Spotlight: White Gesso Finish

We’re one week away from The Atlanta Market, which kicks off next Tuesday, July 12th, and runs through the 18th. Please stop by and see us in AmericasMart, Building 1, Suite L3, if you are going to attend. We’ll be showing an array of products in one of our most popular finishes, white gesso, including a new table and floor lamp that debuted with our other summer products.

White Gesso is Crisp and Popular

Our Charny Table Lamp is beautiful in this vignette from the Thibault showroom. This lamp is in stock and ready to ship.

We asked our President, Brownlee Currey, when the idea to introduce the pale finish into our product line took hold. “I am pretty clear on when I first realized this finish was really going to be ‘a thing’; I was in Paris at the market at Porte de Clignancourt, at Paul Bert Serpette when I saw gesso-finished items paired with vintage rattan pieces,” he explains. “When I saw it in a second booth, and it paired so well with the cane pieces, I remember thinking ‘well, that’s that; we’ll be doing it!’”

The Bexhill Table Lamp is a new offering in a white gesso finish.

We source the white gesso finish from both the Philippines and China. “It’s popular because it is soft and matte so it has no sheen,” Brownlee adds. “It pairs really well with the naturals that are so popular in the marketplace right now. Lastly, it isn’t overly demanding on the eye.”

The Bexhill Floor Lamp is one of Clarence Mallari’s nature-inspired introductions this summer.

Among our new spring products in the finish are the Bexhill Table and Floor lamps (above), which are nature-inspired lamps designed by Clarence Mallari. The flower that graces the white lamp just below its black shantung shade is an elegant imitation of a magnolia blossom. Made of steel, the white body of the lamp contrasts the dark shade that has a silver foil lining to enhance the illumination.

The Neptune Chandelier is a seamless composition made of wrought iron and wood beads in a gesso white finish. Designer Ian Thornton says, "The arrangement of the white wood beads were inspired by a nautilus sea shell but I wanted to make it rectangular because I conceived the design as an oblong shape for rectangular tables. This white chandelier spirals nicely to smaller beads at the bottom.” This chandelier is in stock and ready to ship.

Proving that textural patina can turn up the volume on style, the Bolebrook White Wall Sconce uses the gold leaf finish on its frame to make its impact. The pale finish on its shade draws out the brighter tones on the rings of this gold sconce. The narrow profile of the shade makes the sconce ADA compliant while the bowing form adds gracefulness to the design.

One of our most popular designs, the Denison Medium White Lantern is a hammered wrought-iron fixture in a gesso white finish. This classic lantern shape has stood the test of time to make it one of our most enduring offerings. A design element of note is the square that fastens the lantern to the chain. This white lantern is one of a number of sizes and finishes in the Denison family.

Joining our wall sconces in the Moderne family is the Moderne Chandelier in luminous gold and crisp white finishes. Designed by Tom Caldwell, the uber-modern chandelier has a hand-formed sheet-metal structure. “Its diffusers are designed to direct the light source upward so it can reflect off of the ceiling and create a warm glow around the room where it is located,” Tom remarks. “We chose a gesso white finish for the exterior that is accented with a warm contemporary gold leaf on the interior of the diffusers.” This chandelier is in stock.

The Serpa Single White Wall Sconce has a crisp countenance thanks to the white finish on its exterior. The gold leaf interior on its shade makes this industrial style sconce with its vintage feel a wonderful reading light, and it will bring an ageless twist to rooms with a number of styles, including modern farmhouse, rough luxe, and urban oasis.

Our Pierrepont White Large Pendant is made of wrought iron with a gesso white finish on its exterior and a contemporary gold leaf finish on the interiors of the shades. The rings connecting them gleam in a painted gold finish. There are a number of other sizes and finishes in the Pierrepont family of fixtures. This size of the fixture is in stock and ready to ship.

Seen in the opening image are our Kirkos White Table Lamp, shown in silhouette above, and our Zucchero Table Lamp, and Farina Table Lamp—these crisp-hued beauties are in stock and ready to ship. The Kirkos is a geometric composition in black and white. Sitting atop a glossy black optic crystal base, the circular body is made of composite in a gesso white finish. We've topped this version of the Kirkos, which also comes in gold, with a black shantung shade.

Atlanta is Calling!

Be sure to ask your sales representative to guide you through all of our offerings in this finish on display in the Atlanta showroom if you attend market. Everyone is looking for fresh ideas for interiors and there’s nothing crisper or more beautiful than a matte white object. Request an appointment with your sales rep here!