Somebody Call 911!

Congratulations are in order for our friend Matt Albiani whose new book Lifeguard On Duty came out a few weeks ago-just in time for summer. Albiani has spent the past four years shooting lifeguards all across America, from Oahu to Nantucket and this collection of portraits is nothing short of spectacular. The photos have a depth, sensitivity and character rarely seen in male photography and the matte paper stock and printing enhance the high quality of the images. There is a genuine melancholy and thoughtfulness to the images - you get the sense of Albiani's desire to exist in this world and also his understanding of and sensitivity to the young men who inhabit it. This handsome tome is a must have for anyone who appreciates not only the male form, but also rich, colorful images that capture the spirit of long summer days on the beach. It might even make some swim a little further out than usual in hopes of a riptide rescue from one of Matt's sun-kissed subjects. If that seems a bit too risky, you can always just get a copy of the book here. Or if you happen to be in East Hampton this Fourth of July, stop by Clic Gallery Saturday where Matt will be "on duty" signing copies of his stylish new book. Hope you can make it and we hope everyone has a wonderful, safe holiday weekend.

Good Fortunes.

We're excited to announce that TsAO & McKOWN Architects just received the 2009 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Interior Design and they've also just launched a handsome new website showcasing their stunning work. We have long admired this dynamic design duo and find their work truly inspiring. Stylish, understated, well conceived and well executed, there's not a project they've done that we're not absolutely wild about. Founded back in 1985, this award-winning firm has demonstrated they not only have what it takes to create incredible architecture time after time but remarkable interiors as well.

Their work includes: architecture and interiors for Andre Balazs’ 47 story William Beaver House in NY, River Lofts condominiums in NY and Suntec City, a six-million square foot public/private development in Singapore; architecture and urban master plans for large-scale projects in Budapest, Berlin, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and cities in China; interiors for cultural and fashion leaders Ian Schrager, Josie Natori, Joyce Ma, Peter Morton and Geoffrey Beene; exhibition design for Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art, McGill University’s McCord Museum and New York’s Jewish Museum; and product and furniture design for Nan Swid Designs, Donghia, The Robin Hood Foundation, World Studio and Japanese cosmetics master Shu Uemura. Copyright | Privacy | Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution National Design Awards 2009. Fortunate for us, we can now see a lot of these projects on their newly re-launched website, which is beautiful to look at and a breeze to navigate. Congratulations again to TsAO & McKOWN for this most recent award and all of the other accolades you've received over the years. Well-deserved!

Heavy Metal.

Check out these amazing near to scale stainless steel sculptures made by Cheryl Ekstrom. Ekstrom was granted exclusive permission by The Eames Office, Herman Miller, and Republic of Fritz Hansen to re-create these sculptures of timeless furniture classics such as: the Floating Marshmallow Sofa, the Swan Chair, the Eames Lounge Chair and the Beanbag. Each limited edition piece displays some exquisite detailing that Ekstrom achieved through a painstaking process that took an extensive period of time, but as you can see, it paid off. However, Ekstrom's no light weight. Each one of these sculptures weighs between 120 to 160 pounds, giving a whole new meaning to the term Heavy Metal! (source: slamxhype)

Lau'd and Clear!

We'd like to congratulate our dear friend and fellow interior designer Amy Lau for her fantastic spread in this month's Metropolitan Home. Amy founded her design firm in 2001 and currently serves as an independent advisor to collectors of 20th Century decorative arts. Following her degree in Art History, she received a master’s degree in Fine and Decorative Arts from the prestigious Sotheby’s graduate program in New York and went onto to study with leading curators, art historians, and industry professionals, developing a deep passion for design.

In 2005, she co-founded the prestigious Design Miami fair, which assembles the globe’s most significant galleries specializing in design from the post-war period to the present. Established to run in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach, the Design Miami fair has expanded to become a vital forum for exhibiting, discussing, creating, and collecting design. She also serves as co-director of the Design Council for the Museum of Arts and Design. To see more of her work click here!

