Cinema Style

It's All Good with Gwyneth

2013-05-19T08:48:00.004-05:00

Many call Gwyneth Paltrow the next Martha and given the popularity of her blog Goop (an enormously entertaining blog by the way), the actress turned lifestyle guru is certainly on her way. Her latest entry in making our lives better? Her new cookbook It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great (Grand Central Life and Style, 2013). After a bout with anemia and vitamin D deficiency coupled with her father's death to cancer, Paltrow followed her doctor's guidelines and began a healthy regimen of eating. The result is basically a low-carb, dairy and gluten free diet filled with vegan cookies, Banana ice cream, Salmon Burgers with Pickled Ginger, and Hummus Tartine with Scallion-Mint Pesto as outlined in her book. No coffee, no eggs, no sugar, no wheat, no meat, no soy, nothing processed (and no fun -- fortunately I didn't see Diet Coke mentioned, whew:)). Like all recipe/diet books, there is something for everyone -- just make sure discipline is in your vocabulary.

Paltrow's kitchen as seen in the pages of Elle Decor

Grilled Salmon with Grilled Lemon Vinaigrette

4 6 oz. fillets of salmon
2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 fl oz for the vinaigrette
Coarse sea salt
2 lemons, halved
2 T finely chopped flat-leaf parlsey
2 T finely sliced chives
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Coat the fish with 2 T of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Grill until from to the touch and nicely browned, about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Be sure to grill the lemons at the same time for the vinaigrette! Grill them alongside the salmon, cut side down, until they're softened and just beginning to char.
Transfer the salmon to a serving platter and let it rest while you prepare the vinaigrette. Squeeze the grilled lemons into a bowl (they should yield about 3 fl. oz. of smoky, slightly sweet juice. Whisk in the 4 fl oz olive oil, stir in the herbs and season to taste with sale and pepper. pout the vinaigrette over the salmon and serve immediately.

Photo Credits: Ditte Isager

Costuming Gatsby

2013-05-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Costuming The Great Gatsby was no easy feat. Academy Award winning costume designer Catherine Martin created 1700 daytime and evening costumes (that computes to 500 a day) for the cast that ranged from spectator shoes and Princeton style straw hats to tuxedos and flapper frocks. Martin collaborated with designer Miuccia Prada who reinterpreted forty classics. while the venerable menswear institution Brooks Brothers (around in writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's day) were a natural to work with CM on more than 500 men's Ivy League ensembles. Tiffany and Co. also got in on the act, designing a Jazz Age Glamour collection complete with a 200,000 Savoy diamond headpiece to a 50,000 Daisy white diamond brooch.

If you haven't overdosed on Gatsby-mania just yet, be sure to see the film when it opens this Friday, May 10th. And if you live in Los Angeles, check out Martin's costume exhibit at the Century Guild. And also check out my piece on the costumes in The Hollywood Reporter here.

Leo DiCaprio as the mysterious Jay Gatsby

DiCaprio with Carey Mulligan as Daisy and Joel Edgerton as husband Tom Buchanan

Catherine Martin at Gatsby exhibit

Daisy's wedding gown

A Miu Miu flapper dress from designer Miuccia Prada

One of Prada's 40 sketches for the film. Shown above is sketch of flapper dress for Daisy

Alpine sweater from Brooks Brothers worn by Tobey Maguire and available for $148

Boater from Brooks Brothers

Ring of Pave diamonds and center diamond of 5.25 carats
from Tiffany & Co.'s Great Gatsby Collection

Tiffany bangle with fan motif.

Photo Credits: Warner Brothers, Brooks Brothers, Fashionista, Tiffany and Co., Hollywood Reporter

Designing the World of Gatsby

2013-05-04T19:29:00.002-05:00

The life of the elusive, enigmatic fictional millionaire Jay Gatsby is portrayed once again (maybe fourth time is the charm) on the silver screen May 10th. This time around filmmaker Baz Lurhmann tackles F. Scott Fitzgerald's beloved twenties novel of life in the Jazz Age and Roaring Twenties set against an opulent Art Deco and hip hop music backdrop -- and all in 3-D.

Collaborating with costume designer/production designer and wife Catherine Martin, the film is set in the tony old and new moneyed worlds of Long Island Sound's fictional East and West Egg via the duo's homeland of Sydney. The Academy Award winning designer took her cues from the Garbo films of the twenties and the work of interior designer Syrie Maugham as inspiration for the film's designs. And since noveau riche was the order of the day, opulence translated into lots of gilt and gold for the Gatsby mansion that represented the majority of the 43 sets constructed in fourteen days. For more on the Gatsby sets, read my article in the Hollywood Reporter here.

Besides designing the sets and costumes (next post), Martin has her own home line aptly called Catherine Martin Home. Several of her rug designs in collaboration with Designer Rugs (the Art Deco line is out June 6th) and moderne style fabrics with Mokum are seen in the film.

