NYC - Fishs Eddy

If you love to cook and love to entertain you'll love Fishs Eddys.  While I didn't do a lot of shopping when I was in NYC last month (too much sightseeing!)  I did manage to make it back to this meca for diner ware twice.  I wish I could have brought more things home with me but I discovered they provide shipping services for purchases in the store and on the website so I know I can get my fix anytime.   I imagine if I lived in New York I'd be a frequent visitor to this shop,,,like everytime I throw a dinner party!  This store is a home cook's dream, its chock full of retro and classic style kitchen ware both new and vintage.  While the store itself isn't huge the shelves are stacked to the ceiling and overflowing with wares.  Quirky vintage finds, classic diner plates, american glassware and every kind of kitchen gadget you can imagine all displayed amongst a collectioin of vintage portraits hung on beadboard walls.  On your next visit to New York don't miss a chance to visit Fishs Eddys, its right across the street from ABC Carpet & Home so this local is a destination point for any home decor enthusiast.  

They had me at Diner Whites.  Gasp.

Hotel Silverware...

Glove Moulds,,,,I bought a couple of very small white ones.   Remember seeing similar ones in this House Beautiful shoot from January 2009.....

......colourful, quirky and unexpected!

She was my favorite of all the portraits and looked stunning beside this American glassware.  I'm pretty sure they colour co-ordinated their displays to the portraits...

No space was left bare, portraits were everywhere....

another beauty,,,,and see how great she looks with the gold and green dishes in the background...

I'd never seen such a large collection of everyday glassware...

I was crazy for these Italian wine glasses sold in sets of 6,,,,,,I was so sad to leave these behind.

Handpressed Amercican glassware cake stands.  Need I say more...........

Just a small sampling of all the other tempting treasures....

Want to see more Fishs Eddys but wont be in NYC anytime soon, you can hop on over to their website and drool some more, I recommend starting at their American Glassware section. : )

All Photos:  Carol Reed

Modern Love: Dining Room Progress 1

'Modern Love' is a current project I'm working on that involves furnishing a rather large sub-urban house for a busy young couple who love modern furniture.  The process actually started a few years ago when he was still a bachelor and a new first time homeowner.  I worked with him on updating all the interior finishes and purchasing some key furniture pieces.  Flash forward a couple of years to today and.....,,,well,,,,, the house still looks the same as where we left off - but his bachelors days are over!  He now has a fiance and they are brand new parents to a beautiful baby girl.  Early this past summer we met  to pick up where we left off and begin the process of actually completing the mostly still empty spaces.  I'll be filling in all the holes and focusing on all the finishing details that will make their house a comfortable and stylish family home -  all the things he thought they (he) would get around to doing themselves but.....never did.

Since the only furniture pieces they do own are the new pieces we bought for him a few years ago,,I want to now incorporate some vintage pieces and some artwork into the mix as well as bring a more family style vibe to the house.  Its so exciting for me to envision all the wonderful gatherings they'll enjoy in this house with family and friends and how these spaces that I'm creating will be the backdrop to their life and all their special memories.  With this inspiration, I've been busy sourcing for many different rooms but the dining room seems to be coming together first. This is a glimpse at the progress we've made thus far which should give you a taste for what's to come in the other rooms!  My absolute favorite piece I've found so far in all my sourcing is this 1950's Danish sideboard which will be the star of the dining room. 

It was truly LOVE at first sight. I had scoured the city and beyond for a vintage, danish modern sideboard in excellent condition, but without much luck. So the second I walked into the shop and saw this rosewood beauty my heart started to race, and I knew the search was over. Secretly I had wished to find one in walnut or rosewood but expected only to find teak, so seeing this before my eyes was literally what I had been envisioning,,,, like I'd seen it before.

The simple lines of danish modern pieces will always appeal to me for many reasons, with these designs its all about the form rather than decorative details,,their refined proportions make a statement on their own and I love how the tapered legs are so graceful.  But mainly, these pieces with their simple lines and lack of decorative detail are really all about the wood,,,,,,the beauty of these pieces is the wood itself, each one with its unique grain pattern and natural colouration.  The rosewood used to make this piece is an example of how stunning the natural beauty of wood can be, all you need to do is let it be the star.

