Rag Rug Chic

By Haskell Harris | August 18, 2010 | Design

Growing up, I spent countless weekends exploring the creeks, woods, and apple orchards near the farmhouse my dad built in Woolwine, Virginia. The house itself had all kinds of charms, from multiple sleeping lofts that you could only get to by wooden ladder, to big stone fireplaces, to banks of windows facing the Blue Ridge. But I also loved the rag rugs my Mom used throughout the house. Alive with multiple colors, the mottled, raw texture was soft underfoot and absolutely beautiful.

And that's certainly why I gravitated toward the work of North Carolinean Elizabeth Yarborough for our August-September New Faces of Southern Style issue. I loved the idea that her newest work was inspired by this soulful, primitive art form long tied to the South.

Yarborough took the look in a fashion forward, modern direction, weaving her own "rag yarn" from graphic Liberty of London floral prints to create fabric-covered bangles. Here's my favorite shot from the newly photographed line.

Aren't they great?

Does anybody else love rag rugs as much as I do? 

Announcing G&G's Made in the South Awards

By Haskell Harris | June 7, 2010 | Design

We've been planning the Made in the South Awards for months now, but it's finally time for folks to start submitting their entries, and I cannot wait to see the talent we discover along the way. Our Editor in Chief, Sid Evans, explained the purpose of the contest best:

"Some of the greatest products in the world are made in the South, and the goal of the Garden & Gun Made in the South Awards is to bring more of those products to light. We envision this contest as a celebration of fine craftsmanship, artisinal foods, and the best of Southern style. It's about recognizing men and women who work with their hands, whether they're making musical instruments, wooden boats, or the best looking rocking chair you've ever seen."

If you're a Southern craftsman or entrepreneur making things by hand, making things in small batches, or just making beautiful things period, go to gardenandgun.com/madeinthesouth to learn more about how to enter. And if you know someone who fits this description, spread the word. 

Party Pics from G&G's NYC Bash

By Haskell Harris | April 29, 2010 | Design

Last week, G&G celebrated our "The South Invades NYC" cover story in the April/May 2010 issue with a very Southern soiree in the big city. The whole gang (and friends) gathered there for boiled peanuts, bourbon, and good old-fashioned gab at the Billy Reid shop on Bond Street.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the pics snapped by photographer Sean Sime at the event (that's G&G Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans with former House & Garden Editor-in-Chief Dominique Browning). To scroll through the whole gallery, click here.

Inspired Interiors at Billy Reid

By Haskell Harris | February 16, 2010 | Design

A lot of fashion magazines have written about Billy Reid's clothing (G&G among them). But in my opinion, we should be paying more attention to the interior design of his shops.

Here in Charleston, Reid's shop tells an unmistakably Southern story, and the clothes are characters in the narrative.

The wide plank floors, the worn velvet upholstery, and the dog-eared Walker Percy novels are characters too, as is the smell of hot mulled cider that seeps through the place all winter. 

The whole idea of making a clothing brand part of a bigger lifestyle is nothing new, but Reid has a spectacular knack for it.

Two weeks ago, I made my way up to Manhattan for the New York International Gift Show with a G&G colleague, and during the trip we stopped in to have a cocktail with the designer in his shop on Bond Street before he scooted off to prepare for New York Fashion Week.

When he left, I walked around and around in the store for a long time, taking in the wallpaper in the dressing room, admiring the old-school glassware on the dark wood bar, and looking closely at the linings of his jackets.

In short, my visit did not disappoint. Reid managed to bring the layers of Southern gothic grit he's known for to his Yankee location.

Below, a few of my favorite details.

1) The checkout counter. Notice the plates, the stag head,  the whitewashed wood-paneled walls, the antique apothecary cabinets holding clothes, the ladder holding ties. It's all great.

2) The shirt displays. I love how his shops constantly combine interior elements with clothing. In the photos below, a silver platter shows off belts, and plates are paired with shirts. Very cool.

3) The dried hydrangeas. I never would have described dried flower arrangements as stylish until I saw the way they're done at Billy Reid. It works because the clear glass container keeps the whole look from being matronly, and the papery texture is the perfect counterpoint to the grays and blues and lavenders in the shirts hanging in the background. Beautiful.

