NEW VIEW OF SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN

 

 



I love this image of mid-century Danish furniture in such an elegant and neo-traditional setting, in such elegant and neo-traditional fabrics and color palette.  The photo was featured in the NY Times recently, showing the newly re-invented Antik showroom, now Hostler Burrows.  While I love typical Scandinavian mid-century design, I must admit, I am a bit bored with it at this point in time.  Despite (or I suppose because of) the fact it has made such a strong, popular resurgence (i.e. overkill), I felt I have never really been able to admit my boredom (due to my own Nordic blood)... until now.  But now I can, because Hostler and Burrows have completely and utterly recreated the idea of mid-century modern in my mind with this one vignette, which makes me fully able to admit my boredom with all other mid-century modern.  Thank you Hostler Burrows!

 

Check them out here and the NY Times article here.

NEXT VACATION DESTINATION

I have found the next item I would like to cross off my bucket list... the Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte.  The famed precursor to Versailles, the venue of the party that in fact placed the 'man in the iron mask', in the iron mask.  I was so excited to see the story on the 400th anniversary of the gardens on AD this morning, I was unaware it was so easily accessible to the public... 15 Euros?!  A real bargain, as long as you can make it to Franc,e that is. 

I have to say the story of the property is what movies are made of (in fact there are numerous movies).  The French finance minister under Louis XIV decided to not only build the most grand chateau in the land, but then to go ahead and throw the most over-the-top, elaborate, flashy party the land had ever seen, all in honor of the king.  That was his big mistake.  Show up Louis the fourteenth?  The king who quite literally thought he was the sun itself?  Big mistake.  Louis XIV was quite annoyed and being upstaged, and also quite convinced his finance minister was stealing money from him.  Luckily there was an easy fix for Louis... throw the finance minister in prison (and for extra effect put him in an iron mask) and hire all of his designers and architects to create an even better palace at Versailles.  Love.

And now I can wander the halls myself?  Sold.  There is nothing on earth like French Mansard architecture...or that gray French sky....

LALANNE SHEEP

I have always loved the Lalanne 1960s sheep sculptures that seem so much a part of the Pop design movement.  I use the pieces to help explain the Pop movement to my history of interiors and furniture students, as these epitomize the absurdity and playfulness of the era. 

You have no idea how extremely excited I was to find out a client of mine owns one and that it has a home in her newly renovated home sitting next to her Eames Lounger!  I look forward to showing you the finished project soon!

HAND SKETCHING ANYONE?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recently did some hand sketching, something I very rarely do these days, and I found it so fun and quite relaxing. I fear such hand sketching in design is becoming more and more of a rarity as computers slowly take over for our hands. I used to sketch elevations and plans on a regular basis even 2-3 years ago, and now I often do all drawings in CAD. How I miss the days I spent wandering museums sketching furniture and decorative details... I think I will try to hand sketch more in the future.