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Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Designers rediscover the decorative potential of eggshells
One of the Pleiades vessels embellished with solar nebula, constellations, and moon craters in eggshell and abalone. PHOTO: ALEXANDER LAMONT VIA NYTIMES UNITED STATES – While you were clucking over the price of eggs, Mr Mark de la Vega was devouring them by the dozen – 300 dozen in the past six months. But not as omelettes. Mr de la Vega, a designer in Brooklyn, produces panels and furnishings ornamented with eggshell lacquer. The finish originated with East Asian artisans, who embedded shell fragments from duck or chicken eggs into the surfaces of decorative art pieces as a substitute for white pigment. In the early 20th century, Swiss-born Art Deco craftsman Jean Dunand bartered his metalworking skills to learn the technique, also known as coquille d'oeuf, from a Japanese expert visiting Paris. According to art historian Felix Marcilhac, Dunand was the first to use tweezers to apply crushed shells to produce a 'white craquelure effect'. 'When you see it in person, it is just candy,' said Mr John Gachot, an interior designer who worked on the former West Village home of fashion designer Marc Jacobs. He was referring to Jacobs' circa-1925 Dunand side table, which sold at Sotheby's in 2019 for US$131,250 (S$170,000). Almost exactly a century after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts – the show that gave Art Deco its name – opened in Paris, Dunand's legacy continues. In January, British company de Gournay unveiled Dunand, a gilded silk wallpaper whose angular, speckled pattern and brassy sheen allude to his metalwork and eggshells. With glitzy, geometry-loving Art Deco re-emerging in contemporary home furnishings, the technique is proliferating. De la Vega's eggshell millwork can be found in a New York City pied-a-terre and an entryway closet in a condominium in Aspen, Colorado – both projects of Ms Kaitlyn Payne, principal of interior design studio Basicspace in Portland, Maine. Ms Payne pitched the relative rarity of the decorative finish, assuring her client that she would not find eggshells saturating her Instagram. 'This is something that is handmade and translates as such,' she said. 'It's almost like you're buying an art piece.' And at US$450 a square foot, you kind of are. De La Vega Designs also produces a mirror collection, called Jules, rimmed in patterns of champagne bubbles, conga lines of triangles and unravelling checkerboards created by the meticulous positioning of shell shards. Britain-born designer Alexander Lamont, who is based in Thailand, first sold items that he described as looking like 'a sort of miniature shattered porcelain' in 2005. Four years later, he brought an expert from France to train his artisans to produce coquille d'oeuf pieces in-house in Bangkok, which were officially introduced in 2012. Among the results were the company's Pleiades vessels, embellished with solar nebula, constellations and moon craters in eggshell and abalone. Each Pleiades vessel takes up to 50 hours to fabricate and is priced from US$2,000 to US$8,000, depending on the design's intricacy. A patchwork-pattern cabinet the company recently produced as a one-off required 350 hours for the eggshell application, followed by 320 hours to apply and sand five layers of lacquer. A marketing executive for Alexander Lamont d eclined to disclose the cabinet's price for publication, but said the company sells 40 to 60 eggshell pieces each year. Other applications are less rarefied. In an undated image, shell fragments were set in resin to create a flat disc, which Yellowdot founder-designers Dilara Kan Hon and Bodin Hon fitted with cables to make a light fixture. PHOTO: OZAN GUR VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES Ms Dilara Kan Hon and Mr Bodin Hon, founders of Yellowdot, a design studio in Hong Kong and Istanbul, began working with eggshells while sitting out the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey. Undertaking projects that minimised food waste, they saw 'quiet beauty and potential' in the material's light, translucent characteristics, said Mr Hon, who has a background in bioengineering. The couple set the shell fragments in resin to create a flat disc, which they suspended by cables to make a light fixture with a mesmerising pattern. 'There are so many different ways to cook an egg, but no one ever thinks about the eggshell,' said Ms Kan Hon, who studied fine art and interior design. They have blatantly called attention to it by affixing a brass tag to the hanging lamp announcing that it was created with 63 eggs. A room divider boasts of incorporating 480 of them. In an undated image, Gobstoppers No. 45 is part of a series created by New York City artist Tina Scepanovic. PHOTO: BLACK AND STEIL VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES New York City artist Tina Scepanovic began working with eggshell lacquer seven years ago while studying at the Isabel O'Neil Studio on the Upper East Side. Some pieces in her Gobstopper series – grids of jawbreaker-like spheres arranged on a wall panel – have textured surfaces created by broken shells glued in place, then embedded in lacquer. For another Gobstopper, she used vinegar to strip the color from brown eggshells, turning them pink, and set the pieces in Venetian plaster. 