October 4, 2015

Paris Address Book: Eat + Drink

My Parisian holiday is rapidly approaching (just a week away!), and I can barely concentrate on anything other than planning my foodie and watering-hole route de Paris. We have some wonderful farm to table restaurants and artisanal cocktails in San Francisco, but nothing compares to the insanely delicious culinary delights offered on virtually every corner in Paris. With so many choices and a limited amount of time in Paris, you need a gastronomic plan! Here is my short guide to the "current musts" for Parisian dining+drinking (admittedly, it was no easy task to narrow down the ridiculous amount of gourmand choices and this is by no mean an exhaustive list).

Pain et Chocolate

Boulangerie: Du Pain et Des Idees - recognized by French editorials as the "superstar" boulangerie, and I whole-heartedly agree. Du Pain et Des Idees is a block from Canal St. Martin in the 10th Arr., a bit off the main tourist trail, but it's worth every single step. I recommend the Pain Chocolate.
34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75001 Paris
Métro: Republique

Patisserie: Gérard Mulot - centrally located in the 6th Arr., this patisserie and chocolate shop offers jewel-like creations. The house Mûre-Mûre ganache is the specialty. But really, you can't go wrong with any patisserie selection here.
76, rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
Métro: Mabillon or Odéon

Macaroons: Ladurée - the original Parisian Macaroon dating back to 1862. Their Salted Caramel Macaroon just may be heaven in your mouth, and once you've had this Macaroon, you'll snub all others. A Parisian once explained to me that the original Ladurée is far superior to any other Ladurée outpost due to its "baking conditions" and their impact on the delicate Macaroon. Having tried Ladurée throughout Paris, NY and Tokyo, I must agree with him. Head straight to the original House and skip the others.
16 rue Royale, 75008 Paris
Métro: Madeleine

Chocolate Chaud: Angelina - the indulgent, rich, thick cup of molten chocolate - known as Chocolate Chaud - keeps me coming back to this institutional tea house time and time again. The belle epoque interior of this 110 year old tea house have seen the likes of Coco Chanel and Parisian aristocracy.

Boissons - Cocktails

Fashionable Bar: Ralph's Bar - exemplifies how to be an American in Paris. Ralph Lauren's gem of a bar on the Left Bank serves up swanky drinks and fashionable people watching. Tucked inside the Ralph Lauren flagship store, this is a great pit stop for a martini shopping break.
173 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Métro: Saint Germain des Prés
Local Wine Bar: Le Quinze Vins - having stumbled upon this casual wine bar while wondering around the Seine (one of my favorite pastimes in Paris is to get lost - you never know what you'll find down a winding cobblestone passage), it has become a "go to". The wine selection regularly changes and the nibbles are limited to regional charcuterie + cheese (as they should be). Skip the expensive cheese at the restaurant and head to this local wine bar for an after dinner treat.
1 rue Dante, 75005 Paris
Métro: Maubert

Cuisine

Casual Gourmet: Frenchie Bar a Vins - don't be fooled by the wine bar title (or the seemingly tourist trap of a name, "Frenchie"), this is probably the best meal I've ever had in Paris. Served up in an intimate wine bar that is the little brother to the famed Frenchie Restaurant across the street, the inventive small bites melt in your mouth hitting every taste bud along the way. Ask for a table overlooking the petite kitchen for a theatrical show to accompany your meal. No reservations taken, so show up 15 minutes before opening time to ensure a seat.
5-6 rue Du Nil, 75002 Paris
Métro: Sentier
Modern Bistro: Le Comptoir du Relais St. Germain - classic by lunchtime and sophisticated by night. While a dinner reservation may be impossible (unless you are staying at the adjoining hotel), they generally have tables at lunch time - though you just may have to wait in line. This modern gourmet bistro serves seasonal classic fare and is a staple on my bistro circuit.
Next door, tucked into a narrow hallway of a space, is the outfit's affiliate L'Avant Comptoir Wine Bar. Great place for a quick glass of natural wine and delicious tapa snack to fuel your tourist body. Standing room only, so don't expect to kick-back and relax at this wine bar.
9 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris
Métro: Odéon

