The Reproductions We'll Never Stop Loving

From Mary -

“Let’s start with the name! I’ve always loved walking through the long airy lighted filled passages. There is something magical about the long axes and imagining all the people who have walked the same steps forward and back.

The table has all the components that always hold my attention – a nod back but a big step forward. I love the cloister table because it feels so modern yet has roots in past more traditional designs. I’ve had this table in every home I own and it is the one constant piece I’ve never strayed from.”

The Cloister Pedestal Table

The Cloister Pedestal Table


Hepplewhite Sideboard in Ebony

Hepplewhite Sideboard in Ebony

From Ali -

Truth be told, it is so hard to narrow down what I want to say to just one piece. I have at least 10 on my wish list!

However, my current obsession is the Hepplewhite Sideboard, specifically in Weathered Ebony.  I mean, COME ON - the beautiful weathered ebony finish, those curved lines, and we cannot not talk about that hardware. I would literally wear that hardware if I could. Simply said, it is traditional and modern all at once. You can’t go wrong with a piece like this; it fits any style, any aesthetic, any time, any place.


From Richard -

To say why a certain piece appeals to one over another is not always easy to define. It is like trying to answer the question: What is occasional furniture the rest of the time?

That said, my favorite HM piece is the Great Scott Highboy in a weathered oak finish. The Highboy is a versatile piece of furniture that can be incorporated in many ways; it works well in a bedroom, drawing room, or living room and has many uses. It is robust while still having a refined and elegant quality.

This piece, along with rest of the McAlpine collection, also represents a fundamental change in what Holland MacRae was doing at the time. To me, this new direction can be summed up perfectly by the phrase “a new twist on tradition.” It was the first time we used outside collaboration in our designs, introduced new finishes, and marks the beginning of our journey in a very exciting new direction.

Great Scott Highboy in Weathered Oak

Great Scott Highboy in Weathered Oak


Estelle Chair

Estelle Chair

From Betsy -

I am having a hard time picking between my needs and my wants. There are 2 pieces that stand out to me right now.

I love antiques, therefore one of course is the Antique Spanish Trestle Table. The yumminess of the oak and the carved base are such a wow factor to me, and the swan legs are just fantastic. It needs to be in a fabulous entrance welcoming guests, and you need to come into the showroom to see its beauty!

My second obsession is the new Estelle Chair (as shown to the left, previously known as our Channel Wing Chair). It is especially sexy in the mohair. This statement piece speaks for itself and belongs anywhere and everywhere.


From Heather -

This took a lot of thought and internal debate. I love and appreciate all the beautiful things we do but at the end of the day, I have to go with my gut.

As I tend to lean more into the mid-century modern aesthetic, I loved the McDaniel Lounge Chair the moment I laid eyes on it. I mean, just look at this beauty! Even as a fan, I often find that mid-century modern pieces can feel cold and uninviting, no matter how interesting or pleasing to look at. However, this chair combines sleek modernism with warmth and functionality. I love the brush slide and the wide, plush seat.

It’s the perfect place to curl up with a cozy blanket, a warm drink, and a good book (or my phone, or some online shopping). Regardless of what I’m doing, THIS is the chair I want to be doing that in.

The McDaniel Lounge Chair

The McDaniel Lounge Chair


Sheraton Radial Leaf Dining Table

Sheraton Radial Leaf Dining Table

From Meg -

My most favorite reproduction is the Sheraton Radial Leaf Dining Table. There is nothing better than sitting at a large beautiful round dining table with family and friends.

And as a bonus - it’s also like having 2 tables in one! It’s designed so that you can add radial leaves to make the table bigger, making it the perfect adjustment for when you want to accommodate a larger group of guests.

The banding is so pretty in contrast with the rich medium mahogany finish, and I love the reeded edge and legs. It’s a beauty!


From Susan -

I remember when I first started at Holland, we had one of these beauties on the floor… with a pedestal base like nothing I’ve ever seen!

I appreciate a good mix of formal and informal, and as shown below, this lady has it all! I imagine she could be invited into a variety of settings and fit right into each and every one.

