Colorful Summer Home – The Feature – July 2020

~ Colorful Summer Home ~

 

…from Pearl and Maude (the design studio) and Teale (the artist)

We’re BACK and we’ve missed you!!! It’s *interesting* around here, isn’t it? We’ve been working and thinking really, really hard lately, which has left little room for communication. Maybe it’s just as well because words seem to run a little thin these days. Never mind that. As we work to keep our heads screwed on straight, we know that our greatest joy is to bring you great joy and our mission is to inspire you and wrap you in the warm hug of culture, connection and self expression. We hope the following list of ideas for inspired living will feed your soul, crack your smile and remind you that your colorful summer home is a reflection of your vibrant personality, now more than ever. Read on, friends! xoxo

the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

Did you know that a portion of our sales goes to the National Trust for Historic Preservation? We talk about our preservation obsession sometimes… As Teale’s bio shares, “She contemplates ideas of memory, experience and the soulful residues left behind as people inhabit, focus on, use and pass through physical spaces.” Every Pearl and Maude design is derived from one of Teale’s architectural or cityscape paintings. We’re history buffs who believe that through knowing our past, we can better forge our future. We also think that craftsmanship is a skill worthy of retaining. The tricky thing is that, while we LOVE beautiful, old, ornate buildings and their craftsmanship which transcends time, they most certainly do not tell our entire story.

There are things worth celebrating which aren’t grandiose. There are things which demand our remembrance which aren’t necessarily “pretty.” But they have beautiful and important SOULS. We are excited to share that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has created the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The fund sustains historic African American places, such as the John and Alice Coltrane home (above), the A.G. Gaston Motel, and the African House at Melrose Plantation. As of the beginning of July, our donations to the National Trust are being directed to the African American Cultural Heritage Fund.

 

act now: exclusive preview party for new paintings

21 new paintings! I’ve been busy. As California closed a few months ago, walking our neighborhoods became the only form of outdoor activity allowed. I dug into making a new series of street light paintings. But I was limited in subject matter… You saved me! You sent photos. From your walks, your kitchen windows, parking lots… from last year’s European vacation and from this year’s road trip… Portland to Prague, Silverlake to Alexandria. I haven’t gotten to them all yet…

Most of them are small, as requested. Almost all of them contain the deep periwinkle blue that was the clear, Los Angeles sky in the early days of the shut down. They are all available and I’m having a party to celebrate! Join me for a 30-40 minute online preview party on August 8th. Bring a cocktail and get first dibs on the new paintings. They are gorgeous: loose and soulful. They are colorful and fanciful. It would be wonderful to see your faces! Send me your email address for exclusive first access and I’ll send you the party details.

the Boatswagon we need

It feels like words are useless for this one… I mean, how versatile is this car? 4th of July parade? Yes. Lounging pool or ocean side? Yeah! Drive through at the Dairy Queen? Naturally. This car is magnificent. As are a lot of the offerings on Bring a Trailer these days. If you aren’t familiar with the site, check it out! It’s always been addictive for me, but M and I have a theory that the cancellation of in-person auto auctions has resulted in an explosion of opportunity to obtain the car of your dreams online. If you didn’t know, I’m an automobile enthusiast. As in, I’m enthusiastic about cool cars. This one’s a GEM. Please buy it and then swing by to pick me up….

pearl encrusted face masks

…and when you do swing by to pick me up for sno-cones, I’ll likely be wearing one of these. I mean, cummon… Pearl and Maude? Yeah. Game on. Well, actually, there’s a lighter-weight, summer version from Christian Siriano which I will probably, possibly be wearing. Or maybe this version from the Urban Sewist. Either way, these are on point for office fashion and day wear while boating. 😉

paint colors to die for

Have you hear about Clare paint? The boutique paint company came bursting onto the scene with LARGE paint swatches which just-so-happen to be peel and stick. Why didn’t I think of this? Brilliant! Larger swatches make it exponentially easier to visualize what a whole room will look like. The other thing to love about Clare is their limited palette of only 56 colors: all expertly curated and soft enough to be easily livable. Check out this sunset selection! Talk about colorful summer home!?! I’m so obsessed that my house might turn pink.

 

wallpaper to live for

Speaking of livable colors: I adore spaces that make me feel ALIVE. The two characteristics required to create an invigorating room are color and character. That’s pretty much what Pearl and Maude is all about: making spaces dance! This “Morris” wallpaper pattern is one of our most bold, and it’s so appropriate for the height of summer. Palm Springs pool-side anyone? This wallpaper is the poster child for a colorful summer home. Named for its modernized Arts and Crafts, William Morris-esque design, this wallpaper has a lot of movement, a lot of color and a lot of detail. It’s available in both standard and non-woven vellum wallpaper. Oh! And fabric! Try it in the Belgian linen cotton.

rose lemonade

I’m guessing you haven’t seen a metal flake road-boat and crisp white doilies mentioned in the same column in a while. But it works! Especially when your doilies are being used to protect your glittery bow from your rose lemonade. Add a splash of vodka for your post-cruise lounge-about.

how to shuck an oyster

It has never occured to me that I need to know how to shuck an oyster. That’s what oyster shuckers are for, right? Right. But now that we’re in the days of summer quarantine, your shucker probably isn’t making house calls. It’s all on us, people. We have to be our own shuckers. Here are some tips for novice oyster shuckers from Lionfish in San Diego.

 

I had a really good time putting together this summer list for you. I hope you enjoyed it too! Stay safe, eat well, live colorfully and let me know how I can help you make more memorable spaces.

XOXO,

Teale