Lennox Hill Neighborhood House Designer Decorated Tables!

Its that time of year again! My daughter, Devon, who works for Lindsey Coral Harper sent us wonderful images of the gala tables. 

Lindsey created a lush Indian themed feast for the deities with this sumptuous Kravet fabric. 

Serious flower power comes from Sebastian Li. The place cards are from John Robshaw stationery. 

Eddie Ross, always has the most glorious arrangements. Just when you think he's outdone himself, he wows us again. 

The table is a collaboration with Carleton V. The table cloth is from his atelier. Jaithan just checked in with me, and wanted to convey credit for these charming match boxes:. "Those are handmade matchbooks from our friend, Susan Schneider, of Shandell's in Millerton at every place setting!" 

If you are going near the D and D, pop in to see Eddie's windows for Carleton V. They've been a sensation! The additional Jaithan news flash is: "We're also including Lindsey's (Lindsey Coral Harper's) tables in our next window!" 

Little Rock Arkansas designer, Tobi Fairley, chooses a "big rock" Tiffany Blue for her color scheme. 

Don't you just want to tear into that package, not to mention the dinner?

David Duncan Antiques, presents a tropical cornucopia of fruits and orchids. 

Lynde Easterlin sets off her turf with silks and trophies.

Florida native, Ashley Whittaker, sets another tropical note with a Cowtan and Tout tablecloth.

Chairs- Greenwhich Living

Fabric on chairs- Alan Campbell Zig Zag

Ferns- Plaza Flowers

Christopher Spitzmiller centers his signature hand made lamp base over an Indian quilt recently purchased on a trip to India. The mogul turbans are from John Robshaw.

A sophisticated El Morocco themed table stands out graphically against the riot of color. I am waiting to find out who made this fun table, then I'll let you know.

Last but not least, we have Lucca and company, the only participant that brought their own gorgeous table. It is a custom Belgian blue stone table with solid steel handmade black base.

 Lucca and Company is known for their understated, signature combination of stone, pewter and crystal with Belgian linen.

Thanks to my daughter Devon Morten of LCH interiors for the great pictures!

And....

The Winner of our Giveaway is...

Jeanne Berrong, designer, GDC Home, Charleston, SC

Traditional Home partners with Lonny

My daughter, Liza, works for Elizabeth Blitzer of Blitzer and Comany, specializing in Public Relations for the interior design world. Elizabeth and Liza get an inside track on exciting trends on in the field, so I pay attention when I get raves. Elizabeth generously included Liza who sweetly brought her sister, to the launch party for the TRAD home online digital collaboration with Lonny.  My girls were dazzled in the presence of the design deities in attendance. Twice a year, under the aegis of "TRAD Home" Lonny followers can view Traditional Home's signature timeless designs displayed within the context of  modern living.

This issue is loaded with luminous interiors and features their curated list of The New 20 top designers and their tips. I'll share a few favorites from this gorgeous first issue. I am subscribing!

Jeff Andrew's starburst mirror arrangement makes me smile straight at the page. You would think I was gazing at a beloved child. Starburst mirrors are hot hot hot! Everybody was scouring High Point for them.

Here is a new line at market we can't wait to pick up. 

I went out on a limb after the October market to announce the return of color. Trad Home shares this sentiment, so.... sometimes I get it! Dovecote Decor is representing Century now, so that luscious Oscar Pagoda bar can be had for something well under the stratospheric $12,540.00 price tag.  All sorts of bars are rolling out now. They are the chic, must have, new accessory.

I will also add that lacquer is glowing everywhere, and is making a welcome return.

Amy Bleier Long and I are on the same page. I love these asian inspired lacquer Waingwright tables that we saw at market. We are loading them onto our website on Monday, so call if you want to reserve yours in the first container.  Flipping through this tip loaded issue, I promptly bookmarked the Perspectives section. I love rule breakers in design, and 10 Things my Mother told me belongs in a special file. You know I am a huge fan of Suzanne Kasler, and I especially love her idea of creating a flexible arrangement in the front hall that can do double duty for dining--brilliant. I had a friend who designed her house with Sister Parish, and they created a center hall with hidden closets that held folding tables, table cloths and chairs. When the dining room was put away, the toys came out for the grandchildren and it became an elegant playroom. It was sheer genius. 

Eddie and Jaithan are among the most generous and creative forces of nature in our industry. I share their china and flower container addiction. I really do long to see their prop room. 