Trattoria: Restaurant Heimat - an Italian stand-out located within arched stone walls below the street. At lunchtime, this restaurant is filled to the brim with suits - a testament to its worthiness. Within walking distance to the Louvres and adjacent to the fashionable galleries of Le Petit Palace, this is a wonderful non-touristy option boasting delicate fish options and a phenomenal wine list.
37 rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris
Métro: Pyramides
Gastronomic Bistro: Les Papilles - a wine store by day and an enchanting restaurant at night serving one prix fixe meal (no menu required because the chef's offering is that good). In the heart of the Latin Quarter near Jardins du Luxembourg, this bistro is central and delicious. Make sure to book ahead because they have only a handful of tables.
30 rue Gay Lussac, 75005 Paris
Métro: Odeon
Michelin Excellence: Epicure - is THE spot for those in search of a worthy Michelin star meal (Epicure has 3 stars!). Epicure exemplifies everything that Michelin represents - seasonal, inventive, beautiful and delicious. If a costly dinner is outside of your budget, Epicure offers a budget friendly prix fixe option at lunch. Conveniently located on the courtier street of rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.
112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris
Métro: Miromesnil

Epicure images by Becca Wahlquist. All other images by Brooklyn Boheme.

October 3, 2015

Chateau Wedding Restrospective

by Brandi Brown in Fetes

As I sip my morning coffee, I'm reflecting on where I was and what I was doing six years ago today... At about this time on October 3, 2009, I was enjoying a lavish spread of flaky, buttery pastries overlooking the terrace of a French renaissance chateau, in solitude enjoying my final moments as a singleton and anticipating the day's wedding festivities at Chateau de Challain in the Loire Valley. This morning I leave you with some snapshots of the day, a retrospective in images. For the full post: click Chateau Wedding.

September 30, 2015

Small Spaces: Designing a Home Office Nook

by Brandi Brown in Interiors

Whether you use it once a month to pay bills or every day to blog, your home office needs to be inspiring and efficient. Finding a nook within a small home to create an efficient yet inspiring home office can be a challenge but also a necessity of small house living. We re-imagined a small "dead" space (too small for cabinets but too big to be wasted) in our kitchen into a chic and compact home office that is grounded in a calm greige color scheme (which makes me feel organized no matter how disorganized I am), full of re-purposed objets d'art from travels and architectural artifacts that inspire me, and maximized on efficiency with a bookshelf and inventive storage solutions.

Architectural pediments salvaged from a dumpster (which means free!) frame a custom bookcase, and artfully define the space. Grey graphic contact paper scored from TJ Maxx for $4 lines the back of the bookcase and provides a dramatic (and easily removable) contrasting backdrop. An antique French bistro table provides a compact work surface with chipped enamel character, evidencing its former social use. Sitting at my "desk", I can imagine all of the wonderful meals and conversations that took place over the bistro table and, for me, this is the ultimate inspiration.

Re-purposing discarded objects provides visually pleasing utilitarian office storage solutions in our petite office - an old glove form corrals post-it notes, a vintage trophy picked up in Ojai holds paint brushes, and an antique leather binocular case from Paris offers scissors and rulers. Laduree boxes add pastel energy to the otherwise grey monotone space and hold paper clips, cords and ink cartridges. As for the unsightly necessity of a modern printer, I tucked it away into a seagrass Pottery Barn Beachcomber Lidded Basket. Not only is the basket an aesthetically pleasing solution but it offers a rough texture to the space that is the yin to the grey sheepskin's soft yang.

A Kartell-style Louis Ghost Chair (found on sale at HomeGoods for $80) adds the functional necessity of a chair without adding too much visual weight to the compact space. Harry Bertoia wire chairs would be another great option to keep the airy feeling.

Bookshelf layered with travel mementos turned storage

An old sculptural glove form offers fun post-its

Design is never finished, and our home office is no exception...I'm on the hunt for a modern airy chandelier (like this one) to create unobstructed visual interest...

Design Notes

Create a space that inspires you. For me, that means being surrounded by calm colors and mementos from travel (and, well, anything French is my muse). For others, that could be something totally bright and boho, or modern and crisp.
Location and Light. Consider traffic flow and natural light exposure. Tucked in a corner of our kitchen that is flooded with light from two large picture windows, my cozy home office provides me with the space and quietness from the house traffic that I desperately need to withstand distractions. Do you work best in a quiet moody space or a lively bright space?
Accessibility of Storage. Keep the daily items within easy reach. Nothing is more inefficient than constantly searching for a pen and paper or the electrical cord that you need for your tablet, camera, printer, etc.
Form Need Not be Over Function. Home office décor should complement the adjacent rooms of your home, rather than being a soulless white box of desk and storage. For example, my home office echoes the colors of the kitchen cabinets and seamlessly bleeds into the adjoining kitchen. Creative accessories (such as vintage trophies for a pencil holder and Laduree boxes for small storage solutions) and artistic pieces (which could be your kids' framed artwork, a modern graphic or a classic painting) enhance the comfy feeling of an office. If you have the space, a settee or love-seat are ideal. The more comfortable you are in the space, the more likely you are to use it.
Master Modern Technology. Beautifying the necessities of a computer and printer may be impossible, but you can hide the unsightly device or cords. Make sure to store the equipment near an outlet for easy access. Hide the device in a basket or the cord with a fabric cord cover (such as Pottery Barn's Basic Cord Cover), and contain cords with velcro ties (found at almost all hardware stores).

