information about home design: Michael Smith

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

DUKE AND DUKE WHERE MUSEUM QUALITY FURNITURE LIVES

Some artists design such magical furnishings it is amazing they don't just go straight into a museum to be appreciated by millions. This is the case with an artist exhibition at Michael S. Smith's LA gallery. With craftsmanship and mastery of materials similar to that of iconic French designers Jean Royere and Pierre Chareau, artist Christopher Come forges a new path. Currently on display at Michael S. Smith's furniture gallery, Duke & Duke, in association with Cristina Grajales, the show reveals his exquisite glass and iron creations.

Smith, along with collaborator Maya McLaughlin, has created a haven for showcasing fantastical creations from European and American artistic furniture makers. Just think, you don't have to use your passport to appreciate these luxuries. Come's designs have a unique lightness and airiness to them, which is difficult to achieve when working in metal and glass. Strong linear patterns that form graphic repeats have a mesmerizing quality to them. Much in the same way Herve Van Der Straeten transforms metal, Come elevates it to a totally new, elegant place. These museum - quality pieces are alluring and visually arresting, so stop by and check them out when in LA at 8527 Melrose Avenue.

Photos courtesy of Christopher Come and Duke and Duke Gallery

Oblique Screen, 2003 in iron and glass

Round Coffee Table in iron, rock crystal and glass

Bench 2007 with a velvet seat and varied circles

Mirror, 2007 in brushed hand hammered iron and glass with silver leaf is a showstopper

Fire Tools, 2007 can go modern or minimal

Firescreen in iron and glass has a fabulous dynamic quality

Monday, April 18, 2011

MORE FROM LA: VISITING JASPER MICHAEL S. SMITH'S WEST HOLLYWOOD SHOWROOM

I finally got the chance to visit Michael Smith's new (ish) LA Showroom, Jasper in West Hollywood. I had eagerly awaited seeing a showroom devoted to his designs, as well as those of Bujosa from Italy, Van Der Hurd, Jamb Fireplaces from England, Gracie Wallpapers, and Robert Kime Fabrics. It is very helpful about seeing a space styled with a singular vision and feel- you really get to see how pieces work together. His fabrics have beautiful, rich colorations and old world English and ethnic patterns. His furniture looks to great antique pieces and reinterprets them for today-- their scale and finish is appropriate for comfortable living rooms and bedrooms in beach houses and city aeries. In cerused oak to gesso and dark wood, the form and details in the furniture makes each piece stand alone. Named for his dog, Jasper, the collection is filled with this Anglophiles touch and panache for easy living. His inviting spaces drew in Cindy Crawford and the Obama's. Now you can have a bit of his casual luxe look for yourself.

A vignette mixes artwork and a bamboo bed

Fabric bays hold wings filled with lines including his own.

Classic usable pieces, like a great wing chair and bench for the foot of the bed are on display.

Cozy seating areas capture the essence of a Michael S. Smith interior. Tons of throw pillows to sit back, and an easy place to put a drink are part of what makes his rooms great.

Smith likes to use slipcovers on pieces, especially in linen.

JASPER FABRICS:

Jammu

Tree of Life

Remy in brown is a fabric I gravitate towards every time I visit the Rosselli Showroom in the D and D. There is something about the coloration and pattern that draws me in- I just have to use it on something soon!