Grand foyer of Gatsby's mansion

Gatsby's balcony

Gatsby's grand stairway

Costume and production designer Catherine "CM" Martin

Catherine Martin for Mokum - Great Gatsby inspired Art Deco interior

Black Pearl Rug

Garden Party Rug

Night Bird Rug

Catherine Martin's Mokum Moderne Rivoli collection of fabrics as used in Gatsby - available at Holly Hunt in USA

Many design companies have jumped on the Gatsby bandwagon with Deco infused designs on everything from faucets to light fixtures. A few of my personal favorites are below:

Harlow ceiling fixture by Corbett Lighting. Available as a pendant or single/double wall sconce
in sleek stainless steel with crystal accents. Love this!

Nothing says Art Deco like French design legend Jean-Michel Frank.
Shown above is the burnished wood screen Grand Paravent, Vers circa 1925.

With its modern lines, Graff's Fontaine lavatory faucet
would have fit in nicely at the Gatsby manse.

Photo Credits: Hollywood Reporter, Warner Brothers, Catherine Martin Home, Designer Rugs, Mokum, Graff, Corbett Lighting

The Big Wedding

2013-04-26T12:14:00.001-05:00

Take a long divorced couple (Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton) who pretends to be married for the sake of their adopted son's mother, throw in the angry live-in girlfriend (Susan Sarandon), add Robin Williams as the priest for good measure and you have the plot for the upcoming film The Big Wedding which hits theaters Friday, April 26th. The all star ensemble cast also stars Katherine Heigl and Topher Grace along with Amanda Seyfried and Ben Barnes as the wedding couple.

Production designer Andrew Jackness and set decorator David Schlesinger shot the majority of the film on location in a charming shingle style house in Greenwich, Connecticut that required enough space for the large cast, film crew and a large back yard for the wedding tent. The designers fortunately found a couple who spent their summers away and agreed to let their house be used for the film.

For more on the sets, ready my article in Elle Decor here.

DeNiro and Keaton

American antiques and oversized furnishings were rented from Connecticut antique shops and the color palette was primarily neutral with accents of blue

Jackness used lavender, pink and white for the wedding tables and centerpieces

Photo Credits: Barry Wetcher/Lionsgate

All the President's Men Revisited

2013-04-20T09:09:00.002-05:00

"The newspaper business is really very concerned about its image. I talked to one reporter and his first reaction was that (All the President's Men) would open with Ray Bolger dancing his way into the newsroom." -- Robert Redford, Star and Co-Producer

It's hard to believe it's been 36 years since the Academy Award winning political thriller All the President's Men debuted. Based on Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's best selling novel on the Watergate scandal and the eventual downfall of the Nixon presidency, the 1976 film remains a classic.

This Sunday April 21st stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman revisit their roles as the young reporters on the special aptly titled All the President's Men Revisited. The special shows never before seen archival footage with interviews from the cast, the original reporters, Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow and others.

The film won four Oscars including one for Best Art Direction. A study in authenticity, the late production designer George Jenkins (Best Years of Their Lives) and his team spent a week at the Washington Post headquarters studying every detail of the building. Paint colors were matched to the original desks, artwork, posters and phone book covers were copied and even a brick was taken from the exterior of the building for duplication in fiberglass. And in a case of true Hollywood excess, the reporter's trash was shipped back to the soundstage at Burbank Studios and used for the office scenes. Co-producer Walter Coblenz summed it up best," I can't tell you how important (accuracy) is to us. I've got a list of props correct to the smallest detail. Why, we're making replicas of phone books that don't even exist any more!"

All the President's Men Revisited will air on The Discovery Channel 8/7 central. Let's hope we never have to revisit those days in real time again.

Redford as reporter Carl Woodward

Redford with Dustin Hoffman as reporter Carl Bernstein

The Washington Post's newsroom at 1150 15th Street NW via a soundstage in Burbank

Photo Credits: Warner Brothers

For the Love of Lilly

2013-04-12T17:06:00.001-05:00

Several great women passed away this week and fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau was one of them. Famous for her tropical print dresses that were born out of necessity (the story goes she opened a juice stand and needed clothing that wouldn't show the grapefruit stains), "Lillys" became the rage from Palm Beach to Hamptons and everywhere in between. The year was 1959 and a simple pink and green shift dress sold for $22.00. Five decades later and $100 million in annual net sales, the line lives on. Yes, an empire literally began with a juice stand and this was one heiress who was not a lady who lunched.

The Palm Beach Princess in the sixties....

and in later years.

While her vividly colorful frocks may not be for everyone, here are a few notable celebs in their Lillys....

Actress Brooke Shields at Lilly store

Ever the trendsetter, Jackie Kennedy (shown with family in Hyannisport) put Lilly on the map

Kristen Davis on set as Charlotte in Sex and the City

Rose and Kathleen Kennedy

"The View" host Elizabeth Hasselbeck

Tennis star Serena Williams in a halter Lilly

Suri Cruise with her famous dad Tom

One of my favorite Lilly designs were the keyhole patio dresses

Photo Credits: Cecil Sloughton/The White House via JFK Presidential Library and Museum, PRNewsfoto, Lilly Pulitzer, Getty Images

The Mad Men Library

2013-04-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

In honor of the season six premiere of Mad Men, Cinema Style takes a look at some of the books (official and unofficial) on what is perhaps the best period drama in tv history. Course that is just my opinion but pretty sure the show's three million viewers will agree.

