Hello Pals,
Last week was the San Francisco Fall Antique Show, a five-day juggernaut of beautiful furniture, art and creativity. It takes place in Fort Mason and everyone who attends thinks: San Francisco, wow, whatta city. I was honored to design a vignette (a booth for the straight husbands out there) at the entrance and all week I just felt great. We were in supreme company (the other vignette designers were Martin Lawrence Bullard, Mark Sikes, McMillan Inc.), got to work with supreme ingredients (de Gournay wallpaper, antiques from Emerson Bailey, Maison & Co. and artwork from Berggruen Gallery) and making a small creative set in a short amount of time is a dream assignment. A year ago I wanted to try new things, to learn and to be in touch with my creative self, and all of a sudden that’s what is happening! And this was a very real representation of my quest. We called the vignette an Artist’s Studio and in case that wasn’t therapeutic enough I sat in it, sketched a still life then peaced-out and came back in a gown and got tipsy in front of it. Does my coach read these? Highly recommend this exercise of building a life-size habitat for who you want to be!
All night people were nice to me, and because my beloved PR person Amy had made it her beeswax to make sure the launch of our wallpaper, textile and furniture line was timed to this event I delighted in telling people yes, we just launched a wallpaper, textile and furniture line. Peony Chintz was the first product but now we have a full capsule with our own righteous logo and full shopibility. RAD Goods! A piece of the artist, available by the yard. Feedback welcome on this dopey slogan, but don’t worry if you’re a lurker who would never comment and doesn’t care if I make bad choices, Amy would never let me get away with something so cringe.
FEATURE: RAD GOODS
I’ve written a bit about this already but now we have a logo and photography and ooh la la, working on a brand is so much fun. Here are my highlights:
The moons aligned for Laure Joliet and my cousin Kate Macko to all come to Islesboro for one day and shoot photos of pillows in ferns, wallpaper secured with binder clips, fabric flowing breezily in the wind. I was beyond excited to shoot at this house which is currently for sale that used to be owned by my grandparents and before that my great grandparents. I sense this is a tasteful group and maybe someone here needs 21 bedrooms? I love and am so grateful to the sellers, but I’m also here for the buyers. Call me.
One person does not maketh a brand. My deepest gratitude goes to Judy Kail, Amy Harper, Kristy Koplin and Andrew Warner. Eliza Crater for making fabrication seem achievable, and Rose Louie for whispering “surface pattern” to me on a drive from Sun Valley to Boise.
FIVE THINGS: ART SUPPLIES
If you, like me, endeavor to think of yourself as an artist there is no better way than to acquire some lovely tools of the trade. Here are my favorites, manifest!
Impossible to spell, but so very satisfying to use: Gouache paints
Pastels for when you’re in a dry mood
This excellent art class
The RAD Goods Sara cabinet - a most civilized place to store your supplies
Thank you lovely people for reading, I can’t believe I thought about doing this as a normal boring newsletter at one point. Substack makes it so much fun - there are more than 3000 of you out there and it feels incredible to hear from you, even if it’s just your name when you subscribe.
Love you rascals,
Last Word: A nip of my omnivore’s book club where I never tag the author because I like to let ’er rip on all books great and sleazy. Almost 150 book reviews of all flavors saved in stories.
Sure, all your middle-aged friends have read this already but it’s not too late for you. It’s an Artist in-crisis! So good, I promise people will still be asking you if you’ve read it into 2025 and finally you will get to say YES and nod knowingly.
A vignette cannot hold this woman! I thought when I saw you at the show you might've grown to 10 feet tall, a creativity growth spurt, kinda like Clifford the Big Red Dog got giant on love alone? This is all so radically RAD and great for the goods world. Congrats, Chloe! Since you mention owls, I'll share the best thing I saw on Instagram yesterday: in 1996, two neighbors in England spent a year hooting at owls, unaware that they were actually hooting at each other...I'm not questioning the owl-ness of your owl though. Your owl was real.
I am a YES for more of your creative influence in every corner of the world!! Congrats Chloe- it's a beautiful collection.