Packing up Christmas is a forlorn
task – a chore that consumes more energy… physically and emotionally… than
“decking the halls”.
Perhaps it’s the general malaise of
January. Our wintry skies appear gloomy
and unnecessarily gray. And it takes an
enormous effort to reinstate a regular routine:
moderate culinary treats;
run household errands;
respond to belated emails and phone
calls and mail.
While some folks struggle with the
blues during that hectic stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year, it is usually
the aftermath that makes me melancholy. I
miss the sparkle and mysticism and general busyness of the Christmas season. I mean, when else is it completely acceptable
to fill our homes with glitter, glitz, felt and wired ribbon? Not to mention the emblems and characters of
storybooks and folklore?
Mushrooms are popular for trimming
the Christmas tree or dressing a traditional Buche de Noel (in meringue, of course).
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Contact Mackenzie Limited, in Maryland,
if you're not up to baking, rolling and decorating your own yule log cake.
They also make delicious mushroom tarts... delivered right to your door. |
Like so many of our Western customs, rituals
and iconography involving mushrooms were adapted over centuries, from ancient,
pagan ideas of winter and the supernatural, to conform with Christian beliefs
and the development of national identities, until they became entrenched in our
yuletide celebrations and cuisine… in the very concept of modern Christmas. Legend attributes Santa’s ability to fly to Amanita muscaria, the fanciful, red and
white, toadstool-shaped mushroom, which is indigenous to the pine forests of
northern Europe and the pages of fairytales.
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My funky little ornament and this trio of mushrooms come from Medusa Copenhagen in Denmark
and are designed by the mother-daughter team of Maj-Britt and Rie Bidstrup. |
But in truth, mushrooms, especially edible
ones, have long been recognized, throughout the world, as a gift of nature and
a symbol of good luck, peace and prosperity.
So mushrooms seem like the perfect
decorative start to 2013.
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Caitlin Hilton just opened her Etsy store, Caites Plates, in December.
She paints her comical illustrations on simple, white porcelain.
For decorative use only, not food safe. |
They add wit,
warmth
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| The Mushroom Duvet Cover and Shams from West Elm and |
and whimsy
to our homes. Plus,
for the last two months, I’ve been obsessed with this charming print from
Duralee’s Delfina Collection and am determined to use it somewhere soon!
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| Pattern 21025 is 95% cotton and comes in "Burlap" with mustard and blue accents, |
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| "Aqua and Cocoa" |
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and "Moss" with red and burnt orange.
The repeat is about 12" vertically and horizontally. |
Mushroom
motifs are especially effective when the scale is a little out of whack. The more miniature reinforces their
enchanting, otherworldly qualities.
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| Felt mushrooms fit for Thumbellina... by Feltville |
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| And pastel ornaments for Christmas or Easter or any party favor, also by Feltville |
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The Maze and Vale Tiny Forest linen-cotton print shows how "little" can make a big impact.
Australian artist, Leslie Keating, screenprints her fabrics using natural dyes and fibers. |
While the extraordinarily-large draws us into the story.
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Mushroom Forest Coffee Table by California-based Thomas Wold.
Thomas crafts custom case goods and humorous furniture,
often pieced together from found objects and recycled shapes. |
The
image of the mushroom is recognizably commonplace and compellingly
strange. And the most appealing
accessories somehow capture this dichotomy of mundane and magical.
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Alberto Pinto's mushroom illustrations are beautiful,
but it's really the faux bois border that completes the fantasy.
Sous Bois Dinner Plate #4 |
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| The Fungi Lamp, by German designer Andreas Kowalewski, is constructed out of simple nylon webbing |
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| and looks amazing when lit! |
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The juxtaposition of clean, white stoneware and cast pewter
is perfect on the Vegetable Dish by Vagabond House. |
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Joel Philip Myers served as Design Director at Blenko Glass through the 1960s,
and his creations, such as these decanters, combined function with fashion and fun.
Check out Culture Object for a stunning selection of Blenko and other Mid-Century glass. |
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Even these place card holders from Williams-Sonoma add a bit of enchantment to everyday life.
Use them to label food on a party buffet or book and magazine stacks in a personal library. |
Lamps,
particularly lamps of the 20th century, intrinsically mimic that
familiar cap-and-stem shape… some more literally than others!
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Cypriot Glass Lamp by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Clement Massier,
c. 1895-1910, blown and iridized glass, lustered ceramic base with bronze fittings,
from the permanent collection of The Corning Museum of Glass |
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| Rattan Amanita Lamp, designed for Alessi, by brothers Humberto and Fernando Campana |
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Maze and Vale's Gathering fabric looks like a collection of spores
or dissections of mushroom gills.
Seen here in mustard... it's a wonderful match to the Laurel lamps. |
Filaments of New York specializes in restoring and selling Art Deco and Mid-Century light
fixtures. And it’s a great place to
indulge any mushroom cravings.
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| A Murano glass mushroom light, |
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| two Italian, etched glass table lamps, |
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| a pair of traditional student lamps |
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| and these absolutely exquisite ceramic lamps... all from Filaments of New York. |
You can
visit them in Greenwich Village or online to seek guidance and shop for
fabulous and surprisingly affordable lamps.
Keep
in mind that fungi-inspired décor can avoid the kitschy or quaint.
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| Iconic Chanterelle glass vase was designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Finnish lifestyle company Iittala. |
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| Detail of Shady Side Candlesticks |
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Stunning, early-20th century mushroom vase by Swedish ceramicist Wilhelm Kage.
Originally trained in decorative painting,
Wilhelm served as creative director of the prominent Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory
from 1917 until 1949, and influenced generations of Scandinavian potters and designers.
This vase is available for sale at the Jason Jacques Gallery in New York. |
But
I have to admit that, when it comes to toadstools, as in most things, I’m
usually attracted to the quirky;
pretty;
animated;
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| Rinus |
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and Rosepe are the sweetest wool felt dolls, only 2-3" tall,
brought to life by Canadian artists Charlotte Kolff and Damon Langlois. |
and
splendidly lush.
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Instead of creating realistic, botanical guides, Art Nouveau artists, like Maurice Pillard Verneuil,
looked to nature for ornamental patterns: sinuous, sumptuously-colored and imaginative patterns. |
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These specific plates from his 1897 L'Animal dans la Decoration pattern book
(Lucans et Champignons, above, and Oiseaux, below)
are in the permanent collection of the New York Public Library.
But you can purchase originals of your own from Grey Heron Prints in Georgia. |
Walter’s
favorite mushrooms are Meiji's Chocorooms… those bite-size crispy, cracker-like
cookies covered in milk chocolate.
The
Japanese confectioner makes similar sweets in chopsticks and tiny
Christmas-tree cones, but Walter swears they just don’t taste as good. There’s something about that mushroom shape,
like an elfin umbrella or pixie parasol, that makes all the difference.
So munch on Chocorooms. One at a time, please. And add a few mushrooms to your home décor for
a little fun, and lots of luck, in 2013.