Sterling's Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man
Roger Sterling
Grove Press

Next to Don Draper, Roger Sterling (played brilliantly by John Slattery) is the best character on the show. Fans will recall his character writing his memoir last season and now fiction comes to life. Who can ever forget "Bazooka Joe"? I will leave that one alone. A few of the more memorable Sterlingisms:

"Look, we've got Oysters Rockefellar. Beef Wellington! Napoleans! If we leave this lunch alone it will take over Europe."

"Who knows why people in history do things? For all we know, Jesus was trying to get the fishes and loaves account."

"They say once you start drinking alone you are an alcoholic. I'm really trying to avoid that."

"Remember when God closes a door he opens a dress."

"She died like she lived -- surrounded by the people she answered phones for."

Mad Men: The Illustrated World

Dyna Moe

Perigee

A campy, kitchsy look at the world of Mad Men from Sally Draper's cocktail menu recipes to a step by step instruction on how to design the perfect bouffant and all beautifully illustrated.

The Fashion File
Janie Bryant
Grand Central Life and Style

One of the most talked about aspects of Mad Men are the costumes so it's a natural that the show's designer wrote a book. Fashion File: Advice, Tips and Inspiration From the Costume Designer of Mad Men is just that. From Joanie's voluptuously curved dresses to Betty's sheaths, Janie Bryant has done a spectacular job in creating sixties fashions we want to wear now.

Mad Men after hours Soundtrack
David Carbonara

Mad Men after hours is a great compilation of the original music from the series and perfect background noise for cocktail hour. And yes, the show's theme song "A Beautiful Mine" leads off the CD.

If you find yourself racing to Itunes after the show is over looking for the name of a certain song, you might like Mad Men: Music From the Series. Jack Jones's Wives and Lovers, Julie London's Fly Me to the Moon and Vic Damone's On the Street Where You Live are just a few of the numbers. Just don't expect to find Zou Bisou Bisou -- I am thinking a lobotomy can't remove that song from my head.

Season Six two hour premiere is Sunday, April 7th at 8 pm central. Look for lots of sideburns, a trimmed down Betty and the answer to last season's cliffhanger when Don is asked by a pretty girl in a bar, "Are you alone?" The season also ended with Roger's acid trip, Lane's suicide by hanging, Megan pursuing an acting career, Joan kicking out her rapist doctor husband, Pete's affair and Sally entered womanhood.

Photo Credits: AMC, Perigee, Grand Central, Grove Press

The Stars Are Out on Pinterest

2013-03-30T20:07:00.000-05:00

Since the website's inception in 2009, millions have become addicted to the process of creating a collage via the phenomenon known as Pinterest. Chances are that you too have
"pinned" and organized some of your favorite images ranging from favorite quotes and recipes to home decor and fashion -- and you are not alone as the stars are out on Pinterest:

Ryan Seacrest
http://pinterest.com/ryanseacrest

Producer, American Idol television and radio host Ryan Seacrest is everywhere these days so it stands to reason he would be a prominent fixture on Pinterest. A perennial trend hunter, his boards are on the cutting edge of what's new in technology, music and fashion wise -- and he even dedicates a board to the grilled cheese sandwich:) Be sure and check out his board "What the future holds."

Katherine Heigl
http://pinterest.com/katieheigl

A look on the board of Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl tells you all you want to know about her psyche, home life and style. Who knew Pinterest could become such a psychological profile?! Of particular interest are the boards "For My Girls" and "Styles I Love."

Loved this "just tall enough for orchids" stand

Martha Stewart
http://pinterest.com/marthastewart

You might know Martha Stewart would have the most instructional and inspirational Pinterest site. Besides the expected food, organization, decor and wedding boards, be sure to take a look at "My Look Book" for a peak into her past, photo-wise that is.

Katie Couric

https://pinterest.com/katiecouric

Daytime talk show host Katie Couric has an insightful set of pinterest boards from "People I Admire" to "Best Advice Contributors." Not sure what to make of her "I Heart Bacon" board though....beer candied bacon for Super Bowl Sunday?

Demi Moore

http://pinterest.com/mrskutcher

You can tell that actress Demi Moore aka Mrs. Kutcher's has an incredible eye for design based on her pinterest "Furniture and Fixture" boards (she really loves lighting!). Her bucket list is pretty insightful too...Wonder why she is still going by Mrs. Kutcher though?

Happy Pinning and Happy Easter!

Photo Credits: Pinterest

The Celebrity Hotelier

2013-03-18T21:09:00.002-05:00

While they may not be booking a room upgrade or comping you a round of free drinks, there is a certainly a growing trend of high profile celebrities as hotel owners. Since A-listers are well accustomed to the comforts of a top notch concierge and five-star luxury, it makes for a natural marriage as well as a smart business investment and let's face it, celebrity sells.

From a beachside cottage to a rainforest retreat, here are a few destinations of interest:

Ariel Sands
Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Situated on 14 acres on the south shore of Bermuda, Ariel Sands offers beachside cottages with ocean views and infinity plunge pools. The original Ariel Sands Beach Club closed in 2008 and currently under redevelopment as a five-star condo-hotel resort. Douglas is no stranger to Bermuda as he and wife Catherine have an island home there and the property has been in his family since 1954 (his mother Diana Dill Douglas was born there). For more on the Douglas retreat, see Architectural Digest.

