Wish List: Imaginative Side Tables from Andrew Martin

Irwin Weiner ASID - There's nothing more exciting than finding a good side or end table! Okay, lest you think my life is pretty ho-hum for making a sweeping statement like that, let me qualify - there's nothing worse in a professional interior than bland, vanilla side tables. It used to be that these handy little utility pieces were in short supply when it came to good design, but companies like UK's Andrew Martin have changed all that. Click on the photos below for more information on a few of my favorite side tables.

Elegant Curves: Elena Occasional Table

Glittering Stack: Chrome Log Side Table

Beatlemania: Sgt Pepper Drum Side Table

Tailored Effervescene: Champagne Side Table

Sentimental Journey: Lewes Canvas Trunk

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Truly Fine English Antiques & Accessories

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Still so many memories from the invitation-only opening night preview of the latest Antiques, Art & Design at the Armory show this past September 21 at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC, co-hosted by Ellie Cullman, Jamie Drake, and Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin.

With my South African orientation to all-things British, it was a pleasure to peruse the booth at Michael Pashby Antiques. When I asked the NYC dealer what his favorite items were, he said, "They're all special - otherwise they wouldn't be here." Well put. One of my cardinal rules in decorating a home is to include only those items which are special enough to be there. No waste, no dross, but just things you love and want to live with. Well, I could certainly live with the sandalwood and engraved ivory writing slope (Vizagapatam, India c. 1820 - top photo) ... or the exquisite pair of George III armorial mahogany hall chairs (English 1795 - above, middle photo) ... or the rich "plum pudding" Cuban mahogany George II tripod table (English c. 1740 - below, top photo) ... or the exceptional Charles II lacewood oyster veneer decorated walnut and fruitwood cabinet - on a stand with silvered feet, no less (English c 1680 - bottom photo). 

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Colorful Fun House in London Adds a Dollop of Surprise to Design

Ab Rogers Design
Irwin Weiner ASID - If you're Ab Rogers Design in London, you take on projects that are fun, creative, fresh, and challenging. You're not afraid to tackle a project designing a home in a bad part of town. Instead, you come up with something so innovative that it becomes a catalyst of positive change for the entire neighborhood. You'll enjoy watching this witty video tour of their Rainbow House project, complete with a rainbow-hued spiral staircase that sends color inspiration throughout each floor - not to mention fun surprises like a rotating bed and a trapdoor that lets you slide down to the breakfast nook (see top photo). Notice the floor design (superb). A clean, daring, livable example of home as work of art. Well done.

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Adrienne Chinn's Urban London Collection Celebrates the Gritty City

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Digital images can make thrilling wallcoverings - witness the new Urban London collection of fab treatments from London's superb interior designer Adrienne Chinn, in collaboration with textile designer Annette Taylor-Anderson. Adrienne describes her inspiration for the new mural line, which also includes textiles, rugs, and hand-blown glass tie-backs. 

"I was inspired by focusing on the things we walk by everyday but ignore or discount - the grilles, graffiti, man-hole covers and pavement marks. The more I looked the more I saw - patterns, textures, colors. I went looking for beauty in unlikely places, and I'm happy to say I found it. So many of us live in urban environments of buildings and concrete and we dream of escape to the country. But I say, look around you. The beauty may not be as obvious but it is there, and it's all the more appealing for its hidden quality."

 

The following video shows you more details of Adrienne's Urban London digitally printed wallcoverings.

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