Shiny Lighting

My latest addition to my design wish list? A brass lamp with a shiny brass shade. Of course the ultimate, at least to me, would be to own one by Maison Charles. While I'm waiting for that fantasy to be fulfilled, I might just purchase one from Gracious Home (seen below). I've been on a brass kick lately, but if you prefer a cooler metal, there are plenty of striking chrome lamps out there. And if the thought of all of this metal seems a little cold, just look at how well this type of lamp works in Kate Spade's apartment.


Maison Charles lamps at Maison Gerard


Nickel Drum Shade Lantern at Charles Edwards


Markel nickel lamp at Modernism Gallery


Maison Charles "Pomme de pin" lamp at Maison Gerard


Parzinger lamp at Dana John


Brass Table Lamp at Gracious Home

Bouillotte Lamps

My latest "have to have it" accessory is a bouillotte lamp. Yes, they are very traditional, but for some reason they seem rather fresh right now. Bouillotte lamps originated in late 18th c./ early 19th c. France for use during games of bouillotte, which was similar to modern Poker. Bouillotte lamps traditionally have dish type bases which were used to hold the game chips. Attached to the base is a shaft which holds two to four candleholders as well as a metal shade. At the top of the shaft is a screw type key, which allows one to move the shade down as the candles melt down. The idea was to avoid any type of glare in the eyes of the bouillotte players. Of course, if you have an electrified version, you won't need to move the shade, but the design is the same. What also makes this lamp so distinctive is the tole lampshade. On those lamps that have two candleholders, the shade is rather elongated, but on the three to four-arm lamps, the shade tends to be more conical.

A classic two-arm bouillotte lamp from Circa Lighting


A sophisticated version of the bouillotte- late 19th c./early 20th c. pair of French bronze lamps at Gray Morell


Elegant, polished silver four-arm lamp from Visual Comfort; at Neena's Lighting


The bouillotte design used for a hanging fixture. A 1930's two-arm fixture at Brunelli Designs.



Bouillotte lamp (on bookshelf) in the apartment of Christopher Spitzmiller

Photo at top: Bouillotte lamp in bedroom of Mary McDonald (House & Garden, Nov. 2001)

Just Scandinavian

Josef Frank, the Austrian designer whose whimsical and brightly colored fabric and furniture designs have long been cult favorites, is poised for a major revival. Over the years, some of his most popular patterns such as "Hawaii" have been seen in chic interiors, usually used on pillows or the occasional chair. Now, however, a whole new audience is being introduced to Frank's fabric by Anthropologie, who is upholstering many of its chairs and sofas in Frank's fabric.

In the past, I remember being able to find some of Frank's fabrics at the Brunschwig and Fils showroom as well as online at Svenskt Tenn in Sweden. Fortunately, there is Just Scandinavian, a shop in New York that specializes in fabrics, furniture, and tabletop accessories created by Scandinavian designers. Of course, Frank's designs are well represented here (the Scandinavian connection is from Frank's work for Svenskt Tenn in Sweden). There are, however, works from other Scandinavian designers as well. Here are a few of my Frank picks from the site, including one of my favorite Frank fabrics, "Manhattan", seen above.

For other posts on Josef Frank, see my posts from February 5 and January 16. To learn more about Frank, you may want to read Josef Frank: Life and Work by Christopher Long and Josef Frank:Architect and Designer: An Alternative Vision of the Modern Home by Nina Stritzler-Levine.

(Update: After writing this post a few days ago, I was reading a copy of InStyle Home magazine last night and found an article about Josef Frank. I believe Frank's revival is here!)

"Anakreon" print on linen by Josef Frank


"Drinks" print, linen, by Josef Frank


Three-armed brass lamp by Josef Frank


"Rox & Fix", linen, by Josef Frank


Elmoot and walnut table by Josef Frank

(All photos courtesy of Just Scandinavian)

Everything's Coming Up Roses!

Spring is here, the trees are in bloom, and flowers seem to be on my mind. Floral prints are everywhere at this time of year. To some, the floral motif can be a bit saccharine. The good news is that there seems to be a floral print for all tastes- traditional, contemporary, graphic, sophisticated, or casual. Here are a few objects, fabrics, and wallcoverings that just might make you rethink the flower.


Porthault Linens at Sue Fisher King, San Francisco


Floral Swirl Lamp at Gracious Home


"Ravello" wallpaper from Tyler Hall


"Astrid" Chair at Anthropologie


"Japanese Floral" print fabric by Florence Broadhurst at Signature Prints


"Oriental Flowers" china by Meissen at Table Art, Los Angeles


(Image at top-room with floral prints by Mary McDonald)

Claus Porto Soaps

There are so many lines of soaps on the market today that the array is dizzying. How many soaps, however, are wrapped in such gorgeous packages that one hates to throw them away? That's the way I feel about Claus Porto soaps. One of the premier soap makers in the world, Claus Porto of Portugal has been making soaps since 1887. It is the soaps' wrappers, though, that I treasure (although the soaps do smell divine). The Art Deco-looking designs are originals from Claus Porto's archives. The soaps come in bar sizes, pastille sizes (perfect for one's powder room), and now in liquid soap pumps. The pumps would be a stylish addition to one's kitchen. They also make candles, but unfortunately the candle votives are not quite as decorative as the box it comes in!

C. Bell Palm Beach

Someone recently told me about a fun design shop in Palm Beach called C. Bell. Located on South Dixie Highway, the shop stocks new and refreshed furniture that really has that Palm Beach Vibe. Take note: these bold pieces are not for the faint of heart, but they would certainly provide some wow to a room!

Lampshades Part 2

In my post from earlier today, I mentioned that I had recently purchased some black pagoda-esque shades and red finials for some silver lamps of mine. Pinkmohair had asked me to provide some photos, so here they are. Hope you enjoy them!

Lampshade Chic

In the February issue of House Beautiful, Miles Redd mentions that bad lampshades can ruin both a good lamp and a good room. I think he is so accurate. So many times lampshades are an afterthought. How many times have you seen a beautiful porcelain lamp topped by a boring beige shade? Or a crystal lamp wearing the wrong-sized shade?

The fun thing about choosing a lampshade is that you can create an impact with your choice of shape, color, and material. Good quality and well-made lampshades can be quite expensive, but you can find chic shades at a decent price. And don't forget the finials- they are like jewelry for lamps! I recently bought shades for some plain candlestick lamps. In order to give the lamps some pizzazz, I bought some black pagoda shaped shades. But what really gave the lamps that added flair were shiny, bright, Chinese red ball finials. It was like an exclamation point at the top of my lamps.

White ceramic lamp with Brunschwig and Fils toile lampshade by Woodson and Rummerfield

Orange shades by David Netto

Houndstooth lampshade and black lamp at Balsamo


Lampshade by Oriental Lamp Shade Company

Feather shade available at Gracious Home

*Image at top courtesy of Edgar-Reeves, Atlanta

Nifty Needlepoint

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: