Blogfest part 1

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day - pouring rain the entire drive down to the City, dropped my bags at the cute Flatiron Hotel http://www.flatironhotel.com/, and headed right out to the Javitz Center for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.  While contemporary design isn't really my specialty, there were some cool things to discover. 

Graypants Studio from Seattle makes these incredible lighting fixtures out of cardboard boxes that they actually reclaim from businesses throughout the Seattle area.



And Board by Design from Carbondale, CO, makes these fun porch swings - the frames can be powder coated any color to match your scheme...



And for funky lighting, Apparatus had some really interesting things.



From ICFF, we headed up to The Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse for the Blogfest 2012 opening party, and a chance to mix and mingle with other bloggers and some of the designers from the showhouse - Charlotte Moss, Thom Filicia and Jamie Drake were on hand to talk about their spaces.  Once we had a chance to drool over the lacquered walls, silver leaf ceilings, and the amazing art collection on display, we were greeted by Cary Kravet of Kravet and Margaret Russell from Architectural Digest.  Cocktails were served, hands were shook, nice-to-meet-yous were exchanged, and I was very happy to be part of such a dynamic group of professionals. 

The bus then took us to The Savant Experience Center down in Soho www.savantsystems.com.  Savant is a company that custom designs, integrates, and automates A/V systems in residential and commercial spaces.  Everything is Apple controlled, so music, TV, your shades, lighting and alarm systems can all be managed through your I-pad.  Their showroom gives you a chance to test drive it all while relaxing in a space designed by Thom Filicia.

The evening was capped off with a visit to Savoir Beds www.savoirbeds.com to literally take a load off and try out their luxurious mattresses.  With their premier bed going for $72,000, it was no wonder that I was ready to get under the covers after such a great day!

Blogfest or bust

  YAY!!!

On my one year blogisversary I told you that I would be heading down to Blogfest 2012 in NYC.  What I didn't tell you is that I am REALLY, REALLY excited to be part of such an event, especially since my blog was started on a whim (and maybe with the intention of actually being a blogger qualified to go to Blogfest).  Not only is the line up of activities incredible, but the company of my fellow bloggers is humbling - See here to view the talent pool http://www.blogfest2012.com/attendees.htm

So just to give you a taste of what the next three days will entail, here's the schedule of events:

Monday

Arrive in NYC and check out the International Contemporary Furniture Fair

Blogfest Kick-off party at The Kips Bay Showhouse hosted by Margaret Russell

Cocktail party with Thom Filicia at Savant Experience Center

After party at Savoir Beds

Tuesday

Breakfast at Hearst Tower

Behind the scenes tour at Veranda magazine

Lecture with House Beautiful

Tour of Elle Decor's Modern Life Concept House

Lunch at the D&D Building with Lee Jofa

Traditional Home event at the Kravet showroom with Alexa Hampton

Brunschwig & Fils Twitter Contest

Baccarat Showroom Preview Party

Cocktail party at the GE Monogram Design Center

Wednesday

Breakfast and studio tour with Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils

Benjamin Moore Color Trend lecture

Tour at The Museum of the City of New York

Interiors Magazine Insider Panel

Farewell Celebration at The Museum

After Party at The New Traditionalists

Details to all can be found here http://www.blogfest2012.com/agenda.htm

Obviously I'm going to Blogfest to blog about Blogfest, so stay tuned, and I'll try and give you the nightly news...

Flea market chic

Remember my "Wowza!" post from a few weeks ago (http://www.spacetograce.blogspot.com/2012/04/wowza.html)?  Well, here it is coming along, way under budget thanks to my savvy client and her willingness to reduce, reuse and recycle.  In my last post about her, I praised her for agreeing to put up the black and white horizontal stripes and to paint the floor in a high gloss black varnish.  Now, she's hit the bargain basements, craigslist and the flea market, updated the finds with a splash of color, and Ta-Da!, we have turned an understated, underused space, into the most vibrant room of the house!

Because this client is out of state (yes, I can work virtually anywhere), I asked her to take a few scouting shots...

Here was the first step.

A great dining set found on craigslist - but too boring

So we made it pink

And recovered the seat in this fabulous Lilly Pulitzer fabric

And then there was a need for storage - how could she resist this???

And now that green is in the picutre, we might as well...

 

All coming together

Even Millie likes it!

