Announcing Turned Wood Lamps from Amy Grigg!

While we’ve been offering you some of the most gorgeous vintage Murano, contemporary glass and even rock and mineral lamps since the beginning, we’re proud to announce we’re adding another wonderful material to our catalog: wood! Working in conjunction with talented and bright craftswoman Amy Grigg, we’re happy to give you a taste of the new line of Swank Lighting turned wood lamps we will soon be debuting!

Bringing a warm and gorgeous wooden aesthetic to lamp bases, Grigg’s work also offers a wonderful environmental element to the line: using responsibly harvested woods, sustainable materials and natural dies, you can be sure that these products are both good-looking and green. We asked Grigg some questions to help us explain the new line as well as to discover more about the other great woodwork Grigg creates:

Were you always creative?
Pretty much always. I loved to draw and play with building toys even as a kid. I was a perfectionist from the start, coloring in the lines was an obsession and I would sort my Lite Bright, or Legos, or blocks into like color piles before using them. I have also always loved to be in the woods ever since I was young which connects me to the material on a deep level even today. My relationship with nature is the wellspring from which my passion for working with wood comes. When I first connected with wood as a medium it was more of an object with properties that needed to be learned. Wood was a raw material and I was eager to play with it without giving much thought to it's source.

Then as time went on and I got more into wood turning my relationship to the material totally shifted. Instead of buying lumber from a dealer , (which is still a lot of fun - like finding diamonds in the rough) - I could grab a log off the ground and make something out of it. Suddenly I could be making something out of the tree that my neighbor had felled the day before. A tree that I had enjoyed for its beauty, its shade, its changing colors. A tree that took in my out breath and gave back my in breath. We were one and using its wood, its body, was a continuation of the relationship. Woodworking has become a spiritual exercise for me, a meditation. There is a trinity at work at all times. There is the tool, the wood, and my influence. There are a seeming infinite number of relationships at work between these three at all times. (but that is a book unto itself). If I let an element of the trinity go without attention, danger ensues.

Are your parents creative?
Growing up my mom liked to do needle point and crochet. My dad was more of the artist with his drawing and painting and woodworking and stained glass. I am much like him. He was very inspirational and supportive. I was so curious about what he was creating and he would let me make my own project even if it involved tools. He would teach me the rules of safety and then trust me. It gave me great confidence at a young age. There was never a question of me being a girl and not being able to use the tools. I still encounter people who are continually taken aback that, as a woman, I know what I am doing (I have some funny stories about this) but my dad gave me confidence from the start that I am no less than anyone else. That was a great gift.

When did you first realize you might want to do something creative for a living?
That's hard to pin down. I have been very non-committal about future plans my whole life, still am. I suppose in high school when I had to make some kind of decision I chose art school. I was also fascinated by psychology, but that seemed too academic so I went with the only other interest I had and was good at. I know that sounds lame, but it's true.

I see you went to Paier College of Art, were you interested in woodworking then?
At Paier I majored in Illustration. I was a realistic oil painter and had a brief run as an illustrator. I was quite successful there winning many awards both locally and nationally. Paier didn't offer wood work, or even sculpture. It is a very small school. I didn't know what I was missing. My focus was two dimensional, but looking back I always knew something was missing. There was so much effort put into something that at best would hang on a wall or be printed on a page. Later I would find out that I love having my senses engaged, and I love it when other people can interact with the finished product in a tactile way.

When did wood really become the medium you work in?
Wood became a passion for me in 2001. I was asked to help out a local woodworker who needed a hand. He had heard that I had some basic skills (common sense carpentry I used to build loft beds, work benches, platforms, etc). I took a part time job with him that ended up lasting a few years. That was where I discovered exotic and domestic hardwoods. The mere introduction to this medium sparked a blaze in me that is still burning strong. I bought any book and magazine I could get a hold of to learn all about tools, techniques, you name it. I was constantly studying. It was as if I put myself through school. In 2003, I bought my own machinery and began selling my work---mainly jewelry boxes and cutting boards, selling wholesale to craft galleries throughout the US and Canada.

