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Orange You Glad it's the Weekend?!

I'm sooo glad it's the weekend! This week has been crazy! I originally started my blog because I was a bit bored at work but now things are picking up and I'm swamped! But it's all good. Actually, it would be better if I sat at the desk above and had a view of the park! How fabulously chic is that?! It was featured in the June 2007 issue of House and Garden and was part of a feature on the firm Janson Goldstein photographed by Nikolas Koenig. While the rest of the apartment is a bit too white and modern for me, I'm loving the study and that desk!

Right now, I'm off to meet with a photographer who is going to be shooting some of our finally finished projects for a walkthrough of an apartment in the Time Warner Building. And next week, I have some fun and exciting surprises in store for you! Until then, bon weekend!
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Is Philip Gorrivan the New David Hicks?

Philip Gorrivan was recently touted by House and Garden as one of The New Tastemakers and I'm loving his living room pictured above. I think yellow and turquoise is my new favorite color combination. But the more I looked at his designs, the more I kept thinking about David Hicks, whose work is pictured in the next photo. If you look really closely, there are David Hicks design books in Philip's apartment so obviously he's read his books and studied his work.

I think it's the patterned walls and carpets that Philip has used in his home and designs below that is the obvious similarity but it's also the use of eye popping color combinations.

If you want to look anywhere for design inspiration, you might as well look to the master. David Hicks' designs still translate and look modern to this day.

I love the soothing and serene palette in the master bedroom above that is accurately described as a cool mix of glamour and comfort.

It's in his work for a client's home pictured in the photo above and below that the references to Hicks really stand out. And since Hicks is no longer around, why not call upon Philip Gorrivan. He might just be the new David Hicks. What do you think?

Photos by Simon Upton and from David Hicks archive
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Yves Klein Part Deux

Don't you just hate it when you think you have a great idea for a post and someone beats you to it! I've been meaning to write about Yves Klein for awhile now and this morning, who do I see profiled by Nick Olsen over at Domino, but Yves Klein! So, I decided if you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em.

The photo above is a project my firm did for a client whose homes are among my favorites and below is the New York apartment of interior designer David Netto that was profiled in Vogue many years ago. I LOVE David Netto! I'm definitely going to have to profile him again later.

Anyway, I think they both show how something as modern as an Yves Klein table can look so at home next to an ancient Roman sculpture and surrounded antique furniture. If you design with what you love, you can never go wrong and what could be chicer than that?!

Photos by Bruce Buck and Francois Halard
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Too Chic to Eat!

My post about the Plaza yesterday reminded me that it will be the first American home of the famous Parisian bakery Laduree. If you've ever had a Laduree macaroon, you'll know why I'm not sure if this is a such good thing. I have a feeling I'm going to log more hours at the gym soon after they open. But not only are the macaroons delicious but they are inspiring, or at least their pretty little green tins are. Glen Senk and Keith Johnson of Anthropologie painted their kitchen the exact same shade of green. Now that's chic!

Photo by James Merrell

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Apres le Deluge

It was raining cats and dogs this morning in New York. So much so, that the subway and train tunnels were flooded and stopped running stranding morning commuters. This does not affect me however, since I walk to work but then I also have no excuse for being late to work, which stinks.

And on my walk to work everyday, I pass by the interesting townhouse pictured above. I always wondered about it and was then very surprised and excited when I opened the February 2006 issue of House & Garden and saw it staring out at me.

The man in the photo is Hicks Stone, the son of the architect of the house, Edward Durell Stone. Hicks helped the couple who bought the home update and restore it using original pieces they found stored in the basement! I hope I buy a house that has fun stuff in the basement!

Edward Durell Stone included Japanese elements in his work, like the shoji-style doors separating the kitchen and dining room above. Sometimes after work, I can see the family cooking in the kitchen since it faces the street. It's cute.


I love how the Nakashima walnut table plays off the geometric wallpaper from David Hicks and the huge Thomas Struth photograph in the dining room above. The chairs are by Jacques Adnet.


The townhouse was originally built in the 1890's while the front facade of cast concrete grillage was added in 1956. It's in the living room where the original bones of the home are most evident with the ebonized millwork. While the second floor patio is brightened by a roof of translucent panels below.

Love it or hate it, this townhouse certainly is original and interesting. It pushes the boundaries of architecture and design while referencing the past and it certainly brightens up my walk to work everyday!


