I Dreamed of a Faro Retreat

In my dreams last night I have been accepted to be a visiting artist at Ingmar Bergman's estate on the Baltic island of Faro. I get off of the ferry and Stockholm based super stylist Eva Lindh appears from a mist on the beach, ready to outfit me in cozy woolens ... (photo: Lena Koller Image from http://www.evalindh.se/)

or more practically, for walks around the island, in coat and hat - faux chinchilla for me please.

(Photo: Lana Koller Image from http://www.evalindh.se/)

When I get to the house, I find I need to cheer the place up a bit and reupholster the chairs in Ingmar's screening room with Svenskt Tenn fabric. http://www.svenskttenn.se/

I am ready to record all I see in my social diarist Archie Grand notebooks. http://www.archiegrand.com/

Being the end of November, it is cold on Faro so I gather pillows and blankets together...
(Photo: Anna Kern Image from http://www.evalindh.se/)

among them is my favorite throw by Pia Wallen. http://www.piawallen.se/

I make cocoa for all of the other visiting artists, writers and filmmakers.

We gather around a small table. As I blushingly begin to admit to the group my schoolgirl fixation on Max von Sydow I lower the tray of drinks. (Photo: Charlie Drevstam image from http://www.evalindh.se/) There is no room on this little table for the tray let alone a chess board. Is that Max I see sitting on the couch? I feel my wrist go limp. The tray crashes. Candles are knocked over. My dream is swiftly turning into a nightmare and all I see are flames. Anguish and dark thoughts fill my heart...

I awake in a panic to hear myself crying out into the darkness. "....why, oh WHY, did I not enter Ingmar's living room into the Brickmaker's Coffee Table give away contest at Brooke Giannetti's Velvet & Linen?!?! " http://www.brookegianetti.typepad.com/

It is too late for me and that heavy tray but not for the lucky contestants. Help Brooke out by going to her site and voting on your favorite room. The contest ends this Sunday, November 29th.

E.

Island Muse Faro

I was at Christies Auction house in New York on Thursday helping to set up for a fundraiser I am involved in each year, the Tibet House Benefit Auction event. I had to pass many times that day through the front entrance of Christies, where there are large screens displaying various upcoming auction events and Christies Luxury Properties for sale. I was stopped dead in my tracks more then once by luminous images of landscapes featuring rustic boulders, pebbled shores and windmills. It all looked vaguely familiar.

Where was this? The island of Faro and the property listed was Ingmar Bergman's estate that had sold just two weeks previously. The Christies catalog describes the property as such:

The estate’s four dwellings are set amid a rustic backdrop of dunes, boulders, and tumbling waters....

...Hammars is the main house, secluded along a road that winds through pine forests and quiet meadows. Completed in 1967, it remains an integral part of the island, along with the pebbled shores and luminous sky. Framing gorgeous sea vistas, the residence was designed by architect Kjell Abramson in close collaboration with Bergman himself. The writing lodge is an idyllic two-room timber structure with a magnificent ocean view; it can be seen in the final sequence of the iconic television drama “Scenes from a Marriage.” The serene terrain here is defined by fossils, pine trees, and an undisturbed horizon with ever-changing light.

Situated on an open meadow, Ängen is a comfortable winter retreat house, built in a classic Gotland style by expert craftsmen and offering three bedrooms, a living room with an impressive fireplace, and an inner courtyard that glows with lilacs in summer. Finally, just a short walk from the water is Dämba, a beautifully restored 1854 farmhouse. In an old whitewashed barn situated nearby is Bergman’s private cinema, where he watched films every day." (photos of estate from Christies Properties)

Sven Nykvist (left) and Ingmar Bergman on Faro. Photo: Associated Press

Bergman was arguably one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century producing films such as The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, Cries and Whispers and Fanny & Alexander. Bergman fell in love with Faro when he came to the island with legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist in 1960 to scout for the film Through a Glass Darkly. He says in the film documentary Bergman Island that he felt instantly at at peace on the island as if he had come home. Although Bergman had many marriages (six wives, nine children) the island of Faro seems to me to have been his biggest muse. It is here that he wrote and filmed most of his work and chose to live full time, very much in tune with the island's unique light and rugged beauty. I tried to find pictures of the houses but was unable to come up with much. The rooms are very sparse and to get a good look one should go to the W Magazine video of Bergman's home at: http://www.wmagazine.com/video?videoID=46093135001 .

