Category: Interior Design

Modern Lighting for Your Home

I cannot recall ever being inside an establishment with inadequate lighting that I cared for. No matter how well decorated the interiors are, bad lighting can essentially kill any effort that was laboriously put forth. Of course, I do not mean to reference a low lit room that was designed with that in mind. A couple of months back, I visited one of my favorite dealers, and in the process, saved a few of these photographs for my reference and yours. Foscarini is a modern Italian lighting company who is conveniently tucked in the corner of New York’s most trendiest neighborhood, Soho. Located at 17 Greene Street, the showroom offers its customers some pretty unique lighting choices for every home and office projects.

Although I would have rather liked if they carried a wider selection of outdoor designs (that’s precisely what I went in the store for), I came away from the shop feeling pretty good since I discovered several of their newest designs which they collaborated with Diesel. The show Successful Living is long gone, but I still find that shopping on their side of the world is still a bright idea.
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/the-dramatic-effect-of-italian-design.html#more

Pure and Rational Beauties

Claude Lalanne”L’Enlevement d’Europe”, 1990
Modern Design Visionaries
Strong sales results from both Philipps de Pury and Sotheby’s Important 20th Century Design indicate a fervent interest in art deco, modern, and contemporary design. The auction house saw a very positive result for their Claude Lalanne’ “L’enlevement d’Europe” (pictured above) sculpture.  This striking piece tells the story of Princess Europa “overtaken by the god Jupiter (in bull form) results in the birth of Minos and the beginning of civilization on the island of Crete – the mythical first spark of society and culture that would sow the seeds for the European continent itself.” The following designs also made news in the art world this week.


PHILLIPS de PURY

Robert Mapplethorpe, Black and white plates
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/riding-auction-beast-in-style.html
Above left: A series of Zaha Hadid contemporary shelves
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/riding-auction-beast-in-style.html
Above: Gio Ponti colorful desk, and chairs 
Emile Jacques Ruhlmann, an outstanding chaise, and a pair of upholstered chairs
(in the background)
“Pure and rational form, translated in a beautiful material, is a requirement.”
Emile Jacques Ruhlmann
Jean Prouvé desk, and shelves
SOTHEBY’S
Left: Paul T. Frankl, “Speed” chair and ottoman, circa 1941. Right: Paul T. Frankl, “Skyscraper” bookcase from the library of Lucile Layton Zinman and M. Boyd Zinman,
1200 Fifth Avenue, NYC, circa 1927
Top: Michele Oka Doner, circa 1968, Seven torso sculptures, porcelain, acrylic and steel
Bottom: George Nakashima custom “Kornblut” cabinet, 1984, Persian walnut, American black walnut. East Indian rosewood and burl
Paul Evans, “Sculpture Front” cabinet, 1969
Albert Paley “Masterworks” Sideboard, forged steel and glass, circa 1991
Details of the Masterworks sideboard by Albert Paley
Left: Judy Kensley McKie, “Faces” cabinet, 1991. Painted wood and glass. Right: Hans Wegner, Papa Bear Chair, circa 1950s
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/riding-auction-beast-in-style.html
https://www.highendweekly.com/2013/12/riding-auction-beast-in-style.html
Far Left: Paavo Tynell, pair of floor lamps, circa 1945. Right: Pair of “Clam”
armchairs by Philip Arctander, circa 1944
An important prototype “large steel”, circa 1950
A series of Gerrit Thomas Rietvelt Zig Zag Chairs, circa 1967
Gio Ponti, a rare “Proteo” desk lamp, circa 1960
Photos by High End Weekly
All rights reserved

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

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.

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

Elegance Starts at Home

Galerie Mathivet

Editor’s Top Picks: The 25th Anniversary of
The International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show
 For the Editor’s List this year, we’ve focused on a small astonishing list of Art Deco, Tribal Art, and Contemporary galleries, as well as one particular gallery which specializes in some amazing antiquities. All of our top picks come from world-renowned dealers based in New York, Paris, Belgium, Chicago, and beyond. It is good to know that this fair remained as impressive and as innovative as it ever was. Collectors, designers, and everyone with savoir fair, recognize that this is truly a place designed for the well curated home. It is also an exciting fair, even for “the discreet window shopper” with the most discerning taste in fine art and decorative arts. The International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show opened on Friday, October 25 and runs through Thursday, October 31st at the Park Avenue Armory, (67th Street and Park Avenue).

The show hours are: 11:00 am to 7:30 pm (except for Sunday and Thursday when the fair closes at 6:00 pm). General Admission is $20. For complete fair and exhibitor information and highlights, please visit: www.haughton.com.

