We are excited to have just launched a new collection of furniture online from architect, Eugene Stoltzfus. His firm was founded in 2006 after he left his positions as Chairman and President of Rosetta Stone, the language software company, and returned to his original profession and passion: architecture. The furniture in this new collection was originally part of his residential work.
He is working with extraordinady materials, bamboo and cork, in earth-friendly ways. The bamboo designs are created in sustainable moso bamboo famous for growing over a meter per day. The strength of moso combined with precise manufacturing eliminates the need for brackets, bracing, or pins. The adhesives and finishes all exceed E1 standards.
The cork pieces in the collection are created from solid Portuguese cork, which comes from the regenerative bark of the cork oak, Quercus suber. The finish they apply is EnviroMax, a GREENGUARD Certified formaldehyde free, environmentally safe cork sealer.
Have a look at some highlights from the collection below and please click here to see them all.
Bamboo Zee Chair - 18.75 x 20 x 33 H inches or 18.75 x 23 x 40 H inches - $899.00 - $955.00
New in store today is a beautiful collection of handmade, fair trade fashion accessories designed by two sisters who wanted to make a difference in the developing world. One joined Peace Corps Morocco to help rural women develop business skills and the other traveled to Mali to research traditional weaving and metal-smithing techniques. Six years later their collection, Mushmina, was born.
We are delighted to have their designs at our shop. Swing by soon to check the out.
Have you seen the wonderful mini BloK paintings in our shop from artist Rebekah Potter? These original one-of-a-kind pieces of portable art are a steal at only $29 each and now they are featured in a mini motion picture of their very own!
New in store today are these lovely t-shirts ($35.00) from Seattle designer Dinah Coops. They are created with 100% certified organic cotton in beautifully low-impact-fabric-dyed shades, and are hand silkscreened with water based inks. That makes them natural, modern, sustainable and only available in New Mexico at Pfeifer Studio.
A lover of all things great in design, I continue to be fascinated with the crossover between fashion and interiors. With New York Fashion Week behind us, and spring just around the corner, here are some of the latest resort and spring fashion collections and how they relate to the timeless and always up-to-date collection at Pfeifer Studio. Thank you style.com for the amazing photos.
FASHION TREND #1: Neutrals, Metallics, and Sheer Fabrics
One fashion trend you can expect to see this spring is a collection of neutrals that shimmer in the light with layered sheer fabrics. Dries Van Noten’s Let There Be Light collection draws inspiration from faded glamour, iridescent fabrics and neutral color palettes. (3.1) Phillip Lim offers up a puzzle piece collection of sorts with layered see-through organza and nude tulle shifts.
For Pfeifer’s response to fashion’s neutrals, metallics, and sheers, check out products from the Natural Glamour trend.
FASHION TREND #2: Prints, Prints, and Prints
I love colorful printed fabrics because they make me feel alive. This spring expect to see bright colors and daring combinations! The Moschino Cheap and Chic line is very fun and flirty, and who can resist the vintage-inspired prints from Chriz Benz. Finally, color and print could not exist without Betsey Johnson and her ability to make a true pattern statement.
So, how does Pfeifer Studio respond to color and print? With a few colorful distractions of our own. Peruse our collection of One-of-kinds to see more…
FASHION TREND #3: Black and White
A timeless trend that’s here to stay, black and white looks great on anyone. Chanel’s spring collection is black and white and rock all over...check out those leggings…and Moschino has some pretty cool black and white graphics from the 2011 resort collection.
Pfeifer’s response to black and white goes without saying. Check out the Touch of Blacktrend with exclusive Pfeifer tables and some pretty terrific Pfeifer Finds.
Hand Felted Mobiles - $349.00 each - In Store Only
These beautiful hand felted mobiles are one of the many new arrivals gracing our shop this month. They were designed by artisans based on New England who “spent their childhoods dreaming away the days and filling them with images of exotic, faraway places, animals, plants and fanciful folk art.”
They joined creative forces with artisans in Nepal who bring their designs to life. We love their ephemeral quality and think that they would make an excellent holiday gift.
“There are people who know at the age of four years that they want to be artists and paint like crazy. But many artists have simply decided at some point in their life: now I am [an] artist – and then they have become it. So it was with me…”
There is a certain fascination with artists. We wonder how they create, where they create, where their inspiration comes from, where they live, and what their lives are like. Whether a musician, composer, DJ, fashion designer, graphic designer, interior designer, photographer, make-up artist, furniture designer, illustrator, architect, chef, painter, creative thinker, or creative entrepreneur… by nature, artists are unique.
