COLA CURATED - NOVEMBER '24
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! A little housekeeping for our new subscribers! Hopefully, this helps organize your reading schedule as much as this helps us organize our thoughts. We post every Friday, that’s 4 posts a month! Breakdown below!
Week 1 + 3 - OPINION ESSAYS: Every other week you will get an essay based on observations or thoughts we had that week. Maybe a rant, critique or just some interesting dots we connected. Last week’s Newsletter about how Interior Photography could change and take some cues from fashion editorials got really amazing feedback, so thank youuu :) It’s fun to see that you guys are thinking the same thoughts!
Week 2 - COLA INDEX: Once a month you will get a COLA INDEX post that will verse you in news, culture, trends, and happenings in the design world! Read this, and you’ll be very ‘in the know’ about design. Great dinner convo. Think real estate, finances, launches, events, showroom/galleries, art, product collaborations, and project spotlights you can’t miss…you know, THE WORKS!
Week 4 (this week) - COLA CURATED: This is everything we’ve stalked and saved this month - the chair we’ve hyper-fixated over what fabric to reupholster it in, the absolute BEST OF a specific category we’ve been hunting for, dreamy wishlist items that can be scored in auctions for prices so low it feels like maybe it was mispriced?, and what we clearly spend way to much time searching for based on quantity of saves.
Mostly these things will be one-of-a-kind, vintage, or auction deals within close range to the New York/Tri-state area because no matter how good the price is, shipping will get yaa! You’re welcome New York.
EVERY WEEK - SHOPPABLE MOODBOARD: Each week we include a moodboard that is not only visually beautiful, awe-inspiring, and thought-provoking ;) but also linked for you to shop! These are things that have been inspiring us that week, and may be eying for a project ourselves.
OK, so now let’s get to the good stuff.
Auctions!
We love auctions. My god, can you score some amazing things for like, nothing. Furnishing your own home is no easy feat. It’s obviously quite expensive, but theres some risk and rewards that can happen if you know where to look. Hence, auctions.
We already have our large items like a sofa but are in the market for, things like art, ceramics, accent furniture, lighting, and accessories. 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 so bad, or go pick it up yourself!
Let’s start with maybe the most surprising find this month. A Synapse Pendant light by Apparatus that retails STARTING at $13k, is going up for auction on Nov 20th. There are NO BIDS as of now, yup $1. If you don’t know Apparatus, they are a tastemaker of lighting design..dupes are made almost instantly, but nothing compares to the handmade craftsmanship of the real thing. Feels like a good investment.
We collect ceramics. Vases, bowls, sculptures, you name it, we want it. Every space looks better with ceramics! We bring them home from all over the world, but can also curate them right here in New York.
Freaking out over this Jane Yang D'Haene vessel, Nov. 3rd, is insane. Her work can be seen at The Future Perfect so you know it’s cool.
This super tall 34” High mid-century modern bronzed plaster sculpture inspired by Henry Moore’s work would look so good on a short wood block plinth.
This bowl would make a great fruit bowl or centerpiece measuring over 12” in diameter.
This lot of 7 vases in varying sizes, the largest being 14.5" tall, would look perfect clustered together as a centerpiece on a dining tablescape.
Someone needs to have this set of 6 mid-century plate/bowls. They kind of have a Deco motif though.
And lastly a Paul Chaleff centerpiece bowl that we may need to grab. His work has been seen in the MoMA.
Other accessories worth having a place in your home.
This modernist silver plated vase by Lino Sabattini is reallyyyyy chic. A similar vase by him is selling for almost $4k on 1stDibs.
Duom colorless crystal goes for a few hundred bucks..grab this really pretty centerpiece bowl, or this vase, for just $50!
Why are we obsessed with these VINTAGE MEXICAN CARVED STONE AND MOTHER OF PEARL MASKS?
These late 20th-century Tiger Pillows (Set of 4) are trending. Nordic Knots just revived this rug, Toteme released this leopard coat, and 1stDibs is selling a very similar pillow for $850!
We think Rosewood is just so decadent. We can never find a good reasonably priced pedestal. This one is really good.
Note that the ART we are about to share is not unattainable. We’re only showing pieces that we could see in our own home or potentially a client’s! Pieces are based on taste and aesthetics not necessarily monetary value BUT the beauty of an auction is that theres so much potential to be a steal!
Take this ABSTRACT ITALIAN COLOR LITHOGRAPH BY MARINO MARINI coming up Nov 2. Besides having a great name, this bold red piece is the answer to the unexpected red theory in your room. His prints sell on 1stDibs for a few hundred bucks to a few thousand!
This painting by Donald ELDER: Portrait of a Man was captivating. Felt very Francis Bacon..If you know me you know we like a little creepy, a little darkness sometimes.
This wonderfully colorful abstract painting by Lea Nikel, a Ukrainian/Israeli artist, in the 1950’s, is up for auction Nov 3. One of her paintings sold in a 2019 Sotheby’s auction for $12,500. The current bid for this work is just $2,500.
