Boldly Upholstered Chairs

chair upholstered in Bengali kantha quilted fabricReclaimed pieces are modernized by graphic fabrics.

The thrifting and salvaging movement of the last few years is geared to reclaiming your grandma’s and Aunt Tilly’s out-of-date furniture and transforming it into modern, usable and great-looking pieces. Nowhere has this been more successful than with frame chairs. Even the dowdiest old chair can be refinished or painted and reupholstered contemporary fabrics to great effect. And while the frame treatment is important, the fabric choice is what can really take an old piece from drab to fab. I instantly fell in love with the patchwork color on a slightly squatty settee with natural wood frame [top]. It got better when I realized the covering was a type of Bengali double-sided pieced quilt or kantha. These textiles are created together from old saris or even rags and then embroidered. This is women’s work and more about the making of a kantha is detailed on the website of a New Delhi shop. With such bright colors, a chair like this automatically becomes an accent piece.

cobalt and white geometric fabric chair from Wild ChairyA bold cobalt and white geometric print looks very mainstream yet modern on this chair by Andrea Mihalik whose bespoke business, Wild Chairy, offers a unique approach to chair upholstery. Like Britain’s Aiveen Daly, whose Spank chair I showed in my Women’s Wear Chairs post in February, Mihalik’s pieces are as pieces of their art in their own right. Seating is strictly secondary.

vintage chair reupholstered in striped linenBlogger and California designer, Serena Armstrong, opened a pop up store where she offered a pair of eccentric vintage chairs recovered with two-tone linen fabric, with a peek at the stripped down frames in the “before” state. Yet it’s the way the big dark stripe is perfectly placed on the rather slight chair that make it look important and contemporary despite the relatively small scale and its age. Stunning.

chair upholstered in mudcloth from MaliIn the African country of Mali, the craft of making mud cloth fabric originated with the women of the Bamana culture. I adore the graphic, almost hand-written quality of print on the fabric which obtains its dark background color from fermented mud. Even though the arms are well worn on this chair, the fabric has a lively freshness.

gilded bergere upholstered in Malian mud clothUsing mud cloth on a chair with a gilded frame is symbolic of the way we approach updating many things in our homes today simply because we have all the arts and crafts of the world to inspire us.

(Source: handandcloth, theurbanfarmhouse, wildchairy, maisonboheme)

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Vintage Style Gift Ideas

vintage inspired rolling pins and cutting boards from MinamA collection of vintage inspired designs for gift giving.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and it’s always a good thing to shop ahead for birthdays, anniversaries and the holidays. The online marketplace Minam has a variety of gifts worth giving (and receiving!). For the kitchen savvy, this beautiful skinny rolling pin is fashioned after French baking pins. A wider version of the traditional rolling pin is also shown, and both are crafted in cherry, maple or walnut. The website also has a wide variety of cutting boards.  This one has a leather strap detail.

vintage Otis elevator seat style wall shelf from MinamFashioned after an antique Otis elevator seat, this shelf folds down (against the wall) when not needed. Perfect for a small bedside table, next to the commode or any space that needs a small landing place.

metal postcard clip stand from MinamI’ve considered buying a wire card holder, but usually end up tossing holiday cards in a shallow bowl. I like the vintage look of this postcard clip stand to showcase cards. The stand could also be used to hold multiple recipes during meal prep. With its small base, it could be used to keep photographs on a desk.

(Source: Minam)

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Spice Cabinet in Disguise

handpainted canvas conceals spice storage by Pursley Dixon ArchitectureA savvy design hides kitchen spices.

This has got to be one of the most clever ideas I’ve seen in kitchen design.  Hand painted canvas wrapped doors conceal storage used for spices.  While the artwork on the top is most likely not within arms reach for many, the lower cabinet offers plenty of space for most cooks.  The shelves are conveniently located near the range and, when closed, disappear into the woodwork [below].

handpainted canvas concealed kitchen spice storage by Pursley Dixon Architecture(Source: Pursley Dixon Architecture, Renovation Style)

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Kitchen Backsplash Tile Intelligence

Kitchen with Ann Sacks Nottingham honey comb tile by Angie HranowskyTwo experts talk sense and sensibilities for kitchen tile.

