From the current issue of Interior Design magazine, this graffiti-ed chest is in the lobby of New York’s Surrey Hotel. I would love to recreate this with an ugly piece from a thrift store. Check out the whole slideshow on Interior Design’s website if you have a moment, Rottet Studio did an amazing job with this renovation.
I stopped by my local CB2 this weekend, and was impressed with a couple of little metal tables they have at the moment:
This little number is only $99.95, but it looks a lot more expensive. I like the tray top and the dark zinc finish. They also had this coffee table:
I’m actually thinking about this for myself. I like that the table has a raised edge – I was actually toying with the idea of making a faux leather box cushion what would sit on top. It could be a budget-friendly alternative to the beautiful but expensive ottoman I’ve had my eye on.
I have a new furniture crush. Bradley Hughes is a manufacturer that’s new to me, and I’m loving what I’ve seen so far:
I love the dark glamor of these pieces, and the juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional elements. Like the skull fabric upholstered Mick chair above. It looks like they are to-the-trade only, and I’m sure they’re not cheap, but get a look at these pieces:
Beth Console
Alice Chair
Giselle Chair
I love the detail on the Beth console. The Alice chair would make an amazing desk chair. And the Giselle chair looks like something out of a Gothic novel, or maybe the Mad Hatter’s tea party – love it!
I’m in the market for a new dining table, so I’ve been scouring the internet obsessively in search of the perfect one (for the perfect price). My favorites so far:
Frank Table by Oly Studio
I’ve got a major crush on the Frank table from Oly. I love the metal base and the light (but not too light) top. I think Frank might be a little too big for my space, sadly. Another favorite:
Breakfast Table by Julian Chichester
Julian Chichester’s Breakfast Table. I know, it’s totally different. It’s traditional. It’s silver leaf. It’s got a mirrored top. I can’t help it, I love it. Though I fear this one’s a little too small. So I’ll keep searching for the one that’s just right – the dining table that Goldilocks picked…
So I was looking through the new CB2 catalog the other day, and was surprised at how many great, inexpensive pieces I found. It seemed like I was turning down the corner of every other page to mark something I liked. I especially like the industrial look that a lot of their current offerings have. Here are a few of my faves:
This isn’t a bad little coffee table, is it? I like that it’s metal, and I like the raised lip and the skinny little trestle legs.
I also kind of like this little nightstand/side table. Again, it’s metal, but this time with a powdercoated red finish. I do love a good powdercoated finish. I also like the tapered shape and the X detail on the back.
But I think my favorite is this dining table:
That’s not a great picture, be sure to click on the link & check out their other photos. There’s one that shows a closeup of the riveted legs, which is the reason I love this table. I do have to say that I would lose the glass top (I’m really not a fan of glass-topped tables), but I think it could be very industrial-chic if you swapped the glass out for carrera marble.
It seems like West Elm has a monopoly on cute, affordable desks lately. I was just looking at their website, and saw some old favorites, plus a couple of new additions to their line.
First up is their Parsons desk, which is a favorite of just about every designer I know. Seriously, the proportions are great, the finish isn’t bad, and the price is right on:
Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have the silver finish anymore, it was so chic. What they do have now is a baby version, for those who don’t have space for a larger desk:
How cute are these little guys? I could see this doing double duty as a nightstand/desk or dressing table in a space-challenged bedroom. Then there’s the slightly Holly Hunt-ish Tapered Frame Desk:
Then a couple of newbies. I’m a fan of the Sawhorse Worktable:
I’m so pleased that they fit the sawhorses into recesses on the tabletop, rather than just resting the top on the horses. It’s a little detail, but it makes a big difference. Finally we have my favorite of their new offerings, the Flip Desk, a modern take on the secretary:
Alright, one more post about the Met Home Modern by Design showhouse. I just had to mention Jiun Ho’s dining room. I was familiar with Jiun Ho’s amazing line of furniture, but hadn’t seen any of his interiors before.
Every piece in this room was fantastic. I especially love the chairs – the backs feature a hair-on-hide pattern that really makes them unique. I also love the light fixtures and how he placed them – you would expect to see one large fixture centered over the table, but he’s used four smaller fixtures and placed them around the table. I really like the effect it gives.
My younger brother used to live in Phoenix, and when we went to visit him we’d go to Taliesin. Taliesin West was the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright, and also the location for his school of architecture. The buildings were constructed between 1937 and Wright’s death in 1959. They are all made from local materials, and were built by the students at the architecture school.
One thing I love about Taliesin is that Wright built ornaments he’d collected into the buildings (like these Chinese pottery scenes, which if I recall came from a theater in China that had been destroyed):
They’re scattered throughout the site, and finding them was almost like a treasure hunt. The interiors do reflect the fifties, like this large communal space, which definitely has a loungey feeling to it:
Here’s a closeup of the dining area you can sort of see at the back of the room:
So if you’re ever in Phoenix (Scottsdale, actually) it’s definitely worth checking out.
This weekend was open studios weekend in the East Bay, where a bunch of artists open their studios to the public. I was able to get to a few studios on Saturday. I was especially blown away by metalworker Curtis H. Arima. He had some beautiful jewelry and sculpture on display, but I was particularly struck by a couple of pieces that re-purposed found furniture:
Transformed Adornment Nightstand by Curtis H. Arima
This nightstand was amazing. The leaves & vines coming out of it are metal (copper, I think). Somehow he was able to make the transition between the table and the vines totally seamless – it really looked like they were growing out of the nightstand. He had a mirror from the same series on display as well, which was just as impressive. I love that he’s taking cast-off furniture and making it something totally unique.
These photos made me change my mind about two things I thought I didn’t like – Thonet chairs and chalkboards.
I have to admit, I was getting a bit sick of seeing chalkboards popping up in just about every kitchen I looked at. But this actually looks great. Maybe it’s the scribbling on it – making it look more like a piece of modern art (that you can change whenever you want to!) than a place to write your grocery lists and what time little Timmy needs to be picked up from soccer practice.
And the Thonet chair. These are so easy to take for granted because we see them everywhere – I’m used to seeing banged-up versions at cheap restaurants. But these glossy orange numbers have got me rethinking my stance. I guess they’re one of the best selling furniture designs in history for a reason.