shopping

Charming Architectural Birdhouses

Written on January 6, 2012 at 2:41 pm
By Rebecca Christian

Do you remember a They Might Be Giants song, “Make a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul”? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAbZzdalZh4)

I’ve had that song in my head ever since seeing architectural birdhouses by Home Bazaar. These little beauties are rendered either in an architectural style—like a salt box cottage, a pagoda, an arts and crafts bungalow, and oodles of others—or are inspired by real buildings, like the garden pavilion at Monticello or the Hotel Del Coronado. (‘m especially smitten with the Arts and Crafts bungalow, because it looks a lot like my house.) Some people display them inside or on covered porches, protesting that they’re too pretty to use outside — but they are created for outdoor use.

 

Gramercy Park Birdhouse

 

The birdhouses and birdfeeders are made out of materials like ply-board, kiln-dried hardwood, and poly-resin for the fine details, using non-toxic, water-based outdoor paint with pine or western red cedar shingles for the roof.  Strict birding enthusiast guidelines are used so that birds can nest, multiply and return: the back comes off so the interior can be easily cleaned.

 

San Francisco Rowhouse Birdhouse

 The reason they are made of hardwood is that this makes them cooler inside for the birds, as opposed to birdhouses made of synthetic materials. The also have ventilation and drainage, and can be mounted on a garden pedestal, like a cottage design mounted on a pedestal with Victorian scrollwork.

Because they are made of mostly natural materials, they become weathered. David Silverman, founder of the company, says, “That’s part of the beauty of them. When they start to get old, they  age naturally, and birds can live in them for many years.”

Hobbit House

 

Prices range from $25 to upwards of $300. For more information: http://www.hbbirdhouse.com/default.htm

Timeless Beauty: Two Ambitious NYC Exhibits on The Work and Influence of Duncan Phyfe

Written on December 8, 2011 at 4:43 pm
By Rebecca Christian

I grew up hearing the name “Duncan Phyfe” spoken in a tone of hushed reverence by my grandmother. Almost always clad in a little black dress and pearls and a veiled hat, she loved beautiful things and was crazy about his furniture with its harp and lyre backs and dragon claw feet. The Phyfe mystique endures, as evidenced by two complementary new exhibits about him and his work about to open in NYC this month. One is the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s sweeping retrospective, Duncan Phyfe: Master Cabinetmaker in New York, December 20, 2011-May 6, 2012, which will include furniture produced in Scottish immigrant Phyfe’s Fulton Street studio, which once stood on the site of the World Trade Center (http://bit.ly/uqN3YY).

The second exhibit, The World of Duncan Phyfe-The Arts of New York, 1800-1847  is a multimedia exhibit that opens Thursday, December 15, at the Hirschl and Adler Galleries and runs through February 17. Curated by gallery owners Stuart and Elizabeth Feld, it’s comprised of work made by Phyfe and his contemporaries in New York City, and shown alongside the work of other artisans of the time in wood, silver, porcelain, and metal. The show offers an unusual opportunity to buy museum quality work. Hirschl and Adler Galleries co-owner Elizabeth Feld says of the two exhibits, “For someone who loves design, it’s a field day,” says. Here’s an example of an early piece on display at the galleries:

 

 

Attributed to Duncan Phyfe, New York
The Ogden Family Work Table, about 1810-15
Satinwood and burl satinwood, partially ebonized, and mahogany, with gilt-brass paw toe caps and castors and drawer pulls, baize writing surface, and mirror plate
31 in. high, 21 ≤ in. wide, 14 π in. deep
Photo by the Helga Photo Studio

Says Feld, “Basically the word ‘Phyfe’ has become a very generic way of saying neoclassical, like Kleenex is a way to describe tissue. His name became the moniker for the aesthetic. Neoclassical keeps reinventing itself. He helped create an indigenous New York form of classicism, and because he was so successful, his name became attached to the style. Our show uses the nearly five-decade span when Phyfe was working in New York (he had emigrated from Scotland before 1800) to take a look at what was happening in the way of design and aesthetics in New York during that period. Phyfe was a tastemaker, and really helped to define the New York ‘brand’ of neoclassicism which developed around him. Our show includes furniture (by Phyfe and some of his direct competitors), porcelain, glass, silver, and lighting all made in New York or abroad for an American clientele. This is an area that our gallery specializes in and has done several other major exhibitions and books on over the years. This was a natural way to expand our outreach on this subject matter to those interested in the era. We are also including fine arts (paintings, prints, works on paper, sculpture) to help paint a portrait of this moment (albeit a long and changing one).”

