Confessions of an analogue person in a digital world. . .
I’ve been so touched by the hundreds of messages that I’ve received on the blog. I love jotting down the happenings of the day and it’s a great feeling to know that people are treating this as the Best Bets of the decorating world. But I owe all of you who have been writing me an apology: after I read your comments, I hit the wrong button and deleted you. Please write me again and stay in touch. I’d like the people who are writing to get to know each other. Thanks again for your interest and support. Karen
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This Is Art?
I know there’s a recession because it’s being constantly written about. But nobody told the gazillion people who paid $30 per person to view art at the Armory pier show that New Yorkers can see every day for free. And thanks to the galleries from around the globe, we got an extra insight into what’s happening in the Art World: not much. The best was the most familiar and much of the new art struck me as shoddy imitations of the 70’s and 80’s. I chose one of the more vulgar pix to show. Most were really just straight-forwardly ho-hum or seen-that and been there before
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For the Kips Bay Designers: the fun begins!
For the world class designers who have been chosen for the Kips Bay Showhouse that opens April 29, the race is on. The Hard Hat Party on March 2 is the equivalent of the opening shot of a marathon. If you've ever watched one of the cooking shows where a chef is working three burners, that's what it's like to be finishing one of the rooms for a showhouse in six or seven weeks. The house itself is absolutely drop-dead: it’s a 10,000 square feet limestone mansion at 26 West 76th Street and it’s for sale for a mere $19.5 million. Per usual, Kips Bay's lineup is terrific:
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Decorating Bio: Last Chapter — Maybe!
What can you learn from my decorating bio? Each decorating chapter was totally different in color, style, mood. The only constant is me. That’s what we often overlook when we think about decorating: it’s not a matter of pasting a color scheme on you – like pin the tail on the donkey – it’s about finding that sweet spot where you truly feel at home. I happen to love change so redecorating is almost reflexive: I get excited about the choices, worried about the cost, frantic because I might have made a mistake – and overjoyed with the results. I always think I’ll never decorate again. . .but our history is usually a predicator of what’s to come!
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Decorating Bio: Part IV
What’s better than one rent-stabalized apartment in Gramercy Park? Any New Yorker’s answer would be: having two rent-stabalized apartments, one that could serve as an office. In 1990, that happened and Paul Siskin designed the new office and Clodagh designed the apartment. This time, I wanted an Italian villa style. Clodagh started with the walls; they were stuccoed to become the perfect backdrop for the deep velvet sofa and the gold mirror from Paul’s period.
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My Decorating Bio: Part III
In case you didn’t tune in yesterday, I was describing the process of turning my small rent-stabalized apartment into International Headquarters for Designer Previews. This is the chaise that Siskin-Valls designed for the kitchen. The seat top opened for storage. I still think it looks fabulous, don’t you? When clients are debating between hiring a young designer or a world famous firm, I always tell them that the first person who bought a Picasso with the third eye got the best buy. Paul Siskin was inducted into the Hall of Fame two years ago.
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My Decorating Bio: Part II
The next chapter in my Decorating Bio was in 1985 when I started Designer Previews. I asked a relatively unknown design team called Siskin-Valls to take on this magnificent project with a $15,000 budget. They jumped at it. It seemed like a lot of money to all of us. Perucho Valls, one of the most memorable characters in the decorating world, chose the gray blue color by matching it to the sweater Paul Siskin was wearing the day they needed a scheme.
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My Decorating Biography: Part I
I see life through the prism of design. I see how we decorate as a reflection of where we are in our lives, what our values are in terms of aesthetics, budget and practicality. These not-too-profound thoughts came to me recently when I tripped over some shots of my apartment. It’s a small Gramercy Park penthouse, which is more Colette than Cole Porter – it’s about 500 sf with a wrap-around terrace. When I brought the late designer Robert Hart here in 1980, he looked around hopelessly while I described my passionate desire to live Greek Island-style on a budget of about $10,000, which I considered a small fortune.
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The Year of the Chandelier
One of the best things to happen in decorating is chandeliers. Remember when only grand dining rooms had sparkle over the table? Now, they are everywhere. I thought about this when I saw this handsome marble bathroom with its own adorable little chandelier by top New York interior designers Nathan-Egan. The only rule about using chandeliers now: use them anywhere that needs sparkle. Don’t wait to move to a palace; light up your life now!
