Maison Jansen

Founded in 1880 by Jean-Henri Jansen, Maison Jansen was a forced to be reckoned with in the design world.  Sadly it closed it's doors in 1989, but not before creating a legacy of interiors and furnishings that shape the way many of us work within this amazing industry.  Maison Jansen was not afraid to take chances, push boundaries and explore how materials, work together, how different styles compliment each other, and how interiors can be usable without losing their WOW factor.  With project throughout Europe, The Middle East and most of the globe (including a couple of rooms in The White House), their interiors and furnishings have been (and still are) coveted works of craftsmanship, materiality and design.  In a design world where I feel it is few and far between to find workrooms that really know their craft, Maison Jansen reminds me of the beauty and balance one can achieve when you strive for perfection, and although they are not around today, it doesn't mean that we too cannot strive for this kind of beauty.

Jansen

1stDibs

Architectural Digest

Furniture pieces are still available for purchase through antique dealers and sites like 1stDibs today, so we can still own a little piece of design history.

1st Dibs

Artemis Decorative Arts

Christies

be-dsgn

The White House

Wikipedia - Maison Jansen

French Escape

Hi Everyone. I am so sorry that I have been so absent this last week or so. Things at the installation last week went very well, but where extremely exhausting and then it was a quick 12 hours in LA for a site meeting before taking the red-eye back to NYC for my mom to stay with us over the Canada Day weekend.  So, needless to say (and sorry about that), but the world that is Canoe Design was pushed a little to the side.  I thought that I would start back with a post I saw on Trendland about a 17th Century mansion on the Île de Ré just off the West coast of France.  With the summer getting so hot here in Manhattan I seem to be completely obsessed with the idea of a weekend retreat - whether on Long Island or in France apparently.  As you can imagine when I came across this stunning property I just had to share.  

The owners have kept the exterior of the building intact to match the vernacular of the area, however the gardens have received a modern make-over (that pool need to be included in my Inspired By Pools post - LOVE!), and the interiors are a perfect mix of rustic farmhouse and Modern Art Palace.  The interior is simple with whitewashed walls, new painted steel framed windows and partitions, found objects from local flea markets and an incredible art collection.  Each room features stunning pieces that work their way into the fabric of the house making this a stunning little piece of paradise.

Trendland

Inspired By

Nantucket!  My trip last week was my first time in Nantucket and boy was that an interesting experience.  First of all I felt like I was in a movie - everything was so perfect, the architecture was true to the region and each vista seemed to offer something better than the last.  My husband loves boats and being on the water, and the entire time I was there all I could think about is how much he would love it - basically it is an island devoted to the water and all things nautical.  Brands like Ralph Lauren have been a huge part of the build-up from kitsch to chic nautical design with wallpaper and fabrics as well as interiors that just bring one directly to the sea. In recent years however, there has been a step away from the traditional blue and white stripe nautical theme and designers have become more creative in how they define beach or seaside interiors.  It would be great to hear what you think, but I am a huge fan of the idea of nautical with out all the obvious references.  Have a great Monday! 

Susanne Kasler

 

House & Home

Elle Decor

 * Okay, I know the image above screams Nautical with the boat on the ceiling, but I do love the creativity of it, and how without that boat one still has the feeling of coastal living, the boat just adds some interest.

Restoration Hardware

I love this detail where boat sails have been tied together to form wall panels - so creative!

The Iron Fish

Designer Thom Filica is known for his stylish interiors, but I also happen to think that he has a wonderful ability to make nautical look super chic.  Check out a few of his interiors and how he manages to en incorporate things we inherently associate with a nautical theme and make them stylish.

Thom Filica

A Château for Two

Oober design power couple Daniel Beauchemin and Marc de Laat has decided to trade their time in Manhattan with a simple château in the countryside not far from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.  You may remember Beauchemin from his days at Drake Design Associates or as the owner of one of NYC's most prestigious framers Chelsea Frames and de Laat's real-estate career has been anything but boring as a segway to photography and graphic design.   These two seem to have had it all figured out, and to be quite honest are a great case study in how I want the next twenty years to go!  

Last month Elle Decor did a feature on their new digs and I was inspired.  The house is stunning first of all - with a real homage back to it's heritage as it was originally built in 1864 for a member of the royal court, there are classical features such as white painted stone exterior, a corner turret with a steep pitched roof, and amazing architectural bones inside.  With an incredible collection of vintage furniture pieces (check out the Wassily chairs below on the left) that they have each been collecting for decades, and their perfectly framed art that flank the walls (see last image of the master bedroom), they have really created an incredible property with one space flowing nicely into the next.  This 500 acre property is a true escape from the concrete jungle that is New York City, however after spending last weekend amongst the greenery of Connecticut I can see the appeal and desire for something different.

All Photos courtesy of Elle Decor, Photographer Eric Piasecki

On a not so side note, I am so thrilled to be over with Sandra at Raincoast Cottage writing for her feature Where We Create.  Sandra and I have met through this wonderful world of social media and she has been a true support and friend for me.  So head over and have a look and be sure to stay a while!

Antique Market Finds

Yesterday I decided to get up early and head down to the Antique Market on the Cours Saleya here in Nice (see previous post on the Cours here).  The Monday morning antique market attracts dealers and buyers from all over the region including Italy.  As with most markets you have to get there early to if you want to get anything good, and since I still have a few presents to get I thought this could be a great opportunity but mainly I just wanted to have a look at what great stuff was out there.  Although you had to look deep and pick through there were some beautiful pieces of furniture, silverware, china sets and vintage designer items such as Louis Vuitton handbags and Hermes scarves.

Loved this selection of old industrial farmware, including a vintage US MAIL mailbox!

There was an incredible stand with beautiful restored Christofle silverware. Each piece had bee been restored and cleaned and looked like new.  They had some amazing pieces, my favorite being a 1920s deco tea set in perfect condition. Beautiful!

I just loved these vintage trunks and gun cases.

One of the dealers had a set of four Thonet chairs with all the original cane work in pretty good condition. The wood needed some cleaning up and waxing but otherwise they were great, and really reasonably priced...if I only had space in my luggage back to New York...