Author: High End Weekly™

Le Décor Français

An apartment in the 16th arrondissement by American-born designer, Elliott Barnes
Elliott Barnes began his professional career in the Los Angeles offices of Arthur Erickson Architects. In 1987 he met Andrée Putman (my design hero) who proposed that he join her office in Paris. The rest as they say, is history. Elliott’s upscale high-end projects have since varied from private residences, boutiques, hotels, spas, and institutional spaces. Selected by Architectural Digest France in 2008 and 2013 as one of the most talented interior designers of his generation, Elliott Barnes creates and builds some of the most exciting, and individual interiors around. His exceptional line of furniture from Ecart International, called “Toi & Moi” (You & Me) is simply to die for.

https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/le-decor-francais-by-paris-based.html

Jewels by JAR, and other Notable Shows at The Met

Jewels by JAR (Joel A. Rosenthal)
This Season Most Talked About Exhibits from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
So much have happened at The Met the last few months. Interwoven Globe opened on September 16th and will run until January 5th, 2014. So there’s really little time for you to go see it, but since the holiday season is upon us, museum hopping is always an open option for many of us. Interwoven Globe is one of three exquisite, must-see exhibits that are featured here on this post. It tells a 300-year-old textiles story of how designs made it from one end of the world to the other through the exchange of goods and culture.

I like how the show goes through the history of design, and not just the textile alone. It’s interesting to see how in the 16th and 17th centuries people were preoccupied with other cultures, and were being influenced by them. So the old cliché holds, the more things change the more they stay the same. Materials such as large-scale chintz, flowering trees and exotic flowers were as popular back then as they are now, when it comes to fashion and decoration.

Jewels by JAR opened on November 20 and ends on March 9, 2014. All the hype surrounding JAR is true. I’ve seen my share of jewelry expositions all around the globe, but I don’t believe I’ve come across this type of jewelry exposition before. Joel A Rosenthal (JAR) The Harvard educated American moved to Paris in 1978 and opened his namesake business at the fashionable, and opulent Place Vendôme. What makes him so different from most of his contemporaries is his excellent eye, and his genius of being unique in the way that he uses his “pavé technique – the setting of small stones so close together that they seem as a continuous surface of jewels – and uses subtle gradations of color to create a painterly effect.” Throughout his collections, JAR uses his signature jewels in classical flower forms and organic shapes to witty objets d’art. His work set him apart from the others and this exhibit will leave you with some powerful emotions. As for me, I came out of that sensuous Great Hall feeling… breathless.

https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/draw-dropping-exhibitions-from-jar-ink.html
Ink Art: Past as Present Contemporary China This Met exhibit is located in the museum’s permanent galleries for Chinese Art, however this is a temporary show which opened a few days ago and runs until April 6, 2014. Ink has been a powerful fixture in the Chinese culture, in fact, for more than two millennia, it’s been the principal medium of painting and calligraphy in China. This is a phenomenal exhibit that features about seventy works by thirty-five artists in various media: paintings, calligraphy, photographs, woodblock prints, video, and sculpture. It is set up into four very interesting parts: The Written Word, New Landscapes, Abstraction, and Beyond the Brush.
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/draw-dropping-exhibitions-from-jar-ink.html
Interwoven Globe
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/draw-dropping-exhibitions-from-jar-ink.html
Images by High End Weekly™
via iPad Air

How to decorate with wallpapers

Henry, wallpaper by Marcel Wanders
This taupe and gold wallpaper is a masculine stripe that is subtle and understated. Henry features clear glosses to contrast the matt background against an accent detail of a fine metallic stripe. The product is paste to the walls so hangs in half the time of normal decorating. In my ever pursuit for the perfect textile for a particular project, I came across some pretty swanky wallpapers from two distinguished interior designers, Marcel Wanders and Kelly Hoppen. One of the wallpapers (which I won’t name) was a perfect match for this fabric I purchased from Kravet.
Iskat by Kelly Hoppen

Throughout most of her collection, I noticed that Kelly’s fusion of Eastern & Western influence was greatly weaved throughout her work.  Her new collection uses paste the wall technology for quick and easy hanging and removal. Kelly Hoppen’s trademark use of screening in this collection features four different panel designs. They all look fresh and bright, but can also be painted or varnished to make different effects. My other favorite was from award-winning designer Marcel Wanders. His wallpaper designs often excite and inflame my imagination. And so it came as no surprise that his most recent vivacious collection is able to make a real design statement in any home.

