tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111639833667220892024-03-13T07:07:57.105-04:00ask patrickinterior insight, ideas and inspirationpatrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-73778182490230960802018-11-24T18:47:00.000-05:002018-11-25T13:16:05.620-05:00...helping hands and bulging biceps: a hot and handy round-up.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZV7HGxPVTM/W_nHL1vYbDI/AAAAAAAAEvY/gQi0nq91BEIPg0tt_3v71XRrg1zVBa3JQCLcBGAs/s1600/6448c4dfe89337be9d3ed730439ecf98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="418" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZV7HGxPVTM/W_nHL1vYbDI/AAAAAAAAEvY/gQi0nq91BEIPg0tt_3v71XRrg1zVBa3JQCLcBGAs/s640/6448c4dfe89337be9d3ed730439ecf98.jpg" width="363" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">In the midst of most home
makeover shows, there’s that break in the design action, and in lumbers the
carpenter, builder, landscaper, General Contractor, or mason. And then like that famous Diet Coke
commercial, as they get down to business, we get an eyeful of some slow-motion
table-sawin,' ax-swingin,’ lawn-tillin,' and dove-tailin,’ all in a pair of Cargill pants
secured by a nicely equipped toolbelt. (Did I mention this post is rated PG-13?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">It’s a concept that started
on the telly across the pond (and maybe in a few, um, “art films”): the Hunky
Handy Man (HHM). The more upstanding TV
version is the handsome supporting player who saws, miters and dowels designers
out of binds and impossible TV deadlines, and in the process, often manages to
upstage the main plotline with just a few minutes of saw-dusted airtime.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwXLojAiiVQ/W_nHuiudsSI/AAAAAAAAEvg/w_2HZPxFMWcMRXLM6JZanqSNK_S8AheQACLcBGAs/s1600/article-2505093-000B109F00000258-41_634x465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="634" height="234" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwXLojAiiVQ/W_nHuiudsSI/AAAAAAAAEvg/w_2HZPxFMWcMRXLM6JZanqSNK_S8AheQACLcBGAs/s320/article-2505093-000B109F00000258-41_634x465.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The roots might be traced
back to “Handy Andy” Kane, the humble but handsome carpenter on Changing Rooms,
the earlier and super-charming UK counterpart to our very own and recently
rebooted <a href="https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/trading-spaces/" target="_blank"><b>Trading Spaces</b></a>. But it was Trading Spaces that cemented the HHM as the
ultimate American TV renovation fixture, a trend that catapulted more than a
fair share of builders and renovators to their own spotlights, fanbases, and stand-alone shows.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">So in honor of the return of
Trading Spaces, and to celebrate the taping of its newest season, I’m rounding
up my list of guys (and two gals!), any of whom could totally raise my barn. It’s
a totally random, totally unscientific, totally NOT definitive list.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">And while I’m not at all
sure how some of these men (and two ladies!) would take to a Gay man in
Manhattan objectifying them, rounding them up based not on the precision of their work, but on
other attributes far less technical, it’s all meant as compliment, and all in
cheeky good fun.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">But to make my list, it’s
not just looks: it’s demeanor. Because on top of 3% body fat and perfect
bedhead (or bald head), my roster shares sincerity, sweetness, an easygoing
nature, all without overselling their sex appeal.<span style="color: #ff6600;"></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R115n6tTe40/W_nH7GPw86I/AAAAAAAAEvk/6-Y4DtHHqKIZYq8DPMsOawun2ODKfSKkACLcBGAs/s1600/1472832058098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="616" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R115n6tTe40/W_nH7GPw86I/AAAAAAAAEvk/6-Y4DtHHqKIZYq8DPMsOawun2ODKfSKkACLcBGAs/s320/1472832058098.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Mark Bowe – Barnwood Builders </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Is it the drawl, or is it hot all up in this dogtrot?
Mark Bowe, of DIY Network’s <b><a href="https://www.diynetwork.com/shows/barnwood-builders" target="_blank">Barnwood Builders</a></b>, is the epitome of country cool,
with a downhome manner, a penchant for puns, and the aforementioned Cargills
that make him easy to watch, whether he’s leading his team of southern mountain men as
they take down an historic log home, or, well, as they take down an historic
log home. Mr. Bowe could chink my logs any day. And speaking of logs...</span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H68LILALJnQ/W_nKxZ0auBI/AAAAAAAAEwI/EptT0whK2ZQD9sDR0BFVzWYa671vDAvDgCLcBGAs/s1600/6yBwBwmG2MkA3XqOb08LuoBaH5Y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H68LILALJnQ/W_nKxZ0auBI/AAAAAAAAEwI/EptT0whK2ZQD9sDR0BFVzWYa671vDAvDgCLcBGAs/s400/6yBwBwmG2MkA3XqOb08LuoBaH5Y.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">"Jedi" Baker– Maine Cabin Masters </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">On those summer jobs when things heat up in <b><a href="https://mainecabinmasters.com/" target="_blank">Maine Cabin Masters</a></b> territory, the crew heads to the lake to cool off... and if you’re lucky,
it’s an episode where Jedi gets a special slow-motion hair flip in late
summer light, the water droplets showering the bearded Maine man as time stands
still and... wait, what were we talking about? Ah yes, Jedi the carpenter who shies
away from the very camera that seems to love him. The force is strong with this
one... and there’s nothing sexier than someone, man or woman, who doesn’t seem
to know how sexy they actually are.</span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UIbOGuqrP3g/W_nNtpsU96I/AAAAAAAAEwU/a7uTgF1ZSZkXBenvyFqGNP9l-51CodBpACLcBGAs/s1600/Anthony%2BCarrino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="549" height="315" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UIbOGuqrP3g/W_nNtpsU96I/AAAAAAAAEwU/a7uTgF1ZSZkXBenvyFqGNP9l-51CodBpACLcBGAs/s400/Anthony%2BCarrino.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Anthony Carrino – Kitchen Cousins </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Not that there’s anything wrong with the Other
Cousin </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">AT ALL</span></span>, but Anthony Carrino is the half of <a href="https://www.hgtv.com/shows/kitchen-cousins" target="_blank"><b>Kitchen Cousins</b></a> who makes my list, if I had to
pick one cousin for my desert or kitchen island. From the buzz-cut to the manicured scruff,
inked arms and perfect philtrum (no, that’s NOT dirty), he puts the Man in
McMansion. Anthony is that confusing kind of sweet/hot: he’s the guy who’d pick
you up for your date on a motorcycle, and your parents would give him gas money.
Curfew extension, please!!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXKMmezBWf8/W_nOUKCz_fI/AAAAAAAAEws/GCN3ow5L6kY3WIVomV1dUzrjqWowR1q2wCLcBGAs/s1600/talk_blog_carter_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="606" height="226" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXKMmezBWf8/W_nOUKCz_fI/AAAAAAAAEws/GCN3ow5L6kY3WIVomV1dUzrjqWowR1q2wCLcBGAs/s400/talk_blog_carter_0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">Carter Oosterhouse</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><b> – Trading Spaces</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Sure, Ty Pennington was the
first to lose his shirt (fairly often) on the original run of <a href="https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/trading-spaces/" target="_blank"><b>Trading Spaces</b></a>,
but I always crushed on Carter. Soft-spoken, genuine, even-keeled, and raven-maned,
Carter might not have stolen the spotlight, but I’m pretty sure he stole more
than a few of the TV<b> </b>viewers’ hearts, present company most thoroughly included.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1eSaTnhzJRg/W_nO72N4ZFI/AAAAAAAAEw4/MOHBDkAn1jcDghR2P922RjXQoE8MynjXQCLcBGAs/s1600/jason-cameron-3-800x1500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1eSaTnhzJRg/W_nO72N4ZFI/AAAAAAAAEw4/MOHBDkAn1jcDghR2P922RjXQoE8MynjXQCLcBGAs/s400/jason-cameron-3-800x1500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Jason Cameron – Man Caves/Desperate Landscapes </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Are those tree trunks in
your front yard, or is Desperate Landscapes host <a href="https://www.diynetwork.com/profiles/talent/jason-cameron/get-to-know-jason-cameron" target="_blank"><b>Jason Cameron</b></a> just wearing
shorts? Inside and out, Jason Cameron brings an almost Tom-of-Finland aesthetic
to his projects, and ups that curb appeal just by showing up on the job site.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q_Qz-1RhUE/W_nPRtvI3qI/AAAAAAAAExA/wSKx2jEe2p0tmm7Wftqyn9PhmuZ9TTTEQCLcBGAs/s1600/about-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="955" height="245" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q_Qz-1RhUE/W_nPRtvI3qI/AAAAAAAAExA/wSKx2jEe2p0tmm7Wftqyn9PhmuZ9TTTEQCLcBGAs/s400/about-3.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Ahmed Hassan – Yard Crashers </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The original host of Yard Crashers, he’s everything
you’d want in a landscaper, host or eminently watchable-through-the-blinds hunky neighbor: handsome, jovial,
talented. When’s <a href="https://www.ahmedhassan.tv/about/" target="_blank"><b>Ahmed</b></a> coming back to TV, DIY? I need my hedges clipped.</span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2hG3I_9mIWE/W_nPucTu3tI/AAAAAAAAExI/UbpFZMpEAC8M0xJJHxr0vrhmVMcu4GyLACLcBGAs/s1600/1490819134875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="616" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2hG3I_9mIWE/W_nPucTu3tI/AAAAAAAAExI/UbpFZMpEAC8M0xJJHxr0vrhmVMcu4GyLACLcBGAs/s400/1490819134875.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Jeff Devlin – Stone House Revival </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The quintessential Guy Next Door, <a href="https://www.diynetwork.com/profiles/talent/jeff-devlin" target="_blank"><b>Jeff Devlin</b></a> is quick to
laugh, always joyful about what he does, with a kind of retro Wholesome
Handsome that makes you wish you had a stone farmhouse in need of some revivin.’ There’s
also an “exposing your stone” joke here, but even at this point, I’m too much a
gentleman to make it.</span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/---qMiGLLDH0/W_nQyOIlfjI/AAAAAAAAExk/BMuvcHZ8-g4ZRDHcfxZNGT4r_gAFAd1BwCLcBGAs/s1600/Mark-Clement-hammer-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/---qMiGLLDH0/W_nQyOIlfjI/AAAAAAAAExk/BMuvcHZ8-g4ZRDHcfxZNGT4r_gAFAd1BwCLcBGAs/s400/Mark-Clement-hammer-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Mark and Theresa Clement – MyFixitUpLife </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Aside from being a total hottie, Mark’s a total laugh
riot... which makes him even hottie-r. The only gent on the list I’ve had the
good fortune to meet in person, the handsome half of <a href="http://myfixituplife.com/DIY/#sthash.5quh8juN.dpbs" target="_blank"><b>MyFixItUpLife</b></a> is passionate, hilarious, and an industry
advocate for the Design and Builder communities.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3cjCpCgbMk/W_nQycjDEpI/AAAAAAAAExo/k8Ks2irrA7QaIkUb7R8FksnFiAJusyMPACLcBGAs/s1600/fh58fuH_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3cjCpCgbMk/W_nQycjDEpI/AAAAAAAAExo/k8Ks2irrA7QaIkUb7R8FksnFiAJusyMPACLcBGAs/s400/fh58fuH_.jpg" width="400" /></a> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Then there’s Theresa, the no-nonsense (well, maybe a <i>little</i> nonsense... she’s hilarious, too) </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">hard-working </span></span>Katy Perry
look-alike and second half of this do-it-all duo, who’s become a lovely friend
to me and many more on social media. Their combined looks make it seem
improbable that any real work is getting done, but these two are seriously
hands-on... and their social media streams are full of great tips and useful
information, all with that wink, nod and sparkle I’ve come to love these two
for.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INYso7ClWQ8/W_nIXbXduqI/AAAAAAAAEv0/ij9ns0bQPhAyCiljEla_T4ufK2DNSJX5gCLcBGAs/s1600/chip4-PhotoCredit-PTurner-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="680" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-INYso7ClWQ8/W_nIXbXduqI/AAAAAAAAEv0/ij9ns0bQPhAyCiljEla_T4ufK2DNSJX5gCLcBGAs/s400/chip4-PhotoCredit-PTurner-1.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Chip Wade – Curb Appeal </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Bald is Beautiful, Part 1.<b> <a href="https://www.wadeworkscreative.com/" target="_blank">Chip Wade</a> </b>has now moved to the pages of <b><a href="https://www.hgtvmagonline.com/" target="_blank">HGTV’s magazine</a></b>, giving great
advice about when to DIY and when to DI-don’t, but he started on the airwaves, upping
the curb appeal down south on HGTV.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BtPMn8lj3jU/W_nRr25StiI/AAAAAAAAEx4/G8uRipMwJVEMcKdxEJu4xMVCmlklPb5vQCLcBGAs/s1600/QeAfWnnw_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BtPMn8lj3jU/W_nRr25StiI/AAAAAAAAEx4/G8uRipMwJVEMcKdxEJu4xMVCmlklPb5vQCLcBGAs/s400/QeAfWnnw_400x400.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Eric Eremita – Love it or List It</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Bald is Beautiful, Part 2, Daddy Edition. He’s the best way to get
bad news: bald and burly, Eric is the one who brings <a href="https://www.hgtv.com/shows/love-it-or-list-it" target="_blank"><b>Love It Or List It</b></a>'s Hilary Farr’s designs to life... or sends her back to
beg the client for more money when decidedly unsexy things like gas pipes and
septic tanks take a bite out of the budget. He's part Pitbull, part Mr. Clean. Annnd, now I’m picturing Eric in a
tight white T-shirt, and tight white pants. So as Hillary says, “Let’s move on, shall we?” But as for
Eric, we’ll definitely Love It.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy07uu5iycA/W_nSUV-GZ3I/AAAAAAAAEyA/FZdW1Obk6WQbDIKLu1Cfn-E_3hZKTwAWACLcBGAs/s1600/marnie-oursler-wedding-added-account-network-home-designer-pro-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="850" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sy07uu5iycA/W_nSUV-GZ3I/AAAAAAAAEyA/FZdW1Obk6WQbDIKLu1Cfn-E_3hZKTwAWACLcBGAs/s400/marnie-oursler-wedding-added-account-network-home-designer-pro-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Marnie Oursler – Big Beach Builds </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">OBVIOUSLY not a dude, but she makes my list for her
natural, beachy style... and that’s as much her as it is her <b><a href="https://www.marnieoursler.com/" target="_blank">gorgeous renovations of classic beachfront properties</a></b> up and down the Chesapeake Bay.
Building is in her decidedly great DNA, and she knows her stuff, this genuine
beauty who makes it all look good, sun-kissed and seemingly eternally happy,
even when projects take a pre-commercial break turn for the worse. Spoiler
alert: everything gets sorted after the commercial.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KSVU4DQsKs/W_nTie6bwzI/AAAAAAAAEyY/be8EKIfXjnwc7Q4l-0-iCsX--PQrLBC9ACEwYBhgL/s1600/DHITEqRV0AAQmfk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1200" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KSVU4DQsKs/W_nTie6bwzI/AAAAAAAAEyY/be8EKIfXjnwc7Q4l-0-iCsX--PQrLBC9ACEwYBhgL/s400/DHITEqRV0AAQmfk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Chase and Brock Jurgenson – Rustic Reno </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Oh brother, whereart thou? Another duo to both make
the list, because we Gays like both our Bears and our Otters. These boys are
perhaps the most sincere of all the list, but what would you expect from the
land of ice-fishing, potlucks, hot dish and lute fisk? But like all things interiors,
it’s the mix that makes it good: Minnesota sincerity, and Brooklyn-ready haircuts.
PLEASE, <a href="https://www.dove.com/us/en/men-care.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAiuTfBRAaEiwA4itUqLWixjmzeQYwjqScU2KZyz_rQEt8QzTmWnanBllO_oL0GtWqvvzaShoCqrcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank"><b>Dove for Men</b></a>, get Chase a contract. Preferably for body wash. And not
because he needs it. Because I'm pretty sure he already smells like pine trees and sandalwood. Hot dish, indeed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Well, THAT was fun. Which hot and handy person tops your list? Who did I miss? I'm MORE than happy to continue to ogle... er, GOOGLE, more of these gents and ladies.</span></span></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-44579905551775528382018-01-07T22:10:00.002-05:002018-01-07T23:40:43.960-05:00...about magazines, magic carpets, title pages, Savannah squares, and southern studies: the Design Best of 2017.<style>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IH022G8hF90/WlKGBvIYSEI/AAAAAAAAEoA/FFYtbahNWK0KG3muWtWdb4XYLNJlvR20QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IH022G8hF90/WlKGBvIYSEI/AAAAAAAAEoA/FFYtbahNWK0KG3muWtWdb4XYLNJlvR20QCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_5050.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It was both tortoise and hare: sloth-slow at times, fast and
furious the next: the Year Formerly Known as 2017 started in super (and super
scary) slow motion for me (and totally Twilight-Spicer-Conway-Huckabee-Sanders-Zone
surreal-ness, for us all) then seemed to gain speed to cross the finish line in
high style, fine fashion, and carrying a lot more promise about the new year
ahead than I could muster last year... even if the weirdness and uncertainty most
definitely linger like a nervous dude’s pre-date cloud of Axe Body Spray. Then
again, it might just be coal dust.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">While most of my design and this-year’s
career highlights happened in late Q3 and Q4 (to sound all business-y), we’ll
call the whole thing a win, since the personal design bests of 2017 were pretty
darn great, y’all! (That “y’all” will make much more sense later.) </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Let’s
take a spin back to what mostly made up for the not-so-great parts of 2017,
in totally unscientific order, since I’m pretty sure we all had to give up
Science back in January. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ0kDTaIMgM/WlKDyaLvGFI/AAAAAAAAEn0/GgYgYr40ajUDmrP13t3Pvx625vM7tOlYgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQ0kDTaIMgM/WlKDyaLvGFI/AAAAAAAAEn0/GgYgYr40ajUDmrP13t3Pvx625vM7tOlYgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">W42St </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">While Madonna can’t quite add me to her Vogue list of those on the
cover of a magazine, I did make it to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pages</i>
of one: the cheery, happy, helpful <a href="https://www.w42st.com/" target="_blank"><b>W42St</b></a> magazine, and in a full spread, at
that. I loved having the opportunity to list my Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood
loves in their September Design Issue, like the great new-ish cabaret
space <a href="http://www.onfournyc.com/about1.html" target="_blank"><b>The Green Room</b> <b>42</b></a>, Ben Cameron’s best-bargain-in-town <a href="http://bencameron.nyc/sessions.html" target="_blank"><b>Broadway Sessions</b></a>,
<a href="https://www.ardesia-ny.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ardesia</b></a>, Rise Bar, Therapy, Sushi Damo and more in my HK tell-all,
cheekily entitled “In Broadway’s Bedroom” by editor and wordmaven Ruth Walker. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
the highlight of the highlight might just have been sitting for photographer <b><a href="http://www.nachoguevara.com/" target="_blank">Ignacio“Nacho” Guevara</a></b>, in the chic locale of Dominic Lepere’s <a href="http://lepereinc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lepere</b></a> showroom at the
<a href="http://www.nydc.com/" target="_blank"><b>New York Design Center</b></a>. It yielded <b><a href="http://www.nachoguevara.com/hells-habitants/ik3gpqa9xnvq2nkbvl5cp2snsqs28p" target="_blank">a portrait</a></b> I now have the tall task of
living up to in real life, and will be my go-to headshot at least until people
start saying, “Is that your son in that picture?” </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_noDXcLZSY/WlKdD45PZ1I/AAAAAAAAEoQ/1ct1IrMZjeQWF3iJsWY3peKU28SZAriQACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--_noDXcLZSY/WlKdD45PZ1I/AAAAAAAAEoQ/1ct1IrMZjeQWF3iJsWY3peKU28SZAriQACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3733.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Southern Style Now Show House </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If I had a car, the newest bumper
sticker would read: “I Survived My First Out-of-Town Show House.” And what a
house! And what an experience! I was extremely honored to join the cast of
Southern all-stars in the second-ever <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Traditional Home</b></a> <b><a href="http://www.southernstylenow.com/" target="_blank">Southern Style Now</a> <a href="http://www.southernstylenow.com/2017-showhouse/" target="_blank">Show House</a></b>,
this year in Savannah, at the invitation of Traditional Home (the house
sponsor) and <a href="https://fabricut.com/" target="_blank"><b>Fabricut</b></a> (my room’s sponsor, without whom I could not have pulled
off this monumental task).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3zXrCwNGNcQ/WlKijAo-anI/AAAAAAAAEok/zUR7Y3XBRQEX0hKOIzRyzWmyV5hLbJ7BgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3zXrCwNGNcQ/WlKijAo-anI/AAAAAAAAEok/zUR7Y3XBRQEX0hKOIzRyzWmyV5hLbJ7BgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3467.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">In it, I was tasked, happily, with creating a
fully-realized interior around a brand new line of textiles and wallpapers,
developed in a unique business partnership between Fabricut (for their <a href="https://www.stroheim.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stroheim</b></a>
line) and students at the <a href="http://www.scad.edu/" target="_blank"><b>Savannah College of Art and Design</b></a>. In a
semester-long project back in 2016, with Fabricut’s wonderful Creative Director and VP Nina
Butkin, the brilliant Doris Athineos, and me as the interior design
mentor on the panel, we guided four teams of young
women from Pinterest
board to warped-and-wefted, named, branded and polished presentation samples, </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">as they developed a line of textiles and wallcoverings</span>.
That winning team (“Team Darlene”) had their collection produced by Stroheim, and
then a little over a year later, showcased in the Southern Style Now show house as it hit the
to-the-trade market. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QeZSIGnbmH0/WlKdipK0eEI/AAAAAAAAEoU/OQfqSdi9TQovjov44Ok_HqTG2Rcfqk7CwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1110" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QeZSIGnbmH0/WlKdipK0eEI/AAAAAAAAEoU/OQfqSdi9TQovjov44Ok_HqTG2Rcfqk7CwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3479.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The best part was bringing the story of the room’s
textile building blocks back full circle, to just blocks away from where it all
began, in the oh-so-charming town of Savannah. My Southern Study (for the
fictional “Darlene,” around whom the collection was originally designed by SCAD students </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Morgan De Paoli, Brittany Reidy, Jessica Amsberry, Hannah Golden and Celeste Buck) might
not have been the biggest room in the house, snuggled back in a low-slung
corner of the handsome Greek revival building’s Garden Level (that’s Southern
for “walk-out basement," but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shush</i>,
you didn’t hear that from me), but it still managed to charm its fair share of
visitors to the house (which received a staggering head-to-toe renovation from
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/DowntownSavannah/" target="_blank"><b>Matthew Allan Homes</b></a>), and it was a room I didn’t want to leave, let alone
dismantle at the end of the four-ish week run. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">During house set up and
break down, I had the great fortune to be equally charmed by this gridded,
moss-draped and gentile southern city, all enlivened and fueled by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brilliant</i> concept of the “Sip and
Stroll,” an invite to the jaw-dropping home of star preservationist, Donghia-
and SCAD alum and consummate host Chuck Chewning, and frequent visits to <b><a href="https://www.daniel-reed.com/" target="_blank">Daniel Reed's</a></b> <a href="http://www.thepublickitchen.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Public Kitchen</b></a> (I am craving their grilled chicken on <i>anything</i>, and
copper-cupped Casanova, as we speak.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Throughout the Southern Style Now
Festival, brain child of Robert Leleux, I got to mix, mingle and meet with some
of the South’s most colorful and talented decorators and designers (Summer
Loftin, Lily Brown, Mary Jo Bochner, Kara Cox, Susan Jamieson, Leah G. Bailey, Gwyn Duggan and more), curators (<a href="http://laneycontemporary.com/" target="_blank"><b>Laney Contemporary</b></a>’s Susan Laney) and artists (Betsy Cain), even spilling some
(sweet) tea of my own during our “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About
Decorating But Were Afraid to Ask” panel. I now feel more like a Southerner
than my South Florida upbringing ever afforded, and it’s a badge I’ll wear as proudly
as the hand-tied (thanks, YouTube!) bow tie I wore to the house’s opening night
gala. Look for full coverage of the house, and hopefully my room, in a little
under a year, on the pages of Traditional Home. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I’d be totally remiss if I
did not mention my saving grace and man on the street in Savannah, Robert
Ricard, of Frieze Savannah. The shop around the corner, and the man behind it,
saved my hide before and during set up, offering up storage space, moral support, box
(empty and not) lugging and stowing, Home Depot extension cord and rug pad runs,
and pre-arrival site measuring visits and videos while I worried away up in NYC.
Our paths first crossed during our past Ft. Lauderdale lives, and the Savannah
version of his South Florida shop is still a treasure trove of the unique and
exotic. It proved one thing: if you are doing a show house away from your own home
base, you need a Robert. So if you’re reading this, Doug and Richard, keep a
corner of your brand new Palm Springs garage cleared out, in case I ever get
The Call from the Christopher-Kennedy Compound. (Universe, take note.) </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4kDR25Ix0JM/WlKkMjF7FSI/AAAAAAAAEo8/Tm5CAz6Uhp8U23zBUXDRFK0tjUlfEJCjQCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="990" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4kDR25Ix0JM/WlKkMjF7FSI/AAAAAAAAEo8/Tm5CAz6Uhp8U23zBUXDRFK0tjUlfEJCjQCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_3166.JPG" width="308" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Beneath the Covers, by the Book </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My
frequent rallying cry of “Long Live Print!” has usually been celebrating (and
encouraging) the world of shelter magazines, but now I’ll also happily add
Actual Books, since 2017 saw my name appear in the photo credits of one, and on
the title page of another. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPbXht_1Rac/WlKl1MkZcyI/AAAAAAAAEpE/mZACGq0kxe4MSJn6xUidxHisCvA7twQOQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1111" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tPbXht_1Rac/WlKl1MkZcyI/AAAAAAAAEpE/mZACGq0kxe4MSJn6xUidxHisCvA7twQOQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_0264.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">After assembling an incredible collection of
fiber arts created by makers on the LGBTQ spectrum, in his group show “Queer
Threads<b>"</b> (which I first experienced at New York’s <a href="https://www.leslielohman.org/" target="_blank"><b>Leslie Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art</b></a>)
graphic designer, friend and curator John Chaich teamed up with Todd Oldham and
<a href="https://www.ammobooks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ammo Books</b></a> to create the book by the same name: <a href="https://www.ammobooks.com/collections/books/products/queerthreads" target="_blank"><b>“Queer Threads/Crafting Identity and Community,”</b></a> an homage to those artists and more whose chosen method of
creation involves yarn, thread, clothing and cloth, and their experiences within the rainbow
coalition. It’s a thoughtful and joyous beauty of a book, as Roy G. Biv’d as you’d expect,
anchored by amazing interviews with each maker, conducted by scholars, friends
and other master and mistresses of their craft. I was thrilled to have an image
included, an installation shot of Liz Collins’ “Accumulated Pride,” and to be
even a small part of this incredible endeavor, John’s creation and labor of
love, was an absolute honor. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zh_C-j8eiFs/WlKi756tmbI/AAAAAAAAEoo/C0EDAw8buGQnj9ugxbiP6JQfUTSZ_LxGACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zh_C-j8eiFs/WlKi756tmbI/AAAAAAAAEoo/C0EDAw8buGQnj9ugxbiP6JQfUTSZ_LxGACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Another title gave me my very
first book-writing credit in 2017, this time, Iris Dankner’s labor of love, <a href="http://www.pointedleafpress.com/holiday-house" target="_blank"><b>“Holiday House: Ten Years of Decorating for a Cure,</b>”</a> published by <a href="http://www.pointedleafpress.com/" target="_blank"><b>Pointed Leaf Press</b></a>
(with industry veteran Susie Slesin at the helm). The coffee
table book features a decade-long backward glance at the show house conceived
by Dankner, in a mission to create a design-industry event dedicated to raising
money for women’s health, focusing on breast cancer... a foe which Iris herself
faced, and conquered, 20+ years ago. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The lush volume is centered mostly on the show
house’s run at the Academy Mansion, but also includes its summer getaways
to the Hamptons, and a foray down to New York’s fashionable, and
fashion forward, SoHo. And like the house, the book is an ode to the transformative power of
decorating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h0DRkGfHy9g/WlKkMnX1CjI/AAAAAAAAEo0/t3zZWkbAj48iQMWZtwhCm8yVpR_YbMzFQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3151.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h0DRkGfHy9g/WlKkMnX1CjI/AAAAAAAAEo0/t3zZWkbAj48iQMWZtwhCm8yVpR_YbMzFQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3151.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I wrote everything in the book Iris and Christopher
Hyland didn’t, and both the process and end result will keep me beaming for
another ten years. Added bonus: both my <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>Modern St. Patrick’s Day</b></a> and “<a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-theme-decorating-and-horse-of.html" target="_blank"><b>Derby Deconstructed</b></a>” rooms for the house (in 2013 and 2014) made it onto the lovely,
glossy pages... which not only celebrates the designers, but a battery of some
of the the most talented interior photographers around. More, please, in 2018,
Universe! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8aqNuZVfse4/WlKm5dyVxSI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/CtFEVtfDe1ERaYDxCI8QAIHmA3fhcO8ZwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8aqNuZVfse4/WlKm5dyVxSI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/CtFEVtfDe1ERaYDxCI8QAIHmA3fhcO8ZwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3138.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DIFFA x Obeetee </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">To
borrow from Disney’s Aladdin, it was a whole new world, a magic carpet ride, and a wonderful
double-whammy of an opportunity: to join a hand-picked group of designers each
creating a custom design for the rugmakers of <a href="http://obeetee.com/" target="_blank"><b>Obeetee</b></a>, a longtime source for
industry insiders, now taking on the world of high-end custom carpets, and then
to have the end result benefit <a href="http://diffa.org/" target="_blank"><b>Design Industries Foundation Fights AIDS</b></a>
(DIFFA).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s always both totally exhilarating and a tiny bit paralyzing
to design without a client to give you starting points and guideposts, but the
assignment provided the opportunity to bridge my love of color (warm and cool,
jewel-tone and neutral), a never-ending infatuation with the Greek key, and to
showcase the handmade, all to make a rug I haven’t come across already in my
own sourcing expeditions.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THeMjfhGQG4/WlK61aLW38I/AAAAAAAAErY/LlfdVzwgAwQhU-NhD506-cBzfMYk6GafACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3144%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="617" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THeMjfhGQG4/WlK61aLW38I/AAAAAAAAErY/LlfdVzwgAwQhU-NhD506-cBzfMYk6GafACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3144%25281%2529.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The process was a mini-master class into yarn,
loops, and pile, yielding my “Greek to Me” design. The whole thing took me
back to my RISD roots, where a professor’s strict project parameters still
managed to yield a classroom full of uniquely separate outcomes. That was
certainly the case once the showroom was hung, gallery-style, with our
completed final designs the night of the launch, auctioned off for DIFFA. The entire collection is
available for customization and purchase over on <b><a href="https://deringhall.com/diffa-coll-greek-to-me-by-patrick-j-hamilton" target="_blank">Dering Hall</a></b>, and a portion of the proceeds from every sale from the collection will continue to benefit DIFFA. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ea2DItxVmXE/WlKogkwkdEI/AAAAAAAAEpc/QffjqeFfAjUGXOoFAZItNxHLKGroJeykwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ea2DItxVmXE/WlKogkwkdEI/AAAAAAAAEpc/QffjqeFfAjUGXOoFAZItNxHLKGroJeykwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3058.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Benjamin Moore COTY – Caliente </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Feelin’
hot, hot, hot! <a href="http://benjaminmoore.com/" target="_blank"><b>Benjamin Moore</b></a> took to the white-walled spiral of Manhattan’s
Guggenheim to unveil their Color of the Year for 2018, and it proved to be
another interesting (and usable) choice from the paint company which brought us
Simply White, their entrée into the Color of the Year arena, and the sexy, moody
Shadow right on its heels.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And be it faux pas or modern marketing stroke
of brilliance, when the big reveal came, and the name was projected onto the
gallery ramps, it almost appeared as the cheeky “Caliente AF,” like some extra
episode of Issa Rae’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">inSecure</i>. But
the “AF” part was only a reference to the paint number, and the color's place in the
Benjamin Moore Affinity collection. Personally, I think they should own it,
since the lipstick red is indeed “caliente AF.” (If you’re not familiar with
the “AF” references, probably don’t Google it with kids in the room.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">It’s the
most excited I’ve been about any kind of red state in a VERY long time. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BU0FDE2Rx-w/WlKpAy7vAUI/AAAAAAAAEpg/Fx--oQsnbEcpQh9qOWr-BFrzFAVOCb0WgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BU0FDE2Rx-w/WlKpAy7vAUI/AAAAAAAAEpg/Fx--oQsnbEcpQh9qOWr-BFrzFAVOCb0WgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Instagram </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I was a latecomer to the
world of the carefully curated, filtered perfection that is Instagram, but I finally
fell<b>— </b>and fell hard— for this visual platform that’s taken more of my free time
than a Game of Thrones binge watch. Is it life implausibly edited down to only
the picture-perfect best parts? Is it idealized, stylized and selfied? Yes, yes
and yes, but it’s also a non-stop stream of visual content, and a gateway to
some global, historical and forward-looking inspiration. It introduced me to
some exceptional new artists around the world, caused me to sharpen my eye,
and with my self-induced one-post-a-day rule, made me don my editor’s cap to
determine “Is that shot Instagram worthy?” (Stay tuned for a list of IGers you
should be following, but probably aren’t, early in the new year, but go over
and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/patrickjhamiltondesigns/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">follow me</b></a> right now.) Shown above, my Top Nine posts of the year.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OArB35uRzfg/WlK4JMPUg1I/AAAAAAAAErI/-5OzX0BGgcw2GENJCqFz4pp2FlFO34mRwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2930.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OArB35uRzfg/WlK4JMPUg1I/AAAAAAAAErI/-5OzX0BGgcw2GENJCqFz4pp2FlFO34mRwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2930.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What's New, What's Next, at Plexi-Craft </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I had a wonderful time moderating a panel, at the invitation of our friends at <a href="https://aspiremetro.com/" target="_blank"><b>ASPIRE Design & Home</b></a> magazine, in the glittering <a href="https://www.plexi-craft.com/" target="_blank"><b>Plexi-Craft</b></a> showroom, at the <a href="http://www.nydc.com/" target="_blank"><b>New York Design Center's</b></a> Fall "What's New, What's Next." High octane panelists Robin Baron, Steve Favreau and Drew McGukin discussed </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“New Innovations in Acrylic Furnishings” and </span>kept the packed house informed, enlightened and entertained. I do love doing these panels, and hope for more ahead! (Yes, Universe, me again.)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_qv8IkFIL8/WlKvetS12YI/AAAAAAAAEqc/47nCngMZQAgi4vcOaz4157m69USrkS1XQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_qv8IkFIL8/WlKvetS12YI/AAAAAAAAEqc/47nCngMZQAgi4vcOaz4157m69USrkS1XQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Inspiration of Travel </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I had the
great fortune to take to the road far more in 2017 than I had done since
opening my own interior design practice, and each trip underscored one thing:
travel provides incredible inspiration and insight. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDbOqWCbO0E/WlKxK17S_ZI/AAAAAAAAEqo/xHC0AGx-CeYKXpenDKBzICpcWa5IEFPSACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KDbOqWCbO0E/WlKxK17S_ZI/AAAAAAAAEqo/xHC0AGx-CeYKXpenDKBzICpcWa5IEFPSACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4381.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The Southern Style
Now Show House (and my friends at Fabricut) took me back twice (for hardworking
but nicely lengthy stays) to Savannah, which donned its fancy holiday finery
over the course of both visits, holly swags and doorsprays lit by gaslight and
shaded by live oaks, just a few weeks before Mother Nature mimicked the
storefront displays of <b>One Fish Two Fish</b> and <b>The Paris Market</b> and dusted the city with a heaping helping of real snow. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DpqG2w9WDUU/WlLJFBymWsI/AAAAAAAAEr0/1a64yzUnrHg0-PqYkz_J0pvW-lxQSuaHQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2610.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DpqG2w9WDUU/WlLJFBymWsI/AAAAAAAAEr0/1a64yzUnrHg0-PqYkz_J0pvW-lxQSuaHQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2610.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-us7DytiTKnk/WlLJE3ZiajI/AAAAAAAAEr4/ILsgTH5R0FEJKiiePucb3dUMaZDc8QHQwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-us7DytiTKnk/WlLJE3ZiajI/AAAAAAAAEr4/ILsgTH5R0FEJKiiePucb3dUMaZDc8QHQwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2576.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Earlier,
a personal trip took us to Toronto, and our gracious neighbor to the north did
not disappoint, as our trip just happened to coincide with Toronto Fashion
Week, adding an extra level of energy to this diverse, stylish and civilized
city. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEZP0e5rHa4/WlKxLzWGX6I/AAAAAAAAEqs/4n7zDBdNodA4rbcbCqNw_U6L4GgDUu_GgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEZP0e5rHa4/WlKxLzWGX6I/AAAAAAAAEqs/4n7zDBdNodA4rbcbCqNw_U6L4GgDUu_GgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_4725.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Added bonus: my first visit to the awe-inspiring Niagara
Falls, and a quick stop in Rochester, where a drive-by of one of Frank Lloyd
Wright’s houses and a tour of the George Eastman house were both high points. We also snuck in an-under-the-wire pre-New Year's trip to Washington D.C., where we took full advantage of the astounding array of no-charge museums.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXJTup2HtPI/WlKpUPV5NiI/AAAAAAAAEps/0JQcUmcUCPo6u1AN3OGcEGaALyGG6mYKwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXJTup2HtPI/WlKpUPV5NiI/AAAAAAAAEps/0JQcUmcUCPo6u1AN3OGcEGaALyGG6mYKwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">One Day You're In... Collection '17 </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Speaking of Fashion Week, we found ourselves alongside the catwalks
of New York’s own Fashion Week for the very first time, to see Collection ’17,
a selection of work from a curated group of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Apparel students. The work ranged
from highly wearable to beyond avant garde, broke rules and bent genders,
presented a Utopian view of the glories of diversity, and reminded me why I
loved my years at the school: never settle for the box, always ask why not, and
never stop reinventing. As an added plus, we clinked glasses, post-show, with
collection designers, RISD alums and models. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjNOTojDqJI/WlKpsuTIW_I/AAAAAAAAEp0/SJHDw1yCAAs3ag7Xv7r_j-m8P4xT3OJ0QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCF7243-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="914" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DjNOTojDqJI/WlKpsuTIW_I/AAAAAAAAEp0/SJHDw1yCAAs3ag7Xv7r_j-m8P4xT3OJ0QCLcBGAs/s400/DSCF7243-2.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Picking Out China Patterns</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">I went back to the table with <a href="https://www.lenox.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lenox</b></a> twice this year, with new shoots
by the talented and lovely <a href="http://michellefidman.com/" target="_blank"><b>Michelle Fidman</b></a>, showcasing two ends of the considerable spectrum of styles underneath this
great American brand’s umbrella of dishware and fine China patterns. From my “Modern Easter" (shown in Michelle's shot, above) featuring
their mid-century-esque <a href="https://www.lenox.com/entertain-365-sculpture-confetti-4pc-place-setting/product/865641" target="_blank"><b>Entertain 365 Confetti pattern</b></a>, which inspired my very first “sprinkle eggs,” to
“Well-Suited for Father’s Day” (below, also shot by Michelle) a sartorially-inspired table done up for Dad,
using the super handsome <a href="https://www.lenox.com/brian-gluckstein-winston-5-pc-place-setting/product/868889" target="_blank"><b>Winston</b></a> pattern by Canadian designer-to-aspire-to
Brian Gluckstein. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QMHynOMSqk/WlK0QNf7OHI/AAAAAAAAEq4/RhTyjw6OiNkq0cE9opPeVtldr21ItmlYgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSCF0075-Edit_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3QMHynOMSqk/WlK0QNf7OHI/AAAAAAAAEq4/RhTyjw6OiNkq0cE9opPeVtldr21ItmlYgCLcBGAs/s400/DSCF0075-Edit_Lo.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKtaxNq3FcM/WlKuF4Jrm9I/AAAAAAAAEqM/-RYBeyDBLQouB9ecbOAxSlHTOdOVpuxwwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKtaxNq3FcM/WlKuF4Jrm9I/AAAAAAAAEqM/-RYBeyDBLQouB9ecbOAxSlHTOdOVpuxwwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3480.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhodvqFtAVM/WlKuF3wl9XI/AAAAAAAAEqQ/eFbvfXaGk8MB3c44kzMS56-LQGH0gynaACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhodvqFtAVM/WlKuF3wl9XI/AAAAAAAAEqQ/eFbvfXaGk8MB3c44kzMS56-LQGH0gynaACLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3533.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">(Bonus: I also got to work with the sparkling barware of <a href="https://www.lenox.com/reed-barton/category/351?N=3024748457&Nrpp=24&No=0&Nr=product.active:1" target="_blank"><b>Reed & Barton,</b></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Lenox’s brother-brand, in the Southern Study, the two shots directly above.) Read more about the Easter table <a href="https://lenoxusa.tumblr.com/post/159572741734/a-perfect-palette-for-easter" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>, and the Father's Day table <a href="https://lenoxusa.tumblr.com/post/161629649089/well-suited-for-fathers-day" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> and <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2017/06/about-suiting-table-for-fathers-day.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>! When’s our next
shoot, Lenox? </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qlsjQB_6ccg/WlKqASN6l_I/AAAAAAAAEp4/Hsz1X_djm6kJq3O5Dk5vYC7G95vySukDgCLcBGAs/s1600/jayson-home-nyc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1130" data-original-width="1030" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qlsjQB_6ccg/WlKqASN6l_I/AAAAAAAAEp4/Hsz1X_djm6kJq3O5Dk5vYC7G95vySukDgCLcBGAs/s400/jayson-home-nyc.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b>Jayson Home Heads to NYC</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">While
it wasn’t a personal highlight or anything of my own doing, it’s definitely a design
and shopping coup for New York City, which last year saw the establishment of its first outpost of
<a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jayson Home</b></a>, the Chicago-based home design retailer, opened with free-flowing bubbly,
brick oven pizza (in a move of Chicago-to-New York pizza rivalry détente), and
a warm welcome by Jayson Home staff, local and mid-western.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Since I’ve
not yet made it to the Chicago store, the new SoHo location afforded the
opportunity to walk through the pages of the catalog which I’ve lusted over for
eons. That catalog, and their all-inclusive, super easy to shop website introduced me to their chic,
urbane and earthy selections that add instant soul to any interior. I should
know: Jayson has been my go-to secret source for client projects, tabletop styling,
show house rooms and charity events, and the beauty of their offerings has only
been exceeded by their generosity to me since my first panicked email to them
back in 2011, and my very first <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2011/05/about-design-on-dime-one-room-13-tips.html" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a>. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtDevaWDm-Y/WlKqTwj7RyI/AAAAAAAAEqA/nTD6ALV8fPkFKV7c6cRbNAQnHHejRFFYACLcBGAs/s1600/Gilbert-Baker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1030" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtDevaWDm-Y/WlKqTwj7RyI/AAAAAAAAEqA/nTD6ALV8fPkFKV7c6cRbNAQnHHejRFFYACLcBGAs/s400/Gilbert-Baker.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">One Colorful Loss </b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">And in requiem, this year saw the loss of Gilbert Baker, designer behind the now-iconic rainbow "Pride" flag. Baker taught himself how to sew after his honorable discharge from the US Army, and created an 8-stripe version of the flag in 1980, now more commonly seen in its 6-color form. He died March 31st, 2017, from heart disease in his New York City home. <i>Photo: <a href="https://equallywed.com/mourning-the-loss-of-gilbert-baker-rainbow-flag-creator/" target="_blank"><b>Equally Wed</b></a></i>.</span><br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Okay, new year, the
bar (and the table) has been set pretty high. You ready to do this, 2018?</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">All photos, unless noted: Patrick J. Hamilton </span></i>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-22242483919069847892017-06-10T16:43:00.001-04:002017-06-10T17:22:48.321-04:00...about suiting the table for Father's Day.<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__PPGRtim3k/WTxNymUzAcI/AAAAAAAAElI/dPXktx5dh5QNTgz7PkuncfltaeMaOZ91wCLcB/s1600/DSCF0075-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__PPGRtim3k/WTxNymUzAcI/AAAAAAAAElI/dPXktx5dh5QNTgz7PkuncfltaeMaOZ91wCLcB/s640/DSCF0075-Edit.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">When my friends at <a href="https://www.lenox.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lenox</b></a> showed me the newest china
pattern from Canadian star designer <a href="https://www.lenox.com/gluckstein/category/20000357" target="_blank"><b>Brian Gluckstein</b></a>, I jumped at the chance to put this setting in its place. Those
dishes were serving up all kinds of instant inspiration: Art Deco glitz, modern
geometry, and pure masculine swank, in a buttoned-up and dressy, cosmopolitan (and
martini!) kind of way. And I realized: in a sea of pastels, peonies and pretty,
why aren’t more tables styled for men? Can you style a tabletop so it’s actually
<i>handsome</i>? (and do it so you steer
clear of all the Mancave pitfalls?). I think so, and I think Father’s Day is
the perfect time to give the idea a business-dress rehearsal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OThnKVTEOhA/WTxOslNsswI/AAAAAAAAElM/ukVbj1M5VHIm0y1un7so5H51Jf6mXuYmgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0505%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OThnKVTEOhA/WTxOslNsswI/AAAAAAAAElM/ukVbj1M5VHIm0y1un7so5H51Jf6mXuYmgCLcB/s400/IMG_0505%25281%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">To the Closet!</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The first place the <a href="https://www.lenox.com/products?N=1214102295+1969449248+2130895370&Nrpp=24&No=0&Nr=product.active:1" target="_blank"><b>Winston</b></a> pattern seemed to point me was
the closet. Those stripes, the herringbone: it all seemed suiting-inspired. And
what makes a handsome man even more handsome? An impeccably tailored suit.</span></span><br />
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<img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I0wYILGl8wM/WTxPMg0AxEI/AAAAAAAAElY/c8ZtpAkxxAEWPMvc_es5QykQF57CwLrPwCLcB/s320/Stroheim_Buxley_Charcoal.jpg" width="312" /></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YbRXKw5BQb0/WTxPOUYQCUI/AAAAAAAAElg/z5q7MjuOw_EqGSve70jLxHkzmxz_LSiOACEw/s1600/Stroheim_Salenside_Ebony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YbRXKw5BQb0/WTxPOUYQCUI/AAAAAAAAElg/z5q7MjuOw_EqGSve70jLxHkzmxz_LSiOACEw/s320/Stroheim_Salenside_Ebony.jpg" width="317" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TvG1wQRDfDA/WTxPKO694cI/AAAAAAAAElg/L4wipv5_l7YMyOf3bTtv4C6VLNEbhsG0ACEw/s1600/Fabricut_ZirconiumSteel_Onyx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TvG1wQRDfDA/WTxPKO694cI/AAAAAAAAElg/L4wipv5_l7YMyOf3bTtv4C6VLNEbhsG0ACEw/s320/Fabricut_ZirconiumSteel_Onyx.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">So to provide the perfectly-suited
backdrop for the Lenox china, I turned to my friends at <a href="https://fabricut.com/" target="_blank"><b>Fabricut</b></a>. With their multiple lines, I knew I’d find menswear-inspired
fabrics to dress the table, and I did: from their Stroheim brand came <a href="https://www.stroheim.com/fabric/5816903/buxley/charcoal" target="_blank"><b>Buxley</b></a>, the black and grey tartan and <a href="https://www.stroheim.com/fabric/5816708/salenside/ebony" target="_blank"><b>Salenside</b></a>, the chalk-stripe used for napkins.
From the Fabricut line came <a href="https://www.fabricut.com/fabric/3466602/zirconium-steel/onyx" target="_blank"><b>Zirconium Steel</b></a>, the shiny reptilian material perfect for placemats. The limited
palette and shared tones make all three of these dandies work so well together.<br />
<br />
Since the china and the fabrics seemed picture-perfect for a sartorial pairing,
I started to build the table the way I’d put together a suit: a charcoal base,
some color, some brightness, some bling. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABJAkPN7oe4/WTxO_b8F76I/AAAAAAAAElQ/q-JtrKrk8Bk7_ziyD88SSSzyYH3vD97MACLcB/s1600/IMG_0594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABJAkPN7oe4/WTxO_b8F76I/AAAAAAAAElQ/q-JtrKrk8Bk7_ziyD88SSSzyYH3vD97MACLcB/s400/IMG_0594.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Suited... For Summer?</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">We first started talking
about this pattern back in much cooler months, when playing up the blacks and
giving it all dark and handsome backdrop seemed fitting, and season
appropriate. But then, suddenly, it’s summer. Could I hang on to the darker,
more tailored base (my great friend Mario, at <a href="https://www.houzz.com/pro/mariomaximo/upholstery-services" target="_blank"><b>New York Upholstery Services</b></a> had already whipped up my table
linens, so those were definitely staying!) and not have the whole thing look
out of place or stuffy in June? How do you help a dark and mostly monochromatic
palette feel summer-appropriate?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sdn80NmIgAI/WTxP-vx0okI/AAAAAAAAElk/MAkH-QqblJ8rAQLW_mJDIYChW3PDVLUrACLcB/s1600/DSCF9863-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="880" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sdn80NmIgAI/WTxP-vx0okI/AAAAAAAAElk/MAkH-QqblJ8rAQLW_mJDIYChW3PDVLUrACLcB/s400/DSCF9863-Edit.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">One thing working strongly
in my favor: the plaid table cloth felt much brighter off the bolt and on the
table, and conjured up a classic picnic blanket as much as it felt like
suiting. Success! The white of the china felt as crisp as a classic white
shirt, and my oft-repeated “intentional white” held true: the white looked like
a decision, not a default, and kept all eyes on the dishes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwPhhZew5Jk/WTxMgWwSSaI/AAAAAAAAElA/51wmhVOrNwIMNZbQEJ1M67KinR1oigBeACLcB/s1600/IMG_0551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vwPhhZew5Jk/WTxMgWwSSaI/AAAAAAAAElA/51wmhVOrNwIMNZbQEJ1M67KinR1oigBeACLcB/s400/IMG_0551.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">To keep the summer vibes
going, I turned where I usually do: to color. In this case, an unexpected dash
of chartreuse brought the summer sun right to the table. Those chartreuse roses
(they’re the “Lemonade” variety, though they felt more like limeade to me!)
brought some sunny, buoyant color to the table. Greens steer away from any
color/gender associations, too, and while I had white roses on my mind when I hit
the flower market for that same gender-neutral reason, these made for a sunnier, and far more
unexpected pick. To return to our suiting analogy, think how snappy a
chartreuse <i>boutonniere</i> would look on
a charcoal suit. But to prove the power of color, imagine swapping out the
green roses for red: that look would be perfect for next New Year’s, watches
and all... I’d add black and white hourglasses to join those watches and play up
the time theme.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">And even though the floral
trend right now is bending more towards a carefree, windswept wildflower look,
I still swear by a single mass of one color <i>anything</i>,
a lot of look for the money, and easy to master even by the florally inept (a
club to which I count myself a member). When you pick a flower with a woody
stem (oh my!), and start with some floral oasis, the arrangin’ is easy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1D0FCiXwXiM/WTxQZs9t28I/AAAAAAAAElo/7-IWQOs73zQiXqIyC--t2NKWkqooh_XPwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1D0FCiXwXiM/WTxQZs9t28I/AAAAAAAAElo/7-IWQOs73zQiXqIyC--t2NKWkqooh_XPwCLcB/s400/IMG_0517.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Materials, Boy</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">For table or room, all- or
mostly-monochromatic success relies on texture, and this table sports lots of
them: Glass, silver, crystal, nubby wool and shiny alligator(-patterned textile),
and again, the sartorial parallels continue. Think of a wool suit, leather
belt, silver cufflinks. It’s not just the pieces that make a suit look good, it’s
the material contrasts, and proportions of those things. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooBpnUSOaoc/WTxQkNluDOI/AAAAAAAAEls/HhgFJPgrkzQSg8kundXJkbyE4Pzzg5WLACLcB/s1600/DSCF0193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooBpnUSOaoc/WTxQkNluDOI/AAAAAAAAEls/HhgFJPgrkzQSg8kundXJkbyE4Pzzg5WLACLcB/s400/DSCF0193.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Skyscraping</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br />
The silver herringbone of the Winston coffee cup and salad plate brought Art
Deco and the Jazz Age immediately to mind. And Art Deco is built on strong
geometries, snazzy angles and machine-age reference. When my thoughts wander to
places Art Deco, visions of the Chrysler Building aren’t ever far behind. (I
was definitely thinking of the Chrysler Building <a href="https://lenoxusa.tumblr.com/post/154427054399/deco-the-holidays" target="_blank"><b>when working with Lenox’s Geodesia line back in December</b></a>.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">And since I love incorporating
“take-aways” in table designs... something guests can take home after the
cognac is long gone... I included the super-detailed pewter miniatures from <a href="http://replicabuildings.com/" target="_blank"><b>Replica Buildings</b></a> at each placesetting.
