Friday Favorites 10/12/2012

Karin Lidbeck Brent, Contributing Editor

Last June, I had the great adventure of styling a modern home featured in the current edition of New England Home’s Connecticut. The home, designed by architect Laura Kaehler, was such a incredible space to style, full of modern art and unique visual experiences. To give the house even more texture and pattern, I brought these nature-inspired pillows with me to add some quiet, subtle beauty to the meditative space. I love the graphic colorful effect. These pillows are from designer Heidi White, whose new line of textiles feature her own nature photos copied onto fabrics.

Photos by Karin Lidbeck Brent

 

Paula M. Bodah, Senior Editor

My husband and I might spend Christmas or Easter or the Fourth of July somewhere else, but I always insist we be home in Rhode Island for Thanksgiving. This is my holiday, my day to gather everyone around a table set with my mother’s linen and my mother-in-law’s china to spend the afternoon eating, drinking, laughing, catching up on the present and sharing memories of the past. There’s plenty to be said for traditions like this, but it’s also fun to add a little something new to the mix. This year my table might include a piece or two from Mary Jurek’s new Olivia collection of tabletop pieces. The hammered heavy-gauge stainless steel speaks to tradition, while the organic shapes are totally modern. Besides the pieces below, the collection includes an ice bucket and round bowl with a branch handle.

Gravy boat. Photos courtesy of Mary Jurek Design

Small Bowls with Branch Connector.

Shallow Bowl with Branch Legs.

Kyle Hoepner, Editor-in-Chief

Events, events, events. If your calendar is anything like mine, this time of year always seems to be an exercise in near-insanity as openings, galas, talks, trade shows and fundraisers proliferate. (Not to mention any commitments you might have in your personal life for time allocated to partners, family, friends or walking the dog. And just forget about sitting down with that book you’ve been meaning to read!) Well, I’m about to add to your burden. Next Friday, October 19, I’ll be moderating what I naturally predict will be a fascinating discussion at the Ellis Boston Antiques Show of the ever-evolving ways antiques are used in interior design.

 

Joining me to share views and wisdom will be antique dealers and designers Charles Spada, Sally Wilson and Phillip Jude Miller. We’ll be touching particularly on the use of antiques in eclectic and contemporary settings, and why beautiful old things can be as interesting and pleasurable for younger generations as they have been for their parents and grandparents.

This Connecticut house has seen many changes over its 150-year history, yet its most recent freshening, by designer Charles Spada, still feels calm and timeless. Photo by Bruce Buck; click to see more

A North Shore home by Wilson Kelsey Design gains texture from a seamless blending of old and new. Photo by Laura Moss; click to see more

In Phillip Jude Miller’s York Harbor home, antique finds live happily cheek-by-jowl with midcentury and more contemporary pieces. Photo by Sam Gray; click to see more

The 1:30 p.m. program is open to show attendees—but I’d suggest that the show itself, which runs through Sunday the 21st, will be well worth the trip, panel or no panel. Some forty dealers from the U.S. and Europe will be exhibiting lovely items of all kinds. Visit ellisboston.com for more information. Ellis Boston Antiques Show October 19–21, 2012 (Gala Preview on October 18) at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts 539 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02116 Information: (617) 363-0405 in advance; (617) 299-6096 during the days of the show For more favorites from our editors, check out the Friday Favorites archives.