And the second, is the ebayed and lacquered home of stylist Jackie Astier. What do you guys think of it? I already got some emails from people telling me how much they loved it, BUT I read a few people online saying black lacquer, brass apartments are “Played Out”…

I mean, it has a lot of similar elements as my apartment, and you know I’m sick of that… But I still think its really well done, and I like it.

Thoughts?

ALSO, My friends at C&C Concierge are giving away a free pair of BLANK NYC turquoise jeans! I wouldn’t want you guys to miss out! Go join the contest! HERE. 

The exterior of the house is covered with traditional scratch-work decoration called sgraffito.

Armani used his own design team for the project. This part of the house is a converted barn. 

The house was nicknamed the “Polar Bear House” by its previous owner and coincidentially, Armani was gifted that stuffed bear. The walls are called marmorino veneziano, which is a plaster treatment that mimics limestone.

The kitchen is different from anything Ive ever seen before. 

Japanese inspired staircase. Magnificent. 

The Master bedroom… There is something I love about that bed and the drapery in that window’s alcove. 

The Spa

Forget about every type of excess and concentrate on elegance achieved through simple lines. Beauty must be consistently linked to functionality, because wherever one is living, it should be a place where you feel totally at ease.” – Giorgi Armani

All photos via Architectural Digest. Photography  by Roger Davies. 

The first few times you go, it’s heaven. By the 10th time… you can spot a new piece in a collection or a new vendor’s booth from a mile away.

I did a quick run through of Pier 94 and I zeroed in on my favorite new pieces instantly.

Does someone want to buy my Made Goods stool in this same pattern (for a great price!) so that I can upgrade to these coffee tables? Perfect if you want a little bit of stripes but not the whole crazy hog. And then LUCITE SIDED FURNITURE by Design Legacy’s new line by Nancy Price. Amaze balls. And I never say that word. It’s got brass rods and straps holding it together. Fab. Capital F. Then, Pacific Connection (known for making those pretty lacquer boxes in an array of colors, came up with this print on a small lacquered side table. LOVE. Between that and the coffee table, its like you are living in a Celine ad:

Celine, courtesy of 58th & 5th.

Add in a piece of Bungalow 5′s new rosewood parsons tables,and a few swing arm lamps, and you’ve got yourself an awesome SKETCH42 approved living room.

Also noteworthy: New shell headboard by Made Goods, the Chair version of the sofa by Design Legacy, and this AWESOME acrylic magazine holder. Those need to be filled with Elle Decors, don’t ya think?

Does anyone want to buy any of my current furniture so I can swap it out for new stuff? Ha! (I’m serious.)

And thats it, short and sweet. The best of the best, or basically, what I want to buy for myself… ENJOY!

The matte black finish and simple shape are heaven to me. I love the idea of one simple piece on a dining table… Kelly Wearstler did it in her Malibu beach house and I’ve always loved it… much better than her dining table with 100 sculptures and vases on it. Although thats a fun thing to do for a photoshoot.

I originally thought I would put my black Shona sculpture on the dining table, but its so heavy and the tabletop is so delicate that it wasn’t practical. This works much better…

The bowl is by Pampaloni. Ideally this is how I would style the whole apartment. Simply.

I know I post about this often, but this whole sconce as art, sculpture and lighting device is just so happening for me right now. This one thing: a long armed wall light- could solve so many design problems! Like: No overhead lighting in a NYC apartment (we all know what that means: concrete ceilings and 800 lamps), large awkward wall behind sofa that one can’t afford/doesnt want to fill with art, rooms that are too blah and need a JOLT of life… Well, just those few for now. But those are important! Plus a lot of these are plug ins, so you don’t have to have them hard wired. I love the idea of these pieces in addition to a single painting, alone on a wall, or even in a gallery… So basically, I always like it. Ha.

I did a little round up of my favorite pieces from around the web… not all of them are gigantic, but they are all the little !! or ?? or the ;;;;;; that a room needs.

High End:1. Prouvé Potence Lamp $1720

2.Serge Mouille Two Arm Sconce – on sale for $4420

3. AJ wall Sconce $796

4. 265 Wall Lamp $1032

5.Tube Sconce $625.

