I have always had a yen for all things needlepoint- pillows, coasters, ottomans. The problem has been that the so many of the needlepoint designs on the market have been saccharine sweet- puppies, rainbows, and the like. It took a lot of searching to find sophisticated designs. When I took up needlepoint a few years back, the one design that caught my eye was a geometric design (see above) by needlepoint doyenne Erica Wilson. I loved the bright colors and graphic design. I'm still working on it, but I know that once it's complete, it will add a major splash of color to my home.
Fortunately, it seems that needlepoint may be making a bit of a comeback, and I think some of its popularity is due to Jonathan Adler and his crazy pillows and accessories. For a modern and fun touch, check out his greek key coasters and bargello pillows.
Should your tastes run towards the traditional, Anthropologie has a beautiful ottoman with scenes of birds and flowers. The scenes depicted, though, are anything but cute. I think they would look great as accent pieces in a den or by the fireplace.
Animal prints are about my favorite prints in the world (with the possible exception of chinoiserie!). These zebra pillows from Neiman Marcus would certainly add some zing to a neutral design palette.
And, for anyone with a wicked sense of humor, there are multitudes of pillows with witty sayings on them- in fact, these seem to be a hallmark of the work of Mario Buatta. He even used one in his room at the Kips Bay Showhouse:
I love Jonathan Adler's Greek key coasters (being of Greek origin probably doesn't hurt)! I so agree with your comments about traditional needlepoint but seeing some of the designs you've featured makes me think twice. In Greece they actually taught us basic needlepoint in kindergarten; I still have some of my completed projects. I lost interest in it because patterns that were available in the past did not interest me. Thank you for sharing these modern and fun designs and making me curious again.
ReplyDeleteStella,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! How wonderful that you learned needlepoint at school in Greece! I think it's a shame that needlepoint has fallen out of favor- it's so relaxing (at least to me). Perhaps if we search hard enough, we can find patterns that appeal to our tastes.
Jennifer
The best needlepoint anywhere is at Woolworks in New York. They have all original designs which are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteI agree, the best needlepoint designs can be found at Woolworks in NYC.
ReplyDeleteThey can paint anything needlepoint and their designs are all beautiful !