Monday, October 31, 2016

Sexy Italian Style: Newest Furniture by Flexform

Chic and alluring new furniture and lighting from Flexform is my focus this week.

I’ve always loved the design approach by the forty-year-old Italian design company, Flexform. This season the company is presenting its best collection, with sexy new fabrics, sleek new silhouettes, and a chic new color palette. I love the leather sofas (soft as clouds) and a series of custom sofas, very family-style.

Come and see what’s new.

And I recently hosted a wonderfully inspiring tribute to San Francisco’s leading architects and interior designers. Come and see who was dining and chatting at the Flexform San Francisco showroom.

Lots to see and love this week. Come with me for a tour.






What’s New at Flexform San Francisco

For 2016, Flexform presented new designs created by three extraordinary personalities: the architect Antonio Citterio, who for over forty years has coordinated the collections, the visionary Daniel Libeskind and the elegant Carlo Colombo. 

The collections by the three architects, each with his own different design poetics, form a harmonious whole, in keeping with the stylistic code of the company. Comfort is the indispensable factor. Call it inner elegance. 





Celebrating Talent and New Accomplishments

An evening with San Francisco leading designers and architects at the Flexform showroom in San Francisco’s Design District

I recently hosted, with showroom director/founder Gregory Herman, a vivid and celebratory private dinner. We invited highly accomplished interior designers and architects and were thrilled when designer Gary Hutton arrived with his new book, ‘Art House’, for a first look.

Among the brilliant and talented guests were Pamela Babey, Gary Hutton, Daniel Piechota, Eche Martinez, Lise de Vito and Jim Zack, Chris Orsega and Tina Lindinger, along with Annie Lowengart, Mead Quinn, Kathy Best, Benjamin Dhong, and Charles de Lisle. Also on hand to test the leather sofas and touch the cashmere upholstery were Chris Bergin and Martin Kobus, and Angela Free.

All guests received a signed copy of my new book, “Jean-Louis Deniot Interiors’ (Rizzoli).

We lingered on in convivial conversation until midnight. A wonderful evening, indeed. Thank you, Gregory Herman.



Host Gregory Herman and Daniel Piechota, Sagan Piechota Architecture.

Pamela Babey, BAMO, and Gary Hutton, Gary Hutton Design.

Benjamin Dhong, Benjamin Dhong Interiors


Angela Free, Kathy Best and Mead Quinn

Annie Lowengart, Ann Lowengart Interiors

Chris Orsega and Tina Lindinger, both with BCJ, with Charle de Lisle, The Office of Charles de Lisle.

Lise de Vito and Jim Zack, Zack de Vito, architects.

Chris Bergin and Martin Kobus, Martin Kobus, Inc.

Ken Lindsteadt, Ken Linsteadt Architects with Eche Martinez

Gregory Herman with Domenica Catelli, Cattelli’s, Geyserville.










Newest 2016 Flexform Designs by Antonio Citterio, Carlo Colombo and Daniel Libeskind


Antonio Citterio for Flexform:











Collection by Carlo Colombo for Flexform:







New sofa designed by Daniel Libeskind for Flexform:






About Flexform

FLEXFORM was founded in 1959 in the furniture manufacturing district of Brianza, in Northern Italy. The workshops are in a territory where the history of many small crafts workshops working with wood, metal and upholstery since the early 1900s intertwines with that of the great masters of Italian design, trained in the School of Architecture in nearby Milan

In 1959 the Galimberti brothers started a crafts workshop, which they called “Flexform di Galimberti.” They opened their first street-front showroom, displaying sofas and armchairs that found their way, in the postwar era, into elegant buildings in Milan, villas overlooking Lake Como, even the foyer of Teatro alla Scala.

Later, their sons transformed the workshop into an industrial facility. Intuition prompted the family to work with the leading designers of the time: Joe Colombo, Asnago-Vender, Cini Boeri, Rodolfo Bonetto and many others.

With the young Italian architect Antonio Citterio, Flexform embarked on a path of professional growth that has continued to the present, for over forty years.

The 1970s marks a decisive turning point in the firm’s conception of products. Avoiding repetition of past styles, the production became increasingly original and contemporary. The company went global—selling across the world.

