How to Reimagine a Dated Fireplace - A Lesson in Interior Design

After the Paint and re-design but previously ----

This was the old fireplace "before" or the "mid-before" - after the first deconstruction 

Oh, if I’d had a dime for every minute I spent designing the interior decor around a dated piece of a pre-renovation, fixer-upper element of our country house home. 

We inherited a fireplace that extends from floor to ceiling. The imposing structural piece sported what is commonly referenced as a 70’s harvest gold influence - even though the fireplace might’ve been there since the house was first built in the swinging 60’s.

First the paint: Gold? Terracotta? Putty? Beige?



I posted color swatches

I looked to color coordinate the gold stones with a complimentary wall color that would also work with the butter yellow of the kitchen, the dreamy blue quartz island and counter tops, and the dining space that are part of the area’s open floor plan.

We worked the furniture reupholstery swatches

We chose the French blue and yellow and gold tailored fabric to redo the two couches.



From the copper inserts in the new tile floor to the rich, jewel-toned coppery, nutty-colored fabrics…

I was coming around to be quite satisfied that the blue and gold and yellows and the brown wood of our new, antique table, were working together nicely.



Eventually, the colors, including the new putty or terracotta - or is it cinnabar? - of the new rug - all came together. That element, along with the textures was balanced and well, rewarding.

I very much subscribe to the Dorothy Draper style of orchestrating adjacent rooms that allow the flow for the eyes -- and the experience -- to gracefully unfold and moreover - move you through from one space to another.

I had managed to go from a soft blue in the entry hallway to the soft, butter yellow to gold - onto to that melon/terracotta/sunrise-inspired saturated “glow” color of the Garden Room beyond.



So life went on. Terrific tablescapes; divine dining…



But then, maybe four or so years later, while enjoying one of my “Ladies Who Lunch” with an award-winning interior designer, Mary Fran - who I was introduced to by another accomplished woman - seamstress and designer Aimee Humphreys (Love a good “Ladies Network”) - that the design look took a decided turn. For the better.

For those who don’t follow regularly - I am so committed to learning from great, accomplished, artful women that I schedule as many “Ladies Who Lunch” experiences as I can. I’m always open to learning and seeking the counsel and advice of experts - especially the best dames. I continually long for more…

Back to the design issue at hand.

While Mary Fran and I were touring my house and garden designs - the inspired design epiphany floated in.

Allow me to readily admit that Bill and my taste runs to the eclectic. Each and every element is hand-picked, artisanal, unique -- utterly charming and sophisticated and elegant and personal; over time, reviewed by media and friends and family alike - as top-tier… We so appreciate and are so grateful for the decor feedback… It’s been a true labor of love creating the look.

Yet, you can understand when I say there could’ve been some awkward moments showing a professional interior designer my own designs and compositions. But there wasn’t any of that. Just lots of mutual, simpatico, love of interior and exterior design.

Winding up the tour, I asked Mary Fran: “Anything you want to critique - feel free to suggest and share…”

And then, so gently and honestly and refreshingly, Mary Fran flicked her decor head, nodding towards the end of the room to answer my challenge. “I’d paint the fireplace.”

What?! I eagerly replied. Followed by a quick, “How can we do that?”

“Simple,” Mary Fran said. “ Just like you had your front-of-house bricks painted, here too you can paint the fireplace stones.”

The logic was embarrassingly overwhelming. A head-smacking epiphany.

Here it was. A timely design alternative.

Now that I learned I could readily paint those buggery gold harvest stones, I was design engerized.

Happy day! I was excited to change the room’s look to better enhance the elegance of the room; to coordinate the true decor and spirited ambience, with the open space kitchen and dining area that embraces the fireplace.

I eagerly headed to select a palette of blue-grey paint colors.




I monitored the painter and the application of the variety of the different paints to achieve the subtle hues and shades to achieve the natural grey/blue/slate look, including the hearth.



Bill painted the fireplace grill a basic, sophisticated matte black.

Now, the wall behind the fireplace could be completed -- and painted to compliment with the other kitchen and dining room’s pale sweet butter-colored walls. Voila!



The change has most assuredly updated and changed the look of the entire space. We love it. And in fact, the change prompted me to reconsider the color palette of the furniture. I determined we could redo the couch that’s there - giving it a more tailored look and new fabric, along with the dining room seats.

