Lee Stanton Blog

The chesterfield, an iconic staple of British furniture, epitomizes the sophistication and charm of English lifestyle. It was the 4th Earl of Chesterfield that requested a sofa that would allow a gentleman to sit upright in the utmost of comfort without wrinkling the garment. Ever since the creation of the chesterfield in the mid 18th century the style has continued to live on. The details revealing themselves in different furniture styles and eras, from the traditional wingback armchairs seen in libraries to midcentury designs in Paris.

A leather tufted wingback chair (sold)

The style of the tufting varies according to the furniture's designer. For example, these chesterfield chairs from Sweden have a very shallow tuft yet the stitching is iconic chesterfield. The ebonized carving of the wood legs in the style of chinoiserie design make this pair of chairs quite unique.

A pair of Swedish Chesterfield chairs with ebonized chinoiserie carved base and legs (BD152)

The English furniture style, while sometimes overly traditional, lives on through new mediums and eras. The iconic Barcelona chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich draws tufting inspiration from the chesterfield while being applied to an architecturally new body shape just as this Danish egg chair does by designer H.W. Klein.

A leather tufted egg chair with foot stool by Bramin in Denmark (sold)

As trends continue to evolve so will designer's inspiration. However, one thing remains constant, traditional English furniture will always be an inspiration and will never go out of style.

1st dibs, the prolific website that brings dealers and buyers together from all over the world, highlights some of the most entertaining game rooms. From classic revival game rooms with British flare to modern and contemporary pool halls. While themes and eras change, the games still remain consistent. I mean you still need a billiards table to play pool.

Photo: Gianni Franchellucci for Elle Decor

At Churburg Castle, a 13th-century building in northern Italy, an Austrian billiard table is surrounded by a hand-painted mural from 1820. A collection of dining and hall chairs accompanied by an Italian 1860's billiards table from the Piedmont region.

Photo: Jason Schmidt for Architectural Digest

At a Litchfield County, Connecticut residence, interior designer India Mahdavi used colorful, hard-edge works by Sol LeWitt as a backdrop for the home’s games room.

Photo: Bjorn Wallander for Architectural Digest

At the Bedford, New York home of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, layered floor coverings and a Victorian-style billiards table help create a lived-in, luxurious leisure space.

The only thing that can upstage the billiards table is the leather club chair for the players to relax in.

To view more game rooms check out 1st Dibs blog "The Study"

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As I reflect into the past year, I am grateful for all my creative friends and colleagues who give me encouragement, inspiration and support to curate a collection of beautiful objects from the past in their interiors and in their projects. I am also grateful for the lifestyle that is associated with my career from the buying trips abroad and the beautiful things I find on these trips to the relationships that have evolved from my lifestyle. I am also grateful for the success of the Legends event and the people that help make it such pivotal event in our industry.

As we unpacked our container last week from a recent buying trip to France, Belgium and England, I couldn’t help think of it as a time capsule. This shipment contains items spanning three centuries. It represents the best examples from various periods covering 300 years. When I speak of periods, I am referring not only to style, but also the social, economical and political climates that shaped the styles from each era.

 Consider the straight lines of a table or bookcase from the Georgian period as opposed to the heavy and carved furniture from the Queen Anne period. This was an era that political rule in England changed from the monarchy to a political party system of elected leaders. The weight and power of the monarchy was shed at the same time the heavy carvings were shed from dark furniture into more graceful and straighter lines with lighter woods of the Georgian period.

The Georgian era was prosperous and expansive. It is when the grand houses popped up in the English countryside with the tea sipping lifestyle we all picture from those Jane Austin novels. It was also an era of territorial expansion overseas. To put it in perspective, the tables and bookcases in our shipment were built… and the boxes we are unwrapping stored tea under lock and key at the same time our forefathers revolted and our country gained independence from England. How about that Boston tea party? In sharp contrast, lets skip forward 100 years to the next century and another prosperous period known as the industrial revolution.

This is the time when Queen Victoria reigned in England and when we see the glorious linen factories pop up in Belgium and the north of France. It is the period from which all the chic metal industrial furniture we love today evolved. Finally, amongst our treasures are the comfy leather sofas and chairs that were enjoyed 100 years later during another prosperous and rebellious period…. the 1950s and 1960s. Picture the Beatles lounging around on a casual leather sofa while JFK makes his famous speech asking what you can do for your country.

