DESIGN FOR MEN

While in Rehoboth on a mini vacation, I discovered a gem of an antiques shop. I was in the store shopping for about an hour. I knew I had something was up when the owner ended up putting me to work. I helped him move some chairs. Ultimately, it was time well spent as I found some great things. The above was my favorite – this African serving tray. While I didn’t buy one this time, I just love it! Check out the following other great finds:

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FOR THE BAR…

Incorporate vintage pitchers, shakers, decanters to add sophistication for the bar. Had to buy this great wood/chrome ice bucket with matching tongs.

Mid-Century Chrome Side Table

Hat Box and Shoe Form

Hat boxes take me back…my grandfather had the best hats and the boxes were always really amazing. I couldn’t resist the shoe form which makes a great paper weight.

Creepy Old Portrait

Not sure why but I was drawn to this piece.

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Vases, bowls, oh my!

I always love to check out vintage accessories – if you choose carefully – you can enhance the decor of your place. I had to have the small black glass vase and the large grey ceramic vase. Both are the sort you might find at West Elm or Crate and Barrel, at a fraction of the price.

Mid-Century Magazine Rack

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WITH A LITTLE BIT OF WORK

This marble slab lamp only needed a new shade. And the oval back chair, reupholstered would make a great desk chair. The set of four splat back chairs were so charming and would be stunning with an upholstery update as well.

1960s Desk

ODDITIES

I absolutely had to have the Speedaway sled. Despite growing up in New Orleans where there are no hills and it rarely snows. And I like the irony. The vintage (working) projector was also tempting but the sled blew it out of the water.

MORE BARGAINS AND MORE ADVICE

When you are prepared to buy several things, you have leverage…so, try to get the price down! Also be on the lookout for backrooms where items are discounted. The vintage frames above were $2 a pop. It just so happened that they were running a sale on vintage books, $5 all you can fit in a shopping bag. I filled 3 bags…thanks mom for teaching me how to pack…I got a lot of bang for my $15.

Blik provides a line of self-adhesive wall decals (large stickers) that can be used to inexpensively and temporarily transform your space.  Blik decals can be applied to any flat surface including walls, windows, mirrors, ceilings, tabletops, or flooring.  When you tire of things quickly like I do, then you can simply remove and re-envision.  Also, decals can be customized to work with your vision of your space.  The photo above illustrates a custom installation in a home.    The following are my favorites:

Flying Paper Planes $35

Chandelier $35

Race Ya Re-Stik $35

Ambition Killed the Cat $45

Birds of a Feather $40

IMAGES from Blik.com

Sophisticated photography for racquet sports enthusiasts.  Often I suggest that men incorporate their passion for sports into their space.  These photographs by Elliot Wilcox are a great way to do just that.  Additionally, the abstract and architectural quality of the work makes it accessible to a much broader audience.  According to Danielle Frost of Bau-Xiphoto:

Elliott Wilcox is an emerging British photographer who has recently been the recipient of several awards including a Judges Award at the Nikon Discovery Awards, a New York Photo Award in 2009 and the prestigious Lucie Award for the Discovery of the Year at the International Photography Awards. Another exciting highlight of his career was being made a finalist in the BBC documentary show, School of Saatchi, following high-profile art collector Charles Saatchi on his quest to find the next big artist.

Elliott’s photographs empty tennis, racquetball and squash courts. In photographing them absent of the fast paced action we are so familiar with, these environments reveal themselves in a new light. The resulting images, with their bold colours and structural lines, recall abstract modernist paintings.

Real Tennis 11- Edition of 10 + 2 A.Ps (pictured above)

c-type print

Real Tennis 04- Edition of 10 + 2 A.Ps

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Real Tennis 12- Edition of 10+ 2 A.Ps

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Squash 01- Edition of 10 + 2 A.Ps

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Real Tennis 17- Edition of 10 + 2 A.Ps

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Special thanks to  Danielle for submitting this great work.  Each photograph is 30 by 40 inches.  For additional information, contact Bau-Xiphoto by clicking here.

Images from bau-xiphoto

Anyone else love to sketch as much as I do? Now you can showcase your work in a gallery.  The Art House Co-Op presents, The Sketchbook Project 2011. According to the site:

Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across the country.  After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view.  Anyone – from anywhere in the world – can be a part of the project. To participate and have us send you a sketchbook that will go on tour, start by choosing a theme to the right.

The cost to participate is $25 but you choose a theme from the list.  Some of my favorites are: “This is not a Sketchbook”, “I am a scavenger” and “Things found on a restaurant napkin”.  You can also pay an additional charge to have your sketchbook digitized or create an 11×17 poster.  Check out the Art House Co-Op website for more details by clicking here.

