interior design Archives - Page 10 of 20

High Point Market Highlights | Bernhardt

All it took was one look at this first furniture grouping in the Bernhardt showroom and I felt like I was home. The “northern inspired” room felt like Canadiana-meets-Brian-Gluckstein in the best way possible. A sophisticated library with elegant pieces, unexpected lines and all kinds of warm textures in the wool, plaids, leathers and faux fur, this room really left me wanting to curl up and pull a book off the shelf and stay awhile!

The modern wingback chair {above} with it’s sculptural shape, refined arm and nailhead detail was instantly one of my favourite pieces, and it sits like a dream. This is a piece that could be upholstered a thousand ways that would all be nothing short of gorgeous. As I’ve said before, if you get the lines right on a piece, you can really do anything with it, and this brilliant design from Bernhardt is a perfect example of that design lesson. This chair could easily be taken in a more contemporary Dwell kind of direction with a bright orange velvet and no nailheads, but it would be equally at home in the pages of Traditional Home upholstered in dove grey mohair or a sumptuous leather as it is shown above.

In a moment of “Mad Men meets JayZ” magic, this furniture grouping {above} had me swooning and singing along to a Sinatra/Justin Timberlake mash-up in a New York minute. The brass edging on that coffee table is so irresistibly precise yet so sexy and modern, and the warmth of all that chocolate brown makes me feel like I’ve just been dipped in a visual fondue. The brass frame on the armless chairs feels as though it has an aviator reference, and this is one furniture set I could buy off the showroom floor. As you know, that is saying a lot coming from me. Major kudos to the design team at Bernhardt for this sexy stroke of genius.

I also fell in love with this horn rimmed arm chair, shown here upholstered in hair-on-hide leather {and below in an elegant and refined warm white}. The “horn” is actually moulded resin, but the patina and finish are so realistic I found myself wondering for a brief moment how on earth Bernhardt could reproduce this chair out of natural horn so consistently!

Speaking of hair-on-hide, these next two pieces {below} had me biting my palm and creating my own personal wish list. The warmth and sophistication that these pieces illicit are an intelligent juxtaposition to the often rustic feel of hair-on-hide, and the elegant simplicity of their lines elevates them entirely. They offer the perfect rustic modern statement for a myriad of spaces, all of which I want to design.

Speaking of elegant lines, this feminine and delicately proportioned tub chair {below} is a quiet, classic beauty that totally caught my eye. I love the bamboo frame in the brushed platinum finish, and again, it sits like a dream. A pair of these chairs would make such a refined and inviting sitting area in a master bedroom retreat.

I can’t begin to showcase the vastness of the lines offered by Bernhardt {all executed with exquisite craftsmanship}, but this next vignette should give you some idea of the diversity and beauty of their offerings.

The bone inlay marquetry is stunning, isn’t it? The coffee table {below} is such a gorgeous statement piece in the striking blue that I predict will be the colour of the year for 2014. And those creamy faux fur “Wooly Mammoth” stools? Well they just feel fresh, hip, fun and fabulous in their simplicity, like a pair of Gorusch Mia Paris Boots.

Bernhardt definitely presented one of my favourite showrooms, marrying quality, design and craftsmanship into incredible lines to suit almost any interior. Thank you to Stephanie and her amazing team for such gracious hospitality and endless inspiration!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 20th, 2013|1 Comment

High Point Market Highlights | Wesley Hall

One of the things I loved about exploring the showrooms at High Point Market was discovering the diverse “personalities” of the lines that were presented. Each showroom definitely had its own mood or vibe, and I would describe the vibe at Wesley Hall as sexy. Why sexy? Because more than anything, I fell in love with the curves and sumptuous lines of their pieces. I’m kind of a curvy girl myself I’d say, so it felt like they were speaking my language! And the truth is, if you get the lines of a piece right you can really upholster it in anything and take it in a thousand directions that will all end in fabulous.

Here are my top four picks from their new releases at this October’s Market:

ONE: The Barber Curved Banquette is all kinds of femme-glam with her hourglass figure and her button tufting and nailhead trim details. This is the kind of piece I would build a sophisticated breakfast nook around as the heart of a happy home. Here’s a shot of her live and in person nestled up to a round dining table in the showroom:

TWO: The Sway Accent Ottoman feels like it is extending an invitation to me to have my backside cradled by the warm embrace of its contoured shape. I look at it and immediately want to sit on it with the feeling that the curvaceousness of my badonkadonk will not be judged, but rather welcomed into a piece that was designed just for me and my backside. Any piece of furniture that can make me feel like being curvy is where it’s at has my number. I loved seeing this piece upholstered in this chartreuse chevron {below} in the showroom. Dee-lish.

THREE: The Foster Tufted Sofa is a beautiful marriage of traditional and modern. The tufted back and roll arms feel very debonaire English traditional, while the fully upholstered deck and legs and the nailhead detail that highlight them have a very modern edge, making this the perfect transitional sofa. I also kind of want to bite my palm seeing it finished in that decadent navy velvet. Truly a forever investment piece, Foster is the kind of handsome gentleman I would love to see with a dashing twin, the pair facing one another and flanking an oversized and dramatic fireplace.

FOUR: The Dunham Bench? Well, she’s got legs, and she knows how to use them. Between her leggy details, her button tufting and the gorgeous trim details {all customizable, of course} she is my kind of girl. I also fell in love with her kissing cousin, the Dunham Ottoman {shown below bunched as a group of four for a flexible, functional and fabulous alternative to a coffee table. Don’t you just love the contrast between the velvet and the linen? Yummy.}.

There were many other pieces in the Wesley Hall collection that put a glimmer in my eye, and my guess is they’ll be showing up in future posts. I’m also particularly intrigued by the rumour that headboards are in Wesley Hall’s fabulous future. I will most definitely be keeping my eyes open for that kind of gorgeousness when it makes its debut!

Hope this finds you warm and well on this Wednesday morning. Thank you, Wesley Hall, for such sexy and sumptuous inspiration to get our motors running!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 13th, 2013|1 Comment

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: