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Blogfest Day Three – What to Expect

Days one and two down. With luck we’ve avoided the rain and we’re ready for day three! This is the day you’ll get your gift bag if you elected not to ship your bag, and we have a few surprises in store so keep reading… 

Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils Design Studio Tours

First, a BIG thank you to everyone who volunteered to switch to the 9am tour. Two tours, at 9 and 10:30, will feature a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of fabric design, product development and showroom merchandising for Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils. We’ll feed you delicious coffee and pastries from Balthazar and you’ll love being inspired by our work space. If you didn’t sign up for a tour or need to switch your time, email Jennifer.

Bus to the Museum of the City of New York

If you don’t go on the studio tour you can still ride the bus uptown to the museum, just meet us in front of the building at noon. If you’re on the early tour you can walk around the Flatiron area before we meet back up at 12. If you’re flying out of LGA or JFK, it is fastest to leave straight from the museum. We will have a coat check for luggage. As we mentioned, if you didn’t elect to ship your gift bag, you will receive it at the museum.

Raffle, NY Spaces Lunch and Self Guided Museum Tours

At lunch we’ve set up an incredible raffle filled with tons of donations from our sponsors, including Lilly Pulitzer, Aero Studios, Jonathan Adler, Barbara Barry, Baccarat, DKNY and SO MANY MORE! Bring cash or check, all proceeds go to DIFFA. You’ll also notice a large display of Glassybaby candles. You’ll find out why later… Following lunch, you can tour the museum, which is showing one of its most successful exhibitions to date called The Greatest Grid.

Benjamin Moore Presents Color Pulse® 2013

We’re sneaking in a very special presentation before the Benjamin Moore discussion begins, so bring tissues! John Turner, color expert and trend analyst for Benjamin Moore, will present the brand’s annual color forecast which explores the emerging influences that shape future color trends and their applications for 2013.

Interiors Magazine Presents: Interiors Insider

In this panel discussion led by Michael Wollaeger, you’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories of how the most beautiful work in our industry is created. Panelists include interior designer Miles Redd, noted photographer Peter Aaron, and blogger and former editor Marisa Marcantonio.

Farewell Celebration

It’s so hard to say goodbye! What a whirlwind three days. We can’t resist to opportunity to clink glasses with you all one last time and toast to all the fun we had. This is also your last chance to score some AMAZING items from our raffle. (Seriously, this raffle is so off the charts, you’re going to go nuts). And did we mention proceeds go to DIFFA? Charity? And Design? Yes please! Oh, and just like last year, a few VIP guests may stop by so don’t put your cameras away just yet…

Bus Downtown

Two buses will leave the museum. One will head to The New Traditionalists, host of the Blogfest After After Party. Those guys know how to show designers a good time, so that is a must attend if you’re still in town. We digress. The other bus will head back to the hotel area in case anyone needs to grab luggage or regroup. As we mentioned, if you’re flying out of LGA or JFK, it is fastest to leave straight from the museum, but for everyone else, we’re loading up the buses right at rush hour! Yeah!

After Party at The New Traditionalists

More cocktails and fun await at The New Traditionalists, plus they’ve invited lots of other fun NYC-based people so this is a great opportunity to connect with friends you haven’t seen yet.

And now, we soak our feet and sleep! We can hardly contain our excitement and can’t wait to see you all Monday.

Cheers to a great Blogfest. Now go charge those cameras!

Blogfest is Back! Registration Opens Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Noon

We can hardly believe it’s been a year since Kravet introduced Blogfest 2011, and now we’re back and ready for year two! Blogfest 2012 will take place May 21-23 in New York City. Once again, we’ve put together an agenda that brings together editors from top design and lifestyle magazines, great brands and A-list industry designers and celebrities. 

Just like last year, you must be an interior design blogger and have a social media presence to attend. If you attended last year, you had the opportunity to register early. Click through to Who’s Attending on the website to see some of your favorite design blogs. On our Where Should We Stay? page you can check out the Flatiron Hotel, a brand new hotel that’s offering our bloggers a great deal in the heart of New York City's fashion and design district.

In addition to the events listed in our agenda, you’ll receive a free ticket to attend the International Contemporary Furnishings Fair, which can be used if you plan to arrive early. The agenda is available on our website, but we’ve got a few more tricks up our sleeve and will be unveiling exciting surprises and new guests over the next few weeks, so keep checking in with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Registration opens at noon EST on Wednesday, Feb. 1 on our website and we’re expecting a sell-out crowd, so if you’re interested in attending, register early to secure your spot. We can’t wait to see you all in May.