How would you describe your style?
My style is plain to see. Weather I make a book, (I made hand bound books for a few years) a box or a painting. The style is the same: simple, clean, highly polished to a refined finish. Craftsmanship is paramount, and giving the natural material it's stage to shine. As far as interiors, art and fashion I will have to admit that none of the above are a main focus of mine. I keep my world small and simple—just the basics. If I were to choose a style from magazines I clearly am drawn again toward clean, simple, contemporary. I can appreciate people's love of ornate, but it is not my taste. Greene and Greene, Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mark Rothko come to mind initially.

Where do you come up with the ideas for your designs?
What's your creative process?The process will vary depending on the project. Sometimes it starts with a particular piece of lumber and the design is built to best display the wood. Sometimes I am in the mood to sketch and then with pen and paper I will use shapes and shading to bring forth the foundation of a design. Sometimes I revert back to playing with blocks and then some scraps off the shop floor will become ways of relating directly with proportion, contrast, color, size etc.

What's the hardest thing about woodworking?
I suppose the dust and the noise are a bit of a drawback. Also it can be trying to be an artist. Making due financially and sticking to my guns creatively can be a trying exercise.

The most rewarding?
This answer is difficult. The way I feel about working with wood is intense. It is like asking what is most rewarding about being with the love of your life. I dream about wood nightly. No joke. It is more than what I do; it has become a part of who I am and how I relate to the world. Like I said above, it has become a spiritual practice for me. The reward is a constant. It is with me whether I am working or resting. The reward is the relationship itself. If I were unable to ever work wood again, the reward would still be there.

Talk a little bit about what you'll be doing for Swank Lighting.
I am creating a line of wooden lamps for Swank. I am profoundly grateful for having been asked to work with Ed and Doug. They are selling lamps of an established style and quality that is the perfect complement to my work. I couldn't have dreamed up a better scenario. I am working out four basic designs to start. We will offer a variety of wood species within those designs. From there we will see what develops. To start we are producing simple, clean, elegant design of the highest quality work. I know that sounds general, but you will have to see what comes about. Heck, even I am curious.

There are a lot of great eco-friendly elements to your work, could you go into more detail?
As far as working with wood goes, considerations are made in the harvesting of the wood I use. Much of the wood I buy is from small local lumber dealers. With the exotic woods I use, the wood is harvested in a way that does least damage possible. Sustained yield harvesting is what I look for when I buy exotics. After the wood is here in my shop, nothing is wasted. What I can't manage to use is offered to woodworker friends or used as fuel for heat.

What are the other media you work in, and how do they affect your woodworking designs?
Right now I am not actively working in other media. I am consumed. That which affects my wood working design is all around me. I don't know what doesn't affect my design. I am influenced by an old wooden fence and a shiny new sports car zooming by. I am influenced by all of life and I marvel at it all.

Lastly, what does the future hold for your art?
If I know anything it is that I don't know anything about what the future holds for my art or otherwise. I mean this is a positive way. It involves faith and willingness to adapt and change to what my curiosity brings. I am surrendered to what life brings. All I insist upon is that I enjoy my work and the people I work with. It is important to me to listen to the intuitive call that has lead me this far. Circumstances and people are swept out of my life as quickly as they come into it. I have today and so far, I am amazed.

Thanks Amy! Stay tuned to the blog in the very near future for more photos of this amazing upcoming line. We'll also post some more photos of the wood-turned lamps as soon as we get them!

Affordable and Fabulous: Lane Company Furniture from the Fifties and Sixies!

