Swank Lighting

Design Blogger Profile: Victoria Smith of sfgirlbybay!

2009-11-13T09:05:00.004-06:00

Sfgirlbybay is one of those blogs that has made an undeniable impact on not only the design blogging world, but the design world in general. Filled to the brim with inspiring photos and ideas, this is your first stop when you are looking for modern bohemian and San Francisco style inspiration.

Describing herself as a “San Francisco based blogger, hopeful photographer, design junkie and bonafide flea market queen” Victoria Smith is most well-known in her role as the editor and writer of the hugely popular sfgirlbybay blog, which began in 2006. The blog offers interior design tips, shopping finds; interviews, home tours, design/art event coverage, product reviews, shopping ideas, art and design resources, and lots of stories relating to creating a lovely home. Our favorite feature without doubt is Smith’s “Sunday in the City” where she just shares a few photographs she’s snapped while on a walk through San Francisco. The photographs are of a number of subjects, but always a simple and fresh view of the city---very inspiring.

Recently revamped, the blog also features one of our favorite graphic designs of a design blog. It’s wide, simple, with a large header and big photos. A white background makes everything pop and it always seems like the entire page’s color palette is soft and coordinated. You can browse by category if you’re looking for something specific, and you can even click on a number of the colorful advertisements along the right side (which we promise are subtle and not in the way).

We’re not the only fans of Smith or her blog: sfgirlbybay can claim readers like popular magazine and newspaper editors, shoppers, and industry professionals. You’ll never be bored here; Smith usually puts out about 2-4 (or more) posts a day.

If you still can’t get enough of Smith or her unique brand of design style, have no fear: she’s produced photo shoots for advertising agencies and designers for clients like Domino, Architectural Digest, Gourmet and Bon Appetít. You can also find her writing in 7×7 Magazine, Uppercase Magazine, Poppytalk, Design*sponge, Apartment Therapy and Decor8. She’s been personally featured in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Domino, Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens DIY, and even appeared on television on HGTV’s Small Space, Big Style.

All words and information were taken from the lovely and gorgeous website sfgirlbybay.com.

Flickr Features: The Colors of Mid Century Modernism!

2009-11-12T11:06:00.005-06:00

We show you plenty of great examples of Mid-Century Modern furniture, interiors and architecture here on the Swank Lighting blog, but something we often don't pay a lot of attention to is color. The Mid-Century era had its very own color scheme, and incorporating or finding inspiration from these colors can help bring a super retro-feel to your spaces--whether you bring them in on Mid-Century furniture or not. Perfect for paint colors, accessories and yes, even furniture, the colors found in these fun Flickr finds would look great in an interior meant to embody a Mid-Century Modern feel.

studiosmith

studiosmith

ezioman

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Versatile and Flexible Wood!

2009-11-11T12:36:00.002-06:00

We've posted about great-looking wood pieces we've seen on 1stdibs before. We just love the warmth, texture, variety and colors that exist within the large body of wooden furniture work out there. You know what we also love? Its versatility. Able to be carved, cut, molded, shaped and assembled, wood is the go-to material for those creative designers looking to stretch the limits of furniture design, and for artists and sculptors who need a material that can transform into their vision. We've gathered some fun wood pieces that prove wood's versatile nature:

1) Monumental Couple of Hand Carved Hippos
When we first thought that these hippos were only regularly-sized accessories we were impressed by them, but now we just can't get enough realizing just how huge they are! We love that they retain a warmth and character that you just wouldn't see from something made out of another material.
Price: $2,800
Dealer: Palm Beach Antique and Design Center

2) Marionettes
How magical and whimsical! These marionettes prove that wood can be used to create fantasy and enhance imagination. We just don't think you'd be able to suspend disbelief with any other material.
Price: $3,700
Dealer: Just Folk

3) Adjustable hanging shelving by Zanini de Zanine
We love these hanging shelves from Brazil. So amazing-looking. Combined with the functionality of shelving, wood here really elevates this home furniture item into art.
Price: $12,000
Dealer: NOHO Modern

4) A Rare Multifaceted Mahogany Bar Cabinet attributed Ico Parisi
How fun! Wood in this piece has turned what could be a ho-hum bar cabinet into a study of geometry! Without adding any ornament or detail the wood's shape here adds a lot of interest and depth to this piece.
Price: $6,500
Dealer: Gary Rubinstein Antiques

5) Mäder Rocking Armchair by Mendes-Hirth
We just love the sculptural wonderfulness of this rocking chair. Though we can't read this description, we bet it says something about how this chair being made out of wood gives it a warm, organic feel despite its uber-modern look.
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Espasso

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

A Perfect Pair: Wormley and Swank Lighting Ceramic Lamps!

2009-11-10T10:13:00.005-06:00

We enjoyed a lot of Edward Wormley’s work that we featured yesterday, but we fell in love with one of his simpler pieces. Though it’s fun to include bright, bold and interestingly shaped furniture in an interior space, it’s equally satisfying to find a piece that, while neutral, makes all of your other furniture and accessories pop.

This 1950's Edward Wormley couch was created for the Dunbar Furniture Company, and features lovely nubby upholstery with a great warm gray color. It’s a long couch, measuring over seven feet, and so gives quite a narrow and elegant appearance. The arms are high and boxy and connect gracefully to the back of the couch with a slightly curved upholstery detail that is unexpected. The couch comes with three plush back cushions, but when removed they expose a simpler button-tufted back, creating an even more sleek appearance. The bottom cushion is all one cushion rather than three, also visual elongating the couch. Finally, all these subtle and great details rest on good-looking mahogany wood legs.

