Less Space, Same Amount of Style: Pittsburgh Quarterly Interviews Stacy Weiss

Pittsburgh Quarterly magazine featured our very own Stacy Weiss in their summer 2013 issue. "Lofty Inspirations" is shown above and begins on page 32. The article details many of Stacy's prized possessions that include items like iconic furniture: a 15-year-old Charles sofa (B & B Italia) and Stacy's "curated" collection of art. The article stated that Stacy, who grew up in an art-infused home, purchased her first painting at the age of 6. While most of us weren't even able to tie our shoes yet, Stacy was beginning to develop an eye for collecting. Today, Weisshouse represents Stacy's 30 year career in the interior design/home furnishings business. Check out the summer 2013 issue on news stands now.

Tufty Time: A Modern Icon

We recently featured B&B Italia's "Tufty Time" design in our "New Hollywood Glam" blog post. Weisshouse is B&B Italia's exclusive dealer in Pittsburgh and we happen to adore the Tufty Time sectional sofa designed in 2005 by award-winning designer, Patricia Urquiola. See Tufty Time here featured in one of our design projects. Tufty Time is so versatile and truly has become a modern icon of style among architects and interior designers. Available in fabric or leather, Tufty Time can be ordered at Weisshouse.

New Hollywood Glam

Weisshouse often features emerging trends in interior design. We happen to love mid-century modern. In the past, we have embraced more rustic pieces and pieces with lots of Asian-influence. These days, we are seeing a new trend: New Hollywood Glam. Think flawless vintage accessories mixed with modern, iconic sofas and chairs, mirrored cocktail tables and accent tables. When we think of celebrities who have nailed the New Hollywood Glam look, we think of Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron and George Clooney. Check out a few pieces below that will add a little New Hollywood Glam to your home and as always, visit Weisshouse for additional ideas and inspiration.

Source: La Dolce Vita

Tufty Time

Vintage Chrome and Glass Cocktail Table

Vintage Humidor

Vintage Lamp

Vintage Dakota Jackson Desk

A Designer Favorite: Tulip Chair

B&B Italia's Tulip Chair has become a modern style icon in the world of architecture and interior design. Tulip was designed in 2000 by Jeffrey Bernett. Since then, Tulip has been used in countless interiors of distinction. "Designed on a carefully proportioned combination of widths and alternating straight and curved lines, Tulip is a 360 degree swivel chair, marked by great flexibility in use. The support disc, made in bright brushed aluminum, reflects a portion of the body, thus emphasizing its round shape. Two slits in the backrest and a soft cushion for the seating make it comfortable and welcoming."

Sit in Tulip today at Weisshouse!

Sources: B&B Italia

Jeffrey Bernett

January Sale Update

Today, our January Sale officially started. This is one of our biggest sales of the year and it only happens twice a year. We have some extraordinary deals on Pittsburgh's favorite Furniture, Vintage, Lighting, Area Rugs and accessories. Take advantage of this opportunity to save up to 50% off and even more on select floor models. See our ad below for details! Visit us on the web for additional information at www.weisshouse.com.

Chaise Lounge by B&B Italia originally $4354 NOW $2360
Settee by Cisco Brothers originally $2180 NOW $1280
Dining Table by Mitchell Gold originally $2080 NOW $1250
Dining Chair by Mitchell Gold originally $960 NOW $480
Vintage Console originally $975 NOW $575Lounge Chair by Mitchell Gold originally $1590 NOW $890
Upholstered Bed by Bernhardt originally $2625 NOW $1550
Beaded Chandelier by Currey & Company originally $2370 NOW $1185

 

 

 

Patricia Urquiola: Award Winning Designer for B&B Italia

Weisshouse proudly sells B&B Italia Furniture. Founded by the Busnelli family in 1966, B&B Italia manufactures luxury furniture for residential interiors and exteriors, and more recently, products for the contract market including some very luxurious hotels. The recipient of four Compasso d’oro prizes, B&B Italia is known for its routine collaborations with iconic designers such as Gaetano Pesce, Patricia Urquiola, and Zaha Hadid.(http://www.designerpages.com)

Patricia Urquiola was born in Spain and now lives and works in Milan. She attended the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Madrid and graduated in 1989. Between 1990 and 1996 she worked for the new product development office of De Padova.

From 1993 to 1996 she had an associate practice with architects de Renzio and Ramerino and was engaged in architectural design, showrooms, restaurants and franchising (Maska/Italy, Tomorrowland Stores/Japan, Des Pres/France). In 1996 she became head of the Lissoni Associati design group, working for Alessi, Antares-Flos, Artelano, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Kartell, and others. At the same time, on her own, she designed for B&B Italia, Bosa, De Vecchi, Fasem, Kartell, Liv’it, MDF Italia, Molteni & C., Moroso and Tronconi and designed stands and showroom for Knoll, Moroso, Sag 80, and Somma. She has greatly contributed to B&B Italia Outdoor, releasing three collections from 2007-2009: Canasta, Crinoline and Ravel.

Her products were selected for the Italian Design 2001 exhibition and for International Design Yearbook 1999 and 2001. In 2001 she was chair of the jury for the 19th CDIM Design Award and was lecturer in the Domus Academy. In recent years, she has received numerous awards including A&W Designer of the Year and Design Prize Cologne. In 2011 her set of glass vases All Ambiq has been exhibited at Glasstress, a collateral event of the Venice Biennale. She is currently conducting her professional activity in her own studio in Milan in the field of design, exhibitions, art direction, and architecture. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

See the photos below for a selection of Patricia Urquiola's iconic furniture for B&B Italia...Visit www.weisshouse.com for more details and additional items. B&B Italia special orders are now 20% Off at Weisshouse until July 7th!

