The Accessorator: Color Archives

Muungano ........ Blending In African Influences!!!!!

March 10, 2010 1:00 AM

Swedish design collective Muungano was started in 1996, and began as "a critical discussion about the meaning, methods and values of design but has broadened through the years to include a commercial stance to design." For the past several years the studio has been focused on projects in or related to Africa and this collection of furniture is a result of these collaborations. The collection, Baufrica, combines the form and function of Bauhaus design with the color and pattern that is found in traditional African design. The furniture is made of waxed ash, and multi-colored lacquered tubular steel. The modular collection is upholstered in neutral grey, strengthening the weight of the bright colors native to Africa.

It is no secret that the depth & quality of African color appeals to me!!!!! I think Muungano's ability to use this influence in an innovative and contemporary design context is very exciting ....... the union of "north" and "south" ..... the "cold" country and the "hot" one...... blending traditional Bauhaus grey with bright "piped" African colors ....... resulting in a harmonic use of color as an accent, but one which does not trivialize or minimize it's presence!!!!!! They have used color as an excellent "accessoration!!!!!"

Muungano website

Paul Smith Reworks an Iconic Coffee Pot!!!!!!

March 3, 2010 1:00 AM

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Danish brand Stelton, British fashion designer Paul Smith was given the task of reworking danish designer Arne Jacobsen's iconic Cylinda Collection. Smith has selected a range of 12 colors, from bright to pastel, to color the handles of the stainless steel coffee pots. In addition, he has created a collection, called Dot, of stainless steel bowls with 54 different colored inside surfaces and lids.

"I was very flattered when asked to work on this project, but equally nervous as I have such respect for this iconic collection by Arne Jacobsen. To tell the truth I was unsure whether I should take the task of reworking such a beautiful, timeless set of designs. However, once I realized that I would just give a new lease of life through color, I felt more comfortable." Paul Smith

For me this is a match made in heaven .......I adore Arne Jacobsen's "Danish Modern" style .... I live with "The Egg", a chair to die for!!! And, Paul Smith is the ultimate "Color King" ...... his iconic stripe pattern is this "accessorstors" dream ....... shopping bag, wallet, briefcase, and especially the trim around the seams of the most fabulous black leather gloves you have ever seen ..... which I own!!!!! So, I think that the only decision I will have to make in April, when this collection arrives in the stores is ....... which color handle do I want, because....... it is way tooooo piggy to get all 12!!!!!

Stelton website

Maison de Cire Trudon ......... Lights Up Paris!!!!!

February 11, 2010 1:00 AM

The stunning, well designed Magasin Trudon on the rue de Seine in Paris, is a visual feast, a must see, a "go-to" shopping experience ........ an "accessorator's" dream!!!!!!! From the well known scented candles, the individually sold bright colored candles in a variety of sizes, the "candle-busts" of nobility, the "church" candles in natural with gold text, and those with gold seals....... everything is eye candy ....... Look everywhere ...... don't forget the furniture, the accessories, the vintage candlestix, the color-walls, and the fantastical propped displays ......spectacular!!!!!

The history of Cire Trudon candles began in 1643, when wax merchant Claude Trudon began making candles for the churches of Paris. The all natural candles were (and still are) made of 100% vegetable wax, with pure cotton wicks, for the purest candles and the cleanest burn. Royalty, including Marie Antoinette, learning of the quality of the candles, asked that the candles be available for their castles .... Versailles included!!!. Today, Cire Trudon candles remain the oldest and finest candles in Paris, and possibly world-wide. In addition to manufacturing private-label candles for a variety of companies, including Hermes, Dior, and Guerlain, Trudon sells their candles internationally

I found these divine candles, encased in stunning absinth colored, hand blown be-spoke Italian glass vessels and labeled with gold crests made by the same company that makes Moët Chandon's champagne labels, at Barneys NYC. I think the black boxes that house the candles are as identifiable as Tiffany blue boxes!!! Over a dozen scents are available but, my favorite is "Ernesto," a clean scent that favors leather, wood, and tobacco. The total package is a wonderful "accessoration" and a divine gift!!!!!!

