Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2012: Furniture Finds

Last week, I had hoped to write a bunch of posts about my finds from the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. I blogged about my wallpaper finds. And then my web site disappeared. A victim of web site hijacking. At first, my site was just inaccessible. If you typed my web address, an error message would appear that the server couldn't connect. But then traffic started being redirected to a site that advertised a deal for web hosting. The exasperating part of it all was that this redirection happened without consequence to my domain address or web site. So when I would call my domain registrar and web host, they would tell me everything was working. I'm no techie, so I can't explain how this is done. But take my word for it that if it happens, you are basically defenseless. Sorry for the rant, and thanks to everyone who let me know that they couldn't get to my site. I now know, and am thankful, that I have loyal followers.

Back to business. Last week I wrote about the Piet Hein Eek wallpaper that The Future Perfect exhibited at AD Show. The wallpaper is good (no . . . great) but the furniture by Piet Hein Eek is amazing! Eek's construction of scrapwood furniture is every bit a composition: of the material--the scrap pieces of wood--and the assemblage. There's irony to the construction: using materials that are essentially cast-offs, but assembling them with a painstaking attention to detail and craft. The table on display had a 10-coat lacquer finish that was flawless. Perfect for a loft, country or contemporary house.

                               

Another favorite was the newly-launched, but not yet complete, line of home furnishings by the award-winning architect, Robert A.M. Stern. The detail on the back of the chairs was exceptional. I love a chair that is beautiful 360 degrees around and these chairs certainly are. Although the line did not include a dining chair, I recommended that one be added with the same back detail and arms. They would make fabulous host and hostess chairs.
    The furniture of BDDW was a big hit at the show. Founded by painter and sculptor Tyler Hays, BDDW showed a variety of tables, seating, rugs and fabrics. But I was struck by the variety of their finishes and attention to detail on their credenzas. Each finish is hand rubbed. Ladder back dining chairs in BDDW's oxidized maple finish could easily be mistaken for iron. BDDW's credenza with blackened bronze exterior was faced with leather, making it versatile for more transitional spaces. But the best part were the drawer pulls, forged of iron and stamped with a delicate floral motif. Adorable.

         
Lastly, I have to write about the Aleman Moore woven straw stools exhibited by Tucker Robbins. I'm a big fan of ceramic garden stools and the like that function as tables but fit tight spaces. These pieces pack a lot of punch in form, texture and color in their demure scale. And they can also be custom colored. If only I didn't have cats.

                                 

Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2012: Wallpaper Finds

For the first time, I went to Architectural Digest's Home Design Show in New York City last week. Held at Pier 94 on West 55th Street and 12th Avenue, I hadn't ever been to anything of such scale dedicated exclusively to home furnishings. The array of products was overwhelming. And now, looking back, I'm torn about which things to write about first. To make it simple, I'll break it down into categories, starting today with wallpaper.

One of the products I drooled over most was the Scrapwood Wallpaper by Piet Hein Eek exhibited by The Future Perfect, a New York retailer catering to unique design finds and furniture. A Dutch designer known for transforming scrap wood into fine cabinetry and studio furniture, Eek only allowed his pieces to be sold in the U.S. just within the last year. For now, I'll leave his furniture for another post. But his scrapwood wallpaper is to die for! I'm already determined to use it somewhere in my home. It is unmistakeable for real wood siding. Here are the wallpaper samples hanging on the walls of The Future Perfect's booth:

And here are some of the various patterns and colorways:

   

    

Some pluses about these wallpapers: there are no repeats, and they can be hung horizontally or vertically.

Another nice wallpaper find at the Show was a collection by Audrey Sterk, a decorative painter dividing her time between Nantucket and New York. I liked the large scale graphic patterns of Audrey's designs and also the fact that she can custom color any paper to Pantone colors. Some of my favorite patterns of Audrey's are:

               

         Arrows -- Reminiscent of a David Hicks design                                               Fair Street

                                       

                                                                               Circle & Stars

I covered all of the AD Show on Thursday, the trade day, which left my Friday open. So I went to the New York Design Center at 200 Lex, just around the corner from where I was staying.  I especially wanted to visit the showrooms that are not represented in Boston. For the longest time, I've been getting mailings from Ted Boerner, a contemporary furnishings line that subtly nods to mid-century modern. I had a wonderful visit with Steven, the showroom manager, who explained that in addition to the full Ted Boerner line, the showroom features compatible furnishings by other artists and designers. Among these were Tracy Kendall whose wallpaper was jaw-dropping. Her cutlery papers are more widely known, but what I went totally ga-ga over were her embroidered and sequined papers. All I hoped for at that moment was to get a contemporary women's clothing boutique project. How awesome would the sequined "Another Room" pattern look on soffits or dressing room walls?

