Yesterday we shared the sad story of famed designers
Erwine and Estelle Laverne, who though credited with creating some famous pieces of modern furniture, died penniless and nearly forgotten. Thankfully, their great furniture designs were not forgotten, and they still exist for our enjoyment even until today.
It’s hard not to talk in flowery words when describing Erwine and Estelle Laverne’s design for
the Lily Chair (and no, that’s not a cleverly disguised pun). As we mentioned yesterday, the Lily was among four designs collectively known as “the Invisibles” and designed because Erwine believed people should stand out in an interior space—not the furniture. Also one of the first modern pieces of furniture to utilize acrylic as material, the Lily is unassuming and graceful. Sensuous and soft lines create a softly curved back, while a similarly curved portion creates a comfortable, scooped seat. An adorable “poof” makes the seat upholstered and comfortable, while an acrylic pedestal base makes for a seamless transition to the floor.
Swank Lighting’s Seguso Ruby Red Vintage Murano Lamps had our blood pumping the moment we saw them. An exquisite color that’s deep, rich and passionate, we’re bowled over both by the hue and the shape of these great light-makers. From Italy, these rare ruby red lamps were blown in the 1950's by Seguso, and feature a gently sloping shape. We love how rich the color is, but also that the glass has a marked translucence to it, as well. The texture of swirling ridges really gives the lamp some interest, and the Lucite bases prove the perfect punctuation mark to one serious statement of a lamp.
Together, Erwine and Estelle Laverne’s Lily Chair and Swank Lighting’s Seguso Ruby Red Vintage Murano Lamps make for a modern, jaw-dropping, 2001-Space-Odyssey-inspired combination. Erwine may have designed his furniture to let people stand out, but in this pair, the bold Swank Lighting lamps are definitely going to stand out. But, because the chair and the lamps share many similarities, the lamps won’t completely steal the show; rather, they’ll all work together to create a really interesting and modern, albeit a bit translucent, composition!
It’s hard not to talk in flowery words when describing Erwine and Estelle Laverne’s design for the Lily Chair (and no, that’s not a cleverly disguised pun). As we mentioned yesterday, the Lily was among four designs collectively known as “the Invisibles” and designed because Erwine believed people should stand out in an interior space—not the furniture. Also one of the first modern pieces of furniture to utilize acrylic as material, the Lily is unassuming and graceful. Sensuous and soft lines create a softly curved back, while a similarly curved portion creates a comfortable, scooped seat. An adorable “poof” makes the seat upholstered and comfortable, while an acrylic pedestal base makes for a seamless transition to the floor.
Swank Lighting’s Seguso Ruby Red Vintage Murano Lamps had our blood pumping the moment we saw them. An exquisite color that’s deep, rich and passionate, we’re bowled over both by the hue and the shape of these great light-makers. From Italy, these rare ruby red lamps were blown in the 1950's by Seguso, and feature a gently sloping shape. We love how rich the color is, but also that the glass has a marked translucence to it, as well. The texture of swirling ridges really gives the lamp some interest, and the Lucite bases prove the perfect punctuation mark to one serious statement of a lamp.
Together, Erwine and Estelle Laverne’s Lily Chair and Swank Lighting’s Seguso Ruby Red Vintage Murano Lamps make for a modern, jaw-dropping, 2001-Space-Odyssey-inspired combination. Erwine may have designed his furniture to let people stand out, but in this pair, the bold Swank Lighting lamps are definitely going to stand out. But, because the chair and the lamps share many similarities, the lamps won’t completely steal the show; rather, they’ll all work together to create a really interesting and modern, albeit a bit translucent, composition! 
