Chic Shop Alert: Elegant Additions

This fall quarter at school I have 3 courses left to finish up my design degree and graduate in December.  One of the classes, Kitchen & Bath Design, is a course I have been excited about since I began at the Art Institute.  One of the nice perks of hypothetical school projects is that we often have an unlimited budget to work with- allowing us to focus on aesthetics and function before price (not something that often happens in real life)!  One of my favorite to-the-trade sources for chic hardware and plumbing fixtures in Houston is Elegant Additions.  In order to do a little research for my upcoming class, I met with sales rep Amanda Whatley to tour the Elegant Additions showroom and to learn more about the products and lines they carry.  You may have seen my instagram snap of this sleek copper sink fixture by Dornbracht that I took during my tour:

 

 

There is something so sexy about the clean, streamlined look combined with the luxurious copper finish.  Referred to as the "cyprum" finish by Dornbracht, this high-gloss look is produced using 18-carat gold and copper and was released only recently in 2014.  I'm smitten.

 

 

It's gorgeous as a bathroom fitting as well:

 

 

While I think copper is the next big thing when it comes to kitchen and bathroom finishes, I can't help but love brass equally as much.  This bathroom collection by Lalique for THG looks almost more like jewelry than hardware:

 

 

 

Elegant Additions also carries Vitraform's glass sink collection- the epitome of chic.  Especially this bronze number:

 

 

If you're more of a polished nickel fan (who isn't?  It's timeless and beautiful), Michael S Smith's crystal cross fixtures for Kallista are pretty fab:

 

You all know how much I love standing washbasins.  I was thrilled to hear Elegant Additions offers a wide selection of decorative washbasin legs, including many nickel and brass finishes.

 

 

And for all you modernists out there, how cool is this Gessi Goccia bath collection?

 

 

 

I loved learning about the latest and greatest offerings at Elegant Additions and seeing their product lines first hand. I feel that as designers we often see the same look again and again when it comes to bathrooms and kitchens, and the reality is there are so many unique product lines worth investigating and utilizing in projects. 

 

A big "thank you" to Amanda for sharing your time and knowledge with me!  If you would like to work with Elegant Additions, feel free to contact her at 832-878-5708 or amandaw@elegantaddditions.net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honoring the Greats: Tommi Parzinger

Hello my lovelies!  I have missed you these past two weeks as I have been popping in sporadically to blog.  In truth, I am overwhelmed with juggling finals at school and work projects at the moment, and in my free time sleep is a coveted activity.  However, we'll be back to normal next week after I get my school projects turned in!  Then, it's 3 more classes to take that will finish up in December and I will have officially earned my BFA in Interior Design.  Today I am starting a series that I hope you will find both informative and enjoyable- "Honoring the Greats" will focus on paying homage to the designers that have forever changed the landscape of design.  Today's post is focused on German furniture and interior designer, Tommi Parzinger.

Tommi is considered to be one of the key creators of the Hollywood Regency style.  Born in Munich in 1903, he was one of those lucky souls that seemed to ooze creativity everywhere he went.  Tommi studied design at the Kunstgewebeschule (School of Art & Craft) in Munich, working in a variety of mediums including ceramics, glass, metalwork, woodworking, and graphic design.   In 1932, he won first place in a poster design contest for a steamship company called North German Lloyd; the prize was a trip to the United States. When he returned to Germany, he won another poster competition, but this time was told he'd have to join the Nazi party in order to collect his prize.  Instead, Parzinger went to the US Embassy, received a visitors visa, and left directly for America.

{Parzinger Custom Chaise Lounge}

Tommi was part of a wave of German designers who immigrated to the United States in the wake of World War II.  Most of the well-known designers that came around the same time were trained at the Bauhaus, such as Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and Mies van der Rohe, and took a minimalist modern approach to design.  Parzinger was more interested in combining the modern aesthetic with glamorous and luxurious materials, such as lacquer and inlay motifs. .By 1939, he had established a company of his own,Parzinger Inc. later known as Parzinger Originals,which quickly established a reputation for restrained, though luxurious furniture.

{Tommi Parzinger Dining Table}

 

 

{Glare}

 

{Tommi Parzinger Lacquer Coffee Table}

  

You can definitely see a Bauhaus influence in many of his pieces.  There is a machine-like quality and refined sleekness to them- like these brass serving sets:

 

{Tommi Parzinger Brass Serving Set}

{Tommi Parzinger Coffee Set}

 

Parzinger's works were titled "high-style modernism", which represented a "more idiosyncratic, rarefied midcentury design". Most of the pieces he created were custom-built for large studios, with Parzinger using "cosmopolitan-looking designs, involving costly, craft-intensive materials and processes like brass work and lacquer". 

