Inspired.talk

Choosing the Perfect Sofa – Advice from the Experts

The moment eventually comes around for everyone: It’s time to get a new sofa. While this experience can be a burden, whether it’s fighting against indecisiveness or having separation anxiety about parting with the current sofa, we all share the same struggle.  In order to put your mind at ease during your next search for the perfect sofa, Kravet has turned to the design experts, who have some guidance in choosing the perfect sofa, to share some helpful advice. What we discovered is essential to turning this impossible task into an overall positive experience. Focus your sofa search on fulfilling the five key aspects: comfort, mood, customization, practicality and personal preference.

Aspect #1: comfort -Windsor Smith

According to Windsor Smith, the most common need when looking for a new sofa is comfort. This is a purchase that will become not just a decoration, but a staple in your home or space for years to come. When comfortable, a sofa can become your new solace and friend, but if it lacks that much needed comfort, you will most likely find yourself counting down the years until it is time to purchase a new one. “I don’t own a sofa that isn’t at least 40 inches deep, so I can curl up. Anything shallower feels like it belongs in a dentist’s lobby,” say Smith.

Aspect #2: mood - Barbara Barry

Barbara Barry, who enjoys working with a variety of patterns, colors and textures, explains that when it comes to choosing a sofa, the color will dictate the mood of the entire room. Often acting as a main focal point of a space, a sofa has the power to incite a certain atmosphere that will be evident to any person who enters. Barry explains, “To establish calm, I upholster sofas in a solid that’s the same color as the walls and curtains.” Therefore, be careful in choosing a sofa, make sure the color compliments the room in the way you would like it to, creating the desired mood.

Aspect #3: customization - David Easton

Designer David Easton acknowledges an important lesson: certain sofas are right for certain rooms. “If you have 8-foot ceilings, you’ll want a low sofa, which gives the impression that the ceiling is taller than it is. In a room with a high ceiling, you want a high-back sofa to be a weighty presence that can hold up the room.” People spend so much time choosing the perfect sofa because they want it to look good so don’t comprise the look of the room by choosing an ill-fitting shaped sofa. This principle coincides with Easton’s strong belief that the architecture of a room should always be respected while decorating. Make sure to follow the rules and customize your sofa needs in order to make the room look the best it possibly can.

Aspect #4: practicality - Alexa Hampton

As a working mother, Alexa Hampton knows that when looking for a sofa, practicality takes priority. She believes in a fresh approach to classic, traditional styling, all while displaying the perfect amount of warmth and softness. “As a mother of three, my sofa needs are few, but firmly formulated: I needed my sofa to be comfortable and maintainable. So I selected a tight-back Bridgewater style, because it requires minimal fluffing (just the seat) to appear tidy. The saddle arm cradles my neck perfectly during naps, and although tufting is a detail I love on sofas, I avoided it because, with young children, tufts collect crumbs. I may turn to my sofa for naps but I don’t want to turn to it for snacks. Yuck!” Therefore, make sure to choose a sofa that will make your life easier, not harder.

Aspect #5: personal preference - Suzanne Rheinstein

Lastly, Suzanne Rheinstein reminds us that while searching for a new sofa, remember that this process is about you so always adhere to your own personal preferences. “I like 80% down, 20% feathers in my sofa cushions. Though I prefer 100% down in the decorative pillows.” It doesn’t matter if you have incredibly high standards or an extremely unique sense of style, you should always choose the sofa that will make you happiest. 

Now, the next time you find yourself in the market for a new sofa remember the five key aspects: comfort, mood, customization, practicality and personal preference and I ensure you that you’ll end up with the perfect sofa to accent your space.

-JB

*Quotes originally appeared in the May 2013 issue of House Beautiful

Lee Jofa Designer Icons Holiday Book Signing

 

Next week in our New York City showroom, we’re kicking off the holiday shopping season in style with Luxe magazine. We’re hosting a book signing at Lee Jofa in New York City's D&D Building featuring some of the biggest names in interior design. Meet these iconic designers in person, listen to some of their personal accounts and share in a festive holiday toast with designers Anthony Baratta, David Easton, Eric Cohler, Suzanne Kasler, Suzanne Rheinstein and Thomas O’Brien. All will all be on hand to sign copies of his or her book, which will also be for sale. These wonderful books will make great holiday gifts, so bring along your holiday gift list! Click the link below each book title to purchase the book in advance from Amazon.com.

Anthony Baratta All American

David Easton Timeless Elegance: The Houses of David Easton

Eric Cohler Cohler on Design

Suzanne Kasler Inspired Interiors

Suzanne Rheinstein At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past

Thomas O’Brien American Modern

Sip cocktails and stock up on unique and personalized gifts for friends and family, and be sure to grab a few copies for yourself as well. The event will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 4 – 6 p.m. at the D&D Building in Manhattan. If you’d like to attend, please email us events@leejofa.com or call 800.648.5728x2396 to RSVP.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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.

