Michael Adams

Klismos: a chair after my own heart

2007-03-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of “Survey on Interior Design” we learned about the Klismos chair and it has been my favorite ever since. I spent many an hour sitting in studio class doodling elegant flared legs, curved backs, and traditional woven leather seats. The klismos chair comes in many varieties. My favorite, made in 1937 resides at the Metropolitan Museum of art in New York.

Dear Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings,

Wherever you are up in heaven thank you for your beautiful take on this classic Greek chair.

Heart,
Michael

For those of us who can’t afford a Robsjohn-Gibbings klismos chair here is a link to a relatively affordable one. Notice I said relative. On a budget? It is worth it. Save up and buy half a chair a year and have a set of 4 in only short 8 years.

Atlantic Avenue Adventure

2007-02-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

The PDC and D&D are great but designers who never venture outside the showrooms are poor designers. Some designers go to Paris, I go to Brooklyn. One of my favorite places to search for my clients is Atlantic Avenue. There you will find stores with some of the most wonderfully eclectic vintage and antique furniture and home decorations. These items will not be found in the D&D or the PDC. Most of these dealers travel all over the country to small auctions in rural locations collecting interesting knick-knacks, art and furniture. What brought me to my Paris in Brooklyn this week was the need for a map case to hold my client’s sheet music. I found one I love at, IN DAY OF OLD, LTD, a beautiful shop I frequent. If you are looking for a great piece of mahogany furniture or a vintage oak file cabinet, this is the place. They have wonderful stuff, their prices are reasonable (it’s still New York) and the couple that runs it couldn’t be nicer.

A store I really love is FOUNDRY. If it is cool, unique or just oddly beautiful then most likely Soharb, the owner has it. In his inventory are the cool models of guts and hearts that graced your junior high school science room to vintage maps and lighting. I like adding one or two of his pieces to a traditional room. The contrast is great. With 2 locations within blocks from each other, you are bound find that poster of the anatomy of chicken you always dreamed about.

And where else could you find an anatomically correct Valentine’s Day gift?

I am sucker for a good robot.

If you like the look of FOUNDRY then you will love DARR. Think of DARR as the older more quiet sister of FOUNDRY. Their inventory is modern but with obvious colonial influence. Beautiful antique mirrors in rustic frames scatter the walls offset by large animal heads. FDR would be proud.

After speaking with the charming man at DARR he mad me aware that the owner had started a menswear store across the street. Being sucker for clothes I made my way over to HOLLANDER & LEXER (I am told by the shopkeeper that there were never a Hollander or a Lexer.). The love the design of the store itself as much as the inventory. It’s is full of thoughtful details, including a repurposed post office desk that holds shoes. They sell a number of American designers and a little Paul Smith. I am in love.

Ready Set Go

2007-02-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my blog, a chronicle of the wacky high jinks of a young NYC interior designer and his super-cute assistant Hillary. (The hardest thing about being 23 years old and working for myself is that everyone assumes I am my own assistant. Looking so young is not always a bad thing. My hairdresser thinks I am senior in High School and gives me a student discount.) Stick around. I will be sharing my current client, favorite resources, fabulous finds, and lots and lots of the cool stuff that makes me smile.

First Post

2007-01-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my website and blog. New content will be added regularly. Check back soon for updates.