LOUDLY INTO "THE NIGHT"

THE LAMP and YOUR BEAUTY; "EVENINGS MAGAZINE"; the forgiving, permissiveness of décor (and life) at NIGHT

Sep 23, 2024

Dear Snoops,

“THE DAY” simply cannot compare to the emotional range of “THE NIGHT” — daytime is pleasant, productive. Night is R.E.M. sleep and other silent solitudes, BUT ALSO *-fueled partying, deep and exposing conversation-ery, and the general unhinging the day.

There is strong relationship between DEEP NIGHT and GOOD DÉCOR.

Just as the night is FORGIVING and PERMISSIVE (before we awake to “THE HARSH LIGHT OF DAY”), décor at night has the same qualities: a certain world-bubble-creating, enveloping seductiveness.

You are in the shadows, and so is everything else. Ergo, you are far less prone to judging a homescape object by object — microjudgmentalism is an addiction of the daytime.

This is one place that the Archi ‘Gest, of 1980s, was BULLS-EYING décor. (WE SHALL RETURN TO THIS.) They f*cking LOVED LOVED LOVED an evening décor snapshot.

TODAY, HOWEVER, décor is represented only “AU NATURALE” — we see décor in DAYTIMES ONLY!!! which often described as being “bathed” in light as if to wash it of the sins of its Inhabitants. IT CANNOT! And, even if it did: HOW BORING!!!!

This is NEAR-UNIVERSAL AFFLICTION:

Décor magazines
Décor mood boards (“social” media)
Décor mood boards (personal)
Décor showrooms

And perhaps we’ll just immediate distill the P.O.V of this issue:

A “FOR SCALE” SINGLE-SENTENCE “ADVICE” “COLUMN”:

WHY? We’re glad you asked.

THE VALUE OF STARTING DÉCOR THINKING VIA THE “HOURS OF DARKNESS”

There are three dimensions, generally about YOU (of course) and (of course) LIGHT.

THE F*CKING LAMP, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE

The lamp is the best part about décor (we shan’t expand), so to limit its editorial representation to “DAYTIME” is to sterilize its décor-pabilities. Equally, to consider the lamp only as “OFF” object is, frankly, absurd.

There is more to “ON” and “OFF” than just “power supply toggle state”. All lamps transform. ALL LAMPS *TRANSFORM!*. And, they are almost single-handedly responsible for the Night Version of the homescape. (see also: Candles; Moon; General urban light "pollution”.)

Let us take for example not just “any old lamp”, but this “TEXTURED LUMINESCENT ROCK LAMP” (Italy; 1970s) currently on the shelves at FORMAS in Los Angeles (NEWLY ON TRACTION AVE.).

Hardly the same object!!!!! “Nature”-mockery-sculpture to Glowing space-y orb-adjacent.

**LESSON**: A night-first décor that knows to Remember The Lamp will result in one that has a deeply thrilling sense of theater. Without this understanding, you might select lamps that just “SHOOT LIGHT” or don’t work together from a soup-of-light perspective, or cast stupid f*cking shadows!!

YOU LOOK BETTER AT NIGHT, VERY POSSIBLY (THIS IS *ALSO* ABOUT LAMPS)

We shall explore, in a future issue, whether “HAPPINESS” is really the best “goal” for the homescape’s décor - but one truth certainly is that you want to feel attractive within it. (Does that make you happy?)

And, the reality is the Daytime is really an even playing field. We’re all on the same footing, which doesn’t benefit the Average. But at night, you have the opportunity to recast your looks. NON SURGICALLY! (ASIDE: pls go watch THE SUBSTANCE. Demi M. is incredible in it. Also, excellent use of DOMESTIC INTERIORS as narrative vehicle.)

The best option is, of course, to create a “SOUP OF LIGHT”/”WET LIGHT” situation as described here. (A term popularized by TROYE S., homosexual pop starlette).

