Category: Guides – Swedish Designers

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection

Gustavian-French-Dining-Table-500x480

Restoration Hardware never fails to impress.  For some time now, they have been featuring french furniture, but have offered a line of Gothic, Modern, Colonial and Gustavian lines. There are just a few handfuls of companies who reproduce classic furniture and Restoration Hardware is one of them.

Give a person the choice of something freshly painted, and something aged with patina, they will always choose the piece that has a bit of history. Many people would rather choose something classic looking, that opt for a new design. Antiques are seen over and over in the magazines, but finding them is a different story.   Magazines showcase antiques because they are often rare, and more interesting than our modern furniture, and they always offer a fresh look that isn’t seen too often.

It is nice to see a company produce an antique design with some integrity.   Their Gustavian chair  priced at $179 is cross between both the Swedish and French style in the 18th century.  The chair is made of solid oak and has a curved top rail, shield back and comfortably upholstered seat on smoothly hand-turned, tapered legs. The French Louis XVI table is priced between $1295 – $1795 depending on the size.  Gustav III brought over the french designs from France when he spent some time in Paris and Versailles, which is why most of the Swedish furniture is based on the Louis XVI styles.  Hooray to Restoration Hardware, we know you have many fans! 

Gustavian Medallion Collection | RH

Gustavian Spindle Back Collection

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

Restoration Hardware’s Gustavian Collection- French Empire Fluted Leg table

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Aidan Gray’s Swedish Furniture Line

Aidan Gray Dining Chairs

Founder and head designer of Aidan Gray, Randal Weeks has a thing for European design and Swedish furniture. The Aidan Gray line represents everything that encompasses old world design and aesthetics.  Products are made-by-hand with natural materials such as solid wood and rustic metals.

Aidan Gray is quickly becoming known for their architectural looking decorative accents and their reproduction antique furniture.  Not only do they carry beautiful antique-looking furniture, but the finishes are extraordinary.  Their furniture is finished using old world painted finishes and classic distressing techniques.   Multiple layers of paint, glaze and waxed finishes are often skipped with most retailers as they become tedious and ridiculously expensive for most companies to make a profit, which has opened up the door to niche companies such as Aidan Gray, Barreveld, Uttermost, Restoration Hardware and Wisteria.  Furthermore, being a faux painter myself, it also takes quite a bit of practice to get these antiqued painted finishes looking just right.  You need the right paint combinations, because as you add paint, the overall color changes, so I appreciate a line which goes the extra mile.

Painting can be tremendously rewarding, but also quite a lot of work especially when layers of paint are involved, so it is especially nice to see a company provide the extra finishes which give more of a worn antique appearance.  The best thing about Aidan Gray is YOU can sell their line, and open up your own small business.

Many retailers who sell shabby and rustic antiques tend to bring in Aidan Gray in amongst their antiques because the line brings forth more of the authentic paint finishes that are often found in Europe.  In fact, many small business are even selling on ebay from the comfort of their homes instead of having a store front.  Many blogs have sprung up featuring furniture staged in homes with price tags and additional pictures about the furniture which are ultimately connected with “but it now” on ebay.

Ebay has been the fastest growing online outlet, which many sites such as Esty have tried to match, that it is foolish for a small retailer not to be listed on ebay.  Paypal, and Amazon have gained the peoples trust when it comes to personal securitythat most people turn to them when they decide what retailer to purchase from.  Today you see big mega stores such as Target selling on amazon because that is where the people gather today.  With such a niche line such as Swedish furniture, who would have the time to drive across the country to visit a specialty store? Check out some of Aidan Gray’s beautiful Swedish looks for your home, and possibly for your future store.

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The Best Swedish Looks From Uttermost Furniture

You have most likely run across some of Uttermost’s ads as they have been featured in some of the most popular home decor magazines.  Their ads instantly draw you in with their stunning selection of lavish home decor, and adorable family pets.    Who doesn’t love little Tilly posing in front of a glamorous mirror, which could be in your home.   Bob and Belle Cooper founded The Uttermost Company in 1975, and it is still 100% owned by the Cooper family, as Mac Cooper is the CEO (who you also see in the ads), while Taz Cooper is the VP of Sales.

