If you saw the last post on the blog, I showed you some beautiful museum quality furniture produced by Frank Pollaro Frank recently sent me some photos showing me the path that the ancient logs of Macassar ebony take to reach his workshop in New Jersey. These will help you to understand how truly rare the wood is that passes Mr. Pollaro’s inspection for his furniture. And you will see why it takes so long and is so costly to make very custom furniture. Continue reading 'Pollaro Acquires Rare Cache of Macassar Ebony'»
Last Week I was in Los Angeles getting caught up on the latest of all that is chic in design and visiting my favorite resources for innovative furnishings. I love to visit LA and often stay at the Hotel Bel Air. There is just something about those swans! Continue reading 'Ruhlmann at the Bel Air Hotel'»
Art and Antiques, Artisans, Exquisite furnishings
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Art Deco, Art Deco Furniture, Contemporary design, custom furniture, Custom woodworking, E.J. Ruhlmann, Frank Pollaro, Hotel Bel Air, Interior design, Legal Ivory, Los Angeles, luxury interiors, Modern design, Ruhlmann
One of my favorite vendors in the SF Bay Area is a stone carver by the name of Nathan Hunt, of Hunt Studios. Nathan grew up in Southwest England. He started his career as a stonemason at the Exeter cathedral when he was only 15. His apprenticeship in the churches and cathedrals of England taught him not only the technical skills required to cut stone, but showed him the very important ideas about classical architecture, scale and proportion. He eventually worked on castles and palaces and also on Princess Diana’s memorial. Continue reading 'Bay Area’s Best Stone Carver'»
That’s what he says about his outdoor furniture. That’s his tag line. And that’s a point of view I agree with.
A friend recently sent me an email update. She was at a party, and a young man was there who was an outdoor furniture designer. He had brought several pieces along with him for the crowd to enjoy. She loved them so much that she sent the catalog to me since she knows I love messing with traditional furnishings to make them fresh. Continue reading '“Not Your Momma’s Wicker!”'»
Artisans, Contemporary Home, custom furnishings, luxury interiors, Modern design
| custom furniture, Custom outdoor furniture, indoor wicker, Jason Champion, Jason Champion Outdoor, Modern wicker, Wicker, Wicker furniture
I was contacted recently to bid on the interior design and decorating of a new European chateau style estate that is being built here in California. Thinking about the possibility of the project, I began formulating ideas to create the perfect space. Where would I begin? Then I remembered a set of beautiful carved panels that I had seen at an antique show.
Continue reading 'Reclaimed Elegance'»
Art and Antiques, Artisans, Exquisite furnishings, luxury interiors, Modern design, Once in a Lifetime
| Andre Arbus, Antiques, Axel Vervoordt, Belgian design, Gilbert Poillerat, Interior design, luxury interiors, Modern Chateau, Tom Dixon
A book I am currently enjoying is India Contemporary
by Henry Wilson. India, with its fast rising economy and burgeoning middle class, has developed a breadth of design styles, retaining its history of arts and crafts while embracing modernity.
The traditional jali or pierced screen used on windows is reimagined in an ingenious “bamboo” pattern and fabricated of metalwork.
Always deeply creative in its arts, the new designs fast forward the tribal traditions to the present.
Here a courtyard is painted by a Madhubani tribal artist, taking ancient folk art and adapting it for today…
…the same tradition is made glamorous in a gold-leafed mural in this entrance.
India was never shy with its colors. As Diana Vreeland famously said, “Pink is India’s navy blue”. Rich and wonderful color combinations enliven the designs of everything from India.
A balcao (covered walkway) in Goa is perfectly charming due to its colors and lush greenery.
A very striking modern home made of concrete, stone and wood consciously focuses on indigenous contemporary arts.
Here, traditional black and white herringbone tile floors, classic furnishings in neutral colors, and old wooden doors from a private prayer room create a bold and modern look.
Maybe this is one of the reasons why the country has been known as “Mother India”, its very nature is one of creativity and a great valuing of the arts.
All the best to you,
Jane
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Artisans, Contemporary Home, ethnoglamour, Exquisite furnishings, luxury interiors, Modern Art, Modern design, Textiles
| Henry Wilson, India, India contemporary, Indian interiors, Interior design, Madhubani Tribal Art, Modern India
During a recent trip to Napa Valley, I stopped into Caldwell Snyder Gallery in St. Helena, (they also have locations in San Francisco and New York), and there I found a wonderful artist from Spain who I would like you to know about.
The artist I am so taken with is Regina Saura. She is from the Ampudan region of Spain where she lives with her husband and daughter. Her work is fresh, vibrant and lively. It fits perfectly with the latest taste in classical interiors, which honors the comforts of tradition, but invigorates the spaces with a nod to the modern. She works in mixed media, with collage on top of paint, and text -stream of consciousness poetry -added last. Her colors are radiantly harmonious. The lines are simple and sure. Continue reading 'A Favorite Spanish Artist'»
Art and Antiques, Artisans, Contemporary Home, Modern Art
| Art collecting, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Contemporary Art, Contemporary Spanish Art, Modern Spanish Art, Northern California Galleries, Regina Saura, Spanish Art, Spanish Artists, St. Helena galleries, Toulouse-Latrec
I just had a minute to go through my stack of design magazines that are waiting patiently for me to give them some attention. And there I found the February edition of Italian AD (Architectural Digest). On the front cover was the following: “Trend: Design etnico”. Now, I don’t speak Italian, but I knew enough to translate that into a confirmation of my blog titled “Ethnoglamour, is it a trend?”. So now we know for sure, yes, it is a trend! And you heard it here first…….
All the best to you,
Jane
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Art and Antiques, Artisans, Contemporary Home, ethnoglamour, luxury interiors, Modern design
| Architectural Digest, Contemporary Home, ethnoglamour, Interior design, Italian Arcitectural Digest, Modern design, Modern interiors
One of my many passions is mid-century Parisian furniture! When given the opportunity to incorporate an exquisite piece from that era into a design I am working on, my heart races with anticipation. However, as is often the case, modifications must be considered. You see, often times I find the scale of mid-century pieces a bit off for the larger homes here in Woodside and Atherton where I create many of my interior designs. Continue reading 'My Mid-Century Affair'»
Art and Antiques, Artisans, Contemporary Home, custom furnishings, Exquisite furnishings, luxury interiors, Modern design
| Andre Arbus, Doug Salin, ebony furniture, Gilbert Poillerat, Jacgues Arnet, Jean-Louis Gaillemin, Jules Leleu, La maison Dominique, Les decorateurs des annees 40, LXRossi, Mid-Century Parisian, Paris, Parisian design, Parisian interiors, Ruhlmann
At the Tribal Art and Textile Show in San Francisco this past weekend, I was surprised by the number of dealers there from Europe. Brussels, Paris and Munich were well represented. The items available from the Europeans were fabulous African carvings, Persian rugs, and Aboriginal carvings and textiles. Continue reading 'Tribal Art and Textiles'»
Art and Antiques, Artisans, Contemporary Home, ethnoglamour, Exquisite furnishings, Modern design, Textiles
| ethnoglamour, Gail Martin Gallery, Textile design, Tribal Art, Tribal Art and Textile Show, Tribal textiles
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