HOORAY!!!!
SUMMER 2010 IS FINALLY HERE ....
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND TO ALL!!!!
May 2010 Archives
I love London's newest addition to the world of Paul Smith on Marylebone
High Street. This stunning store is home to both the men and
women's accessory collections, as well as
the most divine "stuff"!!!!
The front of the store is classically modern; the herringbone floor, wood shelves, and the clean white walls are a perfect foil for the men's collection. The masculinity up-front is in stark contrast to the backroom ..... with it's updated contemporary cabbage rose wallpaper, floral chintz circular settee,and pale pink rug reflecting the modern femininity that is the theme of the women's collection.
The great "stuff" includes fabulous books, a fantastic striped leather leash that is calling my dog's name, a collection of eccentric Lladro ceramics by Spanish designer Jaime Hayon that belong on my library shelves, and framed rock 'n roll posters that hung in my brother's room in the 60's ........ real Jimi Hendrix memorabilia!!!!!!
This store is an "accessorator's" delight, from accessories to accessories!!!!
JOO DESIGN - KOREA
LAURIE BECKERMAN DESIGN - NEW YORK CITY
EGG DESIGNS - DRUMMOND, SOUTH AFRICA
DESIGNARTIST SOH - KOREA
PERFORMA DESIGN - GERMANY
PRATT STUDENT PROTOTYPE - BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
RS BARCELONA, FORD & CHING - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
FAKTURA DESIGN - BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
JORDI MILA, DESIGNLUSH - NEW YORK CITY
DOIZ DESIGN - BRAZIL
KATZ - RIGA, LATVIA
Yesterday I played with the newest hip gadget, the I-Pad ...... and realized
it is definitely going to change the way we buy & look at books .....
possibly making this post ancient history!!!
YIKES, that thought is horrifying and puts me into a total twirl!!!
In my world books & bookcases will never, never, never be obsolete!!!!! I love the feel of books, how they look, how they smell, and how they age ........ and a bookcase for me is the center piece of a room!!!! It is home to the most unique, eclectic "accessorations" in my home. Bookshelves are designed to be tableaus that show our personalities, house our most important treasures, including the books that we have collected & cherished for decades ......... they reflect our individual histories!!!!!!!!!
So without reservation,, I am absolutely putting these fabulous bookcases
into the universe!!! I think they are fabulous designs; innovative
shapes, great materials, and terrific colors ....... and a
great addition to the bookcases I found
in Milan (see blog 5/5/10)!!!!!!
I love the English ....... they are so outrageous!!!
How yummy is this "Pretty In Pink" Barbie 500 Fiat I photographed in the
Fiat showroom on Wigmore Street in London!!!!!
Designed for Barbie's 50th anniversary, it has a "nail varnish" coat of paint and luxury Alcantara fabric interior. The interior has a light up vanity mirror and is studded
with crystals throughout the interior and on the hubcaps!!!!
BEYOND FABULOUS!!!!!
This car is an "accessorator's" dream come true!!!!
Remember your kid brother chasing you with yucky, scary rubber snakes and
spiders when you were a kid ........ I sure do ...... well,
here they come again!!!!!!
I adored the Campana Brother's resin vases in Milan (see blog 4/15/10) ....... but, I think
these outrageous vessels at Moss are even more fabulous ........ and they bring back sweet & slimy childhood memories too!!!!
The "accessorator" believes that color is key for 2010 ..... and The Conran Shop,
reopening last week at ABC Carpet & Home, features
a stunning summer palette!!!
Designed exclusively for Conran's, the multi-colored, multi-striped sofa is the jumping off point for the season ........ and accessories, including everything from pillows, rugs, clocks, vases, outdoor umbrellas, lighting, and even candles, follow suit!!! Turquoise, red, chartreuse, fuchsia, orange, yellow, and grass all play off of each other ..... making the store look delicious!!!! The assortment also includes plenty of neutrals; black, white, taupe, and grey that "ground" the bright colors ..... as well as keeping the clean, contemporary mood that the store is known for. In addition to an extensive furniture and accessory collection that includes a variety of silhouettes, materials, and fabrications, Conran's continues to carry a well edited selection of stunning white dinnerware and glassware ...... focusing on shapes that are classical and elegant, while still looking modern.