This pair of Swank Lighting Mid Century Ceramic Lamps by Deruta is coming close to topping our favorite lamps of all time list. Imported by Balboa in the 1950's, they were recently uncrated from a shipping container and rebuilt with solid brass hardware. They feature a stunning horizontal striped ceramic pattern of a cerulean blue, rich tan, thin gold edging and all wonderfully glossy. Mounted on a simple Lucite base with a bull nosed edge and coming in at a perfect height of twenty-six inches tall, the lamps are tall, elegant and luxurious.

Combined the Wormley couch and ceramic Swank Lighting lamps are dynamite! The couch’s stately elegance and casual seating are elevated to absolute luxury when combined with the lamps. The gray, blue and tan are a natural color palette that both soothes and excites. The tallness of the lamps compliments the long length of the couch perfectly. We even love how the detail of the couch’s back mimics the detail on the neck of the lamp. Both pieces are unapologetically Mid-Century Modern but both with a retro, respected reverence of the past.

The Accessible and Cool Furniture of Edward Wormley!

2009-11-09T10:19:00.005-06:00

Last week we focused nearly all of our posts on the colorful design inspirations of Verner Panton. While we thought his design ideas were amazing, we also know that not everyone is as interested in such bold, bright colors as he was. That’s why today we bring you a design influence who’s work carefully and skillfully straddles the line between 70s psychedelic color and Mid-Century Modern cool.

Edward Wormley’s work is stylish, no doubt about it, but it’s also very accessible, as it can be used in a number of different interior styles and enjoyed by homeowner’s of varied tastes. Because his work is so varied, it’s hard to pin down specific characteristics that all his pieces have in common, but you can expect to see a mixture of clean, straight lines with the occasional interesting angle. Some of his pieces feature bright colored upholstery; others more demure neutral fabrics---but all his pieces seem to both blend with their surroundings and stand out from the crowd. Not even sticking to only one type of furniture piece, you can see in the portfolio of his career a number of side and lounge chairs, sofas, credenzas, shelves, tables, desks and other wooden case goods. While no one piece really gained the sort of popularity as other Mid-Century designers of his era, as a whole his body of work is quite impressive.

Born in Illinois in 1907, Wormley was actually afflicted with childhood polio and unable to walk until he was five years old. Overcoming this temporary disability he graduated from high school and became a student at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1926 for two years. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish due to a lack of finances. He worked a few years at Marshall Field and Co and later for Berkey and Gay and eventually took a trip to Paris in 1930, where he met the influential Emile Jacques Ruhlmann. Inspired and excited Wormley returned to the US and began work at the Dunbar Furniture Corporation in Illinois, which would eventually become one of the most important steps of his career!

At first only hired to work on Dunbar’s furniture line that was the lowest priced, Wormley’s talent quickly shined through, and he began designing furniture that respected the past but looked forward to the future. His work became so popular that Dunbar itself became one of the top modern furniture companies in the country. Credited for creating almost 150 new furniture pieces for Dunbar each year, Wormley also lent his talents to rugs, lighting, and fabric and textile designs.

Eventually going on to win awards and get featured in museum exhibitions of modern furniture, Wormley’s biggest contribution is his dedication to both style and design. His work was gorgeous, but it was also comfortable to use, easy to incorporate into décor and reasonably priced compared to other designers.

Design Blogger Profile: Jonathan Lo of Happy Mundane!

2009-11-06T09:35:00.004-06:00

In the recent past we’ve shown you blogs that showcase the fabulous and blogs that help you turn your home into the decorated space of your dreams. Today’s blogger focuses on the simple joys in life and how even the most mundane of everyday objects can brighten your interior and your day.

Jonathan Lo’s blog Happy Mundane is unique for another reason: being run by a guy in this cyber world dominated by female design bloggers. There’s no gender distinction here, though, just great design advice and ideas. With a background in art direction and editing, Lo really has an eye for design and is able to find beauty and excitement in all sorts of objects. According to the site: “Happy Mundane is a place to celebrate the ordinary and the extraordinary, happy colors, good design of any kind, and to take a moment to appreciate some things that get overlooked in the everyday.” We especially love Happy Mundane’s tag line: “There's beauty in your dishsoap.”

The site itself is a simple Blogger website with a clean, fresh layout, allowing for the many big and beautiful photos to really shine through. Just a simple collection of things Lo finds interesting, you can sift through the archives or check out his latest tweets in the side bar on the right.

While it’s always hard to pick a favorite element to the blogs we feature, definitely Lo’s assertion that anything can become art and decoration is a number one in this case. Sure, he features plenty of items that might only be on the “not until I can afford it” list but Lo also makes sure to give alternatives that anyone can afford. And while he speaks often about mundane ideas---there’s never anything boring on his site!

To check out all the great things he features, of course visit the Happy Mundane blog. If you’re interested in learning more about Jonathan Lo, you might want to check out this great interview we found at another blog, Trust Your Style. And as always, you can also check out some of the previous design bloggers we’ve profiled, like Tina Roth Eisenburg of Swiss Miss, Vanessa de Vargas of Turquoise, Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind, Anh Minh Le of anh-minh.com and Holly Becker of Decor8.

Flickr Features: Colorful and Bold Interiors!

