NYC: ICFF 2012

I was fortunate to be able to spend half a day at ICFF last Saturday in NYC, it was my first time attending the show and I'd definitely go back.   During the couple of hours I was there I didn't get to see all the exhibitors, below is a roundup of my favorites from what I did see (and this was only half the show!).

These stools upholstered with vintage fur were my absolute favorite thing at the show, I wanted to just scoop them up and take them with me.  Unfortunately they were just props at the APPARATUS booth and not actually part of their product line,,,but by the time we finished telling them how much we loved them and had to have them,,they confessed they were going to add them to their collection because they'd had such great response!!!  Aside from the stools, I really love this studio's lighting products which are made from vintage components and found objects, the Cloud chandelier (shown above) with frosted glass orbs and oxidized brass chains was s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g.  I want.

Rattan Caning + Modern Lines.  I love this.  Throne series From Autoban 

I'm always drawn to circles and this glass and marble mosaic from Country Floors caught my eye. I think the grey grout really makes this.

I can't resist a beautiful piece of modern walnut furniture.  The May Credenza had impeccable lines with blackened rolled steel top and I LOVED it.  Miles & May. 

It was fun to meet the guys of Rich Brillant Willing + one dad! (I loved that Charles' dad was helping them out working the booth - he completely sold us on the new walnut table.)  : )  My favorite is the Quart lamp (above) and I'm lovin the new Delta pendant series so much I've just proposed the Delta IV (shown below) to a client.

A great little wood and marble side table from Blu Dot.

For all you HB2 lovers.  This brass devil is From JONATHAN ADLER.

Curiosities, found objects and vintage industrial furniture made this booth popular.  I found the way the objects were mounted on the wall quite interesting.

Indusrial style lamps in a rainbow of colours, the JIELDE booth was truly eye cathching. There's few things I'm drawn to more than an adjustable arm lamp. : )

I love a good grommet, and always need them but they are hard to find.  Impressive collection of sizes and finishes from MOCKETT.

One of the most beautiful light fixtures I've seen in a looong time.  This was a stunner! Brushed brass rods with lily pad shaped, hand formed copper panels with enamel finish.  Designed by Kiln Design Studio for Bespoke Global.

I adore Lindsay Adelman fixtures, they're works of art.  Theirs was a fantastic booth complete with workbench for assembling fixtures during the show.  Sadly they were on lunch break when we stopped by but I would have loved to have watched the process.  One of the things I admire most about Lindsay as an artist is the fact that she shares step by step instructions on her company website, "You Make It", on how to make your own Lindsay Adelman style fixture from off the shelf parts (it's how she started).  If you've never visited the site, its a must see. Lindsay Adelman.

One of the highlights of last years show was till causing a buzz this year, the Scrapwood Wallpaper designed by Piet Hein Eek for NLXL.  I'm not typically one to use 'faux' anything but I'm crazy for this entire collection, with digital technology these are more like photographic murals.  They are so authentic looking even when you touch it you still can't believe its not real, it has huge visual impact.  I also spotted some at the Kips Bay Showhouse the day before (located in a highrise duplex on the Upper West Side). 

Their newest wallpaper colleciton is Concrete by Dutch designer Piet Boon and it was attracting as much attention as the Scrapwood series, and their other newest collection Merci, vintage metal panels. All on display at NLXL's booth.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorites, believe me this was just a drop in the bucket.  The show is open to the Trade and to the public on separate days, if you ever find yourself in NYC during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) I highly recommend a visit.

An Artful Lunch

I was in NYC last week to attend site meetings at my Upper East Side renovation project and to meet up with my good friend Michelle Morelan from A Schematic Life who was visiting from Vancouver.  Michelle and I spent several days together enjoying shopping, dining, theatre, and attending some design events but the highlight of my week was our day trip to Westchester to visit our friend, the incredibly talented artist/illustrator Patricia of PVE Design.

The entire day was a 'pinch me' day of the best kind!  It started off at Grand Central Station (Oh my, I could spend a day in there easily) where we picked up a bottle of chilled proseco and a bundle of bright orange roses before boarding a train for a scenic 35 minute trip along the Hudson river.

