Recently in “Lighting”

and all things in between!!! 

Part of her collection can be seen this weekend at the Bridgehampton Antique Show at the Community Center ...... where her booth is an eclectic mix of the most stunning design elements and the way they are "put-together" is an inspiration for all "design divas!!!"

Italian designer, Paola Navone's fabulous creation, "Theatrical Creations in Tones of Blue" was designed for Venetian glass company Barovier & Toso for their installation at the Milan Fair at  Zona Tortona. The installation is a series of rooms, featuring vignettes or scenes, created by stunning glass pieces ....... all in the "Yves Klein Blue."  Each unique design incorporates light, some form of repetition ....... and is magical on it's own, but as an installation it is extraordinary!!! 

Navone says, "I find inspiration in most thing. It's a mental attitude. If you look and touch you can always find something interesting-a shape,a colour, a texture. It's a 24 hour exercise to capture all of these elements."

I am awed by Paola Navone ......... not only is she amazingly talented, but she is incredibly prolific!!!! In the past two weeks I have seen three works by Navone ........ this installation, and an incredible installation at Few & Far in London ( to be featured next week!!) and a fantasy sculpture that is part of the exhibition Tra le Briccole di Venezia  at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan. This piece is so stunning that I am also writing about it tomorrow as a separate piece!!!!

Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek presented these fabulous fixtures at Spazio Rosanna Orlandi in Milan this week. The fixtures continue his pursuit of "recycling & reviving" ....... he took a collection of vintage glass lighting parts and created stunning chandeliers!!! The lamps sit inside metals rods and are strung together, creating various circular and vertical fixtures. 

Drawings of the 7 light objects 

Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans (see blog 12/3/09) joins Dutch design studio, Studio Job (see blog 12/3/09) to create Wonderlamp, a collection of 7 light objects. The pieces were done in associate with Milanese gallery Dilmos and will be presented next month at the 2010 Milan Furniture Fair.

Studio Job is known to create fantasy, over-sized cast bronze objects and Pieke Bergmans, who works with a wide variety of materials, has used handblown glass to create amorphous shaped objects, including vases slipping off a table (see blog 12/3/09) and "melting or deflating"  light bulbs. Their current collaboration combines a variety of her large blown-glass light bulbs with the monumental "ordinary" objects (including a teapot, a flash light, and a pipe) made by Sudio Job. Combining fantasy and reality, these pieces will definitely be among the most interesting and imaginative works in Milan. 

I was visiting two of my "tastiest and chicest" friends this past weekend ......  and I fell madly in love with this divine chandelier!!!!! It was designed by world-famous Venetian designer Gino Sarfatti for his company Arteluce, started in the early 1940's, it became the international reference point for the "modern architectural movement" in lighting. Sarfatti designed and produced over 400 amazing lighting designs over a thirty year period. His company, the foremost of the era, was innovative in materials, production, technologies, light sources, technical lighting effects, and design aspects. Movement was an important element in his designs; standing lamps and wall mounted lights, frequently incorporated articulated metal arms, often in brass. Sarfatti designed all forms of lighting ...... chandeliers, floor lamps, wall lamps, table lamps, and sconces ....... usually including metals in his pieces. 

And, it is important to remember Sarfatti often incorporated color without fear .... the sign of a true "accessorator"!!!!!!!!!

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 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"!!!!!

I am in love with this light fixture ....... I saw it hangs in a double high, glass walled media room on the water in East Hampton!!!! Created by artists Wade Guyton and Kelley Walker, the duo who make up the artistic tag-team Guyton/Walker. The fixture was part of a 2009 exhibition at Greene Naftali Gallery. The chandelier hangs approximately 5 feet long and is a combination of porcelain, light bulbs, sockets, and electrical wires. Each coconut is a ceramic mold, and each mold is created from a different, real coconut!!! The result is that each porcelain coconut is unique!!!! The piece draws reference from previous works that the pair did that included silk screens and inkjet paintings.

Lighting, as an art form, continues to fascinate me .... and while I was in Beirut, I was particularly taken by this series of 5 contemporary sconces. They line the wall of a double height staircase atrium in a stunning house owned by a Lebanese art collector. In addition to the sculptural design of each individual fixture ..... created by CAI Lighting, a trio of Beirut-based designers Christophe Hascoët, Annabel Karim Kassas & Isabel Rolland ..... an additional artistic element appears when they are lit. The scones, Splashing Drop, create a dramatic interplay of light and dark wrapping around the atrium ..... the resulting middle eastern influenced pattern becomes a mural or wallpaper. When standing in the room-like atrium, surrounded by the mesmerizing graphics, in combination with the height of the space, there is a peaceful and spiritual sensation. 

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!!!!!!!!

Christmas 2009 was absolutely AMAZING!!!! I spent two weeks in Beirut, Lebanon visiting friends and it was beyond ....... it is the chicest, most exciting and inviting city, Beyrouth is the most happening spot around!!!!! Apparently Beirut, previously known as the Paris of the Middle East, has regained its title!!!!!!!!!!!!

