BUNGALUX

Okay. We get it. The economy is in danger of going into a double-dip recession and it’s uncool to soak in obvious wealth.

That doesn't prevent us from dreaming about it though. So, let's take a second:

Once Upon a Time the stock market was at 15,000, the NASDAQ was at 5,000, the Four Seasons Restaurant was populated with bonus-heavy bankers who worked at a place called Lehman Brothers, and we had enough equity in our homes to buy a lifetime supply of NetJets' miles.

Close your eyes and picture better times. You can't?

Well, that's where one of our favorite photographers comes in. Photographer of socialites, jetsetters, and celebrities at play, Slim Aarons published his first book, An Intimate Portrait of the Good Life, in 1974. It slipped into obscurity and Slim went virtually unnoticed (except at Bungalux) until a few years ago when many of the photos from his cult-classic were rereleased in an anthology called Once Upon a Time. A Place in the Sun and Poolside with Slim Aarons soon followed and now Slim Aarons: La Dolce Vita is due to be released October 1st.

While there are a lot of perfect coffee table books (see future articles), these are definitely three of them and it's no accident we're mentioning them first. And for those of you with empty wall space, many of Slim Aarons' photos are for sale and, yes, they literally make a plain room Bungalux great: Imagine Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, Lauren Bacall, CZ Guest, or just some topless girl in St. Tropez in your living room. Contact us for more information and, in the meantime, close your eyes and dream of a life of no work and all play and all the beautiful people who live in it

WHERE TO BUY

• Amazon