According to owner Sir Terrence Conran, "Good design is 98 per cent common sense and 2 per cent mystery," a theory that is evident throughout this innovative & exciting ....... yet, classic & contemporary ......... new space!!!!
Welcome back Conran's ...... we really missed you!!!!!!
The Umbra OH, chair designed by Karim Rashid, falls into the "great design"
category ....... and asking Pratt students to personalize the chairs at the
2010 ICFF is very tasty ......... the results are quirky &
clever ....... and I wish I could have them around
my kitchen table!!!!!
I love this shelf ....... it this one is one of the most creative & quirky
designs at the ICFF....... and a really great visual ...... that
makes me want to collect paperback books!!!!!!
British design company Mode Product Design presented the "Sticklebook" this week at the 2010 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). The bookcase, a solution to book storage, creates the illusion of a line of books hanging unsupported on a wall. A comb-like strip grips the cover and pages of a paperback book and provides an "invisible bookshelf" that holds up to 12 books. This is product design at it's best!!!!
The weather was gorgeous during my visit to London last month, and I
made my first trip to the "seaside" ..... by train ..... to Brighton!!!!
Imagine all these "seaside colors" on Jobs Lane, Southampton ....... Newtown Lane,
East Hampton ....... or even Bellevue Avenue, Newport!!!!!!
DIVINE ..... makes you wanna shop!!!!!!
SNAKE COFFEE TABLE, CARLO CONTIN 2006 for MERITALIA
BRASILIA TABLES, COMPANA BROTHERS, 2006 for EDRA
MUMMY CHAIR, PETER TRAAG, 2005 for EDRA
MIRROR, ETTORE SOTTSASS, 2007 for GLAS ITALIA
CHAIR, DOMINIQUE PERRAULT & GAELLE LAURIOT-PREVOST, 2009 for
SAWAYA & MORONI
NAKED LEGO TABLE, GILES MILLER, 2009
GEO ART CARPET, LUCA NICHETTO, 2009 for NODUS
PROVA PRIMA DINNERWARE, PAOLA NAVONE, 2009 for RICHARD GINORI
LEFT CHAIR, PIET HEIN EEK, 2005 ...... RIGHT CHAIR NAOTO FUKASAWA, 2009 for B&B ITALIA
SATURN STOOL, EDWARD BARBER & JAY OSGERBY, 2008 for CLASSICON
VALISE WARDROBE, MAARTEN DE CEULAER, 2008 for CASAMANIA
PXL LAMP, FREDRIK MATTSON, 2007 for ZERO
CLAY CHAIR, MAARTEN BAS, 2006
THE ROCKING CHICKEN RIDE CERAMIC, JAIME HAYON, 2008 for LLADRO
Blending the historical richness of the architect of the houses and their
antiques, with the work of contemporary designers results
in an amazing design dialogue, which we
were so lucky to experience!!!
One of the fantastic things about getting stuck in Milan, while the Icelandic volcano spewed ash, was getting to visit two of the four Milanese House Museums, homes with a unique combination of period architecture and antiques, with the addition of contemporary design ...... old and new working in tandem, showing how contemporary furniture and objects belong everywhere!!!!
I was particularly taken with the Villa Necchi Campiglio, a residence built in the 1930's, designed by architect Piero Portaluppi. The interiors were created by a collection of important Italian designers and decorators of the period, including Albini-Palanti, Buzzi, Marelli, and Ulrich. After the war, an extensive collection of antique furniture was added.
"As such, today the Villa allows cutting-edge design to come face-to-face, and engage in an intelligent game of contrast, with both the pure lines of 30's design - as occurs, for example, through the sitting of the De Ceulaer wardrobe in the prince's bathroom - and with the antique elements, as demonstrated by the dynamic Wrong lamp that stands against the Louis XV armchairs and sofas in the Drawing Room."