The main concourse at Grand Central Station.  Next time, I'm bringing my good camera and spending a lot more time here.  So much to take in...the architecture, the shops, restaurants....I spotted an oyster bar restaurant with Saarinen style tulip tables and chairs. : )

Dahlia's flowers in Grand Central is fantastic, a huge selection of fresh seasonal blooms and the best prices I've seen anywhere.  All bouquets from $5 to $15.  Irresistible.

Michelle and Patricia in Patricia's gorgeous, 'almost complete' new kitchen.  New stools are in the works and a seating area will occupy the spot where I'm taking this photo from.  I LOVED the floor tiles from Walker Zanger which looked like polished concrete and how she's layered them with antique rugs.

Not only did Patricia pick us up at the train station and give us a driving tour of her charming Village full of character homes (seriously I was expecting to see Martha Stewart at any moment!) but she had the most amazing lunch planned for us.  It was all organized ahead so when we arrived we could make lunch together, it was sooo much fun putting together these dishes - honestly this was the most beautiful and delicious dish I have ever eaten.  Its going to be my new go to favorite.

  

The recipe from my memory; roasted sliced beets, roasted sliced sweet potato, layered napoleon style with goats cheese in between.  Topped with sauteed beet greens, pine nuts in olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.  TO DIE FOR.  Plated on vintage blue & white dishes from Copenhagen and set with her wedding silver cutlery.  I promise to get the actual recipe from PVE and post it below.

   After lunch Patricia took us on a tour of the historic Sunnyside estate, home of Washington Irving, located on the Hudson river and just a few minutes from her home.  I purchased a compilation of some of his stories and look forwarding to reading them now especially after being in the room he actually wrote them from.  I wished I had taken photos inside the house, it had a wonderfully simple, timeless kitchen and I was crazy for the various pantries.  An entire walk-in just for cookware and serving ware, another one just for china and crystal.  Sigh.

 "Absolutely Beautiful Things" by Patricia van Essche.

As if she hand't spoiled us enough already, Patricia gave each of us each a box of note cards made from her original artwork.  I love love love these, I'm always so drawn to blue & white so everything about this image grabs me.  This particular painting is called "Absolutely Beautiful Things" and was inspired by the blog of that same title written by Anna Spiro.  What I love most about these cards, is giving them - and telling the recipient all about the card's artist and my friend PVE.  (BTW, If you'd like some of these cards they're available on Etsy or by contacting PVE directly.)

Thank you Patricia for chauffeuring us, for lunch, for the Sunnyside Tour, and especially for the tour of your own beautiful home including your spectacular new studio space (polished concrete floors!!), its absolutely stunning.  It was a thrill for two Interior Designers to hear you describe how your newly designed spaces have had such a transformative impact on your life, to us, that's the true value of great design we wish everyone could experience.  You are a gracious host and a beautiful person in every context of the word.  This visit left me feeling uplifted and inspired in many ways just when I was feeling a need for a boost. 

Style at Home: Modern Rustic

Style at Home Magazine | Photography:  Donna Griffith, Styling: Margot Austin

I've anticipated the arrival of the May 2012 issue of Style at Home for the better part of one year.  This issue features one of my favorite projects, a rooftop deck in mid-town Toronto, that I worked on in the summer/fall of 2010.  You can read about the design plans here . The deck, along with the interior of the home was photographed by Style at Home magazine last June and the homeowner and I have been waiting all these months to see the results of that 2 day long photo shoot.  So I am beyond excited to see this space published and to share with you the brilliant work of photographer Donna Griffith and stylist Margot Austin (who showed up before the light of dawn to capture these images!!) - thank you both!

Style at Home Magazine | Photography:  Donna Griffith, Styling: Margot Austin

Style at Home Magazine | Photography:  Donna Griffith, Styling: Margot Austin

UPDATE: Click here to view a copy of the full feature.

For a peak at some of the prep work that went into the shoot check out this post I wrote last summer a few days after the shoot.

Here's a few more photos taken a couple of weeks before the magazine shoot as I was loading in the accessories and the installer was hanging mirrors and lanterns.

Not seen in the photos above is a servery that's located inside and overlooks the deck space (you can see the windows of the servery above), this photo was taken back in the fall of 2010, from outside looking into the servery where Kara (the homeowner) was prepping some flowers. The servery is outfitted with a stainless steel counter with integrated sink, wine fridge and dishware storage.