Published: September 06, 2008 11:51 pm         

Bright and shiny things

Staff and wire reports



Fall home fashion nationwide is aglow this year with metallic, pearled, acrylic and mirror finishes.

The same holds true in Enid, according to Deanna Whales, owner of Decorating with Style.

“They are very big this year. I think it is because of the pizzazz of the whole thing,” she said. “They are loud and flashy and that is what people want right now.”

It’s a trend that resurfaces, so to speak, every few years. Yet, there are always new examples of creative craftsmanship.

This year, Pottery Barn has introduced a line of mirrored, sleek and sexy tables, while Crate & Barrel offers an array of muscular silver and copper vases.

The trend is everywhere at all price points. Metals, Lucite, gold leaf, ceramic and glass are fashioned into decorative elements. And in soft furnishings, there are iridescent table linens, as well as metallic threaded throws to dress the sofa.

Drapes and upholstery also have been a point for metallic threads.

“I've done some upholstery work and drapes with the metallics,” Whales said. “I just sent my last piece with metallic out.”

Some of the mirrored furniture looks lean and lithe, as light reflects off pencil thin legs and slim drawers. But there are statement pieces, too, big and bold. The look is reminiscent of 1930s Hollywood, all glamour and gloss.

Clad in highly polished aluminum or plated resin, Modern Dose’s curvy Deco Table, Philippe Starck’s Kong chair and Harry Allen’s whimsical roller-skate doorstop all play on “shiny.”

If sleek reflections aren’t your thing, there are accessories that feature more muted burnished and hammered metals, sumptuous raw silks, and faux leathers in gold, bronze and pewter.

Ron Licklider, owner of Ron Licklider Interiors, said he has used metallics in combination with leather.

“I've used metallic finish on leather to go on dinning room chairs,” he said.

West Elm’s block table lamps are clad in luminous shells. Paired with wood furniture, these pieces provide lambent texture in a room.

“Metallic is very good with wood,” Whales said.

Chiasso has debuted some interesting peel-and-stick tiles, upholstered in pewter or mercury toned vinyl. They’d make a sophisticated headboard or wall installation.

Ballard Designs retails an antiqued glass collection of screens and floor mirrors that can both divide and open up a room.

And the Lucite trays lined with colorful graphic papers from stationery e-retailer iomoi are popular — iomoi will create a custom design to fit a small or ottoman-size tray.

Licklider said he has used mirrors for fall home fashions this year,.

“Mirrored finishes can be a real mirror or an antique, ruined mirror. I use mercury glass; it is used on lamps and accessories,” Licklider said.

Aaron R. Thomas, a Los Angeles-based designer, sculpts acrylic into furniture, artwork and colorful boxes. He says the “purity” of the material makes it exciting to work with.

“It both catches your eye, and disappears into the room. It’s uncommon enough that people just kind of light up when they see it.”

Charles Hollis Jones, considered a pioneer in acrylic furniture design, says: “It’s as or more valuable than bronze on the vintage market now.” He believes that acrylic’s longevity — “Pieces I made 47 years ago look the same as the day I made them,”— stems from an architectural and organic resonance. “People appreciate how light carries and penetrates in an acrylic piece.”

The reflective quality of these finishes can work in smaller rooms and entryways. Mirrored tables provide useful surfaces without filling up a lot of space.

Licklider said he has used acrylic for home accessory items.

“I use acrylic for lamp bases or for bases art pieces. Acrylic is an accessory item,” he said.

And for larger rooms, a glamorous furnishing or two is the right touch. Those unwilling to commit to the trend with furniture can add some oomph with one or two accent pieces. Vanity sets, clocks, votive candles, table lamps or little pillows provide a small stage for light to play.

Licklider said fall colors are coming into play with finishes.

“It is about the colors. We are seeing lots of magenta and berry colors,” he said.

As the days get shorter and darker, homes become warm havens again. Lustrous furniture and accessories can light up the season.



Staff writer Kasey Fowler and The Associated Press contributed to this story.