PUCKER UP - IT’S LEMON TIME AGAIN

LUCKY LAS VEGAS

If you missed us in Dallas, you’re still in luck - see us in Las Vegas this week. Our showroom at the Las Vegas Market Center has been remerchandised and filled with all the new items from our latest collection. We feature our black-on-black marble and powder-coated steel table in a 48” square with our new all black Cube chairs. You’ll see our MU wood furniture collection in grey oak and our full collection of large Pangaea planters with a fantastic grey/green encrusted surface. Our ‘dried’ grass collection is perfect for Autumn displays in a range of sizes from 14” to 79” tall. We’d love to show you all the newest products, until August 6.

 click here to view pictures of the showroom

VITAL ALIVE FLUID - COLLECTION20

NUDE IN OUR STORE

From the factory floor, across an ocean, and into our store... the enormous Cava Planters are now in our store (see our previous blog story). We’ve featured the black pieces in the front of the store against a black wall - it’s a very dramatic black-on-black look. We soften the edges with our new collection of nude products. This is fashion’s colour of the moment. It has appeared on many fashion runways and is now in stores for a hip new summer look - an extention of the visible lingerie statement. At 18Karat, we don’t show you our knickers (we’re rather modest), instead we focus on the nude skin of unlacquered khaya, wrightea and oak woods, combined with powdery smooth nude coloured glass vases and unglazed terra-cotta planters that have been stripped to their bare nakedness. So this summer, why not go nude?!

click here to see more photos of our store right now

posted by Maureen Welton

comments? blog@eighteenkarat.com

CAVA

This past winter I was at the Chinese factory that manufactures our newest resin CAVA Planters when they were in the process of making the hand-carved prototypes and moulds. We arrived at night when the production workers were gone and the factory was silent except for a few people closing up for the night. As we were lead through the design rooms, the quality of darkness and light, the smell of resins and sanding, echoes and quiet noises gave me the feeling of being in a desolate laboratory. I was awed by the enormous scale of the prototypes - the drawings didn't prepare me for the actual effect of the physical form which looked even larger at night. The coffin-like moulds, the wires dangling from the ceilings the white powder on every surface added to the drama of the moment and visions of a Frankenstein movie flashed through my mind. My all-time favorite is Young Frankenstein with Gene Wilder, so the black and white drama in my mind was not frightening but very humourous.
see factory photos

In the light of day, these enormous planters are no less stunning. They tower over us and become even more impressive with tropical plants in them. They are called CAVA in reference to the 3 cavity-like patterns. see full range

posted by Maureen Welton

ALL WRIGHTEA!

Introducing the newest addition to our furniture collection: the Wrightea Stool, a stool for sitting that can also be used as a small table. The name refers to the latin name of the tree: Wrightea annamensis, a plantation grown wood from Vietnam. The natural tree trunks are peeled, revealing a lovely light toned wood that is interesting in its deeply lobed outer shape. The wood is highly sanded to get a very smooth, natural texture without the use of lacquers. We offer 2 sizes, up to 13” diameter and up to 19” diameter. Both are 18” high.

click here to see them in production