Tag Archives: bespoke

Eye On Design: Circ Coffee Table By Grazyna (Gra) Solland

circ coffee table by gra for sollands photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

My press comp to 2019’s Salon Art + Design included a much-appreciated perk of access to the Collectors Lounge, which featured a strikingly curated collection of unique art furniture from UK-based Sollands Gallery. Located in Mayfair, an affluent area in the West End of London, Sollands boasts elegant, contemporary pieces bearing the signature style of designer Grazyna (Gra) Solland. Gra, as she is called, is known for her strong sculptural statements, bold use of colors, and highly innovative and individual designs using high-end, luxurious materials. Working with both traditional and contemporary methods, together with a keen attention to detail and exacting quality, are hallmarks of Gra’s exquisite creations.

circ coffee table with cognac glass photo by gail worley

My favorite piece in the lounge was the vibrant, red lacquered Circ Coffee Table (2017). Having spent many years working on her STACK pieces, Gra decided she would like to further develop the theme, but in a much bolder manner. To create Circ, she regulated the wedge shapes and worked with circular shapes in a singular color.

sollands gra catlog photo by gail worley

Photographed in the Sollands Collectors Lounge at the 2019 Salon Art + Design in NYC.

Eye On Design: Minosse Glass Block Chair by studiopluz for WonderGlass

minosse glass block chair photo by gail worley
All photos By Gail

An undeniable showstopper of the 2019 Salon Art + Design show in NYC, the translucent, rainbow-hued Minosse Glass Block Chair remains one of the most breathtaking pieces on the floor. Comprising a range of glass blocks set individually by hand, Minosse recalls ‘the labyrinthine geometries of mythic palaces belonging to ancient civilizations.’

minosse glass block chair photo by gail worley

An original design by Milan-based studiopluz, the chair was exhibited by London’s WonderGlass gallery as an integral part of its site-specific Dark Matter installation. Exploring the transformation of matter, sound, cosmic geometry, and light, Dark Matter was created in a collaboration that also included Tokyo-based studio, Curiosity by Gwenael Nicolas.

minosse glass block chair photo by gail worley

The throne-like chair pushes the boundaries of glass manipulation, allowing for the piece to represent advancements in color combination with the glass surface used as a white canvas upon which paint is applied by hand. The process is impossible to replicate, thus allowing each piece to celebrate individual authenticity as an integral part of its design resolution.

minosse glass block chair photo by gail worley

Photographed in November of 2019 at the Salon Art + Design at the NYC Armory.

Eye On Design: Nkondi Chair By Francis Assadi Design Studio

Nkondi Chair
Photos By Gail

The word Nkondi means “hunter,” and it’s also the name of an idol (made by the Kongo people in the Congo region in central Africa) that contains an aggressive spirit meant to hunt down and punish wrongdoers.

The Nkondi Chair, which consists of a No 16 Bentwood Chair by Michael Thonet and hundreds of single-use plastic straws, embodies both the spirit and the act of wrongdoing. In the US, 500 million plastic straws are used and thrown away every single day, and with its artful combinations of colorful plastic straws on the legs, backrest and seat, the Nkondi chair brings attention to the massive plastic pollution on our planet. It also references the artwork created with recycled materials in many countries throughout Africa.

Nkondi Chair Detail

Nkondi is part of the the Metamorphosis Series, where designer Francis Assadi takes the Thonet No. 16 chair and transforms it into a new and vibrant work of art and design.

Nkondi Chair

All of the Metamorphosis series chair are one-of-a-kind/collector’s pieces, handcrafted in New York. Find out more about the unique furniture of Francis Assadi Design Studio at This Link!​

Photographed at the ICFF 2019 in NYC!

Eye On Design: Bespoke Amber Chest of Drawers By Kam Tin

Amber Chest of Drawers
All Photos By Gail

I saw many, many breathtakingly beautiful things at The Salon Art and Design show at the Park Avenue Armory, and one of most unusual items, which I am sure I will never forget, was this three-drawer dresser by designer Kam Tin, which is covered on three sides in meticulously curated pieces of genuine Baltic Amber. Continue reading Eye On Design: Bespoke Amber Chest of Drawers By Kam Tin

Eye On Design: Exclamation Collection French Art Deco Arm Chair

Exclamation-ized French Art Deco Arm Chair
A Chair Fit For Royalty! (All Photos By Gail)

It took a little bit of hunting but, after a couple of hours on the floor, we found the Oh, Wow! item at this year’s ICFF show at Javits Center: this breathtaking bespoke Art Deco Arm Chair by designer John Landrum Bryant.

John explained to me that by stripping the signed Paris circa 1925 chair that he and his wife had purchased from the Steinitz Gallery in Paris many years ago, he created this one-of-a-kind piece, which belongs in his Exclamation! collection. The first step in the chair’s dramatic transformation was stripping and cleaning its intricate carved wood frame, which was first covered with a vibrant bluish lambskin to preserve every detail, and then a metallic pink finish.

Art Deco Arm Chair Finish Detail Right Front
Upholstery and Finish Details Above and Below
Art Deco Arm Chair Finish Detail Left Front

The chair was partially upholstered from one piece of cowhide, both plain and also embossed with good dots, in an indescribable shade of pink.

Art Deco Arm Chair Finish Detail Right Front

Art Deco Arm Chair Finish Detail Left Side and Back

Art Deco Arm Chair Finish Detail Right Side

With this as the starting point, things really became interesting: lambskin in silver, in green and in pewter, an antique Japanese silk obi, and turquoise python all dance about this incomparable creation.

Dimensions are as follows:

Length: 30″

Width: 30″

Height” 36″

Exclamation-ized French Art Deco Arm Chair

This chair, which is unique and will not be copied, retails for $18,950 ($13,265 to the Trade). For purchase inquires, please visit This Link!

Exclamation-ized French Art Deco Arm Chair