Friday Favorites 4/4/2014

Stacy Kunstel, Homes Editor 
While at the Design Bloggers Conference last month, I had a chance to reconnect with Carla Stolper. She is living in Thailand and has an e-commerce site called CF Michaels, where she sells items she has found while traveling all over Asia. Many of the pieces are handcrafted, vintage, collectible, and simply gorgeous. What’s even better is that she’s made it so easy to choose, click, purchase. Shipping is included in all the listed prices, so there are no unpleasant surprises. There are at least ten things I could see that would be perfect for my own home, but I’ll just list a few here.

Maria LaPiana, Contributing Writer
Inspiration was all-around at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York City last month—from hot rugs and cool lamps to the heartwarming tables in DIFFA’s Dining by Design exhibit hall. Hard-pressed to narrow down my favorites, I really have to share the work of one artisan in particular. Maxim Terpinyan is a third-generation furniture maker from Ukraine—and the man behind Max Chairs, sexy seats carved from polished, steam-bent wood and upholstered with supple leather. Until recently Terpinyan worked as a draftsman and designer for furniture manufacturers, but he says the upholstered “shells” he’d seen on so many metal office chairs moved him to try something new. “I got this idea to alter the construction, to use new materials,” he says. “I wanted to create something interesting by applying the shell to nicely shaped wood.” Using white oak and walnut, Terpinyan creates the illusion that legs, base and integrated arms are all carved from one piece; his craftsmanship is that seamless. The only thing that may trump the beauty of his chairs is how incredibly comfortable they are. To see more of his work, go to http://maxchairs.com/…take a look:

Lynda Simonton, Online and Market Editor
I recently “inherited” this cute Kobenstyle baking dish by Dansk. My parents likely purchased it when they were setting up house back in the 1960s. The cheery blue enamel piece looks great on my stove—even when it is not in use. I love the clean lines, retro vibe, and—most importantly—the functionality of this cookware. The pot can be used on the stove or can bake in the oven. The best part? The pot’s lid does double-duty as a trivet for serving.

This unassuming item of cookware has become highly collectible as an iconic modernist piece. Originally designed in 1956 by Jens Quistgaards and manufactured through the 1980s, the line was reissued by Dansk in 2012, making more than a few cooks quite happy.

Having this piece of family history on hand is a joy, especially when it has a prominent place in modernist vernacular.