Tuesday, August 31, 2010

MORE STYlISH SHOPPING IN HUDSON, NY: HEDSTROM & JUDD

Hedstrom & Judd at 401 Warren Street is located near the Face Stockholm Store. A sign that city folk need their chic stuff even when upstate.

As you enter the shop, you are greeted by oodles of planters and garden accents. How great is the Raj umbrella to shade a hot day?

Swedish and Gustavian style is alive and well in Hudson NY. There is a particular lightness to the designs that add a classic simplicity to a room. White painted pieces from Swedish Blonde and All in Wood mix with an assortment of items to live well. The shop interior is painted in a gray wash, and tables and cabinets are filled with a great assortment of antique china, garden ornaments, charming accessories and finds from Europe.

This columned birdhouse is an elegant enclave for feathered friends.

Chelsea Textiles pillows and furniture complement framed bird prints and intaglios.

They have a great assortment of Emma Bridgewater pottery. It is not carried everywhere and the sign of a stylish store buyer.

A garden trug sits next to glass bowls.

Take your pick from their antique china trove of Burleigh ware.

Summery block printed bags on a Swedish bench.

Pretty terra cotta pots and the front of the regal bird house.

Hedstrom & Judd does the most wonderful large scale bird prints.

If you need potted Myrtle and topiaries for your porch, they have a nice selection.



Monday, August 30, 2010

WHO IS DECORATING A ROOM AT KIPS BAY THIS YEAR?

Here it is! After a few bumps in the road, Kips Bay Showhouse, the oldest and best showhouse in the country is on track for October. The house has been secured and the list is set. Finally. The decorator list has just come out and it is fantastic. With a stellar group like this, they will surely whip up something great in time for the October unveiling.

Aman & Carson, Inc.
Nancy Boszhardt, Inc.
Sherrill Canet Interiors, LTD.
Coffinier Ku Design, LTD
Cullman & Kravis
Darren Henault Interiors
The Jeffrey Design Group
McMillen Plus
Monica Rich Kosann Photography
Jennifer Post Design Inc.
Katie Ridder Design & Decoration
Robert Verdi Inc.
Rod Winterrowd Inc.
Vicente Wolf Associates, Inc.
2Michaels Design

PLAY WITH PAINT: ANTHROPOLOGIE AND J. CREW BRIDAL

You can get creative with paint and do things to make a statement in an otherwise simple surrounding. Here are some ways to go from nice to sensational with a few fresh coats and an artistic hand.

The floor of the newly opened J. Crew Bridal store for the edgy bride has a starburst in black and white painted on the floor like a giant compass.

Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center has an entryway painted in tromp L'oeil a la Christian Berard and Jean Michel-Frank at the Guerlain Institute, Paris, 1939 shown below.


Monday, August 23, 2010

MICHAEL BOODRO TAKES THE HELM AT ELLE DECOR

Inching his way to the top of the masthead, magazine industry veteran Michael Boodro has just been tapped as editor in chief of Elle Decor. His stellar magazine experience has taken him from Vogue where he was features editor, he served as an editor for the style section of the New York Times, launched Culture & Travel, and before joining Elle Decor as executive editor, was editor in chief of Martha Stewart Living. Boodro maintains the core editorial team of Anita Sarsidi, who rises to Design Director and Vicky Lowry, who becomes Executive Editor, the rest of will join the team? That remains to be seen.

OFF TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD


Off to Martha's Vineyard for a few days...rest and relaxation and maybe a bit of shopping! Back soon..
Let me know your favorite places to go on the Vineyard by leaving comments. Is it Mad Martha for ice cream, the cliffs at Gayhead, The Bite in Menemsha?

Friday, August 20, 2010

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: GIFT SHOW GREATS

I am hearing everyone in the industry say, "we are cautiously optimistic." Interior designers say new clients are active, albeit slowly and cautiously. I hope the optimism continues. I sped around the gift show over the past few days and discovered some great new companies that took a leap and brought their designs to market. Trends included unexpected shades of colors like persimmon, plum, mustard, and muted orange. I wish them all great success.
Here are some of the things I am loving now.

Sea grass frames and trays in serene coral, yellow and purple were showstoppers.

New York - based Robyn Brooks had a beautiful booth. She painted the walls in a pale blue hue to offset her bright skin, cork and sea grass designs. She learned all about high quality skins working with jewelry and bag designer Kara Ross, and then set out to do her own stylish thing. I am so glad she was at the show with her frames, mirrors, lamps, trays and bracelets-- something new to get excited about, when there was not a ton of newness out there....
Fortuny- covered chairs sit around an Eero Saarinen inspired table from Ikea for taking orders. She even brought a potted palm!


Here is Robyn standing next to a chic oversized cork lamp.

Her skin trays and frames are really nicely made and finished.

Love this! I don't usually go crazy for skins in wild colors, but her colors are stunning.


Fun geometric patterned poufs from John Robshaw are the new beanbag.

Joel Fitzpatrick just launched this great new eco towel line with cotton trim that comes in orange or green. As a designer, he saw there was a lack in attractive eco towels.

The Kelly green is fresh and crisp, great for a tropical home.

They are seeing what the response is to the geo's, I say, it's a go. Don't you?

Caskata, always taking their lead from natural beauty, had a beautiful new blue peony pattern that came on plates, trays and bowls.