The Bedford Post Inn
Richard Gere and Carey Lowell

The quaint eight room luxury inn set in the heart of Bedford, New York is a real find -- and just forty five minutes from Manhattan. Owned by actor Richard Gere and wife Carey Lowell, the historic Bedford Post Inn dates back to the 1860s with all the charm of the past and modern designs of the present. Locals and guests alike love the informal dining at both the Farmhouse and the Barn and classes at the Yoga Loft are the perfect place to de-stress. You can also read more on Gere as hotelier in my piece for Celebrated Living.

Gere and Lowell

Coppola Resorts
Francis Ford Coppola

Director, screenwriter, producer, restauranteur and winemaker are just a few of the many accomplishments of Francis Ford Coppola so it stands to reason that his lifestyle brand would be next. Francis Ford Coppola Presents includes four luxury retreats that include the Blancaneux Lodge and Turtle Inn in Belize, La Lancha in Guatemala, Jardin Escondido in Buenos Aires and my personal favorite (and fit for a consigliere), the Palazzo Margherita in Bernalda, Italy. Each resort has its own theme and personality, one more magical than the next. Located in the Maya mountains, the twenty room Blancaneux was once the Coppola family retreat while the Italian country style rooms of the Palazzo Margherita is an antique lovers delight. For more on Coppola's properties, see the website here.

The garden suites of Palazzo Margherita above and below

Secrets Aura Cozumel
Rafa Nadal

International tennis superstar and 11 time Grand Slam champion Rafael "Rafa" Nadal calls Cozumel his second home, falling in love with the Mexican beach resort and diving town after a visit several years ago. He is now part owner of Secrets Aura Cozumel (he recently entered a partnership with AMResorts) and its sister neighboring resort Sunscape Sabor Cozumel. Located just twelve miles off the Yucatan Peninsula, guests can literally swim up to the contemporary designed luxury suites and yes, there are tennis courts. (I spent several days last month covering the tennis star for an upcoming feature and the all-inclusive resort is wonderful).

Nadal at recent press conference for the resort

Cypress Inn
Doris Day

What better place to take a vacay with your four-legged friends than the Cypress Inn. Actress, animal activist and longtime resident of Carmel owns the 44 room boutique inn filled with dog and cat friendly extras. Built in 1929, the inn is filled with Old World charm and Day's film posters line the walls. Don't miss the Yappy Hour at the Inn's Terry Lounge (named after Day's son Terry Melcher) and sip vintage drinks named after Kirk Douglas, Ronald Reagan and Cary Grant. And it's just walking distance to the beach.

Sadie at the Cypress Inn

Doris Day

Greenwich Hotel
Robert De Niro

Oscar winning actor Robert De Niro opened the boutique Greenwich Hotel in 2008, a haven for celebrities far from the lens of the paparazzi in his neighborhood Tribeca. You can book one of the 88 rooms and pretty much be assured of a Hudson River view or if you are really well-heeled, opt for the two-bedroom penthouse with its floor to ceiling windows. Or just book a treatment at the Japanese spa in the basement, constructed by craftsman with nary a nail. Just don't expect to run into "Bobby" in the lobby.

Photo Credits: AMResorts, Cypress Inn, Ariel Sands, Coppola Resorts, Bedford Post Inn, Greenwich Hotel.

The Edwardian World of Parade's End

2013-02-25T10:24:00.001-06:00

Just in time to cure the void left by the ending of Downton Abbey's season three comes HBO's latest miniseries Parade's End. Based on author Ford Maddox Ford's compilation of four novels, the tetralogy is considered by many to be the best of the twentieth century.

Set in the waning days of the Edwardian England and on the cusp of World War One, Parade’s End follows the saga of Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch), a repressed aristocrat caught between the perils of a loveless marriage with cruel socialite wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) and the unrequited love of Valentine, a young suffragette (Adelaide Clemens). The series also stars British actors Rupert Everett and Miranda Richardson.

Various locations in Brussels became a stand-in for England

Designed by Academy Award winning production designer Martin Childs (Shakespeare in Love), the British period drama debuts in five parts airing Tuesday, February 26th, 27th and 28th. Don't miss this one!

For more on Parade's End, see my piece in Architectural Digest here.

Rebecca Hall as socialite Sylvia

Photo Credits: Nick Briggs/HBO

The Oscar Poster

2013-02-24T10:34:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things to collect are the annual Oscar posters from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This year's poster commemorates Oscar's 85th birthday and based on Gjon Mili's 1949 Life Magazine photographs of Pablo Picasso. Featuring 85 statuettes inspired by the Best Picture winners from 1927-2012, you can purchase the one-of-a-kind poster here. My favorite poster (framed and hanging in my powder room) is the one below of Julie Andrews with her Oscar and famous movie quotes inspired the poster for 2007. Happy Oscar Sunday!

Photo credits: AMPAS

For Your Consideration

2013-02-19T19:30:00.000-06:00

This Sunday, February 24th marks the 85th Annual Academy Awards and of course, one of the many awards I look forward to are those in the Best Art Direction category. From the fantasy worlds of Pi and Baggins to the period interiors of Russia, France and the Lincoln White House, they represent the best in set designs for 2012. For a quick tour, see my article in Architectural Digest here.

