The Glamorous Life
Picture a nest built with care. Twigs arranged in artful order. Upon closer inspection, something shiny and metallic catches the light, twinkling. Birds aren’t the only creatures who like a bit of flash in their décor. At the spring High Point Furniture Market, the same attraction toward metallics could be found among the human set. Adding a bit of shine to one’s décor is no longer for just the contemporary-minded. Traditional pieces with metallic finishes popped up everywhere. Metallics ranged from mirrored surfaces on case goods like end tables and coffee tables, to silver painted frames usually seen in mahogany or other wood. Interior designer Laurie Whitaker of Whitaker Designs gives the Julian Chichester line credit for bringing the craze over mirrored chests back about six years ago. Originally, the mirrored, metallic look was seen in the 1960s, and the new looks are a kickback to those original funky pieces. So why are folks putting on the glitz? “I think it has to do with a wave of creating a transitional look. Our generation is taking the traditional look and notching it up so that it is really clean, sleek and sophisticated. Take the Louis XVI Bergère chair that Design Workshop introduced this market. It’s the consummate traditional chair, and they are making it in silver bamboo,” Whitake saidr. She says that our eyes still read traditional lines, but the silver finish and a fabulous fabric up the ante in design to make a room more interesting.
Julian Chichester once again brought out the good silver for Furniture Market. From an eglomisé (meaning reversed glass painting) lamp that was silver-leafed from the inside and placed on an antiqued wooden base, to a loosely triangular-shaped capri lamp in a mirror finish, these were two lamps that drew attention. Julian Chichester’s Ricky chair put a 1930s boudoir armchair in a new realm of possibilities by pairing black leather with an aged silver-leaf finish on the base. The company took many French 18th-century designs and finished them in silver leaf to give a bold, new look to classic favorites. Along with silver-leaf finishing, Julian Chichester got creative with mirrored surfaces, too, a trend that was introduced several markets ago and seems to be growing in popularity. Its Temple bed has silver mirrored panels with gold detailing on the frame. A very bold piece, this stunning bed will diminish anything else in the room, a good thing with a price nearing $12,000. “They have drop-dead stuff, absolutely gorgeous,” says Whitaker about Julian Chichester’s line and new introductions. Currey & Company, a company out of Atlanta, has also succeeded in revving up traditional pieces by using metallic applications. Its 10-light Domani chandelier retails for $3,990 and gleams in a Harlow silver-leaf and antique mirror finish. “Everything Currey & Company does is traditional with a twist. They do things with a flair,” Whitaker said. Even mainstream lines that been more traditional in the past are embracing metallics. Lexington Home Brands introduced a demi cabinet in a striking silver finish for its Liz Claiborne line. The piece’s ridged texture combined with the silver hue makes it a stunning piece for a foyer or hallway, with a suggested retail price of $1,095. Accessories can also display a bit of gleam to brighten a room. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Clay, Metal & Stone introduced silver iron table sculptures in what it calls “global accents for the home. A blend of industrial meets rustic, the Kenta elephant, ram and deer evoke African desert meets urban jungle.” Adesso, a New York City company, likes a retro-contemporary feel, so silver metallic is often found in its product lines. At the recent market, the company introduced its Pearl Floor Lamp made of stacked satin-steel spheres with a black square wooden base. The Solaris Floorchiere’s satin-steel pole base features a tall cylinder shade. The perforations in the shade produce a circular pattern that “glistens” when the lamp is illuminated, according to Adesso. The contemporary-minded are still in luck when it comes to the metallic craze. Furniture options in this trend abound. For example, Hammary’s cocktail table from the Radia group combines a semicircular base with two square tops. The equation results in spectacular décor with the right balance of glass and silver metal. It’s no wonder that nesting birds like a little bling in their surroundings. Clearly, so do we. – By Monica Young Special Sections Writer
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