Bend Sofa

Fat Lady

Tufty Time in Leather

Weisshouse Stages Friendship's Glass Lofts

Weisshouse was recently asked to stage a unit in The Glass Lofts, a modern and vibrant green building in Pittsburgh's Friendship neighborhood for a photo shoot for Pittsburgh Magazine. Weisshouse designers, Ron Reinheimer and Stan Adamik teamed up to create a funky stylish feel that enlivened the space and complimented the architecture.

Ron Reinheimer provided some insight into the process that was staging this space...

"Approaching such a large empty space can seem a bit daunting at first.The challenge at the Glass Lofts was to turn an industrial environment into a warm place to call home. We started our color inspiration from the bright green color of the balcony wall, which is very visible inside the living space due to the two huge glass garage doors. The concrete floors were warmed up with beautiful rugs. The living room showcases a turquoise over-dyed rug from Turkey. It was a great anchor to define that space. The use of rugs in an open loft space is a great way to achieve the feel of different areas.The dining room is home to a hand-knotted Tufenkian Tibetan rug. It boasts many clear colors in a grid pattern. We also chose large graphic, colorful artwork to stand out against the industrial walls. You have to be very conscious of the scale of things when working with this type of space..THINK BIG! The sofa we chose is a large Italian-made sectional from Bontempi Casa. The sideboard in the dining space is extra tall and very appropriate for the scale of the space. It is an amazing vintage piece that looked great against the wooden wall behind it. We topped it off with a large colorful piece of artwork by Karl Mullen. We also selected a beautiful glass dining table by Cassina to insure a light and airy feel. The black Cherner chairs offer a very comfortable dining experience and only get better looking with age and wear. The playful piece of artwork over the sofa was created by local artist Jack Weiss. We pulled  colors from it on the multi-colored striped pillows below it. We incorporated more glass with the coffee table in the living room in black (Calvin Klein Home).  We placed a sculptural chair in vibrant apple green for a wow factor (Papilio from B&B Italia). It also has a very cool zipper up the back. The entire kitchen is all white and minimal. We gave it some personality with a collection of miner's bottles that are hand woven from detonator wire in many colors and intricate patterns. We also topped off the cabinets with an old colorful foundry mold. We wanted the balcony to feel like an extension of the interior space when the doors were up and we used the same color palette and made it even more fun with the pop-art styled flower table and bright green "S" chairs that can stay outside all year round. The bedroom space was split up to accommodate an office area. A modern Scribe desk from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams is the focal point. It was paired with a white leather desk chair on wheels. For the bed we decided on a large, simple white slip-covered headboard. The bedside lamps are vintage...a bit quirky and unexpected according to Stan Adamik. For another shot of color we liked the patchwork area rug also from Turkey. We wanted a nice mix of masculine and feminine in this room".

 

Warm Days, Cool Nights...Sweet Dreams

When purchasing new furniture for your home, you may often think about a cozy and stylish sofa, a comfortable chair to read in, perhaps...a new television. The last room that we often consider is the bedroom. A room that most people spend 1/3 of their life in is often considered an after thought time after time. The bedroom is a sanctuary. It is a place to lay your tired head and body after a long, stressful day at the office or a particularly tough work out with your trainer. Having said all of that, Weisshouse is here again to rescue you and your bedroom and ensure that both form and function are addressed equally in the bedroom of your dreams...literally. See above for bedroom design inspiration no matter what your budget allows complete with pieces hand picked by Weisshouse interior designers.

A LIFE Magazine "Dream House" Realized in Pittsburgh

"In 1986, LIFE Magazine invited six well known architects to design a 'Dream House', the plans for which would be available to anyone who wished to build them and one of whom was Hugh Newell Jacobsen".

This "Dream House" is located at 2975 Beechwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill and overlooks Frick Park. The view from Lou and Amy Weiss' (home owners) backyard is second to none. It may even be one of the best views in Pittsburgh. This home is an architectural delight and it's on the way to becoming LEED Platinum Certified. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the standard for earth-friendly construction. The main emphasis is always focused on and around energy efficiency.

The site of this home is a former brownfield slag dump.  When the lower Hill District was demolished to build the Civic Area, the debris was dumped on the current site of this home. Special excavation was necessary to prepare the land for this home.

Just to name a few of the green features of this house...

1. Follansbee Steel provided the standing seam steel roof. The roof is recycled and recyclable. It reduces heat absorption and should last 100 years.

2. Bayer Material Service provided open and closed cell spray foam insulation allowing the home to be sealed and in turn, producing very low heating and cooling costs. There is no roof vent but fresh air is brought into the home at a rate of 3,000 cfm.

3. All of the rainwater is harvested that falls on the roof into a river rock cistern, which is then pumped into the house for use in the home's toilets, hoses and drip irrigation.

4. The site's windmill provides power (through storage batteries) for exterior lighting and the outdoor water feature.

Furniture....

Almost every piece of furniture inside the home is from Weisshouse. Lines featured are Cassina, B&B Italia, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and Artemide Lighting.

The kitchens (first and basement level), bathroom and closet cabinets are also from Weisshouse. The cabinetry is from Weisshouse's Modulo Cucine line in CITY (refer to past blogs for more details).

It was truly a pleasure to spend three days at this incredible home. I must agree with both Lou and Amy, being in this house makes you feel like you are on vacation every day.

living room (MET sofas)

dining room (Modulo Cucine wall-hung buffet)

view from backyard

water feature

windmill

swing

exterior and raised bed vegetable garden

kitchen (Modulo Cucine)

butler's pantry

powder room