She had me at glue gun

WSG 47 Marian McEvoy

Oct 23, 2022

A Glue Gun is more than just a tool, it’s a way of life.

When I read about her love of the glue gun, I knew I had found a kindred spirit in Marian McEvoy. Owning a glue gun indicates more than glueing holiday decorations together once a year. A glue gun means you’re not afraid of failure. You’re game to try anything. Perhaps as a glue gun owner you are a bit compulsive. You’re a doer. You’re ok with pain (it’s nearly impossible not to get some hot plastic on a finger). Give a girl a glue gun and she’ll learn to do all sorts of things for herself. A glue gun serves as an instant seamstress! I have cuffed pants and made curtains with a glue gun. Marian McEvoy literally wrote the book on the glue gun: Glue Gun Decor (see below).

My mother gave me my first glue gun while I was in college and I still use it. She also gave me a “Lady’s Mate” tool kit case around the same time. It had pink handled tools and came in a pink plastic brief case. You wouldn’t believe how often people asked to borrow it in my dorm. Send a friend or kid a tool kit and a glue gun today!

Maven of The Week: Marian McEvoy!

Fearless creator. Endlessly evolving. Marian McEvoy.

When I contacted Marian a few weeks ago it was to talk about her exceptional pressed flower collages. She posts on Instagram (@gustthepoodle) and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with each day. If you had asked me who I thought @gustthepoodle was, I may have assumed she was a crunchy thirty something who lived in the Hudson Valley.

I did not envision that she’s a fashion, decor and publishing icon: Ms. McEvoy is the former European editor of Women’s Wear Daily and W in Paris, founding editor of Elle Décor, and editor-in-chief of House Beautiful. She lived in Paris and London for her 20s and parts of her 30s and returned to New York as the head editor in chief of Elle Decor Magazine She ran with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. She was all that and a little bit more. At a certain point she said ‘enough’ and moved full time to her country house in the Hudson Valley in approximately 2002.

She is both incredibly current and refreshingly old school.

Now she works out of her fifteen-by-seven-foot craft room creating her magical collages, drawings and cork structures (see below). See the ceiling treatment? Looks like some bespoke glue gun handiwork, to me. The craft room is lined with shelves that contain dozens of baskets with her pressed plant materials, ribbons, glues, papers and on and on. All at her fingertips.

Her home is yet another canvas. Each room of her 18th century house, that overlooks the Hudson River, is an original with layers of decor. This kind of decorating comes from the heart and takes an incredible amount of time. And glue.

"I'm a do-it-yourselfer—always have been—but now I'm able to do it full blast, which is wonderful. It's absolutely wonderful. I've never worked harder or with more pleasure. Quote from Better Homes and Gardens, August 6, 2019.

Marian has clear artisic vision, though she calls what she does craft and herself an artisan, not an artist. She says, what she does is not high art. It is not intellectual, or political. She does her work bercause she likes to do it. She compares it to outsider art, or art Naive. I do see that her floral collage and the cork structures are craft, indeed. But, I do think she herself is an artist. If the definition of artist is : “A person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music, or writing) using conscious skill and creative imagination.” (Merriam-Webster), then Marian is an artist.

She has a signature color scheme: Black, white, red. She is devoted to this pallet in her honey of a home as shown below and above. Have you thought about your own pallet? Thinking about it I do not have an intelligent answer and as someone who has always decorated her own home…i should have one. Something to work on.

In addition to her solo projects, she is working on plate designs for interior designer Christopher Spitzmiller and a collection of fabrics with designer Kerry Joyce.

''Your home should be your strength in the world,'' she went on. ''Which is why decorating should not be scary. It should make you happy and make your family feel better. Decorating is for people, in the end.' NYTimes February 19, 1998

Crafts and Collages…

I asked her to tell me about her floral collages (photo above and below). She began doing them for herself and friends years ago. Then, a friend needed some crafts to sell at a charity event and asked Marian to donate some of her collages. They were a hit! Now she is represented by KRB in New York (LINK). They cannot keep her work in stock it sells so fast. She’s a highly sought after craftsperson and has over 31,000 followers on Instagram!

