Black and Natural Are the New Black

Black and Natural, as it turns out, is the new black according to trendsetters like our VP/Creative Director Cecil Adams. Mixing the hue that has been a mainstay in fashion across the ages with a warm tan takes black from being heavy to playful. As Las Vegas Market gets underway, from January 23 through 27 of this month, we’re saluting a number of our products that you may see in this intermingling of colors if you’re heading to the desert for some design inspiration. You’ll find us, as always, in showroom C398.

Black and Natural in the Mix

Two of our lead products in this handsome mix of black and natural were designed by Jamie Beckwith, whose initial offerings and these pieces of furniture in her collection were inspired by her signature hardwood tiles through which Jamie seeks to celebrate “the individual interpretation of the natural beauty of each piece through expert handmade craftsmanship.” We’ve followed her lead and brought a number of products with fascinating patterns to life. We’ve recently introduced new lighting products, which we will feature in an upcoming post. You can find the with all of our winter introductions by clicking through (we know you want to!).

The Arrow Cocktail Table is a design by Beckwith based on a strong graphic shape that comes alive with the contrast between oak in its pale natural state and in a caviar black finish. Originally created in bold patterns for vertical and horizontal surfaces, Beckwith says of the Arrow, “This is a unique take on a chevron pattern. I was inspired by original French chevron parquets and this pattern is an updated version of that. There is a classic feel to this graphic shape with a modern take. It provides a strong underlying structure that bonds all the elements of a room together.” There are a number of offerings in this family of products, including an accent table.

Beckwith says of her Swoop family of products, “I was inspired by mid-century design, specifically Italian designer Gio Ponti, when creating the Swoop pattern. I especially like the idea of curves with straight lines found in Swoop. There is a feminine but masculine feeling to these designs which work well in many environments, and that is due specifically to the shape.” We have a number of offerings in the Swoop family of products, including this cabinet.

The Viewforth Chandelier is a rope-wrapped double canister of luminosity. Made of wrought iron that is painstakingly wrapped in a mix of natural and black abaca rope, the black and natural chandelier illustrates the talents of our artisans who seamlessly wind the rope around the frames by hand.

With its mod shapes, the Shipshape Table Lamp turns nautical given its ceramic surface has been covered with natural rope. Notice how our artisans have wound the material by hand so evenly it reads as a seamless textural surface, and how the rope covering the middle ball has been painted black. We’ve topped the lamp with a black shantung shade that brings cohesion to the overall design. The finial is also wrapped in painted rope.

The Nicosia Accent Table was born of nautical inspirations but has a sophisticated flair that makes it an elegant occasional table for any number of styles. The rope-wrapped telescoping table has black accents where the profile swells and along the rim of the tabletop. The glass top is included with this black and natural table.

Ian Thornton says of his design of the Shipwright Chandelier that he wanted to create a large chandelier with a nautical theme. He achieved this in spades with the abaca rope that wraps the ring holding the bobeches and candle arms. Made of wrought iron in a mix of French black and smokewood finishes, the rope chandelier is decidedly sea-side worthy but it also checks the box on modern farmhouse style.

The Higel Table Lamp has two-toned stripes covering its rotund body: the tan stripes are fashioned from Abacá rope and the black stripes are made from black composite. The black and natural table lamp is topped with a black silk shade, which is held in place by a rope-wrapped finial.

The perfect combination of natural and industrial materials, the Hightider Pendant has a recycled glass shade and wrought iron hardware in a French black finish. The Abacá rope that is wrapped around the neck of the nautical pendant brings it a hint of texture. Clarence Mallari’s original inspiration came from the small bells used by people selling ice cream in the Philippines. We also offer the Hightider as a wall sconce, a multi-pendant and a chandelier.

Rattan rods fastened to the thin stem of the Reed Floor Lamp are held on the body by rope binding. The way the natural reeds are divided into sections by the rope circlets are design details of note, as is the fact that black accents punctuate the rattan lamp at top and bottom with a block finial and a stacked metal base.

Bidding Adieu to the Winter Market Scene

The Shipwright Chandelier headlines this image of several of our black and natural chandeliers.

If you’ve been caught up in the excitement of the winter market season, we know you’ll be sorry to see it end but we also know that from the frenetic hours spent on your feet in either Dallas, Atlanta, or Las Vegas (or all of the above), your latest projects are already coming to life in your creative minds. We thank all of you who choose our products to fill them!