OUTDOOR FURNITURE: THE COLOR AND THE SHAPE

Photo Courtesy of QDG Design
The Lorenzo Bench
Adorable and fun metal furniture in snazzy colors add a smile to your garden and outdoor space. The circular motif and loopy openwork add a dash of 1950's. Designed by New Hampshire gardener Nan Quick, available through Joe Nye New York, choose your paint color from Dark Lilac to Creamy Chartreuse. 6-8 week lead times apply, but it is worth the wait for the 15 gorgeous colors offered. Contact Joe Nye New York to order yours for the season. Hurry!

Photo Courtesy of QDG Design
The Lorenzo Chair


Photo Courtesy of QDG Design
The Lorenzo Side table

Photo Courtesy of QDG Design
The Lorenzo Table and Chairs

Photo Courtesy of Currey and Company
A table with a point of view and a personality is a good thing to find. The Dynasty Collection from Currey and Company incorporates asian influence in metal furniture and lighting. Go all out and do silver paper walls and a Vermillion gros point rug! The red finish make them pop, and ideal statement pieces.

Photo Courtesy of Currey and Company
Use these tables inside or out, they would look great with upholstered furniture covered in brights.

Photo Courtesy of Currey and Company
Just the right proportion without going overboard. Find out how where to get the pieces from this collection at Currey and Company

LA SHOPS: CHECKING IN ON THE WEST COAST

Just back...
When I am in LA, I always like to do La Cienega Boulevard, the design street of West Hollywood. This area is home to many great antique and home furnishing stops, from mid-century modern to American antiques. Interior designers and home furnishing shop owners in this area have a nose for finding the most charming ivy covered spots with architectural details befitting of a home store. I have included other must visits in and around the area.

I cannot resist sharing the latest with you...



Mecox
Mecox Gardens huge shop here has beautiful large scale pieces tucked in with great mirrors, side tables, candle sticks and pillows.

Mecox
Merchandised so well you want to move in. A mix of great home fragrances, pretty frames, serving trays and bird prints jump off the shelves . Easy chic living is what you will always find here. This is not a store you leave empty handed.

Photo Courtesy of Chapman Radcliff
Ruthie Sommers cottage, located at 517 North La Cienega Blvd. Chapman Radcliffe is a must visit. The crisp red awning and American flag lure you out of your car.

Photo Courtesy of Chapman Radcliff
Stop in for a selection of brightly painted pieces covered in bold prints. Ruthie scours the country for fun finds.

Photo Courtesy of Chapman Radcliff
The pieces change often, so you may find a red chinoiserie fretwork piece one week and a fun turquoise chair the next.

Photo Courtesy of Lee Stanton
Further down the road at 769 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Lee Stanton has wonderful 17th, 18th and 19th century British and European antiques. Fun objects and a great ability to show everything in an inviting way are Lee signatures.

Lee Stanton
This large Empire Mirror is from France, Circa 1810. This is what you come here for. View antiques and the upholstery line at Lee Stanton Antiques

Lee Stanton
Upholstered pieces are covered in white muslin to best appreciate the forms, and many are part of the Lee Stanton Home collection of his own design.

Therien
An old theatre once occupied this lush via courtyard. This quiet setting, removed from the boulevard, is befitting the grand antiques behind the large doors. Therien and Co. at 716 North La Cienega Blvd. Peruse the selection offered in both LA and San Francisco online at Therien


A pair of 19th Century Edwardian Mahogany and Parcel Gilt Revolving Bookcases steal the show. Exquisite period antiques, 20th Century designs and modern pieces are offered in the buildings surrounding the courtyard.


NEW ON THE SCENE:


Hollywood at Home, at 606 North Almont, is Peter Dunham's new interiors shop. Located next to his design studio, he is tucked into a charming courtyard behind Nathan Turner Antiques.

