Monday, March 30, 2009

CARLETON VARNEY SALUTES DOROTHY DRAPER WITH HIS LATEST BOOK HOUSES IN MY HEART AND EXPANDING KINDEL FURNITURE COLLECTION

Carleton Varney is the president and owner of Dorothy Draper and Co, the oldest established interior design firm in the US. Draper, the first female interior designer began her firm in 1923, and is known for her intensely colorful projects from residences, to large public spaces. The Greenbrier, perhaps her most famous hotel, was full of splash and charisma. Her look became known as Modern Baroque. The Draper- designed dining room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was seen in many films and made for a chic lunch with friends. Varney continues her design legacy, creating projects with the same vim and vigor.


Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
Carlton Varney recently worked with Kindel Furniture to create the Dorothy Draper Furniture Collection. The pieces look great together or on their own. Either way, they are all wow items. This display cabinet with Chinoiserie touches has a peach backing that creates a tropical mood with the white finish. Display collections, china or books.

Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
Draper was a master colorist, and the latest additions from Kindel were shown painted in aqua and coral hues. This chest is great bunched or alone.

Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
The perfect slipper chair is not easy to find. The proportion is just right, and the long fringe skirt is oh-so-feminine.

Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
A scallop apron on this table is another femme- touch that works well with a high gloss finish.

Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
What a piece! The architectural details and swags on this mirror make it the conversation piece of a room.

Photo Courtesy of Kindel Furniture
A comfy, easy tufted upholstered piece can look tailored and relaxed without being huge.


CARLETON VARNEY FABRICS


Punchy Rhododendron
Varney launched his fabrics in 1992, and many of them are available from Carleton Varney by the Yard. Happy prints like these create a fun atmosphere. I adore them and am sure they were a childhood influence-- the poppy color sense is hard to ignore.


Fazenda Lilly in white.


Les Fleures, a painterly multi-colored floral. I believe this was in our Long Island living room...


Princess Grace Rose in yellow.

Photos Courtesy of Pointed Leaf Press
Houses in My Heart captures Carlton's colorful career. His joie de vivre and use of dramatic, bold interior touches makes this book a treat to read. More is more is the mantra here, where theatrics are everything. Get your copy from Pointed Leaf Press, and click here to check the book tour schedule. You do not want to miss the great stories Carleton will share!

An elevator lobby at The Greenbrier had a crazy flower and trellis rug and Rhododendron fabric. Hmm, shall we say this was inspiration for Diamond and Baratta?


Melon and white are resort colors to be sure. Being greeted at this half moon desk with giant pediment must have made a big impact. On the left is the Chinese Chippendale Console that was modified for the Kindel piece shown above. What a fun way to showcase Chinese export china!


A watercolor for the Waikiki Sheraton in Hawaii. Prints and Parson's tables are great in this tropical locale.


On the left, the Trellis Lobby of the Greenbrier mixes 1948 trellis panels, a wild print at the window and the black and white terrazzo floor from the 1930's. The middle image shows the 1998 refurbished Trellis Lobby. At the right, a huge wooden pediment, green moire patterned carpet and red walls lead to the Lobby bar.


Carleton mixed Billy Haines pieces with orange and lime green in Joan Crawford's New York living room. Garden seats are making their big comeback, and I love how this bamboo lattice piece brings the garden inside.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

DIFFA DINING BY DESIGN

Dining by Design time is here again! Architectural Digest is the sponsor and is holding the event in tandem with their Home Design Show at the Pier. The list of table designers and collaborations this year is interesting, and should make for an excitingly festive room that combines fashion, interior design, art, and architecture. Hit Diffa's website to purchase tickets and support the fight against AIDS.

The table designers include:
CASTELLO DI GABBIANO, DESIGNED BY MARC BLACKWELL
STOLICHNAYA ELIT, DESIGNED BY JASON WU
BENJAMIN MOORE, DESIGNED BY DAVID STARK
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, DESIGNED BY DAVID BEAHM
HP
ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS BUILDING, DESIGNED BY POGGENPOHL WITH VASI YPSILANTIS AND MARGREET CEVASCO NEW YORK DESIGN CENTER, DESIGNED BY MICHAEL TAVANO
THE NEW YORK TIMES, DESIGNED BY SUPIMA AND SHOP
THE NEW YORK TIMES, DESIGNED BY DDC DOMUS DESIGN COLLECTION
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST, DESIGNED BY CAMPION PLATT
GOURMET
-FUL STUDIO
BRAD FORD
CENTER44, DESIGNED BY SUSAN LAWTON
CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN & ANGEL SANCHEZ FOR PROFILES
ERIC WARNER
DAVID ROCKWELL/ROCKWELL GROUP
FAUNE YERBY
JERRY SIBAL OF DESIGN FUSION
JESGORDON/PROPERFUN
JORGE CAZZORLA FOR CELEBRATE FLOWERS
KRAVET INC.
RALPH LAUREN HOME
RAZORTOOTHDESIGN
SHELLY SABEL DESIGN
THE ALPHA WORKSHOPS
TRACY REESE
TRACY STERN FOR SALONTEA
FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY with Mentor David Beahm
NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN with Mentor Shaver/Melahn Studios
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY with Mentor Miles Redd
PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN with Mentor Vicente Wolf
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS with Mentor Robert Verdi

