Designer Monthly (not so monthly)

Tracing America's House Styles and Exterior Paint Back to Colonial Times

Jay Johnson — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:56:05 +0000

Do you have fond memories of the homes you grew up in? Better yet, can you describe them architecturally? (Most people can't, so don't feel bad.) How about an easier question: Can you remember what color your houses were? Here in the United States, there's a marvelous tradition of residential architectural styles, and a solid heritage that many of us aren't completely conscious of.

California Paints recently came out with A Guide to Color, Styles and Architectural Periods - a great brochure that's part of their Historic New England paint collection. Here are the styles and paints that they surveyed for U.S. homes. Click on each period name to see California Paint's color collections, historically accurate recreations of how our homes were once painted (both exterior and interior colors are shown - usually the bolder colors are how the interiors were decorated, versus the more subtle exterior hues).

Colonial - Mid 1600s-1780: European settlers set these style precedents as they brought over what they were familiar with back home. A limited number of colors were available at the time, mostly made from naturally-derived pigments (earth, stone, etc.). Framing and trim elements were painted in colors that boldly contrasted with surrounding or untreated or neutral wood and masonry walls. 18th century homes show Georgian England classicism and are mostly found on the East coast, while colonial architecture in the Southwest shows off their Spanish Baroque roots. These homes usually had white trim and strong contrasting colors. Bold and bright.

Federal - 1780-1830: Georgian boldness gave way to more delicate house detailing, and "federal" got its name from the new American republic. Interest in Greek and Roman antiquities was high at this time as Americans were fascinated with newly-excavated classical sites. Colors were lighter, paler, and delicate with whites, pale shades of gray, off-white, and ochre used on exteriors.

Greek Revival - 1825-1855: This was America's first "national architecture." A growing population fueled a big home building boom, and this style was carried across the country, spreading out from Eastern seaboard cities. Greek temple inspired, there are classic columns and pediments even on the most simple of homes, with exteriors painted white, off-white, ochre, and gray along with white trim. Shutters and window sashes were primarily painted dark green or black.

A Day at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House

Alexia Rossetti — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:51 +0000

(Study by Brian del Toro)Sweeping views of the Hudson River as well as the penchant for green colors were the major features of the 2012 Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Every year interior decorators have the opportunity to design a room to their heart’s desire – rather than a client’s – with only their imaginations as their limits. The location of this year’s show house is a beautiful condo complex, the Aldyn Residences, overlooking Manhattan’s river.

Our first room above by designer Brian del Toro is a jewel-like study rich in beautiful materials and a brilliant blue-green and lime green color scheme. The walls are painted in a teal grid-like pattern and the sofa upholstered in a matching teal strie velvet. The throw pillows are wrapped in Japanese obi, the sash used to tie kimonos. The gold, silver, and champagne check rug is from F. J. Hakimian Antique Rugs. The cubist glass mirror by Verner Panton further contributes to the sparkle of the room. Del Toro worked for the famous duo Parish Hadley before opening up his own firm.

(Dining Room by Todd A. Romano)Todd Alexander Romano designed this ultra-sophisticated dining room with many tongue-in-cheek accessories. The dining centerpiece is a Mexican Hilario Madrigal sculpture of a purple pineapple. Can you spot the brass giraffe? The long-neck animal by Sergio Bustamante brings your eye up to the spectacular two-story space and the Venetian Murano glass chandelier. Providing elegance to the room are the French Directoire chairs. They are upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils fabric of the popular lime green color, brightening up the warm chocolate-painted walls.

(Family Room by James Rixner)This sunny family room designed by James Rixner is suffused with chartreuse touches complemented by a rich blue. The walls are covered in Lotus green grass cloth and the chartreuse is picked up in the velvet pillows and the linen curtains from Osborne and Little. The blues are picked up by the dreamy Nocturne rug by Orley Shabahang. To create the serene atmosphere and pull the lively colors together, a white leather upholstered sofa and chair were chosen.

(Living Room by Susan Zises Green)The zen living room designed by Susan Zises Green was fittingly called, “Living Room: Surroundings Inspired by the Flow of the Hudson”.

Wood Story

Alexia Rossetti — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:00:41 +0000

(Twist Table from Thai Handmade Gifts)When one thinks of wood, usually the popular ones come to mind: oak, maple, walnut, cherry, and mahogany. Other cheaper woods such as birch, poplar, and beech have become more prominent in the market due to deforestation. But have you heard of the following exotic woods?

