Happy September everyone! Wanted to share a corner of my apartment. This is the spot where I photograph a lot of the pieces that I sell over on 20th Century by HKFA. It’s also the spot where Fred sits and stares out the window. I like to keep the mood fun and lively in my home. Mixing antiques and modern decor creates a great conversation. What does your home say?

Two very different looks with antique picture frames. Whether it’s one frame hung on the wall or an entire collection, the frame makes a statement. These two interiors show the variety, usefulness and beauty of the antique frame. Like William Morris said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful of believe to be beautiful”. And if you’re sourcing antique frames, check out 20th Century by HKFA for an incredible inventory of over 250 19th Century frames!

Have a look at this completely gorgeous room, that is, for New York based interior designer Justin Shaulis, unforgettable. It’s part of a Brooklyn penthouse apartment that is home to a family of five. The project was recently featured on My Domaine as part of their Decor and Trends section (its a must read). For the living room, Justin sourced the large modern abstract painting (which is actually double sided) from 20th Century by HKFA while they were exhibiting at the High Point Furniture Market. Many, many thanks to Justin!

High Point Furniture Market has come and gone, but I'm going to take this moment to reflect back and share with you a couple pics from a couple years ago and a couple weeks ago. I really loved seeing all the fabulous pics from High Point Market and I also love posting them here for you to see! Here’s a couple... the first is from Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd and features an amazing pair of vintage brass Chinoiserie lamps that he and Philip Vergeylen sourced from 20th Century by HKFA at High Point a couple years ago. They had become regular customers every April show and I could always count on them to purchase my most favorite finds. And the second image is from the Kristy Cohn Design booth at High Point from just a couple weeks ago and features a vibrant mid century still life painting that she sourced from 20th Century by HKFA while I was set up at Brimfield this past May. It’s an amazing honor to be part of the journey of these vintage, antique and mid century works of art, furnishings and furniture. Each piece tells a story and I’m always thankful to play a small part in that story.

With What’s New What’s Next coming up soon, I’m thinking back to a few show houses and showrooms. Places where I’ve been honored to be part of through art and sculpture. Being part of the history of an object is a humbling experience. To then have that object celebrated amongst many other pieces within a creative space curated by a top designer is another level all together. Scroll down to see a few...

Justin Shaulis - Christopher Kennedy Palm Springs Show House
Florence Knoll armchairs, Vintage concrete torso sculpture, One of a pair of rock / stone / quartz / crystal lamps, Vintage brass floor lamp,
Vintage brass vase, Vintage brass accessories


Patrick Hamilton - Holiday House New York City Show House
Vintage 1970's shaped canvas abstract painting by Sidney Guberman


Michel Smith Boyd - Southern Style Now New Orleans Show House
Contemporary portrait painting by Clintel Steed


Paolo Moschino / Philip Vergeylen - Nicholas Haslam London Showroom
One of a pair of vintage Gabriella Crespi style split reed bamboo side tables


Tyler Hays - BDDW New York City Showroom
One of fourteen antique hand painted oversize mural paintings


Thom Filicia - Sedgwick & Brattle New York City Showroom
Vintage cast iron sculptural coffee table with custom lucite top


Ron Marvin - Design on a Dime New York City Housing Works Showroom
Vintage brass sculptural antelope


Patrick Hamilton - Southern Style Now Savannah Show House
19th Century marble sculpture of Psyche, Vintage abstract gilt bronze sculpture

It's really amazing how things happen. And where folks meet. I met Nicholas Obeid at the Chelsea Flea Market a few months ago. Right off the bat we clicked and he became a great customer. He has a great eye and aesthetic and I couldn't be happier for him. Take a peek through the House Beautiful spread and see his gorgeous New York City apartment. By the way, the iron and cane balloon back chair is one of a pair sourced by 20th Century by HKFA and the Aristide Maillol style nude is also a find from 20th Century by HKFA.

Tags: Antiques

Sharing this beautiful pic from friend, interior designer and all around super star Justin Shaulis. Justin sourced this vintage, double-sided, abstract painting from the Modern Look Book / 20th Century by HKFA space in High Point a few years ago. This work was originally purchased in Philadelphia then put on display in my home in Massachusetts and then shipped to High Point for sale and has now travelled to Hampstead London. I just love the story that Justin tells with each of his interiors. With custom, bespoke, antique, vintage and contemporary pieces all adding their own histories, Justin always creates inviting interiors. Thank you again Justin!!!

Saturday night found my daughters and I at the opening reception of Into View at Sweet Lorraine Gallery in Red Hook, Brooklyn. We were there to support our friend Clintel Steed. And I was there to see the looks on their faces when they saw their portrait on exhibit. Modern Look Book celebrates the contemporary and the antique, the vintage and the modern - the mix of histories and stories in today's interiors. And I will happily celebrate the incredible talents of Clintel Steed, Jonathan Harkham, Jenny Dubnau, Sam Levy, Robert Anderson, Polina Barskaya - the artists represented in Into View which is on view through the 31st. Visit the Sweet Lorraine Gallery and see this powerful work for yourself.

Tags: Clintel Steed

Huge congrats to interior designer Patrick Hamilton for his gorgeous Savannah study! at the Southern Style Now Show House! I spy a 19th century marble statue of Psyche and an abstract sculpture in bronze both from 20th Century by HKFA. Visit the Traditional Home Southern Style Now Savannah Show House to see the study designed by Patrick Hamilton and the whole beautiful show house in the Savannah Historic District Many, many thanks to Patrick!!!!

