Pagoda Red, the Chicago-based Chinese furniture company just opened a showroom in New York. Aside from antique furnishings they have sell contemporary Chinese pieces.
My favorite were the lucite or “Invisible” pieces by July Zhou. Here is a selection…pretty unique!
How great is this splatter paint floor in Elizabeth Bauer’s new Nantucket shop: Store No. 2. I saw this on Good Bones Great Pieces and totally fell in love. Would be amazing in a play room!
At first I thought it was wallpapered because Hinson has a very similar pattern: Spatter.
It couldn’t be that hard to do??? Here’s a link on “How to Splatter Paint”:
I love Mark Sikes blog. He has an amazing collection of books and magazines and does rich photo compilations.
Here’s a recent one Ikat.
A COMMON THREAD | Mark D. Sikes: Chic People, Glamorous Places, Stylish Things.
Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of these old nautical chains being turned into lighting and tables. It’s a great look and makes a big statement in a room.
I first took notice when I was at Paul Marra in LA. He designed this floor lamp which I really fell for (terrible picture!)
House Beautiful featured this custom piece on their July/August ’12 cover. I love that it has a marble top…it kind of softens the look.
I was in Hadley Antiques on Lexington and they have a wonderful floor lamp in their window. It is French from the ’40s…and over $6,000. If you notice the bottom, it is an anchor!
It reminded me of this light in a Michael Smith project (see left). I know it’s the worst picture but you get the idea.
I found a much less expensive alternative from Arteriors.
Olde Good Things is also a good resource but it seems like they only do tables.
And of course there are a few things to find on 1st Dibs. The below light is attributed to Franz West.
Last resort is to buy a chain and have it customized. Sage Street Antiques in Sag Harbor is a great place to start!!!
I passed by Karl Kemp Antiques the other day while on Madison Avenue. Normally I’d just stroll on by but this beauty stopped me in my tracks!
And so I went on in and inquired about the Lemon Vase and Covered Vase in the window and snapped this picture…
It was just so beautiful and unusual. It reminded me of this place!
Da Paolino, Capri
I don’t think the artist Max Laeuger was thinking the same thing though! These pieces are from the 1920′s, Germany.
I had to do some more research on him and here are some more pieces. You can find several things on 1st Dibs.
Papers pile up for us over the course of the week and by far the one thing I look forward to most is the Weekend addition of the Journal. They have the best fashion/Lifestyle/Home/Food coverage. Today the WSJ Magazine: Fashion Issue arrived. I was excited to read an interesting design article: Cue the ’70s.
Most notably mentioned is celebrated Milanese furniture designer Gabriella Crespi. She is well regarded for her brass covered Z Desk as seen in Aerin Lauder’s dressing room below. These pictures have been around the block and then again but they are still heaven to look at.
I started to do some research on her and found many more pieces that deserve accolade.
Extendable Brass Coffee Table
Brass Shell Floor Lamp
Brass Pyramid Table Lamp
Brass Stool (interiors by Jeffrey Bilhuber)
Coffee Table by Crespi
Besides working in brass, Crespi is also known for her work with bamboo and rattan. I got the images below from 1st Dibs.
Rattan and Brass Coffee Table
Bamboo “Rising Sun” dining chairs
Bamboo Table Lamp
Hope you have a happy weekend!
When I first moved into my apartment I had the issue of dead space…I can’t even imagine have this problem now…it seems like we are busting at the seams between my daughter’s toys and an endless habit of collecting things that I will “need” when we move again. Anyway, we have a large foyer and I decided to float this great lucite Game table in the center under a chandelier. I loved how it looked and it was perfect to put my daily junk (bags, keys, mail, etc). Those days are gone, the table is dismantled and now our foyer is used for the occasional game of catch and a scooter ride!
But I do hope to have this problem again in the future when we move into a house…and I not only want a center hall table but a living room table too like Aerin Lauder or Oscar de la Renta…a place to display my books and photos…
Tory Burch
Aerin Lauder’s living room
I love Jeffrey Bilhuber’s book The Way Home.
He has such a relaxed sensibility and his rooms all have a coziness and lived in look. I noticed that he uses a certain matting in so many of his rooms. I love how it can ground so many different looks…it takes the edge off very classic furniture so it doesn’t feel so precious.
This brings me to my quest for this rug… I remember my friend Katie Brown using something very similar in her country home… But her’s is from Pearl River… and I am sure it is a fraction of the cost ($85) of the one in the images above.
There have been a lot of openings and closings in my Upper East Side neighborhood. A three story Banana Republic closed last winter and finally something filled the spot: Pier 1 Imports! I’d never been to a Pier 1 before… no, I haven’t been living in some dark hole, just Manhattan which until recently didn’t offer these big box stores in my hood. Anyway, I was excited to visit and use my editing skills to pick out the best of the lot.
This is a great Director’s Chair for $39.99 (canvas sold separately for $9.99)
And this white Sawhorse desk is a steal at $149.99! Would be great in a kids room because it isn’t too big.
I kind of love this Indian pouf in a neutral kids room too…it could be used as an ottoman or extra seating. It is super soft and hand made from Bengali saris ($149)
Finally, I am a sucker for baskets. They have walls of them in all shapes and sizes. You can use them to store everything from magazines and newspapers to fabric samples and toys.
PS. For those of you with little girls like me, there is a fantastic “grab bag” type check out area that is filled with cheap fixes any young girl would go crazy for…bedazzled jewelry boxes, jewelry and other fun knick knacks.
Oh this recipe is SOOOO good! It is something I discovered several years ago on my quest for the perfect macaroni salad. I was grossed out by deli macaroni salad- it never tasted as good as it looked. I don’t know what brought me to this recipe but it has a cult following from those I have served it to. I’ve tweaked it here and there from the original recipe in The Store Cookbook.
Just a little background on The Store… it was a tiny gourmet food shop and caterer in Amagansett in the 1970′s (in the same location of what is now Mary’s Marvelous.) The cookbook is kind of a fun read…there’s a narrative so it reads differently then most cookbooks. I like background on recipes, it inspires me to try new things.
Ziti Salad
1½ teaspoons salt
1 box penne rigate, macaroni, fusilli, or ziti
1/4 cup milk
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1 jar (or a little less) Mrs. Fannings sweet pickle chips, chop the pickle chip into semi-small pieces (you can obviously sub this brand but it has proven to be my favorite and it is easy to find)
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
½ cup sour cream
1½ cups mayonnaise
2 packets G. Washington Brown Bouillon Powder (this is super important- do not bother making this if you can’t find this brand)
3 grinds fresh pepper (black or white)
Dash of wine vinegar – red or white
4 tablespoons sweet pickle juice (from the jar of pickles or relish)
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.
Place the cooked pasta in a bowl, add 1/4 cup milk to thoroughly moisten the pasta, and toss. Add the onions now so the hot pasta cooks them a tiny bit…this takes the bite out.
Chop the tomatoes, pickles, and peppers into ¼-inch cubes. Mince the shallot.
Beat the sour cream and mayonnaise together until creamy. Whisk in the vinegar and the pickle juice, then add the bouillon powder, salt to taste (remember the bouillon powder is salty), and the black or white pepper. Whisk again. Pour over the pasta. Add the shallot, tomatoes, pickles, and red peppers. Mix well.
Chill until serving time.