    

                                     Cutlery                                                                                       Sequins

       

                                      Buttons                                                                                     Another Room

Bite of the Big Apple

I'm in New York for the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. What a time to be in New York City! Spring, or rather summer, visited us early this week in the northeast. Daffodils are in bloom and even cherry blossoms (about one month early). Yesterday was trade day at the show on Pier 94, a great way for designers and other professionals in home building and design to meet vendors and view products. There was also the opportunity for schmoozing with fellow designers. Modenus, a blog and online resource for design products and professionals, sponsored "Marys and Mimosas." Billed as a tweetup, there was hardly time for tweeting. Catching up with some fellow Design Bloggers Conference attendees and meeting IRL ("in real life") members of the Twitter @IntDesignerChat community was more fun.

My problem when I attend shows like this is that there are so many amazing design elements that I want just for myself, but I would have to start from scratch to use them. Good thing I have clients. I hope to feature some of these elements in the days and weeks ahead. Today, I set out on foot to discover some New York design finds. Within blocks of where I'm staying are the New York Design Center at 200 Lex, housing showrooms to the trade, and DDC--Domus Design Collection--a resource for contemporary furniture. But one of my favorite things to do in New York is just to start walking and see what I discover.

Get Your Martha On

Around this time of year, I get very anxious. My mother would enter spring cleaning mode in preparation for the Jewish holiday of Passover. It's customary, if not Biblically mandated, for observant Jews to clean their houses from top to bottom, leaving no corner unturned, no crumb left behind, to rid their homes of Hametz or foods that are not kosher for Passover. My mother, who could go head-to-head with Martha Stewart and probably win in a cleaning competition, would observe this ritual cleaning. Windows were washed, bedding was cleaned, cupboards were lined . . . you name it, she did it.

This explains why I get this urge to clean around now. My ambition is great, but inevitably I fall short. As the holiday gets closer and my anxiety peaks, I rationalize that if I just clean my kitchen, I will fulfill my religious duty. So it occurred to me, what's easy and manageable that satisfies our spring cleaning urge? Here are a few ideas:

1. Have your windows cleaned. This is easy. Hire someone. Look at the world through crystal clear glass. It will look better.
2. Wash or clean your bedding. The new high efficiency washing machines enable you to do this at home. Alternatively, spend a couple of hours with a good book at the laundromat or bring everything to a "wash & fold" or dry cleaner.
3. Have your carpets and rugs cleaned. That sofa with the stains that bother you--have it cleaned too.
4. Curtains and drapes: wash, dry clean, or vacuum. Same for blinds and shades.

Now that you can say you've done your spring cleaning (in Laurie Gorelick style), freshen up your decor.
1. Bring in some green. I love live plants. The way my plants look is a barometer of my well being. If they're thriving, it means I've been taking good care of them and, most likely, myself. Plants just need sun and water to be content inside. If you think you have a "black thumb," try something that requires little care. But seeing plants grow and thrive will make you feel good. I promise.
2. Swap those heavy down comforters and flannel sheets for lighter quilts, blankets and percales. If you can, buy a new set of sheets in a soft spring palette.
3. Generations ago, homemakers would slip-cover their furniture with lighter, brighter fabrics to transform their decor for warm weather months. You can adapt this custom without breaking the bank by layering a quilt or throw in a softer palette on your sofa and swapping out throw pillows for some in brighter hues and patterns.
4. Treat yourself to cut flowers somewhat regularly. Seeing nature's beauty on your nightstand as you rouse yourself to shut your alarm clock is a nice way to wake up in the morning.

Win Win!

This week is devoted to my restaurant project, The Painted Burro, opening March 19th. (By the way, to see the interiors of the restaurant, click here and then click on "something brighter and rustic-ier.") I wrote earlier about how, in a twist of fate, breaking my foot in Italy last summer brought this project my way. Today I turn to the collaborative process between designer and client.

There's a time during a project when you know you're in sync with your client. Sometimes you're lucky enough that this happens instantly when you first meet. More often, it takes a little time to build trust and secure your client's confidence in your design. How you colloborate with your client builds this trust and is a telltale barometer of the ultimate success of the project. My collaboration with Joe on The Painted Burro is a good example of how this process unfolds.

