Hot Afro: Interiors from South Africa, with photographs by Craig Fraser, features a range of interior spaces, including the homes of artist Neville Trickett and former and current editors of Elle Decoration SA.
Above: Hot Afro: Interiors from South Africa; $78 from Amazon.
Above: Vignettes from a restored Cape Dutch farmstead.
Above: A vintage Aga range in a Cape Dutch house.
Above: A modern kitchen in a South Africa house.
A couple of weeks ago, we rounded up our favorite traditionally styled toilet roll holders (see 10 Easy Pieces: Traditional Toilet Paper Holders). This week we turn our attention to modern toilet roll holders that will stand the test of time when it comes to style and functionality.
Above: The classic Arne Jacobsen-designed Vola Toilet Roll Holder (T12-16) is available in polished chrome, brushed chrome, and stainless finishes; $146.25 at eFaucets.
Above: The minimalist Sugatsune DSB-03 Stainless Steel Toilet Paper Holder is $24 at Alema Hardware.
Above: The Vipp 3 Toilet Roll Holder from Denmark is made of stainless steel a black rubber-coated holder; $210 at All Modern.
Above: Rohl Lombardia Collection Toilet Roll Holder; $56 in polished chrome (other finishes available) at eFaucets.
Above: UK-based Samuel Heath Xenon Toilet Roll Holder (N5037); $75.36 in polished chrome (nickel and matte black finishes also available) at Home Decor Hardware.
Above: From Italian company Boffi, Giulio Gianturco’s stainless steel and wood Miminal Toilet Roll Holder is $241 and is available from Dzine in San Francisco; call (415) 674-9430 to order.
Above: From Portland, OR-based Linnea, the stainless steel Zurich Toilet Tissue Holder is $87 at the Hardware Hut.
Above: Rohl Architectural Toilet Paper Holder; $207.75 in polished chrome (also comes in two nickel finishes) at eFaucets.
Above: Kohler's Stillness Toilet Paper Holder is $67.49 in polished chrome (also available in brushed nickel) at eFaucets.
Above: The stainless steel Agape 369 Toilet Roll Holder, designed by Italian architect Benedini Associati, is available as a single or a double roll holder and is $376 through Dzine; call (415) 674-9430 to order.
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Above: An ultra-budget option: the stainless-steel Grundtal Toilet Roll Holder is $4.99 at Ikea.
New at West Elm: the Waffle Stripe Hand Towel is made from 100 percent cotton in a waffle weave with a yarn-dyed slate-colored stripe; $9.
We featured Jon Harrison's Kippford Hooks a while back (see Fixtures & Fittings: Kippford Hooks from Thorsten van Elten), so we were interested to see that Harrison recently came out with a companion towel rail and toilet roll holder. The bath fittings line is named after a small fishing village in Scotland where Harrison spent summer holidays as a teenager, and are based on the brass fittings, both functional and aesthetic, which can be found on the many of the boats in the Kippford harbor.
Above: The Kippford Towel Rail is £89 in stainless and £169 in polished brass.
Above L: Kippford Hook A is £15 in stainless and £19 in polished brass. Above R: Kippford Hook E is £19 in stainless and £22 in polished brass.
Above: The Kippford Toilet Roll Holder is £45 in stainless and £69 in polished brass.
Jeanine Hays, the Philadelphia-based designer and blogger behind AphroChic, has come out with a modern interpretation of the traditional African kuba print called The Beat, available as shower curtain, placemat, wallpaper, pillow (we especially like the Beat pattern as bath accent).
Above: Made of lightweight organic cotton, the Beat Shower Curtain measures 72 inches square, features a dozen buttonholes, and is $150 from AphroChic.
Admired (both for looks and affordability) at CB2: simple Stainless Steel Bath Accessories, at home in both the modern or the traditional bath.
Above: CB2 Stainless Steel Bath Accessories include (L to R) a soap dish ($3.95), soap dispenser ($8.95), canister with lid ($6.95), wastebasket ($29.95), and a toothbrush cup ($4.95).
Some of our favorite baths noted recently feature concrete sinks, tubs, even walls, for a rough yet refined look.
