dallas DECORUM: September 2011

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Antiques: Pittet Company - A Dallas Institution

When I am on the hunt for a bespoke piece of object d’art or certain antique commode that will make my clients stop dead in their tracks, I take them to Antiques Row, located in the Dallas Design District, and make sure I make a stop at the renowned Pittet Company.

I was lucky enough to get a guided tour by Mr. Pittet’s showroom manager Michael Smith whom joined forces with Pittet nearly seven years ago. Having fourteen years experience in custom cabinetry and fine antiquities Pittet and Smith have created an eclectic showroom that is a joy to visit.

Featuring over 12,000 square feet of showroom space, chock full of goods that we can salivate over – just being sure not to leave any water damage of course...! I just came back from Europe, touring castles and palaces occupied by kings and queens and I really felt as if the designers had been stopping in at Pittet Company to fill up the palatial spaces – despite the time difference, they just traveled to the future I am presuming?!

I found it interesting that unlike most antique dealers, Pittet does not go to Europe twice a year to the antique markets – they are too well-heeled and been around the block to do that – but have a secret antique spy I call him – who’s daily task is to scour all of Europe for only the BEST pieces. They do not have to fill up a container with “filler” pieces because they ship containers out faster then you can say, well, "17^th century antique"…and you can tell just by perusing their showroom every so often as there is always new goodies, and of course, new goodies with SOLD tags.

Pittet Company specializes in 17^th,18^th, and 19^th century furnishings boasting a comprehensive inventory from European markets and private estates and also if that wasn’t enough on their plate they had to be overachievers outdo themselves (because the only competition should be against yourself) and open a second shop – Pittet Architectuals that is nearly double in size that includes antique reproductions doorways, stone and marble fountains, mantel pieces, iron gates and garden statuary.

A small snapshot of the immense showroom

I am obsessing over the commode above. I can see this in super sleek hi-rise that is refined modern at the same time, with this piece thrown in for a dramatic focal point. Imagine it with a piece of abstract art above, that is on the same fierceness level as Louboutin spiked heels.

This would be the piece d' resistance in any bedroom.

Again, think super detailed headboard with white crisp linens and top it off with a simple red and metallic geometric pillow in the middle.

Ok...just fell in love, again.

W O W

In all my endless hours of sifting through hordes of antiques as a designer, I have never seen such a glam cocktail table. What an amazing shape and size this baby was.

Pittet also features some of the more Belgian and Swedish style of antiques that our sister city down south, H-Town and also Nawlins, feature in their shops that is a popular look in our city.

The worn patina of time will never go out of style, no matter how much the manufacturers of Botox tell us.

Starbursts, sunbursts - tom-ate-o, toe-mat-o. Regardless of what you call them they will always be timeless and chic in my book.

This is Riley

This is Riley AND Reagan, ha... they are a pair and NO separating these 2!

If you have skipped Mass....get religious about these.

Chandeliers boxed up and ready to grace someones home before the holidays arrive.

This piece will surely be the icing on the cake in any room that encompasses it's beauty.

Take a seat!

Movie Name: The Office (2005)

Quote:

Phyllis: Why dont you take a seat and enjoy the buffet?

Michael Scott: Im already on it. The chicken was undercooked - I sent it back.

Phyllis: It's fish.

Michael would have a hard time choosing a seat and an entree.

Beautiful antique coronas are hard to find.

Consider yourself lucky, because you just found one.

AHHHH, beautimus.

Beauty is in the details.

Rock crystal chandeliers are beautiful but the stone itself is worthy of its own shot.

Mother nature is the best artist in my opinion.

An unusual piece. The patterning and details alone are interesting enough, however the colors are what drew me to this piece.

Detail shot of the above piece

If you misbehaved a couple of hundred years ago, they would simply lock in you in the chandelier.

The colors of this piece are intense and rich.

The perspective alone makes me feel as if they are about to come to life and into the room.

Art makes a room come alive.

The detailing on this piece is elaborate and needs to be appreciated in a highly seen area. I would place at the end of a gallery. The silhouette commands attention just as much as its intricacy.

Shot of the chair back from the top of the post.

There is a pair.

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who has the fairest antiques of all...?

And to instantly update your home, throw some tapestry pillows upon the sofa or bed to create a new look.

Italian ceramics

The piece above is provoking and evocative, reminiscent of the works of the Italian painter Caravaggio.

Many designers have taken pieces from Pittet and built cabinets and built-ins surrounding the pieces to create a TRULY custom cabinet.

However imitation is the best form of flattery, and Pittet can also make custom pieces from the drawing board as well. With Michael Smith's experience in cabinetry and woodworking, you will be hard pressed to find someone who has a discerning eye as his own.

Fragments

They also offer their own onsite reupholstery and rug repair service

A rainbow of yarns for wool rugs

And of course a touch of whimsy thrown in for good measure. Smith says these little guys actually get the most attention in the shop!

Below are a few shots from my recent trip to Europe. These photographs below I took at Wilanow Palance (which actually means Villanueva in Polish!) in Warsaw, Poland - the summer "cottage" ahem...of Polish royalty until 1805. You can see from the furnishings below that Pittet Company resounds to an era when quality and craftmanship were paramount.