Shelf Life

Shelves are a great way to add both function and style to a space and can often be made by repurposing another item. At the top is a funky metal tray I found at an antiques fair and by simply mounting the back to the wall it is transformed. Below it is a great little industrial piece I bought at a yard sale and painted green. 

This cute little vintage example I've had for so long, I've forgotten where I got it. Originally black, I gave it a little make over with a can of orange spray paint. 

I found this charmer at Agora in Athens, Ga. It was actually being used by the seller for display and was not for sale. I got the owner to call her with my offer of $20 and it was mine. I love how it goes with the tile in my new bathroom. 

I have spent a lot time perusing Etsy looking for other possible storage solutions. Searching with key words such as mid century and industrial have yielded the best results. I created this treasury with some of my favorite finds. 

top three photos & content © Lara Rossignol

Unlikely Angel

Today a shoot I did for the groovy online magazine, Rue hits the virtual stands. We shot an ideal I had been brewing for some time, a fashion story, kind of a love letter if you will, inspired by Dolly Parton's early days when style was big and hair was even bigger! Dress by Oscar de la Renta at Jeffery, Shoes Prada, Steel Guitar by Republic, Dallas Texas

The higher the hair the closer to God! Dolly has written over 3000 songs in her career and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame n 2001.

Styled by the wonderful Emily Sistruck, retro perfect make up by Faith Brooks and the amazing hair and wigs by David Hamblem. Above our Dolly, model Grace Boven from Factor Women, wears a beautiful dress by Kate Spade available at Neiman Marcus.

Dolly was actually a child performer and made her Grand Ole Opry debut in her early teens. She became a regular on the Porter Wagoner show in the 60's where her star really began to rise. It was her departure from the show that inspired her most popular song, "I Will Always Love You".

We also had the use of this amazing Plymouth Valiant from the fabulous Jordan Sandlin of Fattycakes. She lives in the ultra cool Atlanta neighborhood known as Northcrest Modern and helped me pull the locations together for the shoot. Top by Trina Turk.

If you need to jump start your Dolly collection I highly recommend these two albums The Essential Dolly Volumes One & Two. Also well worth a listen if you love gospel, Letter to Heaven.

Fun Dolly Facts:

 She is one of 12 children and is just 4'11".

She met her one and only husband, Carl Dean at the "Wishy-Washy" Laundromat, they have been married since 1966.

Elvis wanted to record "I Will Always Love You" but his manager would required 50% rights to the song so Dolly said no.

She is Miley Cyrus's godmother.

Plays 10 different instruments!

Has released 41 studio albums starting with "Hello, I'm Dolly" in 1967.

Oh and it made the cover! Love this shot photographed in the beautiful Jonathan Adler store in Atlanta. To view the entire issue just click the photo above if you are on an iPad or use the handy widget below.

 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

Couch Kawaii

As many of you know, I traveled to the West Coast last week to shoot new images for designer Lesley Evers. Her youngest, Will sits in for the model while I test the light for our first set up. As soon as I saw this vintage mid-century couch, I new I had to use it for my shoot.

Backlighting is one of my favorite uses of natural light. You just have to balance the light in front and let the back ground blow out, which can be slightly tricky. Chase is my victim this time and is patient as I get the balance just right.

 Above we have Dottie and a clever use of objects by Lesley spell out what it's all about.

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

All Good Things...

As I continue to downsize in anticipation of my move west, I become more willing to part with treasured pieces. After stalking Craig's List obsessively to get a handle on what I might find in my rental price range, it is clear I  will not have near as much space. So here are a few special pieces that I truly hate to part with but the time has come.

I found this mid-century Thonet china cabinet in L.A. back in the early 90's. Made from plywood, Thonet perfected the bending of it into its design. However because plywood is "bendable" it is also delicate and it is rare to see one in such good condition. 

This cowboy is a vintage decanter that makes room for shot glasses along his sides. I saw this in a shop window in NYC many years ago and had to have it. 

On the "to go" list is this beautiful salmon pink chair I found while living in Athens. The original 1950's upholstery is in great condition as are the springs and cushion.

I love this large danish modern cabinet but at 53 inches wide I am pretty sure I won't have room for it. I currently use it in my office because of its great storage space, it would also make a great media cabinet.

Interested in Buying? 

If you are in or near Atlanta and would like to purchase any of these items, see a list of other items up for grabs and/or make an appointment to hunt through my personal collection then click the handy button above. Think of it as a by appointment-estate sale! 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

Lust Worthy

Some of you may recall a shoot I mentioned doing a few months ago for Readymade Magazine. It is due to hit the stands today. I am so excited to be able to share my take on Sarah Kathryn Smith's metal diamond in the rough. I just loved shooting this project and capturing Sarah's fun, funky style. She hunted down the curtain fabric above after seeing it used on an episode of Madmen.

