ORLA KIELY TAPPED TO DO HOME COLLECTION FOR TARGET

British fashion and accessories designer Orla Kiely will be the next limited-time only home decor designer for Target. Announced today, the items will include tabletop and home accessories, including printed laundry bags, shoe organizers and storage totes. Her fun, nature-inspired abstracted prints will definitely be a hallmark of the collection. The pieces will hit stores and their website February 1st. Kiely's colorful rain boots, plasticized handbags and knits in off- beat colors and prints became known in the US in the late 1990's. She gained a loyal following for her quirky, cute- with- a -retro -flair style. She will add to the artisinal feel Target is cultivating in their home designer lines. As Target did with the John Derian Collection, certain items will be available only in stores. Stay tuned to see the goods....

MICHAEL S. SMITH IS APPOINTED INTERIOR DESIGNER TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Photo Courtesy of Rizzoli

As Domino reported earlier today, L.A interior designer Michael S. Smith will be bringing some new design schemes to the White House. His lush, old -world design aesthetic will transform the private quarters. Smith is all about having a wonderful mix-- textiles, beautiful woods, interesting materials and stunning decorative objects. His love of Georgian architecture and interiors inform is work, as do his global travels. Ethnic textiles, often suzanis, bring that well- traveled sensibility. In addition, I suspect he is a bit of an Anglophile. He studied at the Victoria and Albert Museum where he was submersed in the beauty and history of the British design tradition. This influence is evident in his own product collections. Jasper furniture and fabrics, Visual Comfort Lighting, Kallista and Ann Sacks bath, PFM and Mansour collection are all brit-inflected. But with ease of living and comfort as hallmarks, I think this is a great choice the Obama's have made. Michael loves his labradoodles (Jasper the dog is the mascot of his fabric collection), lets hope the Obama's choose one for First Dog !

CHINA FUN: J. CHEW LIMOGES PORCELAIN

A fresh take on color and pattern has made tabletop exciting again. J. Chew Porcelain, a newcomer to the world of Limoges, is carried at Michael C. Fina. The vibrant colors and fresh pattern designs are so unique--no one has done porcelain like this. Jaime Chew, a Malaysian-born New Yorker, had spent a lot of time in China, and decided she wanted to do something creative in the home area. A tour in Limoges, France set her on course. She has designed patterns that are inspired by Chinese heritage and the modernity of today's color palette. Combining delicate French Limoges porcelain with the history of Chinese decorative arts, she is bringing something unexpectedly fresh to an often too traditional market .

Here are some of her stunning designs:

Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Arabesque in Hibiscus has ornamental lattice work like patterns often seen in Chinese furniture.


Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Arabesque in Arabian Spice can be mixed with any color.

Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Lattice in Pink/Lavender combines a square motif with a tight lattice design. The two-color interplay is so unique.

Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Lattice in Blue/Orange is amazing--the color combination is gorgeous. The center motif of a circle with lines is a nice graphic touch.

Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Song in Vermillion has a circular banding on a solid color. It is modern and traditional at the same time. The design is inspired by the royal courts of the Sung Dynasty, using the colors of the East and West. This also comes in a navy pattern.


Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
Shangrila's pattern looks to Chinese prosperity and good fortune, incorporating the toad, carp, butterfly and lotus flower in a solid color banding.

Photo Courtesy of J. Chew
The central design of Shangrila shows the four motifs incorporated together.

ENTERTAIN AT HOME

With these uncertain economic times, invite friends over instead of going out. Who would say no to wine and cheese? They will appreciate the hospitality as well as the effort. You can talk about how the sky is falling.

Photo courtesy of Roost
Serve cheese on giant slabs of wood. These mango wood boards from Roost are rustic and homey. From Velocity Art and Design.

Photo Courtesy of CB2
Sip from Ibiza Wine Glasses, now on sale for $1.95 a piece at CB2. The bright Moroccan patterns will take you right into summer.

MY FAVORITE TOILE WALLPAPER IS BACK

The wait is over...