Here’s a example of a Phyfe table from his middle years:

 

 

 

MIDDLE YEARS
Attributed to Duncan Phyfe, New York
Pier Table, about 1817-22
Rosewood, with poplar feet, gilded and painted verde antique, and an unidentified wood, with die-stamped brass inlay inset with rosewood, ormolu mounts, white marble, black-and-gold marble, and mirror plate
36 9/16 in. high, 42 in. wide, 20 π in. deep
Photo by Joshua Nefsky

Phyfe worked for 50 years, and during that time his style evolved, Feld says, from a light early style to a middle period of more florid neoclassicism (the phantasmagorical period my grandmother loved), infusing pieces with gryphons and lions, and ending with a period where he made form-based pieces that were very sculptural — their only added decor was the application of incredible tropical woods as veneers. The two pieces above are from the early and middle years, and the piece below from the late years, show that progression:

LATE CAREER
Attributed to Duncan Phyfe and Sons, New York
Center Table in the Restauration Taste, about 1837-40
Mahogany, with brass hardware and castors, 28 1/8 in. high, 36 in. diameter
Private collection
Photo by Joshua Nefsky

 

The exhibit at the Hirschl and Aldler Galleries is free and open to the public from Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and on Saturdays from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, and by appointment on Mondays at The Crown Building, 730 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor (57th Street), New York, NY 10019, 212-535-8810.

 

 

Bid On Great Designer Before and After Items (And It’s For A Great Cause)!

Written on November 28, 2011 at 3:45 pm
By Rebecca Christian

Recently at our Classic Woman Awards luncheon in New York, I had the pleasure of  catching up with designer Jennifer Flanders (whose drop-dead gorgeous Manhattan apartment that she shares with two darling daughters we memorably featured in our magazine: http://bit.ly/tmP5fF).

Jennifer Flanders

 

I was pleased to discover that at our Classic Woman awards program a couple of years ago, Jennifer became so inspired by Classic Woman honoree Susan Fredman’s Designs for Dignity organization in Chicago that she decided to establish the same organization in New York. Designs for Dignity uses pro bono designer services, materials and finishes donated by manufacturers, vendors, clients and showrooms to create beautiful, healing spaces for nonprofits and residences that serve people in need (http://bit.ly/w1l6uS ). Its philosophy is that everyone has the right to live in a home they can be proud of, regardless of financial or social status.

For the New York branch’s project, Jennifer had the clever idea of challenging ten top designers to find old pieces of furniture to redesign, with the idea of auctioning them off at a charity event in New York December 1. (You don’t have to be there to bid on an item; in fact, you can do it online: http://bit.ly/rM2RJC). Here is a chair Jennifer herself redesigned with Amy Statuto.

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

Jennifer says, “We felt this was an apropos way to raise funds because part of what Designs for Dignity does is take advantage of all the waste and excess in the design industry. We are using the fundraiser to show ways in which old pieces of furniture can be given new life and re-used rather than thrown away.  We have a wonderful group of designers donating both their time and resources to this event, and we are hopeful that not only will this effort raise funds to help our NY chapter get off the ground, but it will also raise awareness in the NY design community.”

 

Laura Bohn Associates designed the two-drawer chest below:

 

BEFORE

AFTER

The event, a cocktail reception and auction where the upcycled items can be viewed, is Thursday evening, December 1, from 6 to 9 p.m at Newel’s new showroom at 425 E. 53rd St. Tickets are available online for $75 and at the door for $90.  It’s sponsored by VandM, which sells vintage furniture, antiques,  fine art and jewelry from around the world online (vandm.com). Designers represented are Bradley Stephens, Kevin Walz, Laura Bohn Design Associates, Drew McGukin, Christopher Coleman, Etienne Coffinier and Ed Ku of Coffinier Ku Design, Jim Aman and John Meeks, Jennifer Flanders and Amy Statuto, and Doug and Gene Meyer.

 

It’s Not Too Late: Quick Ship Decorative Items for Thanksgiving

Written on November 16, 2011 at 4:39 pm
By Rebecca Christian

If like me you are still dragging out the same tired horn o’ plenty and dour looking resin Pilgrim couple up from the basement for Thanksgiving, you might like to give some handsome Thanksgiving items from The Well Appointed House a whirl. They’re 25 percent off the prices listed below through Sunday, November 20, and can be shipped quickly.