I visited my go-to fabric emporium here in Gotham, Mood Fabrics --

home of Project Runway - and the cutest, most revered pooch, “Swatches.”



I came away with a valise full of fabric swatches to consider and rifled through them in situ - and surprisingly came to choose the fabric for the seat and reconfigured couch rather quickly. Both are a kind of textured, almost ultrasuede, in two different soft shades of a blue-ish, grey-ish, green-ish celadon.

Now, the colors better capture the greys and blues and seafoam of the fireplace - and the persian rug under the dining table -- and ultimately to the water views just beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows that face the dining room and kitchen. Do you want to see?

   

And we retained that iconic Dorothy Draper room flow that leads the eye

Thank you, Mary Fran. I couldn’t have been more appreciative and honored.

Until -- until I saw Mary Fran featured in NJ Design Magazine! She’s a star.

And I was lucky she was in my constellation. I love the design community - so creative and giving.




So glamorous…

Architectural Digest AD Design Show 2018 Sneak Peek

Gaggenau Arftul Refrigerator Introduction at AD Design Show 

Architectural Digest Magazine’s annual confab is truly one of the best presentations for home decor, design, and tablescapes and is a rare event that appeals to both the professional designers and the home enthusiast.

The press preview day provides us reporters & bloggers with a sneak peek so that we can give give you, our audience and subscribers, an experienced road map to deliver the best possible experience.

If you love designing your home; cannot stop watching HGTV or have a lifetime subscription to all the shelter magazines, including Architectural Digest, of course, as well as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Garden Design, Dwell and subscribe to a plethora of design blogs, (hopefully, my Garden Glamour and She Knows), then this show is your happy place.

This weekend, the AD Show is open to the public. You can experience talks, lectures, one-on-ones with designers and makers from over 400 brands, and bask in the glory of creative home design -- interior -- and some exterior elements.

Get your tickets at the show or here

After touring the show, I feel there are two key Trends:.

• Technology and Art
• Form and Function
• Lighting 

While there’s no doubt that that these trends have been spooning for some time, this year it seemed that love had truly blossomed.

What does that mean?

Overall, all the brands have Apps - either their own or their own that work in concert with Alexis and Nest to provide customized management and control. From Baldwin’s keyless entry and security to the kitchen manufacturer’s appliances -- start up your dishwasher on the way home or take your guests’ coffee preferences a la Starbucks to create a barista home experience.

Coffee stations were big on the trend list. Ahh, for us java lovers, this is just next to food porn.

An extraordinare example of art and technology is seen at Gaggenau who premiered refrigerators that were handle-less - opened with a touch of the hand. Magic? Perhaps.

The art element was astonishing. Gaggenau showed a refrigerator with surface art rendered by the Los Angeles large format artist,Rob Hill


Flanked by wine coolers on either side of the artful refrigerator with a particularly cool element: a pull out tray - set to serve up to guests!  I like it.

Gaggenau told us they’d work with any artist to apply the art to the refrigerator front. Your own art? Your children’s art project? A photo of your favorite nature spot or … The possibilities are endless, really and quite exciting.

I just adore this design element. So many options to customize and express your own design aesthetic.

Gaggenau also showed a deep, New York black classic, no handles refrigerator. After all, black is the new - well, black. Love this.

The Sous Vide appliance built-in Gaggenau showcased appeals to not only the classic (french) chef in all of us who adore that precise level of ingredients but also to the home culinary enthusiasts who prefer to prepare or have delivered portion control recipe packs. 
Booth 387, 393.

Thermador showcased their Masterpiece Collection that included their Freedom induction option, and using the same home app as their sister company Gaggenau, Home Connect, you can curate everything in the kitchen from content to cooktop to wine coolers to telling the ventilation hood system to turn on and coordinate with the cooktop.


TFT displays are ubiquitous.

Remote start option are the cool control.  Even in home door locks.  Baldwin Hardware - known for their hand-crafted door and cabinet hardware (we have a gorgeous Baldwin on our front door) showed their new line they created in collaboration with a California designer, Erinn V and her line of Hollywood Hills.
 


New technology in their other lines of prestige products include one-touch door open using an App.  Very nice feature. And good looking products to fit a variety of home designs.


