Metals

Still Dreaming of a French Marble Bakers Table

So, I have been offered the chance to buy this amazing French marble-topped bakers table (expensive, but reasonable for what it is) from a friend of a friend. It is the kind of piece I have always dreamed of and written about.

Melding brass and steel, gold and silver, with its classic scrolling base and a white Carrera marble top, it is divine, much like the one I have always adored…

…in Suzanne Rheinstein‘s kitchen…

…and more recently at Charles Spada‘s Normandy Chateau.

Unfortunately, I believe that it is perhaps too large, too grand and too fancy for my humble cottage, although I am tempted to buy it anyway and keep it in the basement – it would be great for folding laundry, don’t you think? – for a future home “someday.”

In the meantime, I have been out looking for a similar style table, something with an iron base and a marble top. I saw this little cutie (much less expensive) down in Point Pleasant made from a vintage sewing machine base with an oval top added. You know what a junkie I am when it comes to repurposing!

The side view shows the nice detail on the base. Unfortunately, I think it is too small and the oval top too rounded to be very useful. You’ll see what I mean in the very next photo.

Searching online I discovered the perfect piece, with a classic French metal base and an oval top that is more like a long rectangle with curved ends, much more practical for serving and display. Unfortunately, it sold at auction somewhere in Atlanta back in March.

Just to torture myself some more, here it is in an outside view – I just love the simplicity of it.

It reminds me of a piece I spotted in a photo from Tone on Tone, Loi Thai’s gorgeous Bethesda, MD antiques store, which I have never actually visited in person, only drooled over on-line. Loi has recently started writing a great blog too, featuring his pitch perfect interiors. While I am posting this photo for the bakers table, I’d happily take anything else from the shop!

Last weekend I bought this vintage school desk at a garage sale (very inexpensive). I just could not resist those amazing ironwork supports. I thought I might replace the desk with a marble top, only it is way too low to be a practical work table. I have been thinking about ways to build up height in the legs but they all seem ugly and cluttery! If you have a good idea – let me know!

I keep coming back to this inspiration photo from stylist Lucyina Moodie. Long oval table with iron base, a lamp and some display items. And note the simple sisal like runner – that is the final decision for my white painted stairs too!

Image credits: 1-2, 5-6 & 10. me, 3. credit unknown, via Cote de Texas, 4. Weranda, photo credit: Andreas von Einsiedel, via Boxwood Terrace, 7-8. via Live Auctioneers, 9. via Tone on Tone, 11. Lucyina Moodie

Jul 20, 2012 By tokyojinja in Furniture, Interior Design, Metals, Renovation and Decoration Report 12 Comments Tags: Charles Spada, French antiques, Loi Thai, marble topped bakers table, sewing machine base, Suzanne Rheinstein, Tone on Tone

Artist Spotlight…Lynn Cooper and Kanoa Pure Silver

Expat circles here in Tokyo are all abuzz about a new jewelry artist named Lynn Cooper and her line of handmade silver charms, as are her growing base of Etsy customers too. Kanoa Pure Silver, romantically named after the Hawaiian word for wanderer, is the name of her new company and fast becoming the sayonara gift of choice!

Cooper makes all her charms by hand using gin nendo, a malleable silver clay, and her techniques include hand hammering and texturing, stamping and carving. Each and every piece is physically individual, even when using the same stamp, as the hand work creates slight variations. She burnishes them to have an aged glow, with oxidation left in the crevices, giving them a feeling of age.

Her goal is not only to make fine jewelry, but to create a talisman for each wearer. So in that sense each grouping is emotionally different – perhaps representing the shared experience of a gift giver, the memory of an adventure or a connection to a culture different from one’s own.

Before we launch into all her lovely work, I must show you her ship-shape (no pun intended!) colorful work space. She has all the tools of her trade at hands reach, displayed with other sentimental objects. And look how she has chosen to use her vintage enameled laundry hanger – part lamp shade, part display rack.

The kamon stamps are the same vintage ones spied at the Setagaya Boro-ichi. And talk about re-purposing! The black cubbies are actually the old telephone cubby holders from the American Embassy that she spray painted and lined with washi paper. Reminds me of another great display case I have written about before.

Cooper uses the kamon stamps to make her larger charms which can stand alone on a chain or cord.

Her other technique involves hand carving her own blocks, often including a kanji, in this case tomodachi – the word for friend – on a cherry blossom. She adds vintage beads sourced from shrine sales and other semi-precious stones too.

Nostalgic images, an onigiri (rice ball) and Mt. Fuji, are also popular.

I just love the little stone lantern and teapot on this grouping. Customers can mix and match their own charms and beads and she can even custom carve (when she isn’t crazy busy) a specific image. She’s not limited to Japanese icons either!

Here’s my own little cute grouping – those who know me well will not be at all surprised about the accent beading color!

And last night I got this charm – another one featuring the tomodachi kanji- from a friend to add to my collection. You can really see the woodblock-like carving on these kanji charms.

