My New Role Model
Yesterday as I was waiting for the construction guys to finish repainting the front of my home, I turned on the television and came across the new "Anderson Cooper Talk Show." I normally would have continued to channel surf but Anderson's special guest was his Mom, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Gloria is over 90 years of age and I thought I was looking at a 50-60 year old woman. I was captured by the youth, vitality and strength of Ms. Vanderbilt. Anderson describes his Mom as a person incredibly in the moment and of this time.
She continually evolves.
What an incredible woman and thus, my new role model.
Gloria lives in New York City in a two bedroom apartment that she constantly redecorates depending on her most recent inspiration. A woman after my own heart. Anderson Cooper in this picture is a life size Kodak print that she keeps around her apartment because she says, "He's so busy that I don't see him very often but this way I have him here all the time."
The portrait behind Anderson and Gloria
is her beautiful mother.
Gloria Vanderbilt says "Decorating is autobiography."
As her life continues to change, so does her decor.
Furniture is constantly being moved to new locations
in the apartment and paint colors
are changed with new inspirations.
The treasures in her apartment include her paintings, photographs and family heirlooms. I loved that her space reflects her life as opposed to so many homes that resemble model suites with no personality. When you walk into
Gloria's apartment, you get to know
the person who lives there.
Isn't that what a home should reflect?
These are the tiles in her bathroom that she painted to honor all the special people in her life. When she tires of a certain decor, she merrily changes it. Her home reflects her
dynamic style and ideas and to her ...
it's only paint.
Her studio is on the top floor of her apartment and is
filled with many treasures and her paintings.
Check out the wallpaper. It's a collage of old prints. Isn't it wonderful? I did the same thing many years ago when I papered a bathroom with roses from wallpaper, magazines, wrapping paper and hand painted samples. It took me many weeks to complete the collage on all four walls of the bathroom but it was so much fun to see all the patterns, colors and uniqueness of the space.
I felt like I was inside a big rosy quilt.
Gloria Vanderbilt is exactly the kind of woman I want to be like not only now but definitely when I'm 94 years old.
What an inspiration!