2009-11-05T14:08:00.006-06:00

We guess we just can't get enough of Verner Panton's inspiring style of bright, bold and colorful furniture and interiors---we've had a colorful theme running through all of our posts all week! Today's post is no different: we've gathered some gorgeous and bold interior photos from Flickr. It takes a special person to decorate and live in a home with more than two or three bold and dominant colors, could you?

patti haskins

coco+kelley

coco+kelley

coco+kelley

jinkazamah

coco+kelley

urbaneapts

jimmyroq

ooh_food

thekitchendesigner.org

urbaneapts

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Adventurous Seating!

2009-11-04T13:01:00.003-06:00

We really loved what Verner Panton, this week's designer influence, had to say about chairs: "sitting should be funny—like playing—an experience". In honor of his unique perspective of sitting, we've decided to round up a few other types of seats that could be confusing, or at the very least an adventure. 1stdibs must have been inspired by Panton this week too, as we found a good bunch of crazy-looking seats:

1) China Evergreen Granite Chair No. 3
It's hard to tell if this piece by Max Lamb is a sculpture or a chair, but it is indeed something you can use as a seat. Whether it's comfortable or not, we're not sure, but we know you'd better like the place in your room you choose to put it---you probably won't be able to move it very easily! Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Johnson Trading Gallery

2) Studio Simon Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup Can
Is it soup? Is it pop art? No it's a stool! You might just succeed in confusing your guests for a moment when they walk into your living room looking for a seat and find a giant soup can! But, a piece like this is not only a show-stopper, it's a conversation starter!
Price: $5,200
Dealer: March

3) Signed Pedro Friedeberg Gilt Hand Chair
Much like a giant can of soup, another startling sight for a guest in your home could be a giant golden hand. It could prove so startling it might take a few moments to realize it's a seat as well! With a piece like this you might want to keep the rest of your furnishings understated.
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Craig Van Den Brulle

4) Pair of Art Deco Tulip Chairs
Though this pair of tulip chairs from the 1940s resembles actual chairs more than a few of the other pieces mentioned today, their complicated wood tones paired with the contrasting cowhide upholstery makes them quite a sight to be seen, and a little hard to figure out.
Price: $6,500
Dealer: Quotient

5) Pre Production Herman Miller Chair
This has got to be the most Verner Panton-esque chair on our list today! Though recognizable as a chair, the strange contraption known as a back as well as all the possibly positions you can put it in are sure to make sitting in this Herman Miller chair an adventure! And isn't the color just so bold?
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: red

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

A Perfect Pair: A Panton Phantom Chair and Vintage Murano!

2009-11-03T13:30:00.003-06:00

In honor of yesterday’s design influence Verner Panton, we decided to choose a rather colorful combination for today’s perfect pair. Known for his gutsy and bold color palette choices, you might not immediately think about pairing the two colors we’ve chosen today, but know that just about any two colors can make a pretty dynamic pairing when on the right pieces.

Verner Panton’s Phantom Chair is a study in confusion. According to Panton, "sitting should be funny—like playing—an experience". And so he designed his Phantom chair (also known under the name Lupoflex) as more of an experience than just a static piece of furniture. This piece of furniture can be used as a chair, a 2-seater, a bench and a table. It’s also an important piece because it is his last piece of furniture before his death in 1998. Made from blow molded plastic, this chair (or table, bench, whatever) is also made in a vibrant, crimson orange-red color, making it bold and sculptural!

These Swank Lighting Barovier & Toso Two Piece Murano Lamps in Canary Yellow are the absolute definition of elegance. Tall and with an interesting, stacked body shape, the lamps themselves also become sculptural statements. The color is a gorgeous creamy yellow with a subtle oval polka dot pattern. Though a bright yellow, their softer hue makes them a more delicate counterpart to the bright crimson of the Phantom Chair.

Together, the Barovier and Toso Murano Lamps and the Panton Phantom Chair make a sunny combination of color and shape. The fact that they both possess such arresting colors and outlines makes them a dynamic and powerful combination, and would look amazing in a modern or minimalist interior where not many other colors are present. A pair like these two would be a scene-stealing combination, so it would be best to place them in a space where they can be the spotlight.

The Colorful and Psychedelic Designs of Verner Panton!

2009-11-02T09:57:00.005-06:00

If you love 1960’s style design and are a big fan of color, then you’ll definitely want to check out today’s designer influence: Verner Panton. Considered by many to be one of Denmark's most important interior and furniture designers of the 20th-century, Panton’s use of shape and color not only summed up an entire generation of design, it continues to wow design enthusiasts today.

You probably are familiar with Panton’s work in terms of bright colors and distinctive chairs. His most famous furniture works were the Cone Chair (1958), the Peacock Chair, The Panton Chair of 1960 and the S Chair, but you may also recognize his other popular pieces like the Bachelor Chair, Trumpet Chair, Heart Cone Chair, Relaxer Chair, and his confusing Phantom Chair/Table.

As mentioned, Panton was also a huge proponent of color, often times blending hues in dizzying palettes. While his furniture was available in an array of bright and bold colors, it was in his experimental interior environments that his talent with colors was most evident, often crafting futuristic spaces with the uses of color and undulating wall, floor and furniture elements. He was also known for his lighting pieces (which also featured bold, bright, “1960s” styled elements) and his fabric ideas. He was often lauded for his innovative use of plastic materials in his work, also adding to the futuristic-feel of his projects.

