The Varied and Eclectic Designs of Tommi Parzinger!

Another great designer has evaded our knowledge for years since we've been in this field, but we're happy to say that we are now well-versed in all things Tommy Parzinger-and you should be, too. This famous interior, textile and furniture designer didn't quite follow the trends of the time, but his pieces are unique and stylish.

The one connecting factor to all of Tommi's work is that there is no connecting factor. Looking at a page full of his furniture designs is like looking at a page of a ton of different furniture designer's pages; every piece of his looked very different, and he designed a ton! And in all sorts of shapes and sizes!

 

We're partial to his case goods the most. We really like his bookcases, shelves, credenzas and even side and coffee tables a lot. His credenzas and cabinets usually had simple shapes, but oftentimes were heavily embellished with designs, lacquers, hardware and more. Sometimes his pieces had marquetry and others had crazy textures. His bookshelves sometimes came in unusual shapes that helped set them apart.

 

The son of a sculptor, Tommi had a lot of artistry in his blood, and ended up studying at the Munich School of Arts and Crafts in mediums like ceramic, metal, wood and even glass. He was also a graphic designer early on, even winning competitions. Eventually finding his way to the United States, he started off small, designing small objects and accessories, but eventually working his way up to furniture. He had his own company by 1939. He would go on to design a ton of great pieces under the style "eclectic modernism." Not loved by everyone (especially modern purists), he still had plenty of fans, and his work is still admired today.

Swank Lighting is an amazing resource not just for the best vintage Murano glass lamps on the market today, but also a wonderful resource for interior design inspiration and a great place to get an education about past and present designers. Keep up-to-date with everything we do on our Facebook page and our twitter.

Contemporary Designer Profile: Gary Spain!

From the very first moment you set your digital foot onto the online portfolio of Gary Spain, you know you’re in for an interior design experience like no other. The first image alone knocked us so far off our feet it took us a minute or two to recover. Thankfully, that first image isn’t the best—delving in we were delighted and think you’ll want to read on to discover the levels of inspiration like we did.

So what’s so special about that first picture? Well, being huge and boldly colored doesn’t hurt, but there’s so much we love. That geometric wallpaper that is both modern and classic and sets the perfect tone for the space’s color palette. That big oversized yellow chair. The classical looking bust. The oversized plants. The fact that this is the first thing you see when you walk into this home (man we wish we had an entryway as bold as that!)

Digging deeper into the online portfolio of interiors, we see that those same elements that piqued our curiosity in the first place continue on through all of his projects. His rooms really have a coveted casual feel to them—they’re put together, but in that sort of way that makes it look like it just took a day or two and hardly any trouble at all. All his rooms make the homeowners look effortlessly stylish and hip.

We see bold colors all over, but not in a dominating way. Modern and contemporary furniture pieces mix with carefully curated classic and traditional pieces to create a look that doesn’t conform to any one style, but rather, them all.

So why do Gary’s rooms seem so cool? It could have to do with his varied and full background of other jobs he does in this field. Like lending his design eye to magazine editorial shoots, set design and even prop design. He’s got those portfolios up on his website, too, and they make for great spots for inspiration as well.

Without a bio on his website, we don’t know much about the rest of his background or his schooling, but any Google search shows us his rooms have been in lots of the top shelter magazines, and that he’s adored by folks in the industry and out of it! Definitely check out his website for inspiration.

Swank Lighting is an amazing resource not just for the best vintage Murano glass lamps on the market today, but also a wonderful resource for interior design inspiration and a great place to get an education about past and present designers. Keep up-to-date with everything we do on our Facebook page and our twitter page.