Celerie Kemble discusses her Mother's adage to never hang a mirror horizontally. I agree with both, but think this departure is perfect. I would like to know what everyone thinks about the lamps on either end of the sofa being uneven in height. 

The girls really think I need the Peacock in the dining room. I've already gone completely over the top in there since I added Tony Duquette's orange sofa that I purchased feverishly at the One King's Lane sale. Here are some photos Liza sent me from this event.  

Nate Berkus with Michelle Adams, and Patrick Cline of Lonny

Brad Ford, Lisa Sternfeld, and Kevin Isbell 

 Three interior designers you should not miss in this issue. 

Left to right -- Michelle Adams, Patrick Cline (of lonny) , Ann Maine (Editor in Chief of Traditional Home) and Jenny Bradley of Traditional Home) 

Tom Delavan and Elizabeth Blitzer

via Stylebeat

I am so excited about TRAD home, I've decided to giveaway a subscription to Traditional Home Magazine. 

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Don't Miss the Tony Duquette Jewelry sale April 18th at Bonhams

The Prices are great!

Hickory Chair Wows High Point Again! April 2011

High Point is in full swing. Traffic has increased, and buyers are replenishing inventory. I was on day 4 of shopping when I started this post,  a tired girl reporting to you at the end of the day.  Let's just cut to the chase and go to Hickory Chair--the rare destination where we can tick off extinct traditions, thriving in its own unique American archipelago.  This surviving niche product line is made in America (Hickory N.C.), by American craftsman, one unique and custom piece at a time. The driving force of their success, in my opinion, is that their line is driven by the top designers of our era, versus the finger to the wind interpretation of what consumers want.  Suzanne Kasler styles the ultimate girl cave for us.

I could take over the world empowered by these "tools of the trade." The perfect work table is combined with muscular industrial shelving and lighting, and infused with energy. My synapses are positively crackling here. Suzanne is a sparkling raconteur, communicating her aesthetic of creating a neutral space with color accents. This light hearted Suzani fabric is exclusive to Hickory chair.

Below, study the left side horizon to the perfect office in chic, chick aesthetic. First we do the work, then we close the deal. I am now seeing myself on the cover of Forbes. Hickory Chair understands imagination, vision and talent. 

After you have made the deal of the Century, you might retire with close family and friends (with a celebratory glass of Champagne) to your quiet and elegant living room.

Panning to the right.....

I know that I am thin and wearing Armani!  My imagination is  running amok, and the generous Suzanne, communicating her aesthetic, carries none of the drama flashing through my brain. Suzanne explains how her super clean aesthetic succeeds through the use of mixed metaphor and oxymoron. Mid-century merges with a comfortable clubby upholstery, combined with a feminine arrangement of ceramics. It is a Yin/Yang assemblage balancing structure with dark finishes, light fabrics and dimensional wall treatment. Mentally, we need to balance, and so, the external reflects the internal. I don't like to hear the nonsensical comment: "It's just a house." Pirouetting, vibrant wall art pops, warming up the space. My imaginary friends are very happy. Should I tell them you can have this room within two or three weeks? Call me if you want it. 

Moving on to the fun and gregarious Alexa Hampton,  president of her father's Mark Hampton atelier, tells a different story. Alexa is all legacy, with a twist and fresh take on both traditional and mid-century. Her look makes me feel like I am an only child, inheriting layered years of households. Forgive the photograph. Alexa has the best dining table ever, ever, ever. I have been shopping for 30 years. It is The Bomb. 

Inspired by Alexa's own antique Irish Regency drop leaf table, the Christiansen can be ordered to seat as many as 20 people, at nearly 216" in length. This table has 5 leaves so it has "features and options." You can order special cloth bags for storage, which I recommend.  My Uncle inherited my grandparents' 

"State dinner table," which is what I called it. I have the happiest memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners, with most of us at the big table. My Aunt would bring out the leaves and move it to the long Lanai. She set it so beautifully it took my breath away. We would eat and talk for hours. It is not just a house, it is your home--the staging for your life and memories. The dinner table is the family center, and this is the best. The price is entirely reasonable for the quality and options. I am using it with these Mariette Himes Gomez  Hickory Chairs, with a custom paint finish. 

I became a little tongue tied with Thomas O'Brien , it is all me. I asked him really stupid questions, and he doesn't suffer fools like me. Anyway, silly me aside, Thomas has the best book shelves on the planet. 

