Archive for December, 2007
From Francesca,
My great friend Victoria Kirk is an interior designer in NYC with the most impeccable style; she recently introduced us to the work of Walter Lamb, a furniture designer who created a line for Brown Jordan in the forties. Working with salvaged bronze pipe from sunken naval ships at Pearl Harbor and yacht roping, he created prototypes of the most elegant patio furniture we’ve ever seen. Sadly, prices for vintage pieces are stratospheric.
Bronze chaise from the late 1940s; rewebbed in cotton yacht cord. $5,500 at modestdesigns.net:
Bronze rocker with new cotton yacht cord webbing; $5,500 at modestdesigns.net:
Rocking chaise in bronze; $5,200 at modestdesigns.net:
December 31st, 2007
Related posts:
- Design Voyeur: Plinth Furniture
- Outdoors: Pink Table
- Outdoors: Munder-Skiles
- Antiques & Vintage: Chairloom
- Lighting: Gus Designs Group Vintage Swing Arm Lamp
From Janet:
We are completely enamored of the Henrybuilt kitchen system. The company originated in Seattle, opened a Manhattan showroom not long ago, and is coming to LA soon; expect expert engineering, beautiful materials (rift-cut oak, walnut), streamlined silhouettes. Equally at home in a period building or a modern loft, it’s our dream kitchen system. Not planning to expand your culinary empire at the moment? Consider their swoon-worthy furniture: When we visited their showrooms in Seattle (Janet) and New York (Sarah) this past summer, we were captivated by their designs. Peruse the offerings at henrybuilt.com.
Henrybuilt’s furniture pieces are made to order, so you can specify your own dimensions. Some of our favorites from the line:
Steel Table 4: 36 inches by 84 inches, in bamboo with white or gray powdercoated base: $4,100:
Round Table 1: 56-inch diameter with solid wenge top and dark bronze powdercoated base, $5,800; and Side Chair 1, $1,500:
Steel Bench 3: 72 inches long, dark gray steel powdercoated base with Kvadrat fabric cushion, $2,900:
Wood Bench 5: 72 inches long in solid, plain-sawn American black walnut, $3,200:
And, one of our all-time favorites, the Wall Chair: 18-inch-wide solid teak seat with white powdercoated wall bracket, $575:
December 30th, 2007
Related posts:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Metal-Base Dining Tables
- Steal This Look: London Kitchen Remodel
- 10 Easy Pieces: Dining Benches
- Kitchen: Storage to Go
- Storage: More Wooden Boxes
From Janet:
Some of the environmentally friendly countertop options out there (recycled glass or wood pulp/paper composites) are just a little too green for our tastes. Not Squak Mountain Stone composite countertops, though, which have a chic soapstone look and come in five different colors.
Developed by an entrepreneur as part of her master’s thesis (she was attempting to produce a building material using only locally sourced and recycled materials), the countertop is made from Portland cement, waste flyash, waste glass dust, mixed waste paper, and pigments. Coated with a food-grade acrylic sealant and buffed to a sheen, the material is stain resistent and warm to the touch.
Available in slabs or tiles. Visit www.environmentalhomecenter.com for product details and pricing. Note that sample packs are available to purchase for $50.
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1 
2 
3
1. Color: Natural
2. Color: Thunder
3. Color: Quinnalt
December 30th, 2007
Related posts:
- Kitchen: Durat Surfaces
- Slow Design: Recycled Glass Subway Tile
- Slow Design: Recycled Metal Tiles
- Slow Design: Eleek Sink
- Lighting: Recycled Aluminum Pendant Light
From Francesca:
Think about how often you’ll wrestle with your doorknobs in the course of a lifetime, and you’ll realize it doesn’t make sense to economize on this stalwart of the home. It’s worth seeking out the highest-quality, most pleasing doorknobs in your price range.
For price-conscious remodelers, the Schlage Orbit is the knob of choice; the Hardware Hut lists the complete doorknob and rosette set for $22.69 (list price is $34.90). It’s available in seven finishes, ranging from satin chrome to oil-rubbed bronze. Go to hardwarehut.com:
For the next level up, Baldwin’s high-quality, well-designed hardware is the gold standard. When we remodeled our Brooklyn Heights house, we used the Classic Knob No. 5405.150, which works in almost any interior. It’s smaller scale than the Schlage Orbit, available in 25 different finishes, and costs about $48. Go to baldwinhardware.com to view styles and to locate a dealer.
Baldwin’s Estate Knob (5041.140) is also a good bet; pictured below in satin black, satin nickel, and polished nickel:
Portland, OR, company Rejuvenation Hardware offers a nice selection of high-quality knobs in several finishes; go to rejuvenation.com:
In the Design Voyeur category, NYC-based (but Brooklyn manufactured) high-end hardware purveyor Nanz is the holy grail; peruse the offerings at nanz.com. Below, a couple of exquisitely rendered knobs:
Another strategy is to scour the salvage yards for historic pieces. However, make sure you ascertain the size you will need; you don’t want to get stuck with an ill-fitting piece. Old House Parts in Kennebunkport, Maine, has an excellent selection of high-quality knobs that ranges from pre-aged brass (which always looks better 100 years later) for $75 a pair to $600 crystal beauties; go to oldhouseparts.com
If you can bear the name, Olde Good Things, which has two locations in New York City, one in LA, and one in Chicago, is a good bet; browse the wares at ogtstore.com.
Finally, in Berkeley, the go-to source for salvaged architectural elements is Ohmega Salvage. Its sister store, Omega Too (omegatoo.com), is also an excellent resource. Ohmega Salvage currently has a few round crystal knobs on offer at $250 a pair; go to ohmegasalvage.com:
December 28th, 2007
Related posts:
- 10 Easy Pieces: Cabinet Pulls
- Hardware: Atlas Modern House Numbers
- 10 Easy Pieces: Switch Plate Covers
- 10 Easy Pieces: Doorbell Buttons
- Design Voyeur: Beautiful Hardware
From Julie:
Household hardware is like jewelry for the home; this hand-cast brass door pull from the Vervloet Contemporary Collection at the high-end, New York-based emporium E. R. Butler (www.erbutler.com) is an heirloom piece. Expensive? Mais oui. But worth it if you’re staying put for a while. And if not, unscrew it and take it with you.
4-inch diameter door pull (catalog no: 4000PM):
Another beauty (6-inch diameter 4000A) from the same line (www.erbutler.com):
December 27th, 2007
Related posts:
- Appliances: Swing Door Oven
- Hardware: Sugatsune Folding Pull Handle
- Slow Design: Branch Door Handle
- Hardware: Whitechapel Ltd.
- 10 Easy Pieces: Cabinet Pulls
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