The Edwardian World of Parade's End

Just in time to cure the void left by the ending of Downton Abbey's season three comes HBO's latest miniseries Parade's End. Based on author Ford Maddox Ford's compilation of four novels, the tetralogy is considered by many to be the best of the twentieth century.

Set in the waning days of the Edwardian England and on the cusp of World War One, Parade’s End follows the saga of Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch), a repressed aristocrat caught between the perils of a loveless marriage with cruel socialite wife Sylvia (Rebecca Hall) and the unrequited love of Valentine, a young suffragette (Adelaide Clemens). The series also stars British actors Rupert Everett and Miranda Richardson.

Various locations in Brussels became a stand-in for England

Designed by Academy Award winning production designer Martin Childs (Shakespeare in Love), the British period drama debuts in five parts airing Tuesday, February 26th, 27th and 28th. Don't miss this one!

For more on Parade's End, see my piece in Architectural Digest here.

Rebecca Hall as socialite Sylvia

Photo Credits: Nick Briggs/HBO

The Oscar Poster

One of my favorite things to collect are the annual Oscar posters from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This year's poster commemorates Oscar's 85th birthday and based on Gjon Mili's 1949 Life Magazine photographs of Pablo Picasso. Featuring 85 statuettes inspired by the Best Picture winners from 1927-2012, you can purchase the one-of-a-kind poster here. My favorite poster (framed and hanging in my powder room) is the one below of Julie Andrews with her Oscar and famous movie quotes inspired the poster for 2007. Happy Oscar Sunday!

Photo credits: AMPAS