Panton started his design training in the field of architectural engineering in the city Odense, Denmark, then moved on to study architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Art Copenhagen. He worked under Arne Jacobsen right after college from 1950-1952, but quickly moved on to opening his own office soon after. Along with impressive interior, lighting, furniture and color design work, he also wowed experts and audiences alike with his incredible architectural ideas, like a collapsible house, the Cardboard House and the Plastic House. It was the year 1960 that saw Panton creating the most important design of his career, the world’s first single-form injection-molded plastic chair, The “Stacking chair” or “S chair”, which is still produced by companies like Vitra today.

The last years of his career saw his most work in interior environments, notably a German boat interior that is now a museum. Though it would be hard to imagine anyone actually living in any of his psychedelic interiors, it did pave the way for encouraging brighter and bolder ideas in home designs. Popular in the 1950s-1970s, Panton’s work had a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, and has taken its place alongside other design luminaries in the popular use of Mid-Century Modern style seen in homes and commercial spaces today.

Photos taken from 1stdibs.

Design Blogger Profile: Vanessa de Vargas of Turquoise!

2009-10-30T12:47:00.004-05:00

We’ve got today a great design blogger, Vanessa de Vargas, from the wonderful interior design business known as Turquoise. A prolific designer, fashionista, furniture re-designer and blogger, de Vargas has plenty of inspiration on both her website and blog.

The Los Angeles based designer is known for her young, bright, fresh and sassy interior work, working with clients in their homes but also running quite the successful e-design business, where she helps come up with inspiration boards for clients for a fee. That’s only one half of her talents, however, as she is also known for her ingenious and creative revamping of treasured vintage furniture. Not just fixing furniture pieces structurally, de Vargas gives them a touch of her own style, making them the perfect additions to our generation's more modern sensibilities.

As a blogger herself, she shares her take on the top trends in the design world weekly at Apartment Therapy Los Angeles, but also looks to inspire on her own blog. Sharing stories and photos from client projects (both local to L.A. and online), lots of fun home décor finds and creative ideas she uses her blog as more than just a tool to promote her business, but rather help others create their perfect homes.

Our favorite element of de Vargas’ work is her great use of color, pattern and detail. Her work is fun, sometimes feminine and frankly, flirty. She’s not afraid of any of these elements, and uses them all to enhance spaces, not overwhelm them. Flipping through her online portfolio you will see an inspiring array of color palettes with which to inspire your own home makeovers.

Already a strong presence on the Internet, you can also check out de Vargas and her work in numerous publications, such as The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Sunset Magazine, Washington Post, Instyle Magazine, Architectural Digest-Italy, Lucky, California Homes and Design, as well as other blogs like Decor8 and Stylecourt.

And, you can also check out some of the previous design bloggers we’ve profiled, like Tina Roth Eisenburg of Swiss Miss, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, Jane Freiman of AtticMag, Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind, Anh Minh Le of anh-minh.com and Holly Becker of Decor8.

Flickr Features: Minimalist Interiors!

2009-10-29T10:37:00.007-05:00

Last Flickr Features we brought you lots of photos of homes considered to be futuristic. Often times, when we say the word "modern" we refer to one of our favorite styles "Mid-Century Modern" a style that was popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. Modern can refer to any number of interior decoration styles, though, one of which is minimalism. An often misunderstood style, many people at first glance consider these sleek, simple and starkly furnished rooms as cold or inhuman. Minimalism, which favors no ornamentation and function over form, can be warm and comfortable, however, and the less stuff you have the less you have to clean! We bring to you today some great photos from a Flickr group called "Modern Minimalism." Judge for yourself whether you think minimalism is cold or comfortable! And be sure to check out all the photos we didn't feature in the group yourself.

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Seaside Inspiration!

2009-10-28T11:23:00.003-05:00

The cold weather is now taking its hold on the southern part of the country (not that we're complaining) and we're only just realizing this officially means the end of summer and warm weather. While we love the fall and winter there's something special about the memories that come from the summer. If you've been missing summer as well, why not infuse your interiors with a little seaside inspiration? These fun accessories will have your room feel like a sunny beach house all year long!

1) Mosaic Tile Bench
From Buenos Aires, Argentina this large-scale bench made of multicolored glass tiles depicting sea creatures is from the 1960s, and while it's a bit loud, it's also wonderful! How fun would this be to have in an interior? We love it!
Price: $8,500
Dealer: Bush Antiques

2) Pair of Italian Grotto Chairs by David Barret

Okay these amazing chairs aren't specifically seaside or beach themed, but you can't deny they look like two giant seashells! These could be chairs that you can add for a fun pop of seaside inspiration in an otherwise non-seaside decorated space.
Price: $11,000
Dealer: Donna Parker Habitat

3) Antique Lead 'Neptune' Fountain Sculpture
Who better to have in your sea-inspired space than Neptune himself? This is another great example of a subtle element you could add to an already decorated room to incorporate a seaside theme to it. Even without other seaside inspired accessories, it is a lovely sculpture.
Price: $5,800
Dealer: Regan and Smith

4) Seashell Encrusted Mirror

Seashell encrusted home decor came back into style a few years ago again, both to the delight and horror of homeowners everywhere. Depending on the space, a piece like this could add a fun sea-feeling to it, or it could overwhelm. Pair this with simple surroundings to really let it shine. Price: $2,000
Dealer: Darrell Dean

5) Large Yellow Seashell Centerpiece
Yellow's not a color commonly associated with seaside inspired home accessories, but we love it on this seashell centerpiece. What a bright, bold and fun addition to a seaside-themed space---or any space for that matter!
Price: $2,800
Dealer: Palm Beach Antique and Design Center

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

A Perfect Pair: Bertoia's Diamond Chair and Amy Grigg's Turned Wood Lamps!