Against that Buxley plaid, those miniatures gave the whole tablesetting the
feel of an aerial-view street grid. And speaking of grid...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHnat2zCAlc/WTxQ4nsDIsI/AAAAAAAAElw/J35zntvS3fsZER327avxGReP9WJ42YosACLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="676" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHnat2zCAlc/WTxQ4nsDIsI/AAAAAAAAElw/J35zntvS3fsZER327avxGReP9WJ42YosACLcB/s400/FullSizeRender%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Grid is Good</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The geometry jumps off the
plates, and the plaid and chalk stripe keep all that going. So did those <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/artist-s-block-set.html" target="_blank"><b>Artists Blocks</b></a> from <a href="http://jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jayson home</b></a>, the perfect prop to help
break a tabletop’s basic formality (I love to scatter things across, around and
through a table’s predetermined grid... it makes even traditional placesettings
more fresh and modern.) And I’d imagine all the men at the table channeling
their inner architects with these fun shapes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMHllHEB-ic/WTxREzBKUOI/AAAAAAAAEl0/P_5mdyov5ugCVA46_G9nW077MRkYDHOpQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KMHllHEB-ic/WTxREzBKUOI/AAAAAAAAEl0/P_5mdyov5ugCVA46_G9nW077MRkYDHOpQCLcB/s400/IMG_0502.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Skip the Wrap... and the Biggest Takeaway!</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I don’t know about your dad,
but mine was generally unimpressed by fancy wrapping. That’s why I skipped the
trappings and cut right to the chase: those <a href="https://www.steelblaze.com/collections/mens" target="_blank"><b>Steel Blaze</b></a> Swiss Quartz watches are there for the gifting, used as napkin
rings. (Apologies to my friends at <a href="http://www.hallmark.com/" target="_blank"><b>Hallmark</b></a> for the no-gift wrap decision!). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-8ZRfS_6os/WTxRNJ40cmI/AAAAAAAAEl4/auGrt31FpmUppOwOq8_QGotDz0jG0GPsQCLcB/s1600/DSCF0141-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H-8ZRfS_6os/WTxRNJ40cmI/AAAAAAAAEl4/auGrt31FpmUppOwOq8_QGotDz0jG0GPsQCLcB/s400/DSCF0141-2.jpg" width="296" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I love that the biggest gift— those handsome
watches— are part of the wrapping, and finish off this table the way I would a
suit: with a great watch. This classic look manages to both settle in and stand
out, and end that eternal question: what to do with the napkin ring once the
napkin is put to use. Read more, and see more photos, over on the <b><a href="https://lenoxusa.tumblr.com/post/161629649089/well-suited-for-fathers-day" target="_blank">Lenox Tumblr page</a></b>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">To all the handsome dads out
there, I hope your Father's Day is well suited, and tailored to you!</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Full disclosure: I was
compensated for the styling of the shots for Lenox, but this blog post was my own unpaid doing! Photos: Michelle Fidman and Patrick J. Hamilton</span></span></i></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-63721584327213055242017-01-15T14:49:00.000-05:002017-01-15T15:43:26.076-05:00...about remembrances, revelations, and the rainbow connection: the design best of 2016, part 3.<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0liqqlE4ov8/WHesStSZ2xI/AAAAAAAAEh4/vqPi_1plWTkTyKXD6_P87408WAAyi5H2ACEw/s1600/24062_AIDS-Memorial-8-of-298.jpg_3bb0c274-ddc0-4dc6-9951-a3337997151b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0liqqlE4ov8/WHesStSZ2xI/AAAAAAAAEh4/vqPi_1plWTkTyKXD6_P87408WAAyi5H2ACEw/s400/24062_AIDS-Memorial-8-of-298.jpg_3bb0c274-ddc0-4dc6-9951-a3337997151b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clichéd or not, like it or not, it’s an inarguable fact: the
design <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">w<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>rld</span> has long been populated by a considerable presence of gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender women and men, LGBT people who own and run and patronize its
galleries and showrooms, edit and publish and appear in its magazines, receive
its honors and awards, exuberantly contribute to popular trend and global culture.... and spend— and facilitate the spending of<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">—</span> billions of dollars<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let's head down to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York's Greenw<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ich<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Village<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span>historic turf <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in</span> the LGBT stor<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to</span> see why </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Part 3 of my Design Best of 2016 honors design developments
from, within, and impacting the LGBT community: a community I’m proud to be a
part of<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">even if the y<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ear for us was marred by grea<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t tragedy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">... and has been before. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> so much of</span> that pride stems from how we remember, and how we react, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and how we rise, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in</span></span> those terrible times.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IN79Z68i8K4/WHep6mlEdZI/AAAAAAAAEhk/K00__xLB318MgFyuWhnWpJxPh-tfT368wCLcB/s1600/24059_AIDS-Memorial-10-of-298.jpg_7ec339c1-9d3d-4269-be26-2ba5b9920c2a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IN79Z68i8K4/WHep6mlEdZI/AAAAAAAAEhk/K00__xLB318MgFyuWhnWpJxPh-tfT368wCLcB/s400/24059_AIDS-Memorial-10-of-298.jpg_7ec339c1-9d3d-4269-be26-2ba5b9920c2a.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New</span> York’s AIDS Memorial</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A redesigned wedge of the West Village was dedicated this past World AIDS
Day in Manhattan, to honor the New York community catastrophically decimated by
the AIDS epidemic. It sits in the shadow of the now-shuttered St. Vincent’s, the
hospital which saw so many enter its halls with a then-mystery ailment... and
never walk back out, bodies instead taken out subterranean <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hallways</span>, to funeral
homes who often refused them even in death, out of fear, religious zealotry, or
sheer ignorance.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That was part of the bleak reality of the N<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ew York City</span> chapter of the AIDS crisis, but the city park and
monument are anything but. Somber, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">some</span> ways</span>, but dwelling in a place of strength, honor, and inspiration, not
solely mourning.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdwDOjXSYpE/WHesfCysnSI/AAAAAAAAEh0/aUL8CMv1VtggdePPdMXY-D9_YF3dgc24wCLcB/s1600/24058_nyc-aids-memorial-night-rendering.jpg_ce1596b8-767e-49fd-8589-91fe35400dac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NdwDOjXSYpE/WHesfCysnSI/AAAAAAAAEh0/aUL8CMv1VtggdePPdMXY-D9_YF3dgc24wCLcB/s400/24058_nyc-aids-memorial-night-rendering.jpg_ce1596b8-767e-49fd-8589-91fe35400dac.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The shape of its plot, and the triangles of and within its canopy give meaningful structure to a triangle of another
color: the Pink Triangle of Nazi Germany, stitched to shirt and jacket arms of
confirmed or suspected Gays during the Holocaust, and the reverberation of
symbolism begins there. The triangle,
also an integral part of the geometry of quilt making, also hearkens to “the
Quilt,” the <a href="http://www.aidsquilt.org/" target="_blank"><b>Names Project</b></a> that honored and deeply touched so many, for its ability
to communicate both intimate humanity and staggering scale.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e</span> canopy, like the <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2017/01/about-setting-sail-stirring-paint-and.html" target="_blank"><b>Calatrava Transportation Hub</b></a>, is most intentionally white, seemingly borrowing from a nearby
building to help give the small parcel some greater significance, but also
carrying its own baggage of color symbolism: both hospital and heaven come to mind,
in its sterility and<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, in bright Manhha<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ttan<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>light, its </span></span>dazzle.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIAw0iqoMkc/WHejzLIOmwI/AAAAAAAAEhU/jYXhR2VdW8UAnJ1WCq3VyCZkQRlZPZn_QCEw/s1600/24060_AIDS-Memorial-14-of-298.jpg_1db462a3-84d6-4ac0-95e2-1970d94b4c35.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIAw0iqoMkc/WHejzLIOmwI/AAAAAAAAEhU/jYXhR2VdW8UAnJ1WCq3VyCZkQRlZPZn_QCEw/s400/24060_AIDS-Memorial-14-of-298.jpg_1db462a3-84d6-4ac0-95e2-1970d94b4c35.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The memorial also incorporates a permanent installation by
text-driven visual artist Jenny Holtzer, who selected passages from Walt
Whitman’s “<a href="https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/song-myself-i-ii-vi-lii" target="_blank"><b>Song of Myself</b></a>,” radiating from the monument’s center. That ring
ripples outward from the quiet, shaded <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">interior</span>, towards the din and activity of
the surrounding streets. It’s an apt visual metaphor for the loss that began for each vic<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tim </span>in
one place, privately, then quickly amplified, and stripped so many of
so much, from our homes, neighborhoods, lives, and American culture, in ways we<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ll</span></span> probably <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">never fully understand</span>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although diminutive in size by most standards, the memorial
designed by the Brooklyn firm <a href="http://studioai.com/portfolio/view/new-york-city-aids-memorial#2" target="_blank"><b>Studio ai</b></a>
carries great weight. It’s a tricky task, to ask a piece of land, some epoxied steel
and transplanted trees to honor, remember, mourn, lift, <i>and</i> inspire, but the net effect is <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">generally</span> all that, and more. Like
all good <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2011/10/about-public-art-cloud-gate_12.html" target="_blank"><b>public art</b></a> and memorials,
the final chapter of the experience is written by the visitor, drawing his or her own conclusion,
bringing his or her own memory, grief, or bond, choosing to pause either in the
light or the shadow cast by its angular, sheltering, embracing pergola.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Alexandra Schwartz</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of the <i>New
Yorker</i> does the site more service than I, and <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/new-yorks-necessary-new-aids-memorial" target="_blank"><b>her piece</b></a> is definitely worth the read. And hear directly from co-founder Christopher Tepper on what’s
next for the memorial, and why its details and choices hold so much
significance, and a possible interactive component, in <a href="https://www.poz.com/article/next-nyc-hiv-aids-memorial?utm_source=phplist308&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=%E2%80%9CRaw+and+Real%E2%80%9D+HIV+Campaign+Debuts"><b>his </b></a></span><a href="https://www.poz.com/article/next-nyc-hiv-aids-memorial?utm_source=phplist308&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=%E2%80%9CRaw+and+Real%E2%80%9D+HIV+Campaign+Debuts" target="_blank"><b>interview with <i>POZ</i></b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>.</i></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2ot75p1vb0/WHeum_JHFPI/AAAAAAAAEiE/zIPT5ieoDHIbUUnb1n5_hADMY_KczV8wgCLcB/s1600/160914_LIFE_Queer-Grief.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2ot75p1vb0/WHeum_JHFPI/AAAAAAAAEiE/zIPT5ieoDHIbUUnb1n5_hADMY_KczV8wgCLcB/s400/160914_LIFE_Queer-Grief.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Grace Under Pressure, and Gays Against Guns:
An Artful Response to Tragedy </b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The LGBT community is also a population who, in moments of great turmoil, finds
elegant and unique expression as outlet<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and cat<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">alyst to change</span></span>. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span>his year tes<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed that very theory.</span></span> In the horrible wake of the massacre at
the Gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, they did just that. As author J. Bryan Lowder
so <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">movingly</span> documents in “Pulse and the Power of Queer Tears,” his must-read <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/cover_story/2016/09/pulse_and_the_power_of_lgbtq_grief.html" target="_blank"><b>piece for <i>Slate</i></b></a>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the healing</span> began with local drag queens exorci<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sing</span>
their grief on Orlando dance floors, with beautiful defiance and ferocity. In
the process, they raised spirits and funds for families of the men and
women who showed up one Saturday night to dance and never made it back home.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aJjZ_Cn6j_o/WHexM6qj_vI/AAAAAAAAEic/ePCRl_I4YcIL5W32tZTxTJzkiTzE70M6QCLcB/s1600/49306313.cached.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aJjZ_Cn6j_o/WHexM6qj_vI/AAAAAAAAEic/ePCRl_I4YcIL5W32tZTxTJzkiTzE70M6QCLcB/s400/49306313.cached.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But it didn't stop there. A new national offshoot of this art<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">istic </span>response<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>to<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>grief is <b><a href="http://www.gaysagainstguns.net/" target="_blank">Gays Against Guns</a> </b>(GAG), an organization born in the moments of
anger and mourning after the Orlando shooting. GAG is a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n activism </span>group not unlike other
communities coming together to plead for a stronger solution to our gun
epidemic (The Brady Campaign, Moms Demand Action)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. B</span>ut this LGBT group has
infused its grassroots presence with striking visual performance-art-like
presentations: their white-shrouded “Human Beings,” each bearing the image of
one of the Orlando lost, which hushed New York City’s Pride <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">march</span> end to
end at the first of their ghostly appearances, and their anti-NRA “blood
puppets” and die-ins since then. You can even get a DIY <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/450993504/gays-against-guns-reusable-craft-diy" target="_blank"><b>GAG t-shirt stencil off of Etsy</b></a>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dN8EB_jq7EI/WHexNG8fY2I/AAAAAAAAEiw/Vw6CkWSDY8EMVhyxK4fRxGGE9iL5DcHzACEw/s1600/tumblr_o9fhzx86p51rti0t3o1_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dN8EB_jq7EI/WHexNG8fY2I/AAAAAAAAEiw/Vw6CkWSDY8EMVhyxK4fRxGGE9iL5DcHzACEw/s400/tumblr_o9fhzx86p51rti0t3o1_1280.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjsKa00giKA/WHvee5S5chI/AAAAAAAAEjk/kqvbSU8PtB4OwZ8NS6ifY-foYeEp7ImUwCLcB/s1600/16118516_10210613797836281_1019972910_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OjsKa00giKA/WHvee5S5chI/AAAAAAAAEjk/kqvbSU8PtB4OwZ8NS6ifY-foYeEp7ImUwCLcB/s400/16118516_10210613797836281_1019972910_n.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5a14n2okskQ/WHexM-FNcsI/AAAAAAAAEiw/q6LehKfB6-YPZ2-hk2kr_uJtFL8Nz9bXgCEw/s1600/Cl6b72fWQAE1QbG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5a14n2okskQ/WHexM-FNcsI/AAAAAAAAEiw/q6LehKfB6-YPZ2-hk2kr_uJtFL8Nz9bXgCEw/s400/Cl6b72fWQAE1QbG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">GAG of course owes much of that stylized, theatrical and
considered visual presentation to the earlier <b><a href="http://www.actupny.org/" target="_blank">ACT UP!</a> </b>(GAG has<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> ACT UP! members within<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> its <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">membership</span>)</span></span>, itself a
reaction to the AIDS crisis, and the creators of verbiage, imagery and language
indelibly linked to the AIDS activism movement... whether cries of "<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Act up! F</span>ight back! End AIDS!<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">",</span> the Silence = Death symbol, the
St. Patrick’s die-in, or a giant condom covering the home of anti-LGBT North
Carolina Senator Jesse Helms.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Pulse massacre</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was</span> not the first time grief has cast its shadow across a
community most often defined by exuberance, flamboyance, and pride. Nor is it
the first time the response has been art-fueled, choreographed, or designed.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It seems <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the gay community has</span> long understood</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>he advice Meryl Streep gave during
her Golden Globe Lifetime achievement award acceptance sp<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">eech</span>, quoting Carrie Fisher: “Turn heartbeak
into art.”</span></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From the AIDS crisis to the ongoing fight for civil rights to GAG's response to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">unfettered gun violence</span>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the community has</span> done jus<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t that,</span> creating great works of art,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>striking graphic symbolism, prize-winning
literature, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">pivotal</span> works of cinema and theater. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The beautiful phoenix from
grief’s gray ashes: it’s yielded dance-a-thons, art from Keith Haring, plays
like <i>Angels in America</i> and Larry Kramer’s <i>The Normal Heart</i>, <i>The Laramie
Project</i>, the <a href="http://www.noh8campaign.com/" target="_blank"><b>NoH8 photo series</b></a>, Io Tillet Wright’s <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=self+evident+truths+project" target="_blank"><b>Self Evident Truths</b></a> portrait
project, and more recently, David France’s Academy-Award nominated documentary <i><a href="http://surviveaplague.com/" target="_blank"><b>How to Survive a Plague</b></a></i>, and the 2016
companion non-fiction volume of the same name. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> our</span> history lessons continue to take artful sh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ape: <a href="http://www.inourwords.org/" target="_blank"><b>Alan </b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.inourwords.org/" target="_blank"><b>Bounv</b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.inourwords.org/" target="_blank"><b>ille</b></a>'s work-in-progress, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adonis-memories-tickets-28316535520" target="_blank"><b><i>Adonis Memori</i></b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adonis-memories-tickets-28316535520" target="_blank"><b><i>es</i></b></a>, springs to mind<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and the per<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sonal, compelling videos and stories of <a href="http://imfromdriftwood.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>I'm From Driftwood</b></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, anot<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">her. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These moments of individual expression have also
crystallized larger groups merging activism, fundraising, and the arts: <a href="http://diffa.org/" target="_blank"><b>Design Industry Foundation Fights AIDS</b></a>, <a href="https://broadwaycares.org/" target="_blank"><b>Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS</b></a> (BCEFA) and events like <a href="https://www.visualaids.org/projects/detail/postcards" target="_blank"><b>Visual AIDS:</b> <b>Postcards from the Edge</b></a>, BCEFA’s cheeky “Broadway Bares” fundraisers,
and <b><a href="http://housingworks.org/" target="_blank">Housing Works</a>’</b> alignment with
the design and fashion communities through Design on a Dime and Fashion for
Action.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Of course, it is not only the LGBT community which responds
to grief with <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a desire to create</span>, but it seems to be a stage on which our community of
performers, drag queens, designers, singers, songwriters, and authors seems the
most at home: to ease mourning, to release grief, to provide catharsis. (My own
attempt, <a href="http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/06/matters-orlando-massacre-happened-gay-bar/" target="_blank"><b>an essay for The Bilerico Project on LGBTQ Nation</b></a>, post-Orlando.)</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Action, by design. </span>Because design isn’t a room, a thing on
a wall, something that you draw on CAD or SketchUp.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Design is a response to a
situation, a solution to a problem, an often intangible act which creates
something either equally intangible, or totally concrete.</span></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1wAOE8--fk/WHe61ikhc5I/AAAAAAAAEi8/tSAWAv-E07sujGRWfYW_nSPGcHIqnPXbACLcB/s1600/top-50-designers-event.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K1wAOE8--fk/WHe61ikhc5I/AAAAAAAAEi8/tSAWAv-E07sujGRWfYW_nSPGcHIqnPXbACLcB/s400/top-50-designers-event.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>New York Spaces Comes
Out of the Closet... with <i>Exuberance</i>.</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While it hits the stands in 2017, Editor in Chief Jason Kontos
of <a href="https://www.newyorkspaces.com/" target="_blank"><i><b>New York Spaces</b></i></a> made the announcement in 2016 <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at</span> the </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">high-profile </span></span><i>New York Spaces</i> Top 50 Designers party at Mitchell Gold + Bob
Williams, SoHo: Davler Media Publishing, publisher of <i>New York Spaces</i>, will be launching <i>Exuberance</i>, a home and lifestyle-based magazine tailored to the LGBT <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">community</span>. Kontos, longtime Hearst<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-er</span> before joining Davler, is also heading up the mast at the new title,
taglined “Design in living for LGBT,” <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as</span> its Editor in Chief<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lisa Ben-Ivsy <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">will also <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">serve as</span> publisher <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for the new issue.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rawy9LwOERY/WHe7UzdrAtI/AAAAAAAAEjA/v16OyDD1M0sslY9e66b6wqBT7cguYCo0QCLcB/s1600/exuberance2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rawy9LwOERY/WHe7UzdrAtI/AAAAAAAAEjA/v16OyDD1M0sslY9e66b6wqBT7cguYCo0QCLcB/s400/exuberance2.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.advocate.com/media/2016/9/28/owner-frontiers-next-apparently-closing" target="_blank"><b>As <i>Next</i> magazine closed its pages this year in New York City</b></a>, perhaps <i>Exuberance</i> signals a
new day of LGBT publications: less underground, a lot more glossy, and a lot
more mainstream in its courting of the considerable Gay Dollar.<i> </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Exuberance</i> will have an initial New York City distribution,
with future release in L<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span>A.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>and Miami based on the title’s NYC performance. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The</span></span></span></span></span></span> first issue
is slated for a February 2017<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>launch.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPo6sS_ETP8/WHhbzc7PuZI/AAAAAAAAEjU/a4VCWLomN_kuwR-IiAOn2cGgPgXauOZxwCLcB/s1600/HIgh-Point-Market-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zPo6sS_ETP8/WHhbzc7PuZI/AAAAAAAAEjU/a4VCWLomN_kuwR-IiAOn2cGgPgXauOZxwCLcB/s400/HIgh-Point-Market-2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Low Point of High Point</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">If you’ve
been with me through the year, here
or on Facebook, you know I have been <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2016/04/high-point-low-points-ethics.html" target="_blank"><b>raising a ruckus about High Point</b></a>, the
twice-a-year market event where the interior design industry pumps upwards of $5.4 <i>billion</i> into the state of North
Carolina. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Why the fuss? Well, North Carolina is also the state whose Republican
leadership passed the discriminatory House Bill 2 (HB2), aimed at the rights of
Transgender men and women. It’s <i>far</i> more
than what the state’s conservatives wanted everyone to call it: “The bathroom
Bill.” It’s sweeping civil rights legislation reaching far more widely into the
LGBT spectrum and beyond, to minorities, women, and those seeking legal
retribution for discrimination at the local level.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Connect
those two dots, and you get what I originally thought was a total no-brainer;
the industry, <i>my</i> industry, my <i>community</i>, wouldn’t stand to do business
in a state where the civil rights of so many, in a state we profess to love,
were being trampled upon. Certainly, there’d be a unanimous, or nearly
unanimous cry to boycott... or at least <i>threaten</i>
to. But yeah, no.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Meanwhile, businesses pulled out of the state left and right, performers
cancelled tour dates, and organizations and industries nixed conferences and
trade shows. Well, <i>some</i> industries.
Not ours. While some letters and petitions were circulated when the bill first
passed, only a tiny, tiny minority of people in the industry spoke up or sat it
out. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">In the
fall, with HB2 still on the books, in what I thought was our big chance to make
this right, the topic was all but absent from the conversation. That <i>lack</i> of
conversation from our industry even <a href="http://www.godanriver.com/work_it_sova/news/furniture-market-prepares-for-fall-event-with-little-hb-discussion/article_a7ea0802-5b0d-5d5a-9acb-0f553a76dbaa.html" target="_blank"><b>garnered the attention of the media</b></a>. Especially maddening to me was the silence from
people who had large followings, and large platforms, and chose to ignore them,
two especially infuriating: both Thom Filicia and Carson Kressley had major
launch events at High Point this fall, and neither said a word about HB2 (that
I know of... please correct me if I’m wrong). These are men whose careers were
built upon their very Queerness. They might not have the national attention-grabbing clout of <a href="http://awfulannouncing.com/nba/charles-barkley-nba-all-star-game-should-be-pulled-from-north-carolina-due-to-anti-gay-laws.html" target="_blank"><b>Charles Barkley</b></a>, who said, "</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">It’s my job, with the position of power that I’m in and being able
to be on television, I’m supposed to stand up for the people who can’t
stand up for themselves." But Filicia and Kressley are the closest thing we have, with a much more personal dog in the fight. It’s staggering to me, the silence, from them,
from so many.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Somehow,
the interior design and home furnishings worlds never seemed to get the memo. Or
they did, but were quick to explain it all away. “We’re too big.” “We’re too
fragmented.” “We’re too fragile.” Maybe, perhaps, “we’re just too selfish.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Or maybe,
just maybe, as an industry, we’re far more conservative and right-leaning than we’d let on
before. I heard more than one designer tell me, "I have to be careful, as the company I'm partnering with is pretty 'old school.'" (his code, in the context of the conversation, for homophobic, or in the very least, "homo-leery," if not outright phobic.) I got considerable
push back in my suggestions to boycott from a fair share of “good Christian women,”
self-professed without even being pressed, in private conversations when I thought I was asking friends for
support. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I didn’t get as much support publicly as I’d hoped, and even some promising promises eventually petered
out. I got lots of “I support you, but I can’t say that publicly.”</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span>And, I got a
lot of grief, from friends and strangers... even when my “ask” was not even to boycott personally, but to encourage 11 big-name attendees who had been outspoken against HB2 in the spring to take a bigger step in the fall and <a href="https://www.causes.com/campaigns/102263-help-repeal-north-carolinas-discriminatory-hb2-legislation" target="_blank"><b>sit it out</b></a>. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">And the attacks got pretty personal, publicly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Amid the
slurs and chilly response, I did get wonderful public support, most notably from Jody Seivert, of <a href="https://sellinginteriordesign.com/2016/08/05/no-to-nc/" target="_blank"><b>Selling Interior Design</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/interiordesigncommunity/" target="_blank">Interior Design Community</a></b>'s Laurie Laizure, my Facebook friend and N.C. resident Jim Apple, and industry insider
Will Kolb, who summed it all up pretty perfectly in a Facebook post: “When they went low, we went to
High Point.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">HB2 and the subsequent protests helped contribute
to the booting out of Republican Governor Pat McCrory (JUST barely), and with
his booting, you’d think HB2 would also get kicked to the curb. But you’d be
wrong. North Carolina is still playing dirty, yanking rights from its incoming Democratic senator Roy Cooper, and playing with the basic civil
rights of its citizens, <b><a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article122145494.html" target="_blank">reneging on a promise to repeal HB2</a></b> if Charlotte first
dismantled its own protections. Charlotte (NAIVELY) kept up its end of the
bargain. The state did not. We’ve all seen the cartoon where Lucy yanks the
football from Charlie Brown, right? Except instead of that football, it was
CIVIL RIGHTS. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I’ll quote myself, from my <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2016/04/high-point-low-points-ethics.html" target="_blank"><b>earlier High Point post</b></a>: “It seems we have been last in line to say, with our money,
with our pockets and pocketbooks, that we refuse to do business in a state
where the governor, in twelve hours, can rip away the civil liberties and
protections of the LGBT community, minorities and women. And to be last in
line, when we had ACTUAL clout, is a humiliating place to be.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I still
believe that (although, we're not even <i>in</i> line.) But now, with HB2 still the law of the land in North Carolina,
I’m not only <i>humiliated</i> to be part of
an industry– with its <i>many</i> Gay men and women, and men and women of color— that
has put profits (or prejudice or religious leanings) before human rights. Now I’m
mad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">And I’m
tired of the excuses. I’m tired of the “but I donate to Human Rights Campaign.” I’m tired of the
claims of our industry’s supposedly fragile state. I’m tired of a lazy reaction and absence of solutions from an industry
that professes to be full of creative thinkers. I’m tired of the lack of
consensus. I’m tired of being accused of “Gay shaming” because I’m asking Gay
men I considered friends to consider the T in that LGBT line-up ahead of the $ in their pockets. I'm tired of being called a misogynist when I point out that the bulk of opposition I <i>first</i> received was from straight white women. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I'm tired of the "but it's more important that we show up and have the conversation"... from people who don't have any such conversation when they get there.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I’m also tired of the New York
chapters of <a href="http://www.ifda.com/new-york-chapter" target="_blank"><b>IFDA</b></a> and <a href="http://asidnymetro.org/" target="_blank"><b>ASID</b></a> passing the buck on their own lack of
response to their national chapters, even when, in the case of the ASID, <b><a href="http://www.joemygod.com/2016/04/02/26000-member-interior-designers-association-backs-boycott-of-north-carolinas-flagship-trade-show/" target="_blank">the national chapter issued a backing of a boycott</a></b> (although they stopped short of pulling their own programming, and failed to make a similar statement in the fall) and even though, in the case of the IFDA, at least four of their Gay past "Rising Stars" personally expressed their concerns about HB2 to the organization's leadership. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I'm tired of hearing from magazine editors "but our readers are too conservative" or "we steer clear of controversy."</span></span> And I’m tired of our interior design P.R. community not banding <i>together</i> to come up with a universal plan, and a <i>unified</i> front. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Would a letter, from <i>all</i> of them together, from our editors and publishers and design media and PR firms and professional organizations, sent to <a href="http://www.highpointmarket.org/about-market/board-of-directors" target="_blank"><b>Tom Conley</b></a>, the head of the <a href="http://www.highpointmarket.org/" target="_blank"><b>High Point Market Authority</b></a>, and to the <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/" target="_blank"><b>Charlotte Observer</b>,</a> <a href="http://www.furnituretoday.com/" target="_blank"><b>Furniture Today</b></a> and <a href="https://editoratlarge.com/" target="_blank"><b>Editor at Large</b></a>, be such an
incomprehensible feat? What would we lose? It might not solve things, yet. But
it would be a start. It would be <i>something</i>. Perhaps now, with such a dramatic change on the national stage, we'll see some new thinking about a boycott of High Point Market. <br /><br />And if you think a boycott won't work, don't call me out. Don't call me names. Call a legislator in North Carolina. That is, if you really actually care about the state of affairs— and civil rights— in North Carolina beyond the five days in spring and five days in fall that state effects you. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Maybe we
wouldn’t be so fragile if we flexed our muscles, all $5.4 billion worth of them. There’s a big part of the
state of North Carolina who could still use our strength. Now, perhaps, more
than ever. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Stay tuned for the <b>final installment</b> of my Design Best of 2016! And if you missed them, catch up on <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2017/01/about-good-news-bad-news-trad-scad-and.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a></b> and <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2017/01/about-setting-sail-stirring-paint-and.html" target="_blank"><b>Part 2</b></a>. </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">I dedicate this installment to those lost in this year's Orlando Pulse Massacre.</span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Images: AIDS Memorial: Max Flatow for The New Yorker<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and the</span> New York City AIDS M<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">emorial, via POZ. </span>Illustration for "Grace Under Pressure:" Doron Langberg for Slate, as appearing in "Pulse and the Power of Queer Tears<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"; </span>Gays Against Guns<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> images, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GaysAgainstGunsNYC/" target="_blank">G<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ay</span>s A<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g</span>ainst Guns </a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/GaysAgainstGunsNYC/" target="_blank">NYC on Facebook</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/55915060@N00/sets/72157669305065310/" target="_blank">Paul Pearson</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span> </span></span></span></span></i></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-6527156945279404292017-01-10T12:19:00.001-05:002017-01-10T13:48:31.734-05:00...about setting sail, stirring the paint, and art and architecture, hand in hand: the design best of 2016, part 2. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tl2M5feaGUU/WHJ-ZCgpNjI/AAAAAAAAEeY/ttP_v9DRodMlG_V49q0wNr5vUdwvel24QCLcB/s1600/getPart-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tl2M5feaGUU/WHJ-ZCgpNjI/AAAAAAAAEeY/ttP_v9DRodMlG_V49q0wNr5vUdwvel24QCLcB/s400/getPart-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come aboard! We're expecting you! Let's continue our wandering walk through the
weird year that was, as I recap some of the design highlights of
2016. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fduACxEAtIM/WHKaD7OWnsI/AAAAAAAAEfE/Y9LuAlmEeyAlMLdoHc2OLbS-cn6mN3mXwCLcB/s1600/Romer_RockySeas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fduACxEAtIM/WHKaD7OWnsI/AAAAAAAAEfE/Y9LuAlmEeyAlMLdoHc2OLbS-cn6mN3mXwCLcB/s400/Romer_RockySeas.jpg" width="315" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Design on a Dime...
Hey, Sailor!</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s <i>always</i> a highlight, and this year was absolutely no
exception: <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a>, the
annual designer vignette event to benefit <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works</b></a>, where over 50 designers create vignettes from generously donated
furnishings, artwork, lighting, antiques, rugs and accessories, all then sold
off for up to 70% off retail value during one of New York’s most frenzied and
high-brow shopping events. It was my sixth consecutive year participating, in
one of the most fun years yet.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The year prior, I had tried to launch a nautical-themed vignette (the theme
helps me run everything through a filter, when no client parameters exist to help
edit and steer the ship) based on a <a href="http://www.danromerart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Dan Romer</b></a> sailor drawing (“Rocky Seas,” above). I’d fallen in love with Rocky at Dan’s two-man
show with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chuckwerx/" target="_blank"><b>Chuck Nitzberg</b></a> at the <a href="https://www.leslielohman.org/index.html" target="_blank"><b>Leslie Lohman</b></a> Annex in SoHo a few years back, and wanted to use it as the jumping off poi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nt for my 10 x 12 booth</span>... but none
of my go-to vendors had anything nice and nautical in their offerings (and so
that year, <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-small-dark-and-handsome.html" target="_blank"><b>The</b> <b>Adventurer’s Lair</b></a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">debuted</span> in its stead.)</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vllbIOiQI1Q/WHQaVYcocwI/AAAAAAAAEgA/XXFg_caELKk4DwvDFtGsr3C6wCiWCuBLwCLcB/s1600/getPart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vllbIOiQI1Q/WHQaVYcocwI/AAAAAAAAEgA/XXFg_caELKk4DwvDFtGsr3C6wCiWCuBLwCLcB/s400/getPart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the NEXT year, all ship broke loose, and suddenly, it
seemed, every vendor had something blue and white, roped up, shell <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">encrusted</span> or
brass<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>plated they were willing to part with (every inch of every booth is
donated)... and <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2016/01/about-sailing-into-design-on-dime-2016.html">“Hey, Sailor!”</a></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> w</span>as born.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As fun as it was (after several months of a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">staggering</span> amount
of work behind the scenes, as <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">there</span> always <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is</span>) it was a real nail-biter in the final hours<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> Two BIG vendors (who shall remain nameless) failed to get promised
merchandise to the less-than-two-day set-up in time. One of those vendors <i>did</i> come through with a near-miraculous same-day <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">replacement</span>, and the other ended up donating nearly (NEARLY) the promised
amount to Housing Works after the event, so Housing Works was still the
beneficiary even if my booth was a little less layered.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TI0LSx5nfgY/WHKi5VcBh1I/AAAAAAAAEfw/aCmOR-SLYT0b8gLpMpWpeKz5RFO8jK7UQCLcB/s1600/getPart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TI0LSx5nfgY/WHKi5VcBh1I/AAAAAAAAEfw/aCmOR-SLYT0b8gLpMpWpeKz5RFO8jK7UQCLcB/s400/getPart.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good thing I always try to pack the booth (since
everything’s for sale, this is no time for minimalism, sweety darling!), so the
gaps weren’t super noticeable. But it was the most divine intervention of the
wondrous and wonderful Yetta Banks (of MTV Networks) whose staggering generosity and
surplus of <a href="http://crateandbarrel.com/" target="_blank"><b>Crate & Barrel</b></a> brass
etageres filled the two spots mine would have been in (keeping a treasure trove
of accents off the floor!). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that’s the real reason I love doing Design on a
Dime so much: an overwhelming sense of community, hands-on <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">effort, almost-</span>instant
gratification, a necessary “make it work” mentality, incredible
generosity of vendors (and Yetta!!) and the Housing Works team I’ve come to love
like family (most notably, Mel Alvarez, the event’s even-keeled and
deceptively calm ringleader.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As always, and in addition to Yetta and Mel, I have an
incredible number of people to thank for my own success with the event, but I’d
place writer, director, and activist <a href="http://inourwords.org/" target="_blank"><b>Alan Bounville</b></a> and
Matthew Kusniar at the absolute top of the list for their set-up help, along with contractor Vlad
Tomasevic of <a href="http://www.tgccontracting.com/" target="_blank"><b>TGC Contracting</b></a> who
provided me crew (this year, a paper-hanger), and a new addition this year: my
very own Dutchman, who rolled up his sleeves and pitched in without ever
losing his cool, his adorable smile or seemingly unending sense of joy. And once
again, I was thrilled to have the wonderful volunteer Chris Ann Paternostro
staffing my vignette on the night of the sale, keeping things in order, and
keeping me calm as shoppers stormed the gates<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, cocktails and credit cards in hand.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxnppxeK0rc/WHKAgw52maI/AAAAAAAAEeo/bxZmlJtHW8oSFcea9wh5nXI8sF9xjF6TwCLcB/s1600/SStellar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XxnppxeK0rc/WHKAgw52maI/AAAAAAAAEeo/bxZmlJtHW8oSFcea9wh5nXI8sF9xjF6TwCLcB/s400/SStellar.jpg" width="312" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could NOT have been more proud, too, to feature as my
anchoring image a moving and enigmantic portrait by
artist/documentarian/photographer/statesman and pale-sapphire-eyed <a href="http://www.stellarnyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stanley Stellar</b></a>. Plus, I added new vendors like </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.2modern.com/"><b>2Modern</b></a>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.caskata.com/" target="_blank"><b>Caskata</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.areaware.com/" target="_blank">Areaware</a></b>, <a href="https://www.taschen.com/" target="_blank"><b>Taschen</b></a>, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.curatedkravet.com/us/" target="_blank"><b>CuratedKravet</b></a>,</span></span></span></span></span> and <a href="http://www.danschneiger.com/" target="_blank"><b>Dan Schneig<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er</span></b></a></span></span></span></span></span></span> to a long list of returning folks<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> like <b><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a></b>, <a href="http://bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bernhardt</b></a>, <a href="http://thibautdesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Thibaut</b></a>, <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jayson Home</b></a>, <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com//" target="_blank"><b>Room & Board</b></a>, <a href="http://www.circalighting.com/" target="_blank"><b>Circa Lighting</b></a>, <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/default.aspx?" target="_blank"><b>Currey & Company</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.olystudio.com/?SID=306421b7cf2b6031668eacb1192fe04c" target="_blank">Oly</a></b>, <a href="http://www.pedestalsource.com/" target="_blank"><b>Xylem/Pedestal Source</b></a>, <a href="http://stevenamedee.com/coming-soon/" target="_blank"><b>Steven Amedee Custom Framing</b></a>, <a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Shade Store</b></a> and more.</span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2016 was also a banner year for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the</span> Housing Works DOAD family, who for
the first time ever took the event outside its Manhattan confines, with successful
events this past year in Brooklyn and <a href="https://doadmia2017.splashthat.com/" target="_blank"><b>Miami</b></a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xFDWoLJMnbw/WHKEFJUnytI/AAAAAAAAEe0/HOF1j4vgEwIOJ8P35dejGkUXY_HHjqHbgCLcB/s1600/BenjaminMoore_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xFDWoLJMnbw/WHKEFJUnytI/AAAAAAAAEe0/HOF1j4vgEwIOJ8P35dejGkUXY_HHjqHbgCLcB/s400/BenjaminMoore_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Lights, Camera... Benjamin
Moore!</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blame it on a sailor hat. During set-up for DOAD, (and
probably at the urging of Alan or Matthew) we playfully donned sailor hats
intended as giveaways the night of the grand opening, to (pardon the pun) buoy our
spirits and start to generate a little thematic buzz. Our shipshape white hats
caught the eye of the <a href="http://benjaminmoore.com/" target="_blank"><b>Benjamin Moore</b></a> people, roaming the not-nearly-ready halls
creating videos to continue to tout “Simply White,” their inaugural Color of
the (prior) Year, polling the likes of Alessandra Branca in their video
series.</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oSMbw6pOX08" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With sweat on my brow and incredible chaos around me,
cameras rolled and I got to sing the praises for my love of not only their
Simply White, but for my own oft-touted “intentional white:” when white is carefully
chosen to brighten or buffer, and not just because a bored builder or lazy
landlord said so. Those hats were a not-so-bad investment.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ne3jyTY7vM/WHQgaVmdOXI/AAAAAAAAEgQ/Qle9C6-zgeocKh6ia4vur9aaJba1nBFvgCLcB/s1600/19SUBWAYART-7-blog427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ne3jyTY7vM/WHQgaVmdOXI/AAAAAAAAEgQ/Qle9C6-zgeocKh6ia4vur9aaJba1nBFvgCLcB/s400/19SUBWAYART-7-blog427.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Art <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and</span> Architecture, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hand in Hand</span></b></span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York stepped up its architectural game, above and below ground<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and at the connections in be<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tween, in long-awaited and much ballyhooed boldface-named projects<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> whi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ch</span> blurred the lines be<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tween ar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">chitecture and art, revived a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B</span>eaux <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A</span>rts masterpiece and took <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">contemporary art underground</span>. From Santiago Calatrava's <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">temple to <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">transport</span></span>, to the rejuvenation of the New <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y</span>ork Public Library's <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rose Main</span> Reading R<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>om, New York got a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">high profile,</span></span> art-infused pu<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bl<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ic works facelift<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, while private developers pushed the envelope in some successful and not-so ways. And although our much-<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">anticipated 2nd A<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">v</span>enue Subway Stat<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ion officially opened in 2017, its artworks were revealed in a stunning <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/arts/design/second-avenue-subway-art.html" target="_blank"><b>photo essay</b></a> by the New York <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Times just as 2016 drew to a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">close<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">... so I'm including those<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, too. </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rkjWWpjV1co/WHKdEt2PuII/AAAAAAAAEfQ/j5fR9V16r7Y2BItO6htvMyqrnJKs4P-2QCLcB/s1600/03CALATRAVAJP1-master675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rkjWWpjV1co/WHKdEt2PuII/AAAAAAAAEfQ/j5fR9V16r7Y2BItO6htvMyqrnJKs4P-2QCLcB/s400/03CALATRAVAJP1-master675.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not sure how they’ll keep it clean, but the Santiago
Calatrava Transportation Hub in downtown Manhattan has given
the stone-and-steely area surrounding One World Trade a spiny, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bio</span>morphic, sculptural
destination in an otherwise rectilinear landscape. It just begs to be photographed<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> in any light<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span>from any ang<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">le,</span></span>
and is a blinding example of the lofty power of “intentional white” when eve<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rything else is <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">glass, gray and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">c<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oncrete.</span></span></span></span> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkmBH-TyVpg/WHKg4bNeo6I/AAAAAAAAEfc/AgAGiu5EpJclaxNIrJfQmYBvMwkjQ9RBQCLcB/s1600/Calatrava-World-Trade-Center-Transportation-Hub_New-York_leaking-roof_dezeen_936_sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkmBH-TyVpg/WHKg4bNeo6I/AAAAAAAAEfc/AgAGiu5EpJclaxNIrJfQmYBvMwkjQ9RBQCLcB/s400/Calatrava-World-Trade-Center-Transportation-Hub_New-York_leaking-roof_dezeen_936_sq.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not fully sure the form’s or architect’s intention, from some angles it’s stubby and almost
comical in a Flintstones-meets-Jetsons kind of way, and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/arts/design/santiago-calatravas-transit-hub-is-a-soaring-symbol-of-a-boondoggle.html?_r=0" target="_blank"><b>not everyone is a fan</b></a>...
and I couldn’t care less. It’s startling, breathtaking, elevates the commuter experience, and looks like the future has
landed in FiDi.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Above all, i</span>t looks like a risk, in a city <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">where architecture has played it safe <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in recent years.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0g5e034SYU/WHKhe9YdFAI/AAAAAAAAEfg/oJ_VVDK5gycrRqSyZrk2xfgv4T86siSMgCLcB/s1600/via-57-west-625-west-57th-street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0g5e034SYU/WHKhe9YdFAI/AAAAAAAAEfg/oJ_VVDK5gycrRqSyZrk2xfgv4T86siSMgCLcB/s320/via-57-west-625-west-57th-street.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not the only place where Manhattan architecture has taken a more
aggressive stylistic role<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the most ambitious<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> interesting and successful<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span></span> the
new<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.via57west.com/"><b>Via 57 West</b></a> apartment
building, an eye-catching </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">riverside </span></span>form that looks like it was 3-D printed right from
the CAD drawings and just skipped the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">construction step altogether.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NVPMYSHoOVY/WHQicNgVKyI/AAAAAAAAEgc/_lybL7tLMeExbqRx1z1vig4sHxuG-aK7ACLcB/s1600/19SUBWAYART-4-master675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NVPMYSHoOVY/WHQicNgVKyI/AAAAAAAAEgc/_lybL7tLMeExbqRx1z1vig4sHxuG-aK7ACLcB/s400/19SUBWAYART-4-master675.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not to be outdone by the colossal sculptures above ground<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span>the just-opened 2nd Avenue subway statio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">itself a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n artful feat, </span></span></span></span></span></span></span>has assembled a near-museum's<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> worth of art, built right in, in the city's latest wave (and dare I say most successfully striking?) subway tile murals and mosaics. From Chuck Close (with several pieces, including his portrait of Kara Walker, above, and his own self-portrait, and composer Phillip Glass, bel<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ow) </span>to Vik Muniz, who<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'s</span> added an army of life-size <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but static commuter<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s in his "Perfect Strangers" series (those two guys a little further above), </span></span>the art is a destination in its own right<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and has t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he potential to stop traffic faster than a sick pas<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">senger at Monday rush hour. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both t</span>he scale of the pieces<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>and the overall undertaking<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>are herculean, in a WPA kind of way, and it marks the first time in decades art was integrated from the beginning, not sl<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">apped up at the end</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> (See more of these amazing work-in-progress shots by George Etheridge for the New York Times, illustr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ating <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/arts/design/second-avenue-subway-art.html" target="_blank"><b>an articl</b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/arts/design/second-avenue-subway-art.html" target="_blank"><b>e by Randy Kennedy</b></a>.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHsdL2x0msI/WHQjSr6EzmI/AAAAAAAAEgk/1ZzyH0099b02J8Nf7maB9KrWcmXg4qb8wCLcB/s1600/19SUBWAYART16-superJumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lHsdL2x0msI/WHQjSr6EzmI/AAAAAAAAEgk/1ZzyH0099b02J8Nf7maB9KrWcmXg4qb8wCLcB/s400/19SUBWAYART16-superJumbo.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QCdLrLHgOo/WHUSOQpsZMI/AAAAAAAAEg0/WRwPZxPKtWoCPBJciqZddyrsE2ndeFpQQCLcB/s1600/nypl-rose-reading-room-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5QCdLrLHgOo/WHUSOQpsZMI/AAAAAAAAEg0/WRwPZxPKtWoCPBJciqZddyrsE2ndeFpQQCLcB/s400/nypl-rose-reading-room-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two years ago<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an</span>d s</span>lightly across town, in the New York Publ<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ic</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Libra<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ry<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'s Rose Reading Room</span>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a</span> giant plaster wreath decorating the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ceiling came crashing down<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and became the martyr to a stunning makeover (whi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ch</span> spilled over into the Bill Blass <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Public Catalog Room) in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Beaux Arts gem at the east edge of Bryant Park</span></span></span></span></span></span>. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the next 24 months, painters</span>, gilders, woodworkers and engineers (overseen by the lib<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ra<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ry's in-house architects and WJE Architects and Engineers)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> rest<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">red</span> the room to its rightful place of the world's best library <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">spaces<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (and I'm even including Trinity College <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AND </span>Hogwarts in that list.)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">perhaps</span></span></span> the most noticeable architectural additions<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to Manhattan <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">above or bel<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ow</span> are the ones <i>waaaay</i> above:</span></span> the brand new <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">crop of pencil</span>-thin residences for the Russian oligarchs, Chinese elite and domestic über wealthy, some popping up at the south edge of Central Park like exagg<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">erated milk carto<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n periscopes</span></span>.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Love them or hate them (the buildings, that is, not the oligarchs), <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">these gravity def<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>ers ha</span>ve already made an indelible mark on the
city’s skyline<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, a living bar chart of the city's pockets of extreme wealth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Through art and architecture,</span> finally<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">–</span> suddenly it seems<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">–</span> at least in Manhattan, the future looks like the future.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hang in there! We’re half way through! <b>Part 3,</b> up next! (And if you missed it, <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2017/01/about-good-news-bad-news-trad-scad-and.html" target="_blank"><b>Part 1</b></a>.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Photos<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span> Design on a Dime: <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://kubilusphoto.com/">Peter Kubilis</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calatrava Hub: N<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y Times and </span>De<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">zeen; Via 57 West<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span> CityRealty.com; 2nd Avenue Subway: George Etheridge for the N<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Y</span> Times; NYPL Rose Reading Room: Ty Cole, for Architectural Digest.</span></span></span></span> </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-26752269289226123412017-01-07T18:52:00.001-05:002017-01-12T13:08:11.678-05:00...about good news, bad news, Trad, SCAD, and Shadow: the design best of 2016, part 1.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was, to put it mildly, for me and many, a roller coaster
of a year, a Fun House often sans the fun, even as some economic markers
pointed upward and took a bigger piece of the pie chart. It had its shocks and
jars, as the world lost some light and made some <i>odd</i> selections, Brexit-ing, sexting, false-newsing and Twittering our
way through decisions that made even the sketchy choices we made in college
seem Nobel-Prize-worthy. It all felt like the inside of a Far Side cartoon, one
big looped Mercury-in-retrograde Groundhog Day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But, as they say, every cloud
has a silver lining, and 2016— design- and otherwise— had its share of the good
stuff, too, even if this year’s Oreo was one of those weird thin things, and
not a Double Stuff.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To wrap it all up so we can officially move this year to the
archive file (or trash bin), here’s my unofficial, totally random-ordered list of things that
caught my eye, made news, or deserved a marker, for me or others, for better or
for worse... because just as Time magazine taught us, “Person of the Year”
doesn’t so much mean “role model,” so some of the year’s most notable moments weren’t
really winners, either. Hey, let’s start there!! </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqhQJiBfatg/WHFzEpPaGTI/AAAAAAAAEdw/fZUeT9ZNNuICD1IjKzP0egBIWsFcgqj1ACEw/s1600/-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqhQJiBfatg/WHFzEpPaGTI/AAAAAAAAEdw/fZUeT9ZNNuICD1IjKzP0egBIWsFcgqj1ACEw/s320/-1.jpg" width="320" /></a> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>New Trad Design Competition</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Close, but no Cohiba. In what seemed like a never-ending
quest for daily votes (Because it <i>WAS</i>, Blanche. It <i>WAS</i>), I got dangerously
close to becoming a “New Trad.” That’s the winning designation in <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Traditional Home</b></a>’s annual contest
search for under-the-radar design talent working in the “refreshed traditional”
style of their wonderfully produced (but under-read) <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/trad-home-mag" target="_blank"><b>Trad Home</b></a> online publication. Trad Home is like the hip Gay uncle to
their more staid print great aunt (although that great aunt got some work done
this year, with an energetic makeover, and she’s looking better than ever).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have to th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ank </span>a wonderful group of friends and Facebook fans and
Followers </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">who never lost patience or hope, </span></span>for DAILY voting during the run of the contest, and I only lost one Facebook friend over <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">my</span> daily reminders to
vote (well, only one that I know of). Because of the ones I <i>didn't</i> lose, and most notably, a
group of creative ladies (and a few gents) I’ve come to know through a past <a href="http://www.hallmark.com/" target="_blank"><b>Hallmark</b></a> Facebook community, I sailed
through to the Finals, and ended with the second most votes <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of all the Finalists</span>, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">only to then</span> g<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e</span>t passed over by the official judges.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>(Sad trombone effect
here.)</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was super disappointing, but as they say, everything happens for a reason.
But, um, let’s hope 2017 reveals the reason, shall we? Until then, I’ll just
sit here weeping softly, in my bridesmaid dress they PROMISED me I’d be able to
wear again if I just took up the hem, while still unable to quit Traditional
Home in total Brokeback Mountain fashion. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nVlydo1ZE9c/WHFwZr0Q8xI/AAAAAAAAEdc/O3xHwSFo054dmdO9o8wM_v0Ssw2ax8zWwCLcB/s1600/19_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nVlydo1ZE9c/WHFwZr0Q8xI/AAAAAAAAEdc/O3xHwSFo054dmdO9o8wM_v0Ssw2ax8zWwCLcB/s400/19_w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">SCAD & Traditional Home Design Incubation</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite the New Trad near-miss, Traditional Home also saw another
REAL highlight for me in 2016, when I was asked by their staff to be the
interior designer on a panel of judges in an exceptional group venture among
the publication, the <a href="http://www.scad.edu/" target="_blank"><b>Savannah College of Art & Design</b></a> (SCAD) and the venerable fabric house <a href="https://fabricut.com/" target="_blank"><b>Fabricut</b></a>, in the <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/design0/winning-patterns-emerge" target="_blank"><b>Traditional Home Design Incubation contest</b></a>.<a href="https://fabricut.com/" target="_blank"><b> </b></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egm_HVfFYbU/WHFwYUoAjUI/AAAAAAAAEdg/1iZt1YGewUAogicJA0-bgbVNwMzad7KcQCEw/s1600/33_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egm_HVfFYbU/WHFwYUoAjUI/AAAAAAAAEdg/1iZt1YGewUAogicJA0-bgbVNwMzad7KcQCEw/s400/33_w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In Fabricut's second </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">such venture (the first with my alma
mater, the <a href="http://risd.edu/" target="_blank"><b>Rhode Island School of Design</b></a>)
SCAD students joined into teams to conceptualize and conceive textile
collections which the winners (Team Darlene, pictured above, from left: </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Morgan De Paoli, Brittany Reidy, Jessica Amsberry, Hannah Golden and Celeste Buck) saw produced and sold (in 2017! Stay tuned!) under
Fabricut’s <a href="https://www.stroheim.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stroheim</b></a> line. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">From initial mood boards culled from Pinterest and
Instagram, with inspiration gleaned globally and from family heritage, Islamic
geometries, Cuba then and now, painterly technique and romantic patina, the geometries of nature and the nature in geometry, to fully realized collections, the students in all teams wowed at every step of the
way. The work squarely put an end to my fantasy of being the bitter and bitchy Simon
Cowell of the judging group (which also included Fabricut Vice President and
Creative Director Nina Aronson and Traditional Home’s Doris Athineos.) It was <i>all</i> good, and fault was hard to find.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VyrM-FX6JI/WHFwWRhbMDI/AAAAAAAAEdg/89UzuhlvGT0pQaGP4GnmsquUo6R0AvXewCEw/s1600/img_4150_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VyrM-FX6JI/WHFwWRhbMDI/AAAAAAAAEdg/89UzuhlvGT0pQaGP4GnmsquUo6R0AvXewCEw/s400/img_4150_w.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The level of polish of the final designs (woven, warped, wefted, jacquarded,
screen printed, named, logo’d, packaged, and pitched) over the course’s semester-long
run was staggering, and the whole thing, and the giant crush I developed for
the entire SCAD community and operation made me feel like I was cheating on RISD.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a sole proprietor, I don’t get away much, so a HUGE part
of this highlight was my very first visits to the city of Savannah. We were
charmed, instantly, by this living grid of American heritage, dripping with
Spanish moss and dotted with history, jolted to life by SCAD’s energy and <s>some</s>
many visits to <a href="http://www.savannahcoffee.com/" target="_blank"><b>Savannah Coffee Roasters</b></a>.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have special thanks to give to Doris and Traditional Home's Lori Sheldon for going to bat to
get me this gig... and for the folks at Fabricut, who took a shot on this
<i>formerly</i> non-Fabricut shopper.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIRPGCG9ZAg/WHF0MSGWpbI/AAAAAAAAEeA/6MoGK-b179gknfoOvxxHvaObg-hMuTqdQCEw/s1600/997092330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wIRPGCG9ZAg/WHF0MSGWpbI/AAAAAAAAEeA/6MoGK-b179gknfoOvxxHvaObg-hMuTqdQCEw/s320/997092330.jpg" width="294" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Benjamin Moore Color of the Year –
Shadow</b></span></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Benjamin Moore, in the library, with cater waiters: those
were the clues we were in for a good time when paint purveyors and color
experts <a href="https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us" target="_blank"><b>Benjamin Moore</b></a> pulled the lid off their sophomore (but NOT sophomoric)
<a href="https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/color-collections/color-trends-2017" target="_blank"><b>Color of the Year</b></a> choice for 201<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7</span>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Things took a darker turn from last year's "Simply White," with a deeply sophisticated
and HIGHLY usable “<a href="https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/2117-30/shadow?color=2117-30" target="_blank"><b>Shadow</b></a>.” As the best colors always are, it is almost
impossible to describe... a smoky aubergine, a deep charcoal tinted with pure
purple, and a gender-fluid crowd pleaser, all as ethereal and mercurial as the name implies.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their party— always one of the best— was held in the just-revived gallery
spaces of the New York Public Library, itself worthy of a 2016 Design
Highlight. You’ll read more about the New York architectural scene and its
own highlights, in <b>Parts 2</b> and <b>3</b>.<br /><br />Buckle up! We're just getting started<b>!</b> Stay tuned for <b>Part 2</b>!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Photos, SCAD: courtesy Traditional Home. Photos, Color of the Year, courtesy Benjamin Moore. </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-86696222861898767862016-11-08T18:26:00.000-05:002017-01-12T13:08:45.205-05:00...about tough choices, broken rules and big little spaces: Holiday House All-Stars, part 2.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jRniOlDvrg/WCJMOs1sEXI/AAAAAAAAEcY/RudPQBWapxgITtjNs_Vxj0MR4ZZc1mxDACLcB/s1600/DonaldSchermerhorn_PJH1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jRniOlDvrg/WCJMOs1sEXI/AAAAAAAAEcY/RudPQBWapxgITtjNs_Vxj0MR4ZZc1mxDACLcB/s400/DonaldSchermerhorn_PJH1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aaaannd we're back, a little mor<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e than </span>halfway-ish through my fantasy round-up
of <a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Holiday House</b></a> rooms past: my highly subjective, totally unscientific,
all-in-good-fun choices from the show house's eight-year run at the Academy
Mansion, to mark the move to the new<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">est mansions in town, the Sullivan Mansions <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in </span></span>SoHo, for this year's 2016 event, opening to the
public November 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7</span>th. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catch up on the first batch <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2016/11/holiday-house-all-stars-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>, and read a little bit about my self<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>imposed criteria on the otherwise
impossible task of picking favorites from the always-stellar spaces by some of
design's biggest names. Let's head upstairs, shall we?</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lBK8tNjZ38Y/WCEabtlzzaI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/hhb49AXt2EUiz8GCJuVFsD7OR1LgXR8pQCLcB/s1600/DSchermerhorn_PresDay_2_PeterRymwid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lBK8tNjZ38Y/WCEabtlzzaI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/hhb49AXt2EUiz8GCJuVFsD7OR1LgXR8pQCLcB/s400/DSchermerhorn_PresDay_2_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P</span>residents' Day, Donald Schermerhorn</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s hard to think “Presidents' Day” might hold enough style
inspiration around which to build a room, but <a href="http://www.donaldschermerhorn.com/" target="_blank"><b>Donald Schermerhorn</b></a> did just
that, with a deft hand and deliciously dry wit, while making a gorgeous, cozy, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"refreshed Federal" </span>room in the process. His perspective? The sitting room of
the presidential runner-up on the morning after, inspired by a slightly dour
portrait Donald pulled in as the room’s manly muse. And if you’ve been paying
attention, you know I’m a mega-fan of the power of portraiture in any space. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This room was harder to call than the election count in
Florida, because squarely in the mix, and right on the heels of Donald are two
of my very favorite gents in the business: <a href="https://darrinvardendesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Darrin Varden</b></a>, Winter Solstice (That
art!), and <a href="http://www.louisnavarretedecoration.com/" target="_blank"><b>Louis Navarette</b></a>, Mischief Night (That chandelier!) both choosing the
moodiest blues to conjure up two rooms that could NOT have been more different, proving that color itself is the ultimate chameleon.
<a href="http://www.irwinfelddesign.com/ifd/contact.cfm" target="_blank"><b>Irwin Feld</b></a> (of <a href="http://www.cfmodern.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>CF</b></span></a><b><a href="http://www.cfmodern.com/" target="_blank"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Modern</span></a>)</b> also had a great “Snow Day” take on this very same room.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nv2kXxvCb-o/WCJDW7500uI/AAAAAAAAEcA/KyvJu6GmaWASfZdkJcXURufkPqP8ej9HgCLcB/s1600/DarrinVarden_WinterSolstice_PeterRymwid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nv2kXxvCb-o/WCJDW7500uI/AAAAAAAAEcA/KyvJu6GmaWASfZdkJcXURufkPqP8ej9HgCLcB/s400/DarrinVarden_WinterSolstice_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="400" /></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Darrin Varden<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; Photo: Peter Rymwid</span></span> </span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABUgJZqRmxA/WCEb8QWfo-I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/y6fx_xnG-ic-CZo0uPLfWahpjGk2GYgoQCLcB/s1600/LouisNavarette_PeterRymwid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABUgJZqRmxA/WCEb8QWfo-I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/y6fx_xnG-ic-CZo0uPLfWahpjGk2GYgoQCLcB/s400/LouisNavarette_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Louis Navarette; Photo: Peter Rymwid</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-agztfEhcE3U/WCJas_L0dFI/AAAAAAAAEco/bJEopputNZQ4VWWbOe73WnHINHAiurkZQCLcB/s1600/cozy%2Bcolor%2Bpop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-agztfEhcE3U/WCJas_L0dFI/AAAAAAAAEco/bJEopputNZQ4VWWbOe73WnHINHAiurkZQCLcB/s400/cozy%2Bcolor%2Bpop.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> Irwin Feld; Photo: Irwin Feld</i></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXQMucv2N1w/WCEdUUBq7xI/AAAAAAAAEaY/MXtDh1V34MQqaBJVww11FVblNP2duvZCACLcB/s1600/HalpernWeitzman_PeterRymwid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dXQMucv2N1w/WCEdUUBq7xI/AAAAAAAAEaY/MXtDh1V34MQqaBJVww11FVblNP2duvZCACLcB/s400/HalpernWeitzman_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sweet
Sixteen, Weitzman Halpern Interior Design </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Amie Weitzman and Michael Halpern of <b>Weitzman Halpern Interior Design</b> created a Sixteen-going-on-OMG
bedroom suite, using a jazzed-up pastel palette, and a wallpaper made from the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">imagined</span> resident’s Instagram feed, and created a space for a fictional and
funky client I’d love to meet.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <i>Photo: Peter Rymwid</i>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-np_YK1X8IrM/WCEeyzTDYlI/AAAAAAAAEak/sY64KiiIb2wbSZmaKNC8xXWsiQloarNZQCLcB/s1600/DbGG_031-Low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-np_YK1X8IrM/WCEeyzTDYlI/AAAAAAAAEak/sY64KiiIb2wbSZmaKNC8xXWsiQloarNZQCLcB/s400/DbGG_031-Low.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Chez Marie
Café, Guillaume Gente<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He frosted up a delectable— and highly functional— center courtyard
space. But the icing on the <i>gateau</i>,
and the reason <a href="http://guillaumegentet.com/" target="_blank"><b>Guillaume Gentet</b></a>
makes the list isn’t for a holiday, or how he used macaron-inspired color and
that frothy, gorgeous, sky-reaching upholstered concoction beneath a
signature-pink tent to evoke a sweets shop fit for Gigi (but inspired by Marie
Antoinette)... but it was how he and then-fiancé/now husband David
used the space: they got married in it, a Holiday House first. What can I say?
