Today we're loving this piece from ElleDecor.com with Nate Berkus demonstrating how to set a table. Simple + beautiful.
70 Years in the Making
It’s been more than 70 years since the Eameses began experimenting with molded wood, using their “Kazam! Machine” to press thin sheets of wood veneer against a heated membrane that was inflated by a bicycle pump. As the designers pushed the material as far as it could go, they continued to explore and discover, surrendering to the design process that ultimately led to their Molded Plastic Chair. In its longstanding commitment to the Eameses’ vision of continued exploration, discovery and refinement, Herman Miller introduces the Molded Wood Side Chair. Creating the classic shell chair out of wood was made possible by today’s revolutionary 3-D veneer technology, whereby the wood is sliced into spaghetti-thin strips and then glued back together. The composite’s flexibility allows it to bend, curve and mold into shape, and because the technique reduces the thickness needed for the veneer, the result is an elegant yet strong and durable shell. This is an authentic Eames product by Herman Miller, and is available via Design Within Reach.
We adore this classic chair that blends just as well with mid-century modern as it does with traditional interiors. What's your take on it? Love it or leave it?
IMAGE CREDITS | copy & images via Design Within Reach
Palette No. 15
For the specific fabrics used in Palette No. 15, please subscribe to CLOTH & KIND’s emails. Details for each textile are provided exclusively to our email friends. Happy Friday!
Pauline Boyd
Hi. My name is… Pauline Boyd
My company is… Counterpane
I’m the… Maker
I make... Quilts of my own design, all one-of-a-kind, with bits of things I find traveling or old clothes, vintage, or found fabrics.
Something you need to know about me is… When I made my first quilt, around 2004, I had never even used a sewing machine. I had no fabric so I just went around the apartment cutting up stuff - literally the sheets, curtains, clothes. I still try to emulate that spirit nowadays.
Here’s how this company came to be… I had been struggling to work as an actress in New York for over ten years and the idea of letting that go started brewing in me. I took off to join my boyfriend in Asia where he was working, and I just took the time to sew and develop my quilting style. He bought me a foot-pedal table sewing machine and we dragged it home in a tuk tuk. When I got back to the states I started to sell pieces, to supportive family and friends, making them on the kitchen floor. I made a logo, did my tax registration stuff, did a gallery show in LA, and slowly started to get some press and some stores and I’ve been chugging away since then. I started without any kind of business plan, so that’s a big focus right now - media packets, market research. look book, etc - stuff I was too afraid of before but now its clear I owe it to myself in order to really play ball!
My absolute favorite thing we sell right now is… Well, I get sentimental about certain quilts sometimes - since each little bit of fabric in them has a story to me. Right now my favorite thing is a quilt (below) that’s in the wonderful store, Beautiful Dreamers, in Brooklyn. Its made from these old silk shirts of my dad’s from Paris and some worn out tribal jackets and indigo from Vietnam and Laos - stuff I foraged for. It's a real roots piece for me and embodies that essential quilt philosophy on the re-use of things to make other new beautiful things for ourselves. I’m half a mind to call them and get it back everyday, but its in the right place there!
Here’s a sneak peek of something we’re working on now… A lot is happening right now! I did my first design job with a big company - a quilt and some pillows for the home department at Anthropologie - available early winter. I’ve been recently cold-calling some of my favorite clothing and textile designers and saying hey, I want to make a quilt from your scraps and I am thrilled to have a few collaborations in the pipeline. I’m always playing around with talented friends - doing some pieced accents on clothes, bags and furniture - seeing what is fun and interesting and marketable.
I’m most proud of… My decision to make this a job. With this work, I get to look at what is in front of me everyday, work with my hands and make something. Its a new dream. Its feels like a second chance at creative fulfillment.
I detest… Planning! I have a ridiculous sense of the timing for this work! I guess no one ever said making quilts was quick and easy but I forget the creative time is important too. I think I can finish something a given day and then a month later I’m still arranging the puzzle pieces, stitching, tweaking... I’m learning to factor in the creative process, not just the construction time.