The company manufactures decorative home decor and accent furniture and has been in business for more than 33 years.  The family owned and managed company has approximately 290 employees working out of its Rocky Mount location and has a sales force of 120 representatives throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, etc.   Their product lines consist of mirrors, art, clocks, lighting, accent furniture, and accessories.  They feature a wide mix of contemporary home decor but also feature many pieces for period style decorating.  The first time I found their ad, I was blown away with the painted finishes which are typically found on  antiques.  Looking at their wide assortment of decorative pieces, they have truly incorporated a lot of different selections that could go into a wide range of styles.  The select few reproduction pieces often feature exquisite faux painted finishes that would work really well in a Swedish decorated home.

 

 

Book Review: Lars Sjöberg’s The Swedish Room

 

 

Lars Sjöberg is well known for his Swedish guides on Gustavian interiors and 18th and 19th century Swedish furniture. Sjöberg is a curator of the National Museum of Stockholm, and is author of several books : The first one being The Swedish Room (Creating the Look) published in 94, then L’Art de vivre en Suède, (2002), and his most current book Classic Swedish Interiors  published in 2010Lars Sjöberg has made it his life’s work to preserve Swedish manor houses that originated out of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Over 40 years he has acquired over 10 homes from around Sweden. His most current book – Classic Swedish Interiors published in 2010,focuses on Sjöberg’s most complex project: the manor of Regnaholm. The home was unoccupied for about 40 years when Sjöberg arrived in 1966. This home was his first allowing him to experiment with refurnishing and copying old Swedish furniture. Odenslunda, a small manor from the 1770s details an exquisite panelled exterior and is said to be his family home. Sörby was a renovation which was a 17th-century manor house, reproduced in its entirety for an exhibition in Stockholm.

Well known for his in depth knowledge about Swedish history, he has transformed many grand homes around Sweden with the help of his wife Ursula, and father whom was a metal smith and skilled in the carpentry trade. He told The Telegraph that as a young child his mother would read to him the history of Finland and Sweden and for his 10th birthday he was given his grandfather’s book about Sweden’s palaces and manor houses which fueled the fire for collecting historical furniture and restoring anything Swedish.  In the 1990’s he designed a Gustavian collection for the Swedish company Ikea. The Ikea collection was designed with his help, and being that he was involved with the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm, he was the perfect go-to-guy.

The Swedish Room” written in 94, with his wife Ursula is still one of the very best books on Swedish decorating and remains current considering it is more than a decade old.

This wonderful book features 192 pages of great attention to detail of the many ornate finishes found in Swedish decorating. This book is a must have for any decorative artist or faux- finisher.The interiors selected for this book are simple ones with soft color schemes, washed plastered walls, pickled floors, and certainly authentic 18th century interiors. The homes all feature a cleaner, pared-down look with not a lot of clutter which you would normally see see in french homes, but rather very carefully selected objects that are neoclassical in nature. Sjöberg features stately homes, which appear to be palaces or mansions in nature, but with simplistic interiors and basic elements. Swedish impressions from farms and cottages with higher end furnishings can inspire any person who is after the grander looks but with a natural appeal.

The most impressive of this book is his Ekensberg home which is located on the banks of the Lake Mälaren, about 40 km away from the Swedish capital Stockholm. This three-story Italianate villa built in 1788-90 feature some of the most stunning pictures. One in particular shows a time capsulated finish after layers of wallpaper were removed which revealed late eighteenth century decorations. (See below) The walls were originally covered in a linen which provided a perfect base and smooth surface for painting. The house was built and finished in neoclassical style during the time after the return of king Gustav III from Italy 1784. Lars Sjöberg has continued renovating this house since 1976 and says the work is never finished!

The book is split up into 5 main sections detailing specific periods of Swedish history.

Section 1- The Stirrings of International Style discusses the impact of the French and Italian Baroque of the period between 1640-1720.

Section 2- New Alignments discuss the Late Baroque and the Influence of the Orient, and England through 1720- 1750.

Section 3- Progressive Refinements discuss the spread of the French Rococo throgu the period of 1750- 1770.

Section 4- Elegance and Enlightenment discuss the Gustavuan style thriugh 1770-1790

Section 5 discuss the influence of Neoclassicism and the French Empire which took place between 1790- 1820

Additional sections discuss painters in Dalarna, Halsingland and Gastrikland, with a section that details restoration and recreating period homes.

Thank you to Belgian Pearls for the bottom fabulous pictures. The rest were obtained from a free preview of Google Books, which can be viewed for free. This book needs to be on your shelf. I guarantee it serve for many inspirational projects.

