Tuesday, March 30, 2010

...collections...The Aviator!

Most of us are collectors of something.  Some collect old books, others collect glassware, yet others collect rare collections of music.

In terms of designing, I think it's genuine and authentic to use "collections" of any type (except all those little figurines that many of our grandparents kept...) in decorating.

Today is part one of "collections!"  As I was decorating my husband's home office, I decided to incorporate his aviation-artifact collection.  My husband is a university professor and pilot.  Over the years he has made many friends (another type of collection) who have flown for U.S. and international airlines since the 1930s!  One such "pilot friend," Mr. Culp, passed on his artifacts to my husband.  The collection includes several items that look as if Howard Hughes may have used them!

Because of the artifacts as well as the "golden age of flight -- you know, Howard Hughes and all that stuff...," I went with British Classics (Ethan Allen) furniture. 


The wood and design of the furniture remind me of the pieces in the movie, Out of Africa, and bi-wings, wing walkers, and silk scarves flying in an open cockpit!





Here is a sampling of how the items were incorporated into the design of the room.


I began with an antique flight bag which was used when Mr. Culp flew for TWA!  I wanted to display it so that it would "set the stage" for the room.  I found a suitcase stand at Restoration Hardware and placed an old case along with the bag in the entryway to the room.




I took the collection of pilot wings (from many airlines) to a local frame gallery and had the collection framed in a "window-box" type of frame.  The wings hang above the flight bag.



A really large barrister (Ethan Allen, British Classics Collection)  case was placed on one of the longer walls in the room.  The case serves as the "collection box" for the remaining artifacts.

Flight gloves (1930s)

Flight Logs 1930 - 1990


Collection of books dealing with some aspect of flight and aviation.

The contrast of new (headsets) and old (Flight Logs)


The assembled display


 ...the desk, the armillary, and more about "The Aviator" to come...

Collect, keep, don't discard!


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