 

Thanksgiving Wreath with Dried Magnolia Leaves and Turkey and Pheasant Feathers, $108

(it also has a coordinating table swag)

To order, use this link: http://bit.ly/vfXktU

The website also has pretty tableware, including this platter:

Pheasant Tray, $152

Use this link to order: http://bit.ly/rVq9XZ

You’ll find garlands you can have made for Christmas and lots of other pretties, too, at wellappointedhouse.com. And if you like using natural decor for your table, check out this blog post on The Daily Grommet website from designers at Anders Ruff Custom Designs: http://bit.ly/tu5ZXc (love those artichokes and white pumpkins — so pretty and so simple).

Modern Shape, Vintage Images — Intriguing Handmade Lamps at a Reasonable Price

Written on November 3, 2011 at 12:03 pm
By Rebecca Christian

If, like me, you are drawn to flea markets where you can find nostalgic oddments such as old coins, old stamps, vintage card games, and handwritten recipes, I think you will like Monica Burke’s Table Lamps as much as I do. Working at a vintage lighting studio inspired Monica to rewire old lamps and remake them using found objects and nostalgic images from old postcards and maps. Sometimes she uses her own original photography. In her recent work, a contemporary cylindrical shape gives the lamps a modern edge.

Czech Rhino Stamp Lamp by Monica Burke

The lamps are handmade of sturdy cotton with archival grade ink. I first saw Monica’s work when my daughter — who loves handmade things and likes to support emerging artists and craftswomen — gave one of her lamps as a wedding gift. The “Appearing Quote Typewriter” Lamp looks like an old typewriter with a fresh sheet of paper in it when unlit. When turned on, a quote appears — and you can pick the quote. She’ll customize it.

Monica Burke’s Appearing Quote Typewriter Lamp

The lamps are $48 at The Daily Grommet (http://bit.ly/vGUc0Q), and you can also find her work at etsy.com.

Bluestem, a cookbook for progressive American cuisine

Written on October 28, 2011 at 3:31 pm
By Rebecca Christian

Bluestem is a restaurant in Kansas City, much-praised for creating dishes that are imaginative but that ordinary people might actually want to eat: Smoked Salmon Panna Cotta, Rack of Venison with Pickled Lady Apples, Stone Fruit Cobbler, Oatmeal-Ale Cake. It’s run by passionate foodies and husband-and-wife chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts. Bluestem is also the name of their new cookbook, which is written in the first person with instructions such as “Know thy monger and thy butcher.”

If you’re already thinking Christmas like I am, it would make a nice gift for the foodie on your list (and maybe he or she would invite you over to try the Honey Custard with Linzer Wafer Cookies). The book becomes available from Andrews McMeel Publishing November 8, and you can order it for $28.22 from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bluestem-Cookbook-Colby-Garrelts/dp/1449400612

It’s also filled with the chatty asides you might expect from those who live and breathe food, such as dessert maker Megan’s anthropomorphism of sugar : “As a woman, I can confidently say that sugar is definitely female: It can be cranky and temperamental…Hell hath no fury like hot sugar.”

The cookbook is divided into seasons, keeping the emphasis on cooking whatever is fresh, good, and locally available. Each season has recipes organized this way: amuse-bouche, cold, hot, pasta, water (seafood), land (meat), sweet, and petits fours.

This autumnal recipe for Risotto with Butternut Squash caught my attention:

 

Risotto, butternut squash, allspice
Serves 8 as a first course,
4 as a main course

If you’ve ever patiently stirred risotto until it’s thick and creamy, you know why it is such a rewarding task when it turns out right. Despite the patience required, you’ll want to make it over and over again.
Risotto is not difficult to make. But before you start, make sure that you have the correct variety of rice (long-grain rice will not yield the right results), all of the stock warm and ready to go, and, above all, the time. Don’t try to rush this, or you’ll end up with rice that looks cooked but is gritty and hard within. And make sure you’re ready to eat it right when it’s done. Risotto does not reward your patience with patience; it has a very short shelf life once it’s cooked. Let it sit for more than a few minutes and it will begin to turn soft and gummy.
Any type of fleshy winter squash will work for this recipe, including pumpkin and acorn squash.

