Natural Curiosities strikes just the right creative note with its eclectic and somewhat eccentric collections encompassing the “beautiful, historical and educational.” I have featured them before and am totally captivated each time I visit. Founder Christopher Wilcox and his crew do not fit neatly into a single category. At the intersection of art and intellect, the team of over 15 creatives serve as artists, curators and conservationists, pooling their talents for a gallery, production studio and think tank rolled into one. With a Made in America ethos and environmental directive, they believe “that art is the backbone of culture; nature is inspiration for art.”
To celebrate the art of currency, the studio is setting themselves an ambitious objective – to collect banknotes from every country in the world. Printed money, like stamps are an under-appreciated aspect of everyday design that they rightfully feel deserves recognition. The graphic appeal is self evident and there is a miniature geographic and historical lesson imprinted on each!
Like many of us in the blogosphere, Natural Curiosities has a slight book obsession. With The Book Collection, they are making the concept of a library accessible to all with a bold artistic statement. To give you an idea of scale, each piece is 10″ x 50″ including the frame. There are eight books in the series intended to represent the notion of collecting and remind us that we are still in an age of discovery where we should see “the world as emerging and developing rather than already discovered.”
Continuing with the book theme were a set of book presses, functioning with the potential form and function combination of decorative object and book end!
I was immediately drawn to the Gallicus Hands. Resembling an ancient reflexology chart, they are evidently part of The Book of Secrets, an early encyclopedic anthology of esoteric arts – including chiromancy, metoscopy, astrology, astronomy and onomantia (I had to look that one up – it is the “is divination from names, such as the number of letters in a name”) published in German in 1717. This gilded version is a stunning graphic.
Highly collectible, a collection of vintage duck decoys would be the perfect accoutrements for a house by the water
A more commercial collection of eclectic furnishings was found at the enormous Global Views venue. Offering over 2,500 products from furniture to table top to pillows to accessories, they have it all. Their many consoles, servers and dressers are versatile functional pieces. The clean lines and great hardware give a stylish updated look. The French key collection is available in several iterations and finishes.
But my favorite piece in the French Key collection was the distinctive secretary.
You can imagine how much I loved the interior!
Friend Liz Morten, a High Point expert and my secret weapon at market, carries this piece in her online store, Dovecote Decor. The Klismos table and chairs are a casually chic option.
Several versions of a marble topped gueridon table offer stylish options for small spaces.
There was a simply enormous selection of decorative accessories. I liked this fun trunk-like jewelry case, which is available in other color ways as well.
Trays are one of the most useful accoutrements for every room in the house and Global Views had a great selection.
And no accessories collection would be complete without pillows. Green of course was everywhere and these peacock hued ones with fun textures would be a terrific way to enliven any space including a summer rental.
More High Point picks tomorrow!
I am so excited about your HighPoint postings! Beautiful images and descriptions! Thanks for bringing it to us! Can’t wait o see what’s next!
I love the Gallicus hands and the idea that the world is still developing and to be discovered–something we know it all tend to forget all too easily!
Stacey,
I would love to know more about you….and how you were as a child? You have such an amazing eye and are always getting into trouble….what curiosity you have my dear!
I need to bring an element of curiosity to my work. I adore everything you show because it is unique and chic. Now tell me how much of what you see comes home with you?
Love to have you as my guest one day on how you arrived at this point….and how you have all this energy to travel and educate each of us about design, decor, art, culture, cuisine, fashion, history, film…..How do you do it all? You must wear roller blades and sleep very little.
pve
Those gueridons are calling, but more to the point: the reminder that everything, including me, is a work in progress makes me happy. Thanks. Mary
Wow Stacey so many wonderful ideas and you’ve given me oone. My husband has banknotes from traveling the world for business and he’s collected a bunch time to get them framed, great idea. Love the books too. You have such a fun job.
Enjoy your day!
XX
Debra~
One of these days I will get to Highpoint! Lots of eye candy for sure!
STacey,
You got some great shots!
Lynn
Thank you Stacey, beautiful as always. Thumbs up !
This was just….thrilling! That “secretary”… I can just imagine working and dreaming (of sunsets!) Nice job! franki
hi stacey!
just commented on another bloggers take on natural curiosities and she showed entirely different images than yours. i adore that companies vision, they seem to throw a home run every market.
wow, has global views knocked it out of the park!
xo
debra
So much to take in! I love the Natural Curiousities pieces – such wonderful way to look at the world, with art as the backbone of culture and nature as the inspiration for art. The take the everyday and turn it into something that makes one think.
I’m so glad we had you as our High Point guide, Stacey your point of view and eye for the wonderful is inspiring!
I can’t stop thinking about that framed money. We were at a Polish Heritage festival last weekend and they had displays of Polish money through the years. It was fascinating, especially how it changed when they were occupied, socialist and back again. Another interesting point was they have bills with the image of the Pope on them. He was, of course, quite a famous Polish son and the country is hugely Catholic, I just found it an interesting social comment.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much you get around and feature here on Q!! I have not been to High Point since the late 90s [my HomePortfolio.com days] and it looks SO great with all of these wonderful decorative accessory finds! I think the gilded Gallicus Hands would be my top pick. Great selection, Stacey! ox
Quintessence, you make sourcing for our clients so much easier! The jewelry case is genius. Love your picks!
Natural Curiosities & Global Views are 2 of my favorite companies. Love that desk with the orange interior. It is perfect for you.
Love that you met Liz and have gotten to see so many others!
Loved the palms at Natural Curiosities too. their stuff is always original. I get nutty at Global Views though I did browse. You did make a lot of tracks-secret weapon- MUST Have!
I think my previous comment was deleted! Here we go again…
Love the bills from around the world. Each person in my family would find this fascinating and delightful. You live such a fantastical life and I really appreciate you taking us along for the journey!
It was so much fun to meet Liz from Dovecote Decor. Her pieces before the market were a huge help to understanding it before I went.
I can’t believe how much I saw, but when I see other bloggers’ posts, I also can’t believe how much I missed!
We look at the same things, and see it differently. I thought I saw everything at Global Views, but evidently did not, because I can’t remember seeing these pieces! I did see the gueridon tables and made a note to write a piece on classics that never go out of style–the gueridon being high on the list.
Had fun with you at Market, especially at the Four Hands party when we learned of our Colgate connection.
Hi Stacey,
Always loves your recaps, but the photos of the framed currency stopped me in my tracks! My husband has been collecting money from his travels since his first trip (Japan 1976!) and has been collecting ever since and got me doing it when we met (1985). I’ve lost count how many countries we have, but have a huge collage of currency in an antique frame, hanging over the library sofa. It’s so beautiful and interesting…I don’t know why I haven’t ever posted it!
xo,
~R
Just catching up with the last few posts. Your blog and a good cup of coffee are my favorite way to start my day.
Barely breathing over that exquisite secretary and marble top table and chairs. Your eye delights and inspires. Just beautiful.
Thank you so much for the credit. I am glad you liked the Natural Curiosities book wall, I just plain love it! Still catching up on everyone’s posts. You caught me in the mirror!
Best,
Liz