Tony Oursler, H2Out (2006) Fiberglass, projector, speakers, flash media player 55"x42"x32". Lehmann Maupin Gallery, NY

New England’s harsh winds and beating rain seemed to be conspiring against me as I rushed to the airport, for a flight that I hoped would not be cancelled or delayed. My ultimate destination was 1200 miles away and much warmer—opening night of Art Basel/ Miami Beach. Carried up by a gust of wind, my umbrella turned inside out, as if to punish me for not wanting to remain and enjoy Mother Nature’s celebration of the changing seasons. Determined, and with 100,000 square feet of art awaiting me, I braved the elements, a crowded and chaotic scene in the New York airport where I transferred to another flight; ultimately stepping into the sultry air of Florida, my art fair destination the only thing on my mind. fine arts magazine

Maimi Beach at night. From Miami Beach Real Estate, Inc.

Ah, intoxicating Miami! For the next week, this celebrity-filled event will hold enough contemporary art, host enough VIP parties and project enough glamour to earn its reputation as the country—if not the world’s—hottest art fair. Approximately 250 galleries from the U. S., Europe, Latin America, Asia, India and Africa are showcasing paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography and prints, by 2,000 of the world’s pre-eminent contemporary and modern artists. I noted a fair number of galleries from Russian galleries are here, too. While still gaining a footing in the fast-moving American market, the stats suggest that it was exposure, not sales per se, that was their primary motivation for exhibiting.

The gallery scene is dominated by international ‘super dealers’ like Gagosian, who have managed to attract talent and generate enough buzz to electrify Miami Beach’s Convention Center. A gateway to the emerging wealth of Latin America, Art Basel/ Miami Beach gives galleries both strong sales and tightened relationships, not only with serious collectors who come year after year; but, access to a new brand of collector. New wealth is being seen in emerging markets, primarily Latin America and Asia. Brazilians, in particular, were being seduced by marquee names in the art world and emerging artists alike, accounting for an unusually-high percentage of sales, across all categories.

Alex Guofang Cao, Angela vs. Brad (2009), chromogenic print. ChinaSquare Gallery

With attendance at more than 46,000 visitors, the mood at this year’s fair was remarkably upbeat, especially given the current volatility of the capital markets, the Euro-crisis and geo-political tensions in Asia. Before the event opened, Chinese artist, Alex Guofeng Cao, was in demand, as proven by the sales of seven of his prints ranging from $7,000-15,000 by New York’s ChinaSquare Gallery; a sculpture by Anish Kapoor fetched $220,000 (represented by Munich dealer, Gallery Terminus) and a Basquiat drawing sold for $85,000. Nick Komiloff, Director of Art Miami told artdaily.org. (‘[...]celebrates’ 12.2.10), “Interest in masterworks from marquee artists is a strong indicator that people are looking for quality and extraordinary pieces this year. There is also a noticeable trend in Latin American and Chinese artists…”

Indeed, it is this search for quality for which, as a financial advisor by day, I, too, am always prowling. Post-financial meltdown, post-art market crisis and just barely the Fed’s second round of quantitative easing—and with bond prices falling, investors desperately searching for yield and, no doubt, the Silver Bullet—I scouted the Art Fair, to determine if I was literally surrounded by an asset class that could drive profitability in a portfolio: contemporary or modern art, by the best that the world has to offer.

Sean Kelly, a New York gallery owner, believes that collectors are putting more money into art now, because Wall Street has let them down. “We are benefitting from the trust being placed in us, “he claims. Fair Co-Director Marc Spiegler said : “Of course, the blue chip work, the work that if you don’t buy now you’ll never have access to again, will move, in the same way of course that some young artists will be favored. But, I think, what we have seen in the last two years, with the economy being different, is that people are really focused as much on the mid-career artists as the young artists” (artdaily.org. ‘[...]collectors’, 12.2.10).