I’ll happily bend the rules for two handsome men in impeccably tailored suits. <i>Photo: Marco R<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>cca.</i></span></span></div>
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{page:Section1;} </style><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A Day in Repose, Eileen Kathryn Boyd </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In design, rules are meant to be broken, so I’m breaking mine, and
giving this one to a non-holiday, <a href="http://ekbinteriors.com/" target="_blank"><b>Eileen Kathryn Boyd</b></a>'s "Sunday in Repose." While not a true calendar date, this room had
more than a few thinking “Mother’s Day,” (even though Ally Coulter had that
covered in the main salon that same year).</span></span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The paneled room was freshened with
one of the earliest show house appearances of custom digital wallcoverings,
this one from Traci Hiner’s <a href="http://blackcrowstudios.com/#!/HOME" target="_blank"><b>Black Crow Studios</b></a>. <i>All ph<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">otos: John Bessler</span></i></span></span></span><br />
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-</style><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michael Tavano: Photo: Editor At Large</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Neck and neck with Eileen, <a href="http://www.michaeltavano.com/" target="_blank"><b>MichaelTavano</b></a> (of <a href="http://marksandtavano.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marks & Tavano Workroom</b></a>), for his modern and exuberant spin on the French version of the red white and
blue, Bastille Day, and one of the gargantuan room's most ambitious reima<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">g</span>inings, <b><a href="http://www.vicentewolf.com/" target="_blank">Vicente Wolf</a></b>’s
snowy (but holiday-free) bedroom. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXlWweP5-6o/WCJJcFcTBkI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/xHKjTsaXYPE2NFwqLVKyVeX6Jwu2kwphQCLcB/s1600/VicenteWolf_PJH1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXlWweP5-6o/WCJJcFcTBkI/AAAAAAAAEcQ/xHKjTsaXYPE2NFwqLVKyVeX6Jwu2kwphQCLcB/s400/VicenteWolf_PJH1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Vicente Wolf</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17RLcAlKiIg/WCEiMpg5LgI/AAAAAAAAEbE/0rv0W2Bw-9Q6mN9dCDMYLM_3dVsXAXFRgCLcB/s1600/Farruggio4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17RLcAlKiIg/WCEiMpg5LgI/AAAAAAAAEbE/0rv0W2Bw-9Q6mN9dCDMYLM_3dVsXAXFRgCLcB/s400/Farruggio4.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The
Engagement, Charles Farruggio</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so again, not a true holiday, but a day to remember. Long before
Marriage Equality hit the highest courts, <a href="http://www.charlesfarruggio.com/" target="_blank"><b>Charles Farruggio</b></a> envisioned a same-sex engagement in three acts (the courtship,
the proposal and the honeymoon), capturing true romance without any gender
boundary in all three of the large room’s vignettes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uMNYPirABg/WCEiG3xMnvI/AAAAAAAAEa8/Xr3EJ8dpRI0W3lZ2gSs7YPyVbJxsKl6bgCLcB/s1600/CharlesFarruggio_MarisaPellegrini.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6uMNYPirABg/WCEiG3xMnvI/AAAAAAAAEa8/Xr3EJ8dpRI0W3lZ2gSs7YPyVbJxsKl6bgCLcB/s400/CharlesFarruggio_MarisaPellegrini.jpg" width="268" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Charles Farruggio; This photo: Marisa Pellegrini </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TMfBRWbgnvg/WCEqKhn-MAI/AAAAAAAAEbs/qrxVfY5SIKkGAXHNW7dswAjNd0lMbs2rgCLcB/s1600/JavarasKennally_Quintessence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TMfBRWbgnvg/WCEqKhn-MAI/AAAAAAAAEbs/qrxVfY5SIKkGAXHNW7dswAjNd0lMbs2rgCLcB/s400/JavarasKennally_Quintessence.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Golden
Jubilee, Javaras Kennally</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s most often the smallest spaces I remember and admire from show
houses, where décor and contents do the heavy lifting. Lined with one wall of
can’t-go-anywhere bookcases, there’s a tiny little rectangle of a room on the
mansion’s third floor that’s intrigued me since my first visit to Holiday
House, and challenged designers every year. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Top p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hoto: <a href="https://quintessenceblog.com/2012-holiday-house-javaras-kennally/" target="_blank">Quntessence</a>.</span></i><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M5pqwf2p3jg/WCEqKvv35VI/AAAAAAAAEbw/71gBTWGPGIgOajhYfx49FKDV5mAud2BRQCLcB/s1600/JavarasKennally_PJH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M5pqwf2p3jg/WCEqKvv35VI/AAAAAAAAEbw/71gBTWGPGIgOajhYfx49FKDV5mAud2BRQCLcB/s400/JavarasKennally_PJH.jpg" width="266" /></a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Javaras Kennally</b> didn’t let the
room's diminutive footprint stop them from pulling out all the stops,
in this gilded (literally) little room that you’d have had to pry me out of on
a snowy day, good book or fine wine or both in hand. Sexy, interesting, amazing detail, and a wealth of ideas on what <i>definitely</i> to do with brave choice when square footage comes up short in your piéd-a-terre.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXFwcBPOy3s/WCEjtZbOLBI/AAAAAAAAEbM/Km2j2z85i6s2X_oCFGeFLPoTaTm8KtoNQCLcB/s1600/ScottFormby_AftermathLounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DXFwcBPOy3s/WCEjtZbOLBI/AAAAAAAAEbM/Km2j2z85i6s2X_oCFGeFLPoTaTm8KtoNQCLcB/s400/ScottFormby_AftermathLounge.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Aftermath
Lounge, Scott Formby</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m including this on a holiday technicality: <b>Scott Formby</b> created a pass-through space that stopped you in your
tracks, while creating a holiday we all desperately need: the day <i>after</i> the holiday hubbub, with his
pomegranate-hued Aftermath Lounge. It was the perfect winter respite room, and
you could hear the clink of glasses, feel the warmth of a good whiskey and
almost see the snow falling outside, even in the windowless room. A tiny space
writ large, with that mulled-wine colored grasscloth, moody lighting, and curated
choices.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><i>Photo: Peter Rymwid.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjqFDCL_9Q0/WCEkdShX24I/AAAAAAAAEbQ/_GEYwtO3VAgbReLSW1p8c__6WEj8I3F5gCLcB/s1600/GregoryAllenCramer_PeterRymwid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DjqFDCL_9Q0/WCEkdShX24I/AAAAAAAAEbQ/_GEYwtO3VAgbReLSW1p8c__6WEj8I3F5gCLcB/s400/GregoryAllenCramer_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Two More!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rule I <i>did</i> stick to was to
have a holiday only appear once on my All-Star Holiday House round up. Had that
not been the case, I’d have most certainly included two more rooms: <a href="http://www.gregoryallancramer.com/" target="_blank"><b>Gregory Allan Cramer</b></a>, with his joyous,
raucous and festive (that sounds a lot like Gregory himself, come to think of
it) “Celebrate!” Christmas Eve room, and cast Gregory himself as the Ghost of Christmas Present. <i>Ph</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>oto: Peter Rymwid.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When his bare-of-furnishings room had only
its coating of hand-painted graffiti, tongues were nervously a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-</span>waggin’ in the
halls during set up. But the treatment proved a brilliant way to hide the tiny
room’s multitude of soffitted sins. The boy knows what he’s doing, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and had the last laugh, as Traditional Home used his bubbly room as its intro image for that year's coverage.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">also </span>proved one thing: when just the walls are done, don’t judge, keep calm, and
trust your designer.</span></span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also would have included <a href="http://duneierdesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jennifer Duneier</b></a>’s Easter room, a spring-y little gem with the
gloss and depth of an opal on a sunny April day, that glass-beaded wallcovering
setting the stage, and evoking those peek-in Easter eggs, all spun sugar and
delicious color.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Future match-ups I’d love to see would be Darryl Carter doing either the
Grand Salon or top-floor ballroom that few have managed to tame, with a modern
take on traditional Thanksgiving, or perhaps Clodagh doing Earth Day. And I’d
LOVE to tackle that back paneled library, doing the theme of... wait, I
wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. But Iris, if you're listening... </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this All-Star tribute, there are no losers, and I could have
justified, with or without my makeshift rules, at least a dozen more rooms,
from <b>Matthew Patrick Smyth</b>, <b>Joan Dineen</b>, <b>Rachel Laxner</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> <b>White Webb</b>, and many, many more...
proving that Holiday House, no matter how you judge it, provides a wealth of
never-ending inspiration, whatever the season... or l<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ocation.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holiday House 2016 opens to the public <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nove<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mber 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7</span>, at The Sullivan Mansions in S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>ho. Buy <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">your advance tickets, and tickets to the Opening Night Gala<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/buy-tickets/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All p<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">otos, unless noted: Patrick J<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span> Hamilton</span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span></span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-52159702518046039132016-11-07T09:41:00.001-05:002017-01-12T13:09:46.355-05:00...about Holiday House All-Stars, part 1.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KXMDQDGA8F8/WCCYv3gVHqI/AAAAAAAAEZg/nPqja3xXz0sxqYnzgYMR008NPsP-naOKgCLcB/s1600/Inson2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KXMDQDGA8F8/WCCYv3gVHqI/AAAAAAAAEZg/nPqja3xXz0sxqYnzgYMR008NPsP-naOKgCLcB/s400/Inson2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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{page:Section</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">RuPaul’s Drag Race has its
All-Stars (congrats, <span id="goog_176262232"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><b>Alaska</b><span id="goog_176262233"></span></a>! <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUjeQ35HfU8" target="_blank">Hieee!!</a></b>) and sport-folk have their fantasy sportsy
leagues. Why can’t show houses have some all-star <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">realness</span> and serve up some fantasy <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">action</span>,
too? </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To help celebrate the <a href="http://holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>2016 Holiday House Design Showcase</b></a> (opening November 17th),
and to commemorate its first in-town <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">foray to </span>a new location, I’m looking back
at Holiday Houses past, and pulling my very favorite rooms from its eight year
run at the Academy Mansion, creating to me the perfect “calendar come to life” for
which Holiday House is famous.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was my all-star criteria?
Above all (and with <i>almost</i> no exception,) the room had to reference an actual
holiday or date on the calendar: that’s always been the brand differentiator and
best part to me of Holiday House, the annual labor of love of breast cancer
survivor and force-of-nature <b>Iris Danker</b>, who created Holiday House to raise
awareness and funds for women’s health issues, most notably and recently on
behalf of the <a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/about/the-breast-cancer-research-foundation/" target="_blank"><b>Breast Cancer Research Foundation</b></a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it had to be a
successful room on its own, even without the layer of holiday folly on it: I’m
a huge fan of “theme done right,” where the story unfolds, and the room rewards
by revealing its narrative the longer you spend time in it. The room’s theme should be that reward,
not the sudden punchline to a one-note joke.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a color lover, I leaned
towards rooms that used color (even if neutral) to full effect, since nothing
says “holiday” to me more, in any season, than the pure exuberance of color.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For extra points, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">these<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of calendar girls (and guy<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s)</span></span></span> did all of the above starting with a holiday not normally
known for its own <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">color combos and </span>style cues... or <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> casting<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span>a fresh eye on <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">long-established tropes and palettes</span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not every room in the
house, it’s <i>totally</i> unscientific, I’ve left out LOTS of friends and their
gorgeous rooms, and its all in good fun, meant to honor every single
participant of this show house powerhouse. And above all, it’s meant to get you
to <i>this</i> year’s house. So, as she sings in the Sound of Music, let’s start at
the very beginning! Hit it, Maria!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRR4nzxNdWY/WB-ykTyxIEI/AAAAAAAAEVw/iIuJZbH-Z2MVfcytTvVLzbTxoU-gUWprwCLcB/s1600/BradleyThiergartner_PopSugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iRR4nzxNdWY/WB-ykTyxIEI/AAAAAAAAEVw/iIuJZbH-Z2MVfcytTvVLzbTxoU-gUWprwCLcB/s400/BradleyThiergartner_PopSugar.jpg" width="266" /></a><b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Christmas, Bradley Thiergartner </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although it ran the risk of
making passers-by catching glimpses through the doors think that “Holiday House”
meant “Christmas <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">H</span>ouse” (as many mistakenly assume each year), the Christmas foyer
of <b>Bradley Thiergartner</b> was the one-to-beat version of the entry, in a space
that, even bare, served up an almost dizzying list of daunting Givens: Wildly
patterned floors, an improbably-scaled walk-in fireplace, stone walls, and the
house’s main circulation slicing the high-ceilinged brazen box squarely in two.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgeiWO1i4hw/WB-ykFZE4kI/AAAAAAAAEVs/uSjndl9tSDYK9FcPXWIOQilDJtA85O87QCLcB/s1600/BradleyThiergarten_1_EAL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bgeiWO1i4hw/WB-ykFZE4kI/AAAAAAAAEVs/uSjndl9tSDYK9FcPXWIOQilDJtA85O87QCLcB/s400/BradleyThiergarten_1_EAL.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> Bradley Thiergartner<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top photo:<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Pop<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Su</span>gar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Above: Editor At Large</span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every one of those
challenges was used to full advantage, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the designers </span>served up a Christmas space inspired
not by the expected red and green, but by the clove-brown and orange-orange of
traditional pomanders, and in the process, made total sense of the stones and
browns in their holiday context. I’d place the throaty, robust Ghost of
Christmas Past from the movie-musical Scrooge! right atop that limestone mantel
(“I like life!”), or put Fezziwig himself in front of it. It was warm, cozy,
elegant, and made it look like they had trucked in the mosaic floors, all while
making the space feel much more human in scale without losing any of the
built-in grandeur.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10RkLMOfAV8/WB-71aewzHI/AAAAAAAAEX8/eiKcnSjkYtclmvD0lRNIH018kvVO6bu_QCLcB/s1600/JamesRixner_StAndrews.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-10RkLMOfAV8/WB-71aewzHI/AAAAAAAAEX8/eiKcnSjkYtclmvD0lRNIH018kvVO6bu_QCLcB/s400/JamesRixner_StAndrews.png" width="400" /></a><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>St. Andrew’s Day, James
Rixner,</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">James bumps runner-up Geoffrey Bradfield out of my top slot
for the Grand Salon, largely for his solution to the unpaintable all-white
room, something with which renters can certainly sympathize, and glean
inspiration from. While Geoffrey ran with the white, add<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ing</span> more “intentional
white,” plus large doses of black, yielding a palette he’s famous for, James
took a more colorful route, showcasing fabrics from Scotland in honor of the
St. Andrew’s holiday on upholstered pieces, giant colorful abstract art, and
great swaths of tartan at the windows<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span> <a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DsFlV9lEov4/WB-71ZRMc5I/AAAAAAAAEX4/Wi2LQpuBPq49zp9TbSx1dLlHS8DQmzB1wCLcB/s1600/JamesRixner_StAndrews_YorkAveBlog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DsFlV9lEov4/WB-71ZRMc5I/AAAAAAAAEX4/Wi2LQpuBPq49zp9TbSx1dLlHS8DQmzB1wCLcB/s400/JamesRixner_StAndrews_YorkAveBlog.jpg" width="266" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>James Rixner<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; Ph<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oto: <a href="http://yorkavenueblog.com/holiday-house-2015/" target="_blank">York Avenue Blog</a></span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NaMMffj-PY/WB_DOYL87NI/AAAAAAAAEY4/QtrSUoR6A_8CI7ICUK8MFnSek21r_BO5ACLcB/s1600/GeoffreyBradfiield_PJH1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1NaMMffj-PY/WB_DOYL87NI/AAAAAAAAEY4/QtrSUoR6A_8CI7ICUK8MFnSek21r_BO5ACLcB/s400/GeoffreyBradfiield_PJH1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Geoffrey Bradfield</span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And while Amy Lau, Tony
Ingrao and Ally Coulter all created gorgeous spaces out of this same
airplane-hanger of a room, James was the first Holiday House designer to use true,
clear color in this big, fancy white box. It made the room crisp, festive, fresh
and contemporary, even filled with traditional pieces.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-4q7I1-cRw/WB_LUigz2HI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/K0hTJ0QoT3IAjpljSGNdNhy5JEVAL39_ACLcB/s1600/HarryHeissmann_Easter2_PeterRymwid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A-4q7I1-cRw/WB_LUigz2HI/AAAAAAAAEZQ/K0hTJ0QoT3IAjpljSGNdNhy5JEVAL39_ACLcB/s400/HarryHeissmann_Easter2_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Easter, Harry Heissmann</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you know Harry, you know
he has a sparkling, wicked-with-a wink sense of humor, and even his most
elegant spaces can’t manage to hide it for very long.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>The first clue <a href="http://www.harryheissmanninc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Harry Heissmann</b></a> was here: the <a href="http://alphaworkshops.org/" target="_blank"><b>Alpha Workshops</b></a>-crafted
chocolate bunny, with both sugar-sweet (and holiday-literal) lightness, and the
art-weight of a Koons puppy. The other clues: a brash and buoyant color sense,
his ability to keep antiques from feeling stuffy, and stopping the showy space in
which he was working from upstaging his interior intentions. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qpGhYo2USOY/WB-y12xpiPI/AAAAAAAAEV4/r80BnfPK7RAwEHa0uziyvTR71vQGmCcYQCLcB/s400/HarryHeissmann_Easter1_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="400" /> <i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Harry Heissmann; Both photos: Peter Rymwid</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsc5OpTFokc/WB-zl1NNrNI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/jfqFqciJXRMqmocvVP7gJTykPQbRWdeogCLcB/s1600/CharlesPavarini_PhillipEnnis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lsc5OpTFokc/WB-zl1NNrNI/AAAAAAAAEWQ/jfqFqciJXRMqmocvVP7gJTykPQbRWdeogCLcB/s400/CharlesPavarini_PhillipEnnis.jpg" width="400" /></a><i> Charles Pavarin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> III<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">;</span> Ph<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oto: Phillp Ennis</span></span></i> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’d give Runner-up honors to
Charles Pavarini III’s Opening Night back in 2011, where a piano held court, and a
picture was fully painted with the fewest of brushstrokes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0I3pVRJoz34/WB-zSaqw94I/AAAAAAAAEWE/CBzwuNCOYewOxDU_5_LxrwfdVi5pNduHgCLcB/s1600/AllyCoulter_MarcoRicca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0I3pVRJoz34/WB-zSaqw94I/AAAAAAAAEWE/CBzwuNCOYewOxDU_5_LxrwfdVi5pNduHgCLcB/s400/AllyCoulter_MarcoRicca.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Daddy’s Day, Ally Coulter</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My calen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">dar-</span>girl-crush for <a href="http://allycoulter.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ally Coulter</b></a> started in this room, and she met her handsome husband in the very same
space. Love of all kinds was undoubtedly in the air in this deep, dark and sexy
room, cheekily dubbed “Daddy’ Day.” She added deep purples and cashmere camel (and
her tousle of Rita Hayworth red hair) to the Fifty Shades of Grey vibe (in a
paneled room where it’s verboten to touch that paneling with hammer or
paintbrush). And it brought a kitten-with-a-whip sensibility to the Upper East
Side, all with Ally’s crackling sense of styl<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e.</span>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_sd2sst1-M/WB-zSykdHZI/AAAAAAAAEWI/2D_VilB9iAgLQRp1UBWc0vrUwGciI_wJgCLcB/s1600/AllyCoulter_PJH3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e_sd2sst1-M/WB-zSykdHZI/AAAAAAAAEWI/2D_VilB9iAgLQRp1UBWc0vrUwGciI_wJgCLcB/s400/AllyCoulter_PJH3.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6r8TmHytySY/WB-zTBZDraI/AAAAAAAAEWM/ccNuTWrgRkoufZ61K1lM4S8V5awazoE-ACLcB/s1600/AllyCoulter_PJH4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6r8TmHytySY/WB-zTBZDraI/AAAAAAAAEWM/ccNuTWrgRkoufZ61K1lM4S8V5awazoE-ACLcB/s400/AllyCoulter_PJH4.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Ally Coulter: Top <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">photo: Marco Ricca</span> </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was swarthy, Deco-y, art-fueled and tastefully double-entendre’d (is that a rocket in
the corner, or are you just happy to see me?), and the perfect melding of that
room and the content brought into it, without yielding to its
coulda-been-stuffy <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">envelope</span>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not an easy room, and
Patrik Lonn and Robert Passal both tackled it beautifully after Ally.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zKWkcOf7to/WB-1iu_WSsI/AAAAAAAAEWk/C4bh7TdveQQejCFshDa81_nP1dBM3He6QCLcB/s1600/CharlesPavarini_Thanksgiving_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zKWkcOf7to/WB-1iu_WSsI/AAAAAAAAEWk/C4bh7TdveQQejCFshDa81_nP1dBM3He6QCLcB/s400/CharlesPavarini_Thanksgiving_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thanksgiving, Charles
Pavarini III</b><br />
Even empty, the room dishes up a dining vibe, with its lengthy vault,
Biltmore-esque fireplace, wood panels and Palladian windows. And what holiday
is the epitome of dining? Thanksgiving, naturally. That’s what <a href="http://www.pavarinidesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Charles Pavarini III</b></a>
chose, and walked that show house tightrope between showmanship <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and relatability</span>
as deftly as you’d expect from this former dancer.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s also the room that made
me fall in love with Holiday House, and it put this gentlemen’s gentleman onto
my Top Designers to Aspire to, for all sorts of reasons.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YDShknol4-c/WB-21tpcquI/AAAAAAAAEW4/IqHM9YT3U7IJqsT2_hbJ3CuLfht-HrfvwCLcB/s1600/Keller1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YDShknol4-c/WB-21tpcquI/AAAAAAAAEW4/IqHM9YT3U7IJqsT2_hbJ3CuLfht-HrfvwCLcB/s400/Keller1.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Columbus Day, Bryant Keller</b>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the hardest things to
do in a show house: the public spaces, and the circulation areas. The second
hardest thing? Capture attention with a whisper, when often, everyone else is
shouting. Oft hilarious and ALWAYS talented <a href="http://bryantkeller.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bryant Keller</b></a> did both, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">spun</span>
a vivid and evocative <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tale</span> of Columbus and Isabella with a limited palette and
a perfectly edited collection of selections<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, all on a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n upstairs landing.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYvg0l4q4wA/WB-2-ZqleqI/AAAAAAAAEW8/eV5lDx4ixT4eV388T17MwIwt8Cz_W69ngCLcB/s1600/Keller3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYvg0l4q4wA/WB-2-ZqleqI/AAAAAAAAEW8/eV5lDx4ixT4eV388T17MwIwt8Cz_W69ngCLcB/s400/Keller3.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was neutral done right, and
like Bradley Thiergartner downstairs, Bryant made the halls and walls of limestone look
like it all been quarried just for the occasio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n, with wa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r</span>m woods and a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> transportive grisaille mural.</span></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cme-oo_UG1o/WB-1TzJMq-I/AAAAAAAAEWc/tzWYz2-8xEo4AzQAAeLjBdVVCxIDqCXLACLcB/s1600/SuzanneEason_PhillipEnnis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cme-oo_UG1o/WB-1TzJMq-I/AAAAAAAAEWc/tzWYz2-8xEo4AzQAAeLjBdVVCxIDqCXLACLcB/s400/SuzanneEason_PhillipEnnis.jpg" width="400" /></a><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Halloween, Suzanne Eason</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truly bewitching, utterly
gorgeous, and highly intelligent: and that’s just the room’s designer, <a href="http://www.suzanneeason.com/" target="_blank"><b>Suzanne Eason</b></a>. But the room most certainly followed suit, with the chicest spin on
Halloween, drawing from Poe and making magic with every detail, and never
falling prey to Halloween kitsch or cliché. Style? <i>Ever</i>more!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ubR58C3B-s/WB-1VwglUAI/AAAAAAAAEWg/55oyhqASwx8F0NPB8mqk0f_N0s1zvSkCACLcB/s1600/Eason1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ubR58C3B-s/WB-1VwglUAI/AAAAAAAAEWg/55oyhqASwx8F0NPB8mqk0f_N0s1zvSkCACLcB/s400/Eason1.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Su<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">zanne Eason; Top photo: Phillip Ennis</span></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzBGlq2QwIw/WB_E3KZsMdI/AAAAAAAAEZA/DEP-y79nks0yCBbDHg3yDYEVRvxF0zKTgCLcB/s1600/RikkiSnyder_HHNYC14_Vert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzBGlq2QwIw/WB_E3KZsMdI/AAAAAAAAEZA/DEP-y79nks0yCBbDHg3yDYEVRvxF0zKTgCLcB/s400/RikkiSnyder_HHNYC14_Vert.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Patrick James Hamilton Designs<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; Ph<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oto: <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rikki Sny<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">der; Houzz </span></span></span></span> </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, yeah, I’m giving
myself, and my Kentucky Derby Day <b>“<a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-theme-decorating-and-horse-of.html" target="_blank">Derby Deconstructed</a>”</b> room, the “Place” place
of the “Win, Place, or Show” showhouse ranking. But Suzanne’s room, and <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">its</span>
beguiling references, made me want to do a room— this room— which Iris Dankner
helped make come true for me in 2014.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44DvpTXtFxs/WB-2EhSkuoI/AAAAAAAAEWs/-K1L6iYUzt4ujDmiU6a2X-Y7oz7JyhADQCLcB/s1600/HolidayHouse2013_TradHome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44DvpTXtFxs/WB-2EhSkuoI/AAAAAAAAEWs/-K1L6iYUzt4ujDmiU6a2X-Y7oz7JyhADQCLcB/s400/HolidayHouse2013_TradHome.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>St. Patrick’s Day, Patrick James
Hamilton Designs</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mom always told me, in
school elections, if you’re in the running, make sure you vote for yourself. So
I’m doing that, and including my <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>Modern St. Patrick’s Day</b></a> in the mix. In the longstanding
tradition of Irish storytelling, the room was built upon a narrative: a worldly
young gent inherits his ancestral Dublin row house, and starts to give the old
bones some modern blood. I had great fun tying the modern and antique
storylines together, all the while hiding references to Celtic knots, church
organs and ossuaries, Ireland’s flag, the chased-out snakes of fable and
leprechauns of lore. Once people were in on the theme, you
couldn’t make them leave the room as they continued to search for shamrocks (in
the wainscot!) and other Eire references<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> like a treasure hunt.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7vuqNvp_9Aw/WB-1_JW7hUI/AAAAAAAAEWo/AZqpO6kzKdkTHqulQX8PRPWrc9M8LzXbwCLcB/s1600/interior_e_136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7vuqNvp_9Aw/WB-1_JW7hUI/AAAAAAAAEWo/AZqpO6kzKdkTHqulQX8PRPWrc9M8LzXbwCLcB/s400/interior_e_136.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Patrick James Hamilton Designs; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Top p</span>h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">oto: Peter Rymwid; Above: Jody Kivort</span> </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not kidding when I say doing this room was a dream come true, and an
incredible connector to the Irish half of my family tree... and people still
remember me for it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK0viQV8qWs/WB-3dlY6GBI/AAAAAAAAEXE/y2tPpvg4kgkDyxYLzqUTwXfIA9wfrT6TACLcB/s1600/Inson3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HK0viQV8qWs/WB-3dlY6GBI/AAAAAAAAEXE/y2tPpvg4kgkDyxYLzqUTwXfIA9wfrT6TACLcB/s400/Inson3.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Chinese New Year, Inson Wood</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In one of the very first
years Holiday House graced the halls of the Academy Mansion, the floors in this
master bedroom were painted with a giant geometric, and it's been disappearing
and reappearing ever since. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DQq3c-2cKw/WB-3lWXe9-I/AAAAAAAAEXQ/ik9mAP_WozAQFfLd1z4PMZ8p4CgIHKv2wCLcB/s1600/InsonWood_PeterRymwid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--DQq3c-2cKw/WB-3lWXe9-I/AAAAAAAAEXQ/ik9mAP_WozAQFfLd1z4PMZ8p4CgIHKv2wCLcB/s400/InsonWood_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="302" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Inson W<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ood; This photo: Peter R<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ymwid</span></span> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sCwESEWvcI4/WB-3d086PxI/AAAAAAAAEXI/Ta_RTOcsRIIx5MRz1kcEvt8eeKMuAU_WQCLcB/s1600/Inson4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sCwESEWvcI4/WB-3d086PxI/AAAAAAAAEXI/Ta_RTOcsRIIx5MRz1kcEvt8eeKMuAU_WQCLcB/s400/Inson4.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://insonduboiswood.com/" target="_blank"><b>Inson Wood</b></a> took that black and white then added red
all over, in an exuberant Chinese New Year’s room, hot as a firecracker and
chic as a modern Shanghai palace, if Auntie Mame herself were throwing the
bolts of fabric about.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>He steered clear of the foibles of literal theme, but
there was no doubt what this room was about, in that Year of the Dragon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jUuVFwoOjvA/WB-4fJ2EPsI/AAAAAAAAEXU/23_Po2b1VecsXzkssO8fG7JESVWRUKMlgCLcB/s1600/Rixner2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jUuVFwoOjvA/WB-4fJ2EPsI/AAAAAAAAEXU/23_Po2b1VecsXzkssO8fG7JESVWRUKMlgCLcB/s320/Rixner2.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Valentine’s Day, James
Rixner</b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Life is certainly like a box
of chocolates, but with <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/jamesrixner/james-rixner-inc" target="_blank"><b>James RIxner</b></a>, you always know what you’re going to get:
something stylish, something witty, and something where every detail is
considered, every decision has a razor-sharp reason.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUQNBcn-QEo/WB-4gKu6OgI/AAAAAAAAEXY/Z8-sdzhL5EsqDP371Z98TxqCiC69ZLv6gCLcB/s1600/Rixner1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUQNBcn-QEo/WB-4gKu6OgI/AAAAAAAAEXY/Z8-sdzhL5EsqDP371Z98TxqCiC69ZLv6gCLcB/s320/Rixner1.jpg" width="213" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His pared-down vision of
Valentine’s Day was deceptively simple, but full of smart choices and witty
reference. <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Traditional Home</b></a> exclaimed “Effortless Elegance!” when the room ran
on its cover, and while elegant, certainly, anyone who’s ever done a show house
room knows that “effortless” part is, well, notsomuch.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PpUJbFp6J9c/WB-5DYpk70I/AAAAAAAAEXg/keSx8GnUowwen9wUsFQdZfLAqW6GTcchACLcB/s1600/GaryMcBournie1_PeterKubilus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PpUJbFp6J9c/WB-5DYpk70I/AAAAAAAAEXg/keSx8GnUowwen9wUsFQdZfLAqW6GTcchACLcB/s400/GaryMcBournie1_PeterKubilus.jpg" width="295" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Gary McBournie<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; Pho<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to: Peter Kubulis</span></span> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XI7UfDoMCME/WB-5q1PdktI/AAAAAAAAEXo/2-ui5AiMjBE2_oHdzucZmotBRBDf-CibACLcB/s1600/CullmanKravis_1_PeterRymwid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XI7UfDoMCME/WB-5q1PdktI/AAAAAAAAEXo/2-ui5AiMjBE2_oHdzucZmotBRBDf-CibACLcB/s400/CullmanKravis_1_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="291" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXS_KKgGKMg/WB-5rFTKUfI/AAAAAAAAEXs/aEgzb_5FpyMMHjvywjCQJ0pkZGBO5kr2ACLcB/s1600/CullmanKravis_2_PeterRymwid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXS_KKgGKMg/WB-5rFTKUfI/AAAAAAAAEXs/aEgzb_5FpyMMHjvywjCQJ0pkZGBO5kr2ACLcB/s400/CullmanKravis_2_PeterRymwid.jpg" width="292" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Cullman & Kravis<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bot<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h p</span></span>h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">otos: Peter Rymwid</span></span> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OZpFA2K-Mzo/WB-616NYxOI/AAAAAAAAEXw/OYZvi8P9u5sTs41ilV3IW1sosh95OtwLQCLcB/s1600/IMG_2159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OZpFA2K-Mzo/WB-616NYxOI/AAAAAAAAEXw/OYZvi8P9u5sTs41ilV3IW1sosh95OtwLQCLcB/s400/IMG_2159.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Marks & Frantz </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">James makes his se<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">cond All-Star appearance with <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">this room, once again bumping out som<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e very stiff competition.</span></span></span></span></span>This room was a TOUGHIE to
decide, since its great bones and prime location have attracted some superstars
over the eight-year run... so the list of Runners-Up really starts stacking up,
and would include <a href="http://www.gmcbinc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Gary McBournie</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.cullmankravis.com/" target="_blank">Cullman & Kravis</a> </b>and<b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://marksandfrantz.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marks & Frantz</b></a></span></span></b>... all bumped from the top spot only because gentleman James opted for
an actual holiday (I’m a stickler about that! Well, <i>mostly</i>. Stay tuned!), and
it demonstrated the power of color to inspire in unusual ways... his came from
the Valentine’s chocolates themselves.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'll continue the tour shortly. with <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2016/11/tough-choices-broken-rules-and-big.html" target="_blank"><b>Part 2</b></a>, but make sure to put THIS year's Holiday House Design Showcase on YOUR calendar now! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holiday House 2016 opens to the public <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nove<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mber 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7th</span>, at The Sullivan Mansions in S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">o</span>ho. Buy <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">your advance tickets, and tickets to the Opening Night Gala<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/buy-tickets/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All photos, Patrick J. Hamilton unless noted.</span></span></i></span></span></span></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-42810550794460058002016-10-16T16:32:00.000-04:002016-10-29T00:41:14.346-04:00...about trend forecasting: partly, mostly, beautifully cloudy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x7PWCFc2mbc/WAPBqH_AVRI/AAAAAAAAEUI/kAzSmQ8rpoQf6-NSs4LKLKxrjpZDdRqBwCLcB/s1600/elegant%2Bhours%2B3%2Bcrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x7PWCFc2mbc/WAPBqH_AVRI/AAAAAAAAEUI/kAzSmQ8rpoQf6-NSs4LKLKxrjpZDdRqBwCLcB/s400/elegant%2Bhours%2B3%2Bcrop.jpg" width="340" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maybe it was the all-too-brief trip to Fire Island to which
I was treated, where the sky still manages to upstage the rest of the island’s
eye candy (well, <i>most</i> of it) with its constant, drifting day-and-night celestial
show, shown off above a clear horizon that never seems to end, a giant upturned
bowl of a sky. Maybe it’s living in Manhattan, where that same sky is parceled
out like the real estate: in tiny squares and meager boxes, a mostly-blue-gray
Mondrian. Maybe it was a weekend away upstate, where we watched an enormous thunderhead
glow with lightning like a giant, short-circuiting Noguchi lantern.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps this beach weekend, fragmented view and country light show have all conspired to make me miss the sweeping
arcs of tropic sky I grew up with in South Florida: showy, hypnotic, and
ever-changing, whether the great white anvils of afternoon thunder clouds
behind a row of sherbet-y Miami Beach art deco hotels, the high cirrus feathers
of winter, the puffy cumulus of summer, or the flame-edged cotton candy of a
Key West sunset.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever it is, something’s in the air, and suddenly, I’m loving all things cloud.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I don’t seem to be the only one. Clouds are drifting in
everywhere, on magazine and catalog pages, gallery walls and across showroom floors.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Na5ryiTRpzw/WAPDPyY6tNI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/RgfHqjtfvmcjHZxKaIb3Fx5Bw8cywS-ngCLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Na5ryiTRpzw/WAPDPyY6tNI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/RgfHqjtfvmcjHZxKaIb3Fx5Bw8cywS-ngCLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_01.jpg" width="363" /> </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right: </span></i><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.fschumacher.com/item/5006062" target="_blank">Cirrus Printed Grasscloth</a>,
in Fog and Chalk, Celerie Kemble for F. Schumacher; <a href="http://www.mcguirefurniture.com/onlinecatalog/detail.mcg?productNumber=ML-1006&sectionNumber=&subsectionNumber=&tertiarySectionNumber=&resultsPageKey=#" target="_blank">Cloud Lamp</a>, Robert Kuo for McGuire;
<a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/KENNEDY-SOFA-LEATHER-P8903.aspx" target="_blank">Kennedy Sofa</a>, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.minted.com/product/wall-art-prints/MIN-7ZO-GNA/man-and-a-mountain?org=photo" target="_blank">“Man and a Mountain,” </a>Uros Zagozen,
Minted; <a href="https://www.duralee.com/Highland-Court/Highland-Court-Fabric/Product/800263H-120.htm?query=kumo&extra=" target="_blank">Kumo in Taupe</a>, Laura Kirar for Highland Court through Duralee; <a href="https://www.sharris.com/fabric/silk-clouds/ash" target="_blank">Silk Clouds in Ash</a>, Robert Kuo for S. Harris; <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/aalto-amber-chandelier.html" target="_blank">Aalto Chandelier</a>, Jayson Home; <a href="http://www.bluefly.com/natural-by-lifestyle-group-kobe-cowhide-rug-aprox-6x7-natural-light-grey/p/356304401" target="_blank">Kobe Cowhide,</a>
Natural By Lifestyle, BlueFly; <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/p-7236-jade-altar-table.aspx#.V_5U6YWYc7A" target="_blank">Jade Altar Table</a>, Currey & Company; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/ONYX-SIDE-TABLE-P12957.aspx" target="_blank">Onyx SideTable</a>, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/ARIES-RETURN-SWIVEL-CHAIRBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P13442.aspx" target="_blank">Aries Swivel Chair</a>, Mitchell Gold + Bob
Williams</span></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These motifs are certainly not new, but they are feeling, to
me at least, very much of the moment. It’s the newest/oldest way to bring the
outdoors in, on textiles, wallcoverings, rugs, lamps, fine art and accessories.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t might have been <a href="https://www.duralee.com/DuraleeDesigners/Laura-Kirar.htm" target="_blank"><b>Laura Kirar’s</b></a> <a href="https://www.duralee.com/Highland-Court/Highland-Court-Fabric/Product/800263H-120.htm?query=kumo&extra=" target="_blank"><b>Kumo</b></a> for Highland Court that
started my own obsession: a tone-on-tone Chinese Deco-esque cloud pattern,
pitched twice now in two colorways to clients who loved the ethereal, elegant
textile. And Chinese and Tibetan versions have long appeared in the work of <a href="http://www.robertkuo.com/" target="_blank"><b>Robert Kuo</b></a>, and rug-master <a href="http://josephcarinicarpets.com/" target="_blank"><b>Joseph Carini</b></a>, and they’re just popping up in the fall
collections at places like Williams-Sonoma Home.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nDS25NuhkY8/WAPDSGfzk3I/AAAAAAAAEUU/tSwTZsDaTuQI0dRs2uuiIjPQ1lvRRxoQwCLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nDS25NuhkY8/WAPDSGfzk3I/AAAAAAAAEUU/tSwTZsDaTuQI0dRs2uuiIjPQ1lvRRxoQwCLcB/s400/PartlyCloudy_02.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right: </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://search.leejofa.com/groundworks-beige/gwf-2805.611-788/iteminformation.aspx" target="_blank">Sora Velvet</a> in Rust/Mocha
(colorway discontinued), Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks, through Lee Jofa;
Worlds Away <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/park-cabinet.html" target="_blank">Park Cabinet</a>, Jayson Home; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/MAJOR-CHAIR-SATIN-BRASS-FINISH-BRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P13798.aspx" target="_blank">Major Chair</a>, Satin Brass, Mitchell Gold
+ Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/CLAIR-SMOKE-CHAIRBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P13641.aspx" target="_blank">Clair Chair</a>, in Smoke Acrylic, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams;
<a href="http://www.wisteria.com/Walden-Coffee-Table-NEW/productinfo/T15103" target="_blank">Walden Coffee Table,</a> Wisteria; <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/tibetan-border-hand-knotted-rug-neutral/?pkey=e%7Ctibetan%7C8%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C5&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH" target="_blank">Tibetan Border Area Rug in Neutral</a>, Williams
Sonoma Home; <a href="http://www.hookerfurniture.com/hooker-furniture-melange-flowered-drum-table/638-50011-5/iteminformation.aspx" target="_blank">Melange Flowered Drum Side Table</a>, Hooker Furniture</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Those Chinese-inspired versions of the cloud pattern could anchor a rich, fresh
traditional tone-on-taupe living room, pairing beautifully with smoky Lucite
and burnished golds, where the motifs evoke opium-clouded decadence. This Dark
and Stormy variation on the theme also drifts toward the smoke spectrum, of
which I’ve sung the praises for <a href="http://www.nehomemag.com/patrick-j-hamilton-in-the-house-of-smoke-sand-and-fog/" target="_blank"><b>New England Home's blog</b></a> in the past.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8e_aQCuv9c/WAPDVZ1cjHI/AAAAAAAAEUY/RsK-Ser1JJggirRwg82S8qO8BZC-q6N3wCLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8e_aQCuv9c/WAPDVZ1cjHI/AAAAAAAAEUY/RsK-Ser1JJggirRwg82S8qO8BZC-q6N3wCLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_03.jpg" width="308" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to right:</span></i></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://search.leejofa.com/groundworks-blue/gwf-2805.513-788/iteminformation.aspx" target="_blank">Sora Velvet in Aqua/Blue</a>,
Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks through Lee Jofa; <a href="http://www.jeffersonhayman.com/" target="_blank">“Elegant Hours,” </a>Jefferson
Hayman; <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/shop/lighting/lamptable/product/49016-313?verner-lamp" target="_blank">Verner Lamp</a>, Arteriors Home; <a href="http://dennismiller.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=85_90&products_id=1766" target="_blank">Cumulus Bed</a>, Ted Boerner via Dennis Miller;
<a href="http://www.minted.com/product/wall-art-prints/MIN-ANB-GNA/dreams?org=photo" target="_blank">“Dreams,” </a>by Jonathan Brooks, Minted; <a href="http://www.worlds-away.com/whats-new/monica-bco.html" target="_blank">Monica Side Table</a>, Worlds Away; <a href="http://bernhardt.com/product/espinoza/bar-cartscabinets/entertainment-cabinet" target="_blank">Espinoza Entertainment Cabinet</a>, Bernhardt; <a href="https://www.wayfair.com/Safavieh-Foo-Dog-28-H-Table-Lamp-with-Bell-Shade-LIT4137-FV47217.html" target="_blank">Foo Dog Lamp</a>, Wayfair; <a href="https://www.fschumacher.com/item/5006063" target="_blank">Cirrus Clouds PrintedGrasscloth in Plume</a>, Celerie Kemble for F. Schumacher</span></i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My thinking in any room is that every introduction needs a
companion, and I’ve said in the past that everyone/thing in a room needs
another friend at the party. So I’d use lots of these cloud items in tandem, at
least. But with some care, I think you can build a room most securely and
almost entirely on a cloudy base.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7OaSDg3oT0/WAPYijm194I/AAAAAAAAEVM/3HVpCxYLwcM6hr-K1afIrDO2pr5Py_A_gCLcB/s1600/Bowman%2BWhite%2BTop.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7OaSDg3oT0/WAPYijm194I/AAAAAAAAEVM/3HVpCxYLwcM6hr-K1afIrDO2pr5Py_A_gCLcB/s400/Bowman%2BWhite%2BTop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://bluegalleryonline.com/artists/Rich%20Bowman/" target="_blank">"White Top,"</a> Rich Bowman oil on canvas, 19x31" Blue Gallery</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you put on your cloud-colored glasses, lots of things
start looking like they could be right at home in Bespin (for the Star Wars
fans!), specifically, other organic, outside-in materials, like striated onyx,
mottled marble, live-edge woods and swirly burls (also deemed “of the moment”
not long ago by <a href="http://www.traditionalhome.com/design0/inspirations-burl-esque" target="_blank"><b>Traditional Home</b></a>). </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QsI-qmW6BrM/WAPDY0YN9fI/AAAAAAAAEUk/HMw2AAyXJ8opqvzob8HXGUCmawjUK8tqACLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QsI-qmW6BrM/WAPDY0YN9fI/AAAAAAAAEUk/HMw2AAyXJ8opqvzob8HXGUCmawjUK8tqACLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_06.jpg" width="324" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right:</span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.jeffersonhayman.com/" target="_blank">“Moon with Clouds,”</a>Jefferson Hayman; <a href="https://www.olystudio.com/muriel-cloud-chandelier.html" target="_blank">Muriel Cloud Chandelier,</a> Oly Studio; <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/rugs/hides/natural-cowhide-8-x-7-11.html" target="_blank">Ivory Cowhide</a>, Jayson
Home; <a href="http://www.zgallerie.com/p-18434-standing-buddha.aspx" target="_blank">Sitting Quan Yin,</a> ZGallerie (no longer available; similar available);
<a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/minimalist-burl-console-h1765/?pkey=e%7Cburl%2Bconsole%7C65%7Cbest%7C4294967200%7C1%7C24%7C%252Fburl-console%252Ffurniture%7C1&cm_src=NLASEARCH" target="_blank">Burl Console</a>, West Elm; <a href="http://dennismiller.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87_95&products_id=1768" target="_blank">Cloud Sofa</a>, Ted Boerner, through Dennis Miller; <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/Mid-Century-Egg-Table_2/productinfo/T11286" target="_blank">Mid-Century Egg Coffee Table</a>, Wisteria; <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/Ceramic-Cumulus-Stool/productinfo/w6081" target="_blank">Ceramic Cumulus Stool</a>, Wisteria.</span></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNXNQAYfG_c/WAPDZjJ-zQI/AAAAAAAAEUo/VnpiPvJ7uM47ZU1CuNzNWfMA7GZeuEJ4ACLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uNXNQAYfG_c/WAPDZjJ-zQI/AAAAAAAAEUo/VnpiPvJ7uM47ZU1CuNzNWfMA7GZeuEJ4ACLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_07.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top: <a href="https://www.fschumacher.com/item/5006061" target="_blank">Cirrus Clouds Printed Grasscloth in Blanched</a>, Celerie Kemble for F. Schumacher; Bottom: <a href="http://www.stock.josephcarinicarpets.com/" target="_blank">Tree and Cloud Rug,</a> Joseph Carini Carpets</span></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xH6U5I9M2Sg/WAPDaAPjS6I/AAAAAAAAEUs/EeX5P68h8tk-ltsfe7mw_DdP2JZg4y-uQCLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xH6U5I9M2Sg/WAPDaAPjS6I/AAAAAAAAEUs/EeX5P68h8tk-ltsfe7mw_DdP2JZg4y-uQCLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_08.jpg" width="305" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right: </span></i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.robertallendesign.com/cloudburst-linen-prl-255348" target="_blank">Cloudburst in Linen</a>, Robert
Allen for DwellStudio through Robert Allen; <a href="https://www.olystudio.com/moon-sconce.html" target="_blank">Moon Sconce,</a> Oly Studio; <a href="https://www.duralee.com/Highland-Court/Highland-Court-Fabric/Product/800263H-246.htm" target="_blank">Kumo in Aegean</a>, Laura Kirar for Highland Court, through Duralee; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/ANSEL-CHAIR-BRASS-TIBETAN-FURBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P11941.aspx" target="_blank">Ansel Chair</a> in Brass
and Tibetan Fur, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/Z-Shaped-Glass-Table/productinfo/W4177" target="_blank">Zigzag Glass Table</a>, Wisteria;
<a href="https://www.sharris.com/fabric/silk-clouds/cream" target="_blank">Silk Clouds in Cream,</a> Robert Kuo for S. Harris</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dreamy, cloud-inspired living rooms and bedrooms also spring
to mind, where softer palettes seem perfect for relaxation and slumber.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyB8WiEO1qA/WAPDWJlXsaI/AAAAAAAAEUc/3vrZsZ2mqA0NcBaBlSKDZjapovi15JA2wCLcB/s1600/PartlyCloudy_04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AyB8WiEO1qA/WAPDWJlXsaI/AAAAAAAAEUc/3vrZsZ2mqA0NcBaBlSKDZjapovi15JA2wCLcB/s640/PartlyCloudy_04.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<style> </style><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right: </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/en/collection-fornasetti-ii/wallpaper-97/2007/" target="_blank">Nuvolette Wallpaper</a>,
Fornasetti, Cole & Sons, through Lee Jofa; <a href="http://www.robertallendesign.com/cloudburst-persimmon-255340" target="_blank">Cloudburst in Persimmon</a>, Robert
Allen for DwellStudio through Robert Allen; <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/ENZO-POLISHED-STAINLESS-STEEL-CHAIRBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P13773.aspx" target="_blank">Enzo Chair in Polished Stainless Steel</a>, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/tibetan-cloud-embroidered-velvet-pillow-cover-navy/?pkey=e%7Ctibetan%7C8%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C3&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH" target="_blank">Tibetan Cloud Embroidered Velvet Pillow</a>,
Williams Sonoma Home; <a href="https://www.olystudio.com/lunar-mirror.html" target="_blank">Lunar Mirror</a>, Oly Studio; <a href="http://www.yliving.com/jonathan-adler-charade-cloud-vase.html" target="_blank">Charade Cloud Vase</a>, Jonathan
Adler through YLiving; <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/wright-chair.html" target="_blank">Wright Chair</a>, Jayson Home </span></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--K5dWGoTkAM/WAPJRMpSWhI/AAAAAAAAEU8/Mam3VOrjJYIdCgpzkazK88FEPSC-2FzZQCLcB/s1600/Forming%2Bto%2BBlue%2BBowman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--K5dWGoTkAM/WAPJRMpSWhI/AAAAAAAAEU8/Mam3VOrjJYIdCgpzkazK88FEPSC-2FzZQCLcB/s320/Forming%2Bto%2BBlue%2BBowman.jpg" width="319" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://bluegalleryonline.com/artists/Rich%20Bowman/" target="_blank">"Forming into Blue,"</a> Rich Bowman, oil
on canvas 54" x 54," Blue Gallery </span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But clouds can take on a more graphic edge<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span> in an über sleek and pop/Op art living
room. Here, other modern materials like stainless steel, glass, Lucite, and
acrylic play well with the celestial theme, since “shine” and “transparency”
share lots of skyward similarity. I’d use the photo-real and surreal versions,
with stronger color and an intentional use of black and white. And what’s more
cloud-like than a fur-covered pouf?</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9X_LWPV-0y8/WAPDXjGVJRI/AAAAAAAAEUw/lowSgcnpFFAh0MEDnyiaCfXwWPExuME1wCEw/s1600/PaartlyCloudy_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9X_LWPV-0y8/WAPDXjGVJRI/AAAAAAAAEUw/lowSgcnpFFAh0MEDnyiaCfXwWPExuME1wCEw/s400/PaartlyCloudy_05.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Top to bottom, left to
right: </span></i></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/ASTRA-TIBETAN-WOOL-PULL-UP-STOOLBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P13737.aspx" target="_blank">Astra Tibetan Wool Pull-Up Stool</a>,
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; <a href="http://www.jeffersonhayman.com/" target="_blank">“Clouds for Beckett,” </a>Jefferson Hayman; <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/cloud-portrait-by-the-licensing-project-w2005/?pkey=e%7Clicensing%2Bproject%7C0%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C3&cm_src=NLASEARCH" target="_blank">Cloud Portrait</a>, The Licensing Project, through West Elm; <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/batavia-large-square-channel-ottoman/?pkey=e%7Cchannel%2Bottoma%7C2%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH" target="_blank">Batavia Large Square Channel Ottoman</a>, Williams Sonoma Home; <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/travertine-coffee-table/?pkey=e%7Ctravertine%7C3%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH" target="_blank">Travertine Coffee Table</a>, Grey, Williams Sonoma
Home</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However clouds drift into your home, and however current they may seem, they’re
all sure to stay timeless, and constantly inspiring. Anyone who’s ever pondered a
summer sky for a full and dreamy afternoon can tell you th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.<br /><br /><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Vi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sit and Follow my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/partly-cloudy/" target="_blank">Partly <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cl</span>oudy</a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">P</span>interest <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">board!</span></span></span></i></span></span> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-19525083570422264502016-04-25T19:19:00.000-04:002016-04-25T23:10:41.722-04:00...about High Point, low points, ethics, opportunity and the ottoman empire. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</style><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pxNtScaKlrk/Vx6ln1XCMpI/AAAAAAAAESI/50baLz_xxm0WPEoux4apxA1gQ16gFqxGgCLcB/s1600/greetings-from-high-point-north-carolina-nc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pxNtScaKlrk/Vx6ln1XCMpI/AAAAAAAAESI/50baLz_xxm0WPEoux4apxA1gQ16gFqxGgCLcB/s400/greetings-from-high-point-north-carolina-nc.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“This could be</span></i></span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">our chance</span></i><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to do something important.</i> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Don't you
see</span></i><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">?”</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> --Tim Rice and Elton John’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aida</i></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One
thing I really hate: missed opportunities. When an opportunity presents itself,
you take it (then figure out how to make it work later). The world of interior
design works much like that: we’re all in search of a way to meet a better
client, build a bigger brand, connect to a publisher or manufacturer... in
short, walk through any open door that will take us somewhere more creative, someplace
bigger, and above all, to something more lucrative; to seize any opportunity
presented to us. Nothing to me is more disheartening than realizing you were
presented with an opportunity and didn’t take it. The missed boat is worse than
the worst journey.</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On March
23, 2016, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, in a surprise special session
lasting just about 12 hours, passed sweeping, crippling anti-LGBT legislation
in response to Charlotte’s attempt to create safe space for its Transgender
women and men when seeking, of all things, the simple right of rest room access.
But McCrory’s House Bill 2 (HB2) didn’t stop there. It also stripped the right
to sue for discrimination of ANY kind (regarding both work place and housing)
from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> of North Carolina’s
citizens. It also prevents any city from passing their own pro-LGBT
legislation, and it left the decisions about workplace LGBT issues up to local
businesses... in a state where the LGBT community has never been held in the
highest of regard. It is, after all, the state that gave us Jesse Helms.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">North
Carolina is also the state that gives us High Point Market, (in its namesake
town of High Point), the twice-annual, less-than-a-week home furnishings
convention where makers and manufacturers from all over the country set up
temporary shop to launch product, throw cocktail parties, write orders, and
make connections for future deals. That twice-yearly event, where visitors
outpace local hotel capacity and the infrastructure of the town is pressed to
it limits, rakes in an estimated $5.4 billion (with a B) dollars for North
Carolina.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
word of HB2 broke on social media, many design colleagues connected these two
dots, and immediately began using <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">another</span> B word: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boycott</i>. And they used it with conviction, fire and fury.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Suddenly,
as an industry, we had an opportunity to make change. Real change.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the fight against HB2, we carried actual weight, with the considerable dollars
attached to High Point. Even online articles quickly had headlines reading, </span></span><style><!--
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--</style><a href="http://www.upworthy.com/a-furniture-convention-might-be-what-stops-north-carolinas-ridiculous-anti-lgbt-law" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“A Furniture Convention Might Be What Stops North Carolina’s Ridiculous anti-LGBT Law.”</span></b></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
boycott seemed to me like a real no-brainer, and surely, everyone would be of
one collective— and powerful—mindset. We’d tell North Carolina and its
conservative governor that these were unacceptable conditions in which to carry
out business.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Surely,
in an industry where the LGBT community plays a substantial role, usually
surrounded by the support of straight allies at cocktail parties, charity
events raising money for AIDS and LGBT youth, and now even our own weddings,
that immediate consensus would follow.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
that sort of never came.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
did come was a scattering of ideas, of plans and promises to keep HB2 a real
part of the conversation in the halls and showrooms of High Point. You know,
while we still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">did business</i> in High
Point.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
okay, it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i>. In fairness, the
creation of HB2 mere <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weeks</i> before the
spring High Point did create a tricky scenario where tickets had already been
purchased, rooms rented, showrooms built, deposits left for cater-waiters and
cheese platters. It is indeed not easy to turn a battleship on a dime.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Yes,
North Carolina would lose real money by a boycott. But so would some of our own
strongest advocates and colleagues. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I get
it.</i> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Even so, I was hoping that this business which I’ve know to be more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">community</i> than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">industry</i>, and a giving, compassionate, world-engaged community at
that, would, without doubt or hesitation, sit this one out, in the name of a
greater good. But consensus didn’t come.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
was, to say the least, shocked, and at times felt incredibly betrayed by an
industry into which this out Gay man pours his heart and soul. To me, this was
not a matter of commerce. This was a matter of civil liberties. This was a
matter of something bigger than us. How could you argue that truth? We had a
platform. We had financial clout. We had an obligation. What was there even to
argue?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well,
for one, money.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Launch Pads and Platforms
for Change</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
fully understand that people had things, personally and fiscally, at stake at
Spring Market... that they had others to answer to, people to employ and
more... especially those who launched brand new products this market (many of
whom are friends).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
those launches and lectures gave people who themselves have a real stake in the
LGBT battle or in the fight for women’s rights (North Carolina also has a
pretty atrocious record when it comes to women’s rights, too, by the way) an
incredible platform, incredible power, and once again, an incredible and (to
this activist-at-heart) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enviable</i>
opportunity.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
NBA mega-star Charles Barkely spoke out in favor of moving the NBA All-Star game out
of Charlotte, he said, “It’s my job, with the position of power that I’m in...
to stand up for the people who can’t stand up for themselves.” Why was it just
his job, and not ours?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Although
I had no launch to cancel, no reservations to wiggle out of, no one-night
deposit to lose, I <i>do</i> have things at stake by being as vocal as I’ve been: my
relationships with North Carolina companies like Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
and <a href="http://bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bernhardt</b></a> (both <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of whom came out with blistering anti-HB2 language and press releases, both of whom also have been incredibly generous donors to m<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e for the past five+ years I've participated in <a href="http://housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a>, a charity fundraiser <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in support of <a href="http://housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Housing Works <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thrifts S<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h</span>ops</span></span></b></a></span></span>)</span>, just to name one. Would
I love to one day be heading down to High Point to launch a lighting, fabric or
rug line, be part of a blogging tour, or speak on a panel? Of course I would.
