Share This

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Michael Aram - Acessories and Gifts

This is a beautiful vase by Michael Aram. It reminds me of a pair of truly unbelievable lamps that I placed in a clients home. They were art nouveau and the texture , shape and color of this vase reminds me of them.



Do you know anyone who is the MOON & STARS to you ?
Try these servers as a gift. It is the Moon & Sun by Michael Aram.


You should take a look at his site, http://www.michaelaram.com/ he has everything from furniture to table service. He does so much with texture, I love it.
You will find things to use in a contemporary as well as traditional environment.
Michael Aram has also designed for Waterford, I know that you can see some of those pieces at Bloomingdale's.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Personalize with Accessories, Take These BABY RATTLES

Personalize with Accessories
When I am working on a clients home, after making sure that all the
Basics are taken care of …..them comes Accessorizing.

The thoughtful part, the time consuming part,
And often the laborious part of design.

The fun part is the actual HUNT, and most times you have to
very carefully get it to the client‘s home in one piece if it is breakable.
Me personally, I don’t like breakable anything but what choice do I have?
If it is RIGHT, it is RIGHT!!

And I have always had great luck when ignoring the shop keepers
who want to wrap it up like a mummy in bubble wrap.
It seems to me it often increases the risk of breaking it just getting
the bubble wrap off that an overly zealous salesman has wrapped with too much tape.

I always have a lot of the big beach towels in my car.
Depending on the Accessory, I may roll up in a towel and place it behind
the front seat of my car on the floor.
It seems to brace it there.
If it is larger I just wedge it to death with all the towels.
You might carry a couple of old pillows in your trunk
when on an Accessory Hunting Expedition.

After all this……it’s always nice if they appreciate how ’brilliant’
the piece is for that particular space.
I was doing A Baby Doctors Home, hence the BABY RATTLES.

I was in Paris and saw these in a shop window and was so intrigued.
What in the world could they be?
They were beautiful.
They were antique baby rattles, and to me they looked like some sort
of jewelry.
They were made of sterling silver and some had ivory as well.
These were referred to as ‘Nanny Rattles’ because
each one would do something different, and the Nanny would use
these ‘Nanny Rattles’ to distract the infant.
Some rattles had whistles, some had quickly moving parts
( the sterling portions of the rattle ) including noise makers.
They were so great.I purchased about 7 and placed them in a bowl.
They were a huge success !
But, most importantly they were very personal and related to the Doctors Profession.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Old Red Chinoiserie Tole Bar

Old Red Chinoiserie Tole Bar

This Adorable Old Red Chinoiserie Tole Bar
is Purrr-fect for a small home or apartment.
I have never seen a little bar like this.
I think for the right spot it would be killer.

It measures 32 H x 30 W x 16.5 D.
How great is that ?
(Make sure to click on foto’s)

First of all, you could use a counter height stool
to sit at or behind the bar.
OR

This little bar could be used as a console
and pulled out when entertaining.
It could be a night stand in a guest room
for a pop of color.
And you would have all this hidden storage
inside it when against the wall.
I really like that idea.
Everyone will ask you " what is that ?”
……Another great conversation piece.

It looks as though it is trimmed out with brass-
AND it’s on casters…and I love anything on casters,
except for ottomans.
They roll away from you when you need them,
but they are a bit better when on thick carpet.

As a matter of fact I just ordered a great big set
of industrial casters for my boyfriend. LOL

You can find this at : http://www.stamfordantiques.com/





Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Trunks And Gears

http://www.stamfordantiques.com/
click on picture to enlarge
If you have a room and you are contemporary, maybe you are a minimalist or mid century modern…whatever.

If the METAL you have in the room is silver, try this spray paint on a newer trunk
( trunk about $ 40.00 instead of $ 2000.00 plus ) that has interesting details,
such as studs or nail heads. The cheap smooth metal trunk for summer campers would work.
And instead of the stand ( which you could have made any height you would like for a couple of hundred dollars ) you could order industrial casters online or you could pick up some vintage casters…maybe even feet.... sofa legs or chair legs.

When you are finished you could have a small custom piece of glass made for the top. Just be careful not to scratch it. Treat it like wood....don't drag something sharp across it.

BUT, guess what ? No Worry....just hit it with more paint.


click to enlarge
Now, regarding the gears….do the same with the gears and lay them out on a table, stack them, use as a paperweight, a big one as a door stop, or put them in a primitive wooden bowl after they are all chrome, shiny and slick.
Hot.
It just looks HOT.

Paint Info :

Krylon - Premium Metallic. And only this metallic paint from their collection of paints. The colors are as follows: original chrome, copper brilliance, copper foil, guilded brass, gold foil, and 18k gold plate silver foil, and sterling silver.
You can use it on wood, metal, wicker, plastic, ceramic, plastic, glass, plaster, paper and paper mache.

Make sure you have a very smooth surface -

Trust me on this one……this is the best paint to use.
It’s great and it will freak you out how fantastic it looks.
I used it on a wicker basket that I wanted to use as a garbage can, After I sprayed it, it looked like a chrome metal woven basket made to look like wicker.
People were sure that is WAS METAL.

Be Brave...and Be Creative.
You will be glad you did : )

Monday, August 18, 2008

Onyx Chandelier - 1930's

Onyx Chandelier – 1930’s

This is a wonderful piece of 1930’s Design.
Today it as beautiful as it was yesterday.
When I am looking for a piece like this it is so difficult to find.
If you are Deco, especially French Deco
( which to me, is the ONLY DECO ) check this chandelier out.
click on picture to enlarge
http://www.jeanmarcfray.com/

About Renée Finberg

I have been in this business since the age of 22.

I love what I do and cannot imagine my life without Design.

Design Challenges are great.

And because of those challenges

I have imported fine antique pieces from Paris,

Designed and Manufactured Furniture,

Created Fantastic Window Treatments,

And solved all kinds of spatial & architectural issues

With my unique style.

If I can't find it, I create it.

My rooms would make excellent movie sets.

I am a visual, tactile and audio sensitive individual.

Creating is what I live for, not math, not spelling, not science.

Just Great Design.

Just imagine how it would be if each of us,

If only for a few hours of everyday,We could be in a space that is our very own.A place that is exactly the way we want it to be

Surrounded by all the things we wanted to see,

The atmosphere we wanted feel, smell and the sound we wanted to listen to.

Private Paradise

AS FEATURED IN:

AS FEATURED IN:

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her Adventures in Design by Renee Finberg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.reneefinberg.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at reneefinberg@gmail.ocm.

Protected Journalist