Acacia is a beautiful hardwood found in Australia and Hawaii that has a wide range of appearances and hence can fit in a variety of interiors – from sophisticated to rustic. Acacia has a warm color, varying from light to dark tones, as shown in the photos above and below. The wood also shows off a highly-figured grain, as seen in the Twist Table above. A darker version with a less wavy grain is seen in the Rustic Table from West Elm.

(Rustic Acacia table from West Elm)Mango wood is a popular hardwood from Thailand and the Philippines that is eco-friendly. Mango wood is cut from the mango fruit tree once the tree has finished bearing fruit. Since these trees have to be chopped down anyway in order to make way for new trees that bear fruit, the resulting timber is recycled to other uses such as furniture and accessories. Mango wood has a yellow-orange tone as seen in the sideboard and the ball table below.

(Mango wood sideboard)(Mango wood Ball Table by Thai Handmade Gifts)

Interior Design 101: How to Finish Fine Furniture

Jay Johnson — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:11:27 +0000

Studio furniture maker and interior designer Diane Paparo sat down with us recently and kindly shared with us her tips on where to begin when it comes to dealing with wood finishes, stains, and treatments. It's one of thosepractical decorating considerations that most people "wing it," but we wanted to hear what a strong furniture maker had to say. Diane has designed furniture for fine homes around the world - even the executive office suites at Revlon. Let's see how someone who combines luxury, quality, beautiful detailing, and thoughtful functionality handles furniture finishes.

Choosing a furniture finish can be a tall order. First, you'll want to consider the design scheme and how the finish can be integrated into the whole, but you'll also want to think about maintenance and repair.

1. Let's tackle color first. You have four options: natural, stained, dyed, and painted. Some woods are naturally beautiful with just a clear protective finish, but most look richer when they're stained. Stains give you the option of deepening a wood's natural color or mimicking another wood's color.

Stains don't penetrate the furniture's surface deeply; they lhave a transparency that enhances the grain. Stains can also accentuate imperfections, so inspect the finish carefully.

A Week in the Life of a Wedding and Event Planner (and mother)

Katie Berger — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:39:35 +0000

So, I've been thinking about what to write for this article and my thoughts keep going back to the running list of things I have to do in the next week (over and over and over and over...keeping me up all hours of the night even though I have it all carefully laid out on my calendar - ie. my cell phone calendar that is linked to iCloud and therefore may as well be tattoo'd on my forehead).

Sigh.

So, for those of you who are thinking of becoming a wedding and event planner, I hope this post won't scare you off (that certainly isn't my intention) BUT it is designed to give you a little bit of insight into what exactly you will be in for.

A little background info: Over the next two weeks I have one wedding and one fundraiser (I've been working on this since December and it's almost here! WooHoo!!!) Plus, I won't mention the numerous phone calls and emails that I will field all week from upcoming bride's, vendors, fundraising personnel and potential clients.

Today: 12:30 - Drop off gift bags for out of town guests at hotel in Midtown

3pm - Confirm with all wedding vendors

4pm - Complete wedding day timeline that was begun last week

Into the Lights

Alexia Rossetti — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:00:17 +0000

(Stinger & Rock Pendant Lights from Jamie Harris Studio)As a designer, I’ve been lucky to see many beautiful, uniquely-designed furnishings, but I have always had a special partiality to light fixtures, especially hand-made blown glass lights. Maybe it’s the sparkle; maybe it was that memorable trip to a glass blowing factory in Venice; or maybe I just hate the dark. But I always gravitate to the lights first at any show or store.

At this year’s Architectural Digest Home Design Show, there were several impressive designs of light fixtures. Above are the pendant lights from Jamie Harris Studio. The narrow, tapering light is called the Stinger Pendant and the bubble shaped-ones are called the Rock Pendants.

(Droplets, courtesy of Moshe Bursuker)Glass artist, Moshe Bursuker, started with sculptures of blown and cast glass and then incorporated his designs into platters and tiles. He branched out to creating jewel-like pendant lights called Droplets, reminiscent of Moroccan hanging lamps.