From Sweden to Columbus, Spain to Berlin, New York to London, the lives of artists like Norbert Bisky (above quote) are captured in a website that everyone is talking about lately called Freunde von Freunden (www.freundevonfreunden.com). A website that offers a close-up look into the lives of a creator through photos, background information, and artist interviews, it portrays selected people in their immediate living environment, whether at home, studio, apartment or in their neighborhood.
Because it takes a certain mindset to create, one’s surroundings can either stimulate or inhibit their creativity. Freunde von Freunden features amazing photos of spaces where certain artists live and make their art. A follower of great architecture and interiors, I quickly found myself lost in beautiful European apartments with old world charm and parquet floors to die for.
No surprise that artists tend to be lovers of beautiful things, you’ll see inspiration in the form of distinctive collections of art objects and musical instruments, fashion, love for family and friends, natural lighting, and uncluttered rooms. You’ll also quickly notice that no artist exists without a great collection of books.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out Freunde von Freunden, it’s a must! Your curiosity will take you on a journey of creative discovery, a trip around the world to beautiful spaces, and you can also read more about artists like Norbert Bisky and the actual date in time that he claimed to become an artist. Come on, you know you just have to find out.
Give her an idea and she’ll paint it. She can sew it, build it, display it, promote it, and she’s even-so-good she can sell it. Famous artist, world-traveler, ultra-creative thinker, and carpenter (did I mention she can use power tools…yes!), she’s a social media maven, recipient of numerous grants and awards, well-published, and she’s even referred to herself as a linchpin. On board at Pfeifer Studio, we are excited to welcome our newest addition to the Pfeifer family, Rebekah Potter…and her little bloKs too!
Having just moved from New York City to Albuquerque, Rebekah’s wooden bloKs (you can learn more about them at bloks.squarespace.com), are now also available at Pfeifer Studio and have been featured in Time Out New York, Elle Japon, Cool Mom Picks parenting blog, The Jackson Free Press, Planet Weekly and Skirt! magazine.
Although her bloKs are typically only 3.5 x 5 inches, each one is known to make a statement. Combing a word and object, her art sometimes represents the obvious, makes a joke, or is there just to baffle. Sanded and hand painted in acrylic and ready to hang, her bloKs have been purchased by directors, photographers, incredible mothers, creative daughters, hip sons, adventurous librarians, and even Penguin Books and Delta Magazine. A great gift, especially for the person who has everything, she even makes custom commissions upon request.
Rebekah has lived many lives aside from being an artist, and has also lived all over the US and Japan. From production coordinator, office manager, yoga instructor, waitress, sales assistant, entrepreneur, marketing professional, creative director, foreign language instructor, retailer, department manager, curator, and proprietor.
Handpainted BloKs - $39.00 In Store Only
We invite you to stop in and say hello to Rebekah (she's here every Friday and Sunday + many days in between) and check out her ultra-seriously cool art bloKs. Though they may be small, they make a great impact…and we’re sure Rebekah will too!
The anticipation and excitement that comes with waiting for the September issue of Vogue to be released is a big deal in my house. Now that I’ve had ample time to comb through all 726 pages, I’m not really sure how I feel about returning to the 80’s with the re-release of leg warmers and big shoulder pads. I do, however, find myself drawn to many of this season’s fabrics and textures. One thing I look forward to every year is comparing notes with my close friend and fashion muse, Michele Cernosia, who is a talented New York accessories designer with some fabulous jewelry at Pfeifer Studio BTW. We both came to the consensus that we gained great inspiration from the stunning ads this year, loving the layering effect, various black capes and military coats, furry vests, long cable-knit sweaters, and over-the-knee boots.
Paying tribute to Fashion Week, and in honor of my love for great design, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of this season’s fashion favorites as they relate to the Pfeifer Studio collection…after all, design in fashion and fashion for the home really do go hand-in-hand.
WOOL SWEATERS AND VESTS
Though I’m not a fan of cold weather, it is a great time to wrap up in wool sweaters and soft throws. Pfeifer Studio carries a great collection of wool throws, and we are also the exclusive online rep in the United States for Stansborough wools.
Fluffy Wool Vest by Andrew Marc & Our Golden Snow Blanket
Shoes and Accessories
Shoes and accessories are making a huge impact this season, and these laser cut wool felt shoes remind me of Pfeifer’s recent product feature on Feisty Elle, a beautiful collection of felt jewelry available in our showroom by California native Leslie Yang.
Laser Cut Wool Pumps & Fiesty Elle Felt Earrings
ANIMAL INSTINCTS
Animal prints are still going strong, and not only are fashion designers all about oversized animal print handbags, but Pfeifer Studio continues to celebrate the Animal Instincts trend with crocodile embossed leather goods and a great collection of hide pillows and hide covered stools.
