Henry Road A Journey In Color
May 2011 Issue 1
Henry Road
TM
www.henryroad.com
Come visit our shop in Los Angeles!
3949 Laurelgrove Ave., Studio City, CA 91604, South of Ventura, 2 blks West of Laurel Cyn (818) 762-8966 • F(818) 762-7278 • info@henryroad.com All images and designs © 2011 Henry RoadTM All Rights Reserved
A note from me to you: A Journey in Color is a journal of life at Henry Road. My life. It’s a story of the things that inspire me; the process of creating and designing; of stocking the shop with great decorating and gift items; and of friends and customers who share their laughter and dreams. Color is the red of a ripe tomato, the turquoise water on a beach in Greece, and dandelion white. It’s also the smell of great coffee, the wrinkles in clean linen, the blessing of ice cold water on a hot day, and the cheer at a ball game. It’s the light that shines through the cracks in the box we sometimes climb into when stuff happens. It’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, and cranking up an oldie but goodie on the car radio. Color is what informs my approach to design. Every home should reflect the colorful journey of its residents. A beloved college pennant should hang alongside antique heirlooms. Yellow should bounce off pink and green. Home is a place that frames an edited collection of life’s stuff and shouts out a welcome to friends and family. This issue contains a look into the workings of our studio and the creation of a Henry Road candle collection; a journey to South Africa and the launch of a new African wax cloth pillow collection; a self portrait by the uber talented bird painter, Matt Adrian; a relaxing evening with friends; a peek at some of our favorite stuff; and a visit to our neighborhood dog shop, Maxwell Dog. Thank you for joining me on my colorful journey. Look out for our next journal in August. Best,
Paula Smail Shopkeeper. Designer. Daydreamer.
Michelle Caplan Collage artist. Graphic Designer. Mom.
Matt A
Bird paint Humorist.
Adrian
ter. .
Fiona & Erik Meijer
Wildlife photographers. Cape Town residents.
Leonardo Dog.
With thanks to our contributors!
In The Studio
Our new line of Henry Road Candles, from concept to execution
Candles smell delicious. I love the atmosphere and warmth they bring to a space. That being said, I know nothing about making candles so the first step in creating a Henry Road candle line was to find a team of master candle makers. That done, my to do list was to: 1. Sniff a lot of testers. Consult with friends and customers. End up with four favorite scents that represented a range of preferences. 2. Name or not to name? I started out with numbers and then decided that each candle had such a wonderfully distinct personality, they had to have names too. Valentino (such a handsome fellow) was the first one to get a name. 3. Select a lovely square jar over the shorter, taller, rounder options. 4. Debate and experiment with packaging options. Boxes got nixed in favor of pretty sacks made from Henry Road cotton that can be reused. I selected four of our fabrics and ended up using our stock stickers and tags. Ribbon also got nixed in favor of the contrast provided by the rough textured twine we use to tie up our remnants. 5. Finally, with all the decisions made, it was cutting, sewing, stamping, sticking, and tying time. The Result: A collection of four beautifully scented soy candles in square glass jars packaged in Henry Road cotton sacks and tied up with string.
Henry Road Candle Collection No. 1 Audrey - The clean, fresh scent of French linen No. 2 Chamberi - The sweet bouquet of orchid and jasmine with hints of vanilla No. 3 Valentino - The rich allure of patchouli, sandalwood, orange and ginger No. 4 Casablanca - The refreshing citrus tang of lemongrass, vetiver and bergamot
: N O I T A R I P S N I TRAVEL
A I C R F A H T SOU Introducing An African Wax Cloth Pillow Collection
Fabulous Wildlife and Cape Town Photography: Fiona and Erik Meijer
T
he textiles I design reflect the bold color and rough woodcarvings that are inherent in African craft and my African roots. I consider myself blessed to have grown up in South Africa, a country filled with awe inspiring natural beauty, generous people and an abundance of sunshine. If you visit my shop, more often than not, you will be welcomed by the likes of South African songstress, Miriam Makeba, as the sound of Africa always makes my hips sway. When I was a teenager, I fell in love with the vibrant colors and fabulous cottons piled high in stores on Diagonal Street in Johannesburg with no inkling that years later and half way round the world, fabric would define the way I live and work. There are a huge variety of African fabrics but one of my favorites is wax fabric. The long ago roots of African wax fabric are found in the wax resist batiks of Indonesia. Shipping trade routes between Europe and the Far East introduced these fabulous cottons to West Africa. So much so that designs for the African market were first printed in Holland in the late 1800s and they are synonymous with the wardrobe of West African women today. I love these cottons. Rather than attempting to design something similar, I created a pillow collection with the real thing. Most African wax fabric is printed in Holland and West Africa including the cloth we use in our line. This new African wax cotton collection consists of twelve happy pillows that work well with each other as well as with the Henry Road pillows I design.
