Good - Bye 2010

2010 was the birth of my baby.

Well...not a real baby but my virtual baby - A Room Without Walls.  She ( I call her she because it's my blog so...I get to decide ;-)  ) was born out of a need and desire to have something of my own.

On one hand, I love working with outdoor design.  On the other hand, working in a limited environment for other people and not having the ability to explore all the amazing vendors the outdoor world is producing was altogether too stifling.  I would constantly find things that excited me and I wanted to share them. However, I was severely limited by the products at hand on the showroom floor.

I am glad I took a chance and started this blog.

This blog is a labor of love.  My research efforts have illuminated me to some of the most creative and forward thinking designers in the outdoor world.  Even so, last month I struggled with a massive case of blog envy.

Let me explain:

When I started my blog in June of 2010, I fully expected to have a huge following and vendors begging me for advertising space by December of this year.

Ummmmmm, can you say. "Reality Check!?"

Of course, neither has come true and it caused me a great deal of concern as November faded and entered a cold and damp December.  The budgetary concerns are never ending and while I certainly love what I do, bills have to be paid.  Trying not to let my concerns descend into a an existential crisis, I struggle with trying to maintain a brand new business and giving in to seeking another job in a showroom where I can sell the same thing over and over - never being able to use my talent or vision beyond the showroom floor and following the vision of another person.

For the better part of December, I cocooned myself deep inside the Christmas holidays with all the requisite decorating, shopping, wrapping and preparing.  Christmas has passed, the tree is drying out and the ornaments are ready to be boxed up for next year.  As much as I wanted to hide and find other tasks to keep my mind from having to make a decision, this past week I thought and I thought myself crazy.


and then...

I came to the conclusion that I need to "Go Big or Go Home."  So, moving forward into a new year and a new decade, I am devoting myself to introducing and learning about new collections, the latest and greatest  designers and coming up with as much information on outdoor furniture and outdoor living as I can possibly and exhaustively find.

I want to be the Julie McCoy of the blogosphere.

I want to be able to take my readers on a voyage around the world so we can discover new manufacturers, new designers and new ways of creating the ultimate outdoor retreat.

About this commitment to you, I'm hugely excited.

On a bit more personal note - I know my blog is unique and that blogs about outdoor living are few and far between.  I'm not going to fill in a few pages here and there between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Instead, I am going to dedicate every day to finding the new, the creative and the unusual.  I have the desire to continue on this journey and want to bring you along.  I accept that this journey has just begun and that six months in the scheme of things is just a blip in time.

So going forward, let us raise our glasses to a new year, a new decade and a renewed committment to making A Room Without Walls the best source for all that is outdoor living.

Cheers!

Jane

Staach

I found these great pieces while looking for some updated and eco-friendly products the other day.  I fell head over heel in love!  The simplicity of the table and chairs and the beauty of the furniture thoroughly impress me.

I  see a design similarity between the Cain chairs and  the Eames Herman Miller "Plywood" Chair.  That perception makes these chairs all the more fabulous in my book because I love mid century modern.

Designed for Staach by Seth Eshelman, the Cain collection is hand crafted out of eco-friendly red and white domestic maple. The finishes are all lead free.  Formaldehyde-free non-toxic wood glue is used along with water borne clear and colored lacquer.  Indeed,  an eco-friendly product that can proudly say it's been approved by the FSC.  ( The Forest Stewardship Council ) 

All fabrication for these pieces is simple and done completely in-house with a limited use of only two tools. This extreme reduction in tool use has helped achieve an even higher level of sustainability by not using more human energy.  The colours are great!  Mix and match the table with some bright chairs.  The possibility of cushions is left to the buyer.  However, I would leave this furniture without cushions so as to not hide the beautiful lines!

More than Twinkle lights ...

The tradition of using Christmas lights actually originates with ancient people that feared the long, dark days of winter. During the winter solstice, large bonfires were kept burning to "lure" the sun back. This tradition continued throughout the ages but, like many ancient traditions, it evolved and mutated so much that its origin is not readily clear.

