toddmhaleyinc.

missing in action

2009-11-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

i am redoing the blog format - look for it mid-month.

wasara

2009-07-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

wasara is paper ware that is made from reed pulp and bagasse to minimize the environmental burden while keeping the spiritual richness of the japanese aesthetic. www.wasara.jp

robert isabell

2009-07-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

an artist, a genius and a gentleman.

1952 - 2009

fans

2009-06-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

i love using either commercial or industrial fans when i can in a residential setting. they immediately imbue any space with the feel of a loft and act as sculpture while moving more air than any standard issue fan from your local hardware store. one of my favorite sources is www.janfan.com.

no sit test required

2009-06-09T20:40:00.001-07:00

repeat after me

2009-06-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

from the garage into your bedroom

2009-05-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

steel work table

rolling tool cart

galvanized industrial shelving unit steel platform cart

steel workbench

industrial platform base for welding

enclosed storage locker

work tables can be transformed into elegant consoles for an entry when paired with an antique bench or an objet d'art. an industrial base made for a welder becomes a virtually indestructible cocktail table and a low steel platform cart on casters conveys a sense of calm in a space - esp when piled high with books. an enclosed storage locker make an eloquent argument to be used for books.

a stainless tool cart makes an elegant dresser in a gentleman's bedroom and the drawers can be outfitted with inserts lined in felt to allow for storage of cuff links and personal items.

in my work i always try to use items out of their context as shown in the above. they not only are extremely durable and pragmatic, but give a space an "edge" and usually are fairly cost effective when compared to custom or similar items at retail.

h a l s t o n

2009-05-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

striking a pose in his olympic tower atelier / offices

with the requisite cigarette and cocktail in hand

votives - by the dozen

grey ultrasuede

phaleanopsis orchids

halston in the living room of his
paul rudolph designed townhouse

halston gave us clean, honest glamour with his disctintive american point-of-view. grey ultrasuede, black turtlenecks, orchids en masse and votive candles that flickered endlessly in his townhouse from the moment he walked in the door. his style like his name was minimal but dramatic.

a leaner, cleaner loyd-paxton

2009-03-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

a recent bedroom by loyd-paxton

a recent den by loyd-paxton

a recent living room by loyd-paxton

another view of a living room by loyd-paxton

loyd-paxton's dallas showroom

loyd-paxton, located in dallas, texas was founded by loyd taylor and paxton gremillion in 1960. since then, they have been producing extravagant, theatrical interiors using museum quality antiques and objects d'art often set against very minimal architectural backrounds. the residence above shows their more recent work - sans gilt and ormalu - which displays a slight deja vu feel of james galano's beverly hills manse done by philipe b. oates. while it appears that mssrs. taylor and gremillion have taken a more edited approach to their work, they accomplish so without sacrificing an ounce of their style.

ralph jones

2009-03-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

ralph jones was at one time partners with stephen sills in a design firm in houston texas. jones now resides in italy and a good portion of his work is in europe. while his work definitely skews towards the theatrical, at the same time it displays a sophisticated, highly cultivated outlook. jone's use of museum quality antiques mingled effortlessly with modern elements is very much reminiscent of work by loyd-paxton, a venerable design firm in texas - started by loyd taylor and paxton gremillion.

don't try this at home

2009-02-23T19:49:00.000-08:00

" that trim for the pillow is how much - ?"

mssr. giammetti's paris pied-e-terrre

four seasons hotel - new york penthouse

oscar niemeyer would be proud

tudor will never be the same

palm beach a la marino

peter marino's work without any doubt leaves little if any room for "do-it yourself" decorating ideas. his work just does not translate - nor should it - to that realm. marino often uses pieces by obscure artists such as ado chale or commissions pieces by french sculptor ingrid donat in his work. his clients include armani, valentino, giancarlo giammetti, chanel, fendi and louis vuitton - to name a few. i remember in the eighties when marino was interviewed in an article, he was asked if a client's living room really had over $ 500,000.00 worth of furnishings in it - he paused briefly and then said "only if you include the little study that adjoins it." that being said - one wonders if the biggest change in the "before/after" is in the space or the client's bank account.