For the past 40 years, Antonio Citterio has been supervising the Flexform collection.

I especially admire the Flexform company philosophy. The Galimberti family owners say, “The challenge is to keep intact that “expedition behavior” – to use a term borrowed from Jeff Ashby, the Space Shuttle commander – namely the altruistic and generous behavior typical of mountain climbing expeditions, where valuing the team above all other concerns is the key to success. So continuing to think in collective terms for the benefit of the brand is the most important challenge for our family business.”



CREDITS:

Flexform San Francisco


145 Rhode Island Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

415.800.6576
www.flexformsf.com

info@flexformsf.com

9am to 5pm Monday–Friday
11am to 4pm Saturday
Closed Sunday



PARTY PHOTOGRAPHY: 

Jessica Monroy, Drew Altizer
www.drewaltizer.com


CATERING:
Domenica Catelli’s of Catelli’s Restaurant
21047 Geyserville Ave.
Geyserville, California
707-857-3471
www.mycatellis.com



FLEXFORM S.P.A. 

Via Einaudi 24/25
20821 Meda (MB) Italia
T. +39 0362 3991
F. +39 0362 399228
info@flexform.it

www.flexform.it





Monday, October 24, 2016

Art and Antiques — An Exciting Week: Celebrating Beauty and the Love of Collecting

Now in its 35th Year, the San Francisco Fall Art and Antiques Show, opens with a chic preview party, 7pm, October 26, 2016 at the Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco.

This exciting show, now with contemporary art, runs through Sunday October 30.

With over fifty international dealers and a lively series of lectures and book-signings and style and design talks, the show is a highlight of San Francisco’s cultural season.

This year, San Francisco architect Andrew Skurman, a noted classicist, has designed the elegant entry, with a tribute to the show’s theme, Animalia.





San Francisco architect Andrew Skurman sets the style for this year’s show with his elegant portico of Audubon’s birds and a 12th-century Italian bronze horse.


“In our aesthetic world, we have always included our friends the animals as magnificent objects and important symbols,” said Andrew Skurman. “Many animals are in the show, all of them are in our minds, from the Lascaux bulls to Louise Bourgeois spiders, from the double-headed imperial eagles to our Californian bear.

“Horses are important and symbolic because they become one with the person, whether a warrior, a cowboy, or an equestrian. They populate iconography in various imaginary shapes — winged horses, unicorns and centaurs,” said Skurman.

“The falcon in this 19th century drawing by John James Audubon, ornithologist and painter, was the Egyptian symbol of the rising sun. He is often represented as the companion of the nobleman, and embodies the most important human virtues, such as courage and loyalty.

“Noah took a pair of each species in his ark,” added Skurman. “The myth is clear: the animals belong with us. What would we have done without them, without their companionship and their beauty.”




An Interview with Suzanne Tucker

Interior designer, Suzanne Tucker, Tucker & Marks, is once again the event chair, expertly guiding and shaping the show, and injecting new ideas and inspirations.

I sat down recently for a chat with Suzanne to get the inside scoop on the Animalia theme, and the new layout for the exhibits, and to take a fresh look at the designer vignettes that have always welcomed participants, and have been a highlight of this acclaimed event.




DDS: Suzanne, it’s a great pleasure to get the inside scoop on the 35th annual San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show. Tell us about the show theme, ‘Animalia – Animal Imagery in Art & Antiques’.
ST:
The Animalia theme has been on my mind for a few years now.

It’s fanciful and playful, exotic and timeless and classic and each dealer is bringing very exciting pieces.

And the Latin word Animalis — I love that it literally means, “having soul”. After all, at the heart of all art, antiques and decorative objects is a boundless, collective soul, that of the artist, the craftsman, the collector, the observer.



DDS: What will catch our eye first?ST: The first thing we will see is the entrance with renderings of The Falcon drawn by J.J. Audubon, engraved, printed and colored by R. Havell, 1837. The Marcus Aurelius etching is a Renaissance period piece, by an unknown artist. They are in a setting designed by San Francisco architect Andrew Skurman. Andy and I also collaborated on the reconfiguration of the show lay-out, to make it a more compelling and interactive experience.



