designflutter, belle patine's journal

Pink & Gray Perfection {Fresh Start Monday}

Posted on January 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

I love the softer hues of pinks and grays, the two colors in their more neutral tones. But I also love them bold and intense against a white wash of wall. Keep an eye out this week and I bet you’ll see some aspect of this gorgeous combination at least once in a sunset, a beautiful textile, a cozy bedroom, a tablescape, somewhere! Have a wonderful week, and don’t forget to enter our giveaway!

Photos via a perfect gray, Hidden in France, Designspiration[SK], pink wallpaper, Brown Dress with White Dots, Greige, Riazzoli.

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Posted in design mix, eclectic interiors, scandanavian design, uncategorized, vintage modern

Tagged colors, design mix, eclectic interiors, pink & gray, vintage modern

Giveaway: Gilt Tole and Crystal Sconce

Posted on January 26, 2012 | 20 Comments

Drumroll, please! Ladies and gentlemen, belle patine is excited and proud to unveil our very first giveaway, and we’re hoping it will make you drool. We truly love our customers and fans, so we wanted to offer something really special to say “thanks” for your support. We searched high and low for the perfect item, and we’re pretty sure we found it. Ready?

Voila! Isn’t she glorious? This mid-century tole wall sconce was made in Italy and gilded by hand. Crystal prisms reflect the light from three candles, making any room come alive with old-world charm. At 19″ high, this vintage piece would make a beautiful statement in your powder room, bedroom or anywhere you want some sparkle. Life just looks better by candlelight…

How to Enter
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling us about your most treasured possession. Be sure to give us an email address when you comment, so we can get in touch if you win. You can then get up to 2 additional entries by also following us on Facebook or Twitter for a maximum of 3 entries per person, but you must comment on the blog to enter the contest.

Fine Print
This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Deadline to enter is Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 11:59 PM. A winner will be selected at random and notified by email. We may use your email address to send you occasional news about belle patine, but you can always unsubscribe and we’ll never give your info to anyone else, we promise.

Good luck to all, and we look forward to reading about your most treasured possessions. Here’s one last peek at the sconce in all her glory…

All photos by belle patine

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Posted in antiques, appreciation give-away, belle patine

Tagged antiques, gold, home decor, Italian gilt tole, lighting, mid-century modern, shabby chic, vintage, wall sconce

Monday Morning’s … Aria!

Posted on January 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Here’s Monday morning’s design inspiration for you! Patricia Petibon singing Sartorio’s “Quando voglio”. Pour your cup of coffee, hit “play”, hear the joy and watch how your mind travels. When this is the first listen of the day, it’s guaranteed to be an exuberant, creative and sassy next-24-hours. This gorgeous French coloratura soprano elates me with her voice! her energy! that dress! those ancient walls! My head just overflows with ideas for what I want to design, find and accomplish next. Happy Monday!

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Posted in Patricia Petibon, Sartorio’s “Quando voglio”

Tagged design inspiration, music as muse, opera aria

The Rustic Charm of Reclaimed Wood

Posted on January 19, 2012 | 1 Comment

There’s nothing like the look and texture of wood that’s been exposed to the elements, season after season. Reclaimed wood salvaged from old buildings or barns is a beautiful, earth-friendly way to bring rustic charm indoors, and it looks great on floors, ceilings, furniture. I especially love the contrast of smooth linens and fluffy pillows against rough planks lining a headboard or bedroom wall. Perhaps it’s nostalgia for a simpler time of connectedness to the earth, when shelter for man and beast was hewn by hand and made to last. Whatever it is, we all seem to be hooked.

Images via: Feather, Stone, Moon & Ivory Bone, Buckets of Burlap, Trendir, Design Sponge (this, this, and this), Pinterest and Wade Giles Tumblr

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Posted in eclectic interiors, design mix, rustic interiors, salvaged

Tagged home decor, interiors, primitives, rustic, vintage barn, eclectic interiors, design mix, wood, salvaged, reclaimed wood, barns

Ready-to-Wear Goes Vintage Modern

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 2 Comments

A simply gorgeous mix and match of design eras and genres, today. Photos from some Spring 2012 and Pre-Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear collections along side belle patine vintage seating. Have a lovely vintage modern week, be it how you style your beautiful self, or how you style your living room!

