Metal Design Furniture… do our beds follow in the footsteps of Duchamp?
Although we usually spend every waking moment slaving over making beautiful furniture for your homes, the Metal Design Furniture team are allowed the occasional day trip out into the real world! We decently recently to spend some of our rare and highly prized spare time visiting the Barbican for their The Bride and the Bachelors: Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns exhibition. We had a great day! The collection features pieces from French surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp, as well as from those influenced by him: composer John Cage, choreographer Merce Cunningham and visual artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns.
The exhibition is a feast for the eyes and ears, featuring some of the visual art, music and dance that changed the face of the art world back in the 1950s and 1960s. There are 90 works to be looked at, and the exhibition runs until June 9th this year, so go down and have a look. We at the MDF team were especially drawn to Duchamp’s Apolinere Enameled piece. Duchamp took this advert and altered it to make it a piece of art. The sign was originally an ad for the industrial paint company Sapolin Enamel. Duchamp changed the lettering on the front and back of the piece and added his signature, playing with the notion of what authorship means within art.
We thought the bed is this piece looked like it would be at home in our collection. It especially reminded us of our stylish Maris beds, which start at £375 and are available in a range of size and colours, including smooth silver and jet black. Typical… the one day we get to go out and play, and all we can think about is work!
Get 10% off our range of plant stands for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a day of campaigning and celebration that began in the early 1900s. Back in 1908, some 15,000 women took to the streets of New York, protesting over working hours, pay and the right to vote. In 1910, German Marxist and activist Clara Zetkin proposed that a day should be set aside every year to campaign for issues relating to women’s rights. Her proposal was met with unanimous approval, and so International Women’s Day was born!
Over the past 100 years or so, International Women’s Day has become a day celebration and recognition across both the Western and the developing world. Huge events take place all over the world on March 8th to mark women’s achievements and raise awareness of the inequalities some women still face around the world.
The day is now an official holiday in 27 different countries around the world; although in China, Madagascar and Nepal, the holiday is just for the ladies. Why not join in yourself? Take a day to celebrate with your female friends. Or, if you’re a man, do something thoughtful for the special woman in your life.
In order to join in with the celebrations, Metal Design Furniture is offering 10% off our elegant range of plant stands from March 8th till 30 March only, so get in there quick to get your discount: use code 080313 and spoil someone in your life with a beautiful plant stand!
The full prices for these pieces start at £39 and go up to £67, so are already an affordable way to make your home more beautiful, even before you include the discount. Perfect for inside or out on the balcony, these items will display your treasured plants to their very best advantage. Have a look here for our full range. And happy International Women’s Day to all our customers!
Twilight interiors for a happy Halloween
The hugely popular book and film series Twilight has become a cultural phenomenon. For those who’ve still not had the pleasure of reading or watching the saga, briefly it’s about mortal girl, Bella Swan, who falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen.
The popularity of the Twilight tales seems to have resulted in the unthinkable…it’s made gothic grudge glamorous. To mark Halloween, we thought we’d take a look at dark and mysterious, gothic inspired furniture and interiors.
Overview
Gothic glam isn’t difficult to pull-off. The main danger is in over-doing it and ending up with a lounge/diner that Dracula himself would be proud of. You can introduce this style as a contrast to chic, elegant interiors, with a few clever accents or a couple of chairs. If you want to opt for all out drama and opulence, choose a statement piece such as a bed, mirror or candelabra and keep accessories to a minimum.
Colours & fabrics
Black and white, with a hint of red will ensure your interiors look ultra-elegant, accessorise with delicate Victorian style lace. White with natural, rustic browns and beiges also works well; introduce a hint of gold for a luxury feel. Red and blue, gold are associated with the gothic movement and often seen in wallpapers. Look out for gothic revival patterns for soft furnishing.
Accessory ideas
- Red roses
- Large, ornate mirrors
- Chandeliers
- Wall sconces
- Stained glass
- Arched shapes
- Pewter
- Cusping (mounted projecting heads or animals)
Furniture & Accessories
Candelabras – Great for adding drama and sophistication.
Freestanding mirror – An ornate mirror will look great in a gothic bedroom or hallway.
Wrought iron chairs – Rustic & traditional chairs for your kitchen or dining room.
Embrace the romance of the period with an ornate wrought iron bed.
Black feature bed with contrasting linen shows the scary side of Goth.
Wrought iron chairs to create inspirational interiors
In the autumn and winter months the way you use your home changes. You might spend more time in kitchen cooking hearty meals, or opt for dinner parties at home, rather than braving the night time air.
If you’re thinking of updating your kitchen, conservatory or dining room, to make the indoors more inviting for the cold winter months – take a look at our fabulous range of wrought iron chairs. They’ll give your space style and are ergonomically designed for comfort…ideal for autumnal activities such as carving your pumpkin, making soup or enjoy a hot cup of chocolate.
Our chairs are available in a range of styles in your choice of colour and finish. Add a touch of luxury to your kitchen or dining room with a gold patina finish, or try a rusty bronze on cream to warm up your interiors. Here are two creative ways to use chairs to enhance your décor.
Introduce colour
These elegant pastel green kitchen chairs have brought colour and life into this kitchen (left). See the clever use of green accents – the plants, pears and crockery on the wall shelves. The colour scheme is light and airy and the antique style furniture gives the kitchen a quaint cottage feel.
Get the look with our Paris Chairs
Add contrast
Gwyneth Paltrow’s kitchen (right) has a modern, feminine chic design. See how the designers have cleverly used traditional black wrought iron chairs to contrast the look and add extra interest. The thick, luxurious leather cushions make the chairs extra inviting and slightly soften the harsh lines of the chair.
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