Inspired.talk

Best of Blogfest 2012 - Social Media Contests

If you attended Blogfest this week, you know there were lots of opportunities for future collaborations with magazines. We’ve compiled all of the contests and incentives here in case you missed any of the details. All winners will receive a Best of Blogfest thumbnail logo to feature on the sidebar of your blog to call attention to your win and collaboration with a major magazine.

House Beautiful – The Aha Moment

The editors from House Beautiful want to know what inspires you, and what “aha moment” you have created in your own work. Ten winners will be chosen, and their photos will appear on House Beautiful’s Aha Inspiration Pinterest board, with links back to each individual blog.

To enter, write a blog post about your own “aha moment” inspired by the House Beautiful. You must own the rights to any images you feature in the post, and images of your own work are strongly encouraged. All posts must be published by May 29^th and please limit copy to 500 words. Once the post is live, tweet the URL to @HouseBeautiful using the hashtag #myaha. Editors will read all entries and select ten winners.

VERANDA – Memorable Rooms

Starting today through the following Wednesday (May 30^th), attendees are invited to email VERANDA’s web editor Candice Braun (cbraun@hearst.com) their most memorable room of all time. It can be any room, from one they’ve seen in a magazine to their very own spaces. Along with an image of the room, describe in 75 words or less why you love the interior.

The contest will end at 5 p.m. on the 30^th  at which point our decoration director, Carolyn Englefield, will review all entries and select the top three. Those three winners will receive a copy of VERANDA’s new book, “The Houses of Veranda,” and will be featured on their Facebook page on Friday, June 1^st, at 10 a.m.

NY Spaces – Guest Blogging 

NY Spaces held a business card drawing and selected five attendees to write blog posts on the NY Spaces blog as contributors throughout the year. Congrats to the winners!

Interiors Magazine - The "Wow" Factor

Interiors magazine challenges you to peruse the current June/July issue, and find your favorite "wow" factor in each of the five featured spaces in the editorial well. Then, add one WOW of your own work or something you love. Submit your entry by posting the blog to the Interiors Facebook page.

Winning entries will receive a free one-year subscription to Interiors magazine. One "WOW" blogger will be chosen to guest blog for the magazine and be featured in Interiors' insider page in the printed magazine, as well as on the Interiors website and Facebook page.

Glassybaby

Glassybaby is inviting attendees to share their own inspiring stories on their blogs, and post a link to the Glassybaby Facebook page. Glassybaby will repost the blogs and share on their web site and social media. In addition, for the first time ever, they are inviting suggestions for Blogfest attendees to help name some of the beautiful colors that emerge from the glassblowers’ studio. Who better than a group of savvy designers and writers to tackle a fun task like this?

Kravet

In the coming weeks, we’ll be posting and reposting many of the recaps we’ve seen of Blogfest. A few of the recaps will be excerpted for the Fall issue of inspired.news, Kravet’s printed newspaper that is circulated within the industry to designers, magazine editors and showrooms across the country. We’re also inviting you to post your photos to our Blogfest Pinterest board. We’re in the process of inviting everyone to have access, but once it’s up and running you can pin away!

We hope you take advantage of these great opportunities to engage with your favorite magazines and brands. We can’t wait to see all of the posts and photos about Blogfest!

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 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!

Cole & Son Wallpaper Video and iPad App

 

Recently, the Discovery Science show “How Do They Do It?” aired a very special segment on the centuries-old tradition of creating Cole & Son hand blocked wallpaper.

Flamingos, from Contemporary I collection

Cow Parsley, from Contemporary I collection

Behind-the-scenes glimpses into the factory include watching the color producer match colors by sight, a demonstration of the paper composition and quality, and a tour of the vaults of centuries-old hand blocks carved from sycamore that are still used every day to create wallpaper.

Aldwych, in Albemarle collection (image via www.cole-and-son.com)

Rajapur, from Contemporary I collection

I’ve watched the video several times now and each time I’m amazed by the craftsmanship and human touch that makes Cole & Son wallpapers so special. As I was preparing the post, imagine my delight when I saw a mention of the new Cole & Son iPad app in the latest issue of digital magazine Trad Home.

The user-friendly app allows you to search by collection, color, style or product number, and enables you to save your favorite items and request wallpaper samples. What could be better than having the entire Cole & Son wallpaper portfolio at your fingertips?

Palm Leaves, from Contemporary I collection

Lily, from Contemporary II collection

Woods, from Contemporary II collection

Do you have a favorite Cole & Son pattern? Let us know in the comments.

- JP

*All images via Pinterest, except Aldwych and the Trad Home screen shot.

Ask Alice: How is Ikat Fabric Made?

A few years ago, the centuries-old weaving technique called ikat enjoyed a resurgence, and everyone called it a trend. Now, with several years of hindsight we can definitely say ikat is here to stay.  But what separates this ethnic design from the rest? We’re glad you asked. Here, Kravet’s own Alice Guercio tells us how ikats are made, and we’ve put together this video showing the process in action. Let us know what you think in the comments.

-JP

 

One of the most popular trends in interior design today is ikat. The word ikat comes from the Malaysian word ‘mengikat’ or to tie, bind or wrap around. The proper pronunciation of the word has long been debated; however, the correct way to pronounce is ‘ee-kaht’ not ‘eye-cat.’ This ancient style of weaving uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye where the warp and/or the weft yarns are dyed before the fabric is woven on the loom. The result of this process is a motif which is “blurred” in appearance. This ‘cloudy’ look comes from the slight bleeding of the dyes into the resist areas.

Bansuri, a popular ikat from Echo Design, shown here in multiple colorways. Available through Kravet.

Ikat is a universal weaving style common to many world cultures and is likely to be one of the oldest forms of textile decorations now. It is extremely difficult to determine where the technique originated. It probably developed in several different locations independently. For instance, during the 19th century, the Silk Road deserts of Bukhara and Samarkand were famous for their fine silk Uzbek Ikat. India, Japan and many South-East nations such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand have weaving cultures with long histories of ikat production. In addition, these designs were also common in Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.

Thom Filicia for Kravet room setting, featuring his signature Prospect ikat. Available through Kravet.

The ikat design is created by tying areas of the threads into bundles using grasses, wax or even plastic to prevent penetration of the dye. What this means is the weaver needs to figure out where on the loose threads the dye should go in order for it to form the proper pattern when it is woven. For more exact patterning, a weaver will typically use warp ikats, where they can see the pattern on the loom. With a weft ikat, the pattern is less exact because the design is not visible until it is already woven. The most difficult is the double ikat. This is when both the warp and weft are dyed to create the pattern. This form of weaving requires the most skill for precise patterns to be woven and it is considered to be the highest form of ikat. As you add colors, the process becomes more complicated.

Westmount Wall ikat from David Easton, available through Lee Jofa.

Many design motifs may have ethnic, ritual or symbolic meaning. Traditionally, ikats are symbols of status, wealth, power and prestige. Today, ikat has become a generic word used to describe the process, the cloth itself and the type of motif that is created as a result.

Oscar de la Renta's Kublai Kahn ikat (on pillow), available at Lee Jofa.

Alice Guercio, Vice President of Product Coordination and a Kravet veteran for more than 15 years, travels the world to source and develop new product for Kravet. She is one of our top experts on textiles. If you have a question about fabric for Alice, email her at askalice@kravet.com and your question may become the subject of a future article.