More Herter Brothers

John Tackett over at The Devoted Classicist sent me this image of the Vanderbilt Drawing Room on 5th Avenue which shows the chairs from my previous post in situ. 

The garnet studded onyx columns seen above the chair are now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

I'm seeing shells...

 A Fornasetti tray...

(via 1stDibs, please click images to be directed to their source)

 

A pair of Maison Jansen eglomise wall plaques...

(via 1stDibs)

 

A Pair of Italian 19th century grotto chairs...

(via 1stDibs)

Flight & Barr Worcester porcelain with shell decoration...

(via Christie's)

 

A Tony Duquette Splashing Water chandelier sold at Bonham's, LA

Visible Storage

Well I'm finally back after a long, productive week in New York. While I'm there I always go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, specifically to view the American Wing. While the American Art and Sculpture Gallery has remained under renovations for what seems like decades, the period rooms remain on view along with my favorite part of the Met, the Visible Storage Gallery.

Can you imagine a more bizarre piece of furniture? The mere idea of this ridiculous, but I love it... however, I would definitely ditch that crimson velvet immediately...

 

This chair and I are currently in the midst of a passionate love affair, hooves and all. I love EVERYTHING about it... the worn finish, threadbare champagne colored silk,  and the touch of vermilion.

 

And then a pattern of interest started to emerge...

and again...

and again... 

 

I can't help it... 

if there's one decorative style that speaks to me the most it's American Empire. It's robust, refined, and can sometimes be a little awkward. I'm thinking the curator of American Furniture should start a little adoption program of sorts... I would gladly foster any of these wonderful pieces, or even provide them with a permanent home. 

Biggs Powell on One Kings Lane

Biggs Powell, who recently opened a store on King Street in Charleston, had a fantastic sale on One Kings Lane that opened yesterday. His store, located in one of my favorite buildings on lower King, is a jewel box of unique antiques, reproductions, and contemporary pieces. 

I love this 19th century hall chair... it's so modern in its severity and geometric shape

A pair of fantastic vintage French lamps...

Obviously obsessed with this vintage eglomise mirror...

These are so incredibly beautiful... I've been in love them for a while

And finally, my favorite piece from the entire sale...

These gilt and painted grotto brackets are quite possibly some of the most unique things I've ever encountered. If only I had an extra $3,000 lying around...

View the sale here

Visit Biggs' website here

from his website you can visit his listings on 1stDibs

To Die For

A Tony Duquette 'Malachite' Chair, circa 1940s

To Die For

 

Fantastic pair of Regency library chairs... from 1stDibs

Obsession: Papier Mache

I'm currently in love with the complete exuberance and ridiculousness of Victorian papier mache decorative arts and furniture. Black lacquer, gilt, and mother of pearl... could it get any more sybaritic? I don't think so. 

 

I love everything about this papier mache desk blotter... particularly the gilt tendrils of foliage.  I don't do too much blotting... but I have a feeling I'd do a little bit more if I owned this...

 

 A papier mache sarcophagus shaped tea caddy, English, circa 1860, from 1stDibs...

 

An English lacquered, gilt, papier mache, and mother-of-pearl side chair from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art... 

I recently saw a chair extremely similar to this at an antiques store... I may have to make a trip back to bring her home...  

 

A more typical example of a Victorian papier mache chair via 1stDibs...

I'm dying over the simplicity of the back... I'd love a set of dining room chairs that were just like this, except with a plain black front and this spectacular back.

 

 A pair of Victorian papier mache pole screens with Chinoiserie scenes, sold at Christie's...

I'm not sure how these were initially used, but I think they're beautiful just as sculptures...

 

An English Victorian papier mache tray which illustrates a more restrained aesthetic...

 

A fantastically sculptural English etagere from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art...

and finally perhaps the most exuberant of all papier mache creations...

 

a ridiculous Napoleon III salon suite, circa 1850. This set, which sold for almost 16,000 at Christie's, contained a center table, canape, a pair of bergeres, four side chairs, and a pair of footstools. 

Although I would NEVER want more two or three pieces of papier mache furniture in one room, I would love to have seen this in its original setting...

like a tacky, lacquered, gilt, and mother-of-pearl-ed train wreck, I know I wouldn't have been able to look away.

David Skinner Antiques

 I'd like to acquaint everyone with one of my favorite local antiques stores, David Skinner Antiques. Located in the Antique District on King Street here in Charleston, this store is filled with spectacular pieces of furniture and exceptional chandeliers and sconces. They also sell online via 1stDibs...

 

An absolutely unbelievable 18th Century French Regency chandelier... this spectacular piece is what David Skinner Antiques is known for...

 

A pair of 18th century Italian side chairs... I've been dying for these chairs for a few months now... I'm able to stare at them each time I walk by the shop and am dreading the day they find their new home, which unfortunately won't be with me...

 

This is my current obsession...  an Italian Empire Chandelier...

The photograph doesn't do it justice... it's the perfect size, unusually small for a fixture of such high quality.

 

Love the exuberance of this papier-mache stenciled and gilt tilt-top table by the London firm of J. Ennens and Bettridge...

 

This Italian bronze fixture with a Capo di Monte cockatoo is definitely one of the most unusual chandeliers I've ever come across... the high quality of the materials keeps it from being overtly kitschy, but it definitely maintains a sense of humor... 

 

One of a pair of New York Empire pier tables... love the black marble columns and gilt paw feet...

Visit David Skinner Antiques here.

Some rooms I love...

 Over the last few months I've been collecting some photographs of my favorite rooms while I've been looking through some of my favorite blogs. 

Take a look...

 

The MOST amazing dining room in Marcelo Lucini's apartment.

I'm obsessed with the color, and the gilt chairs are fantastic. 

via Habitually Chic

 

Ever since my best friend painted her bedroom black, I've become enamored with black walls... especially with a huge gilt mirror.

via here

 

Loving the black walls and the collection of portraits... 

via Bijou and Boheme

 

Completely in love. 

Wouldn't change a thing.

via Patricia Gray

 

Not only do I just love this as a photograph, but I love it as an actual bedroom. The draping of the fabric is a work of art in itself.

via Patricia Gray

 

A room by Jonathan Adler... 

the chandelier, the portrait, the bust, the orange chair, and the turquoise? 

Fantastic.

via Elle Decor

...and I just saw this apartment today on one of my favorite blogs, The Neo Lifestyle

I'm completely obsessed with it. I've never seen an entire apartment and thought, "ok, I could live here without changing a thing."

 via New York Social Diary

Something I Need

This chair from Blackman Cruz is definitely something I need... bronze snakes. 

Need I say more?

 

I'm going to need a pair.