Lynn’s packaging for gifts is also just adorable, she has such an eye for colors – like the card above using two contrasting traditional Japanese patterns, or her standard gift box, shown below.

And if you think only ladies can get in the fun, think again! With Father’s Day coming up, she also has gifts for men, like these fun cufflinks. Inspired by everything from katagami to woodblock prints, they allow your menfolk to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

You can contact Lynn directly on Luckycheri@gmail.com or visit her Etsy shop. You can also follow her on Facebook too. Thanks to Lynn Cooper for all her spectacular photos!

Jun 2, 2012 By tokyojinja in Artist Spotlight, Jewelry and Accessories, Metals 7 Comments Tags: charms, cufflinks, Etsy, Japan gifts, Kanoa Pure Silver, Lynn Cooper, necklaces, sayonara, silver

Sweating the Details…A Round-Up of Brass Library Wall Sconces

The small details can really make or break a space, which is why it is so easy to get caught up in them. From the very beginning of our renovation of the back TV room/guest bedroom at the beach house I have been planning on putting in a pair of aged brass sconces on either side of these antique butterfly prints over the daybed. Of course I don’t have a great photo of the space for you, but here is a close-up of the very unfinished space…

…and here is a long view shot taken right after the door to the room was put in. One of my goals is to get rid of the overhead light on the ceiling fan, and two sconces would certainly help with that. Since there is no room for any kind of end table either, they would also work for reading and as night table lamps.

A swing arm or moveable style makes the most sense to serve such a multi-functional space and I have long been in love with the Sandy Chapman designed Boston functional library wall light from Circa Lighting, whether it be the single arm version…

…or the double arm version. The beautiful patina of the brass and the details of the hardware are just beautiful. The question between them has always been whether the 2 arm version is simply too large for the small space or perhaps it is just that oversized kind of piece that helps to make a small room look larger.

While I have been tracking dual arm sconces for more than a decade – like this pair in an old version of Nanette Brown’s summer house from a 2000 House Beautiful…

…the entire design world has gone nuts for them more recently, perhaps stemming from this much blogged about photo from Domino magazine. This photo gives a good sense of how big the dual arm version is, but also how dramatic it can be in a small room.

Everywhere I look, I come across dual arm sconces, from this Celerie Kemble designed bedroom…

…to Candia Fisher‘s gorgeous living room…

…to above kitchen windows, often in long rows.

The Boston style is not the only choice. Circa Lighting also makes this similar Anette library lamp…

…and the Graves Pivoting Sconce, which has lovely hardware but not the brass shade.

Rejuvenation makes a version called The Reed. But none of them compare to Circa’s Boston version for me.

For all that I love that Boston version, what I really wish I could have is the real thing – a one-of-a-kind vintage sconce, like these 1930s brass boat lamps selling for $1200 and $1800 on 1st dibs…

…or these 1940s brass sconces from a recent One Kings Lane sale, priced at $1299. But with prices like that, it is not going to happen unless my fantasy of stumbling across a pair at a shrine sale comes true (and stranger things have happened!).

My other worry is that they have now become ubiquitous and too trendy. Don’t you just hate when things you love move too far into the mainstream? So I have been contemplating some other options.

Another favorite lighting company of mine is Holtkotter. The quality of their fixtures which have halogens on amazing rolling dimmers is unsurpassed. I already have a pair of standing desk lamps from them, my first anniversary present bought many years ago (for those in the know, they are the lamps that were backordered, causing my husband to have to write that very first poem instead of present). I have always liked these swing arm sconces from them, with their exaggerated retro shape, but hadn’t considered them until stumbling across a post by Camille over at The Vintique Object.

She bought a pair at a thrift shop in California for $4. Shall we say that again? Four dollars! And as she doesn’t seem to be using them, I have been trying to trade her any Japanese antique of her choice for them, but she hasn’t yet made up her mind.

They are also available new over at the Holtkotter site, as is this sconce, a wall version of the desk lamps I just mentioned. Sweet practical husband votes for this one because it also up-lights as well as down-lights which would help in the quest to get rid of the ceiling fan light, but in this case we are going to ignore him, because we (the global we) care more about form than function at this moment.

There is also a cheapie version in black on sale for $59 over at PB Kids. Just mentioning it!

As the Holtkotter sconce continued to feel too mod and not antique-y enough for the beach house, I kept my eyes open. And then the other day I was reading some blogs new to me, including Bryn Alexander‘s and I saw these brass sconces she had used in her bedroom.

They are from the Robert Abbey and combine the qualities of the Circa Lighting Boston functional library light with the Holtkotter swing arm sconce. The shape is reminiscent of the Holtkotter light, but more fully formed and the brass has the aged feel of the Circa lamp as does the hefty detailed hardware.

So what do you all think? Which would you choose? And would you change you mind in the 11th hour, or go with your long-term vision?

And in case you think I am over thinking it all, I am not the only one agonizing over these decisions – take a look over at Pure Style Home and The Lettered Cottage for more.