Photos by Thomas Loof
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Breaking the Rules is Chic!

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about lamps outside a house but I love this photo! There is something so surreal about it. Sometimes, you don't have to love a design to appreciate it or the photographer who took a great photo.

This photo by Matthew Hranek is of the Hamptons house of interior designer Kelly Behun of Behun / Ziff and is part of the Break the Rules September issue of House & Garden. I would think using living room style floor lamps outside would definitely be considered breaking the rules. I wonder how many people do a double-take when they drive by!

Kelly got her start working for Ian Schrager's design team and I can see how that would influence her designs. There was a profile of her apartment in New York Magazine a few years back that's definitely worth checking out. Who knew breaking the rules could be so chic!
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Fabulously Chic Darling!

While I would never consider myself a Versace kind of girl, I have to admit that I'm loving their interior design and furnishings from the Versace Home Collection in the model apartment at the Plaza in New York. I had only seen a tiny little photo in a magazine so I was excited to see House & Garden give it a spread in the September issue.

Interior architect on the project, Gal Nauer, called the collection of black, white and sleek silver "modern yet timeless" and I agree. I'm a sucker for classic details like mouldings mixed with modern furnishings. Apparently the artwork was chosen from ArtLink.

And if I ever become rich and famous enough to own a private jet, I will definitely call on Versace's aircraft interior design service to decorate it. Because it would be fabulously chic darling!


Photos by Francois Dischinger

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Rare Find Indeed

Jayson Home and Garden
1885 North Clybourn
Chicago, IL 60614

I happened to stumble upon Jayson Home and Garden today and boy was I impressed. They are based in Chicago but they also have an amazing assortment of furniture, accessories and even flowers available on their website. Definitely check out the rare finds section! Even if I don't have access to a store for geographic or financial reasons, I still love checking them out for inspiration and you should too!
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Bordando en Italia

Además de planificar el equipaje familiar para varios días , planifico también mi tarea de aguja , si es que el viaje es largo.
Por eso , con tantos días mi bolsa de labores iba bien cargadita.
Algo empezado para terminar, algo pequeño para hacer y probar, algo para regalar y una labor más grande para recordar nuestras andaduras italianas......Afortunadamente no me mareo en coche por eso era una buena manera de ocupar el tiempo y hacer una pequeña maratón de bordado.

Terminé " Rose Cottage" de Country Cottage Needleworks con hilos de DMC y y sustituí los colores de Crescent Colors , que son tintados, por otros similares que tenía de Sampler Thread . Como ya sabéis será un cojín para mi hermano.La inscripción le viene al pelo.
Rose Cotagge

"Victorian Elegance " de Indigo Rose, era uno de mis objetivos hacía tiempo. Mi amiga Pilar me había facilitado materiales que venía en forma de kit desde hacía dos años por mi cumple y por fin llegó la hora de probar a insetar los abalorios de Mill Hill a la vez que cerraba el cuadernito de agujas.
El modelo en cuestión lleva a juego un fob que está por hacer. Este trabajo lleva punto de cruz y puntos especiales .

Los hilos son de Anchor y el lino también es de Zweigart, en este caso 32ct color Smokey Pearl. , un suave y antigüo azul.

Victorian elegance needlecase

Por detrás las iniciales están bordadas en 1/1 .

Victorian elegance needlecase detrás

Así quedaron los abalorios al detalle.



También tenía pendiente hacer un regalo y me pareció perfecto " Avec mon amitie " de Au fil des revés. Los hilos son de seda y he utilizado el mismo lino que para " Atelier de brodeuse" , un Lakeside llamado Antique Magnolia. Sin embargo he cambiado uno de los puntos por labor de cintas de seda del mismo tono que alguno de los hilos .
 Cojín Avec mon amitie copia


Detrás quedó sujeto por los lazos de raso.....
Cojin Avec mon amitie detrás

....... Y así los dos juntitos.

Au fil des reves cojines copia

El útimo trabajo , el que me ha tenido más tiempo ocupada , fue un esquema quaker de Kunst & Vliegwerk. Cambién el hilo a un DMC 498, mi favorito y el lino un 32ct de Zweigart color Putty. Me encantó este modelo que luego se termina en libro en zig zag que Cristina me regaló la primera vez que nos vimos.
Quizá ha quedado un pelín más grande porque el original debía ser bordado en lino de 35ct y prefería darle uso a los linos que ya tenía .Ha sido muy cómodo de bordar. Diez medallones componen " Souvenir " además de un pequeño cierre con una liebre y las iniciales.Tiene una medida de 300 x 127 puntos.