Andy Warhol images of Marilyn Monroe, always in demand, like this image, similar to one on dislay at Aquavella Gallery, NY

Warhol wrote that ‘business art’ is the best art. How could he have possibly predicted the staggering values, even for his own works, seen in today’s market. Real estate mogul, Aby Rosen, said that “art has tremendous asset potential. All the other luxuries depreciate, and art is one thing that has the potential to appreciate.” (NYT, ‘Where Art[…]’, 12.10.10) While differing in this assessment (Steinway pianos and vintage luxury watches both refute Rosen’s claim, for example), I do agree that art has a place in every investor’s portfolio (as do Steinways and vintage luxury watches.) Collector Beth Rudin DeWoody, who happens to collect the work of several of my artist-friends, asks: “Where else would you put your money, if you are still solvent and you are still buying?” (NYT, ‘Where Art […]’, 12.10.10) While dividend-paying stocks come to my mind, I would personally collect great art, if I were a member of this stratospherically-rich jet set, too.

What I believe is that, as in Modern Portfolio Theory, a diversified art portfolio is every bit as valid as a diversified portfolio of intangible assets. Just as I would add international and emerging markets equities to my clients’ portfolios of domestic stocks and fixed income instruments, serious art collectors are adding Latin American, Chinese, African and other emerging artists to the marquee artists already in their collections. The established collectors, with their solid base of classic modern and contemporary art, are the same who had the foresight, thirty years ago, to start collecting emerging Latin American, European or U.S.-born artists and are also tracking today’s crop of art ‘rock stars.’ An equivalent position in a stock and bond portfolio might be a blue chip, high growth company like Apple; go back a bit further and look up the price-per-share of Intel or IBM, and see what you could have earned had you picked up and held onto these for the past thirty years.

Evan Penny Old Self (Portrait of the artist as he will not be), silicone, pigment, hair and fabric, 33"X24"X39" (2010)

Older, established collectors scan the globe, looking for emerging talent—nursing their passion for art objects—and attempting to satisfy their obsession to own these works. Collector Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, a native Venezuelan and Founder of the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami, in an interview and panel discussion held at the Fair, admitted to originally collecting only Latin American art. But, as time passed and her tastes evolved, she eventually stepped into the global arena in her search for contemporary art. Her collection, while steeped in art from Venezuela, Brazil and Peru, includes art found on her global travels. This strategy adds rich flavor to her extensive portfolio, while mitigating risk at the same time.

Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros also noted that art and philanthropy go hand-in-hand more readily in the U.S. than in Latin America or some European countries, where tariffs and a private arts culture weigh heavily on collectors. Moving art into and out of these countries is difficult, to say the least. Added to these barriers is the lack of government-sponsored tax breaks and broad political support and you get an increasingly complex art arena in which to do business.

The difference today lies, perhaps, with the new breed of collector, who tends to buy emerging artists or even mid-career artists, at the expense of or to the exclusion of the more established names. I believe this new breed—hedge fund managers, media moguls and athlete or entertainment celebrities—tends to focus their collections on emerging artists, because they have an intuitive (let alone, experiential) familiarity with recognizing and rewarding fresh, young talent. Let’s not forget the lessons taught by the Internet, reality-television and instant sports celebrity: new talent, once it goes ‘viral’, has monetary potential limited only by one’s wildest imagination. Think Britney, Miley, Tiger and Paris!

Darren K. Johnston, General Partner, The Arts Fund and Artist Mindy Linkous at the W South Beach "6 on 12" party. Painting is her iconic Sinatra Gleason. Acrylic on canvas.

As the parties revolving around SoBe attested, this art fair inclines towards the young and the restless. Youthful-looking collectors, pushing babies in expensive strollers and conversing intelligently with dealers about expensive pieces (mostly in Spanish and Portuguese), were everywhere. Cleverly playing to a youthful audience, an iphone 4 mobile app available within the show allows you to identify artists by simply scanning the work of art into your phone. And, according to the numbers, this particular clientele was buying.  Remember that at the Basel events, in particular, only 1% of attendees actually purchase art! 99% of attendees are on the art interest scale of vague-to-genuine; they are equally, if not more, interested in the culture of the fair.