 

 

 

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Secrets From Suzanne Rheinstein To Pull Off A European Decorated Home

The photos above and below were taken in a room designed by Suzanne Rheinstein at the Greystone Estate, the site of Veranda’s annual showhouse Picture seen on lusterinteriors.blogspot.com

Architectural Digest & House Beautiful magazines both publish annual lists of current successful designers, and Suzanne Rheinstein always is noted as one of the top designers in the LA area.   Other established designers such as Michael Smith, Thomas Beeton, Kathryn Ireland, Barbara Barry, and Waldo Fernandez also are all noted to be the best in Los Angeles.

Suzanne Rheinstein is owner of Los Angeles renowned Hollyhock, an extravagant LA Antiques Store.  Rheinstein is known for her relaxed, elegant style, and special attention to luxuries.  Beyond her store, and her book, Rheinstein also has a fabric line with Lee Jofa.

Rheinstein’s Manhattan Home made the cover of Elle Decor for the month of November 2010 featuring an upscale Gustavian designed residence in New York.   After her daughter Kate got married, and grandchildren were too hard to resist being away from, her husband Fred relented and the couple finally found the perfect corner space in the upper east side of New York.  Rheinstein tells Elle

“We adore our house in L.A.,” she says. “It’s very forgiving and full of wonderful family treasures. But for New York, I wanted something a little more city, a little more stylized. And I wanted the palette to be a little more calm.”

The Gustavian styled home is filled with hues of grays, creams, taupes and soft greeny blues which is known to be classic Swedish style.    “There’s color, she adds, but “it’s just very offbeat, like the pale ochre pillow on the chaise…….”

Beyond the beautiful extravagant 18th century antiques Rheinstein owns, is a stunning mural which has captured the publics attention.  Bob Christian, a decorative painter and artist created a gorgeous mural that surrounded the room. The overall effect was a large scale toile look.   The room wouldn’t be the same without it.

Her current book At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past,  features six distinctive homes that express Rheinstein sophisticated elegant style.  The book also features both of her own homes in Los Angeles and New York.  Rheinstein’s book is beautifully photographed, and shows an inspiring volume of her own work, in which she mixes Gustavian with Edwardian and Regency with ease.  The book shows a range of styles including a brick farmhouse in the Virginia countryside to a  Beach in Newport Bay.

Suzanne-Rheinsteinmarkdsikes.com

She has been quoted saying it is better to buy quality one-of-a-kind pieces, and decorate around them “Fewer but better things, painted surfaces, a mixture of furniture styles, a personal art collection and attention to comfort, colors, textures, details and light.”

We couldn’t agree with her more.

This 18th century Antique Swedish Gustavian Painted Bench is the epitome of Swedish furniture.  They are almost impossible to find in America, and quite expensive to purchase.  Rheinstein’s Swedish bench is upholstered in a dark  beige with undertones of olive and grey.  The bench perfectly sets the stage to match the paint on the walls which also governs the paint colors on the hand painted floors.

  • The secret to design is precisely as Rheinstein suggests- Designing around a few pieces of fabulous furniture.
  • Period antiques are well made and often have features that are very hard to come by in today furnishings.
  • A great antique usually has one of these qualities
  • Great Bones, and Style such as the curvature of Louis XV furniture, or the straight appeal of the Directoire styles of Louis XVI.
  • Fantastic aged patina– Gustavian furniture has incredible painted finishes with beautiful ornate painted motifs.
  • Quality wood like Empire Furniture , or Lavish wood veneers such as Regency furniture.
  • Well made statement pieces truly are show stoppers on their own that all that is needed is a few well chosen accent pieces to finish a look to get a magazine quality highly-decorated home.

See the November issue of Elle Decor For More Pictures of Her home.

Visit Hollyhock’s web site to see antiques, upholstery and decor items for sale

Joni from Cote De Texas has an in depth article on Suzanne Rheinstein’sGeorgian home which is worth viewing.  It has been hard to locate any of Suzanne Rheinstein’s work, and Joni seemingly has went out of her way to gather some of the previous rare pictures of her amazing home through the transformations.  We borrowed a few of her pictures that really show the Swedish style in its best!

Compare her New York apartment with her LA Home, and you will see so many beautiful painted floors.  Paint can completely transform a room.  The colors on the floor in the above picture create a calming atmosphere.   The detail on the console is exquisite!  You would want to float a piece like this in the center of the room.  –  Picture from Cote De Texas

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