'It is fascinating how eggshells are simultaneously fragile yet incredibly resilient,' she said . 'Eggs contain calcium carbonate, the same mineral found in marble, so in a sense, they are just thin sheets of marble. They also seem to resist abrasion, and sanding them by hand is a real workout.' She played around with grinding the shells, giving up after finding the results lacklustre. A piece by Los Angeles designer Caleb Engstrom, who uses eggshells to create and embellish. PHOTO: OF STUDIO VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES But Mr Caleb Engstrom, a designer in Los Angeles, has gone full throttle with his coffee grinder. For his limited-edition Special Damages dining chair, he glued dozens of crushed brown eggshells to one of the legs. The sandpaper-like texture is not 'in your face', he said, but invites a closer look at an unexpected detail. Though he applied a clear sealant to fix the granules, Mr Engstrom warned that they tend to slough off. 'It's not for everyone,' he said of the Special Damages chair, which will be on display from May 17 to 19 at the Jonalddudd conceptual design show during New York Design Week, in a new fair, Shelter, on West 26th Street in Manhattan. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
How to bring English country charm to your home (without looking dated)
The British design duo Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham, aka Salvesen Graham, are known for their contemporary take on traditional English country house design – an aesthetic that combines bold colour, romantic florals and a smattering of well-chosen antiques. It's a look that, in their hands, never looks fusty and old-fashioned, but combines the charm of a classical English house with the comfort and convenience needed for modern life; and it's as popular with their American clients as it is in the UK. Their first coffee-table book, out now, is packed with inspiration for recreating their style, whether you live in a country manor or a city flat, and while it isn't as such a how-to guide, there are plenty of ideas to steal. Go bold in utility rooms The rooms that work the hardest in a house, such as utilities and pantries, aren't always the ones that other people see; but that doesn't mean they shouldn't pack a decorative punch. This flower room in a Cornish country house has been painted in a joyful bright yellow that couldn't fail to lift the spirits, and the scallop edging on the shelves adds a further cheerful touch. The under-counter curtain is a signature Salvesen Graham move in utility rooms, and not only adds aesthetic value, but also allows for more easily accessible storage than cabinet doors would. Pack a small room with pattern This bedroom is in a flat in central London, but you wouldn't know it from the romantic decor. The de Gournay wallcovering transports the room into the countryside, and the half-tester above the bed – a canopy that adds grandeur, without taking up as much room as a four-poster bed – adds to the feeling of comfort. Built-in bookshelves, and reading lights incorporated within the bed canopy, maximise the sense of space. Hang art in clusters A collection of colourful entomology prints adds a characterful touch to this entrance hall – and the colours are cleverly echoed in the bench cushion and checked throw cushions below, bringing a note of cohesion. Hanging similar prints in a grid in this manner looks smart and considered – and is a less expensive way to fill a wall than buying one large artwork. Bring decoration into the kitchen You won't find a clinical kitchen in a Salvesen Graham project. Here, the walls and cabinetry have been painted the same shade, a very pale pinky cream (Archive by Farrow & Ball is similar), and decorative green and white tiles from Balineum provide some contrasting colour and subtle pattern on the splashback above the hob. Colourful ceramics hung on the wall and displayed on the shelf add further character and warmth. Go wild in the downstairs loo The downstairs loo is always a fun place to experiment with colour and pattern, especially in an otherwise neutrally decorated house: this one teams a traditional-style marble-topped basin unit with modern wallpaper by Ottoline, the colours of which are picked up in the woodwork, painted in Arsenic by Farrow & Ball, the glossy red Balineum mirror and the red wall lights. Install architectural panelling to add depth Panelling has been added to the walls of this drawing room in a 19th-century country house, bringing proportion and depth. The plaster-pink paint is the perfect background colour for antique wooden furniture, artworks, and a mix of printed fabrics. Note the club fender too: a classic feature of a country house that provides an extra place for guests to perch during parties, covered here in a contemporary zigzag fabric. Spend on joinery While the enviable proportions of this country-house pantry are not found in every home, the built-in cabinetry demonstrates perfectly the way well-planned built-in storage can both maximise the size of a room and make it feel streamlined and uncluttered. The cupboards here hide the useful but not necessarily beautiful essentials, while shelves provide display space for a collection of china. The pendant light, the Dodo Egg by Beata Heuman, adds a note of country-house