Decor

The Best of Architecture Meets Interior Design in 'America's Finest Rooms'

Filed under: Decor, Books, Architecture & Design

Refinement is not about expense, notes Thomas Jayne in his new book "The Finest Rooms in America," a definitive, luxuriously illustrated record of the country's best interior design from the 18th century to the present day. Jayne, a top-drawer interior designer and scholar of American decor, includes a complete cross section of rooms covering a broad range of American periods and styles, beginning with the Tea Room at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Tags: American design, American interiors, architecture, best design books, best interior design, best+interior+design+books, bestinteriordesignbooks, books, coffee table books, decor, deign books, Frank Lloyd Wright, George Washington, interior designer, Los Angeles, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Oscar de la Renta, The Finest Rooms in America, Thomas Jayne, Thomas Jefferson, Vizcaya

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1stdibs.com at the NY Design Center

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

When 1stdibs.com went from click to brick, it was an overnight success, far beyond what was expected. Until the opening of its new home 1stdibs.com was only online. It was the luxury marketplace site for antique and vintage design from the United States, Canada, France, and England. In other words, a treasure trove of jewelry, lighting, furniture, antiquities and especially design classics that you could buy online. Now 1stdibs has expanded to bricks and mortar. Some 53 dealers occupy a huge 1stdibs space on the 10th floor of the New York Design Center in Midtown Manhattan on Lexington Avenue between 32nd and 33rd streets. With the expansion from virtuality to reality, the new 1stdibs@NYDC is a big hit with designers as well as the general public. The Design Center, which in the past was to-the-trade, decorators only, is now open to the general public even on Saturday.

Tags: 1stdibs, 1stdibs.com, decor, mid-century modern, Modernism, NYDesign Center, vintage

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Hermès Presents Jean-Michel Frank

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Simple lines and exotic veneers epitomize the furniture of French legendary designer Jean Michel-Frank. His original pieces are hard to come by so it's good news that Hermès has joined with the Frank family to reissue some of his iconic furniture. The clean-lined cubic pieces with leather and wood veneers will be in the New York Hermès store at 691 Madison Avenue and other stores nationwide in April. At first glance, some of the pieces will seem familiar as Frank's understated approach to chairs, sofas, and tables has been widely copied, but in fact, rarely equaled. Frank had a devoted following, admirers of his pale palette and near minimalist approach. He designed apartments for such luminaries as the Rockefellers in New York and Cole Porter in Paris. In spite of his success, he was a tragic figure who lost two brothers in World War I, his father and then his mother at an early age. He left Paris for Argentina when Word War II broke out and horribly depressed committed suicide in Manhattan in 1941 at the age of 46. Frank's banking family included Otto Frank and his famous diarist daughter Anne.

Tags: 1930s furniture, decor, French style 1930s, furniture, Hermès Frank Collection, hermes, modern classic furniture

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Maine Magazine Launches 2011 Guide Books

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art, Books

Maine magazine, the stylish bible of "more than just lobsters and lighthouses", has debuted its 2011 guides to the best the Pine Tree State has to offer. This year in addition to the Eat Maine edition launched last year they've added Art Maine and Home Maine versions with help from sister publication Maine Home + Design. Indispensable for both visitors and natives alike, the pocket-sized booklets act as a Baedeker to the best in dining, decor and the arts around the beautiful northern and easternmost bit of New England. Of course they do list the best lobster rolls in the Eat edition but that's just the tip of the icecap. The guides are priced at $5.95 and come free to subscribers; alternatively they can be found at many Portland businesses and are also available from the magazine directly.

Tags: art, decor, dining, eat+maine+2011, eatmaine2011, guide, lobster, magazines, Maine, Maine Home + Design, Maine magazine, New England, travel

The Classicist: Inside the Embassies & Historic Mansions of Paris

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Books, The Classicist, Wealth, Architecture & Design

Very rarely do any of Paris' remaining private palaces come on the market; when they do the properties invariably rank among the world's most expensive, such as the 1912 mansion built for the Duchesse de Montmorency recently listed at $140 million that we told you about back in November. The reason there is so little movement among these magnificent monuments to wealth lining the famed city's storied avenues is that most are occupied as embassies and ambassadorial residences. An equally magnificent new book, Historic Houses of Paris: Residences of the Ambassadors from Flammarion by Alain Stella with photography by Francis Hammond offers a guided tour of 22 of these amazing edifices, some seen for the first time, most originally built for members of the aristocracy and now the setting for lavish diplomatic entertainments and intrigues.

