We’re loving the latest spring home introductions from AERIN with entertaining pieces and objets d’ art that evoke the spirit of beachy, seaside living. Below are a few of our favorite items from the new Aerin at Home collection. And – if you’re an AERIN fan you’ll be excited to know that she is quickly expanding her lifestyle brand, bringing her signature style to a line of fabrics for Lee Jofa, furniture for E.J. Victor and lighting for Visual Comfort all set to debut this spring! I will be at the upcoming High Point Market where Aerin will be launching her new collections and I can’t wait to share the scoop! In the meantime, which Spring AERIN pieces are you loving the most?

 Top (clockwise): Shagreen Picture Frame | Sea Urchin | Green Agate Geode | Ram’s Murex Shell | Shagreen Tray | Carved Stone Heart | Turquoise Jewelry Box | Bottom (clockwise): Shagreen Coasters | Gold Dipped Circled Bowl | Small Floral Vase | Crystal Glasses | Geometric Bowls | Little Bird Bottle Opener

 

One of the best parts about working on the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala was having the opportunity to witness the creativity on display by all of the other incredibly talented designers involved. It was fun to see how everyone else interpreted the High Society theme and approached their table design. I had so many favorites but highlights included designer Lindsay Coral Harper’s Beverly Hills Hotel inspired table complete with the iconic pink stripes and palm leaf printed fabric and Andrea Stark who collaborated with LMD Floral on a table design  inspired by Diana Vreeland’s apartment complete with a cheeky cardboard cutout of Diana herself. In addition to all of the fabulous tables there was also a fabulous party! (Let’s just say the night wrapped with me on the dance floor doing the Harlem Shake with antiques dealer David Duncan!) Click through to see a slideshow featuring photos of all of the amazing tables as well as a few party pictures and boldfaced names from the night. Thanks again to the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and Veranda for the opportunity to be a part of such a special event!

Photos by Marco Ricca

I’m so excited to finally share photos of my completed Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala table! When I learned that the theme of this year’s event was “High Society” I decided I would choose a “high society” muse to inspire my table design and I immediately thought of the iconic American heiress Doris Duke and her magical Hawaiian retreat which she called Shangri La. The daughter of a wildly successful tobacco and energy magnate, Duke was known as the richest girl in the world even earning the nickname “Million Dollar Baby.” She loved exotic travels which included journeys to far flung places like Morocco, India, Iran, Syria, Turkey and other regions of the Middle and Far East. It was through these travels that Duke fell in love with the beauty and exoticism of Islamic art, textiles, architecture and culture. She was drawn to all things rare and ornamental and became one of the largest collectors of artifacts and decorative objects from the Islamic regions. In the 1930s, Duke built Shangri La, which was her homage to the art and cultures that she loved so much. I wanted my table for the gala is to evoke the feeling of how Doris would have set her table when entertaining friends at Shangri La. Doris Duke was beautiful, eclectic, adventurous and a little bit irreverent and I sought to capture these qualities in my tabletop design. Let’s take  a look at of the details!

To bring a bit of the spirit of Shangri La to the table, I had my uber talented calligrapher friend Kathryn Murray create place cards that bore the names of Doris Duke and her actual friends who were frequent guests at Shangri La. So many people commented on how beautiful the place cards are! In addition to the hand lettering, Kathryn also made the actual place cards herself!! She found the embroidered floral appliqués, spray painted them gold and then mounted them to the cards… They turned out stunning! If you’re ever in need of calligraphy services, Kathryn should be your go-to choice!

Here’s a full view of the table. I chose a blue ikat linen fabric from Calico Corners for the tablecloth taking inspiration from the blue color in Duke’s dining room at Shangri La as well as her love of ethnic textiles. The eclectic pattern is so beautiful and provided the perfect backdrop for the table settings! The tablecloth was fabricated by my mom’s company, Posh Window Fashions (thanks Mom!).

Here is a close-up of the tableware. L’OBJET donated several pieces including the beautiful Perlee chargers, Pave Swarovski crystal napkin rings and Bird Place Card Holders that you see here. L’OBJET’s pieces truly are exquisite – they are like jewelry for your table! The napkins are from Matouk who makes luxurious fine linens for the home. I loved the whimsical feel of the leaf green scallop detail on the napkins which contrasted so beautifully with the blue and pink hues in the table design. The flatware settings are from Yamazaki which is a company that began in Japan in 1918 and makes elegant flatware and serving pieces that “celebrate the art of dining”. The pattern is called Byzantine and feature stainless steel with rich gold accents. Everyone just loved them!

