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edited by Alexa Yablonski -- Interior Design, 9/1/2003 12:00:00 AM
| accessories • building materials • fabrics & wallcoverings • flooring • furniture |
| kitchen & bath • lighting • office • outdoor furniture • seating |
Alpha bet Exclusively employing artisans with HIV/AIDS, the Alpha Workshops has executed fantastic hand-painted finishes and produced custom fabric and wallpaper for designers Christopher Coleman, Sam Botero, and Jamie Drake. The atelier launched its first wallpaper collection two years ago. The second, out now, is distinguished by hand-stamped patterns and hand-rubbed backgrounds, embracing an artisanal look while keeping an eye on cost. "We streamlined our production to keep the papers well priced," says founder Ken Wampler, who got his start as an ornamental painter for fashion designer Mary McFadden.Introductions such as Fiddlestix and Posey nonetheless retain a one-of-a-kind beauty that Wampler credits to the Alpha Workshops's authentic handiwork. "I'd rather have a completely artificial paper with perfectly placed squares," he says, "than one that mimics the hand-painted look, with a repeat that just screams." Alpha Workshops and Pollack. Visit Site.
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From dresses to divans When Vera Wang needed a gorgeous hand-painted silk chiffon for a floor-length halter dress, she called on textile designer Astrid de Saint Anthost to supply the goods. Now the French native has launched her first line for the interior design world. "I love fashion, but it's such a business," says Saint Anthost, who has also worked with Carolina Herrera and Bill Blass. "With interiors, you can be much more creative." That creativity comes through in over 300 florals and geometrics produced at her Queens workshop, Le Studio Anthost. While organza, chiffon, and leather are staples of the fashion line, her favorite interiors materials are heavy satin, cotton, and velvet, whose weight is just right for upholstery, pillows, and throws. Sand-texturizing, embossing, and airbrushing techniques combine with custom paint colors and shiny copper and gold metallics for a look that's less Halston, more Jeffrey Bilhuber. Phone 718 267-8907 for information.
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Forging a partnership  A Brooklyn loading dock became the launching pad for Shelton Studios when sculptors Gabrielle Shelton and Matt Crane met there fortuitously. Both had worked for metal fabricators around New York and had recently struck out on their own—but were reconsidering. "We decided to join forces to take on bigger and better jobs," says Shelton. And they did, winning commissions from Turett Collaborative Architects and designers Nick Dine and Thom Filicia.TriBeCa vintage-furniture gallery R 20th Century, co-owned by Shelton's husband, Evan Snyderman, hired the metalwork duo to design and build a single-stringer staircase in cold- and hot-rolled steel. The stunner led to other commissions, and soon Shelton-Crane had produced a number of showpieces from steel, bronze, or aluminum.  Stairs aren't Shelton-Crane's only strong suit, though. "Metal can be cast, fabricated, machined, and patinated," Shelton enumerates. "You can use it to build anything from jewelry to houses." To date, the company has handcrafted planters, end tables, radiator covers, even a mailbox. With a material as malleable as metal, creativity knows no bounds. Phone 347 423-7490 for information.
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Beyond bamboo  Bart Bettencourt has come a long way since receiving a D in middle-school shop class. The self-taught woodworker learned carpentry firsthand, working as a house framer in Boston after college. (What else do you do with a BA in English?) After gleaning the trade's secrets, he joined the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum's wood shop and, on the side, completed custom jobs for architects and designers.At last spring's Joint Venture, an International Contemporary Furniture Fair satellite show in Williamsburg, his vision emerged via a furniture collection that celebrates superb details and the natural grain of bamboo. "I like working with renewable resources, promoting environmental sustainability through good design," he says. "People should love the look first, then realize what it stands for." The Future Perfect. Urban Archaeology  Glasstone has grit and glamour. Made of Portland cement, fossil shell, and recycled glass, this flooring and countertop product is tough enough for interior or exterior use, versatile enough for dry or wet applications—and sufficiently dazzling for a major visual impact. Choose between light and heavy concentrations of kaleidoscopically colored glass inserts, in multi, blue-green, or amber-yellow colorways. Offered in slabs or tiles. Visit Site.
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El: Environmental Language Eco-friendly and design-savvy aren't mutually exclusive. Case in point? Jill Salisbury's El:1 furniture collection, governed by environmental consciousness and commitment to lasting style. Tailored upholstered pieces combine natural latex padding, wool and hemp upholstery, and cotton batting and barrier cloth. Hidden structural components are formaldehyde-free wheat-board. Exposed elements are wood culled from certified sustainable forests, as are tables. But for all El:1's merits, it's just Salisbury's first step. Next up? She hopes to realize her vision of cradle-to-cradle solutions for commercial furniture. Visit site.
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Innovations in Wallcoverings Allegory Vine defines organic elegance. Stylized foliage—based on the distinctive texture and sheen of spring leaves—characterizes this modern damask, a 50-50 blend of polyester and wood pulp from managed forests. Available in seven colors. Visit site.
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Constantine Terra makes the ground beneath your feet stylish and sustainable. Composed of Solutia Renew postindustrial recycled nylon, the carpet features a sophisticated small-scale grid pattern in a choice of seven colorways. Visit site.
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