Gilded halls, formal sitting rooms, stately dining rooms, paneled libraries, perfectly landscaped gardens, chambers filled with rare antiques, luxurious wallcoverings and private living quarters are all examined in delectable detail, in mansions ranging from a 17th-century hôtel particulier to a Belle Epoque palace and even a couple more contemporary examples, now occupied by the ambassadors of the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, China, India and more. The cover (above) depicts the Sicilian theater of the incredible Italian Ambassador 's residence, aka the Hotel de la Rochefoucauld-Doudeauville, built in 1732. Some, like the Indian Ambassador's residence, aka the Hotel de Marlborough built in 1910 by architect René Sergent, who also designed Claridge's in London and Rome's Grand Hotel, are named for famous former owners; in this case the Duchess of Marlborough, aka Consuelo Vanderbilt, one of the world's richest and most beautiful women at the time.

Gallery: Historic Houses of Paris

Hotel d'Avaray (Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Tags: antiques, architecture, aristocrats, Belle Epoque, books, coffee table books, decor, embassy, estates, France, historic houses, mansion, Paris, politics, real estate, wealth

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Inside the World of Famed Design House Fornasetti

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Books, Architecture & Design

With an incredible 3,000 photographs and illustrations, Rizzoli's massive new monograph on iconic Italian design house Fornasetti is a work of art in itself. Fornasetti: The Complete Universe details how the firm's founder Piero Fornasetti (1913–1988) achieved fame transforming everyday objects into works of art featuring idiosyncratic designs. His work is carried on today by his son Barnaba Fornasetti, who now runs the Fornasetti atelier and authored the impressive volume. Designed to be an "artist's book" that reflects Fornasetti's iconic overall approach to design, the slipcased $250 monograph is divided into two sections: the first half is dedicated to Piero Fornasetti as an artist and highlights his pictorial and graphic work and their artistic applications; the second half focuses on the 70-plus years of the atelier's production.

This includes furniture, sculptures and etchings, graphics, textiles, glass, screens, trays, ceramics, and more. The second section covers the activity of the atelier up to the present day as well. The book also addresses Barnaba's commitment to keeping the Fornasetti legacy alive by showing how Piero's ideas and models are "transformed, reworked, and contextualized." Today the Fornasetti atelier not only reissues historical pieces, but also "offers reinterpretations of themes and objects drawing inspiration from the vast repertory of the atelier's archive of lithographic plates, designs, notes, documents, and objects." Finally, the beautiful and comprehensive book includes a list of exhibitions and a register of the atelier's complete works.

Gallery: Fornasetti: The Complete Universe

Curved chest of drawers, Palladiana (Palladian Motif)

Piero Fornasetti with the Braccio con moneta (Arm with a Coin) tray

Plate 150 from Tema e Variazioni (Theme and Variations) series

Tags: books, coffee table books, decor, design, Fornasetti, furniture, Italy, photographs, Rizzoli

Antique English Picnic & Games Chest for $34,500

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

A stunning expanding English mahogany picnic chest and games table is being offered for sale by M.S. Rau Antiques of New Orleans for $34,500. The exquisite piece, made circa 1920, resembles a simple wooden trunk at first glance; with its four legs unfolded however, the top and sides open out to reveal a complete luncheon service for eight, including Sheffield silverplate utensils, bone-handled cutlery, plates and saucers, cups and glasses, kettles and burners for hot water and soup, single and stacked enamel containers, wicker-wrapped glass bottles, ceramic butter pots, silver plated tins, a corkscrew and matchbox.

When the meal is over, the table folds and unfolds again, transforming into a felt-topped card table, perfect for a game with the deck of playing cards which are also included in the fitted compartments. No doubt designed for a wealthy British army officer or aristocrat on safari who wished to sacrifice none of the comforts of home, the impressive example of British Colonial campaign furniture would have been custom crafted to the owner's specifications and transported about by a retinue of servants – the brass fittings highly polished, of course.