Sarah was actually shown her Lustron home as a "tear down" but she saw the potential and was fascinated by it's history. A former Scarlett O'Hara impersonator and owner of her own booming match making company, she is not afraid of a challenge. Above she wears a 50's tea dress from Witty Vintage.

She fashioned these curtains from two different sets she found at Target. The glass beads add a little sparkle with the afternoon light.

Working on a tight budget while trying to maintain the retro integrity was not easy. Especially in the kitchen which had suffered the most damage over the years. Here she opened up the kitchen by replacing the large built in with this cool industrial island. She used salvaged granite for the counters, IKEA metal cabinets and found her working vintage stove on the side of the road.

One of our many "cover tries"... I fell in love with this original built in shelve. Local Altanta bakery Sweet Pockets provided these very tasty props, red velvet cupcakes.

Sarah rocked this retro perfect dress by Lesley Evers which almost made the cover! 

This is the rough mock up (before retouching) I was sent, so kawaii! They decided to go with another shoot that illustrated the getaway theme of the issue. I have to admit it is pretty cute too. I love this mag, can't wait till they come out with an iPad version!

How do you hang a picture on a metal wall? Magnets of course! This lampshade makeover was a fun, easy, no sew project that I took to Whipstitch and they whipped together. I paid $3 for the lamp at a thrift store and only used about $3 in fabric so it is both cute and cheap, my two favorite things. You can get the low down on the "how to" here.

 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

styled by Christa Leveto ~ hair & make up by Faith Brooks

House Tour

My friend Pam lives in a sweet little bungalow within rolling distance of me. She has filled her space with wonderful touches and great vintage finds. Like these crafty pom pom stems fashioned from yarn then fixed to real branches.

I love how she seamlessly mixes old and new through out her home. She found this great Danish couch on Craig's List, it pops against a fantastic wallpaper she found online. The floral designs above and below on the right are from Osborne & Little. 

 While the drool worthy pink polka dot paper is from Danish company Ferm Living. She is a dedicated yard sale hunter and attributes most of her vintage finds to these.

Regarding her attraction to mid-century design Pam says, "I think it's the care for design, it's not just about function. I like that certain pieces are iconic and classic and can be just as fetching in the 60's as they are in 2010." Which may be why her 60's inspired Room & Board couch fits so well with all her actual vintage finds.

She inherited this vintage german record player from a friend who bought it at a "trailer park" estate sale. (Sign me up!) I also love the whimsey of the owl decals she found on etsy.

Because she has enclosed porches on both the back and front window light is at premium. She chose sheerish curtain panels from iKea that still allow in plenty of light. She also collects flower pots and vases, both old and new.

She just recently completed the addition of a sleeping porch to the back of her house with a full size bed swing.

With a dining area on one side it makes a wonderful space for entertaining. The renovation stretched from two to six weeks but was well worth the effort. 

Always on the lookout for great stuff, here are some of her most recent favorite finds to shop, bake and dine. Pam, a freelance TV producer & writer, shares this retreat with her one eyed rescue pug, Gorilla and her camera shy yellow lab, Sid. 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

More Finds of the Kawaii Kind

On the hunt for interesting ceramics, these stand outs were not just great finds but great buys. 

These hand painted tiles, found at a local estate sale were just $1 for both!

The early part of of the 20th century was enamored with the mysteries of the orient. It became a favorite influence of design.

Repurposing a vintage pot for use in the kitchen. The little wave design made it perfect for it's new purpose.

I never let grazing sway me, it just adds to the charm.

Make it eclectic.

 

all photos & content © Lara Rossignol

No Women Allowed

18 year old Pool Phenom, Liz Lovely

Theportrait series I shot with theLeica M9 while in Cali for my last bigtournament, is being featured today onsfgirlbybay. These young women are talented, determined and shooting (literally) for thepro tour. It does help to start young but that's the cool thing about pool, really anyone, at any age can play. I didn't start playing till I was in my early 30's. Localleagues are a great way to get started and most are handicapped so even beginners can play. 

Heather Byer'sSweet, is an entertaining account of her own mild obsession with the NYC league scene. The same place I began my pool addiction which I will admit was the very opposite of mild. Though she changed the names, I still recognized many of the characters, thankfully our paths did not cross.

Also, be sure to check outsfgirlbybay's newestetsy store. She is getting ready to move and purging some of her coolest vintage finds. And while on the subject of great blogs, my most recent blog crush is on the prolificDeeDee 9:14. Along with tons of mid-century yumminess and the coolest enamelware finds, she also has monthly giveaways and even offers free ad space to like minded sites. 

top photo & content © Lara Rossignol ~ utensils courtesy of sfgirlbybay