May 12, 2012 By tokyojinja in Interior Design, Lighting, Metals, Renovation and Decoration Report 7 Comments Tags: aged brass, brass sconce, Circa Lighting, Holkotter, Robert Abbey, Sandy Chapman

Vignette Arranging With Shrine Sale Goodies at the Beach House

Remember this photo? The shelves themselves have since been completed, but I have not been back yet to our beach house to work on the styling. As I was literally walking out the door in December, I threw a few things up there to shoot a vignette for a post, including the French watercolor that inspired the bathroom in the first place, some nicely tarnished brass finds from Singapore, shell and coral collections the girls are gathering, and a shallow patterned kashigata (Japanese sweet mold) that reminded me of starfish and sand dollars.

Here’s a close-up.

Since then I have been gathering inspiration photos to help me crystallize my thinking. There is no one better to turn to for artful display than John Derian and I have long loved this photo with its giant sponge, shells and mercury glass.

A more recent photo from The New Victorian Ruralist is more regimented, but I love the mix of baskets, silver, white ironstone and glass.

And of course I can’t forget the vignette master herself, Joan from For the Love of a House, with this beautiful shelving array from her master bathroom.

All three photos share something in common, which is groupings of like objects contrasted with other groupings in different materials, usually about three kinds, including something natural, something metal and something glass. More than three gets busy and less than three has no animation. Without being too literal about this formula, I would like shells and coral, aged wood and old brass to be part of my display. My recent purchase of more kashigata with shallow relief patterns might just provide the touch I need. What looks to be coral fans is more likely lotus or some other botanical, but to my eye they read like oceanic plants.

I find these circular patterns irresistible too. They are double-sided, with different motifs on the reverse.

I think this classic Japanese pattern of little plover birds with waves is adorable for a beach house!

In addition, I have a friend who has also been buying kashigata with shells and sea life on them for her beach house on Long Island so I am hoping to get a look at them in situ this summer.

As I am not limiting myself to wood, but planning on complementing the unlaquered brass bathroom fittings with some aged brass display items, I was so excited to find this adorable set of brass cookie cutters with scalloped rims and a rolling crimper. Not sure yet whether I plan to use them on the bathroom shelves or save them for the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen, Camille from The Vintique Object and I have been having fun brainstorming how to improve it without actually spending any money on it. I do eventually plan to renovate the kitchen completely, but in the meantime I want to take the ugly edge off. There will be much more on this project coming later, including the bleak photos of its current state, but one idea I have is to use warm brass and copper to help it along. If you are interested, she and I have a shared Pinterest page going where we exchange photos and ideas. It is such a great way to work with someone long distance!

And I’ve also got boards going for copper and silver on Pinterest, but with my obsession with aged brass, I think I need to start one for that too.

Image Credits:1-2, 6-9. me, 3. Martha Stewart Living September 2009, 4. via The New Victorian Ruralist, 5. via For the Love of a House

Mar 18, 2012 By tokyojinja in Interior Design, Metals, Renovation and Decoration Report, Shrine Sales and Flea Markets 16 Comments Tags: bathroom renovation, beach house, cookie cutters, Japanese, japanese antiques, kashigata, shelves, shrine sale, vignettes

Consider This…Let Your Silver Tarnish

As I type that title, I feel as if I have written something heretical. You see, my original specialty is antique silver and the hours, multiplied by years, over which I have polished, and polished again, my inventory or my own collection, seem to add up to an eternity. Considering my expertise, its amazing that I don’t write about it more, and perhaps that is something that needs to change. Photographing silver has its own difficulties, so that may be what has put me off. But while there is nothing like the gleam of well polished antique silver – it has a buttery texture all its own – the idea of allowing non-valuable pieces to tarnish and patinate has been taking hold in both my mind and the collective design unconscious for quite some time now. And remember, as tarnish is destructive in the long-term, I think it is important to differentiate between important pieces and those that have little intrinsic value beyond their decorative appeal, like those in the photos below.

Tarnished silver seems to work best with a decor style I’ll call “simple rustic warmth”, illustrated perfectly in these 2 photos by Blayne Beecham. Instead of the more typical china plates, old trays have been stacked as a wall display.

Other details include wood, the more rough and natural the better, furniture with spare lines and luminescent light. Thanks to Donna at A Perfect Gray, where I first saw these posted.

The same idea is at play in this promotional style photo for the new Tresham line of vintage/rustic style vanity and toilet from Kohler.

White paint over wood and other vintage accessories add to the look. Love that repurposed window as cupboard door!

Again, the interplay between beautiful light, white and wood colored accessories in the baskets and birdcages.

This staged display is even more literal with the trays hung on an old wood fence.

These pieces might actually be pewter, but the dark moodiness sings in this photo, so I couldn’t help but include it.

Here Debbie Dusenberry mixes silver platters with other aged items…

…and again here, from Brooke Giannetti, with vintage pocket watches and leather books that stand in for wood.

Heather Bullard takes such gorgeous photos! This one elevates everyday kitchen utensils to an amazing vignette by sorting and storing them in vintage silver trophy cups.