Marc Kitchen-Smith: cabinets

Showing posts with label cabinets. Show all posts

Showing posts with label cabinets. Show all posts

Sunday, 4 November 2012

Industrially furnished

The influence of the industrial on interior design is as popular as ever. We particularly like the 'mechanical' approach to design that this aesthetic brings - the function of the object defines its form.

In September, we visited Design Junction at The Old Sorting Office on New Oxford St. There were some fantastic exhibits from leading furniture and interior designers, but it was the mail chutes and machinery of the building itself that we found incredibly inspiring.

Soon after, one of our industrial cabinets was featured in October's issue of 'Elle Decoration', as part of an article on the use of colour and pattern.

We found these lovely steel paint cabinets in Lincolnshire. They had come from an old 1960's autos garage. The scratched, rusty cabinet exteriors hid a vibrant, original egg-yolk yellow painted interiors. The cabinets are very robust, with adjustable shelves and each come with a lock and key.

Like wood, metal can take on a beautiful patina over time. These stacking shelves have just the right combination of original pale blue paintwork and corrosion. Consisting of sections, the are easy to stack, and each one comes with adjustable internal section plates - ideal for book shelving or shoe racks.

This green, painted steel shelf unit has two panels of original 1930's black glass. It would make an ideal bedside/sofa-side table or bathroom storage unit.

Sunday, 8 April 2012

An industrial aesthetic

The clean lines of 20th century industrial furniture works well with contemporary interiors. Most of this sort of furniture that we come across dates from the inter- and post-war periods.

We were therefore excited to find these two early examples of draughtsman's chairs from a West Country printworks, which date from around 1910.

They swivel and have a rise-and-fall mechanisms, as well has having an adjustable back rest. The beautifully mellowed oak and ash frames with steel fittings give them a true 'vintage' look.

Made from heavy, pressed steel, these World War II ammunition boxes have well outlived their original contents.

We have applied a clear wax to them to accentuate their lovely patination and original stencilled specifications. Some are dated to 1943.

This old oak gymnasium stool makes a unique piece of furniture. Dating from the 1930's, it shows some signs of wear and tear, including a few scorch marks - perhaps some cold young scholar has sat on it too near to the stove...

We always look out for vintage shop fittings from all eras on our travels. They make very stylish display cabinets for the home or for small shops and retail outlets.

This one probably dates from the 1960's, and is a really simply designed, practical counter display unit. It is open-backed, with three glass shelves and an oak base.

The 1930's really was the age for elegant travel. This lovely aluminium suitcase with perfectly stitched leather handle looks like it ought to be gathered up with Agatha Christie's luggage for the Orient Express....

Industrial style pieces always look even better when contrasted with something a little more decorative. When we source our stock, we also make a point to look out for decorative and unusual items to dress them with.

This vintage glass shop display head will look great in one of the cabinets we have for sale.

We do of course often end up back with our pet subject - natural history. This cast resin table lamp dates from the late 60's/early 70's, and encases a perfect rockpool of shells, crabs, starfish, and seaweed. Magical!

Sunday, 12 February 2012

The Power of Patina

Patina - much sought after, impossible to reproduce.

We like our furniture to show evidence of its former lives. Frankly, the more flaky and battered that paintwork is, the better! Interior design fashions and tastes change, a much-loved piece of furniture is perhaps re-purposed and repainted - all this is reflected in these layers of paint. We like to preserve this history where we can, in most cases resisting a repaint and instead sealing the surface with a simple clear wax.

We are naturally drawn to country pine furniture retaining remnants of its original layers of external paintwork. This lovely two-door pine cupboard dates from around 1840, and appears to have had only three coats of paint over its 170 year lifetime.

We have repainted the interior 'Duck-Egg Blue' to compliment the pale cream exterior. The three deep shelves would be ideal for storing bed-linen or towels.

This elegant floor-standing pine cupboard retains not only some of its original external paint, but some internal as well. For such a basic and functional piece of furniture, this cupboard is beautifully proportioned.

This glazed cabinet pine dresser, dating from around 1900, was found in an old barn in Cornwall where it had been relegated to the position of 'paint tin/tool storage cabinet' by its owner.

We wanted to retain the fantastic original external paint, and it's 'distressed' state! We have given it a new lease of life with an interior repaint in delicious 'Georgian Green' and a simple wax to the exterior.

This early 19thC West Country kitchen dresser, c.1820, retains its original 'scumbled' paintwork finish, a popular technique employed during this period to mimic the woodgrain of more expensive, better quality wood, such as oak or walnut.

This large, 19th century pine cupboard is one of best, and largest, we've found. Needless to say, it has already sold, after only a month on the sales floor. A prime example of the power of patina!

Saturday, 5 November 2011

'Any colour..., as long as it's black'

Prophetic words Mr Ford. Black-finished furniture was a popular aesthetic throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and remains a stylish choice today.

These ebonised hardwood bookends were perhaps brought back from Africa as souvenirs in the 1950's. Beautifully carved, and accented with resin tusks, they look like they've arrived straight from the bookshelf of an Art Deco Manhattan apartment.

This set of collector's drawers would have been a must for your discerning Victorian naturalist, and his collection of rocks, fossils, or butterflies. With eight gradated depth drawers, this is a very elegant and practical item of furniture. Would make a very chic filing cabinet...

Dating from the 1950's, this large Herbert Terry anglepoise lamp is an essential component to the 'vintage office' look. Although originally produced in other colours, black always looks best as it contrasts so well with the chrome fittings.

This turned oak table has been repainted to give it a new lease of life. We think that the change of colour has given it a more turn-of-the-century 'Aesthetic' look, even though the table itself dates from the 1930's.

The 1920s was the era for a resurgence of the 'chinoiserie' style in interiors and furniture. This traditional-lacquered hardwood screen dates from around this period.

As timelessly stylish and functional now as it was then, the seven narrow leaves of this Art Deco screen neatly fold up for efficient and neat storage when not in use.

See more of our monochrome-inspired stock of delightful objects.

Monday, 5 September 2011

Beautiful bugs

Some of our steady sellers over the past few years have been our boxed collections of butterflies. We've now got our hands on some of these beautiful specimen boxes of beetles and other insects.

Tapping into the Victorian craze for collecting and classifying, these look great displayed en masse in a cabinet or display case.

We've painted this one black with a lighter blue/grey interior to provide a great 'showcase' for whatever delightful objects it contains.

For those less enamoured with having the actual bugs, we have a stylish range of Victorian illustrations of butterflies and moths. All are from late nineteenth century book publications and are framed and strung ready for hanging.

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