A reminder from that issue: the stark difference between the exposing, flattening DAYTIME light, and the forgiving, dimensional SOUP OF light.

**LESSON**: A décor that puts first the Beauty of You At Night will not effect the Beauty of You in Day – but the reverse is not true

SELF-CENTERING IN DOMESTIC DÉCOR IS CRITICAL !!!!

Self-centering is generally Bad-ish, but in domestic décor it’s really the whole f*cking purpose. Expression of SELF requires the SELF to be at the center.

Now, let’s use Rae and Charles EAMES as an example — not for their work, but simply as models. Here they are in their house in the PACIFIC PALISADES (i.e. Los Angeles) in day and in night.

NOTE the wandering of the eye — in day, we are “DISTRACTED” away from the subjects by the Total Visibility of Décor. In the latter, in night, we are not.

Now, the décor of the day is how most would choose to review and analyze décor, in today’s Hegemony of Day. That has not always been the case. There has been a lot of great NIGHT ANALYSIS, it had its (are we say) “heyday”.

After an ASIDE we shall examine.

ASIDE:
As often, the Bible gets it wrong. Here is an edit:
What is done in the ~~dark~~ light will come to ~~light~~ dark.

SOMEONE ELSE’S WORDS FOR A MOMENT: FRIEND OF “FOR SCALE”, FRED N.

We defer to FRED NICOLAUS who — probably among others, but we just need him – has summarized the up (singluar) and down (singular) of NIGHT DÉCOR PHOTOGRAPHY.

His article is AN IMPORTANT AND “illuminating” read. Includes some excellent theories on its demise (incl. an mention of Martha S.)

But, we shall summarize, for the LAZY and for the “FOR SCALE” purist, who seeks our words and only our words:

On the zenith of nighttime: IT WAS BECAUSE OF PAIGE R.!

High School dropout and subsequent editor-in-chief of Architectur*l Dig*st for thirty five years (1975-2010), this is Paige Rense.

FO-RENSE-IC BIO

Rense = had a thing for the nighttime look of décor
Rense = had power
Rense = was in Los Angeles, while everyone else was in New York, BRAVA!!!!
Rense = !!!never sent editors and stylists to fiddle with photo shoots!!!! We approve. Stylists be damned. “We report reality” ← (a quote by GUESS WHO… Paige R.!) Archi. D. of today doesn’t seem to care as much about “REALITY”… everything is adjusted and fluffed to within an absolute inch of its life
Rense = “It’s not a character flaw if you don’t have good taste”! (We don’t think “good taste” exists, but we’ll take it!!!)

Tippity top on Paige R.’s list of favorite photographers: JAIME ARDILES-ARCE.

ARDILES-ARCE IN ARCHI. D. DEC. ‘88:

Art of Living | Architectural Digest | DECEMBER 1988

MOOD. SEX APPEAL. PSYCHOLOGICAL RICHNESS. DEPTH OF FIELD. They are all like this-ish.

We love LOVE this place in World of Int. from April ‘23. But, wouldn’t it look so, so much better at night? With at twinkling skyline and you could get into the vibe of some of the lampery?

RESOURCE ALERT

We will also point you again towards SEAN YASHAR’S “EVENINGS MAGAZINE” !!!, an Instagr*m with a mission that is archival and revival.

Which has also been translated into a first SUBSTACK POST of his. Welcome to STACKWORLD, Sean Y.!

A mini selection of EVENINGS MAG:

We greatly appreciate the inclusion here of STILL LIFE ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY, which also never f*cking considers the night, it seems!!!! Does the sun never set on Silicon Valley or on LaFayette Street?

GALLERY MOMENT (LOS ANGELES)

Also the new show at FRANCIS GALLERY on Melrose with stuff by Chilean earth-lover Fernando Casasempere has a loose DAY / NIGHT vibe, and is very worth a little serene saunter after you’ve had your hojicha latte at Community Goods.

Ok, that’s our little night talk for today.

Until next week, love and good luck.