Furniture Fridays

Today I invite you all to join me in welcoming Sandie from  from Powder Grey for Furniture Fridays! Based in the UK and working as an Interior Designer, Sandie has a keen eye for design and always features wonderful and interesting posts on her blog.  She has a fresh look and enthusiasm to her posts, and Powder Grey is a daily read for me always with something new for me to see.  I am truly excited at her selection and what an incredible interesting and unique selection it is. Thank you and enjoy!

I was pleasantly surprised yet touched when I received the email from Anna requesting me to do a write up for Furniture Fridays, considering I am very new to the Interior World.  My chosen piece is the Lockheed lounge by Australian Industrial designer Marc Newson. This aluminium clad lounge took Newson over 2 months to create and was his most celebrated piece in 1986.

I first saw this when it appeared in Madonna’s video “Rain” in 1993, long before I was interested in a career in Interiors. I remembered thinking WOW at the time, as I hadn’t seen anything like it.  A cool solid powerful piece yet its elegant curvaceous curves looked like a mercury blob that had leaked from an old antique mirror. I don’t own such a piece, unfortunately, if I did it would set me back over a million dollars.

Although Newson created the Lockheed Lounge over 25 years ago its futuristic design will, in my opinion, always remain a timeless piece.  See more of Marc Newson's work at marc-newson.com

                                                          Lockheed Lounge, 1986

Designer - Marc Newson
Material - Aluminium and fiberglass
Dimensions - 89x63.5x152.5 cm

LA Part 2 - The Getty Center

One of the things that came highly recommended to us while in LA was a trip to the Getty Centre.  My in-laws visited a few years ago while on a road trip and couldn't stop raving about the venue and the art.  I am a huge Richard Meier fan and so the opportunity to visit one of his buildings was definitely high on my list.  Designed in the late 80's the center houses the J Paul Getty Trust with an incredible collection of art that spans centuries and multiple styles.  The center sits on top of a hill in Pacific Palisades and has some of the most breathtaking views over LA – or any other city for that matter – that I have ever seen.  Featuring manicured gardens, several different buildings and countless fountains, the property is incredible.  We really felt that Meier was taking us on an architectural tour of the senses with varying textures of stones, plants and metals, and at each turn it was very clear what the intentions were architecturally and physically.  It was like we were being taken on our own personal tour of the grounds with Meier dictating where we should look, his architecture framing each vista.

The interior is just as captivating as the view and exterior planning with a juxtaposition of materials, textures and colours that is breathtaking.  It features a perfect mix between modern building and art gallery. In the public spaces the same textured stone is on the walls and in true Meier fashion everything is painted a varying shade of white. However, once you cross the threshold into. The gallery spaces, there is the introduction of fumed Oak doors, casings and skirting and the walls are either painted rich luscious colours, or covered in stunning fabrics. The contrast is incredible (see images below) and really helps to highlight the collections of art. 

This sensitivity to gallery space and the. Art it houses is pushed one step further with the decorative arts collection. With some amazing 17th and 18th century pieces the interior architectural details go one step further with ornate mouldings, doors and upholstered walls,  giving the viewer the feeling that we are walking around the National Gallery in London rather than a modern Meier creation in Pacific Palisades. It truly is a wonderful experience and feeling and left me completely in awe of the contrast and execution of such details.

Richard Meier & Partners

The visit was truly memorable and should be a must on anyone's list of things to see/do in LA. We could have spent the day enjoying the view, discovering the galleries and just relaxing on what feels like the highest point in LA. 

The City of Angels

Back in New York following a week in LA, and what a week it was.  Glad to say that the project is finished and although it was a BIG push to the end our clients are happy, and that is all that really matters. My hubby flew out on Friday night so that we could spend the weekend and take advantage of all the time I have been spending there. It was a jam packed two days trying to fit in as many exciting LA things as possible (stay tuned for more posts to follow), and with the top down on our convertible I think we even managed to catch some sun!  

We stayed at the Avalon Hotel (see previous post here) which was in a great location giving us easy access to shopping and lots of food.  The trip started out with a late night dinner at In 'N Out burger, followed by meals at The Ivy, Chaya Beverly Hills over the next couple of days.  We explored the city, took a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, and then down to Venice Beach, and even managed a drive through the Hollywood hills to grab a photo and view from the Hollywood sign. I wanted to welcome in the week with some photos of our weekend - lots of sun, palm trees and food. Enjoy!

*The New iPhone software as an amazing Panoramic feature...we made great use of it!!

Furniture Fridays

The thing I love about Furniture Fridays is that there is something new and exciting for all of us each week.  Well today is no exception, and I am so happy to have a duo post with Milly and Sally from A Piece of Toast.  Whether it is fashion, interiors or design these sisters have inspiring posts that bring me back day after day wanting to see what's next.  I am truly happy to have them both here to share their favorite pics for today. Thanks ladies!