IMAGE from Crew Design

Big Bambú, an installation of 5,000 interlocking 30- and 40-foot-long fresh-cut bamboo poles, designed for the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The exhibit was created by twin brothers Mike and Doug Starn.  Telgraph.co.uk describes the monumental structure best as, “bamboo scaffolding mangled by a hurricane .”  The construction of the structure continues through the fall when the exhibit closes until the end of October.  You can purchase tickets to take guided tours to walk through the structure.  Without venturing up on to the paths, the bamboo poles creates a feeling of a forest through which roof garden visitors wind through.  The experience is fantastic and there are stunning views of the city.

For more information about the installation, click here.

IMAGE CREDITS: Image 1 from Telgraph.co.uk, Remaining Images by Design For Men

The new Room and Board store opened two weeks ago in the U Street corridor area of Washington, DC. The building, formerly known as the R. L. Taylor Building, was  a Ford Motors showroom. Room and Board purchased and renovated the property to create 36,000 square foot of showroom space.  I was like a kid in a candy store checking out all four levels of the showroom. And of course many things caught my eye for use in projects.   Additionally, I always enjoy the power of seeing furnishings in person.  The following are some of my findings.

It is important to see and experience a piece of furniture before you buy.  I loved the Louis leather chair (above) in person but disliked the chair online.   A great contemporary take on the club chair and surprisingly comfortable.  What is also great about showrooms is how the different room scenes and vignettes  can generate ideas.   The kidney shape of the Newbury desk (shown above) in walnut worked very well in this tight corner.

The most eye catching scene for me was the living room shown above.  I loved the color scheme.  The rich camel colored Wells leather sofa paired nicely with the Noguchi table, dark charcoal Wegner wing and easy chair.    I loved the use of  clustering of the Makenge baskets as artwork.

Oddly, I was perusing the West Elm Fall 2010 Preview catalog and noticed similar bowls, see above photo.  Although, I must say that the Room and Board options are far better quality.  However the West Elm versions are much cheaper ranging from $29-99, while the  R&B baskets are $79-189.

This article barely scratches the surface of what Room and Board has to offer.  So, stop by the new showroom at 1840 14th Street, NW.  For more information check out the website by clicking here.

While I was at the flea market at Eastern Market, I came across a kiosk featuring the photography of Val Proudkii. According to Jim Magner, writer of Art in the City from the Hill Rag, Proudkii “is a photographer of the “aha”—the moment in which the visually striking is discovered within the visually common.”  My eye was drawn to the striking imagery, specifically, his work featuring mainly the urban context.  Sites include cities such as Washington, D.C., New York, and various destinations in Europe.  The following are some of my favorites after perusing their website.  Check out their site by clicking here and check out the kiosk at the Eastern Market to purchase prints.

Decisions, decisions, I must have at least one for my place but it is tough to choose.

IMAGE CREDITS: Photoandgraphica

I finally had the chance to check out the Eastern Market Flea Market yesterday in D.C. I was a little disappointed by the lack of true antiques and my fave, mid century and industrial pieces. But the area is beautiful and as a professional shopper, I managed to find some great items. The following are my favorites from the trip.  Above Thonet side chairs and Industrial stool.

Handmade wood cutting boards – Just amazing!

Handmade Tea Set with Pussy Willow Detail

African Mask and Ebonized table

Belarusian painter Leonid Afremov captures the spirit of the city in his mesmerizing paintings.  I love the impact of his bold use of  color and the liquidity of the reflections.  The mosaic quality of his work adds depth and comes from painting with a palette knife.   Most of the vibrant settings illustrated are in Europe but anyone with a passion for urban living can relate to these paintings.  My favorite is the cityscape above.  Afremov’s work is available online at the artist’s website.

Images from freshome

I covet the work of many designers but none more than top New York designer, Shamir Shah.  His refined aesthetic has inspired me for years.  One of my favorite spaces (period) is the Chelsea loft Shah shares with his partner, artist Malcolm Hill.   The design is timeless and rich with texture, luxe finishes, and rugged yet sophisticated.

This alcove kitchen is pretty much ideal as it economizes on space.  I love the contrast between the lacquered white top cabinets and the dark walnut base cabinets.  Not to mention the sumptuous basalt stone counter tops and sparkling black mosaic backsplash.

This dining area is warm and inviting featuring a fun David Weeks chandelier and a walnut/black lacquer credenza.

Love the linear custom walnut headboard in the bedroom along with the custom bureau.  I also enjoy the warm neutral color palette carried throughout all of the spaces.

Well just look at this galley style bathroom with double sink vanity.  And painting the door white on the bathroom side is clever.  The pull integration into the drawers of the oak vanity is a trademark of Shah’s that I love.  I also enjoy the transition between the white ceramic tiles and the quartzite forming an accent wall at the spa -like bathtub.

To see more work by Shamir Shah, check out his firm’s website.

IMAGE CREDITS:  All images from Interior Design, October 2008 issue.