Author Archives: Tracey Eckersley
A Love of All Things Asian: The Freer Gallery’s Peacock Room
I tend to think of the influence of Asian art on Western design as being a recent trend but in fact it has had a significant impact for over 150 years.
Katsushika Hokusai, South Wind, Clear Sky (1830-1833)
Photo: The British Museum
In the 1860’s, Japan opened up to international trade, which provided Europe with greater access to the Ukiyo-e woodblock prints that were gaining popularity in France. The style of artists like Katsushika Hokusai was completely different from the realism found in traditional European painting at the time.
Mary Cassatt, Maternal Caress (1891)
Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Artists of the Impressionist and later movements emulated the clean lines and bold colours of the Japanese masters, as well as the scenes of everyday life and landscapes.
Vincent Van Gogh (after Eisen), La Courtisane (1887)
Photo: Hokusai Online
People in Paris and London went crazy for all things Japanese, including ceramics, bronzes, and clothing items like kimonos and fans. As interest in the East grew, so too did an interest in the art of other cultures, like China.
19th Century Dress Made from a Kimono
Photo: The Dreamtress
Perhaps the greatest example of this fascination with incorporating elements of Asian culture in 19th century design is The Peacock Room. Originally created for British shipping magnate Frederick Leyland to showcase his Chinese porcelain collection, it was redecorated in blue and gold by James McNeill Whistler in the 1870’s to reflect the patterns of Leyland’s ceramics. Whistler even installed one of his Japanisme paintings, The Princess from the Land of Porcelain, above the mantle.
The Peacock Room
Photo: Picturing AmericaMIAC
In 1908, Charles Lang Freer purchased the room and it shipped to America and installed in his house in Detroit. Like Leyland, he used the space to display his collection of Asian and Islamic ceramics.
The Peacock Room
Photo: The Freer Gallery
The room has once again been transported, this time to the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C., complete with its ceramics just as it stood in Detroit. I recently visited the Freer to view its collection of Islamic art but ended up spending almost an hour in this room. I was mesmerized by the rich gold and bluish-green colour scheme; it was both overwhelming and comforting and if I didn’t have a train to catch, I could have spent the rest of the day there taking in the many wondrous details.
The Peacock Room
Photo: Smithsonian Studio Art Blog
Since then, I have found myself a little obsessed with this space, wondering if a modernized version might be possible. Peacock blue has been a popular paint colour in recent years, and that would be the easiest fix, with added touches of gold and a few Asian accessories.
Photo: House of Turquoise via Vignette Design
If you want to go really bold, you could use vintage-style wallpaper, like this damask print.
Photo: Kaboodle
I think the Victorian horror vacui wallpaper/painting is a little much (and who can afford to have someone like Whistler come and paint their living room?) but a screen with a peacock design would help to evoke its spirit.
Photo: Whitehaven Interiors
Perhaps the easiest way to replicate the Japanisme décor of the original room is with groupings of Asian ceramics or other collectables.
Photo: Greentea Design
These don’t need to be precious antiques and in fact I think it would be far more interesting to use modern items, perhaps set on gold lacquered shelves against a bold blue background.
Photo: Greentea Design
If you are in Washington, I urge you to visit The Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery. If you can’t, you can at least take a virtual tour online. But what I would really like to see is your interpretation of this Western take on Eastern style. Have you mixed East and West in your décor?
Cocktail Culture
It’s Foodie Tuesday!
When I was a bartender in the 1980’s, cocktails were brightly coloured, syrupy-sweet concoctions finished off with a festive umbrella. It didn’t take much talent to serve drinks, unless you wanted to add some flair to your technique like Tom Cruise in the eponymous movie.
But just as food has undergone a revolution in the last few decades, so has the development of the cocktail. Bartenders are taking cues from chefs to create well-balanced libations with ingredient lists that often read like recipes from restaurants and include herbs, fruits and vegetables, and even bacon.
(Please Don’t Tell’s Benton’s Old Fashioned, Photo: Cocktail Revival)
Bars like Please Don’t Tell in New York created truly individual drinks, like the Bacon-Infused Old Fashioned. Ironically, while the flavour profiles of these cocktails are extremely modern (and follow similar food trends), many are based on pre-Prohibition era favourites, like manhattans, gimlets, and punch bowls (nothing like your mother’s punch, I promise you). And keeping with the history of these drinks, many modern cocktail bars are set up like private clubs, such as the Toronto Temperance Society (which has a $285 membership fee) or 1920’s speakeasys, hidden away from the general public.
