Open Oval China Cabinet from Barbara Barry for Henredon
This afternoon, I visited two showrooms that each had a line that knocked my socks off. The first was at Henredon, the second at Century Furniture.
Henredon introduced a collection by designer Barbara Barry that oozed glamour. This group included dining, upholstery and bedroom pieces, plus accessories like lamps and wall art. Put them all together to create a sophisticated mood in materials that include four types of walnut (medium, dark, black and bleached), faux parchment, Sapphire Blue mirror and silver leaf.
Her use of ovals and circles in these pieces was terrific. One armoire featured sleek, oversized wood ovals over glass doors while another showed circle inlays, emphasized by a play of walnut veneer directions. The circle pull brought a 3-D aspect to the motif. Her Pearl Essence lamp featured bleached walnut with applied faux pearls. Very luxe!
Kelly Hoppen in the Century Furniture showroom
Century Furniture debuted a collection by one of my all-time favorite designers, Kelly Hoppen. This woman began her career at 16 and-a-half years old and has been going strong every since. Her shop on the corner of Sydney Street and Fulham Road in London is one of my must-see stops every time I go trend-spotting in that city.
Asian influences are apparent in this fabulous group that is clean-lined yet decorative. So is a desire to bring a modern flair to tradition (adding chain mail fringe to a bergere chair offered the best example of this).
For years, Kelly Hoppen fans could buy her books, but her products were not available outside of Europe. Now that she has a presence in the U.S., her signature style—not just this particular group—will make her as popular here as she is at home.