The Elegant View of David Fuller

Aristotle opined that we are what we repeatedly do.  "Excellence, then," he said, "is not an act, but a habit."  

One visit to TheFullerView.tumblr.com, and it becomes obvious that for David Fuller, excellence is something that happens every day.  

And with just a click, we too can be privileged citizens of his elegant world. 

With boundless style and a flawless eye, David consults on visual merchandising, product development, and brand positioning.  

He also uses his photography and graphic design skills to create archives of branded images for his clients to use on their own blogs, social media,

 websites and print campaigns. 

The Fuller Collection is a cultivated range of personal stationery and photography which he hopes to expand to include goods curated from other creatives.  

His images are genteel, aristocratic even, 

and describe a life of exquisite serenity, privilege and beauty.  

But the world of David Fuller is also welcoming, comfortable and kind, 

and that, at the heart of it is his message.  

That grace, goodness and beauty can "inform our minds and inspire our souls." 

 What is so charming about David is his complete lack of pretension.  

His photographs are breathtaking, but he insists that he is not a professional photographer.  

His singular ability to cultivate collections illuminates our understanding and appreciation of life, like the very best art, poetry and music, and yet he says that he is not an artist.  

“I actually started the tumblr site as a convenient place to post my own photos alongside the work I admired from professional photographers.  I would compare my images to theirs and challenge myself on composition and so forth.”  

David describes his background in merchandising as a key factor in his creative success.  

The experience he gained working with talented artists, fashion designers, photographers and art directors creating visual communications for iconic businesses such as Ralph Lauren, Coach, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Samsonite, helped him acquire the disciplines and intuition that have developed into a finely tuned understanding of what people respond to visually.  

  

Ultimately what sets David apart is his character, his kindness and his ability to express the values of his clients through his work, as well as, I imagine, his own.  

In this recently completed project for the Trinity Boston Foundation, David said that he specifically chose "a non-traditional size for the annual report so it would feel more like a marketing tool with a longer reach than just an annual report.  Our hope is this will make others wish to be a part of such a vital organization."  His clients, he is delighted to say, were thrilled.

A native Bostonian, David tells me that sharing his view of the world he sees every day is his expression of gratitude for time spent in a place he loves.  

"I believe we live up to the standards of our surroundings, in people, and places.  A life immersed in grace, goodness and beauty raises the bar.  Like music, poetry and literature- the visual arts inform our minds and inspire our souls.  The environments we choose, and the ones we create matter- these spaces refresh and renew us for the journey to reach our potential.”  David Fuller

Visit David Fuller at www.mindingshop.com




Favorites from our library:

                              

Jennings' Kitchen: Grilled Herb Shrimp

Liz Bachman, Stylist.  Photographed by Grace Combs via 

"That grilled shrimp you made was amazing," she said, throwing the bags in her back seat.  "Richard said it looked like it was marinated in fescue and clover though.  Did you get the recipe from Bella?"

A smile.  "No, it was herbs fresh out of the garden." 

"Delish.  Nice of you to throw your own birthday party."

"Did you see Hubert?  You know, he said in passing that it is your turn to host something next.  He keeps track of these things."

"Oh, really?" Raised eyebrow.  "I have had him to dinner more times than I can count, and I've been over there exactly twice in the umpteen years I've known him.  Since when is he tracking?"  

"He says he had you over last."

"Fine, I'll invite him," she laughs, "but if he wants to get technical, actually, it's his turn.  I asked him to dinner last week."

"I thought he couldn't come."

"And therein, lies the usefulness of arcane etiquette."

Known these days only by certain generations, and my great aunt Lee, the Invitation-Cancels-the-Obligation convention says that the social obligation created when an invitation is accepted is generally satisfied when a reciprocal invitation is extended, whether it is accepted or not.

The reason for this isn't to get people out of giving dinner parties, it is actually so that the person you have invited can, in the words of Judith Martin, a.k.a. Miss Manners, "snub you while allowing both of you to retain your dignity."  

In other words, according to Miss Manners, it allows the invitee not to have to turn down more than two invitations before the inviter gets the message and quits asking.  Which, when you think about it, ultimately saves everyone's time and feelings.  With the small additional benefit of preventing civilization from descending into chaos.

One caveat.  I wouldn't recommend trying this with friends, they'll never let you get away with it.

