Friday Favorites 2/24/12

By Jared Ainscough, Assistant Art Director
I have walked by Hudson a few times as I have looked for lunch spots in Boston’s South End. I will proudly admit that this store won me over with a beautiful pumpkin and gourd display in the fall, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The store is always beautifully arranged and the selection of goods is impeccable. This Pipa Table Lamp is really the tip of the iceberg. Every piece in the shop shares this sense of classic design with a twist. I love the detail on this lamp–a nice balance of delicate, intricate pattern and a solid weight and proportion.

Photo courtesy of Hudson

By Debbie Hagan, Managing Editor
Lamps were on my mind this week too. It started after I’d talked with designer Ken Dietz, who’s known to be a high-end vintage lamp collector. You can find some of his special finds on his website Market 27. Dietz describes his website as an “online boutique of home furnishings, lighting and accessories curated by New England’s top interior designers and collectors.†The spectrum is fairly broad, ranging from a turned oak table lamp with handcrafted Arts and Crafts influences (albeit with a Lucite finial)…

Photos courtesy of Market 27

To a 1950s lozenge-shaped Lucite lamp with chrome fittings.

“Mid-century modern has been happening over the last ten years, but that encompasses such a broad range of styles,†says Dietz. After all, vintage is constantly moving forward.

What strikes us as “new†today becomes so over-exposed and so over-used, that we grow tired of it and carry it to the attic. Given enough time, though, something old can look quite fresh…even exciting. That’s the beauty of great art and design.

I’m somewhat in love with this ceramic table lamp. Its compact, cubic shape makes it seem so neat and tailored, with just a hint of bling from its platinum glazing.

However this purple and white Murano glass table lamp with its swirls and sparkles begs me to pay attention–and I do. It’s both elegant and a bit flirtatious.