2009-10-27T11:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we brought you the fresh and modern designs of Mid-Century furniture maker, sculptor and artist Harry Bertoia. We loved the Diamond Chair as much yesterday as we have for years, and thought it was high time we featured it in a Perfect Pair!

We think Bertoia said it the best when he described his Diamond Chair (or any of his grid-like, steel welded furniture) “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them." We love the description of a chair made of air, one of our earth’s elements. It makes something otherwise completely industrial looking have a more natural-feel to it. Not that the undulating curve of the back of the chair doesn’t give off a natural feeling itself. Altogether, the piece is a stunning example of furniture standing for something other than just a piece of furniture. It's good-looking, and if you’re worried about the comfort of sitting on a metal grid, know that many upholstered cushions are available for this style chair.

We’ve yet to feature an Amy Grigg hand turned wood lamp in a Perfect Pair yet, and that’s a shame! Her wood lamps are at once nature-inspired and completely Mid-Century Modern-esque. This particular pair is sleek, thin and tall, with a lovely glossy sheen. Made of stacked walnut pieces in a reversed grain pattern, the piece comes with lovely and subtle horizontal stripes. These lamps are also signed by the artist herself.

Though it might seem like we’re trying to pair two completely different styles by suggesting the Diamond Chair and the Amy Grigg turned lamps go together, at closer inspection the two have more in common than not. On the outside, sure, the Diamond Chair is a lot of metal giving off a modern and industrial-feel, but remember that it also represents one of Earth’s elements: air. In the same vein, the Grigg lamps seem sleek and Mid-Century Modern, but they are made of another one of Earth’s elements: wood. Together, these two pieces represent a powerful natural combination---and they look good together to boot!

The Art and Furniture of Harry Bertoia!

2009-10-26T11:05:00.004-05:00

After a couple of weeks of focusing on contemporary furniture and interior designers we go back again to the classics, this time with the great Mid-Century furniture designer Harry Bertoia, who along with creating a few extremely important iconic chairs was also a creative and prolific sculptor, painter and artist.

Bertoia’s most famous piece is probably his Diamond Chair (pictured above). Designed for the famous furniture manufacturing company Knoll, the Diamond Chairs feature a geometrically diamond shaped back made out of a grid of thin, welded chromed steel rods. The magic of the Diamond Chair is its ability to seem lightweight and ethereal even though it takes up a large swath of space in terms of size. It’s a focal point sometimes, and yet can blend seamlessly and even invisibly when needed. A few of his other pieces have similar characteristics like his Child’s Chair, Bird Chair and ottoman and Asymmetric Chaise, all for Knoll. What also made his furniture pieces so fun is their ability to be changed with removable cushions, some simple and some wildly patterned or textural.

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about Bertoia is the fact that he never set out to be a design-world changing furniture maker. Born in Italy, he traveled to the US when he was 15 to visit his brother living in Detroit and never left! He did much of his schooling in the U.S. including the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now known as the College for Creative Studies) and the Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he came into contact with such luminaries as Walter Gropius, Edmund N. Bacon and Ray and Charles Eames.

Bertoia started his creative career in jewelry making, opening a studio in 1939 teaching jewelry making and metal work, going on to work on projects like Charles and Ray Eames' wedding rings and eventually working on all sorts of projects with them, like airplane and medical equipment and early work with molded plywood furniture. In 1950 he moved to Pennsylvania and began a lucrative relationship with the Knoll company, producing his now well-known wire furniture, of which he describes best himself “If you look at these chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture. Space passes right through them."

His Knoll furniture sold so well, that he gave up furniture design for sculptural work, going on to have a successful and important career in the field of metal sculpture, experimenting with what he called sound sculpture, sculptural pieces that created sound when interacting with wind and other elements. And though he may have not produced any more furniture as successful as his work with Knoll, his important contributions had already been made to the design world, and his chairs continue to be sought after even today!

Design Blogger Profile: Rachel from Small Notebook!

2009-10-23T09:08:00.005-05:00

We bring to you a fellow Texas blogger today, Rachel from Small Notebook. This marks one of the first blogs not dedicated strictly to the home that we’ve covered, but don’t worry there’s plenty of house advice here. As the weather becomes cooler here and we all start preparing ourselves for the busy holiday months ahead, we thought it pertinent to bring you this blog all about maximizing the simplicity and enjoyment of life.

Started in early 2008, Small Notebook began as a way for Rachel to keep photos and notes to remember her days by---but slowly evolved into the helpful, honest and educational blog it is today. As a stay at home mom who left the corporate world of project management to stay at home with her two small children (who are absolutely adorable), Rachel and her husband have had to make a lot of changes. They stayed in the small apartment they lived in before kids and now have only one income, so you experience all of Rachel’s solutions to these new challenges along with her.

Organized appropriately simple and with nice big photographs, you can choose from a number of topics to read about, including simplify, organize, money, home keeping, family life, food, gardening and more. Want to know how to turn a wet bar into a closet? Always wanted to try composting in your apartment? Need some tricks on spring cleaning? You’ll find all those ideas and more, plus daily tips and you can read about her interesting and impossible sounding annual “No Spend Month” challenge that her and her family subscribe to.

