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Marti Guixé ....... A New Clock for Alessi!!!!!!!!!

March 11, 2010 1:00 AM

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This innovative clock, created by Catalan designer Marti Guixé (see post 2/18/10) was designed for Italian company Alessi (see post 1/22/10).  The 24H Sentence Maker is a white aluminum wall clock, with a blank face and a dry-wipe surface. You can write or draw anything you can think of on it's face ....... including numbers, if you must!!!!! Using a wipe-dry pen and any thoughts, ideas, emotions, etc ...... you can create your own "exclusive" clock. Guixé, is a multi- talented genius; performance artist, writer, product designer, and  thinker. He looks at objects with fresh eyes, "thinking about them and methods that can encourage peoples' active participation and spirit of reinvention." 

"Objects have become tools for perceiving reality of every day, and also for communicating not only with objects, but also with other people through objects." Marti Guixé

I adore the idea of "emotions" instead of numbers and I can't wait to get my hands on one of these clocks ...... maybe 4 or 5 ..... one for each room ..... that way every room can reflect my different emotions inherent to that space!!!!!  That really is "over-accessoration", even for me!!!!

Jeremiah Goodman ....... Collects Cherished Rooms!!!!!

March 9, 2010 1:00 AM

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ROSE CUMMINGS LIVING ROOM

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GRETA GARBO LIVING ROOM

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JAMES GALANOS BEDROOM

Jeremiah Goodman's career has spanned decades, beginning in the 1950's at Lord & Taylor, where he created print advertisements, illustrating everything from fashion to furniture. A great bon vivant and charmer, Jeremiah has always had "fashionable" friends, circling the globe, including John Gielgud, Greta Garbo, Billy Baldwin, David Hicks, Mary Martin, and Elsa Peretti..... and early on, he began creating "interior portraits" of their favorite rooms. These intimate illustrations, begun in the 1940's, continue to be drawn today!!!! They have appeared in every major fashion and shelter magazine, and in 2007 Powerhouse  published a significant book of his "rooms," A Romantic Vision. This book is a "must have" in any design library!!!!

London art dealer Dean Rhys Morgan has "borrowed" several of his illustrations and created a collection of prints, making his work accessible to all of us!!! Design guru's John Dransfield and Geoffrey Ross, great friend of Jeremiah's, are the representatives for this fantastic collection. Printed in London, this limited edition evokes all of the same passion, vibrancy, and charm as the original ...... an "accessorator's" dream ...... imagine a library wall covered with these beautiful images......Delightful!!!!!

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

March 3, 2010 1:00 AM

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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!!!!!

Roderick Vos ...... The "Vanity" Table!!!!!!!

March 2, 2010 1:00 AM

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The "Vanity" magazine table is designed by Dutch product designer Roderick Vos for Linteloo.  Each table is based on a system of nine compartments, each holding one magazine, the sizes are based upon the most common magazine dimensions. Included with the table is a wooden panel for one space, that can be used to place a coffee cup, a vase of flowers, or nothing!!! Beneath the table top three boxes are created, each can hold additional volumes of the magazines. Vos created two designs for this sleek table, one square and one rectangular, both having a matte black coated steel frame ...... taking a "problem" and creating a stunning "solution" is his design formula!!!!

Vos's message to his clients is simple ...... "I don't want to be constantly entertained, or entertain others. I want to make you happy with beautiful useful pieces. Objects that exude aesthetic pleasure. Strong shapes that feel beautiful, good and true. Such sensations are nothing to be ashamed of."

The "Vanity" table is perfect for "the accessorator," ....... I am a magazine junkie, who lives in a constant state of magazine mess ...... piles covering every surface, including the floor!!!!

Campana Brothers ..... Alligator "Accessorations"!!!

February 25, 2010 1:00 AM

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For those of us who grew up in the 60's, the most important "accessoration" on our polo shirt's was the embroidered Lacoste "alligator" ..... it is an iconic logo and the forerunner of penguins, bears, horses, etc, and the giant Ralph Lauren Polo Player!!!!! Lacoste is trying to breath new life into the alligator with the help of world renowned Brazilian designers Fernando & Humberto Campana. The brother's have designed 4 limited-edition shirts that were hand-made at the Coopa-Roca Women's Co-operative in Rochina, Brazil, updating a traditional "accessoration!!!"   

Available at Moss and Moss Online, the 4 shirt styles are ...... women's all-over lace-applique (edition of 12), men's all over lace-applique (edition of 12), men's "alligator pools" (edition of 125), and women's "lianes" or "vines" (edition of 125). The pattern of "alligator pools" on the mens shirts is influenced by the "anavihanas", small fluvial islands in the Amazon; and the women's shirt is influenced by the "vines" that grow in the trees in the tropical rain forests.

