September 11, 2007

If It’s Not Baroque, Don’t Fix It

Innermost London Fantome Clock

Will there be a day when faux taxidermy, bamboo flooring, and adhesive wall decals are no longer relevant in home decorating discourse?

Only time will tell.

So take a second to admire the hours passing by on the Innermost Fantome Clock, the latest design object for the zeitgeist.

Skeleton gears sandwiched between two panes of glass reveal the inner workings of the timepiece, which is also known as the ghost clock (shout-out to Philippe Starck’s ubiquitous plastic chairs).

The curvy, ornate flourishes screen-printed on glass are indicative of rococo’s renaissance in the design world — though this is a modern update and nothing you’d ever see on Nana’s mantel. And it sure puts a contempo spin on the classic/obligatory wedding gift.

The delicate design and mirrored back create an eerily beautiful illusion of time suspended.

At least for the moment.

Available at MoMa Design Store, 44 West 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues (212-767-1050); online at 2jane.com.