White rooms are soothing. White rooms are functional. White rooms are (or can be) incredibly chic. White rooms are enduring and unencumbered by the whims of color trends however they can also be transformed in an instant with addition of a simple splash of seasonal color. I have found the secret to a truly successful white room is it’s not really completely white. The key is the subtle interplay of different shades of extremely pale neutrals juxtaposed against natural tones. At first glance the room appears to be a white room. The dining room to the left is actually several shades of ivory, white and ecru that form a subtle background for the rich mahogany table and sideboard and the stark white of the porcelain. The principle at work is the same one I use for an all neutral room (see my previous post on decorating with neutrals) It’s all about how light reacts to the different textures and finishes. A mix of wood finishes is sublime in a white room and keeps the room from becoming one note and boring.
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Unsurprisingly, I watch a lot of design shows. By and large I find them to be part escapist fantasy/part decorative train wreck. So much of the interior decor and style programming I see bears very little resemblance to what I do as a designer. Frequently the work is produced on extremely short, if not outright unrealistic deadlines and I have never seen 5 different subcontracting trades ever all working together at the same time without a lot of toes and egos being stepped on, literally, in my life! Frankly, I can also take only so much “budget decor” that consists of a coat of ghastly paint and rearranging the same ugly furniture into a new configuration (btw…WTF is up with all the couches on an angle in the corner? It’s tacky and just plain wrong!) However there are a few bright lights on the shelter television horizon
1. Martha Stewert – Everywhere on TV, Print, Radio, Film and Retail When it comes to design personalities and their imprint on pop culture she reigns supreme. While she is not an interior designer per se, she is so much much more. She is an industry unto herself. Her mission to elevate the quotidian quality of just about every conceivable aspect of the lives of every conceivable creature on earth, all the while furthuring the MS brand, remains unparalleled. Martha almost single handedly revived the more gracious aspects of traditional wasp living harkening back to Jackie Kennedy and my Nana’s days as a decorator – waxed walls and pressed flowers, dishware collecting, cultivating flowers, setting a gracious table and hosting a perfect event. Relics of a bygone era for so many people until Martha came along. Just about the only thing she hasn’t attempted is fragrance….yet! Continue reading »
Brooklyn has emerged as a nexus point for green designers. I recently discovered Scrapile and was truly impressed with their elegant designs and mission. I have been a customer of founder Bart Bettencourt’s green materials supply company in Williamsburg but this is a new venture in finished product. From their website – ”SCRAPILE is the collaborative work of designers Bart Bettencourt and Carlos Salgado… these two have developed a unique method of collecting and repurposing discarded scraps of wood from New York’s woodworking industry…to yield an ever-evolving line of furniture and product which by its very nature insists each piece be one of a kind.” The collection is small but the pieces are simple yet beautiful. Their custom work is what I find most interesting. I can visualize multiple potential uses for this particular technique of laminated reclaimed wood. I would be interested to see how it can be turned on a lathe as well.
The Kids-Pets-Carpeting conundrum is the one I encounter regularly. Few clients want to shell out for an oriental rug or quality synthetic, let alone wool, broadloom for the family room. As a rule, kids and sisal are almost mutually exclusive, assuredly so when there are pets involved. FLOR is unquestionably the most cost efficient solution I have yet to encounter for high wear and tear areas. I found this product a few years ago and fell in love with it. I have yet to beat the price for yard with even the cheapest crappiest nylon broadloom. While carpet tiles have been around for decades, FLOR has taken the concept to a whole new, fabulous level. The come in a range of durability ratings but the beauty of tiles is that you can always replace a stained tile with a clean one. (I always order extra tiles) If your the type who can’t get beyond solid broadloom (…snore!) then this will probably not work for you, however, if you like to mix it up a bit (as I do!) then FLOR’s possibilites are virtually unlimited. The product mixes and matches beautifully. With a matt knife, a T-square and some imagination I’ve created custom shaped area rugs with multi-striped racetrack borders. It takes a bit of measuring and math but if your a DIYer at heart it’s no big deal. The best thing is that FLOR is made with recycled and renewable material and is itself recyclable.
