Posts from — October 2010

Kyle Bunting, famed designer of amazing rugs, upholstery fabrics and wall coverings made from intricately patterned cowhides, has taken his work to the next level by venturing into furniture. You’ve seen his amazing ,intricately patterned hair on hide rugs; now you can see his furniture - but not just furniture; furniture in the most amazing candy shop colors straight out of Willie Wonka.

Kyle and his team designed a limited edition of furnishings and art only available at Gump’s. Pieces include cube-shaped ottomans with matching lacquer bases, the long hair “Fog Hide” chair, tables and consoles and the two-sided curved “Neu” screen. Each piece is made to order and can be fully customized by color and finish.

The process to craft these masterpieces was so secretive not even Kyle’s own wife Libby Bunting knew exactly what he was up to until the preview earlier this summer for Gump’s. He wanted it to be a surprise when he brought her to San Francisco and walked her into Gump’s, where the store windows had been taken over by some of the most colorful objects ever made from cowhide.

My faves are a group of six four-by-five foot hanging art pieces made of highly detailed cowhide by Bunting and his team.

Design or Art?

In addition,, Bunting harnessed the talents of design doyenne Holly Hunt, Art Ellsworth and Marvin Wilkinson of John Brooks, Geoffrey De Sousa, Erik Hughes, Jan Showers, Kara Mann ( a Chicago fav of mine), Fern Santini, Kris Lajeski, and design team Neri and Hu, to create 10 one-of-a-kind wood-framed, lacquered chairs with custom designed cowhide upholstery for Gump’s.

Kyle Bunting’s passion is hide and the design potential of the material. Working exclusively in hide for almost a decade, his focus is the redefinition of how hide can be used in interior applications. His collection and studio work reflect his passion for the medium and the unlimited potential of his designs and technique. A visit to his site to page through his lookbooks are amazing inspiration. Kyle’s company has completed thousands of projects for design professionals and private clients throughout the world. Today, Kyle and his team of contributing designers operate and find inspiration in their design studio outside Austin in the Texas Hill Country.

To me Kyle embodies what a designer should be- passionate about his work; inspiring to other designers; generous and collaborative by nature. “We are always looking forward,” says Mr. Bunting, “and with this new collection we are exploring a new realm of what’s possible with hide—moving from floors, walls, and upholstery to furniture and art.” Will window coverings be next?

Share/Bookmark

It’s no secret I love color. It’s the perfect way to overcome the gloomy economic climate from the last year. A splash of bold decisive color is just the thing to lighten the load. Have fun; go crazy! Here’s a bit of color splash showing up in products that can be color challenged.

When was the last time you saw decorative hardware in these eye popping colors? Walcot House is one of my favorite decorative hardware companies. I love the 2″ lacquered poles available in 14 cotton candy colors.

Or if you don’t see a color that works for you, they’ll custom finish and match Farrow and Ball or Dulux. The brushed nickel rings and endcaps certainly set off the poles.

Looking for a more minimalist look? The rod is available with a track and gliders in the same lacquered colors.

I LOVE Walcot’s ingenious rivet system that turns any flat panel into a pleated drapery at a snap! This is certainly a way to stay in budget with a whole lot of style.

BTW- Just spotted in St. Louis- Paris Texas Hardware’s new Perfect Match program matching Ben Moore paints on thie hardware. I see a trend here….

Share/Bookmark

Every season, the textile virtuosos from Creation Baumann captivate us with textile mastery and special techniques. The results are stunning and amazing. Whether you are a textile technician or a connoisseur of cloth, you will always be enthralled by a Creation Baumann collection. We were treated to their new masterpieces in our showroom tour during our recent Paris décor tour.

“Maurice” is a curtain fabric in a jacquard weave which features a high wool content and a three dimensional look. The 3D effect results from an interwoven shrink yarn which shrinks with exposure to heat to create a wash board effect pattern.

Old established techniques are reinterpreted in “Chloe” a high grade, elaborately produced embroidery fabric.

“Rosalie” is just as eye catching. The soft wool cloth with punched out motifs is suitable for curtaining and throws.

“Amethyst Fleur” is a masterpiece in embroidery technique. The ultra fine and highly sheer curtain fabric displays embroidered floral climbers on Trevira CS leno weave.

Exciting mixes emerge from the combination of some of the most diverse weaves, designs and colours. Among the highlights is “Serafina” – the nucleus of a whole series of hand drawn floral and organic patterns. This artistic panel features hand sketched flowers in an abstract look – a highly personal signature piece by a young designer. With “Serafina” Création Baumann graphically illustrates that, in an ever more digitalized world, individuality in design has attained greater importance and found a new role to play. The sketch was transferred to the fine semi sheer cotton muslin as a screen print;.

“Cosmea” and “Lupina” are further proof that today’s designers have not lost any of their drawing skills, the hand drawn colorful flowers and grasses are reminiscent of classic floral prints, done on silk taffeta with arrangements and coloring that deliberately deviate. The design has that certain “je ne sais quoi”. ( We’re in Paris after all!)

“Ava”, my favorite I am a nut for checks and stripes- is a print on silk taffeta with a hand painted check design. The artisan’s touch emanates from the broad, irregular brush strokes.

Share/Bookmark

During our Paris Decor Tour in September our group had the great pleasure of visiting the Creation Baumann showroom. Creation Baumann is one of the most innovative fabric companies in the world. I am always in awe of their inspirational designs. The showroom visit was no exception. Sophie gave us a tour of the showroom and then presented the new Fall 2010 fabric collection. We saw the new line before the European sales force did!

Everyone in the group counted seeing Gecko and having Sophie demonstrate it for us as a highlight. Susan and I first saw in in 2007 at imm Cologne and have followed the product since- most recently at NeoCon. The silicon coated self adhering textile caused a small sensation as it can be applied again and again directly to glass and other surfaces. Think colorforms of your youth.

Introduced last year, GECKO IN THE BOX – a box with pre cut components for decorative window styling- offers an equally beguiling demonstration of how GECKO can be used as a creative style element in interior design.

GECKO DISCO is mix of sharp and blurred colorful circles that evokes reminiscences of the bright lights of a metropolis which, with the right angle of incoming light, look amazingly real.

GECKO LISTRA beguiles with an array of gaily colored ribbons that look as if they were fluttering in a breeze. The elegant, haphazard arrangement of overlapping strips in differing widths can be displayed vertically or horizontally. Multi coloring makes combination with other colors easy.

GECKO ILLUSION has the wow factor. The coulisse like motifs from everyday objects such as bowls, vases and books that look amazingly realistic. This is the first time that the textile experts from Creation Baumann have used images.

Sophie also told us they would be introducing a kids line based on their successful Think Forward competition and inspired by last year’s winner- here’s a sneak peek.

Share/Bookmark

I’ve been following UK designer, upholsterer extraordinaire Aiveen Daly for several years and her new pieces do not disappoint. Known for her sexy details, she has worked with the world’s top designers- Liberty of London, Paul Smith and Bill Amberg to name a few. I always find design inspiration from her.

Share/Bookmark