Souvenir de K&V

Se bordan los cinco superiores y luego los inferiores, teniendo en cuenta que hay que darle la vuelta a la tela porque luego habrá que doblarla . Así las cruces quedarán todas en el mismo sentido cuando el libro se abra en zig zag.
Ahora me queda el montaje.

Medallones de Souvenir

La verdad es que no pensé que estaría de vuelta con él terminado . Casi dí las útimas puntadas entrando en la ciudad. Me encanta cómo ha quedado ya planchadito . Espero que no me dé mucho la lata terminarlo porque no me aclaro mucho con las instrucciones.

.........Y hasta aquí mi labor de aguja .
Como hacer este artículo me ha llevado más tiempo de lo que esperaba y mi visita a Giulia bien merece un espacio único, he decido dividir en dos partes mis aventuras bordadoras. Asi que os dejaré con una foto en su compañía.




En unos días os cuento sobre ella y sobre la tienda de su amiga en Roma , que ofrece sus esquemas en su tienda online.
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Do Not Disturb

At first, I thought a post about bathrooms might seem weird but I don't consider my bathroom pictured below to be any less important than any other room in my home. In fact, when I move, it's one of the first rooms I put together. So when I ran across the photo above in H&G, it reminded me of my bathroom, although, I think have loved a claw foot tub in that room instead of the uncomfortable looking rectangular thing.

I LOVE clean white bathrooms! I think there is something so fresh about them. And I love to accessorize with my black and white photos of the beach and lighthouses, as well as with shells and natural colors. For me, it has a calming effect after the craziness of the city.

This bathroom is so spacious and luxurious it's probably bigger than my entire apartment! And it's so chic that I'm ready to move in!

Photos by Oberto Gili, moi and Jose Picayo
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California Dreamin

Everyone seems to think I would hate LA but how bad could a place be that has given us Kelly Wearstler and has weather so nice you can wear flip flops year round? Kelly originally designed Trina Turk's first store and I think you can see a hint of her influence in Trina and her husband Jonathan Skow's LA home.

The vintage outdoor furniture has custom cushions made in a Trina Turk print and the 1948 Edward Wormley sofas share space in the living room with 1956 Richard Neutra cocktail table.

The house was built in the 1940's by J.R. Davidson , one of the great Case Study architects, and Trina and Jonathan are only the third owners! Renovations were kept to a minimum but the decorating went out full tilt!

The master bedroom's vintage Lane bureau, cloisonne jars and lamp are from Lawson-Fenning while the vintage furnishings in the guest room below include a Widdicomb chest of drawers and a Karl Springer side table.

I love how the house has that sense of sophisticated modern/vintage glamour reminiscent of Kelly Wearstler's designs without the over the top kitsch factor of Jonathan Adler, the designer of Trina's new stores. If all houses in LA were this chic, I think I would like it there just fine!

Photos by Roger Davies
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Habitually Chic Store of the Week

Homenature
6 Main Street
Southampton, NY 11968
631-287-6277

We custom order furniture from Homenature for our clients all the time but this weekend was my first time checking out their store in person. What a fabulous mix of vintage and contemporary furniture and living accessories! If you're ever in Southampton, you should definitely stop by!
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Art Imitates Life

While I was sitting on the beach in Southampton this weekend, I was struck by how much the scene and my photos reminded me of the art of Isca Greenfield-Sanders, especially Cloud Beach, mixed media watercolor with colored pencil, from 2005.

Isca is the daughter of famed photographer Timothy Greefield-Sanders but she sticks to painting and not photography, although her art is derived from photography, namely a box of vintage photographs she found.

On her website, there is a very interesting conversation between the artist and Chuck Close where she describes her study, inspiration, process and theory of art.

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Thank you!

I want to thank All the Best for her recent profile of Habitually Chic! If she didn't live so far away, I'd send her flowers but since she does, a photo of flowers will have to suffice.

What a nice surprise to come back from a weekend away to so many lovely messages from so many wonderful bloggers. I look forward to checking out of all your sites and hopefully continuing to bring you fun and exciting posts from the design world and New York!
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