I'M HOOKED: WOVEN TEXTILES TELL THE STORY IN ST. FRANK'S ARTISAN ART

Smart,  eye-opening  quotes like this that resonate with the brand's philosophy can be read on the St. Frank Saintly Truth Pinterest page.

Photos courtesy of St. Frank

Blue Tenango, featuring a Mexican Otomi

Founder and CEO Christina Bryant (center) with her team

Textiles,  depending on how you use them, can really  make a statement. Try them framed on your wall, not only will they add a unique look, you will  start to see them in an entirely new way. St. Frank, a new digitally-savvy company, features framed artisan-woven textiles as wall decor. The founder, San Francisco-based Christina Bryant named her company after her home base and the Italian St. Francis of Assisi, patron Saint of animals and the environment, who provided for the poor and was the son of a wealthy silk merchant. With full passports and wanderlust, they seek out beautiful textiles around the globe and further transform them into art. Calling on a select group of boutique artisan workshops and textile partners in developing countries, their collective approach benefits artisan workshops.  St. Frank's two pronged social mission includes eventual economic empowerment for the weavers, and elevates their craft by bringing it to an entirely new audience as a celebrated art form.  Every textile, tagged with a small gold plate denoting the St. Frank name, be it one of a kind, limited edition, or print, is framed to best-suit the subject, with black or white wood, silver, maple or shadowbox options. One of the best parts of the St. Frank  approach, aside from the easy peasy process and  free shipping, is the story each  heritage textile tells. Each fabric's origin and meaning is explained in-depth, adding inspiration and allure to the piece. 

I think you will become hooked on St. Frank too.

Organic Indigo with Japanese and French influences features a wavy wash of blue indigo and white from West Africa. If a piece is one of a kind, it comes framed as is, and if it is available as a multiple, you can choose from their tailored options.

Biddew Noir, a Senegalese textile with a graphic geo punch

The Rose Pomegranate Suzani in a beautiful setting

Crowned Tree of Life Suzani from Uzbekistan

What a statement the black ground makes in this vintage silk Tree of Life Suzani

Spring Pomegranate Suzani, a vintage piece

 Ikat Floral Suzani from Uzbekistan

Vintage Lakai Suzani with silk embroidery

MARISA'S MEMO: INSIDE THE JUST REVEALED FIRST-EVER SOTHEBY'S DESIGNER SHOWHOUSE

So, what's it like to get carte blanche inside the halls of Sotheby's? Lets find out, checking out the six designer vignettes created for the first-ever Sotheby's Designer Showhouse. A design takeover is happening on 6th floor at 1334 York Avenue. Having free reign over spring auction items, the diverse mix of designers got to work, creating inspired spaces around their selections. Mixing in fine antiques (a George III Chimney Piece), stellar art (a Francis Bacon) and precious decorative accessories, Ann Pyne, Max Sinsteden and Catherine Olasky, Ryan Korban, Daun Curry, Rush Jenkins and Shaler Ladd integrated the goods on offer into their living spaces. Take a look at the fully realized results below, sponsored by Sotheby's International Realty, Town and Country and Bespoke Global.  The featured pieces are included in upcoming spring auctions at Sotheby's, and are on view until Sunday March 30th. Go, get inspired!

Photos courtesy of Sothebys

Ann Pyne, McMillen Inc.

"A dining room featuring formal neoclassical style with Chinoiserie whimsy and modern design."

Daun Curry of Modern Declaration embraced pastels and unique upholstery with mass. 

 "Le fauteuil vert by Jean-Pierre Cassigneul is the centerpiece behind Daun’s drawing room, inspired by the vibrant green and soft pinks. She used innovative materials and had an artist cover the walls with four pounds of commercial grade eye shadow, which created a subtle sparkle on the walls and married beautifully with the painting's hues. The room is “old meets new” featuring the Cassigneul, a Lalanne money table and works by Warhol, Picasso and Miró."

A wide angle of the space, where you can get a better look at the gorgeous eyeshadow-infused pale mint walls.

The Lalanne table set up as a bar.

Max Sinsteden and Catherine Olasky created  a yellow-walled enclave of elegance.

"A drawing room anchored by a George III marble chimney piece and the modern Title Unknown 2: Past and Present by Françoise Gilot blends living in the present with antiques and combines numerous periods, styles and textures in furniture, carpets, art and accessories."

