Designer Snapshot: Nature Lover

By Paula M. Bodah

When she was making her choices about beautiful things for the home for the Fall 2011 edition of New England Home’s Connecticut, designer Catherine Cleare confessed to being “obsessed with Mother Nature.†Whether she’s looking for the perfect chandelier for a foyer, a coffee table for a family room or an accent tile for the bath, Catherine finds herself drawn to the shapes and materials found in nature.

I asked her to share a few more of her recent favorite finds.

“This piece by glass artist Robert Kaindl reminds me of the sea life along the Great Barrier Reef. I expect to see a wave crashing over the top of this sculpture at any moment.â€

Robert Kaindl (RK) Signature SeaShape Nesting Set in Soft Lavender with Citrus Lip Wrap. Photo courtesy of Robert Kaindl

“This lamp from Yellow Goat Design takes a rustic element–antlers, in this case shaped from metal, welded together and given a brass finish–and gives it a bold but classic look by combining it with Swarovski crystals.â€

Photo courtesy of Yellow Goat Design

“Rotsen Furniture‘s ingenious Alice Coffee Table uses three slabs of salvaged imbuia wood on a stainless steel base and can do double duty as a table or as seating.â€

Photo courtesy of Rotsen Furniture

“I find the design of this console table from Denise A. Tuite Custom Furnishings very clever. It tells the story of a deer walking through the woods at sunset in just a few simple lines.â€

Photo courtesy of Denise A. Tuite Custom Furnishings

“Alex Downs‘s hand-carved wooden bowls at Karkula range from forty-eight to sixty inches in diameter and make a wonderful, one-of-a-kind wall sculpture.â€

Photo courtesy of Karkula

“Jamie Beckwith‘s tiles of wood and minerals–in this case, agate–make a beautiful accent.â€

Photo courtesy of Jamie Beckwith Collection

“I love this stool from the husband-and-wife team of Lorna Lee and John Muller, with its contrast between the simple wood block and the sophisticated Chanel-style quilted pattern.â€

Photo courtesy of Lorna Lee John Muller