Tables

Another Malvini Table

September 19th, 2011 2 Comments

While I organize a post birthday weekend post – yes I’m 29 again – I thought I’d share a picture of a table that Veronique from Malvini Furniture Factory sent to me last last week. It is fabulous! The table has found a home somewhere in France. The interior architecture  is a delight to the eye as well. My favorite details are the rugged stone floor, the worn wood column with its stone base and the artifact in the wall. (a family crest perhaps?)

Cheers,

Introducing Malvini Furniture Factory

September 13th, 2011 8 Comments

Just before Labor Day weekend I received a delightful email from Veronique Verdyck, introducing me to Malvini Furniture Factory, located in Antwerp, Belgium, where she and her husband, Geert, design and make beautiful contemporary furniture out of wood. It is bespoke furniture – beautifully proportioned, crafted and made.

This collection is called Pure.

I could spend every afternoon sitting here, coudn’t you?

Such elegant and clean details. LOVE the “branded” logo!

Such restful tones and hues.

The Newspaper/Coffee Table reminds me of Florence Knoll’s designs.

I can think of all kinds of uses for these little Poof cubes.

An example of one of their trestle tables.

They also have a furniture collection called Brute, which is more “rustic”, consisting of monastery tables and large dining tables made from French Oak.

The Julien Monastery Table.

The Dessiree Monastery Table.

The same table, but smaller. Note how the proportions of the trestle base change, adjusting to the size of the table. Such attention to detail!

Don’t let their Belgian address discourage you. They can help you arrange to have their pieces shipped to the US.

I hope you enjoy this discovery as much as I have!

Cheers,

Inspired Belgian Style Kitchens

July 22nd, 2011 No Comments

The other day, I mentioned how excited I was to have received my order of books from Amazon, including two published by Beta Plus. Thank you for the recommendation Greet!  I’ll talk about the third book another day… Since then, I’ve been pouring over the Beta Plus book Kitchens, from their Home Series studying these kitchens . I’m afraid the book is already a bit tattered… You can buy the book here.

Here are some of the kitchens I loved.

White can be so very powerful when it is used as a color, layering tone on tone as done in this kitchen. The room is so warm and inviting with it’s use of gold and copper accents and very feminine furniture. 

The high continuous “shelf” above the range concealing the exhaust hood, the task lighting by the sink and the champhored corners of the walls make this kitchen almost modern in feel, yet it is not, thanks to the detail on the face of the oak cabinets.

I really like the use of the corner, with it’s open shelves. I do wonder about the placement of the sink. Love the weight and heft of the shelves!

I fell immediately for how the windows come right down to the countertop and the window seat and look at those comfy pillows with their tapestry fabric! Looking the other way, how the hood surround contain and defines the range/oven  and how the little built in shelves work is a delight to my eye – as is the white chandelier hovering over the table. If my eye is sharp enough, the detail in the built-in to the left of the range is ever so slightly simpler than the detail in the cabinets in the adjacent room. I could put Delft tile everywhere. 

 

This kitchen makes me feel very calm and serene. It has very simple clear details, a soothing color palette, the open shelves help it feel airy and the basket over the island is such an unexpected treat. The contrasting hinges and hardware are awesome!

The lighting is fantastic in this kitchen. I love the mix of styles and details. Changing the color of the banquette is genius. The decision to make the built in at the end of the room furniture like, linking it to the table and chairs in style and color just plain works!

I go silly over this kitchen. Simple, pure, essential. The floor tile, old beam header at the exhaust hood echoing the structural beam, and the bleached oak island are magnificent! Then there’s the window to the right of the range. Too bad the duplex in the black Moroccan tile couldn’t have been black, too…

What do you like and why?

Cheers,