Tags: 1920s, antiques, aristocrat, decor, England, furniture, games, luggage, M.S. Rau Antiques, mahogany, New Orleans, picnic, safari, silver, trunk

An Inside Look at Paris' Famed Flea Markets

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art, Books

Forget the Louvre and the Champs Elysées – compulsive collectors, experienced bargain hunters, bewildered tourists, timid first-timers, specialists in the one-of-a-kind item, treasure seekers, Japanese fashionistas, incognito celebrities and couturiers from countries around the globe all travel to Paris' famed flea markets of St. Ouen for inspiration and fabulous finds. Antiquaires: Paris Flea Markets by Laure Verchere with gorgeous photographs by Laziz Hamani, new from Assouline, showcases highlights from the hundreds of diverse dealers there that make up the largest marketplace of secondhand furniture, clothing, books, housewares, curiosities, antiques and art objects in the world. The stalls outside the city's Porte de Clignancourt which once played host to farmers and ragpickers today house highly curated collections and attract up to 150,000 visitors each weekend. Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Antiquaires: Paris Flea Markets

Tags: antiques, Assouline, books, coffee table books, Decor, France, furniture, Interior design, Louvre, Paris, photography, travel

Inside the Homes of American Fashion Designers

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Decor, Books, Celebrity Design, Architecture & Design

Assouline has released the latest luxe edition in its American Fashion series, dedicated to the top-drawer designers who are members of the prestigious CFDA. American Fashion Designers at Home showcases the personal spaces of more than 100 fashionistas, including Diane von Furstenburg, Oscar de la Renta, Cynthia Rowley and Kate Spade. While some designer dwellings are extensions of the sensibilities embodied by their apparel collections, others exhibit a marked contrast. The domiciles range from studio apartments to sprawling estates, but all are linked by a keen aesthetic sense. Included are Carolina Herrera's grand Louis XV–influenced New York apartment; Betsey Johnson's girly glamourpuss garret; Ralph Lauren's luxuriously rustic Colorado ranch; Donna Karan's tranquil Turks & Caicos getaway; Tommy Hilfiger's over-the-top Greenwich mansion; Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa's ultra-modern Manhattan aerie; and Johann Lindeberg's converted Greenwich Village factory (on the book's cover, above). Check out the gallery for a preview of Randolph Duke's Hollywood spread (which he recently sold for $5.3 million), David Chu's chic digs and more.

Gallery: American Fashion Designers at Home

Tags: Assouline, books, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, CFDA, coffe table books, Colorado, David Chu, decor, designer, Diane von Furstenburg, Donna Karan, estates, fashion, fashion design, fashion designers, Greenwich Village, interior design, Kate Spade, New York, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Randolph Duke, Turks Caicos

Luxist Giveaway: Flor Carpet Tiles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Carpet tiles aren't exactly the sexy topic around. Certainly the idea of trekking across town to attend the opening of a carpet store isn't generally my idea of a fun Thursday night but there was wisdom to be had at the new Flor store on Broadway in Santa Monica. The store, located near the popular Third Street Promenade shopping area is only the second bricks and mortar store for the online brand in the U.S. (the other is in Chicago). This one is literally bricks and mortar, full of exposed brick, concrete floors and open light-filled space.

What is Flor? It's a system of carpet squares designed to work in a modular system that lets you design the size of floor covering you want as well as choose from a variety of mix and match colors, patterns and styles. The squares assemble together quickly and easily using special non-toxic, adhesives that stick to the back of each square and not to the floor. You can remove and move your squares, pulling up old squares to refresh your design with new ones or to relocate your rug to another room or take it with you when you move. The squares are also washable and replaceable. They come shipped in flat, recyclable boxes and you can even send in your old Flor tiles for recycling. The squares are made with varied degrees of renewable and recycled materials including natural, un-dyed wool and post-consumer waste like plastic soda and water bottles. They are also non-toxic and contain an antimicrobial that inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

Part of the magic of Flor is that the head of the parent company, Interstate, Ray C. Anderson, is committed to running businesses that respect people and the earth. In fact the wrote the book on it. His "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" details his decision to overhaul his business in selling industrial carpet tiles into a green business.

At the event I received a Flor press bag that I'm passing on to on Luxist reader. The bag contains Ray C. Anderson's book "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" as well as a gift certificate for a six square (3'x5') Flor rug in Fedora (a total value of $120). To enter, leave a comment below letting us know which of your rooms could use a little Flor.

Additional details:
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before November 16, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Flor gift pack--a mini Flor tote bag containing Ray C. Anderson's book "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" as well as a gift certificate for a six square (3'x5') Flor rug in Fedora (total value $120).

* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: carpet, carpet tiles, decor, flor, luxist giveaway, modular carpeting, rug

The Best of the British West Indies

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

From Antigua, Jamaica, Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Mustique to the less-traveled islands of Bequia and Dominica, a beautiful new book by Michael Connors captures the best of British West Indies Style. Many of the English island great houses showcased in the volume are hidden to most visitors. Close to fifty private residences are featured in over 200 full-color photographs taken especially for the book, such as the entrancing view of an estate on Nevis (above). The English country house meets the southern plantation in design details such as mahogany writing tables, tropical wood settees, linens and terraced gardens, offering inspiration for the use of local materials, painting techniques, and elements of outdoor living. Connors also includes entertaining historical vignettes putting the beautiful residences in context.