And in Miami, culture pervades. At the Art Basel Miami Beach’s VIP Preview Party, celebrity and Miami culture vultures co-mingled with art dealers, collectors and the art they represented. While wading through the indoor and outdoor sculpture exhibition and video show, In What We Trust, guests nibbled on hors d’ oeuvres by Spuntino Catering; martinis from Miami’s Bootlegger Martini Bar and espressos from Segafredo Zanetti Espresso, syncing perfectly with the South Beach vibe.

Later, at a private party poolside with executives from Creative Time, the public installation people, some of us gathered around the Hanukkah menorah, imbibing vodka and latkes and paying homage to the Jewish traditional holiday occurring during the same week as the show, in the name of, ‘tis the season’. When combined with the glamour of this tropical, outdoor paradise, one would be hard-pressed to agree which culture– the art culture or the party culture–prevailed, particularly for that 99% non-collecting set.

Robert Malmberg, The 3rd Eye, collodion print, 24"x36" (2010)

One of my favorite after-parties was held at the W South Beach, where Arts Fund intersected two of Miami’s most alluring asset classes: waterfront real estate and emerging art. A third class—high fashion—was represented by the leggy models that, I assumed, were hired just to show up at this event. My friend, an art agent, argued that Miami doesn’t need to hire beautiful young women dressed to kill, as they are as ubiquitous in the city as mojitos and sunshine. But for the event, ‘6 on 12’, curated by White Walls Gallery, these three asset classes prevailed, cloaked in edginess and an abundance of polite air kisses. The W took six of their multi-million dollar waterfront units on the twelfth floor and filled them with showcase artists Eddie Colla, Casey Gray, Hush, Mindy Linkous, Robert Malmberg and Kofie One. Beautiful residential real estate brokers lounged with guests on white sofas and attempted to talk art, but what they really wanted to do was entice you to re-position your assets into SoBe property. Indeed, the view out the balconies was tantalizing, especially if the unit held unobstructed vistas of water along with glimpses of Creative Time’s outdoor art installation.

Then it was on to the Wolfsonian Museum, where hard bodies shoved against hard bodies, all vying for the elevators to see the art upstairs. I found their gift shop to be a fascinating and thought-proving bonus to an enlightening evening, and spent quite a bit of time there. Picking up a book on Cuban art and culture for my Cuban-born husband made my day.

In the end, when all was said and done, it should be noted that Art Basel/ Miami Beach is about exceptional quality and global representation. For my three-day investigation, I happily ate pre-dinner finger foods, in party rooms filled with strangers. But for dinner, we went with the tried-and-true. On my last night there, Joe’s Stone Crabs, was the destination I shared with my closest friends and hosts for my stay. For Joe’s, a Miami Beach institution, is still in the blue chip sleeve of any diner’s restaurant portfolio. It continues to pay dividends long after the meal is over.

The Great Recession, most arts professionals would agree, brought prices of contemporary and modern art down to more realistic levels. Those of us old enough to remember the 90’s remember, all too well, the dotcom ‘bubble’. Students of art, serious collectors and investors of art owe at least a few of their lessons to Wall Street. Real value and exceptional quality has its place in the art world. And if Art Basel/ Miami Beach stood for one thing, it stood for that.

by Carolina Fernandez, Editor-at-Large

*After the title of a well-known book about investing: Burton Malkiel. A Random Walk Down Wall Street. New York & London: W.W. Norton & Co. (2007)

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Bibliography

1. “Art Miami Celebrates Opening Night with Marquee Works Drawing Large Crowds and Sales.” artdaily.org, December 2, 2010.

2. “Collectors from Around the World Gather at Art Basel Miami Beach as It Opens Its Doors.” artdaily.org, December 2, 2010.

3. Trebay, Guy. “Art Basel Miami Beach: Where Art and Commerce Come Together and Party.” The New York Times, December 10, 2010.