Cire Trudon website

Vase by Fernando Brizio ...... Galerie Kreo, Paris!!!!

February 10, 2010 1:00 AM

Galerie Kreo, opened in 1999 by Didier & Clémence Krzentowski, is "dedicated to artistic exploration in design." Known as a "design impresario," Didier is a lifelong collector, who following his passion, has been a major force in establishing contemporary design as an "art form". He disagrees with the term and explains, "there's a difference between collecting furniture and art. You use furniture. It's your home, in that way, design is not like a piece of art, it has a much more functional place." The galerie produces limited edition pieces from internationally renowned contemporary designers, rather than the conventional model of dealing, buying and selling pieces.

My heart starts to pound furiously every time I go to the galerie ....... there are dozens of things that I would die to have but, .... and for the past two years I have been madly in-love with Portuguese designer Fernando Brizio's vase, "Painting with Giotto #3". Created in 2005, this limited editon "vase" of faience (earthenware) and felt tips pens, an edition of 20 + 20 A.P. + 2 prototypes, makes my heart flutter!!!! I love it with all of my heart and am using all the control I have to not bring it to NYC ........ but, my resolve is withering ....... so I thought to make me feel better to share it ...... but, it hasn't really!!!! WHAT AM I TO DO!!!!!!!!!!

Galerie Kreo website

Vanessa Stromboni ....... Objects Ethniques in Paris!!!!

February 9, 2010 1:00 AM

Vanessa Stramboni has an "accessorator's" sensability ..... that I adore!! She mixes eccentric French vintage, with African ethnic; blending bijoux (jewelry, in our lingo!), textiles, furniture, lighting, and fantastic objects to create her store's eclectic feeling. I adored the set of four black & white, French 60's chairs, whose seats are re-upholstered in a black, white, & grey wool check fabric .... very reminiscent of Chanel!!!! The collection of black and white African masques, that have a slight hint of red, are exceptional "accessorations" ...... and of course, I love, love, love the African stool that still has touches of it's original bright colored paint!!!!!

This store is soooooo YUMMY ....... I have been obsessing about this stool and am almost ready to call and have it shipped to NYC !!!! NO CONTROL here!!!!......

Venessa Stromboni website

Seletti ......... Innovative & Eccentric Accessories!!!!!!

February 3, 2010 1:00 AM

I think the Italian design company Seletti makes "spicy" accessories, their designs are innovative, exciting, irreverent, and quirky (think Pantone Folding Chairs featured 1/15/10)!!!! The collection blends iconic elements and objects, showing that style can be functional, have an edge and still be unique, personal and fun. At the NY Gift Show the back wall of their booth was stacked with this wonderful collection of faux antique chests .... and of course, I feel in love with them all!!! Each piece is hand painted and is available in a variety of shapes including fat boys, bombays, and french regency. Tables and bureaus are part of the collection ....... and I wouldn't be surprised to see a series of odd chairs appearing soon!!!

These fabulous pieces have everything going for them ....... shape, color, and patter ....what else can an "accessorator" ask for ..... to zing a room????????

S eletti website

Books ..... the Ultimate Finish For Every Room!!!!!

February 2, 2010 1:00 AM

I adore books ..... reading them, as well accessorating with them!!! So, when I met Brian Wynn, owner of Middletons, I was in heaven!!!! This eco-friendly Kentucky company rescues vintage books from the public library system and turns them into studding treasures!!! Brian creates a unique library of re-claimed books, rebinding them with beautiful hand-printed papers. In addition, he also rebinds books with solid paper, and individually hand-silk screening each one. After binding, the books go through a process to soften the jackets, giving them a gently worn feeling. In addition, color or a metallic surface can be added after the binding process, creating another design element.

This spectacular collection of books creates the ultimate "accessoration" ..... a bookshelf, table top, fireplace mantel, or even just sitting on the floor ..... these books complete the look of any room!!!!

Brian Wynn's email

From a Taiwan Alley to a New York Apartment!!!!!

