There’s something really transformational happening with traditional furnishings — they’re going modern. Are modern furnishings going traditional? To some extent yes. While “modern” adds on curlicues and flowers, “traditional” peels away excesses of ornamentation. I guess it had to go that way. I mean where could over-the-top embellishment go but the other way — towards [ read more… ]
Medallions have been around a long time for upholstery fabrics. The new ones come in fresh colors, are overscaled, Asian-derived or intricately woven, appliqued and embroidered. The word means anything that looks like a medal or coin.
Our living spaces have evolved rapidly in only a few decades. A vintage home with formal parlor, small kitchen, d tiny closets and formal living room shrunk down to the size of an atrophied limb, would never recognize its second or third generation descendant with wide-open kitchen, walk-in closets and enormous bathroom. So what will [ read more… ]
Back in the seventies, a group of architects known as “the Whites” built homes, offices and schools that became instant icons of the 20th century. Complicated combinations of cubes and rectangles were interconnected with stairways made of tubular steel, all of it coated in a single shade of purest white inside and out. Today’s modernists [ read more… ]
White is not an absolute. In the shadows it becomes blue in the daytime, pink in the sunset and charcoal at night. It shows the outlines of objects in sharp relief, which is why it is the universal background color in museums and galleries. It has no particular mood, lends no softening touch. It is [ read more… ]
So, I was mentioning how wood, natural and carved, is getting attention these days. Here is a wood-grained fabric that is intriguing and handsome. I love it paired with this shimmering Asian-inspired print. Are we going to see padded fabric china cabinets and dressers next? I’m going to show you more new fabrics from the [ read more… ]
It’s that time again. No more halter tops and sparkly sandals — now it’s all about layers and tweeds. No more sprawling on the deck and sleeping in –– now we have schedules and snapping to attention. Cider and ginger cookies will show up on store shelves and in furniture, the popular item is LEATHER.
