The latest addition to my design wish-list? That would be Soane's entire Argo collection, with which I'm obsessed. Inspired by a 1940s French brass-rope table, the collection, which is made of brass and consists of lighting and furniture, looks like something that might have appealed to Billy Baldwin, who clearly understood the stylish advantages of brass accent pieces. Just look at the photo of his chocolate brown living room below. It wouldn't have had quite the same pizzazz without those brass bookshelves.
Like the 1940s French piece that inspired it, the Argo collection has range, able to work its magic in contemporary and traditional interiors alike. In a traditionally-decorated room, the aesthetic effect of an Argo cocktail table, for example, would be similar to what you see below in the photos of the Chinese wallpapered room and the blue-curtained room, where brass cocktail tables acted as modern interludes in otherwise classical spaces. And finally, in the last interior photo, look at how the brass wall sconce is like a bright, shiny torch among an array of velvet-covered surfaces. Now think about how much better the room would have looked with an Argo sconce or table lamp.
While the collection is available in a variety of metal finishes, it's the antiqued brass finish that I'm crazy about. And what I really have my heart set on is the Argo desk, seen above, which comes with a leather-clad top. I'm convinced that with the aid of that desk, I just might write my Magnum opus someday.
For more information on Soane and the Argo collection, please visit their website.