A house with lights looks amazing but adding a few additional touches can take amazing to fabulous!  Wreaths, window boxes and tree's are incredible additions to you outdoor space.

This front-door decoration brings to mind an elaborate bell-pull. The badge consists of dried flowers, fruits, pods, pine cones, and fresh greenery. The badge was created on a styrofoam disk and the fresh greenery is layered in burlap. The designer constructed the bottom tassel and attached it to the medallion.

To create this look, use pine boughs as a base and then add seasonal produce to the mix.  For even more holiday flair, try weaving outdoor ribbon throughout your arrangements.

Cold winter days are an asset for this display because they allow produce to stay fresh longer. You can replace the fruits and vegetables as needed, or set up the display right before a holiday event.

Decorate your loggia ,add a tree to your  Outdoor space.  The boat house, Gate house or Studio located on your property should be dressed in it's holiday finery too .

Winter outdoor decor

Hello.

I've been very busy working on various projects around my own home for the past two weeks.  Getting ready for the holidays and doing a massive overhaul of all things at Casa Bassi.  I have noticed that with all the catalogs and magazines to which I subscribe, many are recently including displays for the outdoor room.

I have no sense of urgency to sell off outdoor furniture and be done with it until spring rolls around.  In fact, I am noticing many periodicals and websites embracing the outdoor lifestyle and creating vignettes to showcase the outdoor room in a winter theme.  Not everyone lives in a environment  that lends itself to the use of the outdoor space in the winter but you can still decorate the space to reflect the season.  Many of us have at least a few pieces of outdoor furniture in a location where they can be seen from the indoors.  I love continuing my holiday decorating onto my patio.


I found a lovely collection of pillows and accessories, each containing a bird theme.

Twelve days of Christmas, the partridge and pear tree from  Pottery Barn  This pillow makes an elegant statement.

Or if you wanted to go with something red, the Cardinal and pine cones is also avalible from Pottery Barn .

This little light could be hung over a dining table or a outdoor seating area producing a soft glow.  Just enough light to showcase your outdoor seating group  Yet another fabulous find from Pottery Barn.

Perhaps, adding some string lights to the trees in your backyard space would create a festive addition to your holiday outdoor space.

















Or decorating several trees and adding presents to the scape would be a fun way to highlight a porch or outdoor space.


















                                                                                                              

If you choose to decorate the trees in your outdoor space, what could be more appropriate than getting ornaments made from bird seed?   Pine Tree Farms  has an excellent collection of pre-made ornaments that you won't have to worry about storing for the next year.


Each ornament is made of bird seed.  Not only are you going to be decorating your outdoor space but you will be feeding the birds in your area.  They have many decorative styles to choose from as well as bird houses and other styles of feeders that could easily be incorporated into the decorating of some trees.

  

Pine Tree Farms, Inc. is proud to be a key financial supporter of a pioneering scientific study sponsored by the charitable WBFI Research Foundation (www.projectwildbird.org). As a supporter of the WBFI Research Foundation, Pine Tree Farms. is dedicated to the promotion of responsible feeding.








Over the next few weeks we can look at other idea's for creating a festive holiday space in your outdoor room.

Be real (and honest) when selling your furniture

I like to look on Craiglist, Ebay and my absolute favorite, 1stdibs, for eclectic pieces not only for clients but for myself.  It's much like panning for gold - sometimes you get really lucky and find absolutely the most fantastic things. 

Then sometimes you don't...

Please, do not get me wrong.  With certainty, I am not a mean spirited person - far from it.  I will give you the shirt off my back and my last dollar bill if you need it but, sometimes, I have issue with the "verbage" I often see. 

The following are examples of experiences I have had:

Is that "vintage?"  ...Really?
Please refrain from telling me something is vintage simply because it has become weather beaten and/or worn out in your backyard.  Weathered and worn don't necessarily mean vintage.  It might be better to tell the reader you have some pieces that need a little TLC.  Trust me, there are lots of people who get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from refinishing furniture.