Architectural Digest will also host the Oscar Greenroom, the ubiquitous spot where winners, nominees and presenters go to relax in between awards. Designed this year by AD100 designer Madeline Stuart, the Art Deco inspired room pays homage to the legendary trend-setting art director Cedric Gibbons who was considered one of the most influential men in film. During his 32 year tenure at MGM, he oversaw 150 productions including Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz (he is actually credited on 1500 films) and was responsible for the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles of films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Married to the very glamorous actress Dolores Del Rio, one of his most famous creations was the design of the Oscar statuette. You can read more of writer Mitch Owen's piece here.

Ian Espinoza rendering of Madeline Stuart's designs for the Oscar Greenroom

Dolores Del Rio and Cedric Gibbons at their home in the Santa Monica Mountains

Happy Oscar week! It's Hollywood's Super Bowl and Fashion Week all rolled into one. And personally, I can't wait until the Bond Tribute and songs by Shirley Bassey.

Photo Credits: MGM, Focus Features, Madeline Stuart/Architectural Digest

Before and After with Bethenny Frankel

2013-01-28T19:26:00.000-06:00

Fans of Bravo's Bethenny Ever After television show will no doubt recognize the remodel of her TriBeCa loft in the pages of this month's Traditional Home magazine The reality star turned Skinny Girl mogul teamed with the Manhattan interior design firm Gomez and Associates (that would be mom Mariette and daughter Brooke) and the design process was chronicled weekly on the series.

I spent the day at Bethenny's 3400 square foot loft last fall working on the story and fell in love with the work of "The Gomez Girls" (as she affectionately calls them). The serene cream and beige toned living room mixed with pops of Bethenny's signature orange - red (a Skinny Girl branding color) was the perfect backdrop for the homeowner's family and professional life. I particularly loved her office as every square inch is a model of efficiency and the walk in closet (complete with a collection of coveted Birkin and Manolos) was seriously to die for. Furnishings from the Mariette Himes Gomez line at Hickory Chair mixed easily with Bethenny's finds from Mitchell Gold and Restoration Hardware along with a favorite Target item -- a bicycle she scored bright and early at the standing-room-only Missoni sale.

You can read my story here or pick up the extended version on the newsstands. And yes, Cookie the dog and daughter Bryn were adorable.

The den turned master closet

The epicenter of the apartment: SkinnyGirl headquarters

The open plan dining and living room

Hickory Chair Porter Divan as seen above

Photo Credits: Joe Standart/Traditional Home

Hyde Park Style

2013-01-13T09:29:00.002-06:00

One of the best films of the year (in my humble opinion - sadly the Oscar voters did not thinks so) was Hyde Park on Hudson, a beautifully designed and costumed biopic about one of history's most beloved leaders Franklin Roosevelt. Played impeccably by Bill Murray, the story centers around the weekend visit of the King and Queen of England at the family home in the idyllic countryside of upstate New York. War with Germany was knocking on the door as the Royals -- who were the first of their ilk to visit America -- were seeking help from the United States. FDR manages to mix business and hospitality during their stay with plenty of extra-curricular activities that include his love affair with fifth cousin Margaret aka "Daisy" Suckley among others.

Bill Murray/FDR

Roosevelt (Bill Murray) greets the King and Queen
(Samuel West and Olivia Colman) at Hyde Park

The original Royals and Roosevelts...

and the film version

Laura Linney as Daisy

The real Hyde Park (Springwood) now a national historic site and open to the public....

]

and the entrance to the Hollywood version.

British production designer Simon Bowles created the 1939 interiors complete with balustrades, flags and a gravel driveway on a Georgian property in London. Bowles took his cues from a visit to the original Hyde Park filled with artwork, porcelain collections, chintz furniture and elaborate draperies. Above is FDR's library where much of the film's activities take place.

As always, research played an integral role and fortunately, there was a wealth of material on the famed President and his life beginning with a 1939 copy of Life Magazine on the decor. Bowles even took great pains to recreate the president's oak wheelchair, right down to the exact placement of screws and bolts along with his collection of handmade stuffed birds and of course, his stamp collection.

Research material: 1939 copy of Life Magazine with
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the cover provided insights on the interiors of Hyde Park

The design technique of the time - one singular fabric
is used for the furnishings and draperies - was employed in the living room.

Queen Elizabeth seemed to wince at her blue and white toile wallpapered guest room...

While the King had a pink and white toile guest room.
And nothing says welcome like the portable bar on the bed

The scene of the dinner party for the Royals

Bowles brought vintage microphones from the US for FDR's infamous radio "Fireside Chats"

FDR's wheelchair was fashioned from a kitchen chair

Photo Credits: Simon Bowles/Focus Features

And the envelope will soon go to....

2013-01-10T09:17:00.004-06:00

The 2013 Academy Award nominations were announced this morning and two of my favorite style categories are always of interest. Here are the nominees for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design -- congrats to all!

