Voici! It’s a new collection of art furniture from Voila!
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Katrien van der Schueren, the purveyor of unusual art, prints and industrial objects at the L.A. store Voila!, has had enough with furniture that doesn’t really say anything.
In the few years she has been in business, she said, ‘I notice that all people buy furniture, but only a few really buy interesting art. I wanted to transfer art on something functional.’
And thus, with design partner Jo Laurie, Voici! was born. On the website, they describe the furniture as ‘a unique, slightly demented upholstery line.’
The collection, all produced by craftspeople in Los Angeles, features limited editions including the Wordy double seater ($3,800), above, which is upholstered in denim and imprinted with thoughts from Albert Einstein and Elbert Hubbard, a writer and proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement. Wordy Cushion pillows with the same quotes on brown or charcoal-gray denim are $255 each.
‘I am always open to good quotes and was always disappointed by fabrics with text,’ Van Der Schueren said. ‘The printing looks fake.’ Her solution was to have the words silk-screened, ‘so we could place any quote any way we wanted, and when you feel the fabric, you can feel the ink.’
The screen-printed collection includes skeleton prints inspired by vintage educational charts on pillows and domed 18th century French-style chairs.
There are also one-off pieces reupholstered and trimmed with vintage fabrics from around the world and trimmed with functional pockets and buttons. The Mad swivel chair, right, is a reupholstered 1970s design ($3,800).
Another unique piece, the Face Lift cabinet, is a 1940s dresser clad in crewel, velvet, leather, nailhead and braided trim.
‘I want people to smile and to be surprised,’ Van der Schueren said of the collection. ‘These pieces are not for everyone, but they are for those people who want to make a statement in a room.’
Keep reading to see the Face Lift cabinet and other Voici! designs ...
Hands-On cushions are printed on both sides with metallic ink. They’re available in chocolate or charcoal ($195 each).
The Love-seat is a reupholstered antique settee re-covered in vintage fabrics, with side pockets and a heart design on the front ($4,800).
The Voici! Face Lift cabinet ($4,900).
Wordy Cushion pillows in chocolate-brown denim with pink silk-screened quotations, left, and in charcoal-gray denim, right ($255 each).
-- David A. Keeps
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