DDS: I’m so pleased you brought back the designer vignettes.
ST:
We are thrilled that de Gournay, renowned London-based manufacturer of luxurious bespoke wall coverings, is once again partnering with us and working with each designer to create an exclusive wallpaper design.

The four vignette designers are:

Ann Getty is creating an enchanting vignette inspired by India, witha focus on elephants. She was especially excited to include some of the many elephant objects and treasures that she has in her personal collection. Together with her lead designer, Maria Quiros, Ann has created a modern setting. They took a classic Indian Jali screen pattern, applied it to silk and abraded it back to create a wall covering with a less traditional look – a dramatic backdrop for her personal pachyderms.

Antonio Martins looked to his Brazilian/Portuguese heritage and has envisioned an exotic mangrove jungle scene in a sea green monochrome. Antonio was inspired to call attention to the many endangered species of Brazil. The walls are covered with a custom paper dramatically painted with flora and fauna bringing forth the steamy seductiveness of the jungle world. In the vignette is iconic Brazilian furniture by Hugo Franca with a counterpoint of Baroque santos and a few intriguing surprises.

• Inspired by the heritage and connoisseurship of tea, Catherine Kwong proposes a perfect cup in high style. The backdrop of her “Salon de Thé” is festooned with beautiful soaring birds, hand-painted on silk panels, all inspired by Alberta Ferretti’s latest runway collection. Foliage bursting with blush-colored blooms, with birds in flight, are a call to Old World romance and memories of a delicate Oolong enjoyed in Oxfordshire. Furnishings by Almond & Co.

Jonathan Rachman’s vignette features his "Loro Blonyo (the inseparable couple) Monkeys". His fanciful wallpaper design is named after the Javanese/Balinese /Indonesian sculptures given as a wedding gift. His parents were the inspiration for the design, as they are celebrating their 60th anniversary next year. Jonathan combined this homage with his love of his homeland, Indonesia, and the lush scenery of his favorite island of Bali. His vignette also features fabrics from The Sisters Collection he designed for Bolt Textiles.



DDS: What is new for this year's show?
ST:
We’re added contemporary art. This was by popular request from many dealers over the years and now opens the show to an expansive range of art and a broader spectrum of galleries. We have also invited our dealers to think beyond just antiques and bring pieces from the past but specialty pieces that reach into present day.

Walls are tall, booths are interactive, and the cafe is more intimate. There are also a number of new dealers – Peter Finer, Hackett-Mill, Meyerovich Gallery, Schillay Fine Arts, Los Angeles Fine Art Gallery, Charles Plante Fine Arts. We are delighted to welcome our wonderful loyal dealers who happily return to the show year after year - Steinitz, Carlton Hobbs, Mallet, Foster-Gwin, Peter Fetterman Gallery, Daniel Stein Antiques, Almond + Co. to name a few.



DDS: The San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques Show is renowned for its stellar roster of lectures.
ST:
Yes, outstanding speakers and their new books. Lectures are followed by booksignings at Hayden & Fandetta, the book salon.

Peter Pennoyer and Katie Ridder will be here from New York to launch their new book A House in the Country (Rizzoli) and will present: Pillow Talk: A Designer Wife and Architect Husband Make Their Own House, Thursday, 
October 27 at 11:00am.

Minding Their Manors with James Reginato on Thursday, October 27 at 2:30pm will explore the intriguing stories and celebrated histories of some of the leading families of Great Britain and Ireland and the opulent residences that have defined their heritage. Followed by the signing of his book Great Houses, Modern Aristocrats (Rizzoli).

David Netto's talk In Pursuit of Francois Catroux: The Greatest Design Story Almost Never Told on Friday, October 28 at 11:00 AM will give us insight into the mystique of this most elusive of French designers. David will sign copies of his just published book (Rizzoli).

Chara Schreyer and Gary Hutton will give us a personal presentation on The Modern Eye: Cultivating a 21st Century Private Collection on Friday, October 28 at 2:30pm, with their Art House (Assouline) book-signing to follow.