I liked the Elle Decor feature of Hillary Swank’s NY pied-a-terre in this months issue. The interiors were designed by Mark Zeff and I have been a devoted fan of his since I saw his work at the showstopping Night Hotel in Times Square (arguably the sexiest hotel to hit NYC in years!) The 1400 sq foot space he created for Ms Swank is, by contrast, clean and calm. The palette is soft neutrals. I liked the details. The accessories are sculptural and interesting; African headrests and hand forged scissors, contemporary art by Malick Sidibé and Carlos Vega. Continue reading »
I have a bumper sticker given me by a client over the top of my desktop computer “Just let me shop and no one gets hurt!…” I have contemplated having it tatooed somewhere on my body. (If there’s room!) It wouldn’t matter how many hours I had in a day I would never have enough time to do all the antique shopping I would like. As such I get a lot of use and save a lot of time (not to mention wear and tear on my Cole Haans) on 1st Dibs. Continue reading »
Never let it be said I do not appreciate cutting edge design and innovative use of technology. The flagship Hollister clothing store at 666 Fifth Avenue is one of the few buildings that manages to consistently stop me in my tracks. Granted it may just be a flashback to the California beaches of my childhood but I always find myself mesmerized by the ever changing surfscape…even when passing by in a cab.
Opened in early 2011 the new storefront completely disregards the distinctive metal facade of the 1957 structure that contains it. The store entrance is a dim tunnel through of a series of video monitors collectively all depicting an ever changing view of the California surf . Two shallow black granite reflecting pools recede from the street, about eight feet into the property to the base of the screens on either side of the entrance. The velvet rope ads a bit of cliche club appeal. Continue reading »
I spend way too much time here, especially around the holidays, yet I still seem to find cool stuff.
It’s an obligatory last minute visit for styling dinner parties when I need a splash of sparkle or color. (as if I ever need any more sparkle or color!) It’s also one of my go to resources for starter furniture. The price point is fairly accessible and the quality is usually great. The darker veneers can sometimes be too fragile for high traffic kiddie combat zones but I keep a stain marker handy and it’s all good. The styling is fashionably accessible “transitional” (that vast territory between contemporary and traditional) I have seen the shapes and sihlouettes in the market for years but the designers at Crate & Barrel manage to keep it looking reasonably fresh. Now they have opened CB2, their lower price mass market line, just down the street. CB2 targets the 1st apartment market with a vengeance. The furniture is all slightly scaled down versions of the strongest selling items from the C&B mixed with funkier more “modern” accessories and all at a friendly price point.
I once spent some time working for Molyneux Studio. It was in interesting experience to say the least. I have great respect for his style. Juan Pablo Molyneux understands the classic theme of ”Decor as Power” like no other and his end product consists of nothing but the best. For me his best work is, unsurprisingly, his own apartment carved out of the 17th century Hotel Claude Passart in the Marais in Paris.
The apartment encompasses 3 floors in an L shape around one of the hotel’s courtyards. This hôtel particulier was built from 1618 to 1620 and designed by Gabriel Soulignac for Claude Passart, the King’s Secretary and Notary. It’s a typical example of the sumptuous buildings with gardens constructed in the Marais for high court officials. Continue reading »
None of us is perfect, not even yours truly. As designers we all have made a creative “misjudgement” at some point – such is the nature of experimentation and creative growth. Genius and Insanity are, after all, opposite sides of the same coin. One’s best hope is that it doesn’t come back to haunt you…in perpetuity…like mine does. As such, in the spirit of full disclosure I feel compelled to own up to this particular one, if only to put that restless shade to rest and perhaps curtail my significant others enthusiasm for repeatedly using it as cocktail party chatter until the day I die. Given that misery loves company I invite my readers to share their own disasters as well…anonymously if need be. Continue reading »
