Inspired - Jean Randazzo

Good photography plays such a key role in capturing a designers overall vision. I love discovering and perusing photographer's sites. Jean Randazzo has a great eye. All of her compositions are beautifully composed and layered. She also has the ability to capture the luminescent qualities of natural light. I spy a number of designer's here, don't you?

Exciting news

This week has been particularly full of good news...
First, my brother - le Photographe - who took this great photo of Corto, his French bulldog, had one of his shots published on a double-page spread (!) in Focus, a Dutch photography magazine (imagine the feeling when you first see your work published in a national mag!).
Then a magazine contacted me to shoot our holidays home in France and Steve's tree house.
This morning, coming back from his run, Steve found a lovely, shabby white wardrobe which is just perfect for our newly painted lounge and on the work-front, I've been getting some really good CVs this week for these two positions. So now I'm really excited to meet everyone for the first round of interviews because I have big plans for BODIE and FOU and I can't wait to get started with a cool, enthusiastic team to make them happen!

(C) Francois Kong

Cette semaine a ete particulierement pleine de bonnes nouvelles...

Mon frere, le Photographe, qu a pris cette photo que j'adore de Corto, son bouledogue, a eu une des photos publiees sur une double-page (!) dans Focus, un magazine de photo hollandais (imaginez le feeling quand vous voyez votre travail publie pour la premiere fois dans un magazine national!).
Ensuite un magazine m'a contacte pour shooter notre maison de vacances en France et la cabane dans l'arbre de Steve.
Revenant de son footing ce matin, Steve a trouve une jolie petite armoire blanche qui est juste parfaite pour notre salon recemment repeint en blanc et cote travail, j'ai recu de tres bons CVs cette semaine pour ces deux postes. Et du coup, je suis maintenant super excitee a l'idee de rencontrer tout le monde pour la premiere serie d'entretiens parce que j'ai plein d'idees dans la tete pour BODIE and FOU et il me tarde de travailler avec une petite equipe cool et passionnee pour les mettre en place!

My home in London

My family moodboard is shaping up...

I'm getting more prints enlarged next week including this one of my brother in Barcelona and one from Christophe (Elodie's husband) pictured here. At the moment, I haven't decided if I lose the black Japanese tape on the wall (the truth is that the masking tape keeps falling off the wall and it's driving me nuts) and do something like this instead or maybe a mix.
I don't want to frame every single photo because I want to retain the informal vibe that our family home has and I like the white space between each photo so right now, I just let it sink.

The two photos were taken by Francois and were my first attempt to interior photo stylism...

Mon family moodboard commence a prendre forme...
La semaine prochaine, je recupere d'autres agrandissements dont cette photo de mon frere a Barcelone et celle de Christophe (le marie d'Elodie) que j'ai utilise ici.
Pour l'instant, je n'ai pas encore decide si je laisse tomber le rouleau de scotch japonais (la verite c'est qu'il n'arrete pas de se decoller du mur et ca me rend dingue) et je fais quelque chose comme cela a la place ou peut-etre un melange des deux.
Je ne veux pas encadrer chacune des photos parce ce que je veux creer quelque chose de relax, informel, comme l'est notre maison et j'aime bien l'espace blanc entre chaque photo donc pour l'instant, je laisse comme cela.
Les deux photos ont ete prises par Francois et etaient mes premieres tentatives au stylisme de photo...

Inspiring stylism

I've always admired the stylism and the photography of Tine K's catalogues which are beyond beautiful...I never felt the need to post about it because I'm sure you've seen each collection everywhere and anywhere on planet blog but as I'm dipping my toes into photo stylism, I just thought these were far too inspirational for not being added to my mood moard and hopefully yours....
PS:
I've enrolled to Holly's course Blogging Your Way to get better at this time-consuming but yet inspiring & addictive hobby and consequently I have made a few tweakings to my About page. If you have 2 min, I would be hugely grateful if you could read it and let me know what you think. Merci

J'ai toujours admire le stylisme et la photographie des catalogues de Tine K. Tout est au-dela du sublime...Je n'ai jamais ressenti le besoin de les poster parce que je suis sure que vous avez deja vu chaque collection de nombreuses fois sur la toile mais je commence a etudier le stylisme photo, j'ai trouve que ces shots etaient trop inspirants et beaux pour ne pas les ajouter a mon moodboard et peut-etre le votre aussi....
PS:
Je participe au cours de Holly: Blogging Your Way et du coup, j'ai apporte quelques changements a la page A propos. Si vous avez 2 min, je vous serais tres reconnaissante si vous pouviez la lire et me dire ce que vous en pensez. Merci

The following day...

Can you even begin to imagine how it would feel to win an oscar?  Often times I admire the lives of the rich and famous, although I'm not sure how happy a person can be living in a world without privacy. {maybe I could get used to it} What do you think about last night's results? It's fun, if only for a few hours to be swept away with "their" world.


 The above photograph of Faye Dunaway was taken in 1977 by photographer Terry O'Neil, Dunaway's then long time boyfriend. Dunaway is relaxing by the pool at The Beverly Hills Hotel the day after she won the oscar for best leading actress in The Network.
What do you think is running through her mind?


While I'm on the topic of Terry O'Neil, I thought I'd share, a fabulous photo of Brigitte Bardot. The first shot is the original photograph by O'Neil, below is the image blown up in a private residence! I would love to incorporate one oversized photograph by a famous photographer into my home design someday.

image: New England Home

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had an amazing time on girl's weekend in New York this past weekend, although two days is never enough. I've decided that I WILL live in NYC for at least a year at some point in my life. It may be in 20 years, but I will do it! 

I hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day! This will be my first one solo in a LONG time but I'm going to be thankful for all the love in my life; especially the sweetest of all, my children. Enjoy! 

xx, Julie

image: flickr.

Pfffuu...

Via Lotta Agaton

I'm doing anything I can to mentally escape this frigid winter and the five feet of snow outside my window. I thought I would share some random pink prettiness.

- I love everything about this photo of Jackie O. - The color scheme is very close to my daughter's room. {which I'm slowly finishing}  I also love the quality of light in this image.

- The second image is sort of the direction I am heading in for my own feminine retreat.

- Lastly, words to live by - Audrey Hepburn.

Happy Weekend.

xx, Julie

Dreaming of

Greener days! I can't wait for Spring. This image made my morning!
via: pursuitofstyle.com

warm and fuzzy

{would this not look adorable framed in a bedroom? - I'll let you know what i find}

My plan was to post something entirely different today but I awoke to a beautiful three inches of snow.  I love the power of an image. I try to begin my day on a positive note, these images certainly set the tone for me today! This time of year is so magical isn't it? {aside from the craziness}

Images: Encoreuneminute,  Martha Stewart, Pretty stuff 

I like this!

Don't you love gardlands?? I love them! Especially in Winter....Apparently it is going to snow on Monday....yippee for a white Christmas :-)

Vous aimez les guirlandes? Moi jadore! Surtout pendant l'hiver....Apparemment il va neiger a Londres Lundi....Chouette un Noel tout en blanc

Photos by Irene Suchocki

Sunday evening

I finished painting my bedroom wall. I should be feeling happy but I'm tired and a bit down. It's cold and dark outside and it's Sunday evening. I just had a chat on facebook with my best friend Manu who lives in Paris. I can't wait to see her in January. This beautiful image of Lauren Ward reminds me of her so this is for her and for all the best friends out there.

via Aubrey Road

photography inspires art...

You might have heard many times, "Oh, that photograph looks like a painting!" or "The painting is so real I thought it was a photograph."

One of Rang Decor's lovely readers Pree pointed me towards this blog, CreationS - The Essence Of Arts by Rachana Saurabh.

What a lovely surprise awaited me. Remember the post 'paint your prayers...' where I had shared photographs of little feet painted on pebbles? Well, Rachana a very talented artist has created a lovely painting inspired by that photograph!

My photograph...

Her painting...

It's wonderful to see readers get inspired by the little ideas I share here on Rang Decor and really appreciate it. Thank you!

P.S. If you have been inspired by any post on Rang Decor, do share your photographs on Rang Decor's Facebook page.

I was lost in France yesterday...

...well, lost in blogland that it. I went from one beautiful blog to another and ended up chez Labo'M* where I discovered Hipstamatic, an I-phone app that brings back the look and feel of Lomo and Polaroid...If you love photography like me and have an i-phone, you will love this app. On the contrary, if you haven't an i-phone (sorry Lau), you will probably be just really annoyed with me :-(
*Emy makes beau-ti-ful paper garlands by the way...

(C) Photos: Labo'M, handmade little cloud: Lovely vintage

Je me suis perdue sur la toile en France...Je suis allee d'un joli blog a un autre et je suis arrivee chez Labo'M* ou j'ai decouvert Hipstamatic, l'application i-phone qui permet de prendre des photos comme les appareils Lomo et Polaroid...et si vous aimez la photo comme moi et avez un i-phone, vous allez l'adorer. Par contre, si vous n'en avez pas (desole Lau), vous allez probablement just etre tres enervee apres moi, desole :-(
* Emy fait de su-per- bes guirlandes en papier d'ailleurs...

The impossible project

Last month, I received an email from Ella Sverdlov who won the Best polaroid contest organized by Blur magazine and The Impossible project. Ella told me that Polaroid always gives her a sense of peace and winning The Impossible Project encouraged her to open her Etsy shop.

Likewise, I find Polaroids calming and I don't know why but her shots of America reminds me of an old movie by Jim Jarmush

“

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery — celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.” —Jim Jarmusch, The Golden Rules of Filming

”

Please read also...Words to shoot by - a photographic collaboration

Le mois dernier, j'ai recu un email d'Ella Sverdlov, la gagnante du the Best polaroid contest organise par Blur magazine and The Impossible project. Ella me disait que photographier en Polaroid lui procurait une sorte de calme interieur et que The Impossible Project l'avait encourage a ouvrir son magazin sur Etsy.
Tout comme elle, je trouve les polaroids calmants et je ne sais pas pourquoi mais ses photos de l'Amerique me font penser a vieux film de Jim Jarmush

Because I love a transformation!

One (two) of my favorite aspects of being a designer is transforming your ideas into a reality {and of course my thrilled clients'}. Here's a recent transformation I just read about in the New York Times magazine. Photographer Rachel Hudgins {whose work is amazing btw. see below and her website for more details} downsized from an 2,000 sq foot home in L.A. to an 800 sq foot condo in New Jersey.. In order to display her artwork and photographs Rachel needed to get creative so she employed the help of  David Kassel a professional artist, installer, and owner of NYC based Ilevel. Scroll down for the before and after.

and the stairway before.....

All images: New York Times Magazine.