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Freedom of Choice in Florida — At Last!
Until this week, it’s been illegal for your interior designer to work in Florida. It was a law meant to protect Florida designers from outside competition. We’ve all heard stories about how inspectors closed down job sites and contractors received hush money. Not necessary anymore under a ruling that opened the way to out-of-state designers on residential jobs. There are a zillion super talented Florida designers who can hold their own with any competition. Let the best designer win!
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Where’s all the news that’s fit to print?
Interior design is an important part of the New York economy and the New York psyche. But you wouldn’t know it from the way the HOME Section of the New York Times reports it. This week, the lead is a German artist dolling up coo-coo clocks. Instead of inspiring us from the top – how the best interior design talent applies their skills so they can be adapted, they’re showing us youngsters who are making-do with style. I appreciate the thought, but that’s not news. The HOME section should be showing the best and leading the way with the innovating thinking of world-class designers. This isn’t aspirational: it’s news.
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An Idea Whose Time Has Come!
Customizing is the sweet spot for interior designers. Now that New Yorks’s decorating community has had a chance to assess Brett’s wallpaper line at Stark, where she introduced a clear overlay to be applied over a painted surface (so you choose the wallpaper color) with a pattern that can be adjusted by size and color, we hear a great cheer. Now, no two decorators need have the same wall-look. Here, for instance is her lace pattern. For Brett’s complete line, www.starkwallpapers.com
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The History of Wallpaper Is Like a Walk Thru Time
The B Home furniture showroom at 385 Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn is giving a fascinating CEU credited course on the history of wall coverings that explores the psychological motivations that have driven us to embellish our spaces while showing how decorative wall finishes have evolved over thousands of years. You’ll see a sweeping view of periods ranging from Egyptian, Asian, Renaissance, Art Deco and Art Nouveau to a an overview of today’s styles and future trends. January 28; 6:30 – 9:30. For more information: events@bmooredesign.com.
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Clodagh Curates New Show
Long before there was a green revolution, there was Clodagh. Her avant garde edge comes from the way she uses and integrates the cleanest and most interesting materials into her work. How powerful this vision is can be seen in the show that opens Wednesday night at Clodagh’s showroom (670 Broadway) called Water and Light, featuring art, sculpture and video installations by a very special cross section of emerging and established artists.
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Nepotism is a good thing!
How else could interior designer Brett Beldock, who is known in New York for her snappy and very chic style, have a shot at the Assisted Living market? Her brother, Gregg Beldock, believes that housing for this market should be more like boutique hotels with glamorous, comfortable decorating and restaurant quality dining rooms. Shown here is The Lodge at Otter Creek in Middlebury VT, which is a world away from those nasty old folks home. Finishing touch: Brett styled the tea menu so on Thursdays the blue icing on the chocolate cupcakes matches the wallpaper, which is from Brett’s collection at Stark.
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Go East Young Man!
We all know about the debacle that is Dubai – but the next place where streets are paved with gold for interior designers and architects is India, according to one of New York’s top architects, Craig Nealy, who is currently doing residential, hotels and shopping centers for some of India’s leading developers. “Many Indians are traveling abroad and they’re tastes are more western now,” says Nealy, who believes there’s a lot of business for European and American architects – but it’s not like picking money off the streets. You have to spend time there, get to know people and continue to go back and forth.” The apartment shown here is in one of India’s new high rises.
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Now I don’t need eyes in the back of my head!