Put down that spray paint can! 
Please don't feel the need to spray paint your powder coated outdoor furniture. Once done it's ruined and can not be brought back to the original condition making it worthless to a potential purchaser.  Either call a company that specializes in restoration of outdoor furniture or again, tell the reader that the furniture is structurally sound but requires a new powder coating.  Re-doing a powder coat is not as expensive as people may fear.  I have told my clients often to re-powder coat pieces rather than spend money on new furniture.

What you see MUST BE what you get.
Don't post a picture you found on a website of the item as it would appear if brand new.  People are willing to drive a fair distance to look at your pieces and are bound to be terribly disappointed when they arrive and the furniture needs work.  A camera phone or even a quick snapshot with a disposable camera demonstrates to a potential buyer what they are really buying.  Complete honesty up front is going to save everyone a lot of time and it will also help the seller find the right buyer. 

Don't give away the store.
If you have something that was handed down to you from a friend or family member, it is well worth doing some research as to the origin of the piece or collection.  You just might have a "diamond in the rough."  I once had the pleasure of attending an estate sale at the home of a most delightful couple.  They had an Eames lounge chair and ottoman and were asking a paltry $80.00 for the lounger and $40.00 for the ottoman.  I could feel the vultures circling!  In good conscience, I could not allow this sweet little couple to sell something so potentially valuable.  I talked to the husband and he removed the price tags from the piece until they could get someone to come out for an appraisal.  The chair and ottoman were original, having still had the paper tag on the underside of the chair!  The moral of the story is: If your not sure about something's value have it appraised.  Just be certain about the appraiser is properly credentialed.

Keep the guesswork to a minimum.
On the other hand, don't tell someone something is made by a company if it is not or you're uncertain of its origin.  There are wonderful designers and retailers in the market place that are more than happy to look at photographs of your furniture and confirm the manufacturer.  Of course, its better to be safe than sorry.

Do the right thing.
Just tell the truth.  It has been my experience that there are buyers out there for almost every thing.  If you can't sell it then perhaps a donation to a local charity might be in order.

Why do I do this?

I picked up an interesting magazine the other day entitled - Homes on the Water - where everyday is a vacation.  Great magazine if you can find it.  I highly recommend taking a look though it for idea's on space planning and conceptualizing your vision.  But it also made me think...

When you look though a magazine for ideas, most publishers don't include the vendor in the photographs. This thought leads me into the title of my blog today:

"Why, do I do this?"


Well, for starters, I have a passion for outdoor furniture and outdoor living.  The freedom of being in the outdoor space and helping others realize their dream outdoor room simply makes me happy.

Though my years of working in the outdoor industry, I noticed that while most outdoor furniture retailers carry a large selection of furniture, they generally limit their associations to seven to ten vendors.

When I thought about that one day, it blew my mind.  The reality is that there are thousands of outdoor furniture manufactures.  The manufactures commonly represented on the showroom floors are usually the companies that have the larger advertising budgets and the name recognition that goes along with the larger budgets.

Is that to say that the furniture is not the best quality?

Absolutely not!  The furniture is great quality but it might not be what you are looking for.

I want to show consumers choices.

I want people to be able to see all the collections available to them through the eyes of someone who loves outdoor furniture - someone who does not benefit from pushing one brand over another.

By starting A Room Without Walls, I find myself able to showcase and give consumers a view of collections they might not have been able to see thought their local outdoor living retailers or even magazine ads.  New and fresh companies that have a passion for outdoor living are creating some AMAZING furniture and accessories.

So, Why, do you do this?
 
I do what I love and I love what I do.  Period.

I get to share some of the most beautiful furniture in the world with my guests at A Room Without Walls  and that is not a bad way to spend the day!

Jane

Tea Cups - Oh Alice!!

