What's so great about Gatsby?

If you're anything like me, you've been perseverating thoughts of glamour from the 1930's lately due to the latest incarnation of The Great Gatsby. That's right, I'm hooked and there are a few reasons for why: First of all, Baz Lurman. duh. Secondly, an epic tale of unrequited love (I'm very familiar with this concept). Last but not least, I've always had an obsession with the interior stylings and architectural details of the early art deco period.

 

Naturally, I had my tickets to see Leo- I mean the film, opening night in the theater. Before I go into my usual rant, let me take you on a little adventure and describe to you what it's like to see a movie with me. I come prepared: we're stopping at CVS before to stock up on high-calorie provisions and stuffing them into my "movie theater sweatshirt". After getting comfortable in our seats I like to talk about every preview that shows before the feature presentation stating whether or not I think it will be "really good" or "meh", you know because I'm a seasoned film critic with a very sophisticated cinematic palate (see my review of the classic south American feature Rio). Anyways, I usually spend my time picking out things that have nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. For example, in the latest Oz film, who wasn't thinking about Mila Kunis's floppy red hat the whole time? The night usually ends with me dissecting a film to a point I have n business going to, but it makes me feel good.

 

In the case of Gatsby, my design dreams were coming true before my very eyes. The decadent details of the Deco period were magnificently replicated and got me thinking: how would one tastefully compose a Deco inspired living space that doesn't come off as tacky or dated? To answer this question, I think you should know a little bit about what Deco actually is. Many people are confined to the South Beach style of Art Deco. It's not all pastels, though. Art Deco actually started in France during the 1920's and went through a few incarnations over the next 30 years or so. It started off as the ever-opulent styles we saw in Gatsby, and slowly morphed into the neon and chrome version that Miami is known for.

 

Now the question is, how can we get the Great Gatsby look in our own spaces, without making our loved ones think we've gone off the deep end? Lucky for you, I went shopping for vintage pieces online and found a collection, both old and new, that will give you a modern-Gatsby look. Items like the ones I'm showing you can absolutely be found at your local antique stores, estate sales or auctions.

 

Here are a few key elements to look for when trying to put a tasteful, Deco spin on things:
1.Geometry. No, I'm not talking about your favorite high school math class. Art Deco was all about geometry and repeating patterns, both hard and soft.

2. Animal prints. Personally, I never need an excuse to use prints, but I can understand your trepidation. Both prints and animals themselves were a huge part of Art Deco décor and design. leopard, giraffe and zebra are just a few of the options you have to choose from. Did you see that leopard chaise? Did you die? You did.

3. Heavy Metal. keeping your scheme within a metallic color story will have your space screaming with deco delight. Black, gold, silver and white have the starring roles here, with supporting players like blush pinks and dusty khakis. Also, don't be afraid to find pieces with chrome accents. think streamlined.

4. Girls Girls Girls. This period of design really embraced the female form. everything from lamps to artwork showcased the most luxurious ladies wearing your fantasy wardrobe. this is a really fin way to infuse some vintage flare in an unexpected way.

The day after my trip to the theater resulted in this sketch above, of a fantasy Gatsby-inspired living room. The 19' high ceiling may be a stretch, but who doesn't love a good work of fiction?

 

homeboy.

Mini Blog: So... I bought a sofa.

Apparently I was living in an alternate universe. Somewhere in the deep recesses of my brain I somehow justified the purchase of a stark white sofa. Don't get me wrong, the thought of a crisp, white sofa nestled amongst the trappings of a stylish, urban apartment is mouthwatering to me, as a designer. Then reality took her glove off and smacked me in the face. My love of dogs and wine quickly shattered the fragile, lacey dream of an ivory multi-seater. Sofas go through a lot: guests, spills, you know... college. Think about all of the questionable things your sofa has seen over the years, including an up close view of your ass, your mom's ass, that random guy's ass and whatever other ass has passed through your place.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to stop subjecting my seating to the atrocities of life as a twenty-something (and yes, I am still a twenty-something). I came to said conclusion while standing in front of my white sofa last week and having an inner battle as to whether or not I actually wanted to sit on it. You see, my white, [semi]virginal sofa has tolerated things like this:

 

An infinite amount of stains, whose origins are totally untraceable, now mark her from head to toe as well as a previous cushion dismemberment thanks to one of my beloved four legged children, white sofa's days were numbered, and I knew it.

So.... I bought a sofa. Meet Henry. Dove Grey, performance velvet, mid- century realness.



 

My 3 tips before making such a purpose:

1. Scale- Make sure it fits. You really want to make sure it's not too big, or too small. Oh, and make sure you can get it up the stairs and through the front door.

2. Function- Select an upholstery that will suit your lifestyle. Henry is a "performance velvet", which is a fancy term for polyester. make sure the upholstery you select will clean and wear well. you'll thank me later.

3. Maintenance- First thing I did after carrying Henry over the threshold? Scotch Guarded the shit out of him. Preventative measures, homies.

Homeboy.