Design 101 -- Kips Bay Decorator Show House

In addition to my design practice, I teach Interior Design at the New England School of Art & Design at Suffolk University. If I have one mantra in teaching, it's that my students use the Elements and Principles of Design to defend their design decisions. Take any intro interior design class, and you will learn the elements and principles of design: Form, Scale, Color, Texture, Pattern, Light, Balance, Harmony and Unity, Rhythm, Emphasis and Focus, Contrast and Variety, and Proportion. Use this vocabulary to speak about design and you'll sound like a pro.

So I thought I'd critique the 2012 Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which I saw during Blogfest, in Design 101-speak. I'm taking some chances here, because some famous designers did some things that I wouldn't call good design--from a purely academic perspective, of course! But if I didn't take a chance, why blog about it?

Scale -- One thing so evident about this Show House was the formidable challenge posed by scale. The Show House occupies two adjacent 6,000-square-foot duplex condominium units in the Aldyn, a 40-story building on Riverside Boulevard and 63rd Street. The height of many of the designers' spaces was out of whack compared to their rooms' lengths and widths. Add to that numerous jogs, cut-outs, glazing at ridiculous heights and you have design dilemmas that will confound the best.

Who did the best job dealing with insurmountable scale? Todd Alexander Romano. Todd worked magic using color, form and light to dwarf the height of his dining room and create harmony. A 42-arm Murano amber glass chandelier consumed the immense volume of the 21-foot-high ceilings. The chandelier and artwork hung at unusual heights drew the eye up. At the same time, abundant accessories including a tall green Lucite sculpture and massive terra cotta pineapple centerpiece brought things down to human scale.

                     

                                                         Dining Room by Todd Alexander Romano

Reflections of the Narcissus, #8, 2012 by Rachel Lee Hovnanian

Large artwork, particularly this piece by Rachel Lee Hovnanian, scales the height of this tall space. The luminous quality of this painting, along with the Lucite sculpture (above) and the green faceted mirror (below) add light and contrast to the aubergine painted walls.

    

In contrast to Romano's tackling of scale, Susan Zises Green just made do. Although the furnishings of her living room were lovely, I think she overlooked the vertical planes and volume of her space. By filling up the floor plane with furnishings, she tried to conquer scale horizontally. Perhaps she felt that the wall of windows overlooking the Hudson was enough. I disagree. An overscale mirror on one wall simply felt like a quick fix.

        

Focus -- A Focal Point creates a touchstone from which the eye can pan the rest of the space. Jamie Drake used Andy Harper's painting, Winter Gate, to add color and focus to his library space. With mirrors, lacquered walls and metallic wallpaper on the ceiling, and the stainless steel Fernando chair by Julian Mayor, Jamie captured light in his space. But the melange of color in the painting really told the story of this room.

        

Pattern -- Pattern breathes life into a space. At Kips Bay, pattern was used most effectively by Bryant Keller who used Scalamandre's Zebra wallpaper in the foyer, and by Chuck Fischer who painted a chinoiserie mural in "The Writing Room." But one place where pattern was misplaced was in Charlotte Moss' Sitting Room. Charlotte copied a delft tile pattern and used it in place of baseboard trim. I don't understand why Charlotte used this pattern at floor level. It brings the eye down, away from the murals, and interrupts the verdant green wall expanse. Details abound in show houses, but this one was superfluous.

Blogfest Revisited

I've mentioned how I pulled out all the stops this year traveling around the country--from L.A. to North Carolina to New York (twice)--to attend design extravaganzas and blogging events. I've come away feeling . . . dare I say . . . a bit manic: high from the substance, but low on occasion from the atmosphere. There is abundant information out there about design and plenty to go around. But I've perceived at past events a bit of rivalry and oneupmanship among some design bloggers that feels petty and a bit like high school.

Not so Blogfest. Imagine 168 design bloggers (many of whom also are designers) from 28 states and 4 countries. Imagine hosts and sponsors who value bloggers, and with grace and humility let you into their world. Imagine 3 days of seeing some of the best design that New York City has to offer at that moment in time. And there you have Blogfest. By being gracious hosts and tremendous event planners, the Kravet team leveled the playing field. We all could partake in the same events. The only limitation was time: time to meet everyone, time to take it all in.

As we check in to receive our name badges and materials on Day 1, we are personally greeted by Cary, Lisa and Ellen Kravet. Siblings Cary and Ellen are the fourth generation to run the Kravet brand. They escort us through all of the Blogfest events, and with their team, insure that our needs are met (for example, snacks and water on the buses). (Note for next year: flip-flops or slippers for women would be nice!)

Our three days are filled with show house and showroom tours, panels with designers and editors from the leading shelter magazines, food and beverages served by the most handsome wait staff of male models in the city (thank you, Kravet!) and intimate peeks into the workings of the Kravet brand studios. I came away feeling camaraderie with my fellow bloggers and respect for our unique voices and individual talents. All of Blogfest was a showcase -- for the equanimity of the Kravet family and staff, for the candidness of the panelists who shared personal stories and professional secrets, and for the collaborative spirit of the attendees. I can't wait to go back.

Blogfest 2012 and My A-ha Moment

If you're following the blog, you may have noticed I didn’t post last week. I spent the week in NYC, going to Wanted on Sunday, ICFF on Monday and Blogfest Monday through Wednesday. I returned to Boston on Thursday for the long holiday weekend.