If you have followed my blog you will know I have a passion for Alice In Wonderland.  I love Alice and all her perils.  I think there have been moments in my life that had me feeling like I was seeing things though the looking glass and I certainly have an interesting cast of characters around me!

As always, a good part of my day revolves around finding new and interesting pieces to share on my blog and with clients. When I found the Tea Cup set you couldn't have wiped the Cheshire cat grin off my face!


The Tea cup collection is taken from Alice In Wonderland.  Holly Palmer is a British designer who started her own company ( we love that ) after finishing school in 2008.  Holly is on the radar as a designer to keep your eyes on.


The Rose- Tea Cup Stool

Wall Mount - hang them up for indoor or outdoor. What a great conversation piece!

Coffee Caddy - yes you can put them away when not in use.  Again, a great conversation piece







RED!!!  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.... The Red!













Available in these standard colours or mix them and make it personal.















Holly Palmer your a genius!  I love your work!

Harbour - A Step Outside

Harrison and Nicolas Condos wanted to take the family business to the next level with a desire to bring a fresh perspective and add their own vision to the very successful Tecno  furniture, founded in 1976 by their father Jim Condos.  

In 2007, that vision became a reality when Harbour Outdoor was born.  Harbour Outdoor has an intense desire to expand beyond the border of their home land ( Australia ) into a global company. 

In May of 2010, Harbour Outdoor opened their first showroom in the United States.  The store is located in Los Angeles, making it easier for the North American consumers to purchase and receive the absolute best in customer care.

While going global, Harbour Outdoor has stuck to it's roots of being a Australian company and designs around what is familiar about the beautiful city of Sidney.  

Harbour Outdoor is creating unique outdoor furniture that is exceptional in not only style, but craftsmanship. These attributes are evident in all of their collections, from the contemporary to the more traditional pieces. In 2011 they will add two new collections to their growing product line. 

Balmoral and Clovelly, named after two of Sidney's most famous beaches, both have a contemporary feel and style. 

Harbour Outdoor introduces

a custom self-assemble sofa system never seen before in the outdoor world. A sofa with 12 different possible section configurations and a vast array of colour options. Balmoral offers users utmost versatility where a removable cushion cover system allows ease of maintenance and flexibly in colors.

Balmoral is situated on a solid High Pressure Compact Laminate surface supported by laser cut, tapered, powder coated aluminium legs. Innovative Polymer slots support the interchangable stainless steel structure within the back and arm cushions. Which are enveloped in a fully removable sunbrella fabric cover featuring contrast colour piping.

A high style, low maintenance collection for the ultra contemporary user. Clovelly’s Dining Set, fuses modern interior styling with outdoor living. Clovelly dining chairs are constructed from zinc plated mild steel and stackable for ease of storage. They are available in two different styles; 1. Steel slatted seat and back as shown below (seat cushion is available for extra comfort) 2. Batyline seat and back slings.

Clovelly’s Dining Table broadens Harbour Outdoor’s successful use of High Pressure Compact Laminate surfaces and powder coated aluminium frames. A drop shadow effect is incorporated by raising the surface above the frame, leaving the impression that the surface is floating. The lines of the 4-inch wide flat bar legs form a seamless synergy of style and function across the surface, as the laminate has been cut to echo the symmetrical form of the legs.

Harbour - A Step Outside, indeed, outside in style and design!!!

Red Dot Awards

 The Red Dot quality label distinguishes works which have been certified by a jury to have very high design standards. In total, only 6.4% of all submitted works received an award in last year’s competition. 


Here are a few of the Red Dot winners in the "Garden" category.. 

Axis-  Gloster     

The collection has dining and deep setting elements along with side and coffee tables.  It is available in both a teak and a sable shade (painted) mahogany finish. 

When you first look at Axis the simplicity is striking, but look at little closer and the detail and angular sweep of the collection are even more so.

Gloster only uses the finest grades of teak, hand selected from their plantation in Indonesia.  Mahogany is being used by Gloster in their Estate collection as well as Axis.  Gloster offers cushions, in all their exceptional fabrics, for seats and ottomans.   