The Thermador dishwashers feature star sapphire theater lights - but now, consumers tell Thermidor they want more of an entertainment dishwasher so more light colors are available on the App. Why not?
 Thermador's big refrigerator is in a kind of "camo!"

The dishwashers are now available are a faster drying element - generates heat (they acknowledge can’t dry plastic entirely - but hey - hopefully you’ve been weaned off of plastic by this point.) and their largest-ever glass capability - up to 24 glasses on the top and bottom.
Booth 387,393.

On the other end of the size spectrum, the company’s Bosche lineup featured products tailor made for smaller, city-sized kitchens. These kitchen suite home appliances can fit a metro apartment with a dishwasher and cooktop and refrigerator that appear big and sleek, with up to 30% more storage than previously available.
Booth 387, 393.

Lighting design innovations were led by a relatively new company, Kings Haven who prior to launching their own artisanal, family-fueled enterprise, have many year and projects as part of their historic and estate restoration pedigree. Now, they create custom lighting, accessories, and furniture. The company’s presentation and products and hospitality is all first-class.  

Be sure to check them out at Booth 714.
Lighting is everything in creating a dramatic home decor. Just ask any Hollywood or Broadway designer or actor.

I love the quality and hand-craftsmanship of Rangecraft - a Garden State stalwart who glamourize a cooktop hood like nobody does. There’s the Swarovski Crystal hood that is sigh-worthy. And their new clock hood and antique finishes that can be distressed to your desire. Nice custom design feature and service. Note: the company rightfully extols their craftsman and the five year apprenticeship training program.
And Rangecraft is now the official partner of the NY Jets.
Booth 485.

Also not to be missed is a favorite design artist: Dagmar Weinberg. I was smitten with Dagmar’s art the first time I encountered her transfixing, erotic and utterly unique photographs a few years’ ago. I’m now the proud owner of an original Dagmar cherry blossom art work. Sighhh… It’s so beautiful. You can view and buy Dagmar’s photography manipulated art as well as her new silk scarves. With quality top of mind, Dagmar did not just get any old anybody to craft her artful scarves. No. She researched and invested with the same artisans who do the Hermes and Vuitton scarves. Dagmar is offering a special show price - so be sure to take advantage and get your wearable art. It’s enduring and luxurious. Booth 417.


And Pennoyer & Newman -- just back from their Parisian triumph - are at the show again this year with a line of splendid handcrafted planters, containers, and sculpture that you can add to your garden art compositions. I use them as often as I can with my garden design clients - adding a sophisticated, timeless look. Plus, I just love that Virginia …
 

I will write more in a next post about the Diffa by Design showcase at the AD Show. The tablescapes are created by a number of artisans and brands to showcase “over the top” table art and dining environments - and to raise monies for AIDS awareness and to fund organizations that provide treatment and care services. Stay tuned for this - one of my most favorite elements of the AD Show.

Echo Design showcased their scarves, home decor bedding, as well as the professional lines of indoor and outdoor fabrics and wallpaper.  New for tablescapes is the collection of jewel-toned placements that are high quality basket weave with stitching. This will be great to use in a number of bold tablescape narratives.



 
Love these sunrise/sunset color fabric options at Echo.  Plus I got to meet and pose with the grande dame of Echo, Dorothy Roberts!  What an honor.

Now, as a garden designer, I'm not bullish on artificial "plant material."  However, I'm open-minded and can appreciate the need to use in certain applications. Think rooftops, too shady, and now with climate chaos: too much deer or too much salt water and well, the concept is ahem, growing on me.  I discovered New Growth Designs who are showing some very impressive faux plant looks.  I learned the company has been in business for more than 70 years, still does fresh flowers, and as the principle Ed Glenn told me, they were doing so well with their silk floral designs that many landscape architects and designers asked them to make garden products in the faux material.  The booth has topiaries, faux turf - a black and white with grass checkerboard (like one of my garden design clients has - except with real turf), and green "walls."   There is surely a place for these products.


It was a pleasure to meet Alex Puddy the British principle at his UK-based Architectural Heritage who's returned to the show after a seven-year hiatus.  And with a name like Puddy - he's just something out of Paddington Bear.  Nice learning about his artisanal process and dedication to quality products.  His planters are first-rate and so are his garden sculptures.  I love the look.  And so do the Rockefellers...