Best Costume Design

Anna Karenina

Jacqueline Durran

Lincoln

Joanna Johnston

Mirror Mirror

Eiko Ishioka

Les Miserables

Paco Delgado

Snow White and the Huntsman

Colleen Atwood

Best Art Direction

Anna Karenina

Sarah Greenwood, Production Designer

Katie Spencer, Set Decoration

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Dan Hennah, Production Design

Ra Vincent and Simon Bright, Set Decoration

Les Miserables

Eve Stewart, Production Design

Anna Lynch-Robinson

Life Of Pi

David Gropman, Production Design

Anna Pinnock, Set Decoration

Lincoln

Rick Carter, Production Design

Jim Erickson, Set Decoration

The Academy Awards will air Sunday, February 24th. Until then, get your awards and red carpet fix this Sunday, January 13th and watch the Golden Globes.

Photo Credits: Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Focus Features, Warner Brothers, Disney

All Things Abbey

2013-01-05T16:48:00.002-06:00

Multiply the phrase "highly anticipated" times ten and you have the euphoria centered around season three of the global phenomenon known as Downton Abbey. Premiering Sunday, January 6th at 9:00 PM/ET, look for fortunes lost, love triangles below the stairs, a possible wedding and pregnancy? and more squabbles over the proper ladle to use in the soup terrine as the fate of poor Mr. Bates hangs in the balance (no pun intended). 11 million viewers in over 100 countries and counting will no doubt be tuning in.

Perhaps the most exciting discovery is the arrival of veteran Oscar winning actress Shirley MacLaine (wonder who she channelled at the 400- year - old Highclere Castle?) who plays American socialite Martha Levinson and mother of Lady Cora (Elizabeth McGovern). MacLaine has already reported a "supernatural energy" from the effects of King Tut (who I always said died for tourism) whose tomb was once stored in the castle. At any rate, fireworks with viewer favorite Maggie Smith (Dowager Countess of Grantham) as the other rambunctious wise cracking mother in law.

MacLaine reported that the pictures actually
fell off the wall of haunted Highclere

Shirley MacLaine makes her arrival to Downton
and with her, ushering in a new age (again, no pun intended)

Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley aka The Dowager

I caught up with production designer Donal Woods over the Christmas holiday who informed me they are hard at work on Season Four as we speak. (Fingers crossed that the media reports of Dan Stevens (Mathew Crawley) not returning are untrue). For more on look of the interiors and my interview with Woods, see Designing Downton Abbey in Traditional Home .

And if the show leaves you wanting for more, get your fix on great posh period interiors from classics such as Remains of the Day and Gosford Park (two other films that dealt with the upstairs - downstairs theme of master and servant) to Howard's End, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre in The Castles and Manors of Cinema's Greatest Period Films in Architectural Digest.

Production designer Stephen Altman used a historical consultant to make
the period perfect interiors accurate yet comfortable and livable.

For a behind the scenes look at both the historical perspective and making of Downton Abbey, I highly recommend the illustrated book The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era (St. Martin's Press) with a foreword by creator Julian Fellowes. Each character has their own chapter with lots of never before seen photographs -- its the perfect primer to the show and available here on Amazon.

Happy viewing and cheers to a wonderful 2013!

Photo Credits: Moviestore Collection Ltd./Alamy, Carnival Film and Television Ltd., St. Martin's Press, USA Films.

Designing the 19th Century World of Les Miz

2012-12-22T09:42:00.002-06:00

Avid film lovers will get an extra gift in their stocking this Christmas Day with the eagerly awaited release of Les Misérables. Victor Hugo's timeless 150 year old tale of love, redemption, passion, and revolution turned stage sensation turned film does not disappoint -- an all star cast (Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe for starters), period costumes and incredible sets that take you to 19th century France in all its glory and misery add up to a blockbuster Christmas release.

Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) with a young Cosette

The Lovely Ladies Set

Set for the Revolution: The Crooked Streets of Paris

the Elephant at the Bastille: Sets for a funeral procession

Russell Crowe as Jarvert

Director Tom Hooper and production designer Eve Stewart team up for the fourth time (The King's Speech) and create the world of Jean Valjean, Fantine, Javert and Cosette --- from the opening majestic French mountaintops to the bleak Parisian streets of 1832 --designed in just twelve short weeks.

For a tour of the world of Eve Stewart's sets, see my article in Architectural Digest here.
The film has already been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, here's hoping Santa put some tickets in your stocking.

Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Hugh Jackman as Valjean

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the Thenardiers

Photo Credits: Universal Pictures, Vogue Magazine, Architectural Digest

Hollywood Sketchbook

2012-12-12T22:33:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Christmas gift giving comes a lavishly illustrated book on Hollywood costume illustration, perfect for anyone who loves fashion, film and art. Author Deborah Nadoolman Landis (who wrote the wonderful Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design - Harper Collins) features the work of one hundred costume artists of the last century. From Cecil Beaton's sketches of My Fair Lady and Walter Plunkett's designs for Gone With the Wind to Irene Sharaff's costmes for Funny Girl and Katharine Hepburn's favorite designer Adrian, Hollywood Sketchbook takes a fascinating behind- the- scenes tour of an incredible art.

Landis also curated an exhibit on 1o0 of the most iconic costumes on film at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Hollywood Costume runs through January 27, 2013.