I think this "accessoration" project is extremely innovative and it also serves an important purpose ...... it engages the women of the co-op in a project that enables them to improve the quality of their lives and the lives of their families, and it continues the development of the traditional Brazilian hand-craft techniques. Giving back is the most important "accessoration" of all!!!!!

Book Shelf ....... Curated with a Single Thought!!!!!

February 24, 2010 1:00 AM

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This work is deigned by innovative San Francisco industrial designers, Mike & Maaike. The reclaimed, hardwood shelf is combined with books selected by curator Athmeya Jayaram.  Titled Juxtaposed: Power, the shelf has slots specifically cut to house seven seminal books about power and society. The "sculpture" includes 2,451 pages, 2390 years, 2251 wars, 432 revolutions, 90 empires, 7 books, 1 shelf. The piece is offered in a limited edition of 50 and is the second in a series of curated bookshelves, the first work was a collection about religion. Both "shelves" were produced by design company Blankblank.

"What should we value most-freedom or security? And who should decide- the few or the many, individuals or groups, humanity or God? For the first time, the world's most seminal texts on power and its relationship to the ordering of society are brought together and presented on the same level."

My favorite "accessorations" are books and art, and this is a spectacular design that incorporates both, as well as the idea of perfect minimalism (not something I am very familiar with!!) You have the perfect tomes on the perfect shelf, and are never overbooked, as I am!!!!!! Tables, chairs, the floor and sometimes even my bed are covered......no place to eat, sit, stand, or sleep!!!!!

Fornasetti ...... A New Discovery!!!!!!

February 23, 2010 1:00 AM

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Milanese artist and illustrator Piero Fornasetti was the creator of over 11,000 witty and imaginative patterned decorative objects. He died in 1988 and his son Barnaba, "is perpetuating the workshop tradition, continuing the production and reviving the most popular pieces, creating new ones," keeping his Father's whimsical, humorous, and elegant designs alive. Recently, in the basement, he found a plastic form of a vase that had never been produced and he used it as the jumping off point for this imaginative and off-beat collection of objects; vases, teapots, a tale, etc.. According to the Fornasetti company, these stunning pieces, produced by licensee Bitossi Ceramiche, will "travel" from display at the Spazio Fornasetti to be shown at Barneys New York in mid-May.

These pieces are the ultimate collectibles, the most fabooooooolous "accessorations" ...... I would do back flips to get one ...... and that would look pretty silly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marti Guixé ....... Pushing Design's Boundaries!!!!!!!

February 18, 2010 1:00 AM

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Catalonian Marti Guixé, living between Barcelona and Berlin, calls himself an "ex-designer." He is extremely outspoken in his "disregard" of design and works hard at pushing boundaries between design, art, and performance. Firmly ensconced in the contemporary movement, often using cheap or disposable materials, looking forward rather than backward, and forfeiting traditionalism ...... results in his more playful, less commercial, approach to design. An important example of his work is this installation, "Respect Cheap Furniture,"  an edition of 50 hand painted plastic Monoblock chair that are painted with the name of the edition. This well-known, inexpensive chair, universally accepted for it's good design, is an important addition to his series "stop discrimination of cheap furniture" begun in 2004.

"There are several products in which the shape is not important and the function is important. I think the way to do that is working basically with ideas, so that the shapes and materials become anecdotal."

I think that these chairs, part of an exhibition last fall in Berlin, are a wonderful reference to my view of our current design climate ..... nothing has value and everything is valuable!!!! Seems like an "accessorator's" dream ...... or is it a nightmare???????

Box & Flea ...... Accessories created with love!!!!!!!!

February 16, 2010 1:00 AM

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Probably, one of the most "American" accessories is the bandana!!! Remember Gene Autry and Roy Rogers ..... those all American heros of the wild west .... they wore 'em!!!! And the "ranch-hands" and "cowpokes" in the 50's westerns, they used 'em to wipe the sweat from their brow and to make them appear a bit more bon vivant!!!! Whatever the purpose was, these well-worn bandanas got better with age, adapting to the characteristics and personality of the owner ...... just like our favorite pair of jeans does today!!!

My friend, artist Alex Dodge, told me about Box & Flea, a collaborative between architects Jeremy Barbour and Andrew Woodrum. The pair has created a company based on this same concept, recreating "cherished" items that gets better with age. "Our work is defined by the pursuit of craft and a sense of timelessness through the production of extraordinary wares suited for the everyday."  The collection of hand-printed, handmade bandanas, produced in small quantities in Greenpoint.  has the timelessness quality and feel as the original well loved treasures of the Old West.  