A Modern Wedding

Katie Berger — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:11:31 +0000

Here is quite possibly one of my favorite weddings and favorite bride's ever! I was lucky enough to get to work with her and the fabulous team that she put together to coordinate her wedding in Columbus Circle last July. The bride is an interior designer and designed everything for the day, down to the pillows...loved them. The venue was overlooking Columbus Circle at the breathtaking Steelcase Design Studio. The venue does not normally host weddings, however by the end, I was begging them to please consider it. I would LOVE to show some of my bride's the space and the view!!

The day was perfect, the bride was beautiful and the groom very much in love...I'd say it was the loveliest of the lovely.

The photographer was the amazing Levi Stolove...I adore him. He was sweet, easy to work with and best of all, his photographs were gorgeous!

The flowers, the flowers, the flowers...I can't tell you how much I loved them!! I especially loved the yellow Billy Buttons and they were a perfect fit for this modern New York wedding. All florals were done by the talented Leeanne Rickey. She was also an interior designer and had the most amazing eye...I am working with her again at the end of this month and I can't wait!

Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2012

Alexia Rossetti — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:00:12 +0000

(Cabinet on Stand from Bart Niswonger)Whenever I visit the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, I make a beeline for the furniture displays. The AD show has everything a home design addict would love: artwork, furniture, lighting, tabletop displays, kitchen and bath – so much so that it can be overwhelming. But furniture is the heart of every room so I love to check out the latest furniture lines from the big, established firms to the new work from the smaller furniture studios.

Just as bold bright colors were the top trends in fashion, brilliant colors were also seen in many furniture designs. The cabinet on a stand – seen above - from Bart Niswonger is a perfect example with its red-hot and yellow colors and floating yellow-green flowers. Made of ash, cherry and cast urethane, the cabinet provides that pop of color and touch of unexpectedness to any interior. Another whimsical piece is the ball side table. Floating orange urethane tops the table as red balls pop out from its sides.

(Ball Side Table from Bart Niswonger)ThinkFabricate introduced their Not Your Mother’s furniture line - fun, trendy pieces for your home. Below is the Skyline chest of drawers with a pink silhouette of Manhattan’s skyline decorating its front. You can choose other colors and other silhouettes for further customization.

(Dresser from ThinkFabricate)For those who prefer their wood furniture to look like wood, the AD Show also offered incredibly crafted wood pieces. BDDW introduced their Lake bookcase and Lake credenza made from a creamy-looking holly. Tyler Hays designed these pieces in quality hardwoods with hand-rubbed finishes. Their designs would complement any contemporary home.

(Lake low credenza from BDDW)

Amazing Wedding Gowns...

Katie Berger — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:41:33 +0000

Chiffon, sequins, beading, ball gown, sheath, cathedral length or mid-thigh...no matter what your style is the Spring 2012 collections have something to offer. I have chosen four from each of my favorite designers to showcase. For a more complete view of each designer please visit their website or Martha Stewart is featuring all the large (and not so large) bridal design houses Spring and Fall 2012 collections.

Amsale - My wedding gown was Amsale...I adore her!

Ann Bowen

Badgley Mischka

Marchesa - I am in love with Marchesa Bridal (and her non-bridal designs...gorgeous!!)

Monique Lhuillier

Reem Acra

Vera Wang

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For more information on Wedding and Event Planning, please visit our website at the Sheffield School.

Katie is the Wedding and Event Planning Student Advisor and owner of Sara Kate Events.

Interior Design Trend - Hollywood Glamour Style

Guest Blog — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:00:39 +0000

Samuel Marx style chest of drawers in green parchment - dealer Antony Todd Home

“One of the great things about Hollywood Regency is its versatility; the look can be done up in a very fun, camp manner or be tailored for an upscale feel.” - Dominic Albanese, owner of NY's Metropolis Modern showroom

Oscar Torres - Hollywood has not only influenced Fashion, but the Interior Design industry has widely been in the spotlight through the eyes of set designers and furniture designers as well. Hollywood Regency Style as sometimes referenced by designers, is inspired by the movie sets of Hollywood's most iconic motion pictures’ sets. Pieces range from simple lines inspirited by the past to hand-picked stylized objet d’art coveted by dealers, designers, and collectors worldwide.

Dorothy Draper 1940s plaster urn lamps - dealer Crais Van Den Brulle

This neo-classical revival style has been going strong in this century. Not only do we see it in décor, but also in home furnishings, textiles, and accessories from high-end Neiman Marcus to affordable Target.