While there are plenty of websites out there to get similar information from, there’s something simpler and more honest about Rachel’s ideas and endeavors than we’ve seen in awhile. She doesn’t even make money from the blog yet---you can surf ad free while visiting. Posting very regularly (even despite being a busy mom) we think you’ll enjoy her creative solutions and fun ideas, too.

Designer SPCA Pet Bed Update!

2009-10-22T10:18:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we brought you the first update of our very own Doug Taylor (along with Swank Lighting favorite artist Faith Schexnayder) working on creating a pet bed for the event Paws Cause 2010, benefiting the SPCA Martin Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic and that will take place on January 24th at Sambuca restaurant in Uptown Dallas.

We just loved seeing all the photos in the last post of the beginnings of what is sure to be the best pet bed Texas has ever seen and so we're excited to bring you some more photos today! Doug and Faith have been hard at work and the pet bed is making real progress. This week's photos are all about details: check out the button tufts of the back, the attached side lamp table that's being formed, what will be a site for a water bowl, and more!

And, we've brought you a special bonus today as well: photos from last year's pet beds. Enjoy:

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: A Variety of Mirrors!

2009-10-21T12:39:00.004-05:00

This hasn't been the first time we've spoken about mirrors before on the Swank Lighting blog, and it likely won't be the last! Mirrors are an integral part of any style room's decor. Mirrors help break up the monotony of framed art piece after framed art piece, and they help make a small space feel expanded when hung in the right place. They can help a room feel brighter when hung across from a window and they of course are perfect for checking your appearance! We've gathered a variety of mirrors from today's newest 1stdibs listings:

1) Miroir
We love this French mirror from the 1930s. It's simple, so it won't overwhelm a space, but the subtle details of the frame's edge are just darling, with just a hint of industrial metal. We love the circular and geometric feel of this piece.
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Hedge

2) Octagonal Three Dimensional Chrome Mirror
Well this mirror certainly makes a statement doesn't it! This octagonal mirror has an amazing structural feel to it, making it a great way to bring in some functional wall sculpture to your space. From the 1970s, we could easily see this as a focal point in a space.
Price: $1,500
Dealer: ABC Modern

3) Reverse Hand Carved Venetian Mirror
This Italian mirror has so many darling details. Though definitely feminine, we could see a piece like this in a number of rooms to help soften up a corner or add a feminine-feel to a wall. From 1950, it's certainly an interesting take on something from the Mid-Century!
Price: $3,400
Dealer: Pegaso Gallery International

4) Aluminium Figurative Mirror
If you couldn't already guess, this mirror is from the 1980s, and definitely has a bit of that graphic edge to it. Though not over-the-top like a lot of 80s design, we like that this piece has such a graphic, sculptural feel to it. And since it's a nice aluminum color to it, it will fit in with a lot of different styles and color palettes.
Price: $3,000
Dealer: Darrell Dean

5) Pair of Continental Mirrors
If you're going to add something over-the-top to a room, this pair of gilt mirrors from the 18th Century is just the thing. Though you probably can't see much in the actual mirrors, the amazing acanthus scroll details lend such a textural feel to the pieces.
Price: $12,000
Dealer: Mark's On Putnam

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

A Perfect Pair: McCobb and Cariati!

2009-10-20T07:18:00.003-05:00

Since yesterday’s Design Influence was a great interior designer, rather than furniture designer, we’re going to tap our archive of past furniture designer influences to choose a piece to pair with a Swank Lighting lamp today. Who did we go with? Our old favorite, Paul McCobb…

We’re not quite sure what it is, but we’re really in love with Paul McCobb’s body of furniture work. Maybe it’s the modern straight lines, the great quality or interesting use of material and color, but we love each piece we see. This great piece is a mahogany and brass credenza by Paul McCobb for the Calvin Furniture Company, made in the 1960s. What strikes us the most about this piece is the lack of external ornamentation: there are no knobs or other details to get in the way, just streamlined straight lines. That’s not to say that this piece is boring; far from it. The use of the gorgeous mahogany wood brings an amazing color detail to the piece, with the natural patterns of the wood having a chance to shine. The white vitrilite top is quite a surprise for this piece, lending an element of interest. The legs are thin, simple and brass, making them seem almost too small to support the weight of the piece, adding a bit of tension and drama to the credenza. We love that there is a lot of space created by the height of the legs, ensuring that the piece never feels too heavy.

Joe Cariati’s work is always a favorite to pair with Mid-Century furniture, and this pair of hand blown Tall Teardrop lamps in Vermillion is a perfect example. The height of the lamps is exaggerated, giving them a very regal and elegant appearance, and the teardrop shape adds a lot of interest. The color itself is bright and vibrant and looking closer you can see some very subtle striped vertical lines on the glass, adding to the verticality of the piece. Placed on top of Lucite bases the lamps really shine!

Together, Cariati’s vermillion teardrop lamps and McCobb’s mahogany credenza are a perfect pair because they make a dynamic Mid-Century statement. The simple elegance of the lamps’ height goes perfectly with the stripped-down, no nonsense appearance of the credenza. The vermillion color is just the right compliment to the reddish and orange-colored earth tones of the mahogany wood. Both the lamp and credenza feature an unexpected detail, the Lucite base and the white top, respectively. Most importantly, as with many of our perfect pairs, the two work together to create a gorgeous composition—not fight each other.

