Damien Hirst's Large Spot Clock

 
If you are a contemporary art collector, no doubt you have heard of Damien Hirst before.  If you don't venture much into contemporary art scene, here's a quick 411: he is one of the biggest cheese among his contemporaries; like Andy Warhol who dominated 1970s and 1980s, Damien Hirst dominates 2000s and 2010s.  Hirst is known for a few things: formaldehyde animals in vitrines, spot paintings, medicine cabinets, and a human skull recreated in platinum and adorned with 8,601 diamonds weighing a total of 1,106.18 carats. 

The Large Spot Clock is, of course, after his own spot paintings.  Hirst explains that, “mathematically, with the spot paintings, I probably discovered the most fundamentally important thing in any kind of art. Which is the harmony of where colour can exist on its own, interacting with other colours in a perfect format."  Hirst once said he imagined these works as depicting a kind of alternate reality covered entirely in dots.  Like all contemporary art, how you interpret his spot paintings is your own business.  Of course Damien Hirst, being as commercial as he can, came up with spot clock which you can buy on his website.  And why not?  He's just taking Andy Warholism a little bit further.  Surely Andy would have done the same if he was still around.  Don't you think?

Cavallo Point Lodge

 
Cavallo Point Lodge is where San Franciscans do their staycation.  It's a hotel right across Golden Gate Bridge north of San Francisco.   There are two lodging style choices:  One is traditional and the other is modern.  The traditional ones are perfect for families with kids.  There are multiple rooms in these lodges where everyone can have their own room.  In front of traditional lodges is a huge grass lawn where kids can run wild (and they do).  The contemporary lodges are up in the hills with great views of the Golden Gate bridge.  I had the pleasure to stay at a contemporary lodge and it was definitely memorable.  If green building is your thing, then Cavallo Point will not disappoint you.

Murray Circle restaurant on site is also quite good.  Prices are very reasonable.  Sure, you are not getting a Michelin Star food and presentation, but you are not paying Michelin Star prices either.  Their four course lunch menu for $23 is a steal!  You can't go wrong with the price and quality.

CP also has a very nice spa.  If you have a chance, definitely go check it out.  I had a pleasant facial there.  Staff were friendly and the facility was calming and tranquil. 

I had a very pleasant stay here and would definitely be back.

Early summer sales round up! 2013 edition

 
No doubt you have seen lots of department stores slashing prices left and right so that the savvy shoppers can snatch up a thing or two at lower price points.  Currently Saks is running 55% off, while both Bergdorf and Barney's New York is running a hefty 60% off.  Although frankly speaking most of the stuff at Bergdorf Goodman is still less than 50% off while Barney's did their slashing a week and a half ago which drastically diminished their inventory.  I think whatever is left on Barney's.com now is basically none moveable until they do another round of price cutting as it's pretty much picked over and then some.

Online retailers such as Mr Porter and Ssense are also furiously cutting their prices.  Ssense slashed some of their Lanvin leather handbags to 70% off a week ago.  Needless to say, most of those are gone.  This morning, some of their stuff besides Lanvin leather bags also join the 70% off club.  However, quite a few more desirable pieces are still hung onto that pesky 50% off.  Mr Porter also claimed up to 70% off but the more desirable brands are still at 40-50% off.  I don't think they can move those until they get to a truly 70% off in a few weeks.

For those of you obsessed with Missoni, just go to their main website and you can find the spring/summer stuff are already at 50% off (while websites like Mr Porter with less selection are still at stubborn 40% off).  Many places still have Saint Laurent Paris at 30% off.  But just go to Saint Laurent Paris' website.  It's already 50% off.  More selection and better mark downs.

The best sale of this season has got to be at Barney's New York.  They decideded to mark down most of their men's Fendi Selleria bag line to 60% off couple weeks ago.  I was in bag heaven!  I mean you really can't go wrong with buying a well made classic bag that you can use many many years to come.

The surprise sale of this season is men's Christian Louboutin.  They never ever held a men's sale before so it was a huge surprise to see finally men can buy on sale CL shoes (in their men's boutique as well as Barney's New York only)!  While most of the on sale shoes are basically the styles that you wouldn't want to be caught dead in (I kid), but it's an improvement of absolutely no sale to one sale every three years??  I hope to see it every season!

If I have all the money in the world, I would get this Lanvin watersnake leather jacket.  I have never seen anything like it.  It's got to be one of those classic cool jacket you can wear year after year.  It's nicely marked down at 50% off...... sadly still way outside of my budget.  One can only dream!    

