On a Driftwood Kick

Ok, so I have to admit that I am on a bit of a driftwood kick these past few days. Partly because of the amazing driftwood furniture and lamps I saw during our junket to Toronto, but also because of the natural and graceful elements that driftwood has.

The silvery gray veining of the wood is special, soft and delicate, while the wood itself is hard, masculine and rustic. It's a certain juxtapose that makes an eye happy, and a mind curious. Living only minutes from the water where there is an abundance of free driftwood, my new favorite material is also readily available and price-perfect! Each piece is unique, absolutely impossible to replicate.


Take this starburst mirror for instance. I can see this in a beach cottage undoubtedly, but can't you also imagine this (in larger scale) against a red lacquer wall, hung above a mirrored console table, two tall crystal cylinder vases filled with glass balls? Or in a subtle, monochromatic interior, against a pale beige color, above an antique dresser painted cream, with a collection of tortoise shell boxes and a silver handled mirror and make-up tray?


Or this lamp - which I think is very special. You'd almost expect to see it in the lodge of a high-toned ski resort by way of Aspen or Crested Butte, but it might be just at home in a Colonial dining room, atop a Duncan Phyfe buffet, matched in a pair flanking a gilded mirror. Or how about that NYC studio? Brick walls, wood floors, open frame ceiling. This lamp would merge well into a room filled with less rustic and more modern sensibilities. Pair it with a glass side table near a lime mid-century sofa, changing the shade to a soft robins egg blue, and a small silver trinket box.


This chandelier is my next "recreation" project. I am in love with it's form. Where will I put it you ask? Imagine a pergola, draped in burlap curtains, a herringbone patterned brick floor. This chandelier hangs centered above a table made from an old gate, it's once vibrant green now a soft gray washed sage. Many brass candlesticks, in a variety of heights, wear cream candles - their flame flickering with the soft breeze let in through the burlap. Mismatched chairs, all upholstered surround the table, each covered in a muted toile. In the background you hear the toe-tapping rhythm of Pink Martini, and the air is filled with the scent of a steak au'puove served on fresh french bread with pom' de frite.

And lastly, this chair. Imagine it at the end of a long panelled hallway, a kilim pillow tossed at the back of the seat. Or perhaps as the captains chair of a black lacquer table, surrounded otherwise by clear resin Philip Starke chairs.

The versatility of driftwood is outstanding, not to mention the truly artistic feeling you get from the varied lines created by it's natural existence. I'll be working on finishing up the base to the lamp tonight, and I'll post pictures of it tomorrow!