Spotted at Anthropologie: Two new appealing (and well-priced) mercury glass pendant lamps with black cloth cords and small shades; install in multiples to add a glamorous note to a hallway, a bedroom, even a kitchen space.
Above: The Sequoia Cone Pendant Lamp measures 6.5 inches high and 7 inches in diameter with a 73-inch cord; $58 at Anthropologie.
Above: The Upscale Speakeasy Pendant Lamp measures 6 inches high and 7.5 inches in diameter with a 73-inch cord; $58.
According to Agnes Emery, the Brussels-born founder of design emporium Emery et Cie (she also lives part-time in Marrakesh), "It's the little things that change everything. Details are everywhere in daily life, we're always touching them, and in most cases, they're tiresomely ugly. These little objects are like an insult muttered a hundred times a day, the trail of a disheartening environment pursuing us even in our private sanctuary. We have taken on these prosaic and everpresent objects such as cupboard knobs, hooks, and hinges and created an ironmongery department." We especially like Emery et Cie's Ceramic Cupboard Knobs, available in a range of deep jewel tones, with rustic copper fasteners available in bronze, gold, or silver finishes. Prices start at €5 for the smallest size; go to Emery et Cie for ordering information.
Mimic the look of this exotic bath, from the portfolio of stylist Laura Fulmine, with the following elements.
Above: Fine Cane Chair made in South Africa from handwoven bamboo and cane; $495 at Conran.
Above: Handwoven organic cotton cushions made in Benin by Artisans du Monde, a French fair trade association. Orange Stripe Pillow; on sale for $69.99 (down from $145); 26 inches square.
Above: Round Braided Jute Rug; $149 for the 6-foot-diameter size and $249 for the 8-foot-diameter size at West Elm.
Above L: Totem Vase Above R: Traditional Scalloped Wood Wall Cross; $20.95 at Wall Crosses.
Above: The tasseled Hand-Spun Cotton Khadi from Dosa is a perennial favorite at the Gardener in Berkeley. The smaller size measures 23 by 50 inches and is $58, and the larger size is 40 by 90 inches; $95. To order, call the Gardener at (510) 548-4545.
Above: The Gardener also carries Dosa's lightweight Khadi tea towel; the smaller size (27 by 16.5 inches) is $28 and the larger size (68 by 31 inches) is $42. To order, call the Gardener at (510) 548-4545.
Above: Handwoven Khadi Towel with selvedge edges and unhemmed ends (57.5 by 30 inches); £18 at Pale and Interesting.
Above: Hammam Towels; $40 each at LaViva Home.
Above: Victoria and Albert Wessex Bath for $1,339 from Home and Stone.
Above: Lefroy Brooks Connaught Concealed Wall Bath Filler; $1,084.50 at Quality Bath. A more affordable option is the Newport Brass 1645 Series Tub Valve Set; $405 at efaucets.
Modeled after a D-shaped English riding bit and handcrafted of iron, the Bristol Hook is 5.25 inches high and is $19 for a set of three at Ballard Designs.
When we first discovered the new linens line Deck Towel (see Fabrics & Linens: Deck Towel in New York), several of our favorite colors were already sold out, so we were pleased to get word that they are now back in stock. The generously sized towels measure 70 inches by 57 inches and are the brainchild of recent Columbia University grad Buck Ellison, who began by sewing his own linen towels for camping trips. Frequent compliments from friends spurred him to create his own line of towels made from linen sourced in Italy and the Czech Republic. Solid color towels cost $50 and stripes are $75. Go to Deck Towel to order.
Above: Francis, $50.
Above: Coen, $75.
Dutch-born Linda Ferrol sources not-seen-everywhere products from around the world and offers them through her Seattle-based online shop, Linda Ferrol Studio. Here's a roundup of of appealing silver accessories to add a Moroccan note to any room.
Above: Made of tin-coated copper, the Hand-Hammered Turkish Tray measures 8.25 inches in diameter and costs $39 at Linda Ferrol Studio.