OK, though I probably wouldn’t have the courage to wear these low boots by Chanel, you’ve probably seen them featured lately in all your favorite fashion mags. When I saw these again, I was immediately reminded of Pfeifer Studio’s Mongolian Lamb pillows in black and chocolate brown.
Chanel Boots & Pfeifer Pillows
The next time you shop your closet for some of this season’s latest fashion finds, don’t forget to take a look around and see if your pad is also up to par. Fashion and design really do play off each other, and Pfeifer Studio is completely styling this fall with items that are exclusive, scrumptious, and no doubt off-the runway.
At Pfeifer Studio we love our Greys…our Stansborough Greys that is. We also love the fabulous designers we get to work with, and we recently received a pleasant surprise from Planeta Basque, an award-winning full-service Architectural Interiors and Interior Design Firm out of Boston who frequently shops Pfeifer Studio.
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Planeta Basque's Model for the W Boston Residences (Felt Cushions in Front)
Nationally recognized for their excellence and creativity, in addition to being featured in magazines like Interior Design and Design New England, we were excited to receive a photo of a stunning one bedroom model unit they designed for the W Boston Residences. Aside from the seriously gorgeous neutral color palette, we couldn’t help but notice the completely scrumptious gray floor cushions made from Stansborough wool felt purchased through Pfeifer Studio.
In case you didn’t already know, Pfeifer Studio is the exclusive online retailer of Stansborough’s wool fashion and home accessories collection. Stansborough, who weaves the rarest natural fibers in the world, is based out of a clean green 3000 acre farm nestled in New Zealand’s Waipara Valley. With products that are 100% environmentally safe and use only natural colors and biodegradable over dyes, there are no harmful acids used in the coloring process.
Designs superior to more common wools, the rare breed of sheep contributing to this effort are known as Stansborough Greys. With other 10 years of selective breeding to produce the silky and lustrous fiber, the flock is now over 1000 strong and still the only one of its kind in the world.
Stanborough Grey Sheep On The Farm in New Zealand
Stansborough's wool felts are individually made by hand, creating subtle variations that make each piece completely unique. To make the felt, wool fiber is laid to pattern on a felting table and covered with a layer of fine netting. Hot and cold soapy water is poured over the wool while a bamboo blind is used to roll and knead the wool into felt. The felt is then gently removed from the bamboo, carefully rinsed, spun, pulled into shape and dried flat.
Our Wool Felt Rug From Stansborough
In reference to our earlier mention of the seriously neutral color palette used in Planeta Basque’s room, we are glad to see last year’s emphasis on gray is still going strong. Our own personal liking of cool gray tones balanced with dark browns, you’ll see this referenced throughout the Pfeifer collection. And, with fall right around the corner, you’ll definitely want to check out more of our gray wool collection and especially our Wool Felt Rug and Wool Felt Matcreated exclusively by Stansborough.
“The design concepts for the "inspired concepts" collection of model residences at The W Boston Residences, including all loose furnishings and certain fixtures and finishes, were entirely conceived by the participating designers. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., W Hotels and their affiliates were not involved in developing the design concepts or selecting such furnishings, fixtures and finishes for the unit and make no representations that they are consistent with the image, quality, design standards and expectations of the W Brand. W Boston is a SW Boston Hotel Venture LLC project. The W Boston Residences are not owned, developed or sold by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates. SW Boston Hotel Venture LLC uses the W® trademarks and trade names under a license from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy, nor is any offer or solicitation made where prohibited by law. The statements set forth herein are summary in nature and should not be relied upon. A prospective purchaser should refer to the entire set of documents provided by SW Boston Hotel Venture LLC and should seek competent legal advice in connection therewith. Equal housing opportunity.”
We are very excited to tell you about Feisty Elle, a beautiful collection of felt jewelry that we recently debuted in our showroom. These exquisite designs are created by Leslie Yang, a California native with a love for bright colors and bold accessories, who moved to the Bay Area for college, fell in love with the pace of life and its natural beauty and decided to call it home.
Petal Drop Felt Earrings in Pink - $36.00
Leslie’s style combines her expertise in both graphic design and fiber arts. She aims to design jewelry and accessories that are clean in form, vivid in color, and always fun and functional to wear.
Mocha Feather Necklace - $65.00
The collection has evolved with a commitment to use sustainable materials such as merino wool felt and caters to a woman who EMBRACES bold colors and shapes, LOVES that earrings can be big and classy, and CHOOSES jewelry that is as versatile as she is.