I could never have done it without this person… I had/have major wonderful support from my family - both financially and emotionally. In terms of the nuts and bolts of actually making a company happen, that would be my man, Chris. His practicality and clarity of thought and vision have been imperative to this process, as I can often get lost in future, the past, or just lose track of what the next action at hand is. He also holds the bar really high from a design perspective and I can bounce ideas off of him or he will challenge me with questions about composition or color. Having to be responsible for my decisions helps me really get behind my own work - it helps me feel proud. I’m not ashamed to say he has been a real backbone to this company!
I consistently read these for inspiration… I love Pinterest of course, mouthwatering. Love Fibercopia and CLOTH & KIND for education. I read some design/fashion blogs - Design Sponge, Design for Mankind, Remodelista, The Sartorialist - the usual suspects. I read them because they are so well curated but it's not really the world I exist in. I like Blondehaus, Weird Friends, Bleach Black - for a balance from the edgier side of the spectrum. I’ve got piles of books full of quilt history which are fun to drool over. NYT crossword keeps me fresh - I’ll do that when I need to break my brain from a piece I’m working on. I also have some old school reference books which I need sometimes. Since I’m self taught, I have to learn little tricks wherever I can.
I would like to share the limelight with… Other quilters! There are a lot of young people making quilts - which is really inspiring and exciting to me. People like Meg Callahan, Ashley Thayer, Gina RockenWagner, Maura Grace Ambrose - they are all doing interesting things with a really old practice.
Fab Five: Bleeding Colors
India Hicks
what is your idea of perfect design happiness? IS THERE SUCH A THING? A PERFECTLY POOFED PINK SOFA FREE OF DOG HAIR AND OREO COOKIE STAINS WOULD DO ME JUST FINE.
what is your greatest fear in design? THAT I WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND FIND THE ANISH KAPOOROLYMPIC TOWER IN MY GARDEN. ANISH IS A CLOSE FRIEND AND BRILLIANT ARTIST BUT GOOD GOD THAT THING IS HIDEOUS.
which historical design figure do you most identify with? WELL HAVING DAVID HICKS AS YOUR FATHER CERTAINLY MEANS HE IS IN MY DNA. QUITE LITERALLY.
which living designer do you most admire? KELLY WEARSTLER. NOT BECAUSE I WOULD NECESSARILY WANT TO LIVE IN ONE OF HER INTERIORS BUT BECAUSE SHE HAS GUTS, DRIVE, DETERMINATION AND ABOVE ALL HER OWN POINT OF VIEW. SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL HARD WORKING WOMAN WHO HAS MADE IT ON HER OWN AND IS A MOTHER ON TOP OF ALL THAT.
what profession other than design would you like to attempt? I WOULD LIKE TO EDIT A MAGAZINE. I LIKE LONG HOURS, I LIKE A CHALLENGE, I LIKE DEADLINES BUT MOST OF ALL I LIKE BEAUTIFULLY LAID OUT PAGES OF GOOD DESIGN COUPLED WITH INTERESTING FACT.
what is your greatest design extravagance? I DON’T HUGELY OVER SPEND WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGN OR INTERIORS, PROBABLY LESS SO THAN MOST, BUT WE DO HAVE HUNDREDS OF COFFEE TABLE BOOKS. A GREAT INDULGENCE BECAUSE YOU REALLY NEVER READ THE COPY YOU ONLY FLEETINGLY GLIMPSE AT A WORD OR TWO.
when and where were you happiest with your design? RIGHT NOW. RIGHT THIS MINUTE IN MY PALE PINK OFFICE ON A BAHAMAIN SPRING DAY KNOWING THAT MY COLLECTION FOR HSN EXCEEDED ALL OUR EXPECTATIONS AND SALES GOALS. AM I ALLOWED TO BOAST ABOUT THAT?
