Saucy new furniture: Glen Peloso,
World-famous TV characters make excellent models for stylish line of furniture
The next cool thing you see in a furniture store is well on its way to a home — maybe even yours.
Where does it all begin? One of starting points is the Canadian Furniture Show, running June 4-7 at the International Centre, where retailers from across the country come looking for those great pieces. This year, for the first time, the public is invited to come and look (not to purchase, sorry).
We’re showing the next instalment of the Glen and Jamie collection, manufactured by Van Gogh Designs in Vancouver, and sold in stores across Canada.
The evolution of a piece of furniture begins with how people use it in their homes.
As designers, we often customize pieces to suit our clients. For instance, with our “Miller” chair that launched last season, we aimed for a relatively small chair with a round back to float in the middle of a room — but comfortable for all heights of people.
Our clients often hosted parties and needed that flexibility, so the “Miller” was created (and named for them).
We ended up ordering that same, custom piece many times for others, and it became part of our regular lineup.
Our newest collection was inspired in the same way. Each piece also has a distinct personality so we named it for a TV show often quoted around the office — and around the world still, 23 years after the series ended — The Golden Girls.
The Rose sofa, named after Betty White’s character, is simple yet comfortable.
There are few embellishments in the design yet it has a feminine quality with the easy curve of the arm. Rose was definitely womanly in her approach to the world — but not particularly worldly. The back of the sofa holds you in and defines that small-town feel. While it is less crazy than events in Rose’s hometown of St. Olaf, it is definitely cosy. We decided to introduce this piece in an off-white fabric, both as a nod to the great Ms. White but also to recognize the simple, wholesome life Rose lived. The Dorothy has many of the qualities we associate with Bea Arthur’s character. She provided structure to the house shared by the four women — Dorothy seemed capable of dealing with almost anything. As well, there was a regal, buttoned-up manner she had when dealing with authority figures that oozed authority. You could count on her practical, “tell-it like-it-is” style and while she was always supportive, she let others make their own mistakes. This chair’s structure can deal with any body type, a button detail in the back that gives it a sense of refinement, and a low arm that offers support s but certainly won’t hold you if you learn too far over the side. The chair feels like it could be her chair from the TV series, it suits her character’s personality so well. Then there’s the Blanche — her chair and sofa design were easy in all respects. The tight back has all the tension we have come to expect of The Golden Girls’ Southern belle, however the flair of the arms with their slight curve out and the set back detail suggest that this is a sofa that would let anyone sit on it. The pitch of the back has a reclining, damsel element and the ample seat cushion is Blanche all the way. In one episode, for instance, Blanche explained she was a flirt because she was from that South and it was in her lineage. When Rose didn’t understand, Dorothy explained that it meant Blanche’s mother was also man-hungry. Red was definitely the best colour to show this piece.
The Sophia. Dorothy’s Italian mother moved in with the drama expected of a Sicilian girl who grew up in a family with Mafia ties. With her short stature and big personality, Sophia, Estelle Getty’s character, embodied the charm of the Old World, complete with ever-changing stories and brazen remarks. Her suitors, engagements and husbands make her tales rich and varied. Our Sophia is also low to the ground with shorter legs — but the furniture piece has a fuller seat cushion, is embellished with diamond tufting, nail-head detail and traditional track (straight) arms with piping. The silhouette with a doublescoop arm speaks to more traditional styles popular in her youth. Purple velvet is a perfect fit for this godfearing “Ma.” Glen Peloso appears every two weeks in New in Homes & Condos. He is principal designer of Peloso Alexander Interiors, national design editor of Canadian Home Trends magazine and a design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show on CTV. Contact him at pelosoalexander.com, follow on Twitter at @peloso1 or @glenandjamie, and on Facebook.