that you lived in Pasadena (one of my favorite places in the world for its uberglamourous suburbanity). Like all shows at the Pacific Design Center annex, yours is small. But the pieces on display (including many of the costumes you designed for Black Swan) are artfully crafted from feathers, leather, lace, and other gorgeous materials. It’s definitely worth a look, and was a much-needed injection of culture into my home-makeover drenched life.

I love the lighting design for the exhibit, which emphasizes the texture and translucence that makes the garments so special. All in all a delightful introduction to your work. You’re awesome.

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Fashonz, Hot Couture, My Likey, Whut Glamour!

Ravetimez: Arcade Fire Remix!

Dear Thunderlust,

Thanks for this fun Arcade Fire remix. As you know, I’m a total fan of fun remixes and this one makes me want to buy a time machine, get into it, go to 1992, attend a rave, and dance and wiggle until dawn. Awesome!

The track can be downloaded (for free!) here.

You’re welcome.

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Musique, My Likey

Whut Glamour: Bonnie Raitt!

Dear Counterpoint Records and Books,

Emily and I came by the other day to buy bargain books to fill a bookshelf and I also scored and found a Bonnie Raitt “Nick of Time” cassette tape that I played all the way to Big Bear last weekend. My parents had this CD when I was little and I remember listening to it in our first generation Ford Explorer as I was driven to the orthodontist and and into “town” to buy stuff. I feel like Bonnie Raitt is totally underrated and awesome. I haven’t listened to any of her new stuff but I love this song from “Nick of Time”:

A fun fact about Bonnie that not many people know is that she went to Harvard. Brains and big hair?!? What’s not to like? YAY!

Love,
Orlando

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Filed under Musique, My Likey

I Hurt for a Yurt

Dear Diary,

I just got back from Big Bear and next week’s Secrets makeover is lodge-inspired, so I have the great outdoors on my mind. Naturally, this reminded me of my lifelong obsession with yurts and how I secretly want to flee the city and live in the middle of the woods all by myself, screaming obscenities and anyone who accidentally wanders onto my property and cooking canned beans over a fire pit. I love how much natural light these adorable structures let in during the daytime and how warm and cozy they seem at night (editor’s note: I have never been in a yurt. Sorry!). Here are some lovely images I found of yurts. Please let them inspire you to become an insane recluse like I plan to be. YAY!

And here’s a few from the glamourous Jill Roozenboom (Secrets Consulting Producer):

Love Always,
Self

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Filed under My Likey