Young Collectors Night

Posted on February 9th, 2012, in Art, Decorating, Furnishings, House, Interior Design, Wall Decor, Wallcoverings

 

On Thursday January 26 of 2012, in New York City, East Side Settlement held it’s annual Young Collector’s Night. This event brings interior designers, antique dealers, young philanthropists and new collectors together at the Park Avenue Armory to preview American, European and Asian antiques dating all the way back to antiquity. Not only is it a night to ogle over the fine antiques but all proceeds supports the beloved social agency East Side Settlement that has helped many young people and families in the South Bronx and surrounding communities. I was so honored to be included as a member of the Interior Design Committee which was led by chairwoman Wendy Goodman, Design Editor for New York Magazine.

As much as it is touted as a show with diverse origins of the antiques, I found that this year’s show focused on early American finds.

Here were the exhibiters that stood out from the crowd for me.

   

Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz

 

 Amazing antique hand painted wallpapers

Liz O’Brien provided a fresh and unexpected inventory of  French 1940’s furnishings.

Liz O’Brien

Dining Sleeper Chair by Billy Baldwin

Each Interior designer on the committee were asked to pick a traditional piece of art from one of the gallery exhibiters and talk about how they would use it in a contemporary interior. A Look Book was published and handed out to all guests.

Next week I will feature a stormy depiction of Niagara Falls and how I would incorporate it into a contemporary setting. I envisioned it in a modern all window encased interior by the sea!

Marble Countertops! Selection time..

Posted on November 30th, 2011, in Home, House, Interior Design, Kitchen, Pinterest, Stone

On my Pinterest page, I have been pinning white kitchens for as long as I have had an account. When it came time to select countertops for our kitchen and bathrooms, it was easy to determine the direction to go in!

Kitchen pic

(Via: pinterest)

Bounato granite sign

(Photo: Lovejoy Designs)

Buonato Granite was where our contractor sent us. Mike was really knowledgeable about the various types of granite and marble options.

Man going through slabs

(Photo: Lovejoy Designs)

This is where all the fabrication happens too. Before the marble is cut, a template is made at your home to the exact fit of your space. Then the marble is brought back to the facility and cut.

warehouse pic

(Photo: Lovejoy Designs)

For our kitchen, as much as I love the white look of marbles, I was concerned about the staining that does happen. Mike found an alternative that still gives us that white look but is sturdier than a Carrara or Calcutta marble. It is called White Rhino and once sealed can withstand lemon juice, pasta sauce better than others. Having these kind of countertops in your home will require more upkeep than dark granite for example. So, when you are shopping for stone countertops, it is good to consider how you want to live.

Here is our powder room marble. It is called Supreme White; funny name seeing that it mostly grey. We are having all out countertops honed and leathered which gives them a matte, slightly distressed finish.

POwder Room countertop

(Photo: Lovejoy Designs)

Here is the Master Bathroom countertop.. gorgeous huh!

Masterbath countertops

(Photo: Lovejoy Designs)

Stay tuned for some furniture shopping next! This weekend I am heading to Stamford Antiques Center in Stamford Connecticut in hopes of putting me out of my misery in finding the perfect chandelier for our dining room…

phoebe sign

Choosing Crown Moldings for the new abode…

Posted on November 10th, 2011, in Ceilings, crown moldings, Decorating, Home, House, Interior Design, Pinterest

Peter and I went to pick crown molding, window and door casings last weekend. I had this image of a room tagged on Pinterest. See how hefty the moldings and millwork are?

47465659_qtVbH2kI_c

(via Pinterest)

I love a meaty crown molding especially when you have tall ceilings. When one is thoughtful with the size of their crown molding, you are halfway there in creating the mood of a space.

We have 10’4” ceilings so doing a dainty, detailed crown molding will only get lost in the shuffle. Instead we chose a tall 4”-5” molding that will really give the walls some drama.

We went to Anderson McQuaid in Cambridge MA to make some selections. They have a whole building dedicated to moldings and they have samples you can take home to try.

IMG_20110428_155809IMG_20110428_160005

IMG_20110428_160214

Anderson & McQuaid Co. Factory
(Photos: Lovejoy Designs)

Next up, kitchen countertops and final drawings of kitchen design…Stay tuned!

 

phoebe sign