Olive Branch Dish: 2" high; 4.5" dia.; Stainless Steel, Oxidized Bronze

On arrival, his senses were first piqued by the distinct, yet odd aroma of baking molasses! He would soon learn that this unusual ingredient was used in a sand casting process. He sought out one local craftsman in particular, who spent hours turning metal into utilitarian objects like scissors or buckets. The beauty of the finished products and the creative process used to create them caught him completely by surprise. The skill of these local artisans reflected a hand-wrought aesthetic often hidden by the locals to disguise the fact that each piece was, in fact, crafted by hand. Aram recalls these early, seminal experiences as ‘mind-blowing’. Over a period of weeks, he wandered the streets of New Delhi, visiting craftsmen, watching the casting process, listening to the sounds of metal being hammered and experimenting with simple designs. Soon, India would become a second home to Aram and the craftsmen’s ovens would serve as crucibles for his own imagination.

Michael Aram and the 'Last leaves' Collection at Bloomingdales, New York City

Working among local artisans with a series of drawings, Aram guided the creation of dozens of different objects. His first: a shoe horn scratched with a stick in the dirt, for a local artisan to craft using time-honored techniques. To his amazement, Aram soon held a faithfully-rendered version of his concept in his hands.

 Returning to New York City in the late 1980’s, he was delighted to discover that these hand-crafted pieces, in fact, had strong commercial appeal. A mere twenty-five years old, Aram got a ‘lucky break’ when Neiman Marcus chose his artisan twig cutlery for the cover of its Christmas catalog. He sold 16,000 sets; establishing him in his first year of business as the premiere American artist to intersect decorative metal arts, utilizing organic forms. Other early successes quickly followed: retailers like Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney’s. “My heart has always been in organic forms– twigs, flowers, leaves,” notes Aram, twenty years after his first commercial breakthrough. Encapsulating his love of nature in stainless steel, copper and bronze was ‘cutting edge’ then and quickly became Aram’s design  signature.

Aram's Twentieth Anniversary Tea Service: Nickelplate, Carved Amethyst, Carved Jade

 Today, twenty years later, Aram divides his time between New Delhi and New York City, living and working in each city from homes and workshops that embrace his signature style. Fluent in Hindi and well aware of the needs of local artisans, Aram’s influence there cannot be underestimated. Twice voted Indian Designer of the Year, he is as happy working on private commissions as he is creating affordable pieces for a worldwide base. Asked what drives him artistically today, Aram responds that, “New projects jazz me up. I love working in fine jewelry. Mixing precious and semi-precious stones with gold brings beauty to my daily experience. Communicating the design is my over-arching preoccupation. I never want to become complacent,” says this talented and gracious man. “I always desire to find things of beauty and to try to re-create them for mankind. I want to bring up the next generation to desire the same”.

And that first shoehorn, silently yet skillfully rendered with a stick in the dirt of New Delhi in 1989, is still sold in boutiques and retail establishments around the world, hand-forged in the metal that defines Michael Aram, Inc.

by Carolina Fernandez, Contributing Writer

 To learn more about these and other objects in the Michael Aram Collection, go to:

http://www.michaelaram.com

“Ahh! Nantucket in August”

Visiting the island of Nantucket in December—a splendid time to schedule a spontaneous holiday excursion—might find you light-hearted and in the mood for celebration. Yet with head tingling in search of a wool cap, hands begging for warm hiding places, and neck and shoulders aching from unnatural hunching in an effort to preserve both good spirits and heat, you might find yourself yearning for a visit to this magical island in the kinder month of August.

Ahh! Nantucket in August. Strolling down Washington Street’s emerging “antiques row,” your stride is now slow and thoughtful; your hands damp and sticky from dripping homemade ice cream in freshly-baked cones; your head and shoulders hunched more comfortably, as you wistfully peek inside one and then another and yet another charming gallery or shop dotting this remarkable island in the middle of the northern Atlantic.

One could not stray too far before stumbling upon the newly-renovated Meridian Galleries. Situated in the heart of the historic downtown art and design district, it houses one of the finest collections of landscape and marine art of the Northeast and indeed, along the “Meridian line” extending from Maine to Florida. Owner Robert Cullinane, who was classically-trained as a graphic designer and today works professionally designing everything from corporate logos to brochures, websites to branding strategies, has taken his keen eye for proportion, color, line and image, in creating the gallery’s space and curating the works he has chosen to highlight in this busiest tourist month of Nantucket’s year: August. More specifically, Cullinane features women artists of Nantucket, whose primarily marine-themed oils, watercolors and pastels fill his stunningly beautiful space in the island’s historic district. “I wanted to bring to light the work of these women artists to a collecting public who, traveling from places across the United States and abroad, might not be exposed otherwise to this talented group. They all live or work on the island and tend to gravitate to the areas for which New England—and Nantucket in particular—are most known for, namely rural landscapes and marine themes. It has always been my intention to fill this gallery with works of artists who live, work and play in our spaces, both on land and on the sea.”