Vivid yellow walls a la Sybil Colefax very 39 Brook Street, London.

Rush Jenkins, WRJ Design Associates

"This luxurious and handsome living room is a sophisticated blend of exquisite Belgian upholstered furniture, sensual textures, exotic woods and some of the world’s finest textiles.  The room has been inspired by the brilliant work of Picasso’s, L’ Homme au Baton, juxtaposed to the arresting console by Albert Paley and the Art Deco Masterpiece of Walter von Nessen, blended with dramatic African wood sculptures, all reflecting subtle complexities of tonality, line and textures."

The intricate Albert Paley piece anchors the wall.

Shaler Ladd, Shaler Ladd Design Corporation

"A library housed in a tent called "Library for Travel Through Time and Space" featuring a color lithograph by Francis Bacon, Etude Pour Une Corrida and a ceiling light by Angelo Lelli. The library is enclosed in silk panels and the floor laid with a sisal matt and altogether these elements create the experience of nomadic travel. "

The lush mix of gilt finishes and rich woods at play.

CONSUMING PASSIONS: LINDSEY CORAL HARPER OBSESSIVELY COLLECTS ZEBRA AND MALACHITE

Two things, Zebra and Malachite, have been on New York-based interior designer Lindsey Coral Harper's collecting radar for some time.  If you read Elle Decor and House Beautiful's websites, you may have noticed Lindsey got a double-dose of coverage recently, featuring her vibrant, color-filled Upper East Side apartment, and its proliferation of both black and white striped Zebra and shades-of-green Malachite accents.  Take a look, and get the collecting bug. What are you really into collecting, everywhere you go? Perhaps this will inspire you to pursue your passion for a particular theme.

Photos courtesy of House Beautiful.com photography by Kelly Stuart

With a major affinity for decorative objects with color and flair, Lindsey's love for ornate objects with meaning and purpose have been a consuming passion over the years. 

I found this Zebra at C. Bell in West Palm Beach last year, and knew it was the perfect gift for my friend, the Zebra collector.

Working alongside Richard Keith Langham, she absorbed a love for pure color.

I have visited Casa Harper and this dresser is to die for.

Lindsey's nightstand, custom painted by her friend artist Jay Lohmann, is a wonderful interpretation of  Zebra.

A papier mache mask adds a bit of charm to a Chinese Chippendale chair.

Zebra's strategically placed on her etagere.

MALACHITE MADNESS FROM ELLE DECOR.COM:

Switching gears, lets take a look at the malachite details she has incorporated in addition to the zebra.

An assortment of malachite boxes collected from near and far displayed on a malachite painted surface.

Lindsey's well-stocked bar with accessories with malachite accents.

Fantastic malachite plates found at a great vintage shop.

A brass-bordered box atop a stack of books.

MARISA'S MEMO: CELEBRATING 60 YEARS, A DIAMOND JUBILEE AT THE WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW

This year marks the 60th year Diamond Jubilee of The Winter Antiques Show. The pre-eminent highly-vetted show at New York's Park Avenue Armory will feature a collectible array of furniture, decorative arts  and more in a wide range of styles from rare antiquities to Americana and mid-century modern. 73 renowned exhibitors of American, English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts can be found, in addition to a special on-site loan exhibition from The Essex Peabody Museum.
This esteemed antiques show is a great way to educate your eye, as well as shop alongside museums curators, interior designers and passionate collectors. Proceeds support East Side House Settlement, a non-profit institution in the South Bronx that provides social services to community residents.
The Young Collectors opening night party on January 30th is a festive event. Over 80 interior designers are on the design committee, headed up by Interior Design Chair New York Magazine's Wendy Goodman.  I am so pleased to be able to offer Stylebeat readers two tickets to the Young Collectors Evening again this year, so if you would like attend the opening event, leave a comment (on this post below), sharing what your favorite design period is and why.  Serving as your entry to the contest,  I will randomly select a winner on January 28th.
Good luck, and I will see you at the show.

This Ibis sculpture is just stunning.

From Rupert Wace Ancient Art Limited, this Egyptian Bronze and Wood Ibis with Inlaid Eyes is from the late Dynastic Period. 25th - 31st Dynasty, 715-332 BC.

