IN LOVE WITH INLAY

Asian inspiration is big, big, big in the home market right now - and shows little inclination to leave. But some styles (laquer, garden stools, bamboo, and blanc de chine, to name a few) are more popular than others. Among my favorite eastern imports is inlay. Patterns of mother-of-pearl, shell, ivory, or horn pressed in wood or set in other stones are beautifully luxurious. Here are a few worth owning.

Old and new is pretty too:  I love this cheeky modern bed paired with antique looking inlay stools. Chic!

Or, you can embrace the East for a touch of glamorous boudoir. Greta Garbo may appear any moment.

One of the most beautiful selections of furniture inlay around is from Sang and Serena - their pieces are completely handmade, and they have a variety of colors, but I'm particularly smitten by the pink and mother of pearl. Any takers?

Picture 1, Little Green Notebook. Picture 2, Apartment Therapy. 

DOWNTOWN DESIGN

Feeling a little loopy today (literally, travel does that to me), so here's a chair to match my mood:  a fresh take on the classic Frances Elkins chair, by Downtown. It's patio ready, but I wouldn't object if it wanted to come inside and hang out. Around a breakfast room table, perhaps?

                                      Of course, the classic version is just pretending to be serious...

Green chair, downtown20.com. Black elkins chairs: emilyevanseerdmans.blogspot.com. White chairs: img.coxnewsweb.com.

Fabulous Chairs!

Why are dining room chairs always so dull? The standard dark brown, square set, slat-backed seats lend nothing exciting to the experience of eating. Why should the spice of life happen in such a tasteless theater? Below, a few lovely examples, both classic and new, to try in your dining room or anywhere else in your home. From entry ways to bedrooms, these beauties will bring seating style!

Dolina Sidechair, Michael S. Smith. Cracked Ice Chair, McGuire. Eclipse chair, Beeline Home.

Jasper Chair, Michael S. Smith Jasper Collection

Treviso Chair, Michael S. Smith Jasper Collection

Laura Kirar Chair, McGuire

Overlapping Squares Chair, West Elm

Jacob Chair, Michael S. Smith Jasper Collection

Calvin Beige Leather, Clayton Grey Home

Barbara Barry Script Chair, McGuire

Addison Chair, Jonathan Adler

Bistro Chair, Pottery Barn

Modern Glamor Chippendale Armchair, Ethan Allen

Images:  All pictures from companies as attributed.

The Sofa List: Best Seat in the House

The January issue of House Beautiful features a special section on affordable couches. While I'm not quibbling with their definition of inexpensive (couches are, after all, both the largest and most important piece of furniture you're likely to buy other than a bed), their price range is still a bit high for the young professional furnishing their first apartment or anyone who wants to really pinch pennies. Fear not: you CAN have stylish furniture for less, and Sanity Fair has scoured the web for cheaper choices from quality companies. So here's the couch list: all $999 or under. And there's no IKEA in sight! 

West Elm, Clark Sofa, $999. It converts to a bed for guests. 

Two pieces for one price? Ingenious! In light camel or pumice.

Z Gallerie, Pauline Sofa, $999. Matching chair and chaise available. I'm loving the silver nailhead detail.

Z Gallerie, Dean Sofa, $999. Matching chair/sectional piece available.

Designer Nate Berkus for the Home Shopping Network, $499. Comes in 9 other fun colors! 

KMP Furniture, Lowboy Sofa, $975. With a matching love seat and coffee table available.

PB Teen Cushy Love Seat + Base, $799 - $1,200, depending on selections. Comes in 6 colors, with matching side chairs and ottoman. A great transition piece for grad pads or studio apartments. Buy the bases with storage cubbies for extra stowage.

West Elm, Overlapping Squares Daybed, $959 (mattress, bolsters (not seen here), and cover included. Frame only available for $459). Out of town guests? No problem! You can have space AND style.

Macy's, Chloe Velvet Metro Sofa, $699. Classic lines, available in 6 colors. Matching chairs, love seat, and ottomans available.

Ballard Designs, Hudson Settee, $799 - $1,183.00. Perfect for a small space, or buy a matched set. Choices in more than 50 fabrics!

Overstock.com, Cream Black Oval Settee, $329.

Overstock.com, James Black Renu Leather Sofa, $599.

CB2, Parlour Sofa, $999. Love the color!

xoxo,Sanity Fair

All images, companies as attributed. 

Sitting in Silver

Off for a relaxing weekend - lots of resting, reading, and writing. But should it be in this chair? Is it funky fun or a metallic overdose?  Tell me what you think.

Chair, Modern Dose.

