Designing A Staircase Gallery Wall

Creating a well-balanced gallery wall can be challenging but putting the display on the diagonal is an entirely different story.


This staircase is lined with a dramatic display of classical prints mixed with Mid-Century Modern art that forms an eclectic backdrop for a small sitting area.


The orderly composition is centered on a large print depicting ruins of the Roman Forum flanked by antique Italian reverse hand painted art glass wall panels of delicate classical design.


The traditional brown leather rolled arm sofa is dressed up with a trio of throw pillows in orange, teal, and yellow Chinese silk, a fun spring/ summer color scheme that adds a dose of 60’s chic. In another nod to Mid-Century style a collection of vintage Murano art glass bowls pop on the cocktail table like blossoms of color, while antique and vintage brass accessories lend a metallic note to the end tables.

Vignette photos and staging by KS&D.

Art and accessories available HERE.

Cool Calm and Eclectic

We all crave more calm and serenity so why not introduce some into your own environment with these cool eclectic home accessories.


The exotic shape of the onion dome birdcage plays well against the blue and white Chinese porcelain, the elaborate wire scrollwork echoing the intricate floral motifs of the vase and carpet, while from above the tranquil profile of the great poet Dante looks down from an antique plaque.


An elegant mid-century Danish modern blue and white porcelain bowl by Bing & Grondahl rests before a romantically distressed vintage Buddha garden sculpture, which sits alongside a pair of hand blown art glass vases, one a wild riot of free-formed molten glass and the other a vessel of perfect simplicity.

Photos and styling by KS&D.

Eclectic Elements

Blending art glass, ceramics, oddities, artifacts, and elements of nature.


At the heart of this eclectic display the goddess Athena presides over a collection of minerals with the bold graphics of an antique French plate and a nautical English tile providing a suitably noble backdrop.


Tucked among this eclectic treasure trove before an artfully displayed branch of faux white coral sits a charming miniature globe spinning on its tiny brass stand.


The clean lines of the elegant long necked blue and white Chinese porcelain vase echo in the huge vase of free form art glass; the wild molten glass trails providing a foil to the traditional floral motifs of the ceramics.

Photos and styling by KS&D

The Work of Photographer Slim Aarons

Everyone likes flipping through a pretty “coffee table book”, and with their lavish swimming pool cover shots two of our summertime favorites have to be Once Upon A Time and A Place in the Sun featuring the work of photographer Slim Aarons.


As portrait photographer for Town and Country, Holiday, and Life magazines, Slim once described his career as “photographing attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places”. From WWII until the 80’s he traveled the world photographing the rich and famous in their natural habitat. From high society and royalty to titans of industry and Hollywood celebrities the pages of these books are filled with the one glorious image after another.


Our books are seen here with a simple bouquet of daisies, the perfect summertime flower, arranged in an antique French Country china creamer. The swirling striations of the antique Venetian glass bowl beautifully match the soft sherbet hues on the books spines. Now all we're missing is the newest book, which appropriately enough is simply titled Poolside with Slim Aarons.

Photos and styling by Knickerbocker.

Beauport Glass Display

Our recent art glass storage project reminded me of the ingenious glass displays created by interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper at Beauport, his fascinating home in Gloucester, Massachusetts.


The house itself is an architectural wonder filled with curiosities and incorporating salvaged historical architectural elements. Here in the Central Hall is a breathtaking collection of amber glass viewed through a graceful arched window. The window, which actually looks into the pantry, has been backed with frosted glass to allow light from the pantry skylight to naturally illuminate the honey-hued glass items. Just below the pantry skylight are two brilliantly designed mirrors on cranks allowing for the maximum amount of natural light to be focused directly into the display case.

Photo via Beauport website.

Refurbished Vintage Curio Cabinet

As promised here is a look at our completed curio cabinet redo.


After an unsuccessful experiment with black lacquer (too dark) and contrasting highlights (too much contrast) we decided to rethink the project entirely by moving the piece to a new space and painting it the same gray satin finish used on the walls and trim. As noted earlier the cabinets angled sides reflected in the mirrored back give a “built-in” effect, which the new paint finish only further emphasizes. Now the piece fades into the wall beautifully showcasing the art glass collection within while emphasizing the graceful slender arches I’ve admired all along.


The Elizabethan armchair is an antique reproduction from the 1920’s, a previous DIY project that was our first and last attempt at reupholstering. The architectural salvage column holds a whimsical bowl in the form of a shell supported by monkeys, which seems to have dictated an animal theme continued with a Chinese horse carving, a colorful framed bird print, and a charming folk art elephant resting atop the antique palm frond corbel.


An animal or two even turns up inside the curio in the form of a Murano glass swan and small etched bird vase, but the majority are simply random favorites from the collection including an amber glass dinner bell, a blue Art Nouveau style vase, and a stunning Deco piece of ruby cut crystal. The print perched atop the cabinet not only looks great against the wall color but also makes a fine backdrop for the unusual antique copper statue of a mysterious gentleman in elaborate Elizabethan garb.

Photos and home staging by KS&D.

Art Glass Curio Cabinet

Ever in need of storage solutions for our online emporium Knickerbocker Antiques and Vintage we recently acquired this mid-century vintage curio cabinet to hold overflow of our art glass collection. The curio takes up practically no floor space and the angled sides reflected in the mirrored back give the piece the effect of being a built in column inset into the wall. I also must admit to loving the slender Venetian Gothic-like arches around the glass panels. The only drawback is the vintage speckled chestnut finish that doesn’t match a stick of furniture we have least of all the antique 1820’s painted Baltimore chair it ended up situated next to in the hall. Taking our cues from the black painted chair we decided to try a high gloss black lacquer finish, which really gives the piece a completely different look. The crown molding along the top makes a perfect perch for a print and sculpture collection including a copy of the David, a carved marble bust, and an antique metal female sculpture with great patina. The gilded mirror and abstract painting add light and color while complimenting the rich hues of the art glass items displayed within. The only issue now is the dark finish really obscures most of the detail including those great arches along the top and bottom. Looks like this is another DIY project that just won’t be confined to one post!