Theodore Alexander miniatures

One of my favorite companies to visit at Highpoint Market is Theodore Alexander. Their commitment to high quality wood furniture, both new and reproduction, is always astounding. While their reproductions are what the company is most well known for, such as Althorp, they also produce a line designed by the Keno Brothers, of Antiques Roadshow fame. The brothers' line is inspired by the lines of mid-century modern but incorporates the high quality wood detailing that the company is so well known for.
I think my favorite pieces of all though are these miniature chairs and reproductions which measure in at a mere 11" high. How great would these look lined up on a bookshelf? I suppose they bring out the child in us all!

Katrin Sigurdardottir at the Met

Exhibited last year at the Met were 2 extraordinary exhibits by the Icelander Katrin Sigurdardottir that I've meant to share for awhile now but was waiting for the perfect opportunity. Katrin created 2 white boiserie 'rooms' based on originals in the Met's period room collection, playing with scale and the absense of color to highlight the forms of 18th century France. The first was an architectural screen with 82 white painted boiserie panels that, in Alice in Wonderland style , quickly descended from full scale at 8' to a miniature 12".

The second was an enclosed room which could be peered into through 1 way mirrors, a replica of a salon at the Hotel de Crillon. The mirrored panels then cleverly and infinitely reflected the room as if one were inside.

The absense of pattern, gilt and texture create a whole new experience: would even Marie Antoinette even recognize such a room?

Read a thorough critique online at the New York Times for more information..

Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti

Located along the Grand Canal in Venice is the Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti. Now housing the Venetian Institute of science, letters and arts, the palace started life in 1565 with many renovations since.

Like many of the palaces facing the Grand Canal, the main rooms are on the upper floors facing the canal providing beautiful views, seen in the room above. Notice the Venetian glass chandelier.

The palace is most known for is grand stairway built for Baron Franchetti in the 1880s by architect Camillo Boito. Boito was one of the preeminent architectural historians and restorationists of the day, chartering the modern historic restoration movement.While the Australian (who was kind enough to share these pictures) was in Venice, the Bienalli was taking place and the palace housed the glass exhibition, seen in part in the stairway above.

Designed in rich Venetian Gothic style, the house is characteristically rather over the top and ornamental: what we expect most in Venetian style.

As in all Venetian Palazzo's, the house fronts the canal with a courtyard or garden behind. I love this ornamental grille work.The palace has a rare side garden facing the canal which during the Bienalli housed a strange house called the Narrow House.Designed by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm as a reconstruction of his childhood house but squished to scale to only 1 meter wide to reflect the crowded conditions in Venice and the tricks our mind plays on our memory.

And I'm showing this because it's just amazing the detail that Wurm went to, but I promise you it's the only toilet you will ever see on ArchitectDesign!

Top photo of the Palazzo from Wikipedia, all others from the Australian.

Painted Mantel

For the next installment in the "Hearth and Home" holiday series, I bring you this pretty painted mantelpiece from the decorative arts collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The chimneypiece was painted by George Brookshaw (also known as G. Brown) in 1793 in the neo-classical style. Originally created for Piercefield House in Wales being remodeled at the time by Sir John Soane (of the eponymous museum), the mantel was later sold from the house when it was stripped and left to ruins in 1926. Wood plaster and painted copper panels; not all grand mantels need to be of stone!

Architectural Watercolor Christmas Cards

Congratulations to Andrew Zega and Bernd Dams from Architectural Watercolors for being listed as one of Architectural Digest's discoveries! Andrew and Bernd have created a series of four holiday card sets which include Chinoiserie Pagodas, Garden Tents, Treillage Pavilions and Silver & Gold; read more on that at their blog NOTED.I ordered a number of their cards a few years ago and I can testify that they are of incredibly high quality. Whenever I give one with a gift to mark a special occasion I'm always told how beautiful the cards are. A lot of people actually have them framed!I first started following these talented guys a few years ago when they released one of their many books (on Versailles) and also bought a few of their paper folly lanterns (which they hope to put back into production again). I'm happy to say I plan on meeting up with Andrew and Bernd while in Paris next month and hope to bring you some tidbits from them upon my return!