Flat - Gandiablasco 

Yes, Yes, Yes!  An absolute favorite of mine is Gandiablasco.  Na Xamena is STUPENDOUS! I greatly covet this collection! 


I have heard whispers that Spain is currently in a design renaissance and with the addition of Flat.  I can see why! The lines on Flat are perfect - along with unsurpassed attention to detail.  Mario Ruiz has created pieces that speak softly yet say so much.  These pieces are strong yet never overpowering, awkward or soon to be dated.  I believe the Flat series will stand the test of time and continue to be enjoyed for many, many years to come. 

The Chaiselongue 


Made of thermo-lacquered aluminum in your choice of a white or bronze finish. It is as beautiful as a fine sculpture.   

The modular sofa can be combined in a myriad of combination to include arms or not. The low profile matches the height of the low cocktail/chat table. Both are in lacquered aluminum with a choice of white or bronze finish. Sectional pieces come with cushions. 

Wave- Royal Botania  

One of the most innovative pieces created in years - the Wave hammock. Since it's inception during the 2008 season, it has been turning heads and causing pause.  The elegant sail feature that cradles the body and the  single base creates the illusion of floating on the ocean. Perhaps, even "floating in the trees" cushioned on a single leaf. 


















The Wave hammock is designed by Eric Nyberg and Gustav Strom for Royal Botania.  Crafted from the finest materials, electro-polished stainless steel and two types of weather resistant
fabric.  All are used for the sail and the hammock.  Although fixed at a single point, the Wave is sturdy and will endure all types of weather conditions. 

As you can see by all three of these designs, collections and pieces, there is  a tremendous amount of innovation and excitement to be found in the outdoor market place.  Stay tuned for more Red Dot award winners this week.

Dune

Austrian designer Rainer Mutsch, whose talent and vision have garnered many awards including the prestigious Red Dot award for design excellence. Rainer Mutsch is probably best known for the ergonomic polygonal Rocking Chair.

Rainer Mutsch says the
Rocking Chair is an
"...artificial, technical
interpretation of natural
rock formations."







Rainer Mutsch has recently completed a range of outdoor furniture called Dune.  Dune is set to launch in 2011.  Each Dune piece is three dimensionally molded out of one whole, 100% recyclable eternit cellulose fiber-cement panel.  When most of us think of cement furniture, we think of benches and perhaps objects that are fun but less than functional.  In Dune, Mutsch has created a collection that is exceptionally artistic yet completely functional.

With six different shapes the possibilities are endless for placement of the pieces.  Space constraints are not at issue as you can modify the collection to suite your needs. 

Use the pieces as a sectional or leave them individual as lounge chairs. Create groupings or seating for solo enjoyment. 

While modern in design, the organic nature of Dune would be suitable in many outdoor settings. 

Something not to "throw" away...

For decades, Textillery Weavers has had the reputation for being of the finest weavers of hand woven throws in the United States.  John Rose gave his wife, Judith, a gift loom in 1974.  Judith learned to weave small at first, creating place mats and pillows. They sold their goods wholesale at craft fairs across the country.

By 1978, the Roses realized there was a market for hand woven goods and they formed Textillery Weavers.  Slowly the business grew as Textillery developed a reputation for their fine weaving, exceptional business practices and their use of innovative materials. They where seeing such growth that everything they wove was sold as fast as they could weave it.  This lead to the purchase of new looms for the studio.

By the early 90s, Textillery weavers was regarded as the leading maker of hand made throws.  Today,they are credited with being apart of the explosion of chenille throws. 

By 1998, the company had outgrown the studio and was ready to move into a 37,000 foot, state of the art facility where they ran 28 looms.  This facility is one of the few hand made textile mills in the world.  With the Roses at the helm - creating the designs and researching new technology, Textillery Weavers started to explore other outlets for their creativity and design skills.