Alexandre Herchcovitch Pre-Fall 2012 & belle patine Pan Am chair

Alexandre Herchcovitch Pre-Fall 2012 | belle patine mid-century Pan Am airport terminal lounge chairs

Bally Spring 2012 & belle patine Steelcase chair

Bally Spring 2012 | belle patine chrome, cantilevered Steelcase chairs with new upholstery

Ann-Sofie Backatelje Spring 2012 & belle patine MCM Ottoman

Ann-Sofie Backatelje Spring 2012 | belle patine mid-century, wrought iron ottomans with new fabric

Thakoon Addition Pre-Fall 2012 & belle patine mcm chair

Thakoon Addition Pre-Fall 2012 | belle patine mid-century office or side chair

Balenciaga Spring 2012 $ belle patine Craft Assoc. chair

Balenciaga Spring 2012 | belle patine Craft Associates style mid-century, high-back chair

Carolina Herrera pre-Fall 2012 & belle patine mcm Danish chair

Carolina Herrera Pre-Fall 2012 | belle patine mid-century Danish modern lounge chair

St John pre-Fall 2012 & belle patine mcm sofa

St. John Pre-Fall 2012 | belle patine mid-century Adrian Pearsall style gondola sofa

Mark Fast Spring 2012 & belle patine Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group chair

Mark Fast Spring 2012 | belle patine Eames for Herman Miller Aluminum Group chair

All fashion photos via Style.com, all belle patine merchandise photos by me.

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Posted in mid-century modern, ready-to-wear, vintage modern

Tagged chairs, fashion, mid-century modern, vintage seating

Eames and Herman Miller in the Home Office

Posted on January 12, 2012 | 2 Comments

Mid-century designers Charles and Ray Eames and Herman Miller created some of the most iconic and influential furniture shapes of the last hundred years. Their look is as fresh and relevant as it was in the 1950′s, and their iconic chair designs add a vintage modern kick to a slew of spaces from dining rooms to desks. I especially love the look of modern chairs in the home office, and I am so thrilled to offer a beautiful, authentic Eames Herman Miller desk chair in my shop. Here’s to great seating in our home workspaces.

Images via: Reference for WW2, Herman Miller, Allie’s Dream, Smow, Pinterest

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Posted in design mix, mid-century modern, vintage modern

Tagged desk chair, eames, Herman Miller, home office, mid-century modern, modern, vintage modern, vintage seating, workspaces

Vintage Modern Industrial Loft {Fresh Start Monday}

Posted on January 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy Monday! Today I wanted to share the home of Johanna Burke, a truly inspired artist. Her studio Burke & Pryde designs window vignettes for Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co., among others. The vintage modern mix of her industrial loft (the building used to be a pasta factory) is one of my absolute favorite ways to nest. I love the rustic cement walls, the spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn waterfront, the old casement windows, the great kitchen (for a New York rental, it really is), the contemporary Herman Miller chair with the mid-century Poul Cadovius system in her office, and the mix of slouchy vintage pillows, seating and rugs. Couldn’t resist sharing some photos of her work in progress for Bergdorf’s holiday windows, too. Lovely, no?

Grabbed this from the beautiful Mechant Design, originally posted by Freunde von Freunden.

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Posted in Brooklyn loft, design mix, eclectic interiors, Johanna Burke

Tagged design mix, industrial, interiors, mid-century modern, vintage modern

Kilim Me Softly

Posted on January 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

One of the great things about the vintage modern lifestyle is the ability to repurpose old items for new uses. Antique kilim rugs combine rich colors with unique geometric shapes that are undeniably beautiful as floor coverings. However, kilims past their prime can be used in numerous other ways to inject an exotic, yet cozy flair. One popular transformation is to use them as pillow covers (I have two beautiful ones in my store right now, here and here), but there are lots of other applications, too. Aren’t those shoes just so snazzy?

Images via: belle patine, Kilim.com, Apartment Therapy, Atticmag, The Brick House, Remodelista, Honestly WTF

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Posted in uncategorized, antiques, eclectic interiors, design mix

Tagged home decor, antiques, primitives, eclectic interiors, design mix, kilim, rugs, pillows, antique kilim rugs

What’s Curvy, Sturdy and Goes All Over?

Posted on January 2, 2012 | 2 Comments

Answer: The classic Cherner chair! Eight Cherner side chairs are among the items that I am selling from the vintage modern Florida home that I posted about last week. I had not seen or perched on one before coming upon these. I fell in love instantly with the swan-like, sculptural form.

These molded plywood icons were first designed in 1958 by Norman Cherner, whose legacy continues today with the Cherner Chair Company run by his sons. Cherner’s design works in any space or atmosphere; cottage, rustic, vintage modern, contemporary, industrial, you name it. No wonder this “dream-lined” seating is still so sought-after today. How can you go wrong with gorgeous, versatile, sturdy seating originally designed mid-century!?

via Hollister & Porter Hovey Design, styleNorth, Sheila Zeller Interiors, emmas designblogg, Design Shuffle, deedee914

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Posted in Cherner chairs, seating design, vintage modern

Tagged eclectic interiors, molded plywood chairs, vintage modern

Happy New 2012!

Posted on January 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today I simply want to share my heartfelt appreciation for your company in 2011, and my wish for you in 2012 … may you conjure the same grace, strength, artistry and true grit that flow through these incredible photographs of uber-ballerinas and New York City.

Make 2012 your best year so far! And please visit design flutter and belle patine often. Cheers!