Seashells: The Salt (and Pepper) of the Earth

With shock and dismay I see some pretty awful mid-century kitsch used in design today, and I guess it works in some instances.  Shell kitsch, however, is so bad it’ll never be good. It’s the craftsmanship as well as the tastelessness of the stuff that  makes it so awful. Vintage Shell Art When I tell someone that I make things […]
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More Than Just Mirrors

Lots of seashell mirrors dot hallways and powder rooms all around town here, and all over Los Angeles, Long Island, New York City, Chicago… They serve an obvious and “safe” decorating purpose, and are practical. Using shells in an architectural setting can be interesting, and a little more of a surprise than a mirror or even a chandelier. I just takes a […]
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A Bit of Frothy Seashell History

Plato suggested that, of course, Aphrodite (Venus in Rome) is nude because comtemplation of physical beauty allows the mind to understand and inspire intellectual love. Sounds like a line to me. Plato was in the hobby shop. In Sandro Botticelli’s Venus on the Half Shell (Nascita di Venere) is another sexy beauty nudely standing in the half-clam, with only her […]
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