Through cut glass for a fragmented glow

We have pushed the proverbial barrow over the years for Lee Broom like crazy people. 

We love what Lee can do with a decanter, a piece of carpet, a ceramic tile, a club chair or even a dining chair. But check this out if you dare. 

Only the mind of a true dreamer... a true creative, could concoct & devise such a dream product. Who needs to spend the equivalent of the GDP of Equador on a light, when simply said, a swanky faceted light bulb is all it takes to create a feature of that very special spot in a room?

 

Who needs a bulky lampshade to offset a lamp base, when light can be filtered through the prism of cut glass and thrown around the room with gay abandon, whilst still looking mind-numbingly beautiful?

How can a designer ever imagine such beauty? 

How can a designer so consistently stun us with his near- impossible ideas?

Lee Broom is blessed with it all..style, grace, elegance, modesty, and decanter-loads of talent.

Available in Australia through Considered This Interior Agencies - Sydney.

View all Lee Broom creations on http://www.leebroom.com

The fabulous new Caesar Chair - No nails

Just completed by our favourite upholsterer "The Chair Man" in Sydney and designed & built by the amazing Icelandic cabinet maker Jens Andersen. This Caesar Chair is our must-have item for the month. Being hand built, with no nails, is a feature on its own. Nonetheless, being exquisitely designed and carved with a flair that only Scandinavians seem to have, it appears to sit so comfortably in its skin (pardon the pun).

The hand carved detail is superb, as can be seen in this image of the forward cross-bar.

This chair is a shining example of the incredible work produced for designers, architects, and their loyal private clients in Sydney by this two- man team of designer/manufacturer and upholsterer.

I love the way highly skilled individuals team up for joint venture products such as this.

Jens and Peter continue to custom design, custom build, and upholster for Australians who seek the very best of quality. It is always refreshing to find tradesmen so passionate about their trades, and so intent on stretching the boundaries of design at a time when cheap imports seem to be flooding our market.

We also adore the use of whiskery hide on this chair. The way the backbone of the hide runs central to the chair back and seat and offers a mirror image of the animal on either side of the seating area. The choice of hide itself is superb. Rather than the 'done to death' jersey cow option, Peter and Jens have selected a mottled almost feathery caribou style of skin. The naturally organic aesthetic of the upholstery works so beautifully with American Alder which was reclaimed and salvaged from old woolstores to live again as a piece of such beauty.

The skin and bones of a beautiful old lifeboat

 

I have just returned from an exhibition of the most beautiful work imaginable. Held at the amazing Edge Art Space in Brooklyn (Sydney) the exhibition was titled "Viewpoint". 

A large percentage of the work displayed, featured the subject matter embedded loosely onto a white canvas, allowing the viewer to be drawn into the focal point of the work. There was no background noise so to speak. All we could see was the object of the artists interest...her VIEWPOINT! 

In the image featured, Yvonne's 'viewpoint' was the tatty bones of an old lifeboat, seemingly weathered and worn but still fully formed and easily identifiable. This is not the flotsam and jetsam of the beach, but a treasured artifact, a cherished antiquity, the skin and bones of a once sturdy reliable lifeboat. It seemed to be appearing out of the mist like a forgotten prop from Pirates of the Caribbean. 

This was my absolute favourite piece of the night and at under $3,000.00 it is an investment piece that will not break the bank.

There were only 2 lifeboats featured, but other works stunningly portrayed the rocks and rockpools of the environment around Yvonnes island home. She just as cleverly referenced Ghost Gums, caves, waterfalls, and boat moorings.

Yvonne Terkildsen is another brilliant Australian artist. Her work does incredible justice to the beauty of her  home state of NSW. Her use of colour, line, and negative space is a stroke of genius, and we envisage her name will be heard more and more on the international art scene.

For now, her work is currently available from:

 The Edge Art Space - 120 Brooklyn Road - Brooklyn - NSW  edgeartspace@gmail.com

Blue Tile Lamps that Ooze Style and Grace

Now not everyone finds tiles endearing, and I know many are not keen on the current trend towards up-cycling. Frankly, I can understand that to some degree. Firstly, tiles were done to death so badly, for so long, that it is a miracle anyone thought to revive them. Secondly, the resurrection of everything from plastic bottles to old rugs, has left many of us wondering in awe if up-cycling is a trend or a predominantly economic incentive.

In London though, there lives the king of up-cycling, Lee Broom. Over the years he has taken the lighting scene by storm with his brilliantly 'adjusted' lead crystal decanters, which with bases removed, live again as exquisite lighting.

 

Decanterlights have featured previously in our Decorating Trends blog, but we haven't finished yet, and neither has Lee. With a wave of his wand, Lee appears to effortlessly produce design marvels, and we will continue to feature his genius for our readers from time to time.

The new tiled range from his Heritage Boy collection consists of 2 sizes of table lamp, and a magnificent coffee table. Both come in blue, or white and both have been born of Lees' passion for daring applications, and his apparent desire to single-handedly save the old skills of some of Britains finest and most threatened industries....all the time, producing contemporary pieces which are so incredibly functional yet monumentally pleasing to the eye.

The Tile lamp explores the use of traditional glazed tiles on furniture items. Using twice-fired tiles, the moulds have been hand carved and monogrammed for authenticity and produced in the same factories that have been making tiles for the London Underground for over 100 years.

Dimensions: Overall Height 104cm, Base Width 24cm, Base Depth 24cm, Base Height 49cm, Shade Height 50cm, Shade Diameter 45cm

We have been thrilled to specify these pieces ourselves on projects within Australia, and without exception,  they delight their new owners beyond belief. Photographs simply do not do them justice, as is often the case. The over-sized white cotton shade is the perfect balance, and the genius of Lee Broom is virtually embedded in the DNA of each lamp and table.

Once again we drink a toast to one of Britains' finest designers. Long may his brilliantly creative brain, continue to produce his unique and monumentally beautiful contributions to global interiors