DIFFA’S DINING BY DESIGN COCKTAILS BY DESIGN
Thursday, March 26; 6 PM – 10 PM
Tickets: $150 per person available online at diffa.org

DIFFA’S DINING BY DESIGN TABLE HOP & TASTE
Sunday, March 29; 12 PM – 5 PM
Tickets: $50 per person available online at diffa.org.
*With a $60 online ticket, attendees receive access to DIFFA’s DINING BY DESIGN Table Hop and Taste, the Architectural Digest Home Design Show and a six-month subscription to Architectural Digest magazine.

DIFFA’S DINING BY DESIGN GALA DINNER
Monday, March 30; 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Table-hopping and opening of the design installations to guests for a luxurious seated dinner, followed by dancing, dessert and silent auction. Tickets: Designed tables for 10 available for $10,000. Individual tickets at Club tables for $500 per person.
Both available online at diffa.org

WHERE:
Pier 94, 12th Avenue at 55th Street, New York City

STYLEBEAT DESIGN DEAL OF THE WEEK: STARK SALE

What: The Stark Warehouse sale is back in NYC
Where: Metropolitan Pavillion. Visit 125 West 18th Street
When: March 25-27 from 10am-9pm March 28 from 10am-8pm and March 29 from 10am till 6pm
Why: There will be great deals on Pratesi bedding, Watkins, Fonthill and Old World Weavers fabrics, wallpapers and Stark rugs

Monday, March 23, 2009

THE EXOTIC SERIES OF INTERIOR WATERCOLORS BY VICTORIA MOLINELLI FOR COLEEN AND COMPANY

Artist Victoria Molinelli created a 4 piece collection, The Exotic Series of watercolors for Coleen and Company in Los Angeles. Lush interiors filled with ornate and grand objects, are painted in great detail with watercolor by Molinelli. The play of light and shadow in rich jewel- toned rooms captivates its audience. There is a subtle charm to watercolor. Details can stand out and recede at the same time depending on the brush stroke. Hanging a cluster of these in beautiful frames would make a sweet moment. They are a way to escape into another world--you feel like you are stepping into a kooky relatives lair when you look into them. Her prices are very fair, scoop them up while you can!!

The Green Banquette
Photos Courtesy of Coleen and Co.



Hanging Robe



Pink Gallery Wall



Tiger Print with Fire
Watercolor roomscapes are making a comeback. Mark Hampton's book On Decorating is in high demand, and James Steinmeyer is highly collectible and commands a steep price tag.

Friday, March 20, 2009

THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Why not celebrate the first day of spring with some flowers? There are signs of Narcissus pushing through the dirt in New York City, so lets hope the cold goes away soon.
In the meantime, buy some fresh pink tulips to celebrate the coming of spring and the beautiful weather should follow...


Brunschwig and Fils is the go to fabric house for great florals. Monsoon Floral, this new cotton Indienne print, is sure to add some zing to a room. Purple and red is an under used color combination that together it is such a chic pairing.


Bright and cheery, each colorway is full of life. I love a bright print to liven things up.


Painted glass is a 50's throwback that could use a revival. I love these new glasses from Home,James! for serving bright tropical drinks, they are bursting with festive flair.


Get your flower power going with this Kate Spade daisy pin.

Friday, March 13, 2009

BLUE AND WHITE CHINA YOU CAN WEAR OR PUT ON YOUR WALL

Photo courtesy of Ashley Jeanne
So you love your Blue Willow and Canton china, but always wished you had something as zippy and bright to wear. Finally, there is The Wallpaper Scarf from Ashley Jeanne to solve the problem. Wear it or frame it, the vibrant blues will perk up a room and an outfit.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

WEST ELM OPENS A HUGE NEW STORE ON NYC'S UPPER WEST SIDE

photos from David Stark
For the grand opening event of NYC's newest West Elm store, David Stark was asked to get creative with recycling, and created a truly inspired landscape out of cardboard, old West Elm catalogs and other reusable materials. Recession be damned, West Elm forges onward.
Visit the emporium when you are on the Upper West, at 1870 Broadway (at 62nd Street):


These cardboard cacti will never need water.


The 3-ball topiary of shredded catalogs will live forever.

Some of my new favorites from West Elm:


Nesting Hexagon Tables in Tumeric


The Faceted Glass Pendant Lamp

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

ARE YOU LIVING THE CULTIVATED LIFE?