8 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups butternut squash in ½-inch cubes
2 cups Carnaroli rice
¾ cup white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Freshly grated allspice

Heat the chicken stock in a stockpot over low heat. Cover and keep warm.
Heat the softened butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and butternut squash and stir until softened, about 5 minutes (you don’t want to develop any color). Using a wooden spoon, stir in the rice, coating it with the butter and seasonings.
Continue to stir and toast the rice for about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it evaporates.
Stirring the rice continuously, add the warm stock, 1
cup at a time, making sure that the liquid is completely absorbed by the rice before adding the next cup. The rice will start to release its starch and thicken into a creamy porridge, about 30 minutes. Depending on the texture of risotto you like, the grains of rice should be tender to firm, but not gritty. Season the risotto with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let sit for a couple of minutes.
Beat the cold butter and Parmesan into the risotto. Serve immediately. Grate a bit of allspice over the risotto with a nut grater or Microplane zester and any additional Parmesan over the risotto at the table if you like.

—From Bluestem: The Cookbook by Colby Garrelts and Megan Garrelts with Bonjwing Lee

I was also taken with this one for Beets with Whipped Blue Cheese and Candied Pecans, with an introductory comment from Colby:

 

Beets, whipped blue cheese, candied pecans
Serves 4

I can’t keep Megan away from beets when the gem-like baby ones roll in. Lucky for her, beets are readily available year-round in the Midwest. Although this salad can take on one of many variations, we strip it down to its bare essentials, focusing on the beets, whose sweetness seems intensified against the salty whipped blue cheese that we pair with it. Candied pecans give the salad some needed snap, and a few tendrils of baby frisée lettuce frame it all nicely with a frilly border.

This salad is particularly pretty if you use different-colored beets. Just make sure you keep them separated before arranging them on plates so they don’t stain each other.

1 pound baby beets, trimmed of greens
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces blue cheese, softened
¼ cup Champagne Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
⅓ cup Candied Pecans, chopped (recipe follows)
Baby frisée, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Tightly seal the beets, whole, in a large sheet of aluminum foil. If you are using different-colored beats, package the beets separately by color so that the red ones won’t stain the lighter-colored ones.
Bake the beets for 40 minutes. To test the beets for doneness, a knife should slip in and out of them without any effort. Let the beets cool. Peel the thin layer of skin from each beet. Cut the beets into quarters. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese on high speed until soft and fluffy, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Add the blue cheese and continue to whip, scraping the bowl as needed, until the two cheeses are evenly mixed and fluffy.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and whip a little more to incorporate.
Toss the beets with the vinaigrette. If you are using different-colored beets, toss them separately by color to prevent them from staining each other. Divide the beets among 4 plates.
Transfer the whipped cheese to a pastry bag and pipe the cheese in small mounds around the beets. Or you can simply spoon the cheese onto the plates. Garnish each salad with some pecans and frisée. Serve immediately.

+++

Champagne vinaigrette
Makes about 13/4 cups

With a nice balance of sweet and sour, this is an extremely versatile vinaigrette. At Bluestem, we find a place for it in every season.

 

1 cup Champagne vinegar

1∕₃ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1∕₃ cup honey
Combine all of the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl, adding the honey last to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Whisk vigorously until combined. Tightly sealed, the vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Before using the vinaigrette in a recipe, bring the vinaigrette back to room temperature and rewhisk to combine.

+++

Candied pecans
Makes about 1 cup

We always have candied nuts on hand to use as a garnish for everything from salads to desserts. This recipe calls for pecans, but you may substitute any unsalted nut, though the wrinkly ones (like walnuts) give the candied glaze something to cling to. Just make sure that you adjust the baking time according to the size of the nut so that you don’t burn them.

1 cup pecans (about 31/2 ounces)

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Spray a baking sheet or pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, tossing to coat the nuts with the seasonings and corn syrup (use your hands or a wooden spoon to get everything evenly mixed). Spread the nuts on the sheet evenly so that they don’t touch (clusters will be hard to break up after baking).
Stirring or shaking the pan occasionally to break up clumps, bake the nuts until they turn a deep golden brown and the sugar mixture is bubbling (about 15 minutes). Let the nuts cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently break the nuts apart if necessary and store them in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

—From Bluestem: The Cookbook by Colby Garrelts and Megan Garrelts with Bonjwing Lee

 

 

Fish in the Garden

Written on October 18, 2011 at 3:51 pm
By Rebecca Christian

I sometimes toss press releases touting garden accents and statuary because it seems to me you can’t improve on nature, and isn’t that what gardening is all about?

