Home About Portfolio Ideas Contact

Sunday, January 25, 2015

  Hey Everyone,

         Hope all is well with anyone and everyone!   Busy, busy, busy....Which might I add is a good thing!  All is well with the family and I can honestly say I love my clients.  I have had the pleasure of working in some of the most beautiful homes in my area and I promise pictures will soon follow.  Working with clients as a new designer can sometimes be challenging.  You have to work especially hard to earn their trust and since you do not have a reputation to lean on you often have to compromise your aesthetic.  Many of the final results are probably not 100% my design - but I try my best to make sure that my client is happy and comfortable with the end result.  I will be doing a disservice to them if I create a space that they are not comfortable living in - regardless of how I would have liked to see it.  We as designers are a fearless lot and enjoy going the max every time.  It's the nature of what we do and why we do it.

         I recently took a beginners Interior Photography class at 200 Lexington Avenue which a fellow designer located on Editor at Large.  It was a two day overview of how your camera operates and how you can obtain a beautiful interior shot of your work.  ISO, F-Stop, Shutter Speed.... Whatever happened to point and go? Walla! a beautiful picture!  I long for the days when my flash bulb rotated with every shot or all I had to do was blow on the Polaroid every time I took a picture.  Well no sense longing for the past, the future is here and I had better get on board.  To be completely honest, I enjoy complaining, its fun to reminisce  and  - truth be told, I love learning new things and always had an interest in photography.  Great class, I highly recommend it. Here is some info on our wonderful instructor Emily Gilbert.


Emily Gilbert Photography
tel: 917-816-0690
emily@emilygilbertphotography.com

Monday, May 19, 2014

Carini Lang's Capri

  Hey Everyone,

        I am in search of a great timeless carpet and my eye keeps going to the same one!  A silk totally transitional carpet that has an ethereal feel and look to it.  The one I am presenting today is from Carini Lang, is 100% silk and I am sure is soooo out of my price range....but, Country Carpet sells a variation of them in silk and wool as do many other sell to the trade shops.  They can be custom colored and you can save by omitting the silk for an all wool version.  You may lose some of the lustre which I am not crazy about but I have a 110lb dog and a snarky cat so if your in my situation you might want to consider being cost effective.


Carini Lang

This is named Capri for obvious reasons and comes in 4 additional colors. 
 Beautiful to look at and to feel under your bare feet.  
Transitional to say the least, you can infuse this into any decorating style
 and it will be a show piece for years and years to come.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

HWANG BISHOP

  Hey Everyone,

          Recently on a trip to the Schumacher showroom I was admiring a pair of lamps that were on the clearance table.  As usual, my "No Luck" policy prevailed and they were the only items that were not on sale....but as I was inquiring I came to learn that they were part of a collection from Hwang Bishop (aka Felicia Hwang Bishop).  Schumacher has decided to carry her line of lamps and they are beautiful.  They have a Spitzmiller look at a fraction of the cost.

     Hwang Bishop has been designing lamps and other furnishings since 1994, all pieces are made to order and can be customized.  Here are some pics I pulled for you. I chose some staple pieces that we can use anywhere and a couple of what I consider more specialized.


Felicia Hwang Bishop

 Lotus

 Portico

 Leila

 Abacus

 Sumo

Linen Fold Side Table

LuLu Side Table

Mandarine Side Table-Hobnail

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Fabulously Devine Miss M!!!

  Hey Everyone,

       I hope everyone is doing well, it has been way too long since my last posting.  My Apologies!!!

      This posting is focused on the Penthouse Apartment of the fabulous Bette Midler,  Architectural Digest had the foresight to know that if a woman is fabulous in life she must have an equally fabulous abode.  And she most definitely does!  This photo spread truly inspired me and I will be going back to look at it again and again.  This month's entire issue is beautiful - go out and get it if you have not already.

Take a peak at the June photos of Miss M's Manhattan Penthouse-
 it is truly a dreamy place!