Ladder Stripe, Kelly Hoppen
This organic stripe is highlighted with metallic detailing on the stria that really catches the light. 
Isabella by Marcel Wanders
Graham & Brown’s Marcel Wanders wallpaper collection features beautifully intricate patterns fused with bold colors to create iconic wallpaper designs. I’m not sure if I will ever get to use his ‘Isabella” pattern, but I certainly admire it for its embodying large-scale Celtic motifs against a backdrop of Tartan. Isabella is a trendsetting statement design. It is bold with the intricate red wallpaper design. It is also a paste wall covering which means more beauty for half the workload.

Miami Does It Best

Art lovers, luxury trend experts, journalists, and heads of Fortune 500 companies, were among some of the distinguished guests at last night party during Design Miami
Daniele Vignatelli, Andrea Minnucci, Raffaella Vignatelli, Michael Goldstein
On Thursday, December 5th, Luxury Living début the special works of Maria Pergay for FENDI Casa and a presentation of the Bentley Home Collection at the 12th edition of Art Basel at their namesake showroom in Miami Beach. The Parisian-based designer, Maria Pergay, was commissioned by Fendi and Fendi Casa to create an iconic collection with unforgettable products reinvented and prodded in a limited edition, one of a kind pieces. At the party, guests were able to step into the Bentley Home lifestyle, which reflects the elegance, prestigious and recognizable style of Bentley through a range of exquisite modern furniture. In addition, varieties of Fabio Pietrantonio’s art were on full display throughout the über chic, 10,000 square foot showroom.
Fendi Model
Alberto Vignatelli, Vladimir Kagan
Alessandro Cremona, Fabio Pietrantonio, Andrea Minnucci, Artur de Andrade
Malinka Max
Vicent De Paul
Alida Lechter, Alejandro Cure-Bulicic
Carlos Munoz, Teresa Koepzledaly
Ela Pruzzaska, Cal Campos
Gabriella Moncada di Paterno, and Client
Lynsey Franzblau, Bruce Taylor
Tiziano Lamberti, Andrea Minnucci, Fabio Pierantonio
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/miami-does-it-best.html
Who’s who: distinguished guests included: Alberto Vignatelli, Raffaella Vignatelli, Daniele Vignatelli, Vladimir Kagan, Vincent de Paul, Alessandro Cremona (Editor in Chief of Casa Vogue), and others.
Photo credit: Douglas Lance

Have More Fun in Bed!

Gio Ponti Bed
Photo via Pinterest
My favorite place in the house is neither the kitchen nor the bathroom. The bedroom is where I begin and end my day, and when the weekend hits, it’s definitely the place where I’m most likely to hangout, when I’m at home. Not only should bedrooms be a place where one can dream (hopefully have sweet ones), a well appointed bedroom should be your perfect hideaway, a place where you can breathe easier, catch up with your favorite books, watch some great films, be on the phone for hours, and … well, you know. These images captured some of the most inviting bedrooms I’ve seen on-line, as well as a few resources of where you can purchase that “perfect bed”.
via Pinterest by Brianne Aldinger
Daybed by George Nakashima
Case Study Alpine Bed
Jacques Adnet Pair of beds, 1940s, Phillips Auction
Xavier and Claude Lalanne Bed
Emile-Jacques Ruhlman, 1920, Christie’s
Eileen Gray bed
Bicolore Luigi Caccia Dominioni bed, 1989, Suite NY
Matera Bed Designed by Sean Yoo for Design Within Reach
A modern suite designed by Andree Putman for the Morgans Hotel
Photo via Pinterest

Shopping at The Salon

Jean-Michel Frank, 1895-1941, Lounge chair in limed oak
Galerie L’arc En Seine
The second edition of The Salon: Art + Design show did not disappoint. It is quite possible that it was even better than the inauguration last year. Some of the best dealers in the world were welcomed back to The Park Avenue Armory, and I was pleased to discover some of the most outstanding and rarest works of art in the market – many of which have not been seen for a very long time, nor ever been seen before. Opening night is mostly about networking with the dealers, and socializing with my peers, so I had to made several trips back to the show in order to take some real-time “inventory”.  The antique show is second to none, of its kind, and November in New York presents a true opportunity to shop for some of the best art deco, modern to contemporary, and back to post-modern works from an array of international dealers. While making the rounds, I was surprised to learn from the legendary artist, and renowned art dealer Barry Friedman himself, that as of January 2014, he’ll be retiring after 48 years in the business. This will certainly present a significant hole in the industry, but it is important to note that Friendman Banta will still be in operation.

