La Dolce Vita: Search results for sputnik

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Midas Touch: Lighting

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{A Fabulous, Vintage Brass Sputnik Chandelier}

I have always loved beautiful lighting and find that it is truly one of the most important elements in a home. Lately, my style has been skewing a little more towards a modern aesthetic and I have been obsessed with all things gold for some time now, so while I was perusing 1st Dibs the other day, I came across a few brass lighting fixtures that I am currently loving. Each one is unique and statement making. They’re the perfect way to add a little touch a of glamour to a space!

{While I haven’t usually loved sputnik chandeliers, I am beyond obsessed with this brass version from Little Paris Antiques. It has 72 lights and is five feet in diameter. It is stunning!}

{1970s Brass Skyscraper Lamps from Elizabeth Pash}

{Modern Living Supplies 1950s Brass Domed Adjustable Desk Lamp}

{I really like the “glam meets organic” quality of these Twig Sconces}

I am currently dreaming about a huge office with ceilings tall enough to accommodate the enormous scale of the sputnik chandelier. I’d then add a fabulous Lucite and Burlwood desk like this one along with a fabulous console for the skyscraper lamps. A girl can dream! I don’t know of too many office spaces with five foot chandeliers. Which of these fixtures is your favorite? Have you incorporated any brass or gold lighting into your home or do you prefer silver finishes like polished nickel?

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Design Under the Influence: The Sputnik Chandelier

Annette English

Hello! It's Erika from small shop, and I'm back continuing our "Design Under the Influence" explorations into ways in which the past has influenced current trends in decor, fashion and art. This time we are taking a look at the Sputnik chandelier -- and I admit, mainly because I've been looking at them for the past month and finally got one for our bedroom! It's a classic piece with a lot of history, and adds a ton of personality to any space.

Obviously, the variations on the theme all center around the Russian satellite launched in 1957, and the space age curiosity since. You can find them from $300 to $3000 in a multitude of shapes, forms and finishes, new or old. I espeically love when it's mixed with more feminine and/or rustic spaces that really offset it and make it pop. Let's take a look at some of the more recent interiors that feature this mid-century icon:

Uxus Design

Lizette Marie Interior Design

Restoration Hardware ($625)

Bonnie Edelman in House Beautiful

Design Within Reach ($1325)

Steven Gambrel

William Stewart

Jonathan Adler ($1425)

Although I would have loved a brass number like the above, the Z Gallerie chrome version at a cool $299 is budget-friendly and fine by me!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ryan Brown’s “Flip-Out-worthy” Pad

Ryan Brown’s design sensibility has appealed to me since the first season of Flipping Out. His aesthetic mixes laidback California elegance with Los Angeles Regency and Asian influences. His chic projects usually feature a mix of styles, which I love. The home Ryan shares with his partner, Dale and daughter, Chloe was featured in the Los Angeles Times a few months ago and was recently named one of their top 10 stories of the year.

The living room is furnished in a sophisticated mix of vintage and contemporary pieces: A white-lacquered Art Deco side table sits next to a minimalist Italian sofa. A wooden-topped factory stool flanks a Danish armchair covered in a bold floral. Matching high-backed chairs sit across from an embossed leather ottoman on casters. Above it is Jonathan Adler's three-tier Ventana chandelier. On the small wall to the right of the bay window, another Brown touch: wooden paddles from European bakeries hung as art.

Ryan’s living room features Kelly Wearstler Trellis drapes, Jonathan Adler’s Ventana Chandelier, and a pair of high back chairs.

The opposite view: Daughter Chloe crosses the living room, with the elevated dining area in the background. Note how the crown molding at the ceiling juts out at the window and serves as curtain valances. "Molding adds instant warmth and character to a room," says Brown, who also connected baseboards and chair rails to vertical trim pieces, creating the appearance of paneled walls. "You can get it at a hardware store and just nail it up. It doesn't need to be real wood since it's going to be painted." Although Brown splurged on high-priced designer fabrics by Lulu DK and Kelly Wearstler elsewhere in the house, when it came to larger jobs such as curtains and Roman shades, he went to the Fashion District in downtown L.A. and shopped discount stores.

Ryan often uses rich neutral colors. I love the elegant warmth in this room. Little Chloe is certainly the cutest thing in the room!

On a vintage bar cart from <a href="http://www.lawsonfenning.com"> Lawson-Fenning</a> in Los Angeles, Brown creates a display that mixes a Buddha head, a branch of coral and two oversized lacquer candlesticks from West Elm that frame what appears to be a glass mosaic tile work. It's actually a painting by <a href="http://www.thehappylion.com/index.php?artist=wills&view=list"> artist Brian Wills</a>. The walls are painted with Sherwin Williams' Gauntlet Gray.

I love these West Elm Candlesticks! The coral adds nice texture, as well.

In the dining room, Brown covered the ceiling in bead board, which makes the space feel intimate yet casual, he says. The horizontal lines also echo the wall of cabinetry, which Brown created from three matching Chinese pieces, an eye-catching alternative to a built-in unit. He designed the table, which can seat 12. It's built on a base of reclaimed Douglas fir with a distressed walnut top by Ian Ferguson of [<a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. "I always tell him to beat up table tops so I don't have to worry about them," Brown says. Though they look like antiques, the dining chairs are a cheat, Brown admits. "I was running out of budget so I got them from <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com"> Anthropologie</a> and recovered the seats."

The dining room features an amazing Sputnik chandelier and beautiful, rich cabinetry.

