And, if yesterday marked four months ’till Christmas, today marks four months ’till Boxing Day—the day when (traditionally) English servants and tradesmen would get the day off—and maybe a present—from their employers. Speaking of boxes, the one pictured above—made of quarter-sawn oak in the early Twentieth Century—is very handsome, indeed. The oak strapping and brass […]
Bretagne—or “Brittany” as it’s called in English—is a little spit of land that juts off of France’s Northwest coast, into the English Channel, due south of England. It has a history of being invaded, occupied, and influenced by the various tribes and empires that came along: the Celts, the Romans, the Britons, and the Gauls. […]
On this day in 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sailed past the Hawaiian island of Oahu with his ships the HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, making him the first European to lay eyes on Hawaii. Two days later he landed—this time on the island of Kauai—at Waimea. Cook made an impressive entrance, with his […]
Crafted of turned English oak, these candlesticks will add a bit of casual—but handsome—elegance to your holiday table. Come into the shop to see our wide range of candlesticks or visit our "Candlestick Department" in our on-line store.
A flock of little, red Holiday owls has landed at LEO Design, here to remind us: “Only one month ’till Christmas Eve!” Another reminder, this time from our ornithologist friends: a group of owls is called “a parliament.” Click on the photo, above, to learn more about these Peruvian, hand-made ornaments.
In the Hawaiian Islands, one finds an exotic and precious hardwood called Koa. In the time of the Ali’i (the Chief), Koa was plentiful—large trunks were hollowed-out for canoes, others were planed into surfboards, and smaller pieces were hand-fashioned into bowls, ukuleles, furniture, even flooring. Today the wood is protected; one must have a permit […]
I’m just back from the UK where I spent ten days hunting treasures for the shop. It was exhausting, yet fruitful; nevertheless, I’m glad to be back. I’m also glad to report that all merchandise has arrived—no worse for wear—and is cleaned-up, priced, and sitting on the shop floor. Awaiting your visit! The piece above, […]
Another favorite of mine is antique boxes—and I hunt for them on my trips. The oak box above, from a British collector, was made in the late Victorian era—1880’s or 1890’s. It has a light Gothic Revival feeling, modeled after a trunk, with studded strapwork and decorative brass mountings. See it in the shop, along […]
We welcome September and its birth flower, the Morning Glory. With its cordate (heart-shaped) leaves and climbing vines, the Morning Glory comes in many colors—usually blues and purples but sometimes in reds or oranges (like those which decorate the hand-painted English Arts & Crafts frame, above).
The attractive carved design element known as the “Barley Twist” enjoyed a revival in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (as shown in the wooden candlesticks, above). But the use of this design element is thousands of years old. They were originally called “Solomonic Columns” and are believed to have been used in the […]