The Cloister Pedestal Table… clearly a crowd favorite!

The Cloister Pedestal Table… clearly a crowd favorite!


Ashbourne Wing Chair

Ashbourne Wing Chair

From Melaina -

The Ashbourne Wing Chair is one of those special pieces that becomes a family heirloom. It has the presence of a warm inviting hug and the rich leather pleasantly stirs the senses. It brings to mind faint memories of climbing into the lap of a loved one as a child, feeling safe and loved. I especially love it in black paired with the Hoof Foot Round Farm Table. You are never too grown to ask for that pony!

The Art of Celebration with Robert Brown

This has been quite a strange year for most of us. With such uncertainty in an unprecedented climate, it seems like everyone is navigating this yuletide season with a little more care than usual. In the spirit of this, I thought it only appropriate that this month’s With A Little Help From My Friends feature highlights a good friend of mine, Robert Brown.

Robert (or Bob, as he’s known to most), for whom we make a collection, makes for a lovely muse. Though his background is in men’s fashion, he has since gone into design and made an incredible mark on the world of interior design. The last time I talked to him, he told me that one of his fondest experiences was taking cocktail making classes with a few of his buddies on Saturdays. This little nugget reveals just one of the many things I admire about Bob: he finds the beauty in the small things – the shape of a glass or the way a beam of light hits just right or simply laughing with friends after a cocktail or two – and inspires us to find avenues of celebration among the seemingly ordinary.

Out of curiosity, I asked him what his bar looks like. Known for his chic interiors and craft cocktails, he told me that his bar always has several gin choices – and that he drinks martinis the most because they have “a few less calories and carbs.” Lately, he keeps Roku from Japan, St. George’s Terrior from California, and Monkey 47 from Germany for on the rocks.

A year-long staple on the cart are Nick and Nora glasses. A direct nod to The Thin Man from 1934, the main characters in the film (Nick and Nora, obviously) sip cocktails out of these stemmed, small bowl glasses throughout the film and its sequels. Each glass holds about 5 ounces and can be used for any drink that might otherwise be served in a Martini or coupe glass, though the most recent trend sees it sporting spirit-forward drinks without citrus. Equal parts throwback to the good old days and now used by bartenders to put a fun twist on modern cocktailss, drinks served in a Nick and Nora glass are considered “up” and should never be served with ice. Bob personally likes to serve Manhattans in them.

To help us celebrate this season, Bob also graciously shared with us a recipe for his favorite cocktail: The Corpse Reviver #2

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz gin (typically Aviation or Botanist for this drink)

  • 1 oz Cocchi Americano or Lillet Blanc

  • 1 oz Cointreau

  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice

  • A dash of Absinthe

  • Orange peel to garnish

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Take a martini glass and wash it with the absinthe. Drain mix from the shaker into glass. Flame the orange peel and coat the lip of the glass, then float the peel as a garnish. 

We hope you’ll make it and take a moment to enjoy all the things in your life worth celebrating this year. Happy Holidays and see you in 2021!

Gratitude for Melaney Smith + Books for Keeps

 
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As some of you know, we host a summer book drive every year in collaboration with Books for Keeps. We are always so grateful for your willing participation and excited about the books we are able to stack up over the summer. As our inaugural With A Little Help From My Friends feature, here’s a bit more behind the founder of this wonderful organization, our beloved friend Melaney Smith.

Melaney founded Books for Keeps in 2009 after learning that there were young children in her niece’s class not looking forward to summer vacation because they couldn’t afford their own books. With her personal mantras of “I am somebody; I can do something” and “Think Small,” Melaney set out to put as many free books as she could in front of young students. In her first year, she gave away 240 books. Now, 11 years later, Books for Keeps gives away over 100,000 books per year and has provided over half a million books for students since its conception! It is currently serving every elementary school in the Athens area as well as schools in Atlanta and a few rural Georgia communities.