Give me a Stendal break, these studly bookcases are shown in a luminous velvet, and can be done in linen, wood, paint and so on and so on. I would think they will be part of the line for eternity, but you never know. They are entirely collectible.  Thomas O'Brien does ground breaking work. If you want to collect modern American furniture, this line is for you. 

Are you seeing the distorted Georgian chair, in front of the knock out saddle leather bed? This chair is a completely original and defining concept. Collectors succeed wildly, when they purchase the first wave of an aesthetic. I would say, this chair is most collectible piece I've ever seen at market. I have had the experience of a website making the furniture look better than it really is. Hickory Chair is the opposite. 

I'm not losing my mind over this image on the website. I've seen enough "High Virginia" style to last me a lifetime. I snapped this picture in the showroom this week. 

How much prettier is this James River Breakfront done in a gray/white paint finish? It is really fun to play with the online design studio. We have all been talking about creating versatile dining areas. Especially in apartments where space is tight. The showroom has some stylish examples of library or living room dining solutions. 

Raising this sectional to dining height creates a much tighter space that multitasks as dining, workspace, reading or just relaxing. 

Love the classic Georgian table with the very cool zeb sofa and sleek leather printed modern chairs. Its all in the mix. I have gone on and on, but Hickory Chair is without a doubt the gold standard of furniture manufacturers in America. The showroom illustrates the best design in the country. On a corporate level, it is a very open and friendly place. The president, Jay Reardon even sat down and ate lunch with little me!! 

High Point Furniture Market April 2011 Sneak Preview

High Point starts today, but we know it really started two days ago.  I shopped this afternoon and grabbed a few bargains for our design clients with wish lists. I am a sleepy girl at the end of the day, so I'll send you a quicky sneak preview.  Economy be damned! Creative people are still having a ball. At the last market, vintage top hats pervaded. Now, we have the coolest bowler hat light pendants--delightful. 

 

While I was perusing the fabulous outdoor furniture, I noticed Timothy Oulton having a cigarette. Nobody apologizes for smokes in North Carolina, so naturally, I corrected him. I have been a fan of Timothy, and he was the man behind the curtain for a time. He has lived in China for the past 20 years supervising every aspect of the production. After scouring the world's flea markets and sending his treasures back to China, Timothy makes sure their reproductions are indistinguishable from the original.

I have shopped High Point for 26 years. I have watched this company emerge from a minuscule High Point space, with a few good  reproductions, transition into Rock Star design work.

 

Chic lofty looks pervade the showroom, but it retains a whimsical eclectic style. 

This sleek bar is the perfect addition to the transient household. For the lady in the house, the traveling vanity is the perfect vehicle for a quick get away.

If you are going to High Point, go to Halo

and let yourself go!

More Later!!

Navigating High Point Furniture Market April 2011

 High Point is logistically difficult to navigate.  Having shopped "The Market" for at least 20 days per year, for the past 25 years, I know my way around, and oddly find the experience energizing. The main hurdle is lodgings, and I would recommend two locations. The Proximity hotel is the new chic LEED green hotel in Greensboro, and is close to the airport. The food is excellent and the commute to High Point is about 25 minutes. You will find the high end design crowd at the bar.

My second choice would be to stay at the Graylyn Estate in Winston-Salem. It is the former property of R.J. Reynolds executive, Bowman Gray and is now operated by Wake Forest University. I walk the grounds often, and it is far from the madding crowd, but really the same distance as Proximity, though a few more minutes from the airport. Prices are extremely reasonable, and dining in Winston Salem is much more accessible during market. You will miss the night scene, but in my opinion, you do not want to stay in High Point during market, you will want to retreat. If you stay at Graylyn, you will want to eat at 1703, 2 minutes down the road. The menu is inspired, and the food, mercifully, after a long day at market, is served at your pace--quickly, or leisurely.

Now, down to the brass tacks of High Point. The heart of HP is the IHFC (International Home Furnishings Center).  Go there first, (shown below in red).  I've drawn orange lines around the perimeter of your hunting grounds. The Hamilton Wrenn district and Market Square are areas you should explore. Receiving a Resource Guide in advance is key. Ask the market authority to send you a copy. It is easier for me than the website, which is surprising.  For parking, I'm one to pay the piper. I have good luck on Wrenn, between Green (rear of IHFC) and Russell. Many hotels have shuttle service to the transportation terminal at the IHFC.

If you are not snagging "one of a kinds," your first stop is InterHall in the IHFC. Walk through the main street entrance (Commerce) and walk down the hall to the right. InterHall is the must see, juried space at market. This is where the market authority separates the "Wheat from the chafe." Thank goodness!