Above: Made by craftsman in the Marrakesh Medina (Old Town), the Silver Moroccan Pouf (10 inches high and 15 inches in diameter) is made from embroidered silver leather and filled with recycled cotton; currently on sale for $100 (down from $175) at Linda Ferrol Studio.
Above: Traditionally used in hamams (Turkish baths) to hold soap, scrub gloves, and to scoop water, the Hamam Bowls are tin-coated brassware with authentic Turkish hammered patterns. Available in three sizes: the Small Hamam Bowl measures 4 inches in diameter and is $21, the Large Hamam Bowl is 6.5 inches in diameter and is $45; and the Extra Large Hamam Bowl measures 9.75 inches in diameter and is $89.
Spotted, admired, coveted: Sam Roddick's kitchen in London, featuring a wall of glossy Moroccan tiles and a row of mercury-glass pendant lights (for similar, see Lighting: Mercury Glass Pendant Lights from Anthropologie). Handmade by artisans using ancient techniques, glazed Moroccan tiles (known as zellige) are fashioned from organic regional clay and glaze pigments. Because they are hand cut, they feature a distinctive, imperfect profile, which enhances their rustic character and adds a note of exotica to kitchens, baths, fireplace surrounds. Below are a few ideas for sourcing the tiles.
Above: A kitchen in London by Stiff + Trevillion, featuring Emery et Cie tiles from Retrouvius.
Above: Blanc tiles by Emery et Cie.
Above: In New York, Mosaic House offers the R'Ceef 7 line of 12-inch square glazed ceramic tile in dozens of colors.
Above: In San Francisco, Tazi Designs carries hand-cut Moroccan Mosaic Tile (prices run approximately $200 per square meter). Another SF source is the San Tropez Boutique, which carries a wide range of Glazed Moroccan Tiles. Photo via Flickr.
Above: Wood-Fired Moroccan Ceramic Tiles from Dar Interiors in London.
Above: Moroccan Mosaic Tiles at Badia Design in Los Angeles.
When it comes to bathroom design, towel bars may seem like an afterthought compared with the larger issues of sink, bath, tile choice, but if you're like us, you can spend hours sourcing the right one. Here's a selection of the ten best modern wall-mounted towel bars.
Above: The Danish-made Vipp 8 Towel Bar in stainless steel with rubber grip is 24 inches long and costs $245 at DWR.
Above: The sleekly styled Dornbracht MEM Towel Bar is 24 inches long and costs $280.35 in polished chrome (it's also available in platinum and platinum matte for $413.90) from Designer Plumbing.
Above: The Gruntal Rail in stainless steel is 31 inches long and costs $8.99 at Ikea.
Above: The Bath Life Towel Bar is 18 inches long and is made from corrosion-resistant solid brass with matte nickel or chrome finish; it's currently on sale at DWR for $105 (down from $210) and is also available in 24- and 31-inch lengths.
Above: The Foccio Towel Rail by Zack is available in two sizes; the 23.6 inches long version is $82.45 and the 17.7-inch length is $68.51 at All Modern.
Above: The Sugatsune Stainless Steel Towel Rack, is 18 inches long and is currently on sale at Amazon for $49.95 (down from $64.61).
Above: The Eva Solo Towel Rack is 23.62 inches long in stainless steel (a silicone strip on the back of the rail prevents the towel from sliding) for $136 from Emmo Home.
Above: The Samuel Heath chrome-plated Xenon Towel Rail is available in two lengths; the 17.75-inch towel rail is $138.18 and the 23.6-inch towel rail is $145.09 from Faucet Supply (it's also available in polished and satin nickel).
Above: The stainless-steel Zack Civio Towel Rail is 17.73 inches long and costs $49.95 at Amazon
Above: The Kohler Stillness 24-Inch Towel Bar in polished chrome is $84.11 and in brushed nickel for $123.81 at All Modern.
Above: The Minimal Towel Bar from Boffi is 45 centimeters long; contact the Boffi Showroom in LA for pricing and dealer information (310-458-9300).
