MERGERS AND AQUISITIONS: HEARST DEAL TO BUY ELLE DECOR GOES THROUGH

Photo courtesy of Elle Decor
The newest issue of Elle Decor

Hearst has just acquired Elle and Elle Decor from French publishing company Lagardère, a statement has just confirmed. The transaction includes publishing rights to fashionable Elle (except for the French edition), with 102 titles in 15 countries-- the U.S., Russia & Ukraine, Italy, Spain, U.K., China, Japan, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Mexico, Taiwan, Canada and Germany and extensive digital operations, with 50 websites and numerous mobile and tablet applications. Included in the whopper deal are 10 global editions of Elle Decor,Woman’s Day, Car and Driver, Road & Track and Cycle World in the U.S.; Red in the U.K. and Holland.

The $887M deal puts Hearst at the forefront of the shelter magazine category, adding Elle Decor to their stable that includes House Beautiful, Veranda, Country Living.

LAMSHOP HITS NYC FOR THE GIFT SHOW

Interior designer Lindsey Harper and great friend Maggie Currey are showing their painted furniture and accessories line Lamshop at The New York Gift Show for the first time. I met the two Southern gals Lindsey, Maggie and their decorative painter friend Jay Lohmann when they launched at High Point a few years ago. Their collection has grown to include fabulous hand-painted malachite, tortoise and racing stripe finishes.

Check them out at Booth 48086!

The girls got creative with their booth, using painted canvas walls with decorative details.

I wonder if I can buy the M monogram tray after the show?

Vroom- racing stripes and monogram make for a snappy combination.

A faux malachite painted table and tray are tres chic.

Ming tables are dressed up in fancy finishes.

GIFT SHOW PREVIEW: OOMPH'S FURNITURE IS MADE FOR FUN

Naming their latest collection after their favorite resort and exotic location, Harbour Island, Oomph wows once again. Their new pieces have easy to use silhouttes, and are made well. Crisp and tailored, they work anywhere and add some jazz to an all white or color filled interiors. They will be at Pier 94,Booth 41005 at this year's NY Gift Show. Stop by and buy!

Fancy a game? Their new Backgammon table is divine design for the competitive set. I am thrilled to finally see someone making a killer game table, what took so long?
Their Fenwick Chart Coffee Table has an inlaid nautical chart, perfect for planning the next Vineyard sailing race route.

The Harbour Island Coffee Table is chic and simple with a contrast top.

I love anything hot pink. The Harbour Island Side Table has a nice large drawer and contrasting colored top that makes it really pop. It matches their Orange and Pink Ikat Pillow.

As crisp as a tailored white shirt, their new Slipper Chair with navy trim is ship shape.

Look, the now classic Tini Tables now have new tops! Choose from a variety of moorish inspired patterns to add jeuje to your Oomph.

The Tini with new tops

Photos courtesy of Oomph
Snazzy new Racetrack pillows come with a bright ribbon dot border for a jolt of color.

NY GIFT SHOW PREVIEW: SISTER PARISH'S PRINTS CHARMING ACCESSORIES DEBUT

I cannot contain how excited I am for these new Sister Parish Design fabric covered accessories and pillows. Accordion files, desk blotters, picture frames, note pads, pencil cups, photo albums, pillows, tissue box covers, wastebaskets, ice buckets, trays, napkins and tablecloths await you. I want one of each to have great gifts on hand at all times! This is why I am convinced I need a gift wrapping closet and a shelf in it for future gift giving.

Sister Parish's granddaughter Susan Bartlett Crater and Libby Cameron, Sister Parish's protégé and colleague founded Sister Parish Design, and launched their fantastic collection of fabrics and papers several years ago. Their accessory line will debut at the NY Gift show this weekend, say hi to Libby and Susan at Pier 94 Booth 44047!

All your favorite Sister Parish prints make for lively accessories. Dress up your office desk at work with a blotter and pencil cup to bring a bit of style to your space.

Photos Courtesy of Sister Parish Design
Pattern love!

Napkins and cloths make entertaining with style a snap

They make it so easy, these pillows are ready to go

GIFT SHOW PREVIEW: AUDREY STERK DESIGNS

Audrey Sterk, a decorative painter, has a charming logo for her brand. It speaks to her creative spirit and innovative ideas

Her original mural represents a panoramic view of the Nantucket landscape. The pivoting position of the viewer is from Altar Rock and begins with a view of the creeks spanning around Monomoy beach with Brant Point lighthouse and Coatue in the distance. Continuing past Polpis Harbor, Great Point lighthouse, and into Sconset town including Sankaty lighthouse and the once used Nantucket Railroad.