The Salon is open until Monday, November 18th. The schedule and location of the fair can be found in their website, or on my earlier posts. If you are an art and design lover, collector, or an enthusiast, this fair couldn’t be a better one to visit.
Galerie Marcilhac
George Nakashima furniture at Moderne Gallery
Right: Herter Brothers. One of only five chairs made for J.P. Morgan’s house on Madison Avenue, ca. 1882. The other is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Oscar Graf
Outstanding collection of Swedish, Mid 20th Century Furniture at Modernity
Modernity Gallery
Galerie Mermoz, Pre-Columbian Art
Barry Friedman Ltd
Khaled Zaki (Egyptian 1964), Bronze
Barry Friedman 
Fernando Botero, b. 1932, Dancers, Bronze
Cernuda Arte
Pop Art at Joan B. Mirviss Ltd.
Images by High End Weekly™
All rights reserved

Carefree Lifestyle by LA Designer Lulu DK

9 Images To Inspire a Carefree Lifestyle

Californian-based designer Lulu de Kwiatkowski launched her e-commerce shop, which is in fact a chic and elegant lifestyle brand earlier this year, did you know about that? I’ve meant to talk about it on my blog for a while, and this weekend strikes me as the perfect time to do so. Since its start, the textile company LULU DK (the site can be found at www.luludk.com) has been recognized for the bold, whimsical, hand-painted aesthetic of its founder. Now, fifteen years later, an idea rooted in the heart of the company from the beginning has finally come to fruition. It expands the fabric company into a lifestyle brand, a transition that the savvy designer has envisioned from the start.

We were told by the company that the idea for the shop began years ago, born out of de Kwiatkowski’s business partner and best friend, Laurie Costantino’s, tragic yet triumphant battle with brain tumors. Having met and founded LULU DK during these times, the first intent was to open a t-shirt store that could give a percentage of its proceeds to children suffering from the same debilitating tumors. “We felt the time was finally right for us to give back to something that has been so personal to our story and the story of our company,” recalls Costantino. “I designed the tees,” explains de Kwiatkowski, “and in the process of building a new logo and website, I decided to add a few more products…well actually a lot more!”
The LULU DK lifestyle shop is filled with items designed and curated by de Kwiatkowski – pillows, lampshades, and other products for the home, framed prints of her artwork, stationary, decals, one-of-a-kind scarves and textiles, and of course, the t-shirts, where a percentage of the profit will directly benefit patiens through the New York Head and Neck Institute Foundation.
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/11/designer-of-week-lulu-de-kwiatkowski.html#more
“I have always said a home should be filled with a wonderful array of found objects, living flowers, colors, paintings, and fabrics and furniture that let you kick back from a long day, jump around with your children, and be inspired.” “I wanted LULU DK to be a place where people could go when they felt their life and home needed a little soul, spunk, and originality.”

     Lulu de Kwiatkowski

https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/11/designer-of-week-lulu-de-kwiatkowski.html#more

International Designs on Park

Galerie Diane de Polignac Guy de Rougemont, Petit Trèfle Sculpture-low table in limited edition, titled, signed and numbered by the artist for the gallery. Stainless steel painted
Dubbed by The New York Times as “a museum in the making at the Park Avenue Armory”, this week The Salon Art + Design, once again, will aim at being the year’s top fair on East 66th Street & Park.  This show is very well-known to mix art, design and decorative art objects from dozens of dealers from around the globe. Of the original European dealers, many including names like, L’Arc en Seine, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Galerie Christian Deydier, Vallois, Galerie Gmurzynska, Galerie Boulakia, Robilant + Voena, Galerie Beres, Brame + Lorenceau and Kraemer are returning.
The new contingent of dealers includes three new ethnographic galleries: Mermoz and Galerie 1492, both specializing in Pre-Colombian art, and Galerie Lucas Ratton, a 3rd generation specialist in African Art. New entries in art include Keitelman Gallery from Brussels who features 20th century avant-garde masters and the Tasende Gallery from Los Angeles and LaJolla, who will bring outstanding 20th century paintings and sculpture. On the design front, Cristina Grajales a leading New York decorative arts dealer who cultivates emerging contemporary designers will show eclectic new work.
The combination of a preponderance of 20th century fine and decorative arts, some ethnographic and antique pieces created a unique and memorable show. Of the Salon, Christian Deydier, President of the Syndicate had this to say: “I am extremely happy that the SNA, in partnership with Sanford Smith for the second time, will present some of its top dealers during The Salon in New York. Personally, I feel that the first edition of The Salon was very successful  and there has never been any question in my participation in the second edition.” Benoit Sapiro of Le Minotaure, a leading Parisian art gallery commented: “it is very important for us to be present in New York. The first edition of The Salon NY was a great success and for us it was obvious to return.”
The fair opens to the public on November 14th through November 18th. The Park Avenue Armory is located at 643 Park Avenue at 66th Street, New York City. Opening Night Preview Event is on Thursday, November 14th, 2013, from 6:30 – 9:30 PM, and the price is $125 per person. A portion of the proceeds will be gifted to the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club.
Cristina Grajales Inc.Philip & Kelvin LaVerne Excursion Coffee Table Bronze
and enamel, c. 1960
Charles Biederman (1906-2004) String Relief, New York, June 1936, 1936 
Painted wood, string, Glass 
Joan B. Mirviss MORINO TAIMEI (b. 1934), Flat ovoid red and black striped eared vessel with green-overglaze spots, Title: Komorebi; Sunbeams Streaming through Foliage, 2012, Glazed stoneware
Galerie 1492 Plate decorated with a dear Maya culture, ca 900- 1200 Guatemala

