DAN'S PAPERS, September 19, 2008 Page 53 www.danshamptons.com
On a Pedestal
(continued from previous page)
top. While sometimes the pedestals the designer chooses are engaging in and of themselves, in this case, the visual weight is given to the busts, as any strong textures or contrasts would be a distraction. Presiding over the space, the sculptures provide a sense of excitement about what will be seen next as one reaches the top of the staircase. Votive candles were also placed on top of each pedestal, and could be lit to subtly scent the air, without being too intrusive and would flicker in the evening, enhancing
the magical mood. Play with proportions and placement until you achieve the right balance. Whether it’s the pair of elegant fluted and gilt wood classical column-style pedestals at Stellar Union in Southampton, the swanky Art Deco glass rod pedestals at Gustavo Olivieri in Wainscott, or Vladimir Kagan’s ovalshaped 1970s walnut veneer pedestal at Apsara in East Hampton, you are sure to find just the right form and fashion to lift your interior up to a new level!
www.eastsidefascia.com • Since 1988 All phases of Home Improvement including Custom trim, fireplace mantles, wall units, wall paneling/coffered ceilings, kitchens, custom closets, exterior trim and custom decking.
Robert Vollkommer President
be elevated to the status of a rare cultivar if found on a pedestal. A sleek, modern way of achieving a sculptural look might be to have the pedestal and plant container in the same color such as white, which will make the lush, green leaves stand out even more dramatically. If you want an elegant, neoclassical-style, fluted and gilded antique wood column to stand as a sculpture in and of itself, putting a simple fern in an urn on top will allow for the eye to focus on the pedestal itself as art. One New York designer, Roberto Salazar, has an unerring sensibility for selecting spectacularly scaled, unique pieces of art and accessories. He will often use pedestals to give importance to art or even natural objects, such as crystals and fossils. In the living room of a Manhattan penthouse, he hung a very large abstract canvas above a simple sofa flanked on either side by a pair of adorably fierce Asian dragon sculptures on pedestals. These terracotta sculptures on tall, ebonized wood pedestals standing at either side of the artwork transform the whole wall into a striking focal point. Small, unobtrusive spotlights on the floor can be turned on at night to add to the breathtaking effect. In the San Francisco home of a client, Salazar achieved a smart solution to handling an awkward landing area at the top of a stairway. A flight of white marble stairs leading up from the entryway arrived at a sunlit, high-ceilinged space that was not suitable for furniture and yet needed something to give the area definition. Already in the entryway, he had given hints of the richly accessorized, spectacularly elegant, but very personal tone of the décor with a black lacquered baby grand, torchieres hanging from the walls and a vibrant painting of horses. At the top of the stairs, Salazar had the panache to place two simple, towering pedestals with massive white busts of Greek gods on
We specialize in aspects of your home that make it unique and give it true character
516-315-6846
1146900
1195069
1950s American custom pedestal, (opposite page), and circa 1900 alabaster, (above) at Sag Harbor Antiques