Lighthouse Lamp by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

 

This lamp created by Ronan & Erwan for Established & Sons and Venini is just brilliant.  I love the shape of the glass.  It feels very fragile yet substantial.  This lamp is actually quite large in person.  I was told the glass is rather difficult to blow because of the size.  I just love the clean line of the form.  The juxtaposition of the hardness of the marble base and fragile nature of the glass top is very interesting and give the piece just right amount of tension.  Apparently it can be purchased either through your Venini dealer or Established & Sons.

BVRB, maître ébéniste

BVRB, aka BERNARD II VAN RISAMBURGH.  He is probably regarded as the best cabinet maker during the reign of Louis XV.  His gilt bronze mount (ormolu) is always more delicate looking when compares to his contemporaries and typically his cabinet would be inlaid with Japanese lacquer panels.   He is also known for inlaying his pieces with Sevres porcelain plaques.  In fact, he was the first cabinet maker to incorporate them into furniture.  His work is actually very easy to spot once you see enough of them.  The biggest giveaway is his ormolu... they always look so delicate and spindly.

To see his work, one just have to stroll through the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Metropolitan Museum in NYC or V&A Museum in London.   His work do come up at Christie's or Sotheby's from time to time.  They are highly sought after and often cost upwards of seven figures.

Sale time at men's Christian Louboutin shop!

When was the last time you say men's Christian Louboutin shoes go on sale? Well, the answer has to be never because for three years, men's Christian Louboutin has never ever gone on sale.... until now. Started this past Friday, Christian Louboutin's men boutiques (NYC, Miami, LA) went on sale. It actually started on Thursday night for VIPs. You can also check out the Barney's New York stores that carries CL; selected styles went on sale. The shoes are 30% off. Not a lot but since it never goes on sale, I guess it's better than no sale at all! Unfortunately if you are looking for pikpik, spikes, or sneakers, you are out of luck as those usually sell out before they even hit the floor. However, for those who are more adventure some, you may be able to pick up boots like Aoussam, David at a discount.

Winner of the presummer giveaway!

Michele Smolin you are the winner for my presummer giveaway (Jonathan Adler Photo Album)!!! Please email me your address. Thank you all for entering.  Happy Summer! 

Lanvin Sneakers!

Every fashionable man should have at least a pair of Lanvin captoe sneakers in my opinion.  They are as classic as your typical black wingtip shoes.  I love it that every season they come out with new colors and/or new leather treatment and somehow these new colors/ leather treatment are terribly enticing even though you have the exact same style of shoes with different color/ leather treatment in your shoe collection!  How does Lucas Ossendrijver do it???  This style of shoes works with just about any personal preference be it hipster or Wall Street.  Celebrities who own various Lanvin captoe sneakers range from Leonardo DiCaprio to David Beckham.  I'm already dreaming of the fall/winter 2013 dark blue captoe sneakers......

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta, the name translates to Venetian atelier, was founded by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro in 1966.  The company is known for its leather-weaving technique, called intrecciato.

BV made it very big in late 70s and 80s.  However, it declined in the 90s and the brand started to move away from its artisanal roots.  In 2001, Bottega Veneta hired Tomas Maier as its Creative Director.  He guided Bottega back to its understated elegance and once again BV is coveted by bag connoisseur all over the world.

Bottega Veneta bags are really some of the best well made bags in the world.  The leather is always very supple and the way they incorporate intrecciato design into most of their bags is unique and interesting.  The best way to see the quality of the bag is to touch it.  But be warn that once you are hooked on BV bags, it's hard to look at other machine made bags.



  

Jonathan Adler Photo Album Giveaway!

 
It's been awhile since I last had a giveaway. This time is a Jonathan Adler photo album! It's a cute mod photo album that can hold up to 100 pictures for your viewing pleasure. Please note: apologies to my international friends - I wish I could extend these giveaways to you but legal restrictions prevent it. Thanks for understanding.


Raffle ends on next Monday at Midnight.  Good luck everyone!

Fendi Selleria Workshop

I'm not a big fan of Fendi logo bags.  It just feels very pedestrian... like hey, look at me, I'm carrying a bag with a bunch of Fs.  Fendi Selleria bags, on the other hand, is totally different.  They are all hand made and have a discrete silver plaque either inside or outside of the bag.  That's it.  You will definitely not know it's a Fendi bag if the plaque is inside.... although I think any bag connoisseur will be able to tell that the bag is of high quality because the leather and workmanship exudes that.  While one can find those fake Fendi logo bags allover midtown Manhattan, selleria bags are not copied because one, it's too expensive to copy it, and two, people who buys fake bags are attracted to instant recognizable bags (ie logo bags, or birkin bag shaped bags).  So thank god for that.

