Farewell to Summer… It’s always sad to see a beautiful summer winding down with these long, easy, sunny days giving way to shorter, fuller days of work, school & an all-too-often hectic pace at home & the office. On the bright side, the new season brings so much promise & opportunity…a new school year, new client projects & my favorite - fall fashions. I hope you had a wonderful summer & are as ready as I to welcome the new season.
Fashion Legend Oscar de la Renta’s New Fabric Line
Speaking of fashion, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the highly anticipated launch of fashion great Oscar de la Renta’s fabric line for Lee Jofa & it’s finally here! It’s a fashion-loving designer’s dream to have a textile line designed by one of the greatest fashion icons of our time. Now, we’ll be able to wrap our rooms in the breathtaking beauty & elegant luxury of 25 silk, linen, velvet & cotton
textiles created for the home & featuring the fine tailoring & attention to detail that is synonymous with Mr. de la Renta’s brand. I’m inspired!Showhouse Season
While the designer showhouse season usually opens in the spring, this year, it’s a very busy fall season with four local showhouses opening their doors:
September 4th – October 17thThe Winter Cottage at Caumsett Historic State Park
Lloyd Neck, New York caumsettfoundation.org
I had the wonderful opportunity to design the main living room in this charming cottage.
October 14th – November 11th
Kips Bay Showhouse
106 East 71st Street
kipsbay.org
The oldest & one of the best showhouses in the country. I truly missed it this past spring & look forward to touring the Kips Bay showhouse soon – especially to see the creations of my fellow Hampton showhouse designers, Nancy Boszhardt & Sherill Canet.
Kips Bay Showhouse
106 East 71st Street
kipsbay.org
The oldest & one of the best showhouses in the country. I truly missed it this past spring & look forward to touring the Kips Bay showhouse soon – especially to see the creations of my fellow Hampton showhouse designers, Nancy Boszhardt & Sherill Canet.
October 30th - December 12th
Home for the Holidays:
A Designer Showhouse
at Old Westbury Gardens
November 2nd - December 12th
Designers' Showcase® 2010
at Mill Neck Manor
40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, Long Island
516.628.4333
Mansions & Millionaires®
millneck.org/manor_house/showcase.html
A few of my favorite things…
When it comes to home décor, there’s so many beautiful & incredible items available. Here are just a few of my favorites – the things I can always rely upon to keep clients comfortable & content:
Sofa: The Knole (Knoll) Sofa-with it’s deep seat, high arms & back – it’s the perfect place to curl up in front of the fire for a good read or - in my case - a Sunday afternoon nap. It dates back to 17th Century England where it was originally used as a formal throne by the monarch. Add the finials of your choice & some elaborate tassels (these are from Lee Jofa) & it’s a work of art.
Cocktail Table: I love the masculine lines & rich mahogany finish of this Chanel cocktail table by Kravet & I’m always drawn to the “X” motif. The bottom shelf is an added bonus for books or storing table top items away when using the main surface for serving.
Club Chair: This “Chloe” swivel chair is from my collection of custom upholstery. It’s classic shape is unbelievably comfortable & there’s nothing like a swivel base to point you toward the fire, the window or your conversationalist of choice. This Kravet ultra suede makes it extra comfy & forgiving. The lumbar pillow offers lower back support. These are done in Hampton Embroidery in Soft Blue from the Mulberry Home Collection by Lee Jofa. The colors, textures & detail of this fabric is beautiful & it comes in rich navy tones as well.
Ottoman: The “Caroline” ottoman is the perfect scale & size to move around the room with ease. Here, it’s featured with Lee Jofa PF50064-935/Cosma in Smoke Blue.
Floor Lamp: The Lotus Lamp by Barbara Barry for Visual Comfort. Its graceful curves & lines remind me of a beautiful water lily.
Great Art: Often times, I find inspiration & a color palette in art. In this case, the room was designed first & my artist friend Maxine Jurow (maxinejurow.com) created the beautiful abstract landscape over the fireplace after I showed her my textiles & color tones. It’s the crowning touch to the room. Thank you, Maxine. The other paintings are done by Barbara Crimi of West Palm Beach. I love grouping art together based on the artist or a theme & I particularly love to place old, sometimes imperfect canvases in a room .
Photos: John Bessler
A few of my favorite blogs…
designingthehamptons.com
cotedetexas.blogspotcom
decoratortagsale.com
I wish you all the best in the new season & always.
Until next time... happy decorating,
Designers' Showcase® 2010
at Mill Neck Manor
40 Frost Mill Road, Mill Neck, Long Island
516.628.4333
Mansions & Millionaires®
millneck.org/manor_house/showcase.html
A few of my favorite things…
When it comes to home décor, there’s so many beautiful & incredible items available. Here are just a few of my favorites – the things I can always rely upon to keep clients comfortable & content:
Sofa: The Knole (Knoll) Sofa-with it’s deep seat, high arms & back – it’s the perfect place to curl up in front of the fire for a good read or - in my case - a Sunday afternoon nap. It dates back to 17th Century England where it was originally used as a formal throne by the monarch. Add the finials of your choice & some elaborate tassels (these are from Lee Jofa) & it’s a work of art.Cocktail Table: I love the masculine lines & rich mahogany finish of this Chanel cocktail table by Kravet & I’m always drawn to the “X” motif. The bottom shelf is an added bonus for books or storing table top items away when using the main surface for serving.
Club Chair: This “Chloe” swivel chair is from my collection of custom upholstery. It’s classic shape is unbelievably comfortable & there’s nothing like a swivel base to point you toward the fire, the window or your conversationalist of choice. This Kravet ultra suede makes it extra comfy & forgiving. The lumbar pillow offers lower back support. These are done in Hampton Embroidery in Soft Blue from the Mulberry Home Collection by Lee Jofa. The colors, textures & detail of this fabric is beautiful & it comes in rich navy tones as well.
Ottoman: The “Caroline” ottoman is the perfect scale & size to move around the room with ease. Here, it’s featured with Lee Jofa PF50064-935/Cosma in Smoke Blue.
Floor Lamp: The Lotus Lamp by Barbara Barry for Visual Comfort. Its graceful curves & lines remind me of a beautiful water lily.
Great Art: Often times, I find inspiration & a color palette in art. In this case, the room was designed first & my artist friend Maxine Jurow (maxinejurow.com) created the beautiful abstract landscape over the fireplace after I showed her my textiles & color tones. It’s the crowning touch to the room. Thank you, Maxine. The other paintings are done by Barbara Crimi of West Palm Beach. I love grouping art together based on the artist or a theme & I particularly love to place old, sometimes imperfect canvases in a room .Photos: John Bessler
A few of my favorite blogs…
designingthehamptons.com
cotedetexas.blogspotcom
decoratortagsale.com
I wish you all the best in the new season & always.
Until next time... happy decorating,