For the last decade, Nantucketer Audrey Sterk has created wall murals and custom decorative painted finishes for homes on the island and in New York. Based on her love of nature and the beauty that inspires her, she uses the Nantucket landscape as well as graphic elements as a springboard in her work. From Americana to early scenics, Audrey livens up her interpretations for the way we live today. She makes her NY Gift Show debut with a line of coffee and end tables covered in canvas and hand-painted decorative finishes. In addition, she will also be showing her customizable wallpapers and screens. Stop by Pier 94 At Home Booth 41049 and tell her Stylebeat sent you!

Audrey's High Point booth

A winner- the Circle & Stars Charcoal/Cream Coffee Table, will be in her NY booth. Her tables are coated with a durable water based acrylic finish to maintain their looks.

Photos courtesy of Audrey Sterk
The table in a living room adds a punchy decorative flair

GIVE THE SWIRL A WHIRL

Il Papiro helped make Florentine handmade papers popular stateside when they opened a New York store twenty five years ago. Before that, those that traveled to Firenze would visit their Via Cavore store and stock up, bringing back picture frames, desk accessories and journals. They helped create the craze for all things marble, and no desk was complete without a matching desk set. The marbleized pattern has made a comeback and now graces more than just paper.

Photo courtesy of Shandells
Dress up your sconces or chandelier with these handmade marbleized paper covered shades from Shandells.

Photo courtesy of Highland Court
A new fabric Blush in Plum from Highland Court's Phillip Gorrivan II Collection.

Photo courtesy of Ruzzetti and Gow
This dramatic French glazed pottery Terre Vernisee ceramic platter from Ruzzetti and Gow has just the right amount of splatter to make an impact.

Photo courtesy of Cavallini
Cavallini Italian hand crafted Ceramic Marbles are beautiful -- each one is a different, crazy mix of colors, available from Paper Luxuries.

Photo courtesy of Touch of Europe
I feel like I am back in Florence where I bought every swirled bit of paper I saw. Punch Studio's Mini Notebooks with a Monogram from Touch of Europe are so chic and just the thing to pull out of your tote to jot a note.

Photo courtesy of Kate's Paperie
Wrap that special gift in gorgeous hand made Thai Marble paper with gold ink from Kate's Paperie.
I have long coveted these dragged and speckled Marbleized Paper Mats from Dransfield and Ross.

Photo courtesy of Bell'Invito
Cirque-Frame hand engraved stationery and blue flecked liner from Bell'Invito.

Photo courtesy of Ruzzetti and Gow
Ruzzetti and Gow's unusual Unikite Stone Box has a peach and green palette I love.

Photo courtesy of D and R
Add a bit of swirl to your sofa with the Florentine Marble Pillow from Dransfield and Ross.

BRING IT TO THE TABLE: WOMEN OF INTERIOR DESIGN NETWORK

When designing women get together to strategize and collaborate, anything can happen! Do you need a design resource or have a resource to share? Perhaps you are looking for a job in design or just be a voice for others to learn from. Share your experiences and wisdom with the group. We as Women In Design need to stick together and work together.
What can you bring to the table?

Find out at their next event:

When: Tuesday January 25th from 6:30 - 9:30 PM

Who: Guest Speaker Lena West

What: Networking Event With Appetizers and Drinks $15

Where: NY Stone Manhattan Showroom at 30 West 21st Street

What To Expect: Learning what social media strategy is right for you

Rsvp to Lana lana@anthonylawrence.com or
Sherrislskov@clsterling.com

A bit about BITT:
Started by Vice President of one of the best upholstery and drapery workrooms, Anthony Lawrence-Belfair, Lana Lawrence wanted to create a community for women in design. BITT means Bring it To The Table, and is a round table of voices from all areas of interiors. It is a networking group for women in the interior design industry -- a community of professional women working in the interior design field. Meetings are held the last Tuesday of the month with goal of networking, sharing ideas, collaborating, and having your voice heard.

GOING TO CAROLINA AT THE WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW

Photo courtesy of Drayton Hall Charleston, SC

"In my mind I'm going to Carolina," to quote James Taylor, because it will play a feature role in this year's Winter Antique's Show at the Armory. In it's 57th year, the show promises to be extra exciting, given the events they have planned with leading interior designer's vignettes, book talks and historical - themed lectures. The loan exhibition is from one of my favorite uber livable cities, Charleston. Entitled "Grandeur Preserved: Masterworks Presented by Historic Charleston Foundation" the exhibition brings together over fifty objects from private and museum collections. It complements the 75 exhibitors at the show, whose focus is Americana, with the rest featuring English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts. All net proceeds from the Show benefit East Side House Settlement, a wonderful social services institution located in the South Bronx.

I am looking forward to seeing the new Designing With Antiques vignettes displayed in the Board of Officers Room. Created by the talented group of designers Eileen Kathryn Boyd, Philip Gorrivan, and Albert Hadley alum, Harry Heissmann, each has selected items from exhibitors at the Winter Antiques Show to display alongside pieces from their own collections. Their varied and unique installations will be a welcome addition.

