High Point Market Archives - Page 2 of 3

High Point Market Highlights | Madcap Cottage

Remember that announcement I made last week about the death of the matching furniture set? Well today’s post is an expansion on that announcement if you will. Today’s announcement?

Quirky is the new cool.

Yep, it’s true. In a design world where we now value personal expression over fitting in, a little quirk, a little whimsy and a heaping dose of the unexpected is just what the design doctor ordered, and the delightful gents at Madcap Cottage are leading the charge.

Decorating with pattern and creating a bespoke, unexpected mix with unique vintage finds are two of the hallmarks of John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon’s design aesthetic, and the Madcap Cottage booth in the Antique & Design Center showed off their signature style with aplomb. In fact, there are 3 Design Lessons that I think we should all take note of today as we enjoy these snapshots of their booth.

DESIGN LESSON #1 : EMBRACE PATTERN AND COLOUR

Can you say “pattern on pattern?” It’s de rigeur for this daring duo, whose fearless use of florals, geometrics, tribal patterns and colour is innately charming and all kinds of throwback fresh with an au courant edge that places them squarely on my “must watch” list. Like a box of decadent French bon bons, they never seem to stop at “just one” with their use of patterns and prints.

Take for example some of the details in this vignette. Thibaut’s Bungalow wallpaper from their new Resort Collection makes for a a cheery “hello” yellow backdrop to the grouping pictured above and below, and the Michael Taylor for Baker Furniture asian sofa pictured in this vignette is available through the Madcap Cottage 1st Dibs store here. Love the pillows? Then you’ll definitely want to check out the complete Madcap Cottage pillow collection.

I also loved the faux bamboo barrel back chair {below} that sat opposite the asian sofa in this grouping, yet another example of Jason and John’s unabashed use of pattern. I mean, pink leopard with a vintage floral on a faux bamboo chair, all sitting on a vintage kilim rug? Come. On.

DESIGN LESSON #2 : EXPRESS YOUR PERSONALITY WITH VINTAGE PIECES

Seems I wasn’t the only one making a beeline for the delightfully unexpected inspiration awaiting in the charming Madcap Cottage booth. In fact, I had to pause and stop at another booth on my way just so that I wouldn’t feel as though I was stalking Tobi Fairley {pictured below perusing the Madcap collection}. I was coming straight from Tobi’s session on the business of design that she had just finished delivering, and the session was packed with valuable insights on the changing landscape of the design industry.

I love the canopy cain chair that Tobi Style Spotted. It was my favourite piece in the booth as well, and I particularly love the hot coral piping on the Tony Duquette upholstery. Delicieux.

The Madcap Cottage booth was of course brimming with all sorts of amazing vintage finds just waiting to infuse your home with that quirky and unexpected “something” you’ve been searching for.

How charming is the Vintage Carousel Light {pictured above}? It’s got enough personality in and of itself to launch the design of an entire room. If only I didn’t already have a light fixture and design direction for the nursery this would have made the perfect jumping-off point!

DESIGN LESSON #3 : GALLERY GROUPINGS ARE WHERE IT’S AT

Of all the reasons I love them, I think my fondness for the clever curators of the Madcap Cottage collection is rooted in our shared love of all things British. Scouring the globe for unique finds, these two gems spend a great deal of time on my “family island” of the UK, and it shows in the decidedly English dose of debonaire to be seen throughout their booth.

Don’t you just love the way Thibaut’s “Shore Thing” wallpaper creates a dramatic canvas for this gallery of British gents in all their finery?

More than just purveyors of vintage finds, custom furniture and a signature pillow collection, Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke also offer design services where you can see all three of today’s design lessons come to life. Just feast your eyes on their use of pattern, colour, vintage finds and gallery groupings in these refreshingly unique spaces:

Thank you, Jason and John, for the abundance of inspiration! It was a delight meeting you both, and I hope our paths will cross again soon.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 6th, 2013|0 Comments

High Point Market Highlights | Dunes and Duchess

Okay, okay. It was me. In the library. With the candlestick.

