Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Proust Questionnaire

Last year, when I moved from a house to an apartment, my niece Valentina gave me, as a housewarming gift, "The Proust Questionnaire" a wonderful, refined book published by Assouline, Paris. She bought the pink version in English for me and the orange version in French for her mother (she knew well that I lately love hot pink while my sister in Milan loves orange hues...)
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In almost every house I moved to I had a Visitors Book, a real Map of my life which becomes, year after year, also an accurate List of old friends, new friends, some lost forever some lost temporarily; it gives me the idea of time, past and present and brings back memories of every kind and in a...proustian way... I live again those moments of my past.
This Book in particular is always really appreciated by my guests and it amazes me when, after dinner, they go through it and take the time to read some pages and then fill the questionnaire.It is also a precious moment for me when I read their spontaneous thoughts.
The vase on the table is another garage sale find (Limoges!) and the roses were arranged by the charming and gifted Hilary Miles who, in my opinion, has the freshest flowers in Vancouver, these roses actually dried naturally in the vase and lasted for two months, again challenging the idea of time.

I often found the Proust Questionnaire useful also in my business, some questions are the base of decorating a house to make it become a "home".
"Your favourite occupation"
"Your idea of happiness"
"Your idea of misery"
"Your favourite colour and flower"
As per my answers to these questions...I believe you have already an idea if you follow my Blog.

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2 comments:

MEADE DESIGN GROUP said...

This entry reminded me home.

Good thing my mom is Mexico otherwise you will be in trouble. My mother thinks the best thing in a ladies room is a Limoges vase with roses.

Unknown said...

Hi Albarosa
It looks like a wonderful book. The color of it is amazing. And I agree with you that Hilary is the best florist in Vancouver. I can almost smell the roses in that beautiful vase.

 
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