Waylande Gregory introduced his small ceramic painted bowls in new, graphic designs. The elephant is a fave, and the glazes are in cool, unexpected off colors.

My favorite glass designer Joe Cariati did it again with these cloche designs in smoke, red and turquoise glass with a pretty ball finial on top. It would be great as a cheese plate, for cakes, and anything that needs some pomp and circumstance.

I had to include this Stray Dog Designs paper mache plant in turquoise. Low maintenance plants are a good way to go!

See Design is a new joyful printed collection out of New Canaan CT that captures the fun carefree spirit of bold color and pattern on bags, pillows, caftans and scarves.

The gals in their Accent on Design booth. Donna Gorman, left, is a textile designer that spent 20 years with Marimekko, can you tell?!

I loved this cheery tote with circles and dots in a perfect shade of lavender.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

DESIGN BLOGGERS DESCEND ON THE NATE BERKUS SHOW


So this morning I am going to be in the audience of the Nate Berkus Show. This is the first taping of the first show!! They are getting ready for their September 13th launch on CBS, and the show is sure to be a lot of fun-- Nate told me it will be about living a great life. I will be joined by fellow design bloggers Carolyn from Diane James Home's The Buzz, Lisa from Hampton Toes, Barbara from Hampton Hostess, The Zhush, and Elizabeth from Pretty Pink Tulips. I can't wait to meet everyone there and report back. Have an iced coffee waiting for me. 7:45am is not my best hour! Stand by for an update...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

COMING TO THE UPPER EAST SIDE THIS FALL: KIPS BAY SHOWHOUSE IS ON!

Finally and with great excitement, I can tell you that the Kips Bay showhouse is on for this fall! As one of the oldest and best in the country, the show goes on. The location has been secured, and not a moment too soon. The house on show, listed with Corcoran for $28.8 million, is a newly-renovated 17-room, six-story, 10,000-square-foot limestone mansion at 106 East 71st Street. With six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, there are 17 rooms ready for transformation. This means plenty of space for designers including Vicente Wolf, Jennifer Post, Robert Couturier, Katie Ridder and Noel Jeffrey to do their thing. For the fifth year in a row, Benjamin Moore is a sponsor, so expect to see Ben paint colors on the walls. The show house will open Thursday, October 14 and runs until Thursday, November 11. For ticket sales and more information about the 38th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, call (718) 893-8600 ext 245, or visit Kips Bay Showhouse . Stay tuned for the full list of designers which I will reveal soon...

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

MARY MCDONALD DOES VEGAS

A few weeks ago, interior designers went to Las Vegas Market. They went to be on the Ahead of the Curve panel, that for the past few years has been moderated by author and all around in the know Susanna Salk. Darryl Carter, Kishani Perrera and Mary McDonald toured the show followed by a camera crew, and then spoke about trends they saw emerging at market. I asked the uber - chic Mary to be my tour guide, and pick a few favorites. Here is what she came up with:

"We had a blast together on a two day laugh fest during our shoot. We are all so different that it fueled our jokes with each other as well as opening up our perspectives on new things. The Vegas Market is so enormous that you really have to have a plan and a focus to see things you want to see or you would never get through it. I would have to say the biggest trend in it's height right now is the weathered reclaimed wood mixed with industrial materials such as old wood tables with beat zinc tops etc.. It is all very Axel Vervoordt for the mainstream. Ikat and Suzani patterns are big and going strong still as well as a bunch of glitzy glam over the top stuff that is not really my thing, but it looks like people still want it."

My favorite showroom was a line called Noir. Absolutely everything in the showroom was chic-- especially this exaggerated upholstered chair which is actually a copy of a regency antique chair.

They had the copper hanging fixture which was so authentically vintage looking it was perfect and the use of copper instead of the expected silver made it even more stand out.

Of course, I also love my own vintage inspired 40's brass lamp with the black shade I designed for Robert Abbey . Here, I am visiting another lighting resource.

The chest with pulls had a pretty cerused finish for a very reasonable price point. It is from Global Views.

Kishani and I both liked the pattern on the Global Views coral and ivory rug and could see it in other colors being pretty. We saw a lot of coral.

Monday, August 16, 2010

STYLISH SHOPPING IN HUDSON NY AT RURAL RESIDENCE

Rural Residence, a beautifully curated shop on the main drag, Warren Street. It has an historic sensibility and the antique finds reflect a love and appreciation for what came before, while celebrating the best in new design.

As the president of Historic Hudson, proprietor Timothy Dunleavy champions preservation and keeping the beautiful monuments of the past alive.

The shop mixes American heritage, history and items to make rural life prettier and city life more bucolic. It is like stepping back in time.

New and classic design books sit on a table at the front of the store, where book signings are often held.

Nautical tabletop and pewter flatware make a nice moment.


Beautiful Turkish towels add color and texture to a bath.


Bath salts, soaps and other goodies that make pretty hostess gifts for summer weekends.

Hand printed and hand blocked bound books with poetry and sayings make a nice dinner party gift.

Letterpress cards with images old and new

A card for every occasion

Antique cabinets display the goods in a homey setting

A plethora of shells and bowls for summer entertaining

A japanned lacquer writing desk is a knock out piece

American antiques sit amidst newer finds

Farrow & Ball paint pots for classic restoration shades seen in and around the historic Hudson Valley

A bevy of John Derian decoupage arranged like candy for the eye

Dishes and flatware ready to be used