Photo Courtesy of Hollywood at Home
Welcome home. Casual and comfortable are the buzz words here-- the living is easy. Peter finds lovely pieces and covers them in charming fabrics. Get directions from Hollywood at Home

Photo Courtesy of Hollywood at Home
This gem of a shop offers antiques with a personality, and the fabrics to help bring out the best in a room.


Photo Courtesy of Hollywood at Home
Peter carries his own prints and textile collection along with editor-turned-fabric maven Carolina Irving's collection.

Photo Courtesy of Hollywood at Home
Adorable. Everyone needs a bobbin chair.

Dan Marty
Yes, more too-cute-for words, another adorable spot! Dan Marty has three LA locations, where casual chic reigns. This is the 7421 Beverly Boulevard shop.

Dan Marty
The Beverly location is a warren of rooms, each with a blue and white, nautucal or cabinet of curiosity feel. To see more, visit Dan Marty Design

Hollyhock
Suzanne Reinstein, doyenne of the LA design scene attracts shoppers in the know. Her southern hospitality is felt in the old post office space Hollyhock occupies. The former studio of Tony Duquette (LA set and home design royalty) located at 817 Hilldale Avenue is filled with wonderful vignettes. Suzanne has a keen color sense for what feels warm and inviting. She frequently rearranges the environment as designers are wont to do! The backdrop changes from saffron to red to greige frequently. What fun to have such a great space as a design laboratory.

Hollyhock
Garden furniture, hostess gifts and objets from around the globe entice. Check in often so you do not miss new arrivals.
Online at Hollyhock Inc.

So many favorite places so little time. More to come on other spots I love-- Zelen Home, Turpan at the Brentwood Country Mart, Deborah Sharpe Linens...

MOTHER KNOWS BEST AND DESERVES IT

Giving the gift of flowers is a great idea for Mother's Day. Gorgeous blooms, saturated color and a reusable container are reasons to go with an arrangement from 1-800 Flowers.com. Their assortments are not the mail order flowers of yore.

Photo Courtesy of 1-800 Flowers.com
Martha Stewart for 1-800 Flowers.com offers the Vibrant Ranunculus Bouquet . What a show stopper.


Photo Courtesy of 1-800 Flowers.com
There is nothing as wonderful as fresh flowers. But getting them by mail and having them look this good--that is really a treat. This elegant, leaf wrapped Sprbet arrangement designed by 1800 Flowers is waiting for you to order it. Get yours now and get a discount!!!!

Click on this:

1-800 Flowers

SHOPPING: THE PINK DOOR IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

Just back....
FINALLY, I had time to journey away from the epicenter of High Point Furniture Market to hit something off the beaten path. The market was good to attend, but it is nice to break away from the showrooms.
It was well worth it. Interior designer Joe Nye took me to this mecca of antiques and home furnishings. This charmer is graciously filled to the rafters with great hostess gifts, pillows, lamps and marvelous antiques, culled from buying trips to Palm Beach and southern plantations.



The entrance to The Pink Door oozes southern hospitality, as does the owner, Glenn Lavinder.








Color, color and more color, the secret to happiness!





The interior is composed of winding rooms, filled with tole flowers, blue and white china, Porthault towels, good design books and furniture covered in Brunshwig, Scalamandre and Colefax fabrics. Seeing a home shop this well edited and merchandised to the hilt in NC was a treat. You might just want to move in.
Down the hall, Glenn runs a bustling design business, where his works with clients all over the country. He frequently travels to New York and Florida to see what is in the air, and then taps into that wanderlust with his cache for display.

Check this gem out when you are in North Carolina, it will be worth it! Right off the highway in Greensboro, look for the awnings and pink door at 1705 Battleground Avenue, and call ahead for directions, 336-273-3700.

