Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The God of Small Things

Designer/ trend setter Federico de Vera opens his chic and secret new gallery on 81st Street in New York City. Delicious. Come with me for a visit.


I’ve known and admired Federico de Vera for perhaps twenty years. Longer!

He opened a series of startlingly original and trend-setting design, jewelry, and glass galleries in San Francisco. Then he left us bereft when he decamped to New York six years ago. Fans like Giorgio Armani, Valentino with Giancarlo Giammetti, rock stars, authors, stylists, design editors, marketing guru Sam Shahid, Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, and all of the ultra-private global style-setters descended and became loyal clients.

I wrote about Federico de Vera’s legendary NoLita gallery at 1 Crosby Street, New York, a few months ago on THE STYLE SALONISTE.

I also showed you an exclusive look at Federico’s SoHo loft here on THE STYLE SALONISTE.

Now Federico has made a dazzling new move—opening a fabulous bijou gallery, tiny and discreet, at 81st and Madison. So chic!

Go there immediately.





"Architecture was a fine, formal training that focused and clarified what I wanted to do with my life," said de Vera. "I learned about balance and harmony, contrast and juxtaposition. In the Philippines I also gained an understanding of fine craftsmanship and a very understated, almost meditative approach. Good design and room composition are about rigorous editing, staying true to my own aesthetic, and using color with great discretion." –Federico de Vera





International arts and antiques dealer Federico de Vera is a connoisseur of color, form and dimension. His fine-tuned aesthetic sense is especially evident at his new Upper East Side store, de Vera, where eclectic Venetian sculptures, Indian diamonds, Botticelli-inspired jewels, Asian religious objects, miniscule and dainty and exquisite antiques and rarities are showcased. Call him a dream weaver.

“I wanted a simple romantic interior with a timeless aura so that each object could be savored,” said de Vera, whose jewelry selections are exclusive to his two galleries. De Vera himself can often be seen uptown or downtown, handbeading a necklace or sketching a pendant or pearl earrings.

The shop’s free-spirited decor includes tough-chic concrete floors, cerused mahogany counters, buff plaster walls, antique vitrines, and glorious boiserie walls.

One-of-a-kind objets d’art include delicate nephrite bowls, hand-woven silk textiles, a Roman pot, Orientalist Art Deco vases, and delicate old gilded statues from the Philippines and India. In the elegant mix: hand-blown Venetian glass bowls (perfect for pampered goldfish), and fragments of Balinese religious carvings.

The small jewel-like store looks like an ethnographic museum, with display cases of Indian bowls, carved mother-of-pearl spoons, Philippine mortars, pre-Hispanic Philippine gold ornaments, and fragments of ancient Japanese tools.

Oh, and be sure to ask about de Vera’s new two-volume book set, just published, on his jewelry and objects. It’s fabulously elegant and original. (I’m not exactly objective. I wrote an essay on perception for one of the volumes.)

Be sure to secure or order the boxed set. All of de Vera’s ultra-private clients are clamoring for it, and it was printed in a very limited edition, with a de Vera collage, each one of a kind, enclosed.






The God of Small Things:  In his new 81st Street/Madison Avenue store, Federico de Vera delights in arranging necklaces, vintage Venetian glass, rare books, jewelry and quirky antiques in mesmerizing compositions. In the petite light-filled gallery he displays delicate and rare antique Venetian glass, Dutch and French portraits, de Vera handcrafted jewelry, and other beautiful objects from around the world. With this new gallery brings his special luster, originally, eccentricity and grace to a gracious uptown address.



De Vera
26 East 81st Street
(at Madison)
New York City
212-288-2288

Photo credit:
 
All photographs by Don Freeman, exclusively for de Vera. Used with express permission.

19 comments:

quintessence said...

Exquisite - my idea of heaven. A piece of his magnificent jewelry has long been on my wish list.

Mrs. Blandings said...

I could spend hours- and have - in the old space. Can't wait to see the new one. Happy New Year!

DelRae Roth said...

Happy new year Diane....
always so inspiring! Thank you!!
DelRae

Mary Ann Pickett said...

