_{The beach in Southampton}

I am utterly obsessed with Instagram and since I’ve been away from the blog for a bit, here’s a look at what I’ve been up to over the past month, as seen through the lens of my iPhone and Instagram. And I’m always out and about checking out the latest in design and capturing everything that inspires me here in NYC and throughout my travels so be sure to follow me on Instagram to stay current on my latest design adventures!

Loved these  pendant lights inside the restaurant of one of the city’s coolest hotels (top left). A sneak peek from my visit to the L’Objet showroom where I went to check out their upcoming Fall collection – these malachite tabletop pieces are so fab (top right). I always love when fashion meets design and this is a snap of the new Christian Lacroix tabletop line for Vista Alegre. I want it all! (bottom left) I am always checking out real estate here in NYC and recently visited the model residences at the Printing House West Village - this chic space was designed by one of my favorite design duos, Carrier & Company. (bottom right)

I’ve been branching out and working on more television and digital media projects which has been quite exciting! Here’s a snap of me behind the scenes filming a segment for the NYDC on the ABC’s of design!

Right after I wrapped up Design on a Dime I headed to High Point Market in North Carolina (thanks to my friends from Hickory Chair!) to check out the latest introductions in the world of home furnishings. I saw so much good design and can’t wait to share all of the amazing products, trends and design inspiration that I discovered on the trip. The top two photos are from Hickory Chair’s gorgeous  25,000 square foot showroom which I had the pleasure of touring on my first day in High Point- stay tuned for more photos. Bottom left is a stunning lucite and brass coffee table from Celerie Kemble’s new furniture collection for Henredon which is SO GOOD! And bottom left is a snap from a Miles Redd designed room inside the Traditional Home x Junior League of Greensboro showhouse

As soon as I got back from High Point I snuck away to the Hamptons for a super fun girls weekend. We stayed at the most beautiful estate in Southampton. Here’s a snap from the balcony of my bedroom. I would kill to have this gorgeous view every day!

I’m obsessed with my new custom designed stationery. There’s nothing more sophisticated than a handwritten note on beautiful paper!

Earlier this month I headed to LA for 10 days where the weather was just perfect. I even got to enjoy a day at the beach with my two besties! This snap was from Santa Monica Beach. So beautiful, right?

My trip to LA happened to coincide with the LaCienega Design Quarter’s annual Legends of LaCienega event which was a blast. Above left is a pic from Harbinger – one of my favorite design shops in LA. Next, the stunning window display of Nathan Turner’s shop which was designed by Eric Hughes for the LCDQ festivities (top right). Below, a view of the uber chic bathroom at Harbinger…I fell in love with the wallpaper which is from here. I also popped into Thomas Lavin’s showroom at the PDC which is divine!

While in LA I also enjoyed a yummy dinner with my girls Sydne Summer and Kristen Turner at Eveleigh (top left) Loved seeing Thomas Lavin who was so generous to throw a little party at his fab Hollywood Hills home in my honor (top right).  I met up with the always chic Aimee Song and we both showed up wearing bright orange bags and gold sandals – ha!  (bottom left) I also caught up with my girl Jules from Sincerely Jules for a delicious breakfast at Larchmont Bungalow. Always love seeing my LA peeps!

The week I got back to New York I hit up the D&D building for Spring market to see what’s new in all of the showrooms. Highlights included meeting Michael Smith who just released a beautiful new book (top left), and hearing a talk by the hilarious Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Mary McDonald at Schumacher (bottom left). I was also super impressed with some of the newest fabrics available through Clarence House. The top right is a new print from Clarence House called Kiki that I’m obsessed with and below left is a pretty Indian paisley from a new division of Clarence House called Hill Brown.

I can never get enough of the flower market – the beautiful sights and scents are so captivating!

I mentioned I’m working on more media projects and here’s an in-progress snap of a set design installation I completed for an upcoming (and very exciting) project. The wallcovering is from Thibaut’s Avalon collection and I just love it!

Here’s a snap of a moodboard I assembled for the same project. It’s filled with so many of the people, places and things that inspire me!

And here’s another snap from the same project… my view from in front of the camera. Can’t wait to share details soon!

And – last but not least, I am sharing an Instagram snap from our newest contributor (!) who I am so excited to introduce! Meet Mary Katherine Leslie Van Hook (I call her MK for short!). MK will be contributing content to the site weekly and her first post will go live next week! You can learn more about MK here on our meet the team page!

After weeks of sneak peeks and teases on Instagram and Twitter, I am so excited to finally share photos of the room vignette I designed for Housing Works’ Ninth annual Design on a Dime benefit! I was so proud to have the opportunity to donate my time and energy for such a wonderful cause and the event was a tremendous success, raising a record breaking $1.1 millon to help support thousands of New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. I could not have done it without the help of some very generous partners who donated products and services to help furnish my room vignette! Let’s take a closer look inside the room and we’ll start with a before photo showing what the space looked like before I worked my magic:

The rooms are really just a 10′x12′ white box with temporary walls and zero character. Us designers had less then two days to set up our spaces and work down to the wire until we had every detail perfect. It’s almost like our own little HGTV Design Star challenge!