Is my being vocal jeopardizing some of these things? Probably, I’d say. I’d
also say I’m totally fine with that, if that’s the reason.</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
for me, personally, I wouldn’t have wanted to have a launch associated with
this market. It now seems tainted. <a href="http://www.architecturaldigest.com/" target="_blank"><b>Architectural Digest</b></a> editor in chief
Margaret Russell and publisher and chief revenue officer <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Giulio Capua</span></b><b> </b>put it best, when pulling the plug on
Architectural Digest’s cocktail party (to put that into perspective, that’s
basically the equivalent of Vanity Fair shuttering their Oscar night party)
they said: “A celebration no longer feels appropriate given the discriminatory
law North Carolina passed.”</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Trans Rights and
Transparency... and Fear and Money.</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Our
industry likes to use the word “transparency” as a point of pride... we make our spreadsheets and receipts available to clients so there are no
clouds of suspicion about our business practices or profits. Yet, in the first
round of HB2 reaction and the discussion of a possible boycott, transparency
was lacking. Posts about “I’m going to support the good people of North
Carolina” also seemed to leave off the fact that people had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">personal</i> investment in attending: lines
launching, talks scheduled, clients to represent, or that their trips are
underwritten, comped, or augmented with stipends. I really wished for a little
more “I have too much invested to sit this one out.” or “I have to be really
careful what I say, publicly.” At least then the cards would be on the table.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
got a refreshingly transparent response from one industry insider when we
discussed why people were going to High Point anyhow, or being delicate in their
condemnation. “Fear and money,” was the reply. It was one of the first honest
answers I’d received. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fear and money</i>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As
far as transparency goes, I’ve been careful to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> say <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> was boycotting
High Point, because I never had any plans to go (spring market generally falls
the weekend before the set up for Design on a Dime, so I’ve never been able to budget
the time or money to attend the Spring Market.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So to say I’d be boycotting when, technically, I’m wasn’t,
would be disingenuous, and misleading. Is it easier, to say I’d <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hypothetically</i> boycott, that if I were
in the shoes of someone launching a line or promoting a book or premiering a
product, that I’d walk out on it all... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hypothetically</i>?
Of course it’s easier. But I’d like to think that when the chips were down, I’d
cancel the plans and unpack the bags.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6LRsF-Fbmo/Vx6kC9UJxfI/AAAAAAAAER8/086fsh20edg0C28UZj-jJs3s0TGdzKjCgCLcB/s1600/eblast_nchb2_4-8-16.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6LRsF-Fbmo/Vx6kC9UJxfI/AAAAAAAAER8/086fsh20edg0C28UZj-jJs3s0TGdzKjCgCLcB/s640/eblast_nchb2_4-8-16.gif" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Email statement from Mitchell Gold + Bob Willia<span style="color: #0000ee;">m<span style="color: #0000ee;">s</span></span></span><u><br /></u></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Besides a Boycot<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There
are other things to do besides boycott, as colleagues have happily proven, lending
their own voice and name to apply pressure to professional organizations to
come out against the Governor’s discriminatory legislation. Public letters,
hashtag movements, shared posts, getting the <a href="http://www.hrc.org/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Human Rights Campaign</b></a> to join the party, literally, at High Point:
all good. Very good. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vEQgkmP048/Vx6rEwSh0FI/AAAAAAAAESY/b3nXBW1nbHs01zZ4mI_RTHmTw75_H1yBgCLcB/s1600/CampaignMiscImage_1460571106.7927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vEQgkmP048/Vx6rEwSh0FI/AAAAAAAAESY/b3nXBW1nbHs01zZ4mI_RTHmTw75_H1yBgCLcB/s400/CampaignMiscImage_1460571106.7927.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Others
have found ways to create change while still attending High Point Market. No
surprise, Mitchell Gold was one (under two umbrellas, his own NC-based <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</b></a>, and his <a href="http://www.faithinamerica.org/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Faith in America</b></a> group) and <a href="https://www.asid.org/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ASID</b></a> another, joining forces to help
create a <a href="http://p2a.co/WcMw7Kv" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">program</b></a> aimed at not only
providing lip service to equality, but also putting pen to paper in a way the
governor could actually see.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And
while I couldn’t say I was boycotting literally, I was and will be boycotting virtually. I
won’t share, Like, reTweet or comment on anything High Point
related during or after, unless it’s about HB2, and then I’ll be using all the
social media hashtags (#bloggerstour #HPMKT #DesignAgainstHB2) to make sure the
issue of HB2 and the rights its repealed isn’t lost among the Instagrams of
cute new settees and party selfies.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Local Climate</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
heard, at first, a lot about all the “good people of North Carolina” who this
would hurt. I have LOTS of friends in the industry who call North Carolina
home. Generous, progressive, intelligent people.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
with more conversation, I also heard some <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i>
things about the people of North Carolina, specifically as it pertained to our
industry. I started to hear more than once how perhaps we needed to be slow and
careful because of “conservative companies” and “good old boy networks.” Among
other things, it made me wonder why we are doing business, giving the gift of
our considerable creativity (and in many cases, our Gay <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fabulousness</i>) to people who might secretly be voting against us
when the curtains close on High Point but open in the voting booth. After all, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone</i> put Governor McCrory into
office.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">High
Point itself, in its early but tepid <a href="http://www.homeaccentstoday.com/article/529919-high-point-market-authority-warns-house-bill-2-could-hurt-attendance" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>statem<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ent</span></b></span><b> about HB2</b></a>, actually thanked
the state government for past business-favorable legislation, in a pubic
proclamation of knowing who was buttering their bread (<a href="http://www.hpenews.com/market-leaders-thank-n-c-officials/article_406b10b2-7661-11e5-b9f2-d7ab6094eab1.html" target="_blank"><b>and it wasn't the f<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i</span>rst time they t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ha</span>nk</b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hpenews.com/market-leaders-thank-n-c-officials/article_406b10b2-7661-11e5-b9f2-d7ab6094eab1.html" target="_blank"><b>ed legislat</b></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hpenews.com/market-leaders-thank-n-c-officials/article_406b10b2-7661-11e5-b9f2-d7ab6094eab1.html" target="_blank"><b>ors for favorable rulings</b></a>)</span></span>. And in a naïve PR
misstep, both High Point Market, and the Building Association there, came out
with “We’re inclusive, and so are all our bathrooms.” The inclusivity of High
Point <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never was</i>, and still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn’t</i> the issue. And the bill is, and
was, bigger than bathrooms, no matter how the conservative right spun it.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Last In Line</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve
watched design colleagues gleefully share and Like stories about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i> industries and celebs like Bruce
Springsteen and Ringo Star boycotting North Carolina, while keeping fairly
quiet about our own potential role. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Them</i>,
sure, but no, not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">us</i>. It makes me
just a little heartsick. Hell, even</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, announced a cancellation of <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an</span> annual meeting in Charlotte. Librarians. We are in line behind LIBRARIANS.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Are
we comfortable letting someone else (and now it seems, <i>every</i>one else) do the heavy lifting when we have the power
to do it ourselves? I’m not.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It
seems we have been last in line to say, with our money, with our pockets and
pocketbooks, that we refuse to do business in a state where the governor, in
twelve hours, can rip away the civil liberties and protections of the LGBT
community, minorities and women. And to be last in line, when we had ACTUAL
clout, is a humiliating place to be.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Even
on our worst days, I’m pretty sure it’s easier to be an interior designer in
Manhattan than to be Trans in most places in the Deep South. High Point, and
all associated, would all VERY MUCH survive a year of a poorly-attended Market
event. With the rates of endangerment of Trans women (especially of color) and
higher rates of suicide of LGBT youth, I’m not sure the same could be said of
all the citizens of North Carolina affected by HB2.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
world is bigger than our business.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Right Side of History</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why
am I so worked up about North Carolina, and not Indiana or Texas or Mississippi
or South Carolina or Tennessee, where similar or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worse</i> legislation has passed or is on the horizon? Because in those
states, the interior design and home furnishings world doesn’t hold the very
real financial clout we do in North Carolina. In those states, we don’t have
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">opportunity</i>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why
am I saying this all now, when the Spring Market is behind us?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Because
while timing allows a bit of a pass on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i>
High Point Spring Market as it pertains to a boycott, there is NO REASON we
should <i>not</i> be planning a complete and comprehensive boycott of the Fall Market
if HB2 stays in place.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Because,
if the legislation is NOT repealed, we have an even bigger opportunity looming
this fall: another market where we have AMPLE opportunity to NOT make the
reservations, to NOT plan the party, to REALLY put our money where our
mouth—and our buttons and hashtags— are. By Fall Market, things need to change.
And, as it was pointed out, Fall Market is just prior to the state’s election,
where Governor Pat McCrory is up for re-election.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now
THAT sounds like opportunity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, it sounds more like an obligation.</span></span></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-17895549076520391042016-01-29T16:04:00.001-05:002016-02-05T12:37:58.421-05:00...about sailing into Design on a Dime 2016: what’s in a theme?<div style="text-align: center;">
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KatVfaB89Ps/VqvB8REr5AI/AAAAAAAAEP4/jBasiK4JLeE/s1600/c47a8e4cf6a80533c8f3139e72ac2527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KatVfaB89Ps/VqvB8REr5AI/AAAAAAAAEP4/jBasiK4JLeE/s400/c47a8e4cf6a80533c8f3139e72ac2527.jpg" width="315" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s that time of year again, where I make the rounds,
(large) hat in hand, looking to curate a selection of generously donated goods
for <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a>, the annual
(and now, <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/design-on-a-dime-2016-miami-tickets-19228570171" target="_blank"><b>TWO city</b></a>) charity
fundraiser to benefit <a href="http://housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works</b></a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A big part of the fun, aside from helping break, then smash
and surpass the $1 million mark of funds raised, is the pure folly of designing
without practical parameters beyond sale-ability: everything we solicit is
meant to be sold off, at 50 to 70% off retail value (hence, the “on a dime”
part).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s the perfect <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">st<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or</span>m</span> of showmanship, a charity for a cause
I truly believe in, a real bonding experience with designers with whom I’ve become
fast friends, a group of staff and volunteers that feel like family each time
I return, and one of the most fun, exhilarating and bargain-riddled
parties of the year here in Manhattan. Plus, and no offense to my lovely
clients, it’s super fun to design without yuze guys. So, yeah, I’m in it for my sixth consecutive year.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But where will I go with the design this year? I have ample rooms-without-a-home floating around in my head (pretty sure most/all
designers do), but they were all fuzzy mirages, still developing like a photo
print in a chemical bath. What would it take to snap something into focus, and
give me a direction and filter through which to run all my wish lists, asks,
and ideas?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In years past, I started with the walls... every year except for last, I’ve
been able to start with an amazing wall covering, twice from my friends at <a href="http://koroseal.com/" target="_blank"><b>Koroseal</b></a>, once from <a href="https://www.fschumacher.com/item/5006080" target="_blank"><b>Schumacher</b></a>. In 2013, in a post-<a href="http://holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Holiday House</b></a> haze when
the January DOAD invite arrived, I thought, “If <a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Shade Store</b></a> says yes to their white string panels, I’ll do DOAD
again.” They did, and so did I.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFnpWH72CDA/VqvL03iZokI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/jW2YMBQmSiA/s1600/vignette_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFnpWH72CDA/VqvL03iZokI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/jW2YMBQmSiA/s400/vignette_025.jpg" width="343" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CX3mQeYDJPs/VqvMsJDY4OI/AAAAAAAAEQg/Eqnpw20oNNk/s1600/booth_045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CX3mQeYDJPs/VqvMsJDY4OI/AAAAAAAAEQg/Eqnpw20oNNk/s400/booth_045.jpg" width="313" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46UU1ltHjvY/VqvRzswQHgI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/lx13CVt9LAc/s1600/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46UU1ltHjvY/VqvRzswQHgI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/lx13CVt9LAc/s400/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And each year, close on the heels of the wallcovering,
there’s been art: <a href="http://www.babetteherschberger.com/" target="_blank"><b>Babette Herschberger</b>’s</a>
simply-not-so-simple color field square the first year, a giant parakeet
courtesy Australian artist <a href="http://leilajeffreys.com/" target="_blank"><b>Leila Jeffreys</b></a> a little later, and <a href="http://drewdoggett.com/" target="_blank"><b>Drew Dogget</b></a>'s traffic stopper last year. They all kicked off the color palettes and vibe for the
three-walled room in a way I wish more people would build rooms: from a great piece of art, out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bS86PidfCno/VqvMXq4J5DI/AAAAAAAAEQY/wt4CNp_8aHs/s1600/patrick_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bS86PidfCno/VqvMXq4J5DI/AAAAAAAAEQY/wt4CNp_8aHs/s400/patrick_062.jpg" width="285" /></a></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2013, <b><a href="http://www.danromerart.com/" target="_blank">Dan Romer’s</a> </b>“Lord Ricky” image sent me down a wickedly wonderful path, part
Game of Thrones, part male Maleficent ... and, against those shimmering,
shifting </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drag Race-y, </span></span>fringe walls, <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-signature-style-13-cues-from.html" target="_blank"><b>"Wicked Queen"</b></a>
was born.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You’ve heard me (and <a href="http://www.newyorkspacesmag.com/article/Force-of-Nature-20150228" target="_blank"><b>New York Spaces</b></a>) sing the praises of Dan Romer once, twice or thrice before. I’ve been
tremendously motivated by his exceptional use of color in past Design on a Dime
installations, where he has been uber-generous to me </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">every year since I first tracked him down</span></span>, and his work enlivened
both my <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>Modern St. Patrick’s Day</b></a> and
<a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-theme-decorating-and-horse-of.html" target="_blank"><b>Derby Deconstructed</b></a> rooms for
Holiday House.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m33-WAxvzhE/VqvNIC1ukZI/AAAAAAAAEQo/hWC3DQ4pKgM/s1600/interior_h_189.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m33-WAxvzhE/VqvNIC1ukZI/AAAAAAAAEQo/hWC3DQ4pKgM/s400/interior_h_189.jpg" width="260" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAMZfzQNb-E/VqvNQxmmrLI/AAAAAAAAEQw/8e3m3m8GcV0/s1600/Patrick_hh_102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RAMZfzQNb-E/VqvNQxmmrLI/AAAAAAAAEQw/8e3m3m8GcV0/s400/Patrick_hh_102.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0X70y0EcF0k/VqvR70hHhhI/AAAAAAAAERE/53hXH_y2WwQ/s1600/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0X70y0EcF0k/VqvR70hHhhI/AAAAAAAAERE/53hXH_y2WwQ/s400/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" width="260" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years back, I was lucky enough to see a room full of Romers, at the <b><a href="https://www.leslielohman.org/" target="_blank">Leslie Lohman</a> </b>Basement Annex, where Dan co-starred in a two-man show with also-stellar
colorist, anatomy-draftsman and <a href="http://risd.edu/" target="_blank"><b>RISD</b></a> grad <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chuck.nitzberg" target="_blank"><b>Chuck Nitzberg</b></a>. It was the very first time I’d seen Dan’s work <i>en masse</i>, if you
don’t count the impromptu donation/loaner selection meetings, when colorful portraits, swarthy gents with bedroom eyes, and rippling nudes
spilled from his portfolio like gemstones from a jeweler’s bag.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At that show, I first met Dan’s “Rocky Seas,” the angle-eyed
sailor man, and it was love at first sight. While racking my brain
for some divine Design on a Dime inspiration, my mind kept wandering back to
Rocky. A Facebook PM to Dan got a quick confirmation that a custom print of
Rocky would be mine (fingers crossed my friends at <a href="http://stevenamedee.com/coming-soon/" target="_blank"><b>Steven Amedee Custom Framing</b></a> will once again do a Romer piece full justice...)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But where to go from there? Well, the process unfolds pretty
much like it does when designing any room around one given piece, art, rug,
sofa or heirloom... although we're limited to what vendors will donate, or generous friends will purchase to donate off my annual <b>Design on a Dime Donation Registry</b>. I’ll be sharing more of the process a little later.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, in our hashtagged, screen-named and abbreviated world, I love
giving these ethereal vignettes (buyers at the opening night gala pretty much
loot the place beyond recognition) a permanent but short-handed (and hopefully, memorable!) name... the aforementioned Wicked Queen,
last year’s <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-small-dark-and-handsome.html" target="_blank">Adventurer’s Lair</a> </b>cases
in point. And while “Rocky Seas” is the perfect title for the inspiration
piece, it seems to tempt the fates just a bit in an event that needs to run as
smoothly as humanly possible, both during the months of prep and the implausibly short two-day set up.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, good gents, lovely lasses and the happily uncategorized, I’m proud to reveal this
year’s theme: “Hey, sailor!”. Following the lead of Dan’s hot seaman with the
rakish sailor’s hat, the theme sets the tone for a cheeky, nautical-and-naughty but nice, beachy room, that allows me to interpret a theme ripe with
possibility, while steering clear of the usual pitfalls of theme-y decorating.
Plus: So. Many. Puns.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And so much inspiration: aside from Dan's always-inspirational but previously-unconsidered color palette, the oceanic theme inspires a world of its own: navy blue (doing a navy blue room has long been on my personal wish list) ship-shape brass, lots of
“intentional white,” and earthy, rope-y textures. Part yacht club-clubby, part
yacht-modern. Inspired by my Miami and Mangrove roots, an homage to the interiors of
Allison Spear and the sexy vibe of Querelle. A little Mr. Roberts, a little Village People. And a lot sexy cruise-y. Can. Not. WAIT.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But Dan and Rocky don't get all the theme cred: my wondrous friends at </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/default.aspx?" target="_blank"><b>Currey & Company</b></a></span></span> (have you ever met the force of nature that is Bethanne Matari??) said yes to donating a shell-encrusted, sailor's Valentine of a piece that meant, this year, the heavens were aligned to bring to life a theme that's been stuck in my head like a schooner in a bottle for more than a few years now. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dANG7_dSVB4/VqvLmQv33vI/AAAAAAAAEQI/bNX5e6cRVg8/s1600/2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dANG7_dSVB4/VqvLmQv33vI/AAAAAAAAEQI/bNX5e6cRVg8/s320/2007.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The theme is also very much in synch with some other amazing new-season pieces already
committed to by amazingly generous donors <a href="http://bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bernhardt</b></a><b> </b>and<b> </b><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</b></a>. Plus, I’m
DEEEELIGHTED to announce that my amazing friends at <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jayson Home</b></a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">are</span> on board with donations, after two years of
doing their very own booth for DOAD. I wish <b>Wisteria</b> would come back on board, too,
since some of their amazing range of home accessories are also perfect. Maybe next year.</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">DOAD NYC 2016, anchors, away!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, come aboard Design on a Dime 2016, and get ready to meet Hey, Sailor! We’re
expecting you.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any predictions of what will give this room a healthy dash
of sea salt? I'd love to hear from you, here and on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank"><b>Twitter</b></a>. Use the hashtag #heysailor when you do!</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-44714985056576193302016-01-03T13:36:00.000-05:002016-01-04T12:57:58.459-05:00...yours, mine and ours: top 10 design highlights (and one industry lowlight) of 2015.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VlYrKynnJgo/VohYnrL4CDI/AAAAAAAAEMc/wY8MuGtZsb0/s1600/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VlYrKynnJgo/VohYnrL4CDI/AAAAAAAAEMc/wY8MuGtZsb0/s400/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" width="283" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">2015: it was, once again and
thankfully, to quote Frank Sinatra (well, Ervin Drake, actually, giving credit
where credit is due. More on that later), a very good year: for me, for shelter
magazines, for design-related charities, for special events and smart marketers, for two very
talented and lucky designers, and for the interior design profession and
community in all. Well, <i>mostly </i>good. But
we’ll also get to that later. </span>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Here’s my unofficial list of
why I thought 2015 was a banner year, showing that the recovery of the interior
design world is moving in all the right directions, in all kinds of exciting
ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmTTBLxt7ok/VohYWtzI2nI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/ib8KursnHkc/s1600/Manhattan-20151006-03129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TmTTBLxt7ok/VohYWtzI2nI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/ib8KursnHkc/s400/Manhattan-20151006-03129.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">1) Benjamin Moore Color of the Year </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">With much fanfare, color-coordinated food, and one of
the most elaborately orchestrated, choreographed, handsomely cater-waitered parties
of 2015 even by Manhattan standards, <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/welcome-to-benjamin-moore;jsessionid=Gcv0WLgTKGJbw68qvggY3F5FhTc3sKZKvQ6z1BN3sg40pR6bY5sT!454937497!NONE" target="_blank"><b>Benjamin Moore</b></a> entered the <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/benjamin-moore-color-trends-2016" target="_blank"><b>Color of the Year</b></a>
space formerly dominated by color think-tank <a href="http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/index.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Pantone</b></a>.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Pantone’s past choices always seemed to create much hue
and cry with the interior design community, the ruddy, clay-colored Marsala falling
the flattest in recent years, even though their selections did indeed eventually
find their way into the palettes and mood boards of many a designer (as did
their choice of Emerald in 2013, a color featured in my own <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>Modern St. Patrick’s Day</b></a> maiden voyage at
<b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank">Holiday House</a> </b>that very same year). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWRmMzRhbYE/VoleaAzwRwI/AAAAAAAAEPA/Tr6SPS55rzA/s1600/interior_c_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cWRmMzRhbYE/VoleaAzwRwI/AAAAAAAAEPA/Tr6SPS55rzA/s400/interior_c_075.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">While Sherwin Williams beat Benjamin
Moore to the painterly punch with an annual selection of their own by a few
years, Benjamin Moore reclaimed the space from both Pantone and Sherwin
Williams, and not because of the party, but through a surprisingly savvy move
and bold selection. Their colorful, audacious entry into the race? The ultimate
chameleon, the most neutral of all colors, an established decorator go-to, and
their very best seller: <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/benjamin-moore-color-trends-2016" target="_blank"><b>Simply White</b></a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Why was Simply White so,
well, simply smart? It was Benjamin Moore’s way of resetting the clocks,
cleansing the palette, and saying, hey, we might be late to the game, but it’s
always been our playing field, so the rest of you can take your fan decks and
swatch books and just go back home. It got tongues wagging, got the “Is white
even a <i>color</i>?” debate re-raging, and most
importantly, people talking about color, with Benjamin-Moore’s name squarely
attached. Even Pantone’s attempt to broaden their own COTY audience by serving
up a duet of nearly-pastel colors this year (a blue and a pink) paled in
comparison. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvySp8vYrJM/VoliEAjFH9I/AAAAAAAAEPU/Ys4ByzQyQsI/s1600/BM_VOTY_Palette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EvySp8vYrJM/VoliEAjFH9I/AAAAAAAAEPU/Ys4ByzQyQsI/s320/BM_VOTY_Palette.jpg" width="316" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Benjamin Moore also supported the launch and the choice with a
companion palette that highlighted Simply White as the ultimate team player. I
can’t wait to see how they follow it up and launch it next year, no small
feat when it seemed the excitement about an annual color announcement was
beginning to wane. In all, simply brilliant.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">But I’m sill waiting for the
quirky UK paint purveyor <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/#2" target="_blank"><b>Farrow and Ball</b></a> to jump in, since I’d love to hear that Mouse’s Back, Dead
Salmon or Mole’s Breath was the tint of the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhI24bJ80Zo/VohqPPGvXvI/AAAAAAAAEOI/DTmsOLvDp-4/s1600/tif13_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhI24bJ80Zo/VohqPPGvXvI/AAAAAAAAEOI/DTmsOLvDp-4/s400/tif13_Crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Design on a Dime </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Another record-breaking year for the annual designer-curated discounted
shopping fundraiser to benefit <a href="http://housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works Thrifts</b></a>, as the tally continues to
climb northward of the million dollar mark, and the event branches southward,
to their first-ever Miami incarnation of the Manhattan social and shopping
staple (the Miami version just weeks away, February 5-7, 2016).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DH6HsmQ8mxU/Vold63KGmgI/AAAAAAAAEO4/WHNGp0PDSZk/s1600/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DH6HsmQ8mxU/Vold63KGmgI/AAAAAAAAEO4/WHNGp0PDSZk/s400/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" width="260" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I went all <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-small-dark-and-handsome.html" target="_blank">Small Dark and Handsome</a> </b>for DOAD 2015,
and my usual vendors stepped up once again, with anything-but usual donations...
custom and COM versions and more-than-the-year-prior quantities, plus new vendors,
including photographer <a href="http://drewdoggett.com/" target="_blank"><b>Drew Doggett</b></a>,
whose traffic-stopper image anchored and inspired the entire vignette. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6iqfnL59Mow/Vole4RdDL-I/AAAAAAAAEPI/S8oSpL5gCRI/s1600/DrewDoggett_Unt12_HWTwitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6iqfnL59Mow/Vole4RdDL-I/AAAAAAAAEPI/S8oSpL5gCRI/s400/DrewDoggett_Unt12_HWTwitter.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It was
my favorite space to date for DOAD, and also just one of my own favorite
spaces, period... and it’s inspired me to think even bigger for Design on a
Dime 2016 (can you say “double wide”?)... stay tuned!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JpPiORNi4cE/VohZfn6eR_I/AAAAAAAAEMk/WiM5SIsOQqk/s1600/EAL_Sophie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JpPiORNi4cE/VohZfn6eR_I/AAAAAAAAEMk/WiM5SIsOQqk/s400/EAL_Sophie.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Editor at Large</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Lights! Camera! Action! While I’ve had the great fortune of talking <i>to</i> the folks of <a href="http://editoratlarge.com/videos" target="_blank"><b>Editor TV</b></a> <a href="http://editoratlarge.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&x=0&y=0&search[keywords]=patrick+hamilton" target="_blank"><b>quite a few times</b></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">on camera </span>(discussing Baker furniture,<b> <a href="http://www.welspun.com/content.asp?Submenu=Y&MenuID=3&SubmenuID=92" target="_blank">Welspun</a></b>, Benjamin Moore, Bilotta, Holiday House,
Avery Boardman and Zoffany), this year allowed me the great fortune of turning the tables, and, mic in hand, do the Q-ing to all
the As.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I followed in the well-heeled footsteps of long-time industry expert <a href="http://www.stylebeat.blogspot.com/"><b>Marisa Marcantonio</b></a>, Traditional Home’s ever-radiant Tori Mellott, and one of my favorite
hosts and moderators Sophie Donelson, who all have and continue to hold court
for Editor TV, the video offshoot of <a href="http://editoratlarge.com/" target="_blank"><b>Editor at Large</b></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">, the go-to source for design event coverage and industry news. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">But this wasn’t just <i>any</i> ETV video... this was the official
coverage of the doyenne of show houses, Kips Bay, a two-parter where I had the
honor and pleasure of talking with room designers Jamie Drake, Anne and Suysel,
the lovely ladies of Tilton Fenwick, the stylish and Kathleen Turner-evoking
Alessandra Branca, Thom Filicia and more. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">(See the results, <a href="http://editoratlarge.com/videos/406"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="http://editoratlarge.com/videos/405"><b>here</b></a>.)</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">As I suspected they would, Editor
TV’s director/producer (and patient coach!) Julia Noran and videographer Kevin Malone
kept me cool along the way and looking good in final edits. It was a gig I was
highly honored to have, and one I hope I get to repeat in 2016.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABFItUHHCHI/Voha-Cgo3yI/AAAAAAAAEM0/9sg9fVTPSYA/s1600/sophie%2Bdonelson2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ABFItUHHCHI/Voha-Cgo3yI/AAAAAAAAEM0/9sg9fVTPSYA/s400/sophie%2Bdonelson2.png" width="272" /></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Sophie Donelson at House Beautiful</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">To know her is to love her. That’s the most basic of many reasons the design community (at least in New York) let out a
collective woot when it was announced that Sophie Donelson was next in line to
helm <a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/" target="_blank"><b>House Beautiful</b></a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">A twinkling but wicked sense of humor, down-to-earth demeanor, and
marketing and media savvy are all hallmarks of the newest editor, taking the
reins from Newell Turner, who stepped up (becoming Hearst Design Group’s overarching
Editor) not down, to allow Sophie the honor of running HB, and giving two of
the business’ most favored folks two of its top spots. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">She’s already given the
already-fresh shelter title a breath of fresher air, social smarts and
cross-media coverage, including an appearance on NBC’s <a href="http://www.today.com/home/sophie-donelson-house-beautiful-shares-her-home-decorating-secrets-t61781" target="_blank"><b>Today Show</b></a>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">No doubt working mom Sophie
will be bringing an even more approachable style to the title without losing
any of the breezy American chic the publication— and Sophie— are already famous
for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOEPGb4zCKg/VohcUQ3xghI/AAAAAAAAEM8/zXsfO8QY51M/s1600/11046804_859605007420336_6225569120801654336_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gOEPGb4zCKg/VohcUQ3xghI/AAAAAAAAEM8/zXsfO8QY51M/s400/11046804_859605007420336_6225569120801654336_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Tabletop Market and NY Spaces </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It takes a lot to get this night owl up and out to a breakfast
meeting, but three things did just that this year: a host, a location, and an
event. And all three were wrapped up in one, as <a href="http://www.newyorkspacesmag.com/" target="_blank"><b>New York Spaces</b></a> Publisher Lisa Benisvy Freiman extended a special
invitation to kick off Designer Day at the venerable table top treasure trove <a href="http://www.41madison.com/" target="_blank"><b>41 Madison</b></a> and their designer breakfast, replete with a birds-eye view of a sunlit
Manhattan. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WK2yXH4jdiA/VohudcqhhhI/AAAAAAAAEOQ/dVxOFS1mFxg/s1600/IMG-20150416-02946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WK2yXH4jdiA/VohudcqhhhI/AAAAAAAAEOQ/dVxOFS1mFxg/s400/IMG-20150416-02946.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwucOddzTPM/VohuelQXrBI/AAAAAAAAEOY/YsGVw89NTB8/s1600/Manhattan-20150416-02945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bwucOddzTPM/VohuelQXrBI/AAAAAAAAEOY/YsGVw89NTB8/s400/Manhattan-20150416-02945.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It was a lovely introduction
to a lovely woman and the great day of walking the showrooms. And, super DUPER
bonus, it landed me and designer friend <a href="http://johndouglaseason.com/" target="_blank"><b>John Douglas Eason</b></a> at the very top of the publisher’s page of New York Spaces. Great placement, high
honor, and the start of what I hope continues to be a great relationship.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8t6zVW6odE/VohcdqonpoI/AAAAAAAAENE/SQ_B4YHN4dk/s1600/details_d_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8t6zVW6odE/VohcdqonpoI/AAAAAAAAENE/SQ_B4YHN4dk/s400/details_d_075.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">6) Bilotta Art of the Table</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It’s a
testament to the power of interior design and smart styling choices to reinvent
a space: the <b><a href="http://bilotta.com/" target="_blank">Bilotta Kitchen</a></b> annual
Art of the Table. The task at hand? Take the established kitchen vignettes of
Bilotta’s showroom in the Architect’s and Designers Building and prop and style
the kitchen walls, cabinets, countertops, and tabletops to refresh and redefine
the built-in choices. For the same reason I love Holiday House being in the
same mansion every year, reinvented by our tricks of the trade, I love this Bilotta event, so I was overjoyed when
media sponsor Traditional Home came a-calling, inviting me in for this fifth
year of the event.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I had big Gucci loafers
to fill, with the likes of table-top-dog <a href="http://marksandtavano.com/about/" target="_blank"><b>Michael Tavano</b></a>, stylish <a href="http://darrinvardendesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Darrin Varden</b></a>,
dining table diva <a href="http://nestnestnest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Tamara Stephens</b></a>,
and <a href="http://robertpassal.com/" target="_blank"><b>Robert Passal</b></a>, whose table at <a href="http://diffa.org/" target="_blank"><b>DIFFA</b></a> for the New York Times at Dining
by Design was an elaborate, immersive tour de force, all setting the tables,
and the stage, before me. Yeah, no, no pressure.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VcirJeggMtk/VohuxXTgVqI/AAAAAAAAEOg/s5ZSpc8s9Ik/s1600/details_d_059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VcirJeggMtk/VohuxXTgVqI/AAAAAAAAEOg/s5ZSpc8s9Ik/s400/details_d_059.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">This year, official tabletop
donor <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna.html" target="_blank"><b>Prouna</b></a> (part of the <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kiyasa</b></a> Group) helped us get our bling
on, and some of my very favorite sources (<a href="http://berrycampbell.com/" target="_blank"><b>Berry Campbell Gallery</b></a>, <a href="http://www.johnlyledesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>John Lyle</b>,</a> <a href="http://thibautdesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Thibaut</b></a>, <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Arteriors Home</b></a>, <a href="http://www.fivestripes.com/Default.asp" target="_blank"><b>Fivestripes</b></a>,
<a href="http://dransfieldandross.biz/" target="_blank"><b>Dransfield Ross</b></a>, <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jayson Home</b></a> and more) helped me use
art, vibrant color and natural texture to create a luxe and layered kitchen where art was the star, some unlikely color did the
heavy lifting, and the finely feathered birds on Prouna’s <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna/dinnerware/pavo-silver.html" target="_blank"><b>Pavo SIlver</b></a> pattern came to life and inspired a modern autumn room. There’s
more to the story <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/10/about-making-mix-modern-bilotta-art-of.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>, and it was a
feather I was most happy to put in my own cap. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8EmTrcMLvg/VohdiBNig6I/AAAAAAAAENQ/TrXXaQUz4gI/s1600/For%252Bweb%252B10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8EmTrcMLvg/VohdiBNig6I/AAAAAAAAENQ/TrXXaQUz4gI/s400/For%252Bweb%252B10.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">7) Drake Anderson </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mother of Dragons, it was an announcement of epic proportion, as if two houses on Game of Thrones joined forces (sans the
previous rivalry, bloodshed, bodice-ripping, or poison-wined wedding, one would hope and assume):
the news that color maestro Jamie Drake was joining forces with wonder
kid Caleb Anderson, creating <a href="http://www.drakeanderson.com/" target="_blank"><b>Drake Anderson Design</b></a>, an almost unprecedented
alignment of two wildly popular, bold-faced firms already enjoying significant
success, all of a potential Parish Hadley historic significance.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Caleb worked for Jamie in
the past, and his classic, eclectic and sculptural stylings paired with Jamie’s
more modern, art-driven vibe will most certainly create interiors worthy of the
record books. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvApx6R6F3U/VohenLKoSII/AAAAAAAAENY/yBmt_dRjZvg/s1600/12186693_898236893557147_6398874775073806324_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvApx6R6F3U/VohenLKoSII/AAAAAAAAENY/yBmt_dRjZvg/s400/12186693_898236893557147_6398874775073806324_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">8) Traditional Home and Holiday House </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Two for two! In a “very special cross-over event”
between 2014 and 2015, my second appearance in the halls of Holiday House in
2014 yielded a second appearance on the pages of Traditional Home in 2015. I
was thrilled that the <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-theme-decorating-and-horse-of.html" target="_blank"><b>Derby Deconstructed</b></a> room saw the light of another day long after its dismantling,
and entered the archives of Traditional Home. I could not have been more
pleased with Peter Rymwid’s photo, putting the “Pother” portrait by <a href="http://www.aaronsmithart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Aaron Smith</b></a>, upholstered chimney breast
by <a href="http://theworkroomny.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Workroom</b></a>, brilliant
rose-colored <a href="http://bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bernhardt</b></a> chairs and
custom settee by <a href="http://averyboardman.com/" target="_blank"><b>Avery Boardman</b></a>, all so elegantly cloaked in <a href="https://www.jab.de/group/" target="_blank"><b>JAB</b> <b>Anstoetz</b></a> textiles, <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/" target="_blank"><b>Wisteria</b></a>
coffee table, luscious 100% silk carpet by <a href="http://www.carinilang.com/" target="_blank"><b>Carini Lang</b>,</a> and Derby-hat evocative “Egret” fixture by <a href="http://www.abyulighting.com/" target="_blank"><b>ABYU</b></a>’s Steven Wine all front and center.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">It helped get me over
sitting out the 2015 Holiday House, in a year that saw the welcome introduction
of <a href="http://marksandfrantz.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marks & Frantz</b></a> and <a href="http://whitewebb.com/" target="_blank"><b>White Webb</b></a>, and the return of veterans James Rixner
and Vicente Wolf to the Academy Mansion, where I hope to once again roam the
stone halls and paneled rooms (universe, and Iris Dankner, if you’re listening...).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S0uvOv2JJ2s/VohfnpMz2QI/AAAAAAAAENk/6uwkkFyZP28/s1600/Screen-Shot-2015-12-09-at-2.27.31-PM-e1449692978277.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S0uvOv2JJ2s/VohfnpMz2QI/AAAAAAAAENk/6uwkkFyZP28/s400/Screen-Shot-2015-12-09-at-2.27.31-PM-e1449692978277.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">9) Met Home, Resurrected </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s where I first learned about Post Modernism,
Alessi, Michael Graves, Niedermaier, Merchant Ivory and
more... Metropolitan Home, the shelter publication that taught us all that size
parameters and apartment living were no barriers to high style. Met Home was one of
the surprising casualties of the recession that took out its fair share of
titles in the wake of a bleak 2008.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Hearst Design Group Editor-in-Chief
Newell Turner made the official announcement of its return, a welcome one when
just a few years ago, it seemed more print publications were shuttering than unfolding.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">The announcement gave me yet
another title to aspire to, with either words or images, in the coming years,
and I eagerly await its spring/summer pilot issue in spring 2016. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diStwxYerB8/VohgiTzRK2I/AAAAAAAAENs/CuzgF-PS6Kc/s1600/en04%25281%2529%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diStwxYerB8/VohgiTzRK2I/AAAAAAAAENs/CuzgF-PS6Kc/s400/en04%25281%2529%25281%2529.jpg" width="351" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">10) Custom, Bespoke, and Giving Back</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Pret-a-porter got a little more haute couture in a
year that saw a wonderful increase in the caliber of client, and a continued
trend toward clients wanting one-of-a kind items that only a designer can help
deliver.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">In 2015, I was most pleased
to be able to patronize <a href="http://www.warpandweft.com/" target="_blank"><b>Warp & Weft</b></a>,
<a href="http://ef-lm.com/" target="_blank"><b>Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman</b></a>, <a href="http://shivhon.com/" target="_blank"><b>Shivhon Custom Carpets</b></a> (their custom-colored "Ryu" rug, above), <a href="http://designlush.com/" target="_blank"><b>DESIGNLUSH</b></a>, <a href="http://marksandtavano.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marks & Tavano</b></a>, <a href="http://www.mortisetenon.com/"><b>Mortise & Tenon</b></a>, and <a href="http://www.anthonylawrence.com/" target="_blank"><b>Anthony Lawrence Belfair</b></a>, to name a few, either for the first time, or just more
frequently. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Even <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</b></a> and Crate & Barrel got in on the bespoke action, as I took
advantage of their Customer's Own Material programs and decked out their frames in designer duds
from <a href="https://www.duralee.com/" target="_blank"><b>Duralee</b></a>, <a href="https://www.robertallendesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Robert Allen</b></a>, <a href="http://www.donghia.com/" target="_blank"><b>Donghia</b></a>, <a href="https://www.jab.de/group/" target="_blank"><b>JAB Anstoetz</b></a> and even custom-colored <a href="http://quadrillefabrics.com/" target="_blank"><b>Quadrille</b></a> fabrics.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">With these introductions,
rooms get even more personal, special, and unique, in ways that add real value to
not only the pieces, but to the process, as well. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I was also extremely pleased to place more and more orders with Bernhardt,
<a href="http://www.circalighting.com/" target="_blank"><b>Circa Lighting</b></a>, Lamps Plus, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, JAB Anstoetz, and Room & Board,
given their past generosity with me over my five years of participating with
Design on a Dime and two years of Holiday House. I’ve always remained fiercely loyal to vendors who’ve said
yes when I’ve come knocking, and 2015 allowed me to place a real dollar value on the grateful pay-back.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">...and One Lowlight </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">The one lowlight is a cautionary tale of sorts, with a backdrop of imagery gone rogue through Pinterest,
Houzz, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram: a noted and visible New York City interior
designer was revealed to be using the work of nine-plus other interior
designers with whom he had no professional connection, to build his own
portfolio. Bad enough, but he was also using these images for contest
submissions, reputable national Top Twenty rosters and entrée into otherwise-vetted
(and high-profile) events around town, where his name was a fixture and his
presence a given. Sadly, these misappropriations also karmically undid his
charitable work for DIFFA and other great causes for which he helped generate
substantial buzz and cash.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br />
I note this not for the scandalous nature of the news, but to call attention to how fast and loose the universe of imagery, credit and image rights has become,
in a world where we’re all one cut-and-paste away from plagiarism, and even the
well-intended Pinner can’t find his or her way back to the original source of the image, not to mention the work's actual designer. It’s easy enough to be accidentally inconsiderate, let alone
what’s afforded when your intentions are less than pure. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">But companies are doing it
too... designer’s images show up in Houzz ads, and not even images which
first appeared on its virtual pages. One designer’s quote from a meme on the
wildly-followed <a href="https://www.instagram.com/interiordesigncommunity/" target="_blank"><b>IDC Instagram page</b></a>
is randomly paired with another designer’s image on an otherwise reputable
site. Tile vendor Walker Zanger regularly uses uncredited designer images in
their Facebook posts, where they pair product with tile imagery in a
reverse-engineered mood-boardy sort of way. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">While the idea of pulling in
borrowed images— what we used to call “swipe art” for client pitches back in
my ad agency days— is nothing new, in social media it’s either something we should
now either collectively call out or just get comfortable with, since it will
continue to happen more, not less. It all basically starts with “credit where
credit is due,” and the golden rule of “do unto others,” or expect the same
thing in return. I’m sure if a designer’s work featuring a company's tile was
published in a national magazine, they’d expect credit, and it seems like
exceedingly bad judgment to shoot the feet of the very community to which you’re
hawking your wares.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">These sketchy incidents and
Milli-Vanilli moments point out that there are still huge gray areas in what we
allow, and what we <i>think</i> we are
allowing when we’re actually signing away our rights on a website or app with
a quick click of 14 pages of disclaimers. Of course, gray areas should
never be used as an excuse for plagiarism and blatant misrepresentation. And you have to <i>have</i> ethics to use them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Perhaps we've forgotten the "media" part of "social media," and in doing so, also lost sight of the rules we previously applied about usage, credit and (god forbid) royalties. Maybe it's time for some new rules.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">The lesson? Watermark your
images, and/or just resign yourself to the fact that nothing, anywhere any more, is
private, regardless of settings.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">But let’s not end on a
lowlight. I’d like to point out that all the <i>other</i> items on the list were made
possible by vendors, craftsmen, to-the-trade design buildings like my friends at the <a href="http://ddbuilding.com/" target="_blank"><b>D&D Building</b></a>, PR firms, magazine editors
and publishers and their creative sales departments, charitable organizations and
colleagues doing wonderful things, and clients who make those wonderful things
possible. So, the real highlight of 2015, as I hope it to be again in 2016, is sheer
gratitude.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br />
What was your design highlight of last year? And what are you looking forward
to in 2016? I’d love to hear from you.</span></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-42826294345264842102015-10-28T21:14:00.001-04:002015-10-28T23:32:23.544-04:00...about making the mix modern: Bilotta Art of the Table.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqjd3UYEcko/VjFXSNjwF0I/AAAAAAAAEIA/COk9iZ-Ij_s/s1600/kitchen_c_051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iqjd3UYEcko/VjFXSNjwF0I/AAAAAAAAEIA/COk9iZ-Ij_s/s400/kitchen_c_051.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Picture it: a beautifully-blank slate of cool marble
countertops, raised-paneled cabinets, dark wood, and pearly, slate-y-gray
floors. That was my fortunate starting point when I was invited to the fifth
annual <a href="http://bilotta.com/art-table-2015/" target="_blank"><b>Art of the Table</b></a> at the New York <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://bilotta.com/" target="_blank">Bilotta Kitchens</a>’</b> showroom, one of five designers each assigned one of the
permanent kitchen displays, each more gorgeous than the next even empty.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">We were each tasked with bringing our own stylistic twists
and turns to the spaces, with table top choices, art, and accessories. We
couldn’t make any structural changes (basically, anything already built-in had
to stay that way), so it all depended on what we had borrowed, bought, trucked
in, hung up, propped, arranged, set or leaned to tell a compelling, if not
somewhat fantasy-based story, helping visitors see the kitchens in a whole new
light. Basically a styling assignment, but not unlike working within the
confines of bringing a room to life in a rental, or working with a client itching
for change yet not yet ready, willing or able to renovate.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcV8E7en2E/VjFb7m_BgaI/AAAAAAAAEI4/sE4J8L1I-6I/s1600/Prouna_PlatinumLeaves_Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcV8E7en2E/VjFb7m_BgaI/AAAAAAAAEI4/sE4J8L1I-6I/s320/Prouna_PlatinumLeaves_Dinner.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The other major given, too, was the table setting: event co-sponsor <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prouna</b></a>, a purveyor of luxury stemware,
flatware, and fine bone china, much of it encrusted with a glittering scatter
of Swarovski crystals (yes, you can eat off them... just hand-wash, please!). Several
patterns seemed perfectly matched to this kitchen of icy, silvery and pewter
tones, some even cut of the same fine cloth as the kitchen’s pre-existing chandelier,
an exuberant orb of crystalline flowers (Prouna’s <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna/dinnerware/platinum-leaves.html" target="_blank"><b>Platinum Leaves</b></a> pattern, an early front runner, seemed made for this
kitchen, and that light.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">All great news, right? Well, yes and yes-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ish</i>. These, as they say, are all good
problems to have.</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
The kitchen I was given was by far the most traditional within the sleek
Bilotta space, and that’s not necessarily where I would start, even though I
really haven’t met a style I didn’t like (and I’ve done my own <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/before-after-a-gentlemans-work-119231" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">traditional kitchens</b></a> before without
issue, with a few more in the pipeline). The amazing array of Prouna’s pieces and
patterns from which to choose is also far more fanciful than I might consider
left to my own more modern and minimal devices. But I also love a challenge, the attraction of
opposites, and the game of “compare and contrast,” so I knew, right away, these
traditional (and, with elegant curves and a floral chandelier) somewhat
feminine beautiful bones would be getting some modern, masculine elements to
create the good kind of tension from which any room, fictional or family-friendly,
benefits.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5mIAky1QhCE/VjFYa6p5bEI/AAAAAAAAEIM/BCP_WY-3QkY/s1600/11999953_1016914891676095_1332124547_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5mIAky1QhCE/VjFYa6p5bEI/AAAAAAAAEIM/BCP_WY-3QkY/s400/11999953_1016914891676095_1332124547_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting point: The original Bilotta kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Color Story, Part 1...
and the “Divide by Two” Rule</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The first task to tackle was making my mark on the space
itself, and for that, I turned to my favorite tool in the toolbox: color. I
knew this blue-ish gray, white and brown kitchen would play well with almost
any kind of palette. But when I’m working with givens, I like to knit in rather
than purely layer on. So I came up with a plan that’s proven to make sense even
outside this kitchen: when faced with an existing color to add, work with or
around, see what happens when you break the main existing color into its two
biggest parts... so in this case, the predominately gray background was broken
into its two parts: black and white (a purple room could be split into red and
blue, as one example, a beige room broken into deep brown and pure white, another).
</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">When both black and white are used intentionally, I think the
effect can be strong, graphic and gutsy. I also knew bringing more white into
the kitchen would make the marble countertops and white tabletop seem like intentional
choices of my own, not just a bit of lucky and rich inheritance. (I’m a fan of what
I like to call “intentional white.” See how <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-signature-style-13-cues-from.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">here</b></a> and <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/05/about-coloring-outside-lines-design-on.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">here</b></a>, and stay
tuned for more!)</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTFWiZ_vFiY/VjFZ8IOExCI/AAAAAAAAEIY/LcgIMQQpYDY/s1600/getPart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTFWiZ_vFiY/VjFZ8IOExCI/AAAAAAAAEIY/LcgIMQQpYDY/s320/getPart.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Start (Again!) With
Art</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">With black and white as my first decision, the next one was
exactly how to bring it. I decided to take the “art” part of the “Art of the
Table” assignment very seriously, and start where I <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2010/07/about-nursery.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">often do</b></a>, especially when no client is on board: with art. Off to see
Christine Berry of <a href="http://berrycampbell.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Berry Campbell</b></a>
gallery I went, and she graciously let me raid the ample and inspiring storehouses
of their recently and gorgeously expanded Chelsea gallery.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Immediately, <a href="http://berrycampbell.com/artist/Ken_Greenleaf%20%28Represented%29/works/list/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ken Greenleaf’s</b></a> shaped canvases (non-rectilinear art a current and ongoing obsession,
sure to pick up more fans when the Frank Stella show comes to town later this
year) and Ken’s small-but-super-strong charcoal drawings felt like they’d
provide great contrast to the finer lines and sweeping arcs of the surrounding
cabinetry. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Done, and done, and the gracious Christine didn’t bat an eye when I
revealed I’d be hanging the main canvas above the stove, arguably the kitchen’s
focal point, although not the most traditional of places to hang a museum
quality piece! Ah, the fun of a fantasy installation, but in all seriousness,
not every gorgeous Manhattan kitchen always gets cooked in, so not that far in
the realm of folly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nebss9cdqsM/VjFa0cXFykI/AAAAAAAAEIg/VRAzgoF1vIo/s1600/Arteriors_Nyla.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nebss9cdqsM/VjFa0cXFykI/AAAAAAAAEIg/VRAzgoF1vIo/s320/Arteriors_Nyla.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To add to the art story, metal sculptures (another current
obsession), deceivingly high-end in appearance, but in reality, from the go-to
treasure troves of <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Arteriors Home</b></a></span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mRicilqxKuE/VjFuNsiVWwI/AAAAAAAAELk/fwrRR8GVa7Q/s1600/kitchen_020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mRicilqxKuE/VjFuNsiVWwI/AAAAAAAAELk/fwrRR8GVa7Q/s400/kitchen_020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The metal rings, a pair of their <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/shop/accessory/sculpt/product/6435?kobe-large-sculpture" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kobe sculptures</b></a>, created a giant graphic room divider on the
kitchen’s elegant curve of counter-height seating that suggested enclosure without shutting off the
space, while echoing, in a more industrial way, the cabinets’ interlocking
arcs.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Suddenly, a narrative framework emerged, one of an
art-driven modernist who’d inherited a classic kitchen (maybe in a great
Brooklyn brownstone), and other decisions started to fall into place. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWDb322jCOo/VjFbu_x7FRI/AAAAAAAAEIw/tiVv09p_cnw/s1600/Prouna_Pavo_PurpleRimSalad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nWDb322jCOo/VjFbu_x7FRI/AAAAAAAAEIw/tiVv09p_cnw/s320/Prouna_Pavo_PurpleRimSalad.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Color Story, Part 2 </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">While the framework was coming into focus, I started to
narrow down the china choices. While the Hemisphere pattern caught my eye
early, I also kept coming back to the <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna/dinnerware/pavo-silver.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pavo Silver</b></a>, and what turned out, at first, to be the sticking points for that
choice— an overall, nearly-Baroque, no-holds-barred pattern and its purplish,
lavender wash, both of which seemed distinctively NOT very “modernist” or (and
please pardon the gender assumptions) masculine— ended up being wonderful palette
inspiration. Hey, even a minimalist is allowed to get his bling on and set a
fancy table every now and then, and we’re entering the season of bounty where
fancy tables anchor family gathering and professional fetes... so why <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> let my fictional modernist in on the
fun? Plus, “fancy” is what Prouna does best. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKEtajvVMR0/VjFcWHdjdnI/AAAAAAAAEJA/yfJTYA70mvc/s1600/Prouna_PavoSilver_Dessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="395" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DKEtajvVMR0/VjFcWHdjdnI/AAAAAAAAEJA/yfJTYA70mvc/s400/Prouna_PavoSilver_Dessert.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> That lavender wash (and a deeper,
richer purple rim on the bread and butter and salad plates) made me realize
that the range of purples, from aubergine to amethyst, lavender to mauve, would
be a perfect yet unexpected color choice... what could be more modern than
that? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mo22IT1DQ0c/VjFwS1vT7aI/AAAAAAAAELw/kTURE9eihgg/s1600/BerryCampbell_PerleFine_CoolSeries%252312FiercelyRemote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mo22IT1DQ0c/VjFwS1vT7aI/AAAAAAAAELw/kTURE9eihgg/s400/BerryCampbell_PerleFine_CoolSeries%252312FiercelyRemote.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The heroically scaled <i>Fiercely Remote</i>, by Perle Fine, courtesy Berry Campbell, was tucked into the Butler's pantry, and provided more color reinforcement, knitting together the room's range of purples.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2qARGATRg8/VjFgqQ3QDWI/AAAAAAAAEJM/2vnjZ_q-1jM/s1600/details_b_022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a2qARGATRg8/VjFgqQ3QDWI/AAAAAAAAEJM/2vnjZ_q-1jM/s400/details_b_022.jpg" width="400" /></a> Amplifying What’s
There</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I do also very much like “bouncing the bones” of a room
further into it. Otherwise, you end with two pieces, and a split-personality, two awkward party guests with nothing in common to discuss. I still had two
components that needed bouncing to knit content and shell: those purples from the tabletop, and the deep
espresso base to the kitchen island, table and the closing curve of the cozy
banquette.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qGVKXmS5as/VjFr-OfXBgI/AAAAAAAAELQ/qUJSrZVJQLo/s1600/kitchen_d_065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2qGVKXmS5as/VjFr-OfXBgI/AAAAAAAAELQ/qUJSrZVJQLo/s400/kitchen_d_065.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To get purple into the room, I turned to my friends at
Thibaut: their <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://thibautdesign.com/catalog/product/details/product/shang_extra_fine_sisal_t41164/material/wallpaper/colorway/plum_86/" target="_blank">Shang Extra Fine grasscloth in Plum</a></b> lined the plate display area and the inside the
glass-fronted cabinets (the <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2015/05/about-theme-decorating-and-horse-of.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">second time</b></a>
I used the aptly-named Extra Fine paper, that reads more like silk than grass).</span><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To get the room’s brown further integrated into the add-on layer, I turned to
accessories, layering on great African pieces </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(that echoed
the Greenleaf angles) </span></span>courtesy Bruce Tilley’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://decornyc.com/" target="_blank">Décor NYC</a></b>, and tortoiseshell, from my own collection and from Pottery
Barn, votives used as water glasses,
and hurricanes used in the cabinets.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xbE0i3th6_s/VjFhhRaF56I/AAAAAAAAEJc/S_Yd9JnNFzY/s1600/details_d_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xbE0i3th6_s/VjFhhRaF56I/AAAAAAAAEJc/S_Yd9JnNFzY/s400/details_d_075.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Falling for Fall</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I’m a self-professed sucker for fall. So once pheasants
appeared on the Pavo plates, I helplessly fell for fall: this would be a
decidedly autumn table. But can you create autumn in an ice-toned room more
suited for a Doctor Zhivago, totally-Frozen fantasy? I say yes! Like <a href="http://www.nehomemag.com/blog/patrick-j-hamilton-modern-fall" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">bringing the cozy autumn aesthetic to a modern space</b></a>, there are ways to bring a seasonal vibe with nary a pumpkin
or pilgrim in sight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKwmXcrANWI/VjFh3notquI/AAAAAAAAEJk/-05zVsShVNw/s1600/hg123385-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pKwmXcrANWI/VjFh3notquI/AAAAAAAAEJk/-05zVsShVNw/s400/hg123385-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The amazing <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/accessories/tabletop/pheasant-feather-mat-1.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">pheasant-feather placemats</b></a> from my friends at <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jayson Home</b></a>, their feathers a real-life relative to the ones on the fanciful
plates, layered the table with a scatter of color like a base of autumn leaves,
their circles a perfect “bounce” of the circles already ringing the space. More
pieces from Jayson Home, in <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/rectangular-horn-tray-and-bowl-with-spoon.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">horn</b></a> and
<a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/petrified-wood-nut-bowl.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">petrified wood</b></a>, added more autumn
and bounced those browns deeper into the space. </span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mrI0XfMAYCY/VjFiBGeLs9I/AAAAAAAAEJs/85CIBZHpJ9Q/s1600/GregEndries_Dimitri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mrI0XfMAYCY/VjFiBGeLs9I/AAAAAAAAEJs/85CIBZHpJ9Q/s320/GregEndries_Dimitri.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stay Open to
Inspiration</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Even a strict and solid design plan benefits from an open
eye. In the midst of planning, with most pieces in play, some yet-to-be
determined, I clicked on an email from <a href="http://danielcooneyfineart.com/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Daniel Cooney Fine Art</b></a>, heralding one of their frequent online iGavel auctions.
