So Groovy
W.A.C. Lighting in Garden City, N.Y., has launched its “Ete” Quick Connect Pendants, featuring hand-blown Murano glass from Italy in colorful retro patterns. The series “offers a conical shape and stunning, swirling design in blue and yellow/amber brushstroke colorations, reminiscent of motifs from the 1960s,” the company says. “Innovative and integrated systems technologies are hallmarks of W.A.C. Lighting,” it states. The company manufactures track, recessed, undercabinet, decorative and monorail lighting. For more information, visit www.waclighting.com.

Sconce and Circumstance
Uncommon Radiance Inc., based in Chicago, released its Geometrics Double Sconce consisting of triangular-shaped glass with a tinge of amber. The Geometrics family includes this double sconce, a single sconce, a single pendant, a 12-piece pyramid chandelier and a 24-piece pyramid chandelier.

The company specializes in glass-blown lighting fixtures and uses an ancient method of European glass blowing to create the designs, which are all manufactured in the United States. Due to the process of manual glass blowing, each piece is one of a kind. “Clear glass is blown into moulds where it gets its shape,” it explains.  

“Next, little pieces of colored glass and sterling silver are melted at very high temperatures and fused onto the shape. The thin strands of silver emit a warm golden glow when the piece is lighted.” For more information, visit www.uncommonradiance.com.             

Very Vintage
When Craig Van Den Brulle opened Capitol Furnishings in New York City in 1997, he brought an "urban clean" design philosophy to the table, which quickly made Capitol a premier shopping destination for architects, interior designers and collectors well-versed in vintage furnishings. In fact, Capitol offers an extensive selection of home furnishings and accessories of 20th Century classic design.

Featured designers include Barovier, James Mont, Robsjohn-Gibbings, Gio Ponti, Seguso and Venini. Now, Van Den Brulle has added a Tommi Parzinger Chandelier to the mix. This mid-twentieth century lighting fixture “enhances any interior with its stunning combination of mahogany, nickel and linen,” the company says.

Van Den Brulle himself recently launched a new 11-piece collection of lamps, tables and home furnishings all crafted from Lucite. “The first of his signature collections, this hand-finished and one-of-a-kind line is the essence of understated elegance, combining Van Den Brulle’s passion for beauty with an insistence on fine craftsmanship and high quality,” the company says.  

Visit www.craigvandenbrulle.com for more information.

Wooden Carpet?
Kakadu Design in Wood Ltd. was green before it became a trend, it says. Founded in Jerusalem in 1990, the company creates what it calls “hand-painted wooden carpets” in the heart of an Israeli nature preserve. “Brightly colored, durable and perfectly suited for high-traffic interior spaces – even in front of the kitchen sink – the carpets … are recognized as functional floor art and they are environmentally friendly, as well,” it says.

“We never use timber from the rain forest and we never exploit old-growth forests for our products,” founder Reut Shahar says. “The wood we use comes from fast-growing timber that has been planted specifically for harvesting.” Artisans at Kakadu use original colors specifically developed to enhance the natural grain of the wood. When the paintings are complete, they coat the carpets with a specially formulated marine varnish to preserve the murals. For more information, visit www.kakadu-design.com.

‘Imagine’ the Possibilities
Bloomfield, N.J.-based Imagine Tile has launched its residential tile collection, TileArt, which brings themed environments to the home. From an Under the Sea motif in the bathroom to an elegant French Country look in the kitchen, Tile Art has created collections of tile featuring murals, accents, listellos and field tile, all coordinated and designed around individual themes. “TileArt captures the very expensive look of hand painting on ceramic tile with our state-of-the-art, high-resolution graphic imagery, allowing us to offer this high-end product to consumers at a much lower price,” President Christian McAuley says. For more information, visit www.imaginetile.com.

To Be ‘Frank’
In 1923 and 1924, the Frank Lloyd Wright homes built in Southern California all shared a common denominator – the Textile Block System. This method of construction entailed building concrete blocks that were molded in textured designs and then joined with steel reinforcing rods to form unique interior and exterior walls.

Motawi Tileworks, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has created a series of tiles inspired by Wright’s designs by sculpting relief tiles and hand-dipping them in warm fluid glazes. “In focus groups and design presentations, we find that our design clients enjoy textile block combinations,” says Gayle Thomas, marketing manager. “It’s remarkable how current Mr. Wright’s design elements are today.” Visit www.motawi.com for more details.