Maitland-Smith

Dealer Showcase - Mister Robert, Norman, OK

One of our favorite dealers is Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design, Norman, OK, whose relationship with Maitland-Smith/La Barge began in 1989.    

Occupying over a half city block, Mister Robert Fine Furniture and Design started over 50 years ago on East Main Street.   It's a family affair as Steve Calonkey and his siblings continue the business started by their parents in 1958.  Their slogan is "beautifying the world, one room at a time."  They do this by providing high-end, designer oriented furniture selections and complimentary design services by the best designers in the area. 

Here are a couple of shots from their store.  The Maitland-Smith oval partners' desk is the focal point in this room.  As you can see, Mister Robert offers a large selection of accessories for that spur of the moment purchase of just the right thing to add to or complete a room.   

Shown here are examples of Maitland-Smith's signature hair hide inlays on the chest of drawers and mirror. 

If you are in the Norman, OK area, be sure to stop in to see the Calonkey's at Mister Robert Fine Furniture & Design to experience 50 plus years of tradition in providing quality furnishings to the people in Oklahoma and beyond.   

Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime....Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure?     www.maitland-smith.com

Designer Showhouse of New Jersey

The preview party held April 28 for the opening of the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey was full of excitement, interesting people, and of course, fabulous designs in the stately home at 27 Denison Drive in Saddle River. 

Photo:  Bob Skinner Photography

 The great room is a family oasis as envisioned by Angela Kumble, of AMG Interior Designs of New York, Palm Beach and Newport, RI. 

Pairing Maitland-Smith case pieces with Pearson upholstery, the room is simply stunning. 

The transitional cocktail table has Antique Aubergine and Parisian Walnut finishes with an inset beveled glass top. 

 Adding a nice pop of color are the beautiful pink orchids.

A good book, candlelight and flowers - what could be better?

 I supposed adding a glass of fine wine would be the finishing touch. 

 Maitland-Smith barstools have been pulled up to the bar and fabulous Pearson upholstered pillows add some pizzazz.

Seen below is one of a pair of iron geometric tables that flank the sofa. A leather occasional chair pulled up next to the table creates an intimate seating area. 

The table top is black waxstone and inlaid penshell, and the base is created from circles of iron.

Hand carving sets the chair apart as well as the button-tufting of the leather, and brass finished nail trim.  Additionally, casters enable the chair to easily move from place to place.  

This is a small sampling of all that awaits you at the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey.  The  Showhouse will be open daily except for Mondays through June 10. 

If you are in the Saddlebrook, NJ area, be sure to visit this grand home that benefits a good cause, and see more amazing spaces created by some of America's best-known and most talented designers. 

Traditional Home is the national media sponsor of the showhouse and will feature more photos in an upcoming issue.  All proceeds benefit the Heart & Vascular Hospital and the Emergency Trauma Department at Hackensack University Medical Center. Other Furniture Brands companies participating besides Maitland-Smith, La Barge, and Pearson are Henredon, Hickory, and Lane Venture.  Each is known for fine quality, style and craftsmanship. Photos are from Traditional Home.

Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime... Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure?    www.maitland-smith.com

Designer Showhouse of New Jersey

Maitland-Smith and La Barge are pleased to be participating with Traditional Home Magazine in the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey, April 29-June 10 in Saddle River.   

Photo:  Bob Skinner Photography

Proceeds benefit the Heart and Vascular Hospital and the Emergency Trauma Department at Hackensack University Medical Center.  Truly this is a worthy cause and will benefit many families as a result of the generosity of all the people involved in this event. 

Some of America's finest designers have added their personal touches to create fabulous interiors for an extraordinary home. 

With 11,000 square feet and located on 9.8 acres, it boasts a formal living and dining room, paneled library with adjoining sitting room, spacious family room, sunny conservatory, and a fully outfitted kitchen that's flanked by a breakfast and a morning room, and seven bedrooms and baths.  Outside amenities include a 600 foot winding drive, slate roof with copper enhancements, a four-car garage, pool house, guest house and putting green. 

The designer who is featuring Maitland-Smith and La Barge products is Angela Kumble of AMG Interior Design, New York, Palm Beach and Newport, RI. Noted for her architectural design and impeccable taste in home furnishings, Angela designs highly creative interiors for a wide range of individual tastes and styles. 

Our pieces join and complement those of our sister company, Pearson, in the family room.  Other Furniture Brands companies participating are Henredon, Hickory, and Lane Venture, giving you a taste of the variety, quality and craftsmanship found in these Furniture Brands lines. 

Here is a sneak peek of a couple of the Maitland-Smith items selected. 

Hopefully this sampling will make you eager to see more and visit the showhome if you live in the NJ area. 

The opening preview gala is April 28, and we will have more photos to share from that event. 

Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime...Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure? 

 

Go For Baroque

In the 17th century, European design leaned toward exaggeration, and over-emphasized brilliance.  The movement was a natural consequence of the increasingly ornamental Renaissance style.  The spreading Renaissance carried this free manner everywhere, and for two centuries, most European art was Baroque. 