An intro from Swank Lighting's Doug Taylor about the historic Lane Company:

My knowledge of Lane Furniture used to be limited. Never really heard of it, much. I thought of the marque as the kind of furniture they gave away on game shows---you know, heavily upholstered sofas with an armrest in the middle and separate reclining backs, matching chair-and-a-half side chairs. Certainly nothing one would think of as an investment piece. But about sixty years ago, Lane employed some young designers with talent. Designers with surnames like McCobb and others, who had something to say. And the company produced some wonderful pieces of wood furniture. Their trademark was a two toned color achieved by the marrying of two different woods in one piece. Coffee tables and side tables, dining tables and chests. Check out Lane pieces from the fifties and sixties. They still have a great look, and you can buy these pieces for very little. Why they have not skyrocketed in value beats me. They sure ought to, and probably will. For now, we’ll keep it our secret.

As anyone who’s ever chosen to invest in true, vintage Mid-Century furniture knows, it can be a bit pricey to pay for authenticity. As the styles from the 1950s and 1960s have slowly gained in popularity over the last few years, so have the prices. Hope still exists for those looking for vintage pieces while on a budget, however: there remains a few designers and companies, for whatever reason, whose prices haven’t yet soared like the bigger names of Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe and others. Just don’t think these pieces aren’t as valuable or as beautiful, though! Today we bring you the story behind the Lane Company, whose impact to the world of furniture is immense, but whose background is still relatively unknown to most of the general public.

During the Mid-Century, few could compete with the quality and aesthetics of the Lane Company. Their case goods were well-known throughout the design world, and were treasured for their modern and comfortable appeal. Always adapting to trends and demand, their furniture designs often changed with the current styles. There were Lane furniture lines that featured rounded edges, thin tabletop profiles and modern-shaped legs. There were pieces that had sleek hardware, visible dovetail joinery or interesting shapes and shelves. Some lines combined painted and lacquered wood in bright pops of color. They explored such woods as rosewood, walnut, burlwood and sometimes mixed several woods together to create their signature two-toned wood pieces. They even had pieces that experimented with 3D relief patterns and hidden drawers. One of their best lines, the best selling “Acclaim” furniture line of 1963, was famous not just for the look and high-quality, but also for the wide variety of pieces available, ensuring they always covered your design needs.

While today the Lane Company is known mostly for its assorted variety of recliners and other traditional affordable furnishings, its history is rich, and goes back to the year 1907, when the Lane family founded the city of Altavista, Virginia and opened a cedar box manufacturing company. The gorgeous furniture that Lane Company historically produced started in 1951 when the company decided to produce occasional tables. This simple business decision proved quite profitable and Lane began acquiring furniture companies like Bald Knob Furniture Company, Hickory Chair, Bruington Furniture and Clyde Pearson Inc. Most importantly, Lane branched out, making bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, record cabinets, wall units, sectional sofas, modular sofas, love seats, lounge chairs and other case goods. What made these forays into different furniture types so successful was Lane Company’s insistence on hiring talented designers to help produce one-of-a-kind looks, like Paul McCobb, Andre Bus, Warren C. Church, and many others.

In 1972, the Lane Company took a step towards turning the company into the business it is today by acquiring yet another company, Action Industries. Action brought with them the art of making recliners, and one of Lane Company’s biggest sellers was born. While some argue that this change marked a drop in the style that made Lane Company so famous, they still create tons of furniture enjoyed by home owners across the country. There really isn’t any clear answer as to why the vintage Lane pieces still floating around aren’t as expensive as other Mid-Century designers. Some think it’s because Lane Company employed many designers and experts to create their popular styles versus just one designer. Others believe it’s because of the difference between Lane’s current styles available and the great looks of the past. Finally, some people say it’s because Lane Company has always offered its furnishings at amazingly low prices, unlike other big name designers who were hard to afford even when they were contemporary. Whatever the case, you should cash in on the vintage Lane Furniture phenomenon and furnish your home with classic, great quality furniture pieces at amazingly low prices! Try internet searches, online vintage furniture websites and local vintage stores for Lane Company’s Mid-Century furniture items!


*Photos taken from 1stdibs.com, jetsetmodern.com and various sites from the internet. Contact for more links.

This Week's Top 5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Bright Sky Blue!

