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Brunschwig & Fils | Re-inventing Tradition

On my recent trip to New York City, I had the privilege and delight of visiting the creative design studio for Brunschwig & Fils. Recently purchased by Kravet, Brunschwig & Fils is one of the most renowned textile décor companies in the world. Their fabrics, wall coverings and furnishings have been used for generations in spaces as diverse as The White House and the Palace at Versailles to lovely English cottages and newly designed modern traditional homes. I was truly honoured to get a sneak peak behind the scenes of the Brunschwig & Fils design process and learn more about the future direction of this iconic company.

In purchasing Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet has truly maintained the integrity and history of the company while providing the infrastructure necessary for the countless historical documents within the collection to be revived and reinvented.

It is a delicate balance between honouring the history steeped into the prints themselves and the adventure of reinventing the fabrics in new colour ways, textures and weaves that will appeal to a modern clientele. The results are rather stunning, and in my opinion they are swinging the doors wide open to a much younger audience with their new collection.

I fell instantly head-over-heels for this gorgeous faux bois chenille in salmon {above}. Upholstered on an ottoman, a headboard or used as accent cushions {or for the bold and daring, upholstered on a sofa}, this would enrich and enliven any space, from modern to traditional.

I love this reinterpretation of the classic “Le Lac” chinoiserie – softer and more modern on linen rather than the traditional glazed chintz. This particular print dates all the way back to a 1775 French document, a decidedly European, romanticized portrait of life in China. The new modern colour way and weave speak to the longevity that is woven into the fabric of Brunschwig & Fils, right down to their motto: “Good design is forever.”

I hope you’ll indulge me with a decidedly un-designer reference on this next fabric, but the moment I laid eyes upon it I thought of Mary Poppins and her magical carpet bag. I would love to see this lucious weave combined with a distressed olive green leather – perhaps on a wingback chair similar to the one we all feel in love with from Coup D’Etat?

I wish you could feel the hand on this modern reinvention of the classic animal skin {above}. The weight and rich softness of the velvet are nothing short of luxurious.

From the fabrics being created to the work space itself, my visit to the design studios was nothing short of inspiring! My most sincere thanks to David, Jennifer, and the team at Brunschwig & Fils for your gracious hospitality.

For all of my designer friends who are in the Toronto area, you will definitely want to make it out to tomorrow night’s soirée at the Brunschwig & Fils showroom at 320 Davenport in Designer’s Walk. The doors open at 6pm for designers and architects to get an insider’s view to the stunning new collection over drinks, appetizers and the kind of hospitality for which the Kravet family are known. This event is not open to the public but is exclusive to the design trade.

Today I’ll be thinking about how I can honour history while embracing a spirit of adventure and possibility, weaving together the past and the present into a beautiful tapestry of self-expression. Thank you to the creative minds behind Brunschwig & Fils for inspiring this exploration!

Wishing you all a happy and inspired Tuesday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 27th, 2012|1 Comment

Make Something Mondays | Patrick Lajoie | The Lost Art of Photographic Transfers

My first introduction to photo transfer was on a trip to NYC many years ago. My husband and I were wandering through Soho with no particular agenda except to find inspiration around every corner. It was on a not-so-quiet side street that we stumbled upon a photographer offering her art to passers by for a mere $20. Using a vintage polaroid camera, she had us stand out in the street {surrounded by the hum of traffic} while she snapped our portrait. While the print developed, she carefully soaked her thick watercolour paper in water to prepare for the next step in the process. Once the print was ready, she removed the watercolour paper from the water, removed the protective film from the polaroid print, and quickly pressed them into one another, massaging the back of the polaroid with great fervour. When she peeled it back, the transfer that was left behind had a wonderfully vintage charm to it, revealing a portrait that is still one of my favourites of my husband and I to this day.

I admit that I haven’t really stumbled upon anyone doing photographic transfers with such elegance and charm since that memorable day in Soho. It seemed the art of photo transfer was lost to my world of wonder. Lost, that is, until last year’s Interior Design Show where I happily found Patrick Lajoie neatly tucked into a small end row booth presenting his art. A furniture maker by trade, Patrick had started to integrate his love of wood with his lifelong passion for photography, and the result is nothing short of lovely.

Of the many reasons I love Patrick’s work, one is his experimentation with scale. The first image above is my favourite {and is permanently on my wish list for Christmas or a birthday or an anniversary…really any occasion that might justify having it hanging over my fireplace!}. This piece is available in two sizes {6×36 and 11×60} in a limited edition series of 50 prints on wood panel. I adore the way the wood grain subtly reveals itself through the photograph, marrying its texture with the clouds in a way that charmingly belies the artist’s process.

I also love the vintage warmth and figurative subject matter of the second piece above, the out-of-focus photograph allowing a dream like remembering of a favourite day spent at the beach. The unexpected scale of these pieces feel like a narrow window into memories of days gone by, almost as if the viewer is squinting to see what it is they long to remember.

I think it is the dream-like state of remembering that I feel in Patrick’s work that has captured my heart and attention. I feel as though I can superimpose countless memories onto his images and linger there with nostalgic happiness.

Patrick is currently showing at Toronto’s One of A Kind Show {on until December 2nd} and his work can also be purchased through Art Interiors.

Happy Make Something Mondays!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 26th, 2012|0 Comments

Giving Thanks

Today being American Thanksgiving, I thought it appropriate to share my thoughts on gratitude. While those of you south of the border gather around the harvest table and give thanks for all that makes your lives abundant, my reflections will be quite simple. In fact, my gratitude can be summed up in two words: my family.

My amazing husband is truly my best friend and my partner in love and life. There’s nothing better than the kind of unconditional love that presses in through good and bad {and the truth is, we’ve had plenty of both}. He’s that kind of guy in spades, and I am very grateful for his love, encouragement and belief in me.

Our now nine-year-old and insanely tall, sweet boy has personality in spades and a wicked sense of humour. Life is just a bigger adventure with him in it, and his perspective continues to teach me to see the world with fresh eyes and a sense of possibility. I am a better person for being his mom.

We are all three very different personalities, really, representing a fascinating spectrum of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, pragmatism and dreaming, adventurous spirit and the need to just nest and snuggle at home and be together. I guess you could say that we are continuously finding a balance in the way we do life with each other, always learning and growing because of the way we give each other wings while being rooted and grounded in love.

If all I had was my sweet family, I would have enough. But I am blessed beyond that with amazingly supportive friends and creative collaborators who draw out the best in me {and I hope I do the same for them}. From friends who love to join me on foodie adventures in the kitchen, design excursions on the road, hands-on projects and spontaneous, creative discoveries to amazing talents like Gabriela Hansen who took these beautiful family photos for us this year, the simple truth is this: I. Am. Blessed.

As Marcel Proust said, “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” In this bountiful season of harvest, that is the garden most worthy of cultivation. So go love your people, friends. Let them know the difference they’ve made in your life. Plant seeds of hope. Harvest joy together. Give thanks by giving love, for it is the loved ones in our lives who make us who we are.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 22nd, 2012|1 Comment