The image that greeted me stopped me in my tracks and quickened my pulse: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.gregendries.com/#/genre/photography" target="_blank">Greg Endries</a>’</b> “Dimitry,” an edgy (I
don’t always love that word, but sometimes it truly fits!) image stared back at
me from my email. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The mix of the earthy background, the surprising elegance and
modern-baroque of the all-over tattoo, the chic tone-on-tone Louis Vuitton
scarf and black leather jacket... even the touch of purple at the lips and
coppery-brown sweep of hair... spoke to everything I was hoping this room would
be, both color- and vibe-wise. That all-over pattern of his facial tattoo also found
a surprising counterpoint to the pattern of the china, a modern Baroque motif
that created the room’s “New Kind of Elegant” title.</span><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nim9BWs83A/VjFjpeCHH1I/AAAAAAAAEKQ/cVNXpPy6yK8/s1600/details_015%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4nim9BWs83A/VjFjpeCHH1I/AAAAAAAAEKQ/cVNXpPy6yK8/s400/details_015%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Suddenly, I found the masculine muse this room needed, and
whether the subject was the fictional owner or one of his collected works, I
knew he needed to hold pride of place (Greg graciously agreed, and <a href="http://stevenamedee.com/coming-soon/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Steven Amedee Fine Custom Framing</b></a> came
to the last-minute rescue). </span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It proves that ANY interior scheme is an organic process,
subject to midstream twists and turns, and this late arrival crystallized all other choices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-of1cFZ59MSQ/VjFi4CKcV8I/AAAAAAAAEJ4/Zeup1Pnzm9k/s1600/details_g_151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-of1cFZ59MSQ/VjFi4CKcV8I/AAAAAAAAEJ4/Zeup1Pnzm9k/s400/details_g_151.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tricking the
Traditional</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Along the way, I also leaned on some other tricks to take
any possible fussiness out of a traditional scheme, while still being inspired
by it: an organic layer, a mix of high and low, shape and scale, and repeated
geometry.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8avfcV7SZ8U/VjFjHjfUq8I/AAAAAAAAEKA/WnFr59QTK9M/s1600/details_d_095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8avfcV7SZ8U/VjFjHjfUq8I/AAAAAAAAEKA/WnFr59QTK9M/s400/details_d_095.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> What holds its own against the finely crafted man-made? Organic elements— rock
crystal, horn, petrified wood, the stunning feathered pillows courtesy <a href="http://dransfieldandross.biz/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dransfield & Ross</b></a>, even the styling
choices of eggplants and chestnuts— all related to pieces already in the room,
and provided their own strong punctuation (My favorite detail: rock crystal
pieces from Jayson Home used as knife rests!) Pottery Barn glassware and pillows mixed high and low at the
table. All these choices keep any potential pretentiousness at bay, like balancing the sweetness of a dish with a more acidic wine
selection. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The ornate quilting of the Pottery Barn <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/caitilin-quilted-pillow-cover/?pkey=call-new&&call-new" target="_blank"><b>Caitilin</b></a> pillows also mimicked the overhead light fixture and Platinum Leaves plates used on the plate display shelves.</span><br />
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John Lyle’s <a href="http://johnlylecreate.com/shannon.html" target="_blank"><b>Shannon</b></a> floor lamps stood
like sentinels while bringing architectural presence with their strong, graphic
shapes. An underpinning of repeated and simplified geometry also amplified
built-in details (the Greenleaf pieces a bridge to the earthy zebra-hide stool). Around the room’s edges, china choices became more graphic
and simplified, Prouna’s <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/brand/prouna/dinnerware/origin.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Origin</b></a>
line, creating graphic moments while keeping the focus on the table.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Modern Florals</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Another trick to keeping a traditional tabletop or styling scheme
fresh and unfussy: simplified floral arrangements that let single blooms really
shine, keeping the emphasis on color and shape. Talented friend Matthew Kusniar picked
materials to be perfect counterpoint or partner to colors and shapes and materials in the
room, bringing feathery lavender mums to the table, their dome of color having
a happy conversation with both the overhead fixture and the placemats. On the built-in sideboard, white
and purple calla lilies mimicked the horns that also appeared frequently
throughout the space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Overall, with styling tricks and some gorgeous layers, it
all just proves to me that when you get the envelope right (like Bilotta did), you can pretty much
put anything in it to suit your taste, mood and style. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It also proves that it's all about the mix: modern and traditional, urban and organic, masculine and feminine, and the mix is where the energy comes from: like a great brownstone filled with contemporary
art and mid-century furnishings, each is all the better for the contrast. You
end up noticing the traditional elements (in this case, a great zinc and marble
hood, overlapping circular moldings of the glass-front cabinets and plate
display niches) more with a modern layer than you might with an all-out
traditional scheme.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Thanks to all the amazing partners for making my Art of the
Table appearance possible!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Kitchen Design: <a href="http://bilotta.com/" target="_blank">Bilotta</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Dinnerware, Serveware, Flatware, Stemware: <a href="https://www.kiyasa.com/" target="_blank">Prouna </a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Media partner, Art of the Table: Traditional Home </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Backsplash Tile: <a href="http://www.artistictile.com/" target="_blank">Artistic Tile</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wallcovering: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://thibautdesign.com/catalog/product/details/product/shang_extra_fine_sisal_t41164/material/wallpaper/colorway/plum_86/" target="_blank">Thibaut</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Paintings and works on paper: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://berrycampbell.com/" target="_blank">Berry Campbell</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo portrait, "Dimitry," </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.gregendries.com/#/genre/photography" target="_blank">Greg Endries</a></span></span>, framed by </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://stevenamedee.com/coming-soon/" target="_blank">Steven Amedee Fine Custom Framing</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Standing Polished Bronze Lamps: <a href="http://johnlylecreate.com/index.html" target="_blank">John Lyle Design</a><br />
Floral Design: Matthew Kusniar, NYC<br />
Metal Sculptures: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank">Arteriors Home</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">African Masks: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://decornyc.com/" target="_blank">Decor NYC</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Feathered Pillows: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/home.asp" target="_blank">Dransfield & Ross</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Candles: <a href="http://www.fivestripes.com/Default.asp" target="_blank">Fivestripes</a><br />
Candelabra: <a href="http://switchmodern.com/">SwitchModern.com</a><br />
Placemats: <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank">Jayson Home</a><br />
Beaded Napkin Rings: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/home.asp" target="_blank">Dransfield & Ross</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Agate Coasters: <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank">Jayson Home</a><br />
Horn Decorative Items: </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank">Arteriors Home</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Petrified Wood Bowl, Horn Serving Items, Crystals, Serving Trays: <a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank">Jayson Home</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tortoise Accessories and Velvet Pillow Covers: <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/?cm_type=gnav" target="_blank">Pottery Barn</a><br />
Napkins: Crate & Barrel</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Metal Obelisks: Williams-Sonoma Home</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Installation and tabletop shots: <a href="http://www.jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort </a></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Get the look! See items included in, and inspired by my "New Kind of Elegant" kitchen and "Autumn Aubergine" tabletop on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/art-of-the-table-a-new-kind-of-elegant/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. </i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick">Twitter</a>.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i> </i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-1709727951393091262015-06-06T00:46:00.000-04:002017-01-12T13:10:40.764-05:00...about upstairs, downstairs, step by step, on the heels of a Diva: Kips Bay 2015.<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hvyWZN4X_Y/VXJbS4z3xRI/AAAAAAAAD5E/WWr5rQIphhQ/s1600/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8hvyWZN4X_Y/VXJbS4z3xRI/AAAAAAAAD5E/WWr5rQIphhQ/s400/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_40.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the 2004 concert staging of Leonard Bernstein's <i>Candide</i>, Kristin Chenoweth starts her
number by telling Patti Lupone, who immediately precedes her, to get off the
stage. “I stay,” she says. “You go. Mine!” she chirps at the larger-than-life
Lupone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The audience ate it up with a spoon, and Lupone milked it for every inch,
strolling off stage, nearly dragging the spotlight with her. Chenoweth, of
course, ultimately more than holds her own, but truth is, not even a
full-fledged star likes to follow a full-blown Diva.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s a little like that at the 2015 <b><a href="http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/" target="_blank">Kips Bay Decorator Show House</a></b>. Last year’s tour-de-force was
a real design milestone in the 43 year span of this grande dame’s run, a
stunning collection of gargantuan rooms and some of the most over-the-top
creative work by the likes of <a href="http://www.juanmontoyadesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Juan Montoya</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.ingrao.com/" target="_blank">Ingrao Inc.</a></b>, <a href="http://www.martynlawrencebullard.com/" target="_blank"><b>Martyn Lawrence Bullard</b></a>, <a href="http://www.markhampton.com/" target="_blank"><b>Alexa Hampton</b></a> and <a href="http://johndouglaseason.com/" target="_blank"><b>John Douglas Eason</b></a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was the <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-haute-and-haunting-and-day-at.html" target="_blank"><b>hautest of the haute</b></a> couture,
driven largely by the stunning shell in which it all unfolded, one of the storied
and legendary Villard Houses. And while this year was still more bespoke and
Savile Row than <i>prêt-a-porter</i>, it
certainly was a more livable, relatable space where you didn’t have to stretch
your mind muscles quite as far to find take-home tips or relatable rooms compared to last year. <br /><br />How do you follow a diva? Doing what Kips Bay is known for: quintessential "Upper East" old-school decorating, and that's the script most followed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 22 design world stars this year played their roles well,
and the house still entertains, but it’s way more Chenoweth than Lupone:
lighter, breezier, not as deeply serious, intimidating or avant-garde as last
year’s. It’s still highly entertaining, with plenty of brilliance, wit and
design bravura. While there might not be a $1 million dollar fireplace screen like
last year, it’s still every bit a show house, albeit far more Bernstein
Broadway than Wagnerian opera, and still very much worth the ticket price, $35
to benefit the <a href="http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/" target="_blank"><b>Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club</b></a>. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjKGeS1CTv4/VXJaZlXRA4I/AAAAAAAAD48/IQfRLgQVrPA/s1600/KBSH_Stairway_108.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjKGeS1CTv4/VXJaZlXRA4I/AAAAAAAAD48/IQfRLgQVrPA/s400/KBSH_Stairway_108.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The house returned to its roots in a way, ensconced in a typical East Side mansion. But “typical” in these parts still means five
floors, outdoor spaces, a never-ending oval of a showstopper staircase, grand and
ample rooms, and a cool $35 million price tag, even before the designer
trappings that came together in a nearly-miraculous four weeks from start to
finish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The location, the Gilded Age Arthur Sachs mansion, feels
like a well-preserved house that’s been spared the often brutal surgeon’s knife
of never-ending reworkings, but in fact, the mansion experienced a
light-handed but total gut renovation, designed by Henry Jessup of <b><a href="http://hsjessup.com/" target="_blank">HS Jessup Architecture</a>,</b> and finished by <a href="http://www.interiormanagement.com/" target="_blank"><b>Interior Management, Inc.</b></a>
just moments before opening its doors to the Kips Bay decorators.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Throughout, serendipity and coincidence lend the home a surprising
continuity not always found in show houses, and in that continuity, trends of
note and patterns worth repeating.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eErti0OVJes/VXJcUVivHPI/AAAAAAAAD5k/dXnkyxZNq3k/s1600/KBSH_McMillen_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eErti0OVJes/VXJcUVivHPI/AAAAAAAAD5k/dXnkyxZNq3k/s400/KBSH_McMillen_18.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0CWALwtl1g/VXJqPb2Y27I/AAAAAAAAECw/kFaqyC8nWf8/s1600/KBSH_McMillen_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a0CWALwtl1g/VXJqPb2Y27I/AAAAAAAAECw/kFaqyC8nWf8/s400/KBSH_McMillen_13.jpg" width="266" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With only the fewest of exceptions (foyer, first-floor and top-floor landings,
a Keith Haring tiled powder room, and <a href="http://www.mcmilleninc.com/"><b>McMillen Inc.'s</b></a> spare homage to Rio in an upstairs
bedroom) the décor is largely all- or mostly-traditional. Even some of the less
traditional rooms (by <a href="http://www.pavarinidesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Charles Pavarini</b></a>,
<a href="http://www.alantanksley.com/" target="_blank"><b>Alan Tanskley</b></a>, and <a href="http://www.thomfilicia.com/" target="_blank"><b>Thom Filicia</b></a>) feel settled in, yielding
a net effect that’s vaguely vintage rather than brand-spanking new, and giving
the house the illusion that one owner (with some serious designer assistance)
brought these rooms to life over the years rather than cutting it all off one
bolt of toile or chintz. And while not to the degree of the <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-quiet-and-loud-and-everywhere.html" target="_blank"><b>2013 house</b></a>, it does give visitors a
lovely tour through time, although through a designer’s prism, not a slavish re-creation.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J0U6L_cZ5Y4/VXJb82OSwJI/AAAAAAAAD5M/8NUKGsbFXks/s1600/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J0U6L_cZ5Y4/VXJb82OSwJI/AAAAAAAAD5M/8NUKGsbFXks/s400/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_44.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you track this house for trend, there were plenty that cut through: Murals are back, gray's
still the neutral <i>du jour</i>, plaid is <i>en pointe</i>, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">African and tribal art is <i>au
currant</i></span></span>, and the rabbits of Hunt Slonem are still running strong. Palm fronds, whether Golden Girls lush or Chrysler
Building sharp, offer the ultimate design escape. Salon-style hangings are still amping up art collections. Patterns are
meant to be mixed. Cheery, cherry red is making a juicy comeback, thanks to Red
Queen <a href="http://branca.com/" target="_blank"><b>Alessandra Branca</b></a> and LA
designer <a href="http://markdsikes.com/" target="_blank"><b>Mark D. Sikes</b></a>. Art Deco has
been refreshed with a lighter hand, and, it seems, every room should be designed for
multi-function, and one of those functions should be a bar. Another somewhat surprising repeat apperance: every single bed in
the house had some variation of tester or canopy, whether linear and spare or draped
and enveloping.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l70DgkcoZG0/VXJeD1OPh8I/AAAAAAAAD6s/g-_1pNuxyXQ/s1600/KBSH_CharlesPavarini_46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l70DgkcoZG0/VXJeD1OPh8I/AAAAAAAAD6s/g-_1pNuxyXQ/s400/KBSH_CharlesPavarini_46.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The men of the house turned it out in buttoned-up fashion. Alan
Tanksley and Kips Bay veteran Charles Pavarini both let their architectural
roots show while letting their artistic flags fly, Pavarini with a metal-leafed
wall of <a href="http://www.annsacks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ann Sacks</b></a> travertine, a
stretched-membrane ceiling in his closet-turned bar and stunning
shagreen-embossed leather drapery (crafted by <a href="http://www.anthonylawrence.com/" target="_blank"><b>Anthony Lawrence Belfair</b></a>), Tanksley with a fog-shrouded Deco-esque
mural on the interior of the sloped mansard roof.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thom Filicia’s multifunction “modern library” also had a
foggy palette of mixed patterns with a modern menswear vibe. Filicia’s art was
some of the house’s gutsiest, if you were to separate the private rooms from the
public circulation areas of <a href="http://www.ronaldbricke.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ronald J. Bricke</b></a>,
<a href="http://paulamartha.com/" target="_blank"><b>Paula + Martha</b></a>, and <a href="http://philipmitchelldesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Philip Mitchell</b></a>, all three largely art
driven.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnq9trSQSkI/VXJfOa9_pUI/AAAAAAAAD7w/NiVYAH6caeY/s1600/KBSH_ThomFilicia_34.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bnq9trSQSkI/VXJfOa9_pUI/AAAAAAAAD7w/NiVYAH6caeY/s400/KBSH_ThomFilicia_34.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Filica wasn’t the only one to use gray. It showed up in a light to mid-range
value on the toile-inspired stairwell wall covering (a
surprisingly unifying backdrop for Mitchell’s two+ floors of floor-to-ceiling
artwork, a stellar example of the staggering skills of insider secret <a href="http://ilevel.biz/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw7r-rBRDE_dXtgLz9-e4BEiQATeKG7BROG3vigZ5kXGuFsti2fjosg2asEcaSGlk35I9Dqt8aAhQS8P8HAQ" target="_blank"><b>iLevel</b></a>) and to an elusive deep and warm
gray (<b><a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/tanner%27s-brown//farrow-ball/fcp-product/100255" target="_blank">Tanner’s Brown</a></b>, from <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/#2" target="_blank"><b>Farrow & Ball</b></a>) on the <a href="http://peacockhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Christopher Peacock</b></a>
kitchen cabinets.</span></span> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CHbBynq3zvc/VXJgsbAVy7I/AAAAAAAAD8M/Sj65Es2Xm44/s1600/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CHbBynq3zvc/VXJgsbAVy7I/AAAAAAAAD8M/Sj65Es2Xm44/s400/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_39.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7-EP3aHGVAA/VXJg5qnlU8I/AAAAAAAAD8U/LITpbIG6OSg/s1600/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7-EP3aHGVAA/VXJg5qnlU8I/AAAAAAAAD8U/LITpbIG6OSg/s400/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_41.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jzp5vepg-w/VXJhHa1q5TI/AAAAAAAAD8c/3Vf-J8nU9NU/s1600/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jzp5vepg-w/VXJhHa1q5TI/AAAAAAAAD8c/3Vf-J8nU9NU/s400/KBSH_PhilipMitchell_42.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Plaid dotted the house, starting with the room-commanding,
custom-colored <a href="http://www.akdo.com/" target="_blank"><b>AKDO</b></a> tile backdrop (one of several places this boutique tile house's intricate offerings glistened) applied
on the bias in the Christopher Peacock-designed, <a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/" target="_blank"><b>House Beautiful</b></a>-sponsored and <a href="http://silestone.com/" target="_blank"><b>Silestone</b></a>-clad
kitchen, which Peacock himself said was more “a living room you cook in.” Even
his oversized lanterns threw shadows of plaid onto the room's ceiling. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yTKAR13hoj8/VXJheNdJuTI/AAAAAAAAD8k/kc-K0_MedN4/s1600/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_95.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yTKAR13hoj8/VXJheNdJuTI/AAAAAAAAD8k/kc-K0_MedN4/s400/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_95.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vEfnYL02wSA/VXJhiwcjtbI/AAAAAAAAD8s/h7y-mcepGVI/s1600/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vEfnYL02wSA/VXJhiwcjtbI/AAAAAAAAD8s/h7y-mcepGVI/s400/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_97.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jc_u327DW0/VXJ6fjOeb3I/AAAAAAAAEFs/pGf3HPztpnk/s1600/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_99.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2jc_u327DW0/VXJ6fjOeb3I/AAAAAAAAEFs/pGf3HPztpnk/s400/KBSH_ChristopherPeacock_99.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Upstairs,
Alessandra Branca deftly mixed tartan into a sea of refreshed and exotic
botanicals and ticking stripe, and on another floor, <a href="http://www.davidphoenix.com/" target="_blank"><b>David Phoenix</b></a> cocooned the man’s master bedroom with a pale gray-and-tan tartan
that struck the perfect masculine/feminine, winter/summer balance, grounding
the flighty, trippy and metallic Damien Hirst butterflies.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ic0e46F_t8A/VXJjHnTnPZI/AAAAAAAAD-s/VtjSZFdy8ME/s1600/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_66.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ic0e46F_t8A/VXJjHnTnPZI/AAAAAAAAD-s/VtjSZFdy8ME/s400/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_66.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NRneschj2do/VXJc3nyoNNI/AAAAAAAAD58/vNbtne0zXvU/s1600/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_69.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NRneschj2do/VXJc3nyoNNI/AAAAAAAAD58/vNbtne0zXvU/s400/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_69.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FY4CeT6mm4s/VXJi8NfcPVI/AAAAAAAAD-E/U90RRNeWMXI/s1600/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_60.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FY4CeT6mm4s/VXJi8NfcPVI/AAAAAAAAD-E/U90RRNeWMXI/s400/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_60.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F0vCbWh9sQ/VXJlnTAAo0I/AAAAAAAAD_4/lfVYlxdFDM8/s1600/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--F0vCbWh9sQ/VXJlnTAAo0I/AAAAAAAAD_4/lfVYlxdFDM8/s400/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_51.jpg" width="266" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLmz_q4Tk84/VXJluPJUKAI/AAAAAAAAEAQ/pswuWtSkJCY/s1600/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_56.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SLmz_q4Tk84/VXJluPJUKAI/AAAAAAAAEAQ/pswuWtSkJCY/s400/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_56.jpg" width="266" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59Bq7viBHwQ/VXJlsIlRRoI/AAAAAAAAEAI/wPo2_GNCjwY/s400/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_55.jpg" width="266" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T6G2Dduk75k/VXJlkv7bf6I/AAAAAAAAD_o/avbBQYfQjes/s400/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_53.jpg" width="266" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIfYq_8rwGM/VXJlwCoaWPI/AAAAAAAAEAY/9usnYBpSsAI/s1600/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zIfYq_8rwGM/VXJlwCoaWPI/AAAAAAAAEAY/9usnYBpSsAI/s400/KBSH_DavidPhoenix_57.jpg" width="266" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With those tartans leading the charge, it was a good year for geometrics in a
house often known for chintz and cabbage roses, with an exuberant use of overscaled
but picnic-ready gingham in Mark D. Sikes’s vote-splitting formal dining room (showing off his
own wicker line for <a href="http://www.soane.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>Soane Britain</b></a>,
Sikes being the first American to design for the UK company). </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7awcLTblg8/VXJihXpmWTI/AAAAAAAAD90/JP18rhsROrs/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_81.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O7awcLTblg8/VXJihXpmWTI/AAAAAAAAD90/JP18rhsROrs/s400/KBSH_MarkDSikes_81.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z7pExG1mfqo/VXJiTmUv6AI/AAAAAAAAD9E/V3kudxzQaKk/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_73.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3SkIVCOnaU/VXJiT4nBPQI/AAAAAAAAD9I/9wWmKtrAUG8/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v3SkIVCOnaU/VXJiT4nBPQI/AAAAAAAAD9I/9wWmKtrAUG8/s400/KBSH_MarkDSikes_74.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C-GKvacVWE0/VXJicNGkbLI/AAAAAAAAD9k/BAiGiosf8d8/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C-GKvacVWE0/VXJicNGkbLI/AAAAAAAAD9k/BAiGiosf8d8/s400/KBSH_MarkDSikes_77.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pPQMWnBbnnQ/VXJnbPlr9cI/AAAAAAAAEAk/UlP1NN5Mcr4/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_TiltonFenwick_80.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pPQMWnBbnnQ/VXJnbPlr9cI/AAAAAAAAEAk/UlP1NN5Mcr4/s400/KBSH_MarkDSikes_TiltonFenwick_80.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4gVfeU58LM/VXJncgxU0iI/AAAAAAAAEAs/Oucr3m1gEBQ/s1600/KBSH_MarkDSikes_TiltonFenwick_82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4gVfeU58LM/VXJncgxU0iI/AAAAAAAAEAs/Oucr3m1gEBQ/s400/KBSH_MarkDSikes_TiltonFenwick_82.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Geometry took a more organic, global turn, with Sikes' paisley, and <a href="http://tiltonfenwick.com/" target="_blank"><b>Tilton Fenwick’s</b></a> own hand-block-inspired <a href="http://www.duralee.com/Duralee/Duralee-Fabric/Product/21075-250.htm?query=zulla&extra=" target="_blank"><b>Zulla</b></a> fabric for <a href="http://www.duralee.com/" target="_blank"><b>Duralee</b></a>, covering the walls in their
tricky-but-tamed back stair landing, featuring a silk purse of a solution to
the room’s sow’s ear of wiring: raised conduits used as chair rail, softened
with <a href="http://www.houles.com/" target="_blank"><b>Houlés</b></a> fringe trim.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oSRDAEgrO1E/VXJoVyxMPvI/AAAAAAAAEBc/LvHhBP1HKRY/s1600/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_83.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oSRDAEgrO1E/VXJoVyxMPvI/AAAAAAAAEBc/LvHhBP1HKRY/s400/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_83.jpg" width="265" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAcnCCr1ufA/VXJnfi-j-7I/AAAAAAAAEA0/QjAbq_qrSBc/s1600/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAcnCCr1ufA/VXJnfi-j-7I/AAAAAAAAEA0/QjAbq_qrSBc/s400/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_84.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1BiEQcT-Te0/VXJnlsUKL_I/AAAAAAAAEBE/Xgh44gWPzZg/s1600/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1BiEQcT-Te0/VXJnlsUKL_I/AAAAAAAAEBE/Xgh44gWPzZg/s400/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_86.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bP1Ju_845zM/VXJnpweMknI/AAAAAAAAEBU/foBPnb_cylw/s1600/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bP1Ju_845zM/VXJnpweMknI/AAAAAAAAEBU/foBPnb_cylw/s400/KBSH_TiltonFenwick_88.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Global influences weren’t limited to the Best Marigold
Hotel-evocative Tilton Fenwick space. Ceramic giraffe-head vessels commanded Tanksley’s
layered room, which also referenced Greece, a nod to the room’s inspiration, Alexa
Hampton’s Greek-born husband. The expedition</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> continued with </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Branca's </span></span>beaded
and feathered African headdresses.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlhYlJJTBKo/VXJo6GWm8dI/AAAAAAAAEBk/GiI2ddGLBPk/s1600/KBSH_Tanksley_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlhYlJJTBKo/VXJo6GWm8dI/AAAAAAAAEBk/GiI2ddGLBPk/s400/KBSH_Tanksley_01.jpg" width="265" /></a> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcHWiDvb8w/VXJpHWHm3vI/AAAAAAAAEBs/SHR_55sN4aI/s1600/KBSH_Tanksley_06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PXcHWiDvb8w/VXJpHWHm3vI/AAAAAAAAEBs/SHR_55sN4aI/s400/KBSH_Tanksley_06.jpg" width="266" /></a> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AmiYjUhTk7o/VXJj9jrd3wI/AAAAAAAAD_U/_Ehl0OrxTLU/s1600/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_70.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AmiYjUhTk7o/VXJj9jrd3wI/AAAAAAAAD_U/_Ehl0OrxTLU/s400/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_70.jpg" width="264" /></a> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The elegant Hers bedroom by <a href="http://cathy-kincaid.com/" target="_blank"><b>Cathy Kincaid</b></a> featured a grand tour’s
worth of souvenirs, Asian and otherwise.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LffnGUdGDQM/VXJpeYFZVFI/AAAAAAAAEB0/xQOB5SOA0xU/s1600/KBSH_CathyKincaid_19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LffnGUdGDQM/VXJpeYFZVFI/AAAAAAAAEB0/xQOB5SOA0xU/s400/KBSH_CathyKincaid_19.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ef3y-aNDOZM/VXJpkih81vI/AAAAAAAAECU/Q3HDxDpxkZI/s1600/KBSH_CathyKincaid_24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ef3y-aNDOZM/VXJpkih81vI/AAAAAAAAECU/Q3HDxDpxkZI/s320/KBSH_CathyKincaid_24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5SDaC1cFFw/VXJpiZRrDTI/AAAAAAAAECM/eY-AckMrkbI/s1600/KBSH_CathyKincaid_23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5SDaC1cFFw/VXJpiZRrDTI/AAAAAAAAECM/eY-AckMrkbI/s400/KBSH_CathyKincaid_23.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pTRjWLKmS8o/VXJpm59LivI/AAAAAAAAECc/Hg6msGNte_Y/s1600/KBSH_CathyKincaid_25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pTRjWLKmS8o/VXJpm59LivI/AAAAAAAAECc/Hg6msGNte_Y/s400/KBSH_CathyKincaid_25.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The globetrotting continued to Brasil in McMillen Inc.’s roof-deck-adjacent bedroom, and <a href="http://www.mydesignermichael.com/" target="_blank"><b>Michael Herold’s</b></a> deep, dark and dramatic but TINY space, taken to the tropics with
the <a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/en/" target="_blank"><b>Cole & Son</b></a> <b><a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/en/collection-new-contemporary/wallpaper-66/2014/" target="_blank">Palm Leaves</a></b> wallpaper,
all very Midnight in the <i>Jungle</i> of
Good an Evil.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ddEA_Qx3suY/VXJqRUqAGoI/AAAAAAAAEC4/kihbHLBdYcA/s1600/KBSH_McMillen_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ddEA_Qx3suY/VXJqRUqAGoI/AAAAAAAAEC4/kihbHLBdYcA/s400/KBSH_McMillen_15.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPka0VTA4_4/VXJqXAC398I/AAAAAAAAEDI/omeJwH8J-8w/s1600/KBSH_McMillen_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fPka0VTA4_4/VXJqXAC398I/AAAAAAAAEDI/omeJwH8J-8w/s400/KBSH_McMillen_16.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggb7TuhqwsE/VXJqdhGhohI/AAAAAAAAEDY/Z6X8zVix5d0/s1600/KBSH_MichaelHerold_27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ggb7TuhqwsE/VXJqdhGhohI/AAAAAAAAEDY/Z6X8zVix5d0/s400/KBSH_MichaelHerold_27.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCvZIppVkHg/VXJqeFCmplI/AAAAAAAAEDg/4L6XW88rSuo/s1600/KBSH_MichaelHerold_26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCvZIppVkHg/VXJqeFCmplI/AAAAAAAAEDg/4L6XW88rSuo/s400/KBSH_MichaelHerold_26.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While last year’s house had a Whitney-worthy collection of public-scaled art
with a capital A, this year’s house made art, with a welcome trend toward sculpture,
a far more personal endeavor. And while Filicia upped the ante with a man-sized
(and -shaped) piece, smaller-scaled works of wood, plaster, stone and metal
showed up in Tanksley’s aerie, Branca’s lush tablescapes, Bricke’s yin-yang
of a stair landing, and Paula + Martha's mobius ribbon floating above the stairwell. But nowhere was the sculpture more personal than in
Pavarini’s hands: the multiple skyscraper pieces were an ode to his grandfather, the
start of his own architectural leanings.</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hmg8wPEPhIg/VXJrxjgUJwI/AAAAAAAAED4/OMwxXXoqWio/s1600/KBSH_ThomFilicia_31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hmg8wPEPhIg/VXJrxjgUJwI/AAAAAAAAED4/OMwxXXoqWio/s400/KBSH_ThomFilicia_31.jpg" width="266" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZa20wJlPNQ/VXJrnkuP2ZI/AAAAAAAAEDw/elHEy8Spgak/s1600/KBSH_Tanksley_05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CZa20wJlPNQ/VXJrnkuP2ZI/AAAAAAAAEDw/elHEy8Spgak/s400/KBSH_Tanksley_05.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7wNw2xQVZ4/VXJrjffzKrI/AAAAAAAAEDo/UgY0v8-SF4Y/s1600/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_68.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l7wNw2xQVZ4/VXJrjffzKrI/AAAAAAAAEDo/UgY0v8-SF4Y/s400/KBSH_AlessandraBranca_68.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUlcQHsRJLc/VXJsQzy6IjI/AAAAAAAAEEI/m3ef4gF8R_4/s1600/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUlcQHsRJLc/VXJsQzy6IjI/AAAAAAAAEEI/m3ef4gF8R_4/s400/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_102.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps some of the most notable lessons of the house were
the importance of the “throwaway space,” and the value of imbuing even modest rooms
with multifunction. Almost every landing and elevator vestibule was designed
to stop traffic, not just move it. Tilton Fenwick created their perfect
roost for cocktails and gossip (evocative of <a href="http://dineenarchitecture.com/" target="_blank"><b>Dineen Architecture’s</b></a> drinks
lounge from <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-quiet-and-loud-and-everywhere.html" target="_blank">2013</a></b>) from an awkward
back stair that might have otherwise been dissed and dismissed. And perhaps the
best space in the house? That walk-in closet-turned-geometric gem of </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Herold’s</span></span>, proving
yet again that some of the biggest moments in show houses take place in the
smallest of footprints.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for multifunction, Branca got a whole apartment’s worth of use (lounging,
dining, gaming, socializing, napping and more) by activating all four corners
of her room, while Filica and Tanksley turned office into a sitting room and
vice versa.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cj2VjSBM-_o/VXJs_QeDRcI/AAAAAAAAEEg/h0QpTxmZ0yA/s1600/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_104.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cj2VjSBM-_o/VXJs_QeDRcI/AAAAAAAAEEg/h0QpTxmZ0yA/s400/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_104.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gsxEPtHlPk/VXJsUYRHwiI/AAAAAAAAEEY/ZKWmUoFoNeE/s1600/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gsxEPtHlPk/VXJsUYRHwiI/AAAAAAAAEEY/ZKWmUoFoNeE/s400/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_105.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-9pH1AvGQ8/VXJsQS_bEWI/AAAAAAAAEEA/FWwLtZdTaAw/s1600/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_101.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-9pH1AvGQ8/VXJsQS_bEWI/AAAAAAAAEEA/FWwLtZdTaAw/s400/KBSH_RonaldJBricke_101.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As in many show houses, the biggest risks displayed were not
from all-out design, but from quieter moments, none more spare than the top and
bottom (mostly) black-and-white brackets by Bricke below and Paula + Martha above, both
white-walled, and a true illustration of the oft-overused “curated.” When other
rooms jockey to outdo, isn’t minimalism, in a show house, a risk? Bricke put it
back in perspective, with a question: “Isn’t <i>everything</i> in design a risk?”</span></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kk0P0zg9qrc/VXJtPT_VpsI/AAAAAAAAEEo/A5wbM_A83mQ/s1600/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kk0P0zg9qrc/VXJtPT_VpsI/AAAAAAAAEEo/A5wbM_A83mQ/s400/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_10.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1fPPdeR_9Q/VXJtQ-8rtwI/AAAAAAAAEE0/PGg9dvt3btI/s1600/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x1fPPdeR_9Q/VXJtQ-8rtwI/AAAAAAAAEE0/PGg9dvt3btI/s400/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_11.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Sb50QIJxs/VXJtQxZ9TiI/AAAAAAAAEEw/s_d2_neQ-7w/s1600/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Sb50QIJxs/VXJtQxZ9TiI/AAAAAAAAEEw/s_d2_neQ-7w/s400/KBSH_Paula%252BMartha_12.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nu0EdyEWOMo/VXJtiVZR4SI/AAAAAAAAEFA/WDoczjhpXDI/s1600/KBSH_Stairway_107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nu0EdyEWOMo/VXJtiVZR4SI/AAAAAAAAEFA/WDoczjhpXDI/s400/KBSH_Stairway_107.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other lesson of the house: the most noted, complimented
and remembered element was not what was <i>brought</i> in, but rather what was
<i>built</i>-in: that compressed and elegant nautilus shell and star turn of a
staircase, which not even salon wall or opening night crush of well-heeled
guests seemed to upstage. It seems to prove that if you truly get the bones
right, even bones as seemingly low-key as the polished wood ribbon trailing up
towards the skylight-capped top floor, anything works around it, but nothing
outshines it. Perhaps the diva does always get the last laugh, and the curtain
call. Patti would approve.<br /><br /><i>The Kips Bay Decorator Show House is open to the public through June 11, 2015. </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick">Twitter</a>. </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>All photos: Patrick J. Hamilton</i></span></span></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-5098589689095712672015-05-04T00:51:00.000-04:002015-05-04T09:03:26.826-04:00...about small, dark and handsome: the adventurer’s lair, Design on a Dime 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwVBUT1AIBw/VUbqS-edxVI/AAAAAAAADy4/P_171zYyFWk/s1600/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xwVBUT1AIBw/VUbqS-edxVI/AAAAAAAADy4/P_171zYyFWk/s1600/patrick_hamilton_023.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Living, working and designing in Manhattan, I’m no stranger
to small spaces. And while, sure, I’d love to work with more square footage and
elbow room than New York living typically affords, there’s one small space I’ll
gladly tackle: a vignette at <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a>, the annual fundraiser for <a href="http://housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b>HousingWorks</b></a>. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even though each of the 55+ designers is given a diminutive 10 x 12’ space
(some with three walls, some with only two), and the booths exist for mere
moments, the event thrills for the design opportunity it affords, like a fleeting
flash mob of art , accessory, lighting, rugs, furnishings, paint and paper. The
goal is to wow, entertain, and entice shoppers, big time, in a super small
space.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the past two years (<a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/05/about-coloring-outside-lines-design-on.html" target="_blank"><b>2013</b></a>
and <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-signature-style-13-cues-from.html" target="_blank"><b>2014</b></a>), I had a GREAT time
flexing my color muscles, so my first instinct was to once again use color to
catch the eye of blogger, bigwig and (most of all) bargain hunter (all the
solicited merchandise is sold off at up to 70% off to benefit Housing Works).
The event’s April date also lends itself to a colorful burst, like spring blooms
returning to Central Park after a black-overcoated, overcast and drawn-out
winter.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I wanted to remain, well, <i>neutral</i>, (to keep it interesting for me,
and to keep people guessing about my design range), and for a few other reasons: One
of my all-time most popular blog posts was all <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2010/08/about-beige-bedroom.html" target="_blank"><b>about that</b> <b>beige</b></a>. Even<a href="http://ddbuilding.com/" target="_blank"> <b>D&D</b></a> showrooms known for color
report their biggest sales coming from creams, grays, taupes, tans, and yes,
even beiges. And at the time planning for Design on a Dime, I was in the midst
of a gentleman's all-charcoal master bedroom.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Neutrals get a bad rap for being default, safety net, or cop-out, but I wanted to
see if an intentional use of a palette devoid (mostly) of jewel tones,
primaries or pastels could still (</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">even in a competitive environment like Design on a Dime) </span></span>wow. But how? And, as practice for my own practice,
could the intentional use of neutrals make a small space live larger? Here’s
how I tried to bring sexy back, this year, to new neutrals. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bg7VGmQpzI/VUdrX9L5h5I/AAAAAAAAD3Q/JxI3cdvwiD8/s1600/tif18_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5bg7VGmQpzI/VUdrX9L5h5I/AAAAAAAAD3Q/JxI3cdvwiD8/s400/tif18_Crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Texture, and a Game
of Opposites</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Never is textural play more important than in a
monochromatic room, be it <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>emerald green</b></a>
or navy blue, but perhaps even moreso in a room of gunmetal gray. Starting with
walls of the oh-so-swank <b><a href="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/" target="_blank">Ralph Lauren Home</a>’s</b> Pearl Ray Shagreen wallcovering in Gun Metal (Ralph Lauren was this
year’s official wall sponsor, donating all of the paint and most of the
wallpapers), texture was pressed heavily into service. Even solid upholstery
colors (like on <a href="http://www.bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bernhardt</b></a>’s <a href="http://www.bernhardt.com/product/marcourt/sofas/banquette" target="_blank"><b>Marcourt banquette</b></a> and the sexy, SEXY <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/MAJOR-CHAIR-POLISHED-BRASS-LEATHER-P12219.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Major Leather</b></a> Chairs from <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold +Bob Williams</b></a>) were selected because they had an interesting surface
texture. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crWPCC2wVbI/VUbv5MyJ9-I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/1LGbi747eiI/s1600/patrick_hamilton_013.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-crWPCC2wVbI/VUbv5MyJ9-I/AAAAAAAAD0Q/1LGbi747eiI/s400/patrick_hamilton_013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But texture stories really come to life when they are used as foils against
their opposites: shiny against matte, earthy against machined, and that and
more happened over and over as items were secured for the room. My textural
favorites were the <a href="http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/productinfo.asp?product_id=11080" target="_blank"><b>Painted Feathers</b></a> pillows by
pillow-masters <a href="http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/" target="_blank"><b>Dransfield & Ross</b></a>,
an urban jungle mix, one part Rio, one part rain forest.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2EkJTbhY7p0/VUbtKHqEzHI/AAAAAAAADzM/iTa5PW_48kQ/s1600/Dransfield_PlatinumPaintedFeathersPillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2EkJTbhY7p0/VUbtKHqEzHI/AAAAAAAADzM/iTa5PW_48kQ/s1600/Dransfield_PlatinumPaintedFeathersPillow.jpg" width="320" /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xO2Pm5ja8t8/VUbtSmP2zRI/AAAAAAAADzU/ppMQsVN3NiM/s1600/Circa_ARN3604G_Bleecker.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xO2Pm5ja8t8/VUbtSmP2zRI/AAAAAAAADzU/ppMQsVN3NiM/s1600/Circa_ARN3604G_Bleecker.jpg" width="227" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The earthy and urbane push-pull of the space was also
expressed through metals and metallics polished (the Jelly vase, used as an ice
bucket, from Kartell through <a href="http://www.switchmodern.com/" target="_blank"><b>SwitchModern</b></a>)
or rough (</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">AERIN's</span> gold <a href="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=4894" target="_blank"><b>Bleecker</b></a> lamps, on the “hallway” side of the space). And that “Hemingway meets Halston”
juxtaposition became a great filter through which to run all subsequent decisions.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YF6v2AC9eto/VUbxXxl5T-I/AAAAAAAAD0k/1O3GCcUPifE/s1600/tif33_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YF6v2AC9eto/VUbxXxl5T-I/AAAAAAAAD0k/1O3GCcUPifE/s1600/tif33_Crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Dark and Light<br />
</b>Making a dark room sing is also about light: bringing it in, bouncing it
around, and even knowing when to stop it. While many still think dark is the
wrong way to go in a small space, I’ve yet to have that experience. Dark colors
make a room’s edges fall away into the shadows. But nowhere is lighting more
important than in a dark room, and even this space with its little-bitty 10 x
12 footprint had ten light sources, not counting the overhead spots.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2mgkpI1u8g/VUdoPqWa2oI/AAAAAAAAD2I/2fd7KRUZN_8/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y2mgkpI1u8g/VUdoPqWa2oI/AAAAAAAAD2I/2fd7KRUZN_8/s400/IMG_0570.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lighting plans work best when there are more lamps than you think you need, and
different kinds of them. Among those ten light sources were four with white shades
(on AERIN’s </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bleecker</span> and <a href="http://www.circalighting.com/details.aspx?pid=4846" target="_blank"><b>Frankfort</b></a> lamps, and <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/brands-of-arteriors/guest-designers/barry-dixon" target="_blank"><b>Barry Dixon</b></a>’s <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/shop/designer/bd/product/dd17006-706?snail-shell-lamp" target="_blank"><b>Snail Shell</b></a> lamp for <a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Arteriors Home</b></a>) diffusing the light, two with metal shades (the
statuesque <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/lighting/floor-lamps/soria-floor-lamps" target="_blank"><b>Soria</b></a> floor lamps from <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/" target="_blank"><b>Room & Board</b></a>) throwing dramatic
shadows, two can uplights and two halogen spots (both from <a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lamps Plus</b></a>) adding pinpointed drama.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HYXXKCLNEns/VUbtvZs82GI/AAAAAAAADzk/sJWEmoH2vXM/s1600/patrick_hamilton_026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HYXXKCLNEns/VUbtvZs82GI/AAAAAAAADzk/sJWEmoH2vXM/s1600/patrick_hamilton_026.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Tone-on-Tone</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s my number one trick for making a small space live larger: limit the color
and/or value difference (how dark or light a color is) on just about everything
in the room. When wallcovering morphs into wood blinds (<b><a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank">The Shade Store</a></b>’s uber-sharp Matte Edged wood blinds, in Grey Ash)
and the main upholstery pieces relate to the wall color without stopping the
eye, the room presents a seamless appearance, and even larger-scaled pieces
(that banquette is NOT small) blur their own edges and settle back into the
room. And tone-on-tone rooms <i>always</i>
look like more money than you’ve spent.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NiJtPM2ezi0/VUdpqGrkHKI/AAAAAAAAD2w/zJONXhOJijU/s1600/IMG_0225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NiJtPM2ezi0/VUdpqGrkHKI/AAAAAAAAD2w/zJONXhOJijU/s400/IMG_0225.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>You Can Never be Too Rich... or Too Taupe</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But it’s not just the tones of colors you use to stretch
inches and budget: it’s which ones. There are some neutrals that just ooze sex
appeal: <a href="http://www.nehomemag.com/blog/patrick-j-hamilton-house-smoke-sand-and-fog" target="_blank"><b>smoke</b></a>, zinc, slate or
charcoal. These rich neutrals (plus taupes and warm grays) ALWAYS look like
more money than you’ve invested. I also think they live richer when pushed to
their value extremes: pale and pearl gray, or deep, dark and stormy. It’s the
middle ground of neutrals that have given them their bad rap. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aside from its budget-stretching alchemy, the beauty
of a neutral envelope is that you can add just about any other color as an
accent. (Here, smoky blues, gray-ed down greens and that shimmering aquamarine
on the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/BETTE-OTTOMANBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P12387.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Bette</b></a>
ottomans.) </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QhTBclgT7b4/VUbuJgjcN_I/AAAAAAAADz0/E_leth59kD8/s1600/MGBW_Bette.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QhTBclgT7b4/VUbuJgjcN_I/AAAAAAAADz0/E_leth59kD8/s1600/MGBW_Bette.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5YeTD9X-aa0/VUbt5IWpzFI/AAAAAAAADzs/GhbTC3QP7ao/s1600/IMG_0272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5YeTD9X-aa0/VUbt5IWpzFI/AAAAAAAADzs/GhbTC3QP7ao/s1600/IMG_0272.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Pattern</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unless working with a pattern-happy client (which I love to
do!), left to my own devices, I’d rather revel in texture than pattern. But
love, as they say, conquers all, and when I first saw the Dransfield and Ross
Tibet pillows, made from an amazing earthy, elegant and exceedingly tactile cut
velvet (<a href="http://clarencehouse.com/new_collection/velvet/tibet_small_scale.html#2" target="_blank"><b>Tibet Small Scale</b></a>, in Graphite, from <a href="http://clarencehouse.com/" target="_blank"><b>Clarence House</b></a>), it was love at first sight. I knew that pattern
would be joining the room. (We ended up making our own versions of the pillows,
from yardage graciously donated by Clarence House, and crafted locally by
<a href="http://www.anthonylawrence.com/" target="_blank"><b>Anthony Lawrence-Belfair</b></a>, to “spread the wealth” on donations, and not overtax
any one vendor too much.) </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6yZbKvT-J1U/VUdoA86ThFI/AAAAAAAAD2A/3h4elHuo_xA/s1600/IMG_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6yZbKvT-J1U/VUdoA86ThFI/AAAAAAAAD2A/3h4elHuo_xA/s400/IMG_0343.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also loved the “conversation” those pillows had
with the stenciled cowhides and <a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/left-foot-chinese-dog-outdoor-statue__3f084.html" target="_blank"><b>Foo Dogs</b></a> (both from Lamps Plus) and the other globally-sourced pieces from <a href="http://www.pagodared.com/" target="_blank"><b>Pagoda Red</b></a>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That pattern also turned the corner from the more pure neutrals in the room,
bringing in a camel color (that paved the way for golds) and the blue-heavy
graphite, which bridged blues and grays in the room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It’s proof that if you’re stuck for inspiration, one amazing textile (or rug) can
completely jumpstart your process. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocQxBnKykn0/VUdom7xnfHI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/edp1xCUick4/s1600/IMG_0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocQxBnKykn0/VUdom7xnfHI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/edp1xCUick4/s400/IMG_0454.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Tip the Scale</b></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Go big when you go home. The biggest mistake I see when
people are tackling small spaces is that they underscale everything they bring
in. It looks meek, weak and underwhelming. Here, I opted for pieces that were
anything but shy. But you have to know some of the tricks to make big pieces
work (I’ve shared my tone-on-tone one already). That coffee table is an
incredibly gutsy scale, but the mirrored finish tames it. The ample Major
Leather chairs don’t have arms to block sight lines and seating access, and their reflective legs all but disappear. The
other trick is...</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1nYcBR3z-D0/VUbvX2fOB7I/AAAAAAAAD0A/bfHhJ-HXwYw/s1600/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1nYcBR3z-D0/VUbvX2fOB7I/AAAAAAAAD0A/bfHhJ-HXwYw/s1600/patrick_hamilton_045.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Pairs and Shapes</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shape, and mass, were big tools this year, to keep the look
impactful, visual interruption to a minimum, and cohesion to a maximum. Selected
pieces were big on shape, low on detail (except mirror finish or wood grain). </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PnjChnTwhDg/VUdr8fyQuqI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/4-j6BN2jY48/s1600/IMG_0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PnjChnTwhDg/VUdr8fyQuqI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/4-j6BN2jY48/s400/IMG_0471.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Blocky
shapes were repeated (the coffee table, the Room & Board walnut <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/living/end-tables/keane-end-table" target="_blank"><b>Keane</b></a> side tables and the sexy <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/" target="_blank"><b>Virgo</b></a> mirrored console from <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/" target="_blank"><b>Currey & Company</b></a>). Circles showed
up in the custom painted <a href="http://www.timothypowerswilson.com/" target="_blank"><b>Timothy Wilson</b></a>
tondo, custom framed by <a href="http://www.geraldkurian.com/" target="_blank"><b>Gerald</b><b> Kurian</b></a>,
through <a href="http://stevenamedee.com/" target="_blank"><b>Steven Amedee</b></a>, and the stone
“bis” from Pagoda Red.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_oNUy-stfI/VUdo25pk6TI/AAAAAAAAD2Y/F_lT5eTBO5U/s1600/IMG_0338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_oNUy-stfI/VUdo25pk6TI/AAAAAAAAD2Y/F_lT5eTBO5U/s400/IMG_0338.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L04hPoRLTs0/VUbzYM2yI-I/AAAAAAAAD0w/XrSRo_M5Maw/s1600/TimothyPWilson_18Tondo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L04hPoRLTs0/VUbzYM2yI-I/AAAAAAAAD0w/XrSRo_M5Maw/s1600/TimothyPWilson_18Tondo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3XgmLqowEw/VUbzco8VgvI/AAAAAAAAD04/PKaBeTrs4e4/s1600/Pagoda_BlackJadeBiDisc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3XgmLqowEw/VUbzco8VgvI/AAAAAAAAD04/PKaBeTrs4e4/s1600/Pagoda_BlackJadeBiDisc.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9X9zyb74bk8/VUdpG0G6L6I/AAAAAAAAD2g/gFa-6-t6oUc/s1600/IMG_0566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9X9zyb74bk8/VUdpG0G6L6I/AAAAAAAAD2g/gFa-6-t6oUc/s400/IMG_0566.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Repetition is a major player in creating cohesive spaces... and so is symmetry:
think in pairs when you can. Symmetry gives weight (the good kind) to a space,
and creates elegant focal points. You can always break the monotony that
sometimes happens with symmetry with a playful placement of one of the pairs, or
just one rakish accessory (like the great <a href="http://www.dwellstudio.com/DwellStudio-Gazelle-Objet-D9.90027-DWL4178.html" target="_blank"><b>Gazelle figurine</b></a> from <a href="http://www.dwellstudio.com/" target="_blank"><b>DwellStudio</b></a>) or asymmetrical piece of
artwork (like <b><a href="http://danromer.com/" target="_blank">Dan Romer</a></b>'s “Essnce”
print).</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PuZjCmIq53I/VUdpVzaQXWI/AAAAAAAAD2o/ZEUhNfV80jo/s1600/IMG_0615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PuZjCmIq53I/VUdpVzaQXWI/AAAAAAAAD2o/ZEUhNfV80jo/s400/IMG_0615.jpg" width="266" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2ChRWoVwwE/VUdswnfLbRI/AAAAAAAAD3k/HM3Jd2J-IMM/s1600/Romer_Essence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2ChRWoVwwE/VUdswnfLbRI/AAAAAAAAD3k/HM3Jd2J-IMM/s320/Romer_Essence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1ttgQMSw1o/VUdtSkTDgtI/AAAAAAAAD3s/DO-ALGB1NV8/s1600/tif13_Crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1ttgQMSw1o/VUdtSkTDgtI/AAAAAAAAD3s/DO-ALGB1NV8/s400/tif13_Crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Gloss and Gold Digging</b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The dramatic potential of a bit of bling is truly celebrated
in a dark space, and gold was the precious metal of choice, partially for its
warm nature against cooler grays, but also for its Seventies swagger: the gold
in this room is the equivalent of Bradley Cooper’s chest-nest of chains in
American Hustle.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrmFrsf9m5U/VUdqPowZMjI/AAAAAAAAD24/1KNS5BNDxIA/s1600/IMG_0555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JrmFrsf9m5U/VUdqPowZMjI/AAAAAAAAD24/1KNS5BNDxIA/s400/IMG_0555.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmFyoqNXnsg/VUdqYmn5W6I/AAAAAAAAD3A/wiRR411seG4/s1600/IMG_0386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmFyoqNXnsg/VUdqYmn5W6I/AAAAAAAAD3A/wiRR411seG4/s400/IMG_0386.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbj02Ta6t9s/VUdqc6SNPdI/AAAAAAAAD3I/h9caF-VuPXQ/s1600/IMG_0490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbj02Ta6t9s/VUdqc6SNPdI/AAAAAAAAD3I/h9caF-VuPXQ/s400/IMG_0490.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n4cxfBbIock/VUbztCQUqNI/AAAAAAAAD1A/PoG0BhdM58I/s1600/IMG_0366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n4cxfBbIock/VUbztCQUqNI/AAAAAAAAD1A/PoG0BhdM58I/s400/IMG_0366.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And don’t underestimate the shine factor of artwork (the
glass on framed work, the high gloss of the main plexi-mount art piece),
accessories (that not-at-all Fool’s gold pyrite candle holder by <a href="http://www.kathrynmccoydesign.net/" target="_blank"><b>Kathryn McCoy Design</b></a>), and even the sparkle brought in
from barware, stemware and acrylic tray... not to mention the mirrored
furniture, and <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/LARGE-BLACK-SQUARE-MIRROR-TRAYBRavailable-online-and-in-stores-P12687.aspx" target="_blank"><b>Large Black Square Mirrored tray</b>,</a>
adding a black band like chic eyeliner to the already mirrored coffee table.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_qwWEICrQc/VUdntwC11PI/AAAAAAAAD14/om2A1690pGM/s1600/IMG_0277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M_qwWEICrQc/VUdntwC11PI/AAAAAAAAD14/om2A1690pGM/s400/IMG_0277.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>The Art's the Thing</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I’m ending this story with where it all actually began: that
show-stopper photo from photographer <a href="http://drewdoggett.com/" target="_blank"><b>Drew Doggett</b></a>. When a bit stumped for inspiration this year, I found
Drew’s work, and the minute I saw this image, I could see that elevation of the
vignette already finished in my head, even before Drew had returned my first
email begging for the donation. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His globally sourced imagery is heavily
informed with a fashion photographer’s eye, and this enigmatic image from his
<a href="http://drewdoggett.com/collection/omo-expressions-of-a-people/" target="_blank"><b>"OMO: Expressions of a People"</b></a> series became the surprisingly urban tone-setter for what soon became
dubbed “the Adventurer’s Lair.” </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iIpDe6Bd1Ls/VUbwOP7WWRI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/D8Uk9s6Qros/s1600/DrewDoggett_Unt12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iIpDe6Bd1Ls/VUbwOP7WWRI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/D8Uk9s6Qros/s1600/DrewDoggett_Unt12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It also shared what much of the rest of room was already doing... a dark
tone-on-tone look, an earthy-urbane balance, and the rough textures of the
actual image sealed beneath its mirror-like plexi facing.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There’s NO better way to inject <i>any</i> space, neutral or not, with drama, than
with the impact of contemporary art, especially of a larger scale. Don’t wait to pick the art; <i>Start</i> with it.
And that’s my parting and artful shot on how to bring drama to any space,
neutral or not.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxf1cocznoM/VUbs6dVgXnI/AAAAAAAADzE/_vjBI4GRR-4/s1600/patrick_hamilton_018.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxf1cocznoM/VUbs6dVgXnI/AAAAAAAADzE/_vjBI4GRR-4/s1600/patrick_hamilton_018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Visit my <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/design-on-a-dime-2015-the-adventurers-lair-housing/" target="_blank"><b>Adventurer's Lair Pinterest board</b></a> to see all the items in and sources for this year's vignette. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>All main vignette shots: <a href="http://www.jodykivort.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jody Kivort</b></a>.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-26238326710756476222015-05-02T14:27:00.001-04:002015-05-02T14:45:15.827-04:00...about theme decorating, and a horse of a different color: Holiday House 2014, Derby Deconstructed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-J3SyVH00E/VUUH07vUjgI/AAAAAAAADwY/olOLJXgYXJI/s1600/Patrick_hh_033.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4-J3SyVH00E/VUUH07vUjgI/AAAAAAAADwY/olOLJXgYXJI/s1600/Patrick_hh_033.jpg" height="640" width="421" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Theme decorating is a slippery slope. Done well, and you’re transported
to an exotic <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/02/about-matthew-patrick-smyth-hearst.html" target="_blank">Moorish room</a> or <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/06/about-theme-decorating-out-to-ballgame.html" target="_blank">major league executive front office</a>. Not so well, with
heavy hand and one-liner design, and you’re stuck in a Moroccan restaurant or loud-mouthed
sports bar surrounded by, to paraphrase Beverly Leslie on Will & Grace, “kitsch
and regret.”</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Theme decorating done <i>well</i>
is one of the reasons I love <a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Holiday House</b></a>. The annual Manhattan show house to benefit the <a href="http://www.bcrfcure.org/" target="_blank"><b>Breast Cancer Research Foundation</b></a> was built on a basis of holidays,
events, and calendar moments, all meant to celebrate the days that happen when
cancer doesn’t win. Over the years, design luminaries like <a href="http://www.pavarinidesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Charles Pavarini</b></a>, <a href="http://www.suzanneeason.com/" target="_blank"><b>Suzanne Eason</b></a>, <a href="http://www.allycoulter.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ally Coulter</b></a>, <a href="http://jamesrixner.com/" target="_blank"><b>James Rixner</b></a>, <a href="http://www.donaldschermerhorn.com/" target="_blank"><b>Donald Schermerhorn</b></a> and <a href="http://insonwood.com/" target="_blank"><b>InsonWood</b></a> have tackled then tamed holidays sometimes but not always associated
with the polish and panache of one of Manhattan’s premier show houses. These,
and the many other designers gracing the halls of the Academy Mansion each year
have crafted subtle and witty spins on the likes of Halloween, Chinese New
Year, Valentine’s, Mother’s and President’s days while steering fully clear of
the rocky cliffs of cliché (and I joined them, for the first time, in 2013,
with my <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank"><b>Modern St. Patrick’s Day room</b></a>).</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This past year, I took on a day that is perhaps a little more synonymous with
style: Kentucky Derby Day. Tradition, pageantry, sunny southern skies,
cocktails served up in silver cups: it all seems a natural for inspiration.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some very noted design icons have built careers (and
empires) by channeling the thoroughbred style (I’m looking at you, Mr. Lauren).