Specifically, Cullinane collects the works of Yasemin Tomakan, a noted colorist and impressionist living in Greenwich, Connecticut but summering in Nantucket, who plays with her favorite images, namely, sailboats on the island’s deep blue waters, with a gentle-handed sensibility. Her decades’ long lifestyle on the water is captured in her accurately—yet soothing—portrayal of life at sea in her carefully edited oils, the only medium in which she works. Beginning at the age of eleven, when her parents first recognized her innate talent, she studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts and graduated from the prestigious Cooper Union in New York City. Her oils are on display at the gallery, although most of her work is sold as soon as it enters the space.

Red Sails in Late Afternoon
by Yasemin Tomakan
13 x 18 in.
Oil on Canvas

Arriving Nantucket Harbor, Summer ‘08
by Yasemin Tomakan
30 x 34 in.
Oil on Canvas

Extensive world travel, in addition to rigorously pursued exploits in competitive sailing, give painter Lisa Horrigan’s work a realistic aesthetic. Indeed, time spent studying in Tokyo and Kyoto bring a clean, Eastern quality to her work, while years spent painting en plein air on the streets of Philadelphia add a spontaneous quality to her representation of her favorites subjects, including life at sea and the rural landscapes of New England. Today, her paintings are worked from her studio in West Thompson, Connecticut and held in private collections in the United Sates, England and Switzerland.

Raising Spinnakers Off Rocky Point
by Yasemin Tomakan
14 x 16 in.
Oil on Canvas

In the Veer by Lisa Horrigan
18 x 24 in.
oil on linen

Alerions by Lisa Horrigan
11 x 14 in.
oil on linen

The Fishing Pot by Joann Ballinger
16 x 20 in.
Pastel on Sandpaper

Capturing the alluring and fleeting moments of childhood fancies, pastel artist Joann Balinger works deeply hued purples and blues onto sandpaper, creating works that kindle a yearning for slower and simpler times; in their strictest essence, they capture Nantucket in August. Widely acclaimed for her ability to use light, color and form in this medium, her work as a classically-trained artist of the impressionist movement of Old Lyme and Norwich has garnered critical acclaim and is widely held in private and corporate collections around the world.

Through the Rocky by Joann Ballinger
9 x 11 in.
Pastel on Sandpaper

If a trip to Nantucket is on your bucket list, consider a visit during August. For ahh! Nantucket in August is heaven on earth, a place to behold with not only your spirit, but with your body and artistic sensibilities as well.

by Carolina Fernandez, Contributing Writer

To view the collection or to schedule a private appointment, contact Mr. Cullinane at the gallery: 508.228.9821. 258 Washington Street, Nantucket, MA 02584 Online: www.meridiangalleries.com

‘Country French Kitchens add color and style to the American Home’

left: A touch of eclecticism, whimsy and a touch of joie de vivre for a home’s most important room

We Americans possess an enduring fascination with French culinary arts, French design, and indeed, the French art of livin  g. Joie de vivre tugs at our heartstrings and continues to pull us, inspire us and motivate us to infuse it into our own living spaces, lifestyles and families.

                                                 This chandelier shows off the homeowner’s prized copper collection, illuminating the counter sitting area

No singular room in the home moves us towards joie as does the kitchen. It is the heartbeat of the home, the room where roasts are basted and hearts repaired, where recipes are filed and homework checked. The kitchen serves purposes as varied as our family members’ personalities, yet requires our earnest attempts at infusing joie de vivre—the cheerful enjoyment of life—into those human beings whose lives we are nurturing.

