1stdibs Living with Style Part II

Continuing on from yesterday's post, here are the final parts of my dream living room that I've been charting on my Living with Style Pinterest board. I've been pinning to play in the Pin-to-Win Living with Style contest that my favorite-website-in-the-whole-world, 1stdibs, is hosting. I always use Pinterest to digitally hoard all of the lustworthy items I run across while sourcing and it's been nice to actually design a space with them (albeit a fictitious one)!

It's definitely an eclectic mix. I like to combine metals, woods, finishes, patterns, and colors...the goal is to keep it looking classic and sophisticated while still looking fresh and unique (I hate generic rooms). The easy part of the exercise was that there was no limiting budget in play...which means I chose purely based on what I like and of course, some things are pretty pricey (including the structure I selected which is a 4,000 square foot Parisian apartment). I can't imagine how liberating it must be to have a real life project where funds are unlimited...hopefully one day I'll get one like that! Until then, I'll just have to daydream via Pinterest. So, join me on a tour of my stunning Paris pad...

Thoughts? What pieces would you pick if you have have anything from 1stdibs? I'd go crazy buying art for sure and would be shopping for antique rugs and lighting, along with furniture by Maison Jansen, Robsjohn-Gibbings, Harvey Probber, Gio Ponti, and Palladio.

1stdibs' Living with Style Fun

Few things are more fun to me than designing fictional spaces that aren't saddled with pesky budgets or other restraints like room dimensions and existing furniture. So, I've been having a ball with 1stdibs' Pin-to-Win Living with Style contest because the whole thing is about putting together a dream living room!

You can see my Living with Style board on Pinterest which is full of art, furnishings, and objets that I covet on a pretty deep level. Plus I even found an insanely amazing Paris apartment in the 1stdibs Estates area to put all of my cool stuff in. Don't worry, I'll be sure to fly you all over for a big party in my imaginary jet :) Have a look at some of what I picked...

What do you think so far? Of course, there is more. My dream living room would be pretty big and would have a few sitting areas, a bar zone, a library, an area for painting, and tons o' wall space for artwork. I'll post another board with the rest tomorrow so you can see my entire vision.

Pretty fun contest, isn't it? Thanks to 1stdibs' for hosting!

1stDibs Photo Archive

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might've picked up on the fact that I am a total 1stDibs junkie. Most people my age do their time-wasting on Facebook, but I do mine on 1stDibs. I LOVE looking at all of the amazing antiques, jewelry, and art but I have to set a time limit on the site. If I have to look for something for a client, it takes lots of discipline to stay on course. It's all to easy to click on an item, and then to the dealer's storefront, and then the rabbit hole just keeps going and that coffee table you were supposed to be looking for has somehow turned into a vintage Rolex!

While I certainly don't need another diversion on the site, I am happy that there now exists a 1stDibs Photo Archive. The archive is full of stunning images, both interior and exterior and the database is sortable by photographer, room, and style. The coolest thing: a "Search the Look on 1stDibs" box comes up with every photo and contains buyable items that look similar to pieces used in each space. So, if you're looking to recreate Jenna Lyons' living room as shown in the Melanie Acevedo photo below, fab yellow sofas and French empire chandeliers are just a click away...

One thing that you'll immediately notice is that the photographer, not the designer, receives top billing. In fact, designers aren't mentioned at all. Like I've said before, a great photographer can be a designer's most valuable asset, so I understand why 1stDibs wanted to pay homage to the photographers. But, I am surprised that the designers don't get any mention...especially since they are among 1st Dibs' best customers.

In any case, plowing through photos of beautifully designed spaces is a favorite activity of mine and the "get the look" feature just sends me into euphoria, so I say bravo to 1stDibs (and thanks for adding another time vampire to my life)!

Here are some of my favorite images from the 1stDibs Photo Archive:

Photo by Tim Street-Porter, design by Mary McDonald

Photo by Tim Street-Porter, design by Mary McDonald

Photo by Tim Street-Porter

Photo by Tim Street-Porter

Photo by Tim Street-Porter

Photo by Melanie Acevedo

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Pieter Estersohn

Photo by Tria Giovan, design by Suzanne Kasler

Photo by Pieter Estersohn, design by Katie Stassi-Scott

Pretty amazing lineup of photographers (and designers), isn't it? Any favorite spaces among the bunch?

Be sure to click through to the 1stDibs Photo Archive to see many, many more fabulous shots!

Mid-Century Italian Case Goods Lovefest

1st Dibs is a total black hole for me. On a weekly basis I get sucked in by their emails and end up spending way too much time looking at everything from vintage couture to antique rugs. There is so much to discover and all it takes is one click on the New Listings tab and I'll usually find something to obsess over within minutes.

