Karolina Kurkova: Now Available In Lamp Form

She’s more used to modeling designers’ work than designing pieces herself, but Karolina Kurkova took to the drawing board for her latest project. Kurkova was selected as one of ten guest designers by West Hollywood gallery owner Jean de Merry to design a custom piece in honor of the ten-year anniversary of his artisanal, made-to-order furniture line and store. “Jean will tell you, I was very hands-on with this,” Kurkova said of her ornate, towering lamp. “I wanted something to really represent a woman’s essence, from her curves on top to the strength of the base on the bottom. Even the crystals sewn into the fabric are all from the Czech Republic [her homeland]. Every piece of this design has a part of me.” With all proceeds benefiting the charity of the designer’s choice, the project attracted a motley crew of talent (known as the JDM Ten), including local interior design star Oliver Furth, L.A. native Irene Neuwirth, and Katherine Heigl.

Days away from his first Resort showing, Gregory Parkinson played on his love of prints and texture when designing his wood cabinetry. “My work is all about layering and mixing patterns and colors, and this really seemed to take that to the next level,” Parkinson said. “We’re bombarded with so much visually these days that it’s nice to have something that is just pretty…and functional as well.” Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra, with typical wit, created a chair that was more like a throne. “It’s lyrical but it still sort of has that humor,” Tagliapietra said of its antler details, inspired by vintage photos the pair came across. “I like my furniture to have a personality. It’s not like a piece of clothing that you have the luxury of saying you’re not in the mood for.”