Dahlia Felt Earrings in Green - $36.00
Leslie was the first designer to produce earrings made from lasercut merino wool felt and one of the first to produce jewelry out of this gorgeous, natural material at all. The light, soft nature of the felt has made them runaway hits in boutiques.
Feather Felt Earrings in Blue - $36.00
All of her jewelry is designed and assembled in the San Francisco Bay Area and Pfeifer Studio is exclusive retailer of the collection in New Mexico! For our readers not in New Mexico, we suggest that you visit the collection online to learn more.
When I first saw the Barbara Cosgrove collection at Pfeifer Studio, I immediately felt like I had just uncovered an array of rare artifacts that tell the story of an archaeologist's travels around the world. One by one, each lamp with a tale to tell, I embarked on a journey like no other. From the African Safari with the Horn Table Lamp, I imagined a jeep finding its way through a herd of elephants to get to the ultimate destination. The Pagoda and Foo Dog Table Lamps, perhaps an inspiration from a trip through China, I love the idea for the trumpet shaped Glass Table Lamps that came from a trip to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Set of Foo Dog Table Lamps - $659.00 + Free Delivery
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Glass Table Lamps - starting at $519.00 + Free Delivery
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Back to the states in a shiny jet reminiscent of the Hammered Silver Table Lamp to a climbing trip through the Rocky Mountains with the Ram Horn Table Lamp, we all know “there’s no place like home” back in Kansas and a trip to the pharmacy with some really cool Pharmacy Table Lamps.
An expedition that goes on and on with more stories to follow, I can’t help but wonder when they will start to film the Barbara Cosgrove biography. Cameras perched atop Tripod Floor Lamps accompanied by perfectly-placed Cinema Table Lamps and Studio Lamps to light the session, now all that’s left is a little digging to find out if all that adventure is fact or fiction.
Cinema Table Lamp - $449.00 + Free Delivery
To view more of the Barbara Cosgrove collection, visit Pfeifer Studio online and let your imagination whisk you away.
We are totally loving this beautiful new ceramic vase in our showroom from artist Mike McDowell. He's the man behind the cool skull with a gold tooth that you may have found if you've spent any time perusing our site. He says that his "objective is to hand craft beautiful, well made objects for your home." His new body of ceramic work is built to clearly show the hand of the maker to contrast with, yet compliment, contemporary design trends. We can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
Most of us have a way of expressing our creativity, whether it’s snapping a photo or making a handmade card. But the majority of us are not painters, and when presented with an empty canvas or giant wall we would likely feel intimidated, not knowing where to begin. When Thomas Christopher Haag sees a blank “canvas” or empty wall, his work of art begins with a process of contemplation and a vision that comes from a deeper place of inspiration. According to Thomas, “most of my pieces describe a specific situation, sometimes very banal, but played out by epic and complex myth personalities which are usually a mashed conglomerate of several different cultural icons from various religions and mythologies, literature and television. These huge movements basically define who we are as humans today, in all of our epic complexity.”
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas Christopher Haag, a most interesting person (who was once a smuggler amongst other things) and painter whose fascinating work can be seen at Pfeifer Studio and online at thomaschristopherhaag.com. When interviewing an artist, I like to first find out what their connection is to Pfeifer Studio then dive right into the process of creating a work of art and what’s behind the artist at hand. I am grateful to Thomas for sharing his insight into how the first brush stroke leads to the second one, so on and so forth, until eventually a magnificent painting or contemplative mural reveals itself.
How did you meet AJ and when did you start showing your work at Pfeifer Studio? Was there a particular reason you chose Pfeifer Studio to represent your work? AJ and I met while we were neighbors in the upper Nob Hill neighborhood (of Albuquerque). Pfeifer Studio was next door to Stove, a gallery cooperative I was squatting in at the time. I lived in an elevated box behind the gallery space and I bucket bathed in the back alley. I miss it sometimes.
I don't remember exactly how I started showing at AJ’s place; I probably guilt-tripped him or put them up myself when he wasn't looking and he was nice enough to leave them up.
When I first saw your paintings, I imagined myself in an Egyptian tomb or a cave wall carved with hieroglyphs. But there also seems to be an urban edge to some of your work—kind of a mix of the now with the historical past. I especially noticed this with welcome to and there goes the neighborhood. I'm wondering if you can please tell me about this painting.
welcome to and there goes the neighborhood 36x72" reclaimed latex house paint, colored pencil and paper collage on hollow core door, 2010
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Let's see, welcome to and there goes the neighborhood, the children-type personalities are both highly grateful and deeply dubious about the flying adultish character that slowly glides above them releasing some sort of atomic goodwill cloud out of his hand. He seems to be heading straight into the heart of some kind of towering suburban high rise complex thingy. There's a bird. It's based on a dream I've had my whole life, which is a fluke because I usually never really paint what I dream because that would be cheesy. In my dreams I help people and I'm awesome and it's all about me.
