“They’re nothing but fun. They are fun personified in the most artistic way,” says interior designer Patrick Dragonette of the L’OBJET Haas Brothers collection, a few select pieces of which skitter in and out of his Dragonette Ltd. showroom on El Paseo.
The hand-painted process and limited edition nature of each one means L’OBJET is restrained in doling them out. Meanwhile, customers quickly snatch them up. Recently, a woman rehomed all three he had in the store, enchanted by their personalities and sensible price points.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY L'OBJET
A coffee/tea pot, catchall dish, and incense burner are three fascinating creatures from the L’OBJET Haas Brothers collection. Select pieces are available at Dragonette Ltd.
As the Haas brothers tell it, the fantasy narrative behind the tabletop sculptures (that appear merely decorative) is their secret survival in the otherworldly landscape of Joshua Tree. Their creatures have secured a playful place as luxury home goods, with the skilled hands of L’OBJET’s master craftspeople in Portugal finishing the wavy porcelain “fur” with 24K gold lips and feet.
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“Part of the whole idea of mixing periods is this whimsical design standing head-to-head with classic modern pieces or antiques,” says Dragonette, who deepened his appreciation for the art of Simon and Nikolai Haas after touring their Los Angeles studio. “I love their creativity and their sense of humor. And when you mix new and old and high and low, you’re going to have something that feels much more permanent instead of stuck in time or fleeting.”
Dragonette has chosen only a few contemporary lines to bring into the shop. He adds, “L’OBJET and the Haas Brothers are by far my favorite.”
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