The Bold Table

The Bold Table Blog is my expression of a well chosen lifestyle. Home and Interior Design, Art, Textiles, Fashion, Vintage and Music are just a few of the things that keep me fueled. Every day I come across so many beautiful and interesting creations. What's that line from Auntie Mame? "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." Well, pull up a chair and welcome to The Bold Table. Best, Louisa

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Getting Stoned

People have been using stones and minerals as both tools and adornment since…well, since the stone age.  Whether you’re skipping a stone across a body of water or plunking down a fat stack to put one on your finger these gifts from the earth are present in such a wide variety.  Have you ever seen two rocks that look the same?  Something to think about when you’re strolling down a sidewalk.  Enjoy the medley of stone and mineral infused items in this week’s post, ‘cause hey, I Like To Rock!

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Get Your Fingers Ready!: Costa Rican born jewelry designer Catalina Brenes creates dizzying jewelry fabricated from an assortment of materials ranging from precious metals and stones to resin encasing flecks of gold and even flowers.  I met Catalina at a jewelry show and fell in love with just about every piece on her table.  Alas, I only walked away with one. The ring in question is a staggeringly tall pyrite cube with polished and blackened silver that sits regally on my middle finger.  I get stopped mid sentence frequently as people ask to ogle it more closely.  Although her website is noted below, her e-commerce site is under construction. Sigh.  I greedily await it's completion.

Left Ring: Morfosi Series, 2011 made of silver, quartz and rhodochrosite.

Right Ring: 2010 made of silver, quartz, onyx and turquoise. Green with Envy.

Via: Contemporarty.com and bijoucontemporain.unblog.fr Source: Catalina Brenes.com

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What we've been listening to in studio lately.  "Strange Powers" by Magnetic Fields from the record titled Holiday.

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Stone Free:  The Forest Green Volcanic Glaze Round Chalice 3-537 by ceramicist Josh Herman.  His work evokes both Mid-Century Modern design and the free feeling of "organicity".  A passion for clay thrown outta San Diego, California.

source: joshherman.com

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Mesmerizing Marble:  Fashion Houses Dries Van Noten and Bottega Veneta were all over the marbleized looking textiles this Fall/Winter 2011/2012. An incredibly theatrical and yet sophisticated look that took no prisoners in the hands of these two designers.

First up: Dries Van Noten's black and white ensemble mixes prints and textures.  A marbleized print tweed jacket made even more opulent with a fur collar.

Via: vogue.it

Seeing Red:  Bottega Veneta's Fall/Winter 2011 collection features impeccable tailoring (of course), slim lines and a whole host of bold reds, browns and yellows including jaspers, corniola, rust, garnet and resina.  Those color choices were not lost on the famous BV woven leather handbags either.

Via: forum.purseblog.com

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Yabba Dabba Doo Chair: Cool furniture Fred Flinstone would be proud to lounge in by Vieyrah Designs.  Called the "Urban-Chaotic Respite Lounge Chair", it is hand crafted in sunny San Diego, California. This high-concept contemporary piece is made using a metal structure covered in metal sheet and coated with a bright white Dupont car paint. In this chair you might never leave your cave.

via: yankodesign.com

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Food lover and blogger Melissa Camero's drool worthy blog is on my Top 10 list of favorite foodie sites. If you saw my bookmarks folders and RSS feed you would understand what a recommendation that is.  Bitchin' Camero is a "go-to" repository for recipes.  Although she doesn't post regularly (I can relate) her posts are well worth the wait.

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The Balls of Your Feet: Dior Couture Heel Autumn 2011.  Special Feature? That saucy little faux red malachite ball wedged between wood cut-outs. A feat of engineering. Via: wendylady2.livejournal.com

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Heels To Be Stoked About: The Onyx Heel, Autumn/Winter 2011, from British avant-garde footwear designer, Joanne Stoker.  Touted as “One To Watch” by Vogue.com,  Stoker’s AW 2011 collection was influenced by classic Art Deco.  This 1920's and 30's style is best known for ornate interiors, decorating furniture and even flooring with marble and precious stones. Stoker's collection includes heels embellished and inlaid with malachite and amber.

Source: Joannestoker.com

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Shine A Light On Me:  The Robert Amethyst Table Lamp from Matthew Studios.  Where natural materials and a love of light come together. Unique pieces created by skilled artists outta NYC, Matthew Studios is a treasure trove of handmade items using rough quarts crystal, semi-precious gems, exotic skins and lucite.  Yeah, baby.

Via: homeportfolio.com

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Style for Miles: The radiant No. 803 Miles lamp from notable interior designer Jan Showers is composed of mineral set on an acrylic base topped with a silk shade. As every mineral is unique so is every lamp. Dimensions vary too.

Source: janshowers.com

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It appears that the fine folks at NASA have nothing better to do with U.S. tax dollars than test the side effects of various drugs on the web designing techniques of spiders.  Badspiderbites.com provides an interactive video so you can see for yourself what a spider's web would look like on Mescaline, Hash, LSD, and even caffeine. 

I see Charlotte's Web in a whole new light now.

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Wood Love

Humans have been using wood since... forever.  It has and still does permeate so many aspects of our daily life that we probably take it for granted more than we should. What would we do if the world's wood supply, Trees!, were to disappear?  Yes, there are alternatives, but there is something about the feel and look of wood that nothing else even comes close to.  Wood evokes the feeling of clean, organic, rich and even luxurious living. 

Our homes, furniture, eating utensils, books, and even the ubiquitous #2 pencil are all made with wood.  My favorite uses of wood, though, rest in the unexpected.  Some of those refreshing ideas are in today's post. Enjoy!

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Hold Me Tight: From Hussein Chalayan's AW 1995 collection titled "Along False Equator", is this wooden bodice piece joined at the side seams by bolts akin to a surgical corset. The collection's theme revolved around the journey of disaster victims and the idea of reconstructing the body to stay upright.

Source: Kyoto Costume Institute Digital Archives

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What we've been listening to in studio this week: "Weightless" by City And Colour from the record Little Hell.

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Ladies and gentlemen, we have wood: Ceiling light fixtures by The Carrol Street Woodworkers. The #501 lights are turned from solid wood and can be assembled using any of the individual lamps creating unique organic pieces.  Made of Walnut and Cherry and measure approximately 60" x 8" each.  $425.00 ea. US.

Via: Homedit.com

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Son of the South: Awarded best new American designer by the FDA in 2010, fashion and lifestyle designer Billy Reid's work garnered him the opportunity to design a collection for Levis.  Reid's flagship store and studio are based in Florence, Alabama and that aesthetic permeates every aspect of his designs to create well made, beautiful, ruggedly sophisticated clothing. I find his menswear represents all the best of American style. Manly wear - Yay!