(Bar Chef’s Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan Photo: Intelligent Bartender)
Hunting down these places is often well worth it, as much to experience the mixologists’ creations as the atmosphere. Take Bar Chef’s molecular menu, which reads like the alcoholic version of a Top Chef episode; their Vanilla Hickory Smoked Manhattan arrives under glass, the namesake smoke infusing the drink before your eyes. But craftsmanship like this comes at a price- most cocktail bars charge at least 15 dollars per drink and the aforementioned manhattan is a whopping 45 bucks!
(Photo: Atomic Books)
To recreate these artistic concoctions at home, pick up a copy of The American Cocktail which includes 50 recipes from some of the best bartenders in the country. Don’t worry, none of them involve trapping smoke under glass, though the ingredient lists can get a little long. The results are worth it though and your guests will be much more impressed than if you poured a boring old gin and tonic.
(Photo: Outblush)
Most of the recipes include spirits that are readily available in liquor stores and produce from your standard grocery store (or even better, local farmers’ market). In some cases, specialty ingredients are called for, like flavoured bitters. Fee Brothers is a popular brand with a wide assortment of flavours to enhance traditional cocktails or to create your own masterpiece. The more adventurous home-based foodie can even make homemade bitters.
(Tequila and Sage Smash, Photo: Huffington Post)
Creating cocktails like this can be an expensive proposition, so you might want to start slow by brightening the flavour of more traditional drinks with herbs. The Huffington Post provides a list of 5 herbaceous libations, including the simply delicious Tequila and Sage Smash.
(Food & Wine Cocktail App, Photo: iTunes)
Interested in keeping up with cocktail culture? Check out Imbibe, a magazine which provides the latest information on “liquid culture.” Or get Food & Wine’s new Cocktail app, which lets you search recipes by the alcohol that you have on hand or hunt down the best bars to try the latest and greatest cocktails in your area. Cheers!
Flying Cute Class: Hello Kitty Air
You would have had to been born under a rock to be unfamiliar with Hello Kitty, the adorable character created by Japan’s Sanrio in 1974.
(Photo: Limcorp)
Through brilliant marketing, the company has produced thousands of bright pink Hello Kitty objects for children and adults alike; The Design Tree’s own Nathalie Mariano recently blogged about her past and present interest in the brand’s endearingly cute products.
(Photo: AirTeamImages via Flight Global)
But the obsession has reached new heights, literally, with the introduction of Hello Kitty planes. Sanrio partnered with Taiwanese EVA Airways to launch three Hello Kitty jets in October, 2011. Obviously it has been a popular move, as a few days ago EVA announced that two more planes will be added to the fleet at the end of the month.
EVA didn’t just stick a few logos on the hulls of their aircraft; passengers can expect a full immersion in Hello Kitty world for the duration of their flight, starting with the check-in kiosks. The blinding mix of pink and bows and stars resembles the bedroom of a twelve year-old. I simply cannot imagine a businessman checking in here!
(Photo EVA Airways via Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi)
During their trip, passengers are introduced to more than 100 specially designed Hello Kitty items, ranging from luggage tags and boarding passes to soap and toilet paper in the washrooms. If this isn’t enough for you, there are also limited edition duty-free products for sale onboard.
(Photo: EVA Airways via Gumship)
For those not obsessed with pink, the cabins are actually a rather lovely, muted shade of grey. And I think the little cushions are adorable and especially welcome in a time when such amenities are disappearing from other carriers.
(Photo: EVA Airways via Greasy)
The children’s meals look delightful and the fact that such an item is available speaks in part to EVA’s target audience for this venture. I don’t travel with children, so I am torn about these flights. Will all the memorabilia keep kids entertained (and quiet) or will they run riot like they would at an amusement park?
(Photo: Popflys)
But EVA hasn’t forgotten the adults onboard. These meals (which I think are for business class) look delectable. Perhaps businessmen in the know will endure the embarrassment of check-in if this is what is waiting for them in transit!
(Photo: If It’s Hip, It’s Here)
The planes run between Taipei, Fukuoka, Narita, Sapporo, Incheon, Hong Kong, and Guam. I’ve never really been the biggest Hello Kitty fan (though I have always wanted the toaster that imprints bread with the a little smiling kitty) but if I was travelling to one of these locations and the price was right, I might give it a try just for novelty’s sake.
(Photo: Kitty Hell)
What about you? Is this a dream flight or your worst nightmare come true?
Off to the Races: Celebrating the Kentucky Derby at Home
Before I moved to Louisville, I didn’t really understand what the big deal was about the Kentucky Derby. Despite its moniker as “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” it was just a horserace, right? Wrong.