As an artist, when it comes to your surroundings, what can't you live without?
Mostly oxygen. And ridiculousness…especially the hilarious kind.
I know it's a common question, but do you have any favorite artists that you admire?
I've stolen ideas and techniques from so many artists I couldn't even count. Dead and alive. I love so many…way too many.
I am drawn to your particular use of color and the beautiful muted tones that seem very grounded in the earth. I believe I read that this muted tone quality came about by accident due to a situation where you ended up sanding your painting for one reason or another. Please feel free to clarify. Were there any other "accidents" you've experienced along the way?
Oh yeah the sanding thing, it freaks people out a little. I had been working in my studio in Seattle on a series of paintings like six years ago. I was almost finished with the entire group of 9 paintings, because I like that number, when I screwed up big time and ruined a painting with overspray. I emoted mightily and threw the painting out the open window and gave the gallery only 8 paintings. Afterward, because I was broke, I retrieved the thrown canvas and decided to sand the paint off and try to reuse it. After sanding way too half-assedly and poking way too many holes through the canvas (I now use wood) I discovered that I very much liked the way the ruined canvas looked. The colors, scratched into and off [one] other, softens their impact and creates a layered effect and allows for colored pencils to have more tooth. I [then] use the sanded ruined layer as the foundation layer for an entirely different painting. I paint an entire abstract all-over [the] piece, sand the crap out of it, and then paint a representational piece over it, using the first sanded layer as the fill-in for the characters and completely losing over half of the original piece. The entire painting process is one accident covering up another. It’s all accidents all the time till it's done. It might seem like a lot of wasted time and paint, and it is, but that's how I do it.
Is there something about your art you want us to know?
My DNA is probably on it somewhere.
What's the one thing you want us to know about you? Can you tell me something about yourself that's not on your website?
I've been doing street art for years all over the world under an assumed "street name” but I can't tell you what it is […]. I always put this "street name" in my paintings, but good luck finding it because I hide it by putting a lot of stuff in my paintings. I’m also mostly Taoist.
Do you have a favorite painting or two I can post, and can you tell me why they are your favorites?
My two recent favorites are pegasus dreams a domestic dream and nice going, buffalo dancer , but I don't want to talk about them because it's too personal.
pegasus dreams a domestic dream 48x24" reclaimed latex house paint, colored pencil and paper collage on birch panel, 2010
nice going, buffalo dancer 48x48" reclaimed latex house paint, colored pencil and paper collage on birch panel, 2010
If you weren't an artist for a living, what do you think you'd be doing right now? Very likely more smuggling or something equally illegitimate—very very likely. I've also always wanted to see what it's like to have disciples; it's probably pretty neat.
When Bridget Meyer was the first person from her tiny African village on the Zambesi River to receive a high school diploma, there was no question she would end up doing something great. After moving to the U.S. and eventually marrying Bob Meyer, the visiting American she met while living in Zambia, she wanted to keep in touch with her roots and introduce the U.S. to her wonderful African culture.
Bridget began to bring crafts from Africa to the United States. Starting with traditional Wedding Baskets, African clay vessels, and then Kuba Cloth Pillows, she brings fine African products that tell a story, to market. What started in Bridget and Bob’s Minneapolis apartment bedroom has now grown to a large warehouse in California and two warehouse sites in Zambia, where she offers work opportunities for clay artisans and approximately 400 weavers.
What’s unique about her artists is that they work from home, at their own pace, so they can earn a sustainable income and raise their families at the same time—living their preferred traditional way of life.
Bridget Meyer
Her African Wedding basketsget their name because they are traditionally given to a newlywed African bride as a wedding gift. Woven from the roots of the makenge bush, each basket takes over one month to weave and the quality of these baskets can only be attained by the most skillful and experienced weavers.
African Wedding Baskets - $235 + Free Delivery
If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs, you know we also love her Kuba Cloth Pillows. Made from the finest cloths, women use natural vegetable dyes to color the cloth before they sew it together. The wear in the fibers and stitching is due to age and use, which is part of the natural beauty and value of the cloth.
Kuba Cloth Pillows - $199 + Free Delivery
Pfeifer Studio first saw Bridget's crafts almost 10 years ago. Not only did we fall in love with her passion for what she does, but with her beautiful handicrafts, which are available through the Pfeifer Studio website.
Bridget Meyer was recently awarded a Ruby Award through Soroptomist International for her efforts to help women and girls in Africa. Soropotimist International is a worldwide organization for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women.