On Saturday October 29 at 11:00 AM (Designer Day) there will be an inspiring panel discussion entitled Point and Counterpoint with Suzanne Rheinstein, Madeline Stuart and Steven Volpe, moderated by Carl Dellatore.

Afterwards they will be a group signing of his new book Interior Design Master Class: 100 Lessons from America’s Finest Interior Designers on the Art of Decoration (Rizzoli).

New York City designer Alexa Hampton will be honored at the annual luncheon held by the Northern California Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art on Saturday, October 29. Afterwards, at 2:30pm, she will lecture on Decorating in Detail: Decorating with Art, Antiques and People.


Lebreton Gallery
"Grande Cocotte" and "Petite Cocotte" - Black stoneware Cache-Pots by François Xavier Lalanne, circa 1990.

Antonio's Bella Casa  Pair of rare, c.1840, Roman, left and right, male and female, Carrara marble hounds. Beautiful expression on both dogs with poses/postures that are very true-to-life.

Antonio's Bella Casa  17th century Marble Fountain Head. Superb, early 1600's, Florentine, Carrara marble, lion fountain head mounted on a custom, iron stand.

Carlton Hobbs
Cockerel battling with two serpents attributed to Francesco Antonio Franzoni (1734-1818). Probably Rome. Circa 1804/1813.

Clinton Howell Antiques A fine pair of oval rococo girandoles having a stylized crest blending both chinoiserie and “Gothick”elements with c-scrolls and carved leaf decoration surmounting a second crest with a profusion of leaves and c-scrolls surrounding the oval frame having candle arms with the base made of double opposing c-scrolls. English, Circa 1750.


epoca  
An elegant and good quality french Maison Baguès 1940's gilt-bronze coffee/cocktail table with hoofed feet and carrara marble top. The well-veined top within a gilt-bronze frame is raised on elegantly scrolled supports with rams head caps ending in hoof feet.

Joel Cooner Gallery
Northwest Coast Owl Spoon
Material: Mountain Sheep Horn
Age: 19th century
Origin: Haida or Tlingit People
   


Insight from show director, Ariane Trimuschat

I am seeing animals everywhere these days—I can’t help it. Look at the foot of an 18th century George II carved mahogany dining chair, a 21st century Russian photograph of a bear and ballerina, a late 19th century American weathervane, shaped as a rooster, a silver-gilt dagger, entwined with fox, crow and dogs, Picasso’s rendering of a goat in ceramic. —Ariane Trimuschat




“I am thrilled for all the exciting new things we have planned: our name for one, we have added “Art” as it is so much of what we are about. All antiques are works of art, and we have always had the most wonderful paintings and works on paper dealers in the show; we decided it was time recognize this in our name. We are also allowing contemporary works for the first time ever-there is no longer a cut-off date for exhibitors, so you will see pieces from antiquity to the 21st Century.” — Ariane Trimuschat, show director


J. R. Richards Asian Art
8th Century Tang Dynasty Camel
26” tall X 26” length
Fired Earthenware
   

Michael Pashby Antiques  
A George I White-Japanned Hanging Corner Cupboard, English circa 1720.
   

Peter Fetterman Gallery  
Pentti Sammallahti (Finland, b. 1950), Solovki, White Sea, Russia (Dog on motorbike), 1992


We have dealers from Paris, London, Milan, Brussels, and across America who will descend on San Francisco. Our Designer Vignettes, created by Ann Getty, Jonathan Rachman, Catherine Kwong and Antonio Martins, each focusing on a different animal from a different country, and all with stunning custom hand painted de Gournay wall paper will spectacularly grace the Entry Hall.” — Ariane Trimuschat, director

Peter Pap Oriental Rugs   
Märta Måås Fjetterström Rug, Sweden, Mid 20th Century, 13'9" x 19'10". Titled Blue Rays, this masterpiece of the Scandinavian mid-century modern aesthetic was designed by textile artist Marianne Richter (1916-2010) of the Märta Måås Fjetterström workshop in Bastad, Sweden in 1949. Considered one of the foremost textile artists of the 20th century, Marianne Richter designed flat-woven carpets for the Swedish diplomatic corps, as well as a monumental piece for the United Nations building in New York. This rug is a triumph of light, color and design.

