I developed my love of all things interior at the heels of my Nana and my mother. Together these two women did all the things in the sixties that ladies that lunched did. They dressed me up and took me to lunch and SHOPPING. Now, I love to shop as much as the next girl, but what ALWAYS fascinated me was not the aisles of shoes, the racks of dresses or the glass display cases of cosmetics. No, what fascinated ME the most was the decor of the store.
The big beautiful chandeliers. The gorgeous Trompe l’oeil paintings and murals on the walls. Sensuous silk cloth on the walls. Big, beautiful swags of fabrics on the windows. Fantastic and fanciful window displays.
At Robinson’s on Wilshire in Beverly Hills sat a fantastic store complete with an enormous fountain where I, dressed in a dress, tights and Mary Janes (sometimes RED ones!) would dance around the perimeter and toss in pennies. I felt like a movie star and a princess all rolled into one. The mother and the grandmother would take me to lunch in the tea room where gloves were still the norm. These are some of my best memories. I can still see the sea green color so popular then, so ‘last decade’ now. Exquisite marble floors and walls and pillars.
I went back with my own children several years ago. The store was still there, now a Macy’s, but the fountain had been closed up and the elegance of the mid-century had given way to typical retail trade.
I mention this today because I stumbled across and article in the LA Times that this lovely old building may be closing and possibly demolished. Such a shame.
What memories prompt you to embellish your home? Where does your love of making your home gracious and lovely come from? Please share.