Above: A concrete basin in a bath photographed by Paul Ryan Goff, via Style Files.
Above: An industrial-looking sink via Blue Ant Studio.
Above: A simple concrete wash basin, by Heike Muehlhaus in Germany.
Above: A concrete bath in France, via OWI.
Above: A concrete bath in a summerhouse in Portugal, via Marie Claire Maison (and Purple Area).
Above: A concrete wall in a bath photographed by Karina Tenburg.
Above: A bath in London by architect Jamie Forbert.
Above: Concrete bath from Belgian firm ISO.
Above: A concrete tub surround and wall, paired with a wood floor, in a bath spotted at Taverne Agency.
Admired recently: oversized pillows from Niarela Rue 420, an atelier in Bamako, Mali. Owner Mariane Montaut oversees a small team that spins, weaves, then hand dyes the cotton used to create the boldly pattered pillows and bed coverings. The wares are available from Porcupine, a Brussels-based outfit that represents traditional artisans from Africa.
Above: Pillow Cover Koulikoro; €42.50.
Above: Pillow Cover Nioro; €42.50.
Above: Pillow Cover Sokolo; €42.50.
Above: Pillow Cover Koulikoro; €42.50.
South Africa-based Earthcote offers a palette that "captures the style and spirit of the African aesthetic, focusing on colors inspired by the themes of Africana found in rustic safari lodges and farmsteads of the Cape wine lands." Offerings include iron paint (includes iron filings to create a rusty rustic aged finish) and limestone paint (a glass bead acrylic paint that creates a soft sandblasted look).
The paints are available in Africa and the Netherlands; go to Earthcote for dealer information.
Above: Palermo is a resin-based stucco finished with Earthcote Wall Wax to create a super-polished look; available in shades ranging from Vuvuzela Clay to Pongola to Barber Shop White.
Above: Warm Leather incorporates Earthcote Wall Wax to create an aged, grainy leather look; available in shades ranging from Polished Veldskoen to Shabby Chamoise.
We noted several inspirational ideas in this Scandinavian bedroom featured on Hus & Hem: the industrial pendant lamp suspended from a nautical hook, the clip-on reading lamp, and (best of all) the use of vintage doors as a headboard—an easy DIY project requiring a trip to an architectural salvage yard or flea market.
Above: Photo via Hus & Hem.
Above: Olde Good Things in New York has a vast selection of reclaimed doors; on the West Coast, Big Daddy's Antiques, with locations in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, is a good source for salvaged doors. In the UK, Authentic Reclamation is worth investigating, as well as Retrouvius in London.
Spotted at Elle Decoration SA: the urban offices of Capetown ad agency Derrick. "Located in the Old Castle Brewery, the Derrick offices feature an edgy mix of salvaged items, personal touches, and gritty views, all beautifully framed by Table Mountain." We especially like the kitchen, which is made entirely of reclaimed Oregon pine planks.
Photos by Antonia Steyn.
Located in the newly gentrified Woodstock neighborhood of Cape Town, Superette is a cafe and retail outpost opened by Justin Rhodes and Cameron Munro, the entrepreneurial duo behind the nearby Neighbourgoods Market. The gray interior is punctuated with touches of vivid yellow and features a slightly retro feel, with glass deli cases and a self-serve refrigerator stocked with beer. Rhodes and Munro are committed to engaging the local food and design communities, and the cafe is a farm-to-table endeavor, with a selection of locally produced tableware available for purchase as well.
Discovered at Specific in Los Angeles: the work of Portland, Oregon-based design collective Von Tundra (consisting of Dan Anderson, Chris Held, and Brian Pietrowski, classmates at Oregon College of Art and Craft). The group's offerings range from site-specific installations (a carport, a sip-juice cart) to humble furniture pieces like the Prairie Chair. Go to Von Tundra to view the offerings.
Above: The Prairie Chair is available through Specific in LA.
Above: Civic Stack Dresser; contact Von Tundra for ordering information.