At the end of October, I meet with Joe for the first time. Like many clients, he has a vision of how he wants the restaurant to look. Unlike many clients and, to his credit, he has precedents to point me in the right direction. The restaurant's cuisine is Mexican from the Oaxaca region. Joe is clear from the get-go that the restaurant will not be your typical Chili's, Margarita's or other American interpretation of Mexican decor (picture the serapis, sombreros, cacti, kokopelli, painted tiles and terra cotta). There is an edge Joe wants but can't describe. But he's certain the restaurant has to feel casual, in step with the Davis Square vibe.

On our first walk-through, Joe already has a space plan in mind. The bar will be completely reversed so that the back bar aligns with the storefront windows. He wants a colorful curbside display of tequila bottles which we'll set aglow with LED lights. Ok, and you need me because . . .? Here I go: If we move the bar, we could open up the dining room to natural light. Let's demo all partial walls and a useless soffit around the perimeter of the dining room to further expand the space.

     

                        Bar Before The Painted Burro                                          After (photo by Melissa Ostrow courtesy of UrbanDaddy.com)

     

              Dining Room Before The Painted Burro                                           After (photo by Melissa Ostrow courtesy of UrbanDaddy.com)

Joe is a phenomenal researcher and a total Martha Stewart wannabe (I say this with the utmost respect for Martha and affection for Joe). He has already found a supplier of furniture made from reclaimed wood and is set on the host stand, dining room tables, chairs, bar stools and tables. We also purchase old Mexican doors, panels and columns of different shapes and sizes. Some of the columns make supports for the back bar shelves. Again, Joe's ideas. My turn: let's use some to suggest transitions in the space.

In the restaurant previously occupying the space (click here to see), an alcove off the dining room could be curtained off to create a small private dining area. The curtains have to go, but what to do with the alcove? Here's my chance: the dining room really needs a focus--an accent wall--that contrasts with the walls in the rest of the space. I suggest wallpaper--something to bring in color and pattern. I run all over the Boston Design Center and search high and low on the internet for just the right paper. Score! Joe falls in love with an Elitis Cuirs Leathers pattern in orange. It isn't cheap, and in commercial projects, cost trumps all. But Joe realizes nothing else will do.

                 

   Elitis Cuirs Leathers Wallpaper              Alcove Dining Area (photo by Melissa Ostrow courtesy of Urban Daddy.com)

One of my best expeditions with Joe is a day we go looking for bathroom tile. I had shown Joe a tile he flipped for--a random mosaic pattern in yellow, orange, opalescent white and tan. It has a retro vibe but the colors are totally now. Again, not cheap. So Joe asks me to meet him at a tile showroom in Malden, MA. I've never been to Malden, and have no idea how to get there (yay GPS!). If you've ever had to navigate around Boston, you've probably experienced our poor signage, frequent rotaries and local roads masquerading as major thoroughfares. Just finding my way is exhausting. After pouring over various combinations of floor, wall and accent tiles, Joe knows he can't settle. The original tile is it and we have to figure out a way to make it work. I show Joe inexpensive 12x24s in a strie pattern that I found at a local supplier and just happen to have in the back of my car. Done deal! That alone makes my day but then he decides we need to go to a place to look at reclaimed wood. (I had proposed using reclaimed barn board in certain parts of the restaurant.) By this time, it's rush hour. To avoid traffic, Joe leads me on a back street tour of Malden, Somerville, Cambridge and Belmont. With all the turns and shortcuts, I feel like I'm doing the chase scene from The French Connection. But at this lumber yard, I spot reclaimed white oak with the most beautiful silver-grey patina. I know it will work perfectly with the orange wall paper. Yes! Joe is sold. This is my moment--when I know things are in sync and everything will be great.

After that, our collaboration is, for the most part, smooth. Flooring, paint colors, stains, lighting. We each have our non-negotiables. When Joe emails me a link to serapi pillows for the banquettes, I say, Excuse me? When I say no to his penchant for outdoor lanterns in the bathrooms, he chooses . . . not a lantern. One thing he will not compromise on: the art work. From the beginning he is determined to use a type of grafitti art he's seen. As time passes and there's no art, we think about alternatives. Joe holds out. Near the finish, still no art. Megan Cormier, the restaurant's general manager finds Raul Gonzalez, a Somerville resident and celebrated Mexican artist. Raul agrees to paint a mural in the Painted Burro. Joe gets what he wants. Win win for all!

       

                           Mural by Raul Gonzalez (photo by Melissa Ostrow courtesy of UrbanDaddy.com)