I had another “New York kind of day.” Each one reminds me of why I live here; finding gems of life embedded in the energy of the city and my favorite seasons.
Spring and Summer arrived at almost the same time. Out the door of my Upper East Side apartment into the day, I passed on Fifth Avenue this inspiring example of what was ahead: magnolia blossoming in the gardens of the Frick Collection - one of the real treasures of Beaux Arts architecture and Old Master paintings.
There is probably a place in your community that inspires you, too. Whatever it is, how does it get your day off to a great start?
Sufficiently propelled, I found Scott Kravet in the studio, surrounded by a potpourri of decorative paraphernalia. Like a mythical sorcerer, he seems able to look into a kaleidoscope and discover color trends that others find deceptively blurry. His take-away from the Spring market in High Point and its mixture of color, pattern and texture was decisive: orange, but not just any orange, a saffron tribute to Hermes. Lily-pond chartreuse replaced languid blues and cocoa; whimsical embroidery on silk, linen and even leathers. Upholstered silhouettes were safely transitional, although some at least were venturesome enough to inspire spring-spirited buyers and recession-weary consumers yearning to make the ‘staycation’ more refreshing.
Scott sees a brighter, even more colorful future. He’s optimistically inspired; so am I. Are you?
At a sidewalk cafe for lunch, Mary Kindel Libby (a senior executive at Christie’s, descendant from the Kindel Furniture Company and a renowned character in New York) joined me for antipasto, sauvignon blanc and rambling conversation about the auction business, fine art, interior design and even her intrepid nature while riding her ‘old-school’ bicycle which she does every day along harrowing city streets, undaunted even at 80 by renegade trucks and traffic. You probably know someone like her: the brighter her star shines, the more illuminated our lives are ... in New York or wherever you live.
Who and how does a special person inspire and light up your life?
Throughout that day and into the evening (life in New York has so few limits), I listened to other overtures of optimism that I will share with you soon. Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston each inspired their own “New York kind of day.”
What makes your day?
Steve Nobel
Founder and principal of NOBELINKS, a consulting practice specializing in the luxury markets for home furnishings and interior design, worldwide.