The Bold and Innovative Interior Design of Kishani Perera!

2009-10-19T09:38:00.004-05:00

Focusing again on someone more contemporary for our Design Influence series, we bring to you today the stylish and extremely talented interior designer Kishani Perera. Perera’s designs have been attracting a lot of attention from members of the press and high-profile clients for a few years now, and her gorgeous interiors are bursting with inspiration!

We first stumbled upon Perera’s work in a post at Desire to Inspire (and also where we got all the great photos for this post, courtesy of photographer Jean Randazzo). We were knocked over by the great-looking rooms we saw. Perera’s work is a bold mix of color and style, and she freely experiments with lots of color palettes in her work. Her spaces don’t look too wild, though; she has the ability to mix color, texture and pattern in quite a sophisticated way and helps her clients create very layered and grown-up spaces. Her rooms are very fun, but also quite comfortable. Every shot is magazine-worthy but not so formal and stuffy that you feel like you can’t touch anything. Showing a wide range of abilities, Perera can achieve any style you could be looking for, from eclectic to modern to Hollywood Regency to more.

Perera trained at UCLA’s Interior Design and Architecture program and had many years in the field before starting Fuse ID, the name for her interior design business. Not only getting her name out there as a talented designer, Perera has is also known as being fun and professional person to work with. Enjoyed by a number of clients, Perera counts amongst her previous client list such well-known names as Molly Sims, Kate Bosworth, Christine Taylor, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Josh Duhamel and many more. Her work has been featured in a number of magazines, like In Style Magazine, California Home and Design, Sunset Magazine, LA Confidential Magazine and more. While still young, Perera has already racked up quite a number of achievements and career milestones.

While it can be hard to pinpoint just why a certain person is successful, reading through the testimonial page on Perera’s website certainly hints at her secrets. Words like “innovative,” “brave,” show up a lot, as well as mentioning her ability to make a client’s personality and ideas a reality. Even if you don’t live in LA or can’t afford her services, glancing through her online portfolio should give you enough inspiration for your own interior makeover! Be sure to check back to Swank Lighting's website for more inspiration of all kinds.

Design Blogger Profile: Sharilyn Wright of Lovely Design!

2009-10-16T12:03:00.000-05:00

Working from home is a dream of many people today. For those that do work from home, the dream can be far from reality though, with distractions, disorganization and mess taking up most of the day. That’s why it’s quite the inspiring and refreshing turn to come across one creative mom who runs a successful business and blog from one of the most gorgeous studio offices we’ve ever seen.

Lovely Design is a business and blog by the hip and talented Sharilyn Wright. Her business is gorgeous graphics—stationary, calendars, posters—a whole number of great-looking and contemporary paper goods (which you will probably want to purchase immediately upon viewing). Her blog, which has garnered a strong and loyal following since its inception not too long ago, features updates on her business, the adorable happenings of her daughter Adelaide, great-looking shots of her studio and, most importantly, inspiring design and product ideas! You can get an idea for a great craft project or read about creative endeavors. Whatever you’re visiting the blog for, you’re sure to come away smiling.

As we’ve mentioned, Wright’s office and studio is to die for, and has recently been featured in a great post on another blog, Apartment Therapy. If you’ve been wondering how to transform your own home work space into a center of creativity and production, you’re going to want to study all these amazing photos very carefully. Even if you don’t have an entire room to dedicate to such a purpose, you’re bound to find some great ideas. And, the photos are just fun to look at!

Simple, streamlined, soft yet colorful, both the website and blog created by Wright are aptly named---they are both lovely in content and design. You’ll want to surf on over to both of them whenever you are on the hunt for gorgeous paper goods or inspiration. Her website can be found here, and her blog here. And if you still can’t get enough of Lovely Design inspiration, Wright also has a great Flickr stream.

Flickr Features: Homes of the Future!

2009-10-15T11:10:00.006-05:00

Does anyone else remember that cartoon they used to play years ago about the "House of Tomorrow," a funny look at how a home in the future might be like? We always loved imagining as a kid how homes might look, and from the look of these photos we found on Flickr from decades past, so did many others! We've gathered for you today photos of homes and interiors of the future (or our idea of the future, anyway). We think they make a perfect companion to this week's earlier designer influence, don't you think? We even believe the photos from last Flickr Features, Mid-Century Modern interiors, go pretty well, too! Enjoy:

Many of these photos came from a great Flickr set by user veejay562. Other users referenced were partyhare, suzamaphone, we-make-money-not-art, joanna jane, and seier-seier-seier.

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Subtle Asian Accessories!

2009-10-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

We've certainly brought you 1stdibs favorite finds that have had an Asian or exotic feel to them before, and we decided it's been too long! We found some subtle Asian antiques in today's 1stdibs newest items that we think would be just lovely in nearly any space. Subtle and delicate, these items are the epitome of elegance.

