COLA CURATED - January '25
This is everything we’ve stalked and saved this month. One-of-a-kind, vintage, and auction deals near New York b/c no matter how good the price is, shipping will get ya!
Good morning. LA, you are in our hearts <3. We have so many friends, collaborators, clients, artists, and galleries we love that their lives have been reduced to ash, and it’s truly heartbreaking. LA is a huge hub for the design community, and it’s devastating to see so much of it gone overnight. Stay Safe.
This is the first newsletter of the New Year. We are still recovering from our first annual NYE party, hosted by yours truly, Cola Studios! We have a new respect for private chefs. Cooking for 25 people is absolutely insane, but it was probably the best party we’ve ever been to. Too much? We stand by it.
As you know, we post 4 times a month. One of those four weeks is COLA CURATED, where we show you EVERYTHING we’ve been sourcing for clients and ourselves this month!
We’re not showing you things that are on the first page of Google..it’s auctions, vintage, and one-of-a-kind items that sell fast i.e. the dopamine hit we need to press complete purchase.
30 Days of Auctions!
Go bid, break some hearts, get yours broken..
This month, when going through our auction saves, there was an astounding amount of artwork. It’s interesting.. every month there seems to be a clear winner in what category the best stuff is in, and this time, for us, it’s Art.
Doesn’t have to necessarily be expensive to be good, but buying art at an auction is an amazing way to secure some really special pieces that can change the vibe of your room with just one nail in the wall.
Everything below is going up for auction in the next 30 days, and is within 40 miles of New York! So, shipping won’t be ridiculous, or just go pick it up yourself!
Advice: Log in, hit the heart to favorite something, and sign up for text updates so you don’t miss the auction!
ART
As always, we are not choosing them for the price/investment necessarily, although they very well can be.. but because we can see these in our client’s homes..or our own ;)
We bid on this HUGE mixed media on paper piece from the late 70’s, about 54"H x 42"W yesterday..lost, but in for the thrill of it. It has a really great brutalist feeling with strong red color!
Can’t go wrong with Fritz Scholder's unapologetically modern take on Americana from 1989—an Indian man on horseback painted with bold color blocks and framed in gold for maximum drama. Pickup is in Brooklyn!
Love a diptych. These 2 surrealist lithographs are a really dreamy pair.. on a color kick.
These Labyrinthe d'Apparat lithographs are perfect for above the bed! A stunning suite of five, each with intricate, colorful designs.
This Joan Mitchell-attributed watercolor captures the spirit of her iconic Abstract Expressionism—a rare chance to own a piece of the genius of an artist whose works hang in MoMA..
This silkscreen signed and numbered is memorizing..also our favorite. There are a bunch of his works up for auction here!
Kind of loving this serigraph, and this together by Astrid Fitzgerald from the late 70’s. Make your own diptych adventure!
CHAIRS
Arrben’s ‘Marilyn’ stiletto armchairs from the 70’s have graced auctions and 1stDibs, fetching anywhere from $1,800 for a set of four to $5,400 for their chic Italian glamour.
Guglielmo Pecorini's 1942 armchairs, crafted from walnut and sea grass cord, are so stunning. Grass cord is just such an interesting texture for any space!
These Danish oak highback lounge chairs from the 1970s feature teal striped wool upholstery and brass tacks—ski house anyone?
TAPESTRIES.
wrote this week in her WearstlerWorld substack about frameless art! She got our attention with that title..Well Hung…
This Matmata shawl from early 20th-century Tunisia features wool and cotton, adorned with brocaded designs inspired by traditional silver ornaments and henna body painting—an exquisite piece of Berber heritage measuring 3'11" square.
This Gabes Region shoulder shawl from early to mid-20th century Tunisia, would make another incredible wall hanging. —measuring 2'5" x 2'1".
ACCESSORIES/CERAMICS
When we accessorize, it’s usually minimal but with some really strong pieces that are either sculptural or textural..You don’t need a lot. One special piece can change the whole room.
Danish ceiling-hung candle holder. This is your sign to get rid of your bedside lamp, and hang one of these over your nightstand.
James Bearden sculptures go for thousands on 1stDibs. Now’s your shot..loving this one, and this one!
This woven leather rug is pretty cool for kitchen, or foyer area -76L x 41W in.
So is this Blue rug, hand knotted in wool, measuring 91”W x 119.5”L
Toshiko Takaezu’s colorful glazes are sooo special. T
his piece was gifted to Lesta Bertoia in 1975 and signed ‘TT’ underneath.