Motion is the essence of Baroque - large curves, fantastic and irregular - twisted columns, broken pediments, and oversized moldings.  Everything was calculated to strike the eye.  Baroque is a masculine style, while its feminine counterpart, Rococo, came in the 18th century substituting prettiness and charm for Baroque magnificence.* 

Notice the curves and carved ornamentation in this overscaled, Baroque mirror from La Barge.  Height is 62", so this mirror makes a grand statement in a dining room over a sideboard or in a large entry way.

A Grecian crackled gold finish and rub-through set this mirror apart. 

   Another overscaled Baroque mirror has lots of twists and turns and attention to detail.  This one, too, is hand carved,  antique gold finished, and with red umber undertones - gorgeous. It is 87" tall. 

An over-mantel mirror, also sports swirls and flourishes and has an antique gold metal leaf finish. 

Now after seeing all the curves in the Baroque mirrors, you can certainly recognize that Baroque is the style of this pedestal with antique gilded gold finish and stone top. It is perfect for holding a plant or vase, and a pair would look great flanking a doorway. 

Each of these can add eclectic interest to a room that is modern and sleek where a statement piece is needed to shake things up a bit.   

If you ever feel the need to "Go for Baroque," look for classic pieces that stand the test of time. 

*Information taken from the Encyclopedia of Furniture, Joseph Aronson. 

La Barge... a reflection of all that you are.  www.labargeinc.com

 

Deck the Walls

I found this beautiful photo of a Maitland-Smith wall mirror in Traditional Home's  "Decorating:  Holiday Mantels."   

Photographer: Michael Partenio.Regional editor: Stacy Kunstel.  Architect: Jack Arnold. Interior designer: Cindy Rinfret

The shells in the mirror are beautifully complemented with the houndstooth sisal wallpaper, and the greenery and pinecones add just the right festive touch to set the holiday mood.  Additionally, the mirror reflects the light from the tree as well as light from the chandelier. 

Not just at holiday time, but throughout the year, a mirror is the perfect choice to "deck the walls."  Particularly in dark, overcast winter months, mirrors reflect any bright outdoor sunlight that may peak through the clouds, as well as reflecting interior lamp light, thus creating a sense of warmth as well as the illusion of more space.   

These framed La Barge mirrors add interest to the wall while reflecting the outdoor sunlight, and warm up this minimalist room. 

Here the outdoor light is beautifully reflected in both the mirror and the mirrored console. 

We all use mirrors in practical ways, and mirrors come in all styles and sizes.  Used in every room of the house, a mirror is a great winter-time decorating accessory. 

La Barge...a reflection of all that you are.

www.labargeinc.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  Not only is it a time to be with family, eat too much of a scrumptious meal, watch a parade and a football game --  it occurs in the fall with so much color and texture to enjoy, particularly here in North Carolina. 

Don't you love bright orange?  Orange seems to be the color of Thanksgiving. Pumpkins and autumn leaves put on a gorgeous display at this time of year.  There is something so enjoyable in being outside on a crisp fall day and walking in fallen leaves. 

So many of us love tradition and the Thanksgiving meal usually contains dishes that have been served at this meal for years.  Grandma may be long gone, but we still eat her cranberry salad.  These memories help to make the holiday extra special. 

Most of us know that the first Thanksgiving involved the pilgrims and the indians, so this puts it around 1620. It was celebrated on different days by different states over the years until eventually in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill making Thanksgiving a national holiday celebrated the fourth Thursday in November.  Aren't we glad he did. 

It is good to have a day set aside for family time and reflection on all that we have to be thankful for.  

As we gather around our dining tables this Thanksgiving, let us be sure to to count our blessings. 

Each of us at Maitland-Smith/La Barge wish you and yours a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. 

Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime.... Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure?  www.maitland-smith.com

Maison de Luxe

Maitland-Smith is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Luxe Interiors + Design Maison de Luxe,  a national designer show house to be held late this fall at the Historic Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills.

 

 

 
This estate will be transformed by the creativity and vision of over 20 of the nation's leading designers.  Four of the designers were featured in Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Nathan Turner, Jeffrey Allen Marks, and Mary McDonald.   What a great opportunity to see their work up close and personal as well as space designed by Barclay Butera, Jamie Drake and other well-know and talented designers.  Besides the show house tour, there will also be a designer lecture series. And - a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Friends of Greystone, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration of Historic Greystone Estate. 

Click here for information about the show house as featured in Luxe Interiors + Design. 

Greystone Estate is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1928 for the Doheny family.  The estate is over 46,000 square feet on 18.5 manicured acres. It was purchased in 1971 by the city of Beverly Hills and dedicated as a public park.  Five years later it was officially recognized as a historic landmark and was entered into the Registry of the Historic Places. 

