Beautiful lighting with woven cables from Toshihito Okura

Light gives us the energy we need to fulfill our wishes and dreams. Beautiful lighting lifts up the spirit. This Photon Lamp created by Japanese designer Toshihito Okura from T & O Studio is made from polycarbonate and has a punctuated pattern with cables woven into the three conic elements that form the shape. The lamp was intended to be an object which embodies light. With this excellent design, Toshihito Okura surprises with another form that guides the light into a beautiful pattern.

Stylish Modern Chandelier - Baroque ceiling light by Modani

For a lot of luxury and a little drama, this stylish modern chandelier by Modani will be a spectacular focal point in your home. This Baroque ceiling light, the Black Moon Medusa Chandelier, features a seductive candelabra frame concealed behind a sheer black shade. Clear crystals dangle and sparkle like jewelry from underneath. This soiree is  a  black tie affair. This chandelier has a rich, romantic look that’s still contemporary (not an easy-to-accomplish balance). Artfully blending stylistic elements of old and new, this modern light fixture will look stunning suspended above the dining table or bar.

Lovely Coral Lamps by Pallucco

Crafted by Lagranja Design (for Palluco) these enchanting lamps are truly beautiful. They are made from modular injection molded polycarbonate parts which look like branches of sea corals. These lamps have a thin stick-like holder which gives them a stylish and elegant look. They come in several pretty colors orange, red, cream and black, and seem to be the perfect accessories for a minimalist designed home. But for those looking for a more exotic addition, they also come without the stick holder. An amazing design exercise where simplicity meets complexity, we’re definitely sold on these lovely coral lamps.

New Concept of Pet Lamps – MiCha Cat Lamps

MiCha lamp is a cat shaped table lamp.

Actually, there are several designs of the lamp with cat positions that are so sweet that you just want them all. And that could be a stretch since one MiCha Lamp costs 1.400 euros. Created by prolifc designers Olivier Kuntzel  and Florence Deygas, the ' House of Micha' has created these aluminum and steel beauties with halogen lighting in four versions: each cat lamp has another stance – from sitting to walking.

Top Trends for 2010 and beyond at High Point!

I love going to High Point!  Seeing what’s new and hot in the world of furniture and all the incredibly creative minds that brought it all together- what could be better?!

Here are some of the top trends for 2010 that we saw at the October 2009 High Point Furniture Market. (For more pictures and details go to FACEBOOK, and find: Beasley & Henley Interior Design.)

 TREND #1 AU NATURAL

By far, the top design trend has to be the return of NATURAL.  Natural wood, natural fabric, reclaimed this and vintage that.  From furniture to lighting there was a huge focus on grey teak, reclaimed oak, pine, and natural alder.  It hits you the first day and follows you through the entire market from the boutique lines like Vagabond and Zentique to entrenched players like Lexington and Hickory White.

 Here are a few of the pictures:

 

 

  Even accessories and side tables are hot ''au natural', like these from Artesia.

TREND#2 DAY BEDS

Another hot item was Day Beds. Maybe for the out-of-work children who are coming back home to live or friends who need a place to sleep for awhile? Not sure why but Day Beds were very popular for your interior design and of course shown in reclaimed or natural wood and covered in natural fibers.

TREND#3 LIGHTING

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

The natural look was also really big in lighting. Like these chandeliers and driftwood floor lamps from Currey and Co. 

 And this crazy pine and wood chandelier from Wish Designs

TREND #4 RED RED RED

Another hot trend was red as an accent color!  Red on chairs, entertainment units, pillows, accessories. Red was there!  Some shiny but mostly it was distressed or aged – you know, that ‘natural’ look.

TREND #5 BACK IN BLACK

Black continues to be another hot color and I am so glad to see it back!  It was usually mixed with white ( a trend from a few seasons ago) and was very sophisticated and polished.

 This picture is from Lexington's website showing a piece frm their BLACK ICE line.  We weren't allowed to take showroom pictures and the pictures on their website just don't do this line justice! BLACK ICE is really great in person.

This chair is from Arteriors and shows a great looking print typical of the styles we saw all over High Point market - this chair has great lines!

Of course, you can't do black in this trend-driven market without a rustic-reclaimed black in there too, like this one from Noir which has a wonderful metal leg and beautiful wood finish.

 

TREND 6

FUN CHAIRS

We also saw an unusual number of cabana style chairs! Like this one from Noir. 

TREND #7

BRITISH INVATION

The British thing.  I love this because it is retro, fun and in small touches it can be such a great conversation piece!

LIGHT UP!!

I am little delayed in blogging, what with summer diversions and all.  But I am back, talking appropriately enough about LIGHT.  It is one of Beasley & Henley’s Five Foundations of Design and in a nutshell, this is how designers make it work… Generally we look at 3 kinds of lighting: 1. Natural light a/k/a, good, old-fashioned sunshine. 2. Ambient light, which is general room lighting. 3. Specialty lighting, which illuminates specific objects or areas. 

 In any one room, there should be at least one of each of these light sources. A few of each would be even better. 

 First, start with the natural sunshine: make sure your windows are unobstructed by heavy draperies, big pieces of furniture or other large items that would intrude into your sunlit world. 

Simple window treatments allow plenty of natural light in the room and add to the mood

 Second, look at the ambient lighting. Use a good general overhead fixture that provides ample room light. If an overhead isn’t possible, use enough lamps with floodlighting to generally illuminate the room. Hallways should be well lit with a sequence of lighting overhead or with scones.

The large fixture provides overhead lighting. This room has natural and specialty lighting as well

For maximum mood and effect make sure all your lights are on dimmers and remember to use low voltage dimmers for low voltage lights or you will get a burn out you weren’t expecting. A few more notes about things people always ask us…

- Chandeliers: they hang between 36”to 48”off the table in the dining or breakfast rooms

- Recessed Cans: If you are using recessed cans, use halogen not incandescent bulbs- you get more light and they last longer.- Also with 4”-5” cans available, there is not reason to poke 6” holes in your ceiling anymore.- Green:  We think ‘green lighting’ is a great idea, but it is still a work in progress.  The bulbs cast a horrible light, so we are waiting for the next generation.- Florescent bulbs?  Let’s not even go there – they are loaded with mercury, have special disposal issues and they look bad. Sorry ‘green’ people!