Klaus Lucka has photographed everyone who is anyone from Marlene Dietrich, Angelica Huston, Candice Bergen, Lauren Bacall – and me! He was shooting me on a day that I had a deep desire for something different and lo! Here is the mutated me. It’s fun. He’d just come back from his show at Lincoln Center, where he was commissioned to create studies of their most famous directors and artists. His panoramas are spectacular – and some of New York’s top interior designers are commissioning them for clients who want more than the usual portraits. Take a look: www.klausluckastudio.com
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West Meets East
If you’re walking towards the Shanghai Opera, you may see a gorgeous Tudor style building that looks like it’s withstood the rigors of time and colonialism, and it will make you want to cheer the really beautiful restoration of a 19th residential building that New York City interior designer Kathryn Scott recently turned into the very popular Wine Residence downstairs and the handsome Napa Valley Wine Bar & Kitchen upstairs
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Picture This
I’ve got a gorgeous idea for you that comes from the sharp young Washington DC interior designer Raji Radharkrishnan’s blog in which she shows how photos like the one at the right, that was taken by one of her clients, is converted from a color shot into a black and white and then blown up to become a handsome mural. On the next page, I’ve shown the mural in a room. To see more of Raji’s ideas, go to www.designdosier.net
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What You Should Know Before You Hire An Interior Designer
Next to finding a lover or a best friend, there are few relationships that can be the source of more pleasure than selecting the right designer or architect. Most of us assume that when we’ve finally reached the point where we can afford the luxury of hiring a designer that one will magically appear. Not so. Finding the right designer means finding someone who shares your aesthetic, has a personality that you enjoy, and will spend your money in a way that meets with your approval.
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Don’t Keep It Quiet
When something good happens to me, I’m torn between bragging and modesty. Now that we have that out of the way, let me tell you that Designer Previews is included in a list of 330 of New York’s Top Rated Merchants. When you run a small business, it feels very good to be applauded
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An Affordable First Dibs?
An affordable First Dibs sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Well, I found a site called Bond & Bowery (www.bondandbowery.com) that’s not only affordable, but reminds me of the old days with Geraldine Stutz and Bendel’s. If you’re old enough to remember that time, you’ll for sure want to read on! Bond & Broadway has a zillion resources that you’ve never heard of, like Arte Moderne in Glen Ellyn, Ill.(www.artemoderne.com), which is where I found my treasure: a ceramic wall hanging for $450. The image on the left is a detail of my 50’s find. They also had an art deco tray that I’ve got my eye on; so if I were you, I’d try to beat me out of it!
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Interior Design Hall of Fame: Our Moment
The best thing about being in the Interior Design Hall of Fame is the cocktail party before dinner. That’s the one time we all feel like we’re A-list and we get to air kiss and be photographed and generally feel happy at the annual event hosted by Cindy Allen, who is absolutely fabulous in her role as the face of the event. I took some pix; this is Tony Chi and his gorgeous wife, Tammy. More pix on the next page.
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No dear, social media isn’t for THAT!
Interior designers are generally one of the least savvy groups in the tech-universe. Our industry was late in getting sites and even learning how to email. But the world is moving too fast for us to back away to new developments in social media. When I asked one of Manhattan’s interior designers if he wanted to hear social media expert Gail Doby speak, he asked who he could meet. But plenty of other designers showed up and we all got so buzzed that you’ll probably find half of New York’s top interior designers tweeting by tomorrow morning.
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The Barrio
In Miami, there’s Little Havana. On South Beach, there’s Little New York. Every time you turn around, there’s another designer from Manhattan setting up shop here. I never have to get dressed in New York because I never run into anyone; here, it’s impossible to walk a block without running into some of New York’s top interior designers. Yesterday, it was John Barman and his partner, Kelly Graham, whose digs are in the super-chic Setai. And whither goes John and Kelly, there’s Buster. Doesn’t this give new meaning to the expression “a dog’s life”?
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A Decorating Virtuoso
Words can mean as much in decorating as they do in literature. That’s the way Michael Simon, the New York interior designer who is famous for his lavish, historically correct rooms, described his approach to a rapt audience at the Cosmopolitan Club. Simon studied music – he studied with Steven Sondheim and graduated from the Manhattan School of Music -– so when he framed his design approach as “composing”, it made sense; particularly after his example from West Side Story. He showed how “Maria” was basically composed with three notes, as was Tony and several of the other famous songs from the show.
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The Power of Many
When designers do a show house, they choose their favorite ideas – regardless of cost. And that’s what was so welcome with the highest of the high end New York designers, Richard Mishaan in his room at the Soho Mews show house. He framed dozens of photographs and massed them, creating a gallery that’s very interesting. To my mind, individualizing decorating has a price above rubies without being very costly.
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Metropolitan Home: RIP
I’m heartbroken that Metropolitan Home is folding with the current issue. Along with being a great magazine, it is/was part of the design scene, which feels poorer every time a magazine of this stature folds (most recently, Southern Accents and Domino). Decorating magazines are about more than showing furniture: they show a lifestyle. The Internet may be the future but it can never create the excitement that magazines have. Our magazines may be collectors' items 20 years from now, like the Superman comics. I don’t even want to think about that.