Certainly, travel is m that goes on, deep an
more than the seeing of sights; it is a change nd permanent, in the ideas of living. —Miriam Beard
I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plo the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?
ows in the fields and n quiver with a color w a shadow over the —Karen Blixen
SELF PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST: Matt Adrian,
aka The Mincing Mockingbird
M
att Adrian, aka The Mincing Mocking-
bird, is a Henry Road favorite. To say that Matt paints birds is an understatement. His uniquely soulful, avian portraits range from the delightfully pretty and cute to the decidedly bold and sinister reflecting an inner persona gazing out at the world. His intriguing titles for the paintings juxtapose the singularly primal existence of birds with that of the folly of modern human existence. His artwork is collected worldwide and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunset magazine, Bust magazine, Country Living magazine, HGTV’s Dear Genevieve, Decor8, Apartment Therapy and on the hit ABC television show Modern Family. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, artist Kim Bagwill. This is his self portrait.
To date my proudest moment as an artist.… My first one-man show at Henry Road. It changed my life. My first creative masterpiece.... One of my painting teachers - someone quite respected in the art world - called me into his office one day and offered to buy the painting I had just finished. He just took out his checkbook and wrote me a check for more money than I had ever held in my hand in my entire life. He could have simply slapped me and I would have been less shocked. I thanked him, and that weekend I drove to New Orleans and had one of those exhilarating weekends where you live six months in three days. It was the first validation I had as an artist, but also a frightening early example of my money management skills. My favorite time of day.... Evenings in Los Angeles are just all-out magical. A hike at dusk above my house, with the sun dipping below the mountains and the air gone cool and smelling of chaparral...I can’t think of a better time of day. A good time to gather thoughts and mull over ideas and watch the bats come out. My favorite possession.... My journals and sketchbooks. It’s fun to look back...I always think I’m going to be horribly disappointed and embarrassed, but I always find out something about myself that I had forgotten about and find myself pleasantly surprised. The joy of keeping a journal lies in the observation of little insignificant details. You forget them, and then years later you can read that little detail, that little nothing offhand observation, and that entire day, or week flashes back to you in a way a photograph can’t touch. If there was a fire, I’d grab them first. A quote to live by.... “Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you wanted had you known.” —Garrison Keillor
New Work by Matt Adrian at Henry Road
June – September 2011
No. 1
T
he best way to showcase the things you love in your home is to create a series of still life compositions. Eventually they all need to work together but it is easier to work on one corner at a time. A successful still life has contrasting textures, ages, colors, heights and styles blended together. I created this still life series in our shop using things off the shelves.
No. 3
No. 2
Still Life No. 1 African wooden bowl Vintage horse trophy Vintage coral bottle 1850 Harpers Magazine Adler coaster set Adler King/Queen Bud vase Still Life No. 2 Hand thrown pottery vases Branch Brooke Fischer Painting – Moth No.2 Vintage Horse Head Coral calligraphy brush Still Life No. 3 Spiked woven urn K Hall Diffuser Swirl glass vase Vintage Avon cologne bottle (car)
No. 5
No. 4
Still Life No. 4: Vintage coffee pot, Brass star bell, Vintage brass owl, Cynthia Vardhan bud vase, Stuff glass tray, Vintage skeleton keys Still Life No. 5: Vintage Wooden Bowling Pin, Ceramic Apple, Adler Bud vase, Vintage wooden duck, Vintage Paint by Number painting, Books: Undecorate, Kenzo, Parisian Interiors Still Life No. 6: Green crackle vase, Crystal candlestick, White hole candleholder, Vintage aperitif glasses, Vintage pool ball stopper, Butterfly clip, Day of the Dead flask, Vintage tray (Continued on the next page) Still Life No. 7: Vintage McCoy vase, Vintage urn, Vintage shoe mold, Vellum wrapped books, Henry Road candle Still Life No. 8: Roost wooden owl, Union Jack crystal lamp, Patch NYC candle, Vintage lady bell, Handpainted camel box, Silver and turquoise round box, Books: The Baseball, The Typo Hunt, Nuala O’Failan Still Life No. 9: Vintage gas station number, Quilt Vase, Vintage arrows, Pine cone, 35 mm concrete camera sculpture, Vintage books, Henry Road Daisy Runner
No.6
Blend colors, ages, and textures with a pinch of whimsy
No. 7
No. 9
No. 8
Minor tweaks have a big impact
Paint Color:
Behr Premium Plus Ultra (paint and primer in one) Antique Tin (UL260-21)
ENTERTAINING:
SUMMER EVENING WITH FRIENDS
N
othing beats hanging out with good people and good food on a beautiful summer evening.