I'm also keen for the MADE suite of artisanal craftspeople and their unique design concepts.
New to me this year is a very creative new planter composition created by the architect principle, Drew at Prism Planters by the Principle.  The shiny corten steel planters are modular and can be customized to your garden site in three gem-like colors: bronze, silver, and well, black.  I love the bench.

      

Nourison at Booth 419 featured some very, very luxurious and glamorous rugs and pillows.
My favorite was the glittery malachite!  

And is there a place for this gold, stenciled, cowhide rug?


Just get to the show and see for yourself!

Such glamorous design. 
How adorabley-fashiony is this Smeg refrigerator with a Dolce & Gabbana look?!



You can walk the show, dine and shop and bask in all the decorative arts all weekend long.  Don't miss it. 

#ADDesignShow2018

Some of the must see items as noted by the AD Show include:

The AD Apartment - presenting bold ideas and "sophisticated solutions for cosmopolitan design enthusiasts - with a contemporary loft vignette.

Designer Focus:  A clutch of designers come together in this new section to showcase four distinct interiors.  Here you can see how their creativity interprets the space. Plus you can meet the designers. 

Associative Design:   This was organized by the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP) - another new installation.  Here the mix of "design, innovation, and technology" celebrates the artisanal craftspeople who create and make furniture, lighting, and objets d'art. 

Highlights and featured areas at the show include:

REFRESH: As one of the largest collections of kitchen, bath, luxury appliances, and premium building products in North America, this section features introductions from more than 75 companies. Attendees will discover new technologies and state-of-the-art designs in kitchen appliances and cabinetry, bath, decorative hardware, countertops, stone, tile surfaces, doors, and more. This year’s exhibitors include Artistic Tile, Aster Cucine, Cesar NY, DACOR, Jenn-Air, Miele, Porcelanosa, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Rohl, and Sub-Zero and Wolf to name a few.

FURNISH: An expanding assemblage of contemporary and classic furniture, lighting, carpets and rugs, decorative accessories, textiles, and art completes the offering. Attendees will find great design for residential settings from companies such as Atelier de Troupe, Benjamin Moore, Costantini, Hunter Douglas, KOKET, Perigold, The New Traditionalists, and Warp & Weft. The section touts an impressive mix of brands from Europe and Asia including Royal Botania, Sony Life Space UX, and Vaughan Designs.

MADE: The juried MADE section is a resource for handcrafted, often limited edition or one-of-a-kind furnishings, accessories, and art pieces. More than half of the 2018 exhibitors are new to the fair. This year’s lineup gathers emerging talent from across the country including local Made-in-New York pieces by Avram Rusu Studio, Birnam Wood Studio, Consort Design, and Slash Objects; California-based makers like Chris Earl, Coil and Drift, Michael Felix, Natan Moss, and Nate Cotterman; and international artisans such as Paul Emile Rioux and Simon Johns.

SHOPS: The show offers a retail boutique of décor, gifts, tabletop accessories, objets d’art, and more, available for immediate purchase from brands including Ariana Ost, Borough Furnace, Christophe Pourny, Hazel Village, KONZUK, Night Space, Richard Clarkson Studio LLC, and Rikumo.

The Dacor Stage: Presented by Dacor, the show’s new theater space will be a prime destination for those looking to further immerse themselves in the design world. Attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to hear from the world’s top design leaders on a variety of topics. Speakers include Aerin Lauder, Alexa Hampton, David Monn, Ellie Cullman, Genevieve Gorder, India Hicks, Jason Oliver Nixon & John Loecke, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Victoria Hagan. The panel discussions and programming segments will take place throughout all four days of the show. In addition, Architectural Digest Editor in Chief, Amy Astley, will lead a keynote discussion on Saturday, March 24.

The programming will be complemented by a variety of in-booth events, including culinary demonstrations with chefs from around the world, book signings, product presentations, and more.

General Admission tickets Friday through Sunday are available for $30 online or $40 at the door. VIP Consumer Tickets on Thursday are available for $95. Admission is complimentary to the design trade with two forms of business credentials via online pre-registration. To purchase tickets, visit ADDesignShow.com.

Finishing Touches Cocktails & Design at “What’s New, What’s Next” Annual New York Design Center 9/14!

     

Please join me at In House Kitchen, Bath and Home for a very special presentation.

