meta name="p:domain_verify" content="83432fc69a1d6df071f49df584f9d839 Laurl Designs: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

New items in the shop!

I have added a great collection of new items, with a bit of an Asian look, to my shop after the giant birdcage storage piece sold. (Yea!)

Here's a look...

Who doesn't need a glass Buddha head!

I love, love, love this pair of twin sized headboards. They are also cool for wall decor!

Is there a cooler chair out there than this lime green moire file side chair?

French Provincial style? check. Parquet top? check. Generous size? check. Time to buy? Absolutely!

Pretty double candle sconce with mirror!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

picking and grining weekend- new finds

I found some real winners this weekend here are my faves-

Love the wheat, so very natural with a nod to Directoire!

Wedgewood, I think, in basalt. Would be fantastic in a uber contemporary space to have such a graphic, yet classical, image.

These old binoculars are cool and made cooler with the vintage leather case!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Finials- a lamps perfect jewelry

I have been finding some fantastic vintage lamps lately and they have reminded me about how great finials are for finishing a space. Finding the perfect finals for your lamps adds the detail and polish to a space. In my quest for the perfect jade finial, I found these great pieces of jewelry for your lamps.

Huge Natural Labradorite Gemstone Lamp Finial
Labradorite gemstone finial

Three Vintage Lamp Finials Elephant, Leaf and a Bow
Three vintage finials

Chinese Hand Carved Jade Lamp Finial
White jade finial

Vintage Art Deco Cast Iron Lamp or Smoking Stand Finial
Vintage cast iron finial

Aladdin Alacite Finial 1944 Called Peacock Urn or Flat Top
Vintage glass finial

Vintage Antique Brass Lamp Finial E900
Tall Brass finial







Thursday, June 13, 2013

Big rocks for the home

Big rocks are big and they rock... be it agate, geodes, or crystals! So, if you have enough big rocks in your jewelry box, why not add some to your home. Here's my round-up of some great Big Rocks from Etsy!

Bookends~

Brazilian agate bookends natural and not dyed
Brazilian agate

Arizona Rainbow Petrified Wood Bookends
Arizona rainbow petrified wood

SALE: Pair of Vintage Petrified Wood Bookends
Vintage petrified wood

Geode Crystal Bookends
Geode Crystal

Natural Gemstone specimens~

Amethyst Cluster Large and Beautiful
Amethyst Cluster

Large Hollow Septarian Stone Hand Carved Egg Yellow Calcite Crystals with Beautiful Abstract Matrix SE-12
Septarian Stone egg

Large Dark Green Chalcedony Geode with Mini Stilbite Crystals. Heart and Crown Chakras. Crystal Healing / Mineral Specimen.
Dark Green Chalcedony

Finials~

Natural Peacock Blue Copper Gemstone Lamp Finial
Peacock Copper Gemstone

Lamp Finial - Oco Geode Agate Crystal
Oco Geode Agate

Chrysophrase Finial
Chrysophrase

1PC 100% Natural Gemstone Rock&Mineral Rough Specimen Titanium Colorful Agate Druzy Geoge  Lamp Finial, Gemstone Lamp Charms Lighting Parts
Druzy











Saturday, June 8, 2013

Text, type, font, letter, character, glyph- our love of man made communication tools

The death of reading had been predicted many times over- when newspapers were invented, during the rise of comic books, movies, the Internet, twitter, and ebooks to name a few. But all these simply morphed how we read. Be it in short form non-fiction, with pictures, as subtitles, on a back lit screen, in 144 characters or by holding 1000 book in your hand, we still read.

Judging by the recent trends in design, we still want to see the characters of the language we created. They are coming off the page and into our homes, walls, bookshelves and sofas!


Antique letterpress letter wxyz - the collection measures 2.25 inches by 2.25 inches - wood

Letterpress block, which are over 100 years old, are hot on Etsy with target market is Gen Y a.k.a. the Millennials.

Personalized Bridesmaids Gifts. Hand Embroidered Initial Necklaces. Handmade by merriweathercouncil on Etsy.

In the South, initials, which never really went out of style, are bigger than ever, like these from Merriweather Council on Etsy.





 We are now including letters as bedroom decor, like these in a nursery from HavenandHome.blogspot.com!



 
 
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to spelling out what to eat!


 For the Hipster set, there are
BED Letter Pillows - CASES ONLY
 
and 
texting sayings!
 
What are your favorite ways to use letters?

.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Who is Paul Hanson?

Lately, I have found some fantastic mid-century modern lamps by the maker Paul Hanson. I love the contemporary lines, the intricate details, and the monumetality of the size. But, who is he? What is the story of these lamps?

The Paul Hanson Lighting Company began in the 1920's and as a collectible today as then. Their appeal lies in the quality of the materials- porcelains, high quality wood, marble, bronze and brasses. They were created using molds as well as cast metal in a lost wax process. This process is based on carving a form from wax and burying the wax form in sand. Then the bronze, or other metal, is then poured into the sand and the wax is burnt away with the metal filling the void left, thus making the casting. It is an expensive process reserved for art pieces.

The most collectible of  Paul Hanson lamps are from the Hollywood Regency style and the Chinoiserie styles from the 1940's through 1960's. The style hallmarks include detailed pierced work, Mid-century modern geometric lines, and more traditional styles of retro-fitted porcelain vessel shapes with Asian inspired painting and classical lines in glass or brass.

Some of the marks of Paul Hanson include:
Pair Paul Hanson Yellow Asian Design Ceramic Table Lamps image 9
Paul Hanson sticker on the lamp base- image from 1st dibs

Statuesque pair of clear Crystal Urn lamps by Paul Hanson, NY image 6
PH button on the lamp base- image from 1st dibs.

Pair Paul Hanson Solid Brass Twin Dolphin Desk Lamps image 6

Paul Hanson mark on the base of a double dolphin lamp.- image from 1st dibs

Fantastic lamp forms include:

Square forms with pierce work, or lattice-


Above image from personal collection


Image from EBAY- pair of Chinoiserie lamp bases
The orb and spacer-


From EBAY- Stainless steel and Brass lamp base

Pair of Paul Hanson clear crackle glass lamps image 7

From 1stdibs.com- clear cracked glass with brass spacers lamp base
Pair of Hanson Pottery Ball Lamps

From 1stdibs.com- Pottery Ball and brass spacer lamp base

Sunday, June 2, 2013

New look in the shop! My British Colonial corner

I love British Colonial, sometimes called British West Indies, or British Campaign, which are really sub-categories of the look. It is warm with pretty dark wood tones, rich in pattern and detail, mix of metals, and always looks curated and collected. I also like the West Indies influence with crisp colors combined with dark woods and neutral textiles. It's like Downton Abbey with a tan!

I have been acquiring pieces that feed this look. And, I added the final touches to the look today in my Colonial Corner by placing the rugs on the wall.

What do you think?






 
See something you like? Just let me know and we can talk price!