#9 bartons auction is now live, gaetano pesce on issey miyake and spotify, skirts, a new bed horizon, and more
Hello! Welcome to McLotto, a furniture newsletter for nice pieces from the tri-state area and beyond. Find the perfect club chair, celebrate lucite, buy an old Comme button-down, and delve deeper into Craigslist. If you enjoy McLotto send it to a friend or keep it a secret. 💋
THE MCLOTTO AGENDA
A summer reading catchup: Gaetano Pesce LOVES THE ALGORITHM!
Shop to the greats and feel romantic doing so
Window shopping Bartons Auction, M. Kardana, and more
Keep the mystery alive and admire a skirt
Welcome back McLotto readers! SUMMER IS HERE!!! Walk around and listen to Piero Piccioni or maybe even Georges Delerue (Contempt is on at Film Forum for the summer!!!) before picking through the street furniture that comes with a new wave of summer rentals in the city.
So far I’ve seen the typical abandoned Ikea detritus on the streets, some knockoff Wassily chairs, and some very ugly (sorry) DIY art that looks reminiscent of COVID TikTok days. If you see anything spectacular, please reach me on my cell!!! Aside from Piccioni, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dorothy Ashby while perusing through patio furniture, linen pants, and gardening tools and have found the tempo to soothe any post-purchase anxieties. A special thanks to everyone who texts me pictures of chairs <3
RANDOM SUMMER READING EXTRAVAGANZA
Gaetano Pesce in the FT. Pesce’s interview on Issey Miyake, pomegranate juice, Bottega Veneta, and Spotify made me giggle. “My favorite app is Spotify. I listen to music all the time. Through the computer the algorithm keeps sending me music – I enjoy that very much.” He worked on the installation and chairs for Bottega’s Spring 2023 show and many of them are still available on Bottega’s website in case you have 9K and are looking to add something to your dining room this summer.
Kaitlin Phillips' summer recommendations, grievances, and shopping tips. The eye of a champion. Nice to see some honest assessments on the state of a certain vintage shop, traveling in Georgia, and Ozempic. The emperor is wearing stained Roberto Cavalli and Romeo Gigli!
THE FASHION WEEK CHAIR MATRIX. Bottega isn’t the only brand rethinking seating: Alaia sent show invitations with a foldable chair that guests were expected to bring to the show. Camper chic!!! In terms of truly EVIL FW seating, there’s Dior’s butt-stained benches as well as a certain strain of heinous collaboration announcement that immediately calls into question a celebrity’s finances. (Adding Naomi Campbell to a long list including Rashida Jones and Dan Levy.)
Women Made. A great book that covers women in industrial design and furniture. I got this as a gift and have loved reading it so far. Next on my reading list is WEAR YOUR CHAIR by Judith Griffin and Penny Collins which covers the intersection of interior design and fashion.
WINDOW SHOPPING FOR PLAYFUL PIECES
I think the idea of “fun” furniture has been dominated by a sort of Gustaf Westman/ Copenhagen pediatric dentist office-chic that’s overwhelmed algorithms over the past few years but pieces like this from Make Your Bed NY are the real deal to me. So much of furniture feels like it’s taking itself so seriously that pieces like these feel rare and refreshing.
A few months ago I came across Georgia Merritt’s show at M. Kardana and was nearly toppled over by this wonderful stool. Skirts are BACK BABY!!!! I know many people have been saying this for a while, but it seems like we all need a small respite from the austere minimalism of uncovered beds, couches, and chairs. Let loose and get a skirt!!! Keep the mystery alive and let clutter happen where no one will see it. I bought a bed skirt recently (and a new bed!) that’s proven transformative to the way I think about beds in general.
I couldn’t find much about this table when I saw it — someone said it was by Jean-Michel Frank, another said it was by an unknown Argentian designer. I could see Jean-Michel Frank designing this, and it’s worth reading about his life and some of the furniture he designed. Mosey through some slideshows on Sotheby’s, Google the Parsons table, and check out his famous collaboration with Rockefeller! Either way, this is a table that is begging for a good time and a martini.
The side table of my dreams…by Rafael Prieto showing at Emma Scully Gallery!
BARTONS AUCTION IS NOW LIVE
In the spirit of window shopping, Bartons Auction House is having an auction starting today at 10AM ET. Most of the pieces selling are fairly expensive but it’s worth going through them and getting some inspiration — some good Verner Panton, Roche Bobois, and my favorite Carlo Nason medusa pendant. I picked up two lamps from a few auctions ago and they were kind enough to let me poke around their warehouse. Check it out here.
THINGS YOU CAN BUY RIGHT NOW
A solid coffee table that would look nice in any room. Pretty good dimensions and gives you a blank canvas for knick-knack/ coffee table book arrangements.
I might buy this but giving someone else a head start. Looks a little like Pierre Paulin’s Tongue chair for only $250.
Art deco style corner desk for $200 that’s great for small rooms. The description said it had to be picked up last week but it just went down in price — worth a try for some nice solid wood.
This 70s-style pendant lamp would be great for a renter-friendly upgrade to your kitchen or bathroom. Love a weird twist on a chandelier and this is it.
There’s a lot to discuss with the state of minimalism and sterile maximalism in popular furniture these days and one of those things is a lack of texture. I think pieces like this one can be intimidating but if you’re looking to furnish a room it oftentimes can be easier to build around a piece or use it as a kind of prism for what else you’re looking to find.
A nice frosted twist on the classic waterfall coffee table for $150.
Thanks for reading!
XO
MC