The French have always embraced this notion of infusing joy into everyday routines and personal spaces. They have long recognized the value of nurturing: with nurturing meals and conversations; with loving preparations and presentations. And we desire to impart this to our home and families, regardless of how far we live from authentic French culture.

As we seek to make our kitchens the most nurturing room in our homes, we desire to impart joie not just through those things that are not things at all: candlelit ambiance, uplifting conversation, laughter amongst friends. We desire to impart joie through good design. Architectural brilliance. Designer know-how. We want all of those tangible things that add gravitas to the kitchen “experience.”

Evoking Country French Style

Roosters deux infuse joie to a blank wall in this playful detail.

The differences in the ways that Americans and the French evoke Country French style into their kitchens are so distinct it is glaring. While American homeowners desire their kitchens to be showy and magazine-quality picturesque, Country French kitchen designers—who are, in many cases, the homeowners themselves—abhor the notion that homes are ostentatious displays of wealth.

Collection of antique copper pots, bowls, watering cans and tubs cluster on an antique baker’s rack, lending warmth and provenance

After the French Revolution, the population withdrew notions of eye-popping drama and opulence, and instead, relied on the warmth drawn from simplicity and understatement. The French country folk prefer their homes to possess similar ideals of restraint, warmth, and functionality. Beauty will always play the starring role. But French houses of the southeastern Mediterranean region rarely promote themselves; indeed, even landmark houses known for their exquisite architecture or proximity to the sea, boast little of the prized possessions held inside.

Handmade Santons de Provence line a niche, reminding the homeowner of her French roots and infusing the space with charm and authenticity.

The French prize possessions for their provenance. The idea of purchasing something new for the home without any connection to one’s heritage is foreign to them. Authentic Country French style has as its fundamental theme the notion that ties to the past represent lines to a family’s future. Pieces incorporated into one’s kitchen need to reflect family histories, connections and stories. Threadbare fabric-covered chairs would hold a greater place in the home than would new upholstered pieces with no sign of wear or tear. Country French style exudes evidence that families are busy living life—that they don’t operate in design vacuums, but function in the daily activities of hustle-bustle life. The tug of the family pulls like an umbilical cord back to places of origin, to birth homes, to churches where important ceremonies took place, and to familiar shopkeepers and artisans. It is this desire to impart meaning and warmth—indeed, history—into living spaces that fundamentally separates authentic Country French style from uniquely American style.

Defining the Country French Kitchen

My response to the question: “What makes a kitchen Country French?” comes from my gut. One knows it when one sees it. A kitchen looks and acts authentic or it doesn’t. So let’s look at a few fundamentals.

Hand-carved limestone sink, signed by the sculpteur sur pierre, juts out from the abutting stone counters-- a conscious design element by homeowner and artisan.

The commonly accepted “rules” of American kitchen design, while nearly sacrosanct, are generally ignored in authentic Country French kitchen design. Because the French have different patterns of preparation and gathering, a propensity to incorporate disparate objects, and design executed by the homeowners themselves, fundamental differences remain. For example, a Country French kitchen might incorporate an antique table covered in marble for daily rolling of the dough. The height of the table might be completely incongruous with that of the nearby range or countertop to which it abuts. Yet the French will prefer it to something newly constructed and with perfect alignment if the surface does not match the task at hand.

So, too, the American predisposition for encumbering kitchen islands with cooktops or sinks is decidedly not authentically Country French. Indeed, the concept of a kitchen island is more distinctly American than it is French. The Country French kitchen would happily place a solid antique table with perfect functionality in the kitchen and leave it that way. It would remain an empty work surface because it is needed for just that: work.

Many homes across France do not possess separate dining rooms, so tables and other large pieces of furniture in Country French kitchens typically serve multiple purposes. The kitchen table might be the place where meals are enjoyed . . . and it might also be the area where children do painting projects. As long as the table has clean lines and quality wood and craftsmanship, it will honor the French longing for form and beauty.

Chairs might be priceless heirlooms or chaises pliantes—metal bistro chairs—brought in from the garden. A fully matched set bears no greater enjoyment for daily use than do mismatched ones. The French juxtapose disparate objects, placing old next to new, prized next to inexpensive and large scale next to small. It is this give and take that brings joie to homes decorated in Provençal style.

