A Designer After My Own Heart

Bamboo prints are one of my all-time favorites. Imagine my excitement when I was reading the August issue of House Beautiful and found this Atlanta home decorated by John Oetgen. The kitchen (shown above) has walls and ceiling papered in Cowtan & Tout's "Bamboo" wallpaper. You'll probably need to click on the picture to clearly see the print on the ceiling. (I'm also crazy for the custom zinc stove hood!) And then, on the screened pavilion at the back of the house, there is a great bamboo print by Kolo Collection on the wicker sofa. I know we've been having a "bamboo moment" for a while now, but I think that these prints are true classics!




Another image of "Bamboo" from the Cowtan & Tout website

Photos of the home from the August issue of House Beautiful

1st dibs: Picks of the Week

This week's new additions to 1st dibs are particularly good- thirteen pages filled with an array of treasures. As usual, I fancy a majority of the goods, but here are my favorites of the week. Which ones do you like?


Pair of George III Diminutive Painted Cabinets on Stand, c. 1780-90, available at Le Trianon


Firescreen by Rene Drouet, 1940s


Pair of Tortoise shell glass lamps, 1960s, at Prime Gallery LLC


Pair of Maison Bagues lamps, circa 1960s.


American Painted Dressing Table, c. 1820-35, at Kuttner Antiques


"Beach Chair", French, c. 1920, at Hollyhock


Pair of French Chairs, 20th c., at Downtown Joe Nye New York

Image at top: Pair of framed hand-painted leather panels from an 18th c. screen, at Hollyhock

Lobmeyr Lighting

I'm sure many of you are familiar with Lobmeyr crystal. This Austrian manufacturer has produced some of the most iconic crystal patterns of the 20th c. One of their most famous designs is "Service B", designed by Josef Hoffman in 1912 (above). But did you know that they also designed chandeliers and mirrors? (I didn't- hence this post!) Each of the designs featured below are so unique, and they certainly are not lacking in glamour. What is amazing, though, is the creativity and history of the designs as well as the workmanship. They are truly pieces of art!



"Baroque Crystal Fruit Chandelier", designed in 1937 by Stefan Rath. Available at Moss.


"MET" single ball candlestick; 1966. The MET series was designed by Hans Harald Rath and was inspired by the chandeliers he designed for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Available at Moss.


"Chinese Pavilion Chandelier", originally designed in 1923 by Carl Witzmann. Witzmann based this design on chandeliers he created for Vienna's Theater in der Josefstadt. Available at Moss.


"MET Table Lamp", 2001. Designed by Johannes Rath, grandson of Hans Harald. Again, inspired by Hans Harald's work for the Metropolitan Opera. At Moss.


The image of this wall lamp was taken from Lobmeyr's site. Unfortunately, I don't have the history of it, but I do love the design.


"The 180 Year Waltz: London Embassy chandelier"; 1966. Designed by Ceno Kosak for the Austrian Embassy in London. Available at Moss.


The "Block" Mirror from Moss (2006) looks like a giant emerald cut diamond- perfect for a touch of glamour.

Stylish Displays

What to do with that dead space underneath a table you ask? Why, put something there! Of course one should be selective about what they display under a table. Size is important- an object that is on the small side would look dwarfed by the heft of the table. And visual interest is critical too. A classic design trick is to place a small bench or two under the table, which is a great space saving solution too. Or, you could use large ceramic pieces like Markham Roberts and Barclay Fryery have done. Whatever you choose to use, avoid clutter! Restraint is key, something which all of these designers have heeded.


An elegant composition by Kelly Wearstler


The double bench trick a la Ruthie Sommers


A leather and chrome bench under the table, by David Hicks


Blue and white porcelain is always a stylish choice (Markham Roberts-designer)


Barclay Fryery adds a dash of humor underneath this table


White ceramic jars and Manuel Canovas' Ming linen- what a fantastic combination! (Suzanne Coleman Bancroft- designer)

At top: The master Albert Hadley uses an orb for some style in this vignette.

