I was paging through the March House Beautiful with all it’s beautiful blue rooms this morning just before I received an email from Paris about this cool “Ottoman” from Ligne Roset. I love it’s powdery soft blue matched with exquisite geometry – I’d would also love to see it in an installation to get a feel for the context of the design.
Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance designed the” Ottoman” – in the conception of the piece he revisits an Orient that has echoes in his own past – he once lived for a year in a fisherman’s hut on the beach at Rabat. Initially designed for a hotel in Marrakesh, the traditional motif is thrown into relief by a faceted effect that increases the comfort of the seat and accentuates the strong visual appeal.
Some people swoon over expensive cars, limited edition handbags, and/or a perfectly mellow Merlot. Me – my heart skips a beat when I see mid-century modern furniture arranged with that certain casual air. You know the one – it welcomes you to sit while at the same time commands you to stand back in awe.
So when I first saw images of the Decoratum in London a smile came to my face immediately. I read about them on 1st Dibs awhile back but just recently took in their virtual tour on their website. This, in and of itself, is quite revolutionary. We’ve all done the online 360 tours of houses and apartments for sale, and even a few hotel rooms – but a store/gallery that changes inventory quite often – well you’ll just have to try it yourself to see how interesting it is.
If it’s the job of the retailer to motivate the shopper to buy than the Decoratum has the practice down to an art form – literally. Owner Jeffrey Salmon obviously has quite the curators eye – that combined with a knack for putting together room after room of vignettes striking enough to make you want to book a flight to Heathrow immediately just to go window shopping. Salmon told 1st Dibs that he sincerely loves each piece – and from what I can see it must be true. I’ve lined up a few of my favorite shots from the store below. And yes you can buy this gorgeous stuff in the US without getting out your passport through their online shop on 1stdibs.
Bear with me for a moment as I try to explain a bit about this chair. Most of the information about it is in French, but I think I get the gist of it.
It’s a new release from French designer Eric Jourdan – who, among other things, has a big collection coming out in January that he created with Ligne Roset. Eric works with the firm Domeau & Pérès which gets a lot of commissions to design for the aviation and aeronautics industries – which was a big inspiration for this interesting creation.
This being named The Hampton’s Chair by Jourdan – you clearly see the classic Hamptons-esque lines set off by the deck like Red Cedar planking. The original chair was actually designed for an upscale golf club here in the US, but Domeau & Pérès wanted to offer a version of the design to the general public as well.
With this chair, Jourdan wanted to evoke the utilitarian aspects of Enzo Mari’s Autoprogettazione collection released in the 1970’s. This was a group of designs that were conceptualized as DYI project kits that could be built using everyday materials and tools. Although (to me at least) it seems The Hampton’s Chair has a distinct Summery spirit about it, I can see it in a wide array of settings year round.
I’ve been to plenty of antique shops over the years – and have come across enough of those hand crocheted doilies to know that they were once really chic. While in many ways they may represent grandmotherly charm more than style, lately designers have been incorporating the vintage look into their work in an entirely fresh way.
Above, Pure Designs has reinvigorated embroidery to embody a whole new, completely contemporary look. Here on the Hazel Setee set against a deep blue fabric it has that wonderful vintage meets post modern feel. Below, RazorTooth has a wide array of lacy laser-cut cascading panels that can be used as room dividers, curtains, or anywhere you need a bit of a screen.
Below Arktura has created the feel of lace or even perhaps macrame with their Hive Bench (which is also a coffee table). Set against bright orange it sets quite an edgy mood. Bottom is the Dahlia Chair from Lumisource which features ornate laser etched foliage – shown here in green.
I’ve been noticing a lot of cool canvassy and burlappy looking furniture lately made using coffee bags and tarps that have been re-purposed. It’s a very interesting trend that I think has been done really well with these two pieces.
Above is the Upcycle Ottoman from Gus Design Group upholstered in fair trade coffee bags – I love the look and because each is created from original bags, each is entirely unique.
Below is the Bobo Wing Chair from Bobo Intriguing Objects that’s upholstered using reclaimed tarps. The tarp is Libeco mill-washed linen that comes from vintage South American truck tarps. The piece also features hand-carved wood legs.
I thought this cushion set called the Posito from Hey-Sign in Germany was pretty clever. Made of felt and filled with foam, the pieces are about 15.5″ tall and about 43″ in diameter when placed together like above. It can be placed into a number of clever forms – facing, like a love set, or an ottoman. A great idea for rumpus and family rooms – and even greater for office areas where you want flexibility and color to get ideas flowing.
Whenever Jonathan Adler comes out with a new product – which is about every week or so – I always really enjoy the section that he sets aside on his website displaying his recent interior design projects.
Today’s fab product is his ingenious Room Diffusers (photo bottom) which are shaped much like his iconic vases – which in fact are his iconic vases (in bud vase size) with the addition of some gorgeous room fragrances – Southampton Green Garden and Acapulco Red Currant and some diffusing reeds. Great way to update and make multipurpose an everyday product.
While I was taking in all the hipness (and the amazing Barbie Doll products) I noticed this gorgeous interior that Jonathan created in New York. Adore the fun eclecticism and strong use of color.
Former House & Garden and House Beautiful editor Katie Ridder did more than hone artful sentences and contribute to lovely layouts while on staff. She absorbed as much as she could from top designers.
“I learned who the best decorators were and why. I met them, I saw their work in person, I saw their offices; it was a unique education and I know that when I imagine a room, it’s through the camera’s lens,” she told Connecticut Cottages & Gardens recently. And judging from the luscious rooms shown here she learned well. See more of Ridder’s work here.
