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| Gerald Thurston floor lamp for Lightoler |
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| Front view |
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| Italian floor lamp in brass with marble base |
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| Close-up of globe |
Showing posts with label Gerald Thurston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gerald Thurston. Show all posts
Saturday, December 21, 2013
In the store: Floor lamps
New to the store are two floor lamps...one small Lightolier by Gerald Thurston and a large Italian made of brass and marble. The small lamp stands about 48 inches tall (122 cm), and the Italian lamp is 86 inches (122 cm). Despite their difference in size, both are equally dramatic.
Monday, May 23, 2011
If money were no object
We agreed that we'd have to have a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair. It's kinda like the Holy Grail of chairs for us (although I openly pine for one of his Ox chairs, as well as a Saarinen Womb chair and a Juhl Chieftain). Since we were talking about pricing yesterday, I asked him what he'd sell a Papa Bear for if he got his hands on one. He looked at me like I had suddenly lost my mind, and said, "Sell it? You think I'd sell it?"
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| Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair classicchair.net |
We both insisted that we'd have to have a group of George Nelson lamps hanging somewhere in our houses. My SIL wanted some dramatic Danish floor lamps too, while I wanted a large Poul Henningsen PH-5 lamp hanging somewhere...and a Sarfatti or a Geller or a Thurston on my desk...and, of course, a Noguchi Akari light or two somewhere. See what I mean? Narrowing it down gets harder and harder as you try to figure out exactly where you'd put the pieces in your home and which ones you'd use together in groupings. So much to choose from...so little space.
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| George Nelson bubble lamps georgenelson.org |
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| Poul Henningsen PH-5 designer-lighting.com |
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| Gerald Thurston tripod lamp 1stdibs.com |
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| Noguchi Akari lights noguchi.org |
When it came to choosing our all-time favorite sofas, it was even more difficult. We realized that that we love so many sofas, it's impossible to pick just one. My SIL is a real admirer of Finn Juhl, but there's something about the drama of Paul Evans that fascinates him. (I told him I'd be afraid to sit on a Paul Evans sofa. The term "Brutalist" conjures up images of being bitten on the posterior by some wild, metal creature, although the one he chose was fairly tame by Evans's standards.)
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| Finn Juhl sofa danish-furniture.com |
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| Paul Evans sofa redmodernfurniture.com |
I immediately thought of a Florence Knoll sofa, but I'm not crazy about the metal legs. OK, maybe a Wegner or a Grete Jalk. But in the end, I was true to my real love, the wonderful Mr. Risom.
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| Florence Knoll sofa 1stdibs.com |
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| Hans Wegner sofa scandinavianmod.com |
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| Grete Jalk sofa 1stdibs.com |
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| Jens Risom sofa 1stdibs.com |
By the time I finished weighing the pros and cons of all my favorite sofas, the SIL had changed his mind. He decided to go for comfort, and since he's decided that the Adrian Pearsall gondola we have is the best thing he's ever stretched out on, that was his final choice.
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| Adrian Pearsall gondola sofa livinghomefurniture.com |
Dining room furniture was a bit of a challenge too. We tossed around the ideas of a Platner set or a Noguchi Cyclone table but decided we'd rather have the smaller rocking stools. There were several Scandinavian sets my SIL liked, so he really couldn't make up his mind. I finally decided that the only thing I'd give up my Drexel Profile set for is a Brasilia Cathedral table in mint condition, with the glass in the center without a scratch and the ceramic bowl without a chip (which is so rare I couldn't even find a good picture of one). Oh, and did I mention that the fabric would have to be the original bird pattern without a spot? Otherwise, I'd hang on to what I have.
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| Noguchi rocking stools designmuseum.org |
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| Warren Platner dining set deconet.com |
Credenzas were a little easier. My SIL decided again to go for the drama with Paul Evans, while I decided that I'd keep my Jens Risom credenza, if only for sentimental reasons, even if money were no object. It was my first really nice designer piece, and I doubt that I'll ever let it go.
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| Paul Evans credenza worthpoint.com |
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| My Jens Risom credenza |
So what would your dream home have in it? Trust me, this isn't as easy as it sounds.
Update: 5/4/2014...Three years later - Looking back at this early post was a real eye-opener. In the years since I wrote it, pieces that seemed almost impossible to attain when we first went into business have come and gone. We've sold several Papa Bear chairs, as well as dining sets and sideboards by Hans Wegner. We've had Nelson bubble lights, Noguchi cyclone tables and rocking stools and tables by Warren Platner. We've sold many Adrian Pearsall chairs and sofas and tables, as well as quite a few Paul Evans pieces. We had a Grete Jalk sofa in turquoise that was just like the orange one, and we have a Knoll sofa in the store now.