Making a mental note for my next trip. Actually, I'd better bookmark your post.
Thank you.
Mary Ann

Unknown said...

So happy to know about this little gem! Putting this on my "shopping list" for my next visit into the city!!!

Concrete Jungle said...

Looks like a beyond gorgeous little spot...certainly the big apple's gain!

mary said...

It is like entering a dream state. Everything is perfect, nothing is lacking and nothing needs to be edited.

peggy braswell said...

Diane-What a great write-up..can't wait to check it out next trip. xx peggybraswelldesign.com

don freeman said...

Dear Diane, you always make me look good. and its a great piece! congrats and Happy New Year!

CynCity Design Jewelry said...

To the blogger who thought that Diane's blogposts were TOO LONG, hey, I wish they were longer. A blog can have infinite space. Why not use it. I congratulate Diane on her taste levels, her choices and the design of this glorious paean to wealth and excess. Anyone can have money, only the few can have the taste to go with it.

Diane Dorrans Saeks said...

Good Morning, Dear Friends-

De Vera...uptown and downtown...are such exquisite galleries, and as Patricia said you can linger for hours, lost in dreams. I do.
Cynthia-the person (a friend, actually) who said 'You blog is too long' when I first launched gave me such a gift and forced me to examine my concept of writing long 'features' and not 'posts'. I thank him whenever I see him, most warmly.
When I'm writing about style and design I'm thinking about beauty, whatever the price. Beauty is uplifting, provocative and essential.
To consider on next New York trip: Federico will custom-make jewelry, for a present, for a gift for yourself. Be sure to introduce yourself to him.
Looking forward to hearing from you all in 2011.
very very best, DIANE

Fay said...

Beautiful!
Diane Ive just been gib=ven your details by michael Y and i can see why . Ive subscribed and become a follower so look forward to reading you dily blog full of wondrous things

Fay

Karena said...

Amazed simply amazed!! Thank you for sharing!

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

robin harvey said...

A good reason to visit New York!

Penelope Bianchi said...

I wrote this long comment........and it disappeared! Not sure why. I will try again tomorrow! We are on our way to NYC in two weeks..........will go see this fab store!

You remain on the cutting edge........always!

XXOO

Penelope

ps we may catch David for the preview party of the Winter antiques show.........I have never been!

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

Diane, a truly religious experience- spoken quite reverently. pgt

Diane Dorrans Saeks said...

Good Evening, Dear Friends-

Fay-yes, Michael Yomtov is great and witty and is a beloved friend of THE STYLE SALONISTE. I'm so happy you joined us.
Karena and Robin-Yes...a good reason to visit New York (or to take the afternoon off to visit de Vera...if you live anywhere in the neighborhood. I suggest having lunch or tea at EAT, Eli Zabar's wonderful restaurant nearby.
Penny-Oh, dear, lost text. It is the most maddening thing about a computer. But it is always a great great delight to hear from you, dear Penny--and to think of you int he glories of Santa Barbara, surrounded by handsome children and grandchildren.
Patricia Gaye Tapp-Holy Smoke! I agree with you--de Vera is a 'religious experience'. And it is the 'God of Small Things' element--the tiny beauties, the miniscule wonders--that make his galleries so earth-shatteringly wonderful. Trust me--there are those who are obsessed with Federico. And don't forget to ask about his new privately published books.
cheers to all, DIANE

honeybeeandme said...

WOW,

IT IS LIKE GOING TO ITALY AND FINDING A VERY SMALL STORE AROUND THE CORNER AND DOWN THE STEPS, A ALICE IN WONDERLAND LIKE EXPERIENCE...

I ASSURE ALL THAT IT IS A RARE MOMENT IN THIS LIFE TO BE COVETED BY OTHERS AND SAUGHT AFTER..

YOU KNOW THE MOST EXCLUSIVE AND AMAZING PEOPLE AND SHOPS...


XXOO
MELISSA

Fiona Cartolina said...

Such a beautiful post Diane!
I'd like to step right into everyone of those photographs. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing this wonderful place with the rest of us :-)