Intrigued by Organic Modernism

As far as design goes, I'm a bit of a traditionalist at heart but I crave freshness and truly appreciate uniqueness. I love seeing uncommon points of view and without a doubt, Brooklyn's Organic Modernism has its very own style direction. When I first saw their set of furniture, lighting, and home goods, I immediately knew that my husband would appreciate their aesthetic because it's edgy and has a mid-century modern vibe,  but maintains a natural, handcrafted flavor. To me, most of what they sell reads masculine but it's a sophisticated masculinity (think the opposite of an oversized leather sofa) so it can be easily blended with other styles.

I am totally into the mix of materials that are used throughout their set...lots of wood paired with bronze and brass. I also like to combos of hard lines and organic shapes. In a nutshell, Organic Modernism has really cool stuff that you aren't likely to find anywhere else...and isn't that refreshing? Take a look at this sampling of their wares...

Texas Dining Table - Alma Brass Chair

Lucia-A Dining Table - Peacock 4 Cabinet

Trilight Floor Lamp - Cliff Side Table

Ming-B Cabinet - Emperor Cabinet with Cloisonne Doors

Malibu-B Coffee Table - Kashgar A Hand Forged Bronze Chair - Berlin 2 Sofa

 AND...Organic Modernism has an awesome gallery of original paintings (that are super well-priced). It looks like they are all created by local Guangzhou artist Hidir Jiang Tapanoglu and curiously enough, dear/elk and George Washington seem to be his preferred subject matter. Here are some of his deer pieces...

And finally, in honor of the upcoming anniversary of our great Nation's independence, here's one of the original paintings of George Washington...

So, what do you think of Organic Modernism's offering? I'm a fan, even though it's not wholly in line with my personal aesthetic. Any favorite pieces? I totally adore the Malibu-B Coffee Table and the Emperor Cabinet (although I'm not 100% sure about the hardware).

Next time I'm in New York I'll have to go check out one of their stores. Have any of you been?

Highlights from High Point Round 2

As I mentioned last week, I had a very productive trip to High Point Market and found TONS of great things! I went non-stop and hit dozens of vendor booths and showrooms. I took about 1,100 photos (no joke) so you won't be able to see everything, but between a few posts, I'll share a sampling of my top picks. So here we go...

The Bernhardt showroom is a doozy and it's organized by collection, which is fantastic because it's easier to focus on individual pieces. Here's a small taste of the goodness...

Perfect lacquered vanity/desk and oversized mirror...

And I'm a sucker for bone inlay pieces and there were lots of those in the mix, including this dining table...

This bench with rolling storage baskets was a clever design...

Another glam desk/vanity...this one had faux shagreen drawer fronts and a brass base. I was obsessed with the chair too (which you might've seen already on my Instagram)...

Classy little hexagonal side table + chair...

There were numerous dressers and chests that I fell for including these pretties...

Finally, a pair of zebra striped cocktail cube tables constructed with bone...

Festoni goodies included lighting, mirrors, upholstery, case pieces, and objets like these...

Amongst a sea of worthless giclées, I was pleased to spot some stunning original art at Charles Harold Company....

Mixed media by Carol Hu

I liked the nail trim on this little stool by Kim Salmela...

I was thrilled to finally see the Thibaut furniture line! I loved it all (and everything was amazing to sit on) but this ottoman and the chairs below were amongst my favorites...

SUPER comfy little slipper chairs...

I stumbled across Orientalist Home which turned out to be a great source for pillows, flat weaves, and dyed rugs. This style looks amazingly similar to a design that Madeline Weinrib sells...

I was so glad to find small manufacturers like Rogue Wood, a group that produces all of their furniture in Oregon. This was a nice little chest of drawers...

Whew...you probably won't believe me but that's a majorly edited set of picks from each vendor! 

Any favorites? 

Highlights from High Point - Round 1

Last week I ventured out to High Point Market...my husband refers to it as a "furniture festival," which is hilarious and relatively accurate. Held in High Point, North Carolina, HPMKT takes place in the epicenter of the American home furnishings industry so it draws manufacturers from its own backyard and from abroad. Designers, shop owners, and buyers descend upon the area twice a year to see, feel (and sit on), and price everything from furniture to rugs, lighting, and accessories. It's a rare opportunity to see a massive quantity of goods within a few days.

I went out to shop for a few current and upcoming projects and I found lots o' great stuff. I took nearly 1,100 pics while I was there! After pounding the pavement for four days, I noticed a few trends that popped up in multiple showrooms...

1) Faux Shagreen - aka Stringray, this faux skin was wrapped around all sorts of tables and case goods. It's a great texture and the colorways I spotted at market were most often neutrals like gray and ivory.

2) Cerused Wood - There's an example directly below via Global Views, but basically it's a type of finish that highlights the wood grain and has a modern/rustic look.

3) Lacquer - high gloss, super saturated paint finishes were everywhere...even on lamp shades.

The two chests shown next are both by Bungalow 5...

4) Natural materials used to create unique, luxe adornments.

Pebbles/rocks at Lee Industries

Glass/Mirror/Resin at Made Goods

Bone at Mr. Brown

Pyrite at Emporium Home

Resin/Teak

And aside from the "trends" (I actually hate that word), here are a few other favorite items I spotted...

Linen-covered studded chest at Mr. Brown...

Platinum and gold toned fireplace screens...

Glass pineapple light fixture via Global Views...

Well-priced ceramic gourd lamps with trimmed shades...

Brass swing-arm sconce...

This lamp looks strikingly similar to my beloved Hermès' Balcon du Guadalquivir china...

Woven stools at Palecek...

Globe chandelier with wood beads at Regina Andrew...

Stunning mirror at Arteriors...

 COCOCOZY Bedding!

Chair with pull-out mini side table via COUEF

Embroidered arm chair at J. Douglas

Dining chairs + table from Made Goods

What do you think of the things I snapped? Any favorites? I want that first shapely Shagreen cocktail table for my own house!

In case you've fallen in love with something and want to buy, keep in mind that pretty much everything at High Point is trade-only, so you'd have to buy through a retailer or a designer.