furniture

The Classicist: Ralph Lauren Re-Launches Famed Rhinelander Mansion in NYC

Filed under: Apparel, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, The Classicist, Architecture & Design, Luxury Shopping

Ralph Lauren has relaunched his famed flagship in the historic Rhinelander Mansion on Madison Avenue in New York, transforming it into the world's foremost mecca of men's style. Spanning nearly 16,000 square feet, the Mansion, originally converted into an opulent retail palace by Lauren in 1986, now exclusively houses the designer's various men's collections with the company's first Women's and Home flagships due to open across the avenue later this fall. Originally designed in the 1890s by Kimball & Thompson, the the large French Renaissance Revival Mansion is an architectural treasure as well with a classic Beaux Arts façade exemplary of the the Upper East Side's grand architecture.

The new space showcases the Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, RRL and RLX Ralph Lauren collections of men's apparel and accessories, with an emphasis on the most luxurious elements. Service has been stepped up as well, with butlers to serve snacks and drinks on silver trays and a fleet of Mercedes-Benzes to chauffer important clients on shopping trips. The store features a full range of impeccably crafted made-to-measure suits, dress shirts, trousers, topcoats, sport coats and formalwear customized to exacting measurements, and made-to-order accessories and leather goods. Every room in the Mansion has been updated with cinematic decor in keeping with the neoclassical style of the original grand residence, from antiques and fixtures to furniture and art, including 18th- and 19th-century oil portraits and noteworthy photographs from Ralph Lauren's personal collection.

Gallery: The New Rhinelander Mansion

Tags: antiques, architecture, Beaux Arts, boutique, decor, designer, furniture, Gilded Age, Harvard, interior design, Ivy League, leather goods, luggage, luxury shopping, Madison Avenue, mansion, New York, photographs, Polo, Princeton, Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, retail, Rhinelander Mansion, store, suits, Upper East Side

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Claridge's Unveils First Diane von Furstenburg - Designed Suite

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Architecture & Design

Back in March we reported that famed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg had signed on for her first interior design project, a series of rooms and suites for Claridge's, the ultra-luxe Art Deco hotel in London's Mayfair. Now the hotel has unveiled the first of the DVF-designed spaces, the legendary Piano Suite (above). The designer created custom pieces including a dressing table, travelling trunk, desk and cocktail bar, inspired by her glamorous travels and the mobility of campaign furniture, complementing the architectural details and elegant marble fireplace. "Claridge's is the most glamorous hotel in the world," says von Furstenberg. "Hotels like this don't exist anymore and the legacy must be respected! It is very important to keep the original architecture and the formality of the layout of the rooms in order to preserve the old style of grand hotel life that I love so much. It has been a true privilege to design new furniture, fabrics and rugs to keep it relevant for today's needs and taste."

Tags: architecture, Art Deco, designer, Diane von Furstenberg, fashion, furniture, hotel suites, hotels, interior design, London, Mayfair

The Classicist: Sotheby's to Auction Treasures from Chatsworth, England's Most Famous Country Estate

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

On October 5–7 Sotheby's will stage what amounts to the world's most luxurious yard sale at Chatsworth (above), England's most famous and beautiful country estate, owned by the the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The treasures on offer include art, architectural elements, furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, and other items – even an antique motorcar – with estimates ranging from £20 to £300,000, or about $30 to $450,000. The sale comprises 20,000 objects in over 1,000 lots which will be on view in a series of marquees on the grounds of the house from October 1st. The several million dollars which the sale is expected to generate will go towards upkeep on the famed estate, which has 126 rooms – including a bathroom with murals painted by Lucian Freud – and sits on over 30,000 acres.

Several of the most magnificent pieces – handsomely carved fireplaces, architraves, doors and shutters - were once part of the fabric of the many great houses that have featured in the Devonshire family's extraordinary history, including Chatsworth itself, Chiswick House, Hardwick Hall, Lismore Castle in Ireland, Compton Place, Bolton Abbey and especially their palatial London residence, Devonshire House – now destroyed but for centuries the centre of the city's social, political and cultural elite. The sale includes works from almost every conceivable area, including books, carriages, glass, collectibles, sculpture, garden statuary, natural history, jewelry, prints, carpets, textiles, tapestries and wine. Some items relate to royalty and others to one of the family's most colorful members, the beautiful and charismatic Georgiana Cavendish, 5th Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806), one of the most beloved and influential characters in British history. [continued]