Acclaimed interior designer, Toni Sabatino and I will present a Wood-Mode sponsored glamorous cocktail party!
While sipping two special cocktails from my book, Finishing Touches and the Art of Garnishing the Cocktail, and nibbling on lots of special food pairings from the book - learn how design, ingredients, tablescapes, and creativiy come together for a Finishing Touches lifestyle.

Cheers!

Home Decor Designed for Living with Style: Kips Bay Showhouse 2017

Moon Gate in the Janice Parker-designed Garden at the Kips Bay Showhouse 2017

With the NKBA annual Kips Bay Showhouse breakfast today - well yesterday by the time I completed this post - I was pinched to put design into high gear and share my recent tour of this ultimate home decor storybook; brimming with inspired fantasy and creative design.
The Kips Bay Showhouse runs through June 1st.

If you’re in town (NYC) for the 29th Annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) (and today the show is open to the public) - you and your design cohort can take in a double-header.

Be sure to visit the Baden Haus RETRO Collection -- it’s online too. RETRO was designed by my Homegrown friend, Toni Sabatino. And crafted in Italy. Toni is the goddess of design -- and social media! The collaboration and the collection is all so exciting and glamorous. More on this marriage of artful design shortly…

Kips Bay Showhouse

As a storyteller and garden designer, I was especially enchanted with this year’s Kips Bay locale and pedigree. The brick Georgian townhouse at 125 East 65th street was designed by Charles Platt, an early 20th century American architect and landscape architect and artist -- certainly the trifecta of design talent. From the mid-1940s until recently, the house was the headquarters of the China Institute in America, thereby lending the showhouse some spectacular “bones” for the delightfully astonishing garden.

There are 18 decorators displaying their talent on five floors. Give yourself time to explore - and to chat with the designers - it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to talk to them and learn about their inspiration and design process.
(A full list of designers below.)

Here are my favorites:

Enter up steps to the front hall and the nook designed by Powell & Bonnell stops you in your tracks. What a grand entrance (and what a conversion from the “before” space.) That I counted no less than 30 elements that comprise this small space amplifies the significance of the details needed to produce this eclectic composition that the designers refer to as “a transitional, garden-like casual atmosphere.”

The Farrow & Ball black walls are a luxurious backdrop to the composition. I just adore both Farrow & Ball’s line of highly pigmented and environmentally friendly paints -- as well as dark, mysterious walls… The brooch-like gem of a table shimmers with flowers. Its elegant look beckons all - the - way - down - the - staircase…





I covet their “Narcissus” table.

I started my tour from the top down -- which is never a bad way to go -- for many reasons. Foremost, I was thinking the garden room design would be on the roof. It wasn't.  And in a twist on things, I almost missed the garden - which would’ve been a heartbreaking loss of epic proportion. However, upon heading out after we concluded our house tour, me and a treasured friend who is also a garden design client - were asked if we'd checked out the shop. We hadn't.  So we did a roundabout back in -- to discover all that awaits on the lower level. More on that later. 

Master Bedroom

The top or fourth floor began with Dineen Architecture + Design Here, I was delighted to find a swing in the room, designed by Christopher Kurtz.

 

I love this whimsical folly -- that at the same time provides blissful utility.

I too designed a swing into my country house spa - and while some thought it more than curious, and while it is a folly - it’s also elegant -- with a modicum of playfulness! My swing was made to order by B. Pila Design.
Further, the swing ties in my kind of tree theme there - riffing off the opposite solid wall of cherry blossom Ann Sacks hand cut, glass mosaics that pays homage to the incredible Kanzan cherry blossom tree just outside - tantalizingly close beyond the window. Oh those double cluster pink blossoms are breathtaking. And not just for spring when in my spa!

I’m looking to acquire the Dagmara Weinberg erotic cherry blossom art I first encountered at the Architectural Digest Show - for the wall behind the swing. (see earlier Garden Glamour coverage)

And there’s the original tree art painting on the wall above the sleek, grey velvet divan with its shapely lucite legs. Perfect for tree gazing.

Seeing the swing at the showhouse was the sort of design reinforcement and support for my own swing design concept. Thank you.





The other moment of design serendipity was their use of the blue shimmery plate on the wall.



The color and the texture adds dimension and drama.


My design simpatico is this blue mirror that I saw in House Beautiful magazine late last year:

After more than six months of negotiating and scheduling, the mirror is expected to arrive this week after a very protracted delay… Fingers crossed.