This green Mid-Century Modern raku-fired art pottery vase.
TABLES
Another James Bearden.. The Medusa table
SOMEONE NEEDS TO BUY THIS: Wendell Castle’s Four-Legged Table. His work is showcased at Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery and we find his work so inspiring.
Garry Knox Bennett’s bronze Table #1. His works can be seen at the Smithsonian and purchased on 1stDibs for around 20k.
LIGHTING
This Poliarte’s 1975 chandelier is insaneee. The glass and iron work is just so beautiful. Foyer please.
Into the Arts and Crafts style lately.. This Quoizel table lamp is really cool.
We can dream..but you don't have to! George Nakashima
Kent Hall floor lamp is upppp. Will never not love.
Happy biddinggg
PSA!!!!
MOROCCAN BENI RUGS!!
The Problem: This summer we went on a hunt for a Moroccan beni rug that was quite large, around 9x12’ for our new space. If you’ve ever looked into having one made authentically made, or from Beni Rugs, or Woven, you know how expensive they can get.
The Solution: We love Etsy. There is a lot of crap out there, and paying thousands of dollars for something you can’t see in person is a risk. So we took it for you and here to report back.
The Result: Our rug is of insane quality. Progress photos were sent during the whole 6-week process of it being hand-knotted with 100% wool in Morocco.
Our Ask: SUPPORT THIS SHOP. These incredible people had thousands of amazing reviews and photos on Etsy, but their shop got shut down! :( They just opened a new one, and we want to help support them. They are giving 50% off on their rugs right now while they build a following again.
They have a ton of styles and can make anything custom as well. Great resource.
In Our Carts
A few other things from Etsy: This Semi-Custom Curtain Company, This brutalist metal vase for flowers this week, Very Good Mustard Color Mohair Pillows, A Lacquered Chinoiserie Mirror for Your Vanity,and This Super Weird Sisal Pendant Lamp.
If we were doing a kid’s room..
This Wicker Canopy Headboard would be adorable over a twin bed..
This cutie table lamp from the 60’s for FLOS.
This floor cushion day bed would be sophisticated and whimsical.
1stDibs finds under 2k:
This Italian Cocoon Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni from the 60’s is dreamy.
Who needs sconces? Feminine and masculine at the same time..these by Lisa Allegra.
These pillow chairs are so fun! We could see them around a card table in a living room.
Sue me. Ceramic mushroom lamps are always important.
These dining chairs are $200?!?! Idk what shipping is but these are so freaking cute.
Some other vintage stuff that made it on our moodboards this week..
This vintage amish quilt
This sweedish wall mirror, very squid games coded.
And this Sweedish Pendant light is just amazing.
You didn’t know you needed this coat rack..
Another wall hanging, because
said so.Saw an uptick in decorative silverware on gift guides this year..these cocktail forks would be it for us.
2025 resolution. learn to play English Solitaire bc this is pretty. Two tone metals <3
Hope you liked seeing a fraction of the selections we pull for clients.. See you next month!
Shop Where We Shop
New Old Me…
Moodboard by: Cola Studios
Shop our selections below!
The Noah Sofa by Arjé offers deep, plush seats framed by side panels crafted from black walnut.
Tomorrow's Corduroy area rug by Beni Rugs features a checked pattern that belongs to no single style or design genre, as its inspiration was first admired in nature - think volcanic rocks, seashells, and garter snakes.
The Scala Ceiling Lamp, designed by Dimoremilano, lends a sense of brio to any room. This 2011 ceiling lamp features matte black painted metal and a diffuser made of opal perspex.
The Dyad low table c by Aequō translates the monolithic nature of metal, with thick sheets bent, welded, and polished with great precision to produce arduous assemblages.
The Lazy Ottoman by Garcé & Dimofski features an upholstered cushion on a tinted pine base. A carved wood button detail adds an artisanal touch, blending natural textures with refined craftsmanship.
The Ombra floor lamp by Flores Design is a poetic tribute to the shapes found on the cliffs and gorges of the Melides region. The sculptural ceramic base is topped by a lampshade made of handwoven linen from locally grown flax.
What’s Happening
What’s to see…
Symbol Home’s pop-up at USM Modular Furniture presents the new living room and workspace furniture collection, along with the USM x Symbol collection of vinyl record stands, crates, and displays, which launched earlier this year.
that super weird sisal pendant lamp is everything!! great eye