Remember that awesome game? I spent hours in my friend’s basement playing Clue as a kid, savouring not only the mystery of it, but also the scene that it painted in my vivid imagination. I don’t know if that’s how the game played out for other kids, but for me, I would envision the mansion and its various rooms in absolute detail. The wood paneling. The grand staircase. The massive doorways with transom windows above and the moody lighting throughout. And of course, that iconic candlestick.

As it turns out, that candlestick from my imagination exists in much happier form, brought to life by the dynamic duo at Dunes and Duchess. Yes, one could say that it is drop-dead gorgeous, but that’s as far as its weapon-like status extends.

{Hamptons Designer Showhouse | Interior Design by Mabley Handler}

The candlestick really is where it all began for photographer Michael Partenio and stylist and writer Stacy Kunstel. Their photography and styling work appears regularly on the covers of interior design magazines and books, and {starting with that candlestick} they have extended their visual iconography into the world of home décor product design. The Dunes and Duchess line has expanded significantly since the creation of that first candlestick, but it all holds true to a very clear and striking aesthetic. Form and colour are the two bold signatures of this collection, and each piece is a statement unto itself.

I adore the bold colour and high-gloss sheen of the wall sconces above, the perfect punctuation mark to make a striking statement flanking a bed or a dramatic piece of art.

Turns out Oprah loves Dunes and Duchess, too. They were featured in this August’s issue of O Magazine. The candelabra really did steal the show in this spread, don’t you think?

One of my favourite pieces from Market was this oversized floor lamp {don’t you love the navy?}. Its unusual height offers condo owners with concrete ceilings the opportunity to wash a room with light without having to opt for ugly track lighting everywhere. Brilliant.

{photo: The Curated House}

I also loved the sculptural simplicity of this etagère in canary yellow, one of the newer pieces in their collection.

{photo: The Curated House}

I hope Dunes and Duchess have inspired you with their bold and sexy use of shape and colour. I know they have me, and I look forward to the next project where I can feature one of their striking designs.

xo
s.

All images via Dunes and Duchess except where otherwise noted.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 31st, 2013|0 Comments

High Point Market Highlights | Luna Bella

I have an announcement to make: The days of the matching furniture set are gone.

Forever.

Six feet under.

Never to return.

We have come so far from our 1950’s model of interior design, haven’t we? Back then, it was desirable to have a home that looked just like your neighbour’s. I suppose in the post-war era we needed safe and predictable. Control and cookie-cutter-sameness were de rigeur.

I think we have shed a lot of fear since then. We’ve come through so much – triumph and tragedy – and in the process we’ve learned that our stories are what shape us. Real life is colourful, full of whimsy and embrace, and brimming with the unexpected, and we want to see that reflected in our homes. Interior design is no longer about predictability or “fitting in,” but about what is bespoke, custom and a true personal expression of who we are.

{Image Source}

Enter Luna Bella, a Nouveau Chic home furnishings design studio based just outside of Miami, Florida. With an aesthetic that truly defies category, they embody a luxurious modern eclecticism that ranges from the decadently chic to the industrial and even the classical. As I was drawn into their moody and beautifully curated booth, I felt as though I might just be walking into Johnny Depp’s lounge. Each vignette offered a compelling story, carefully composed with their exquisitely unique pieces.

Their dramatic light fixtures were definitely one of the showstoppers for me. Difficult to capture when traveling with only a 50mm lens, these fixtures are true statement pieces and often spectacularly long. I loved seeing them suspended over coffee tables to anchor a conversation area and dropped over dining tables to create sparkle and glamour. I would love to install one in a soaring two story stairwell and will be keeping my eye out for a project in need of some decadent and dramatic flair.

No detail has been left untouched with the Luna Bella collection. Artists and founders Nicolas Trujillo and Teresa Costa bring a distinctly unexpected and sophisticated aesthetic to their collection with their innovative use of materials, proportions, colours and textures.

{Can’t you just picture Johnny Depp sitting in this chair? I mean, seriously! It was made for him!}

Interior designers, rev your creative engines. Luna Bella definitely has something to offer that will help you curate the storied and unexpected moments of discovery you are longing to create for your next project. For more information on this exclusive collection, please email the Luna Bella team at info@lunabella.com.