Doris Duke’s dining room at Shangri La featured bright pink trim accents so I wanted to infuse a bit of pink into the mix for my table. (And pink, after all is my favorite color – I’m such a girlie girl!)  I had my amazing upholsterer Oswaldo of Astudillo Design fabricate the chair slipcovers for me and he was able to make them in less than a week’s time! They turned out perfectly! The pom pom trim is from M&J Trimmings and provided a fun little detail for added intrest to the bottom of the tablecloth. I also added a fun little orchid lei to the back of each chair which is the traditional token of welcome in Hawaii!

The floral centerpiece was created by In Bloom New York who makes stunning floral arrangements for events. I provided them with an inspiration board and suggestions on flowers and they came up with this lovely arrangement that featured a larger centerpiece surrounded by 5 smaller arrangements. I just loved the deep pink color of the roses and soft pink peonies which happen to be my favorite flower!

I was so pleased to have the opportunity to support the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House by designing a table for the organization’s Spring gala!  The event, which was sponsored by VERANDA, raised an astounding $1,350,000 which will go a long way towards helping many New Yorkers in need. I was also in awe of the creativity of all of my fellow designers. Stay tuned next week for a full slideshow of all of the fabulous tables that were on display at the event! You’ll also be able to see more photos from the evening in an upcoming issus of VERANDA. And if you’re interested in learning how you can support the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, click here to learn more.

 

Photos by Nicole Gibbons for So Haute

Tis the season for Spring charity galas and I am so excited to be participating on the design committee for the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala which takes place next week and is being sponsored by VERANDA! The Lenox HIll Neighborhood House is an organization that provides an array of human services to residents in need on the East Side of Manhattan. Each the organization teams up with some of the industry’s top decorators who each design a unique tabletop for their annual spring fundraiser. I’ll be designing a tabletop alongside names like Katie Ridder, Christopher Spitzmiller, Michael Devine, Ashley Whittaker, David Duncan, Lindsay Harper, Harry Heissmann and many more! Here is a sneak peek of my table design which was inspired by Doris Duke along with links to all of the items featured:

Table Settings: 1. Perlee Charger by L’OBJET | 2. Byzantine Gold Accent Flatware by Yamazaki | 3. Pave Napkin Jewels by L’OBJET | 4. Bird Place Card Holders by L’OBJET with calligraphy by Kathryn Murray | 5. Pagoda Spice Jewels by L’OBJET | Table Linens: 6. Vari Ikat Linen from Calico Corners (for the tablecloth) with fuchsia pom pom trim from local trim store | 7. Fuchsia cotton slipcovers for ballroom chairs | 8. Matouk Mirasol Napkins. | Florals: Left – inspiration for my arrangement which will have a large centerpiece surrounded by smaller arrangements. Right – Color inspiration form In Bloom New York.

I would like to thank all of the generous partners who are donating products and services for my Lenox Hill Neighborhood House table: The fabric for my tablecloth was donated by Calico Corners – a great resource for designer home fabrics that anyone can shop! Posh Window Fashions is graciously donating services to fabricate the custom tablecloth. All of the tableware was generously provided by L’OBJET which makes the most beautiful luxury home goods. The flatware is generously being provided Yamazaki which offers a wonderful selection of tableware and accessories that celebrate the art of dining. The napkins are generously being provided by Matouk, purveyors of beautiful fine linens for bed, bath and table. Kathryn Murray, one of my favorite calligraphers is donating her beautiful hand lettering services. And lastly, the uber talented floral designer Roshy Naini of In Bloom New York will be collaborating with me to design the floral centerpiece which is going to be so chic! Stay tuned for more details on my table and I can’t wait to share photos with you soon!

 

Roxy from the fab online home decor shop Society Social was recently featured in HGTV magazine and I was completely amused by this ”Everyday I’m Hustling” pillow that I spotted on her sofa. It adds such a spirited, tongue-in-cheek touch to the mix in her decor. And the phrase pretty much sums up the story of my life these days as a blossoming entrepreneur. Cue the Rick Ross song….