by kate on October 31, 2012
As the holidays approach, we usually begin darkening our color palette, in both our homes and our wardrobes. Rich jewel tones, dark wools, woods, and velvets usually take center stage this time of year, and since I tend toward darker neutral palettes anyway, I always look forward to this annual color shift. However, there’s something to be said for an occasional jolt of light and bright, and I found the glowing interiors in The Apartment—a Denmark interior design studio, shop, and interior all rolled into one—to be a welcome break from the dark and moody hues of autumn.
The Apartment is a carefully curated selection of design objects, furniture, and art, all displayed in an actual apartment in the heart of Copenhagen. The interior was restored by founders Tina Seidenfaden Busck and Pernille Hornhaver, who use the space to showcase a rotating collection of wares. Tina and Pernille have an ongoing relationship with local galleries and auctions houses like Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury, which gives them access to an incredible contemporary art collection—with the added bonus that you can actually see the pieces in a home setting. To find out more, you can visit their site here. It’s an ingenious form of display, and I imagine the hardest part for the pair is seeing some of these one of a kind treasures go—although I’m sure they have plenty more treasures to play around with in this lovely apartment.
{All images from The Apartment}
by kate on October 24, 2012
This past week I was in New York, and right before I returned to the West Coast, I had the pleasure of experiencing two of the most exhilarating and enjoyable minutes of my life: standing alone (twice, for one minute each session) inside Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water, a temporary installation which is currently open (for just a few more days!) at the Whitney. Yayoi is one of the preeminent Japanese artists working today. Her exuberant, iconoclastic work take many forms: paintings, installations, performances, and more. The installations shown here are variations on the same theme: Yayoi’s experimentation with infinite space.
These are rooms lined with wall-to-wall mirrors and a shallow pool of water covering the floor, with a single narrow platform that juts into the center of the room. Hundreds of LED lights dangle from overhead, multiplying into thousands upon thousands in the infinite reflections that bounce back from the walls. Being in one of these rooms can be slightly disorienting at first, but the experience quickly transforms into something quite magical. The images can’t capture the full experience, obviously, but they are also stunning in their own right. I wanted to share them with you, in hopes that you will seek out one Yayoi’s installations if you ever have the chance. For those of you in the New York area, rush to the Whitney and reserve yourself a minute inside Fireflies before it closes this Sunday. I guarantee you will love it!
{Image sources, from top: The Whitney Museum, Youngna Park, ARTBoom, Art 21, The Whitney Museum}
by kate on October 23, 2012
October has been flying by, and the holiday season is almost here already! As you may remember from last year, my favorite holiday is only a little over a week away. I know that Halloween is primarily for kids, but I’m a firm believer that there’s plenty for adults to love about the holiday as well. It is, after all, a day devoted to darkness, mystery, creativity, and celebration, and those elements can easily be channeled into more sophisticated pursuits.
This elegant yet eerie entertaining spread, for example, is about as sophisticated as Halloween can get. It was created by designer Cassandra LaValle of Coco & Kelley, who took inspiration from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Miss Havisham’s overgrown, decrepit mansion from Great Expectations. Her vision channels both films so beautifully: the lush, dark foliage is perfectly offset by the peculiar fitted serving trays and concrete busts, crisp white porcelain, and dim candlelight. I would gladly forgo any and all previous engagements to attend such a stunning fête , and I imagine it will remain one of my favorite creative Halloween ideas for years to come. To see more of the spread, including a recipe for a champagne cocktail to accompany this macabre feast, visit Coco & Kelley.
{All photographs by Julie Harmsen for Coco & Kelley}
by kate on October 17, 2012
There are some achingly gorgeous homes in Issue No. 9, and it’s almost impossible not to feel a bit of interior envy. There is one home however—the Soho loft of Michele Varian and Brad Roberts—that has an effortlessly chic style you might actually be able to recreate. Designer Michele Varian has a wonderful boutique on Howard Street in Soho, which she stocks with her own designs as well as the type of one-of-a-kind pieces you would see in her home: dramatic, textural, each with its own story to tell. The stunning plume wallpaper (above) is available, as well as rich silk pillows, embroidered feather table linens, unique jewelry, and more. If you ever find yourselves in NYC, I recommend a visit to Michele’s shop; fortunately, much of the merchandise is also available online.
by kate on October 10, 2012
When we photograph people’s homes for the magazine, I usually feel a tinge of envy, and I would even go so far as to say that my envy centers around one major element: furniture. I may have already mentioned on the blog my tendency to over-collect chairs, and even though I’ve managed to curb the habit, I still have a love of furniture that borders on obsession. There are so many unique pieces out there, each with its own story, and when I see furniture with character and beauty in a subject’s home, I have a hard time not coveting it.
When Dwell Studio released their furniture collection a while back, I was elated: the company that once made only textiles was now bringing their modern, eclectic style to large pieces for the home. Every Dwell chair, sofa, or table feels classic, full of character and vintage charm. I noticed that Dwell Studio is having a 20% sale on all upholstered furniture, and I had to spread the word, in hopes that some of you will be inspired to invest in a piece of furniture you will love for ages. These are some of my favorite styled vignettes and pieces from the furniture collection, but there’s so many different styles to suit your tastes. Even if you aren’t considering a purchase right now, I highly recommend checking out Dwell Studio online for great decorating and style inspiration.
