WE LIVE IN PARADISE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: A living room by designer Angela Free incorporates the grand Passy chandelier; Hélène Aumont; the Bagatelle passementerie chandelier.
Live CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Alan Magee’s
Cairn, tapestry, 105 x 81 in. mixed with vintage items; Edith Caldwell;
The gorgeous handmade art of passementerie— intricate braiding, tassels, fringes, and other embellishments—is at risk in our modern world. Its apotheosis was the court of Versailles, but its popularity also reached America. Who can forget Scarlett O’Hara’s green velvet dress in Gone with the Wind, fashioned from her mother’s drapes? That ensemble would have been incomplete without the belt made from drapery tie-backs— pure passementerie. Leave it to local (French) designer HÉLÈNE AUMONT to revive the cherished art. “As a little girl, I was surrounded by pompoms—large tassels on the keys of armoires or doors—and I used to play with them as if they were dolls,” she says. “So it is familiar territory for me, and I realized that the art of the passementerie could easily fall into oblivion, as many other trade guilds have. I decided I needed to infuse some passementerie in my interiors.” And voilà, the designer’s collection of luxe chandeliers, sconces, lanterns, pendant lights, and tie-backs was born. 805-691-9335,
heleneaumont.com. L.D. PORTER
Gray Malin’s Two
Cowboys , photograph, 42 3 / 4 x 60 3 / 4 in.
D OW N T OW N
Bring it Home “Here’s the deal. The reason I named this place EDITH CALDWELL ABODE is because I won’t bring anything in here that I wouldn’t take home,” says the namesake of the new gallery/boutique at the southeast corner of De la Guerra Plaza. The doubleheight space (originally an art studio) with classically arched windows is airy and light—the perfect spot for viewing Caldwell’s specially curated vintage furniture and home accessories. Originally from Tennessee, Caldwell ran galleries in various California locales before heading to Santa Barbara eight years ago, intending to retire. Luckily for us, she’s back in the game. 8 E. De la Guerra St., Santa Barbara, 805-696-
5515, edithcaldwell.com. L.D.P. 30 h o m e + g a r d e n 2 0 2 0
PHOTOGRAPHS: HÉLÈNE AUMONT, MATT WIER PHOTOGRAPHY
All Wrapped Up