Do you ever do weeknight dinner parties?  Everyone has to eat anyway, so why not make it fun?  Keep it low key and easy to clean up with Jennings' quick, yummy recipe for the grill:

Jennings' Grilled Herb Shrimp

2 large shallots, coarsely chopped

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped basil

1 cup chopped fresh fennel fronds

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup good olive oil

Juice of one lime

2 pounds raw jumbo shrimp, peeled (tails left on) and deveined

Combine the shallots, parsley, basil, fennel fronds, dry mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice.  Add the shrimp, refrigerate and allow them to marinate for at least 1 hour.  Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals, and brush the grilling rack with oil to prevent the shrimp from sticking.  Skewer the shrimp, 3 per 10" skewer for cocktails, more if serving as an entree.  Grill the shrimp for about 1 1/2 minutes each side or until done.

Breakfast Patterns

  

Sometimes the best thing about spending a weekend in the country is the blissful opportunity to sit in a sunny spot and have a healthy breakfast- 

How about fresh blueberries, homemade granola or scones, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and a pot of hot coffee?  

Isn't it unfortunate that we save one of the best things in life for once-in-a-while?  Jennings is passionate about porcelain, and is a firm believer that even if breakfast is just coffee and cereal, beautiful breakfast dishes get the day started right.

This is the pattern that Jennings uses for breakfast dishes, Mottahedah's Duke of Glouscester.

Cumberland

Another Jennings favorite is Nymphenburg porcelain.  This pattern is Cumberland, created in 1765 as the first electoral court service by the Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg.

Quite a spectacular way to keep one's oatmeal warm.

Nymphenburg Bavarian Royal created in 1792.

Nymphenburg's Enchanted Forest breakfast cup created in 1760.  This rustic pattern is based on trompe-l'oeil, and portrays a typical working situation at the Nymphenburg factory.  It was common for the artisan to nail the copper engraving he was referencing to a wooden board that faced his workspace.  The Enchanted Forest service shows this entire arrangement.  The small depicted wooden boards contain views of imaginative landscapes.

Herend's Indian Basket, was introduced in 1850.  Formerly named East Indies Flowers, because much of the porcelain of the Orient was transported to Europe by East Indian companies, this pattern is beloved for the Japanese style arrangement of the flowers.

Bernardaud's Constance

Jennings recommends that a pattern which might otherwise be too "busy" (or expensive) to choose as a dinner service, might be the perfect candidate for a breakfast service.  

Hermes

Wedgewood's Wild Strawberries

Highly patterned porcelain has always been expensive, and hand-painted motifs especially so.  But if a pattern really speaks to your heart, consider choosing it as a breakfast service.  Depending on how many people you normally seat for breakfast at your house, you can often get away with purchasing fewer pieces.  Have your muffin and eat it too.

                                                

For those who dine in front of the computer in the morning, this sweet 9-piece mid-century Italian breakfast set listed on 1st Dibs might be just the thing. 

Herend's Rothschild Bird, Blue Border

Rothschild Bird was created by Herend in the 1820s.  The story goes that in the early 19th century, the Baroness Rothschild lost her pearl necklace, which was found and rescued by her gardener, after he saw several naughty birds playing with it up in a tree.  Since Bella likes playing with $20 bills, I'm thinking of commissioning a pattern called Money-eating Horse.  

                                                                     

In her book, Living a Beautiful Life: 500 Ways to add Elegance, Order, Beauty and Joy to Every Day of Your Life, Alexandra Stoddard suggests that an easy way to establish a civilized morning is to set the table or set up a breakfast tray the night before.

Toast and jam would be much yummier on Bird by Raynaud

or Arcades, by Philippe Deshoulieres

Antique Forest Leaves

These designs from Anna Weatherly look as beautiful displayed on the wall or in an open cupboard as they do on the table.  The patterns are modeled after 16th, 17th, and 18th century botanical art.

Midsummer

Si Kiang #1

Si Kiang by Raynaud is available with 6 different figure patterns in the center.

This large breakfast cup, Audun Ferme is by Villeroy and Boch.  As I recall, Easy and Elegant Life had a post on breakfast cups some time ago.  Read that terrific post here.

This pretty breakfast cup and saucer is by Gien.

Gien also has a breakfast set in this pattern, Millefleurs.

This breakfast cup and saucer set is by Robert Haviland & C. Parlon

Who says you have to buy a king's ransom of Flora Danica?  If you adore beautiful china, but just can't bring yourself to spend Junior's college tuition on it, a single place setting for your own breakfast might be a compromise.  Then Junior can finish your set for you when he becomes a cardiologist.

This thermal coffee pot from the German company, Alfi, is used by fine hotels to keep coffee (stylishly) hot.

And while we're at it, Sur La Table's snazzy toast rack is only $14.95, and does double duty as a letter holder.

Les Maisons Enchantees by Hermes might make your petit dejeuner very special.

Breakfast Reading: