Friday, April 03, 2009

New again

A week or so ago I had my little studio TV on as I sewed, watching an HGTV home makeover show out of the corner of one eye. Vern Yip was the designer and he was talking about this wonderful, classic George Nelson design light fixture that he was putting into the home.

This got my attention because this is the very light that hung over the dining room table in my parents' home when I was growing up. My mother loved Scandinavian design and when she saw this light she fell in love with it. I always thought it was very cool, and here it was again, 40+ years later, still very cool. But that was not the end. This light keeps showing up everywhere I look, it seems. The pictures below all appeared just this past week on either Design Sponge or SFGirlbyBay, two of the design blogs I read regularly.

Even though my taste in decorating is quite different from my mother's—and I think that was quite intentional on my part—I have great fondness for the things we grew up with and I remember my parents' house, which was a modest suburban '60's style house, as being quite beautiful, serene and calm. Remember the chair? Mom would have been right in style today.

6 comments:

  1. Quite the classic shape. I think I could move into that top space right now.

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  2. When we were first married and had little to no furniture, my brother-in-law and his wife lent us their old diningroom set, which included the table in your second picture and the sideboard in your fourth picture! Even though we desperately needed the furniture, I really didn't like it very much....now I think it is just sooo coool.......just like the light fixture!
    Like Kristin, I'd feel much more comfortable in that space!

    xo

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  3. Since I was not your mother's daughter, I love this style and I need that light for dh's office. I think it would be perfect.

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  4. I still have the table that that light fixture hung over. It was a formica table--but certainly not the round-cornered, metal-edged, heavy tables that everyone else had. This one has blond wood formica, crisp, square corners, slim, black, double legs--Scandanavian minimalist,like everything in the house. Probably the most elegant formica you'll ever see!

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  5. I mix Scandinavian furniture with other styles including a few things that could even be called antiques. Makes for a very interesting decor.
    Mid century modern (scandinavian or danish modern) is very desirable and collectible now.
    If you check eBay you'll see just how collectible it is.
    My parents didn't have any of it and 2 or the 5 siblings have it.
    K

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  6. Funny, the first thought that popped into my head when I glanced at the picture is "I LOVE that light! How cute would that be in my house!" I went on to read your post...perhaps my style emulates grandmas?

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