Buy Organic—Buy Local

Inexpensive antique Turkish copper sieves complement hand-forged door latches, in the matching classic French gray-blue paint of the hand-planed cabinets.

A Provencal tablecloth in a cheerful yellow and red pattern tops the antique farm table in the eating area of this expansive kitchen. The homeowner’s original fruit painting adds brilliant color to the cozy corner.

Authentic Country French kitchens always use native, “of the earth” building materials. This emphatically defines its style. Homeowners do not look far from their own village for materials. They use indigenous stone, excavated from local quarries and masterfully cut by a local craftsman, or tailleur de pierre. Authentic French kitchens incorporate native soapstone for their sinks, unless they prefer indigenous limestone. They use wood from native trees for their armoires and cabinetry. Armoires, used in the kitchen for storage of linens and china, rather than as entertainment centers or clothing wardrobes as we do in the States, remain a staple in authentic Country French kitchens.

A local craftsman—compagnon—is chosen to produce wares for living spaces. Locally produced faience brightens shelves and locally produced stemware holds wine. Fabrics from the local mill are used for curtains and table coverings, large checks juxtaposing toile de jouy, and delightfully so. Even the humble rooster, locally raised and kin to most natives of rural France, takes its place as the official beckoner of each new day!

Function Intersects Beauty

The classic La Cornue enameled range in French blue is not only the hardest working piece in the room; it is the piece de resistance!... perfectly complementing the 200 year-old hand painted French tiles and well-worn Mauviel copper pots and pans hanging above

An authentic Country French kitchen is utilitarian in nature, for it serves as the workhorse of the home. Marble tops tables where pastry dough is rolled; soapstone imbues sinks where vegetables are washed; and limestone or earthen terra-cotta supports legs that stand in preparation of each day’s meals. Materials serve function and are chosen for durability, practicality and accessibility. Yet they are always prized for their inherent aesthetic qualities. For example, for hundreds of years, hearths have been built into exterior walls. This filled the practical need for ventilation. While we are no longer constrained in our design for this purpose, its wisdom remains timeless. The French will intersect this functionality with the sheer beauty of an enameled, brass-trimmed La Cornue range. The piece de resistance!

This kitchen takes open shelving seriously: a niche holds daily stemware; an antique plate rack stores service for twenty-four; and an open nook keeps red wines within arm’s reach.

Cabinetry: The $64K Question Americans love brand new cabinetry in abundance. We view cabinetry as the ultimate trophy item in our kitchens, and use it to both store and hide all of the contents therein. We want our expensive, custom cabinets to hide everything from our beautiful, handpainted dinnerware to our stemware, serving pieces and groceries! We even hide those items in common use: jars of flour, measuring cups and mixing bowls. But authentic Country French kitchens prefer the accessibility—and creative opportunities—inherent with open shelving. Bearing a propensity for things in full view and within arm’s reach, the French cook likes to quickly grab a spoon when the pot of stew needs stirring. Open shelves hold glassware and cassoulets, hanging plate racks hold daily dinnerware, and countertops hold buckets of utensils. The French find wide appeal in these tools and gain creative energy from artfully arranging them. Never mind the dust; the objects are used with frequency, prohibiting dust to find the time to settle! Never mind the clutter; the artistic possibilities drive the charm factor and therefore make it all forgiving!

Approaching design as exploration into your soul and creating nurturing environments for your family is, by its very nature, authentically Country French. It can be easily implemented by simply training your eye—and your heart—for looking for joie in the everyday moments of life. Exploring the simple things in life with verve and creativity. Appreciating beauty and history. We need to seek it and re-create it in the corners—large and small—of our lives.

by Carolina Fernandez, Contributing Writer

Carolina Fernandez is the author of, Country French Kitchens (Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2008). She serves a niche clientele of art and design professionals in a financial advisory capacity in Fairfield County, Connecticut, where she lives with her husband and their four children.

You may purchase the author’s book, Country French Kitchens, through Amazon.com.