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For a Mere $29 Million
I always like to say I’m not a jealous type, but that’s not really true. It’s just that I have high threshold and I reached it last night when I took the class I teach at NYU to a house that the architect Wayne Turrett designed and decorated. It’s actually not one building: it’s really two that were put together so seamlessly that it just seemed natural to have an 11,000 sf place with a swimming pool, a gym, a couple of living rooms, a master bath that could fit a family of four. Call me if you’d like to see the interiors
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Don’t Miss the Armory Show
One of my favorite art shows is in New York at the Armory until November 8th. It’s the International Fine Print Dealers Association at the Armory – and it’s always a real ball: so much to see from galleries around the world. I also love their website (www.ifpda.com), which has good background information on shopping for prints – how to value them, care for them, sell them, and what the best way to research the print for your collection. The print on the right is by the English artist Ray Richardson.
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Margaret Russell’s Vision
I can always tell what’s hot. Years ago, New York clients would come in with their House & Garden tear sheets of Michael Taylor’s gorgeous California houses with wood ceilings, stone floors, granite tables and white upholstery. It took a verbal hammer to explain that their high rise apartment didn’t have the right architecture. Since then, we’ve been through Shabby Chic and been beiged to-death. Now, clients often describe what they want by saying “it should be very Elle Décor”.
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Channeling Angelina. . .
At the Estee Lauder Showhouse, each designer was asked to create a room for a woman he admired. Some designers chose women from history; others went for political types, but Inson Wood snapped up Angelina Jolie who he sees as a cross between “Hollywood glamour and European sensibility”. That said, I think this room would suit anyone with great style who is looking for comfort and a curated selection of interesting furnishings and accessories. Come see for yourself. The showhouse is at 535 West End Avenue at 86th St. It will be open until December 4.
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A Rug for All Seasons
In design, classic too often means boring: it’s been done before and refined to death. But the good classic – like Billy Baldwin – is a gift. That’s the way I see Barry Goralnick’s rug collection for Stark Carpet, which is a smartly-edited group of 36 patterned rugs that feel fresh and will work with almost any style. Definitely worth a look.
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My Fifteen Minutes of Fame. . .
was actually more like four minutes on the NBC Sunday morning Open House New York show. You might also see it on Taxi TV this week. It will seem simple enough when you see me (fleetingly, alas!). I took the crew to two totally differently-styled apartments: Deborah French’s downtown loft, which is like Ralph Lauren-meets-Marakesh and then to John Barman’s very spare Park Avenue apartment. Since you won’t find me on Netflix, this might be your last chance to see my segment http://lxtv.com/openhousenyc/video/10234
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A Passion for Fashion
I first knew James Andrew as a very sharp young interior designer whose gilded pedigree included having worked and trained with Albert Hadley. James, as he likes to be called – finds fashion as interesting as design and so he started a blog called www.whatisjameswearing.com which views the world through the prism of fashion. It’s a jazzy, rose-colored world that’s fun to follow – particularly if you’re thinking of evolving from navy blazer to magenta suede boots and a purple shirt. The oddest part? It looks good. Here’s James in his own apartment
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A Breath of Fresh Air
The Westchester Showhouse is about 99% traditional, which provides a perfect foil for Brendan Kwinter-Schwartz (www.kwinterdesign.com) whose room feels light, modern and young. I particularly like the white linen nail-studded back board from Avery Boardman that looks very smart under the photos from her favorite photo dealer, Jayne Baum (www.jhbgallery.com). But the piece de resistance is the David Weeks ceiling light that feels like a fling back to the 40’s. From Ralph Pucci (www.ralphpucci.net) The showhouse will be open until November 8. It’s at 11 Sarosca Farm Lane in Purchase.
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Decorating Manhattan Style
The best places in New York are off the street by invitation only – which is what makes the Decorating Manhattan Style class that I teach at NYU so much fun. We visit some of the most off-limits, no names please-places and chat with the designers about their decorating process. This is your chance to get a million dollars worth of advice just for the asking! Four sessions; starting October 28. For information, www.scps.nyu.edu.