The Dineen room was a mix of understated refinement with elements such as the graceful sheer drapes (Pierre Frey) lined with grass cloth (Schumacher) and bed’s elevated headboard.

Along with the unexpected, such as the console table with built in bowl-like container inserts for coins, jewelry and such.  

   

Loved these quirky punctuations: lights that are made from computer motherboards!


Attic Sitting Room

Meeting designer Neal Beckstedt was joyful! I asked how he came about the sensuous and rather undulating room design, Neal explained his inspiration was falling in love with this fine art painting by Pieter Hugo he’d discovered at the Yossi Milo Gallery . Neal described the captivating color palette and texture that in turn allowed him to play off the North African patterns and texture to create a room that is both primal and sophisticated. It seems so of this time…

Neal Beckstedt & his artful inspiration

This is a super-saturated room.

Allow me to emphasize that one shouldn’t be diminished or distracted by “smallish rooms” - there is an overabundance of design opportunities that exist in every room size. I daresay that is why designers and decorators cringe at the McMansions vision that rooms need to be “Huge..” uh oh. There’s that word…

With a mix of sensual elements, there isn’t one thing that stand alone, except for the undulating, biomorphic, black plaster fireplace Neal created.

   

Or then there’s the standout Jean Michel Frank stool created by Neal Beckstedt Studio or the vintage Swedish rug



and the inventive, multi-layered Roman shade (Dedar) window treatments (James Malone) - with fringe (Rogers & Goffigon).

 

The oak-paneled walls, sexy, curved cinnamon-colored couch and fuzzy Fritz Hansen armchair added to the ambiance of cozy and sophisticated.

Salon Du Beau Monde

The Nick Olsen Inc. designed room is straight up glamour. Of note to me were the Drapery floor lamps by Mecox -- that really looked like a ball gown!

 


And the ooh-la-la Maya Romanoff wall treatments:

 


Along with a kind of Finishing Touches cocktail composition that should be worked into most every room - given the mix of art, cocktail accessories, and the James Samson Georgian Gessoed Bar Table. The bottles and tools are pieces of shimmery art unto themselves.

The look conjures the pomp and tradition or creating a drink -- with a special garnish -- and the promise of fabulous cocktail conversations….



The Attic SRO

This oh-so-sexy shadowy room, designed by Billy Cotton, is one of three or four rooms with the most intriguing backstory… It positively reeks of humid languor…



According to Cotton: This is the final home of a woman who had seen all sorts of tragedy, some self-inflicted. She loved too much, and all the wrong men; there was definitely addiction and financial ruin,” he said. “In her last stage of life,” Cotton reported, “she is holed up in the top floor of an S.R.O. hotel, once a grand townhouse, surrounded by donated finery — a spangly pillow on a chair with a tropical print, a leopard-print carpet, the novels of Graham Greene — the largess of her decorator friends.  This (interior design) has long been a profession of gay men,” he said, and this room celebrates the relationship “between the decorator and his female patron.”

The room had me at the peacock art on the entry wall! I adore peacock art! This keeper is by Brooklyn-based floral artist, Carol Bove - who I learned shows at the Maccarone Gallery





The shimmery fireplace (Samuel Amoia Associates), the mix of florals on window treatments and chairs (Pierre Frey), hand-painted silk walls (Fromental LLC), and leopard print carpet (Stark) was assuredly my cup of tea. Why? It’s a mix of sultry patterns, sophisticated glamour, and relaxed lifestyle.

Whew! Give me a cigarette.  And we'd only made through one floor...  Next up: we headed down to the third floor.

Master Bedroom

Susan Ferrier of Mcalpine is a vast bedroom worthy of focused exploration. Which dovetails with Ferrier’s backstory once it’s revealed: She says the bedroom inspiration started with a collection of archaeological prints,   

 

followed by “A little romance. And that romantic partnering is between “A league of extraordinary male archaeologists,” she said. Think Explorers Club meets the Ritz.

The wall behind the bed is flanked by hand embroidered mossy green drapes and a whale bone sculpture. On the bed is a long lumbar pillow, a bed accessory Susan has long loved. Languidly lying on a goatskin hide is a rather huge tray (oh that word once carried no baggage…) Regardless of the words, this is one sexy composition.



