Exotic Autumn

Now that students have returned to school and Labor Day weekend is upon us, there is no doubt that summer has slipped away and autumn is now a reality. In our corner of the world, autumn usually means warmer weather (Indian summer), but we still have evidence of a new season through the changing color of the flora.

There is nothing more sumptuous as a traditional autumn palette of colors. These colors of rust, bronze, ochre, apricot and the like conjure up the exotic and make for a wealth of inspiration.

Here are some inspirational possibilities for an “Exotic Autumn”:

Dahlias!

A Rose Cumming fabric:

A painting by Gustav Klimt:

Missoni rugs:

How about a unique Hermes scarf?

Or an elegant Pierre Frey fabric:

Nothing beats the beauty of a genuine Kilim rug:

There are a plethora of inspirational choices, so go out and find your own ”Exotic Autumn”.

David J. Hansen

Photos from top:

1) Pierre Frey Anatolie fabric from the Pierre Frey web site

2) Dahlia photo by Lindsay Williams-Ross

3) Rose Cumming “Bird in Circle” fabric from Dessin Fournir web site

4) Klimt painting “Fullfilment” 1902

5) Missoni rugs from jrenee.com

6) Hermes scarf image from reimeika.ca web site

7) Kilim rug from vanishingtextiles.com

Behind The Scenes at William Switzer Headquarters: Part 3 of a series

William Switzer pieces as seen in context.

After arranging my trip to Vancouver last year, I was excited to have scheduled a tour of William Switzer headquarters as part of my journey, which I reported on here.

On arrival at the Opus Hotel in Vancouver’s Yaletown, the lobby interior was designed in a colorful, modern way with a few lively, heavily carved antique pieces. The antique pieces were what caught my eye. They looked like they might be William Switzer pieces, but I wasn’t sure given the context. I thought this a great coincidence if they were!

When I went on my tour of the William Switzer factory, my host Mr. Adam Switzer-Bellas confirmed that these were indeed William Switzer pieces adorning the lobby of our hotel.

Robert Bailey Interiors was asked to freshen up the interior of the Opus hotel lobby earlier in 2010, and conceived the new, fresh color palette. In his blog, he writes about it here.

The Opus Hotel entrance sign.

William Switzer Venetian Louis XV occasional chair.

The Opus lobby leading to the bar.

William Switzer Palazzo Caponi Centre table.

Robert Bailey Interiors was asked to freshen up the interior of the Opus hotel lobby earlier in 2010, and conceived the new, fresh color palette. In his blog, he writes about it here.

The original lobby colors were in the Olive/Burgundy family and not, in my opinion as suited to the playful nature of the already designed space. The new color scheme, which included re-upholstery of the existing Switzer pieces, was implemented shortly before my arrival.

The original color scheme for the Opus Hotel showing Olive and Burgundy.

David Hansen

Photos:

Photos 1-5 copyright by David J. Hansen for Ashfield Hansen Design Inc.

*Last photo of Opus original scheme from hdinspirations.com

All Things Cream

CREAM IS A SHADE OF WHITE, but it’smore than that. Just saying the word out loud evokes a softer image. CREAM sounds delicious, CREAM sounds luxurious, CREAM sounds heavenly, CREAM sounds royal, CREAM sounds elegant, CREAM sounds pure. Why is it that just thinking of a color can create images in our minds, awaken the senses, evoking feelings and even experiences.

Cream was a ROCK & ROLL BAND

Cream is the texture of WHITE BURLAP

Cream is the color of AN ELEPHANT’S TUSK

Cream is the scent of A GARDENIA

Cream is the image of AN ELEGANT BRIDE

Cream is the essence of a STRAND OF PEARLS

Cream is the feel of WHITE KIDD GLOVES

Cream is the feel of a PIANO KEY

Cream is the color of MY BERBER RUG

Cream is the color of A PARCHMENT SCROLL

Cream is the color of a COOKED NOODLE

Cream is the color of MY DRAFTING VELLUM

Cream is the color of RICE PAPER SCREENS

Cream is thecolor of a JOHN F. KENNEDY ROSE

Cream is the color of A WHITE DINNER JACKET

Cream is the shade of WHITE BUCKS AT A SUMMER WEDDING

Cream is the color of a POLAR BEAR’s FUR

Cream is the color of CORN SILK ON SUGAR CORN

Cream is the color of LINEN SHEETS

Cream is the color of SHEEP’s WOOL

Cream is the color of QUEEN ANNE’s LACE

Cream is the color of an ERMINE STOLE

What does the color CREAM evoke in you?