Globe Chandelier at Hollywood at Home

 
Peter Dunham's shop, Hollywood at Home, is truly fabulous.  It has a lot of really nice fabric and furniture.  My favorite piece in his store at the moment is the globe chandeliers he has in one of his rooms.  I just think they are unique looking as most of the chandeliers out there are of different shape.  You don't see circular ones too often.  At least not in that size.  He has two of them so they are perfect for a long rectangular dining room or singularly, it is great for a square room like entry area or a powder room with very high ceiling for a maximum impact!   

San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2013

I went to San Francisco Decorator Showcase house few weeks ago.  It was fun.  Good to see some very well thought out designs.  Quite inspirational actually.  Here are some of the highlights for me:

I like the scroll lines on the wall in the dining room done by Heather Hilliard.

The green wall in the master bathroom was pretty amazing done by Habitat Horticulture.

The master sitting room was pulled together very well by Zoe Hsu.  Love the light from Coup d'Etat.

The Atelier was probably the best room for me by Antonio Martins.  It felt very cozy.  Love the burlap installation.

Last but not least, the penthouse retreat by Karen Villanueva was very nice.  Love the thinking outside of the box idea of spa room in the residence.  Luxury at its best.  

MeiYinTang at Sotheby's Auction House

There are very few Chinese porcelain collections today that has an impeccable taste and quality.   The MeiYingTang (Hall among Rose Beds) is one of those very few old school collection that still exist today.  The collection was assembled for over half a century and has a traditional European connoisseurship that you don't see anymore.  Pulled together by Gilbert and Stephen Zuellig (brother), it is perhaps one of the last bastion of European collection of Chinese porcelain that will ever be sold at auction. 

Sotheby's got the prize because Nicolas Chow, Deputy Chairman for Sotheby's Asia and the International Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, is the grandson of famed Edward T. Chow who advised Zuellig brothers early on.  After the death of E. T. Chow, Giuseppe Eskenazi (the foremost Chinese ceramic dealer in the world) became their advisor.

Currently Sotheby's just finished selling the Part V of the collection.  The first part of the collection was sold on April 7, 2011 to a tepid result because people were skittish at that time due to rumors of deadbeat buyers from China (the buyer of Bainbridges vase which sold for 43 million pounds on November 11, 2010 ended up not paying for it... it is believed the said vase was sold in early 2013 for about 25 million pounds), which led many collectors to feel nervous about bidding against someone who may not pay.   Since then, the MeiYinTang collection had done much better at auction.

Apex Suite at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

I know I have written about Mandarin Oriental Hotels at Las Vegas before but I had to write about the Apex Suite.  It really is one of the nicest suite in the hotel.  The room offers 270 degrees of views.  More selection of views than any other suite type in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel at Las Vegas.  It's not the most expensive suite in the hotel (there are three categories that are even more pricy) but interestingly, it's the only suite with the mountain, the city center, and the strip view. 

The 1700 square feet room is spacious in any standard.  You get an entry area which lead to a dining room with a bar with living room adjacent to it.  Walking pass dining room, you have a small enclosed kitchen on one side and a quarter bath on the other side.  Once you pass those two areas, you have a nice generous size working space with a large desk where you can write to all your friends and telling them wish you were here (if you still write a postcard)!

The working space has two double doors that lead to the master bedroom.  Needless to say the master bedroom is large with amazing views and an attached full bath that is to die for.... free standing tub with mountain view, steam and rain shower, etc.  Pretty much any amenity gadget you can think of, this bathroom has it.

Do yourself a favor, either you are here for a special occasion or just because, stay at Apex Suite for at least one night.  It's really worth the money.  

The restaurant at Meadowood

 
Pretty much anyone who likes fine dining have heard of French Laundry Restaurant but there is a secrete gem in the wine country that's less famous than French Laundry but equally as good.  I'm talking about The restaurant at Meadowood. 

Like French Laundry, it's the only three Michelin Star restaurant on the US West Coast.  Chef Christopher Kostow did an amazing job to lift Meadowood up to obtain that coveted third star.  Is it better than French Laundry, no it isn't.  But it's not worse than either.  I would put them on par.  The best part is both restaurants had different take on their food.   I would say French Laundry is the ultimate classic French cuisine on the West Coast.  Meadowood, on the other hand, is the ultimate nouveau cuisine on the West Coast.

Chef Kostow somehow takes ingredients that I don't think would go well together and made them sing.  Most of the ingredients are something I'm familiar with but would never had paired them together.... and that's what's ingenious about Chef Kostow.  The atmosphere is formal and yet relaxed.  It feels like a place I can come once a month and be fine with whereas French Laundry feels more like a place where I go once a year.  Meadowood Restaurant just had a nice ease about it.  The service was perfect so was the food.  I can't think of anything to complaint.  It was just pure perfection.  So next time you are on your way to Napa, put Meadowood restaurant on your to do list.  Your taste buds will thank you.