The Brimfield rundown

Last Thursday I finally made it out to Brimfield, MA, for the annual outdoor antique festival (and a fabulous Tweet Up event generously hosted by Gretchen Aubuchon of Fashion + Decor, Cynthia Bogart of The Daily Basics, Aubuchon Hardware, Benjamin Moore, Company C, and Kathryn Markel Fine Arts).  If you haven't been, picture the most enormous flea market you've ever seen, and then picture it bigger.  It happens three times per year and goes on for miles with vendors showing and selling their wares from all over the country.  Yes, there is a lot of junk to sort through, but if you have the patience and comfortable shoes (or in my case, a pair of wellies to get through the mud), then you are bound to find a few treasures.  Here are some noteworthy favorites that I came across...

Antique textiles from Pandora Lux Linens

Lesser known antique textiles from Austria for just $20/yard!

Authentic Swedish furniture from Lone Ranger Antiques

Decoupage lamps and original artwork from Mary Maguire of Lyme, CT

Custom lampshades handmade in Vermont

Lots of jugs and jars to add some character

A few things for the bathroom

And finally, a few things to bring home.  I loved this sweet little monogrammed hand towel.

And I found a Wedgwood ring box to add to my daughter's collection.

And, last but certainly not least, I finally bought my very own cowhide rug!

Can't wait for next year!

Ikat love

Ikat is one of my favorite type of patterns.  I have a pair of chairs that are ikat.  I have drapes that are ikat.  I have antique throws that are ikat.  I even just bought a dress that is ikat.  But for those of you who can't yet commit to this tribal feel, how about just a few accents?  The Java Collection by Home James! is great for brightening up your whites, complementing your pinks, and adding drama to your browns.  Who knows, with a few of these around, you might start to fall in love too...


www.homejameseasthampton.com

An unobvious update

Have you ever seen those images in magazines called "Second Look" or "More or Less"; a type of editorial game where you are supposed to look at both photographs and pick out what's different?  Well, here's my take on it with the explanation below (and if you click on the images, you can compare them side by side):

This is my house.  It had it's 100th birthday last year and was in dire need of some exterior updating.  Believe it or not, the first picture is the house on the day that we bought it, and the 2nd picture was taken today after a complete exterior renovation.  Yes, I know it looks exactly the same.  That was the intention.  This ridiculously expensive update wasn't meant to change the look of the house, it was meant to make the house last another 100 years, looking exactly the same as it always has...

So what's different???

1.  Roof.  The 30 year old, slate-look-alike asphalt shingles were replaced with new black architectural shingles, copper drip edging and ice shields, all with a 40-year warranty (by O'Toole Contracting and Restoration).

2.  Gutters.  The rotting wood gutters were removed and replaced with 6" copper gutters to match the already existing copper downspouts.  A Lifetime Warranty (by Gutter Shell of New England).

3.  Chimney.  The original chimney had been repointed many times and had a tree growing out of it.  We pulled down the facade to just above the roof-line, fixed the broken flu, salvaged the bricks that we could and mixed in additional reclaimed bricks that the mason found from another project.  We also added a copper chimney cap to ensure no more trees or animals could damage the structure again (by L.DeAngelis & Sons Masonry).

4.  Shutters.  We added shutters to the face of the house to add historical detail and interest.  The shutters are made of pvc with aluminum reinforcement and come with a 25 year warranty (by Architectural Elements).

5.  Decking.  The decks on both sides of the house were dangerously unstable.  We ripped them off, replaced the flat rubber roofs with new membranes and rebuilt the decks using AZEK composite decking (which comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty).

6.  Railings.   The original railings were not to code, missing spindles and anyone could have fallen over the side, so we replaced them with custom cellular pvc railings.  The center detail is similar to the original detail and matches a brick inlay detail that is on the face of the house.  The finish is warrantied for 10 years, and the product itself has a 25 year warranty (by Architectural Elements).

7.  Paint.  We stripped and repainted all of the trim on the house.  We added some color to the recessed panels (Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage) to match the patina of downspouts, and painted the front door a high gloss hunter green using a product by Fine Paints of Europe.  We also added the subtle southern detail of a blue ceiling (Benjamin Moore Blue Veil) on all of the covered entries.  (Painting was done by Wright Touch Painting)

8.  Details.  We added mullions to the casement windows, beefed up the surround on the front door, and added an old-fashioned, wooden screen door.  We also replaced all of the exterior window sashes and any other damaged wood with composite.  (All carpentry was done by D. Morin Construction).