Gallery: Treasures from Chatsworth & Devonshire House

George III gilt-bronze mounted library bookcase / doorway, circa 1800

The Devonshire Borghese table, an Italian carved giltwood console table with a serpentine alabaster veneered top, mid-18th centu

An ormolu-mounted Sevres style jardini�re, late 19th century, Est. �2,000-3,000

Tags: antiques, architectural, aristocrats, British style, castle, Chatsworth, Chatsworth Estate, country estate, country house, Duchess of Devonshire, Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Duke of Devonshire, England, English country house, fireplaces, furniture, Jane Austen, Keira Knightley, King George IV, Lismore Castle, London, mahogany, mansion, marble, Pride and Prejudice, royalty, silver, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: Sotheby's to Auction Treasures from Chatsworth, England's Most Famous Country Estate”

The Return of Bombay Company

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

The formerly ubiquitous Bombay Company is set for a resurgence. The brand, which was once in malls across the U.S. with a total of 450 stores, will debut a new full collection this fall. According to Home Accents Today, the 250-piece collection will include home decor, gifts and furniture that will pull together both best-selling archival pieces and fresh designs.

The brand has a new penthouse showroom at 489 Fifth Avenue in New York City and will debut a collection during a one-hour show on QVC on September 30. That show will feature 14 home decor and accent pieces ranging in price from $29 to $180.

The full collection includes the Art Nouveau D'Orsay table collection, Asian Garden dinnerware, Montebello reverse-painted mirror and other travel-inspired pieces. Prices start as low as $7 with furniture selling for up to $1,500.

Tags: bombay company, furniture, home decor, home shopping, qvc

The InDecent Bed

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Just how much are you into your partner? If you've got £50,000 to spare you can order a custom made 'InDecent Bed' from Gallery of Wonderful. For that price you receive a custom photoshoot in Los Angeles with a top photographer (Sante D'Orazio, Guido Argentina or Warwick Saint). A photo from that shoot of you and your beloved entwined will then be airbrushed and hand-stitched onto the headboard of your new bed in a pixelated mosaic that only reveals itself when seen from a distance. The whole process takes several months.

Should you not have a picture of your own in mind you can buy the limited edition InDecent bed with a sprawled out pin-up in the headboard shown above. The bed is made in oak and finished with a high gloss paint framing the image. The padded headboard features an image taken by Sante D'Orazio. This version is limited to 25 pieces and sells for £9,000.

[The Sun]

Tags: bed, furniture, gallery of wonderful, indecent bed, Sante DOrazio

"The World's Most Expensive Bed" by Parnian

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Parnian Furniture has just unveiled what it's calling The World's Most Expensive Bed in a showroom in Scottsdale AZ. Designer Abdolhay Parnian apparently did not set out originally to create a piece that was outrageously pricey but instead one that had an impressive "wow" factor in its design. The end result is just as much fine art as it is furniture and took over 2 years to design and 8 months to make by hand. Made of Ebony, Sapele and Curly Maple the main attraction is the sunburst patterned circular headboard created by cutting 78 delicate wooden wedges and placing them so they come to a perfect point in the center. The bed also features gold and stainless steel detailing and is gadget-ready with built-in iPad holders and charging stations, touch-sensitive LED backlighting and nightstand lights, pop-up TV and computer screens that swivel, and even a few hidden compartments for who knows what. Get your own The World's Most Expensive Bed for $38,000-$210,000 depending on what options you choose.

Via Bornrich

Source

Tags: bed, furniture, most expensive, parnian

The $35,000 Zebra Safari Chair from Fine English Company

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Architecture & Design

The Fine English Company, dedicated to the best in bespoke British luxury, has unveiled the newest addition to its collection of luxe furniture, luggage and lifestyle accessories reminiscent of Britain's colonial past with a contemporary flair. The company's new $35,000 zebra safari chair (above) took two years to complete and was a personal mission of the firm's founder, former financial consultant Benedict Wormald. It will be produced in a limited edition of only 10 pieces which are bound to appreciate in value; two of them have already been spoken for. The chair is called the "Percival" after the great British hunter and safari leader Philip Hope Percival, whose famous clients included Baron Rothschild, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Ernest Hemingway and Gary Cooper.

Wormald and his team spent several months sourcing materials and locating and commissioning the finest artisans in the world to see the project to fruition. The completely handmade, hand-stitched chair is finished in full aniline brown distressed leather from Scotland and trophy grade Burchell's zebra skin. It features unrivaled, exquisitely hand-carved black walnut ball and claw feet, a beechwood frame, horsehair stuffing and a canvas interlining. Wormald calls it "the absolute pinnacle of English Handmade furniture," noting, "there is absolutely nothing to touch this product."