The Pink Palace of Honolulu

 
I love going to Hawaii and I especially love Waikiki.  I know it's very touristy and such but I love the fact that you can shop if you want to shop or you can just relax on the beach if you want to.  Often it's one or the other.  And as my reader, you know I love to shop!

One of my favorite place to stay when I'm in Honolulu is the Pink Palace, aka the Royal Hawaiian.  It was remodeled in 2008 and reopen in 2009.  My first time staying there was in May of 2009.  I don't know what the place was like before, but I definitely like what I saw the first time I stayed there.

I thought the rooms are nicely appointed and spacious.  The only complaint I have, a fairly minor one, is that the bathroom is small.... but it is still nicely done with marbles and such.  I suppose one goes to Hawaii to go to the beaches and not stay in one's bathroom....

One of the nicest amenity is that Royal Hawaiian has a roped off area right on the beach.  As you can imagine, Waikiki beach is often packed like sardine with oodles and oodles of people.  But at Royal Hawaiian, you get the Royal treatment.  They have a section roped off with chaise lounges and umbrellas for the hotel guests.  All you have to do is get up in the early morning (not hard to do because of time difference between mainland US and Hawaii), put a towel on the chaise lounge of your choice, then head off to breakfast.  That chaise lounge is yours for the day.  Easy and simple.  Just the way I like it.

Given the location of the hotel, you would think it can get noisy at night.  Luckily because it's somewhat tucked away off the main road, it's relatively quiet when compare to hotels that are right on Kalakaua Avenue.  So next time you are heading off to Honolulu, put the Pink Palace on your consideration list.  You might just have the time of your life.  Oh and don't forget to grab a glass of Mai Tai during your stay here.  Royal Hawaiian is the place that invented it after all....       

Hotel Les Mars at Healdsburg

 
If country French decor is your thing and if you are looking to stay in the Sonoma wine country area, then Hotel Les Mars should be on top of your list.  It's a very nicely done hotel.  The finishes were quite good.  If I remember correctly, the shower dial was from Waterworks.... and Waterworks stuff is really top of the line (meaning pretty much the most expensive bathroom hardware you can buy).  The bed was comfortable and room was spacious.  The only complaint I would have is next to Hotel Les Mars, they are building a barn shed structure while I was staying there.  Let's just say the construction workers did not wait till 9AM before they started working.  Despite the double pane windows, I can still clearly hear everything.  But I get it, when staying in downtown of any town, you will hear city noises.  As far as I can tell, construction was near the end stage so I'm sure by the time summer rolls around, it would be done.  Cyrus used to be the go to restaurant in Healdsburg but it had closed since.  Hotel Les Mars is in the process of coming up with a brand new restaurant.  It would be interesting to see what they come up with.  Our in room breakfast was not bad.  I remember reading about how crappy it was on Tripadvisor.  I think the hotel has since put in a roof top kitchen to do their breakfast while waiting for the kitchen downstairs get renovated.  Once that's done, I'm sure Hotel Les Mars will be the best place to stay in Healdsburg.

Bottega by Michael Chiarello in Yountville

 
I guess this week is all about wine country for me.  LOL.  Anyhoo, if you get a chance on not looking to spend gazillion dollars at French Laundry, Bottega is a totally competent restaurant to eat at.  I actually had a not so good impression of Michael Chiarello from the Top Chef Master on Bravo when he was a contestant on the show.  I thought he was arrogant and full of himself.  Well, he may be that, but Bottega was surprisingly good.  The price was very reasonable.  The pasta I had were all on point.  The dessert, I thought it was going to be merely ok, turned out to be the highlight of my meal.   All in all, I wouldn't mind going back there.  If I was local, I would probably eat there once a month if not more frequent because of the quality of the food and price point.  If you are expecting French Laundry type of food, then this place isn't for you.  But if you are looking to have a good meal at reasonable price, then put Bottega on top of your list.

Addendum At Ad Hoc by Thomas Keller

 
Can Thomas Keller do no wrong?  Well, apparently he's not capable of doing bad food.... even if the food is an add on behind one of his restaurant in Yountville.  Addendum is only open Thursday to Saturday.   For $16.50, you can have a choice of either their famous buttermilk fried chicken or barbeque between 11:00am-2:00pm.  Try both but buttermilk fried chicken was my favorite of the two.  It's the best buttermilk fried chicken I have in the SF bay area.  They were finger licking good.  You can order the food online and just go pick it up.  I would highly suggest that as I'm not terribly fond of waiting in line for any food unless it's French Laundry for $100 (as if!).  A definitely stop by if you are craving for a quick bite in the wine country.