4) Last but not least, a sneak peek at Billy Reid's Fall 2010 looks from New York Fashion Week last week. Yet again, the backdrops bring the Billy Reid label to life. Photos by Dan Lecca.

Southern Charmer

By Haskell Harris | August 14, 2009 | Design

It used to be a given that if you wanted to make it big in the world of interior design, you had to establish a practice in New York. In other words, if you were a southern interior designer, you might as well pack it up and move to Manhattan if you wanted anybody to remember your work (Southerners like Bunny Williams and Charlotte Moss ended up there). But the old school rules are changing, thanks to interior designers like Suzanne Kasler, the widely published Atlanta style arbiter who’s stayed put in Georgia, and now has luxury furniture, fabric, floor coverings, wallpaper, and lighting collections that bear her name. And she hasn’t stopped there. This October, she debuts her first book, Inspired Interiors, a lush photographic tour of her favorite projects. A sneak peak follows below. (All images courtesy of © Suzanne Kasler: Inspired Interiors, Rizzoli New York, 2009.)

Even if you don’t know the first thing about decorating, it’s hard not to get inspired by the wide range of looks in the book, from rustic cabins to city houses to laid-back beach cottages. There is literally something for everyone. 

Though the 224-page volume won’t hit stores until the fall, it is available for pre-order here. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a story on Suzanne Kasler's favorite room in our October/November issue.

The Bike Life

By Haskell Harris | June 12, 2009 | Design

So it's Friday afternoon and this is a Friday afternoon kind of post.

It's about bikes. Beach cruisers by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley to be exact.

The Charleston influence is easy to see in all four styles, including the tandems. 

Here's why: she came here last Fall and opened a charming store on King Street, and that trip was her first to Charleston, a city where you can count at least five leggy blonde girls on beach cruisers for every block you walk—rain or shine, winter or summer. They are, as they say, part of the culture. Just a few months later, she had her models at New York's Spring 2009 Fashion Week ride down the catwalk at the end of the show on her whimsical line of beach cruisers.

Every last one of them flew off the runway (not literally). One even ended up on an episode of Gossip Girl.

Photo courtesy of coolspotters.com

Now the shop in Charleston has two, propped cheerfully in the plate glass windows between the mannequins wearing adorable things like this:

Photo courtesy of cynthiarowley.com

So what does Rowley have to say about it all?

"I think everyone wants to customize the things they use and love a lot, make them their own. I wanted to do something that is just as stylish as people are in other areas of their lives. And bikes are the best way to get around town, whether in New York or Charleston. They're good for you and for the environment."

Without further adieu, here they are: 

Bag of Gold

By Haskell Harris | April 10, 2009 | Design

Any company that got its start during the Great Depression and continues to thrive in spite of our current economic conundrum must be doing something right. 

For example, Moore & Giles, a family-run operation based in Lynchburg, Virginia, that supplies some of the most beautiful leathers in the world to the home furnishings industry.

I have always loved leather upholstery (I still have my heart set on a pair of Belgian wing back chairs covered in shiny black leather—with whitewashed wood feet and antique brass nail heads).

But before I knew this company's work, I had no idea how soft leather could be or that it could be dyed the exact color of, say, lapiz lazuli?

But it can! And then some! The range of color and texture in the collection is simply staggering.

And recently, they began crafting some of their leathers into accessories like travel bags and belts. I seem to have fallen for one bag in particular (pictured below):

It's called the Berkeley Doctor Bag, and get this: To achieve the hazy, subtle metallic texture, they tan the leather, laser cut the surface, and brush it with a finish that looks at once gold, silver, and copper.

Two words: brilliant technique.

Design Flash: Ross Kenan Interiors

By Haskell Harris | March 25, 2009 | Design

I have a little bit of a crush on Charleston right now as far as design goes.

And for good reason.

We have a fantastic (and growing) creative community here, from artists to fashion designers.

Which brings me to the point of my post.

The other day, I came across photos from a young interior design firm here in the city, Ross Kenan Interiors, and loved them.

Like the founding partners, Sterling Kenan and Caroline Ross (pictured below), the firm's projects are sophisticated and cheerful.

