Monday, October 20, 2008

Now Available: The Tony Duquette Collection




Big news for you Tony Duquette fans. Baker Furniture, in collaboration with Hutton Wilkinson and the Tony Duquette Foundation, has just introduced the new Tony Duquette collection of furniture and accessories. The new line consists of reproduction pieces that were originally designed by Duquette throughout his long and prolific career. I must admit I have a weakness for furniture and objects that have a story attached to them, so I'm prone to like these pieces because of their history and lineage. But I also like the fact that the collection is anything but cookie cutter- much like Duquette himself. It's quirky, a bit bizarre, and really quite chic. What do you think?

(To see the rest of the collection, visit Baker Furniture's site.)


Regency Pagoda Lamp. Duquette produced various resin pagoda lamps that were originally inspired by an antique pair that were in his possession. Light is dispersed from the tiny windows of the pagoda; I would love to see this piece in person.


Organic Baroque Chair. Duquette came up with the design of this chair while serving in the army in World War II, but it was not until the mid-1960s that Duquette actually had the chair fabricated.


Elsie Tabouret. Not a Duquette design, but this tabouret was an Elsie de Wolfe creation c. 1926. de Wolfe was a mentor to Duquette, and the original tabouret that inspired this piece is ensconced in the Duquette studio.


Abalone Chandelier. This chandelier was originally designed for Duquette's one-man exhibition in Los Angeles in 1952. After the exhibition closed, the chandelier was moved to the Charles and Palmer Ducommun home in Bel Air, where it hung for many years until Duquette purchased it back from the estate.


Sunburst Torchere. The original torchere was designed for the drawing room at Dawnridge circa 1949.

Image at top: The drawing room at Dawnridge with the famous Sunburst Torcheres.

12 comments:

  1. Like you, I'd love to see these pieces in person. The pagoda lamp would be a kick!

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  2. Patricia- I'm dying to see that lamp illuminated! I bet it's pretty special.

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  3. If there really was a god, I would be living in that Dawnridge drawing room ... so many luscious things in one room!

    Tristan

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  4. How CHIC indeed......and way ahead of his time!....The sunburst torchere is to die for!.....Lovely and informative post today!

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  5. The torcheres were the first thing I noticed about the pic above, so I was glad to see that they were one of the items reproduces. This is one instance in which "repro" won't be a slur for me!

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  6. I am a huge Tony Duquette fan so how exciting that some of his designs will be available. I agree the pagoda lamp is so quirky as for the torchere - fab. I would love that leopard print stool - every room needs a little leopard print.

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  7. Love the chandelier... i can imagine how the light would look on the abalone shells.

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  8. I saw that over the weekend...there is a mirror in the collection that I absolutely adore. I think Kelly Wearstler used the original (or one of) in her bedroom in her prvious abode. It's fabulous!

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  9. Well it had to happen sooner than later!
    You didn't mention a price point, so I'll check out the Baker web site.
    How wonderful to be able to have a piece of Beagle and Tony's genius!
    xo xo xo

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  10. Wonderful! I did a post with the chandelier awhile back and have not been able to get it out of my mind since. What a great collection. I will have to go check outthe whole thing. Thanks!

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  11. My Catholic boyhood comes back to me each time I see those Sunburst Torcheres. They are essentially over-scaled versions of what was known as a monstrance, being the prop that contains a consecrated host.
    The Dawnridge drawing room is fabulous but I'd be inclined to genuflect, twice, each time I crossed the room.

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  12. Some great items, o how fun. Now would I die for a Dorothy Draper revival! Anyone with me?

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