Washed ashore

The wintry weather has returned, but my heart remains in a tropical state; soothed by the calming colours and textures of all things marine, as once again the beauty of the natural world finds another habitat. 

Inspired by the coral of the Mediterranean, this pair of Italian ceramic candlesticks is awash with style. Hand made by artisans who continue a centuries old tradition, these pieces set an estival tone that is both casual and elegant. All year long.

By the sea, or on the land. So cool. So hot right now.

And while we're down there, who doesn’t love a shell motif?

For centuries we’ve been popping them everywhere.

 On silver.

On frames.

On furniture.

           

                                                     
                               

                  Jewellery.                                                    Porcelain.        

                                                                

                                                  

                          

                                                    Glassware.

         

But my favourite application is on these beautiful cushions. 

 

Hand made and hand stitched, featuring a particularly aquatic colour combination of foam and eau de nil, they bring a slice of island life to any abode.

   

Scattered, strewn or cast adrift these soft shell furnishings bring new meaning to the term sea bed.

Palme d'Or

Having just returned to a balmy Sydney spring after an Oceanic sojourn, I have fallen in love with all things Pacific. And while I still stand by my commitment to faux bamboo, the irresistible pull of the exotic extends well beyond some simple plant life. 

                                               
                                         

  

And I am certainly not the first urban dweller who’s visited the tropics and wished they’d brought some back with them. 

For as long as we have been invading, plundering, colonising and grand touring we have felt moved to create pieces inspired by the natural beauty we see in foreign climes.

                 

                                        Jewellery. Furniture. Objets.


The array is endless, the adaptations transcending kitsch with wit, whimsy and often exquisite workmanship.

But nothing beats this fabulous pair of coconut palm lamps.

Perfectly proportioned. 

Forged in brass. 

With gold lined silk shades.

Elegant. Luxurious. And oh so tropical.

Paradise found.

School of Fish

         

                                                                                               


















Well, technically they’re not fish – they’re dolphins. And we all know dolphins are meant to be amongst the smartest of animals. Along with pigs and humans. 
And although they can’t read, write or speak in the human sense, this particular pair can certainly hold up their end of a learned study.    


                  

Perhaps you may not be able to immediately identify them as dolphins, but let me assure you, they are. For while they are contemporary, ceramic and hand made in Italy, they are inspired by extravagant dolphin designs of early 19th century Europe and English Regency. 

         

                    

This period’s aesthetic derived in many cases from the mythology of ancient Mediterranean and Asian cultures, and as the dolphin frolicked prolifically in these, its form continually surfaced in the imagery they  inspired.


Seen as guardians and guides, symbols of love, innocence and beauty, and possessed of a healing power, perhaps no creature is better qualified to perform the function that these particular dolphins do.

And we haven’t even talked about the colour: a guache-like turquoise glaze reminiscent of the azure waters of the dolphin’s natural habitat. So cool, so soothing, and so hot right now.

Every piece at Becker Minty has a story, and these fabulous Italian ceramic dolphin bookends can support all the stories you like.