CHINOISERIES: PAVILIONS AND GARDEN FOLLIES

The long awaited gently- priced version of Bernd Dams and Andrew Zega's Chinoiseries book is finally here! Highly detailed paintings of 42 pavilions and garden follies are captured in exquisite detail from 17th and 18th Century French fancies. These structures are no longer standing and many were never built, making them that much more exciting to study on the printed page. I am thinking about getting a series framed to hang in a quadrant an the wall.

Photo Courtesy of Rizzoli
The highly decorated surfaces of the chinoiserie-inspired structures harken back to a gilded world, where an outbuilding could serve the sole purpose of delighting the owner's eye. Intricate frettework, climbing floral vines and curving roof lines are captured down to the smallest detail. Available now from Rizzoli

Photo Courtesy of Velum
Blanc de chine with lattice texture and figural relief capture the essence of chinoiserie. Place these on your mantel or as a decorative element on shelves. Make them stand out by placing them against a bright background. Find out where you can purchase from Vellum New York


This charming Quadrille print captures the idylic chinoiserie landscape, palm fronds and a folly. The soothing tropical melon color would look right on a sun porch wicker chair.

MID CENTURY MODERN

Modernism is hot, and here are two ways to learn and acquire.
Read Vintage Furniture Collecting and Living with Modern Design Classics by Fay Sweet coming out in May, and attend The Sollo Rago Modern Annex Auction.

Check out the terrific vintage pieces being offered in the Sollo Rago 20th Century Two-day Modern sale in Lambertville New Jersey from April 12-13th. April 12th is the Dorsey Reading sale --a must visit for collectors, as it will offer a pristine collection of Paul Evans furniture, with some Phillip Lloyd Powell. Dorsey worked along side Evans from 1959 on, and has amassed a very unique collection. Some of the hot pieces include this divine cabinet shown below.

To find out more, Sollo Rago is located at 204 North Union Street, Lambertville NJ. For more information phone 609-397-9374 or visit www.ragoarts.com

Photo Courtesy of Sollo Rago
Lot 100 Paul Evans Two-door vertical Sculpture Front cabinet, vibrantly patinated with edges trimmed in 23K gold-leaf, the red-washed interior with three gold-leaf drawers and numerous compartments, 1972. (From the collection of Dorsey Reading.) Signed Paul Evans '72 D. 82" x 36" x 20" $80,000 - $120,000

Photo Courtesy of Conde Nast Archive Corbis

With the current craze for mid-century modern furniture, it helps to learn a thing or two about what you like and want to buy.
Fay Sweet, an authority on modern design, digs into early and mid-century modernism, highlighting iconic furniture pieces and their designers. Period interiors enhance the pages, seeing furniture in this context is inspiring. Design greats, 20 of whom are profiled, are recognized for their contribution to the way the world looks at form and function through furnishings. Beginning in the 1950's, the book takes us to new millennium collectables like the now classic Ron Arad and Marcel Wanders pieces. A helpful collecting guide offers purchasing insights, and how to buy at auction. If you did not major in art history, this is a good book to add to your library. It comes out in May from Antique Collectors Club.

Photo Courtesy of Getty
Italian design giant Gio Ponti takes a break from designing the Super Leggera chair (possibly) to smile for the camera.

Get your Charles and Ray Eames,Arne Jacobsen and Verner Panton fix.

NEW ACCESSORIES FROM VICTORIA HAGAN FOR TARGET

Good things come to those who wait. For those awaiting more great designs from the highly successful Victoria Hagan collection for Target, the goods are here! Below is a selection of a few outstanding pieces:


Photo Courtesy of Target
The Bethel cut corner mirror from Victoria Hagan for Target has great style. The black is a versatile color that can be used in any setting. The Regency influence comes across in the unique form.

Photo Courtesy of Target
One can never own enough bowls. I love this artisan piece. It reminds me of early American pottery and the blue design makes it fresh.

Photo Courtesy of Target
The Jackson Book Table would look great piled high with the latest design books. The clean outline and easy size would work well in an entryway as a console or, get two and put them together behind a long sofa.