Heather Moore, a South African-born textile designer, produces some of the freshest fabrics around (we especially like her whimsical herd animal prints) under the name Skinny Laminx; conveniently, her distinctive cotton/linen fabrics screenprinted in waterbased ink are available online through Etsy in quarter yard remnants (enough for a pillow cover project); she can also supply yardage for larger projects.
Above: A quarter meter of Herds is $14.50.
Above: A quarter meter remnant of Orla is $14.50.
Above: A quarter meter remnant of Cloud BIrds is $14.50.
Admired in architect Annabelle Selldorf's New York apartment, and in several other chic interiors: the sculptural Tractor Bar Stool from New York design duo BassamFellows, carved from a single block of highest-grade American walnut.
Above: Photo by Anthony Cotsifas for the New York Times.
Above: The hand-finished Tractor Bar Stool by BassamFellows is $1,250 at Design Within Reach.
Above: Room & Board's new Bay Bar Stool is an appealing alternative; $369 in walnut.
London-based designer Martin Brudnizki has won acclaim for his portfolio of restaurant interiors in the UK; his projects include the Club at the Ivy, Scott's at the Mayfair, Dean Street Townhouse, and several of Jamie Oliver's restaurants. More recently, he has begun to make his mark on the New York restaurant scene with Le Caprice (which opened in the Pierre Hotel last year) and Betel in the West Village. Brudnizki's multinational upbringing (he was raised in Sweden by a German mother and a Polish father) has enabled him to move easily between cultures and styles. He's designed a tikki bar at the Soho House Miami, a Thai restaurant in the West Village, and a clubby London fish restaurant—and all have a respectable sense of place. I recently had tea with Brudnizki in New York and asked him about his inspirations and design philosophy.
RM: Can you tell us about your design process for Soho Beach House Miami?
Brudnizki: I was inspired by the region, by the influences of Cuba and South America. We wanted something raw and real, which tends to be a stark contrast from the current South Beach design perspective.
RM: What is your favorite restaurant in London?
Brudnizki: I love Scott's in Mayfair. I sit at the bar, read the papers, and order the freshest oysters and Dover sole. For everyday dining, I like the Pig's Ear in Chelsea and Côte near my home.
RM: And in New York?
Brudnizki: For simple decor and the most fantastic sushi, I go to Sushi of Gari on the Upper West Side.
RM: What is your favorite hotel in New York?
Brudnizki: The Mercer.
RM: Where did you last go on holiday?
Brudnizki: Sardinia. I stayed at a lovely hotel called Hotel Cala Caterina.
RM: We know that you consider lighting to be a crucial element in the success of a restaurant. Do you
have a favorite light fixture?
Brudnizki: I adore the chandelier in the entrance of the Club at the Ivy in London. I found it in an antique shop, looking very tired and needing attention. I fixed it up and now it's a real feature of the club—after all, it hangs at 5.4 meters long.
RM: What's the most recent purchase you made for your own home?
Brudnizki: I bought some bold Josef Frank cushions from Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm.
RM: What is your favorite home furnishings store in London?
Brudnizki: Fiona McDonald has some amazing antique pieces. I stop in often to check out the new wares.
RM: What is your favorite everyday cutlery?
Brudnizki: Wright from Crate & Barrel (above L).
RM: What is your favorite historical building?
Brudnizki: I have many favorite buildings, but one that stands out is the Chrysler building in Manhattan.
A recent addition to the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory: Front Studio in New York. The three principals—Yen Ha, Arthur Lubetz, and Michi Yanagishita—met at Carnegie Mellon University; among them, they have studied in Glasgow, Paris, and Pittsburgh and speak Japanese, Vietnamese, and French. Their work has been featured in Wallpaper (which named them one of the "world's 50 hottest young architectural practices" in 2008), the New York Times, and Interior Design.
N.B.: To see more of the firm's work, go to Front Studio on RADD. Also check out Lunch Studio, a blog chronicling the firm's culinary adventures in New York.
Above photos: Front Studio overhauled a brick-clad two-family home in Brooklyn dating back to 1912. The renovation opened up the second floor into a modern great space; much of the original detailing was retained and refinished.
