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!

Designer Days. A trip to the granite stone yard

Posted on June 16th, 2011, in Stone, Wall Decor, Wallcoverings

This week I took a visit to the granite and marble yard in search of a large slab of granite to replace a piece of existing green Onyx. This piece is equally gorgeous but is not complementary to the color palette for the job. Visiting slab yards is rewarding. I am always humbled by the fact that these stones exist in nature. There is so many beautiful and varied colors, patterns and textures in stone. From a piece of Carrara marble to the Onyx below, I am fascinated by stone is it’s many appearances.

This is the existing piece…

PH1A Existing Onyx

This is the new piece that will be cut down and then inserted into it’s new home. It will be backlit to emphasize the gorgeousness of the stone. I am pretty sure it is going to glow something pretty.

Pineapple Onyx

I am also on the hunt for some Danby Marble which is quarried right in the Northeast up in Vermont. It is a beautiful white stone with veining that ranges from dark grey’s to browns to even blues.

Danby

Stay tuned for pics once these are installed!

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Your closet’s working overtime…Case Study #2

Posted on January 27th, 2011, in Color, Decorating, Fashion, Geometric Patterns, Wallcoverings

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If you checked into the Design Lab at the beginning of this month, you saw how my own fashion choices are often very reminiscent of my interior design choices.

Next up is Kim. When I tell you that this woman has got style, I mean it. She always looks modern and undeniably chic. She appreciates timeless essentials like jeans, cardigans and good shoes. She likes to combine unique colors and textures to create a look that is interesting. She knows her personal style and her look is always consistent and refined. I want her closet…

We recently completed renovations to the 2nd floor and had a chance to reflect back on design decisions. As expected, when we took a look in Kim’s closet, we found a lot of similar colors, patterns and textures.

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This room was so much fun to design. When I came across this wonderful wall covering, it won the prize. It is a great combination of a soft taupe, light lavender, gunmetal grey, bronze with a pop of chartreuse green.

You can see with Kim’s outfit there the similarities. She is wearing a sheer taupe-grey blouse but has combined it with a turquoise necklace that pops like the chartreuse green in the wall covering.

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Texture and Pattern play an important roll in Kim’s fashion and interior design choices too. In the upstairs hall, we did a soft beige colored geometric fretwork pattern wallpaper on the walls. Here is a close up image of the pattern:

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We added two gold leaf two arm wall sconces. The texture of the wall sconces paired well with the matte but energized pattern on the walls.

In this photo, the soft beige color is apparent in Kim’s outfit. She is wearing a merino wool sweater that is cinched at the waist with a belt that has a soft aged brass finished buckle reminiscent of the sconce finish.

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In the den off the hallway, we carried the soft beige color onto the walls and let another pop of pattern and color steal the limelight. The desk chair is covered in a fern green and ivory linen zebra patterned fabric. On the walls, we added hand rubbed antique brass sconces.

It is hard to tell in the photo but Kim is wearing the most amazing brushed brass necklace. It has great texture like the wall sconces and addresses her love of mixing textures by pairing it with a green cotton/silk tank top.

This job will forever be a favorite of mine. Each design decision we made was carefully thought out and every color, texture and pattern we chose was an ode to a homeowner with incredible taste and appreciation for good design.

Stay tuned for more photos of this home including Kim’s son Alex’s bedroom and in a couple weeks another closet study!

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