Wishing all a Happy New Year of health, love and contentment. And a heartfelt Thank You to all who supported LEO Design in the previous year.
Most years, I trot towards the New Year with optimism and gratitude—grateful for the fresh start, happy for a new beginning. Perhaps it's the turning of the Filofax, with its new pages so fresh and clean. Or could it be the cold, clear freeze—which has eliminated all traces of the previous season? No, not this year. Unlike in years past, I feel as though I'm being pushed unwillingly into this new year, forced into a new and dangerous era. But Time and Tide Wait for No Man. None of us can stop the clock. So here we are.
Alas, I offer no solutions. But I do have something which can help! (Maybe a little,) My collection of matte white pottery is a tiny and temporary refuge from the ills of the world. The simple forms—frosted in clean white—create for me a moment of peace and tranquility. Honesty and simplicity. Freshness and serenity.
The collection of matte white pottery, found at LEO Design, ranges from the Twenties through the Seventies. Different ceramics workshops created different (proprietary) matte white glazes—and good glaze masters guard their secrets carefully! Thus, a collection of white ceramics—by different workshops—will always present a palette of whites, not a single, uniform shade. I find that the more pieces one has (in different white glazes), the better they work together. The size of the grouping helps soften and improve the palette of whites.
The piece, shown above, was made in the Thirties by Stangl (Flemington, New Jersey). It has a classic amphora shape—brought up-to-date with Art Deco foliate handles. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome vase.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.