Karen Quarles

New York

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Senior Editor at 1stDibs

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Articles

This Lavish 18th-Century Chimneypiece Comes from a Historic Scottish Estate

Nov 17, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Ted Loos

The sheer heft and presence of a great chimneypiece — better known to some as a mantel — make it a sight to behold. But the George II chimneypiece in white statuary and verd antique marble that is being offered by furniture gallery Westland London takes the form to a new level with its intricate artistry and surprising history. “It’s the perfect example of the English rococo style,” says Laura Dadswell, the gallery’s director.
This Month’s Trio of Compelling Design Projects from Frederick Tang, Lindsay Gerber and Kendall Wilkinson

Nov 9, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles

Enter the impressive worlds created in recent residential projects by Brooklyn’s Frederick Tang Architecture, California wine country’s Lindsay Gerber Interiors and San Francisco’s Kendall Wilkinson Design. The design of this two-bedroom apartment in Midtown Manhattan — in a building with architecture by Foster + Partners — came with a bit of a challenge for the firm’s founding principle, Frederick Tang, and its head of interiors, Barbara Reyes.
How to Tell If a Watch Was Actually Made in Geneva

Nov 3, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles

It appears in elegant letters on the face of many watches: Geneva, or Genève, the name of the Swiss city known for producing some of the most impressive timepieces in the world. But its presence is far from a guarantee that your watch is reliable, high quality or even a product of Switzerland.
Michael Coffey Stirs Emotions with Works Like His Satan’s Tongue Table

Oct 20, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Fred A. Bernstein

Whoever said “Don’t judge a book by its cover” hasn’t seen the new valedictory volume Michael Coffey: Sculptor and Furniture Maker in Wood. Pointed Leaf Press managed to give the book a wrapper almost as tactile as the furniture Coffey has been carving out of bubinga, Mozambique and padouk wood for nearly 60 years. As a maker, Coffey has few peers. Joseph Walsh and Wendell Castle come to mind, but Coffey’s designs, with surfaces as distinctive as fingerprints, are always recognizable as Coffeys.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part 'Blade Runner'

Oct 6, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |John Villa

It may seem overdramatic to consider an item just over a decade old a relic of a bygone era. Still, with Sarah Burton stepping down after 13 years at the helm of Alexander McQueen, this exceptional McQueen pink fur coat can be seen as emblematic of the sensational beginnings of her custodianship of the brand. Besides, such a fabulous piece calls for a bit of drama.
Photographer to Know: Jeannette Montgomery Barron

Oct 6, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Alexandra Zagalsky

In 1978, Jeannette Montgomery Barron moved, with camera in tow, from Atlanta to New York and immersed herself in the city’s thriving, gritty downtown art scene. Drawn to the avant-garde disrupters of the time, she turned her lens on those around her.
The 14 Most Iconic Watches for Women

Sep 29, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Annie Davidson

For years, women’s watches were an afterthought in the world of fine watchmaking. Fortunately, times — and timepieces — have changed. Now, women’s and unisex watches are growing categories, and female watch enthusiasts are increasingly collecting striking styles that suit their tastes and needs. Beyond eye-catching designs and advanced engineering, these timepieces display craftsmanship at its finest. The luxury watches selected for this article top many meticulously curated wishlists.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways

Sep 29, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Ted Loos

The large, ball-like feet of Fred Rigby Studio’s Cove Slipper settee are ever-so-slightly provocative, drawing your attention to furniture parts that we rarely think about. “They catch your eye,” says the eponymous company founder, chatting on the phone from his hometown of London. Rigby has a way of grabbing your attention. He started off doing art direction and set design for music videos and then, about a decade ago, moved to designing retail stores.
Neutral Isn’t Merely ‘Nice’ in These 9 Knock-Out Rooms

Sep 22, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Joan Barzilay Freund

The vast living room that Fern Santini created for jewelry designer Kendra Scott’s Lake Austin home features 24-foot-high ceilings, stile-and-rail wall panels and a curated selection of artworks. “The overriding design philosophy for the interior was that it should feel ‘accumulated,’ as if the family had lived there for generations,” says the Austin-based Santini.
This Chic Abstract Bracelet Is by the Father of Modernist Jewelry

Sep 22, 2023 | 1stdibs.com | Karen Quarles |Alexandra Zagalsky

Bold, sculptural and futuristic, this 1960s 18-karat-gold diamond-flecked bracelet by Italian-Anglo designer Andrew Grima is a modernist masterwork. The piece is an excellent example of the celebrated jeweler’s signature style, with a dynamic and flexible form that hugs the wrist in the manner of woven fabric, showcasing a dramatic pattern that evokes an electric current, darting arrows or splintered sunbeams.