The Charm of Old-School Lighting

By Haskell Harris | August 27, 2010 | Design

I've always admired the charm of gas lanterns. There is something mesmerizing about lighting that hints at history and contains a moving flame inside its glass and metal shell. And they sure beat the typical finds at the big box chain stores, that's for sure.

And  two of the best sources for gas lanterns are Southern.

I discovered Eloise Pickard's work by way of Georgia architect Jim Strickland and his team at Historical Concepts (stay tuned for an exciting piece on a farm they designed in the next issue). Historical Concepts is known for creating new construction that looks a hundred years old, thanks to the use of charming vernacular details. And those details include lighting.  Since the early nineties, Historical Concepts has worked with Eloise Pickard, an artisan who refurbishes simple American gaslights—which date to a period between 1870 and 1916—for many of their projects. Though hers are electrified, I love the way that they add instant patina to the architecture in question.

I also love the hand-crafted copper lighting from Bevelo in New Orleans. (And no, it's not just because they advertise on this Web site.) Legendary Louisiana architect A. Hays Town discovered the lighting shop decades ago and the company is now a mainstay for architects and designers.  I'm a fan of their clean-lined Williamsburg light below. 

For now, gorgeous gas lighting is a bit out of my range, so I've started collecting lanterns of every shape and size and putting white pilaster candles inside. Atlanta interior designer Suzanne Kasler created fabulous petite carriage lanterns for her new collection for Ballard that I have my eye on (photo below). Bringing pieces that are normally reserved for the outdoors inside and lighting them during a dinner party is an easy way to add that flickering ambience for next to nothing.  

Does anybody else love gaslights and lanterns as much as I do?

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? 

Eco Friendly Southern Shopping

By Haskell Harris | August 6, 2010 | Design

 I love the idea that more and more environmentally friendly shops are starting to open up down south. 

Recently, I stumbled on the Web site for Spruce Nola, a new home and full service interior design boutique in New Orleans with a green angle. I'm a big believer in the fact that green design doesn't necessarily have to look like pop art and I was glad to see they carried hand-made  classic things in addition to slick modern goods. 

Here are a few of my favorite finds from the online shop:

1) Studiomake Flawed Bowls. A technique called slip-casting gives these each of these designs one-of-a-kind charm. And they make everyday cereal look pretty good too.

2) Eco Coasters. I really dig the black, white, and gold letterpress print on these recycled chipboard coasters. 

3) Madeline Weinrib and Les Indiennes Fabrics. Both of these fabric houses are known for knock-out fabrics that are all printed by hand. 

And if you're lucky enough to live in New Orleans, the duo that started the shop also offer a full-service array of interior design services and provide access to every cutting edge, eco-friendly building material on the market.

What other cool Southern shops fall into this genre?