Images by Brooklyn Boheme.

September 26, 2015

Shopping San Francisco: Design+Decor on Sacramento Street

by Brandi Brown in Jet Set

While the temperature is beginning to drop in most of the country as Fall officially begins, for us in San Francisco, the warm Indian Summer has just arrived. My favorite Indian Summer Saturday activity is strolling the curated storefronts of Sacramento Street. With the seasonal warm sunshine and design+decor eye candy of Sacramento Street, visiting this street is a mini-vacation of sorts.

Sacramento Street has a European air about it, with its Victorian storefronts featuring artful merchant signs dangling above the street. The merchants take pride in their storefront windows, paying meticulous attention to the display of their wares. It's no wonder that several of the City's elite designers have taken up residence on this street. Sacramento Street merchants vary from high-end home decor, fashion houses, interior designers, to couture consignment - something for everyone, so it's a great shopping destination for a group of friends.

On the home decor front, the famed merchants include March Pantry, Hudson Grace, Serena & Lily, Anthem, Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic, and Sue Fisher King (to name a few).

March Pantry offers exquisite kitchenware - stepping into this store with its edited displays of merchandise is like stepping into an editorial page out of a magazine. March's interior is warmed by an Aga stove habitually on and baking delicious delights for visitors. While we were visiting, delectable yams were the offering of the day.

Sylists will swoon over the homewares at Hudson Grace. Hudson Grace is known for its curated white pottery, Greige goods and antique silverware. Among my favorites during this trip, were white ceramic candelabras and sculptural watering cans molded from antique brass candelabras and tin watering cans found in a Paris Brocante. I took home a specimen of a white head of lettuce (a ceramic version of course!).

Serena & Lily is another recommended home store. Based in Sausalito, this outfit offers cottage home goods and recently launched a fashion line. I love their timeless bistro inspired line. Anthem, on the other hand, offers a more glam-eclectic line of furnishings, lighting and objets d'art.

Sculptural Watering Cans molded from antique French tin watering cans

Hudson Grace's entrance is presided over by this lovely lady

Regardless of taste, the most discerning of shoppers (and browsers) will be delighted by the design+decor of Sacramento Street. Here is one of my favorite window displays of the day - bulldog statuary framed like a painting, reminiscent of the billiard dog paintings from the 1970s.

Sacramento Street Eats

After a hard day of feeding your shopping soul, nourish yourself with a cocktail or grub at one of these Sacramento Street eateries.

Nico: Modern French bistro.
Spruce: Classic San Francisco fare with inventive cocktails.
Sociale: Romantic homemade Italian.

Images by Brooklyn Boheme.

September 23, 2015

Greige - A Perfectly Neutral Palette

by Brandi Brown in Interiors

I am partial to French and Belgian decor in large part because of their primary use of the earthen based neutral "Greige". Greige is a proprietary French blend of grey and taupe, it's raw and ethereal while at the same time complex and sophisticated (especially when mixed with modern minimalism). It pairs equally well with saturated bold hues and faded colors. Natural fiber textiles, velvets, leathers and hides elevate Greige to chic. The widespread popularity of this palette transcends from home decor to the runway (Dior made soft grey eponymous with luxe) to beauty (Bobbi Brown offers a Greige eye palette).

I think the above palette board evidences the ethereal sophisticated glory of Greige, with the layering of white soft sheepskin and contrasting rough sisal rugs. A brown leather tufted chesterfield sofa (such as Restoration Hardware's Kensington Sofa) juxtaposed against gilded French armchairs would be a cool compliment to this palette, and I would throw in a modern Kartell Bloom Pendant for a minimalist twist with sparkling texture.

Here are my favorite Greige moments in design.

Sophie Malgat in Gray Chiffon Dior in Dior's Paris Home by Mark Shaw, available on 1stDibs.

Crisp Greige Swedish living room via Decorpad.

Natural Greige elements, via Haute Design.

Moroccan Rough Luxe Greige, via Lieuk Interieur Advies.

Romantic French Greige, via Haute Design.

Modern Art Greige, via Architectural Digest Espana.

Courtyard Dior Gray Chiffon by Mark Shaw, available at Jackson Fine Art.

Moody contemporary Greige in a Paris apartment by Matt Watts, Home Adore.