January 28, 2010 1:00 AM

"Plastic Classic," designed by Taiwanese industrial design student Pili Wu, combines the expensive, traditional classic design of Chinese furniture with a typical cheap, anonymous Taiwanese stool. Redefining the traditional loop chair ..... simple. elegant, and expensive,design .... into an object that is in combination with mass-produced product results in a "split personality!!"

"The Plastic Classic project began as a focus on the transformation of Taiwanese culture, hoping to represent what i thought and felt living in Taiwan. In Taiwan, plastic stools are very popular, seen on street, alleys, and by street food stalls or ban dou (traditional Taiwanese outdoor banquet, seen at weddings or celebrations). Taiwan used to be a plastic production kingdom, plastic chairs and stools have been present fot a very long time, yet interestingly nobody knows about the designer or inventor of plastic stools, but it's cheap price, simple structure and fast production has enabled its popularity, so popular that it has turned into a "classic" design that nobody has ever really noticed. Similarly, loop chair is another classic of traditional Chinese furniture, its elegant and reliable structure represents a certain social status and position." Pili Wu

I think this chair, the ultimate meaning of low-brow meeting hi-brow, is divine and would be wonderful in New York, as well as Taiwan!!!!!!!!!!

Frederique Morrel ...... From Poufs to Deer Heads!!!!

January 28, 2010 1:00 AM

French company Frederique Morrel, the brainchild of husband and wife team Frederique Morrel and Aaron Levin, has moved from covering poufs, footstools, pillows, furniture, and lamps in vintage needlework ...... to these updated taxidermy "deer creatures." This past week at Maison et Object, in Paris, the company presented "The Slice of Life" collection. The unique, handmade creatures are created from polyurethane taxidermy molds, re-enforced with steel rods and covered in re-cycled vintage tapestry. Each piece, whether a full-sized animal or a trophy head, is then completed by the addition of real antlers, horns, hoofs, or fur pieces. Frederique's concept is "to "decycle" (put into a new life-cycle) unj-justly un-recognized, anonymous and devalued pop artifacts."

According to Frederique and Aaron, "Our products have been carefully re-made using vintage needlework saved from oblivion in the interest of the redemption of the painstaking work involved in their original creation. When wondering around markets or garage sales we're often very saddened to see discarded embroidery. We think about the love, time, craftsmanship, and patience that went into creating such beautiful things and find it so sad that they end up unwanted and for sale for a few dollars."

I think these quirky and clever "artifacts" are divine and decadent ......... imagine one "accessorating" your great room ...... or a whole heard of trophies "accessorating" a wall!!!!!

That's a WOW!!!!!

Alexa Lixfeld ........ Drawings Come to Life!!!!!!!

January 25, 2010 1:00 AM

The goal of the Selyn Socio-Economic Development Foundation is "to foster the intellectual, social, ethical, moral, spiritual, and emotional development of the less fortunate children of Sri Lanka, by assisting them in all aspects to become competent and employable and we will create sustainable and practical socio economic opportunities for rural women in order for them to achieve life long success." Created by Hamburg based designer Alexa Lixfeld (12/14/09 post) in a joint venture with Selyn, a private initiative, manufacturing and exporting handloom textiles, toys, and handicrafts, the Foundation's goal is to raise funds for a school for the children of the area, as well as provide jobs for local women, the foundation's first project was this collection of dolls.

Working with local children, Alexa helped to create a collection of dolls adapted from the children's drawings. Designed by students from Grades 1,2, and 3 of the Royal International school in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, the drawings were transfered exactly drawn, onto 100% natural hand dyed, hand woven fabric and sewn by the women of the collective. "All dolls are truly unique and has the name of he child who made it or a name that was given to it by the child." These fabulous dolls are available at Rossana Orlandi, Milan; Mint, London; and TOUCH, Los Angeles.

According to Alexa, "the design of this project is a project design, rather than only a product design. It involves all aspects of the social and cultural facts found in Sri Lanka and involves all aspects of the manufacturing methods of the company, as well as the dreams and visions these people have."