The Red House

My Australian 'penpal' has been traveling again and has sent me loads of photos from fascinating places around the world! I had to share 'Red House' with you, the home of Arts & Crafts artist William Morris.

The house was designed by his friend, architect Philip Webb in 1859. Morris wanted his home to be a "Palace of Art" and the Red House surely is. The gardens were designed to be a part of the house as a series of rooms: a very modern idea.While most known for its courtyard side (top 2 photos) the entry side is shown above; partly neo-gothic don't you think?

Sadly, Morris was forced to sell the house for financial reasons in 1865. The house remained in the same family for 150 years afterwards, a testament to its lovliness. It now is a part of the National Trust and is available for tours.

This 2nd story bay window has a really interesting stepped footing -almost like a chimney.

The little round windows on the courtyard side line a hallway, seen below.

The stained glass in the house was all done by Morris's friend, noted artist Edward Burne-Jones.The work that went into the house is really incredible. I love the woodwork in this sitting room below.

And no surface was forgotten; this tiled ceiling is amazing!
Update: Many thanks to my friend Richard for supplying me with a copy of the floor plans!

Rodin Museum

I spent this past long holiday weekend in lovely Philadelphia and while there visited the Rodin Museum.Designed in 1929 by one of my favorite architects, Paul Cret (Here and Here), the museum and garden were built to house the largest collection of Rodin's work outside of Paris, collected by Jules Mastbaum.

Located right on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the heart of Philly's City Beautiful movement area, this beaux arts neo-classical styled building graces a lovely green plot and garners quite a lot of attention with Rodin's famous "The Thinker" standing guard!

A replica of the ruined facade of the old Chateau D'Issy graces the front of the garden, providing a gateway into the museum. Rodin had installed the chateau's facade in his own garden in Meudon, France.Inside the courtyard, gravel paving, fragrant lavendar and shade trees seperate you from the busy parkway outside. Shallow steps gracefully bring you up to the recessed entry through Doric columns.

While no longer the main entrance to the museum, Rodin's "Gates of Hell" -originally designed for the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris - still stand outside despite being his most important work of art. Rodin worked on this doorway, which incorporates more than 100 separate figures, from 1880 until his death in 1917.

The movement in this piece was really incredible and lifelike.

One of his most famous sculptures was actually a study for this gateway, The Thinker (1880-1882).

Cret included a number of his own sculpted designs such as these bronze lion heads on the entry doors flanking Rodin's gates.

This was a period in Cret's career where he was transitioning from the Neoclassical design favored by the Beaux Arts into a more streamlined, Art deco style seen in these light fixtures below.

No one did it like Cret in my opinion! Following a discussion with a friend, no great building has a forgotten 'back side'. For example, above is the 'back' of the Rodin museum; better than most front facades, wouldn't you say?The Rodin museum is currently at the end of an intensive restoration but will be open to the public in the spring of 2012. Until then, the gardens are still open for viewing.

McGorlick Park

While in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, I came across a small city park that I had never heard of in Greenpoint, which was surprising considering its' loveliness, Monsignor McGorlick Park.Opened in 1891, the park gained beautiful structures and monuments throughout its' history which attracted my eye. Designed in 1910 by the architectural firm Helmle, Huberty and Hudswell who built many impressive structures in Brooklyn, the main building housed M and W bathrooms seperated by a covered curved colonnade.The beautiful neo-classical detailing of the structure isn't surprising as Helmle received his training at the well known architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White. The yellow brick and limestone facade also features a beautiful segmented beadboard ceiling with trimwork picked out with yellow paint.I just think this is such a lovely building, don't you? I wonder what the original light fixtures were (the junction boxes are still in the ceiling)Located inside the crescent shaped building is a WWI memorial created by noted sculptor Carl Augustus Herber in 1923.In her left hand Winged Victory holds a laurel for victory and a palm frond for peace in the other.While I was drawn in by the architecture, I believe the locals simply appreciate the open space and lush green!

McGorlick Park is located between Driggs and Nassau Avenues & Russell and Monitor streets in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.