Aluminum Christmas Trees

24 Dec

One of my biggest regrets in life (well, besides spending all that money on grad school), is selling my collection of aluminum Christmas trees.  I had them all — Duralite Pom Pom, Evergleam, Sparkler — and displayed my tinsel forest proudly, complete with rotating stands and color wheels. My friends all thought I was a little kooky, but now these same friends all ask where they can get those “cool metal trees that change colors.”

Of course I finally caved and let them go right before they became hot again. Ugh. I have the worst luck sometimes, like when I really thought WebTV was going to be the next big thing. But I digress.

I’ve been absent from blogging for a few months, mainly so I can focus on a complete redesign of the site and the business, which will include lots of new items.   I thank everyone for a great year, and as your gift for being good boys and girls, I present to you the Magical Aluminum Tree Forest:

Many aluminum trees utilized a rotating color wheel which projected colored light up through the tree from the floor. This circa 1960 aluminum tree is in the permanent collection of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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What I Love…

1 Aug

… this black and white dining room.  It’s perfection!

I rarely see a black –esp.high gloss– kitchen that looks so bright and chic, but I suppose this particular eat-in kitchen gets away with it because of its adjacency to so many windows.

And of course, there are those lovely white Panton S Chairs.  I love that the organic curves of the chair complement the clean lines of the dining table, the pendant lamps and that glossy black cabinetry!

The rest of the home is actually quite eccentric, save for the bedroom, which is as graphically decorated as this space (with a deeper color palette).  Plus, I think the home owner has a thing for black lamps…

james braund, via desire to inspire

The space was photographed by James Braund, who has a brilliant portfolio.

Found via, Desire to Inspire.

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Design Notebook: Union Jack Decor

27 Jul

With the Olympics starting this evening (so excited!), I thought about how chic the Union Jack always looks when used in home decor.  Compared to the Stars + Stripes, which can sometimes look a tad gauche I think, Union Jack almost always works when it’s used as a decorative accessory.  On that note, here is today’s Design Notebook, which features the Union Jack emboldened on everything from pillows to rugs, even dressers.

In this kid’s bedroom, Union Jack is used an art piece, continuing on the patriotic color palette of red, white and blue.  Bonus points for that white Eames Aluminum Office Chair!

via decor pad

Betsy Burnham’s Union Jack Dresser, which, when mixed with these other prints, looks really quite tasteful.

via decor demon

In this eclectic home, featured in last week’s DesignNotebook, is The Rug Company’s Jubilee Wall Hanging, designed by Lucinda Chambers.  Love the pop of yellow in the pillows, ottoman and Eames RAR Rocker!

modernica, via desire to inspire

These FLOR tiles are Born in the U.S.A but they’re a chic and graphic throwback to the Union Jack, aren’t they?

via flor

And if that is all too much for you, then a couple of throw pillows will do the trick!

driven by decor, via elle decor

Have a great weekend watching the Olympic Games, everyone!
Go U.S.A.!!

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Um….No

24 Jul

It’s difficult to think of situations in which it’s okay to use crushed velvet in one’s life.  I can’t think of any because there are none.  And so it goes without saying that there is really no excuse for THIS much crushed red velvet.  Red velvet bedding, red velvet pillows, red velvet swag lamp (!!!)…the sombrero is also probably made of red velvet.  And don’t get me started on the 80′s glamor mirror or that brass, umm, fixture (?).

via curbed

via Curbed

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Design Notebook: A Roundup of Quirky Mid-Century Modern

19 Jul

It occurred to me recently that some of my posts on quirky and eccentric interiors may make some of you interested in what I think is quirky.  Now, mid-century modern decor can often run the gamut from retro to ultra-cool (think Mad Men), but I prefer a more interesting look.

It’s often a mix of MCM pieces with some contempo/neo-trad thrown in for good measure,  tastefully mixed prints and patterns, and the home owner usually just has an eye for collecting vintage pieces with a bias towards MCM.

So, here’s a round-up of Quirky Mid-Century Modern homes:

Let’s start with this living room.  With its Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, it has loads of color, yellow Foo Dogs, a glass coffee table and a zebra print rug.  You can never go through with zebra or cowhide.

via estate eclectic

I clearly never tire of Eames.  Here’s a yellow Eames RAR Rocker in a colorful living room, with mostly yellow accents.  It’s an adorable mix of mid-century modern and vintage pieces that make this space great.

modernica, via desire to inspire

This space leans a bit towards retro, what with that orange refrigerator, but I love the color and playfulness of a copper Poul Henningsen Artichoke Lamp and William Platner Table and Chairs (orange!).

via porterhouse designs

This is quirkiness subdued.  Yellow Panton S Chair + white secretary desk + cute floral accents?  Very understated.

via hosue of anais

Finally, there’s Kyle DeWoody’s apartment that was recently featured in Vogue. That was the inspiration for this post.  It’s certainly not everyone’s taste, but her eclectic NYC home has pieces I’m sure everyone would love.

via vogue

So what do you folks think about quirky mid-century modern decor?  Yay or nay?

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What I Love…

17 Jul

…this apartment via Desire to Inspire.  It’s to die for.  While I wish there were more windows, or at least larger ones, the brick accent wall more than makes up for it.  I love an exposed brick wall!  Not only that, but it’s also a really eclectic and colorful fusion of mid-century modern and contemporary, with a little neo-trad thrown in for good measure.

From the Eames Lounge Chair and Noguchi Coffee Table to the Konstantin Grcic Stacking Chair…and the cowhide rugs!

I love it.  It’s a little weird, but it works.

the living room

via Desire to Inspire

What do you guys think?

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House Tour: Mid-Century Modern Heaven in Meyerhofer Residence

12 Jul

Osborn Architects, based in Glendale, CA, did a complete renovation of this home’s structure and surrounding landscape.  The result is a warm, inviting home with glass walls offering different views of the landscape.

Here’s the dining room, with spectacular views of the garden.  The set includes a warm, wooden table and a Model 48 dining chairs by Finn Juhl.  The space is complemented by a set of Poul Henninsgsen Artichoke Lamps.  I kind of like how they’re separated by the steel beams…

dining room

What I love most about the home is that it’s so modern in its mix of materials — stone counter tops, glass walls, wood wall panels, tile and marble floors — as well its eclectic mix of mid-century modern and contemporary pieces.

But enough about that, let’s look at the pretty pictures, shall we?

A William Platner Lounge Chair and Ottoman + Arco Lamp are accented by Ikat floor pillows and a huge area rug.  The stone fireplace is amazing.  I want.  I have to say that for all the stone and concrete in this house, it’s really quite inviting.

sitting area

A Serge Mouille 3-Arm Standing Lamp is always a winner.  I’m not really crazy about animal print (I do make exceptions for cowhide), but I don’t hate this zebra ottoman.

sitting area

home office

Love the accents of gold lighting here in the foyer.

the foyer

What’s also interesting about this home is how modular the spaces are.  Normally I find that to be very boring, but when you have shag rugs, flotsam wood accent pieces, warm lighting and subtly mixed prints/patterns, it gives these spaces a lot more personality.

the bedroom

See what I mean by modular?

the bedroom

So what do you all think of this home?  I love it!

All images c/o Freshome, via Osborn Architects.

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