When it comes to decorating and entertaining, themes, styles and eras are impossibly constraining. I just stick with things I love and edit enough to make everything work. I draw from inspiration and personal experience for both decorating and menu choices. I started the decorating with the idea of creating a canopy using tablecloths. I had seen this done across a street in India and loved it. Then I threw the West African plastic mats that I bought years ago on the concrete floor creating a slightly Moroccan feel. The stunning blooms of South African Protea flowers joined the picture. Indian, Moroccan and African influences were then totally subverted in my food and drink choices. I decided that the ‘cocktail’ should be Pimms. The terribly British drink found at all summer events in the UK. Next up was the decision to head to Italy and make Bruschetta using juicy ripe tomatoes. Other food and drink choices flowed from there. The result: a blend of favorites and a fabulous time with friends.
Decor Tips:
• Mix up your colors, and use what you have and love. Mixing it up makes for a more interesting and relaxed table. I used a gold trimmed cake tier I inherited, a mason jar as a vase and a wooden cutting board from the kitchen. • Flowers and plants rule. Surround the entertaining area and table with all the pots in the garden that you have already planted up for the summer. Mine are filled with lavender and impatience. • Fabric and tablecloths make great canopies and hide all manner of ugly. (Like the well hidden nasty electrical box on my wall.)
The Guests
The talented and creative ladies who came to my little party all run their own businesses so aside from sharing laughter and having fun, it was also an opportunity to share ideas and encouragement as we all tread a similar path daily. • Kim Bagwill, The Frantic Meerkat • Heidi and Susie Bauer, Rock Scissor Paper • Michelle Caplan, collage artist & her daughter, Phoebe
U N E M
, soda p u 7 , 1 s No. m erries, m b i P w a h r t t i s up (W d, oranges, C s m mint.) rin h s r e e • Pim r b f cucum nd loads of , r e of ice t a s t a w o s l d a on and and lo m e l , s rie , lueber b cheese h s t t i a w o r g • Wate s with r e k il c a h cr nd bas s a i l s g e n o at •E le that d tom p e a i t r s d l i ta sun A cock ( s e n ason u r e r p d d o e go pp acon) rs for n-wra b a o e e c y v a r o B • fo ’t l round doesn a o n h e w e arrots and c has b e r k o a f dip sy to m vorite a f it’s ea e s store a im t w l s l i a h y .) lse. T ki (M e i z g t ection n a f i r z h e t p y •T te an recrea about t d s n u a j e gorry t h t and y h m ro t as w cipe f r e r a bough d e umme s S u n I ( a i l chetta An Ita f o s • Brus e ip k Rec s o o b s berrie w a r geou t s h • Fres
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Henry Road
3949 Laurelgrove Ave Studio City CA 91604 818 762 8966 info@henryroad.com www.henryroad.com
In The Shop
Bamboo bowl $25
$6 Lined Notebooks
Vintage paper pack $15
Human Anatomy: A Visual History from the Renaissance to the Digital Age $16.95
Hand cream $18
Parisian Chic: A style guide by Ines de la Fressange $29.95
Water Carafe $30
Stuff glass tray $23
Zebra coaster set $44
In The Neighborhood
L
eonardo and I take a walk for coffee every morning before opening the shop. Our route around Studio City often includes a happy stop at Maxwell Dog. They open an hour before we do so we get to have a treat and cuddle Murray and Rosie before heading to work. Leo loves the free treats, I love the creative product display. Everything dog is stashed away in old lockers, kitchen cabinets, baby cribs, big glass jars and a fabulous clawfoot tub. Maxwell Dog has been a neighborhood staple for the past nine years and what Lynn, Jillian, Tiffany and Carly don’t know about the care and feeding of dogs is not worth knowing. They cater to all shapes, sizes and personalities from Hollywood Glam to Sports Jock and Daisy Jane – and that’s the dogs I am talking about. 12336 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 818 505 8411 • www.maxwelldog.com
Let’s examine the dog mind: Every time you come home, he thinks it’s amazing. He can’t believe that you’ve accomplished this again. You walk in the door. The joy of it almost kills him. “He’s back again! It’s that guy! It’s that guy!” —Jerry Seinfeld
Next Issue: Dog Days of Summer Coming August 2011 Beach Finds Picnics Lampshades Printing A Journey in India