Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2012: Furniture Finds
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 4:00AM | Laurie Gorelick Interiors Last week, I had hoped to write a bunch of posts about my finds from the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. I blogged about my wallpaper finds. And then my web site disappeared. A victim of web site hijacking. At first, my site was just inaccessible. If you typed my web address, an error message would appear that the server couldn't connect. But then traffic started being redirected to a site that advertised a deal for web hosting. The exasperating part of it all was that this redirection happened without consequence to my domain address or web site. So when I would call my domain registrar and web host, they would tell me everything was working. I'm no techie, so I can't explain how this is done. But take my word for it that if it happens, you are basically defenseless. Sorry for the rant, and thanks to everyone who let me know that they couldn't get to my site. I now know, and am thankful, that I have loyal followers.
Back to business. Last week I wrote about the Piet Hein Eek wallpaper that The Future Perfect exhibited at AD Show. The wallpaper is good (no . . . great) but the furniture by Piet Hein Eek is amazing! Eek's construction of scrapwood furniture is every bit a composition: of the material--the scrap pieces of wood--and the assemblage. There's irony to the construction: using materials that are essentially cast-offs, but assembling them with a painstaking attention to detail and craft. The table on display had a 10-coat lacquer finish that was flawless. Perfect for a loft, country or contemporary house.
Another favorite was the newly-launched, but not yet complete, line of home furnishings by the award-winning architect, Robert A.M. Stern. The detail on the back of the chairs was exceptional. I love a chair that is beautiful 360 degrees around and these chairs certainly are. Although the line did not include a dining chair, I recommended that one be added with the same back detail and arms. They would make fabulous host and hostess chairs.
The furniture of BDDW was a big hit at the show. Founded by painter and sculptor Tyler Hays, BDDW showed a variety of tables, seating, rugs and fabrics. But I was struck by the variety of their finishes and attention to detail on their credenzas. Each finish is hand rubbed. Ladder back dining chairs in BDDW's oxidized maple finish could easily be mistaken for iron. BDDW's credenza with blackened bronze exterior was faced with leather, making it versatile for more transitional spaces. But the best part were the drawer pulls, forged of iron and stamped with a delicate floral motif. Adorable.
Lastly, I have to write about the Aleman Moore woven straw stools exhibited by Tucker Robbins. I'm a big fan of ceramic garden stools and the like that function as tables but fit tight spaces. These pieces pack a lot of punch in form, texture and color in their demure scale. And they can also be custom colored. If only I didn't have cats.
Reader Comments (1)
This is a really neat collection of furniture from a very talented company. I think that the fact that the materials used are 'cast-off's' is irrelevant because they are designed and constructed so beautifully. In fact, I think it adds a unique distinction to the collection and is more attractive for it.