Buffalo Rising Online

Steel, I have great respect for your posts 99% of the time. However, I understand classical and traditional furniture that came from local manufacturer Kittinger (which I believe sold all its patents on the furniture when it closed the factor). I understand the references to art nuveau and art&crafts linked with local designers like EB Green and local manufacturers Roycroft.

What I do not understand is what Eames, modern or contemporary design has to do with Buffalo because the Kleinhans Music Hall really ended Buffalos hegemony in the national cultural scene.

Probably because some of the White House's occupants were *actual* pallbearers for Thomas Jefferson...

Are there Eames chairs in City Hall?

I have a absolutely beautiful Kittinger dresser that was passed down from my grandfather, it is really a fine piece of furniture. I have certainly never seen anything of that quality at one of Ashley type places, or even a Bombay/Ethan Allen type store.

mothball the heirlooms and bring in some style!

Buff21,

Not knocking Kittinger by the way. As far as I know none of the furniture pictured is by Kittinger.

The furniture is quiet in that room but it's quality, and I'd give my right arm for the paintings. Eames furniture in the oval office would cause indigestion. To my eye, the Eames chair is squat and graceless...at least to look at. Ah Steel, how I usually love your posts. But this one seems odd, even if it's tongue in cheek.

I dont know who Ray Bialkowski is...

Kittinger is absolutely the best quality in the nation...but sadly...they like Roycroft could not stay on the national stage as a major way, either in manufacturing or design.

Eric O,

There is nothing quality about those sofas. (Trendy initial by the way)

The paintings are of Texas by Texans

But what does any of this have to do with Buffalo or Western NY, EAMES was not a local manufacturer or craftsman

It doesn't matter Buff21

wow. now were criticizing furniture? BRO never seizes to amaze. who cares??? yes with 700 billion dollars just spent and a deficit of trillions, the furniture is exactly what im thinking needs to be changed. WOW. can we not find anything more important?

Ray.

People on this site are too funny...EricO, are you really serious? What is a tongue in cheek?

Buffawakening, yes, let's obsess on the dismal economy some more! There's non-stop coverage on all the major and minor tv and radio networks, newspapers, and internet, and you want MORE? Seriously, you don't think that there's any room for lighthearted non-economic discussion?

I am thankful for BR's coverage of non-economic events! More inane stories about furniture and bike lanes please!

i guess i can see your point of view that you want an escape from reality, but when i started reading BRO, which wasnt too long ago, i thought it was a serious blog about serious issues. boy was i in for a suprise!

Actually I think the furniture in this office says a lot about the direction or should I say misdirection of our country. This is the seat of the highest power on earth and it looks like it was decorated by my grandmother.

Nothing about this room says that we are open to new ideas or new ways of doing things. It says let's play it safe and d it the old way.

They need a rug in there...

No, just off to the right you can see one of those chairs shaped like a hand.

It’s the White HOUSE, not the White OFFICE. Knoll and Eames furniture would look ridiculous in this traditional space.

Why do you say that Dave?

There is quite a bit of precedent world wide for successful mixing of contemporary and traditional forms. Though this is in the White HOUSE it is the Oval OFFICE. That being said these modern pieces have also successfully been used in residential settings without extraordinary effort.

Who gives a s6^&* what they have in there. Anyone going down to hang out there? Did you ever think maybe they like it like it is and don't like modern? People have too much time on their hands when they care about what Bush rests his butt on.

Steel: I do like and understand the concept of mixing contemporary art and furniture into a traditional home. But to be done properly the furnishings need to be of the right weight and scale to work... Eames furnishings are too thin and light in scale and finish to really compliment this heavy traditional design. The contrast would be too severe and they would fight with each other. Old and heavy against new and thin. A comfortable blend is usually more desirable. I do agree that the décor of the oval office is pretty bad. But there are other contemporary furniture designs that would work better than Eames.

We are pretty much in agreement then. You would really have to think a bit to make Eames work here. Eames designs have a bit of a casual quality to them. This room needs to be very formal. This story is a bit rhetorical. I would not expect Putin to sit on an Eames bent wood chair.

But still, get rid of that crappy rug and expose a beautiful wood floor. Bring in some thick colorful artist designed area rugs. Get rid of those 1952 era curtains and bring in some slick shades and we could start talking modern. The perceived heaviness you talk about is the dead weight of your soul being sucked out by this tired old stuff.

Question: How many pieces of furniture in this picture did our former President Clinton receive fallatio on/against?

Answer: A lot of them

But my point being: I spoke to a docent at the National Archives and she told me the new furniture just isn't made like the old stuff and can't take a lot of rocking, up and down movements.

Steel,

As one of your loyal admirers here, this is the first time I can say that you sound foolish. There is nothing strange, backward or regressive about having the White House, a very traditional and conservative building, decorated in traditional style. Is the present oval office my taste in tea? No, but it is not offensive in any way. A squat, dwarfish Eames chair in any room of the White House would be an exercise in self-conscious retro-avante garde, which has to be the most tedious style in any town. .

And since when does taste in furniture and window treatments reflect political sensibility or character? Have you seen the Lincoln bedroom lately? Visit me and my partner and tell us how our traditional and carefully studied taste indicates our political staleness. I dare you : )

But hey man, to each his own.

Steel, The rug is actually part of the tradition of the presidency. Every incoming President designs their own Oval Office rug. In the case of President GW Bush, the First Lady designed the Oval Office rug. So, you will get a new rug in the Oval Office but don't expect exposed hardwood.

are you guys really having this conversation?

sad, isn't it, gaustad? I haven't commented in months and this is what I choose. Maybe I'll go back to last week's post and talk about the Obama cupcakes. I wonder, were they chocolate cupcakes or yellow?

Eric,

I respect your opinion and I am sure your pad is gorgeous but you can't possibly be arguing that those frumpy Walmart sofas are more appropriate than, lets say, a nice Mies sofa in their place

Steel,

My point is that taste in furniture does not indicate much more than taste in furniture. Let's confine politics to the squalid minds of the politicians, and leave their fabrics out of it.

I first thought your post was facetious, but I see it wasn't, and that left me wondering if you had drunk too much coffee that morning. Yeah, I'd put more beautiful furniture in that office but there's nothing at all wrong with it--the colors and style are staid but harmonious, old-money wasp with a touch of miser, yes. And you'll just have to trust me on this: those sofas are not from Walmart. The coffee table lowers the tone a bit--I'll grant you that. It could be done with more verve but it could be worse. But what I don't get on BRO is the hostility to traditional design--when it's done right, there's nothing better.

By the way, if you like great furniture and objects from antique to midcentury modern, check out 1stdibs.com: it's a lot of fun.

There is a place for contemporary furnishings in this room and if done right there would be nothing better (I will borrow your phrase) To say that this room can only handle historic style furniture is conservative thinking by definition.

Eric, You probably have better taste than the decorator of this room but I am willing to bet you have never seen a contemporary design of any type that you like. You would be happy if no new modern designs for furniture were ever advanced. That is a conservative way of thinking.

I am saying that opening your mind and envisioning contemporary American furniture in this room would be a sign of open mindedness for new and different things, an open mindedness for things that are different than the norm.

Of course nothing is absolute mind you.