The bar was named after Ludwig Bemelman, creator of the enormously popular and beautiful Madeline children’s book series. Bemelman was also a successful artist working for The New Yorker, Vogue and Town and Country.

Bemelman transformed the bar in 1947 with nostalgic and clever hand painted scenes of Central Park. In exchange, he was granted residency for one and a half years in the hotel. The artful wit and whimsicality of the bar oozes a sense of quiet comfort, a warm and gentle abode.

The heritage of the walls in this Upper East Side establishment evokes a sense of timeless grandeur, of an artistic adventure painted in living memory. In the fabulous words of Bemelman, “Tell them it was wonderful!”.

Photo’s of Bemelmans Bar courtesy of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel.

Simple pleasures of tea in bed and the smell of cinnamon warm the hearts of us here in New York, akin to our reclining friends cooling themselves with toes dipped poolside on the other side of the world. Besides the excitement of rediscovering warm apple cider and baked treats from Momofuku Milkbar,  (also in Sydney and Toronto), we are most excited to reflect on our favorite lounge reads.

The warmth of the Australian summer, and the chill of the New York winter, turn our attention to a timeless favorite by Slim Aarons titled ‘Once Upon a Time’ who was a legendary photographer from New Hampshire, nicknamed for his frame and remembered for his timeless photographic contributions and darling nature. His books are a most elegant collection of enigmatic photos, full with all of the lush glamour and distinct American taste of an Auntie Mame party.

‘Once Upon a Time’ whirls about the private vacation lives and abode interiors of whimsical characters from Truman Capote’s ‘swans’ to legendary film stars in an era of creative and infinite comfort and chic. His other titles are more than worthwhile perusing, whether you be cooling down or warming up, from South Hampton to Sydney, timeless coffee table books are delightfully inspiring.

Photo’s courtesy of Sant Ambroeus and Barnes and Noble.

First of all, congratulations to Em Collins; the lucky winner of the Madeline Weinrib rug!

This week we have two lovely Eliza cushions by Katherine Rally in classic blue, 60×60 cm. You can see more of their lovely designs on their website.
To be in the running, just leave a comment on any of our blog posts. At midnight every Wednesday, a winner will be randomly chosen. Unfortunately, for this weeks giveaway you must be in Australia to participate.

I love their website too!

Remember to check back tomorrow for the winner of our give-away!

I have always loved pyjama’s; not the tight cropped t-shit set designed for women, but the vintage men’s cut.
After seeing the movie Coco avant Chanel, I just had to have several pairs made up.

Sophia Coppola designed a set for Louis Vuitton that is worthy of a night on the town. So glamorous!

The Design Files Interview

I owe a big thank you to Lucy over at the The Design Files for interviewing me. It’s always great to see that my work is appreciated here in Australia.

To kick off the New Year we are offering a Madeline Weinrib rug as our first giveaway. So if you live in Australia just leave a comment below to enter! Check back as we will have many more giveaways to come….and to see if you’re the lucky winner!

Madeline Weinrib cotton khaki Lupe Rug (6′ x 9′) 2.75 x 1.8m – Value $995.00 USD

Doors open at 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Address:
24 Rokeby Street
COLLINGWOOD VIC 3066
9015-7227

Unfortunately we will not be selling online.