So I really need to get rid of the cookie cutter nipple-looking light fixtures that I inherited when I moved into my rental apartment. There are two in my living room that I need to replace and I’m starting with the fixture above my dining table. Below are the lighting options I’m currently considering. I’m leaning towards the Jonathan Adler Meurice pendant or the Thomas O’Brien Hicks pendant. Which do you like best? Thanks for your opinion! xo

Thomas O’Brien Large Hicks Pendant in antique brass from Circa Lighting

A reader recently emailed me to ask if I could identify the wallpaper in this Miles Redd designed room which I posted here on the blog several times in the past…it’s one of my favorites! You may already be familiar with its maker but if not, this isn’t just any wallpaper… it’s de Gournay, an exquisite hand painted wallcovering which at a cost of around $650 and up per panel, is truly a luxury. The brand specializes in reproductions of historic prints particularly 18th century Chinoiserie and 19th century French designs. Here are a few other example of genuine de Gournay goodness:

Since a fine hand painted wall covering like de Gournay may be out of reach for many, here are some similar papers that can help you achieve the look for less:

1. Vanuatu Twilight. $198/roll available at Anthropologie.com.

2. The India Paper by Cole & Son. Approx $196/roll available to the trade through Lee Jofa.

3. “Newman” from Thibaut’s Gatehouse collection. Approx $104/roll available to the trade through Thibaut showrooms.

4. Large Rose & Vine by The Wallpaper Company. $44.98/bolt at Home Depot.

5. Pattern #SW2AH189 from York Wallcovering. $29.99/roll. Available through Sherwin-Williams.

_{Top photo by Paul Costello}

If you’re in New York this weekend you don’t want to miss the Kips Bay Show House Pop-up Shop! You may be aware that the annual Kips Bay Decorator Show Souse which usually takes place in the Spring was pushed back to the Fall so in the meantime, much needed funds will be raised for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club through this fun pop-up sale which will feature plenty of fabulous design merchandise. You can shop for antiques, home furnishings, art, lighting, fabric, accessories and more – all donated by top designers, dealers and private donors. The sale is free and open to the public all weekend. Here are the details:

Kips Bay Show House Pop Up Shop

207 East 57th Street (between
2nd and 3rd Avenues)

New York City

May 20-23, 2010

Thursday & Friday: Noon to 8PM

Saturday & Sunday: Noon to 6PM

LA based designer Rose Tarlow’s aesthetic is synonymous with beauty, comfort, artisan quality craftsmanship and old-world sophistication. With a career spanning more than three decades she is one of the most internationally renowned and influential designers in the industry. Tarlow began her career as an antiques dealer and then went on to design her own lines of furniture, fabrics, wall coverings, lighting and accessories under the label Rose Tarlow Melrose House which is also the name of her flagship showroom on Melrose Place in Los Angeles that first opened in 1979. Now, more than 30 years later, Tarlow has opened her first New York City showroom in the famed Design and Decoration (D&D) building and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to get a sneak peek just before it opened in April. The beautiful, 3,000 square-foot space is flooded with natural light to evoke a residential feeling and features four beautiful rooms envisioned by Tarlow which showcase all of her her signature collections in addition to one-of-a-kind decorative finds from her travels. Previously Rose Tarlow Melrose House products were only available at Holly Hunt.

_{The entry table inside Rose Tarlow Melrose House brand new NYC
showroom.}

“Having a shop here means I can offer New York designers and interesting collection of my favorite designs and fabrics and of course my new contemporary pieces and rugs,” says Tarlow.

_{A peek inside the new Rose Tarlow Melrose House showroom
located in New York’s D&D building.}

I am especially a fan of Tarlow’s textile designs with their worn and washed out looking patterns in subtle hues. New fabrics which I was able to see up close in person include gorgeous glazed linens and an exotic collection of African inspired fabrics that were hand woven in Senegal.

_{A bedroom vignette inside the new NYC Rose Tarlow Melrose House location.}

Very meticulous and the consummate perfectionist, Tarlow occasionally takes on interior design clients although she is extremely selective about the clients and projects she takes on. Her design style combines California casual with European influence and is slightly rustic in feel. Although she has an exclusive roster of celebrity, music and film industry clientele for which she has designed homes, Tarlow prefers to refer to herself as an antiques dealer and product designer rather than a decorator. She can also claim the title author as her hugely successful book titled “The Private House” which released in 2002 is now in it’s third printing. For more information on Rose Tarlow click here and I hope you enjoyed this little peek inside the new Rose Tarlow Melrose House New York showroom!

Design & Decoration Building

_{A fabulous bedroom vignette by Alan Tanskly. (I LOVED the John Robshaw bedding!)}

A couple of weeks ago I attended the opening night party for Housing Works’ annual Design on a Dime fundraiser. Housing Works is a wonderful charity and chain of thrift shops in New York City that benefits homeless and low-income people living with HIV & AIDS. Each year the organization hosts a shopping fundraiser and enlists some of the top names in design to create fabulous room vignettes with donated, brand new luxury home furnishings as well as vintage and antique pieces which are sold at 50-80% off retail with all proceeds going to Housing Works. This year’s roster of participating designers included James Huniford (who chaired the event), Charlotte Moss, Ernest de la Torre, Steven Sclaroff, Steven Gambrel, Laura Kirar, Miles Redd, Nathan Thomas, Jarrett Yoshida, Laura Bohn, Todd Romano and more! I was so excited that I was able to meet many of the designers at the event and had the opportunity talk with them about their room vignettes and exciting projects they had coming up. I had a special post planned featuring interviews and insider information from the designers (especially some fun stuff from Miles Redd) but I recorded all of the interviews on my blackberry which was recently stolen so unfortunately I lost everything:( Instead I’ll simply leave you with pictures of some of my favorite room vignettes of the night along with a few of my own anecdotes.

One of my favorite vignettes was this one from Miles Redd who is the ultimate maximalist.

His room definitely illustrates the idea that sometimes “more is more”!

I loved his chic bar table!

This is a vignette by Steven Gambrel whose style has such a modern yet classic American sensibility. This room looked as if it belonged in a chic Hamptons beach house.

Todd Romano designed this vignette. I loved that ticking stripe settee and the juxtaposition of the comic book pop art over the antique bureau.

I fell in love with the wallpaper in this room by designer Brett Beldock. I have to admit that before this event I wasn’t familiar with Beldock or her company Brett Design but now I’m a fan! She has a line of fabulous wall coverings which includes this butterfly scenic pattern which is one of her latest designs.

It sort of reminds me of de Gournay or Gracie and is a modern take on a very traditional Chinoiserie motif. The wallpaper is vinyl and self-adhesive which makes both installation and maintenance super easy. You can see this and more of Beldock’s wall coverings here.

The bold blue walls in this room by Daniel Pafford really jumped out at me. If you recall, Pafford was named one of Domino magazine’s 10 young designers to watch back before the magazine folded. I’d say Pafford has definitely come into his own since then!

Another designer I was unfamiliar with before the event was Oskar Torres who designed the bedroom vignette above. I fell in love with that chandelier above the bed and contemplated buying it but when I went back to get it someone had already snapped it up! Although I didn’t end up buying anything at this year’s Design on a Dime, I didn’t exactly leave empty handed. I met lots of great people and left the event feeling incredibly inspired by all of the ideas and creativity on display! Can’t wait to go back again next year! For more info on Housing Works and how you can support its programs, visit their website here.