Tile for a backsplash can make or break the look of a kitchen. And even with the support of a good designer and knowledgeable showroom associate, it’s a big commitment to decide which color, size and material you will love forever on your kitchen walls. Dee Dee Gundberg, Ann Sacks Product Development Portfolio ManagerThat’s why many home owners leave this choice for last, then wind up paralyzed with indecision about picking the perfect tile to go with colors and textures already in place on counters, floors, walls, cabinets and appliances. No one understands this better than DeeDee Gundberg [right], Product Development Portfolio Manager for tile industry trend-setter Ann Sacks Tile & Stone. “You should be working on the whole thing together, not wait until last,” she says. “A backsplash should pull everything together and harmonize.” As a tile designer who was mentored by Ann Sacks herself, DeeDee is responsible for finding the company’s new products and shaping the influential  collections. I recently took an opportunity to speak with her about her thoughts on the latest trends, color and tile styles for kitchens.

In addition, I consulted Charlie Duncanson, General Manager of Country Floors, a classic go-to source for hand-painted, traditional decorative tile since the 1964.

Ann Sacks Nottingham honeycomb artisan glaze tile in veilWhat’s New Now?

Tiles with “rich, artisan glazes,” top DeeDee’s list. With machine-made tile flooding the market, she says high end clients are looking for “something unique, that won’t be seen everywhere.” An artisan glaze, she explains “breaks over the edge and lets the body of the tile come through.” Ann Sacks Nottingham honeycomb tile [top and above], is a prime example since the stoneware body shows through areas of the glaze to create the webbed design. Coincidentally, I featured this tile (a huge favorite) in my Pattern on the Backsplash post last June. The kitchen that shows it best [top] also has been a popular “Pin.”

Ann Sacks Ogassian geoweave dimensional tile in cola“Dimensional tile is another category that’s “extremely popular now,” DeeDee says, referring particularly to her Ogassian line [geo weave in Cola, above]. “It’s actually three dimensional and I always think it’s a great way to bring in pattern and texture.” This is tile that tempts you to touch it.

kitchen backsplah in Ann Sacks Andy Blick Discus matte white tileAnother three-dimensional Ann Sacks tile is the Andy Blick Discus, in matte, which is particularly effective in creating pattern and texture on a the wall of this architectural HammerSmith kitchen.

Additionally,  Country Floor’s Charlie Duncanson sees long, rectangular glass tiles (4-by-16” for example) trending because they are so well suited to modern kitchens and require minimal grout. “This run on contemporary is the longest I’ve ever seen since 1984,” Charlie says. “There’s enough going on in the workday. At home, they want clear, simpler and more sophisticated looks, especially if it’s the first home.”

Is Color Hot or Not?

After more than a decade of seeing white subway tiles in all-white kitchens I wanted to know how much longer that look can last and what might replace it. According to DeeDee, clients say they want color but when you look at the numbers, “it’s white, cream, beige and gray. When people buy, they buy non-colors,” she says. The reason is that “a kitchen backsplash is both an investment and a semi-permanent installation. People tend to go monochromatic. It’s more comfortable.”

Ann Sacks Savoy pennyround tile in cornflower blueHowever, she points to tile formats her Basics collection – priced from $4 to $14 per square foot – as one place to look. “Our Basics collection includes Savoy [pennyrounds in cornflower blue, above], made in Japan with traditional Japanese glazes. We have some great things in Context, also made in Japan. These are very simple and come in white and a gorgeous metallic black. The format is a bit different – longer and thinner – and it doesn’t look like standard machine made tile. The glazes are beautiful and these are great for the person who wants something other than 3-by-6” subways.

“White is the new white,” Charlie says emphatically. “Five or six years ago we were selling ivory travertine, beige mochaccino, and crema marfil. That has swung to cooler white, gray and combinations of mediums – stone and glass, and stone, glass and metals.”

Country Floors Delft Royal Makkum Fruit basket tileHowever, Country Floors remains a basic source for tile that has defied every trend: European blue and white hand painted Dutch Royal Makkum tile “produced in the same environment as 500 years ago.”