The city sits on the Mediterranean, a blend of ancient and contemporary culture, architecture, and design, it is surrounded by ancient cities that include Baalbek, Tyre, Byblos, and Tripoli. The weather is spectacular, as the Lebanese constantly remind you, you can go snow-skiing in the morning and water-skiing in the afternoon!!!! The international flavor of Beirut is the result of the mixture of cultures, Christians, Sunni's, and Shites. Lebanese are warm and charming, they love eating and drinking ...... and having a good time!!!! Family and friends of friends are always welcome, and adding additional guests at the last minute is done with ease. Overseas guests are treated as family and always have a wonderful time. Culturally the city is blossoming ..... the year-old Beirut Art Center presents universally acclaimed shows, featuring both Lebanese and international contemporary artists. Ashkal Alwan, founded in 1994, is invested in forging cultural connections between artists residing in Lebanon and overseas. To date, over 450 international artists and museum curators have registered for their presentation of Home Works V in April. Recently, a group of five artists reopened the Metropolis Cinema, a two theatre movie house. They plan to feature a variety of film festivals, and will have a cafe with a cinema library, to serve as a meeting place for film buffs. Beirut's restaurant scene is extensive and varied (see NY TImes 12/29/09), and packed cafes are central to the fiber of the city. There are a number of chic hotels, including The Albergo, a Relais & Chateaux property, and the newly opened Le Grey, owned by international hotelier Gordon Campbell Grey. Shopping is a major pastime for Lebanese women, and there is a wide selection of fabulous international designer boutiques. This past December a new Dior store joined the mix and according to WWD, any major designer without an outpost in Beirut is on the hunt for space ...... even Hermes is opening this fall!!! In addition, Saifi Village, the tasty shopping district downtown will soon be home to the newly renovated souks!!! Currently Saifi includes my favorite home design stores .... Nada Debs and Bokja Design, both a must stop on any Beirut shopping trip .... and also my favorite cafe Balima, designed by Annabel Kassar.

                                  Tejo Remy Chest of Drawers XS at Droog                

                                Kwangho Lee at Johnson Trading Company

                           Pedro Friedeberg at Sebastian + Barquet Gallery     

                                            Studio Job at VIVID Gallery

                                               Julien Carretero at Moss

Design Miami 2009 has a wide selection of galleries, focusing on a variety of designers. I was thrilled to see the mix of iconic pieces, including the Hand Chairs from Pedro Friedeberg and the Drawer Chest from Tejo Remy ....... mixed with the work of newer designers, such as Julien Carretero and Kwangho Lee. Included within this range of design is a wide selection of process, technique, materials and silhouette. All of the work is unique, exciting and interesting ...... a delicious feast for the "accessorator's" eye!!!!!!!!!!!

The Wreath Project 2009 was inspired by the Polish tradition of hanging a wreath on the top of a building as a sign of completion of the project, as well as a symbol of joy and feast. These handmade wreaths are created by knotting 120 silk ribbons on a wire spiral, and they are to be hung upon completion of the interior design of a home. These imaginative fixtures are available in a variety of color combinations and lengths, to be chosen by the user.

"I wish that my Wreath would be an inexpensive gift for all of those who finished redecoration- symbol of joy and good luck. Depending on needs and imagination of its owner Wreath can change color and length. It is possible to hang small decorations or other objects on it. Design invites interaction." Agnieszka Lasota

Last Sunday, I stood with my nose pressed to the glass at Moss.....begging to be let in.....but, there was no one there.....the store was closed!!! I was possessed....I had to "meet" the light fixtures that were in the window!!! I ran home to my trusty mac and started "digging," as only a deeply "addicted accessorator" can!!! I found that the artist who created this magical lighting is Andy Coolquitt. Featured in the 2009 Texas Biennial, this native Texan is currently living between New York City and Austin,Texas. Creating these fragile, poetic pieces from found "street treats," Andy uses minimal shapes and vivid colors for the "light sculptures." The work combines sophistication and and whimsey, with strong linear detail. It's innovation and interesting .....  and I can't wait to find my way back to Moss and to see it for "in the flesh"!!!!!!!! 

The above images combine works from Andy's first solo show in New York at the Lisa Cooley Gallery, as well as works that are currently available at Moss.

Award winning English designer, Lee Broom created his first furniture collections in 2007 and 2008. Called "Neo Neon" and  "Rough Diamond," the pieces were shown at the London Design Festival. Previously known exclusively for his dynamic designs of bars and clubs, Broom jumped into the furniture business with a highly narrative eye and flair for the unusual....... and he never looked back!!! In his two collections, "Lee transformed vintage furniture in it's original condition by adorning each piece strikingly with light." Both, the discarded luminaire bergere chair and the luminaire club chair have been reclaimed into sculptural works without changing their appearance, rather Broom has depended upon the element of light to bring them into this generation. The time-worn bergere relies on the addition of neon tubing, while the aged club twinkles from the addition of an array of fairground light bulbs. Both pieces rely on their iconic history, while being updated and having an air of whimsey!!! 

The chairs were re-exhibited this month in London, at the Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery, in an exhibition called "The Revivalists."  This exhibition, running concurrent to this years design festival, was curated by English design commentator Max Fraser. It reflects one of the design trends that he includes in his excellent new handbook to the London design community, LONDON DESIGN GUIDE 2010. In the book, Fraser divides the English design community into five "tribes,"  including..... the new modernists, the escapists, the reactivists, the digitalists, and the revivalists. In essence, "the revivalists are designers that celebrate nostalgia or set about subverting traditions" and these chairs are excellent examples of this "celebration!!!"