Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Shop New Arrivals Now!


Browse the most eclectic mix of unique antique and vintage home accessories from the comfort and convenience of home! Enhance the design of any interior with Knickerbocker’s carefully curated collection of American, European, Asian, and African fine and decorative arts. Our ever-changing inventory features an array of objects and artifacts from Victorian to Mid-Century Modern including lamps, sconces, art pottery, fine china, porcelain, crystal, art glass, prints, oil paintings, sculpture, folk art, primitives, nautical décor, and much more!

Click HERE to shop our newest arrivals now!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Casual Layering

One of the best design features of this antique oak sideboard is the narrow shelf along the top ledge perfect for casually layering framed art works and a slender piece of Blanc de Chine.


Overlapping a large bird print with a small equestrian scene and a piece of Chinese silk embroidery takes the formal edge off the elaborate pair of brass rococo wall sconces flanking them. We’ve kept all frames the same shape for a sense of unity yet each has a different contrasting finish ranging from raw wood to gold gilt.


Using an old botanical shade on a marble pedestal lamp again mixes the formal with the casual for a light playful feel. Clustered around its base are an art glass ball with an antique French Gothic music box and a pair of Waterford crystal decanters in the Lismore and Glandore patterns. Dusty hued hydrangea fills a blown glass urn lending just the right dose of soft color and texture next to the pair of huge sang de boeuf porcelain jars.

Photos and home styling by Knickerbocker.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Collections: Statues, Sculpture, and Objets d’Art

Nothing adds more personality and individuality to a space than carefully chosen works of art. Paintings and prints are a great place to start but sculpture and objets d’art are a wonderful way to add that interesting finishing touch.


This collection of classically inspired antique and vintage sculpture range from a realistically designed horse figure to an unusual nautical allegory of a regal woman with an anchor.


Three unique works of art include this antique sculpture of a gentleman in Elizabethan garb crafted of copper, a classical porcelain bust, and another unusual allegory featuring a beautiful woman bearing a globe and laurel wreath.


Michelangelo’s David, perhaps the most famous sculpture of all time is represented here in a beautifully detailed replica complete with an elegant marble base, the bust of a male most likely Jesus at the forefront is carved of solid white Carrara marble and features a wonderfully distressed finish from decades of weather exposure. Finally the imposing huntress with her dogs most likely represents Diana the goddess of the hunt beautifully depicted in bonded Carrara marble with loads of romantic patina.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Photographing the Ultimate Art Form

With its heady mixture of music, drama, scenic architecture, lighting, and costume design, opera has often been referred to as the ultimate art form and to celebrate this ultimate art form only an ultimate art book will do.


In the generously over-sized In Grand Style: The Glory of the Metropolitan Opera, photographer and artist Nancy Ellison beautifully captures the visual impact of twenty lavish productions on the stage of New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. From the temples of ancient Egypt to the streets of nineteenth century Paris the artists of the Met have been creating these magical worlds on the stage for over 120 years.


The nearly three-foot wingspan of the book allows for sweeping images such as this breathtaking scene of Imperial China as envisioned by Franco Zeffirelli for his lavish 1987 production of Turandot. The fact that such a deep volume might prove difficult to fit in your average bookcase only proves the point that a work of art like this should be left out and about where everyone can inspired by its fantastic imagery.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Library Nook

The recent addition of a book column to this blog shows how much our style is influenced and inspired by our collection of art, history, and design books. We hope you’ll enjoy hearing about some of our select favorites and maybe even find a new volume to add to your own library at home.


Not only are our books one of our favorite sources of design inspiration but one of our best-loved design elements as well. The rhythm of all those colorful spines filling the antique mahogany bookcase lends warmth and richness to this little library nook.


The green and burgundy hues of the fresh hydrangea echo the muted shades in the mid-century vintage print behind them. Looking down over the scene from a shabby antique palm frond corbel bracket is a charming Chinese porcelain figure of a child with a large gilded fish. Contributing to the gilded theme are an unusual gold gilt rococo scroll mirror and a carved wood corbel bracket.


The top of the bookcase provides a perch for a small famille rose porcelain table lamp a contrast in proportion to the pair of over-sized ox-blood red Chinese porcelain jars beside it. Finally it would seem every library no matter how small should have at least one classical bust, here ours is displayed with a tiny Victorian print overlapping a larger antique English print on the wall behind.

Photos and styling by KS&D.
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