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My Breakfast with Barbara Barry by Beth Greene

Going to LA is always such a treat for this New Yorker with fabulous weather, dinners and beautiful people. This trip was no exception and the highlight was my invitation to have breakfast with Barbara Barry at her home.

I heard about her new home in Beverly Hills a year or two ago. She told me how much of a respite it was from her daily routine but I had no idea how truly warm and inviting it would be, a beautiful white washed structure with warm wood floors and accents.

Nympheus handblock pillow from Lee Jofa.

Each room was painted in a nuance of a white, beige or grey shade. There were many places to escape, from beautifully appointed window seats upholstered in textural fabrics from her Kravet collection to gardens filled with flowers, sculptures and seating areas. Much to our surprise, she used linen prints in one of her sitting rooms as well as decorative accents throughout the house.

Poetical linen, one of Barbara Barry's signature prints for Kravet.

The breakfast table was set with beautiful china in varied colors from different sets. She is embracing a brighter color palette these days and I relished in her selection of fresh fruits like blueberries, oranges, and wild berries. They perfectly matched the well appointed floral arrangements on the table and throughout the home.

She indulged me in a few photos and I could not resist snapping some images of Kravet and Lee Jofa fabrics as well as her favorite room and mine.....the laundry room. Yes you read this correctly, a larger than life room dedicated to laundry with her very own Miele Ironing Press which gets daily use. Sheer perfection if you ask me!

Her love for the oval shape which is reminiscent of her logo was evident in some decorative windows, the beautiful shape of the entry hall wood banister and even the shape of the outdoor swimming pool.

After my detailed tour and snapping of as many pictures as I could, we settled in her living room and reviewed some plans for her first book penned this year and due out in mid October from Rizzoli. The title is still a secret to all but as she read me part of a chapter, I am confident that it will be a great read; special, sincere and passionate as the woman that she is.

She has taken such meticulous care in every appointment in this home and truly has made it her signature. All I can say is that it is so so Barbara!

Traditional Home 2011 Classic Woman Awards

By Beth Greene

On a gorgeous spring-like day in late fall, I was invited to celebrate "classic women" with Traditional Home magazine. Every year in early November the editors of the magazine celebrate five women and their journeys and stories in the November/December Holiday issue.

What a wonderful way to welcome the holidays with the heartfelt undying devotion of these fabulous women. The room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, overlooking sun drenched Central Park, was filled with members of the design industry and dignitaries. Always a true tear jerker, this year's event did not disappoint.

The Today Show’s Natalie Morales, co-hosting Traditional Home Magazine’s Classic Woman Awards at the Mandarin Oriental on Monday, Nov 7 in NYC.

I was star struck not only by these amazing women but also event hosts Ann Maine, Editor in Chief, Publisher Beth Brenner, and Today Show news anchor Natalie Morales, who served as Master of Ceremonies. As a crazy obsessed Today Show fan, this was like being near royalty for me!

The honorees were truly inspring this year. Liz Ferro, a product of the nation's foster care system, brings wellness and fitness to girls suffering from abuse through her charity Girls with Sole. Through the Bone Marrow Foundation, Christina Merrill raises money for homeless cancer patients in need of bone marrow transplants. New Orleans children of Hurricane Katrina have music and instruments brought back into their lives thanks to Mary von Kurnatowski and Tipitina's Foundation/ Instruments A Comin'. Kendra Stitt Robins works tirelessly to outfit each child in a homeless shelter with a book, a teddy bear, a blanket and a bag through Project Night Out. That one really hit close to home for me and many others in the audience. Lastly Lynne Patterson and Pro Mujer offers training and classes to Latin American women to empower them and encourage entrepreneurship and financial responsibility.

Left to right, Beth Fuchs Brenner, Publisher, Traditional Home magazine, Natalie Morales, The Today Show; Lynne Patterson, Pro Mujer; Christina Merrill, The Bone Marrow Foundation; Liz Ferro, Girls with Sole; Ann Omvig Maine, Editor in Chief, Traditional Home magazine

All of these women have fully dedicated themselves to these worthy causes and garnered support from their local communities as well as nationally recognized sponsors.

What a terrific tribute. Proud to be a woman is an understatement!

Photos courtesy of Traditional Home

Simplifying Fabulous Features Beth Greene

Beth and the fabulous Greene family. 

Every Friday, our friends at Robin Baron Design feature an industry insider they find simply fabulous. Last week, they highlighted Kravet’s own Beth Greene, executive vice president of marketing and strategic branding. 

Beth has been with Kravet for nearly 20 years, and has been instrumental in transforming the company into the global leader it is today. Part One of the feature focuses on Beth’s career and the things that inspire her daily life. Part Two focuses on her home, her family and her personal style.

 
A snapshot of Beth's office.

Click HERE to read the first part of the feature, HERE to read the second part. Thanks so much to Robin Baron for the feature. Congrats, Beth!

-JP

Windsor Smith and Veranda Present the House of Windsor

By Beth Greene

 
From left: Windsor Smith, Beth Greene, Roger Stoker, Katie Brockman

This lucky NY gal left behind some balmy weather and the Hamptons for the toniest of design events, the opening celebration of the "House of Windsor." If you aren’t familiar, this is not the one in the rainy countryside of the United Kingdom but rather it’s located in the swank suburb of Brentwood in Los Angeles, a neighborhood populated with equestrian estates and carriage houses.

Photo courtesy of Veranda. 

The House of Windsor is aptly named after the design entrepreneur and project manager, Windsor Smith. Finding an available piece of property across the street from her personal residence made this two-plus year project that much easier to undertake.

 
Photo courtesy of Veranda.

Once the plans were drawn, the House of Windsor gained momentum thanks to Windsor’s close group of designer friends. A list designers like Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Kathryn Ireland, Tara Shaw, Candace Barnes and many others offered their talents to the project.

No wonder VERANDA magazine signed on the dotted line to promote and feature this 8,300-square-foot mansion, beautifully designed with Directoire accents, in its upcoming October issue.

 
Photo courtesy of Veranda. 

The eco-friendly side of Windsor came out with re-purposed floors throughout the house, inlaid with intricate herringbone patterns. How clever of Windsor to base the color palette of the home on Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter, a pale grey/taupe, which she used as the exterior color with white trim and again in the front entrance way. As a licensing partner of Windsor Smith, Kravet fabrics and trimmings were prominently featured throughout the home.

Kathryn Ireland, Beth Greene, Jeff Lewis

The opening party was a West Coast star studded event! Red carpet, flashbulbs, TV cameras galore were present as the doors to this brick Federal Style estate were opened to the public for the very first time. In attendance were TV personalities like Jeff Lewis and his sidekick Jenny, Niecy Nash, Cheryl Tiegs as well as NY designer Philip Gorrivan and many many others including Veranda's editor in chief Dara Caponigro. Of course, Windsor's besties, fresh off the set of Million Dollar Decorators, were there in full swing to help her celebrate.

Enjoy the photos and look for the October issue of Veranda for more pictures and inspiration.

Backyard and outdoor dining area.

 
Photo courtesy of Veranda.

Dara Caponigro, Editor-in-Chief of Veranda

 
Photo courtesy of Veranda.

Carolyn Englefield, Philip Gorrivan, Beth Greene

 
Photo courtesy of Veranda.

The House of Windsor is open through July 17 to the public through a daily schedule of house tours and special events. Tickets can be purchased in advance here, and more information, including a list of special events, is available here.

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.