BLOG - collecting

If you have some free time this week I highly recommend stopping by the International Fine Art & Antique Dealers Show at the Park Avenue Armory.  Whether you’re in the market or just browsing, the impressive and diverse collection of art and antiques from a wide range of exhibitors is definitely worth checking out! Here are a few pieces that caught my eye… 

“Flowers of The Four Seasons”

Pair of six-panel folding screens

Erik Thomsen 

“After Bathing”

Gaston Priou

Gallery Lefebvre

Asymmetrical Mirror

Libor David

Gallery Lefebvre

Giltwood Mirror

Ronald Phillips Ltd

Thomas Chippendale dining chairs

Thomas Coulborn & Sons Ltd

Carpet

Keshishian

My friends are often asking me where they can find art that is both "real" and affordable. Anyone can buy a poster from a museum gift shop but the work is neither original, signed, or will ever have any real value.  The same is true for reproductions of pieces by famous photographers.  When decorating your home, the last you want is to put a lot of effort into the style of a room only to have the same thing on your walls as all of your friends. So leave the posters behind. I know this sounds expensive, but it does not have to be with new websites such as 20x200.com.

Each print made available on the site is a limited edition, signed by the artists, and is accompanied with supporting documentation. At the very least you are purchasing something unique, and who knows, maybe the artist's work will appreciate in value over time.

The site offers the ability to search by theme, price, and color, which makes the whole process approachable.  Say you want to add a pop of red to a room. Perfect, search by color! They will even frame it for you!

A selection of what you will find is below....

Waiting, by Ian Baguskas (click to purchase)

My Butt, Helen Wurzel (click to purchase)

Standing at the Edge of the Water, By Helena Wurzel (Click to purchase)

Ideal Bookshelf 367, Jane Mount (click here to purchase)

Floral and Insects, Laura Bell (Click Here to Purchase)

Vogue March 2010, p. 230 List of Contributors, by Lauren DiCioccio (click here to purchase)

Pretty Maps (Amsterdam), by Aaron Straup Cope (click here to purchase)

For as long as I can remember I have been a huge lover of books. Not so much reading, per se, but rather the book as an object. Perhaps this is why I have such a hard time reading anything other than the news or emails on my iPad. When I sit down to read and retain, I need a book in my hands and the sound of pages turning and marking my progress.  There is something quite ancient and fascinating about books.  Few things have survived in their original design and intention for so long. From the time of Gutenburg and the invention of movable type in the mid-Fifteenth century, our use of printing, binding, and distribution of literature has remained the most important advancement of mankind.

A printer's press, like the one above (c. mid 16th century), could print up to 240 pages per hour.(From Wikipedia)

Books for me have been an escape and obsession.  I began collecting art books in high school and by the end of college my "library" outgrew my dorm room. Perhaps this is why I was initially drawn to my first apartment in New York. Once the broker told me that it was originally the library of the foundation that previously occupied the building,  I was sold. Two walls of the living room were lined with beautiful old bookshelves.

Georgia and I are kindred spirits in this regard, and it shows in much of the design work that we do and the furniture we have created. Both the Bibliophile's Dining Table and Collector's Coffee Table were born out of a need for some way to contain our amassing collections. When my husband and I were beginning to plan the layout of our new apartment, we  knew that we wanted and needed plenty of bookshelves. As planning turned to design, I began scouring the internet (and my books of course!) for images of the perfect home library. Over the course of the past few years I have found a new obsession-photographs of libraries and books. Below are a few of my favorites. Starting out with one of my dog, Bailey, happily resting on one of our new shelves.

All images above, except for "Bailey with Books" and where otherwise noted can be found on favim.com and or tumblr.com