This project is spectacular and it is imperative that we support this project and continue to empower these women and children.

Alexa Lixfeld's website

TOUCH website

More Beirut Buzz......Bokja's Mix of Color & Pattern!!!

January 21, 2010 1:00 AM

I have always adored the unique pieces of furniture from the Lebanese furniture company Bokja, the brainchild of Huda Baroudi and Marie Hibri. I first heard of the collection from a Lebanese friend who was renovating her apartment. Her architect sister, who had designed the space, took her to meet these two wonderful woman and see their furniture. The result, an immediate match was made and a stunning vintage chaise, covered in a patchwork of antique suzani textiles was sent to New York. I must admit I was very jealous when I saw it ...... it is sooooooo me!!!!!I

Since then, I have been following the company with a passion!!! I have seen the collection in New York City at ABC Carpet & Home; in Miami, in 2008 at Design Miami; in Milan at Spazio Rossana Orlandi; last fall in Paris at Merci; and in London at Gallery Fumi. Finally, last month I was in the new Bokja store in Beirut and met Hoda!!!! She was charming and of course, as is the case in Beirut, we had friends in common...... but, most importantly, she remembered the chaise that had come to NYC!!!!! We chatted, I learned more about the company, and fell in love with a number of pieces in the store!!!

Bokja is not the new kid on the block ........ Hoda and Marie's partnership began in 2000, when textile collector Huda, put a piece of Uzbek tapestry over one of Marie's antique chairs, to get a better look at it ..... and a collaboration was born!!! The charming, eclectic furniture combines extraordinary textiles from all over the middle east, a melange of color, patten, and often needlework, with antique furniture from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Each bespoke piece of furniture tells a different story and the narrative results in a name and "passport" specific to the piece.

Linking old and new, repurposing both the textiles and the "used" furniture ..... this riot of colour and pattern, the incredible sense of history in the textiles, and the wonderful shapes make these pieces so special ...... they are the ultimate "accessoration" for any room!!!!!!!

Bokja Design website

Crosby Street Hotel ....... AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

January 19, 2010 1:00 AM

There are some things that are just indescribablely, fantasticly fabulous ...... and the Crosby Street Hotel is one of those things!!!! I was lucky enough to be taken there for lunch last week by my tastiest, chicest design friend SDE, to discuss our April trip to the furniture show in Milan, and I was wowed beyond belief!!!! This is the penultimate "accessorated and designed" space in NYC. Words fail me, but Wednesday night I am taking the it E-I-C there for dinner and a viewing......can't wait to see what he says!!!!!!

Opened in Soho, in October, this stunning hotel was brought to life by world renowned, British hotelier's, Tim & Kit Kemp, owners of the UK's luxurious Firmdale Hotels. The duo's unique philosophy, "hotels should be living things, not stuffy institutions," is the basis of their "specialty" hotel business. While incorporating this concept in all of their hotels, this is clearly the design dictum leading their first U.S. venture. Co-owner Kit, known for her "quirky, colorful, London style," designed the hotel's interiors. She uses an innovative mix of color, pattern, and texture; adding a unique blend of antique, classical, and modern furniture and accessories. A modern mix of organic materials and shapes, as well a variety of foliage and flowers, also complements the hotel's aesthetic. In addition, Kit has put together an extraordinary collection of original contemporary art, that is featured throughout the hotel. Designed to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly, the hotel is aiming to get gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, as well.

There are a number of innovative and interesting design elements throughout the space ..... the first one that appears is the hotel's sign. Seen from the outside of the building, through leaded glass windows, the word CROSBY is composed of individually framed collages, reminiscent of Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick, each including a different letter. The word STREET is a combination of vintage and new "found" letters, a la artist Jack Pierson. The visual is spectacular ....... but, unfortunately, there is an Italian shelving unit sitting inside the window that is a bit distracting ....... this is easily remedied and is my only complaint in this otherwise perfect place!!!!!