Starting tomorrow, lectures are held in the "Tiffany" Room at the Armory, and seating is on a first-come basis and is complimentary with admission. So get there early!

Here are some of the events you will want to attend:

Friday, January 21, 2011

2:30 p.m.
Loan Exhibition Lecture:
Phoenix Rising: The Extraordinary Collection in the Middleton Place House Museum
Charles Duell, President, Middleton Place Foundation

4:00 p.m.
Expert Eye Lecture & Book Signing:
The Finest Rooms in America by Thomas Jayne

Saturday, January 22, 2011

2:30 p.m.
Loan Exhibition Lecture:
"Between Vanity and Fashion...": The Arts in Eighteenth-Century Charleston
Angela D. Mack, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Gibbes Museum of Art/Carolina Art Association

4:00 p.m.
Loan Exhibition Lecture:
The Material World of John Drayton: Transatlantic Connections of Taste, Wealth, and Intellect
George W. McDaniel, Executive Director, Drayton Hall
Carter Hudgins, Director of Preservation, Drayton Hall

Sunday, January 23, 2011

12:00 p.m.
Loan Exhibition Lecture:
High Life in the Lowcountry
Thomas Savage, Winterthur

2:30 p.m.
Expert Eye Lecture & Book Signing:
Syrie Maugham by Pauline C. Metcalf

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

2:30 p.m.
Expert Eye Lecture & Book Signing:
Peter Pennoyer Architects by Peter Pennoyer

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

4:00 p.m.
Expert Eye Lecture & Book Signing:
Book signing & champagne reception to follow in Elle Shushan's booth
'My Private Miniatures': Queen Victoria and the 19th Century Portrait Miniature
Vanessa Remington, Assistant Curator of Paintings at the Royal Collection

Thursday, January 27, 2011

2:30 p.m.
Loan Exhibition Lecture
A Great Variety of Gold and Silver: The Colonial Charleston Silver Trade
Brandy S. Culp, Curator, Historic Charleston Foundation

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Young Collectors Night

Saturday, January 29, 2011

2:30 p.m.
Expert Eye Lecture & Book Signing:
Wallpaper in Vogue: Wallpaper, a History of Style and Trends
Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz

The show runs from January 21-30 at the Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street and Park Avenue, New York City.
Show hours are from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. daily, except Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.

BREAKING NEWS! STEPHEN DRUCKER OUT JAY FIELDEN IN AS EDITOR IN CHIEF OF TOWN AND COUNTRY

Photo courtesy of William Waldron/ Elle Decor

The Fielden's modern New Canaan Connecticut home

It was just announced that Jay Fielden is now taking the helm of Town and Country come March. Stephen Drucker is leaving his newly appointed post there to pursue other avenues, and amicably. Most recently, Fielden was the head honcho at the shuttered Men's Vogue, so he brings his worldly approach and trained eye to the corridors of Hearst. He has currently been spending his time penning a book on the legendary red - headed Vogue creative, Grace Coddington, as well as contributing to Vogue.

Fielden shared his take in this quote from Heart's release, saying, “I want Town & Country to be a lively, engrossing read about the American Establishment—but not beholden to it,” Fielden said. “I hope to modernize the magazine’s traditions of great photography, excellent service and stylish writing, and to make it indispensable to readers everywhere drawn to the well-lived, well-informed life.”

Is this move good or bad for loyal T and C followers? Time will tell. At least they have a stellar staff lined up by Drucker that I hope will stay the course.

STARTING TOMORROW: SHOP THE BRANCA SALE FOR SUPER STYLISH STUFF

Photo courtesy of Shop Branca
Alessandra Branca shops the globe for unique and compelling objets to sell in her beautifully edited shop and on her website. She is one of my favorite stylish ladies with an unerring eye for beauty. Shop online at Shop Branca and in person at 17 Pearson Street in Chicago for the annual Branca Home Collection sale. It starts Thursday, January 20 and runs for ten days, featuring savings of up to 50% on antiques, decorative accessories, tabletop, lighting, rugs, and many more gorgeous things for your home!

TURNING GREEN: A FEW THINGS YOU REALLY DON'T NEED BUT MAY WANT

Whether you are a clean freak or just looking for some ways to start good, green habits in the New Year, here are some interesting products that will appeal to your inner germaphobe and need for order. These things are not all gorgeous by any means, but they certainly look better than they did even just five years ago.

Photo courtesy of Wasara
Paper plates never looked so good. Designed in Japan by Shinichiro Ogata/SIMPLICITY, Wasara looks like porcelain with its sculptural lines and feels nice to hold. These high - design pieces are made from sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp -- all renewable and fully biodegradable materials. Available at Branch Home, they are simply stunning.