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Fine English Co. Zebra Safari Chair

Tags: Benedict Wormald, bespoke, British style, Ernest Hemingway, exotic animals, Fine English Company, furniture, handmade, luggage, safari, Scotland, UK, zebra

USM Swiss Furniture To Launch Fall Line

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, By Design

Lauded Swiss furniture manufacturer, USM, has announced a new fall collection to their award-winning modular designs.

Created in 1963, when Swiss engineer Paul Schärer teamed up with architect Fritz Haller to design furniture for his family business's new offices, USM's modernist lines and functionality made it an unexpected darling of Mid-Century design. Now part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection in New York, USM has evolved into a furniture system of near limitless possibility, equally at home in an office, retail or residential setting. While the term "modular" may evoke images of dorm rooms and a certain ubiquitous Swedish brand, USM is much closer to a Patek Philippe watch or a Hans Bellmann chair in terms of aesthetics and construction. The basic element of USM is a chrome-plated brass ball joint, which connects to chromed steal tubes to form the framework of the line. From there, powder-coated metal panels, in a variety of historic and contemporary colors, can easily and quickly be popped in and out to complete the piece. Panels come in a wide selection of sizes, and when you include the various door options and internal organizer configurations, the possibilities with USM become manifold. Indeed, USM enthusiasts (the line is collected with the zeal normally reserved for high fashion or fine art) have created arrangements that form everything from retail clothing displays to Mondrian-like storage walls by mixing-and-matching color panels. New for fall 2010, USM will introduce a line of autumnal colors including orange, brown and beige, which haven't been available to customers since the 1970s.

(prices start at $500)

Tags: fall, furniture, Industrial Design, mid-century modern, modular, switzerland, usm

Hellman-Chang Crystal Edition Furniture

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Furniture designers Daniel Hellman and Eric Chang have been friends since childhood and began their furniture design/build practice in a Maryland garage. What started as a hobby soon turned into a thriving business. The pair are now headquartered in Brooklyn with a showroom in Manhattan and Hellman-Chang pieces have appeared on "Gossip Girl" and in "Sex and the City 2." The pair have also designed pieces for major projects including the Four Seasons Hotel, Setai Hotel, Sotheby's, and Metropolitan Home's Showtime Showhouse. Their latest adventure takes them to a more glittering place, they have a created a crystal edition of some of their popular pieces using Swarovski Crystallized elements. Adding crystals to the pieces ups the glamour and in the case of the Omni side table shown above, adds a geode-like quality. This piece sells for $12,000.

Tags: decor, furniture, hellman-chang, side table, swarovksi crystals, swarovski, swarovski crystals, Swarovski-Crystallized

Barcalounger Files Chapter 11

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Barcalounger, a brand famous for its reclining chairs and its sister company, contract furniture source American of Martinsville, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Furniture Today reports that the joint filings were made a little more than a month after the two companies shut down their factory in Martinsville, Virginia. Parent company Hancock Park Capital has agreed to sell the companies to another affiliate of Hancock for $1.5 million. It is the largest unsecured creditor with claims totaling $32.4 million but will waive the claim if the sale to its affiliate is approved. The sale has to be approved by the bankruptcy court which would hold an auction if another bidder is interested.

Papers filed cite the economy and a downturn in furniture sales as a reason for the filing. Hancock Park bought Barcalounger in 2005 and purchased American of Martinsville from La-Z-Boy in 2006. The investment firm shut down Barcalounger's factory in Rocky Mount, N.C., about a year ago and moved production to the American of Martinsville plant. That factory was closed without warning on April 16. Barcalounge began making reclining chairs in 1940 and now also supplies chairs for home theaters.

Tags: american of martinsville, bankruptcy, Barcalounger, chapter 11, furniture

Hickory Chair Receives Sustainable By Design Certification

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Green

Furniture manufacturer Hickory Chair has made big moves towards sustainability. The company recently received the American Home Furnishings Alliance's (AHFA) Sustainable by Design certification. The AFHA runs a voluntary environmental management program called EFEC, for Enhancing Furniture's Environmental Culture which Hickory Chair joined in 2008. Companies involved have to demonstrate improvement in various areas including the management of resources and raw materials, reduction of energy use, water use and waste disposal. Hickory Chair also won the AHFA's first Sage Award in 2008 recognizing sustainable business practices, social responsibility and profitable growth.