Elois Jenssen: Dishonored Lady, 1947

Orry Kelly: Bordertown, 1935

Orry Kelly Sketches above and below

Cecil Beaton: My Fair Lady

Donfield: Dead Ringer, 1964

Irene Sharaff: Funny Girl, 1968

V&A Exhibit

I have received many emails in regards to Cinema Style's absence for the past month. My mother Dorothy Whitlock passed away several weeks ago -- she was a great fan of movies and fashion and a huge supporter of my work. She took me to my first film "Pillow Talk" and the proverbial die was cast. She will be dearly missed.

Photo Credits: Harper Collins, Vanity Fair

Russian Imperial Style: Anna K

2012-11-15T22:11:00.000-06:00

The romantic saga of the ill fated Anna Karenina has played out on film, television and even operas --- this time around director Joe Wright envisioned a different twist and portrayed the epic on a "beautiful decaying theatre" in 1870's Russia via a soundstage at London's Shepperton Studios.

Wright teamed once again with production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer (the trio worked on the period dramas Atonement and Pride & Prejudice) who created the social worlds of St. Petersburg and Moscow in the late 1800s to period perfection in an exhausting 12 week timeframe.

The love affair hits theaters Friday, November 16th. Read more in my piece for The Hollywood Reporter, "$50 Million, 100 Sets and One Stage: The Visual Splendor of Anna Karenina."

Greenwood was influenced by the popular 1935 Anna K version starring Greta Garbo

Anna K's Vivien Leigh in 1948

Keira Knightley in the 2012 version

Shepperton studio set with copy of heaven room mural at UK's Burghley House

Russian Imperial furnishings for the master bedroom on the theatre stage set

Ice skating rink was one of the many different types of staged sets that included horse races, opera houses, ballrooms and train stations

God is in the Details: Period Perfect Accessories

Leo Tolstoy's novel of society and adultery also influenced Banana Republic's fall collection for 2012 Inspired by the work of costume designer Jacqueline Durran, the collection's key fashion notes are faux fur, lace, brocade and velvet in rich burgandy, merlot and black. The Holiday 76 piece line is available for both men and women.

Banana Republic's Anna K Fall collection above and below

Photo Credits: Focus Features, Banana Republic

Family Ties in Manhattan

2012-11-05T17:21:00.002-06:00

I think the adage of the home being a mirror into the soul (okay, I paraphrased, pretty sure it's the eyes are the window into the soul) holds true for most interiors and their homeowners. And it's pretty accurate when you look at the Manhattan apartment actor Michael J. Fox shares with his wife Tracy Pollan and four children.

Beautifully decorated by mother/daughter design duo Mariette Himes Gomez and Brooke Gomez of
Gomez Associates, the home of the star of The Good Wife/Spin City/ Back to the Future and the eighties sitcom Family Ties reflects a love of art, modern streamlined furnishings and perhaps my favorite comment, "a younger style apartment than we had when we were younger."

For more on the interiors, check out Architectural Digest's cover piece in the December issue and see the slideshow online here. And if you missed it, take a walk down memory lane with the sets of Family Ties here.

And while I am making suggestions, be sure and make your vote count tomorrow.

Photo Credits: Architectural Digest/William Abranowicz

The Master of Suspense: A Tale of Two Hitches

2012-10-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

In honor of Halloween, Cinema Style takes a look at director Alfred Hitchcock a.k.a. "The Master of Suspense" who happens to be the subject of not one but two films this fall.

The real Alfred Hitchcock

As gifted as he was, Hitch had a side as dark as his movies. HBO's The Girl explores his obsession with actress Tippi Hedren (played by Sienna Miller) during the filmmaking of The Birds. He gave the Nordic blonde model her start in films and when she spurned his advances, he terrorized her on the set. The infamous scene where Hedren opens the attic and is attacked by a flock of angry birds was shot in five long days (on purpose) when one day would do. (Rumors abound that the birds were fed whiskey to make them more aggressive and Hedren suffered countless nightmares after filming). Long before the days of sexual harassment suits, Hedren was powerless. Signed to a seven year contract, the director and his muse collaborated on his next film Marni and parted ways shortly after. Actor Toby Jones (who played Truman Capote in Infamous) nails the portly genius right down to his measured voice.

Jones and Miller as Hitch and Hedren

Miller in the Attic

Hedren in The Birds (1963)

The real Hedren and Hitch on set

Hitch's marriage to screenwriter Alma Reveille is the focus of the upcoming Hitchcock. Starring Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren as the married Hitches, Scarlett Johansson as Vivien Leigh and Jessica Biel as Vera Miles, the film covers the trials and tribulations of making one of the most popular horror films of all time, Psycho (1959). Hitchcock (Fox Searchlight) premieres November 23rd and early buzz is an Oscar nom for Hopkins.

Hopkins with the perfect profile as Hitch

Mirren as wife Alma -- note the menacing spider web design on her dres

Brilliant and complex, his work was designed to scare, excite, titillate, and create a general level of anxiety. Do yourself a favor, this Halloween forget Hostel one and two, Saw one through six and Halloween one through six and rent Vertigo, Psycho and The Birds. It's classic filmmaking and no one wears a mask and sports a chainsaw. And Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca is pretty creepy too.