But I wanted to bring a horse of a different color to Holiday House. Following
in the footsteps of that illustrious list of designers who’ve understood the difference between “inspired by” and “slave to” (and inspired me <i>long</i> before my first invite from
organizer and wonder woman <b>Iris
Dankner</b> to create my own room), I wanted a space that even a non-horseperson would
love, but that definitely served as an homage to the venerable jewel in the
Triple Crown. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That day in May has an abundance of inspiring elements, and I realized that by
taking these elements apart, and recombining the pieces, I could make a room
that succeeded on its own but still referenced the day. “Derby Deconstructed”
was born. We were, if you’ll pardon one of the many horse puns possibly to
come, off and running.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How can you be inspired by this room, even if your likes
swing more to hockey, Hawaii or Hockney? Here are a few ideas.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oi0gi96ZbQQ/VUUHzjxR7gI/AAAAAAAADwQ/-wq7W0QLH8E/s1600/Patrick_hh_023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oi0gi96ZbQQ/VUUHzjxR7gI/AAAAAAAADwQ/-wq7W0QLH8E/s1600/Patrick_hh_023.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Channel the Place
(and Start with the Envelope)</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Derby is quintessentially southern, so I knew I had to
create a room that felt like it was part of an old Kentucky home. The room
itself helped set the stage, with its handsome proportions and traditional
molding. This room, it seemed, almost wanted to be southern. To nudge the
illusion along, wide wooden <a href="http://www.hunterdouglas.com/" target="_blank"><b>Hunter Douglas</b></a> (courtesy <a href="http://ddbuilding.com/showrooms/david-michael-interiors/" target="_blank"><b>David Michael Interiors</b></a>) shutters and strategically-placed
brass chests turned recessed bookcases into faux walk-out porch windows. A
great white paint from <a href="http://us.farrow-ball.com/#2" target="_blank"><b>Farrow and Ball</b></a> on the woodwork gave this room with good
bones a classic look, fresh feel, and new lease on life. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In any room, I’d start by addressing the walls and windows, and in a room meant
to conjure Japan, for example, I’d start with Indigo grasscloth paired with woven-wood or
nubby silk window coverings. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RMRhV8Tt1CE/VUUH3hS4D0I/AAAAAAAADwo/iEBvEc8r0y8/s1600/Patrick_hh_080.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RMRhV8Tt1CE/VUUH3hS4D0I/AAAAAAAADwo/iEBvEc8r0y8/s1600/Patrick_hh_080.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Color, Wonderful</b><br />
Two of the most iconic parts of race day, mint juleps and the “Run for the
Roses” moniker immediately conjured color. And if your artistic license is
current, you can have a little fun bending the rules. After all, Mint juleps
aren’t, at all, mint in color, but that’s what my walls became, again also to
bring southern spring and charm to the Upper East side of Manhattan (AND to see if we couldn't give mint green a slightly better reputation). It also
seemed to instantly evoke some old-school gentility by echoing a tucked-away
color.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IuKWCVNncOY/VUUH9MRJwqI/AAAAAAAADxY/ewTuB0W3PBE/s1600/Patrick_hh_176_crop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IuKWCVNncOY/VUUH9MRJwqI/AAAAAAAADxY/ewTuB0W3PBE/s1600/Patrick_hh_176_crop.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
And as the poetry goes, those race-day roses are red... but mint and red
seemed, well, <i>dangerous</i>. Instead,
inspired by the ribbon pink of the event’s charitable purpose, the rose became
an amped-up fuchsia. Turning up the volume from a typical faded or dusty rose
also kept this room young and fresh... <i>and</i>
let me use that eye-boggling <a href="http://www.jab.de/en" target="_blank"><b>JAB Anstoetz</b></a> silk satin on those <a href="http://www.bernhardt.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bernhardt</b></a> chairs,
a color repeated in the custom <a href="https://ndi.com/" target="_blank"><b>NDI</b></a> floral arrangements. Underneath it all, a minty
green silk rug courtesy color meister Joe Carini at<b> <a href="http://www.carinilang.com/" target="_blank">Carini Lang</a></b>, with just enough bending to blue to suggest a
dew-covered field of Kentucky bluegrass reflecting a cloudless spring morning. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESohKyUyPRg/VUUHy8XRGGI/AAAAAAAADwI/XwsxhpnSoRc/s1600/Patrick_hh_023_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ESohKyUyPRg/VUUHy8XRGGI/AAAAAAAADwI/XwsxhpnSoRc/s1600/Patrick_hh_023_2.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Materials, Girl!</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Derby Day brings to mind all sorts of textures, from humble
to haute. Straw from the stables, the brilliant flashes of racing silks atop
white pants and black boots, leather, and brass. Take all those elements, mix
well like sugar, mint and Woodford Reserve in a julep cup, and reapply! The white
and leather mixed to become the padded fireplace surround. Straw went up on the
ceiling (that <a href="http://thibautdesign.com/" target="_blank"><b>Thibaut</b></a> grasscloth), and those racing silks became the accent
palette when actual silk wasn’t pressed into service. So let your Yankees room
have (glove) leather and aluminum (bat) furniture, even if a logo or pinstripes
are nowhere to be seen.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1VZX5-xPU0/VUUH8DGPKaI/AAAAAAAADxQ/IUwnpyd2muE/s1600/Patrick_hh_160.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1VZX5-xPU0/VUUH8DGPKaI/AAAAAAAADxQ/IUwnpyd2muE/s1600/Patrick_hh_160.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Pattern Play and
Geometry, 101</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Repeating geometry is one method I often employ to give an
eclectic room some stable-izing (I warned you there’d be puns) underpinnings,
and this room was no exception. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bSLruJXTw-Q/VUUH1_f5gtI/AAAAAAAADwg/rLK1lVLQ714/s1600/Patrick_hh_044.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bSLruJXTw-Q/VUUH1_f5gtI/AAAAAAAADwg/rLK1lVLQ714/s1600/Patrick_hh_044.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Harlequin diamonds were one of the patterns that became a leitmotif
in the room, often seen in jockey shirts and stable flags. It popped up on the
custom fireplace surround (New York’s <a href="http://www.theworkroomny.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Workroom</b></a>), diamond tufting (the
custom <a href="http://averyboardman.com/" target="_blank"><b>Avery Boardman</b></a> settee) and the quilted velvet on the gold-framed chairs
(JAB Anstoetz on <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/" target="_blank"><b>Currey & Company</b></a> chairs). </span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tM2ZTWujkq0/VUUH3a92OxI/AAAAAAAADws/6HQ5OrZLY2g/s1600/Patrick_hh_061.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tM2ZTWujkq0/VUUH3a92OxI/AAAAAAAADws/6HQ5OrZLY2g/s1600/Patrick_hh_061.jpg" height="400" width="260" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WaezHWvt1I4/VUUPTrtsCII/AAAAAAAADyY/HyGSr5TNQd8/s1600/RikkiSnyder_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WaezHWvt1I4/VUUPTrtsCII/AAAAAAAADyY/HyGSr5TNQd8/s1600/RikkiSnyder_04.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Rikki Snyder, Houzz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Along with the diamonds, the room had its fair share of racetrack ovals, both
precise and relaxed, from the exquisitely crafted pelmets courtesy <a href="http://marksandtavano.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marks &Tavano</b></a>, to the Currey & Company chairs and the organic oval of the vintage-look <a href="http://www.wisteria.com/" target="_blank"><b>Wisteria</b></a>
“Egg” coffee table. And the spilt-upholstery on the white-framed Currey &
Company chairs also were directly lifted from a jockey’s locker.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_ezqUMaKq0/VUUOqFB3g1I/AAAAAAAADyA/Gg4Kmsg5-Xw/s1600/Wisteria_Mid-Century%2BEgg%2BTable.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O_ezqUMaKq0/VUUOqFB3g1I/AAAAAAAADyA/Gg4Kmsg5-Xw/s1600/Wisteria_Mid-Century%2BEgg%2BTable.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The lesson? Steal some geometry from the theme you’re trying to mimic: waves, star(fish)
and scallop (shells) for something beachy, and not only do you evoke the thing
you’re honoring, but you’re giving yourself welcome parameters to stave off any
design paralysis when a world of options might otherwise overwhelm. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_fSX__nDBg/VUUH45c_zEI/AAAAAAAADw4/Poe4c5-YNJ0/s1600/Patrick_hh_102.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_fSX__nDBg/VUUH45c_zEI/AAAAAAAADw4/Poe4c5-YNJ0/s1600/Patrick_hh_102.jpg" height="400" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Context Matters</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once the stage is set, you can bring in other shapes and
items that become something new just by the merit of their context. The pattern
on the <a href="http://www.circalighting.com/designer_details.aspx?did=37&cid=0" target="_blank"><b>AERIN</b></a> lamps from <a href="http://www.circalighting.com/" target="_blank"><b>Circa Lighting</b></a> became horseshoes just because they were
in this room, just one example, the custom embroidery on the <a href="http://www.villasavoiainc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Villa Savoia</b></a>
embroidered pillows another. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_wvQ6nQR2jI/VUUO9wpM57I/AAAAAAAADyQ/PLm_ykKFItQ/s1600/Circa_Aerin_Eliot.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_wvQ6nQR2jI/VUUO9wpM57I/AAAAAAAADyQ/PLm_ykKFItQ/s1600/Circa_Aerin_Eliot.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwRh2DGyns/VUUP1R8W84I/AAAAAAAADyg/TJOEy2Hciew/s1600/ph-1988-1-frontx2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzwRh2DGyns/VUUP1R8W84I/AAAAAAAADyg/TJOEy2Hciew/s1600/ph-1988-1-frontx2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-zrNZ1q7e4/VUUOwUxNOtI/AAAAAAAADyI/7CNKXweQAEw/s1600/Sahco_Illustra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-zrNZ1q7e4/VUUOwUxNOtI/AAAAAAAADyI/7CNKXweQAEw/s1600/Sahco_Illustra.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.sahco-hesslein.com/products/collections/accessories" target="_blank"><b>Ulf Moritz-designed SAHCO</b></a> drapery tie-backs from <a href="http://www.donghia.com/" target="_blank"><b>Donghia</b></a> suddenly seemed
very equestrian-tack inspired, in their jockey-silk colors and brass
detailing... easily joining the
bridle party. The herculean vintage canvas, on loan from <a href="http://www.20thcenturybyhkfa.com/" target="_blank"><b>20<sup>th</sup> Century by HKFA</b></a>, and the color-blocked paintings by Miami Beach artist <a href="http://www.babetteherschberger.com/" target="_blank"><b>Babette Herschberger</b></a> became racing-silk suggestive with their bright and jaunty
geometry.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_GZzsNfnTM/VUUH-P3Y1JI/AAAAAAAADxo/G4e0LbgSYaA/s1600/Patrick_hh_207.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_GZzsNfnTM/VUUH-P3Y1JI/AAAAAAAADxo/G4e0LbgSYaA/s1600/Patrick_hh_207.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UUx73idwBXg/VUUH6ig34xI/AAAAAAAADxI/L4nA-EghtIk/s1600/Patrick_hh_136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UUx73idwBXg/VUUH6ig34xI/AAAAAAAADxI/L4nA-EghtIk/s1600/Patrick_hh_136.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And when visitors, tipped off to the Derby Day theme,
invariably asked, “Where’s the hat?” I pointed them directly overhead, where
the witty and millinery-inspired feathered creation by Steven Wine of <a href="http://www.abyulighting.com/" target="_blank"><b>ABYULighting</b></a> became the perfect stand-in.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2darOE6mpC4/VUUH9u3j5VI/AAAAAAAADxc/rGgtsS2yxts/s1600/Patrick_hh_197.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2darOE6mpC4/VUUH9u3j5VI/AAAAAAAADxc/rGgtsS2yxts/s1600/Patrick_hh_197.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Even that gent over the fireplace seemed ready to play his part. While probably
European or British in upbringing, the subject of the Technicolor oil by LA
painter <a href="http://aaronsmithart.com/" target="_blank"><b>Aaron Smith</b></a> became an instant southern patriarch, Bourbon magnate,
Tennessee Williams protagonist or horse breeder. Big Daddy, indeed.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6kvJ6Tritc/VUUH6PhjL7I/AAAAAAAADxA/-SI6ZJXdsmw/s1600/Patrick_hh_122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6kvJ6Tritc/VUUH6PhjL7I/AAAAAAAADxA/-SI6ZJXdsmw/s1600/Patrick_hh_122.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Let a Little Literal
In... But Gently!</b> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To let visitors in on the inside track of the room, some
clues were more blatant than others... the Giacometti-ish <a href="http://bungalow5.com/" target="_blank"><b>Bungalow 5</b></a> Arabian horse
statue ( a LOT of look for the money), the Jill Greenberg horse photo courtesy <a href="http://clampart.com/" target="_blank"><b>ClampArt</b></a>, the commanding <a href="http://www.assouline.com/" target="_blank"><b>Assouline</b></a>
book, an antique horse brass from <a href="https://www.nancypriceinteriors.com/" target="_blank"><b>Nancy Price Interior Design</b></a>, two horseshoes (gilded by <a href="http://alphaworkshops.org/" target="_blank"><b>The AlphaWorkshops</b></a>), the bourbon bar and the Ralph Lauren stirrup-inspired Westbury lamps (also,
Circa Lighting).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, in a baseball-themed room, sure, hang up that
(professionally shadow-boxed) jersey. Just (humor me one more time), rein in
the impulse to cover every surface with literal references or mementos. Using
a little restraint will let you create a space that speaks to aficionados and
the, well, <i>theme disinterested</i>. And
isn’t a space that makes <i>every</i>one
feel comfortable the ultimate trophy room? Giddy up!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See all the pieces from the room on my Derby Deconstructed <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/derby-deconstructed-holiday-house-2014/," target="_blank"><b>Pinterest Board</b></a>, and see more literal reference on my </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/equestrian-style/" target="_blank"><b>Equestrian Style</b></a>
Pinterest board. <br /><br />Unless noted, all photos <a href="http://www.jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a>.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span></i></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-73806099776352135122015-04-16T21:44:00.000-04:002015-04-17T08:03:00.609-04:00...about shopping your heart out: ten tips to help score big at Design on a Dime 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mT5TtdgxQ8/VTBhRLG0jqI/AAAAAAAADvU/HF4tTTcCc5k/s1600/10257703_764913470825_661498502454832051_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mT5TtdgxQ8/VTBhRLG0jqI/AAAAAAAADvU/HF4tTTcCc5k/s1600/10257703_764913470825_661498502454832051_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You know those bridal dress events, where brides-to-be, their
BFFs and frenemies, Maids of honor and Mothers-in-law line up around the block
to storm Filene’s Basement for $100 wedding gowns once the doors are flung
open? Yeah, <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank"><b>Design on a Dime</b></a> is a little
like that. Well, a LOT like that. But with cocktails, cute cater waiters, and a cause, all to benefit <a href="http://www.housingworks.org/" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works Thrifts</b></a>, Manhattan’s
respected organization addressing the links between </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">homelessness and </span></span></span>AIDS treatment. There's good reason long-time designer/supporter <a href="http://www.marchouston.com/" target="_blank"><b>Marc Houston</b></a> has been hashtagging his own Design on a Dime pre-posts <i>#philanshoppic.</i></span></span>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pPkmPFBQgl8/VTBgJfCbcAI/AAAAAAAADvE/PzJJ79ih_lY/s1600/DSCN4586.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pPkmPFBQgl8/VTBgJfCbcAI/AAAAAAAADvE/PzJJ79ih_lY/s1600/DSCN4586.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
I have to admit, the first year I participated as one of the 50+ designers,
all stocking our 10 x 12' spaces with donated goods from generous donors like <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</b></a>,<b> <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/" target="_blank">Room & Board</a></b>,<b> </b>and<b> <a href="http://www.pagodared.com/" target="_blank">Pagoda Red</a></b>, I was
unprepared for the shopping frenzy, where cash-and-carry rules the day, and
fierce shopping competition brings to mind Shark Week mixed with a soupcon of
Game of Thrones, with just as many gowns and queens, and only <i>slightly</i> fewer strategic
overthrows and power plays in the quest for iron thrones and velvet recamiers.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prW_EUgn5K0/VTBed5TwNkI/AAAAAAAADuo/KDQpRK5i_lw/s1600/IMG-20140424-01938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-prW_EUgn5K0/VTBed5TwNkI/AAAAAAAADuo/KDQpRK5i_lw/s1600/IMG-20140424-01938.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why the, well, <i>bloodsport</i>?
The biggest clue lies in the name, specifically the “on a Dime” part. Just
about everything corralled, curated, styled and displayed is sold for 50 to 70%
off retail. But this is no Dollar General; this is major merchandise, coming
from the halls and walls of some of Manhattan’s most stylish venues, great
national showrooms, respected galleries, antiques houses and artist’s ateliers.
Much of the merchandise is brand new, often completely custom, swathed in <b>Clarence House</b> fabric, dotted with <a href="http://www.dransfieldandross.biz/" target="_blank"><b>Dransfield & Ross</b></a> pillows and <b>Jonathan Adler</b> pots, lit with
Spitzmiller lamps, all set against<b> </b><a href="http://www.ralphlaurenhome.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ralph Lauren</b></a> wallpaper. Or it’s enviable antiques from places like <a href="http://leecalicchioltd.com/" target="_blank"><b>Lee Calicchio Ltd.</b></a>, <a href="http://www.gracefavor.com/" target="_blank"><b>Grace & Favor</b></a>, <b><a href="http://nestinteriorsny.com/" target="_blank">NEST Interiors NYC</a></b>, or the stashes of top tier designers like long-time Design
on a Dime friend and master <b>Miles Redd</b>. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E9yXKrvR8jc/VTBT_3llbMI/AAAAAAAADtk/noegZq8hlDY/s1600/10167974_764917717315_2580963689909134066_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E9yXKrvR8jc/VTBT_3llbMI/AAAAAAAADtk/noegZq8hlDY/s1600/10167974_764917717315_2580963689909134066_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
So what’s the best way to navigate these stylish but slightly treacherous shopping
waters? Here are ten tips to make sure you get the most <i>out</i> of the event and party, and the most <i>in</i> to your shopping bags and, ultimately, your own stylish abode. </span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>1. DON’T WAIT</i> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/design-on-a-dime/designers/patrick-james-hamilton/" target="_blank">Buy your ticket NOW</a></b>. Design on a Dime sells out up to a week in advance
EVERY YEAR, and even knowing a designer and whispering sweet nothings in my,
er, THEIR ear won’t get you in once the tickets are gone. These are HOT
tickets, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.</span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>2. Spring for the VIP ticket</i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What’s the saying... “You have to spend money to make money”?
Well, with Design on Dime, one of the best ways to save money, ultimately, is
to spring for the bigger-bucks “Classic Six” entry ticket. The $500 price tag
gains you early admission at 5:30, and one full hour of unfettered browsing,
with fewer crowds, AMPLE opportunity to scout the whole space at least twice,
and plenty of time to station yourself in front of your first-choice, must-have
merchandise, with drink in one hand, credit card in the other. It also gives
you a chance to chat up the designers, to find out what the biggest bargains are
in their booths, and to see what they’re eying in other spaces.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The deals are so considerable, you’ll easily recoup the $300
difference on the basic ticket price, assuming you’ve come to shop. The
bargains are THAT GOOD.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZuusESr9Bw/VTBc9ejIpkI/AAAAAAAADuM/UKVAa7udVoQ/s1600/10007491_764917602545_608523732687824202_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZuusESr9Bw/VTBc9ejIpkI/AAAAAAAADuM/UKVAa7udVoQ/s1600/10007491_764917602545_608523732687824202_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During this preview hour, you can also rub elbows with Founding Chair <b>James Hunniford, </b>Honorary Chairs <b>Lara Spencer</b> and <b>Nate Berkus</b>,<b> </b>and the glittering cast of co-Chairs like <b>Evette Rios</b>, <b>George Oliphant</b>, ELLE Decor's <b>Michael Boodro</b> and <b>Todd Oldham</b>, plus design
and media glitterati (including, this year, stylish neighbor to the North and
Canadian design guru <b>Karl Lohnes</b>, gracing DOAD with his presence for the first
time this year, and donating one of his signature “painted queens,” his second
year doing so... but <i>this</i> year, he’s
upped the cool quotient considerably, adding the piece to the <a href="https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/727217" target="_blank"><b>online auction</b></a>, and securing an autograph on the piece by
Dame-about-town Helen Mirren, currently reigning in Broadway’s "The Audience.")</span></span></div>
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What’s the catch to the big ticket? There’s no actual shopping during the VIP
hour, only scouting. But it definitely
gives you a running start, allowing you to be squarely in place as the ribbons
drop, after downing one martini for strength, all before the general admission ticket holders have made it past coat check.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>3. Get There Early</i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you’re there for the main shopping event starting at
6:30, be prepared to get in line up to an hour before. The good news is the
line is super social, well dressed, occasionally cruisy (so I’ve been told),
perfect people watching, and buzzing with great energy. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other good news is that once the doors open, the line
FLIES.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcLnms7b-WI/VTBdHni9cAI/AAAAAAAADuU/kgdn3zu6lg0/s1600/DSCN4612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcLnms7b-WI/VTBdHni9cAI/AAAAAAAADuU/kgdn3zu6lg0/s1600/DSCN4612.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>4. The Buddy System</i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is like swimming, the tango, and other various trysts:
It’s better with a partner (or two). Bring a shopping posse, even if only one
of you is dropping the cash. Once you do a group scout, divide and conquer. Send
everyone off to snag the piece that first caught your eye, then rendezvous at a
predetermined check-out line.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>5. Comfortable Shoes</i></b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While this is a well-heeled designer crowd, this is no time
to teeter on the Laboutins. You’re going to need traction for this action, so
shoes you can make several laps around the Metropolitan Pavilion in are the
style of choice. (Leave the Giant Purse at home, too, since the aisles are full
and the booths are fuller.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>6. Don’t Hesitate</i></b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Design on a Dime puts the <i>pulse</i> in <i>impulse</i>, and
there’s very little time to ponder a purchase, so to paraphrase the MTA safety
mantra, “If you see something, snag something.” Art, furniture, antiques, rugs,
sculpture and objet of various ilk all FLY out of the booths at this event. Wonderful
volunteers in each vignette will tell you what to do, whether it’s carrying a
smaller piece straight to the multiple cash or credit pay stations, or snagging
the tag on larger pieces too big to carry out. </span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Also, the party goes on for several hours. You’ll have plenty of time to mingle,
nibble the nibbly bits, and get your drink on... AFTER you’ve swooped in on and
scored that accessory, settee or photograph.</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Trust me, you will be haunted by the one(s) that got away and eluded your grasp.
And I’m only partially talking about cater waiters. TOTALLY unrelated...<b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>7. Measure Twice, Buy Once</i></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bring a tape measure, and have measurements for what you’re
looking for on hand or phone.<b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>8. Don’t Think “This Will be Cheaper Tomorrow” (I’ll Just Go to the Public
Sale Days)</i></b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Without question and with few exceptions, the best stuff all
sells the very first night. And while further price reductions are taken as the
two days of public sale (this year, Friday and Saturday, April 24<sup>th</sup>
and 25<sup>th</sup>) unfold, if you hesitate the first night, or wait for
deeper discount, you’ll be disappointed when you return for the free-admission public
sale days.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plus, if you ONLY go to the public sale, you won’t have any opportunity to see
anything <i>remotely</i> resembling what
designers had intended with their designs that have taken months of planning,
begging, curating, finagling, designing, and as mentioned, custom crafting. Two
years ago, my lamps sat on the floor for a large chunk of the night, since
someone scooped up (and took!) both end tables. It’s that serious.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sure, there are still AWESOME pieces that escaped the
party-night crowds. But don’t risk it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LaKj839--uU/VTBdTum4DzI/AAAAAAAADuc/fYPFFnjfPJI/s1600/DSCN4604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LaKj839--uU/VTBdTum4DzI/AAAAAAAADuc/fYPFFnjfPJI/s1600/DSCN4604.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>9. Talk to the Designers</i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The designers stay pretty close to their booths, and they
are the best resource to hear what’s hot and hotter... plus, we all know the
original price of our donated wares, to make you feel even better about the
bargains you’re sure to score.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPgT1dPkxuA/VTBgxVA3ZJI/AAAAAAAADvM/Wdw1rb5iepw/s1600/DSCN4587.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPgT1dPkxuA/VTBgxVA3ZJI/AAAAAAAADvM/Wdw1rb5iepw/s1600/DSCN4587.jpg" height="400" width="236" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><i>10. Remember What It’s All About</i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the end of the evening, this is shopping with a heart,
for an extremely worthy cause. AIDS isn’t over, and Housing Works makes sure
those still dealing with an expensive and still often brutal disease have
dignified lives, warm beds, and stable environments. Last year, Design on a
Dime raised over $1.1 million, earmarked for new facilities and continued
programming. And over the years, Housing Works has proven that HIV and AIDS
treatment happens more reliably when people have a permanent address to come
home to, saving lives in the process. And that’s, without a doubt, the very
best savings of the night.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aitrrQVpGlQ/VTBcGnvJcTI/AAAAAAAADt8/rCef5_KzoZE/s1600/THF_DOD2015_Website_Header_01_Homepage_v2.jpg" height="145" width="400" /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Design on a Dime 2015</b> opens to VIP ticket holders Thursday, April 23rd, at 5:30, with official Opening Night Reception general admission at 6:30 pm, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, 125 West 18th Street, New York, New York. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The shopping continues with the <span class="caps">FREE</span> Public Designer Sale, Friday, April 24 from 10am – 7pm and Saturday, April 25 from 10am – 5pm. <br /><br />A HUGE thank you to <a href="http://www.riohamilton.com/" target="_blank"><b>Rio Hamilton</b></a>, for loaning me some of his images from the VIP Opening Night Party from Design on a Dime 2014. Check all his coverage <a href="http://www.riohamilton.com/2014/05/design-on-dime-10th-years-celebration.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>, and <a href="http://www.riohamilton.com/2014/05/housing-works-design-on-dime-montage.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>, his super-fun, super-charged video remix of the night that perfectly captured the images and energy of the can't-miss shopping event. And thank you, also, to the lovely social media maven <a href="http://www.jessicasophia.com/" target="_blank"><b>Jessica Sofia</b></a>, for additional images.</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span>patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-9590040595103914572015-03-08T23:15:00.000-04:002015-03-10T22:26:47.824-04:00...about confessions on a tabletop: chopsticks, bone china and where inspiration comes from<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6GZP7ZQKxS4/VPz8uBtKOvI/AAAAAAAADpg/1gYqazzZzm8/s1600/IMG_9639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6GZP7ZQKxS4/VPz8uBtKOvI/AAAAAAAADpg/1gYqazzZzm8/s1600/IMG_9639.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Where
did your inspiration come from?” It’s my favorite question to ask, of
painter or poet, composer or comedian, and one of my favorite questions to answer.
Setting the table at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/" target="_blank">Michael C. Fina</a></b>
was a refresher course, for me, on how ideas blossom and unfold, get rerouted
or retooled, on any project or creative process.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I love tabletop design, whether styling them for clients or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/11/about-fall-tablescape.html" target="_blank">photoshoots</a></b>, or covering great events
like the annual <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/03/table-hopping-for-diffa-dining-by.html" target="_blank">Dining By Design</a></b> to
benefit <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://diffa.org/" target="_blank">DIFFA</a></b>. So it was beyond a
thrill to be asked by New York’s preeminent table-top source, Michael C. Fina,
to style not just a tabletop, but the main window of their glittering Manhattan
flagship. <br />
<br />
But where to start? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
have to admit, the timeline between the offer and the deadline (a great reunion
party for the participants and donors behind <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank">Holiday House 2014</a></b>, of which Michael C. Fina was a most generous
one) disappeared like a fistful of water, and intended planning sessions were postponed
by more than one of this winter’s “snow events” and a few of my own urgent
client deadlines. So by the time I got into the showroom to meet, measure, and
discuss, we were a mere dozen days away from install. Yikes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s
how it all unfolded, how we made the deadline work (and who helped, immensely,
to make that happen), where the inspiration came from, and the lessons I
learned along the way.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMr00vcotu8/VPz-l6VRLyI/AAAAAAAADqg/CZnLpZxs00E/s1600/Mottadeheh_Dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMr00vcotu8/VPz-l6VRLyI/AAAAAAAADqg/CZnLpZxs00E/s1600/Mottadeheh_Dragon.jpg" height="299" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work With What You Have
(Access To)<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
do it in client homes when stretching a budget, working <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/02/about-starting-from-scratch.html">within the confines of a rental</a></b>, or when creating vignettes for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-signature-style-13-cues-from.html">Housing Work’s Design on a Dime</a></b>: Build
from your givens, existing, donated or just plain available. It maximizes both
time and money. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> working with givens, helping
homeowners fall back in love with something they thought was long-gone in terms
of inspiration or design merit.<br />
<br />
The main window already had a long table in it, so we’d start there...
and let’s face it, doing an actual tabletop setting, for a tabletop purveyor is
no real stretch. (Plus, did I mention I LOVE to style tabletops?). So, okay,
the foundation was in place. But, yowza, that table is a nine-footer. We’d need
a LOT of product. But we had the whole of the showroom from which to pick, right?
Well, yes, and no. As many in the business of interiors know, “stocked” and “in
stock” are not one and the same, and some things weren’t readily available in
the considerable multiples we needed. <br />
<br />
And as any designer who’s worked with a Pinterest-obsessed client, having what
seems to be an unending source of choice doesn’t always help narrow the field,
or get a project any closer to the finish line. It seemed that way with the
seemingly bottomless well of product and inspiration surrounding me at Michael
C. Fina. When you are smack dab in the middle of their stellar and staggering
selection of china, crystal and flatware, there is no shortage of
inspiration... but sometimes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too much</i>
to work from isn’t all that helpful, either, especially when the clock is
ticking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2PhW4LeMnk/VPz9is2dI1I/AAAAAAAADpw/0UAbsZ2fcac/s1600/Hemisphere_Gold_Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2PhW4LeMnk/VPz9is2dI1I/AAAAAAAADpw/0UAbsZ2fcac/s1600/Hemisphere_Gold_Dinner.jpg" height="275" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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Luckily, I was working with Michael C. Fina’s calm and lovely in-house Merchandising and Visual Planning guru Jenny Lim. She steered me towards lines she knew she had in stock as we
wandered (me, a wide-eyed kid in a candy store, with “candy” by the likes of
Baccarat, Bernadaud, Juliska and Rosenthal.) During the store tour, the
graphic, bright and banded <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/tableware/homeless/jean-louis-coquet-dinner-plate-385360003.html?" target="_blank">Hemisphere Gold Stripe</a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/tableware/homeless/jean-louis-coquet-dinner-plate-327360003.html" target="_blank">Matte White</a></b>, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/tableware/homeless/jean-louis-coquet-presentation-plate-298360001.html" target="_blank">Matte Gold</a></b> patterns by Jean-Louis Coquet
were quick to catch my eye. What also caught my eye, early, was the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/tableware/formal-china/banded/mottahedeh-blue-dragon-CHMOTTBLDR.html" target="_blank">Blue Dragon</a></b> pattern by Mottahedeh, and
it seemed like with a white, gold and blue scheme and that gorgeous dragon
pattern, we were really on to something for an upbeat and eye-catching tablescape.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtBtqi8faDA/VPz9lMCDcCI/AAAAAAAADp4/Bbv6LMk8Ahw/s1600/Hemisphere_White_Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vtBtqi8faDA/VPz9lMCDcCI/AAAAAAAADp4/Bbv6LMk8Ahw/s1600/Hemisphere_White_Dinner.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ezRXjaJe5tI/VPz91R0koGI/AAAAAAAADqQ/vIQglqDCU-M/s1600/Willow_Charger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ezRXjaJe5tI/VPz91R0koGI/AAAAAAAADqQ/vIQglqDCU-M/s1600/Willow_Charger.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wicked Web and Lost Dragons<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So,
with visions of dragons and gold, stripes and cobalt blue, I went back home to
plan. <br />
<br />
Part of that planning involved getting lost in the Michael C. Fina <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/homedecor/dinnerware-entertaining/dinnerware/" target="_blank">website</a></b>, where I discovered the contemporary
take on Blue Willoware, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/richard-brendon-rim-charger-RBWC0002-A.html" target="_blank">Willow Cobalt</a>,</b>
by UK designer <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.richardbrendon.com/" target="_blank">Richard Brendon</a></b>, and
his dynamically graphic blue-and-white striped <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/richard-brendon-coupe-dinner-plate-RBPR0003-A.html?" target="_blank">Patternity</a></b>. Instant love, and suddenly, a table of blue and white,
circles and stripes was setting itself in my mind, the Patternity stripe the
perfect party companion to the gold-banded Hemisphere. (I very often rely on
common geometries when pulling together any scheme, room, vignette, or tabletop.)</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qb9Ojj6Q2Zs/VPz9v4f1Z7I/AAAAAAAADqI/XckVc_u9LDQ/s1600/Patternity_Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qb9Ojj6Q2Zs/VPz9v4f1Z7I/AAAAAAAADqI/XckVc_u9LDQ/s1600/Patternity_Dinner.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back
to the showroom I went, planning on capping a mixture of these patterns with
those Mottahedeh dragon plates, which had also mixed in my mind with the Blue Willow
to start to tell a great contemporary Asian-inspired spring garden table. <br />
<br />
But alas, that mix only worked in my head and on my monitor, and I learned my
first china lesson: bone china and porcelain don’t always play well together,
with both a considerable difference in background white color, and how the
glazes (in this case, both cobalt) react (one, crisp and graphic, the other,
organic, “bleedy” and painterly). While both were still beautiful, pulling them
together called attention to the differences in a way that didn’t do either any
favors. Suddenly, I lost my dragons, the very first piece of inspiration I felt
really good about, the one that seemed to kickstart the whole plan.<br />
<br />
Not to panic. I’ve lost major inspiration pieces in client projects, upfront, when
a client didn’t share my enthusiasm, or in the eleventh hour, when something’s
out of stock or even discontinued. I still had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">plenty</i> to work with (a total of five patterns to alternate, mix and
match). Still good, and this old dog learned a new trick about bone china along
the way.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUheAENY4eo/VPz97YyjQyI/AAAAAAAADqY/7fc59l1d61g/s1600/Hemisphere_White_Soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUheAENY4eo/VPz97YyjQyI/AAAAAAAADqY/7fc59l1d61g/s1600/Hemisphere_White_Soup.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While
it was the dragon which whet my Asian appetite, other things pointed me down
the path to an Asian-inspired table once he was out of my grasp: that Blue Willow
pattern, the lantern-like ribbed texture and nearly-half-moon shape of the Coquet
Hemisphere bowls.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LM-qQoxHQSc/VPz9Rlg2tOI/AAAAAAAADpo/eUfZDJN-69c/s1600/IMG_9267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LM-qQoxHQSc/VPz9Rlg2tOI/AAAAAAAADpo/eUfZDJN-69c/s1600/IMG_9267.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another
thing was practicality: I knew I could style this table with extras easily
found in some of Manhattan’s treasure troves for budget styling, including the
go-to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://pearlriver.com/v3/index.asp" target="_blank">Pearl River</a></b>, a frequent secret
weapon of stylists, florists, and party planners. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CV8g4HanUro/VPz_aJDd3aI/AAAAAAAADqw/0mXxvjABhAM/s1600/IMG_9593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CV8g4HanUro/VPz_aJDd3aI/AAAAAAAADqw/0mXxvjABhAM/s1600/IMG_9593.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">
I loved the instant architecture provided by the quartet of the giant Pearl
River paper lanterns, a HUGE amount of impact for the money (even if,
teetering on a ladder perched on the table at 9:15 in the morning, I questioned
my super-precise placement plan for hanging them, aligned and just kissing). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">They framed the scene, garnered
street-side attention, and shfted the focus back down on the tabletop
without stealing any of its thunder. </span></span><br />
<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">
The shopping spree continued at Pearl River with chopsticks (a certain need to
make it up as I went along on install day meant I scooped up green, white and
bamboo versions, without breaking the bank).</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7khV6yRMY0/VPz9naXpeVI/AAAAAAAADqA/ykkBpf5hxlE/s1600/il_570xN.395981060_6kwo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7khV6yRMY0/VPz9naXpeVI/AAAAAAAADqA/ykkBpf5hxlE/s1600/il_570xN.395981060_6kwo.jpg" height="311" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctmqyi-vZxg/VPz_LMqh93I/AAAAAAAADqo/poFPt5ZbDmQ/s1600/MCFina_Baccarat_MilleNuits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctmqyi-vZxg/VPz_LMqh93I/AAAAAAAADqo/poFPt5ZbDmQ/s1600/MCFina_Baccarat_MilleNuits.jpg" height="400" width="135" /></a></div>
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<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">
Onward to the flower district, and at </span></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.jamaligarden.com/" target="_blank">Jamali Garden</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">, votives and glass gravel for an idea that would prove to be
short-lived (more on that later!). I love, on any table top, to add height, and
then add heights in between those heights, so I was looking forward to using
elements to fill the space between dish and the tall and gorgeous Baccarat </span></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.michaelcfina.com/tableware/homeless/baccarat-champagne-flute-dark-blue-2105455.html?" target="_blank">Mille Nuits</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;"> champagne flutes. The
votives in cobalt helped start that step up, while bouncing that blue between
Baccarat stemware and china patterns. They were also a very budget-friendly way
to give the table a luxe, lush and filled-in look, while not introducing
anything new, color or material-wise, to the mix, another key to keeping the
clean, contemporary but still-layered look I was shooting for.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tcmVjKQm4ZY/VPz_6VBWKGI/AAAAAAAADrA/mgOlJKH_UiA/s1600/IMG_9669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tcmVjKQm4ZY/VPz_6VBWKGI/AAAAAAAADrA/mgOlJKH_UiA/s1600/IMG_9669.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Practical Provisions</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
I were setting this table for a one-night plan, there’d probably be fresh
flowers. But this display had to last well into March. I knew immediately where
to go, though... my generous and talented friends at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ndi.com/" target="_blank">NDI/Natural Decorations</a></b>. They’ve helped fool visitors to my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank">Modern St. Patrick’s Day</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.houzz.com/projects/809522/holiday-house-2014-derby-deconstructed" target="_blank">Derby Deconstructed </a></b>rooms for Holiday House, and lucky buyers took more of their
glorious handiwork home at last year’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/projects/809522/holiday-house-2014-derby-deconstructed" target="_blank">Design on a Dime</a></b>.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCGVY_SGNVQ/VP0AErA9USI/AAAAAAAADrQ/0HQbuGIMHJw/s1600/NDI_BambooFence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCGVY_SGNVQ/VP0AErA9USI/AAAAAAAADrQ/0HQbuGIMHJw/s1600/NDI_BambooFence.jpg" height="155" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDE1XMZ4KqA/VPz_tl_abfI/AAAAAAAADq4/pj4JJvykQ0I/s1600/IMG_9655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FDE1XMZ4KqA/VPz_tl_abfI/AAAAAAAADq4/pj4JJvykQ0I/s1600/IMG_9655.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
While perusing their <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ndi.com/" target="_blank">site</a></b>, and still
thinking of the tabletop’s Asian underpinnings, striped plates and banded
bowls, I came across NDI’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ndi.com/shop/products/bamboo-fence-box-of-6" target="_blank">bamboo fence</a></b>. Click! They’d be the perfect tabletop runners, giving me an
earthy, organic counterpoint to all the glitz and glam above it. And the fact
that the fencing itself is both striped, in a way, but could also allow me to
“band” the table in an oversized, graphic way, really sealed the deal. In
stock! Ready to ship! Add to basket! (Or, actually, the wish list for NDI. They
said yes, as they have to me many, many times!) </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
I’m also a big fan of “intentional white” when it comes to design, and I knew
that an all-white scheme for the flowers would get great impact while still
letting the merchandise stay the star. It would also give the whole set-up a
bridal bent, in this outpost that sees more than its share of Bridal Registries
and visits by brides-to-be. NDI’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ndi.com/shop/products/peony-set-of-4-6" target="_blank">Peony Cubes</a></b> and Peonies in a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://ndi.com/shop/products/peony-22" target="_blank">Porcelain Blue and White Bowl</a></b> fit the bill, perfectly, and recreated a look I’m fond
of when using real flowers: you get maximum mileage out of selecting one color
and type of flower, then just using it en masse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFng6n_t4N0/VPz__odK-0I/AAAAAAAADrI/Poer7MBzsU4/s1600/IMG_9389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFng6n_t4N0/VPz__odK-0I/AAAAAAAADrI/Poer7MBzsU4/s1600/IMG_9389.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">That
centerpiece also has the perfect dialogue with the overhead lanterns, one happy
half moon sharing the evening with the fuller versions above. (I’m also </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> about “Compare and Contrast” when
it comes to filling out a display, table or room.)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1eQfT4KMP2U/VP0A0kVRc4I/AAAAAAAADrk/_dPJR7VGkbE/s1600/IMG_9341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1eQfT4KMP2U/VP0A0kVRc4I/AAAAAAAADrk/_dPJR7VGkbE/s1600/IMG_9341.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
people think of “fine china,” they’re quick to think of formality, “the good
dishes” that only get trotted out for holidays, and dusty dinner parties. But
this table would be no Miss Havisham moment. I wanted a modern and slightly
masculine sensibility (women aren't the only ones picking out wedding china these days!).</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lC1y0vGtYjw/VP0AqKofBRI/AAAAAAAADrc/cBLHA72Hh-w/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lC1y0vGtYjw/VP0AqKofBRI/AAAAAAAADrc/cBLHA72Hh-w/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lPiYV5K8Z0I/VP0BLph7zdI/AAAAAAAADr0/enTMRI_1Dtk/s1600/IMG_9369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lPiYV5K8Z0I/VP0BLph7zdI/AAAAAAAADr0/enTMRI_1Dtk/s1600/IMG_9369.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But like “all traditional,” “all modern” has a way of
losing interest, too, so the modern patterns were joined by ultra-traditional
stem- and flat- ware, in a very traditional placement. The casual/traditional
push-pull continued with organic elements, fine cut crystal, and those breezy
paper lanterns, and as it always does, the mix made it all the more
interesting.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNC-0KYJBts/VP0BDQYaCbI/AAAAAAAADrs/YCJ8YIhZTM8/s1600/IMG_9573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNC-0KYJBts/VP0BDQYaCbI/AAAAAAAADrs/YCJ8YIhZTM8/s1600/IMG_9573.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Invest, Splurge, Save</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
my overarching philosophy, for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i>
project, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> client: the best results
come from the strategy of “Invest, Splurge and Save,” and while the main
components here were just pulled from inventory, not purchased, the idea was
never far from my mind. Investment pieces—pieces you could work around for
years to come— were the basic white Hemisphere. So, too, the clear Baccarat
goblets, each standing the test of trend and time: you’d have each for as long
as you’d want them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1GbC7M3kqzA/VP0BvIFWLLI/AAAAAAAADsE/QKb48cveHJk/s1600/IMG_9585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1GbC7M3kqzA/VP0BvIFWLLI/AAAAAAAADsE/QKb48cveHJk/s1600/IMG_9585.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BN2oufqW79E/VP0Bgx3Hg8I/AAAAAAAADr8/2idAzsVdP58/s1600/IMG_9663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BN2oufqW79E/VP0Bgx3Hg8I/AAAAAAAADr8/2idAzsVdP58/s1600/IMG_9663.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Splurge pieces were the more patterned pieces and the cobalt goblets. The Save
came from the more temporary and theme-specific items: those paper lanterns, votives,
and both the Crate & Barrel white and Bed, Bath & Beyond gold napkins.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj0iAUGj9w4/VP0CGgDGg5I/AAAAAAAADsU/Hg77cP9v3-I/s1600/IMG_9506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gj0iAUGj9w4/VP0CGgDGg5I/AAAAAAAADsU/Hg77cP9v3-I/s1600/IMG_9506.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopsticks and Other Lessons<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How
fun,” I’d thought, “to position chopsticks at each placesetting, upright in
alternating blue and clear votives, to add height and novelty!” What I hadn’t
realized, but was quickly schooled on by several astute friends when the first
teaser shots went live on my Facebook feed, is that displaying chopsticks that
way also displays a certain cultural insensitivity (I’ll spare you the details,
but let’s just say the word “funerary” came up more than once... <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hardly</i> the intent!) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3hlpBbwC-w/VP0B9S-jfqI/AAAAAAAADsM/BAxR-ZLf-mA/s1600/IMG_9600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b3hlpBbwC-w/VP0B9S-jfqI/AAAAAAAADsM/BAxR-ZLf-mA/s1600/IMG_9600.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that plan changed, and once again,
NDI to the rescue: those individual cubes, originally intended to be scattered
about the table, became wonderful mini centerpieces in a look I’m eager to
recreate. It gave that great mid-level height I love, and they’d make perfect
gifts for dinner guests to take home at party’s end. They also, very
practically, kept the chopsticks in place, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this time</i>, without any cultural misstep.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kpRzB0ibreo/VP0CqSfWreI/AAAAAAAADsg/--cvZKod4hw/s1600/IMG_9426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kpRzB0ibreo/VP0CqSfWreI/AAAAAAAADsg/--cvZKod4hw/s1600/IMG_9426.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18bqTPQaEg8/VP0CwNrT8DI/AAAAAAAADso/6mxbo34yJR0/s1600/IMG_9438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18bqTPQaEg8/VP0CwNrT8DI/AAAAAAAADso/6mxbo34yJR0/s1600/IMG_9438.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jj2gNeUWbUA/VP0C0wJdULI/AAAAAAAADsw/rD9nLptcUIg/s1600/IMG_9493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jj2gNeUWbUA/VP0C0wJdULI/AAAAAAAADsw/rD9nLptcUIg/s1600/IMG_9493.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-76gMzMGQzH4/VP0C6YLUPNI/AAAAAAAADs4/2caAk0VOqLA/s1600/IMG_9646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-76gMzMGQzH4/VP0C6YLUPNI/AAAAAAAADs4/2caAk0VOqLA/s1600/IMG_9646.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6FyazfipIS8/VP0C9GQzWxI/AAAAAAAADtA/3sfwNz9RnTA/s1600/IMG_9672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6FyazfipIS8/VP0C9GQzWxI/AAAAAAAADtA/3sfwNz9RnTA/s1600/IMG_9672.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big
thanks to my new friends at Michael C. Fina for the opportunity to handpick
from their wonderful array of tabletop items, mix and match brands, and
overall, make it an experience I hope to repeat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ll get to use those dragons after all!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
hope my journey to the finished table has inspired you, too. Even more shots on
my Pinterest album “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/table-topped/" target="_blank">Tabletopped</a>.</b>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get
Social! </b>Find Michael C. Fina on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mcfina" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelCFina" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, Richard Brendon on <a href="https://twitter.com/richardbrendon" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/richardbrendon/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and follow me on <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>All photos: Patrick J. Hamilton</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This is not a sponsored post.</i></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-43993752696523290882014-06-26T20:38:00.001-04:002014-06-26T21:12:45.226-04:00...second looks: John Douglas Eason at Kips Bay 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WO2Z1m3EIis/U6y2KZZhBCI/AAAAAAAADdo/6nGx1laXze8/s1600/IMG_8094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WO2Z1m3EIis/U6y2KZZhBCI/AAAAAAAADdo/6nGx1laXze8/s1600/IMG_8094.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">He’s
the kind of guy who generously uses “we” when he could easily get away with
“me.” He's prone to giving more credit to serendipity than to his own innate and
impeccable design sense. He’s the only person I know who can say, “Hello,
darling!” and not sound like Gina Gershon in Showgirls. Meet the ever-dapper John
Eason, of <b><a href="http://johndouglaseason.com/" target="_blank">John Douglas Eason Interiors</a></b>, a talented designer riding a wave of
much-deserved attention. John stopped by AskPatrick to pull back the (GIGANTIC)
curtain on his <b><a href="http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/" target="_blank">Kips Bay Decorator Show House</a></b> debut, letting us know what’s behind the mirror, and
why girthy Italian legs and nuclear reactors, among other things, kick-started
and energized his star turn at the venerable designer show house.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Listen
in on the full conversation here:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="20" scrolling="no" src="http://www.hipcast.com/playweb?audioid=P4183e06261c9d440ed2ae92beea17315ZVl5QntuY2N1VA&buffer=5&fc=FFFFFF&pc=CCFF33&kc=FFCC33&bc=FFFFFF&brand=1&player=ap21" width="246"></iframe></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">...or
read on for some of the highlights!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Patrick J.
Hamilton:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Everybody<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> knows Kips Bay. Was it intimidating working
specifically in this amazing house, let alone Kips Bay? Because the house is kind
of legendary, right?</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">John Douglas Eason:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The house is definitely
legendary. The thing that was challenging was I’ve never really worked in a 34-ft
high staircase before. And I probably had one of the most logistically
difficult spaces to work in, since it was the staircase. Especially having just
a landing really to place furniture on. In all of that big scale and all that
big size, the landing is relatively small. And with traffic coming up and down
you couldn’t really do anything that would make those stairs feel more narrow. But
yes, definitely, it was a little bit intimidating, having this kind of size.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVjuxI6A_Pc/U6y2GykHa1I/AAAAAAAADdg/_23w6pkSN0w/s1600/IMG_7889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVjuxI6A_Pc/U6y2GykHa1I/AAAAAAAADdg/_23w6pkSN0w/s1600/IMG_7889.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It was kind of an odd combination of an incredible cubic footage of
space, but a fairly small footprint to put anything down, right?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Exactly. And so getting the
scale and getting proportion of everything just right was certainly a bit of a
challenge.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span>
<b style="font-size: 11pt;">PJH: </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">Give us some stats. Like the yardage
of wallpaper, the height of that window treatment.... drop some numbers on us,
John!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The window itself was
approximately 11.5’ high.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Holy moly! That’s just the window right?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> That’s just the window! The
walls themselves were 138” high from the stone piece that had a carved detail
in it, where the stone ended. From the top of that to the bottom of the crown
molding was 138.” The depth of the space was 220”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So
when we made the wallpaper, we painted that at the artist’s studio. Is this
where I get to namedrop about the artists I worked with?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course! Assuming you’re willing to share your secret sources!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Absolutely! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.christiansonlee.com/" target="_blank">Christianson-Lee Studios</a></b>, they’re based
out of Ridgefield, Connecticut. We were able to do a small-scale sample to get
all our colors right, and then we actually painted it on a thin canvas. Because
of the size of their studio... we did the entire length of the wall. It was
done in three different sections. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.bestandcompanynyc.com/" target="_blank">BEST & Company</a></b>, the
contractor I worked with, installed 220” long rolls of paper on the walls. And
they did it all when there was scaffolding less than 8” away from the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH:</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Yay, scaffolding!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> YES.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It sounds like they lived up to their name!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absolutely</i> did. And they did not complain about it. I’m amazed they
didn’t just throw the paper back at me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I would imagine that stone was something that you could not change. What
else were you given that you could not change or that you had to work hard to
work around?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The baluster was
historically landmarked, as were the stone steps, which meant that I couldn’t really
put any type of beautiful runner or something just to make that softer or
warmer. I really would have liked to warm that space up more.</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OK--CgrX7Aw/U6y14G89TII/AAAAAAAADdA/1N1-oY9tUIU/s1600/IMG_7857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OK--CgrX7Aw/U6y14G89TII/AAAAAAAADdA/1N1-oY9tUIU/s1600/IMG_7857.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I loved that smoky, sort of mysterious mirror. It did that trick that
mirrors do: visually expand that space a bit. Is there something hiding behind
there, John??<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> When we first took the
space, the entire wall was covered with just a great big piece of sheetrock. So
we had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no idea</i> what to expect when
the sheetrock came off. But you know, it’s a show house, so you can generally
expect that whatever the worst possible condition could be is what would be
there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s not going to be an ancient Roman tile or fresco or mural or
something like that!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Exactly! Yes, we were not
so lucky to find anything quite like that!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
considered a lot of different options. One thing would be putting a screen
there. But nearly anything I would have put there would have taken from the footprint
of the landing. If I had a folding screen, then that would have pushed whatever
console or what-have-you out further. And there just wasn’t that kind of space.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfchZQsoiL8/U6y2XtdiwvI/AAAAAAAADd4/KdRVl7FtZ0I/s1600/IMG_8500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfchZQsoiL8/U6y2XtdiwvI/AAAAAAAADd4/KdRVl7FtZ0I/s1600/IMG_8500.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In spite of the size constraints, you ended up with that bust— that
bust! Oh my god!— That console! That chair! That photograph!! But where did you
start!?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> I started with two
different things. When I saw the space, the first thing that came to mind was
the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.Ingo-Maurer.com/" target="_blank">Ingo Mauer</a></b> chandelier. I’ve admired
his work for an incredibly long time and always wanted to use one of his
pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
next thing I knew that I wanted to go for was to see if I could get <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Barry X Ball</b> to loan me one of his
pieces for the space. I became familiar with Barry’s sculpture two years ago
when he had a big exhibition at the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.bassmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Bass Museum</a></b> in Miami Beach. And then fortunately as a member of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.madmuseum.org/" target="_blank">Museum of Art and Design</a></b>, we did a
studio tour of his studio in Brooklyn this past fall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
minute I got the space, I thought, “Oh my god! One of these sculptures of his
that has the real feeling of the Reniassance would be a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perfect</i> piece to put in the space.” The piece not only addresses
what’s now and what’s hopefully part of our future, but it also addresses the
past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Barry
likes to have his pieces displayed in classical venues. And so I think that was
very appealing to him. It’s something you don’t run across all that often here
in the United States. He’s shown before in Venice, and his works there are
beautiful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What was the biggest risk that you took with the space? Was it a
specific piece, was it an overall design, was it putting art on patterned
wallpaper? What felt to you like the biggest leap of faith?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Part of the biggest risk
was just the arrangement of the things I chose to put in the space. A Wendell Castle chair (courtesy <b><a href="http://www.friedmanbenda.com/" target="_blank">Friedman Benda Gallery</a></b>), sitting next to a
Baroque console...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
</span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTKDkn7tqQk/U6y14Wr9ZHI/AAAAAAAADdE/dz0l1Z7O5o4/s1600/IMG_7867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTKDkn7tqQk/U6y14Wr9ZHI/AAAAAAAADdE/dz0l1Z7O5o4/s1600/IMG_7867.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why does that work, though? Because it </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">totally<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> worked!</i></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That console and that chair
work together because in a way they were the yin and the yang of each other.