The company has been on an environmental stewardship journey at its Hickory, North Carolina manufacturing facility since 1997. They began with recycling and repurposing waste materials. As part of its sustainability initiative the company reduced its landfill waste by 178 tons in 2007 and another 125 tons in 2008. Hickory Chair bought a wood grinder in 2008 to improve the use of wood scrap as boiler fuel.

Hickory Chair makes classic furniture from a variety of designers including Alexa Hampton, Thomas O'Brien and Suzane Kasler. A couple of pieces will be part of the "Sex In The City 2" movie as furniture in Carrie's apartment.

[via Home Accents Today]

Tags: furniture, hickory chair, sustainable, sustainable living, sustainable style

Sweet Dream Beds Introduce Your Child to Home Ownership

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Children

We aren't quite sure if we should refer to Sweet Dreams beds as beds at all. They are more like single bedroom dwellings... small enough to fit inside a room... that's inside a multi-bedroom dwelling. The Tudor Style Cottage doll house theme bed pictured has two stories, a slide on the far side and, somewhere inside all of that, a bed. We would not be surprised to find a porte-cochère, stables, and staff quarters around back...

A basic bed starts at $5,500, but that will only get you a castle motif decked out in two-tone paint only big enough for a twin bed. That's enough to give any aspiring king or queen nightmares. Throw in another $5,500 and you add room for a queen bed, a staircase with drawers and a slide, and now you're getting somewhere. One parent spent $40,000 on a custom setup, which is probably enough to keep a few other parents up at night.

There are Sweet Dreams beds for boys and girls, and each is individually designed, can be built to match your existing decor, and hand-painted in any way Cinderella – or Peter Pan – might wish. They might not turn your children into actual royalty, or pirates, but they will probably be good for a few weeks of happily counting sheep...

Source

Tags: bed, bedding, bedroom, beds, childrens beds, childrens furniture, furniture, kids, kids beds, kids furniture, sweet dreams, sweet dreams bed

Incredibeds. You Won't Believe Them, but Your Kids Will

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Children

Your child has a lot of dreams: owning a dragon, figuring out how to break childproof things, watching one billion episodes of Spongebob consecutively. If your child also dreams of sleeping on a giant stuffed animal – whether that be a dog or, oh, a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Incredibeds could have what you need.

In the case of Incredibeds, the stuffing of the animal is an actual bed – you simply roll the various parts of your animal of choice over the mattress and box spring. The arrangement comes in five pieces: head, two arms and two legs, and a tail. Currently they'll fit on twin and twin XL beds, and you can add a zipper bumper sheet to protect against accidents. Should there be an accident anyway you can throw the pieces into the washer, which makes them easier to clean than traditional stuffed animals.

For even larger accidents, say Fido has a field day with a tail, you can order any replacement pieces individually. Best of all, Incredibeds says that if you believe in nighttime creatures, their wares will be all the protection needed. Because what kind of monster is going to hide under a Tyrannosaurus, even a T. Rex with a big, toothy grin?

Gallery: Incredibeds

Source

Tags: bedding, beds, childrens beds, childrens furniture, furniture, incredibeds, kids

Mansory Launches Carbon Fiber Furniture Line

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Cars & Autos

Mansory, the German supercar tuning company known for outrageously over-the-top creations like the Vitesse Rosé Bentley and Vincero Bugatti Veyron, is bringing its dubious talents to bear on a new line of sickeningly luxurious office furniture for true "executive living". Modeled on the kind of ridiculously expensive bespoke interiors the company creates for its aesthetically impaired clients, the first offering in the new range is a line of handmade desk chairs constructed from carbon fiber, priced at $25,000 apiece. Featuring something called a "sport-carboxylic" finish, the sybaritic seating is available with a number of leather upholstery and wood paneling options. One of the more hideous combinations couples padded gold leather with black piano lacquer inlays. You can of course have chairs made to match the interior of your Mansory vehicle.

Tags: carbon fiber, furniture, mansory, supercar

Phantom Couch is the Rolls-Royce of Sofas

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Cars & Autos

Sure, we'd all like to ride around town in the back of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. But who short of the wealthy elite can afford it? Thanks (whether sarcastic or genuine) to some skilled craftsman, we can at least get the feeling in our own living rooms.

This sofa has been crafted to look like the rear end of a Phantom, complete with wheels, tail lights and trunk. It'll cost you $5,500 if you want one, but that's still a few grand shy of the four hundred grand or so the actual limousine would set you back.

Gallery: Rolls-Royce Phantom sofa