what do you consider your greatest achievement in design? MY WEBSITE! IT’S A HUGE PROJECT AND ENORMOUS COMMITMENT. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS GO INTO IT. FEW PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES FROM A PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO KEEP AN ECOMMERCE SITE MOVING FORWARD.
if you died and came back as another designer or design object, who or what do you think it would be? A SMYTHSON LEATHER BOUND PHOTO ALBUM IN THE HICKS FLINT WOOD HOUSEHOLD. MY CHILDREN LOVE THEIR SCRAP BOOKS FILLED WITH PHOTOS, NOTES, LETTERS, AND MEMORABILIA. LOVING CHERISHED AND LOOKED AFTER.
what specific design related talent are you lacking that you would you most like to have? THE ACCOUNTING SIDE OF A DESIGN PROJECT!
what is your most treasured design related possession? MY IPHONE CAMERA. I RECORD EVERYTHING – TEXTURES, COLOURS, MOODS.
what do you regard as the lowest depths of misery in design? A HORRIBLE CLIENT.
what curse word do you most frequently use? I HAVE SEVERAL. THEY ARE ALL VERY EFFECTIVE.
what is your favorite design related word? PERFECT.
what is your least favorite design related word? ICON.
what turns you on in design? FORM AND FUNCTION.
what turns you off in design? ANYTHING OVER-PRICED. A CHAIR, A CARPENTER, A CAN OF PAINT.
what is your motto in design? “GOOD TASTE AND DESIGN ARE BY NO MEANS DEPENDENT UPON MONEY.” MY FATHER WROTE THIS INTO MY LITTLE AUTOGRAPH BOOK WHEN I WAS SEVEN. I DID NOT HAVE A CLUE WHAT IT MEANT.
//
IMAGE CREDITS | Images courtesy of India Hicks, her Facebook page & Instagram. Kelly Wearstler image via Instagram.
ABOUT PROUST ON DESIGN | Answered by our design icons, these must-ask questions come from a 19th century parlor game made popular by Marcel Proust, the French novelist, essayist & critic. Proust believed the direct questions and honest responses that they elicited revealed the true nature of the individual. For this column, we have put a design related spin on the traditional questions. While this method has been used by many journalists throughout the years, we were primarily inspired by The Proust Questionnaire, which appears monthly on the back page of one of our all time favorite magazines, Vanity Fair (also Krista’s alma mater). Read all of the previous Proust on Design questionnaires here.
Palette No. 14
For the specific fabrics used in Palette No. 14, please subscribe to CLOTH & KIND’s emails. Details for each textile are provided exclusively to our email friends. Happy Friday!
Provenance: Toran
prov-e-nance \ˈpräv-nən(t)s, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s\noun. the place of origin or earliest known history of something.
Guest edited by Jacqueline Wein, Tokyo Jinja IMAGE | Antique Toran via The Textile Museum of Canada
A number of years ago I spied a charming doorway textile at the home of a dear friend. Clearly Indian in origin, it was a rectangular banner with small fabric flaps hanging down and tiny mirrors embedded in the pattern. She told me it was a toran, a hand embroidered and embellished door hanging, traditionally made in Gujarat, on the coast of Northwestern India. My fascination with them grew and over the years I have continued to keep an eye out for them.
The word toran (or torana) itself originally referred to sacred gateways in Indian architecture, with roots in Buddhism and Hinduism, like this pair of 12th century sandstone ones in Vadnagar, Gujarat. It is easy to see the connection between the embroidery of the fabric hangings and the detailed stone carvings, as well as in their function to welcome both the gods and people. Decorative toran also play a role in holidays like Diwali and Holi or at weddings and celebrations as they are believed to be auspicious and lucky. The doorway blesses every person that walks under it, showering them with an abundance of love, prosperity, health and happiness. While the heavily embroidered ones tend to be regional to Gujarat, toran in other forms are popular throughout India. In the south, green mango tree leaves are threaded together and hung across the door. In Northern India, marigold flowers are strung together and used the same way. The small flaps that hang from the fabric versions are meant to represent dangling leaves and flowers.