Here are just a few of the great things you can expect from Blogfest 2012:

Margaret Russell, Editor in Chief of Architectural Digest, and her team are hosting the Blogfest 2012 kickoff party.

The Savant Experience Center is hosting a cocktail party Monday night. Their space, pictured above, was designed by Thom Filicia, who had so much fun at Blogfest 2011 that he'll be back to toast with our bloggers at Savant.

Ann Maine, Editor in Chief of Traditional Home, will interview two interior design rock stars in the Kravet showroom at the D&D Building on Tuesday. (We can't announce who just yet, but it's going to be fantastic!)

Also in its second year, the ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House has a new location in one of the townhouses at The Dillon in Midtown. Mingle with ELLE DECOR editors and bring your camera!   

GE Monogram's New York City-themed showroom in Midtown will provide the perfect place for bloggers to unwind on Tuesday night with cocktails and great food.

Brunschwig & Fils New York City Showroom

The Brunschwig & Fils showroom at the D&D Building in NYC has a new look. Inspired by the latest collection, Les Alizés, or "trade winds," the merchandising team created two room settings that reflect the chic, colorful and classic Brunschwig aesthetic.

The bold floral print on the skirted sofa takes on an updated look set against the deep brown walls. Gold accents, modern art and pink and orange patterned pillows provide the finishing touches. Take a look at our photos from the showroom and shop Les Alizés in showrooms across the country and online at www.brunschwig.com.

 

Sherwood Sofa 84" (#2173) in Yorke Chenille-Sand (BR-81782.057.0). Pillows are Samarkand in Rose/Rust (BR-71110-119) and Pastorle Leather-Carrot (BR-20021.644.0). Left chair is Louis XVI Bergere (#2007) in Bayberry Strie-Berry (BR-800054.140.0). Right chair is Baltimore Chair 23" (#2138) in Hyde Park Stripe-Primrose (BR-800036.121.0). 

Cavendish Looseback Sofa 90" (#2004) in Bellary Cotton Print-Rose/Turmeric (BR-700016.121.0). Pillows are Bayberry Strie-Berry (BR-800054-140) and Bellary Cotton Print-Rose/Turmeric (BR-700016.121.0), backed with Gauguin Linen-Watermelon (BR-89588.137.0). Bedford Chairs (#2108) in Sydney Woven Texture-Beige (BR-89397.068.0). Pillows are Gulchihra Printed Velvet-Espresso/Berry (BR-700017.M81.0).

Regence Chair (#2000) in Flowers of Jamakhana-Grenadine/Orange Spice (BR-800052.M16.0)

 

 

Brunschwig & Fils Tiger and Leopard Velvet

First introduced by Brunschwig & Fils in 1956, these iconic silk velvets have never been out of production, which is a testament to the quality and timeless nature of the design. These velvets have adorned homes around the world, including Valentino’s London apartment, Givenchy’s Grand Salon in Paris, Oscar de la Renta’s New York City apartment, and so many more.

The apartment of Oscar de la Renta, from House & Garden, 1985

Both have a 25 inch repeat and are woven by hand at a rate of about 30 cm per day at a mill in France. A similar style, at 21 inches, is woven in Italy at the same rate, 30 cm per day. The process involves weaving approximately 10 to 12 rows of silk warp, inserting each row with a metal rod. The weaver then uses a special cutting tool to hand cut the metal rods out of the warp to create the pile for each row. After weaving, the pile is checked for evenness and longer threads are hand-trimmed for quality.

Design by Markham Roberts, image from House Beautiful

Velvet loom, where it is hand woven at a rate of about 30 cm per day.

Design by Albert Hadley, image from House Beautiful

Recently, Town & Country devoted an entire page to these stunning velvets, and chronicled the enduring popularity of animal prints in interior settings around the world. The velvets can be found online at www.brunschwig.com and in Brunschwig & Fils showrooms across the country.

Brunschwig & Fils Showroom Opening in Paris

 

The Brunschwig & Fils showroom in Paris was recently entirely renovated to accommodate additional products from Kravet and GP & J Baker. The showroom, located in the Rue du Mail design district in a former chemist shop, has very high ceilings, a beautiful conservatory, and is certainly one of the most attractive spaces in the area. A great group of designers gathered to toast the new space and celebrate the reveal. If you find yourself in Paris, the showroom is a must-see.

Brunschwig is also preparing for the launch of Les Alizes, the new Fall collection inspired by world travel and the trade winds that propelled merchant ships through the far east. The collection will be available in showrooms across the country beginning within the next few weeks. Click on www.brunschwig.com to check out some of our latest updates.