Nonetheless I hung on to a flier I got from a place called Fish in the Garden in Falmouth, Maine. There artist Tyson Weiss creates schools of fish out of colorful high-fired glazed ceramics or shiny brushed stainless steel that surge through gardens and interiors in a way that is surreal and calming. I’m particularly taken with this Cobalt Koi. I find myself looking at it several times a day, especially when I’m fighting with my computer.

Grouped together, the fish appear to be swimming in a school.

You can group fish meant to adorn interiors with especially designed tabs that hold the fish an inch away from the wall, creating interesting shadows. Different species of fish are available for the sake of regional relevance—for example if you live on the Florida coast you can order a barracuda, or in Massachusetts, a striped bass or bluefin tuna. (Do you suppose he could make a whiskery river catfish for a landlocked Iowan?). Just as in nature, the fish are weatherproof. Prices range from $49 to $480. The fish are available at fishinthegarden.com.

Richard Gere strikes the right cord

Written on October 4, 2011 at 12:34 pm
By Doris Athineos

 

Actor Richard Gere is selling off his vintage guitar collection for charity. Rock on, Richard. Guitars once owned by blues legend Albert King, Jamaican reggae musician Peter Tosh and American guitar maker James D’Aquisto all hit the auction block at Christie’s October 11. “I’ve had a love affair with guitars since I was a kid,” says Gere, who is donating the proceeds from 83 guitars and 24 amps ($1 million estimate) to humanitarian causes. “They’ve been my true friends through the best and worst of times. Some are very special. Although it’s more than a little painful to let them go, each one has been played, loved and appreciated–and will
be again.”

 

Brimfield Antique Show/shopping fun

Written on September 22, 2011 at 9:23 am
By Michael Diver

The scene: the Brimfield antique show. The set-up: Collect business cards from among the many designers and bloggers who were enjoying both the antique show and the Brimfield Tweet-Up. (What? You don’t know what a tweet-up is??) The fun: Draw three cards and give each “winner” $200 to spend 5 hours shopping the fields for treasure, with the request they report back to us with their finds.

Let’s take our shoppers in alphabetical order. Allison Abbott is a designer from West Newton, Massachusetts, who places special emphasis on renovating with smart green practices. (Check out Allison’s lively blog at greenwithrenvy.blogspot.com.) Allison was a perfect match for shopping at Brimfield: What better place than a crazy-big flea market to find old or tarnished pieces just waiting to be repurposed and placed in a new home?

Allison said she had no particular plan in mind for her $200; in her words, she just “wandered” the fields and kept her eyes open. And the thing that caught her eye was a small collapsible rocker that had once graced the porch of an old farmhouse in upstate New York. She says she was drawn to it because she loves to use small chairs as decorative accents.

Allison’s plan for the chair: Paint it in a Benjamin Moore taupe (Interlude AF 135) and re-cover it in an antique Hungarian grain-sack fabric that she found at Brimfield in the almost-fantastical tent of Pandora de Balthazár. She’ll also dress up the chair with 1940s-era buttons and Belgian trim—also found in the tents at Brimfield.

Allison actually brought us money back! (Talk about recycling.) She spent only $23 on the chair, about $80 on the fabric, and another $55 on the buttons and trim. She did pass on one rueful lesson from her wanderings: She saw a great little side table that she decided she could go back and purchase later. When she went back to buy it—too late. It was gone. “When you are at a flea market, get it when you see it,” Allison says.

We hope Allison will send us a photo of the refurbished chair. If she does, we’ll post it. And we’ll post the fabulous finds of our other two shoppers early next week.

Acres of antiques at Brimfield

Written on August 22, 2011 at 11:07 am
By Doris Athineos

Brimfield Antique Show strikes the tiny town of Brimfield, Mass, three times a year– May, July and September.  Brimfield gave birth to the Keno brothers (both parents were dealers here) and the first place the twins offered antiques (stoneware) for sale. But with more than 5,000 dealers setting up shop along Route 20, where to begin? Our favorite stretch of field is J & J, the original Brimfield show founded by Gordon Reid in 1959 and still managed by Reid’s two daughters Judy and Jill. It was the J & J show that spawned all the rest and turned Brimfield into a destination for hard-core fans of vintage and antique furnishings.  Most of the 20 shows have their own start times and dates (roughly September 6 through 11), but J & J opens September 9th @ 8 am.  Antiques junkies begin lining up at dark to be among the first to enter the gates (see above). To find the J & J field, set your GPS on 35 Main Street. For a map of different fields, see Brimfield.