I saved this Halloween DIY from last year. It’s cheap and easy to create and the effect is, well, scary.
via Delia Creates
Halloween is just a few days away. I’ve been enjoying reading about amazing Halloween DIYs and cool costumes but I have had zero time to focus on Halloween this year. I’ve got my pumpkin and that’s about all I’m going to get.
What about you? Are you dressing up? Did you already go to a Halloween party or two? Still looking for an easy costume? Here’s one for you…
via Urban Outfitters
A day late with the Friday Five this week but nevermind…here we are now. I hope you all had a wonderful week. What are your weekend plans?
I was due to attend Art Toronto but I couldn’t make it in the end (the first time in a few years). I know it was another great success and I hope to be back into my Art Toronto-attending routine next year.
Thought I’d wrap up the week with some art anyway – this time with black and white line drawings from UK-artist  Ian Stevenson.
When I bought my house I thought one of the first things to go would be the hall light fixtures. They looked, to me at least, to be too flashy and I couldn’t really imagine how they would match my furniture. The dark burgundy walls didn’t help their case.
before: the foyer with dark walls and a fancy chandelier
Once I painted the place white, the chandeliers seemed to (almost) disappear. They looked less gawdy than before and they actually began to grow on me. In fact, I’ve become such a fan of them over the last few months that I have now decided to keep them.
And I don’t seem to be alone in my interest in this style of chandelier.
via Ebay
The chandeliers in the above photos are the tronchi style. They’re made of crystal and each piece is in the shape of a tube or trunk (hence the Italian translation of the name). These handmade Murano glass Venini chandeliers can also be made up of prism crystals and balls like the gorgeous fixture from 1st Dibs below.
via 1st Dibs
A couple of weeks ago, I found a few similar chandeliers and decided to scoop them up for other places around the house. I’m completely hooked on these now and I have completely embraced their fascinating style! I should say, though, that my collection of lighting fixtures is made up of the budget/imitation version of the Venini glass chandeliers but they still reflect the light beautifully and are interesting to look at (not to mention great conversation pieces). The lucite prisms in my chandelier collection are proving that they work perfectly with my decor. I’ve dropped a few of the prisms as I cleaned them so I’m pretty thankful that the pieces are durable. They’re fairly lightweight too which has made installation smooth. Be on the lookout, people. I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing more of these Venini chandeliers (or the lucite versions) all over the design blogs and magazines soon enough.
Check back soon for a full lighting reveal!
Last week when I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art I snapped this photo of Marcel Duchamp’s conceptual art installation:
Did you know that Duchamp is considered to be one of the most important artists of the 20th century? I suppose having a spot at the MoMA would indicate as much. I have since discovered that he is considered to be one of three major artists (along with Picasso and Matisse) who revolutionized plastic arts at the start of the 20th century and important developments in painting and sculpture.
You’ll also be interested to know that he was an adviser to notable art collectors including Peggy Guggenheim and so nudged her and other major movers and shakers of the day into appreciating and collecting modern art such as the works by Picasso, Magritte, Tunnard, Dali, Chagall and so on.
Isn’t it great what a day at the museum can do?
Image by me.