The public spaces in the hotel are fabulous!!!!! The lobby seating area includes a wonderful vintage wood frame settee covered in soft French linen, and two vitrines filled with shells, that became instant coffee tables!!!! Two "rag -rug stripe" slipper chairs finish the set up...... and in the distance are two wing chairs covered in souzani patterns!!! On the other side of the lobby is a stunning organic wooden garden bench, covered in greenery; a stone dog reclining on it, under an enormous mirror, is lit by a giant theatrical standing floodlight ...... beyond chic!!!! In addition, there is spectacular art in the lobby, including a giant 10' head made out of white letters, three divine dogs covered in comic strips, and a wonderful framed collage of a dachshund!!! YUMMY!!!!!

The Parlor, off the lobby, is a montage of fabulous accessories, art, and furniture. Mixing floral patterns on vintage wing chairs, and a tufted rouge velvet sofa at one end; a vintage round table and chairs, separating a wonderful roll-arm sofa in patches of grey heather and red at the other ..... the room, with soft lighting and a fireplace, is warm and inviting.

The Crosby Bar, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea, has incredible eye candy; a magical blend of pattern, print, and color!!!! In addition, hanging from the ceiling are the most spectacular light fixtures in New York City!!!!! Another wall fixture is created by telephones mounted to the wall that are lit .......... so incredible!!! Vintage tables have zinc or aluminum tops ..... chairs and throw pillows are upholstered in incredible Maharam woolen collaged textiles, designed by Hella Jongerius ....... and the banquets are covered in amazing stripes!!!! The bar has a trio of colored lucite lamps that make my heart pound!!!! I thought I had landed in "accessorator heaven"!!!!!

And ...... as if this isn't tempting enough ....... each room and suite is completely unique!!!!!!! The Crosby Hotel is a WOW ............ I'm ready to move in for life!!!!!!

Crosby Street Hotel website

Pantone Folding Chairs by Seletti!!!!!

January 15, 2010 1:00 AM

These divine aluminum folding chairs are going to be previewed at Maison et Object in Paris, January 22 to 26. And of course, this "color queen" is dying to see them immediately !!!! Created by the trendy Italian accessory company Seletti, the chairs have padded seats in six pantone colors. The colors include; 672C pastel pink, 186 C ruby red, 377 C macaw green, 14-0848 mimosa, 268 C royal purple, and cool grey. Love the labels too!!!!!

Of course these are fabulous "accessorating" colors and if you miss them in Paris you can see them next month at the New York Gift Show!!!!

Seletti website

KiBiSi chairs for Shanghai Expo 2010!!!!!

January 12, 2010 1:00 AM

The design philosophy behind recently formed, Copenhagen based idea-driven industrial design company KiBiSi is that "ideas and products are intrinsically tied. In the fertile overlap between Design, Architecture and Ideation KiBiSi seeks to spawn a new breed of idea driven design." Obviously having no fear of color, this team created these chairs for the Danish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010. Produced by contemporary Danish furniture company HAY, each chair is made from molded plywood and has numerous color combinations.

These chairs screamed "accessorator" ......... could you ever imagine so many color combination!!!!!!!!!! YUMMY!!!!!!!! What shall I order??????

KiBiSi website

HAY website

Mario Nanni turns La Scala into a Bookshelf!!!!!!!

January 6, 2010 1:00 AM

As everyone know this "accessorator" thinks books and bookcases are the ultimate "accessoration"!!!!

To date, illuminating Milan's opera Teatro alla Scala to resemble a bookshelf is the ultimate ACCESSORATION!!!! Mario Nanni's, "La Luce della Musica" is a visual and musical experience that takes your breath away. Opening the opera season at La Scala, this tribute to Bizet's "Carmen" is extraordinary. Nanni, the ultimate "architect of light" uses video projections and light to "highlight and compliment" the architecture of this historic structure designed by Giuseppe Piermarini (1776-78). The bookcase pattern projection is one of six that Nanni created to light the opera house. It was done as part of Milan's International Festival of Lights. Nanni is the ultimate lighting master, beginning his career as an electrician and becoming world renowned ...... this work at La Scala is monumental!!!!!!!!

Mario Nanni's website

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