Years ago, Todd Romano used this fabulous red and white toile scenic wallpaper in a project. The paper was done by Waterhouse Wallhangings out of Massachusetts and was discontinued. Why? It has lived with it on my memo board for years, and I gaze longingly at the paper, adoring it, wishing it could be had.
Well, good news. Now it can.


Photo Courtesy of Christopher Norman Collection
Waterhouse Wallcoverings, founded by Dorothy Waterhouse, specialized in reproducing historic wallpaper designs. The papers, manufactured by using traditional hand screening techniques, are now available once again through The Christopher Norman Collection, which is being led in great new directions by industry veteran and friend, Nancy Stout. Shown here in the reverse, this toile is slightly different, but just as full of pop.

ANNIE SELKE HOME LAUNCHES NEW FURNITURE AND FABRICS

Annie Selke is in perpetual motion, coming up with new creative ideas all the time. She constantly adds comfortable and livable patterns to her Dash and Albert Rug Company and creates bold and beautiful designs for Pine Cone Hill, her bedding line.
This past October brought a major launch, as Vanguard introduced Annie Selke Home. Pretty, gilded finishes and sinewy lines make this eighty- piece collection of upholstery and case goods great for city and country living. In addition, a vast new line of bold fabrics and trims are available at Calico Corners. They provide whimsy, color and country-inspired pattern that have become her trademarks. Annie finds inspiration in her Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts setting, always staying true to her guiding principles of ease and total comfort in interiors.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
Lattice work and gilding on this statement bed say Hollywood Glam. Check out the graceful curves of the canopy.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
Soft gilded finishes provide the perfect touch to the tapered leg on the demi lune table and swag back Ava chair.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
I am sure The Ohara chair will be an editor fave. I adore it. The bead detail and curve of the leg provide a nice perch by a fireplace and it would also be well served in a bedroom. The ebony frame is a nice contrast for the upholstery. Choose something zingy to upholster it in.


Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
Need storage? Not anymore. The Everly China Cabinet has concealed cabinet space at the bottom for storing stuff that is less pretty. The cut corner inlay and circle detail in the glass makes this Charles Rennie Mackintosh meets Regency. Note the finish--washed oak light wood is slightly cerused so it can go casual and also work well with dressier pieces.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
Look at the base if this table--love it! So French 20's, it can work as a side table or a place to have dinner for two.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
The Oh So Bookcase is great for a small apartment. For a big space, line them up side by side. It would look good and is easier than built-ins.
Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
The Hayworth Carved Chair with it's gilded knot legs and rope detailing looks like it came out of a Rose Cummings interior. Love the old world glamour.
Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
Perfect for a small seating arrangement in the living room or in a hall, the Button Back Settee has a nice high back and clean tapered leg.

Photo Courtesy of Annie Selke
A Victorian-inspired apron gives the Bamboo Ottoman a worldly feel. The exotic ikat upholstery adds to it's allure.

Visit Annie Selke to see the rest of the collections and get further inspiration.

TODD ALEXANDER ROMANO OPENS THE SHOWROOM IN THE FINE ARTS BUILDING

After seven years on Lexington Avenue, Todd Alexander Romano has moved his shop. He helped revive a sleepy little stretch along Lex into an interior design shopping destination. The space was small, so it made sense to move to spacious new digs in the Fine Arts Building, at 232 East 59th Street, joining Neirmann Weeks, Bennison, Chelsea Textiles and others.
The mix at The Showroom includes 18th and 19th Century antiques and objects, custom Italian china, the fabrics of Tillet and Northcroft, dhurries by Langham and Fine (which used to be called Irving and Fine), and Christopher Spitzmiller's vivid lamps. Romano's great color sense and collector's eye make a visit to the new space well worth it.


Romano opened his firm in 1999, and established a loyal following for his fun use of color, great upholstery shapes covered in bold prints and making antiques look great mixed with modern pieces.

With great dealers in the building it is truly one stop shopping.
Tablescapes lure you in, making everything covetable!
Coffee tables and chairs eagerly await...

Tons of pillows are tempting....
Photos Courtesy of Todd Alexander Romano
Detailed pieces mix with clean silhouettes. This is a stop you need to make!