Seeing this photo it’s hard to believe it’s the same white box in the picture above! I knew I wanted to add elements to the room that would give those boring temporary walls some dimension and architecture so I added added chair rail moulding along the lower third of the walls which were painted in Valspar’s Rose Buff and I covered the top 2/3 of the wall in a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth which added a lot of texture.  Those choices really made a huge impact in this tiny little space. The wallpaper and chair rail was installed by my generous contractor Martin who graciously donated his services for the event. He is an expert in wallpaper installation and his company, Martin Construction handles a multitude of other services from plumbing and electrical to tile and millwork.

Now for the furnishings. The sofa was generously donated by Restoration Hardware and is a very deep and plush down filled, belgian linen slipcovered sofa with a sophisticated slope arm silhouette. The color is called charcoal but it was had a rich chocolate-y brown color. It really popped against all of the lighter colors in the room. Another major piece is the large abstract artwork by my talented friend Nicole Cohen of Sketch 42 blog. (Here are some great photos of us in Nicole’s studio collaborating as she was working on the piece!) Nicole created this piece specifically for my Design on a Dime room and it couldn’t have turned out more perfectly. If you’re interested in seeing more of Nicole’s works for sale, here’s the link to her fine art site. The framing was done by J. Pocker, a custom framing company that prides itself on offering high level of artisanship and personal service. They are one of the best in the city and a go-to resource for all of my decorator friends.

This pair of vintage 60s club chairs were down-filled and in perfect condition so for Design I recovered them in a colorful pink ethnic printed fabric called Fez that was generously donated by Lee Jofa. My wonderful upholsterer Oswaldo Astudilo reupholstered them for me. These were a highly coveted item and before\ the sale started at 6:30pm there were several people interested in purchasing the chairs who kept coming back to check them out. Lara Spencer from Good Morning America ended up snagging them and I was so happy to see them in such good hands! Another decorative trick I used to help bring texture into the space is layering of the rugs shown here in the photos. On the bottom is a braided jute rug from Pottery Barn and on top is a cotton dhurrie carpet from Madeline Weinrib in a lively green print. Either of these alone would have felt a bit bare in this room but layered together is much more interesting! The cute little ceramic elephant is the Ellie side table from Serena and Lily.

On the end table is a peridot green “Capri” lamp from Mottega which is one of my favorite sources for customizable lighting. You can choose your silhouette, your base, finial and shade and mix and match options to create your own custom lamp. Each lamp is hand crafted by artisans and the lead time is approximately 2 weeks. Such a great resource!

Another coveted item in my room were these “Capri Beach” series of prints by the talented Patrick Cline who co-founded Lonny magazine and is now working on a cool new photography app called Uplo which is a print and framing service that enables you to organize and share your photos as well as buy or sell your photography as printed art. The prints were originally taken with a Polaroid camera in Capri and are signed and numbered as part of a limited edition run of only 20 in this size. You can contact Patrick directly if you’re interested in purchasing a set from the series for yourself!

The bar cart in this space was also a huge hit. It was generously donated by Society Social who makes fabulous furniture, accessories and, of course, bar carts! I received a ton of comments and inquiries about this item via social media. This is the Hayworth bar cart which you can purchase here.  I styled up Ms. Hayworth using stylish glassware and a champagne bucket from Pottery barn, ombre wine glasses and bowls from West Elm, a decorative bowl and vase from Canvas which I filled with pink roses and of course, plenty of liquor, mixers and garnishes for the perfect cocktail!

The end tables on either side of the sofa are actually a set of three from Serena and Lily. The lamp shown here is the Shirley Fintz table lamp from West Elm which is hand painted and features three stacked elephants. (Can you tell I have a thing for elephants?!) I loved this lamp and it added such a fun touch of whimsy to the room. The green herringbone throw draped over the sofa is also from Serena & Lily. In the foreground is a lacquered grasscloth covered Parsons coffee table from Bungalow 5 which is another favorite resource for stylish furniture and accessories.

Here’s a look at how I styled the coffee table. Books are one of my favorite styling accessories and I used an chic selection of fashion and art books with beautiful covers that were generously donated by Rizzoli to add  layers to the coffee table surface. A couple of decorative boxes from West Elm combined with a gold sea urchin from the Nate Berkus for Target collection, a framed family photo, a gold glazed bowl from Canvas and a tortoise vase filled with my favorite flowers help complete the look. 

Another vital service that was donated to help my space come to life was moving and storage services from Celebrity Moving. They are the go-to movers for some of the top interior designers in New York. They are so wonderful to work with, offering exceptional customer service and a very elevated level of attention to detail. I also want to give a special thanks to Isaiah and Nicole who both gave their time and energy to help set up my space.  I am so appreciative to each of the partners who worked with me on this project and please know your efforts helped a wonderful cause! Stay tuned for another post with photos from some of the other designers’ rooms along with pictures from the opening night party!