Marian used to press her own flowers from her garden to use in ther collages. After she started working and selling consistently she turned to Etsy as a source. On Etsy she can find plant, size and color diversity as well as quantity. She arranges the wafer thin petals and leaves on colored paper. She notes that skin is like a “brick” compared to the delicacy of the pressed flowers. Marian loves symmetry and that shows in her designs.

Glue. We spoke about how she attaches the pressed flowers to the paper. She is a glue officianado. Generally, watered down Modge Podge is her go-to. Some wood glue. A bit of spray adhesive, Crazy glue, and of course the good ol’ glue gun.

We joked about glue and the effects on one’s health. She’s gotten this far, she says and does not intend to change her gluing ways. Does she feel dizzy or crummy after wotking all day with glue? She says she feels really hungry, typically for something bad. She’s not a breakfast eater and after working for six hours or so, she’s famished. She also craves something “sinful" like a Diet Coke.

''Too much self-deprivation makes one into a prune. Pleasure is a good thing. That's why it's called pleasure.'' NYTimes “AT HOME WITH: MARIAN MCEVOY; A Way With Decor, and a Way With Elle Decor” Feb. 19, 1998.

I asked her about her time alone working. The sorts of projects she does are solitary and need a ton of focus. Does it get lonely? Does she talk to herself? She said after a lifetime of managing staffs at magazines she welcomes a quieter life. Though she did note she is an extrovert by nature. She gets her people time by hosting large fun dinner parties and weekend guests. She says she does not talk to herself, but will chat to her dog, Nicky.

Her dinner parties look to be the stuff of legend. Here is an example of one of her table settings (below). Isn’t it gorgeous? I think bringing back the art of setting a fine table is worth pursuing. It’s a treat to be in someone’s home and special that they went to a lot of effort.

What does she listens to when she’s doing her projects? She said she listens to the news, American Jazz or classical music. In the classical category she prefers French Baroque for its clean elegance.

We spoke again of pallet. As I mentioned before, Marian has a signature pallet for her home: Black, White, Red. She notes that black and white with any color makes for a strong presence due to the high contrast between black and white. She likes a crispness in colors and is more of a Hockney fan than Monet. I have to agree.

Five Stock Questions

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An adult. She was a little girl with older parents who gave her good books and great music. Her parents treated her like an adult, so she wanted to actually be one.

What are you excited about now?

It’s a beautiful day. She’s looking down at the Hudson River and it’s like glass. The reflection is green tinged with gold and there’s a gorgeous sailboat in the middle of it.

What books are on your bedside table?

She is not reading before bed these days. She tends to draw in bed with black and purple. She watches movies, makes things but no longer reads books.

What do you do to relax?

Be with friends. She loves to host a dinner party and cook.

What category would you add to the “Guide”?

“Makers.” Having a section that is information both for and from women who do things with their hands: collage, basket weave, paint, glue gun decor, you name it.

“A house tells you more about someone than a 25-hour conversation. It's so intimate and incredibly revelatory, which is why a lot of homeowners don't let us photograph in the end. It's so personal.'' Marian McEvoy on the home and decor.

A Recipe You Won’t Hate: Perfectly Roasted Chicken!

Less a recipe and more a narrative we had. Here it goes.

Marian loves a perfectly roasted chicken. First, set a beautiful table, see below. Next. Take a very high quality organic bird and stuff it with garlic. Maybe some mushrooms. Or, you can go with olives and lemons. There is a lovely bit of theater with the chicken on a platter surrounded by potatoes and carrots ready for carving at the table. Finally a chance to use the carving set!

As for gravy, after the bird is finished (you can find the techniques here for a Martha Stewart roasted bird), place the pan with the juices and drippings on a burner. Mix in some red or white wine. Throw in some herbs and simmer so the gravy reduces and gets a bit thicker. She adds some Wonder Flour, perfect for gravy making, and a few table spoons of butter. Stir with a whisk. Having warmed a gravy boat with hot water, put the gravy in the warmed boat. Garnish bird and veggies with some fresh hers and serve!

That’s all for now! Please share WSG with friends and family and anyone you think might get a kick out of it!

Kim