High-Dowager Decor

A few weeks back I posted about old fashioned prints, and it reminded me of the Upper East Side home of Camilla and Carl Sorenson (published in Elle Decor, Dec/Jan '05). With the help of designer Steven Sclaroff, they set about decorating their apartment using "high-dowager decor". Inspired by the very English rooms at Chatsworth, they used a melange of old-fashioned prints; florals, stripes, and Chinoiserie prints are used together to give the apartment a slightly eccentric, slightly matronly, and altogether fresh look. What I like most about this home is that the overall design scheme gives a nod to the history of this pre-war building in a slightly cheeky way. This dowager decor will definitely grow old gracefully.

(To read my related post on old-fashioned prints, click here.)


The dining room is papered in a 1940s Chinoiserie print purchased from Secondhand Rose. The fabric on the sofa is Christopher Hyland's "Giuliana", and the armchair is upholstered in Maharam's Aria cotton velvet.


For a similar look, Secondhand Rose has this vintage Chinoiserie print on their website.


Another shot of the dining room, and a view of the living room with some fabulous gray and white cabinetry designed by Sclaroff. The armchairs' striped fabric is "Rayure Chenille" by Clarence House.


Top left: the master bedroom's sitting area with a sofa upholstered in Colefax & Fowler's Beaumont cotton-viscose fabric.
Bottom left: the dressing room with Clarence House's "Gothik Fretwork" wallpaper.

Photo at top: Another view of the living room; the sofa is upholstered in Scalamandre's "Foret" cotton.

More Cole and Son

In case you haven't had your fill of wallpaper posts this week, I thought I would include some more images of various prints by Cole and Son. They have so many wonderful designs that it's difficult for me to choose my favorites. Whether your style is traditional or contemporary, they truly have something to offer for everyone. And, I'd love to hear which ones are your favorites. Enjoy!



"Chinese Paper" , part of the Florence II collection


"Humming Birds"


"Hicks Moghul", part of the New Contemporary line


"The India Paper", part of the Richmond collection


"Raffles", part of the Richmond collection


"Catwalk", in the Classix collection


"St James Trellis"

Image at top: Glamorous, mirrored dressing room papered in "Paisley Flowers"

Fornasetti Collection at Cole and Son

Attention Fornasetti fans! Cole and Son, the legendary English wallpaper firm, has a collection devoted solely to the designs of Piero Fornasetti. Many of the designs are quintessential Fornasetti, such as "Il Sole" and "Tema a Variazoni" (seen at top). Other designs, especially some of the floral prints, are actually rather sweet- something that I would not normally associate with him. All designs are hand screenprinted and come in various colorways. And although I don't consider myself to be a huge fan of Fornasetti's work, some of these prints may make me change my mind.



"Ex Libris"- this reminds me of Brunschwig's "Bibliotheque" (which I posted about on Tuesday), but done in a more contemporary way.


"Fiori"


"Frutto Proibito"


"Il Sole"


"Malachite" -how fun would this be in a smallish sized room?


"Peonie"


"Riflesso"

Image at top: "Tema a Variazoni"

... and Trompe l'oeil Today

Yesterday I posted about the rich history of trompe l'oeil, and this artistic trick is just as popular today. Of course, painting trompe l'oeil designs on walls and floors appears to be the most popular application. For example, some people choose to paint mouldings on a wall to give the illusion of architectural features that in reality are not there. But trompe l'oeil painting is only the tip of the iceberg. There are trompe l'oeil prints on fabrics and wallpaper, and trompe l'oeil ceramics have long been popular with collectors. Here are a few examples of creative uses of trompe l'oeil.


Trompe l'oeil painted headboard (Domino 3/06; photo by Paul Costello)


Trompe l'oeil chair in a Philadelphia home (Cookie magazine)


Closeup of "Bibliotheque" wallpaper from Brunschwig & Fils. This trompe l'oeil print of a library of books was designed by famed trompe l'oeil artist (and decorator) Richard Neas.


"Le Temple des Grec" wallpaper by Studio Printworks. This print has the appearance of a wall built of blocks.


1960s Trompe l'oeil screen by Daniel Greene, available at Benjamin Storck Ltd.


Trompe l'oeil tableaux cloths by Los Angeles designer Mark Cutler


Italian ceramic bowl of Barlotti beans from Gump's

Image at top: Charming trompe l'oeil vignette at Hollyhock. The walls were painted by Paulin Paris.