Vyna St. Phard
Tom Cashin, Vyna St. Phard, Jay Johnson (at the 1stdibs Designer Breakfast)
Nina Reeves and Carole Gratale
Julia Hartshorn

Phoenix Ancient Art

Cole Harrell
 
Images by High End Weekly™
All rights reserved

Autumn Fête at ETOS with Contemporary Artist William Witenberg

William Witenberg, Mercedes Desio, Alberto Villalobos
On Tuesday October 15th, Mercedes Desio and Alberto Villalobos hosted the New York launch event of a show by contemporary artist William Witenberg at their chic downtown home furniture gallery ETOS. The show represented the first time Witenberg has formally exhibited his new collection which blends ancient watercolor techniques with contemporary digital manipulation to create mixed media pieces that broaden the definitions of what the eye sees.
The evening was well-attended and guests included Chappy and Melissa Morris, Di Mondo, Lorren Miller, Peter Benedek, Michele Gerber Klein, Evelyn Lorentzen-Bell, Margot Takian, Anna Saucedo, Kyle Marshall, Brooks Huston, Peter von Schlossberg, Nell and Hayley Kucich, Nuria de la Fuente, Carolina Davila, Dina Toak, Charles Pavarini III, Randall Tarasuk, Eric Hilton, Garrow Kedigian, Vyna St. Phard, Brett Beldock, Suzanne Eason, Joshua Green, Stephanie Richmond, Christine D’Ascoli, Ambria Miscia, Anki and Victoria Leeds, Nicole Holt, Jennifer Roberts, Karen Tompkins, Karen Dorothee Peters, Maggie Norris, Amy Porter, Violeta Lekutanoy, Linette Semino and Nelly Espinal.

Eric Hilton, William Witenberg
Chappy Morris, Melissa Morris
Randall Tarasuk, Alberto Villalobos, Charles Pavarini III
Jennifer Roberts, William Witenberg, Suzanne Eason

Alberto Villalobos, Vyna St Phard, Mercedes Desio

Stephanie Richmond, Ambria Miscia
Alberto Villalobos, Kyle Marshall
Anna Witenberg, Madeleine Witenberg
Alberto Villalobos, Di Mondo, Mercedes Desio
Photos courtesy Patrick McMullan

Autumn Fête at ETOS

EtosDesign.1

On Tuesday October 15th, Mercedes Desio and Alberto Villalobos hosted the New York launch event of a show by contemporary artist William Witenberg at their chic downtown home furniture gallery ETOS. The show represented the first time Witenberg has formally exhibited his new collection which blends ancient watercolor techniques with contemporary digital manipulation to create mixed media pieces that broaden the definitions of what the eye sees.

 

The evening was well-attended and guests included Chappy and Melissa Morris, Di Mondo, Lorren Miller, Peter Benedek, Michele Gerber Klein, Evelyn Lorentzen-Bell, Margot Takian, Anna Saucedo, Kyle Marshall, Brooks Huston, Peter von Schlossberg, Nell and Hayley Kucich, Nuria de la Fuente, Carolina Davila, Dina Toak, Charles Pavarini III, Randall Tarasuk, Eric Hilton, Garrow Kedigian, Vyna St. Phard, Brett Beldock.

Autumn Fête at ETOS.2
Randall Tarasuk, Alberto Villalobos, Charles Pavarini III

Autumn Fête at ETOS.1Chappy Morris, Melissa Morris

Autumn Fête at ETOS.3Alberto Villalobos, Vyna St Phard, Mercedes Desio

Autumn Fête at ETOS.4

Autumn Fête at ETOSThe evening was well-attended and guests included Chappy and Melissa Morris, Di Mondo, Lorren Miller, Peter Benedek, Michele Gerber Klein, Evelyn Lorentzen-Bell, Margot Takian, Anna Saucedo, Kyle Marshall, Brooks Huston, Peter von Schlossberg, Nell and Hayley Kucich, Nuria de la Fuente, Carolina Davila, Dina Toak, Charles Pavarini III, Randall Tarasuk, Eric Hilton, Garrow Kedigian, Vyna St. Phard, Brett Beldock, Suzanne Eason, Joshua Green, Stephanie Richmond, Christine D’Ascoli, Ambria Miscia, Anki and Victoria Leeds, Nicole Holt, Jennifer Roberts, Karen Tompkins, Karen Dorothee Peters, Maggie Norris, Amy Porter, Violeta Lekutanoy, Linette Semino and Nelly Espinal.