Thinking about show houses from the past few years and what it means when an interior designer curates a look with custom and bespoke pieces that are tailored to suit the specifics of a project and then presents them alongside antique, vintage, modern and contemporary finds. It means that designers love to mix things up.Here's to friends and colleagues who have opened their projects and invited Modern Look Book and 20th Century by HKFA to be part of their vision. Pictured from the top left clockwise: Featuring the designs of Michel Boyd at the inaugural Southern Style Now / Traditional Home show house in New Orleans, Justin Shaulis at the Christopher Kennedy show house in Palm Springs and Patrick Hamilton at the Holiday House show house in New York City. Each room illustrates the sophistication and elegance of the respective designer and his aesthetic. Products featured from the top left clockwise: a contemporary portrait by New York City artist Clintel Steed, 1980's vintage brass accessories and a pair of 1950's Modeline lamps, and a 1970's vintage abstract shaped canvas by Sidney Guberman.

Have you heard that?  Have you said that?  I'm not speaking about dating, but rather singles and pairs in the antiques and design business.  Lamps, chairs, vases, chandeliers, mirrors, sconces - just about anything.  For those of us in the antiques and design business we seem to be all too preoccupied by pairs.  The desire to have a mirror copy of a room, to have even numbers throughout, to have a numerical balance - it just doesn't add up.
 
Let's examine your living room.  A sofa with a matched pair of end tables on either side with a matched pair of lamps or vases sitting on top.  There's a coffee table with a matched pair of something or other on top.  Then there's a matched pair of ottomans or chairs on the other side of the coffee table.  That's a lot of twos.  Then of course, there's the console table with a matched pair of lamps or vases on top and the list goes on.  Is having two of something really that much better?
 
Now, let's back track a bit to how those pieces came to be in your living room.  Perhaps you chose them, or your designer.  In either case you had to shop.  Surely you (or your designer) were out in the market looking for those 'just right pieces' and you came across something perfect.  You then asked the seller the price.  It was a great deal, it seemed almost too good to be true.  Then you realized that it was a single and your hopes were smashed to pieces (a lot more than two I might add).  You explain to the seller that you would have bought it if it was a pair.  The seller then thinks to himself (or verbalizes if he doesn't want any future business with you) that it wouldn't be that price if it were a pair and is happy to see you move on.  So on you go looking for that perfect pair of something with just the right scale and color to complement the sofa.  But, please tell me, why does there have to be two of everything?
 
Sets of dishes and chairs are always in even numbers assuming that everyone who eats or sits in your house is one of a pair.  Don't you know any single friends?  Apparently our design theory is based on a very simple belief that in order to be something desirable, there must be two.  And an exact two.  Doesn't that make things a bit redundant in your home?  Kind of like only decorating half of your home and then just placing and exact copy on the other side of the room?  Seems a bit lazy to me.  Why not simply install a floor to ceiling and wall to wall mirror?  This will alleviate the problems of finding furnishings in pairs.  And it could save you a lot of money in the long run.  There's another bonus too, you'll always have someone to talk with!  Maybe I'm getting a bit farfetched, so let's get back to the topic.
 
Symmetry is defined as the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other.  Wow.  Sounds sterile.  So, let's find out what asymmetry is.  It is the lack or absence of balance between the shapes of a thing.  Wow.  Sounds uncomfortable.  I think that we need to rewrite those definitions as they pertain to the antiques and design business.  It is just fine to have a sofa with only one end table and one table lamp.  This will leave you plenty of room on the other side of the sofa for a floor lamp.  Now, both sides are well lit and you still have a place to set down your book.  Sitting across from the coffee table, you'll want to have plenty of seating for friends.  A long bench or a chaise is a wonderful alternative to pairs of ottomans or chairs.  It will also encourage your guests to sit right next to each other!  Take a walk through your home and count up the number of pairs, you're sure to use all your fingers and maybe even your toes if your house is large enough.  Now, imagine the difference if you'd remove those doubles.  Your first inclination may be that your house will be out of balance.  No, don't listen.  Balance does not equal exact copy.  Balance is the way to keep a flow through your home, balance is harmony.  There is nothing limiting you to balancing only with an exact replica.
 
Now imagine the freedom of the dealers in the marketplace.  They would no longer be afraid to purchase for resale single items.  A great chair.  A great lamp.  A great vase.  And so on.  They would have the confidence to buy great items no matter the number.  Odd numbers rejoice!  For there will be a long line of customers looking for that just right single piece.  You may ask how I incorporate this new found freedom into my inventory.  Have I been immune to twins?  As I must be forthright, I too, have fallen victim to this.  I have seen great single items and hesitated to purchase thinking whether or not I'd be able to sell them.  I have had pairs of items that I did not want to break up after receiving an offer to purchase only one.  Obviously those dealers and buyers were already well aware of the odd number theory.  So, how to manage being in business, which does of course require catering to your clients' taste and keeping individuality in your inventory?  Join the best of both worlds.
 
Single vs Pair.  Where do I stand you ask?  Smack in the middle.  I have an all together different requirement for my buying - my inventory often consists of items that are either ridiculously heavy or ridiculously large.  They really say something.  And I am a firm believer in making a statement.  So, let me be the first to say, "Break up!".  Get out of your comfort zone and try putting a little unbalance in your balance.  You may just find that it opens you up to a whole new world of amazing decor!

Tags: Table Lamps, Interior Design, Antiques, Vintage