Lately I've been stalking mid-century Italian case goods...specifically ones with mesmerizing herringbone-patterned veneers like these:

Italian Modern Rosewood Bar Cabinet/Buffet, Dassi

Italian Modern Rosewood Sideboard, Dassi

Sylvio Cavatorta Italian Liquor Cabinet Bar

Four-Door Storage Cabinet by Paolo Buffa

Italian Dining Cabinet after Paolo Buffa

Italian Art Moderne Freestanding Bar Cabinet by Paolo Buffa

The four-door storage cabinet and the freestanding cabinet are my favorites of the bunch and both were designed by accomplished Italian furniture designer, Paolo Buffa. While I can't find a wealth of information about him personally, I have been able to learn more about his work through 1st Dibs. As you'll see by looking through 1st Dibs' stock of Paolo Buffa goods, his design prowess extended beyond case goods. His oeuvre also includes stunning upholstered pieces, mirrors, and lighting. His clean-lined case goods are what grabbed my attention and upon first sight, I swooned over the effect of the herringbone veneers. When combined with rich, traditional rosewood and mahogany, the geometric detail provides a refreshing dose of modernism.

As with most of the things I covet from 1st Dibs, mid-century Italian case goods are a wee bit too pricey for me. But in my mind, high quality antiques are similar to fine art in that you can still love and appreciate them, even if you can't acquire them.

Are you smitten with these pieces like I am or are they not really your style?

Dream Dining Room

Yesterday I gushed about Made Goods and their wonderful wares. I professed my love for the malachite Vivian mirror and today, that mirror is still in my head. I can't stop thinking about how good it would look here, there, everywhere. To appease my need to put it to use, I went ahead and built a mood board around it.  Along with a few worthy accompanists, here is Ms. Vivan in action.

Chandelier, lamps, and malachite mirror - Made Goods
Macassar Ebony Console - 1st Dibs - Sentimento Antiques
Tufted Chairs - Windsor Smith - Shoshana Dining Chair
Dining Table - Jonathan Adler - Nixon Dining Table
Rug - Madeline Weinrib - Black Buche

Besides the fact that it revolves around the Vivian malachite mirror, I call this my dream dining room because most of the pieces in the space are out of my price range. Oh well, it's fun to throw the idea of a budget out the window sometimes, isn't it?

Have a great weekend!

Not Quite a Sofa

I'm going to change things up in our living room...more specifically, the area in front of the fireplace needs to be reworked. I'm not happy with it, so I've decided to sell the linen settee and the silk striped chair and start over. The scroll armed chair is going to get reupholstered and the rest is to be determined. Obviously, I'll want at least one other seating piece and I don't want a sofa since there are already two in the same room. So, a chaise lounge or an oversized bench might work.

I've been on the prowl for just the right piece for many moons and there are plenty of options. After seeing the below conversation sofa from the J. Crew Collection store last year, I'm pretty obsessed with the idea of getting a Tête-à-Tête style...not only does it look amazing, it would also tie the two halves of the room together if it faced the fireplace. Getting the size right is the tricky part in my situation and I'm afraid it could be awkward in terms of function. This is a situation when I wish "trying on" a piece of furniture was possible!

via Lonny

Anyhow, here are some of the best I've seen. Keep in mind that the colors shown aren't necessarily what I'd choose...I'm always limited to the images I can grab from the site. As usual, some are way beyond my budget, but they are still fun to ogle over!

Edward Wormley Tête-à-Tête Sofa - 1st Dibs

Lampert - Jonathan Adler

 

Vintage Tête-à-Tête Chair - Jayson Home and Garden via 1st Dibs

Double Chaise - Lee Industries

X Bench - Plantation

Hutton Chaise - Room & Board

Bench - Lee Industries

Oly Studio Jonathan Lounge

Mark Chaise - Plantation Design

De'Wolf Double Chaise - Windsor Smith

Wilshire Settee - Williams-Sonoma Home

Clermont Daybed - Cisco Brothers

Presidio Settee - Williams-Sonoma Home

H. Robsjohn-Gibbings Chaise - 1st Dibs

Pauline Chaise - Z Gallerie

Any favorites?

Macassar Ebony

Ever since I laid eyes on this gorgeous table at William-Christopher Design here in Dallas, I've been obsessed with Macassar Ebony. To me, it's such a fabulous material for case goods because you can get the glam look without being too feminine.

Close-up...it has an exotic quality to it, yet it's still very sophisticated.

After getting the name of the wood, I went home and trolled the interwebs for Macassar Ebony and quickly found myself at 1st Dibs (it's obviously not a material that many current furniture manufacturers are using). Pretty much every piece was labeled as French Art Deco...and unfortunately, none were really in my price range! Nevertheless, they are still beautiful and interesting pieces...here are my favorites:

Art Deco Desk

Sideboard

Art Deco Table

Buffet
I'd love for our dining room buffet to look like this one. Maybe the Furniture Fairy will bring it to me one of these days :)

Finally, here is one of the few new pieces that I found...it would be really pretty in an entry or foyer.
John-Richard Collection Trenton Console - Horchow

What do you think of Macassar Ebony?