Montage: Feeling Cagey

Obviously, as an interior style writer, and now blogger (!) I see lots of beautiful spaces and images of beautiful spaces. I am constantly sorting pictures into various themes. I have about 40 albums in iphoto on design themes alone. And they keep multiplying. “Modern Chairs” suddenly seems too vague and gets divided into “Eames,” “Mies van der Rohe,” et al, and then gets even more specific with individual albums full of just Eames rockers and Barcelona chairs. Of course I have an album devoted to Harry Bertoia’s Diamond Chair by Knoll.

When I saw the “Graphic Patterns” trend page in this month’s Elle, featuring grid looks, I immediately thought “Bertoia chair.” (We all know that interior styles take their cues from the runway.) The Yves St. Laurent cage necklace in silver metal is particularly reminiscent of the seat. And at $995, even more expensive. (Bertoia Diamond Lounge retails for $909 at Hive Modern; the Side Chair starts at $460 at Design Within Reach. There are deals to be had on ebay and such.)

Right: Tear from Elle, April 2009; left: YSL metal cage necklace, $995 at YSL.com

Personally, I’ve never been particularly attracted to this chair. True, there’s no doubt it packs a visual punch. But, a lattice work of welded steel just doesn’t seem all that comfortable. Still, its silhouette is striking, and its construction extremely practical, as the chair can do double duty, inside and out.

PUBLIC SPACES

The chairs are used in a number of public spaces. I think the top image of the black Bertoias were shot in the MOMA Sculpture Garden. The second picture is Paley Park on 53rd Street, NYC. (Ten years living there and I never knew the name of that space.) Gorgeous in white with the Saarinen pedestals.

Top: Flickr – Chris Ferebee; bottom: Flickr – landscaperess.

FARNSWORTH HOUSE

Here’s a shot of Bertoia side chairs at Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House in Plano, IL. It’s sprinkled with Barcelona chairs inside, natch.

Photo: Flickr – 24gotham

IN RECENT PROJECTS

I recently wrote articles about two different homes with Bertoia chairs.

The photo below on the right shows white Bertoia chairs around a basic butcher block table in the home of the Gamota family in Lexington, Mass. Homeowner Christina Gamota put the whole house together on her own. She and her husband have been collecting for four decades. They have artwork and furnishings from Africa, China, England, and the Ukraine, as well as wonderful modern furniture by Eames, Mies, Saarinen, and Bertoia.

The left shows a new kitchen in Lynnfield, Mass, designed by Boston-based designer Shellie Donovan. She chose the Bertoia counter stools from Showroom in Boston, upholstered in Knoll’s heathered bouclé Cuddle Cloth. They’re a sleek and simple counterpoint to the white Aran granite countertop, with its snakeskin-like, rock’n’roll aesthetic.

Left: Gamota residence from “Collected Wisdom,” Boston Home, Spring 2009; right; Testa residence designed by Shellie Donovan from “Cooking Gets Comfortable,” Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, March 29, 2009, photographed by Eric Roth.

ADVERTISEMENTS

The chairs are oft-used in ads. The crisp lines and graphic sensibility complements the product, in this case wallpaper, without upstaging it.

Right: unidentified; left: Birds on Branches wallpaper by Danish design company Ferm Living.

OUTDOOR LIVING

Here are some shots of homes using the chairs outdoors. Looks lovely! (Not sure what’s up with the cat – a bunch of the Flickr shots I found of Bertoia chairs feature cats…).

Left to right: unidentified; Flickr – itomica; Thom Flicia; Flickr – hustler of culture.

INTERIORS

Here’s a sampling of shots of rooms put together by interior designers. As you can see, they use the chairs all over the house – living room, kitchen, bedroom – in all variations – side chair, lounge chair, counter stool, with cushion and without, in white, black and chrome.

Above: Unidentified; photographer Sarah Blee; styled by Michele Michael; designer Nate Berkus; unidentified; designer Thad Hayes in Architectural Digest; Domino; Living Etc.; Living Etc; Marie Claire Maison; designed by Bonesteel Trout Hall.

FOUND ON FLICKR

Finally, here are 15 shots I found on Flickr. Clearly this is the people’s chair, – there were tons of images to choose from. These are my favorites.

Flickr photos: back_garage; back_garage; m.bibelot; Wiz Wharton; jeana_sohn; olya; richardbaybutt; sarahleeab; Moakidi; beeeeej; jp-o; Filip001; tastevick; wwkangaroo; Shannon Frances.