From left, Ingmar Bergman, Sven Nykvist, Erland Josephson and Liv Ullman filming Scenes from a Marriage. Photo from The Everett Collection.

To live on an island, simply. To live surrounded by books, film projects and with a barn devoted to screening films twice a day. To be so at one with your home that you think nothing of writing notes on the surfaces of your walls and bedside tables. To live with your home as a personal diary and laboratory. This is how Ingmar Bergamn lived - what freedom!

The property is being prepared at the moment for a further creative future! It was bought by the Norwegian inventor, Hans Gude Gudeson and will be turned into an artists' retreat. Linn Ullman, Bergman's daugher with Liv Ullman says of this development, " Faro was a working place and will continue to be. There will be new books written, new films will be develpoed and new projects will be made."

I am so inspired that I may just apply for a grant! Where do you like to live and create?

Do remote islands hold any appeal to you? We'd love to know!

Tara Shaw MAISON Collection now at Eleish van Breems

"If you want a golden rule to live by, this is it; Have nothing in your house
that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris

It's hard to talk about beautiful, useful furniture and not mention Tara Shaw!
Rhonda and I have just returned from book signing events this past weekend at Tara Shaw's New Orleans and Houston stores. I couldn't wait for the professional photos so I am posting a few we snapped on our cell phones. (above: Rhonda, little Kari, Tara, and Edie at Tara's New Orleans store) What a wonderful time we had getting to know Tara and her crew as well as meeting so many of the guests who were aficianados of Swedish design.

The ever stylish Valorie Hart of the visual * vamp blog stopped in at the New Orleans event with Caroline Robert of Perch. ( just look at me there with Valorie...I was blog-star struck!!!) Among the attendees in Houston was Houston designer Jane Moore, whose work is featured in Swedish Country Interiors in the chapter titled White Wisteria. It was so fun to meet and catch up with both of these creative ladies.

Buffer Ergmann, (above) who is Rhonda's talented husband and one half of our book's photography team, mingled with Tara and guests. Seated on gigantic Italian armchairs, Rhonda and I felt like queens as we signed our books, a world away from the usual metal folding chairs we are used to sitting on at most bookstore signings! Tara and guests kept us busy for a while but by the end of the evening we were like kids in a candy store and had broken away to wander amongst all of the antiques.

A l'antiquaire extrordianiare, Tara (pictured here with her handsome whippet, Jack) is also a talented designer and contributing editor for Veranda magazine.We have long admired her bold pieces and serene cream palette. When we heard that she had a decided to take the plunge into manufacturing a reproduction line based on some of her best antiques we were on the phone to New Orleans immediately. Here was a concept for a line that we knew, given Tara's background, was going to be well executed and historically accurate. Actually seeing these pieces in person for the first time was such a treat. We were so impressed with the hand carvings and attention to detail and scale. Tara has done a remarkable job and we are proud to announce that Eleish van Breems is now representing the line!

Many people have covered the MAISON line on thier blogs before us but I just have to point out some of our favorite Swedish inspired pieces! This dropleaf table with demi-lune ends is dynamite. Based on an original Swedish antique slagboard and demi-lunes this is the height of good looks and practicality. The table can fold up entirely or you can keep one leaf up and use as a smaller work desk. The demi lunes look great in any room. When the time comes for an extra table for entertaing all the pieces come together to make for a long dining table. A versatile piece that is the essence of great Swedish traditional furniture design.

When I saw this large rococo mirror I could not tell it was a reproduction until I actualy looked behind it! The hand finishes are what make the difference here.

How easily this chair can mix with authentic antiques.