Even I could enjoy watering my garden with all
this equipment ....... but, how could I
ever chose just one color!!!!!
My friend the Atlanta E-I-C, knowing what a "color queen" I am, told me about these fabulous 50' long, professional hoses that are available in delicious colors from the Dramm Corporation!!!! Ever the resourceful gardener, he found them online at the NY Botanical Garden on-line shop. I went a step further and found that in addition to the ColorStorm Hoses, there are 3 nozzles ....Fan, Pistol, and Revolver ..... and a Kaleidoscope Rain Wand ..... all available in 6 fantastic bright colors!!!! STUNNING!!!!
"Dramm has been a leader in watering tools and accessories for over 60 years. In the 1940's, an inventive florist named John G. Dramm revolutionized the way greenhouses, nurseries, and gardeners water their plants by designing the 400 Water Breaker, which applies very large quantities of water in a soft stream. This nozzle remains the standard of commercial growers world wide, and Dramm watering tools are the choice of professional and serious gardeners everywhere for their durability and high performance."
Artek founded in 1935 and based in Finland, is one of the most innovative contributors to modern design. They presented several new pieces in Milan at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi, including "Dress the Chair," a Missoni upholstered version of Armchair 400 by Alvar Aalto (see blog 4/22/10) and a modular shelving unit from Naoto Fukasawa. In addition, they exhibited SEDIA 1, designed by Enzo Mari in 1974 as part of the thought-provoking project "Autoprogettazione." Mari was a designer, thinker, and provocateur whose goal was "to mass produce objects without compromising his belief that the outcome should always be beautiful to look at and feel while being functional." He created over 200 objects and this is the first piece that is being produced by Artek. The chair comes in a box containing a precut set of pine boards, nails, and instructions for it's creation. According to Mari, "Design is always education."
Presented last month, in Paris, by Balenciaga, these shoes, designed by Pierre Hardy reflect the high-tech materials in Nicolas Ghesquiere's clothing collection, combining all of the design elements I adore ........ architecture, sculpture, collage, color, and texture!!!! They incorporate classic shoe silhouettes with a variety of materials that include leather, wood, plastic, metal, and new high-tech materials. I love the Memphis Design influence in the shapes, materials, and colors. They are truly divine!!!!
Imagine wearing these incredible pieces if art ........ I'd rather have them
accessorizing a shelf in my living room!!!
The use of non-traditional materials in non-traditional ways was a major
trend in Milan!!!! One of the most interesting material
used was paper.....to create furniture!!!!
Designer Alessandro Antoniazzi and artist Walter Davanzo collaborated to present this extraordinary paper environment. "Paperboard Innovation" at Superstudio in Zona Tortona. The collection of furniture and accessories is made entirely of paper, and it includes lamps, chairs, sofas, armoires, chaises, mirrors, bookcases, and tables, as well as a moose to hang on your wall!!! Everything is made from Ti-Vu Plast, paper honey-comb used primarily in the door industry as filling material.
"An encounter between art and design, an emotional fusion inspired by love, sculpted forms from the material itself, giving life to pieces of furniture made with environmentally friendly materials, such as honeycomb cardboard, embellished with printed pictorial images."
And the really good news is that the pieces are
stable and secure.....I sat on them!!!!
My street of choice to cross town is 19th Street and I have passed Martin Albert Interiors more times than I care to count. It's pretty common knowledge that I love a good chair "accessoration," and there are always eclectic and eccentric chairs in their window ........ BUT these 3 bespoke Tudor Queens finally made me stop!!!! I think they are sensational ...... the wood framed chairs are upholstered in linen, have screen printed faces of Henry's wives, and each one is hand bedazzled in real "faux jewels" ..... and finally each appears to be becoming blood-soaked, each in a different color ...... DIVINE!!!!!
These certainly are historical chairs......reminding us what happens to Tudor wives!!!!
- “It all comes down to the accessories.....
- It’s not the first thousand dollars that make the room, it’s the last hundred!!”
- - judi roaman
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