I hope you understand why I refer to our container as a time capsule. Antiques encompass a rich vein of social history and a direct reference to a way of living from the past. They add a sense of instant character, an element of rarity and a humble sophistication to any home. The pursuit of objects from the past excites our aesthetic and indulges our historical curiosities. The mysteries of their provenance are alluring. Furthermore, they are as visually satisfying today as they were decades or centuries ago.

View New Shipment: Over 200 items   

Image of the guest room from my home in Los Angeles. ELLE DECOR, March 2015.

Flat screen TVs, computer monitors, laptops and smart phones have become a necessity in our lives today.  We are inspired from images on Pinterest, Instagram and HGTV.  We shop for furniture, clothes and even the food we eat on line.

Have we progressed into a flat world of design that has lost a sense of dimension, texture and experiential beauty? Has design become homogenized?  Do we really believe that creativity is limited to what we see online and that we cannot explore our own identity without falling off the edge?  How often do we look at the same chairs, tables and bookcases made on an assembly line, etched with lasers and assembled in China with a spray finish that everyone can purchase from an online catalog?  Is knocking off items and tweaking them a bit our idea of being creative?  Have we lost our sense of personal style and identity? Are the things in our homes or the homes we decorate void of relevance, provenance and emotion?

Image of the kitchen & dining area from my home in Los Angeles. ELLE DECOR, March 2015.

Imagine the days when people believed the world was flat and they couldn’t travel it without the fear of falling off. It seems we have regressed to those thoughts in design.  I challenge us to look beyond those flat screens and explore the multi-dimensional, infinite and creative world of design. 

Think organically. Search for one-of-a-kind objects from different eras or origins, embrace texture and explore different materials. Let’s stop drinking the kool-aid. Let’s pick our own fruit and let our own creative juices flow. Let’s go out and not only explore a multi-dimensional design world, but let’s also contribute to the diversity of an even greater world of design.

I define my space and assembled a collection of things I love. The collection spans more than 3 centuries from around the world and every object tells a story. In perspective I created a space that defines me.

View my story in the March Issue of Elle decor online and on shelves now.

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Photo: Bjorn Wallander  

I'm honored to have my Los Angeles home featured in the March issue of Elle Decor (now on news stands). As written, I wanted to utilize the high rise building's plate glass windows as a contemporary backdrop for my art and antique collection, which i've accumulated over a lifetime of buying trips.

Photo: Bjorn Wallander

Photo: Bjorn Wallander

Photo: Bjorn Wallander  

 The antique furnishings have simple straight lines, which complement the linear contemporary architecture; illustrating how antiques can emphasize a modern aesthetic. 

Photo: Bjorn Wallander

This project was a departure from my home in Laguna Beach (seen in the November 2014 issue of Architectural Digest), where I placed antiques in a traditional English manor house.

Photo: Bjorn Wallander

The contrast of the two homes demonstrate the versatility of antiques. I Hope you enjoy the story.

Read the entire story in the March 2015 issue of Elle Decor on news stands now.

It was a pleasure to work with the talented photographer Bjorn Wallander, and the legendary Robert Rufino Interiors Editor.

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I am always asked what defines an antique vs. a vintage piece. Both are somewhat fluid terms today. A purist would say an antique must be 100 years and that a vintage piece is anything less.

However, the “100 year“ rule was more applicable when methods of production were different, periods of style had longevity and eras were more constant. The lengths of eras or periods have progressively gotten shorter over time. Today, styles or periods change in a matter of years or decades vs. centuries. Quality has deteriorated and items are not made to last for future generations. "AN ART DECO OR MID-CENTURY MODERN PIECE IS BY DEFINITION "VINTAGE". TODAY THAT SAME PIECE IS CONSIDERED BY MOST IN THE DESIGN BUSINESS AS AN ANTIQUE".

Therefore, I suggest the following explanation. A used item is something that can be purchased new but has changed character as a result of use. A vintage item’s character has changed as a result of production. It may be a different raw product used such as a different quality leather, wood or type of stone that is no longer available. It may be a change of design such as shape, color or simply functional adaptation. It may be a different method of production such as machine stitched vs. hand-stitched or a rubbed finish vs. a sprayed finish. This change makes the vintage piece unique, limited and a more desirable object from the past. 

The distinguished character of an antique is based upon longevity. It is completely out of production. It’s origin or provenance is from a different and usually once removed era or period of style. Yet it has withstood change and is still relevant today. In fact, the antique is even more desirable as a result of the aging process and originality that has evolved over time.

You can view the entire email here - http://bit.ly/1DIvVKO

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