Do you know Shagreen?

I love Shagreen and during our most recent visit to High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina we saw a lot of it. From light to dark, it’s being used in a fashions.  For those of you that are not familiar with shagreen, it’s the skin of small sharks and stingrays in it’s natural state. It’s highly labor intensive and the exquisitely constructed furniture and accessories will show in cost. If the cost has deterred you from purchasing an authentic shagreen find in the past, there’s no longer a need to worry. You can thank modern day technology for developing faux shagreen.  Now we can all  have a little piece of luxury in our homes, which is a good thing for the sharks and rays too! During the reign of Louis XIV, hides were used for inlay work on pillboxes, scientific instruments and sward hilts. Shagreen became very popular again in the 1890’s. The Duke of Windsor started a new fascination when he commissioned humidors and the most sumptious furniture out of shagreen.Shagreen is in vogue today and you’ll continue to see this luxurious material stay strong in 2016 . It’s pattern is delicate in nature and defines what makes up great design. Shagreen’s granular surface gives it an incredibly striking look and feel. It’s durability make for great furniture.Below are a few snap shots of this luxurious trend we saw at High Point this month.