Photo Credits: Suzanne Tenner/Fox Searchlight, Universal Pictures, HBO Films

Eighties Sitcom Style

2012-10-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe its been 30 years since audiences were introduced to Michael J. Fox via the beloved NBC sitcom Family Ties. Set in Columbus, Ohio via the Paramount Studios backlot, audiences came to know the familiar living room and kitchen of the Keaton household which gave a great glimpse into life in eighties suburbia.

For a walk down memory lane, take a tour of the sets on my Architectural Digest piece here.

And be sure and take a look at Architectural Digest's visit to Michael J. Fox and wife Tracy Pollan's house designed by Mariette Himes Gomez and Brooke Gomez in the December issue. Happy weekend!

Photo Credits: NBC

Hollywood at Home: Spotlight on Ryan Murphy

2012-10-24T21:57:00.002-05:00

While maybe not be a household name to some, writer Ryan Murphy has brought us some of the most entertaining, twisted, inventive and hilarious television to date respectively, namely Glee, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story and The New Normal. And his house in Los Angeles is pretty spectacular too.

The Hollywood Reporter recently featured his Spanish Colonial manse that serves as an inspiration for his new hit NBC show The New Normal. A self-confessed aficionado of 20s and 30s Monterey Spanish furniture, his collection is sympatico in the home that also boasts Diane Keaton as a former owner. And the synchronicities don't stop there - Normal is filmed in a 1927 Spanish Colonial house in Bel Air once owned and lovingly restored by Diane Keaton. Designed by production designer Tony Fanning and set decorator Bryan Venegas (of Brothers and Sisters fame), the pair had to duplicate Monterey furnishings due to their scarcity.

At home with The New Normal

The multi colored Spanish tile kitchen countertop in The New Normal

The New Normal's sophisticated neutral toned bedroom

Spanish courtyard filled with whimsy at the Murphy household

The multi- Emmy Award winner in his library

Murphy's greige toned master bedroom

Bold black and white kitchen makes a simple statement

A Keaton interior is known for its whimsy and Murphy's home faithfully carries on the tradition. His personal collection of photographs include black and whites of the sixties film The Graduate, Tom Hanks sporting a pumpkin head and a young Barack Obama (the Glee creator even hosted a fund-raising party there for the President). Working with LA designer Cliff Fong, they "created eclectic interiors mixing ranch-inspired, period-correct furniture, contemporary art and photography and American Horror Story- worthy objects. Well said Hollywood Reporter. For a tour of his home, go here.

Photo Credits: NBC, The Hollywood Reporter/Douglas Friedman

A Perfect Marriage

2012-10-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

The worlds of interior design and entertainment collided this past month forming the perfect union -- a mega furnishings retailer and a hit primetime show.

Retailer Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and set decorator Beth Kushnick of the CBS drama The Good Wife launched a new home furnishings line that allows viewers to purchase a piece of the show for their own homes. Aptly named The Good Wife Collection, the line (available online and in stores) features sofas, chairs, desks and pillows from the Lockhart/Gardner offices and lead character Alicia's home. Interlude Home will also offer a line of coordinated accessories through Horchow online.

The show has been enormously popular, prompting Kushnick to develop a Good Wife blog and subsequent furnishings line. Here's hoping that fashion retailers take notice and develop Lockhart Couture:)

The Good Wife is on Sunday nights on CBS at 8/9 central. For more on the new venture, see my Architectural Digest piece here.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Diane Conversational Chair

The perfect pull up chair for home, office and home/office. This versatile chair could even find a place in the bedroom. Love the fact its both traditional and modern at the same time much like Diane Lockhart.

Kalinda's Leather Chair

Can't you just see Kalinda's boots dangling from the chair with a gun in her lap? I am not a huge fan of the wing but the modern lines of this leather chair are making me rethink the whole concept.

Zemico Side Table

This handcrafted iron base table can be seen in lawyer Eli Gold's office. Perfect as a side accompaniment or paired together as an alternative to coffee tables, it makes a statement whether you are orchestrating political warfare for a gubernatorial candidate or just need a place to prop your feet.

Mahima Twig Boxes

Apparently these are a favorite of Emmy award winning actress Julianna Margulies who plays lead character Alicia. They are hand painted and made of "sheesham wood" and great for storage or hiding a multitude of secret files.

Photo Credits: Justin Stephens/CBS, Mitchell Gold Bob Williams, Horchow

From Set and Screen to Living Room

2012-10-06T22:54:00.001-05:00

For those of you in New York City and surrounds, hope you can attend a fun lecture "From Set and Screen to Living Room: The Set Decorator and the Interior Designer" at the D&D Building, 979 Third Avenue, Astra Cafe, 14th Floor on Wednesday, October 10th at 3:00. I will be on a panel discussion with Lydia Marks of Marks & Frantz and set decorator on Sex and the City and designer Marshall Watson (his line at Lewis Mittman has graced the sets of the new Katie Couric show). Ann Maine, editor in chief of Traditional Home, will be the moderator.

Mark's interiors on the film Sex and the City 2

A reception and book signing of Designs on Film will follow at the Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman showroom, suite 903. You can RSVP at 212-888-8580. And win a chance to attend a Katie show up close and personal. Hope to see you there!

And a big congrats to Sally Sirkin Lewis as she celebrates the 40th anniversary of J. Robert Scott. Bravo!!!

Photo Credits: J Robert Scott, Traditional Home, Warner Brothers