This is my personal favorite of the antique forms Tara has had manufactured.

The hand carvings on this Swedish Rococo style bench are really exceptional.

There is nothing quite as stunning as a Gustavian barrel back chair. Tara has chosen to have her reproduction barrel back simply uphostered in white canvas with large brass upholstery tacks. Note the delicate front legs and carvings.

For years Rhonda and I have searched for a reproduction Swedish tallcase

clock to carry for our clients but none that we found ever looked right. They were always too clunky, poorly made or the faces were just all wrong. At last perfection! It was worth the wait. Tara based this piece on an antique Swedish clock she had in her store. In real life this clock is breathtaking, perfectly proportioned and the clock face is well done. I particularly love the fact that Tara decided to leave the crack on the door of the original and had it incorporated into the new piece.

So what is next for Tara Shaw MAISON? We hear from Tara that there are always going to be new pieces in the works for the collection. Rhonda and I left New Orleans secretly hoping that this clock secretary from Tara's store there would be used as a model next. How fabulous would this be? What other pieces from her antiques collection would we like to see reproduced?

What about this bookshelf?

And here is a challenge. This staircase would be incredible..... and if Tara is

involved we know nothing is impossible!

For more information on how to buy Tara Shaw MAISON at Eleish van Breems, Ltd. just contact us at evbltd@gmail.com or look at our website http://www.evbantiques.com/. We are sooo excited to offer this amazing furniture to both retail and to the trade.

Congratulations to you, Tara, on a gorgeous collection and many, many thanks

for all of your hospitality!

What ho! Swedish Exercises!

Happy Birthday to PG Wodehouse! Swedish exercises, Plum's own version of yoga, feature in almost every delightful book the man ever wrote.

Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster singing about the King of Sweden:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgS1ctxglw

Perfection.

White on White Event

These little town blues, are melting away...We are back in Manhattan this week at the New York Design Center on Lexington Avenue! (Last week Rhonda and I were hosted at the D & D Building in New York City by Potterton Books and Country Swedish which we promise to cover in another blog post...great things are happening at both.)

The New York Design Center is home to the Swedish furniture company White on White which will be hosting a Swedish Country Interiors book signing and talk in their beautiful showroom. We had the pleasure to feature White on White founder Lena Kaplan's unique office retreat in our last book Swedish Interiors .

This is a photo from Swedish Interiors of Lena's office studio...we should all have a conference table so inviting! Her showrooms at White on White are of similar mood and design. We urge you all to come to the book signing event

this Wednesday, October 14 from 5 -7 p.m. to view the White on White showroom before Lena moves this month after her ten year store anniversary.

A force in the American Scandinavian Foundation and for all things culturally Nordic in Manhattan, Lena has turned her energies over the last few years towards a gallery in TriBeCa called More North.

The More North Gallery is just around the corner from Nobu on North Moore Street (yup. North Moore. More North. You will find it!). The gallery, opened by Lena with two other like-minded friends, is a veritable scandinavian oasis of light, cheer and good design. The focus here is on the Fine Arts with a rotating exhibit of major nordic painters and sculptors.

More North is currently exhibiting the work of Icelandic artist Hjortur Hjartarson from Oct 6 - Dec 6. "Heavily textural works evocative of Turner, Hjartarson's work is laden with precipitation. Each piece is composed of several layers of paint and glaze, inviting the viewer's impulse to scratch his/her way to the bottom layer in pursuit of uncovering secrets hidden beneath the surface. The landscapes possess an enchanting quality of organic decomposition. Several large scale and smaller canvases will be exhibited." For more information on Hjartarson go to http://www.morenorth.com/

The art gallery also carries decorative arts and a good selction of contemporary furniture. The upstairs gallery is punctuated by a dramatic staircase with birch trees seemingly growing through it. As designed by KOKO Architectural Design, you descend the stairs into a birch grove...

of carved out wooden panels. Utterly charming.

We think More North has one of the best playrooms in the city, too, with its wonderful selection of childrens furniture and toys!

