Musings

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Avedon Fashion Photography at the Norton

The Norton Museum in West Palm Beach is curreenly showing a selection of famous fashion photographer Richard Avedon's work.

The Show will run through May 9, 2010 - if you're in the Palm Beach area, I highly recommend taking a look!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Lonny February has arrived

The February issue of Lonny has arrived - Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Yesterday, while searching for sustainable textile designers, I came across the new designs of Seema Krish. In 2009, the native of India launched her debut collection, "Bombay Bliss", a reflection on her happy childhood and the energy of Bombay. Seema's unique textile designs combine a contemporary aesthetic with traditional production techniques, all while focusing on minimal environmental impact. The collection offers six patterns; hand blocked printed, embroidered, appliqued, and woven. Above is a selection of her blanket patterns.

Along with blankets and fabric by the yard, the company also offers pillows and quilts.

The textiles are crafted by local craftswomen in Bombay, using low impact dyes and recycled water through an ingenious system of using Canna plant root systems for dye-water filtration. Solar dryers are used in the fabric baking process to set the colors.

You can check out Seema's inspirations on her blog, Textile Swatches.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Tom Ford's A Single Man

Tom Ford has made his directorial debut with A Single Man, an art house film set in 1962 los Angeles, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore. Though there is little dialog, the movie entrances the viewer with cinematography and music and Firth's performance is mesmerizing. I was especially wowed by the homes of Goerge (Firth) and Charlotte (Moore)!

The meticulous design of George's mid century glass house completely blew me away. With a little research, I discovered that the house is a 1949 John Lautner designed home and is actually in Glendale (and coincidentally for sale for $1.5 million).

I loved the contradiction of Charlotte and George's homes and personal styles - Charlotte's home was Hollywood Regency Glam all the way. The above scene with the application of her eyeliner showed how cinnematography can completely captivate the viewer with the smallest of tasks .

If you haven't yet seen the film, definitely rush out and do so!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

J.K. Place Firenze

On a recent visit to Florence, Italy, I discovered one of those places that really leaves you inspired - my new favorite boutique hotel, The J.K. Place. Located in Piazza Santa Maria Novella in the heart of downtown Florence, the J.K. place is a quiet refuge for any traveler. The clean and modern design along with comfortable hospitality from the staff makes the J.K. feel like your home away from home. Above, is the cozy parlor where a fire is always burning - a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of a busy day of sight seeing..

I was completely wowed by the reception area - a cozy library with breath taking ceilings!

The artwork and objects juxtaposed throughout the hotel provide endless visual stimulation!

Again, the unbelievable ceilings!

The guest rooms are extremely comfortable with much attention to detail in the space planning.

Breakfast is served every morning in the dining room where travelers get to know each other and share stories around the community table.

The lounge is the perfect spot for a drink, to check your email, or relax while watching a little TV.

The roof deck and bar provide amazing views of rooftops and the city - especially at night!

I highly recommend the J.K. place for anyone looking for a comfortable and modern home in the heart of Florence and look forward to my next visit!

Arrivederci!

The Bachelor Pad

We recently began working with a new client in NYC, a bachelor and friend that just moved into a really great apartment in Nolita. The busy client already owns a few great pieces such as a Noguchi Coffee table, an animal Skin rug, and a brown leather sofa, and needed some help organizing and pulling it all together. The space itself is really great with 20' tall ceilings and skylights in the living area, exposed brick walls, and a private roof deck - the only thing it is lacking is storage! We started off by accessing the clients need for an attractive storage solution to organize his books and kitchen supplies, as well as his want for a more pulled together and attractive aesthetic. Above is the fabric scheme from Ralph Lauren and Barclay Butera for Kravet. Below is Benjamin Moore's Northern Air, which will be the wall color for living area.

I always think a gray is the best neutral and this steel blue/gray will be a fresh and masculine backdrop for artwork and looks fabulous with the exposed brick walls and wood stain for the shelving system.

The shelving system will span a 13' wide wall and will have a small desk and plenty of storage for a home office.

We're taking the tailored masculine scheme into the bedroom as well with this cozy duvet cover and shams from Pine Cone Hill.

We'll keep you posted as the project progresses!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Pearl Mt Pleasant

Melissa Rigsby and Allison Gilchrist recently opened the doors of Pearl, the new chic boutique housed in a 1950's building in Mt Pleasant's Shem Creek Village!

The warm yet modern space will carry an assortment wares from designers such as Jason Wu, doo.ri, Mischen, Megan Park and Anya Hindmarch.

Using the boutique's name and logo for inspiration, as well as it's proximity to the sea, we designed a clean, modern space with touches of feminine whimsy. Above is a selection of some of the finishes used including a feminine metallic wall covering from ROMO, a counter top made from sea glass, and a stitched, pearlized wall treatment.