Inspired.talk

Blogfest Day Two – What to Expect

Whew. We’ve gotten through day one. Well, talking about day one. Are you tired yet? No? Good. Moving right along…

Hearst Tower

House Beautiful and Veranda have great presentations prepared for us this year. After you arrive, check in and get settled (please, please don’t be late!), take in the floor to ceiling 180 degree view of New York City from the 44^th floor of the Hearst Tower. WOW! Ok, time to kick things off. House Beautiful editor in chief Newell Turner, joined by a few up-and-coming designers, will talk to our group about what it takes to get your projects, and yourself, noticed by a major magazine.

Veranda editor in chief Dara Caponigro will talk with Timothy Whealon and Daryl Carter about how the May/June issue came to life. Both designers have projects in the magazine, and they’ll discuss all aspects of a large scale project, a magazine shoot, and Dara will speak to how a magazine like Veranda comes together every month. Inspiration overload!

Elle Décor Modern Life Concept House

Buses will be waiting to whisk us from Hearst over to the west side where we’ll be some of the first to see this stellar show house. Snap photos, chat with editor in chief Michael Boodro, and meet some of the designers of the space. You’ll have lots of time to take it all in before we head to the iconic D&D Building for lunch.

Traditional Home Lunch at Lee Jofa

Traditional Home has prepared a summer feast for us, featuring Luke’s Lobster, Nantucket Nectars and more. Designer Robert Brown will be on hand to chat about the furniture he designed for Holland/ Macrae, which will be on display in the front room. Management consultant Keith Granet will speak to the group about some of the amazing work he’s done in our industry, and sign copies of his book, Business of Design.

Ann Maine and Alexa Hampton at Kravet

Following the lunch, we’ll head upstairs where Traditional Home editor in chief Ann Maine will lead a lively discussion about what it means to be “traditional” in today’s world with interior designer Alexa Hampton. Hampton designs fabric and trimming for Kravet, and her work is on display in the Kravet showroom.

Brunschwig & Fils and Laduree Twitter Contest

When you have a few minutes to explore the D&D Building, stop by the Brunschwig & Fils showroom on the 12^th floor. Snap a photo of yourself with your favorite item in the showroom, fabric, furniture or otherwise, and post it to Twitter for a chance to win a beautiful gift basket from iconic French brand Laduree. Be sure to use the #blogfest2012 hashtag and mention @BrunschwigFils.

Hard Hat Preview Party at Baccarat

Champagne and sweet treats await upstairs at Baccarat. Our group of Blogfest attendees will be the very first to see Baccarat’s brand new showroom in the D&D Building. It’s so new, in fact, that the space is still under construction. You’ll see how they hang chandeliers and some of the behind the scenes care that goes into the brand’s beautiful crystal products. You’ll also meet designer Vicente Wolf, who is involved with the brand and will join us as a special guest speaker.

Party at GE Monogram

The partying doesn’t stop there! Following Baccarat, we’re heading across the street to GE Monogram, where chefs will have been busy whipping up some great treats for us in their state of the art kitchens. Food and drink will be plentiful, and you’ll love interacting with some of GE’s great products.

Ok, you didn’t get to change your shoes all day, but we sure had fun, didn’t we? Go get some rest and we’ll see you on Wednesday!

IFDA Circle of Excellence Awards

Alexa Hampton and Cary Kravet

The Union Club in New York City

This week at the Union Club in New York City, IFDA hosted its Circle of Excellence Awards ceremony, which recognizes excellence across many categories in the home furnishings industry.

Event hosts Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan

Kravet received an award for product design and industry resource. After a touching and witty introduction by interior designer Alexa Hampton, and a short video detailing the history of the fourth-generation family business, Cary Kravet accepted the award on behalf of the company.

A standing ovation in recognition of Larry Kravet.

The evening was very special for Larry Kravet, who just like the IFDA, was celebrating a special milestone: 64 years with Kravet, which was started by his grandfather in 1912.

Three generations of Kravets. From left, Sara Kravet, Ray Burke, Utta Kravet, Ellen Kravet, Lisa Kravet, Larry Kravet and Cary Kravet.

It is an honor to be recognized by the IFDA, and an honor to continue to bring beautiful products to market for interior designers and their clients.

From left, Cary Kravet and Alexa Hampton with Michael Boodro, Barbara Friedmann and Kate Kelly Smith, who accepted an award on behalf of Hearst Home Group.

Ellen Kravet with Larry and Utta Kravet.

Lisa and Cary Kravet with Larry and Utta Kravet.

Images 1, 3, 4 and 6 by Dan Derrico, courtesy of IFDA.

Alexa Hampton for Kravet

Interior designer Alexa Hampton has what she calls a Julie Andrews approach to design: “Once you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything.” The principles of contrast, proportion, color and balance provide the foundation of good design and also anchor a beautiful collection of fabrics.

With her latest collection for Kravet, she focused primarily on linen, which she says, is “lighthearted, high on style and mixes well with formal patterns.” For inspiration, her focus was on her immediate influences and the things she wants to use in her own projects. At the moment, she said, she wants patterns on linen and textures in an appealing palette.

Basics, she says, can help people get great results. She wants her fabrics to be respectful of design and user friendly, to speak to people across all experience levels and stand on their own.

Her enthusiasm for the collection is rooted in the knowledge of how designers work, and in the fact that good design isn’t a style, or a color or a theme. In addition to fabrics, the collection offers trimmings with clean, basic profiles, which coordinate with the collection and existing fabrics from previous collections.