1) Set of tribal masks from Southern China
From the 19th Century, these gorgeous wooden masks would not only add a bit of Asia to your space, they would also add a lot of texture to a wall! We love how detailed and unique each mask is. We even enjoy how each mask is a slightly different earthen shade.
Price: $1,800
Dealer: Mandarin

2) Fine Chinese Noble Woman Formal Robe
From the Qing Dynasty in the 19th Century, this robe would be a great addition to a wall in any style room, and would add a lovely bit of color and softness to a space. It would certainly help a room have an Asian-feel to it.
Price: $4,500
Dealer: Greenwich Oriental Antiques

3) Limestone Fu Dog
What an adorable little statue to add to a room or garden! From the 18th Century, this piece has a lot of charming wear and patina to it, and many subtle details, like the bell around the dog's neck. It would definitely be a subtle addition to a space.
Price: $3,280
Dealer: Pagoda Red

4) Large blue/green glazed water jar
Isn't this water jar just wonderful? The richness of the color and glaze is stupendous, and we love that you could add this to any style decorated space to create a hint of Asian. The details of the pattern are quite exquisite.
Price: $2,800
Dealer: Mandarin Collection

5) Pair of Vintage Bronze Elephants from India
Nothing like a pair of bronze elephants in a room to add a bit of Indian spice to a space! We think they are fun and exude a lot of energy, and the patina is a great, rich color perfect for adding a pop of color in a space. Oh and by the way, they're huge! Definitely show stopping pieces.
Price: $7,500
Dealer: Palm Beach Antique and Design Center

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

A Perfect Pair: A Newson Cabinet and Rock Candy Lamps!

2009-10-13T10:28:00.003-05:00

If you’ve caught any of our previous Perfect Pair blog posts, you know we love to pair contrasting pieces of furniture with Swank Lighting lamps for dynamic results. Today, you might be a little surprised by our combination choices, which have more in common than previous pairs…

Yesterday we covered contemporary designer Marc Newson. Though we loved all his biomorphic chair designs, we really liked this cabinet he designed from the early nineties. Still exhibiting Newson’s characteristic organic shapes, this cabinet is simple and straightforward. Featuring an organically-shaped white oval on 4 modern legs, the cabinet has two large openings and no doors. We’d love to see a cabinet like this placed in front of a painted or wall-papered wall so the shape really pops. Being of a white color, this sort of cabinet could fit in with many different palettes, and we even think it could work in a number of design styles.

Swank Lighting’s Recycled Rock Candy Glass Lamps in Clear Frost are an interesting pair. Made of--you guessed it--recycled glass, they feature many natural and unique design details that reveal themselves the more you look at them. Overall a clear, almost whitish color, the lamps also feature specks of red, blue and other colors that really give them interest. We of course especially love the awesome texture the lamps exhibit, inherent to the material.

Combined, the Newson cabinet and Recycled Rock Candy Lamps are dynamic in a slowly-revealing and subtle way. They each feature a soft, neutral color-palette, but also details that when studied really make them stand out. The cabinet’s fun, modern and organic shape helps it stand apart from other modern cabinets, and the lamps’ texture and pops of secret color make them dynamic. Individually, they don’t seem too crazy, but together they create an absolutely exciting combo that would make for an amazing room transformation. Just because they lack a lot of color doesn’t mean they lack a lot of style. We’d love to see this pair in a space-aged or 2001: A Space Odyssey-themed room!

The Modern and Biomorphic Designs of Marc Newson!

2009-10-12T10:17:00.003-05:00

We’ve been covering some of the design greats on the blog lately. Designers like Paul McCobb, Arne Jacobsen, Paul László and Paul T. Frankl have been filling our blog with gorgeous content, but it’s time to switch gears now and cover someone a bit more contemporary, like Marc Newson.

Newson, similar to contemporaries like the Bouroullec Brothers and Karim Rashid, creates work that is endlessly cool. Proficient in product, interior and furniture design, Newson’s career has spanned many years and many projects, even delving into bicycle and car design. People not in the design world will recognize his furniture designs the most. His designs center on biomorphism, which is an idea that takes inspiration from biology and the natural form. Designs of this nature involve rounded, sometimes spherical characteristics that appear organic and feature lots of soft curves. His most famous furniture pieces exemplify this idea perfectly: his Embryo Chair, Felt Chair, Nimrod Chair, Komed Chair, Gluon Chair, Orgone Lounge Chair, Event Horizon Table, Sine Chair and many more.

Originally from Sydney, Australia, Newson spent most of his life traveling throughout Europe and Asia. He eventually went on to study jewelry and sculpture at the Sydney College of the Arts. While a student he began to experiment with furniture design and apparently stumbled on his true talent: he was awarded a grant from the Australian Crafts Council to stage an exhibition, the Lockheed Lounge, right after graduation. Living in Tokyo from 1987 to 1991 gave him much inspiration, and he created many of his famous pieces that exhibited throughout Asia and Europe. After Tokyo he moved to Paris, and began designing for some of the top furniture manufacturers, like Flos, Cappellini and Moroso. He also began to design restaurants in the nineties, including Coast in London, Manchester's Mash & Air, Osman in Cologne and Canteen in Manhattan. The year 1997 saw a move to London, and Marc Newson Ltd was born, a larger studio able to take on larger projects. That move saw him working with even more manufacturers like Iittala, Alessi, Magis, B&B Italia, Idée and Dupont Corian, as well as many more interior design projects.

To continue listing off all the projects Newson has worked on in the past decade would make for quite a long article. Let’s just say the award-winning designer obviously doesn’t take many vacations. Only in his early forties, Newson has created a body work that would rival designers twice his age, and he doesn’t show signs of stopping. Along with purchasing his furniture designs to include in your own home, you can also enjoy Newson's designs at most major museums, like the Museum of Modern Art in New York, London's Design Museum, Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou and the Vitra Design Museum. You can also check out Newson's work in a couple of books and even a DVD.