Surrealism at The Carlyle

Salvador Dali, Venus de Milo aux Tiroir (Venus de Milo with Drawers)
Blain Di Donna
 
Image courtesy High End Weekly™
 

Blain|Di Donna had its first historical group exhibition, Dada & Surrealist Objects last Thursday night. This was the first show devoted to this important subject ever presented in any gallery or museum in America, and has been curated in association with the well-known specialist in Dada and Surrealist art, Timothy Baum. The exhibition presents a retrospective overview of all aspects of this subject, and encompasses a full choice of works by every serious creator of objects from both the Dada and Surrealist groups. Chronologically, this exploration begins with Marcel Duchamp, whose invention of the ready made in 1913 gave birth to the separation of found or handmade objects from the more limited world of sculpture, usually confined to plaster, bronze, marble and occasionally carved wood that had previously represented, exclusively, the realm of the third dimension in art.

It continues through Arp, Man Ray (with an assortment of works from his New York, Paris and California periods), Dalí (represented by two works of major importance: Objet escatalogique de fonctionnement symbolique (Le soulier de Gala) and Vénus de Milo aux Tiroirs), Magritte, Giacometti, Calder (two classical works lent by the Calder Foundation), Miró (including a charmingly witty post-war work, courtesy of the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation), Bellmer, Kurt Schwitters, Kurt Seligmann, and an interestingly varied assortment of early works by Joseph Cornell. It also features two of André Breton’s famous “poem-collages”, boxes and book-bindings by Georges Hugnet, and other assorted treasures by Marcel Jean, Oscar Dominguez, Maurice Henry, a mixed media painting by André Masson embellished with sand, a shell and a feather, an interpretation of Alberto Giacometti’s ear by Meret Oppenheim, a painting encased in a hand-carved frame by Yves Tanguy, an intricately collaged bottle by Laurence Vail, as well as many other works rarely seen in public before.

The presentation is augmented by a group of vintage photographs by Raoul Ubac depicting various objects created by Surrealist artists for the International Surrealism Exhibition in Paris in 1938: mannequins decorated by Man Ray, Max Ernst and others, and two works by Dalí: The Aphrodisiac Table (with Lobster Telephone) and the environmental phenomenon, Rainy Taxi.

BLAIN|DI DONNA is located at 981 Madison Avenue, NYC (Inside the Carlyle Hotel). The show runs from October 25 – December 13, 2013. Opens Monday through Friday: 10am–6pm
Saturdays November 2, 9 & 16: 10am–6pm.

Jean Paul Gaultier at The Brooklyn Museum Museum

Jean Paul Gaultier: From The Sidewalk to the Catwalk (Brooklyn Museum of Art)
 
The Boudoir Prince Takes over Brooklyn

From The Sidewalk to the Catwalk is an eye-popping journey that is altogether superbly curated by fashion icon, Jean Paul Gaultier, and famed curator, Thierry-Maxime Lorio. The exhibition is running at the Brooklyn Museum. Last Friday night, I took a trip to Eastern Parkway to discover this exciting, ground-breaking show, and was also enchanted by the stimulating talk between the designer, and the curator. The conversation was deftly led by Wall Street Journal Magazine editor-in-chief, Kristina O’Neill. Jean Paul Gaultier is well-known for his designing Madonna’s infamous cone bra (he spoke passionately about his muse, and how she has been a constant source of inspiration for his work throughout his early career). The exhibit highlights a master couturier ahead of his game, and a front runner of the Haute Couture world and avant-garde fashion.

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk” is open to the public from October 25, 2013- February 23, 2014. Word of advice: See it! The Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY.
Images by High End Weekly™
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