In the TV show Man Shops Globe, Anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson travels the world shopping for the store - dream job, anyone? In this week's episode he commissions a chandelier, which is later bought by President Obama for his daughters' (Sasha and Malia) White House bedroom. Can you guess its materials and country of origin? Note: the image shown here is from the same designer but not the commissioned Obama piece.
The Obama chandelier is made of plastic bottle tops and Barbie legs. We're guessing that will be a first for White House light fixtures. The chandelier was made at the Magpie art collective in South Africa and cost $4,800. Good thing the Obamas - and not taxpapers - are paying for their own White House decor. Have you seen Man Shops Globe?
RELATED INFO
• Man Shops Globe TV show on The Sundance Channel
• 'Man Shops Globe' for Anthropologie, and the Sundance Channel tags along for the ride from The L.A. Times
• White House Decor Update: First Lady Obama Chooses Pottery Barn and Anthropologie!
• The Obamas' White House Decor on Apartment Therapy
(Images: Magpie chandelier from Anthropologie; Man Shops Globe website)
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Comments (11)
Interesting. This is the first time I've heard of Magpie, and I'm curious to know more. They call themselves "a socially conscious art collective", which is intriguing. Love the idea of social entrepreneurship! But it's been en vogue for a while now yet still doesn't seem incredibly well-defined.
yes i'm watching...i find it frustrating though...he's just not a very dynamic TV personality and the show is already so predictable after only 2 episodes.
Sasha and Malia share a bedroom?
the owners of magpie and their home were featured in a recent issue of LivingEtc (i think sometime during the summer)
Have I seen Man Shops Globe??? It's turned Wednesday evenings into 'must see tv' night!
Oh ladymantle, then it would be from HAWAII, where he WAS BORN. You were almost right...
But...bottle tops and barbie legs? A few years from now the Obama girls will need that public option to pay for their psychiatrist.
barbie legs? that's just creepy and I LOVE Anthropologie
Reminds me of this chandelier in the Smithsonian American Art Museum collection (just saw it in the gallery last week):
http://americanart.si.edu/education/insights/zoom/osorio/
$4,800? For a child's light fixture?
Well, at least this disproves the right-wing smear that Obama is a socialist.
I think ladymantle is at the wrong blog. This is a place for design, not politics, thankyou.
I recently discovered the show OnDemand through my cable provider. I watched all three episodes back to back. I love it.
When does it air?