I'm Sari, So Sari.

Julie, my lovely niece ,who is two years older than me (I had to add that),  gave me a blanket made from vintage Sari fabric for my birthday last October.  The blankets are made in India by a womans collective.  Since I received that gift I have purchased five more!  Mostly, because they are soft, beautiful and unique.  Maybe not so unique now because I have been seeing them in more stores and in a recent Elle Decor, UK magazine.  Regardless, these said blankets were the first inspiration for one of the rooms I styled for the test shoot with Michael Bennett. 


We just completed our weekend of photo fun and are pleased with the results.  Funny... we both were somewhat amazed at how well it all went.  We make a good team.  No surprise, now, since we have worked together on photo shoots for Pottery Barn these last four years...  I guess you could say we know what we are doing.  Ha!




For our shoot the idea was to do two rooms in one space to show the versatility of the dark walls. This room which I call the "Sari room" is colorful, dark, moody and warmly decadent.  My idea was to have bright colors as a contrast to the darkness of Julies apartment.  A yellow headboard, red side table and the colorful blankets strewn accross the bed.  The combinaton of art work, by my friend Javier, added more color.  Michael and I decided that we liked the room dark, as you will see from this shot.  Although, there is a nice glow from the vintage glass globes (that Brian and I wired with salvaged parts) and the sun shining through the window. 

The combination of the pieces I looted from my apartment and purchased on my various excursions around the country fit in the room nicely.  One of my favorite additions is the statue of Quan Yin, the goddess of compassion, sitting on the bedside.  As my friend, Annie, said "you can always use a little compassion in the bedroom"! 

It is amazing how things come together when you have a vision.  These last few months of prepping and collecting I would sometimes be standing, staring off into the void thinking and then I would have a new idea... or I would see something in my house like it was for the first time.  "Yes!  That will work perfect".  I have learned from all of my stylist friends that it is most important to be prepared. 

Besides the bedroom shots we did some still lifes.  It was fun to have the opportunity to play around with props and create little scenes.  We liked how the dark walls and Michaels lighting created an almost oil painting look to the stills.

These photos are from the first day of the first Bennett-Hartmann collaboration.  Soon to follow will be the second room and more still lifes.  Already ideas are brewing to work on other photo projects and even pull in more people to style with us.  Good times. 






A big THANKS to all that helped make this photo shoot possible.  There was much moral support, of course, but also collaborators and handy-people.   A special mention to Mario De Palma, Marina Avila, Nick Wagner, Jonathan Adkins, Jonathan Evans, Kristina Beltran, Debbie Sciales, Ken Gutmaker and most of all Julie Elliott for letting us invade her apartment and Michael Bennett for his vision and skilled lighting. 


Lastly, thank you Billy for the nice note that plainly said "follow your instincts".  Love you all.






For Sari blankets go to Baksheesh in St Helena and Sonoma, or International Orange in San Francisco.