High Style for the Home

All of a sudden, the great work of artists and designers from Atlanta is showing up everywhere.

First, Hickory Chair furniture this spring rolled out a new collection from Atlanta designer Suzanne Kasler.

Next, we got word this week that Bradley Hughes, an Atlanta-based custom furniture design company, got new representation for the Mid-Atlantic region for local designers who might want to order their wonderful pieces for clients.

And also this week, DC art consultant Mike Weber – who is sought out because he represents Atlanta artist Craig Alan – used an Alan piece in a model unit of the new 22West condominium in DC’s West End.

You will also see Alan’s work in our upcoming summer issue, so keep an eye out. Continue reading for more details on each artist/designer.

Alarm bells sounded in my head on Sunday afternoon – and no, it had nothing to do with the realization that my glorious mini-vacation was coming to an end. I had just spotted an article in the New York Times describing the plight of a modest little house in Connecticut with a design pedigree that belies its size. Designed by Philip Johnson, "the most celebrated architect of the last half-century," according to the Times’ Andy Newman, the house has been languishing on the market for a year at $3.1 million. Its owner, reluctant to lower the price, is now considering tearing it down, much to the horror of mid-century architecture enthusiasts.

The DC area is home to many modern residences with similar historical and artistic significance. Could such a thing happen in our neck of the woods? My fears were assuaged by Mike Shapiro, the mid-century modern maven behind Modern Capital, an excellent blog that focuses on residential modernism in the DC area. Shapiro’s blog attempts to dispel the “false perception” that the DC area has virtually no modern homes or communities. His site has seen a rise in traffic to nearly 5,000 visits per month after two years, which indicates the presence of a “growing niche” of people who love modernism, he says. Keep reading for a list of his favorite mid-century modern communities.

Alno, the German kitchen manufacturer, recently introduced its new lines for 2008, and they are really cool, whether your taste leans toward pop-art contemporary or country chic. You don’t see these looks too often when you walk into a kitchen design shop.

The “Alno Sign” group from the Lifestyle Collection puts kitchen life in the fast lane, with Speed Racer colors on sleek, lacquer-finish cabinets. You can wake up to pistachio, ruby red, papaya, blackberry or lime – on your cabinets as well as in your fruit bowl.

Meanwhile, its “Alno Finn” group from the Country Collection gives a sophisticated sensibility to the country look – a peaceful place to rest the eyes.

Milan is the Mecca for contemporary furniture buyers, where the forefront in design is displayed each April at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile. There, buyers from around the world decide what they will carry in their showrooms that year, and by extension, what interior designers and homeowners will be placing on their purchase lists.

Poltrona Frau, a high-end dealer in Georgetown, is getting ready to take shipment from its Milan orders, and the new furniture should arrive in mid to late summer. But if you like what you see here, you can call and order them today.

Carolina Chair:

My personal favorite, the Carolina looks like the ultimate hammock, or, according to the press kit, “a cozy nest whose uninterrupted form combines seat, backrest and armrests, and mixes the warmth of wood with the tactile charm of leather.”


Helleu:

This is not just any director’s chair. The Helleu is named for the recently deceased artistic director for Chanel, Jacques Helleu. Indeed, the side details resemble the Chanel look. But what’s really unique about this $8,000 chair is that it’s framed with Corian-cladded steel – yes, the Corian you usually see on kitchen counters. According to the press materials, the Corian (in Glacier White) gives the chair a “silk-like touch.”


Ninfea:

This cocktail table is clad in saddle leather on the top and outside, with edges and interior storage space in either Canaletto walnut, ebony or natural oak. One word: Wow!


Cassiopea:

This modern seating system has elements that can be pulled apart and put back together in countless variations. And don’t worry about sitting down on a crack and having the pieces push apart – they are kept together with hidden hooks.


Poltrona Frau is at 1010 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20007. 202.333.1166.

Photo Credit: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VA

My requirements for a relaxing Memorial Day weekend are not extravagant. I like to be sedentary for as long as possible, with a cold, sweet beverage and a stack of decadent magazines within arm’s length and a body of water nearby. All hats must be fabulous and the smell of barbeque must be wafting from somewhere not too far away. Throw in the (distant) sound of a lawn mower—maybe some chirpy birds—and I am sitting pretty. In a rocking chair, of course.

