it's not what you think.

trips to france (paris, burgundy, provence) have a way of throwing off one's schedule a little bit - the blogging, the sleeping, the working. especially when that trip constitutes the first vacation this keen eye has had in over 4 years. so here i am, offering up a [lame] excuse for falling off the boat here at keen eye...but also promising to pick up the pace, if only just a bit.

you'd think that a trip to the city of lights, the chic-est place on earth, would be a great boon to the keen eye archives, a veritable treasure trove of nesting goodness. and yes, you'd probably be right, only i decided to plan my trip completely wrong this time, and i ended up in paris, staying in montmartre, on 2 different sundays, and the monday following easter. all of which seem like perfectly reasonable days to parisians to close down shop and sit in a cafe all day. and so it happened that nearly every shop i tried to visit was FERME. le sigh.

but, in the spirit of bringing keen eye back to life, and also international travel, i thought i'd share with you a list of shops-i-would-have-gone-to-had-they-not-been-closed.

ok then, allons-y!

first off is French Touche.

described as the rare device of paris, i knew i had to go when i read grace's description of it over at designsponge (though it's located in the 17th arrondissment, not the 18th as she says). as a quick aside, i just have to share my love of rare device - an always rotating stock of home wares, hand bags, jewelry, and clothing, all by local / independent designers - i try to stop by every month or so just to check it out. i went by last week to catch anatomie and loved it. anyway, though, french touche. same idea - tons of small designers and interesting things, clothing, earrings, necklaces, stationary. you can shop online, too, but i have a feeling it's better experienced in person, you think?

next up: L'objet qui Parle. nestled on a side street in montmartre, L'objet qui Parle translates directly into "the objects that speak" but i have graciously made that into "Conversation Pieces" because it seems nice that way. simultaneously an antique store and a junk shop, i was really looking forward to digging through some dusty shelves and boxes - and finding some kind of glorious treasure. oh well...when we strolled by on that sunny sunday, the shop was completely shuttered. here's a glance at what it supposedly looks like inside - hello! i must have that chicken thing!

onwards to Deyrolle, a 170-year old establishment tucked away on the left bank. one glance at their website will tell you all you need to know, methinks, but to give you a taste, calling this place a taxidermy shop would be a complete and utter understatement. while the entry floor may look like your average garden supply shop, the upstairs is a bizarre menagerie of stuffed lions, bears, zebras, and birds, not to mention a beautiful butterfly collection and various other oddities. it pains me to think i missed this nightmarishly beautiful curiosity shop, and i only hope i'll be able to visit some other time.

and before you get all animal-rightsy on me, i know. i totally know.

and finally, a quick peek into a place that i actually did get to visit in montmartre- Emmanuelle Zysman. strikingly red inside and out, this boutique is all nooks and crannies, chock full of scarves, bags, stationary and candles, but the main attraction here for me was the jewelry. everything is carefully, lovingly arranged and aligned - a table in the center of the room showcased some wonderful sterling silver chains with stones and charms, while the shelving on the walls held stark white coral draped with necklaces and glass bell cloches encasing bangles, beads, and earrings. everything was out of my price range (but what isn't when the dollar is so worthless) but it's well worth a look and maybe a splurge or two.

so there we go - it's almost like i'm giving you a live report from paris. almost.

welcome back, i missed you!

prague kolektiv

coming in a close second in the race for "most anticipated shop in dumbo" was prague kolektiv, who are, allegedly, the only enterprise in north america specializing in original czech furniture, lighting, and decorative objects. that's hard to resist, right?

according to their website, the showroom is a collaboration between barton quillen, a new york native, and italian architect, giovanni negrisin, both of whom lived and worked for over 10 years in the czech republic. during this period they were introduced to the remarkable achievements of czech modernism and are now active collectors.

just a quick jaunt from baxter & liebchen, the keen eyes grabbed hot beverages from the coffee stand next door and entered prague kolektiv, ready to be amazed.

