Super Bowl Fever

I am an avid sports fan. It's in my blood. My parents grew up in New York City in the glory days of the baseball rivalries between the Giants, Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. When the Giants moved to San Francisco, my parents stuck with the National League and switched their loyalty to the New York Mets. I know exactly where I was when the Mets won the World Series in 1969 and 1986. I married a Yankee uber-fan and, given the paltry post-season record of the Mets, I've migrated to the Yankee side (except, of course, during the 2000 subway series). For two-thirds of my life, I lived in New York and with that came allegiance to the football Giants. But then I moved to Massachusetts. While I can't for the sake of my pride and my marriage become a Red Sox fan, I have very easily transitioned to being a devout Patriots fan. Let's just say that Tom Brady is my idol. I believe he is the embodiment of professionalism: his talent, his integrity, his study and dedication to the game and his teammates combine to form an athlete and man worthy of reverence.

With the Super Bowl this weekend, and the buildup for the rematch from Super Bowl XLII between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, I decided to interpret the design styles of these sports heroes. I'm envisioning the Studies of these athletes: the spaces in their homes where they retire when alone or to conduct business (the non-athletic kind). To set the stage, Tom is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen and together they have built a palatial estate in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, California. (Their Boston Back Bay penthouse is on the market.) Eli is married to his college sweetheart, Abby McGrew, and splits his time between a 3,000 square-foot condominium in Hoboken, New Jersey and a home in Oxford, Mississippi (where Ole Miss, his alma mater, is located). Tom grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and Eli in New Orleans. You may see infusions of these influences in the selections I've made, but mostly it's how I see their on-and-off-the field personas expressed in their home furnishings. I know I'm biased and that may be evident in the designs I've created. How'd I do? What's your take on the styles Tom and Eli gravitate to?

Tom Brady:  Ralph Pucci Sofa and Table Lamp, Dessin Fournir Chair and Coffee Table, Holly Hunt End Table, Wall Sconce and Silk Area Carpet, Ironies Bow Front Chest, Kravet and Donghia Fabrics

Eli Manning: Kravet Sofa, Barclay Butera Home Club Chair, Dessin Fournir End Table, Ironies Console, Desk and Table Lamp, Holly Hunt Wall Sconce, Elizabeth Eakins Area Carpet, Fabrics by Kravet and Lee Jofa