when too much is almost enough

2009-02-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

l'orangerie restaurant
rybar-daigre designed ottoman

rybar-daigre designed sofa

mssrs. rybar + daigre's paris residence

valerian rybar and his partner jean-francois daigre built a reputation as being the world's most expensive decorators. their client list included names such as: rothschild, dupont, newhouse, schlumberger and onassis (christina). in addition to their residential work, rybar + daigre designed doubles, the bar in the sherry netherland hotel, and the venerable l'orangerie restaurant. their work was not for the faint at heart and at times bordered on reckless. but like a car accident (imagine a bentley rear ends a rolls) you just could not help but to slow down and take a look.

take a powder

2009-02-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

vintage sentesi sconces

shop lights

venetian plaster

concrete panels

venetian mirror

scrub sink

recently for a client's powder room i just installed a stainless steel scrub sink and paired it with an immensely over scaled venetian mirror.

for the lighting i found a pair of artemide's vintage sentesi wall sconces - which are fairly rare as they were discontinued from their line several years ago. the other choice was using a pair of shop lights hung on eye hooks on either side of the mirror. the client was concerned that their guests would think that the painters were still working - so we opted for the sentesi sconces.

for the walls i gave the client two choices - either venetian plaster or an integrally colored concrete panel that is often used to clad the exterior structures.

we used the concrete panels in a dark grey with metal reveals between each panel and at the floor and ceiling. the flooring was the developer's standard absolute black granite.

the room is void of any artwork for now -

private residence - progress pics

2009-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

before

after

before

after

before

after

before

after

here are some before/after (more during actually) pictures of a job that i am doing in chicago. in this case, the client is well traveled, has an innate sense of her own style, is very self-assured and best of all french. the space is tailored, elegant and incorporates couture details in the upholstery.

ward bennett

2009-01-12T21:17:00.000-08:00

ward bennett's work pioneered the movement of using industrial materials out of their context - subway grates were used for radiator covers and tables were fashioned from I-beam sections. at various times of his life he had been a fashion illustrator and designer, a sculptor and a jewelry designer, and for the last 30 years of his life he designed interiors and their furnishings.

bennett took what he described as "an intuitive, intellectual and cultural" approach to his work. he started every job by eliminating as much as possible, removing if necessary every non-supporting wall. if bennett did not design the furniture for a room himself, he used modern classics by such designers as mies van der rohe and le corbusier. to gauge their scale and how they will work in situ, bennett would cut paper patterns and try those in the space first.

shown is a floor plan for a residence he designed on the upper west side of new york city and his own residence in the venerable dakota (rosemary's baby was filmed in the dakota and john lennon lived there).

"i have too much stuff. but these things mean very much to me, and i'd rather live with them than pick up things in a gallery beacuse i needed to fill some hole." - ward bennett

to hang or not to hang -

2009-01-07T16:05:00.001-08:00

i prefer not to -artwork that is. lean it, place it on a tabletop easel or if you really feel the need to hammer into those walls - group like images together (and yes the same type of frame too) so that they read more "architectural" than decorative. thank you vicente wolfe, bray-schaible and yours truly for the images that are posted -

fire wood storage

2008-12-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

feeding troughs make great storage for firewood in almost any interior. you may add casters to make them easier to load-up with wood and then be rolled to their location.

bray-schaible

2008-12-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

partners bob bray and mike schaible refined the minimalist movement started by ward bennett in the 1960's that continued with joe d'urso in the 1970's.

bray-schaible infused their interiors with a tailored, elegant edge that translated into livable spaces that were backdrops for their client to live in and display their objets d'art. always fastidious in their approach, no detail too small to escape their rigorous aesthetic.

while their firm was dissolved a few years ago, their work remains timeless and chic and still continues to inspire mine.

carbon fiber

2008-12-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

carbon fiber gives a slick, urban edge to any object it is used on. ralph lauren used it on his RL chair; miami steel uses it in their FIBO line of men's accessories; it makes for a very sleek, elegant wallet and adds an edge to an otherwise ordinary tissue box from autoart.