Photos courtesy Jean-Philippe Delhomme from The Cultivated Life, Rizzoli New York 2009
Interior design mishaps, art world snobbism and literature elitism are portrayed with tongue in cheek humor in The Cultivated Life: Artistic, Literary and Decorating Dramas written and illustrated by Jean-Philippe Delhomme from Rizzoli. His gouache painted cartoons depict in the know urbanites with witty reflections on "Decorating Dramas", "The Art Scene" and "The Literary Thing". Poking fun at those that take themselves too seriously, he provides a witty perspective on a variety of things, such as living with modern furniture in modern culture. Delhomme just wants us to have a laugh and lighten up!


Of course it's gorgeous! But I know there's a compulsive minimalist inside me that could burst out any minute.



We really wanted the house to look like a modern museum, so we added a gift shop.



Dinners on our roof terrace are magical. The sound of the traffic from the street is so loud there's no need for conversation.



We're holding out for an early 1930s Rietveld table to go with our Zig Zag chairs and our dealer knows of one owned by a 90 year old collector. We've put in a bid and are prepared to wait!



You know, it's always been my dream to sit on a rug!



Just think of this as the Eames chair of the eighteenth century!

Monday, March 9, 2009

KIPS BAY DECORATOR SHOWHOUSE LINEUP FOR 2009


Kips Bay is in a beautiful townhouse at 22 East 71st Street this year. The former Salander O'Rielly Gallery (closed after big sell off scandal) will be transformed by interior designers. The pre-renovation party brought out supporters of the Honorary Chair, Albert Hadley. The designers, assistants and vendors came out to visit the space, catch-up and discuss the transformational process. This year promises to be great, and I am so happy that the committee decided to return to a townhouse space; the apartment building Manhattan House was a less than stellar venue. At least this year there were plenty of gorgeous places to choose from, being that the real estate market is what it is, for the first time in, well, forever.
Visit the house April 17th to see the fruits of showhouse labor! If you can't attend, it will be shown in House Beautiful, the Kips Bay magazine sponsor this year.

LES INDIENNES FABRICS: EUROPEAN SOPHISTICATION BY WAY OF INDIA


Mary Mulcahey started Les Indiennes in 2002. After discovering that a tiny village in India could print her fabrics with the special 12 step Kalamkari printing process, she knew her fabric designs were going to be realized. Her collection of French prints, charming florals and damasks are all made in India, hand-blocked and printed with natural dyes. Her take on Indian textiles is well suited to the American and European market. The range of soft colors in fabrics, bedding, throw pillows and accessories is sophisticated and casual. Hot off the press, limited-addition wallpapers have just been added as the newest introductions in her line. A former stylist, Mulcahey took beautiful photographs that showcase her designs in a wonderful way. Visit her online store and see her full range at Les Indiennes.


The upholstery fabrics hung on display.



A selection of coordinating swatches.



Colette in red.



A bed showing the Elise duvet and Pipi Madeline pillows.



The Madder Red pattern, on a daybed that is for sale.



The Indigo bed, in Veronique and Antoinette quilt.



A charming french chair covered in the Indigo Sabine stripe.



The new limited-edition wallpaper, in Veronique.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

JIM THOMPSON LAUNCHES THE TONY DUQUETTE COLLECTION OF FABRICS

You may own the book, you have seen the furniture with Baker, here are the fabrics. Hutton Wilkinson worked with Jim Thompson Silks to create a collection of dazzling fabrics. Tony Duquette was a good friend of Thompson's, so it is a natural fit to do a collection with the house today. Glitz and glam, the Duquette fabric line is based on his archives and classic imagery of Malachite, Coral Branches and Ermine Tails. Wilkinson created a line with luscious jewel tones and energetic prints, making a style statement that can be used boldly, as well tonally. The brochure was photographed at The Dawnridge Estate, the inspiration for many of the collections. It showcases the Baker furniture line, accessories, and Duquette baubles with moody lighting and great panache.

Photos by Dana Maione
A screen covered in Golden Sunburst, a silk jacquard weave with a large scale sunburst motif, comes in red lacquer and gold and blue. The back pillows are of Asia Major, a silk blend offered in an array of jewel tones. Then in front, the semi precious stone is center stage with the Gemstone malachite print.



For major glamour, use the prints together. The pelmet of Tibetan Sun, a silk and cotton embroidered motif, is shown with panels of Asia Minor, a nice coordinating patten. Intricate Moroccan grillwork and inlay influenced the Gemstone Grillwork pattern on the middle pillow. This relaxing lair with the warm night air is party ready. Don a caftan and some large jewelry and you are ready to step into this picture.



The White Gemstone print is for a fab moment. It also comes in lapis lazuli blue, rose quartz pink, beige and honey-toned onyx.



Get your Om on with the Gemstone print in Emerald green.



Duquette jewels make the perfect curtain tieback.



The solid silk Fireworks has tone on tone glam. When Duquette did the costumes for the Tony-winning original Broadway production of Camelot, he created them out of Jim Thompson iridescent silks. This collection was destined to be glamorous from the start.