I'm back from my whirlwind adventure to
Highpoint Market week which was so incredibly fun but also
highly educational (pun intended)!
The talk of market seemed to be the new line of
Ralph Lauren lighting (which I was sad not to see for myself) as well as the new line of AMAZING furniture for
Theodore Alexander designed by the history savvy and passionate
Keno brothers of Antiques Roadshow fame; also - the return of claw and ball feet, even on very modern pieces. The Keno line has not officially launched but believe me when I tell you that you will be blown away; not just by the quality but by the incredible design, a reinterpretation of mid century modern. The brothers chose the company for their line because of TA's exceptional quality and old world contruction techniques out of Vietnam.
I also fell in love with a few pieces of furniture for myself (oh to have a bigger apartment and larger bank account!). I am having an affair with a chair: the Louis XVI square back chair from
Hickory Chair. Most notedly in the weathered mineral gray finish seen above with ivory stripe and a blue ultra-suede upholstery (just in case those fine folks want to send me this sample, hehe). It was probably the most beautiful chair I have ever seen and I felt it could have been inspired by the great Jansen and classic French 40s design. Look forward to a future post on this great company right here.
I also loved nearly every piece in the Grand Tour line at
Century. The textures and quality really just blew me out of the water; I was even stuck oohing and aawing while the rest of the tour group ran on ahead! I'll definitely be showing you more from Century soon as well.
We were able to meet with the adorable
Bunny Williams and see her new pieces from
BeeLine home. There are a few new pieces I'm sure you'll be seeing EVERYWHERE very soon such as this Swedish cupboard below.
In practical applications, we were fascinated by the technology being incorporated into furniture at
Sligh. Media centers which look like fine antiques caught my attention. These hide all of your nasty cords and machinery behind fine wood doors and traditional design and operate through smart eye technology. They even ventilate the insides of cabinets much like a CPU so your equipment doesn't fry. They had some great office solutions too: stylish and practical; who says office furniture has to be ugly?
The folks at
Hooker Furniture are shaking off their traditional image and creating some amazingly cute new pieces at very affordable prices. I think you'll be seeing a lot of them in the future -especially some of the quirkier finds that they feel appeal to a younger demographic like these chairs below.
Not everyone was as friendly as the above mentioned companies however. We had a bit of a run-in at one of my favorite furniture companies (where I've encouraged friends and clients to spend a LOT of money in the past) which shall remain nameless but you can probably guess who they are from the photo below. Social media is here to stay and companies need to
keep up. Oh and also don't piss off a tired group of design bloggers because you'll hear about it again!
Everything you hear about market is true: wear
comfortable shoes as it's enormous, book your hotel room months in advance so you're not stuck miles away, the parties are so much fun you'll never want to leave and you'll be seeing
old friends as well as make many
new ones (compare it to an adult summer camp for designers perhaps?) If you made it to High Point this year, what were your favorites?
Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event at a house which is stuck in time; 1898 to be precise, the last time anything had been changed.
The little girl's room had dolls set out for a tea party which was pretty charming (although reminded me a bit of a horror movie!).
The walnut paneled library at Filoli was the favorite of everyone on the tour, including our guide! The room is a copy of the library at Denham Place, England and was purchased before the house was even built by Mr Bourn. The intricate carvings depict roses, tulips, and daisies intertwined with leaves.
I think the reason it remains so popular is it feels the most like a home; it's personal. The room is littered with family portraits including this sketch by Sargent on the wall, above. Also, there is just something about a room filled with books, don't you think? I believe the saying "never trust anyone who doesn't have books in their house". 
The Isfahan patterned carpet in the room has a vivid history. It formerly lived at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, after having been woven in Agra, India especially for Queen Victoria. It is one of the items original to the house, having been purchased by the Bourns.
Here is a delightful 
The table is a perfect example of the Louis XVI style. It is symmetrical and rectilinear; and outlined in gilt bronze rope beading. 
A parquetry trellis pattern covers the tabletop, fenced three-quarters by a gilt bronze gallery.
On the table’s sides, gilt bronze bas-relief putti play musical instruments in the clouds, flanked by “grills” of alternating palmettes and fluting. 
Two-toned parquetry echoing the tabletop edge lends depth to the tapered legs, which terminate in gilt bronze leaf-cast sabots. In a candlelit palace, the elegant table would shimmer in delicate golden outline. _end.jpg)
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette idealized virtue, simplicity and reason. They associated these ideals with the ancient Romans. In furniture design, Roman motifs like fluting, putti and acanthus leaves symbolized these ideals. The symbolism was ironic in the context of the controversially lavish royal lifestyle. 
Marie Antoinette’s writing table (Widener Collection 1942.9.407) is on display in 