The Henningsen and Thurston lamps have remained elusive. They're still on our list of things to find, along with many items we've added along the way. I'm sure if we played "what if" today, the thing on our lists might include quite a few new pieces.
I still have my Jens Risom credenza and John van Koert china cabinet, but I've moved on and sold the dining set. Things change...but that's what makes life exciting.
Update: 5/4/2014...Three years later - Looking back at this early post was a real eye-opener. In the years since I wrote it, pieces that seemed almost impossible to attain when we first went into business have come and gone. We've sold several Papa Bear chairs, as well as dining sets and sideboards by Hans Wegner. We've had Nelson bubble lights, Noguchi cyclone tables and rocking stools and tables by Warren Platner. We've sold many Adrian Pearsall chairs and sofas and tables, as well as quite a few Paul Evans pieces. We had a Grete Jalk sofa in turquoise that was just like the orange one, and we have a Knoll sofa in the store now.
The Henningsen and Thurston lamps have remained elusive. They're still on our list of things to find, along with many items we've added along the way. I'm sure if we played "what if" today, the thing on our lists might include quite a few new pieces.
I still have my Jens Risom credenza and John van Koert china cabinet, but I've moved on and sold the dining set. Things change...but that's what makes life exciting.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Shedding new light
Another extreme departure from the ornate design of earlier periods was in the area of lighting. Many of the major furniture designers created lamps and hanging light fixtures as well. Like other pieces of the period, their lighting was characterized by sleek lines and innovative shapes and materials. Plastic, in particular, fascinated not only the general public but also many of the designers of the day.
George Nelson's bubble lamps have become symbols of the period. He designed them in 1947, and they were in production until the late 1970s. He never gave specific names to the lamps. Rather, they were referred to by numbers. The large saucer was, for example, known only as "Bubble Lamp H-727." When Modernica was allowed to reissue the lamps in the 1990s, they gave them the names Ball, Saucer, Pear, Cigar, etc. In 1998, Modernica received all the original tooling from Herman Miller, and they distribute the lamps worldwide.
Isamu Noguchi designed his well-known cylinder lamp in 1944 and began working on Akari lighting in 1951. In an interview, he explained:
The name akari, which I coined, means in Japanese light as illumination. It also suggests lightness as opposed to weight. The ideograph combines that of the sun and moon. The ideal of akari is exemplified with lightness (as essence) and light (for awareness). The quality is poetic, ephemeral, and tentative. Looking more fragile than they are akari seem to float, casting their light as in passing.
Poul Henningsen's famous artichoke fixture, as well as his halo pendant, are still extremely popular today and are being reproduced or copied by a number of companies and offered in varying price ranges.
Other lighting designers whose lamps and fixtures are synonymous with mid-century are Marion Geller, Gilbert Watrous and Gerald Thurston. Variations of their designs have become so widely recognized that we sometimes forget their innovative ideas revolutionized modern lighting. Their use of tripod bases, cone-shaped, perforated and dome shades in plastic, metal and glass became the standard for much mid-century lighting style.
George Nelson's bubble lamps have become symbols of the period. He designed them in 1947, and they were in production until the late 1970s. He never gave specific names to the lamps. Rather, they were referred to by numbers. The large saucer was, for example, known only as "Bubble Lamp H-727." When Modernica was allowed to reissue the lamps in the 1990s, they gave them the names Ball, Saucer, Pear, Cigar, etc. In 1998, Modernica received all the original tooling from Herman Miller, and they distribute the lamps worldwide.
Isamu Noguchi designed his well-known cylinder lamp in 1944 and began working on Akari lighting in 1951. In an interview, he explained:
Other lighting designers whose lamps and fixtures are synonymous with mid-century are Marion Geller, Gilbert Watrous and Gerald Thurston. Variations of their designs have become so widely recognized that we sometimes forget their innovative ideas revolutionized modern lighting. Their use of tripod bases, cone-shaped, perforated and dome shades in plastic, metal and glass became the standard for much mid-century lighting style.
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| George Nelson lighting display offered to retailers free of charge by Herman Miller From a sales brochure, c. 1968 georgenelson.org |
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| Isamu Noguchi's cylinder lamp noguchi.org |
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| Marion Geller's flying saucer-shaped reflector lamp with tripod base artnet.com |
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| Poul Henningsen's artichoke light designlamps.com |
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| Gerald Thurston's tripod lamp 1stdibs.com |
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| Gilbert Watrous's ball-and-socket lamp with magnet that held the ball in any position 1stdibs.com |
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