If you've caught a few of these weekly 5 favorite 1stdibs items round-ups before, you know sometimes we like to combine our picks according to a gorgeous color. Well, it's no wonder we do; color is one of the most basic building blocks of a room decor theme. While we've tackled greens, whites and even wood-tones, today we've gone with a super cheery color: sky blue! Bright, fresh and evoking nature in a very subtle way, these sky blue home accents would be a fun way to bring color into your space!

1) A Louis XV Chinoserie six-fold screen
We love the combination of bright, modern color with this luxurious antique screen. The contrast between styles would make for a dynamic accent to any room, and be useful as a divider if needed! From the 1900s.
Price: $25,000
Dealer: Foster Gwin

2) Bonzer by Ned Evans
Proving that a bright, sky blue goes with a whole plethora of other colors, we love this contemporary art piece, both for its color palette and for its modern, abstract subject matter. Acrylic paint on canvas, this art piece would fit in a number of room styles.
Price: $6,800
Dealer: Rumba

3) Blenko Air Twist Bottle
Don't get your heart set on this piece yet; we just spotted it was sold! We can't keep it off this list though, because we love the gorgeous and ephemeral colors of the glass, and love its Mid-Century feel! Choosing glassware in this color makes for a perfect and bright accessory in a space.
Price: Sold
Dealer: Las Venus

4) Multi-Color Stacked Font Lamps
These gorgeous, vintage Murano glass lamps are another example of how great sky blue goes with other colors. Wouldn't this pair just look dreamy with that painting? And the glassware? Clearly this color is meant to go on shiny reflective items.
Price: $3,600
Dealer: Swank Lighting

5) Framed Vintage Blue Target Sign
What a tongue-in-cheek addition to a room! We are in love with this vintage American target sign, which comes in the most gorgeous, modern sky blue and white colors. With simple, geometric shapes this sign becomes a great art piece, and would definitely look good with any of the items on today's list!
Price: $750
Dealer: Voila!

Don't forget to check out the rest of this week's listings from 1stdibs, where you can find more fabulous, one-of-a-kind show-stopping pieces, as well as a number of other great pieces!

5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Versatile Wood!

We've shown you a relaxing and pleasant medley of green-colored furniture and accessories, highlighting the calming effects of the color green. For this post, we bring to you the amazing versatility of wood in decor. Available in a number of colors, species and textures, this fabulous material can be molded and shaped into just about any home furniture item you might need. Often considered the star of a room's decor, perhaps wood could be just the thing you need to spice up your space!

1) Tilt Top Marquetry Table
This tilt top table is an amazing example of the marquetry technique, which is when carefully chosen pieces of wood are inlaid into a wood top to create a design or patten. The level of skill needed to create these sorts of pieces of furniture are extreme, and something like this table would create an amazing patten and style to a room.
Price: $9,400
Dealer: Outside Downtown

2) Redwood assemblage console table/desk

Sometimes the wood material makes the biggest impact when it is relatively untouched. Creating a definite rustic-feeling, this large and imposing desk seems almost unfinished, but that's a part of its charm. Made of Redwood, this table would be a huge addition to a space.
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Reform Gallery

3) Credenza with bowtie pulls
Adding furniture pieces made of exotic woods are a great way to add some global spice to your interiors, and this Brazilian rosewood credenza is no exception. The strong grains of the wood create a gorgeous pattern, and the rich, deep colors of the wood would go well with just about any decor.
Price: $8,000
Dealer: NOHO Modern

4) Burlwood Console
This is another great example of how a rougher or more rustic piece can add an amazing feeling of nature and organics to a space. We love all the knots and twists of this burlwood piece, and love even more its deep brown color. Made of reclaimed redwood, it would definitely add a sculptural-feel to a space.
Price: $5,500
Dealer: Bardin Palomo

5) Cubist hand carved nude sculpture
We just couldn't leave this awesome sculpture out! Made from laminate wood, or lots of layers of wood glued together, this piece was hand carved in the shape of a reclining nude female. What makes this piece so remarkable is the mosaic finish that is revealed by the piece's shape! So bold yet wonderfully organic, we think this would make a great addition to a tabletop.
Price: $1,500
Dealer: Bridges Over Time

5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: Calming Shades of Green!