Maison Gerard is installing an entire lacquered room-

"Designed as the breakfast-room for the San Francisco penthouse apartment of Mr.Templeton-Crocker in 1928. Templeton-Crocker commissioned Jean Dunand to design three rooms (bedroom, dining room and breakfast room), while Jean-Michel Frank also designed three additional rooms and oversaw all installation. This room together with the Bedroom and the Dining room are Dunand's most important commissions in the United States. These panels were removed from the apartment in the fall of 1999."

And who wouldn't love a gorgeous malachite box to hold special baubles?

A La Vieille Russie, Inc. is offering a  Rectangular Malachite and Silver-Gilt Snuff Box. Austrian, c. 1840. 3 1/2 in. x 2 in. x 1 in.

There is always something nautical at the show, and I came across this charming copper weathervane, which would be perfect for a home on the coast. Suzanne Courcier-Robert W. Wilkins Codfish Weathervane by J. Howard and Company (active 1856-1867) West Bridgewater, MA, c. 1860. Of copper and zinc. 

METAL URGE: COLLECTING CARL AUBOCK'S MID CENTURY METAL MASTERPIECES

Known for his beautiful decorative objects made in brass, wood and horn, the pieces created by Austrian Weiner Werkstatte designer Carl Aubock are treasured. Recognizable for their clean, simple forms, his weighty designs were often everyday objects, cast in bronze or nickel. He did mid-century modern accessories and larger pieces in a pared down way, with just enough realistic detail. While walking The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, I stopped by the Viennese design booth to check out the whisper thin Lobmeyer glassware when some shiny brass things caught my eye. Aubock's designs are being reproduced, and this was their re-issue debut. A chance to attract a new audience and woo hard-core Aubock collectors for sure. Then while downtown recently,  recently saw a trove of his original vintage pieces at Mondo Cane in Tribeca. Each piece has stand-alone beauty, but seeing them together really made me covet every single piece. The iconic designs just have that captivating effect.

The Aubock accessories at ICFF.

Letter openers, shoe horns, and small dishes at Mondo Cane.

More Aubock chicness

A hefty nickel chain link paperweight and items below can be found at Barneys.

His Key Keychain 

The Lock Keychain

The U Keychain

ENTER TO WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE YOUNG COLLECTORS NIGHT @THE WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW!

Photos courtesy of The Winter Antiques Show

The end of January is approaching, which means interior designers and collectors are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 59th Winter Antiques Show. Every year, the Park Avenue Armory at 66th Street and Park Avenue gets transformed for one of the most important antique shows of the season.  Everyone looks forward to the loan exhibition, which this year comes from Newport's Preservation Society. With a collection 60 items strong that comes from over eight historic Newport manses, like The Elms and The Breakers, the exhibit is always beautifully executed.  That being said, the chance to attend an antique show as highly vetted and museum-quality as this is a chance to train your eye. Whether you are an aspiring interior designer, passionate about antiques or an expert, this is a chance to get up close and personal with the treasured artifacts and get the historical background and provenance of pieces that are similar if not identical to those rarities found in the best museum collections.

 If you fall into one of these categories, I am so pleased to be able to offer one lucky winner a  pair of tickets to attend the Young Collectors Night, the evening of January 31st. It is a chance to mix and mingle with the best and brightest interior designer committee of over 70 designers, and walk the show. The evening benefits a stellar NY charity, The East Side Settlement House and along with Wendy Goodman of New York Magazine, le tout New York's design community will be there. Just answer the question: "What antique would you select for your own personal design statement?" by selecting a piece from the assortment below. Then let me know your choice in the comments section of this blog post, comment to a Facebook post here,  Tweet @stylebeat and then  re-pin to it selection of photos  on this Pinterest board over the next three days and I will post the winner the day before the event!

Robert Young Antiques. Exceptional Pair of Sabre Legged Painted Metal Chairs of Classic Regency Style, with Fine Decoratively Painted Details . "X" Form Backs with Central Disc Pattern. American. c. 1815. 34 in. h. x 19 1/2 in. w. x 22 in. d.

Hyde Park Antiques. A Pair of George III Giltwood Mirrors. c. 1775. 54 1/2 in. h. x 27 in. w.

Roger Keverne Limited. A rare cloisonné enamel vase decorated with flowers and butterflies. Ming dynasty (16th-17th century). 13 in. h.

Maison Gerard Talossel and red mirrored glass sunburst mirror. Atelier of Line Vautrin

Derek Johns Ltd. Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808 Lyon). Chinoiserie, a couple on a boat departing from a shore where a child stands. Oil on canvas.