Tags: Barbados, books, British West Indies, coffee table books, decor, estates, furniture, island, islands, Jamaica, mahogany, Mustique, Nevis, UK, West Indies

Abigail Ahern Atelier's Charming Lamps

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Abigail Ahern of Atelier Abigail Ahern, has an intriguing sense of style. She manages to bring together classical, playful and maybe a bit absurd together in a way that somehow redeems what might be otherwise cast aside. She unveiled her new lamps at this years' Parisian tradeshow MAISON & OBJET. The lamps are produced in the U.K. and are available for purchase internationally at prices from $190-$440. The dainty little shades perched like fancy hats are sold separately from $65-$78. For more Abigail check our her delightful decor-centric blog.

Gallery: ATELIER Premiere Lighting by Graham Atkins Hughes

Tags: abigail ahern, atelier abigail ahern, decor, design, interior design, lamps, lighting

Win Eero Aarnio's New Soap Chair

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Architecture & Design

Retail design website DesignStory has announced an exclusive deal with Finnish designer Eero Aarnio to sell his new Soap Chair, and several established pieces not previously available in the U.S. Aarnio is famous for creating the ubiquitous Ball Chair and the Bubble Chair. Aarnio takes his inspiration from the shapes around him and the Soap Chair, as Remodelista reports, was inspired by a hand-held bar of soap. A niche in the chair arm holds a remote or cell phone. It is being manufactured in the same factory in Finland that has made all of his other products over the past 40 years.

"We are honored to be the first, and only, retailer to offer Eero Aarnio's Soap Chair for its worldwide launch," said Mia Lewin, co-founder and chief executive officer, DesignStory. "Eero Aarnio was the anchor designer for the launch of DesignStory earlier this year, and we are thrilled to be working with him again to bring his new Soap Chair and other iconic products to US consumers."

DesignStory is offering consumers an early chance to win one of ten limited edition signature series chairs signed by the designer. The promotion will run through November 8, 2010. New users to DesignStory visit www.designstory.com and register to enter. Existing members will go to https://www.designstory.com/promo/soapchair. The chair goes on sale on November 9 through DesignStory. The retail value of the chair is $2,500 but DesignStory's limited-time introductory price is $1,850.

Tags: decor, design, design story, eero aarnio, soap chair

The Ultimate Guide to Scandinavian Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Celebrity Shopping, Books, Architecture & Design

The work of Lars Bolander, one of Sweden's foremost interior designers whose shops in New York and Palm Beach are oases of good taste, is given its due in a beautiful new book from the Vendome Press. Longtime admirer Martha Stewart calls Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design "A sophisticated volume" and "an in-depth, intelligent, and informative look at the design sensibilities found in Scandinavian domestic furniture and decoration." She notes that "Bolander surveys all of this with his keen eye and finely honed historical knowledge, and the results are breathtaking." The book serves as a practical, idea-filled room-by-room guide to both classic and new looks in Scandinavian design.

Drawn from Bolander's work on estates and houses all over the world for the past few decades and working from the outside in, the book begins with a study of exterior features such as the use of wood in construction, elaborate doorways, and building in harmony with nature. Successive chapters explore entryways, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Both traditional and modern design influences are featured, and sidebars throughout highlight specific design elements such as wood stoves, Danish Modern chairs, lighting, textiles, and more.

Gallery: Lars Bolander's Scandinavian Design

Tags: books, coffee table books, Danish Modern, decor, furniture, interior design, interior designer, Lars Bolander, Martha Stewart, scandinavia, Scandinavian design, Sweden

Tobi Tobin's Los Angeles Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Shopping

Tobi Tobin, an interior designer who defined herself in an LA Times article as Martha Stewart with a rock and roll twist has created a store on Sunset Plaza Drive in Los Angeles that manages to bring together a variety of eras into one sexy-cool shop. Like Stewart, Tobin is a former model who has created a unique brand around her personal aesthetic. We first fell for Tobin's style when we learned she was the designer behind Randolph Duke's ultra-glam Hollywood Hills pad.

Tags: decor, interior design, interior designer, interior designs, los angeles, los angeles shopping, ShoppingTips, tobi tobin

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