I loved their office in particular (image follows below):

So much so that I asked Sterling to dish on design a little bit. Our Q & A follows:

BD: Who are your favorite style icons of the past?

SK: Definitely Dorothy Draper—her style is so translatable today. Also Francis Elkins, and we LOVE David Hicks—especially his textiles.

The book about Dorothy Draper, above, was all the rage about a year ago, and it's a a fabulous tribute to her. To flip through it, click on amazon.com

BD: And the Present?

SK: We love Kelly Wearstler. Also Celerie Kemble, Vincente Wolfe, and Ruthie Sommers.

I just bought this book by Celerie Kemble, above, and love it. To flip through it, visit amazon.com

BD: If you had to sum up the aesthetic of Ross Kenan, what would you say?

SK: An eclectic mix of vintage treasures and modern pieces that create a unique, comfortable, functional, and fun environment for our clients (like the projects pictured below):

BD: Do you have a current fabric or accessory or great looking piece of furniture that you're dying to use in a project?

SK: We found this amazing wood chandelier that is in our office right now that we would love to see in a residential setting.

BD: Where are your favorite places to shop for great design in Charleston, from vintage stores to pedigree antiques?

SK: Estella Vitae—such eclectic treasures from all over the world! Hungry Neck Antique Mall—you never know what you will find but the hunt is always fun! Palmetto Moon, and we love scouting all of the antique stores on Johns Island.

BD: Why did you decide to base your business in Charleston?

SK: We both have a love for Charleston and had previously lived here after college. After moving away for a bit, both of us went to graduate school—Caroline returning to Charleston and myself to New York. We always knew that when we were ready to go into business, we wanted to do so in Charleston. After finishing school in New York, I returned to Charleston to open RKI with Caroline.

For more information on the firm, visit: rosskenaninteriors.com

Design Flash: Marysia Swim

By Haskell Harris | March 3, 2009 | Design

Charleston, South Carolina, is a bathing suit town.

Blame it on the palm trees, the sailboats, and the surfing.

And this bathing suit town, in turn, is also home to one of the best—and newest—bathing suit designers in the country.

A former ballet dancer, Marysia Dobrzanska Reeves (pictured below) grew up in Poland, studied design in Los Angeles, worked for Milly in New York, and has now made Charleston home base for her budding business, Marysia Swim, and her young family.
                                           
Her work (for women and children) is both playful and chic, as evidenced by these pieces from her collection:

If you're craving summer, perusing her Web site (wherever you live) will kick the winter blues for sure.

And look for her at Charleston Fashion Week if you're in town. An artist on the cusp is a beautiful thing to watch!

Total Charmers

By Haskell Harris | February 10, 2009 | Design

I am really picky about jewelry. A piece isn't beautiful to me unless there is a compelling story behind it.

Otherwise, it's just more useless, meaningless stuff.

Right now, I currently have a crush on two types of charms that both have a great narrative: fobs and intaglios.

Fobs (pictured below) became popular in Victorian England when pocket watches were all the rage. Often made of pinched gold, they acted as weights to keep the chain tangle-free and usually featured the family seal of the watch owner on the bottom (which came in handy back then, since that dapper generation still sealed letters with wax).

 Courtesy of limogebox.com

I love the idea of wearing a fob as a necklace for two reasons. First, the idea of wearing a seal is great. It's like a little mini work of art right there on the bottom of the charm. So cool. Second, wearing a fob as a necklace is a great way to feminize an otherwise masculine accessory. I like the allure of that contrast. You know, like when a woman wears a menswear-inspired trench coat? Um, exactly.

Okay, so now onto intaglios. An intaglio is the opposite of a cameo. It's carved INTO a stone, while a cameo is more of a raised carving. Intaglio also refers to a form of printing (on paper or on wax), a process that's been around since ancient Rome. Back then, intaglios were thought to bring good luck. They often featured pastoral or military scenes and were also worn as jewelry. In Victorian England, intaglios often displayed silhouettes. The bracelet below is a modern reproduction that includes both intaglios and cameos. All you need with it is a white T-shirt and jeans. Done.

Courtesy of extasia.com

Some intaglios are too pretty to wear and work better as art (below, courtesy of 1stdibs.com)

Imagine about ten of those framed over a little settee in an entryway. Amazing!!