The console was from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.hmluther.com/" target="_blank">H.M. Luther</a></b>,
and it’s 17<sup>th</sup> Century Baroque, Italian, and it had those great, big
girthy legs...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh my!<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">...and all those beautiful
curves that were carved into that. And likewise, the Wendell Castle chair— which
very 21<sup>st</sup> Century, one of only eight— that piece as well had those
great big ginormous legs, but then those beautiful soft curves, and the
beautiful silver leaf. And that seemed to pull with the metallics. The Thomas Struth photo that we used had
the metallics in it, and that was the last thing to come in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you always know you were going to put something up there, it was
just a matter of what?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Originally I had always
envisioned probably hanging two horizontal pieces on that wall or on the
opposite wall. And when this one particular piece came, it was like, “No, your
thinking is so wrong, you really need this vertical piece to offset the
horizontal stripe in the wall.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
always knew I was going to put something up there. Whatever was there needed to
feel grand in scale, worthy of the space, and of the highest possible quality
that I could bring.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
decision about the wall, the curtains, and everything else had already been
made when the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.MarianGoodman.com/" target="_blank">Marian Goodman Gallery</a></b>
gave me a selection of things to choose from. The minute I saw that was a
choice I had, I was like, “This is it!” and I knew it would work.<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></span><br />
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</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2uwWtff0OI/U6y2Erh9tnI/AAAAAAAADdY/NMrB8CTreOY/s1600/IMG_7888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2uwWtff0OI/U6y2Erh9tnI/AAAAAAAADdY/NMrB8CTreOY/s1600/IMG_7888.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Going back to your “Compare and Contrast” game with the console and the
chair, you could bring that photo into that conversation and still do a lot of
the same things. It’s sort of gutsy and curvy, there’s geometry...<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> That photograph is actually
of the core reactor at the Max Plank Institute in West Germany. The thing that
was crazy about it and unanticipated was the reactor almost looks like it has
scales on it, and those scales so perfectly reflected the sails on the
chandelier. It was just amazing to me how perfectly all of that came in to play
together. Everything felt like it was speaking to everything else in the space.</span></span></div>
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</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FiBSweYwm10/U6y14GbVNKI/AAAAAAAADdI/zy2eq7DXWmU/s1600/IMG_7858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FiBSweYwm10/U6y14GbVNKI/AAAAAAAADdI/zy2eq7DXWmU/s1600/IMG_7858.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When I was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/05/about-haute-and-haunting-and-day-at.html" target="">writing about the whole house</a></b>, I kept coming back to your space, because it seemed to
encapsulate a lot of what was going on throughout the entire house. Gray (like
on your ceiling) was a through-note through a lot of the public spaces, incredible
showstopper art was another, statement lighting fixtures another, even that ridiculously
(in a good way) ornate console... Why were so many designers all on the same
page about this house? Was it the house itself? Is it just that everybody’s tapped
into the same moment? What’s going on?<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Any good designer listens
to what a house has to say to them. And there certainly is a sense of grandeur
about these spaces. That living room, I’m not sure what the dimensions were,
but it felt like a football field. In current times, and maybe not so much when
the house was built, I think we all have this awareness of human scale, as
well, and want spaces to feel like home, want them to feel cozy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">With
the grandiosity of the pieces that were put into the rooms, I think it was all
about addressing the grandeur of the house but also wanting to make rooms feel
livable and make them feel like a place where you might actually have a family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sort of taming the house, a little bit.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Exactly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When I interviewed you awhile back for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/patrickjh" target="_blank">Apartment Therapy</a></b> about your <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/john-douglas-easons-past-life-153569" target="_blank">past home</a></b>, you talked about listening to the space... and you’re talking along
those terms now. What did this incredible house whisper in your ear, John?<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Maybe this is just some of
my own musings, but I think the house would like to be a home again. And as I
thought about the house as a home, and I thought about what today’s
billionaires would want to put in their homes, it occurred to me that they
would want whatever artwork or possessions to not only display their wealth,
but be things that are also the most current... things that are very much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of the moment</i>.</span></div>
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</span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4R6QlqF3TzI/U6y2TpAsx1I/AAAAAAAADdw/egPM0pN4Mh0/s1600/IMG_8493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4R6QlqF3TzI/U6y2TpAsx1I/AAAAAAAADdw/egPM0pN4Mh0/s1600/IMG_8493.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">J</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">DE: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;">My
main goal with the space was to make it feel as though we had respect for the
history of the space but at the same time, I wanted to do something that would
make the space feel current and modern, but not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> modern and so out there that it felt like we did things that
didn’t belong, that were foreign to the space.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I know you’re also heavily involved with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.baileyhouse.org/" target="_blank">Bailey House</a></b>... were you not in up to your eyeballs on that right
at set up for Kips Bay?? Like how... what... how are you still... what happened??<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Yes indeed! I’m definitely
heavily involved in Bailey House, and we had our big annual auction event on March 27<sup>th</sup>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I</b>t was definitely a challenge. And somewhere in the middle of all
of that, I also did a tabletop thing for the <b><a href="http://www.lenoxhill.org/content/donate/special-events.html" target="_blank">Lenox Hill Spring Gala</a></b>...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Of course you did!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">...which I had committed to like
about 48 hours before getting the call for Kips Bay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh god!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Yes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">The best way to be busy is to be busy, I always say!</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> It all worked out. I think
it’s the thing we all find out about these things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
very fortunate. I have wonderful and lovely clients who are very supportive. No
doubt, there’re definitely some of them that have felt neglected over the past few
weeks. But I find that when you’re involved with something like this, everything
and everybody pulls things together to make things happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Even
the folks at Bailey House were so amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the event was coming up, I was having to say no to certain
meetings which I would have normally been involved in. They were like, “John,
whatever we can do to help, and once the event is past, if there’s something that
we can do that would be beneficial to you, just let us know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s nice to hear.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>What
other space in the house would you have loved to take credit for? What else caught
your eye in the rest of the house?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The other space that just really
jumped out to me was the space by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://odada.net/" target="_blank">ODADA</a></b>,
where they took this room with this really odd blue neon light in the ceiling, and
they worked with that by painting the ceiling blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">They
kept the furnishings spare, but everything in that room, if you took each piece
individually, they were all just incredibly beautiful pieces, high quality. But
just something about it felt warm and intellectually intriguing to me,
aesthetically pleasing. It’s a room that I’d love to be able to say, “That was
my room! I did that!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Having gone through all this, and done it while Bailey House was in
full swing, and while setting tables for Lenox Hill, any advice to future show
house or table-top participants?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> You’ve got to be organized,
you’ve got to have your finances in order because things come up that you
didn’t anticipate, that you have to buy at the last minute. And you’ve got to
be ready to make quick decisions. That’s one of the things that happened with
that mirror. We didn’t get that sheet rock off until late in the game, and I
had to come up with a quick solution.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PJH: </span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So you recently married your handsome partner <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.cultureobject.com/about.htm" target="_blank">Damon Crain</a></b>, you’re just coming off your first smashing— I would
call it a smashing— success at Kips Bay, and your apartment was just featured
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.newyorkspacesmag.com/" target="_blank">New York Spaces magazine</a></b>... it’s
not a bad time to be John Eason, is it?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">JDE:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> You know! (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">laughter</i>) For somebody who is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slightly</i> uncomfortable with attention, I
have to tell you (well, I’m slightly uncomfortable, and I love it at the same
time!), it has been... quite honestly... I have a hard time finding words for
it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It
is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so</i> amazing to get the support of
the community that you work in, it’s so amazing to have found someone, who for
better or worse, thinks that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me.
And he’s incredibly supportive in what I do. He was very instrumental in
helping me to be able to pull off Bailey House, Lenox Hill and Kips Bay. It’s
just... yeah... there are days when I just have to pinch myself a little.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get social!</b> Find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnDouglasEasonInteriors" target="_blank">John Douglas Eason Interiors</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/baileyhouse?fref=ts" target="_blank">Bailey House</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkSpacesMagazine" target="_blank">New York Spaces Magazine</a> on Facebook!</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All interior photography: Patrick J. Hamilton</span></div>
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patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-21313887405303075112014-05-29T11:57:00.001-04:002014-06-26T19:43:08.329-04:00...about haute and haunting, and a day at the opera, all for a price: Kips Bay 2014<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i> “I’ve
seen the future. I can’t afford it.”
<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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—“Millionaire,” ABC <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
always been the <i>grande dame</i> of New
York (and national) show houses... <b><a href="http://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/" target="_blank">Kips Bay Decorator Show House</a></b>, the annually shifting address to which designers
aspire and jockey to attach their names, designs and reputation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
the 2014 edition is no ordinary dame. This is great bones and bearing, dressed
to the nines, times 22. This house, this year, is <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=carmen+dell'orefice&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=TSyHU6njDYjKsQTfoIGgCw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1445&bih=815" target="_blank"><b>Carmen</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dell'Orefice</b></a> in a Balenciaga wedding gown. It just doesn’t get any
more couture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
interiors are high on fantasy, indulgent excess, and stratospheric price tag of
the assembled contents. “You can smell the money,” said one guest. The seven or
so pieces in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://johndouglaseason.com/" target="_blank">John Douglas Eason’s</a></b>
grand stairwell were insured for a cool one million, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.peacockhome.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Peacock</a></b> told the New York Times his 15-by-10-foot closet
would run up a price tag of $60,000, although, he reassured, “You can do this
on a budget.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
overall over-the-top response owes largely to the house itself. Instead of the
usual upper east row home of respectable, upscale provenance, this year’s
setting is a more storied one: the northernmost structure of the six McKim Mead
and White-designed <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID010.htm" target="_blank">Villard Houses</a>, </b>now
part of the New York Palace property. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
the tradition of designers “listening to the architecture” of a structure or
space, especially so in the absence of an actual client, the legendary house seems
to have had its say and its way, coaxing a herculean effort from the stellar
cast. It seems to have both humbled and inspired them in the process with its history,
gracious flow and proportion, inherent character, expansive wall space and
towering windows. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
house swallows up all but the grandest of gestures, due in equal parts to its
amazing presence and staggering size. Although Architectural Digest’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2011/10/about-margaret-russell-ad-360.html" target="_blank">Margaret Russell</a></b> said in the New York Post, “Even though its scale may be grand, the results
are not pretentious or ostentatious,” this lily is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gilded</i>.
If past houses were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2010/12/about-finding-inspiration-in-designer.html" target="_blank">poetry</a></b>, this one
is opera: grand, dramatic, sweeping, often in a language foreign and exotic,
and not necessarily accessible or translatable to all audiences. But that’s
made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> the Kips Bay to end all
Kips Bays, in style, size and execution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGqDugamwM0/U4c8HYbsQNI/AAAAAAAADX0/k4M95OPhLLc/s1600/IMG_7768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGqDugamwM0/U4c8HYbsQNI/AAAAAAAADX0/k4M95OPhLLc/s1600/IMG_7768.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
says something when million dollar decorator <b><a href="http://www.martynlawrencebullard.com/" target="_blank">Martyn Lawrence Bullard</a></b> seems soft-spoken, and almost overshadowed
by the home’s larger rooms and original details. As you’d expect, Bullard talks
back to the house, with a wildly-marbled paper from his <b><a href="http://www.fschumacher.com/collections/martyn-lawrence-bullard-marble-prints-wallcoverings.aspx" target="_blank">line for Schumacher</a></b>. But
the house somehow still seems to have the last word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
also says something that Ron Arad’s one-of-a-kind fireplace surround, a giant’s
thumbprint of polished steel rods, in <b><a href="http://www.ingrao.com/" target="_blank">Ingrao Inc.’s</a></b> room, which would have garnered <i>all</i>
the attention in years past, seems just <i>slightly</i>
above par for the course, in a house riddled with million dollar-plus features.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With
such a traditional shell, you’d expect a bit of chintz or toile. But in that
respect, the house happily disappoints. Although <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.elledecor.com/" target="_blank">Elle Décor’s</a></b> editor in chief Michael Boodro Tweeted, “Grand, old school decorating is back,” the house has an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">au courant,</i> futuristic air, due in large
part to the selection and handling of art, avant garde lighting, a nearly
untenable scale to frame and furnishings, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that fireplace</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few
steps through the doorways of the first floor alone, and you’ve lost track of how
big the rooms actually are, like Alice through the looking glass before any of
the “Eat Me/Drink This” pit stops. A vintage shoulder-mount zebra seems almost
delicate in scale in <b><a href="http://www.williamtgeorgis.com/" target="_blank">William T. Georgis</a>’</b>
room before you realize it’s hanging at least three feet above a towering
secretary, with more than a few more feet above <i>it</i> and, well, that it’s a full quarter of <i>a zebra</i>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifyTvlF6KgY/U4c9nhePAqI/AAAAAAAADYI/MGbClWvL_Lc/s1600/IMG_8462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ifyTvlF6KgY/U4c9nhePAqI/AAAAAAAADYI/MGbClWvL_Lc/s1600/IMG_8462.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In John Eason’s soaring grand stairwell, a <b><a href="http://www.thomasstruth32.com/smallsize/index.html" target="_blank">Thomas Struth</a></b> photograph seems modestly
scaled despite its 111” height. The ground floor rooms of both Ingrao<b> </b>and <b><a href="http://www.juanmontoyadesign.com/" target="_blank">Juan Montoya</a></b> seem more high-end luxe airline lounge than living
room, with meandering, free-form sofas that could accommodate a few dozen or
more awaiting their first-class seat on some Emirates flight, in rooms seemingly
big enough to land the actual planes. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qk3fzANC60/U4dCWe2b6oI/AAAAAAAADYo/_hw2TNSt07o/s1600/IMG_7777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Qk3fzANC60/U4dCWe2b6oI/AAAAAAAADYo/_hw2TNSt07o/s1600/IMG_7777.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6HgCqAMD4bs/U4dCpS8Xu8I/AAAAAAAADYs/O7fLfz5wQ54/s1600/IMG_8544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6HgCqAMD4bs/U4dCpS8Xu8I/AAAAAAAADYs/O7fLfz5wQ54/s1600/IMG_8544.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JaLqU0fdtWc/U4c-dyM0FcI/AAAAAAAADYQ/AWaOx-7lbRA/s1600/IMG_8144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JaLqU0fdtWc/U4c-dyM0FcI/AAAAAAAADYQ/AWaOx-7lbRA/s1600/IMG_8144.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upstairs, ceilings still soar, and even
the modest rooms are enviable volumes. <b><a href="http://www.markhampton.com/" target="_blank">Alexa Hampton’s</a></b> sitting room seems humanly scaled, yet after your eyes adjust, you
realize it’s a room large enough to tuck a living room that easily seats <i>seven</i> in
just one corner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet
for a house full of grand gesture and pedigreed showmen (and women), what could
have been Clash of the Titans is oddly, surprisingly, cohesive. Upstairs and
down, and in spite of the unique points of view of the 22 designers and firms,
an almost singular personal style, curated sense and design approach echoes and
resounds throughout the cavernous rooms and vast public spaces. It’s as if it
were all commissioned by some staggeringly wealthy, young-ish über-power couple,
where one of the two is an art-driven and slightly severe minimalist, the other
a bit more Old World and layered, both moneyed and daring, if not slightly eccentric.
Though multi-faceted, it all seems remarkably planned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QycFp6UjCcc/U4c_d5zBR5I/AAAAAAAADYY/mP_SuLV2ZZk/s1600/IMG_8421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QycFp6UjCcc/U4c_d5zBR5I/AAAAAAAADYY/mP_SuLV2ZZk/s1600/IMG_8421.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToLvlmJeknQ/U4c_1UUODvI/AAAAAAAADYc/jgrAauHIY2I/s1600/IMG_7965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToLvlmJeknQ/U4c_1UUODvI/AAAAAAAADYc/jgrAauHIY2I/s1600/IMG_7965.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
way the designers addressed the mansion’s woodwork is one of the silken threads
that weaves the whole house together. More than half the designers, like
Bullard, went the paint-and-paper route. The others created slab-like and monolithic
installations, almost art themselves, floating, plastered, painted, gilded and
sometimes backlit, hovering in front of the paneling, in at least three places
in the house.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Color also lent cohesion. A few variations of an unexpected utilitarian gunmetal
gray give transition spaces a commonality, and a shift to softer grays in other
spaces furthered the effect of a grand palette plan. An upper floor seems to
have been pulled mostly from the same swatch of the paint deck. (“Have you been
to the teal floor?” one decorator friend quipped, of a color that first makes a
cameo appearance in Georgis’ Cardinal’s lair before its star turn upstairs.) </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JssCfwWP0iA/U4dDtI1kc0I/AAAAAAAADY8/IicI3cI61-8/s1600/IMG_8083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JssCfwWP0iA/U4dDtI1kc0I/AAAAAAAADY8/IicI3cI61-8/s1600/IMG_8083.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NxGiSiJDbsA/U4dDVdWDSFI/AAAAAAAADY0/8Z6U5u4L_vA/s1600/IMG_8028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NxGiSiJDbsA/U4dDVdWDSFI/AAAAAAAADY0/8Z6U5u4L_vA/s1600/IMG_8028.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8U9z7Lljpvw/U4dDbmxGvlI/AAAAAAAADY4/sXPe5zeI8h4/s1600/IMG_7934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8U9z7Lljpvw/U4dDbmxGvlI/AAAAAAAADY4/sXPe5zeI8h4/s1600/IMG_7934.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it wasn’t teal (or Georgis' blood red), it was a gutsier-than-pastel mid-tone candy color, like
Peacock’s pink confection of a dressing room, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.cullmankravis.com/" target="_blank">Cullman & Kravis</a></b> peachy bedroom, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.carrierandcompany.com/home.php" target="_blank">Carrier & Company’s</a></b> lemon yellow artwork, or ramped up like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.vicentewolf.com/" target="_blank">Vicente Wolf’s</a></b> slightly
uncharacteristic shot of persimmon, in an upholstered addition masking an
unsightly doorway wall of one of the very few modestly sized rooms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k3VkQSViru4/U4dEUyFMfgI/AAAAAAAADZE/K7WO3fX-xkU/s1600/IMG_8260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k3VkQSViru4/U4dEUyFMfgI/AAAAAAAADZE/K7WO3fX-xkU/s1600/IMG_8260.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YsjMEnjANpU/U4dEe_iQJ3I/AAAAAAAADZI/wDWGFZ71bSI/s1600/IMG_8122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YsjMEnjANpU/U4dEe_iQJ3I/AAAAAAAADZI/wDWGFZ71bSI/s1600/IMG_8122.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
While color is omnipresent, there’s also a well-paced repetition of
intentionally all- or nearly-all white rooms. The spaces of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Darryl Carter</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.edwardlobrano.com/" target="_blank">Edward Lobrano</a></b>, and Montoya cleansed the palette like sorbet between
an evening’s rich and decadent courses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--YsruH6kPgQ/U4dE94NsxeI/AAAAAAAADZM/udWeVOO5HCo/s1600/IMG_8518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--YsruH6kPgQ/U4dE94NsxeI/AAAAAAAADZM/udWeVOO5HCo/s1600/IMG_8518.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2xfc5Zxtaw/U4dFEd9kZmI/AAAAAAAADZQ/dOmmb1x0XZU/s1600/IMG_8063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2xfc5Zxtaw/U4dFEd9kZmI/AAAAAAAADZQ/dOmmb1x0XZU/s1600/IMG_8063.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other through-notes, undoubtedly happy accidents: Bullards' marbleized paper finds a companion in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Carrier & Company’s Paris-flat evocative upstairs sitting
room. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWHyGaqc9g0/U4dFqJxmsQI/AAAAAAAADZU/37VD_NHetzY/s1600/IMG_8538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWHyGaqc9g0/U4dFqJxmsQI/AAAAAAAADZU/37VD_NHetzY/s1600/IMG_8538.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzLgsaa0nOU/U4dM0BzvmtI/AAAAAAAADao/X09GDmUB3Uc/s1600/IMG_8094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UzLgsaa0nOU/U4dM0BzvmtI/AAAAAAAADao/X09GDmUB3Uc/s1600/IMG_8094.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The paper crowning Eason’s stairwell is one of more than a few places
where linear geometry is softened by an organic, handmade feel, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://alphaworkshops.org/" target="_blank">the Alpha Workshops</a></b> wallpaper and stacked stone pencil tile from <a href="http://www.akdo.com/home.asp" target="_blank">AKDO</a> in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.younghuh.com/" target="_blank">Young Huh’s</a></b> gentlemen’s powder room another. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two-sided sofas in Montoya’s and Ingrao’s rooms seem cut of the same decadent cloth. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the other three-quarters of Georgis’ zebra appears in bench form on the
second floor gallery.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kblIIv9edoM/U4dXs_yu0gI/AAAAAAAADbg/jeM_Y7J8sUA/s1600/IMG_7815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kblIIv9edoM/U4dXs_yu0gI/AAAAAAAADbg/jeM_Y7J8sUA/s1600/IMG_7815.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-alupKGvzCZo/U4dG2zyOKrI/AAAAAAAADZg/yX9z2hQWQRw/s1600/IMG_8190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-alupKGvzCZo/U4dG2zyOKrI/AAAAAAAADZg/yX9z2hQWQRw/s1600/IMG_8190.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOKtUCfQsLY/U4dHB6cUxmI/AAAAAAAADZk/mxOj0xzf_W0/s1600/IMG_8218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOKtUCfQsLY/U4dHB6cUxmI/AAAAAAAADZk/mxOj0xzf_W0/s1600/IMG_8218.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Georgis’ room seems the masculine counterpart to Hampton’s more feminine exotic stunner, both he and she having a field day with color and a sparkling, if not slightly wicked, sense of humor.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The minaret arches in Hampton’s Moorish
lambrequins appear again in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://markhamroberts.com/" target="_blank">Markham Robert’s</a></b> sitting room/office mirror. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEVHYYHFrqA/U4dHYMGI2mI/AAAAAAAADZo/IjpDG6BMG40/s1600/IMG_8590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEVHYYHFrqA/U4dHYMGI2mI/AAAAAAAADZo/IjpDG6BMG40/s1600/IMG_8590.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EyO1ol3EVJU/U4dHdGyN3LI/AAAAAAAADZs/2Ji6qPSomMY/s1600/IMG_8330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EyO1ol3EVJU/U4dHdGyN3LI/AAAAAAAADZs/2Ji6qPSomMY/s1600/IMG_8330.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zNg8Ilo8qG8/U4dHj0BdeNI/AAAAAAAADZw/-ymy1DYJjAg/s1600/IMG_8500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zNg8Ilo8qG8/U4dHj0BdeNI/AAAAAAAADZw/-ymy1DYJjAg/s1600/IMG_8500.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A
chair in Montoya’s room, an open art book open in Darryl Carter’s, and the
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.barryxball.com/" target="_blank">Barry X. Ball</a></b> lapis bust on Eason’s
landing share a shrouded, draped theme. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ckBdT-n-1Pw/U4dLFZgE_EI/AAAAAAAADaM/6aC7Xl3K-Wg/s1600/IMG_7817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ckBdT-n-1Pw/U4dLFZgE_EI/AAAAAAAADaM/6aC7Xl3K-Wg/s1600/IMG_7817.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s-E6KteB-7E/U4dLMIzZSrI/AAAAAAAADaQ/exph1yGZIGY/s1600/IMG_7804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s-E6KteB-7E/U4dLMIzZSrI/AAAAAAAADaQ/exph1yGZIGY/s1600/IMG_7804.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also on that landing, an ornate console
that looks like it sailed the Atlantic in a European cargo container with Georgis’
mirror and the black-and-white-marble-topped pair by William Kent in Ingrao’s
room, paying homage to the entry hall’s flooring, adding yet
another repetitive note echoing up and down the hallways.<br />
</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pp0yrcKXiT8/U4dIB2BYE3I/AAAAAAAADZ0/QmMOimuRTFA/s1600/IMG_7786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pp0yrcKXiT8/U4dIB2BYE3I/AAAAAAAADZ0/QmMOimuRTFA/s1600/IMG_7786.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwdEerpHrw4/U4dIf8CDV4I/AAAAAAAADZ4/SRef6GoDJDM/s1600/IMG_8571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwdEerpHrw4/U4dIf8CDV4I/AAAAAAAADZ4/SRef6GoDJDM/s1600/IMG_8571.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntGDnLDtGzE/U4dJL_lj7FI/AAAAAAAADaA/UZXDcD0AsT0/s1600/IMG_8255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ntGDnLDtGzE/U4dJL_lj7FI/AAAAAAAADaA/UZXDcD0AsT0/s1600/IMG_8255.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_67EZkqofc/U4dJaa7HqiI/AAAAAAAADaE/Cj2T9df5qIg/s1600/IMG_8075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A_67EZkqofc/U4dJaa7HqiI/AAAAAAAADaE/Cj2T9df5qIg/s1600/IMG_8075.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlPn3W_iYvc/U4dMBpv4m5I/AAAAAAAADaU/8BZwn6SOmEA/s1600/IMG_7910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlPn3W_iYvc/U4dMBpv4m5I/AAAAAAAADaU/8BZwn6SOmEA/s1600/IMG_7910.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Art, throughout, is large and gutsy. And how the two-dimensional pieces are
applied yet another common denominator, with either a single gargantuan piece,
or wall-climbing salon-style installations, every panel of the woodwork serving
as an outer frame to each piece. There’s also a bonanza of sculpture, of a public-works
scale that looks like it had to be hoisted in on cranes.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5ISfQQwVwg/U4dMcaMqhbI/AAAAAAAADac/p3xiCv9eLBM/s1600/IMG_7904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--5ISfQQwVwg/U4dMcaMqhbI/AAAAAAAADac/p3xiCv9eLBM/s1600/IMG_7904.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lighting</span></b></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lighting
is another element adding to the continuity, with sculptural contemporary fixtures
by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://richbrilliantwilling.com/" target="_blank">Rich Brilliant Willing</a></b> on one
floor the perfect playmate to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.rollandhill.com/" target="_blank">Roll & Hill</a></b> fixtures and Markham Roberts’ brass spiral on the others... while
classic crystal chandeliers made more than one appearance in other rooms. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
if they weren’t one or the other, they were “mere” sculptural showstopper, like
Ingrao’s cloud-like oval of buffet-plate-sized Italian glass disks, or Eason’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.ingo-maurer.com/de/" target="_blank">Ingo Maurer</a></b> kite-like <b><a href="http://www.ingo-maurer.com/de/produkte/oh-mei-ma" target="_blank">Oh Mei Ma</a> </b>construction, the
best fixture in the entire house, a hybrid of delicate gold leaf and muscular
mother ship ready to beam it all up, like some art-loving, antique savvy intergalactic
pirate galleon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
one of the house’s happiest of accidents, and a shining example of “celebrate
the givens,” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://odada.net/" target="_blank">Orlando Diaz-Azcuy Design Associates</a></b> was faced with an overhead halo of neon, and either by edict or
choice, chose to keep it. In the context of the completed house, it seems like
a minimalist light sculpture commissioned specifically for the space, not a
remnant of the room’s recent past. It shares a gallery-esque vibe with the two
upstairs hallways, each feeling more like an art installation integrated into
the house than something just carted in and nailed up for the show house’s
30-ish day run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
all the continuity, the home’s grandiose scale, and the designers’
no-holds-barred decorating, a few grace notes get lost in the shuffle. The
otherwise lovely bedroom by<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>Lobrano seemed a bit sleepy in comparison to the more boisterous rooms around
it, like a lovely debutante overlooked amid angular super models at Fashion Week.
And not every visitor (or member of the press) realized Eason’s stairwell
wasn’t a continuation of the second-floor landing designed by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.meyerdavis.com/" target="_blank">Meyer Davis</a></b> or Bullard’s foyer, as
in-common grays and metallics blurred the boundaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygtGnz3Yag/U4dP1vRokKI/AAAAAAAADbA/nHcp5SKhM-Q/s1600/IMG_7972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fygtGnz3Yag/U4dP1vRokKI/AAAAAAAADbA/nHcp5SKhM-Q/s1600/IMG_7972.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
much personality imbued the whole house with a feel of real storytelling, even
more than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-quiet-and-loud-and-everywhere.html" target="_blank">Kips Bays past</a></b>. And it
wasn’t just Georgis’ wickedly sacrilegious jab at the notorious Cardinal Spellman,
in the shadow of St. Patrick’s cathedral. (In Georgis’ hands, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sangre de cristo</i> turns into a bloody
good time, and a decadent, gorgeous and sexy room.) Carter’s room seemed a chic
set for a modernized Crucible, Scarlet Letter or Dangerous Liaisons. The White
Queen (or as the New York Times’ Penelope Green supposed, Cruella De Vil) would
most certainly scream through Bullard’s chic chessboard at any moment. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://matthew-quinn.com/" target="_blank">Matthew Quinn’s</a></b> kitchen seemed the
perfect stage (and plenty of room) for the “Toot Sweet” number from Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang, Hampton’s room where Jasmine and Aladdin finally park their
carpet. And the consoles and other high-personality pieces here and there still
no doubt under the spell of a maligned enchantress in Beauty and the Beast, somewhere
between the Disney and Cocteau productions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mRir01QyvPo/U4dQWpR_SvI/AAAAAAAADbE/BZUuOoFMBt8/s1600/IMG_7816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mRir01QyvPo/U4dQWpR_SvI/AAAAAAAADbE/BZUuOoFMBt8/s1600/IMG_7816.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Haute and Haunting</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elsewhere,
mysterious, enigmatic elements like those shrouded figures, a wild-eyed photo
of Medusa flanked by narwhale tusks, silenced portraits, beheaded torsos, disorienting
scale, murky colors, blood references, and corridors disappearing in dark
shadows made this into a haunted house of sorts, the Victor Fung mural in the Meyer Davis hallway frozen in an eternal,
eerie scream, punctured like a wound by the ruby red exit sign. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fqRol6TsQA/U4dQd4VtGUI/AAAAAAAADbI/tLrRHUk8pbY/s1600/IMG_8469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fqRol6TsQA/U4dQd4VtGUI/AAAAAAAADbI/tLrRHUk8pbY/s1600/IMG_8469.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-csH5JFT4QFE/U4dQngxqxuI/AAAAAAAADbM/i6aTbQdQhuA/s1600/IMG_8235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-csH5JFT4QFE/U4dQngxqxuI/AAAAAAAADbM/i6aTbQdQhuA/s1600/IMG_8235.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zwi4Xh4mGIk/U4dQqIF9uSI/AAAAAAAADbQ/JRBNz35j2I0/s1600/IMG_8308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zwi4Xh4mGIk/U4dQqIF9uSI/AAAAAAAADbQ/JRBNz35j2I0/s1600/IMG_8308.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole house
could be the setting for some stylized sequel to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://sleepnomorenyc.com/" target="_blank">Sleep No More</a></b> or Eyes Wide Shut. Or maybe a little bit Halloween at
Liberace’s or Donald Trump’s house. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
while there was a kitchen (two, actually, both by Quinn), there was no dining
room, a semi-glaring oversight, although <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/06/about-quiet-and-loud-and-everywhere.html" target="_blank">last year’s dining room</a></b> by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.kristenmcginnis.com/" target="_blank">Kristen McGinnis</a></b> could have successfully slotted right in, with its moody lacquer
and artful narrative. So too, the over-the-top-and-back-again <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/11/about-holiday-house-2012-part-1.html" target="_blank">dining room by Inson Wood at Holiday House</a></b>
a few years back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipIUhSPNouo/U4dRkCZfOsI/AAAAAAAADbU/e9wyZVs_Jxs/s1600/IMG_8602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipIUhSPNouo/U4dRkCZfOsI/AAAAAAAADbU/e9wyZVs_Jxs/s1600/IMG_8602.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some
designers, while inspired by the surroundings, seemed to want to overpower or
upstage them. And while gorgeous, those rooms felt a bit bullied, however
elegantly, into submission, like a heavy hand in a velvet glove, although other
results were certainly intended. Of his plaster wave of wall that included an
oddly-scaled, almost-adobe fireplace, Montoya likened it, somehow, "to a cashmere throw."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
continue the opera metaphor, like a Wagner work, this year’s Kips Bay Show
House is a multi-scene marathon full of big roles and bravura performances. And
even if you don’t understand all (or any) of the words, it’s still a piece of
staggering beauty, artfully composed and sure to be long remembered. It will,
however, take a brave cast, and a remarkable stage set, to follow this year’s
act.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Kips Bay Decorator Show House runs annually in the spring in New York City. This year's house was open from May 1st through May 29th, 2014.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Stay tuned for closer looks of some of my favorite rooms and spaces! And click on any of the photos for a larger slideshow view.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All photography: Patrick J. Hamilton</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment--></div>
patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-55057069652587495452014-05-04T16:26:00.002-04:002014-05-05T09:48:09.818-04:00...about signature style: 13 cues from Design on a Dime 2014.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BK83d1FU4J8/U2aFLe4hMLI/AAAAAAAADUA/_NV2EHvDFJQ/s1600/patrick_062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BK83d1FU4J8/U2aFLe4hMLI/AAAAAAAADUA/_NV2EHvDFJQ/s1600/patrick_062.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are some designers whose style is so recognizable you
can spot their rooms 20 paces out or 2 pages in. John Saladino. Vicente Wolf.
Darryl Carter. Geoffrey Bradfield. Over decades of fine-tuning their process,
they’ve arrived at go-to palettes, styling trademarks, and furnishing
combinations that work for them and for clients seeking that signature style.</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not that there’s anything wrong with that. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But to me, the joy of interior design has been uncovering and
then celebrating the passions and loves of my clients, in rooms that shout or
whisper <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> names before they do
mine. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #e36c0a;"><br />
</span>While of course the bulk of my work has been for (mostly!) wonderful
clients, I’ve also been lucky to work on projects where style or function restrictions
have been nearly nil, for pure show or charitable cause... the<a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-downtown-chalet-by-patrick-74402" target="_blank"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge</b>,</a> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank">Holiday House</a></b>, and this, my fourth year
doing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank">Design on a Dime</a></b>, the annual fundraiser
to benefit <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/" target="_blank">Housing Works</a></b>, where 50+
designers solicit merchandise to craft, collect and curate a vignette, art
installation or mini room, all sold off for charity. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in each of these
events, it’s basically just me (well, me and the amazing donors, artists,
antiques dealers, volunteers and craftspeople who make it actually happen!). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s no client to say, “We have to keep the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Living-Rooms/Union-Square-Living-Room-and-Readers-Retreat/detail.esi?oid=9079624" target="_blank">rug</a></b>,” or “<a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2014/02/about-starting-from-scratch.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Anything but green</b>.</a>” Style-wise, I get to fully call the shots (and
then, in the case of Design on a Dime, beg, cajole and wish, then cross fingers
and toes that vendors will say yes and it all arrives on time.) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s what makes
these type of “no-client” events so thrilling. And so terrifying. It’s just me.
And, ohmygod, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s just me</i>. No one to
throw under the bus but myself if the collection of items that looked so cool
on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/design-on-a-dime-2014-wicked-queen/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></b> fails to translate in
the 3-D world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each year, I’ve let myself have more and more fun with the unfettered
prospect. My<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2011/05/about-design-on-dime-one-room-13-tips.html" target="_blank">first room</a> </b>for Design
on a Dime was quiet (but a debut I’m still terribly proud of). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/04/about-sixteen-sweet-tips-design-on-dime.html" target="_blank">The next</a></b>, alligator walls and <b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/03/about-golden-moments-honey-im-home.html" target="_blank">egg yolk yellows</a></b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/05/about-coloring-outside-lines-design-on.html" target="_blank">Three years later and one year ago</a></b>, I
was hanging a giant green parakeet on a flamestitch grasscloth called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=5006080" target="_blank">Zippity Doo Dah</a></b>. Quiet? Notsomuch. In
my fourth year, I’m layering floor length white fringe panels over “Brazilian
Blush” walls.<br />
<br />
It’s been fun, but it made me wonder: am I a design Sybil? What’s the common
denominator, of my client work (whether on short or long leash), the Design on
a Dime vignettes, and the other opportunities (like my own home) when there were
no clients at all?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With or without a client, do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I </i>have a
signature style?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I stopped to think about it, I realized there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are</i> some things I love to do, some
tenets I try to hold fast to, some groundwork I generally lay for a room,
myself, or a client. So, by way of this year’s Design on a Dime vignette, here
are the thirteen things that, to quote the Pet Shop Boys, “left to my own
devices, I probably would.”</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9J-eMZK5F_g/U2aGx0BxVTI/AAAAAAAADUU/CTHuLKLPboA/s1600/patrick_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9J-eMZK5F_g/U2aGx0BxVTI/AAAAAAAADUU/CTHuLKLPboA/s1600/patrick_075.jpg" height="400" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Natural elements<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pardon my French, but Mother Nature kicks ass. <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
I love what the rich irregularity of nature brings to any room, whether wood
grain or glittering frozen fractal. This year, it was a calcite geode and two
beyond-belief rock crystal spheres from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pagodared.com/" target="_blank">Pagoda Red</a></b>. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/04/about-sixteen-sweet-tips-design-on-dime.html" target="_blank">Two years ago</a></b>, it was the
spectacular and herculean “Painter’s Stone” (also from Pagoda Red. They’ve been
very, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> good to me.).</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__LPkdD_oW8/U2aMawP9nAI/AAAAAAAADWE/7qIb5i9U3hc/s1600/IMG_7449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-__LPkdD_oW8/U2aMawP9nAI/AAAAAAAADWE/7qIb5i9U3hc/s1600/IMG_7449.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pieces from nature, whether seashell or fossil, petrified
wood table or selenite lamp, temper a modern room, and bring a note of color,
shine or texture you simply can’t man-make. Same goes for plant- and
vegetable-based dyes, like those in the silk “Double Portal” rug from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.carinilang.com/" target="_blank">Carini Lang</a></b>. Nobody does color like Joe
Carini. Or Lady N.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWahMSz7RrU/U2aPVrLpgkI/AAAAAAAADW0/STBQ33zyTWI/s1600/18339-DOUBLE-PORTAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SWahMSz7RrU/U2aPVrLpgkI/AAAAAAAADW0/STBQ33zyTWI/s1600/18339-DOUBLE-PORTAL.jpg" height="400" width="342" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nature brings grace, ease and a settled, well, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nature</i> to any room. I even love the
power of photographs of animal, vegetable and mineral to bring it. But it can also
be as simple as a vase-full of flowers.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ3l8pix_gs/U2aMHp01G3I/AAAAAAAADVU/-xK1Kk9MuZI/s1600/IMG_7376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZ3l8pix_gs/U2aMHp01G3I/AAAAAAAADVU/-xK1Kk9MuZI/s1600/IMG_7376.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Art as
palette-driver</span></b></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I said when I had the opportunity to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://asidnymetro.org/calendar-events/events/enhancing-interiors-with-fine-art/" target="_blank">speak on the subject</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
recently at the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://nysid.edu/" target="_blank">New York School of Interior Design</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, if I could, I’d start every room with art. It’s hard
though, since finding perfect art that a client loves as much as you do is like
finding a pair of shoes someone else thinks is comfortable. It’s usually too
personal to project.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
So when no client is around to say, “Ummmmm...” art is very often where I
start. This year, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.danromerart.com/" target="_blank">Dan Romer</a></b>’s “Lord
Rick” set the tone of the room, with both his princely nature and unique
clay-pink, gold, silver and black palette. The Bloomingdale’s window, my first
year of Design on a Dime and Holiday House all started with the room’s main
piece (or collection) of art.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KpuzrH4TpLQ/U2aII0iUWmI/AAAAAAAADUg/XSCqhGcPQ1A/s1600/patrick_052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KpuzrH4TpLQ/U2aII0iUWmI/AAAAAAAADUg/XSCqhGcPQ1A/s1600/patrick_052.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Repetition <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I very often work in smaller confines for Manhattan
clients, repetition, whether of shape, theme, color or texture, is a way to
bring cohesion both within a room and from room to room.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAARhULhWoM/U2aMZ_plc4I/AAAAAAAADV8/DvKcuyOevTQ/s1600/IMG_7456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eAARhULhWoM/U2aMZ_plc4I/AAAAAAAADV8/DvKcuyOevTQ/s1600/IMG_7456.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dan’s drawing, and my second donation, that crazy-spiky-cool
Spore mirror from </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barrydixon.com/" target="_blank">Barry Barr Dixon</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
for </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/brands-of-arteriors/guest-designers/barry-dixon" target="_blank">Arteriors Home</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> shared an organic,
elongated oval, paving the way for the irregular oval of the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/RIVER-STONE-COCKTAIL-TABLE-BR-available-online--P11423.aspx" target="_blank">River Stone cocktail table</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.olystudio.com/mobius-sculpture.html" target="_blank">Mobius</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> sculpture from Oly, the
foreshortened disks of the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/p-6322-revelry-table-lamp.aspx" target="_blank">Revelry</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> lamp from Currey & Company,
and even the silvered Jordan almonds. </span></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
That thorny crown worn by Lord Rick, and the spikes of the Spore gave me yet
another royal and wicked motif worth repeating (in the pointy little crowns of the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/lily-candleholders-d2020/?pkey=e%7Clily%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules" target="_blank">Lily</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> candle sticks from West Elm, and the base and finial of the Currey & Company </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/p-6321-minaret-table-lamp.aspx#.U2Z9JShy_Hg" target="_blank">Minaret</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
lamps).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--SgmqNoGcv4/U2aWHTavqVI/AAAAAAAADXM/yzTLUb-gXUs/s1600/Currey_Minaret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--SgmqNoGcv4/U2aWHTavqVI/AAAAAAAADXM/yzTLUb-gXUs/s1600/Currey_Minaret.jpg" height="320" width="176" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlSo63llKJI/U2aWBhDYLAI/AAAAAAAADXE/_fiWMbcYCnk/s1600/1618606_634011676646338_1314171153_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlSo63llKJI/U2aWBhDYLAI/AAAAAAAADXE/_fiWMbcYCnk/s1600/1618606_634011676646338_1314171153_n.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="255" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
By way of intentional repetition, the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/window-treatments/product/panel-system" target="_blank">string panels</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank">The Shade Store</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> made way for the chainmail-inspired </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/products/rojo-stainless-medium-small-glass-hurricane-candle-holder__y6090.html" target="_blank">Rojo Stainless</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> hurricane courtesy </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/" target="_blank">LampsPlus</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,
which had the double bonus of also royally relating to knight’s armor, and the magic act of the room's artwork floating in mid-air, courtesy the genius of my new best friends at <b><a href="http://ilevel.biz/" target="_blank">iLevel</a></b>.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIOT04Wx1rA/U2aMhGjTjkI/AAAAAAAADWU/LcxVPXsn0y8/s1600/IMG_7503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WIOT04Wx1rA/U2aMhGjTjkI/AAAAAAAADWU/LcxVPXsn0y8/s1600/IMG_7503.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black and white (more on that later!) was repeated in the
traffic-stopping diptych from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.1stdibs.com/dealers/disegno-karina-gentinetta-llc/" target="_blank">Karina Gentinetta</a>, </b>the Conor zebra chair from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.bernhardt.com/" target="_blank">Bernhardt</a></b>,
and the pair of fuzzy<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/FRIDA-BLACK-ARM-CHAIR-TIBETAN-FURBR-available-online--P11855.aspx" target="_blank">Frida chairs</a> </b>from<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a>.</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4UaKjlRQfA/U2aL7cbvSQI/AAAAAAAADU8/HtmksmhCBHw/s1600/IMG_7320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i4UaKjlRQfA/U2aL7cbvSQI/AAAAAAAADU8/HtmksmhCBHw/s1600/IMG_7320.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Wall-matching the
big stuff<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, a small space trick: steal the potentially overwhelming
mass of a room’s largest pieces, whether upholstery or casegood, by matching or
relating it to the wall color. This year, the champagne upholstery on the
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/HENRI-CHAIRBR-available-online--P10983.aspx" target="_blank">Henri</a></b>
chairs wasn’t as direct a match to the walls as last year’s orange leather
settee, but these two chairs would have seemed even bigger in this tight 10 x
12 footprint if they were bright blue.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G9V4Ua3mVSA/U2aEsEzfTJI/AAAAAAAADT0/Ax-jqo5fWqc/s1600/patrick_045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G9V4Ua3mVSA/U2aEsEzfTJI/AAAAAAAADT0/Ax-jqo5fWqc/s1600/patrick_045.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Console(ation)
Prize<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To anchor a wall, or hide AV equipment, and do it while
providing places for all those lamps and tablescaping, while hugging a wall and
not hogging the floor, who you gonna call? A console. Closed or open, it’s a
great casegood. And while this year’s star <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/JULES-CONSOLE-TABLEBR-available-online--P11869.aspx" target="_blank">Jules</a></b>
console table didn’t match the wall, its openwork base, glass top and super
slim profile stole the thunder from its considerable length.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GtRY5SiN0Sw/U2aL7hpFPYI/AAAAAAAADVA/U0hWN2KlJZ8/s1600/IMG_7331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GtRY5SiN0Sw/U2aL7hpFPYI/AAAAAAAADVA/U0hWN2KlJZ8/s1600/IMG_7331.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Animal magnetism,
and a horse of a different stripe<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With apologies to my vegan friends and PETA (and no comments
from the peanut gallery, please), I like leather. Well-tanned and </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">au naturel</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (shush!), aniline dyed and
hair-on-hide: I love what the non-fabric nature of hide and its hardwearing
(and kid-proof, pet-friendly) properties can bring to a room. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
And to me, any and every room benefits from the exotic and graphic pattern of
zebra. Just legally vintage, woven in rug or fabric, gilded onto the </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.jonathanadler.com/gold-carnaby-zebra-stacking-dish/?xid=00f3b2ce46c13af9b99c30e16279062f" target="_blank">Gold Carnaby Zebra Stacking plates</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from
Jonathan Adler by way of D.C. designer </span><a href="http://www.ewaynebreeden.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">E. Wayne Breeden</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, or printed on cowhide, please. The best use of zebra is still on a
living, breathing zebra.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYOQqlVWjkA/U2aDn5s69HI/AAAAAAAADTo/EgJjkC38gEE/s1600/patrick_016_910w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYOQqlVWjkA/U2aDn5s69HI/AAAAAAAADTo/EgJjkC38gEE/s1600/patrick_016_910w.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. A “bridge piece”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make sense of bright- and off-whites I knew were coming
but wouldn’t see until cracking open the boxes during install, I relied on two
things already covered to make sense of the range: art, and nature. I knew
there’d be bright whites and creams among the arrivals, so Karina’s paintings
(which combined both) and the natural whites of the cowhide chair and geode
were the pieces that made the mismatch look intentional. Another of my usual go-to bridge pieces is an area rug, making sense of a room's disparate tones.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eiq8mnE9MAs/U2aPM-K0l7I/AAAAAAAADWs/FRLyo0DXuC4/s1600/10268393_10151990171330986_962511549_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Eiq8mnE9MAs/U2aPM-K0l7I/AAAAAAAADWs/FRLyo0DXuC4/s1600/10268393_10151990171330986_962511549_n.jpg" height="320" width="290" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The astounding, castle-worthy frame from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.lowy1907.com/" target="_blank">Lowy</a></b> was also a bridge piece. Its
white-gold gilding made sense of the mix of metals elsewhere in the room, as
did the champagne tones of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Henri</b>
chair’s upholstery, and the Crate & Barrel <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/orb-champagne-wine-bucket/s181935" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Orb</b> <b>champagne bucket</b></a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ian-kH7l4ZU/U2aF3vsWfhI/AAAAAAAADUM/A1nEf92MFYg/s1600/patrick_090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ian-kH7l4ZU/U2aF3vsWfhI/AAAAAAAADUM/A1nEf92MFYg/s1600/patrick_090.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. White (and black) as
color<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White should never be a default, even if it’s the builder’s
basic on your rental walls. It’s the non-color color worth running with (just
ask <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/benjamins-finelyfeathered-new-131509" target="_blank">Benjamin Noriega Ortiz</a></b>.). The
designers at Apple taught us that white could be an oh-so-intentional style
choice, as white ear buds sprouted up like snow drops in the spring earth. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve
always agreed. White can temper a riot of color, or draw your eye in from dark corners,
making the edges disappear, as they did at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html" target="_blank">Holiday House</a></b>. Last year at DoaD, white frames made sense of a crazy-quilt of a gallery
wall, while holding their own against the wallpaper. The white shag underneath
all that jazz calmed things down like sour cream on spicy salsa. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DU5QvJnmtsY/U2aL6bN22nI/AAAAAAAADU0/OBB21FM4siE/s1600/IMG_7343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DU5QvJnmtsY/U2aL6bN22nI/AAAAAAAADU0/OBB21FM4siE/s1600/IMG_7343.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Same goes for black: it can ground, steady and de-sweeten an
otherwise frothy confection. Without black in this year’s room, it all might have
read far more spoiled Tween than the intended (and more mature) “Wicked Queen.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e1BJXJ1BY00/U2aMOv5350I/AAAAAAAADVk/gLcuZ-2C9N4/s1600/IMG_7421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e1BJXJ1BY00/U2aMOv5350I/AAAAAAAADVk/gLcuZ-2C9N4/s1600/IMG_7421.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Are we all <i>lit</i>? Statement lamps...
and get me to the pharmacy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why does furniture always look great in showrooms? Lighting.
Direct, indirect, shaded or spot, incandescent, LED or halogen. And lamps. A
room’s best friend is the glow of a paper or fabric-shaded lamp, and people
never use enough of them. <br />
<br />
As a testament to the power of lamplight, even in the bright lights of the
Metropolitan Pavilion, the crackling and spot-on color work of booth neighbor
Miles Redd only <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> came to life
when his lamps where finally lit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from the lighting they provide, lamps are truly the
jewelry of any room. Lamps add color or shine even when they’re not even on.
And don’t forget to consider the color of the shade. White or ivory, silk or
hardbacked, basic black or foil-lined, consider the shade’s color when the lamp
is off <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> on. (Thank you, e-tailers,
who photograph product shots both ways.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve also used at least one version of the classic pharmacy
lamp in every single room I’ve ever finished. The perfect kind of light for
readers, and when table-tops are in short supply. (This year's pharmacy lamp is just out of frame, sidled up to the Conor chair.) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAJJ8DYcXs0/U2aIvmSOAAI/AAAAAAAADUo/84eRtqCRfMA/s1600/patrick_025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MAJJ8DYcXs0/U2aIvmSOAAI/AAAAAAAADUo/84eRtqCRfMA/s1600/patrick_025.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Masculine/feminine
mix<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not thrilled with assigning gender roles to things like
straight line versus curve, bold versus delicate, floral versus geometric (and
ESPECIALLY not color), but “masculine/feminine” is still a kind of universal
shorthand for these types of style attributes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Any</i> kind of mix is
important to keep a room from feeling like it all fell off one truck, but
nothing’s more important than the mix of (for lack of a better term) of
masculine and feminine. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every room needs both, not only to make everyone feel at
home, but to create the good kind of “sexual” tension that makes any room far
more sensual.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gag7_EjzAY/U2aMepwU5gI/AAAAAAAADWM/8uyMv0e5y4Q/s1600/IMG_7474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9gag7_EjzAY/U2aMepwU5gI/AAAAAAAADWM/8uyMv0e5y4Q/s1600/IMG_7474.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Wall power<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve relied on statement walls mainly at Design on a Dime
for two reasons: I’ve had a donor, and wallcovering, while it slowed up the
install, always turned “booth” to “room” as soon as the last seam was matched. <br />
<br />
Along the way, I’ve been fully converted to the power of paper (or vinyl or
grasscloth, or this year, fringe). I’ve also watched brilliant designers year
after year at Kips Bay use paper, lacquer or paint treatment to camouflage
flaw, and take the edge of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/05/of-lime-lacquer-and-taming-white-box.html" target="_blank">the white box</a></b>.
What’s the message? It seems obvious, but don’t overlook your walls. A
nearly-empty room can feel far more finished if the envelope it’s in is
carefully considered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1bm26TVULQ/U2aEr2Y96gI/AAAAAAAADTw/-rs64tqVYyE/s1600/patrick_035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B1bm26TVULQ/U2aEr2Y96gI/AAAAAAAADTw/-rs64tqVYyE/s1600/patrick_035.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. Invest, Splurge
& Save<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been my mantra, and a way to ease the minds of first
time clients, afraid their new interior designer is hell-bent on spending <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> of their money: “Invest, Splurge and
Save.”<br />
<br />
Every room, even with all the money in the world, should be a mix of
Investment, splurge and savings (of course, that’s all very relative). Some pieces should be picked for longevity, others for pure lust. And even
when I have no client, that’s how rooms come together, with bespoke and custom
rubbing elbows with Crate & Barrel and catalog finds. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee; font-family: Times;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RpXifczF6oQ/U2aMBMINyII/AAAAAAAADVM/c82OiPfMbEo/s1600/IMG_7361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RpXifczF6oQ/U2aMBMINyII/AAAAAAAADVM/c82OiPfMbEo/s1600/IMG_7361.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-m3y3yjnno/U2aMSqiSMGI/AAAAAAAADVs/dbOCeZlQ-9M/s1600/IMG_7438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-m3y3yjnno/U2aMSqiSMGI/AAAAAAAADVs/dbOCeZlQ-9M/s1600/IMG_7438.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<!--StartFragment-->Areas where I encourage investment are major upholstered pieces and
rugs, with splurges dictated by love and whim. As far as savings, sometimes an
end table is just an end table (Although not here! Both the Oly <b><a href="http://www.olystudio.com/bruno-side-table.html" target="_blank">Bruno</a></b> and the tiered table from Bernhardt are pretty special!), and some categories (like lighting) have a true
range of pricepoint that allow a more budget-friendly decision.<!--EndFragment-->
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY_7T1WBd6o/U2aMIKtS_eI/AAAAAAAADVY/6vReepTREsk/s1600/IMG_7385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eY_7T1WBd6o/U2aMIKtS_eI/AAAAAAAADVY/6vReepTREsk/s1600/IMG_7385.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Go with the flow<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started writing this even before the first boxes arrived
for Design on a Dime, so I had planned on making this last point “Tucking you
in.” In most rooms, I love tucking floating and secondary seating under
consoles, (or at Holiday House, a bench under a high-rise coffee table), doubling
up the value of precious Manhattan real estate. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this year, the two pieces I
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">intended</i> to tuck together didn’t
arrive in time, so this last point became more about process than pick: Interior
design is an art, not a science, and even calculated and precise floorplans can
get derailed once the wrappings are off. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, if you’ve hired a designer, be
prepared to see things unfold organically, with some changes as pieces get
delivered. And if you’ve not hired a designer, be easy on yourself when the
lamp towers or the side table seems shrunken. It happens. It’s all fixable. And
that, gentle readers, is perhaps the greatest common denominator of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> our work.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before we go, a GINORMOUS thank you to this year’s roster of
intensely generous donors, who let me show off some of my signature moves:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.arteriorshome.com/" target="_blank">Arteriors Home</a>, <a href="http://www.assouline.com/" target="_blank">Assouline</a>, Bernhardt; Brian Rose, <a href="http://www.carinilang.com/" target="_blank">Carini Lang</a>, Carter Ferrington, Charles Flora, <a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/" target="_blank">Currey & Company</a>, <a href="http://www.danromerart.com/" target="_blank">Dan Romer</a>, David Sims/No'La, <a href="http://www.dwellstudio.com/" target="_blank">DwellStudio</a>, <a href="http://www.fivestripes.com/" target="_blank">FiveStripes</a>, Gloria Sanders, <a href="http://ilevel.biz/" target="_blank">iLevel</a>, Joel Woodard, Jonathan Adler, Karina Gentinetta, <a href="http://www.lampsplus.com/" target="_blank">LampsPlus</a>, Laurence Jansen, <a href="http://www.Lenox.com/" target="_blank">Lenox</a>, <a href="http://www.lowy1907.com/" target="_blank">Lowy</a>, Lynda Quintero-Davids, M+N Installation, <a href="http://www.matthewsmyth.com/" target="_blank">Matthew Patrick Smyth</a>, Michael Morris, <a href="http://www.micheletaylorinteriors.com/" target="_blank">Michele Taylor Interiors</a>, <a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a>, <a href="https://ndi.com/shop" target="_blank">NDI/Natural Decorations</a>, Nicole Haddad, <a href="http://www.olystudio.com/" target="_blank">Oly Studio/Oly Atelier</a>, <a href="http://www.pagodared.com/" target="_blank">Pagoda Red</a>, Robert Ricard/Frieze Savannah, Ruth Gottesman, Steve Thompson, and <a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank">The Shade Store</a>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Additional thanks</b> to Mitchell Gold, Eloise Goldman, Robin Reitzes Kern, Bethanne Matari, Rebecca Vicars, Erik Retzer, Annette Huval, Joe Carini, Jan MacLatchie, Alan Leo Bounville, Paul Patropulos, Chris Ann Paternostro, Mel Alvarez, and the entire Housing Works family.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what’s your go-to move, trademark look or signature
style? What do you think about the "Identifiable Designer"? And do you see anything "signature" in my work that I've overlooked? As always, I'd love to hear from you!</span><br />
<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get social!</b> Find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HousingWorksThrifts" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=146224515391878" target="_blank"><b>The Shade Store</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MitchellGoldandBobWilliams" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob WIlliams</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/E-Wayne-Breeden/234165694646" target="_blank">E. Wayne Breeden</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carini-Lang/1480675048828057?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Carini Lang</a></b>, Frieze Savannah, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILevel.biz" target="_blank">iLevel</a>, and <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CurreyCo" target="_blank">Currey & Company</a></b> on Facebook!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lead image, and photos as noted: Jody Kivort. Addtional photography: Patrick J. Hamilton</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-18309204029191649792014-05-01T11:53:00.000-04:002014-05-01T13:00:06.945-04:00...trendshopping: Design on a Dime 2014.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQiN7EyPj8g/U2GcyBmdDsI/AAAAAAAADO0/NDzt3ndRfic/s1600/IMG_7681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQiN7EyPj8g/U2GcyBmdDsI/AAAAAAAADO0/NDzt3ndRfic/s1600/IMG_7681.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s all a blur... months and months of planning, begging,
waiting, coercing, begging some more, two fast but lonnnnng days of set up, LOTS
of unpacking (where Housing Works volunteers whisk away mountains of cardboard), last minute Plan Bs and Tim-Gunn-esque “make it work” moments,
one whirlwind of a party (where lucky and energized bargain hunters pick your
booth clean right before your very eyes), two days of public sales of whatever
managed to survive the party, and it’s over... that’s the delightful craziness
that is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank">Design on a Dime</a></b>, the annual
benefit for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/" target="_blank">Housing Works</a></b>. </span></div>
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Now in its tenth year, the event broke the million dollar mark last year, and this year, sailed to $1.1 million raised.