These snapshots are from the podium display in our New York City showroom, designed by Alexa Hampton and featuring fabrics from her latest Kravet collection. Visit your local showroom, contact your sales rep, or visit www.kravet.com to shop the collection.

Stools, Fabric, Rug

Fabrics top to bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Sofa, Fabric, Sheer Drapery Panel

New Trimmings by Alexa Hampton

Sofa, Pillow, Pillow, Chair, Drapery Panel

Fabrics left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

 

Pillow fabric, top to bottom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

ELLE DECOR A-List Luncheon in NYC

By Beth Greene

Me with Michael Boodro and Karen Marx from ELLE DECOR

Last week, I had the great pleasure of being invited to ELLE DECOR’s exclusive lunch honoring its annual A-List Designers. The list pays tribute to 25 top designers, plus it recognizes 5 up-and-coming design talents that have caught the magazine’s eye. To celebrate this year’s honorees, ELLE DECOR transformed the posh restaurant Modern, located within the Museum of Modern Art in New York City into an oasis of peonies overlooking the MoMA Sculpture Garden. With flash bulbs popping from the design paparazzi, the Modern provided the perfect backdrop on that beautiful summer day. While I was not definitely camera worthy at this event, I managed to have my picture taken with the likes of Thom Filicia, Jamie Drake, Michael Boodro and many more.

Jamie Drake, Thom Filicia, Ernest de la Torre, Michael Boodro

Million Dollar Decorators Jeffrey Alan Marks, Kathryn Ireland and Martyn Lawrence-Bullard

A bit Design Royalty star struck I was, as the who’s who of interior design made this luncheon clearly a not to miss event! Even the members of the new Bravo show “Million Dollar Decorators” entertained us with their candid conversations and tales and perils of television production. 

Old guard and new mingled in an environment that was relaxed yet filled with a fresh energy. Well known names such as Juan Montoya, Sheila Bridges, Ernest De La Torre, Kathryn Ireland and Martyn Lawrence-Bullard mingled with their peers, including Aerin Lauder, who announced earlier this year she’s starting her own lifestyle brand.

Sheila Bridges with Michael Boodro

Ray Booth, David Kleinberg, Richard Keith Langham, Michael Boodro

 
Aerin Lauder and Michael Boodro

Anita Sarsidi from ELLE DECOR, Thom Filicia, Ellen Levine from Hearst, Jeffrey Alan Marks

In attendance was one of my very favorite TV personalities and interior designer extraordinaire, Thom Filicia, who secured a coveted spot on this year’s A-List after a string of professional achievements, including a successful fabric collection with Kravet. Other Kravet licensors missing from the luncheon but definitely on the A-list are Alexa Hampton and Suzanne Rheinstein. And let me not forget to mention my luncheon partner, Aurelien Gallet, of course charmingly French, handsome and fresh off his two successful show house rooms at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House and ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House. I hear his Hampton Designer Showhouse room, opening in July, should not be missed.

The festive celebration also marked the first official event hosted by ELLE DECOR as part of Hearst Corporation, which now owns the brand along with several other home shelter and lifestyle titles. It was an honor to be invited to dine among such an elite group, and a joy to feel the renewed spirit of our industry as we all came together to celebrate beautiful design and inspiration.

All photos courtesy of ELLE DECOR.



INSPIRED.New Year

“I am enthusiastic about the pendulum swinging toward optimism ... people nesting, comforted, cosseted, curled up with a yummy throw with family and good food.”

Alexa Hampton reported those heart-felt sentiments to us in our recent weblog post; her vision makes sense of the current economy and is so inspiring.

What a difference a year makes. As we prepared for the holidays last year, the registers were ringing, records set at retail. Now, consumers are hesitating, some design projects suspended. How should we respond?  Should we follow the decline with excuses, or design our own destiny?

INSPIRED.Talk has been optimistic about the extraordinary value of interior design throughout the year, and continues to be.  While preparing our New Year’s resolutions, we read again our past postings to find what we believe matters to designers and their prospective clients, at any time and in any economy.

Comfort at home leads the list, even curled-up in Alexa’s throw. Deep emotions motivate us to live well at home ― connecting with relationships (at home), taking care of me (at home), and individual style (at home). These motives have not changed much over the centuries - they are intrinsic to interior design and often trump economics.

Design manifests that intimate desire to live well, no matter how much money is spent. We want designers to give form and function to our stylish lives.  Barbara Barry’s clients,  “experience the world in a different way,” which is the essence of her brand, her philosophy and her value.

There are people who have the means to afford that extraordinary experience with design. They want the best value, are used to getting it, and will spend accordingly while trusting a designer’s well-deserved judgment. Especially the new wealthy who are learning to live with abundance, and want designers to show them how.

So, as the market shifts, we should expect the scope of the next design project to shift too. It may become more modest, more private, but not extinct. Value and brand stature is preserved even if less money is spent.

How have you adjusted to these changing circumstances? Have you faced them squarely, adapted your plans and designed your response to this economy? The best way to achieve this is by doing things intentionally.

Intentions are the force for realizing plans. Good design is very intentional. Businesses are intentional endeavors too, especially yours. The most successful adapt. What’s your plan? One thing is certain - we will have more of the same unless we intentionally and optimistically resolve to prevail.

Our resolution should be to think creatively together, and spread the word.  Let others know how you have adjusted to what design means now. What value do you place on comfort at home? Where is your own optimism for well-being at home?

This is the right place to spread the word. INSPIRED.talk is our place to carry on the conversation about the extraordinary value of design, with a New Year’s resolution to be deservingly optimistic. Curl-up, get inspired and write to us with your resolution. And have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.