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The cabinet is made of rosewood with four lower drawers and 4 sliding doors on tall tapered legs.  At 44" high it won't be lost behind the dining table or chairs so it will be quite visible.  Again what I love most is the dramatic pattern of the wood grain and the beautiful warm tones.  Did I mention a few of the upholstered pieces already in the house are a spicy orange leather! 

The deal closer was the centre area which opens up to reveal a bar with etched mirror back panel, an upper shelf and 2 interior drawers.  So decandent!

The new/vintage sideboard will be placed on a wall opposite a large ebony rectangular dining table and white leather tufted chairs (existing), the cabinet will be flanked by extra side chairs and a pair of new sconces.  For the wallspace over the sideboard I've found a bronze starburst mirror that I think pairs perfectly with the modern style of the cabinet and balances out all the square lines in the room.  I've also found a pair of gorgeous chandeliers for over the long table and new drapery panels for the rooms bay window.

Since making these key finds the rest of the dining room pieces are falling into place beautifully and I can't wait to share more progress pics with you as it all comes together.

Imagine

My eyes are always scanning and memorizing, I observe everything that's around me down to the most minute details, I'm like this all the time wherever I go often to the point of distraction.  This partially explains my obsession with photographing things that strike a chord with me for what ever reason.  I came across this photo mosaic mural in a showroom yesterday and I can't get it out of my head.  The scale of it was dramatic at about 8 feet tall.  I keep returning to my laptop to stare at this image, I'm so drawn to it - the concept of it, the possibilities.  Being such a lover of photography and especially black & white photography my mind can't stop imagining the possibilities that could be created from this concept.  There are many places where original canvases or framed photography aren't practical (an outdoor terrace,,,,,above a tub or in a shower, above a cooktop, a pool or water feature, or on a sun drenched wall).  Using tile artwork is the perfect application in all these circumstances.  Imagine a photo mosaic using an image in the reverse of this, a mainly white background with the image depicted in shades of subtle grey and black,,,and imagine an image not necessarily of a person but of an object, or a flower, or a bird,,,or a landscape.......and then imagine a sculptural freestanding tub sitting in front of it,,,,or the image framed by an arched opening at the end of a hallway.....

Then I saw this enormous slab of unbelievably beautiful malachite.  Its a piece of artwork all on its own.  I can imagine this slab of stone wrapped in a metal frame and hung on a wall,,,,or cut into a series of pieces, framed and hung gallery style,,,,,or imagine it used as a screen or inset into a wall dividing a space and how it would glow with backlighting....or imagine how gorgeous it would look as a table top on a small side table......

And then I came across this.  At first glance I didn't like this light fixture.  But then I returned to look at it again and again.  And I loved it.  I know its a trend,,,I'm seeing chunky chains everywhere, normally I'm turned off by anything trendy but still I'm attracted to these chains in a way I was never drawn to the crystal chandeliers with the organza shade trend.  Its elegant with an edge,,,and I think more than anything I'm always drawn to that bit of edge and things that are more masculine than feminine.  The chains remind me of cascading water and although they're very similar to the fashion jewellery women are wearing right now,,,this fixture to me is a great mix of simple and elegant that appeals to masculine tastes too.  I can imagine all the types of settings I could design where I could see this fixture, preferably a pair of them over a long table.......made from reclaimed wood.....with black walls.....

So at the end of the day and 100's of photos later, I'm incredibly drawn to these three images for no particular reason or specific project.  I'll keep these on my inspiration wall, continue to dream of the possibilities,  even imagining all three of these things used in the same environment. I don't know exactly where or exactly how but one day I know I'll incorporate a little bit of inspiration from each of these concepts into a design plan. 

Oh yes, it was a good day for sparking the imagination!

All Photos:  Carol Reed