Above: Master bath marble opulence at the Bluewater Loft.
Above: For McNally Jackson Books in Nolita, Front Studio created a "place that is evocative of literature."
Above: The architects covered the curving wall in an assemblage of open spine books.
Above: Custom lighting made with paperbacks.
New York-based architect Elizabeth Roberts grew up in Mill Valley, studied architecture at Berkeley, earned a masters in historic preservation at Columbia, and worked in the offices of William Turnbull in Northern California and Beyer Blinder Belle in New York before setting up her own practice. Roberts recently renovated an Italianate brownstone in Clinton Hill ("the poshest neighborhood in Brooklyn in the late 1880s," she says), which she gutted and redesigned to encompass a six-bedroom residence for her family along with a two-bedroom rental unit. To see more of her work, go to Elizabeth Roberts Architecture.
N.B. Stay tuned for a Trade Secrets post later today featuring Roberts' roundup of fixtures and fittings she used during the renovation.
Above: The elegant brownstone facade of Roberts' 1860s home in Brooklyn.
Above: The entryway features the original marble floor and a new slim radiator from Governale.
Above: Roberts dyed the original battered floors using a mix of half dark mocha and half black and painted the stairs and balusters in high-gloss floor paint.
Above: In the dining room, Roberts carved out a niche from a blocked-up fireplace to accommodate a Tuscan grill from the Gardener in Berkeley.
Above: Roberts installed a Glass Cluster Chandelier from Generate in the dining area.
Above: An oak Big Sur Table with bench from Crate & Barrel stands up to the rigors of family life.
Above: The countertops and kitchen shelf are made from sealed, glass-reinforced poured concrete ("because the material is reinforced, you can achieve slimmer proportions," Roberts says). The backsplash is made from marble tile that Roberts sourced from Craig's List. The Kosing cabinet knobs are from Ikea ("They were $1.99 for a six-pack and were meant to be a placeholder, but I've grown to like them").
Above: The simple bed is from Ikea and the striped throw is from Missoni; the pale blue double sconce by Brooklyn-based David Weeks came from a sample sale. The side chair is a thrift store find upholstered in pinstriped men's suiting material from a Lower East Side fabric store.
Above: Roberts found the adhesive letters by Les Nouveaux Enlumineurs at The Collection in Paris. The retro-styled Roberts Radio from the UK can be sourced from Anthropologie.
Above: The midnight blue Simone Linen Pillow Covers are from Area.
Above: The slipper chair is covered in indigo resist-dyed mudcloth from Bola International Boutique on West 125th Street. "The narrow shelf over the tub looks custom because it's extra long, but it's actually a picture ledge from Ikea turned upside down," Robertson says.
Above: In the guest bath, Robertson used a Pedestal Lavatory Top sink by Mark Newson for Porcher paired with a Speakman faucet. The floor is 1-by-2-inch statuary marble tiles with gray grout, and the matte subway tile is from American Olean.
Above: The washer and dryer are from LG.
Above: In the children's bath, Roberts used simple penny round tiles, which she ran up the plumbing wall. The tub is original to the house (Roberts had it resurfaced) and the sink is by Duravit.
Strawser & Smith's Coat Rack Bench resolves several entryway issues at once, offering a one-stop solution for coat and bag storage as well as a bench for shoe putting on and taking off. The Coat Rack Bench is made of steel and reclaimed wood; contact Strawser & Smith (located at 487 Driggs Avenue in Brooklyn) at 718-388-7600 for pricing information.
Masculine midcentury chairs get a feminine twist when covered in printed fabrics from contemporary fabric designers like Susan and Katharine Hable of Hable Construction or Mary Mulcahy of Les Indiennes.
Above: A steel tube chair rehabilitated with Beads patterned canvas fabric from Hable Construction; via Chairloom.
Above: A midcentury swivel chair with a cotton slipcover made from Les Indiennes fabric.
Above: Remodelista's London editor, Christine Hanway, covered an Ercol 203 armchair in a black and white stripe from Ian Mankin.
Above: A midcentury rocking chair covered in a Virginia Johnson alligator print.