 

 

Today is the day we celebrate Mother Earth and in that spirit, heres’s a round up of 8 fab eco-friendly finds. Happy Earth Day!!!

1. Abel Serving Boards, Jayson Home & Garden | 2. Want Les Essentials Organic Canvas Tote, SSENSE | 3. Marlo Jacquard Organic Bath Towel, Pottery Barn | 4. Syrian Recycled Glasses, Canvas | 5. Stitched Notecards made from recycled cotton paper, John Robshaw | 6. Rough Cast Plates made from recycled aluminum | 7. Senegalese Storage Baskets made from reclaimed plastic, Serena & Lily | 8. Aquasilk Ikat Rug hand spun in India from recycled silk saris, ABC Carpet

I’m gearing up for the annual Design on a Dime fundraiser for Housing Works which is right around the corner and if you didn’t know, I am designing a room filled with fabulous items that will all be sold at an amazing discount and all of the proceeds will benefit a new housing development that Housing Works is building as a home for formerly homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. It is such a fantastic cause and a super fun event with INCREDIBLE shopping!!! You can find wonderful, designer merchandise for your home – for a “dime” and it’s all curated by some of the industry’s top interior designers. There is a VIP preview and shopping event this Thursday April 25th which is a star studded party that will allow attendees the first opportunity to shop the rooms and score the best items before the general public. If you’re in the New York area and interested in attending the event, I’m offering you the opportunity to purchase a special, discounted ticket! Click this link and at checkout enter the code “designerspecial.” The event is almost sold out so buy your tickets today! If you can’t attend but would like to make a monetary donation, you can also use the link to make a donation of any amount. Hope to see you at Design on a Dime and above is a little sneak peek of some of the stylish finds available for purchase in my room! I was so lucky to receive donations from some amazing brands including Restoration Hardware, Lee Jofa, Madeline Weinrib, Mottega, Bungalow 5, Serena and Lily, Pottery Barn, Society Social, Rizzoli, Nicole Cohen Art as well as photographer Patrick Cline – the co-founder of Lonny who just launched a new photography app called Uplo!  I also want to give a special thanks to some wonderful partners who were so generous to donate their services for this special event:

Astudillo Design – I’ve worked with my talented upholsterer Oswaldo Astudillo for years and he does amazing work! He is reupholstering the vintage club chair shown above in a beautiful fabric from Lee Jofa!

Celebrity Moving – One of New York’s premier moving and storage services, Celebrity Moving prides itself on a high attention to detail and customer service. In addition to working with individual clients on moving and storage needs, the company handles major installations for some of the city’s top decorators (Bunny Williams, Celerie Kemble and Miles Redd to name a few!).

Martin Construction Wallpaper Experts – The company’s owner Martin is a highly skilled wallpaper expert and will be installing the wallpaper in my room! In addition to wallcovering services, Martin Construction also handles custom millwork, painting, electrical and more.

J. Pocker - A third generation company that provides custom framing with a high level of artisanship and personal service. They are one of the best in the city, with multiple locations including a trade-only shop in the D&D building which is a go-to resource for the city’s top interior designers.

Reserv Concierge – A full-service concierge partner for businesses and corporations that handles an array of business needs with a focus on client entertainment.

PRODUCT LINKS:
Restoration Hardware – 7′ Belgian Slope Arm Slipcovered Sofa in Charcoal Belgian Linen | Serena & Lily – Ellie Side Table | Serena & Lily – Herringbone Throw | Serena & Lily – Set of 3 Aqua Melrose Nesting Tables | Mottega - Customized Capri Lamp | Madeline Weinrib Chi Chi Kari Rug | Nicole Cohen Commissioned Painting | Society Social – The Hayworth Bar Cart | Bungalow 5 – Parsons Coffee Table in White Lacquered Grasscloth | Vintage 60s Club Chairs upholstered in linen pattern from Lee Jofa called Fez from the new Karenza collection | Pottery Barn – Brannan Braided Jute Rug | Rizzoli Books: Resort Fashions, Palm Beach Entertaining, Kenzo, The Andy Warhol Show, Dana Schutz, Palaces & Gardens of Persia | Canvas Dauville Glazed Bowls | Patrick Cline Photography via Uplo

 

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a wonderful charity event for the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House where I joined a group of other talented designers and we each created a unique tabletop for the charity’s Spring gala. Curbed.com – the go to site for all  all-things fabulous in  design, decor, and shelter shadowed me during my set up for a fun new video series called Setting the Table which I am so excited to share! You can watch the video above to see me in action plus hear my best tips for setting your own fabulous table!  And click here to read the full article! Thanks to the Curbed team for featuring me – what a thrill!