eccentricity. Make space for books In this house in Colorado, an archway leading from the dining room into the sitting room is flanked by a built-in bookcase – a clever way to make use of the space and provide subtle separation between the rooms. A wall light placed above is positioned to throw light on to the books in the evening, and a picture hung from the centre of a shelf breaks up the display: note how the placement of a small picture within a large white mount provides a little visual space. Make the most of every corner Here, a nook off the kitchen of the same house has been deployed as a self-contained office area. The pretty printed fabric used for the blinds has been repeated on the gathered shades of the wall lights (Salvesen Graham's Floral Sprig fabric would have a similar effect), and the simple tongue-and-groove panelling adds texture and interest. If in doubt, add a stripe A striped fabric or wallpaper brings a classic, tailored look, and works as a classic counterpoint to any other patterns or prints in a room. In this bijou bedroom, Salvesen Graham's Zig Zag Stripe print in a mossy green has been used on the walls and the blinds, adding colour and pattern without overwhelming the small space. The built-in bed, with drawers beneath, makes best use of the floor space, and the antique marble-topped table helps to create the effect of a room that has evolved over time.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The best new hotels of the year revealed by Conde Nast Traveller - from as little as £150
Glossy holiday bible Conde Nast Traveller has unveiled its pick of the best new hotels around the world - including some surprisingly low cost options. The brand published the Hot List 2025 after its experts spent a year travelling the globe to find the best new openings - including a Saudi hotel that transformed an abandoned mud-brick village, a pretty coaching inn in the Peak District and an Art Deco abode in the Big Apple. Three British hotels make the cut, including the glitzy Mandarin Oriental in London 's Mayfair - a sister hotel for the upscale chain's Knightsbridge property. The new hotel, a stone's throw from London's tourist centre, features hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper, Technogym work-out equipment and an 82-foot pool. Across the Pond, there's two new openings that have impressed in New York, including the spruced up Upper East Side's The Surrey, which dates back to 1926. Conde Nast Traveller's writer says the Art Deco decor in the Manhattan property is a vision of 'geometric details and muted pastels', with rooms coming in at £773. Across town in SoHo, The Manner is also big on swish retro, with guests checking in described as being everyone 'from 20-somethings attending Fashion Week parties to chic married couples reading by the fire, everyone here is either good-looking, interesting, or both.' A stay costs a cool £618 per night. There's been plenty of new openings in classic Med destinations in recent years and Conde Nast Traveller singles out its new favourites in the list, including a new One&Only property on the lesser known Greek island of Kea in the Cyclades. Rooms start from £1,415 but guests are afforded unbridled five-star luxury, with perks including Mediterranean-Asian fusion cuisine, the hotel brand's largest spa to date and even the chance to charter a 1967 yacht for a day. Prague continues to be one of Europe's most popular city breaks - and trendy hotel brand W has opened up in an Art Nouveau gem in the city Accommodation at One&Only Kea Island puts privacy first too; Conde Nast Traveller says: 'Tranquility is key; rooms are more like individual villas, and have private patios, secluded balconies, and 24- and 29.5-foot infinity pools'. Several properties on the uber stylish list are under £200, including The Standard in Singapore, where rooms start from £156. A new Austrian bolt-hole from trendy hotel brand The Hoxton group marries style with affordability. The Hoxton Vienna has rooms from £161 a night in the heart of the popular city break destination, with highlights including a Cuban-inspired rooftop bar and terrazzo-floored lobby, says Conde Nast. Another mountainous destination features albeit it with a home-grown twist. Welsh-born hotelier Grant Maunder is behind The Brecon, which sits not in Wales but in the Swiss Alpine village of Adelboden. The adults-only hotel is fully inclusive, with rooms starting at £650. Grant describes his latest opening as 'Swelsh' - a Swiss Welsh hybrid - although Dutch-based designers Nicemakers are behind the hotel's look. Owners of Le Dune Piscinas in Sardinia, Italy, spent three years refurbishing the island hideaway Two properties in Saudi also feature, as the Middle Eastern destination continues to try and woo Western tourists to the ultra conservative country with the promise of luxury. Dar Tantora The House Hotel has transformed 30 'abandoned mud-brick dars' into a premium stay in the ancient town of AlUla. Rooms at the red-hued hotel start from £462. Also in Saudi is a new Ritz-Carlton venture, which sits pretty on the Ummahat Islands, which have been dubbed the 'new Maldives'. Virgin Atlantic gave the destination a boost after announcing new flights to Riyadh, with Sir Richard Branson jetting into the Saudi capital this week on his Virgin Airbus A330 to promote the new route.