Approximately four years ago, the Roses, along with Glen Raven choose to design a line of indoor/outdoor throws using  Glen Raven custom fabrics.

The Sunbrella throw, is made from Glen Raven's famous solution dyed acrylic. This wonder thread prevents fabrics from staining , bleaching  and mold.

The color selection will go with any collection of furniture you might choose.

 The Chenille and boucles fabric are soft to the touch and will keep you warm on the coolest of evenings.

J. Meejin Yoon's Light Drift: October 15-17, 2010

 Light Drift was a temporary interactive lighting installation along the edge of the Schuylkill River that drew thousands of viewers into a playful engagement with the artwork, the river’s edge, and each other. The project created a field of lighting elements arrayed along the waterfront, with elements on land and in the water.

 The lighting elements are shaped like orbs or buoys and are equipped with electronics that allow them to respond to a viewer and to communicate with each other. The orbs on land use sensors to detect the presence of a person and relay a radio signal to the corresponding orbs in the water, allowing visitors to transform the lighting behavior and color of the orbs in the river. 

 As viewers engage and occupy the orbs along the park, the grid of lights in the water becomes an index of the activities on land. Multiple viewers can create intersections of linear patterns, encouraging viewers to “play” with each other. These orbs bring the community together by providing gathering spaces for watching the river turn into a flickering constellation, creating new connections on the river’s edge.

 After Light Drift is de-installed, the project may be reinstalled at a second venue in Boston, on the Charles River. When the project is finished, the PETG materials will be recycled.








MY Studio Project team: J. Meejin Yoon, Eric Höweler, Ryan Murphy, Parker Lee, Jennifer Chuong, Lauren McClellan, Man Yan Lam, Yushiro Okamoto, Kris Swick, Dan Sullivan, Jeremy Jih
MY Studio Electronics Engineer: Mark Feldmeier

It's Wednesday, and I am in love!

I have fallen in love with McKinnon and Harris.  This is estate furniture of fine quality!  You rarely see anything in the market place so exquisite.  William McKinnon Massie Jr. and Annie Harris Massie are creating outdoor furniture to last a lifetime.  Each piece is lovingly hand-crafted .  There is no mass production involved in these creations and it shows in the design of their exceptional furniture

Photograph courtesy McKinnon and Harris

The Du-VAL Alexander Collection is so beautiful, you will want to showcase it inside!

All Mckinnon and Harris furniture is powder coated with only the best finish.  For added durability, each piece is protected with a dry protective, epoxy primer.  This primer is the maximum protection against the elements and chipping or flaking.  The primer is followed by an architectural-grade topcoat for the most exceptional color retention and to provide additional protection against elements. 

Photography courtesy McKinnon and Harris

 The rich texture of the fabric along with the fabulous details make this Pavilion VI an instant classic.





The color palette is exceptional with twenty-one choices for frame finish.  Fabric colors range from canvas to jockey red and everything in between.

Photography courtesy McKinnon and Harris 

Not only is Ablemarle with round Adams big top a gorgeous combination for a dining table, it's available in 21 colors.  Ablemarle comes in one of the largest round table sizes I have seen for outdoor dining at 81 inches in diameter.  This outlandish size means you can seat 10 very comfortably!  This table is simply amazing!  It can be so hard to find a round table for exclusive outdoor use that is larger than 60 inches in diameter.

I rarely have issues editing myself when it comes to designers collections.  One or two immediately jump out at me and I say, "Yes...these are the collections I would like to share on my blog."  I could simply not edit myself with McKinnon and Harris.  I love, love, love every single collection they have created!

Photography courtesy McKinnon and Harris

There are certain pieces of furniture I must own and Philippe Starck's Ghost Chair is on the top of my list.  I dream about having a fabulous table with clear ghost chairs to place around it.  Well, now I have an addition to my list: The Camelback Sofa and Settee are to die for!


"Thank you!" to McKinnon and Harris for opening up a brand new showroom in New York City.  I know it will be a great success!