We've given you some ideas on how to create a fresh and modern space using a gorgeous array of white hot furniture and accessories. While a room like that would result in an exciting and bright space, it might not be as calming as you would like. If you are looking for ways to add a relaxing feel to a space, may we suggest the many shades of green? Scientifically proven to increase the sense of calmness in a space, there are many ways to bring green in to your existing decor!

1) Oak and Green Sofa by Hans Wegner
What a great olive green this sofa comes in. Also featuring a sleek 1950s design, this green would anchor a room and also help you relax not only with its color but also with its comfort!
Price: $4,500
Dealer: Baxter and Liebchen

2) Telechron American Skyscraper Clock
This adorable clock features a soft, mint green color and fabulous Art Deco details. Placed on a tabletop in your living room, you'd get a great peace of mind from glancing over at it---as well as the time! It also turns out that the green color of this product is the rarest color its available in. Relaxing and a deal!
Price: $1,500
Dealer: Modernism Gallery

3) Set of 4 Eero Saarinen dining chairs The great thing about the green color is, you don't have to stick to just solid fabrics. Patterned fabrics in all the shades of green can be quite relaxing too! Just like this great pair of side chairs.
Price: $4,500
Dealer: reGeneration

4) Marbro Company Vintage Murano Lamps
This pair of gorgeous glass lamps comes in one of our favorite greens: Emerald. This pair of lamps also proves that calming greens need not be restricted to pastel versions. These lamps would add a great bit of calm to a corner or room.
Price: $6,750
Dealer: Swank Lighting

5) “Untitled, New York” by Ronaldo de Juan
Don't forget about art when looking for a medium for your green color. Art is a great way to add splashes of green to a room, even if you don't have any other green yet! And while a green piece of furniture might stick out, green art will always look good!
Price: contact dealer
Dealer: Le Trianon

5 Favorite 1stdibs Items: White Hots and Bright Pops!

We've shown you a gorgeous array of white hot furniture and accessories to add to your space to add a modern feel to your home. If you happen to be decorating a room from scratch, however, and want some tips on how to create a fabulous room featuring white furnishings and colorful, modern accents, check out this week's picks. We've gathered a few side pieces, some art, and a rug that combined with last week's white furnishings would turn any room into a fresh, modern and bright space.

1) Raphael double faced sycamore cabinet
This is a great, Mid-Century piece that has a lot of simple style. The light color of the wood is the perfect companion to all white walls or furnishings because it's not so dark that it would contrast. Rather, it's light enough to compliment white furniture. From France.
Price: $9,800
Dealer: Last Century

2) Vintage Stig Lindberg Reptile Ceramics
The great shapes, partnered with the soft, pastel colors and combined with the amazing texture of these ceramic pieces make them the perfect compliment to a room with all white furnishings. As with the cabinet, they will make the furniture look better, not stand apart from it.
Price: priced individually
Dealer: Visiona

3) Set of Four Original Drawings by Gilbert Rohde
You've got to have great art to go along with an all-white furnished space, and these American drawings from 1935 are simple, yet gorgeous. Featuring white backgrounds and brightly illustrated furniture drawings, they would look great over an all-white couch.
Price: $3,475
Dealer: High Style Deco

4) Orange and Yellow Metal Mobile
Created in the same manner as sculptor Alexander Calder and featuring bright, painted metal dots on piveting arms. We just love mobiles, firstly, and secondly we think this would provide a fun pop of color in A white decorated space.
Price: $2,500
Dealer: Palm Beach Antique and Design Center

5) Kilim Rug
Though it might seem like this piece is too bold or dark for a space with all-white furnishings, quite the contrary. This style of textile is a great compliment to white furniture and would help ground a grouping of white furniture, not to mention add great texture and color to a space.
Price: $1,200
Dealer: Ann Koerner Antiques