Above: The Modern Towel Bar from Restoration Hardware is available in three lengths (18, 24, and 30 inches) and is available in polished and satin nickel and polished chrome from $69 to $89, depending on size and finish.
Flatweave Turkish hamam towels are suddenly everywhere; fringed terry-cloth cotton towels are a little harder to find, however, and add a subtle exotic note to the guest bath (or any bath, for that matter).
Above: The Crochet Guest Towel is 15 by 22 inches and made in Turkey; $14.99 (down from $19.99) at Pottery Barn.
Above: The Anatolian Striped Bath Towel made of heavy cotton terry is £45 at Toast.
Above: Forza & Home, located on Fourth Street in Berkeley, CA, is an importer of 100 percent organic cotton Turkish towels; go to Forza for pricing and ordering information.
Newly launched company Sang and Serena is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and specializes in handcrafted furniture and textiles from India. The founders, Serena Weaver and Sang Won Hwang, conceived of the idea for the company while traveling in India, where they became acquainted with a local artisan. "We created a working relationship with the intention of supporting his art school’s traditional craft-making skills and bringing the products to North America," they say. The duo's Shiva Collection includes six exclusive quilt designs, featuring 100 percent cotton hand-blocked quilts that are handmade by Indian artisans using all natural materials, including vegetable dyes.
Above: The Sundial Quilt is $240 for the single, $290 for the queen, and $340 for the king size.
Above: Sang & Serena's Tribal Quilt is $240 for the single, $290 for the queen, and $340 for the king size.
The most imaginative and covetable mirrors we know of come from Casamidy, the San Miguel de Allende company founded by peripatetic husband/wife design duo Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy "with an objective of combining contemporary design with traditional artisan methods of manufacture." A few of our favorites are shown below; to see a gallery of Casamidy artisans with their handiwork, go to Casamidy.
Above two photos: The Plume Mirror is available in a nickel- or copper-plated iron finish or in custom powder-coated finishes.
Above: The Opium Mirror is available in a nickel- or copper-plated iron finish or in custom powder-coated finishes.
Above: The Star Mirror is available in a nickel- or copper-plated iron finish or in custom powder-coated finishes.
Above: A selection of mirrors on display in the Casamidy showroom.
Above: The Plume Mirror is available in a nickel- or copper-plated iron finish or in custom powder-coated finishes.
Based on the Spanish resort island of Ibiza, Hip House Ibiza specializes in transforming ancient fincas into boho chic residences, without sacrificing the property's history and character. Case in point: the Can Pep Masia House, which features a pared-down yet rustic interior with a minimalist kitchen and bathroom mixing modern fixtures and natural textures with a few well-chosen exotic furnishings.
A roundup of baths featuring traditional English manor house plumbing fixtures mixed with Far East influences (Moroccan tile, kilims, carved cabinetry).
Above: A bath from the portfolio of photographer Emma Lee.
Above: A bath photographed by Dublin-born, New York-based Simon Watson.
Above: A bath in a house in Provence spotted on Kikette Interiors.
Above: A tiled white bath with mural from the portfolio of Copenhagen-based Monica Bach.
Above: A carved sink console in a bath from the portfolio of Monica Bach.
Our favorite well-priced plumbing fixtures line is the Purist range from Kohler, which recently introduced a gold finish option called Vibrant Moderne, available in a polished or brushed finish. The Purist Two-Lever Handle Wall-Mounted Lavatory Faucet (K-T14412-4) in polished gold is $339.19 at Home Click.
A while ago I bookmarked this modern white bath from Living Etc. with the intention of tracking down the inlaid cabinet (perfect for adding a touch of exotica to an otherwise streamlined room), so I was pleased to discover an almost identical piece at Sang and Serena; see below for details.
Above: A sleek white bathroom in London from Living Etc.