Peter Finer  
Ancient Greek bronze Corinthian helmet, circa second half of the 7th century B.C.

Peter Finer  
A Brescian engraved and gilt cuirass for use by the Papal Swiss Guard, circa 1623-44.



My Favorites — The Lecture Series

Every year, I look forward to the artful and very bookish lecture series.

The concept is that each outstanding speaker has a major and important new design/style/art/antiques/architecture book, and that this will be the focus of their presentation. We view beautiful images from the book, and learn the inside story of the book’s creation and the author’s ideas and inspirations.

The lecture series offers wonderful way for design and art enthusiasts to meet experts.

Post-lecture, everyone crowds around the Book Salon of Hayden & Fandetta, the noted rare and new book dealers.

Hayden & Fandetta, based in Los Angeles and New York, have been presenting superb collections of books for decades at the San Francisco show. Authors sign books, designers meet their favorite designers, book collectors swoon.

I’m always happy to see John-Peter Hayden Jr, and to check his special edit of rare books on interiors, architecture, jewels, porcelain, designers, decoration, photography and art. Serious collectors admire his impeccable selections.


ALSO OF NOTE:

Barbara Sallick
The Perfect Bath
Thursday, October 27, 5:00pm


Ken Fulk Book Launch
Mr. Ken Fulk's Magical World
Thursday, October 27, 5:30pm in Cafe Girandole. RSVP required


Janice Lyle
Sunnylands: America's Midcentury Masterpiece
Sunday, October 30 at 3:30pm


Yew Tree House  
Antiques An impressive English country house entrance hall table standing on hairy lion paw feet, the apron with bold rococo carved scrolls and shell carved center, with a striking green-veined marble top, 19th century.
   

Roberto Freitas American Antiques
"HOUSE OF DERR" PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH DOWER CHEST
Dated 1778, Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania German dower chest, painted in black, red, olive green, orange, and yellow, with five arched cathedral panels, three on the façade and one on each side, the center front panel depicting two rearing unicorns centering an olive tree, the flanking panels decorated with stylized flowers and the date 1778, the top hinges on two large, exuberant iron strap hinges (19 inches), the top painted with three white panels, opening to an interior fitted with a candle box, the underside of the lid stenciled "Peter Derr", Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, dated 1778.
   


Roberto Freitas American Antiques 
Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009)
“Patrolling the Nets”, 1938
Watercolor on paper
Signed with initials lower left.
9 ¼” x 13 ¼”

Provenance:  From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Morgan, Amherst, Massachusetts. Charles H. Morgan, professor of fine arts at Amherst College, and the first director of the Mead Art Museum at Amherst, is credited for shaping the museum’s collection of American art into one of the finest and most varied in an academic institution.

Private collection, Los Angeles, CA This watercolor will be included in Betsy James Wyeth's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work.  


San Francisco Fall Art and Antiques Show

SHOW CHAIR:
Suzanne Tucker


HONORARY CHAIR:
Aerin Lauder


BENEFACTOR CHAIR:
Diane B. Wilsey


PREVIEW GALA CHAIRS:
Alexis and Trevor Traina
Allison Speer and Fred Moll

SHOW BENEFICIARY: 

Enterprise for High School Students

The mission of Enterprise for High School Students (which will soon be known as Enterprise for Youth) was founded in 1969 in San Francisco. The noble concept of the group is to increase student preparedness to explore and pursue career paths through training, counseling and guidance. Enterprise also offers a variety of experiential options within the work world and to provide a support network to raise youth’s personal expectations for success.

Annually, Enterprise for Youth serves over 2,000 students, ages 14-18, from both public and independent schools. Enterprise provides a means for students to gain an understanding of how their interests and talents can be integrated into employment, community service, and educational opportunities, while finding their potential. Enterprise offers access to internships and work experience in many specialized fields.

www.ehss.org


Show dates and times
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center

Wednesday, October 26 at 7pm: Opening Night Preview Gala
Thursday, October 27 – Saturday, October 29: 10:30am-7pm
Sunday, October 30: Noon-5pm


For tickets and more information