But here is the most important question: which rocker is right for you?

Wood?

L.L. Bean

Weather-Proof?

Comfort House

Wicker?

Crate & Barrel

Color?

Rockingchairs.com

Caneback?

Porches and Yards

Whichever form you choose, here’s to a peaceful, relaxing Memorial Day.

In between the fashion spreads of this month’s Vogue, there is nestled a quaint little story about Virginia Lee Burton, who is best known for her classic children’s books such as Little House and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. But Burton also started a design collective of about 40 women during the mid-20th century called Folly Cove Designers. Their patterns are on permanent exhibit at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, MA, and you can see them online at a site maintained by some of the women’s children:

Burton’s profile has resurfaced in the past six months, when PBS aired a documentary called “Virginia Lee Burton: A Sense of Place.” The National Museum of Women in the Arts screened the documentary on Sunday, but if you are like me and missed it, it’s available here on Amazon.


Folly Cove’s folksy hand-blocked textiles are no longer for sale, but they do show up occasionally in auctions, where a set of placemats can sell for as high as $690 – or as low as you see here for $57.50, from a Massachusetts auction house that has recently offered several Folly Cove items:

Wouldn’t it look great with a thick pink grosgrain ribbon sewn along the borders?

There are a handful of modern textile makers who design in a similar vein. Keep reading to see their work, and how it echoes Folly Cove’s earlier themes.

My sister, Katharine, was finally triumphant in finding sconces for the dining room/ living room area in her new condo. The search was not easy. “It is SO hard to find sconces that don’t look like bathroom fixtures or look like they were stolen from an old formal castle,” she writes in an e-mail. Here are the ones she finally settled on, from Littman Bros.:

I think they will get along famously with her new dining table from BoConcept:

Katharine looked for two months before settling on the right sconces. So that got me thinking a LOT about the topic, especially since the dreary brass sconces in my own living room badly need replacing. Keep reading for some inspiring (non-bathroom, non-castle) sconces I have came across.

You need to think happy thoughts on such a gray morning. And my happiest thoughts revolve around three retailers to whom I always gravitate: Oly Studio, Shine Home and Julian Chichester. Their designs are iconic and funky, with colors that make you want to smile. So here’s to a rainy day:

Oly Studio:

These floral chandeliers are perfect additions to Oly’s spring line:

Local designer Barry Dixon used Oly’s Ari side table in his own furniture display at Tomlinson during the High Point market. Oly’s matching Ajax seat would make a big statement in any room.

Finally, a lovely ottoman whose russet color and thin gold legs are the picture of elegance.

Shine Home:

Don’t you love the candy colors of the Shanghai console and Milan buffet?

The “Bluebirds” artwork is just so cool.

Shine’s designs make a pretty bold statement, so its accessories are great if you want a small pop here and there. Below, the Amber boxes and the Venice Vase.

Julian Chichester:

It seems like most great design these days originates from the UK. Julian Chichester is no exception.

The Rene bench and Butterfly 2-Seater sofa are stately and outrageous at the same time:

The Café Clock takes me straight back to a fabulous 1930’s diner.

And Julian’s chests are magnificent. The Frank bookcase is perfect in any room, while the William Scott cabinet is strong yet whimsical.

It hit me when I was looking at designs for shower doors, of all things. Sterling’s new series of frosted shower door designs this spring includes Bishop’s Lace, a lovely modernized floral pattern.

And then I realized how many cool, contemporary incarnations of nature have come out in the past few years, which takes the organic theme to a new, shimmering level – even when it graces the most mundane of products, such as shower doors … or window film.

Emma Jeffs’ White Orba design harkens the sunflowers.

Brume, another window film company, has these ultra-cool leafy designs, which are available here and here.

Moving on to the king of modern organic design, Tord Boontje: Real Simple magazine this year touted his Garland Shade Light as one of 10 home accessories “that will stand the test of time.”

Boontje’s Copper Garland is in the same vein.

 

Pierre Deux, the iconic French retailer whose wares conjure the French provincial countryside, just opened its doors in Vienna, VA, nestled in Fairfax Square with neighbors including Hermes, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany.