9.  Typography.  We replaced the basic house number with the entire street address.  This is my favorite part.  WestOn Architectural Lettering has so many great products to choose from!

So why have I given you the play-by-play on our renovation?  There are a lot of skeptics out there who think that composite material isn't as good as the real deal.  They think that it looks cheap and undervalues the asset.  I think that they are wrong.  From looking at these photos, can you really tell the difference?  Which will last longer?  Does wood come with a warranty???  If anything, I think that the integrity of my house is stronger than ever!

Happy Blogiversary to me

Today I am celebrating the 1 year anniversary of my blog.  After 86 posts, I finally feel like I am getting the hang of this.  I have established a strong readership, gotten positive feedback, and met some great people along the way.  I'm even off to BLOGFEST 2012 in NYC in a few weeks!

So thank you, thank you to all of you who follow, who comment (here, on Facebook, on Twitter, and in person), and who are a part of my conversation.  The world of interior design is changing quickly, so I'll keep doing my best to keep you up to speed...

And, for those of you just getting to know me, here is the post that kicked off the series:

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Let me introduce myself...

I'm an almost-middle-aged mother of four with my own interior design business that I've been running from home for the past six years. Being almost middle-aged, I am new to the world of blogging. Though, standing at my laptop in my kitchen while the kids are eating Asian noodles from a box from Target, I am a quick study, and quite honestly, getting hooked on blogging...

Life for me is full time, all the time. My husband says that I have 2 speeds - on or off. I go, go, go until I hit the pillow, and then I'm shut down recharging until the first kid is up, staring at me from the side of my bed telling me they're hungry for waffles... My kids are aged 3 through 10, swimming in every activity from soccer to drama to Chinese to literally swimming. BUT, they're thankfully in school most of the day. During that time, I'm able to service a handful of clients and keep up on what's hot and what's not.

Interior Design is my second career. When I was a kid, my mother was a NJ housewife obsessed with the D&D building. She would redecorate at every opportunity. Brunschwig & Fils, Scalamandre, and Clarence House were names I was familiar with early on, but Wall Street was calling my name instead, and I followed in my father's trading footsteps and started my career in finance. I went to school and studied economics, moved to NYC and got my first job at one of the oldest banks in the country. I met my husband and lived on the Upper East Side. Life was pretty good.

Soon after we were married, my husband got a job offer in Hong Kong. We were excited at the opportunity and committed to a 2 year contract. I found a job at another bank there and kept up on my career. He travelled to Phuket and Singapore and all sorts of exotic places. I felt left out sitting on my career in a high rise with a great view. 

After much debate, I left my job and decided to travel with him - though I felt like such a slacker. I was 27. I felt obligated to have a job. So, to solve my personal plight, I decided to try something new and flexible and took a position with a local gallery specializing in Southeast Asian textiles and Balinese art. Quickly I took interest in the local cooperative villages, the beautiful Chinese brocades, and Jim Thompson. I couldn't sit still. For the first time in my life, I felt creative and inspired by the beauty around me.

But just as my new life was getting started, I was pregnant and our contract was up. We snuck in an amazing trip to Bali and Australia before heading back to the States and settling down in Brookline to start a family. After such a whirlwind adventure of life-altering experiences, my husband knew I wouldn't take well to becoming a stay at home mom. He surprised me for Christmas that year with an enrollment in New England School of Art & Design's interior decorating program. And, alas, a new found career had begun.

And now, ten years later, I'm still at it. I can now appreciate my mother's influence in my career and would love to tell my late father that the twelve different dining rooms all really paid off in the end...

I LOVE doing what I do. Sitting at my laptop at 9pm when the kids are asleep, I am still talking, thinking and researching some aspect of design (though now there is a glass of Pinot next to my laptop). I am seasoned at this in a different way - My life in the boys club of Wall Street has left a realist in me that thinks more objectively about design than my peers. I think, "How is this going to work in a busy household, in my household? What can I do to keep their kid's puke from staining their new white sectional? How can they afford this when private school is around the corner? What's the trend of this neighborhood, and how can the developer make sure that they capitalize on who their true market is when setting up a model unit? Do people really think purple will stay in style long enough to upholster a sofa in it? Sisal is gorgeous, but olephin that looks like sisal is more practical" - right?? These things I know - they are my everyday life...

XO.