Hi Canoe Design readers!  We are so excited to be part of Anna's fun Furniture Friday series - any time we get to talk about furniture pieces we love we jump at the chance.  And with such similar taste and style, it's no surprise that our favorite pieces closely resemble each other :)  Hope you enjoy and please stop by our blog, A Piece of Toast for more musings on interiors, style and more!

MOLLY: love Jonathan Adler's Mongolian Lamb Bench

For the record, this is one ridiculously expensive item.  Made even more ridiculous because I want two of them... The combination of chunky lucite and ivory Mongolian lamb hair makes it the ideal piece to define the grown-up, neutral pallet I'm going for in my own apartment space.  Sure it might be a little impractical (would I ever actually sit on that Mongolian lamb hair?  Probably not) but those benches could travel from room to room, home to home, and always look cool.  Picturing two at the end of my bed or in front of a killer coffee table.  Allow me to dream?

image

image

SALLY: love Philippe Stark's Ghost Chairs

Oh I love these chairs so much.  To have a rustic wood dinning room table full of them is my dream.  Or to use one with arms as my own desk chair.  Or even just to have a pair to sit in my some-day living room with a fabulous pillow on each... They are just so timeless and classic, I can't think of anything better to invest in and have my entire life.  I adore the classic clear but also love the smoky grey... And even though the decorating world might be a little over-saturated with Ghost Chairs, I still love them to pieces!

image

images 

xx

Molly & Sally

Inspired By

Silver! Following on from my post Saturday on last months' AD, I got to thinking about finishes and materials that we seem to be seeing quite a bit of recently.  It is no coincidence that there are were two articles that caught my eye both featuring this finish in more than one way.  I posted a little while ago on the Olympic metals as inspiration and it has got me to noticing a new trend - silver! Whether it is silver leaf applied to the ceiling (see first image below), a deep metallic finish on the walls, or the selection of silvered/grey stone, we are seeing silver all over.  How do you feel about this trend? Love or indifferent? Hope you have a great week!

Michael Smith's Manhattan apartment

Björn Wallander Photography

Lee Ledbetter's home in New Orleans

Pieter Estersohn photographer

Little Vignettes

Things have been so busy around here I am a full month behind on my design reading! I was home sick on Wednesday and managed to get through the September Issue of AD - finally - and found myself a little disappointed.  I love AD and usually feel that there are a handful of projects that I swoon over but somehow not this time.  I did however like bits and pieces from many of the articles, so I thought I would compile a few of my favourites for this post.  To me they are great little vignette's that not only inspire but are great expressions of interior design, architecture and styling.  Gotta love a good shot! Happy weekend to all! 

A x

A 1930s mansion revised by Steven Gambrel

Photographer Oberto Gili

 A Las Vegas Mansion

Pieter Estersohn Photography

An Upper East Side apartment by Jamie Drake

William Waldron Photographer

Minimal New York City apartment

Nikolas Koenig Photography

Milly de Cabrol decorates a NYC loft

William Waldron Photographer

Furniture Fridays

Hello and welcome to another wonderful end of the week instalments of Furniture Fridays.  Today I am thrilled to have Milda from Margas with us.  Milda has an incredible eye for design and her posts are always thoughtful, inspiring and beautiful to look at.  Living in Kaunas, Lithuania, she is the voice behind this wonderful blog as well as a fashion journalist and stylist.  Please stop by her blog as it really is inspiring, and enjoy her ever wonderful selection below. Thanks and have a great weekend!

About me

I am a fashion journalist and stylist, but my passion for interior design lately has been eclipsing everything else. I write the Margas blog in order to educate myself about interior design and share the things I find interesting with others.

About an iconic design piece

When Anna asked me to contribute to her blog writing about my favorite piece of iconic furniture design, my mind went blank. The thought of having to choose ONE item was horrifying!

So I thought about my favorite Mies Van der Rohe’s chairs, and Hans Wegner’s, and Niels O. Møllers, then about tables, then sofas…and ended up with a lamp. Don’t ask. It just felt right at this point in time – maybe because I am on the hunt for lamps for my living room. The ‘Arco’ design by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos (1962) is instantly recognizable. The elegant arch, the luxurious marble – I’d call it an aristocratic piece of design (the marble bit really does it for me; I’m slightly marble-crazy).

‘Arco’ is also aristocratic for another reason – you can’t really put it in a small room… It needs space! I like to imagine this lamp in an Italian palazzo with really tall ceilings and modernist furniture; they go together like salt and pepper. That is not to say that ‘Arco’ is not practical. Apparently, Achille Castiglioni designed it when he grew frustrated with ceiling lamps. Big as it is, ‘Arco’ is a real multi-tasker: you can use it to light your work desk or dinner table or reading nook.

Yes, this lamp has been slightly over-used and over-copied, as have all design classics. But its elegance is timeless and I would totally like to have one in my living room. Thank you for inviting me to be your blog-guest, Anna!