Photo courtesy of Green Depot
Make your own soda or seltzer at home and avoid lugging home cases of San Pellegrino every month. Soda Stream works in a few seconds and has customizable carbonation levels. Available through Green Depot. I am sold.

Photo courtesy of Moma
The Andrea Air Purifier,designed in 2007, acts as a "living filter": place a plant inside it, water it through the tray, and the plant’s leaves and roots will absorb pollutants and metabolize them, leaving, clean and oxygenated air. Eight LED bulbs help the plant thrive. Pretty neat, huh? From Moma Store.

Photo courtesy of DWR
A water purifier made of Binchotan, a white charcoal, made from Japanese oak from Design Within Reach will help simplify things and hopefully have you drinking more water. Stick it in a pitcher and call it a day. Well, actually 3 months, that's how long it will last. It is a welcome change from a plastic water bottle, plus, it looks cool.

Photo courtesy of Giaim
If this product works, then I am already obsessed with it. The CleanWave UV-C Sanitizing Wand from Giaim eliminates viruses and bacteria with a wave of the wand. It "eliminates up to 99.99% of viruses (including H1N1!)." And cordless, rechargeable! Just think, I could use it on the subway pole, doors at the D and D Building, elevator buttons. Ok, that is crazy talk, but I know you are thinking the exact same thing. I may come to love it even more than my Eureka Quick Up Cordless Vacuum.

Have any neat gadgets or products you swear by for a better/more eco/natural start to the new year?

IN ATLANTA? STOP BY AND VISIT JULIA B. BEDDING AND LINENS AT THE GIFT SHOW

Photo courtesy of Julia B.
If you are planning on attending the Atlanta International Gift Market, be sure to stop by and say hi to Julia B. and take a look at her exquisite hand embroidered bedding, linens and monogram options. Like Skittles, there is a rainbow of color to entice you. Julia can create just about any custom creation you have in mind, and the juicy colors will get you thinking spring.

Here are the details:

If you will not be attending but your bed scheme needs freshening, check out her website.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR: TIME FOR THE PORTHAULT SALE!

photos courtesy of Porthault
It's that time of year! Every January I eagerly await D. Porthault’s White Sale. This Monday, the frenzy begins, as they will offer discounts from 40%-80% on select bedding, table linens, towels and voile printed nightgowns.

Here is the story:
January 17th- February 5th Monday to Saturday, 10am-6pm
At 470 Park Avenue on 58th Street

Some Tulipe Perroquet will be included!

HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT VANDERHURD?

Photo India Jane Birley/Adam Bray
The installation at Annabel's Club in London

As a textile designer, in the late 1970's, Christine Van Der Hurd's work was commissioned the leading lights in the industry, such as Angelo Donghia and Jack Lenor Larsen. She took to the American market after being educated in London, honing her craft creating textiles for Osborne & Little, Liberty, Etro and Yves Saint Laurent. in 1981 she turned to rug weaving and never looked back.
Today, she is making rugs and fabrics in India, Nepal, the Philippines, New York and Europe, with showrooms in London and New York that service the trade as well as a retail customer. You will find her graphic lively textiles and rugs in The Crosby Street Hotel, Annabel Selldorf's projects, and The Victoria and Albert Museum. I guess you could say she has arrived. Sadly, her son, an active designer and member of the team, passed away in 2009, but his innovative designs continue to inspire the company and propel it forward.
In discussing the wellspring of inspiration, Christine shared, "I never cease to be inspired wherever I look, from flora and fauna to gratings and building facades... Sometimes the inspiration of the most simple of antique textiles will just create in me an endless surge of painting and frivolity... Fabrics have always been part of my life from a young child at my mothers side, choosing liberty fabrics in the 60’s and Celia Birtwell’s whimsical prints for Ossie Clarke and then the Verdure tapestries & French brocades hanging in my father's antiques gallery... I live & love textiles and am completely obsessed by beautiful cloth, whether the simplicity of nomadic stripes or something highly decorative & luxurious as a heavily embroidered Maharaja's wedding coat!"

Photos courtesy of Vanderhurd
Silk Dhurrie Fez in rouge

Zig Zag silk dhurrie in Asilah

Wool geometric carpet Cordoba in emerald

Wool carpet Paper Cut Out in indigo and gold

Rhonda in cerise

Silk Dhurrie Seville in emerald

Three Times Cirque in wool

Triple Zero in magenta rug in wool

Fabrics

Stellar printed fabric

Flower Stencil print

Flower Cut Out print

Grand Prisme 5 hand-embroidered fabric in green

Grand Prisme 4 in dahlia

Grand Prism 2 in grey

Stellar Sunrise 1 of hand embroidered print on a hand printed linen

Flower Cut Out Sunrise 3

Grand Etoile embroidery on linen

Fez Hand Woven Flatweave