 I love the tile on this fireplace. 
Simple yet architecturally interesting.
BTW-She looks Great!

 I love this room, the pops of color in the carpet keep the monotone
 furnishings from fading away and gives them the air of sophistication the designer intended.
  This lovely room leads out to one of the many garden balconies, 
which overlooks the Central Park reservoir. 
 Only in NYC!!!!

 This penthouse has garden balconies that wrap around 
giving each room light.  
This kitchen has a beautiful casual and whimsical feel to it. 
The hanging pendants over the table are giving off a clean, delicate affect.
 Lovely!

 Upholstered Doors!!!
 OK, I don't know that I love it in relation to the size of the headboard.
 Sometimes the staging of a room gets under my skin.  
The dresser or whatever that is at the foot of the bed cannot possibly work well there
 - so why photograph it that way?
Who am I to judge. 
 It's in AD, enough said!


 What can I say about this balcony? 
 Perfection

OK, Truth be told I have instructed my boys to cremate my body
 (when the time comes, Lol!)
and scatter my ashes from 49th to 95th along 5th avenue - thru the park and so forth. 
 But honestly, anywhere in these gardens would suffice. 
 I am redesigning my yard immediately!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Spring has Sprung! Time to get Gardening!!!

  Hey Everyone,

      This months Coastal Living is in, and of course we are all looking forward to a warm spring breeze, especially if your living in the NY area.   Planting flowers and bushes around the house is a must.  This winter was brutal and some of my more delicate grasses and softer leafed bushes do not look like they are going to make a come back.  It is so much easier to garden when there is a place for everything and a nice tall bench to work on.  I have yet to get a true dedicated bench, but I do have a really pretty shed for storage.  A girl can dream.....



I love Garden Sheds and Potting Stations 
and this month's issue of Coastal Living focuses 
a bit on that.




Here are some of the fun items they are featuring
 for your personal garden! Enjoy!!!









Take a moment and click on my Pintrest button. 
 I have two dedicated boards for Gardening Stations and Boxed Boxwood's 
which happen to be another big favorite of mine.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Tickle Me Tillett Textiles!!!



  Hey Everyone,

        I am Exhausted!!!  Exhausted, but excited as well.  Took the entire day and spent it at the
D & D.  As you know it can take that long to find just the right fabrics for a job, or at least it should.

       Along my journey today I stopped in at Fortuny and met the lovely Catherine Vergara (forgot to ask if there was any relation to Sophia...next time. Lol!)  Catherine walked me through their products and we discussed at length the Tillett  and t4design line of fabrics and possibilities.  How exciting!!!  For a very nice price point you can basically create your own fabric, choose from 55 colors, 12 grounds, ccustomize the design - choose between linen, velvet, cotton.  Need I go on?  All of these choices can be made using their ColorPad option on their website.  CFA's ordered right there!   I was in love, the Chrysanthemum pattern of course tickled my girly desires immediately but they have quite a nice selection to choose from, 180 different patterns to be exact.

     The Tillett family represents 4 generations of designers and this latest venture is spearheaded by Kathleen Tillett and her son Patrick.  Past generations of the Tillett family have worked with Jackie Kennedy Onasis and Aristotle Onasis himself.

     Here are some pictures because we all love the visual, but log on and see for yourself.


Leslie and Patrick Tillett









 Think of the endless possibilities, when you can take any design
 and change it to suit your needs.  
It's like being given a 20 yard head start in a race!


    I can see this as draperies in a pre-teen girls room.  
I have two boys so I desperately need a client with a little girl who loves pink chrysanthemums.




Thursday, March 6, 2014

This Is Just Wrong!!!!

  Hey Everyone,

        I know I am in no position to start picking at any one's work but in my search today to bring you beautiful designs, I came across this!  I am going out on a limb and just saying NOOOOO!!!!





My Apologies to whomever.  It was priced in the 30K range. Going, going, still not gone....