If you a bandana is not up your 'thing", think outside the "accessory" box ...... take two bandanas, sew them together, add a bit of stuffing and .........  the result is a fabulous pillow!!!!!!! A grouping of pillows, in a melange of assorted patterns and colors, would be ideal for "propping" an outdoor couch or hammock this summer.............STUNNING!!!!!

"Vases" by Jaime Hayon ...... at Bisazza, Paris!!!!!!!

February 12, 2010 1:00 AM

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J'adore Spanish design guru Jaime Hayon ...... Maison et Object's designer of the year!!!! Remember the fantastical giant chess game at London Design week (blog 9/25/10) ..... incredible!!! This past week in Paris, luxury Italian tile company Bisazza had a stunning installation of "The Pixel Vases Collection" designed by Hayon. Using his "family of figures" for shapes, as well as glass mosaic patterns, Hayon created these 20 limited edition handmade ceramic vessels. Each piece is exhibited on it's own unique shaped pedestal, complementing it's design. The color palette is the whitest of whites as the base color, then accented with black,white, red, and metallic gold & silver tile ...... pretty fabulous!!!!

Bisazza is the premier producer of glass mosaic tiles; interior & exterior, decorative & commercial. To creatively extend their "luxe" brand identity the company continues their collaboration with some of the most significant designer of this generation, including Tord Boontje, Marcel Wanders, Paola Navone, and Andrée Putnam. The extensive collection of limited edition works includes giant silver tiled objects from Studio Job, large gold tiled pieces from Alessandro Mendini, a spectacular tile folding screen from Patricia Urquiola, and tiled furniture from artist Sandro Chia. The editions are featured at Bisazza stores worldwide. 

I adore Bisazza and would love to "accessorate" with any object they produce ....... especially the Marcel Wanders tables ...... wait till you see them next week!!!!!!! DIVINE!!!

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

February 11, 2010 1:00 AM

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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!!!!!!

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

February 10, 2010 1:00 AM

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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!!!!!!!!!!

4 Days In Paris ...... the Hotel Recamier & More!!!!!!!

February 8, 2010 1:00 AM

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I spent last week in Paris and it was divine!!!! I stayed at the Hotel Recamier, a wonderful newly renovated, boutique hotel in the Place St. Suplice. It was recommended by my friend, the au courant E-I-C, and as usual, he was right ..... it was fabulous !!!! ! The hotel has been redesigned by interior designer Jean Louis Deniot, who in addition to creating the stunning public spaces, was inspired to design 24 entirely different rooms. He successfully blends an eclectic mix of 20th century decorative styles, creating "Parisian elegance, neither hyper exuberance nor minimalism" ....... but clearly contemporary chic with a French accent!!! In addition, this charming "bijou" is owned by Sylvie de Lattre, a hotelier who pays special attention to each guest ...... making you feel that you are a treasured friend visiting her wonderful home!!!

I "accessorated"  all over Paris.... lunch at my most favorite cafe- the Croix Rouge, vintage shopping at Catherine B, a quick trip to the fabulous Merci on the Blvd. Beaumarchais, a visit to the new L'Eclaireur for women and of course a return to the men's store (bought gorgeous summer scarves!!), I saw my favorite lamp at Perimeter Gallerie, met Oliver the director of School Gallery (bought a fabulous drawing), had a wonderful lunch at TCH'A (the maison de the), found Arty Dandy on the Rue de Furstemberg (they were out of the KARL WHO t-shirts!), picked up breat at Poilane, book shopped at La Hume, and had an amazing dinner at L'Timbre .......

That's just a hint of my "accesorations" ......... much, much more to follow this week!!!!!!!!

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

February 3, 2010 1:00 AM

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herringbone .JPGI 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????????

#1 at NY GIFT Show.....Little Nest from Australia!!!!!!!

February 1, 2010 1:00 AM

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This is my PERFECT find from the NY Gift Show .......... child size chairs by the design icons of the 20th Century!!!!!! Imagine a baby 1956 Eames lounge, a tot's 1958 Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen, or Mies Van Der Rohe's 1927 Barcelona chair in mini ........... and that's just the beginning!!!!!!! This collection is available from the Australian company, Little Nest. The brainchild of Samantha Firestone, it is now distributed in the U.S. by Los Angeles representative Karen Alweil Studio.  

These designer's are the best of this century, the most influential and exceptionall!!!!! But, the idea of creating these iconic designs in miniature is over-the -top ...... a giant WOW!!!

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