Ode to Isabella Blow

Words cannot express how much I adore the late Isabella Blow (1958-2007). As if her patronage of undiscovered talent (Alexander McQueen, Sophie Dahl...), her penchant for sculptural hats (as Philip Treacy's muse, this is no surprise), and her fearless style weren't enough, World of Interiors featured her Belgravia apartment in the March '09 issue. And, at the risk of sounding utterly insane: I AM BURSTING AT THE SEAMS WITH JOY. That's how much I like it.

World of Interiors, March 2009

World of Interiors, March 2009

World of Interiors, March 2009

World of Interiors, March 2009

World of Interiors, March 2009

I'm especially in awe of the way she integrated and displayed art in the apartment (clearly, this has become an ongoing fixation for me)— it's so seamlessly tied to the decor, and furthermore, the personality of its owner, that you don't even question its presence. Sure, it's over the top, but I've noticed that this "personality factor" has been saddly absent from design published in magazines lately, especially in the realm of home decor. Apartments like this make me wonder: why has so much of design become so boring, so generic???!