Above: The Two-Door Inlaid End Table measures 24 inches high and 17 inches wide and is available with either a mother of pearl or bone inlay with a Paneer (off-white), Opium (black), Ember (shown), or Lotus (pink) pigment; $849 for the mother of pearl and $799 for the bone inlay at Serena and Sang.
A while back we featured Laurier Restuarant in Paris in our post Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Laurier in Paris. We were particularly taken with the Moroccan pendant lights, which are from Netherlands-based Zenza.
Above: The Filigree Sphere by Netherlands-based Zenza is made from silver-plated hand-hammered brass and comes in several sizes. Available from Terrain; prices start at $498 for the 20-inch-high size.
Above: Another option is the Moroccan-inspired Armand Riviera Iron Pendant, available at Country Design Online Store for $447.
Above: We also like the silver-plated hand-hammered brass Pin Dot Sphere from Terrain; $218 for the 13-inch-high lantern.
Texas-born, Los Angeles-based interior designer Katie Leede specializes in traditional interiors with a glamorous bohemian edge; what distinguishes her work is her eye for exotic textiles and her penchant for mixing homespun fabric such as hemp with luxe materials like linen velvet. Frequent trips to the Met's Egyptian rooms in New York inspired Leede's debut Ra Collection of textiles, which features block-printed Ancient Egyptian motifs and a subtle, earthy palette. Prices range from $95 to $185 per yard; the fabrics are available via the trade at Holland and Sherry in New York and Chicago and Holly Hunt in Los Angeles, or directly from Katie Leede & Company.
N.B.: Leede's forthcoming collection of fabrics is inspired by Japanese kimonos. To view Leede's interior projects, visit Digs by Katie.
Above: 100% Linen Bacchus Fabric was inspired by a ceiling decoration in the Egyptian burial chamber of Sennufer. It is available in two colorways: Olivine (shown) and Aubergine.
Above: Cairo Stripe Fabric available in four colorways including Delta as shown.
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Above: Leede's Papyrus Fabric is available in five colorways (shown in Amulet) and was inspired by a papyrus from Nebamun's tomb on the West Bank at Thebes.
With offices in Paris and Marrakesh, French architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty of Studio KO (the firm behind this week's Hotels, Lodging & Restaurants: Riad Dixneuf la Ksour in Marrakesh) have worked on a range of East/West projects: from a refurbishment of a 17th-century apartment in Paris to an overhaul of a 1960s house in Dakar to contemporary villas for high-profile clients such as Marella Agnelli and the Hermès family in Morocco. The duo does minimalist exotica well—as evidenced by this collection of images from various projects in Morocco. To see more of their work, go to Studio KO.
Above: Villa D in Al Ouidane, Morocco; photos by Dan Glasser.
Above: Interiors (and pool) at the new Domain Royal Palm resort.
Above: Villa K in Tagadert, Morocco; photos by Dan Glasser.
New in paperback from Thames & Hudson: Morocco Modern, by Herbert Ypma, author of the Hip Hotels and the World Design series. Ypma traces the origins of the great artisan traditions of Morocco and looks at the way contemporary designers continue to use these techniques. He also focuses on the work of Tunisian-born, Paris-educated Charles Boccara, described by the London Times as "Morocco's silver-haired wild child," whose designs reinterpret these influences to create work that is strikingly modern. Morocco Modern is $15.56 at Amazon.
Two of the riads we feature in this week's lineup showcase wood tripod lamps—also known as photographer's lamps or surveyor's lamps—which lend a British colonial air to an interior. Most reproductions we've seen feature overly clunky profiles; here are a couple of more streamlined examples for recreating the look in your own domestic environs.
N.B. The most economical solution is to locate a vintage wood tripod and create your own lamp (for an example, go to DIY Maven).
Above: Riad Dix Neuf la Ksour in Marrakesh.
Above: The Can Pep Masia House in Ibiza.
Above: Studio Wood Tripod Floor Lamp by Visual Comfort; $315 at Neena's via Amazon.
Above: Vintage Surveyor's Maple and Brass Adjustable Tripod Lamp, c. 1920s; $865 at Modern 50.
