The looks of 2008
For 2008, theres a fresh breeze from the east: Shanghai modern is all over the design scene, with such items as, from top, ceramic Foo dogs from West Elm, in stores only; a needlepoint pillow from Williams-Sonoma Home, www.wshome.com; a blue plastic Buddha bank from Zero Minus Plus at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, www.zerominusplus.com; and a Chinese puppet head on a museum mount from H.D. Buttercup in Culver City. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Whimsy lives in the enchanted forest theme: from left, illustrator Tim Biskups Gama-Go mushroom character pillow is from Yolk in Silver Lake, yolk-la.com. The yellow ceramic squirrel nut dish, squirrel lamp with green shade and orange fawn coin bank are from Urban Outfitters, www.urbanoutfitters.com. The new black version of Attila from Starcks Gnomes series is at Kartell in Los Angeles, www.kartell.com. The Hear No Evil ceramic planter by DF Casa is perched on bisque porcelain logs by KleinReid; both are from Show in Los Feliz, www.showlifestyle.com. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Philippe Starcks hand-painted, black Attila gnome can be used as a stool or table. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times)
An agate slab lamp designed in vintage French style by Patrick Dragonette is at Dragonette Limited in Los Angeles, www.dragonetteltd.com. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
A bent metal vase from Z Gallerie, www.zgallerie.com reflects a revival of 1970s French designer Maria Pergays streamlined stainless-steel furniture. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A padded bar stool complements a 1950s marble-topped bar with leather panels, from a collection of French neoclassic pieces at Dragonette Limited in Los Angeles, www.dragonetteltd.com. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
At Dragonette Limited, a 1920s gilt and upholstered Napoleonic style side chair, a 1940s urn lamp (one of a pair) and an agate obelisk (also one of a pair). The bronze sphinx sits on the Madison, a Dragonette design in bronze and marble based on the campaign table. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
The Americana look can be mix-and-match and even improvisational. This vignette includes an 1830s painting, a Federal period bow-front dresser in the Hepplewhite style, an early 19th century document box with studded initials and a solid bronze American eagle, all from Thomas R. Field of South Pasadena, www.thomasrfieldantiques.com. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Shanghai modern furniture takes traditional forms and transforms them into sculptural silhouettes. Here, a Foo dog on a pedestal forms the base of a lamp. (Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times)
A country Chippendale side chair in 19th century grain paint is a classic of the Americana style, from Thomas R. Fields American Street collection, www.thomasrfieldantiques.com. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
A childs Windsor chair, circa 1810, from Thomas R. Fields American Street collection. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
The detail of a delicate, cuffed hand is a feature of French neoclassical furniture, at Dragonette Limited in Los Angeles, www.dragonetteltd.com. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
Vintage chairs in the neoclassic and Napoleonic style, revived by Parisian design firm Maison Jansen in the mid-1900s, at Dragonette Limited. (Carlos Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
A Federal period buffet in a variety of woods is from coastal Massachusetts and part of Thomas R. Fields American Street collection. (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)
Deep colors, fretwork patterns and other stripped-down chinoiserie motifs epitomize Shanghai modern. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