 

 

His designs were met with considerable success, and he even worked closely with Marilyn Monroe and the Rockafeller family.  The fact that his work has endured through decades and still remains stunningly current is why I'd consider him a true design great.

 

Read more about Tommi on Apartment Therapy here.

 

{Info source from here}

Chic Shop Alert: Quotient

There aren't many things in life that I get as much joy out of as scouring 1st Dibs.  It's a virtual treasure hunt I can go on while sitting behind my laptop.  Whether I am searching for the perfect mid-century chandelier or just needing a mid-day pick-me-up, 1st Dibs never disappoints.  While there are many stunning pieces on the site, it isn't often that I find a 1st Dibs dealer where I gravitate towards everything they carry (this shop was one).  Stumbling upon Quotient Fine Furnishings, however, was pure delight.  Physically located at the New York Design Center on the 10th Floor (as part of the 1st Dibs showroom), Quotient sells a range of Art Deco and mid-century gems.  My favorite pieces are the stunning Tommi Parzinger accessories, although most everything is fabulous:

{Tommi Parzinger Brass Serving Pieces}

{Lucite Game/Breakfast Table by Jeff Messerchmidt}

{Pair of Ocean Blue Mohair Club Chairs by Ward Bennett}

{Mid Century 9 Arm Brass and Glass Tube Chandelier}

{Almond Lacquered Greek Key Front Chest by Kittinger}

{Tommi Parzinger Brass Coffee Service}

{Pair of Carlo de Carli Club Chairs for Singer & Sons}

That mid-century nine arm glass tube chandelier is UNREAL.  I used it in a hospitality project for school recently, although I think it would look even better in my actual home.

Do you have any favorite 1st Dibs shops?  I am always looking for inspiration!

Designer Crush: Chandos Interiors

How is Monday here already?   It seems that my weekends are so packed these days that Monday rolls around way too soon.  The only way to ease in to today is by distracting ourselves with drool-worthy design, don't you think? Today I am sharing one of my favorite Houston-based interior designer's work- Chandos Dodson Epley.  In my opinion, the most well-designed spaces always feel timeless and deliberate.  Chandos Interiors has accumulated a portfolio full of tailored, chic homes in a variety of styles; from upscale modern to casual traditional.  Here are a few of my favorite rooms her firm has created:

Dodson has been published numerous times in top design magazines, and recently won Southern Living's Best New Kitchen award for this traditional stunner:

While having classic charm, Chandos mixed things up by adding a fun, graphic tile backsplash and a modern stove hood with clean lines.

I love the headboard design in this bedroom.  It is always awkward to put a bed in the corner of a room, but by adding an L-shaped upholstered headboard that sits on both walls, the bed is not lost in the space.  

Fabulous work, Chandos!

Happy Monday, everyone!

{images via Chandos Interiors}

Covetable Closets

Happy Thursday!  How is your week going?  I am deep in study mode with finals the week after next, but I couldn't help taking a study break to drool over a few dreamy closets.  I truly believe that a well-designed walk-in closet to display handbags, shoes, and clothes is the female equivalent of a "man cave."  What would be in my dream boudoir?  Beautiful cabinetry, polished nickel hardware, accent lighting and a fabulous shoe display.  Here are a few of my favorite closets from designers 

How sexy is this dark black cabinetry with mirrored faces?  I love that the shoes have a prominent place for display, as well.

Just as rich as black, this chocolate brown lacquered closet is drool-worthy.  I also love the clear doors that display this man's wardrobe.  The geometric carpet is pretty fabulous, too:

This closet designed by Nate Berkus features brass hardware and lighting.  I LOVE the large pop of canary yellow in the ottoman:

{Nate Berkus}

Munger Interiors, one of my favorite design firms in Houston (see my interview with them here), designed this gorgeous closet with a custom cabinetry island separating the man's side from the woman's.

{Munger Interiors}

As I have a bit of OCD, I also appreciate the matching hangers and pretty storage baskets.

Which closet is your fave?

Needing, Wanting, Loving: Mara Hoffman Resort 2015

When I was in business school, I always found the study of brand loyalty to be fascinating.  How one emotionally connects with a brand and what the brand represents to them often drives purchasing behavior.  As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a boho spirit and like to pretend I'm as cool as a Cali girl.  Any company that can perpetuate that dream for me ranks high on my covet list, and I need look no further than Mara Hoffman.  Not only do I adore their bold, Pucci-esque bathing suits and bikinis, I love everything their brand represents- mainly, that cool, laid-back Cali lifestyle with afternoons at the beach and salt in your tousled hair. One look at their instagram, handled by Mara herself, and you are immediately drawn in-

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Mara herself, touching up models before a Resort 2015 show}

 

Needless to say, I am drooling over their resort 2015 collection.  It features breezy maxi dresses and colorful bikinis:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of everything, please.  I really need to scoop this crop top up for ACL.