 
 

What makes Melaney such an amazing member of the community is her unique philosophy of “thinking small.” (Take a look at her TEDTalk here!) Her generosity and commitment to helping students achieve their full potential has been honored through numerous service awards, including the Bill Clinton Award for Good Works and recognition from L’Oreal Cosmetics (see her with Julianne Moore above!). She is a daily reminder to us here at Holland MacRae that the decisions we believe to be inconsequential can certainly make a big difference, and we are so proud of her. What started as a handful of students in need of books has evolved into a full-fledged mission and a wonderful, inspiring story of impact.

We hope you will continue to follow us and this partnership; in particular, we encourage you to participate in our next book drive! Keep an eye on our Instagram (or sign up for our mailing list) to stay tuned for those announcements in 2021 – and remember, by thinking small, seeing that you and I can make a difference, and with a little help from our friends, we can make our communities brighter and better than ever.

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Ashley Gilbreath

 

 

Ashley Gilbreath is a southern-based interior designer who studied at Auburn University and the New York School of Interior Design before working for Richard Keith Langham. The publicity she gained for her creative work has taken her around the country to work and consult on both residential and commercial projects. She has a passion for designing casual, elegant spaces where memories are made.

 

 


Get to know Ashley:

HM: What is your favorite thing about the fall season?
AG: Having a fire the second it drops below 78 degrees.

HM: What is inspiring you right now?
AG: Ehh, this varies daily! At the moment, the quick answer is travel. It's nice to step outside of the norm. Inspiration comes from anything from a sunset to a great architectural detail to a funky outfit or great shoes. Antiques with thoughtful details are always fun too.

HM: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
AG: Chocolate chip cookies, specifically my Mom's. They are not a "meal", but I could certainly make them one.

HM: Auburn or Alabama?
AG: AU always (LSU sometimes)

 

Linwood Fine Art

 
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Linwood is an Atlanta-based artist and former gallery owner primarily known for his figurative and landscape portraits. For his most recent work, Linwood turns his artist eye to the abstract modern movement. Bateau-as-vessel imagery, suggestive of life's journey and a rich symbol of transcendence, is a recurrent theme throughout Linwood's latest exhibit. Color play is also striking, as seemingly discordant hues harmonize under the artist's brush.

Linwood is a master of mixed media, unifying disparate materials, including acrylic, oil pastel, pencil and even found objects collaged on the canvas. While the artist (and the art) challenges each viewer to find meaning in the work, a sense of beauty born of chaos echoes through the exhibit. Joy is an omnipresent theme. Each piece is an original, signed by the artist, and available through selected galleries.

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Game On

Games tables originated in the 1700’s, and were created purely for leisure… and maybe for the sake of gossip among English ladies. More than just a table, the games table was a status symbol. The wealthy would gather around their games tables to catch up and maybe even gamble a little. One of our favorite women in history (and part of the design inspiration for our games tables) was Georgiana Cavendish, the duchess of Devonshire. Georgiana was full of beauty and character, and she was known for her fashion sense and love of gambling. She kept her gambling debts a secret from her husband, in spite of the fact that he was one of the richest men in England.

Browse some of our games tables below.

Feeling the Hughes

As seen in Garden & Gun and Traditional Home, Atlanta based Jared Hughes integrates some of our favorite Holland MacRae and Lee Industries upholstery pieces into his colorful, timeless style with an unexpected twist. He is grounded in the classics but perfectly modern. We love his sense of southern style and dramatic use of color. Learn more about Jared’s work on his website.

Pictured items from Holland MacRae: Upholstery Via Lee Industries, Lucille Side Table, Painting By William McLure All Available Through Holland MacRae

Pictured items from Holland MacRae: Upholstery Via Lee Industries, Lucille Side Table, Painting By William McLure
All Available Through Holland MacRae

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To India, With Love

During the fall, my dear friend Susan Ferrier and I embarked on an adventure to India. Breathtaking, enchanting, overwhelming India. A place where color shines brighter than you can imagine, and your heart is captured by the juxtaposition of bustling chaos and stunning architecture. It is a place where you are forced to reckon with the glorious, beautiful mess we are as humans. The cultural wealth is unending as is the spicy food, the sensory overload, and the diversity. It is perhaps my textile heaven. I could never fully summarize this trip, though the memory of it, I am certain, will stay with me forever.