I liked the draped wool and satin drapes with silk, hand embroidered trim.

The placement of mirrors and crystals was carefully situated to add light, shadow; reflection...The room appealed to my ying-yang sense of adventure and glamour.

Madame’s Magical Menagerie

The Ken Fulk designed room has gotten a ton of press coverage. Its back story is a fairy tale and the preppy, Lilly Pulitzer colors are just Instagram darlings. You can’t help but coo upon entering this room.



The back story is a picture book page turner: Fulk explains the dining room belongs to a grande dame who had outlived three husbands and was enjoying being single until she was visited by several escapees from a local zoo, including a monkey, a zebra and a polar bear. Makes perfect sense! Well, in the room it all comes together. What fun.

The custom murals are by de Gournay.

The over-the-top tablescape is crowned with flowers by Ken Fulk’s Flower Factory and scads of formal dining details.



 

I love exuberant tablescapes -- filled with delightful discoveries: here is embroidered napkins, colored glass, Hermes dinnerware, and crystal.



Is this not one of the happiest sideboards you’ve ever seen?

Here is a close up of that antler wine cooler:



And happy hostess accessories:



Vintage menus graced the accent side table:



Simpatico

In contrast, the Kirsten Kelli designed room was very adult - quiet sophistication. Don’t misunderstand - there is lots of color here - and it too is a happy room, but rendered in an enduring, classic way. Kelli painted the old walnut paneling white, and the ceiling beams blue. With my favorite wallpaper designer, Phillip Jeffries on key areas of the walls to add drama and wooded texture. (I’ve used Phillip Jeffries incredible designs in a few rooms of our home -- they elicit great admiration on the part of guests - and me and my husband.)

Floor to ceiling French doors deliver an open airy lightness that is uplifting and calming at the same time.



The use of gold is warm and reflective; while bronze and silver and glass sparkle. Even the fireplace birch are caressed by the gold. Be sure to check out the two mid-century armless settee benches covered in royal blue velvet. And the gold “tree” art by Michael Arami -- rather Sputnik looking!



A Lorin Marsh table boasts a very unique Mario Testino book and holder that is an accessory in itself.  

It amplifies the purple velvet love seat on the opposite side of the room.

The formal yet modern armchairs by John Salibello showed off a kind of armchair jewelry - look at these sidebands. Don’t you love that extra touch?




One of The most outstanding spaces -- no backstory needed -- is the “Stairway to Savage.” That Nashville born designer Jonathan Savage’s crafted creation was the lead image in the New York Times’ coverage of the Kips Bay showhouse is no surprise.

What is a surprise, as I mentioned to Savage, is that warranted or not, most guests will walk through the space -- as they see hallways as transitions -- “just” a space to get you from one room to another.

However, this hallway and stairwell are heart-clutching show stoppers.



One has to acknowledge that this is a most challenging space to design. It’s a hallway and a stairwell, after all! But what a testament to a genius designer’s talent.

Savage took to the challenge. He added mirrors, Billy Baldwin sconces,

and worked to fulfill a concept - his vision. Aided by “a posse of people,” Savage noted.

If walls could talk...

Here they’d tell a story of hand-crafted, hand applied plaster -- like icing a cake! To create a relief or raised wall art.

Look close enough and you’ll discover some of Savage’s favorite Nashville native plants and animals: a red fox here, a turtle there, a hoot owl, snake, white-tailed deer, raccoon and a tiny mockingbird perched just so on the rail!







There is perfectly proportioned console from Brooklyn’s Stephen Antonson topped by artfully crafted floral design by L’Olivier Floral Atelier.



The diminutive sofa is by Michael Bagley - and slung with a big-time/big-ticket Fendi fur!

Designer Jonathan Savage 

I can’t say enough about this thoughtful designer and his brilliant creation. Follow Savage on Instagram at Savage Interior Design.

This year the garden was on the lowest level of the townhouse. But before we even got to the little slice of Asian Eden, we alighted off the stairs to find ourselves in the darkened “Lounge and Bar” to discover a furtive place -- a glamorous speakeasy that at once gave rise to thoughts of canoodling; sultry, swanky parties.

To see the ragtag “before” images, I could only marvel at Litchen Craig Architecture + Interiors visionary talent to create such a cool space fueled by frisson and style.



