Curtis Jere revived

Curtis Jere Eagles in Flight in our shop

For awhile now wall sculptures by the company Curtis Jere have had a real comeback.  Produced in the 1960's, they fell out of vogue for years, until a few years ago. There are even cheap copies in Walmart.  The difference is definitely glaring. 

My favorites and the most popular in our area are the boats, schools of fish, and birds in flight.

School of Fish

  I just sent photos out  to a customer who wanted one to hang over a bed to hide a crack in the wall.

Their trees are classic and I dream of their eye lash mirrors, rain drop mirrors, and Lewis' favorite those that look like squared off portholes.

Rain Drop Mirror

Porthole Mirror by Jere

 As well as doing wall art they produced Bronze table art and tall floor art, even Lamps.  Their pieces are signed. 

Wall Art Bistro Scene

The dock scenes and city scenes don't seem to be as popular.  They are more fragile.

Francis Elkins Loop Chair

Yesterday, Lewis came back from a buying trip with a real surprise, a Francis Elkins Loop Chair.  I'd seen pictures before and knew without asking that this was truly a great find.  I was famillar with the design, but I knew little or more likely nothing about the designer.  This is why when I blog about a new find or a design, I learn as much or more than what I write.

This is an Elkins Chair like the one Lewis found

 Frances Adler Elkins (1888-1953) is prominent among the legendary decorators of the 20th century.  As a young woman she travel abroad visiting her brother, David Adler, who was attending  the école des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied Architecture. She met and was impressed by Jean-Michel Frank, the French interior and furniture designer, and Alberto Giacometti, the sculptor .She promoted their works through her decorating business.  She redesigned and had produced the classic loop chair ( which with great variation in design goes back almost 250 years).

Italian Deco Design really Catching on.............

Pair of Italian Deco Chairs by Ulrich

We started to carry Deco pieces by known designers before people became aware of how great these pieces really were.  We found our job was to try to educate.  In the mean time while trying to educate, I have educated myself as well.  Two years ago, I would have said Gio Ponti ,Who?  Now I find his name flowing freely from off my tongue.  I can speak of Osvaldo Borsani, Paolo Buffa, and Guglielmo Ulrich fondly as if they were old friends, and in away they are.

Chandelier Gio Ponti

We are able to bring them somewhat alive by having their beautifully designed and well executed pieces in our shop and on line.  Being so close to their works makes you fond of the men themselves.  Most if not all of these men were architects like our own Frank Lloyd Wright, who were on the cutting edge of architectural Design.

Large wall cabinet by Osvaldo Borsani

They had a problem.  Their work was clean, with plane lines totally different than the more elaborate designs of prior years as a result, there was not any furniture appropriate for their buildings.  The answer was design what you need yourself.  Gio Ponti designed the furniture for whole hotels.  Frank Lloyd Wright was rightfully picky about how his buildings were furnished.

Frank Lloyd Wright Dining table

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Earth Quakes, Hurricanes, and More.....Oh My!

I have gotten off track and forgotten to do my Blogging.  So many things going on.  Our large Venini Chandelier swung for 15 minutes after being shaken up by the Va. Earth Quake.  We even made the local paper.  After Hurricane Irene, while everyone was cleaning up Lewis decided that our windows needed a serious upgrading so that we could show case our furniture and accessories properly.

He pulled everything out of our large display window and started demolition.  He pulled down not one but three false ceilings.  Having to haul all the stuff pulled down in a wheel barrow through the shop and out the back to our dumpster.  It has taken two plus weeks of work, but the results are going to be awesome! We have use a cement board to cover the walls and floor.  In the process we discovered that the window( large Plate Glass) need serious reinforcing.  It was a very good thing that we decided to upgrade.

The smaller window is now under construction.  We had a tangled mess of wiring to navigate through....it was also fortunate that we redid this window as well.  The new look is a New York Loft Look.  Plain which will bring attention to the lines of our Deco Period Designer Furniture.

We are leaving pipes and cider block walls exposed. Some of the folks in our area just shake their heads.  They really aren't sure what we are all about.  There was an article written about Kilmarnock VA being Manhattan in Mayberry.  Little did they know how true that would become.  Because of the internet and our relationship with 1stdibs, we are able to compete in business of the world  even in a small town