If you have regular access to large design centers, many of these vendors are unique to HP, so take the time.  As you walk up and down the aisles, you will see an escalator. When you finish shopping InterHall, return to the central escalator and window shop floors 2-4 of the adjacent Design and Green sections.  Chelsea textiles has spectacular Gustavian and mid-century pieces. 

As far as I'm concerned, in the IHFC,  InterHall and floors of 2-4 of "Design" and "Green" are all you need to discover. If other vendors are on your list for that building, ask a guide. Your next stop is the highly worthy, outdoor furniture location. Go back down the escalators to InterHall and retrace your steps towards the Inter Hall food court. There is a sneaky exit behind the dining tables that will put you on the crosswalk to the outdoor furniture vendors. Walk through most of those showrooms, on that floor, there are some gems.

Commerce Street runs in front of the IHFC, when you finish shopping the annex, orient yourself to Commerce and go left towards the C and D building. The C and D has some of my favorite vendors. We posted our coveted Carson and Co decoupage lamps, and furniture last July. Susan's card table is  another heart stopping, hand touched product. These artisanal vendors are the heirloom tomatoes and regional goat cheeses found at farmers markets. You will not find them in the urban design buildings or most regional markets. They show in North Carolina.  High Point is Captain Crunch on a shelf next to white truffle oil, next to beef jerky, adjacent to organic free range chicken eggs, picked this morning!

This is a breathtaking 17th and 18th century print, decoupage treatment for a card table that can be customized completely. Susan's showroom is #41 in the C and D building. The telephone is: 704-332-5955  Click here to read our previous post about her cottage industry. When you finish the C and D building, walk across the street to market square.  Market square has a new juried equivalent of InterHall, called Salon. It is slowly improving.

Start on the ground floor and power walk the suites. I have trained myself to pass the junk quickly, and not sift for nuggets in every stall.  Don't forget to see the Wind Rose when you've reached the second floor. Here is their location: Space 246-250 Historic Market Square, Telephone: 336.327.5306. Market is disorienting, but there are guides everywhere.

When you've done the suites, go back to market square and use the escalator and run some laps around those floors.

Libeco of Belgium shows their traditional flax linens in the salon space: stall G-7034.  Fellow blogger Greet from Belgian Pearls introduced this wonderful line to us recently. Don't forget to ask the guides to put you on the correct elevator to take you to Century Furniture. You don't want to miss this little darling in the Oscar De La Renta line.

When you've finished, go out the front of the Suites and catch a van to the Hamilton district. I get off the van at Broad and Hamilton. This district has many excellent vendors, I will feature some of the must sees.

Pay attention to the Wright Table company and the amazing custom work they craft in North Carolina. Don does a mixture of traditional, contemporary and European designs and is a master of teasing depth out of beautiful woods. The scale and design of his furniture is the perfect imperfection we are looking for in a custom reproduction. He made my breakfast table and it is beautifully indestructible.

This industrial era inspired coffee table literally levitates to table height,  reverses with equal grace and has a lock for child proofing.  The surface and finish can be customized. 330 N. Hamilton ST-S-204 tel:336-841-3918. At the bottom of the stairs on your way out, say hello to Ian from Fauld Town and Country furniture. 

Ian has beautifully hand made English and European reproductions, crafted within the renown English cabinet making tradition.

 We will move on to New River Artisans.

In the same district, New River Artisans, is an oxymoronic, crazy good taste, custom designed, hand made carpet resource from the middle of Appalachia. Seriously, the New River is ancient, and flows, unlike any river in North America from south to north.  New River Artisans reflect the anomaly of their name--East Jesus meets Madison Avenue--who knew.  If you think you've ever been in the boonies, drive 100 miles more miles, or come see them at High Point. Their showroom is: 200 N. Hamilton ST. N. Court, suite #301. In that neighborhood, Mottahedeh has an "over run" cash and carry show room I hit each market.

Over the years, I have accumulated wonderful vases, far below wholesale. In the Hamilton district up higher towards the Wrenn side, you'll find Y.H. Antiques, together with Somerset Bay and Modern History. 

Don't even think about missing Hickory Chair where you can run into the likes of Alexa Hampton, Thomas O'Brien, and Suzanne Kasler. If you are coming to market let me know. I'd love to see you!

The Winner of our French Basketeer Giveaway is:

In New York Today Paris Tomorrow 

 

Congratulations!!