The Greystone estate has been the backdrop for nearly 30 Hollywood movies and is frequently used as a venue for a variety of arts and cultural events hosted by the City of Beverly Hills.  I was surprised that one of my favorite chick flicks, The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz and Jude Law, had portions filmed at the Greystone. 

I will share more about the show house as we get closer to the opening, but I can guarantee that it will be well worth the time spent touring this grand historic estate and seeing it transformed into the 21st century. And who knows -- you may see some Maitland-Smith and La Barge products featured.

Elegant and distinctive pieces for your home today, with quality and style to last a lifetime....Do you have a Maitland-Smith treasure?  www.maitland-smith.com

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

Who is the fairest of them all? We know this question from the fairy tale, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.   Subconsciously we ask a similar question every day as we look into a mirror ..  "Do I look okay?" 

How many times a day do we sneak a look at our reflection, whether in a store window we pass or in a piece of shining brass or metal?    "How is my hair?" "Is my tie straight?"  We are constantly using mirrors and they're everywhere.  Mirrors are found in our hallways and in our bedrooms. They are in our foyers and dining rooms.  In fact, there is no room in the home where a mirror is not a welcome addition. 

Besides being practical, mirrors add beauty and interest to a wall or floor space as well as a sense of your style based on the size, shape and color of the frame.   Mirrors can open up a room making it appear larger, and we enjoy the reflected light from the outdoors, particularly in winter time.  Also, nothing is more romantic than candlelight reflected in a mirror.

The earliest mirror was probably just a reflection in a pool of water.  Mirrors during the European Middle Ages were slightly convex disks of metal that reflected light off their highly polished surfaces.   During the 16th century, a method of backing a plate of flat glass with a thin sheet of reflecting metal came into production in Venice.  The chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver was discovered in 1835, advancing the modern techniques of mirror making. 

The earliest mirrors were hand mirrors and larger mirrors did not appear until the first century AD.  From the late 17th century onward, mirrors and their frames played an inportant part in the decoration of rooms. (Taken from Encyclopedia Brittanica.)

We enjoy mirrors in all shapes and sizes from a small purse mirror, to a floor-standing or large wall-mounted mirror.  Styles range from rustic to chic metropolitan, to classic traditional to regal elegance.  Mirrors can be found for every taste and style.

Following are a few examples of the beautiful mirrors found at La Barge.

 
Hand carved, this is a classic style with an antique gold metal leaf finish.

 
Grand describes this La Barge mirror that is completely hand carved. Inspired by a small Florentine portrait frame,  it has a taupe finish with a gold wash and is 53" wide by 76" high. 
 
This overscaled Baroque mirror has a Grecian crackled gold finish with rub through and is perfect over a classically styled sideboard. 

 
A completely different look is seen in this crisp geometric patterned frame with its aubergine finish and silver accents. 

La Barge has a wide range of mirrors using a variety of materials including shells, brass, leather, iron and rich walnut burl.   Visit the La Barge website, www.labargeinc.com,  to see the full line of beautiful mirrors, tables and accent pieces.

La Barge... a reflection of all that you are. 

 

The Sunburst Mirror

Now that the holidays are almost over and winter has begun in earnest with lots of snow, the sky can be overcast for days on end.  It doesn't take many of these cloudy days to cause us to wish for the sun to shine once more.

The Wall Street Journal recently posted an article, "The Ever Stylish Sunburst Mirror."  It begins by saying,

 "With bleak winter days upon us, a mirror will refract each precious ray of sunlight -- and the sunburst mirror seems to stand in for the sun itself." 

The sunburst mirror dates back at least as far as the 15th century when the Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck, placed a sunburst mirror in his Arnolfini portrait of a married couple. As he lived in Bruges in Belgium, the winters would have been heavily overcast.

Louis XIV established the first glass and mirror factory in Northern Europe in the 17th century and made mirrors bigger and clearer than ever before.  However, in the Wall Street Journal article, a Manhattan antiques dealer is quoted as saying we have the French Revolution to thank for the sunburst mirror's debut.  Read the entire article to see the Van Eyck portrait as well as other examples of sunburst mirrors. 

The overscaled oval shaped La Barge sunburst mirror above is finished in wood tones with gold rub through. 

 Here a smaller round sunburst mirror is completely different from the one above, and its leafy, free form pattern has an antique gold gilded finish.

This 59" diameter mirror below has a silver gilded frame with a mirrored sunburst pattern in the center. 

Each of these mirrors reminds us of the sun, yet each in a completely different way, based on the designer's creativity and vision. 

Spring will come eventually, but in the meantime, you may wish to bring a little of the sunshine indoors by hanging a sunburst mirror where it will remind you of warmer days.

La Barge... a reflection of all that you are.

www.labargeinc.com

 

Happy Holidays from your Friends at Maitland-Smith/La Barge

From all of us to you and yours, have a happy, safe and warm holiday. 

May 2011 bring peace, love, health and prosperity to us all.   

 www.maitland-smith.com                           www.labargeinc.com