(Photo: National Geographic)
It’s a two week festival of fun, including an over-the-top fireworks display known as Thunder over Louisville, a parade, and balloon races all leading up to the big day. Surprisingly though, few locals actually attend the Derby; they go to the Oaks races the day before and let the tourists and celebrities attend the more famous (and expensive) event.
(Photo: United States Coast Guard News)
Whichever day people attend Churchill Downs, they are sure to be dressed in their southern finest. Seersucker suits for the men and big, bodacious hats for the ladies are de rigueur.
(Photo: Elizabeth Anne Designs)
This might be the only occasion where the accessory is more important than the outfit. Like many women, when I attended I bought my hat first and then found a dress to match.
(Photo: The Wife Hates Sports)
Those who don’t go to the track still get dressed up for elaborate Derby parties. That’s what I am going to do this May 5th and with these tips you can too.
(Photo: Style Handler)
Ask your guests to dress up. Although people not connected to Britain’s royal family might not have a hat collection, this doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Great pieces can be found at vintage stores or you can dress up inexpensive straw hats with trimmings to your own taste. To encourage creativity, offer a prize for the most creative headwear.
(Photo: Naples News)
Serve Southern staples. The official drink of the Kentucky Derby is the mint julep, a syrupy-sweet mixture of bourbon, crushed mint, and sugar. These are traditionally served in silver julep cups but any glass will do. Just make sure to drink them slowly, as the sweetness masks their potency.
(Photo: Sports Interaction)
Southerners like to put out a spread, and traditional favourites include Benedictine, a delicious mix of cucumbers and cream cheese, and pimento cheese, a fiery blend of cheeses. Both work well as dips for crudité or crackers and also make excellent fillings for dainty tea sandwiches.
(Photo: Huffington Post)
Dessert has to include Derby pie, similar to pecan pie but with the addition of bourbon and chocolate chips. This treat is actually trademarked by Kern’s Kitchens, Inc. and can be ordered online but a more party-friendly version recipe can be found at The Kitchn in the form of bars.
(Photo: The Kitchn)
Another great derby treat are bourbon balls. Just keep this candy away from the kids-they really pack an alcoholic punch!
(Photo: My Own Sweet Thyme)
But don’t get so distracted by the food that you forget the race (it is only two minutes long after all)! Set up a betting pool for your guests so that they can feel like they are at the track. You can use real money and split the cash amongst the winners or bust out the Monopoly bills and offer up fun prizes instead (bourbon has always been a popular one with my guests).
(Photo: ESPN Front Row)
Most travel guides list the Kentucky Derby as one of those “things to do before you die” activities. But if you can’t make it down to Louisville, you can still have this thrilling Southern experience at home.
Secret Spaces
I spent much of my childhood reading Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie mysteries, dreaming of living in a stately English manor filled with secret passageways hidden behind library shelves and fireplaces. That fantasy has given way to a slightly more practical aesthetic but I still yearn for a home with a few cool clandestine spaces.
(Photo: O Hello Friend)
Everyone wants to conceal their messy bedrooms from guests, so why not go all the way and really hide the bedroom? Replacing the door with a swinging bookcase is a win-win solution: the bedroom becomes a truly private oasis and the door provides a place to display that murder mystery collection.
(Photo: Dornob)
I’ve seen Murphy beds before but never a Murphy library. This is a perfect way to create separate zones in a studio apartment without taking up valuable floor space.
(Photo: Apartment Therapy)
This closet-office is another (and super-cute) way to create a second “room” that can be hidden on a whim. However, I can’t imagine having an “extra” closet to devote to this project!
(Photo: My Home Ideas: Cottage Living)
I love kitchens with open storage but am not enough of a neatnik to pull it off in my own home. The owners of this house used a door from an old bank safe to hide the pantry and create a cool, vintage vibe.
(Photo: The Kitchn)
Looking for even more kitchen space? Think down. This trap door covers an impressive wine cellar that is sure to make oenophiles drool, though I wouldn’t want to climb these stairs after indulging in a few glasses.
(Photo: The Kitchn)
In my small condo, staircases take up about a quarter of the square footage without providing much of a wow factor. But imagine if each one opened to reveal a secret hidey hole, like something out of a James Bond movie. And I would finally have a place to store my off-season clothing!
(Photo: Pinterest)
As to my childhood dream of secret passageways behind bookshelves, this is about as close as it gets in modern design: the owners of this Portland home hid their stairs between two elegantly curved bookcases, helping to focus the eye on their impressive library and not the utilitarian passageway inside.
(Photo: Ready Made)
I may never live in English manor but at least I know that a secret space isn’t completely out of the question in my future.
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