Saarinen Marries Chippendale

A friend of mine recently played matchmaker to an unlikely duo--a camelback sofa and a tulip table.

Who would have thought that an 18th century sofa could be so happily married to a mid-century modern table? I wouldn't have thought to pair the two, but I must admit that the chemistry is undeniable. Maybe it is the arch-backed that aligns so well with the gracefully curved pedestal. Whatever the cause, the pair form a happy union.

                                             
The companions now sit in the eating area of the kitchen that got a face-lift several years ago. (http://graciousinteriors.blogspot.com/2011/01/amazing-room-facelifts.html).

    

As is often the case, pairing traditional with modern furniture refreshes the whole. The new outcome is often referred to as transitional. Whereas traditional design references 18th century French and English styles, transitional design mixes in contemporary forms, especially midcentury modern styles.

In this transitionally-styled kitchen, the sofa style was designed by the London cabinet maker/furniture designer, Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779). The arched back and single cushion seat has been a perennial favorite, but to bring it into the 21st century it needed to be tweaked.

www.antique-marks.com

My friend chose to have the sofa reupholstered in an outdoor Sunbrella fabric. The  stripe is more current than a damask, and the washable fabric much more practical for eliminating stains than a silk that might have covered an original Chippendale sofa.

The table my friend chose as the sofa's mate was designed by Eero Saarinen (1910-1961).

wikimedia, Eero Saarinen

Saarinen was both an industrial designer and an architect. His architectural landmarks include: the St. Louis Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, St-Louis, Missouri--city-data.com

and Dulles International Airport's main terminal. (No wonder he was awarded the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1962.)

wikimedia--Washington Dulles International Airport

You probably recognize Saarinen's furniture shapes that show up in homes and offices today, more than fifty years after he died. 

wikimedia--Eero Saarinen's pedestal armchair designed in 1956

I wonder what the two famous designers would have said about the pleasing progeny their union produced?

The Skye's the Limit

(A word of explanation for my delinquent posting. In addition to long distance babysitting two days a week for a darling grandson, I have been helping my mother who fell and broke her hip just after the holidays. Although she lives in a senior complex with continuum of care, it has required much family assistance to downsize her to an assisted living efficiency apartment. As if this didn't keep me busy enough, we also took a three week trip to Macedonia and France for my husband to be part of a physician mentoring partnership and for me to speak to a women's group. In my downtime, I gave a bridal shower for a nephew, and then we all celebrated at his wedding on the beach in Connecticut. So, you can see why my blog has taken backseat to all the family events.)  

Now to catch you up on some of the things you have missed... 

Back at the end of January, I went to our granddaughter's third birthday party. The theme, by popular demand, was Skye, the female member of the PAW Patrol.  

Tables were covered in paw prints. 

Dog bones hung from chandeliers.

Emergency vehicles severed as center pieces

A pink and turquoise color scheme kept the decorations unified and feminine.

Guests were favored with cookies decorated accordingly.

Naturally, Skye was front and center on the cake.

Birthday girl sported a pink bow in her hair and wore a shirt with a pink doggie carrying a birthday cake on his back.

 Her cousins, who happily are girls, came to the party to offset her three brothers!

 She was quite pleased with the cake...

 especially, when it was time to taste it!

After the food was gone, and the presents were opened, birthday girl got her face painted like her favorite PAW patrol character.