perhaps we'd built up too much excitement - admittedly, the website is a veritable treasure-trove of eye candy, and the idea of a store full of obscure czech furniture and lighting at our fingertips was a bit of a romantic notion for an overcast sunday afternoon. we were slightly disappointed, however, by the chilly, disinterested shop attendant who seemed to be more concerned with her imac than our inquiries, not to mention the absurdly out-of-reach price tags on nearly every item in the shop. granted, we're talking different eras and different designs, but the accessibility and warmth of b&l just down the street made the keen eyes feel that this place lacked more than a little humanism.

despite all that, if you approach the prague kolektive as if it were a museum or gallery, full of
beautiful, unique, irreplaceable objects, more appropriate for browsing than for buying, it becomes a fascinating visit. pieces like the barrel back chairs (left) and most of the other upholstered pieces throughout the store were in fabulous shape, the fabric cushions showing only traces of wear; the chrome legs with only the faintest patina of age. there were other intriguing, more modern creations - an avant-guarde constructionist shoe station caught our eye immediately, with it's angled drawer pulls and staggered boxes, fashioned, we guess, to store shoe "accessories" like laces, polish, and horns.

if you're interested in learning more about the aesthetics of czech design or just have a few hours to kill on a sunday in brooklyn, you should absolutely stop by the prague kolektiv...just be sure to bring a credit card [or two]. oh, and don't ask any questions.
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prague kolektiv
143-b front street
brooklyn, ny 11201
718.260.8013

chairs with airs in dumbo

we're not really sure what "chairs with airs" means, but jake mooney thought it was an apt title for his sunday NY Times post about a little node in dumbo, brooklyn, chock full of great furniture stores. "chairs with airs" implies, to us, a bit of attitude and pretension, but the keen eyes found this to be almost not the case.

we were out on the street exploring dumbo long before we knew about mooney's article in the Times today - what a coincidence! with one of the keen eyes visiting from VA and the other not so familiar with what the neighborhood has to offer, we decided to venture down under the manhattan bridge overpass to see what was up. despite it being "cold as hell out there," we scurried down the cobbled streets for hours, dashing in and out of tons of great shops, stopping only to fortify ourselves with the occasional piping hot cup of coffee or tea.

here is one of our finds from the day:

Baxter & Liebchen
baxter & liebchen was our real impetus for heading to dumbo, both of us being slightly obsessed with mid-century danish design and always on the lookout for new sources. although their showroom has but a wee door and awning, we couldn't miss the huge sandwich board outside featuring some of the shop's key pieces.from the moment we stepped through the black, window- and sign-less door, it was all we could do to keep our hands to ourselves. although warehouse settings can imply a cold, unforgiving space, the 5000-square-foot baxter & liebchen showroom is nothing of the sort. while physically no more than concrete floors and white drywall dividers, proprietor andrew kevelson has warmed the space with the glowing patina of gorgeous mid-century furniture pieces: credenzas, chairs, nesting tables, textile wall hangings, ceramics, and vintage light fixtures adorn nearly every corner.

the furniture is truly the focus of the showroom, though, and kevelson's love and appreciation of danish mid-century design is evident around every turn. we were stunned by his selection of famous name designers (jacobsen, wegner, vodder, and jalk), but were floored by the endless selection of pieces by designers of whom we've never heard (olesen, nissen, lagefoged, and many more). kevelson explained to us that he sources his supply from all across the US and europe, and works to import hard-to-find, never-before-seen-in-america pieces. he's clearly well-connected... and self-educated, to boot!

the keen eyes left the showroom feeling overwhelmed with danish-tinged joy: the furniture was absolutely stunning, down to the last detail; the prices were fair and accessible; and kevelson was engaging, kind, and a joy to speak with. it was clear that he enjoys his work and wants to share that enthusiasm with everyone who visits baxter & liebchen. (keen eye e would also just like to point out that, along the lines of look-alike dogs and owners, kevelson himself somehow resembles a handsome piece of well-sourced furniture. keen eye e means this in the kindest of ways).

another shop we were excited to visit was prague kolektiv. check back tomorrow, when we post about our [very different] experience there.
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Baxter & Liebchen
33 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718.797.0630