After today’s post you may doubt yesterday’s words and fear that I am headed squarely into geriatric territory… hopefully not, but this morning I couldn’t remember where the coffee cups were, so you never know. Anyhow, let’s talk fringe — you know, those strings that hang off stuff. We could also call it bullion if you want to get fancy. Whatever it is, I like it (as evidenced by a previous post I penned on the topic). Is fringe antithetical to all things clean and minimal? Uh, maybe. Will it confuse my Roomba as it attempts to vacuum under the couch? Probably. Let’s see if obscuring form and laughing in the face of function is worth it, shall we?
Jeffrey Bilhuber pairs jewel tones with a fringed, skirted foyer table. I’m starting you fringe neophytes off easy.
ps: curtains!
Celerie Kemble loves hairy fringe, but you must check out the whole picture:
That amazing chandellier by Guglielmo Ulrich blows me away, but I like the fringe, too. The pink Dr. Doolittle settee scares me a little.
Richard Shapiro does (back to back) brown linen sofas with matching bullion for House of Veranda — crisp and tailored. Again love the jewel tones. Someday when I buy a big girl couch I’m considering this color. It’s warm but plays well with brights and neutrals.
Miles Redd goes grandma chic, but I would snatch that sofa out of this room and dress it down in a heartbeat.
And still my favorite, so I’m shamelessly reposting it: Pamplemousse does arty fringe. I want to have sex with that sofa. Or on it. Who cares? Sex… sofa.
Now I know my pal Christian is probably about to ban me from his contacts, because he hates the fringe so much. But I want to know what you think… are you crossing me off the awesome list, too?
I was already on it, right?
Just remember the immortal words of the great poet and sage Kenny Loggins (or whoever actually wrote the song):
Out along the edges
Always where I burn to be
The further on the edge
The hotter the intensity
Highway to the danger zone
Gonna take you
Right into the danger zone
Go there.
Related posts:
I don’t do bullion, but I don’t judge others who do. And those who adeptly mix it with awesome trendy mctrendster stuff win my admiration. And yeah, I’m getting a little comment happy so I’ll slink back to silent blog stalker status here soon.
Sorry, but once you get comment happy you can never go back… No slinking allowed!
I wont kick you off the awesome list because I’m pretty sure you’ll do fringe in a modern chic way. Grandma fringe makes me sads, but when its a surprise in the room, I like it.
Not sure about fringe with roomba and two boys, though…
This is the funny thing: I don’t like jungle prints, or fringe, or huge DelftBlue vases, or 50-ft curtains, but I think you are, actually, very awesome. And I can’t wait to see what you flourish. (That is probably not a verb, but it suits.)
Little tears of happiness, Lynn… little tears of happiness.
i’m digging the fringe and have thought about it for myself lately! i am kinda old though…
I adore fringe! It always feels a little outside the space/time continuum, so introduces a touch of eccentricity to any post-Victorian space.
Do I even need to say that nothing floats my boat like an eccentric room?
I love fringe on bags. Adore. I also love string curtains Oooooh….that may be an idea!
I’m sure you’ve seen it, but look at the third picture down. I believe it’s by Jonathan Adler.
http://dighousedesign.com/some-factors-to-help-you-determine-the-right-rattan-hanging-chairs.html
Are those string curtains? Glorious!
Yes!!!!!
I love fringe, but it does tend to get caught in the plain-old vacuum. If you want to take fringe to it’s farthest reaches, there’s always the Victorian “rope curtain” made of fringe and tassels. I couldn’t find an image of one on Google (I may have only seen them in my Victorian design books), but my search happily led me to this photo: http://i3.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens19031899module156233461photo_1325992790Victorian-portiere-create of parents chuckling as they open the heavy portier to reveal their daughter who appears to have either killed or been killed by a lamb.
That Pamplemousee sofa does look like a giant clammy vagina.
as for the fringe I trust you to use it well & sparingly. oh, & your cat would love it!!
By know my stance should be clear on the subject (since every second comment involves it). Yes, oooh yes, oh absolutely please and thank you. Nothing sexes up a piece of mediocre upholstery like a generous dollop of superfluous tat—like Agent Provocateur for your house. @Camilla, re:giant clammy vagina, is that a good or bad thing? If giant clammy v sofa’s are wrong I don’t want to be right.
i don’t hate you because you’ve become art of the fringe element- if anyone can convince me to cross over, it’s you, and a lovely post like this! (though i swear i think that horrible skirted and fringed table in the bilhuber room comes dangerously close to ruining the whole room- it’s like the ultimate grandma nightmare come to life!)
ps- did you see my post today? i featured that al herd painting in the pamplemousse picture on my blog. i “homaged” it.
Boo fringe boo!
The table in the first pic isn’t too bad…but yeah…painful to clean.
it’s like bangs for your sofa. and bangs are only good the first day after that they suck and you wonder why you cut them in the first place.
you are high on baby hormones.
Fringe is good if you live in the first arrondissement and your fringe looks like this:
http://theproperstranger.tumblr.com/post/17378244288
I dig all embellishment so I’ve got your (fringed) back. However, add it to the list of Things That Can’t Exist in Rebecca’s House because of peeing dog. Wah wah.