The new store, with its happy yellow awnings, hosted members of the Junior Leagues of Washington and Northern Virginia last night, where impeccably dressed women sipped wine and champagne – and did some serious shopping. Comments about the Pierre Deux look included “pleasing and warm,” and “If I had a holiday home, this is how I would furnish it.”

Here’s why:

Pierre Deux President Hedwige Cointreau (yes, that Cointreau) de Bouteville flew in from France to welcome the shoppers. "I am so pleased to share the warmth, charm and convivial ways of French country life with the communities of northern Virginia. We welcome all to visit us and experience Pierre Deux’s joie de vivre lifestyle."

The new store is at:
8065 Leesburg Pike
Vienna,VA 22182
(703) 442-9111

Yes, this couch is ugly, and that’s the point. Chevy Chase college student Daniel DuGoff recently became the only U.S. prize winner in a global competition by Danish retailer BoConcept to find the ugliest furniture in the world.

DuGoff didn’t win the grand prize of $7,000 to shop at BoConcept – that honor went to someone in Warsaw – but he was one of the 15 runners up, winning a $1,500 gift card. His lowly couch – $30 from Salvation Army – competed against more than 1,200 entries from 31 countries.

To find out more about what DuGoff did with the prize money at BoConcept’s Georgetown store, keep reading:

One of my favorite trade shows is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, or ICFF, and it begins in New York this weekend. Ordinarily, these kinds of shows are closed to the public, open only to retailers, designers and architects. But ICFF will admit the public next Tuesday, May 20, so if you are a contemporary design junkie, this is the day to play hookie from work and hop the train to New York.

I won’t be going myself, but my friend Grace at Design*Sponge is previewing lots of great products that will be on display, and she will be blogging from the show this weekend. Just enter “icff” into her search box.

Among Grace’s previews, I love the furniture coming from Iannone Design Ltd., which is known for its intricate carvings into the sides of credenzas, dressers, and tables.

Also, I was excited to see that Thomas Paul has new rugs. I have a fabulous pencil holder of his design, as well as a mouse pad/notepad. One of these adorable rugs would certainly complete my workspace.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with Troy Englert of Patrick’s Fine Linens & Home Décor in Old Town Alexandria. Troy, an interior designer, provided bags and bags of sumptuous accessories from his shop to style a photo shoot for our summer issue. He cared so much about how it would all look in the space we were photographing that he came to the shoot to accessorize the room himself, and ended up consulting with our photographer, Greg Hadley, to make sure each shot was perfect. I hope you will keep your eyes out for our next issue to see the result. In the meantime, Here’s a peek at some of Patrick’s many treasures.

And let me not forget the wonderful ladies at Helen Olivia, an Alexandria florist who provided the flowers for our photo shoot. Their arrangements are beautiful.

Globalism isn’t all bad. I’ve been seeing a huge build-up in the past several months of textiles influenced by the suzani, a vibrant hand-stitched cloth fabricated by women in central Asia for centuries. The look keeps coming in this spring’s new offerings. Whether it’s the real thing you’re after, or fresh updates on the theme, feast your eyes:

The real thing: This eye-catching textile screams for attention, available with many others at Yurdan:

The Washington, DC-based Beautiful Pillows and Home have two new pillow collections that echo the suzani theme:

“Passage to India”

and “So Beautiful”

The venerable Brunschwig & Fils, whose suzani-inspired Dzambul pattern has been around for almost 30 years, just introduced five new colorways. “These glorious suzani designs are enjoying huge popularity with a new generation of admirers,” the press release says.

Laneventure will have a new suzani pattern in the fall:

Baker just introduced furniture collection called Baker Studio, which is aimed at younger customers between 34 and 45. Most of the pieces have heavy Asian influences. I couldn’t help but notice a suzani whisper in the bedding and upholstery on this bed:

And finally, you know the look has gone mainstream when Pottery Barn starts selling it.

Say what you will about Martha Stewart, but as the proud owner of one of her dining tables, I can say that the stuff she puts out there is solid and dependable. That’s why I was eager to hear what she had to say on stage at the recent International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC, where she was introducing new lines of:

furniture

lighting

rugs

and framed photography. 

Whew!  Read on for some of her more interesting observations from High Point,