And mid/high to low end:

PB Teen, $199, aint no shame in it! Atelier de Troupe, Large: $595, Small $395 WEST ELM, Long Arm Sconce- on sale for $99

I can think of at least 3 people that need big lamps hanging out of their walls right now. And unfortunately, none of them are me.

I just saw this apartment in Brazil designed by Studio Guilherme Torres on the Contemporist.  All the main pieces of furniture such as tables, sideboards and sofa were designed by the architect. I find the palette  and almost all those pieces to be magically beautiful. Pastels are so huge for spring, and the first image is just tantalizing, isn’t it? When you use these pastels, jewel tones and even neons, a sweet dash of primary color makes the whole combo sing. That wall sculpture makes it, doesn’t it?

The only things Im not loving are the pillows and the fabric covered ottoman.

The super gigantic long chesterfield? The asymmetrical robin’s egg table? The simple primary hued wall art? The little mushroom tables? The lone black chair? Yes.

You ottoman, not so much.

While I don’t live in a home this spare, and I doubt I ever could, I just love the idea of every single piece of furniture being a work of sculpture.

Thoughts?

Cute, huh? Her etsy shop, Third Floor Design, makes adorable brightly hued prints of both classic and traditional chairs, vespas, horned animals and more… Adorable.

Do you think the dude who sold me that chair on Ebay had any idea what would become of it? Ha!

Did any of you catch a glimpse of this wallpaper yesterday on One Kings Lane’s ‘High Altitude’ sale? I‘m usually not head over heels in love with anything on any flash site. BUT THIS WALLPAPER!!!!!! This is everything.

Of course I had to google “arrow wallpaper” 10 times before I found this… Its by Cavern, and the pattern is called Tapestry.

This is why I need a country house. So I can take this wallpaper, put it in a kids room behind two twin beds in red leather, with triangular tops al la KW, one crazy  swingy sconce and a sisal and you are good to go. Screw the kids, I want it for myself now too.

Seriously, where could I put this!?!?

(Photo via Country Living)

Beige and black bedroom, featured in House and Home, by designer Nam Dang Mitchell

I love everything about this bedroom, ESPECIALLY and always the Serge Mouille sconce. Sure you are paying 5K for a wall light, but dare I say thats not so bad, and would probably be cheaper than the art that this designer would pick for this room?

I also LOVE the single pillow on the bed. Love. So unfussy. No crap to throw on the floor at night. And the Hermes blanket too. Love.

The room is by Calgary based designer Nam Dang Mitchell, who is getting much love on the web lately since being featured in House & Home magazine. I think her rooms are polished, cool, yet comfortable…and not overdone. She’s an up and coming star for sure.

]]> http://sketch42blog.com/2012/01/a-beige-bedroom-i-can-deal-with/feed/ 8 http://sketch42blog.com/2012/01/training-the-eye/ http://sketch42blog.com/2012/01/training-the-eye/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:52:47 +0000 Nicole Cohen http://sketch42blog.com/?p=16254 We bloggers like to put things side by side. Its something we do. As people interested in visual things, holding one thing up to another is something that is fun for our little brains to do. I personally LOVE room to outfit posts, especially when they work well, although I know some of you are sick of them… I like them because, when they work, its like KABAM. Art, fashion, design, COLLIDING in my head and making a wonderful mishmash of pretty. Somehow, it also teaches me things. I don’t know what exactly… but maybe it somehow helps me refine my aesthetic by training my eye to know EXACTLY what I like and don’t like? Or shows me exactly how to crossover the aesthetic I like in one discipline to another?  I don’t know… Im rambling.

Anyway, when Helen Frankenthaler passed a few weeks ago, I started seeing more of her work around town, including some of her woodcut prints… Anyway, I saw one that I really liked and that looked very familiar. Below, Top left:

Helen Frankenthaler
Tales of Genji IV, 1998
Collage
47″ x 42″
Edition of 30, 12 Artist Proofs

Is the print, top left, not  a DEAD RINGER for Kelly Wearstler’s Bengal Bazaar fabric in apricot?

I love both the fabric and the print, and I just thought it would be interesting to show them to you this way…

And for those of you interested, you can order pillows in this fabric and others at Plum Cushion on Etsy.  The ones I have in my living room in the gray color way are from her.

Thoughts?

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