IMAGES | Torana Arch via Vadnagar, An Ancient City & Marigold Garland via Mitai and Marigolds
Often times toran are used in spaces other than actual doors to represent a passageway. This welcoming example from Sibella Court's Nomad book beckons one to enter and cozy up for a restful nap.
IMAGE | via Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style by Sibella Court
The Kutch region of Gujarat is particularly well known for its embroidery techniques, with specific tribes and communities having their own particular style. Shisha, which is the Indian word for little glass or mirror, is the most distinctive technique in which small mirrors decorate the textile, being held in place by a framework of overlaid embroidery stitches. No glue is used and the mirror is not threaded through or attached in any other way. It was believed that the mirrors had the power to ward off evil spirits by trapping or confusing the evil eye. While many of the other decorative stitches, such as the chain stitch, are universal, shisha work is unique to the Indian subcontinent. It comes as no surprise to me that women are solely responsible for these creations and that motif and patterns are not copied or written down, but instead passed along orally.
IMAGE | Antique Kutch Embroidery Toran from NovaHaat.com
Base fabrics and threadwork include cotton and silk and pieces over 50 years old may also have beadwork in addition to shisha work. Motifs are varied, from very naturalistic animals to very stylized patterns and geometrics. Mismatched patchwork is also part of their charm. Museum collections have toran from the late 19th century, but most of the older pieces available on today's market are mid-20th century. Invariably, the vintage pieces have some damage - in my mind, patina - and there are also many newly made toran available as well, although the details and quality of the silks doesn't match that of the older pieces. The decorative possibilities, in particular for children's rooms, are obvious. They make charming valances or would be perfect fronting a bed canopy. Some toran are as long as 30 feet and I have seen them draping the edges of party tents as festive adornment.
IMAGE | Antique Kutch Rabari Banjara Toran via EthnicIndianArt
In modern-day interior decor, toran can be used in a quite literal context to embellish the threshold, as in this rituously joyful, over the top Indian themed space that was featured in Marie Claire Maison.
IMAGES | Bollywood Boudoir via Marie Claire Maison & Vintage Toran via IndianBeautifulArt.com
But they are also incredibly sweet when taken completely out of context and used in ways you might not expect like here, hanging over a kitchen nook in floral designer Nicolette Camille's Brooklyn apartment. This toran also defines and elevates what would normally be a rather simple kitchen.
IMAGE | Nicolette Camille's Brooklyn, NY home via Design*Sponge
Perhaps best of all is when toran are part of a truly global design aesthetic. In Maryam Montague's Marrakech master bedroom, featured in Elle Decor, this toran-like textile used as a window valence mixes happily with decorative items from many nations, including France, Mali, and Morocco.
IMAGE | Maryam Montague's Marrakech master bedroom via Elle Decor
Have you used a festive toran as decoration in your home, or do you have something else to share with us on this topic? If so, we'd love to hear all about it. Please leave a comment below or email us at info(at)clothandkind(dot)com.
ABOUT PROVENANCE | Provenance offers a scholarly nod to the history of iconic styles in textile & design and is guest edited by Jacqueline Wein of the blog Tokyo Jinja. Previous Provenance topics include: Kasuri & Kuba Cloth.
Role Models: Noor Fares + Holly Hunt
FASHION Noor Fares' Geometry 101 Octahedron Earrings | FABRIC Holly Hunt's Venetian Dreams
Hitting High Point Market
Tami and I are at High Point Market in North Carolina right now checking out all of our favorite furniture vendors and making some wonderful new discoveries. A big bonus - we've also run into several of our design & blogger friends. Such fun!
To see some our favorite HPMKT finds, be sure to follow both Tami and me on Instagram here and here. Also check out Tami's beautiful post on her blog today about our new partnership. As always, her writing blows me away and I loved hearing the story from her perspective.
More on HPMKT to come in following posts but for now just a quick hello.