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Out of the Ordinary
I don’t usually warble poetic about chests, but having just finished shopping for them and seeing how ordinary most were, I found love when I saw this honeycomb pattern from Sylvan SF, a limited-edition furniture maker in San Francisco. What’s fun about his line is that it goes from the outrageous brass veneered desk to the delicate parchment secretary that’s absolutely yummy. www.sylvansf.com or can be seen at Profiles at the New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Ave.
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Downtown Is. . .
When three of America’s leading magazines hire three of America’s top interior designers to do a show house in Soho, you wonder how they’ll portray “downtown”. Here’s how: like uptown. House Beautiful, Veranda and Town & Country selected Thom Filicia, John Saladino and Richard Mishaan to bring their unique stamps to the Soho Mew (311 West Broadway), a new building off Canal Street. Instead of bite and edge, they brought lots of good looking furniture, wallpaper and uptown finishes to create smart looking places that anyone might be comfortable in anywhere. My favorite idea was this mural in Thom Filicia’s dining room.. Definitely worth a visit.
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What’s Next?
This is a perfect time for us to meet. The design world is changing and we can only guess where it’s going to lead us. Sometimes it feels scary. Designers used to hold the complete upper hand because they were the only ones who had access to trade vendors. Now that clients can shop the world via the Internet, designers will increasingly be selling their creativity rather than goods: a table is just a table until it’s in the context of a room. Does this make the digital world friend or foe? In the Evolution of Design seminar at the D&D Building at the opening of the Fall Market, the focus was on the marketing potential of the Internet for the design business.
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New York Central
One reason New York is the center of the design world is that it draws the best from the outer boroughs of the world – and no place is outer than Australia! The top Sydney architecture and design firm BKH recently threw their hat in the ring here and became players within the first year by being in Kips Bay and their first finished job is being photographed by Elle Decor. I’ll show you some of my favorite BKH rooms on the next page. All Aboard!
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Orlando got there first!
In a recent article in the New York Times Style section, “All Eyes Shift To Creativity” the prediction was for a jazzier approach to men's fashion. They obviously haven’t been hanging out with San Francisco and New York designer Orlando Diaz-Aczuy. This shot is in Orlando's new New York apartment, which is cool and shimmery and will be in Interior Design Magazine shortly. (The Times pix on next page.)
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Digging For Art
Joel Grossman isn’t a name that immediately comes to mind when you think of finding a really handsome piece of art. That’s because he’s not part of the gallery circuit, doesn’t hang with the hedge fund crowd; and, in fact, he’s mostly hanging over his easel in a small apartment in Brooklyn that’s crowded with finished and unfinished pieces from a dozen different “periods”. I came to him by way of a collector who ferrets out unknowns before the crowds. This is your chance. While some really terrific pieces are still at $50 - $125. For an appointment, call Joel at 718-853-7588. Pictures of Joel and some recently completed work on the next page.
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Broadway Bargains
I’m nuts about the theatre. But it’s pretty easy to get ticket shock these days. So I’m thrilled to tell you about two organizations that make tickets more affordable. The better-known is Broadway Box (www.broadwaybox.com) which offers discounts on many Broadway and off-off Broadway plays. But my bonanza find is Audience Extras (www.audienceextras.com). They have tickets ranging from free to $3 for off and off-Broadway. They are “papering” the house for little known plays. The only thing they ask you is not to tell anyone else in the audience that you haven’t paid full price. I’ve seen two plays recently and they were absolutely fabulous. Enjoy!
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Do It the Easy Way
We’ve all wondered why it’s so hard to create the chic, clean, smart looking boutique hotel bedroom. On the surface, it’s simple. A few pieces pulled together very well. But one begins to feel like the wandering Jew of yore when you go to look for those pieces. Thankfully, New York interior designer, Tamara Magel, picked up the challenge and put together a component group that starts with 18" dark oak square wall panels, which are a handsome background for the tailored contemporary wing bed. Along with matching side tables, the look is chic as hell! For more information: www.mageltamara.com.