A community facing the dual realities of homelessness and HIV/AIDS is the
primary beneficiary, but in a way, the interior design community also reaps the
rewards of this event that brings newbies and veterans, art, antique and
artifact from around the globe, and designers from all around the country
together and creates a lovely sense of community and camaraderie, with a tiny
bit of healthy competitive sport thrown in.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHsnYxs9O-c/U2GdRcj2vbI/AAAAAAAADPE/w2ZzCUkgnZA/s1600/IMG_7612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DHsnYxs9O-c/U2GdRcj2vbI/AAAAAAAADPE/w2ZzCUkgnZA/s1600/IMG_7612.jpg" /></a></span><br />
I’ve participated for four years now, and each year, the event gets bigger,
better, the bar is raised, and I make more friends of fellow designers,
volunteers, and even buyers. This year (somehow!) I also had the chance to get
a quick tour of the entire event, in one of the RARE moments of calm and quiet
between set-up frenzy and party time. I’m happy to share some of the MANY home
runs, by friends and neighbors, that also make this sale a wealth of design inspiration,
and a mini barometer of taste and trend. There's plenty to take home even if you missed the sale.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmUHevT0Fpc/U2Gbn27Fs6I/AAAAAAAADOM/RcwsOxOPDs0/s1600/IMG_7552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YmUHevT0Fpc/U2Gbn27Fs6I/AAAAAAAADOM/RcwsOxOPDs0/s1600/IMG_7552.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First Time's a Charm</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew, knew, knew Tamara Matthews Stephenson, prolific <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://nestnestnest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a></b>, interior designer, stylist and
all-around generous and lovely lady would rock this event. And she <i>did</i>. Tamara
gets straight As in all columns: execution, styling, sellable goods, social media,
promotion, buzz, and donor recognition.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYaJwokPTGM/U2GbkTk2oKI/AAAAAAAADNw/2zYn1CMfVxQ/s1600/IMG_7526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jYaJwokPTGM/U2GbkTk2oKI/AAAAAAAADNw/2zYn1CMfVxQ/s1600/IMG_7526.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her sunny, beachy, sophisticated dining set up captured coastal
Connecticut chic, and also gave buyers a wonderful selection from which to
peruse, pick and pounce. Tamara also works social media brilliantly, and she
made sure her extensive list of A-list vendors were recognized in the weeks
leading up to opening night, while giving eager shoppers delightful sneak peeks
to whet their appetite.</span></div>
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<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d5EQ2VglQ0I/U2GbjOKOcYI/AAAAAAAADNk/vtVynurKACM/s1600/IMG_7521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d5EQ2VglQ0I/U2GbjOKOcYI/AAAAAAAADNk/vtVynurKACM/s1600/IMG_7521.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The phrase “fully realized” comes to mind with Tamara’s
vignette. And were it not for the fact there’s no ceiling and only three walls,
you’d swear this space was a room fully ready for a sunny summer lunch. Love,
love, loved it.</span> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3dhxk7rsYj8/U2Gbmu9ebdI/AAAAAAAADOA/DY8UXsm2RJ4/s1600/IMG_7548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3dhxk7rsYj8/U2Gbmu9ebdI/AAAAAAAADOA/DY8UXsm2RJ4/s1600/IMG_7548.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can also tell Tamara did not settle for just any donation. This booth was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">designed</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. And believe me, relying solely
on donations while holding fast to a design scheme is no easy feat.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the lovely, laughing and connected Tamara was the
perfect addition to the event, overall. Hope she’s planning for next year
already!!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2Gyn0H-62E/U2GcRx-zGRI/AAAAAAAADOs/owGojmU6JDE/s1600/IMG_7575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f2Gyn0H-62E/U2GcRx-zGRI/AAAAAAAADOs/owGojmU6JDE/s1600/IMG_7575.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the Westminster Kennel Club, they give an award for “Best
of Opposite Sex” to honor the second-but-equal top judge’s pick. I’d give that
ribbon to top dog Ron Marvin, the pedigreed designer of past Apartment Therapy
“Smallest Coolest” competition, dubbed a New Trad Designer a few years back, and
favorite of the folks at Domino, where his own swank apartment was just
featured.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiP8DjjDV5w/U2GcQ9Y4x1I/AAAAAAAADOg/GQJXLWKxfzA/s1600/IMG_7556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiP8DjjDV5w/U2GcQ9Y4x1I/AAAAAAAADOg/GQJXLWKxfzA/s1600/IMG_7556.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He’s another designer I knew would (as our friend Matthew says) "turn it out." Ron's style is theatrical but approachable, he’s a master tablescaper, and his layered,
art-driven look is a perfect extension into an event where raising money with
merchandise is the ultimate goal. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3J5Q6LFpeto/U2GcQp-Tj0I/AAAAAAAADOc/drgzQw6Z-8U/s1600/IMG_7563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3J5Q6LFpeto/U2GcQp-Tj0I/AAAAAAAADOc/drgzQw6Z-8U/s1600/IMG_7563.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VYpM1awUt60/U2GcO2w9P3I/AAAAAAAADOU/WVWT9v_c94k/s1600/IMG_7565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VYpM1awUt60/U2GcO2w9P3I/AAAAAAAADOU/WVWT9v_c94k/s1600/IMG_7565.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His moody jazz-age gentleman’s lounge, against a coppery geometric wallcovering from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.cole-and-son.com/en/" target="_blank">Cole & Son</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, was pure Ron. Deep
woods on pieces both older (from Wyeth) and new (that sexy and perfectly scaled
bar, from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">),
new lighting with the patina of vintage, must-have accessories, and a skilled
mix of lustworthy art, including a large textured canvas from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.victorraulgarcia.com/" target="_blank">Victor Raul Garcia</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (a steadfast
supporter of the event, and a past </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/04/embarrassment-of-riches-artfully-gifted.html">donor</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to my own </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/04/about-sixteen-sweet-tips-design-on-dime.html">vignette</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">), a piece from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.jeffersonhayman.com/home.htm">Jefferson Hayman</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (a generous loaner to my own room at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/12/holiday-house-2013-seven-tips-from-st.html">Holiday House</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and the (adorable!) Canadian photographer </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.simonnormand.com/?p=1&v=14144138025361a0093edb26.96343512" target="_blank">Simon Normand</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> behind the lens of one of
the night’s most talked-about pieces, that large photograph over the sofa.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx-QDnzKl48/U2GgtFfYRvI/AAAAAAAADPQ/1lB6Gf-55Sk/s1600/IMG_7673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx-QDnzKl48/U2GgtFfYRvI/AAAAAAAADPQ/1lB6Gf-55Sk/s1600/IMG_7673.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.marchouston.com/" target="_blank">Marc Houston</a></b> created a deceptively simple but also fully-realized
vignette that could have easily become a full apartment. Smart, chic, tailored,
against a gorgeously-draped wall by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.theshadestore.com/" target="_blank">The Shade Store</a></b>. (I am SUCH a sucker for a draped wall... a brilliant way to
camouflage rental paint color, lose an airshaft “view,” hide an outdated
pass-though or mirrored wall, balance out odd architecture, anchor a bed... the
list goes on!) </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1iCUuzha24/U2Gg2Uxrs2I/AAAAAAAADPY/U6Bp3uKHOHk/s1600/IMG_7665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1iCUuzha24/U2Gg2Uxrs2I/AAAAAAAADPY/U6Bp3uKHOHk/s1600/IMG_7665.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His room was confident, relatable, sellable and sexy. And if
you’ve ever seen Marc, sexy is definitely a plank in his well-constructed, um, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brand platform.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre;">Another great showing from a DoaD first-timer was Tim Croneberger from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre;"><a href="http://www.halcyondesignnyc.com/" target="_blank"><b>Halcyon Design, LLC.</b></a>, who now has me obsessed with, and possibly purchasing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre;">from, artist <b><a href="http://gregory-hayes.com/" target="_blank">Gregory Hayes</a></b>.</span></div>
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<pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other Design on a Dime newbies of note: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.travisabbottinterior.com/" target="_blank">Travis Abbott</a></b>, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://jenniferflanders.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Flanders</a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.robertnassar.com/" target="_blank">Robert Nassar</a></b>. Canadian design guru <b><a href="https://twitter.com/KarlLohnes" target="_blank">Karl Lohnes</a></b> created one of his signature "painted Queen" portraits for Travis' maiden voyager in Design on a Dime waters.</span></span></pre>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mt7wlBcruAc/U2GtJtZie6I/AAAAAAAADQs/kzV6x8Vhyzw/s1600/P1210502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mt7wlBcruAc/U2GtJtZie6I/AAAAAAAADQs/kzV6x8Vhyzw/s1600/P1210502.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy <a href="http://quintessenceblog.com/design-dime-10th-anniversary-edition/" target="_blank">Quintessence</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the Brand, Outside
the Box</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several designers worked with single major donors, and it’s
always interesting to see the products of venerable brands through the fresh eyes
of designers, especially in this event that allows great experimentation, a fun
and fleeting existence and several ways into the event (True room? Styled vignette?
Mini-shop? Art installation?)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQb53sMrF5I/U2GhkV-8mxI/AAAAAAAADPo/v548pTyqx5k/s1600/IMG_7596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yQb53sMrF5I/U2GhkV-8mxI/AAAAAAAADPo/v548pTyqx5k/s1600/IMG_7596.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handsome, charming and perennially-smiling <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.nbeckstedtstudio.com/" target="_blank">Neal Beckstedt</a> </b>(a past top performer at
Design on a Dime and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/05/about-its-all-in-details-kips-bay-2012.html" target="_blank">Kips Bay</a></b>) is
generally known for quiet and stylish rooms that mix incredibly curated vintage
finds, lush menswear-inspired fabrics, and sculptural upholstery, so it was
interesting to see him work with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.arhaus.com/" target="_blank">Arhaus</a></b>,
known for a more layered, eclectic and bohemian-industrial look in their
furniture showrooms (the Meatpacking district location was the host to the
Design on a Dime <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.riohamilton.com/2014/02/housing-works-design-on-dime.html" target="_blank">Kick-off party</a></b> this
year).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neal went all multiple, and you could tell had a blast doing it. A stack of trunks,
a murder of crows, and a wall of mirrors all made his vignette his most
art-installation to date, in an attic-inspired room that you’d swear Tippi
Hedron was just nervously putting the key into with trembling hand. Neal’s eye
was still evident, though, with a lust-inducing wood chair, smart picks,
perfect styling and cohesive presentation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friend, gentleman, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://marksandtavano.com/2014/02/24/orange-you-glad/" target="_blank">Ronald McDonald House</a></b> room designer, <b><a href="http://editoratlarge.com/articles/michael-tavano-named-brand-ambassador-for-lenox--2" target="_blank">Lenox guest stylist</a></b>, one half of the recently rebranded <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://marksandtavano.com/" target="_blank">Marks & Tavano</a></b> and handsome-hilarious Michael Tavano, took on
<b><a href="http://www.roche-bobois.com/" target="_blank">Roche-Bobois</a></b>, another slightly unexpected pairing that brought out the best of
all possible worlds, against a palatial tromp l'oiel wallcovering, and another draped wall that hid a giant full-moon of a mirror like the after-image of a Broadway spotlight.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idDrS1K1KSs/U2Ji3l1G1xI/AAAAAAAADTY/w_-QLkzzNxU/s1600/18140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-idDrS1K1KSs/U2Ji3l1G1xI/AAAAAAAADTY/w_-QLkzzNxU/s1600/18140.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://www.ricklew.com/" target="_blank">Rick Lew</a></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael told me that the two Roche-Bobois lines he pulled
from were generally separated in their showrooms, but it was the mix that made
it magic. And Michael most certainly shined through, with gutsy pops of color, a
well-stocked and perfectly-propped bar, that confident mix, and his
ever-present sense of humor.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXRr4dnF1dY/U2GqIYjjveI/AAAAAAAADQg/JqJjkxYq0R4/s1600/10255749_10100895945325205_105531841380971841_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXRr4dnF1dY/U2GqIYjjveI/AAAAAAAADQg/JqJjkxYq0R4/s1600/10255749_10100895945325205_105531841380971841_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy Nicole Gibbons</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nicole Gibbons of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sohautestyle.com/" target="_blank">So Haute</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,
in her sophomore year at Design on a Dime, teamed up with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://ethanallen.com/" target="_blank">Ethan Allen</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (no doubt a byproduct of a successful styling pair-up
late last year). It was perhaps the most closely-aligned designer-donor
pairing, and Nicole made a lovely room that kept Ethan Allen looking updated,
young and fresh while staying true to both brands. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BcOvOeBLedI/U2GzTP7i6hI/AAAAAAAADRE/6BM0ezPxPB0/s1600/nest_020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BcOvOeBLedI/U2GzTP7i6hI/AAAAAAAADRE/6BM0ezPxPB0/s1600/nest_020.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The arbiters of taste over at New York’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.nestinteriorsny.com/" target="_blank">Nest Interiors</a></b> made a stunning debut
that pushed their own brand in a vibrant, theatrical way that was picture
perfect for this event where you have just moments to entice and attract. Their
fuchsia fantasy (which they cheekily dubbed “Barbiturate Barbie”!) was jazzy
and mod. I could see it being lifted up in its entirety as the
backstage dressing room of Liza with a Z or other larger-than-life diva. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4BjYSvAnT4U/U2Gze0hu18I/AAAAAAAADRM/1ehXTQNlfXo/s1600/nest_063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4BjYSvAnT4U/U2Gze0hu18I/AAAAAAAADRM/1ehXTQNlfXo/s1600/nest_063.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKNjatvmyKI/U2GzfAQTnzI/AAAAAAAADRQ/zMaUaIQAoSc/s1600/nest_039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKNjatvmyKI/U2GzfAQTnzI/AAAAAAAADRQ/zMaUaIQAoSc/s1600/nest_039.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo: <a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I loved seeing them go big (when they’re often best known
for quieter choices). And that wallpaper!! It made the edges of the
tiny 10 x 12 space we all had to work with just disappear. Plus, aside from her
spectacular eye and depth of knowledge about the wares of her store in West Chelsea,
Lana is one of THE SWEETEST people you’ll ever, ever meet. I was a solid but casual
fan before. I’m all hardcore now, having shared the process with her.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgpdYaUvq1I/U2GuVSqHi1I/AAAAAAAADQ4/dKA-Rn2zBAc/s1600/IMG_7740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgpdYaUvq1I/U2GuVSqHi1I/AAAAAAAADQ4/dKA-Rn2zBAc/s1600/IMG_7740.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite Finds</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from Neal’s wood chair from Arhaus (I could see it the
one über-organic note in a glistening and modern white box apartment), there
were many, MANY great individual pieces. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loved</i>
the metal string-art inspired chairs in <b><a href="http://www.tylerwislerhome.com/" target="_blank">Tyler Wisler</a></b>’s artsy-angsty-Goth-girl’s
room (picture Carolyn Stoddard from the Dark Shadows remake, if she had her own decorating
budget and lots of artist friends).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1JlWVZ6yCiA/U2G_JengwxI/AAAAAAAADTI/0n0A6KQ9E10/s1600/P1210419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1JlWVZ6yCiA/U2G_JengwxI/AAAAAAAADTI/0n0A6KQ9E10/s1600/P1210419.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo courtesy <a href="http://quintessenceblog.com/design-dime-10th-anniversary-edition/" target="_blank">Quintessence</a></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ll let the pictures do most of the rest of the talking... and I didn’t even get to shoot all my favorites, like the vignettes of <a href="http://www.lepereinc.com/" target="_blank"><b>LEPERE</b></a> (dreamy Dominic's first for this event), event co-Chair George Oliphant, the sweet and lovely Alla Akimova of <a href="http://archivesid.com/" target="_blank"><b>ARCHIVES id</b></a>, or my lovely out-of-town neighbor, <b><a href="http://meganwinters.com/" target="_blank">Megan Winters</a></b>... some being shot, polished or flowered during my last walk-through.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ysm7pLFQoQE/U2G1bRVFsmI/AAAAAAAADS4/baW3_5I4DXo/s1600/IMG_7751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ysm7pLFQoQE/U2G1bRVFsmI/AAAAAAAADS4/baW3_5I4DXo/s1600/IMG_7751.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Stayed tuned, too, when I share my own room for this year’s Design on a Dime... and what it taught me about my own signature style!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get social!</b> Find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarksandTavano" target="_blank"><b>Marks & Tavano</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neal-Beckstedt-Studio/137350343000790" target="_blank"><b>Neal Beckstedt Studio</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HousingWorksThrifts" target="_blank"><b>Housing Works</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArtByVictorRaulGarcia" target="_blank"><b>Victor-Raul Garcia</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=146224515391878" target="_blank"><b>The Shade Store</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/LEPERE/204331346247996" target="_blank"><b>LEPERE</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArchivesID" target="_blank"><b>ARCHIVES id</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nest.interiorsny?fref=ts" target="_blank"><b>NEST Interiors NY</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RonMarvinDesign" target="_blank"><b>Ron Marvin Design</b></a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarcHoustonLifestyleInteriors" target="_blank"><b>Marc Houston Lifestyle & Interiors</b></a> on Facebook!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All photos, unless noted: Patrick J. Hamilton</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-89995861004064396442014-02-09T01:00:00.000-05:002014-02-24T18:56:39.609-05:00...about starting from scratch.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UN1Rx9To6VM/UvcP9HUG0sI/AAAAAAAADKE/lkMG9hDqTVw/s1600/DSC04058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UN1Rx9To6VM/UvcP9HUG0sI/AAAAAAAADKE/lkMG9hDqTVw/s1600/DSC04058.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">“Blank
slate.” “Carte blanche.” “Empty room.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
Those words are both a blessing and a curse: full of creative potential, yet sometimes,
the complete capacity to cripple a project from the sheer and staggering
possibilities, even, at times, for a designer.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starting
from scratch: usually, I don’t have the fun or luxury of doing it for clients.
Very often, we’re building from an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Living-Rooms/Union-Square-Living-Room-and-Readers-Retreat/detail.esi?oid=9079624" target="_blank">existing rug</a></b>, favorite art, some main pieces—<a href="http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Living-Rooms/Modern-Global-Glam-Living-Room/detail.esi?oid=16183862" target="_blank"> a sofa</a>, a dresser, a headboard— traces of a past apartment, loft or life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
boy, this job was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from scratch</i>: an
empty rental, with my client “Lynda” starting a new, husband-free chapter,
making a clean break to an Upper Westside rental high-rise, with her young son.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> clean</i> it was...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>newly renovated, fresh paint and shiny
floors. EMPTY. We’re talking echo-echo-echo empty. Not even mattresses, hangers
or towels, paper or terry cloth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
So the task at hand was to fill four-ish (more on that later) rooms with every
single stick of furniture, piece of art, pillow, accessory and light bulb. Do
it quickly (the lease was signed the day I was brought on board), do it on a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tight</i> budget, and do it to the standard
that the client was used to. (Yeah, that rule of “Time, money, quality... pick
two” doesn’t always apply.) The homeowner had used a great designer in the
past, under vastly different circumstances where budget was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">far</i> less an issue than it was here. But
that meant the standards were high even if the budget wasn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
with nothing but a floorplan, how and where do you start? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
started where every room, whether half full or fully empty, starts: with a
conversation: about what the client likes (that yielded “I like dark woods with
no reds in them,” and “No green.”), and about the necessary functions of the main
space. “Not too matchy” was a frequent part of her vocabulary, posing a
potential challenge to creating a cohesive open-plan public space, much smaller
than she had been accustomed to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
settled on “warm modern” as the closest term for the end product. But I also
wanted to give her a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">settled</i> sense in
this time of uncertainty, so shapes were a bit traditional, the aesthetic a bit
more classical, in spite of a modern sensibility. And, I wanted it to look as
expensive as possible, given the circumstances. I wanted her to be happy to
come home, to entertain friends, and not feel like this chapter was compromise,
financially or stylistically.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rental Restrictions</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
a rental, so the usual restrictions applied: no renovation, no new paint, no hard-wiring.
But like I’ve said it before, if you work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with</i>
what’s there, instead of fighting against it or trying to mask it, you
celebrate the givens. Those elements of a space that seem limiting at first
become the start of something beautiful, and take you down paths you might not
have traversed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
this case, it was not the typical Manhattan “Builder’s White" walls and mid-tone
parquet. Color-wise, this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">carte</i> was a
little <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">off-blanche</i>. Pale maple
floors, and a golden tone vanilla wall color that, while neutral, already had a
definite flavor. But by keeping neutrals warm, choosing warm metals like brass
and bronze, and even picking up the yellow undertones with a true yellow in her
son’s room, it all ended up looking like Lynda had painted the place to her own
spec, not the builder’s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
money and time are tight, and the slate is completely clean, how do you make
the most of the available resources and the design process to turn white-ish
box into fully-realized home-sweet-home? Here’s how I tackled it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuaOUSJcuEQ/UvefqyIzo_I/AAAAAAAADL8/zOoOtxbyxVA/s1600/living_room_042_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuaOUSJcuEQ/UvefqyIzo_I/AAAAAAAADL8/zOoOtxbyxVA/s1600/living_room_042_1000.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stock Answer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
best way to move quickly on any interior project is to forego custom, head to a
retail source, and focus on the pieces with the longest lead time first, which
often means the bigger stuff. And that often means the upholstery. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
way to make sure lead times are kept to a minimum on upholstery is to work with
the fabrics those retailers stock the item in. Going with stock fabrics can
mean the difference between “get it this Thursday” or “we’ll call you in six
weeks.” Here, the stocked (at the time) Metropolis fabric on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/DANA-CHAIRBR-available-online--P10410.aspx" target="_blank">Dana</a></b>
chairs was an instant hit with— and instant gratification for— the client, and
arrived in a matter of days. Whew! Someplace to sit! Same with the armed and
armless version of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/miles-arm-chair/f52599" target="_blank">Crate & Barrel Miles dining chairs</a></b>. In stock, as stocked. Done!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
when the client insisted on going non-stocked on the Mitchell Gold + Bob
Williams <b><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/TERENCE-COCKTAIL-OTTOMAN-P9390.aspx" target="_blank">Terence bench</a></b> (and I agreed that Madigan fabric was worth the wait),
and the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams <b><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/REESE-SLEEPER-P9274.aspx" target="_blank">Reese sleeper sofa</a></b>, that choice dragged
the delivery window out to many, many weeks. So, just be prepared to make the
choice between stocked items and project duration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think Ahead<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
home is a new chapter for Lynda, but it certainly won’t be her last, so pieces
picked specifically for here also had an eye on the future. And that meant the
largest pieces were kept neutral so they’d work in future spaces. The other
reason for that is...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cykvGEJFqiY/UvcSge61qzI/AAAAAAAADKs/TBWZeZZ7Q2I/s1600/living_room_136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cykvGEJFqiY/UvcSge61qzI/AAAAAAAADKs/TBWZeZZ7Q2I/s1600/living_room_136.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monochromatic: Right on the
Money<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One
of my favorite ways to make a space look more expensive than the budget is to
match and repeat color but change up the textures. Since we were considering
neutrals on the main pieces (for those above in-stock and future-life reasons),
and since the “envelope” was vanilla, that stage was already set.<br />
<br />
Relating upholstery to wall colors (even if, as here, you change the value of
the colors... we went more mid-tone than the walls, but stayed warm) is also a
way to ease maximum furnishings into a smaller space (a definite issue for
Lynda, suddenly down-sizing from an ample loft). And while the room is long,
it’s not particularly wide, and needed to handle traffic into the kitchen and
her son’s room.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d9ueAZ52460/UvcTueTHnRI/AAAAAAAADLU/fVHSpOZtSUk/s1600/living_room_083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d9ueAZ52460/UvcTueTHnRI/AAAAAAAADLU/fVHSpOZtSUk/s1600/living_room_083.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t Dismiss Any Source<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
time and money are the priorities, you can’t afford to turn your nose up at any
source, and I love that pieces from Pier 1, IKEA, CB2, mass-market internet
sources and the sale shelves at Gracious Home made it into the mix. But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> source can yield gold when you mine
it correctly. She had ruled out some sources early on, but they’re actually
here, hiding in plain sight. Mixed sources, a few splurges, and careful choice
throughout make it look more higher-end than bargain basement, and keep it from
looking like it all came off one truck.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkVmHcaYI90/UvehRnTj07I/AAAAAAAADMI/HDkPE2bQ5ms/s1600/boys_room_015_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MkVmHcaYI90/UvehRnTj07I/AAAAAAAADMI/HDkPE2bQ5ms/s1600/boys_room_015_1000.jpg" height="326" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qO9EZCjcOkI/UvcS5f8O-XI/AAAAAAAADK8/y2SPuyq5GCY/s1600/boys_room_046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qO9EZCjcOkI/UvcS5f8O-XI/AAAAAAAADK8/y2SPuyq5GCY/s1600/boys_room_046.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blind Dates and Allen
Wrenches</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
money is tight, there will be some pieces you don’t see until they show up at
your doorstep. Internet and catalogs are great sources when watching costs, but
involve a bit of risk. But I proposed sources I was familiar with, and made
sure they were places with forgiving return policies if things didn’t measure
up to their online photo.<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfoQaMnoVjg/UvcU7zJ3YMI/AAAAAAAADLg/vDOXg5RlKQM/s1600/boys_room_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hfoQaMnoVjg/UvcU7zJ3YMI/AAAAAAAADLg/vDOXg5RlKQM/s1600/boys_room_075.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">
And to keep a project rolling along, and rolling in under budget, someone’s
going to have to assemble some furniture. Here, it was the IKEA dining table,
the pair of storage towers from CB2 in her son’s room, and the play table from
Land of Nod. (Ah, and in this case, it was the designer doing the assembly,
part of the “glamorous life” I talked about with fellow blogger/designer
Kristen McCory over on her </span></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.gildandgarb.com/1/post/2014/01/patrick-hamilton-holidayhouse-inthehotseat.html" target="_blank">Gild and Garb</a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11pt;">
blog.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piecemeal is Dangerous<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because
we were filling an empty home that Lynda and her son were already inhabiting, I
broke my own rule about saving everything up and doing an “Install Day.” She
needed some place to sit, eat, and work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
I realized pretty early on here that things were not going to go well when each
piece was delivered when ready. She second-guessed each delivery, and panicked
that she was not going to get the kind of color she was looking for when the
first wave of main pieces were mostly neutral. (“It all looks like butter!” she
said on more than one occasion.) <br />
<br />
So once we had some basic function covered, I put the brakes on deliveries. I saved
the last wave so it all happened at once, and more importantly, so she saw
things in final context. Yes, that meant she ate off a card table for a while,
but it also meant the frequent returns ground to a halt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
you can’t afford to wait, just prepare for things to feel odd until, well, they
don’t anymore. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or better yet, keep
things in boxes and do all the unpacking at once. Context is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">huge</i> in pulling a space together, and
each piece (ideally) relates to the next. It’s like having one lonely guest at
a costume party... no one feels comfortable when the first arrival has nobody
to talk to. But the guest list— and the costumes— make much more sense once the
party’s in full swing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnU9p2suu_o/UvehgoUxqAI/AAAAAAAADMQ/s6r_i1GIgxA/s1600/living_room_067_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HnU9p2suu_o/UvehgoUxqAI/AAAAAAAADMQ/s6r_i1GIgxA/s1600/living_room_067_1000.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be Prepared for More Hurdles<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
one-bedroom apartment had been converted to two bedrooms (with a temporary wall
that could be removed upon leaving), slicing the living/dining El into one long
rectangle of living/dining, and turning the floorplan’s dining room into her
son’s room. (It also left the odd remnant of a kitchen pass-though on one wall)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That
meant we had one long alleyway, from front door to window, to take on all
public functions of the apartment: living, dining, TV watching, lounging, work.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
also meant, on that temporary wall now anchoring the sofa, there were no
electrical outlets. Not a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one</i>, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">particularly</i> disturbing discovery after
I had personally lobbied so hard for sofa-flanking lamps, from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.zincdoor.com/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Zinc Door</a></b>. Thank god for that
peel-and-stick electrical cord cover! Up and over the door to her son’s room we
went, to get those lamps lit.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijyAtMcmGZA/UvcQ1QpMaCI/AAAAAAAADKM/LJPvP92LqsI/s1600/DSC04052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ijyAtMcmGZA/UvcQ1QpMaCI/AAAAAAAADKM/LJPvP92LqsI/s1600/DSC04052.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Use Furniture and Stylng to
Define a Space</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
TV (tucked into the West Elm armoire) had only one wall to live on, which meant
it looked like we’d be ending with one of my pet peeves: All the upholstery on
one wall, all wood stuff on the other. That ends up looking like a
poorly-styled furniture showroom. But that’s what had to happen here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
The best place for dining was right near the entrance, but if we floated the
table, it would have literally blocked the entry into the apartment.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWDPrtP4UzU/Uvehv_MmbNI/AAAAAAAADMY/JdTceEnMsbw/s1600/living_room_164_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RWDPrtP4UzU/Uvehv_MmbNI/AAAAAAAADMY/JdTceEnMsbw/s1600/living_room_164_1000.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
So instead of setting up the dining table to look like dining at all times, it
was positioned more as a library/entry table, against the wall. The sconces and
mirror created an anchor to make sense of the placement (and the sconces, with
high/low switches, were stand-ins for the lack of an overhead fixture), but
also made a separate “dining room” where there wasn’t one, and allowed the
softening presence of the table’s two arm chairs to break up all the chocolate
wood pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_O-cgB64tAU/Uveh-Nch94I/AAAAAAAADMg/PO_NH27Qmt0/s1600/living_room_193_1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_O-cgB64tAU/Uveh-Nch94I/AAAAAAAADMg/PO_NH27Qmt0/s1600/living_room_193_1000.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IqIgQyq92Ss/UvcTbrH4fMI/AAAAAAAADLM/vAar9PeAcmE/s1600/living_room_243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IqIgQyq92Ss/UvcTbrH4fMI/AAAAAAAADLM/vAar9PeAcmE/s1600/living_room_243.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
it’s more than just two for dinner, the clever IKEA table (with self-storing
leaves) expands to seat six easily. Armless chairs are pulled in from their
position flanking her bedroom dresser to round out the seating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trade-offs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
time and budget are tight, you have to steel yourself for the possibility that
you might not find the perfect piece for each item on your list. While Lynda
wanted a cabinet to house the TV, we didn’t have a huge budget for it. This one
came from West Elm, perfect in scale, function, and “non-red dark wood.” The
trade-off for the piece’s affordability (and insta-availabilty)? The doors
don’t fold completely back or pocket back into the piece as they might on a
higher-end version, which threw a wrench into the first idea for a seating
plan. But a custom cabinet, or a more engineered piece, would have broken the
bank.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
all, and in spite of restrictions, hurdles, a quick calendar and tight purse strings, a home I hope Lynda is happy to come home to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What are your tips and tricks to starting from scratch?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All After photos: <b><a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></b></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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<br />
<!--EndFragment-->patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-17637842960134507872013-12-31T22:01:00.000-05:002014-01-18T12:21:50.155-05:00...traction, opportunity and gratitude: the personal design best of 2013.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lucky ’13: to quote Old Blue Eyes, “it was a very good
year.” A couple of tough ones behind me, and then this, what finally seemed
like movement, momentum, and traction. At the heart of the happiness, some
great opportunities, new challenges, new connections, some leaps of faith (with
me and <i>many</i> others doing the leaping), and with a LOT of help from my friends, that all let me participate more actively
in a design community I’m so happy— and proud— to be a part of.<br />
<br />
So, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to count down (up?) to the very best of the
best of my Year in Design 2013.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kA8FxjT94Sc/UsNsaoK4qVI/AAAAAAAADH8/BdsUNcR21DQ/s1600/LX_PatrickHamilton_BeautyShot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kA8FxjT94Sc/UsNsaoK4qVI/AAAAAAAADH8/BdsUNcR21DQ/s400/LX_PatrickHamilton_BeautyShot.jpg" height="400" width="385" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7) Table for Two<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I loves me some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/table-topped/" target="_blank">table-tops</a></b>.
I shoot one for just about every interior design I complete. So when Jan Maclatchie
of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://janmacbrands.com/" target="_blank">JanMac Brands</a></b> asked me to get my
style on for a <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2012/11/about-fall-tablescape.html">tabletop set-up and photo shoot</a> for the great American brand <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://lenoxusa.tumblr.com/page/16">Lenox</a></b>, I said yes, please. Then it got
even better: I’d be crafting an intimate fall-into winter tablesetting for two.
My favorite time of year, and pure delight for this hardcore romantic.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BjEeiCoxmP0/UsNsnDP8_1I/AAAAAAAADIE/YxiAprAC5mA/s1600/Q4A_FInal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BjEeiCoxmP0/UsNsnDP8_1I/AAAAAAAADIE/YxiAprAC5mA/s400/Q4A_FInal.jpg" height="400" width="325" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) Getting Graphic<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My roots were showing a bit... my past Graphic Design life
made a cameo appearance in a year rich with interior design highlights. I was
delighted to be able to work on two book projects, one, the cover for my
sister’s second book of poetry published for <b><a href="http://ahsahtapress.org/" target="_blank">Ahsahta Press</a></b>, and the other, working with gentleman scholar
and vintage glass dealer Damon Crain, of <b><a href="http://www.cultureobject.com/" target="_blank">Culture Object</a></b> on his sparkling book of mid-century
American architectural art glass. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asvL5-6lMNg/UsNxCwG8QMI/AAAAAAAADIQ/lr1OvFm_Ri4/s1600/BIGCOLOR_Cover_RGB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asvL5-6lMNg/UsNxCwG8QMI/AAAAAAAADIQ/lr1OvFm_Ri4/s400/BIGCOLOR_Cover_RGB.jpg" height="316" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was fun to delve into stock photo research and
talk about fonts and grids again, for two projects I was honored to be part of...
and could not be more proud of the outcome on both.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv6DYgLt50Y/UsNyhfQiXWI/AAAAAAAADIk/xujxRe1LRXw/s1600/AmericanBaby_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tv6DYgLt50Y/UsNyhfQiXWI/AAAAAAAADIk/xujxRe1LRXw/s400/AmericanBaby_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Baby Makes Three<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two firsts yielded a third: my first repeat client, my first
nursery, and my first appearance in Meredith’s publication <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Baby</i>. Delighted, honored, and so happy that the happy
project was for perhaps the sweetest young family I’ve had the pleasure to
meet, let alone help make their space enjoyable, pleasant and personal... and have the chance to do it twice. But I can think of no bigger honor than to help create a young
person’s very first space.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERoIyuZGesk/UsN7ZHg8KjI/AAAAAAAADJA/FLb-O86v9J0/s1600/SpringBreakTableEscape_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERoIyuZGesk/UsN7ZHg8KjI/AAAAAAAADJA/FLb-O86v9J0/s400/SpringBreakTableEscape_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) All in Moderation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As part of <b><a href="http://ddbuilding.com/" target="_blank">D&D</a></b> Spring Market, I was asked to moderate “<b><a href="http://www.newyorkspacesmag.com/New-York-Spaces/May-2013/JABs-Spring-Break-Table-Escape/index.php?cp=2&si=16" target="_blank">Spring Break Table Escape</a></b>,” an inspiring and interactive event where five designers created gorgeous tabletop designs built around the exquisite textiles of the gracious host for the event, <b><a href="http://www.jab.de/en" target="_blank">JAB Anstoetz</a></b>, with the also pretty-exquisite Caroline Vaughn at the helm of their first-floor showroom. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tabletops again, but this time I was talking to, and
learning from, some of the best in the biz, including my hilarious, giving and
wildly-talented friend <b><a href="http://www.michaeltavano.com/" target="_blank">Michael Tavano</a></b>, the, um, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">masterscaper</i> who always manages to wow, whether at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.diffa.org/" target="_blank">DIFFA</a> <a href="http://www.michaeltavano.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=7&p=0" target="_blank">Dining by Design</a>, <a href="http://janmacbrands.com/2013/09/28/a-fine-gathering/" target="_blank">Bilotta</a>, </b>or in
the warm and lovely home he shares with his equally loveable hubby Lloyd Marks
(the dashing duo behind window-finesser <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://mtcustom.com/" target="_blank">MT Custom</a></b>). </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6UI4mQVXCI/UsN7-XoOCrI/AAAAAAAADJI/Taimy-IZfH4/s1600/JABPanel_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_6UI4mQVXCI/UsN7-XoOCrI/AAAAAAAADJI/Taimy-IZfH4/s400/JABPanel_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was delighted to meet the so-fun
<b><a href="http://www.taraseawright.com/" target="_blank">Tara Seawright</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.bellamancini.com/" target="_blank">Bella Mancini</a></b>, and chat up friends... the lovely Alla
Akimova of <b><a href="http://archivesid.com/" target="_blank">Archives ID</a></b> and the colorful and dapper <b><a href="http://www.ccinteriordesign.com/" target="_blank">Christopher Coleman</a></b>, along with Mr. Tavano
(with whom I publicly discussed, well, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">balls</i>.
Don’t ask.) We laughed, we learned, and we all ogled the table creations that showcased
JAB fabrics and the remarkable range of these design all-stars. So, so much
fun.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSBKunKtV0s/UsN8-UsnxiI/AAAAAAAADJU/UEtza3aLV8o/s1600/Valspar_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSBKunKtV0s/UsN8-UsnxiI/AAAAAAAADJU/UEtza3aLV8o/s400/Valspar_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" height="400" width="333" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Paint Bucket List<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paint me excited: When asked to talk color with paint and
color experts Valspar, on the virtual and print pages of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.housebeautiful.com/" target="_blank">House Beautiful</a></i></b>, I was
over the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/explore-colors/painter/color-selector.html?colors=216-3" target="_blank">Blue Moon</a></b>. I first became a
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.valsparpaint.com/en/index.html" target="_blank">Valspar</a></b> paint fandeck fan during <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank">Design on a Dime</a></b>, where they are the
generous donor of every gallon of paint used for the event. And I’ve <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i> been a fan of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">House Beautiful</i>. So to participate in
their advertorial series, where I’d be featured in an online <a href="http://glossi.com/HouseBeautiful/15878-patrick-j-hamilton-on-color-inspiration?q=patrick%20J.%20Hamilton" target="_blank"><b>mini-magazine</b></a> (including a video) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i> make it on to the magazine’s pages was both pure blast and high
honor.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P5WZfMw2kvQ/UsN2KvhBEOI/AAAAAAAADIw/wMG3y2AH3G4/s1600/booth_065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P5WZfMw2kvQ/UsN2KvhBEOI/AAAAAAAADIw/wMG3y2AH3G4/s1600/booth_065.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) Third Dime’s a
Charm<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was my third appearance at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/events/design-on-a-dime/" target="_blank">Design on a Dime</a></b> to benefit <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.housingworks.org/" target="_blank">Housing Works</a></b>, and my favorite year of the three so far, spurred on by a buoyant Schumacher
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=5006080" target="_blank">wallcovering</a></b>, a great position
(corner “office”!!), a giant green parakeet from Australia, and an oddly-popular, white-lacquered lobster that had them lined up in the aisles before the
shopping broke loose. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The event just keeps getting better and better, and not just
for me, but for the charity: The 50+ designers this year helped raise over one million dollars for Housing Works Thrifts, working to end the dual crisis of homelessness and those living with and affected by AIDS.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok1jycLfzKw/UsN9I0bW6wI/AAAAAAAADJc/qbW89UZZnfs/s1600/booth_079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ok1jycLfzKw/UsN9I0bW6wI/AAAAAAAADJc/qbW89UZZnfs/s1600/booth_079.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The generous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many</i>
who make the event possible stepped up yet again, and as always, I was
delighted to showcase, show off, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sell</i>
off the pieces of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.mgbwhome.com/" target="_blank">Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams</a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pagodared.com/" target="_blank">Pagoda Red</a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.curreycodealers.com/" target="_blank">Currey & Company</a></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.bernhardt.com/" target="_blank">Bernhardt</a></b>, <b><a href="http://www.bungalow5.com/" target="_blank">Bungalow 5,</a></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.jaysonhome.com/" target="_blank">Jayson Home</a></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.wisteria.com/" target="_blank">Wisteria</a></b>,
who’ve all been with me since <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2011/05/about-design-on-dime-one-room-13-tips.html" target="_blank">Year One</a> </b>of Design on a Dime.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was also an honor to bring back artists Dan Romer and
<b><a href="http://www.babetteherschberger.com/" target="_blank">Babette Herschberger</a></b>, while welcoming Aaron Smith, Gary Moran and David Peterson to the
booth's walls, while adding <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/" target="_blank">Room & Board</a></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/" target="_blank">OLY Studios</a> </b>to the roster of the oh-so-generous.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---n3uX-eOPY/UsNrY-k0gGI/AAAAAAAADH0/O_xNt_jAqtc/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_e_136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---n3uX-eOPY/UsNrY-k0gGI/AAAAAAAADH0/O_xNt_jAqtc/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_e_136.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) It Would Be So
Nice... if We Took a Holiday (House)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a wish, a dream, another bucket list item, and
perhaps the most challenging thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing: <b><a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank">Holiday House</a></b>, 2013. Ever since I set foot in the Academy Mansion at 63<sup>rd</sup>
and 5<sup>th</sup> in Manhattan, I dreamed of bringing a holiday to life in these
remarkable halls, rooms, niches and passageways in a room of my very own. And
this year, that dream came true. <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve loved the event for many reasons. Because it’s always
in the same house every year, you see the power of pure décor in transforming
spaces. I love the Tim-Gunn-esque additional challenge of holiday theme on top
of designer showhouse. And I love the charitable nature of the event, bringing
the two loves— interior design, and women’s health— of founder Iris Dankner together
under one remarkable (and remarkably stylish) roof.<br />
<br />
But the surprise of the event came from the remarkable camaraderie of it all,
making late November and December seem like one non-stop holiday party, with
friends old and new, celebrating, laughing, toasting.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdmXN4Y_0OU/UsN9w_8kF4I/AAAAAAAADJk/tmXLTbIcV5Y/s1600/HolidayHouse_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AdmXN4Y_0OU/UsN9w_8kF4I/AAAAAAAADJk/tmXLTbIcV5Y/s400/HolidayHouse_PatrickJHamilton.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along the way I met some extraordinary people, was
introduced to the talented troupe behind the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.fundamentaltheaterproject.com/" target="_blank">Fundamental Theater Project</a></b>, saw two wonderful <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://GuillaumeGentet.com/" target="_blank">gents</a></b> get married in a magical space of their very own creation, all
while getting to bring a taste of my version of Dublin to Manhattan’s East
Side, and helping, in small part, to shatter the house’s past fundraising levels.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took remarkable work, considerable budget, the generosity of <a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/10/about-kindness-of-strangers-and-friends.html" target="_blank"><b>MANY</b></a>, and taxed the
patience of more than one of my design clients, but I’d do it again in a
heartbeat.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for letting me toot my own horn a bit on this New
Year’s Eve, while helping to thank some the <i>many</i> people who made 2013 so
remarkable. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was the design highlight of your year? What’s ahead in
2014? I’d love to hear from you, and I wish you a year of health, abundance, joy, hearty laughter, and gorgeous homes. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I thank you for the support you've shown AskPatrick. Hope to see you even more in 2014!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UPDATE! Whoops, this should be SIX for 2013! The Lenox gig was technically 2012!! Time flies when you're having fun!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get social! </b>Find <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/holidayhousenyc" target="_blank">Holiday House NYC</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MTCustom" target="_blank">MT Custom</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JabAnstoetzGroup" target="_blank">JAB Anstoetz</a>, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DandDBuilding" target="_blank">D and D Building</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MitchellGoldandBobWilliams" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold + Bob WIlliams</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/americanbabymag" target="_blank">American Baby</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bella-Mancini-Design/127635393956726" target="_blank"><b>Bella Mancini Design</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/taraseawrightinteriordesign" target="_blank"><b>Tara Seawright Design</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArchivesID" target="_blank"><b>Archives ID</b>,</a> <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ahsahtapress" target="_blank">Ahsahta Press</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/janmacbrands" target="_blank"><b>JanMacBrands</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Lenox" target="_blank">Lenox</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ValsparPaint" target="_blank">Valspar</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HouseBeautiful" target="_blank"><b>House Beautiful</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CurreyCo" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Currey & Company</a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PagodaRed" target="_blank">Pagoda Red</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WisteriaOnline" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Wisteria</a><b>, </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JaysonHome" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Jayson Home</a><b>, </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/roomandboard" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Room & Board</a><b>, </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bungalowfive" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Bungalow 5</a>,<b> </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fundamentaltheaterproject" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Fundamental Theater Project</a><b>, </b>and<b> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HousingWorksThrifts" target="_blank">Housing Works</a> </b>on Facebook.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->patrick (the other one)http://www.blogger.com/profile/16033150688148755083noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11163983366722089.post-77873539183685949182013-12-08T22:07:00.000-05:002013-12-31T22:10:20.337-05:00...about Holiday House 2013: seven tips from a St. Patrick's day show house room.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ec1jI-jegIk/UqUgloRwAZI/AAAAAAAADGA/vYIjxMfY450/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_e_136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ec1jI-jegIk/UqUgloRwAZI/AAAAAAAADGA/vYIjxMfY450/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_e_136.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Show
houses are fantasies. Purchasing budget? No concern (as long as you have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2013/10/about-kindness-of-strangers-and-friends.html">generous donors</a></b>). Clients? None (unless
you count the fictional ones many designers use to create a room’s back story).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
even in fantasy, there are lessons to be learned.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
even though my first ever show house room, at the prestigious </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/" target="_blank">Holiday House</a>,</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> now in its sixth year
here in Manhattan, was pure folly (inspired by St. Patrick’s Day, to suit the
house’s “every room is a different holiday” theme), it illustrated many of the
principles and approaches I use in any room design. Here are seven tips that, even though they're based on a room with a one-month life, can help your home year 'round.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_JJae2Wc9I/UqUiOePhsdI/AAAAAAAADHA/Vpo_-Buvcxw/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_a_021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t_JJae2Wc9I/UqUiOePhsdI/AAAAAAAADHA/Vpo_-Buvcxw/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_a_021.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span><br /><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. Small, Dark and Handsome</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painting
a tiny room bright yellow won’t make it any bigger, physically or visually, so
when faced with a small room or space, I like to go dark. It seems counterintuitive,
but it’s not: Dark colors make the edges of a small space fall away. Plus, you
end up with a room that embraces you, looks sexy after nightfall (<i>every</i> home
needs a night-time space, whether master suite, media room or guest room) and just seems
deep, dark and luxurious.<br />
<br />
What makes a small room seem small is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">contrast</i>,
so to make sure these dark walls didn’t close in, I employed one of my favorite
tricks: Keep window treatment (from <b><a href="http://mtcustom.com/" target="_blank">MT Custom)</a></b> and the largest furniture close in color or value
to the walls. The two pieces with the largest mass are the sofa (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.averyboardman.com/sofas/detail.php?STYLE-187-Tufted-55" target="_blank">Avery Boardman</a></b>) and the antique chest (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.anthonylawrence.com/" target="_blank">Anthony Lawrence Belfair</a></b>), yet since
they’re so close in tint or tone to the wall colors, they don’t take over the space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FV3cCG61wDE/UqUiwnZfghI/AAAAAAAADHQ/oDM2qrtieNY/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_i_207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FV3cCG61wDE/UqUiwnZfghI/AAAAAAAADHQ/oDM2qrtieNY/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_i_207.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Artwork, Tim Lehmacher, <a href="http://danielcooneyfineart.com/" target="_blank">Daniel Cooney Fine Art</a></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Minimal isn’t Always Maximal<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
can still get a considerable amount of function from a small room, and that
means more furniture and lighting than you might otherwise think (or had
budgeted for). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
this space, barely 10 x 10, there’s seating for four to six, room for a laptop,
space to put your feet up, considerable storage, a bar, tables for drinks and
books, and five light sources, not counting the window. And a lot of the
furniture is flexible, movable, and ready for multi-tasking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTdqOoBakjU/UqUg8rFubkI/AAAAAAAADGI/_FlYsAtyQcQ/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_b_042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LTdqOoBakjU/UqUg8rFubkI/AAAAAAAADGI/_FlYsAtyQcQ/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_b_042.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Celebrate the Givens<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Considering
we had to spend three of our eight days of set up merely PREPPING the room to
get started (due to about five years of layered wall treatments, ghosts of
designers past), I was relieved to see I could make the gold ceiling and grayed floorboards
work with my intended scheme. And that’s not unlike the challenge of working with a
client’s rental wall color, flooring, or other unchangeable elements (or early
choices that seemed like a good idea, but cause some <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2010/10/about-work-in-progress.html">midway panic</a> </b>before calling in some designer back up). <br />
<br />
So the gold ceiling made even more reason to bring brasses into the room, and
the gray floors worked with the intended plan to use white as a real color
player in the almost-all-emerald room. The white marble with gray veining (bounced
around the room in <b><a href="http://chesneys.com/" target="_blank">Chesney’s</a></b> fireplace mantle, <b><a href="http://www.avramrusu.com/2013/10/atlas-side-table/" target="_blank">Atlas</a></b> side table, and <b><a href="http://www.wisteria.com/Gold-Leaf-Collection-Side-Table/productinfo/W9552/" target="_blank">Gold Leaf SIde Table</a></b>) worked the floor "choice" up into the rest of the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
you celebrate the givens, they end up looking fresh, new, and totally
intentional, not remnant afterthought of a past homeowner, tenant or designer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fzw5yR8OrtA/UqUhVFqXTxI/AAAAAAAADGY/MCVV7DDUKuM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_g_175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fzw5yR8OrtA/UqUhVFqXTxI/AAAAAAAADGY/MCVV7DDUKuM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_g_175.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Change Your Architecture
with Décor<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
room was a basic box when I first saw it, with an opening (door or window) in
every single wall. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and those doorways and windows were placed off center on every wall. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also had a very high ceiling, both blessing and curse.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
So, like when working with renters or the contractor weary, I turned to pure
(and portable) décor to mold the room back into something more livable.<br />
<br />
Enter the upholstered screen (custom made, and meticulously studded by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://theworkroomny.com/" target="_blank">The Workroom</a></b>), stretching wall to wall
and hiding one doorway, giving me a wall where I could thankfully center a
fireplace (Since I wanted a somewhat formal feel to the room, at least one
symmetrical elevation was crucial). This screen would also allow you to hang
and wire sconces or picture lights without busting into plaster walls, so you
can get your security deposit back at lease’s end.<br />
<br />
Window treatments hung higher and wider than the actual window’s dimensions, did
three things: visually widen the window, accentuate the room’s height (making
sure that gold ceiling was celebrated), and hide a hideous window unit air
conditioner.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jArKRebU_5s/UqUhDrPeQkI/AAAAAAAADGQ/XYT086wT8WM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_c_075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jArKRebU_5s/UqUhDrPeQkI/AAAAAAAADGQ/XYT086wT8WM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_c_075.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Widening
the window treatment past the size of the window also meant the sofa had a
suitable place to park, without looking like it was balanced precariously like
a tufted seesaw.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scale of the artwork, and a brought-in fireplace, also add "architecture" where there wasn't any.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TP8mY3itCAI/UqUhbFbfyWI/AAAAAAAADGg/rDpNUVJajuE/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHousej_246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TP8mY3itCAI/UqUhbFbfyWI/AAAAAAAADGg/rDpNUVJajuE/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHousej_246.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Demitree" gold resin side table, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; Hall chair, O'Sullivan Antiques</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Weight Down, Step Down<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Depending
on the proportion of the room, a super high ceiling can be both pro and con.
Here, in a room I wanted to give the vibe of a Dublin rowhouse sitting room, a
ceiling this high wasn’t ideal, certainly not conducive to “cozy” or “intimate.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
how do you tame the height? Weight down, and step down. I added a wainscoting
and chair rail to weight the lower portion of the room (beautifully aged by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Jason Phillips</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Raj Autencio</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, grads of <a href="http://alphaworkshops.org/school/alpha-workshops-studio-school" target="_blank"><b>the Alpha Workshops</b> <b>Studio</b> <b>School</b></a>). It also gives a relatable
point and strong anchoring horizontal when seated.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHrEJKdYiZ0/UqUjLJfyRJI/AAAAAAAADHY/p2nKWEFNYQM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_d_093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZHrEJKdYiZ0/UqUjLJfyRJI/AAAAAAAADHY/p2nKWEFNYQM/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_d_093.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All barware: <a href="http://na.wwrd.com/ae/us/icat/waterford" target="_blank">Waterford</a></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
keep the eye from wandering all the way up to the highest corners of the rooms,
you have to point it earthward. At the top part of the room,
the highest element (the window treatments) step down to the screen, which in
turn steps down to the art and mantle, and the room’s one odd soffit. The end result?
The room’s proportions are really relatable when you’re seated... it doesn’t
feel like you’ve fallen down a well.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7SNQ9a6BjdA/UqUhiEaAaPI/AAAAAAAADGo/pylKwXLPnCY/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_f_156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7SNQ9a6BjdA/UqUhiEaAaPI/AAAAAAAADGo/pylKwXLPnCY/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_f_156.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Text(ure)book Solutions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small
rooms benefit from a monochromatic scheme, but whether <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://askpatrick.blogspot.com/2010/08/about-beige-bedroom.html">beige</a></b> or emerald, a limited-color room really relies on texture to
make the room look intentionally color-limited, and not look like you just had
the budget for one can of paint and one bolt of fabric.<br />
<br />
So the green appears as velvet (crushed and not, hand-painted and not), sateen
(all from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.jab.de/en" target="_blank">JAB Anstoetz</a></b>), pieced
grass cloth, "Heliodore," from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.arte-international.com/" target="_blank">Arte</a>, </b>through<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://koroseal.com/" target="_blank">Koroseal</a></b>, at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://ddbuilding.com/#/lines-showrooms/" target="_blank">Studio K</a> </b>in<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://ddbuilding.com/" target="_blank">D&D Building</a></b>, and painted
finish. The color-matched but texture-varied approach makes the room lush, and
rewards the eye without fatiguing it. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-LUQTdXUiE/UqUiBnwDW9I/AAAAAAAADG4/Pex2kT9t3Io/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_k_267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-LUQTdXUiE/UqUiBnwDW9I/AAAAAAAADG4/Pex2kT9t3Io/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_k_267.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tray, decanter, faceted box: <a href="http://na.wwrd.com/ae/us/icat/waterford" target="_blank">Waterford</a></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same rule applies to the whites used in the room... white marble, sheepskin (on the Modernist bench by <b><a href="http://designlush.com/" target="_blank">DESIGNLUSH</a></b>, matte metal lamp from <a href="http://www.switchmodern.com/"><b>SwitchModern.com</b></a>, white (lacquered and painted) picture frames.</span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_Dje-Y51nw/UqUh5PsQ--I/AAAAAAAADGw/OCaSChTWaMs/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_h_189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_Dje-Y51nw/UqUh5PsQ--I/AAAAAAAADGw/OCaSChTWaMs/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_h_189.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Artwork, top: "Mr. Green," Dan Romer; Bottom : "A Stranger Blue," Jefferson Hayman</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Swing Both Ways<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My
favorite rule for making choices and additions to a room is “Compare and
Contrast.” Things should be intentionally similar, intentionally different, or
a little of both. So the geometric wall covering has a curvier counterpart in
the Roman shade’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>handpainted
pattern from <b><a href="http://colemantaylortextiles.com/" target="_blank">Coleman & Taylor</a></b> (through <b><a href="http://www.savelinc.com/" target="_blank">Savel</a></b> in the D&D Building) over the JAB crushed velvet. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.johnlyledesign.com/vestal-fire-screen/" target="_blank">Vestal</a></b> fire screen has traits in common
with the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.wisteria.com/" target="_blank">Wisteria</a></b> candleholders and
the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.charles.fr/index.php?mod=product&c=0&s=0" target="_blank">Orgues</a></b> brass (and sexy) light
from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.donghia.com/" target="_blank">Donghia</a></b>, but enough difference
so they don’t all look like they came off the same shelf.<br />
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The mix of hard and soft, contemporary and antique, light and dark, matte and
shiny also yield a room where both men and women find something to like (It’s
interesting to have hundreds of people walk through your room, a never-ending
focus group, of sorts) and proves the point that every room should be a mix.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iV0oyMsKDA/UqUiea8f43I/AAAAAAAADHI/4A_U43lYcuE/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_i_226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iV0oyMsKDA/UqUiea8f43I/AAAAAAAADHI/4A_U43lYcuE/s1600/Hamilton_HolidayHouse_i_226.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All barware: <a href="http://na.wwrd.com/ae/us/icat/waterford" target="_blank">Waterford</a></span></i></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fantasy
or not, teachable moment or fleeting folly, show house rooms always have
something to say. And being able to design a room at Holiday House has been a
dream come true. Is it wrong I’m already plotting another holiday theme, if I’m
lucky enough to be asked back??</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All photos: <b><a href="http://jodykivort.com/" target="_blank">Jody Kivort</a></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Holiday House NYC is held in the Academy Mansion, 2 East 63rd Street, New York, NY. The house is open to the public daily from November 21 through December 18. All proceeds benefit <a href="http://www.bcrfcure.org/" target="_blank">the Breast Cancer Research Foundation</a>.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Get social! </b>Find <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/holidayhousenyc" target="_blank">Holiday House NYC</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MTCustom" target="_blank">MT Custom</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JabAnstoetzGroup" target="_blank">JAB Anstoetz</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-Alpha-Workshops/18102613298" target="_blank">The Alpha Workshops</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DandDBuilding" target="_blank">D and D Building</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AvramRusu" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Avram Rusu Design</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Designlush" target="_blank"><b>DESIGNLUSH</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chesneys-Fireplaces/129544270516468" target="_blank">Chesney's</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MitchellGoldandBobWilliams" target="_blank"><b>Mitchell Gold + Bob WIlliams</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/janmacbrands" target="_blank"><b>JanMacBrands</b></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/MillerHamilton-Companies/443525385392" target="_blank"><b>Miller/Hamilton</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/switchmodern" target="_blank">SwitchModern</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Donghia.Inc" target="_blank">DONGHIA</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Cooney-Fine-Art/38923646584" target="_blank">Daniel Cooney Fine Art</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OSullivan.Antiques" target="_blank">O'Sullivan Antiques</a></b>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnLyleDesign" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">John Lyle Design</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NDINaturalDecorationsInc?fref=ts" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">NDI</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CurreyCo" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Currey & Company</a>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coleman-Taylor-Hand-Painted-Textiles/294904510522130" target="_blank">Coleman Taylor Textiles</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/waterfordwedgwood.royaldoulton?fref=ts" target="_blank">Waterford</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Pocker/111686506540" target="_blank">J.Pocker</a></b> on Facebook.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px;"><i>Check out my "Modern St. Patrick's Day" <b><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/holiday-house-modern-st-patricks-day/" target="_blank">Pinterest board</a></b>.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/ask_patrick" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/askpatrick/boards/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</i></span></span></div>
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