Many thanks to Lena for having us to White on White this week and also to Marianne Thorsen, who's weekend retreat is profiled in our new book, for organzing this special event with White on White!

White on White, 200 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 212- 988-9194
(website temporarily out of service)

Rhonda and I look forward to seeing everyone at the Event!

E.

Book Launch Celebration

We are so excited that Swedish Country Interiors has been released at last! A thank you to all for bearing with our erratic postings during the next several weeks as we begin our book tour. Our posts have been few and far between as we are also busy preparing for the Washington CT Antiques Show coming the first weekend of October. ( the photo above is a sampling of the types of Swedish items we will be featuring in our booth!) We are looking forward to settling into a winter of bringing you some great posts on homes in Sweden as well as around the States - so please keep checking in!

A huge thank you and hug to Valorie Hart at visual * vamp for featuring images from Swedish Country Interiors in her posts this last week! She does a fantastic job of showing how easy it is to inject a dash of Swedish style into your home, no matter what your budget or existing decor. Refreshing, relaxed and natural - a room done with a bit of Swedish style can be totally uplifting. Valorie is always so stylish so we are very flattered to have been covered by her. Read Valorie's super hints on getting a Swedish look at : http://visualvamp.blogspot.com/2009/09/swedish-country-style-look-book.html

The image above is of a Swedish Pool Pavilion designed by Richard Hirschner (photo: Monson/Ergmann) that appears in Swedish Country Interiors.

To learn even more about Swedish Country style we invite you to join us at our very own COUNTRY SWEDISH INTERIORS BOOK LAUNCH CELEBRATION, Saturday, September 26 in Washington Depot, CT. There will be a 1:00 pm Book Signing Kickoff at the legendary HICKORYSTICK BOOKSHOP where we look forward to meeting you! http://www.hickorystickbookshop.com/ Join us afterwards at our ELEISH VAN BREEMS, LTD. Showroom, located down the road at 18 Titus Road, for a lively and colorful 3:00 p.m. presentation on Swedish Country design. Be sure to stop at neighboring Marty's Cafe and pick up a celebratory Ligonberry Smoothie to fuel you on your way!

After our discussion on Swedish Country design we will be hosting a light smorgasbord at our Showroom starting at 4:00 p.m. Space is limited for the talk and smorgasbord so please call or e-mail to let us know you are coming! ( For addresses and more info contact Jamie at Eleish van Breems evbltd@gmail.com 860-868-1200)

We really hope you can join us for any one of these events or to spend the whole day with us in charming Washington Depot. We look forward to seeing you!

Edie & Rhonda

The Splendid Willow Interview

Read the Splendid Willow design interview of Edie and Rhonda by Monika Claassen where we
discuss our new book, our design style, Fritz Hansen, kitchens, wall colors and some of our design crushes and heroes at: http://splendidwillow.com/

Monika , a self described "design junkie" is the force behind Splendid Willow, one of the few blogs in the States to concern itself almost exclusively with Swedish decor and design. This stylish mother of three is interested in all things "edgy classic with a Swedish twist" and her blog is rife with fine examples of this look. We had crossed paths with Monika many years ago and were absolutely delighted to have gotten back in touch with her through the blog world! Monika is a kindred spirit to us in her passion for spreading the word on Swedish style and we were so honored to have been profiled by her on her truly splendid blog , Splendid Willow~! Thank you, thank you Monika!

E & R

Back to School!

Lars and Martin went back to school today! They did not look half as styling though as this young Saami man from a 1970's National Geographic issue...

...or as adorable as these Saami children and their teacher in this photo of a Saami school circa 1926. Note the sod hut, turned up shoes and the boys pompom hats. My mother has dolls like this that her Dad brought back to her and her twin brother from his business trips to Stockholm in the 1930's. The northern provinces and Lapland still retained remanents of the their native folk dress even into the mid 20th century, especially in the more remote regions and villages.

Linnaea Borealis

IMG_4310 - Twinflower, Linnaea borealis, originally uploaded by Hughman being....