Barbara Ashfield

Images (from top):

1) Cream image by James Paulgaard

2) Elephant photo from German Vogue

3) Gardenias with sole from Etsy.com

4) Wedding gown by Carolina Herrera

5) Herb Albert image from John Mariani

6) Sean Connery as James Bond

7) Polar Bear image from British Vogue

8) Queen Anne's Lace from fototime.com

The Art of Deborah Barlow - Living At Large With the World

Nobra-Luce - 1 24" x 24"

A Barlow painting is full of life, alive with color, mood, and depth.

That’s how I feel today, and that’s how I felt the first time I saw one of the artist’s first works many years ago. At the time, I was unable to articulate why I loved it, I just did. Given that our families have known each other for a lifetime, I believe her when she tells me that the most important message she wants her art to convey is to feel art with my body, not my brain. Art should evoke a sensation.

Norkae_1-1170548440t


San_Tendre-1170548641t

It has been said that a Barlow painting has the ability to draw you in from across the room, in an instant. I’ve felt that too. There seem to be spaces between what is hidden and what is seen, perhaps due to the fact that there are as many as 40-50 layers of color and texture on each canvas, many of them from unexpected sources, namely rice paper, marble dust, silk and foil, with the last layers done in oil. Deborah experiments how the materials absorb the pigment successively, giving each piece its own credentials. Could this be akin to Pentimento? The result is magnificent. It is unclear where one layer begins and another ends.

M’Flua 2 30x30

Recently when speaking with Deborah about her work, I asked about the interesting names given to her paintings, to which she responded quietly, “they are in code, known only to me”; …but one might like to wonder whether her travel is inspired by her paintings or whether her paintings are inspired by her travel. I think it can be said that while her images are deeply layered invocations of landscapes that strike her, cultures that move her, or ancient relics that fire her imagination, the art of Deborah Barlow is as reflective of her soul as much of what she witnesses.

Archaos 30” x 44”

To learn more about Deborah’s work please go here.

Barbara Ashfield

Missoni On a Mission!

The celebrated house of Missoni is at it again. There seems to be something so right about a third generation Italian fashion house with its creators still at the helm. The Missoni brand has always been about using color in new and imaginative ways. One of the best quotes that I have read in recent history is from one of the co-founders of the company, Rosita Missoni, who said “Color is the oxygen of life”. I concur!

The founders of Missoni Ottavio and Rosite Missoni.

After Missoni conquered the fashion industry in the early 1960’s with a colorful clothing line derived from knitwear, they introduced fragrances, and then in 1981 launched Missoni Home. I am a huge fan of Missoni Home products and own multiple sets of sheets and towels, which speak to my sensibilities of color and good design.

A shot taken of one of my Missoni sheets.

Due to the popularity of Missoni Home, the company has agreed to design a line of lifestyle hotels in collaboration with the Rezidor Hotel Group. The first of these properties will be opening in June of this year in Edinburgh, Scotland and then in Kuwait in September. The combination of Edinburgh and Kuwait seems odd, but I’m sure there’s research to back up the choices of these two particular locals.

One of the rooms in the new Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh.

Along with the tremendous design of the hotels themselves, the company has a beautiful web site to illustrate the concept even further at

http://www.hotelmissoni.com/ . I noticed they used a Jill Scott song as the soundtrack for the site…perfect!

Concept for a lounge at Hotel Missoni. I'm thinking this must be for Edinburgh, Scotland as the seating done in the style of Charles Rennie Macintosh, a noted Scotsman famous for his interpretation of Art Nouveau.

I am looking forward to eventually staying at one of these amazing properties and experiencing the Missoni aura all over again.

David Hansen