This room will leave you swooning and shaking your head with respect for the wonders of design.







Look at this hand-painted mural by New York artist, Anne Harris Studio. Luxurious chairs by Charles Ramos by Bernd Goeckler, Inc. covered in Jim Thompson fabric.

The barware and accessories is by Kneen & Co. Can't have too much quality barware and cocktail accessories...

Just when you thought it couldn’t get better, you’re drawn to the powder room just off the bar and a small vanity hallway - marked by this exuberant black and white photo of an earlier era’s uninhibited, dancing on the tables cocktail culture. Jump for joy! 

 





OK, truth be told, I skated right through the kitchen directly to the garden. But for continuity and for lofty kitchen design, I’ll proceed accordingly.

The Bakes and Kropp Kitchen design and their ongoing collaboration with Hamptons based Kate Singer Home for the Garden Family Room, was all the more impressive -- for its thoughtful, design details, on top of the lovely, livable look. This is not that high-brow European influenced design we see too often at home shows - rather it is serene, beautiful and moreover a workhorse. A woman designed this..

A few examples to prove the point: Blum soft-close hardware (I love mine!), drawers with metal tops to preserve integrity given all the heavy usage and indignity of constant use. How thoughtful is this? Lots of polished nickel. You’ll especially love this on the trash drawer and I for one wish I had this armor top. Plus this design includes that auto tap for the trash drawer - so right.



The doors to the Butlers Pantry and coffee station are flush -- then voila! It opens up to a discrete space. The drawers even accommodate the Tassimo style coffee packs if that’s your go-to Joe preference.






I so respected this attention to detail: you know how you might not always know what’s in the back of the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink? Well, problem solved. Here is a pull out, under counter storage space -- with ta-dum - a groove to accommodate your sink pipes. And it’s pretty.



Yet another thoughtful lifestyle design feature you’ll want to check out is the under-counter lights and outlets - both electric and USB. You need this.






The kitchen features a waterfall island, a custom designed hood, designed hidden outlets (be still my heart! I dislike all things that show what's in the "engine room," if you will.) and a nod to the family room beyond.






And finally -- the garden… ahhh… The Bamboo Court



As soon as I stepped out - I recognized the same patio and path stones from my travels to China. (and don’t you love my kitten, bowed shoes?!)



This is a Janice Parker Landscape design. Greenwich and Southampton based landscape architects took a traditional Chinese garden space and according to senior landscape architect Ann Schmitt and their literature - and my tour - the firm took the space, cleaned it up, and created an exotic, tropical escape with low, lush planting elements. The garden honors the China Institute’s past glory, with the pebble mosaics and the Scholar’s Rocks and the wall details. Parker and team created a moonscape gate archetype made from bamboo as a Moon Gate garden art. The garden designers have created a way to travel through the garden space, featuring garden “rooms” with cultural design and style.






Plus, Parker has a new book on her garden designs. Hopefully, I’ll review and report on soon.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to view the Kips Bay showhouse. You’ll be inspired, delighted, and celebrate home design at its best while contributing to a very worthwhile cause.

“The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, a renowned local youth development center in the Bronx and flagship of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America has served the community’s youth for over 100 years. For the next month, an estimated 15,000 people are expected to tour the completed Show House, which serves as the organization’s premiere fundraiser. Each designer was given approximately six weeks to transform their assigned space in 125 East 65th Street, which is located in New York City’s iconic Lenox Hill neighborhood.”

Tickets are $40; tickets may be purchased at the door or online www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org

Here is a full list of Kips Bay contributing designers:

Bakes and Kropp

Neal Beckstedt Studio

Billy Cotton

Dineen Architecture + Design

Janice Parker

Kate Singer Home

Ken Fulk

Kirsten Kelli, LLC

Lichten Craig

Susan Ferrier of McAlpine

Nick Olsen Inc.

Powell & Bonnell

Richard Mishaan Design, LLC

Robert A.M. Stern Architects

Robert Stilin LLC

SAVAGE Interior Design

Scarpidis Design

Timothy Brown

Visitors of the Show House will also be able to shop a selection of must-have curated items including antiques, fine art, home furnishings, and vintage designer clothing at the sixth annual Kips Bay Show House Shop, located on the Garden Floor of the Show House space.

Cheers to artful design. It’s all so glamorous…