We're wild about this particular project, especially because the house sits on a lake-our dream! And we were excited to learn about architects Robert Luntz and Joe Tanney from Resolution: 4 Architecture, the firm that designed the house and who have developed a reputation for creating smart designs that are surprisingly affordable to build. You should definitely check out more of their work here! Congratulations again to Amy, Robert and Joe for a stunning project and for the great write-up. To read more about the project click here! (Above photos by Joshua McHugh for Metropolitan Home)

Pow! Wow!

We first met photographer Laurie Lambrecht a couple of years ago during a New York Times photo shoot and were instantly charmed by her dynamic personality and undeniable talent. So last week when we saw an e-mail from her in our inbox, we opened it immediately and discovered yet another reason why this internationally known shutterbug is so well respected in the art and photography world.

From 1990 through 1992, Lambrecht worked as a part-time assistant for Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, helping him inventory his studio in preparation for his 1993 retrospective at the Guggenheim here in New York. While they were re-visiting files and scrapbooks together, Lichtenstein encouraged her to make photographs from time to time, and was often pleased and amused by the results. Lambrecht’s photos offer fascinating insight into Lichtenstein’s working processes and source materials, as well as being vibrant works of art in their own right. The two grew close over the course of her work with him, and he became one of her mentors. "He was so precise in his visual and aesthetic choices. And he was a very generous person. We had great conversations," she said.

We're crazy about the results and were eager to share a few of the colorful images from this newly emerged series of photographs. To see even more you can visit Laurie's website here or check out The Drawing Room in East Hampton which represents her work. You can also read more about her time with Lichtenstein on the always inspiring website Lens Culture. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! (Photos by Laurie Lambrecht)

Rest In Peace...

We're sad to report that French designer Pierre Paulin passed away this past weekend at the age of 81. Recipient of a plethora of prestigious commissions from the renovation of the private apartments of President Georges Pompidou at the Elysée, to the crafting of a stunning Swarovski chandelier for their Crystal Room, his work received a surge of interest towards the end of his life, resulting in numerous reissues and new designs.

Two years ago, to commemorate his past 60 years of design achievement, 50 of which were spent in partnership with Artifort, a retrospective fittingly entitled 'Jubille Pierre Paulin 80/60/50' was staged in Paris.

Paulin first made waves in the design world back in 1952, when his innovative philosophy caught the attention of Thonet, for whom he was to master the development of new materials for established American brands such as Eames, Saarinen and Bertoia.

However, it was Paulin’s whimsical and elegant creations for Artifort that were the major factor in defining his lengthy career. Throughout the 50 years of successful collaboration, Paulin’s revolutionary style supplied the Dutch upholstery specialists with a wealth of style icons.

A joyful modernist, Paulin’s designs allowed the public to discover the comfort of modern living through his masterful combination of sculpture and functionality. With a signature Pop aesthetic sweeping throughout his catalogue of creations, Paulin captured the world’s imagination with innovative pieces such as the Oyster, Mushroom, Tongue and Ribbon chairs, all of which have become sought-after design classics. (Source: Wallpaper Magazine)

1st Of All...

We'd like to give our sincerest thanks to 1stdibs for the generous article they posted on their website last week regarding our office. We have always considered 1stdibs not only the leading resource for finding fine furniture, lighting and jewelry but also an influential voice in the world of design. So obviously we were thrilled and humbled when the founder, Michael Bruno, asked if they could feature our work on their website. Michael is one of the smartest, most forward thinkers in the design world and global online community who has always inspired us, especially after we read this article regarding how he got his start (click here to buy the book that was the impetus for Bruno's success!). The multi-talented Marcia Sherrill, who wrote the article, is an incredibly gifted writer with a sly wit and a fellow southerner. She also happens to be an accomplished designer of luxury accessories including fine jewelry and exotic skin handbags. In addition, she is the founder and creator of the popular and insightful website VictoryOverDivorce which is a must read regardless of your relationship status (you should definitely check this out!). When you have time, click here to read the article featuring our work in it's entirety and make sure you return to 1stdibs often to see the most comprehensive listing of fine furnishings and jewelry from around the world! Thanks again to Michael and Marcia as well as the fantastic art director Olga Elenciuc, editor Patricia Jay Dee and everyone else at 1stdibs that made us look and sound so good! We sincerely appreciate it! (above photo taken by Eric Striffler for BFID)