Monday 28 May 2012

Set in stone


You saw it here first.
Part of the collection from Jason Minty’s most recent worldwide shopping spree, this box has every tick for me.
Classic art deco, it features white stone bricks, and is reminiscent of the monumental architectural style of the era.
Think Chicago and New York.
The MCA on Sydney Harbour.
Perfect in the Macleay Regis.
Its shape is beautiful, the oblong stonework softened by the curved outline.
And made almost whimsical by the exquisite brass and malachite inlay, wrapping around like a luxurious ribbon.

Used for centuries as a pigment, in furniture and in jewellery, malachite is beyond comparison with its variegated shades of lustrous green.
A true natural wonder.
Perfectly teamed with the thin strips of curving brass.
We are loving all things golden, and the craftsmanship in this is superb.



And then you open this masterpiece on its smooth brass hinge, to reveal a beautifully warm wood lined interior.
Such an interior can protect the contents from the outside elements.
Cigars? Kid gloves? An old letter penned on crepe-like parchment?

Perhaps there’s nothing at all. 
And that’s perfectly OK. 
For it need be nothing more than decorative.
Because it does that perfectly.




Monday 21 May 2012

Opulent simplicity




Is it wrong to have a new favourite thing every week?
I think not.
This spectacular bowl has me totally mesmerised. Hand-made in black glass, its beauty lies in its irregularity.

I love how the gorgeously textured exterior challenges you to question what the material is, while the almost circular shape is made more beautiful through its subtle asymmetry.
Organic yet restrained.

The elegant convex sides invite you to peer inside, to glimpse a view of the reflective black pool they enclose, creating an illusion of depth that belies the shallow height of the edge.
And you know how we feel about a high gloss black surface at Becker Minty.

With a diameter of 50 cm it makes quite the dramatic statement, and while you may wish to fill it, for me it's enough for it just to be.
For form, of course, really does follow function; and if the function is to be beautiful, then this bowl is indeed perfectly formed.


Wednesday 2 May 2012

Urbane safari


If asked to choose my favourite furniture, I would nominate all things Campaign: pared back, clean lined and cleverly designed, it appeals to my love of history while ticking the efficiency and utility boxes.
Attributed to the conquering Brits who transported Georgian chic to all climes, each piece was meticulously designed so that the warring officer class could have home comforts wherever they sallied forth. Required to re-camp and de-camp at irregular intervals, the furniture needed for such travels had to be easily assembled, folded, stowed and transported.
You could say it pre-empted the modern flat-pack, although in truth it took much of its inspiration from the ancient Romans, the original flat-packers with their folding thrones and demountable cities, creating microcosms of Rome all along their campaign trail.



This fabulous folding stool really puts the camp back into campaign.
The zebra skin seat may have been a little ambivalent in its straddling of traditional and contemporary, so just to erase any doubt, they popped it on a brass frame, and took it to a whole new level. 
So Becker Minty.
It’s a contemporary piece, made in Italy, the cradle of all things sophisticated. And while the Italians too did their fair share of damage in Africa, there is nothing remotely outdoorsy about this.
Clever, compact and oh so glamorous, it’s perfect for even the smallest of empires.
And did I mention there’s two?