Artist Maira Kalman at Monticello

Thomas Jefferson's brick and mortar autobiography was Monticello:  43 rooms in the Roman neoclassical style. In a recent edition of the New York Times, artist and illustrator Maira Kalman created a picture story on Thomas Jefferson and his beloved Monticello, called The Pursuit of Happiness. Here are a few of her lovely illustrations, as well as some historical tidbits on design. Be sure to visit her blog for the entire story.

THE PARLOR:  Jefferson was ever the apt designer, and he frequently made up what he couldn't buy or find to his liking, such as the pattern on this parquet floor. He also created the automatic double doors visible on the left side of the room (when one door was opened or closed, the other followed in mirror fashion). If you're excessively curious, and enjoy watching tourists awed by a door shutting, click here for the video. Jefferson played violin very well, and liked to perform in this room with his little grandchildren dancing around him. 

JEFFERSON'S BEDROOM:  TJ invented the triple sash window, thus becoming the hero of generations of height-averse housekeepers. He also invented several of the items visible in Kalman's illustration - including the multi-book reading stand (left side), for your on-the-go senior statesman who doesn't have time to use bookmarks. His bed is in an open alcove, with a little ladder on one side for accessing handy storage up above. The practical Mr. Jefferson was able to function entirely out of one space, with equal ease in working or sleeping. 

THE FOYER, as rendered by Kalman. This is not, as it looks to modern eyes, a trophy hall (although it was that too). This was a museum of the Americas. The instigator of the Lewis and Clark expedition and author of Notes on the State of Virginia had many prominent foreign guests to his home, and his personal museum proved to many doubtful European eyes that variety and profit abounded in the New World. Keep in mind there was then no Smithsonian, no Guide to American Wildlife, and that the hapless discoverer of the Platypus was labeled a fraud. 

A room Thomas Jefferson designed. Do we have any cause to doubt the aesthetic talent of our founding fathers? Today's average politician constructs pork barrels, not buildings.

Images: Monticello, monticello.org. Maira Kalman images via the nytimes.com.

Shopping with Eddie Ross, Part II

So here's Part II of fabulous shopping fun! Top Design Contestant/Bravo TV, Martha Stewart editor, and designer Eddie Ross led a group of design aficionados through Atlanta's Scott's Antique Market last Saturday. Southern Accents magazine also showed up to document the fun - here's hoping that story makes it into an issue soon!

Jaithan, me, and Eddie are all smiles at the end of a profitable adventure - there was so much to see (and buy)!

Fabrics:  one of the biggest surprises (for me) at Scott's was the large quantity of beautiful fabrics in full bolts.  I'm used to seeing scraps for sale here and there, but this is enough to do large pieces of furniture.  

Some of the finds were real shockers - including a bolt of deeply discounted Kelly Wearstler fabric!!! 

Talk about a steal. Isn't this beautiful?

Eddie fell in love with this colorful crewelwork with touches of melon and celery shades. If you follow Eddie's blog at all, you know what a fan he is of crewel - and how good he is at making this style look fresh and new.

Prints:  another of my favorite finds was this booth of prints and old maps from Prints Charming Soho (recently featured in Martha Stewart Living). Framing is an obvious choice, of course, but obvious isn't Eddie!  Here, he suggests blowing up this wonderful pattern and transferring it to stencils for pattern on a floor cloth, wall, or fabric.

Another great idea?  Decoupage - and rather than damaging a beautiful sheet from, say, the 1830s, buy a few favorites, copy them, and then decoupage those copies onto a piece of furniture or decorative box.  Hang the originals nearby for a great coordinated look. There were plenty of beautiful options to chose from at Scott's!

P.S. When framing small natural prints like these, blow up and copy the tiny Latin print at the bottom - and add it to the matting when framing for an art gallery look.

Or, you could go completely insane and decoupage a patterned paper (or wallpaper scraps) onto an entire bureau. Eddie really liked this plaid example. It would be stunning in a gentleman's bedroom - just steer clear of bathrooms and other damp spaces unless you like the look of peeling paper. Butcher's wax is a great way to protect a decoupage surface and keep it gleaming.

Glass:  Eddie used to run a catering company, and as a result, he knows (and loves) his glassware. After we all pawed through piles of gorgeous silver, crystal, and plates and stood around pondering what would be "practical" to buy, Eddie made my favorite comment of the day: "Do I need this? Can I live without it? NO! You can't!"

A lovely pitcher in hobnail glass.

More beautiful crystal. One of the wonderful things about this booth? Each piece is priced for separate purchase. If you collect a classic pattern, you can always replace those inevitable crack-ups later with a trip to the local antique mall or flea market. As Eddie pointed out, "why have it if you don't use it?"

Keep scrolling to see Part I, and more of Eddie's fabulous ideas!