The Sputnik lamp hanging over the dining table was purchased at <a href="http://www.downtown20.net"> Downtown</a> in Los Angeles. "There's a bulb missing and people always notice," the designer says. "But I think that's part of its charm."

The family's chocolate Lab, Jordan, cruises through the kitchen. Brown designed a fretwork pattern for cupboard doors, giving the room the Chinese Chippendale look associated with Hollywood Regency style. The work also was done by <a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. Note the top portion of the walls, which are covered in bead board running horizontally, coordinating with the marble subway tiles above the countertop.

I must say that my favorite rooms that Ryan designs are always his kitchens! I love the open shelving and beautiful finishes. Notice the fretwork on the cabinets.

A banquette style sofa from <a href="http://www.mgandbw.com/">Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams</a> in a kid-friendly floral print anchors the space adjoining the kitchen. Monchamp says the home nicely balances formal spaces with family areas. "We couldn't do anything too precious," he says. "We are not 'No, don't touch that' people."

Brown's improvements included new hardwood floor, doors and windows, which brighten the master bedroom upstairs. And the mix of décor? "The world is an art gallery," Brown says. "You can learn something new at every turn."

The Zen-Like Master Bedroom

The master bath gets the glam spa treatment with a <a href="http://www.sunrisespecialty.com/sunskirted.html">Piedmont skirted tub</a> purchased at <a href="http://www.livingsquare.com">Living Square</a> in Los Angeles. Hexagonal Mist limestone floor tiles are from <a href="http://www.annsacks.com/home.html">Ann Sacks</a>. The chandelier, which Brown repainted white, was 60 bucks. "A lot of the lamps in the house cost under a hundred dollars at flea markets and garage sales," Brown says.

This is such a great spot for a tub!

In the stairwell, he hung the 30-bulb Meurice chandelier, a Jonathan Adler design that can be found <a href="http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/product.php?productid=17077&cat=387&page=1&initial="> online</a> for $750.

A Fabulous Jonathan Adler Chandelier Hangs in the Stairwell

Chloe plays chef in her bright and cheery room, furnished from catalog resources such as <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/">Pottery Barn Kids</a>. Brown and Monchamp wanted a beautiful house that was still kid-friendly. The living room sofa may be B&B Italia, but that doesn’t mean Chloe and her playmates are impressed. "They'll take every cushion and pillow off and throw them on the floor, then they'll jump on them," Brown says, nonplussed.

Miss Chloe’s room is cute and sassy.

The yard was relandscaped to include a mosaic tile pool, an organic vegetable garden and a lawn with a concrete paver path from <a href="http://www.artobrick.com/index.aspx"> Arto Brick</a> in Gardena. With extensive changes inside and out, the tab for renovations came to about $700,000. "I did it as inexpensively as possible to use the materials I wanted," Brown says, adding that without his industry sources the cost would have run $1 million.

So relaxing! I wish I were hanging out in this beautiful backyard today instead of taking harbor from this cold, rainy day.

Under a wood-framed arbor, Brown created an outdoor dining area with a 13.5-foot-long table and four teak benches for seating. A zinc planter and an aged metal votive holder add a touch of French country charm.

I adore the items Ryan chose for the outdoor dining area. The long, farmhouse style table, zinc planter, and candleholder look fantastic and add a bit of French charm.

Image Credit: The Los Angeles Times

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Bold and the Beautiful

Nate Berkus masters the use of the graphic rug.

Recently, a friend was telling me how much she would like to transform her living areas without spending too much money. She wanted to keep the traditional furniture she already has, but wanted her house to have a more modern edge. I immediately suggested that we add some new accessories and that she should consider buying some new rugs in bold patterns.

Graphic rugs are not for the faint of heart, but they are one component of a room that can make a very bold statement. Quite often, they can balance out the more subdued or traditional sensibility of a room. However, bold rugs can also be found in rooms that are already dressed in bold colors, patterns, and textures. Rugs are one of my favorite ways of adding loads of style to a room and are often the key in pulling all of the individual elements together.

Nate Berkus

I love the way he uses rugs in his interiors. They make a statement without overwhelming the room.

Nate Berkus

David Jimenez

David pairs colorful, graphic rugs against the bold accessories and colors in these rooms in his home in Palm Springs.

David Jimenez

Jennifer Dyer

This chic living room actually belongs to Preston Lee's partner, Jennifer Dyer and features one of my favorite rugs ever.

The Hospes Granada Hotel in Spain

The graphic rug takes the otherwise serene room to the next level.

Thom Filicia

This rug works beautifully with the rest of the room. It complements the color scheme beautifully.

The rug in this office, featured in the October 2008 issue of Living Etc. has a very romantic quality and adds life to the room.

Kelley Wearstler: The undisputed queen of bold gestures

Kelley Wearstler

I love the rug Ryan Brown of Brown Design and Flipping Out chose for this family room. The colors and Sputnik chandelier give the room a very Palm Springs vibe.

Ron Marvin chose a zebra print rug for his tiny, but incredibly stylish Manhattan studio apartment.

Mary McDonald

Mary's guest house is featured in the current issue of Domino and it has generated a lot of buzz.

The deep navy rugs she used seal the deal in the over the top, but oh-so-fabulous guest cottage.

Images via Nate Berkus, David Jimenez, Preston Lee, Hospes Granada, Thom Filicia, Living Etc, Kelley Wearstler, Ron Marvin, Brown Design, and Mary McDonald