Arieh Aroch "Tzakpar" Oil on Canvas, 1962, is also going up on Nov 3. Ugh this would look amazing in my living room. His works have sold in auctions up to $167k! The $10k starting price, with 0 bids seems to be a great deal for this stunning piece.
Here’s a few more to check out! Elfi Schuselka Abstract Compositions Acrylic, William McCarthy, "Clearing Sky", 1997, Holly Roberts Mixed Media, Antique American School Abstract Painting, Roberta CROWN, "The Jungle" - Woodcut, and this Salvador Dali Signed Etching.
BDDW has weekly auctions now! This wood slab coffee table makes our hearts happy and retails for $44k. This ceramic mirror that retails for $7,500k is art as much as it is a mirror.
Our Carts
I think Etsy has to be our favorite. It still feels like a marketplace..you can find ANYTHING. You can talk to sellers, and see full storefronts, and it still feels like you can find a diamond in the rough the way you would in an antique shop.
Shoutout to local NYC based ceramic artist we just discovered, Georgia Reidy. We just purchased 3 of her pieces and we’re obsessed! You can check out her website here and see what new pieces she’s working on :) Can’t wait to style our new vessels.
We’ve been eying this 1970’s newly upholstered chair in mink Mohair, these 1970’s Italian armchairs, as well as this newly upholstered Vladimir Kagan Sofa for the corner of my bedroom.
A little obsessed with these Japanese Boro Fabrics to potentially use as a bedcover on the bed! This seller has a ton of authentic ones. The trick is that if you want it to cover your entire bed it needs to be over 90”x90” which is quite rare. Found this one from the 1950’s. Throw blanket would still be amazing.
Idk on a 70’s kick. Love these murano glass pair of lamps for my makeup vanity.
If anyone has any vintage Domus Magazines, we’re in the market. They are quite expensive but they just don’t make mags like they used to! A full year from 1962 is for sale here for $325.
I just bought out this seller’s entire collection of terracotta brutalist sculptures :)
May need to pull the trigger on this 12” High wood fired ceramic sculpture for $185. or this one for $125.
Been looking at silver vintage cash boxes to use as a makeup box. Then it looks nice on the dresser.
Also wanted a cool tabletop mirror for makeup like this lacquered chinoiserie mirror.
These postmodern candle holders have been in and out of our cart all month. If someone doesn’t buy them this week we will.
A few very good rugs that almost went in my room. This 8’5”x11’6” Afghan Brown Rug, this cream 9'2” x 12'2” Gabbeh Rug,and this pink Moroccan rug.
We put this sconce in the powder room of our mid century renovation in Greenwich.
These modernist fur covered stools are so fun! Would spice up any living room and give some extra seats if you had company over.
This Brutalist Mirror would look amazing in an entryway or makeup vanity..Or this ceramic mirror by Herve Taquet offset above an armchair
Dreaming about recovering this De Sede chair and ottoman in an ochre mohair! It would change the entire look.
These pillows are really good. We used this fabric in blue for a headboard in our Greenwich Mid-Century Renovation.
This stunning vintage fish-shaped wicker lounge chair is attributed to the renowned designer Lina Zervudaki.
You don’t see this Noguchi Akari 1AS model very often.
This color glass in anything is so so lovely. This murano glass bowl would look so good on your coffee table.
A few great more sites we source from
Facebook Marketplace
Hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our sourcing list. See you next month!
Shop Where We Shop
Boudoir...
Moodboard by: Cola Studios
Shop our selections below!
The "Hors Saison" wallpaper by Élitis evokes a coastal landscape with its hand-drawn design, giving the impression of a fresco painted directly on the wall, like an artist’s mural.
Vintage oak credenza with graphic carvings and brass hardware, attributed to Charles Dudouyt, France, circa 1940s
The Barometro Table Lamp 2.10 in Black Portoro, designed by Italian sculptor Giacomo Ravagli in 2015, delineates an artistic relationship between marble, brass, and light.
Chicane Tête-à-Tête by Mous Studio, featuring curved arms and tufted lines that repeat in the fluted, hand-carved feet of beautifully finished white oak.
The Dyad Gueridon side table by Florence Louisy for Aequo is crafted from thick patinated brass sheets, which are meticulously bent, welded, and polished to create intricate assemblages.
The Agra area rug by Armadillo in Marlin is hand-knotted in a rich, single color with a deep-cut pile that reflects light, adding subtle variation and depth.
A one-of-a-kind coffee table by French artist Jean-Pierre Viot, featuring an abstract glazed ceramic top and a wood base, 2024.
The “Fiorenza” armchair, designed by Franco Albini in 1952, is an early variant of the wing chair featuring X-cross sides with brass caps and straps.
What’s Happening
What’s to see…
Salon Art + Design is always a must-visit event for us. Held annually at the historic Park Avenue Armory, it features vintage, modern, and contemporary pieces from leading galleries around the globe, from November 7-11.