There's a lot to say about Wanted, ICFF and Blogfest, but to do them justice, I must do separate posts. Today, I’m taking up a challenge presented by House Beautiful. On Tuesday of Blogfest, we heard editorial panels from the Hearst Magazine Home Group, including Veranda and House Beautiful. House Beautiful’s panel discussed “A-ha” moments: what editors see in designers’ scouting shots that make them publication-worthy. House Beautiful challenged us to blog about our own A-ha moment.

My A-ha moment coincided with my first professional photo shoot. I was launching my website and had completed a sufficient body of work to justify hiring a pro. Rick Mandelkorn’s son and my son were school buddies so it seemed right to hire Rick, one of the best, to do the shoot. The first interior we shot was a living room I had recently finished. The house faced east and Rick caught the morning sun’s radiance on the sofa and grasscloth wallcovering, in the folds of the draperies, and even in the vase I placed on the mantel. The shot made the room look iridescent and I realized at that moment the talent of designer (me!) and photographer to ably capture light in a room in this way.

On the Road Again

I've pulled out all the stops this year when it's come to attending design and bloggers' events. It's my way of learning and growing as a designer and blogger. This week is my last scheduled trip (who knows what may come up on the horizon?). I'll be attending some events in New York City as part of New York's Design Week.

First on my itinerary is WantedDesign, an event inaugurated in 2011 to showcase New York City as an incubator and destination for design along the lines of London, Paris and Milan. With a program of exhibitions, workshops, lectures and lounges, WantedDesign seeks to bring together designers, architects, craftsmen, editors, and communications professionals to collaborate and build community. It's definitely an event worth exploring.

Next I'll be attending the International Contemporary Furniture Fair or ICFF, a show featuring exhibitors in the contemporary design world. I'll be going to this show as part of Blogfest 2012, a three-day event sponsored by Kravet Fabric and Furniture to bring together design bloggers and shelter magazines for Design Week offerings. I'm thrilled that as part of Blogfest 2012, we'll be seeing the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, the premier show house in New York City (and perhaps the nation). Whenever I can, I try to get to Kips Bay. It's always interesting to see how other designers interpret space. Rest assured I will share my reactions on the blog.

Blogfest 2012 will have me and about 150 other design bloggers meeting with Veranda, House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Traditional Home editors and celebrated designers like Thom Filicia; touring the Kravet studios, showrooms at the D&D Building (Decoration and Design) and the Museum of the City of New York; and networking with designers and vendors from the New York design community. If this will be my last trip before summer, what a way to finish!

Faux Finished?

My trip to the Brimfield Antiques and Collectibles Show last week made me think about the art of decorative painting. Two years ago at Brimfield, I saw a lot of furniture newly painted with a Grisaille finish--a paint Grisaille Chesttreatment done entirely in varying shades of gray. This year, not so much. So is faux finished?

Faux paint finishes were all the rage from the mid-1980s to mid-2000s. I invested heavily in how-to books and magazines, and did my fair share of decorative painting. It certainly was a great way to give walls drama without committing to wallpaper. And for DIYers, it was inexpensive. Poor wallpaper. It suffered during this craze.

Some faux finishes I think are done. At least for now. But others have staying power. They are:

Stencils--This technique has been around for centuries and will remain so. Stencils make it easy to apply repetitive motifs. At the Brimfield Tweetup I attended last week, I fell in love with patterns by Cutting Edge Stencils, a sponsor. Their fabulous patterns make it easy to custom color a motif for any decor. If you read my post on Mother of Pearl, you know I'm in love with inlaid pieces. One of Cutting Edge's stencils makes it possible to reproduce the inlaid pattern. It's an easy way to replicate the look without the price tag.

   

                                                        Some Patterns from Cutting Edge Stencils

                    

        Tables stenciled with Indian Inlay Furniture Stencil by Cutting Edge Stencils; photo (right) by Jessica Delaney

Murals--Like stencils, murals have also been around for centuries (think cave paintings!). One of my favorite muralists is Susan Harter, who has converted her murals to canvas and wallpaper. Susan and I did a show house together years ago and I have loved her work ever since. With a classical technique, Susan creates timeless scenes and landscapes to grace any room.

                

               Custom Mural Wallpaper by Susan Harter; Interior Design by Carter & Company; Photo by Eric Roth

Venetian Plaster--Again a centuries-old technique, Venetian plaster involves troweling on plaster in multiple thin coats which are then burnished with wax. What's great about this technique is that it creates texture and illumination. I have seen applications where mica dust is added to the plaster to create sparkle and other applications where a painted undercoat peeks out to add color and depth.

                

                           Venetian Plaster in a Foyer; Interior Design by Carter & Company; Photo by Eric Roth

Faux Wood Grain--Making things that can't be wood look like wood is still a faux finish that has its place in design. I had clients that had metal radiator covers in their living room. All the millwork in the space (moldings and fireplace mantel) were wood stained. It just wouldn't work with the space to paint these covers the wall color. So I had a decorative painter match the radiator covers to the millwork with a faux wood grain paint technique. My painter, Monica Erickson of M.Designs, did a similar treatment for a front door.

               

                                            Before                                                                                After