Country Floors Miraduro Portuguese tileMiraduro Portuguese tiles, which Charlie views as more contemporary, “look fabulous with calacatta marble countertops, glass or stainless steel.”

Ann Sacks Nottingham arabesque tile in blue mistShape and Scale

“If you’re not going to tie yourself into a color,” DeeDee says, “distinguish yourself with a shape. Arabesque [Nottingham blue mist, above]  is so popular. It’s such a lovely shape and a perfect scale for a kitchen backsplash. It allows a design element without being too risky.”

Big format tiles are another possibility. Instead of doing 3-by-6” subway tiles, DeeDee suggests enlarging the format to 6-by-12” or even 6-by-18.” At the opposite end of the spectrum are mosaics, which are a great scale for backsplashes and especially appropriate for small kitchens with limited backsplash areas.  “You can’t have 12-by-24” tile in a small kitchen,” she advises.

Developing Your Tile Intelligence

Like many other major brands, Ann Sacks and Country Floors sell directly to retail customers as well as to designers and architects. To make the most of a visit to those or any tile showrooms, the mantra is “know thyself.”

Charlie feels it’s essential to:
1.    Know your budget.
2.    Understand expectations about what you require of materials in terms of stains and wear.
3.    Decide what you’re willing to accept in terms of your needs, then fill in color and style from there.

DeeDee explains that the suites and vignettes in her showrooms are installed to “show the Ann Sacks point of view. We just try to put the most beautiful product on the wall. We try to put innovative products that people haven’t seen before on the wall.”  But, she has wise words on a variety of tile styles and strategies:

“Don’t worry about what the trends are. You need to be able to live with it. Do your research. If you don’t know what you like, go through magazines and walk into a showroom with a folder of designs you’re attracted to. One could be totally modern and the other traditional. But traditional means a million things. Make sure the person you’re working with understands your aesthetic.”

If you want to mix field tile with decorative elements “be very careful. I see people mixing glass with stone, or metal with ceramic and it’s not really an Ann Sacks look. We tend to be more purist. I would not recommend mixing mediums as they tend to fight more than harmonize in my experience. There are ways to do it but it tends to distract the eye.”

Cement tiles are popular but “not good for a backsplash because they are very porous. They are fantastic for floors and need to be waxed. But I would not recommend encaustic-type tiles for a kitchen backsplash.”

Porcelain tile is stronger than ceramic. For a high traffic situation (like a floor) you are better off with porcelain. Either is suitable for a backsplash.

  And finally, if you are considering a swath of unique color for a backsplash: “Does it have any relevance to the rest of the kitchen and the whole kitchen-family/great room? If you want to create something different or bring in a color it should work with everything else. If you have white cabinets and counters you can bring in anything. But what does the color do? Would you pick throw pillows that don’t have color relevance to anything else?”

(Source: angiehranowsky, Ann Sacks, Country Floors)

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Honeycomb Shelving

octagonal minizelli bookshelves by Younes designStylized or plain, this shape is familiar on tiles and fabrics.

Bookcases and display shelves based on the honeycomb shape have a dramatic, modern impact. Designer Younes Duret’s elaborate but modular Minizelli shelves, inspired by traditional Moroccan tiles designs [top], occupy the high end of the embellished book shelf spectrum. Grouped together, these large octagonal units would add a fascinating sculptural element to a wall even if they weren’t filled.

hexabonal freestanding bookcases by Timothy Ben furnitureScaled back to a basic six-sided shape, British furniture designer Timothy Ben’s “hex” shelves are constructed from MDF (medium density fiberboard) carcasses, like some kitchen cabinets, then covered with wallpaper to add visual interest. They offer an equally appealing shape even when they sit on the floor.

hexagonal wall shelving from Handmade RiotThe elemental simplicity of the hexagon makes these shelves approachable for kids’ rooms, as etsy seller Handmade Riot suggests,  or as a DIY project even when they are scaled down in both size and number.

(Source: younes design, timothybenfurniture, handmaderiot)

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