The auctioning off of designer Mario Buatta’s thousands of exquisite decorative objects has awakened a taste in some people (ahem) for the more exotic—let’s say anything north of the Pottery Barn catalogue. The auction house Sotheby’s, which of course sold Mario’s stash, has a whole raft of home goods it is selling at retail on its website under the heading “Inspired by the Look of Mario Buatta.” These “CAN” Mandarin side chairs by Red Egg are among the offerings, and there are lots more things available—Staffordshire ceramics, Chinoiserie secretaries, Hollywood Regency chandeliers, and ormolu and japanned pieces for days.
I’m sucker for anything croc, and the “Stalk” Gold Platter fills the bill. Note the “alligator” scales hammered by hand onto the aluminum body—and those teeny tiny feet! Twelve inches long, the Stalk tray is perfect for your bar cart (you do have one, don’t you?) and is $44.95 at Crate and Barrel’s little sister, cb2.com.
I didn’t want my croc to be lonely so I got him a fellow critter, the Vlad Beetle Bottle Opener, on sale for $12.99, also from cb2.com. He’s cast brass and stainless steel with a matte silver finish. And he’s a big guy: 4½ inches long.
There are certainly lots of table lanterns out there, but this Frosted Glass Lantern from Terrain is as dreamy as seaglass and has me mooning over nice weather to come. With brass fittings, the lantern comes in this frosted version in green or white. The small version, 5½ inches tall, is $28; the large, 9½ inches tall, is $48. A Bubble Glass Lantern in the same shape comes in a mellow yellow or rosy pink and can be had for $28 (small) or $52 (large).
Some of us thought we were over candles. Not so fast: These Geo pillar candles from Terrain are a fresh take in interesting colors and shapes. They range in size from 3½ inches tall to 9 inches and in price from $8 to $24. A whole flock of them (is there any such thing as a flock of candles?) would make for a novel dinner-table centerpiece.
—Nancy McKeon
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale, whether through a retailer, an online store or Amazon.com.