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Like the Medicis
I come from a very nice middle class family whose major striving was to keep up with Aunt Mary and Uncle Ely. But I’ve finally made the leap. Here’s the back story: I’ve been working with the designer Laura Bohn on my Miami Beach apartment (ok, it’s not Florence or the Piti Palace) and we saw a wonderful painting by Louise Crandell at Clodagh’s studio but it was the wrong size. Clodagh put us in touch with Louise and Laura and I went down to her loft – where she and Laura discussed the size and the mood (nobody listened too much to me; I’m just a client; I haven’t gotten to the Medici part yet!) and Louise said she was doing a series and would give us the opportunity to
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Joan Schindler: 1930 - 2009
The fascinating thing about our business is how some of the least talented designers manage to become name brands while some of the most brilliant just go from job to job, never blowing their own horn or licensing or even photographing their work. Joan Schindler is one of those people. I would never have known about her if it weren’t for my good friend, the designer Deborah French, who insisted that I meet with her. But she doesn’t have a web site, I told her Deborah. Meet her anyway, she told me. And I did. Joan was easy to like – petite, wearing a smart tweed suit with quiet, good manners. The few jobs that she showed were very polished, with lots of books, paintings, objects.
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To Drive Your Designer Nuts: “I Saw It On Trading Space”
If you want to see a designer go ballistic, tell him that you want the look that they got for $32 on one of the HGTV shows. What HGTV doesn’t tell you is that each show has a dozen producers, consults with great designers, has top contractors at their beck and call to advise on any situation. I admit it’s uplifting to see their designers and three of their assistants on their hands and knees installing a plumbing line or painting a striped wall. But I wouldn’t plan on duplicating that experience or bringing it up to anyone you’re planning to have a relationship with!
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White Out
I confess that I’m tired of white on white. Maybe I’ve seen too much of it recently. Or maybe it’s just that too many untalented designers are using too much white instead of stretching themselves to come up with new ideas. When white is well-used, it’s still terrific. The perfect example is the way that Miami interior designer Toby Zack makes white look fresh and zingy. Of course, it helps that Toby is working in Florida. This brings us to the question of being location-appropriate. When I see white upholstery and white rugs, I feel like I should be taking off my shoes. My vote is for white to be used in places where there are no subways.
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Your Place In the Food Chain
You'll probably be happy to know that the rich are getting richer. Of course, the Census Bureau's idea of rich and the parent living in New York may differ some. See where you stand in the race.
On a positive note the affluent segment of the population (i.e. households with incomes of $100,000 and above) continues to be the fastest growing segment based upon income. The total number of affluent households rose 8.4 percent overall, from 22.2 million in 2006 to 24.0 million in 2008. By contrast the number of households with incomes less than $75,000 declined in the two-year period.
In particular, ultra-affluent households, those with incomes of $250,000 and above, grew 10.5 percent,
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Misery Loves Company
I represent more than 400 of the world’s finest interior designers and architects – and I’ve seen at least 300 of them involved in decorating their own places. And I can tell you they feel the pain of decorating just as much as you do. Paul Siskin, whose clients are among the richest and most famous, is one of the few who will publicly admit how insecure he feels about designing his own house in Hudson, NY. His blog is on the Interior Design site (www.interiordesign.net) is a hoot and you’ll never feel bad about admitting that your job is taking twice as long and costing twice as much as you’d planned. It does the heart good to see that it happens even to the best!
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Lighting Up!
Sure, everyone knows about it, but I secretly believed that you had to live in Arizona or be an engineer to have solar anything. If the solar lights that I bought at Home Depot for about $10 each are any indication, this is heaven. Just pull them out of the box, stick them in the ground and you can up-light a garden without breaking into a sweat – and bask in the reflected glory of your sweet little lights.
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South Beach is My Beach
Two years ago, when I was interviewing designers for our Miami office, I went over to the bay side to see the gorgeous plantings that David Rockwell did at the Flamingo. I didn’t know the bay side – but I found love: it doesn’t have the crowds and pushiness of the beach; it’s like being in Europe, where everyone is speaking a different language and all the girls are beautiful. The long and short? On impulse, I bought. Everyone always asks me if I got a great buy. I bought about 20 minutes before the prices dropped but I would do it all over again. That’s me and my palm trees!
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Instant Glamour
Want to turn a bedroom into a boudoir? Christopher Guy designed a dazzling headboard that is almost guaranteed to make a woman feel like slinking around in satin. The headboard can be made in any material and is available exclusively through B.Moore Design, Brookly, NY. (www.bmooredesign.com)
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