 

Lee Jofa and Traditional Home Celebrate Heritage Launch at Blogfest 2011

 

To celebrate the launch of the Heritage collection for Lee Jofa, Traditional Home and Lee Jofa invited bloggers from the Blogfest 2011 event to preview six styled vignettes featuring the fabrics each designer chose to recolor for the collection. Designers were in attendance to answer questions and sign copies of Inspired Styles (Assouline) a beautiful book featuring many prominent Kravet and Lee Jofa designers.

The Heritage collection features classic fabrics from the Lee Jofa archive that have been reimagined and reinterpreted by the designers, who sought to update the designs for today’s market. Designers David Easton, Diamond & Baratta, Eric Cohler, Suzanne Kasler, Suzanne Rheinstein and Thomas O’Brien each brought his or her own unique aesthetic to the project, creating a beautiful juxtaposition and a tribute to the past.

 

David Easton selected Gaddesden, a screen adaptation of a Jacobean tree of life block dating from the 1920s, with the intent of adding texture to the background and softening the look for today’s market. “Gaddesden utilized the typical vine pattern current to its era that I have always liked, said Easton. “I wanted to make an older, historic pattern fresh and new and I thought this specific design leant itself to this.”

 

William Diamond and Anthony Baratta of Diamond & Baratta selected Rosebank, which originated in the 1850s during the heyday of Victorian floral design. The handblocked pattern was introduced to Lee Jofa in 1913 and remains in the line to this day as a screen print. Diamond and Baratta love classic floral English chintzes and jumped at the opportunity to recolor this classic print for today’s market.

 

Eric Cohler was inspired by the Treyes Handblock pattern, printed with 20 handblocks, which was first introduced to Lee Jofa in 1963. Inspired by an Indian tree of life design dating back to the 1920s, the original documentary version was on linen union, but Eric Cohler felt that it would be beautifully presented on glazed cotton as a true English country house chintz.

 

Suzanne Kasler chose to reimagine the Shiraz print, a popular multicolored floral inspired by an antique rug design, which was developed by Lee Jofa in 1996. “In reworking the color palette, I continued to go back to the basic pattern and how it translated into two colors,” said Kasler. By tracing the outline of the design and recoloring it with one color on white and natural linen, she transformed the pattern and gave it an entirely new look.

 

Suzanne Rheinstein chose to recolor the classic English documentary floral Clarendon, which was created in the 19^th century when the Victorians delighted in bringing the outdoors in. “One of the things I love in my design work is the chance to use things from the past in ways that are suited for the way we live now,” she said. Rheinstein updated the classic design on linen.

 

Thomas O’Brien chose to work with a favorite handblock, called Nympheus, which dates back to 1915. He added signature elements of deep indigo to the coloration of the classic design. Says O’Brien of his preference for featuring the reverse side of the print, “The rich bleed-through is more abstract on the reverse side, and the pattern is softer. It takes on the feeling of a watercolor.”

These updated and transformed fabrics are now available in Lee Jofa showrooms throughout the country. Thank you to Traditional Home for giving our blogging friends the opportunity to many of their design idols!

Kravet Hosts Inaugural Blogfest 2011 in New York City

   

NEW YORK, NY - May 9, 2011 - On May 16, 2011, more than 100 top design bloggers from the United States and Canada will descend on New York City for a three day design and media event created by Kravet Inc. This inaugural conference, Blogfest 2011, brings together industry elite as well as editors from the industry’s biggest design magazines at venues considered New York design institutions.

While conferences and events celebrating blogging culture are not new, Blogfest 2011 bills itself as more experience-based rather than educational. By bringing together seven of the top shelter magazines: Architectural Digest, ELLE DECOR, House Beautiful, New York Spaces, Town&Country, Traditional Home and Veranda, Blogfest will offer attendees unprecedented access to the editors of each magazine.

"Our industry has changed through the years, so has the way we approach marketing and branding," said Beth Greene, VP of Marketing for Kravet Inc. "We are inspired by the ever-changing and dynamic digital landscape and look forward to bringing together the brightest and most creative bloggers for what we hope will become an annual event."

In addition to editors, Blogfest bloggers will rub elbows with design icons such as Barbara Barry, Eric Cohler, William Diamond and Anthony Baratta, David Easton, Suzanne Kasler, Thomas O’Brien and Suzanne Rheinstein, all of whom are hosting special events throughout the three day event.

Kravet Inc. has organized Blogfest from its inception as part of a continued commitment to stay at the forefront of the digital movement in the interior design industry. The Kravet brand has developed several technology-based tools to improve the way customers find and purchase products, and has added a social media element to its marketing strategy to increase brand awareness and communicate with customers and industry influencers. Through Blogfest, Kravet hopes to bridge the gap between the individual design blogger and the magazines, brands, designers and the events that inspire them daily.

The full agenda for Blogfest is available at www.blogfest2011.com. This unique event is sold out. For press-related questions regarding Blogfest 2011 contact Ann Feldstein, Sr. Director of Marketing at 516.293.2000 ext. 2726 or Ann.Feldstein@Kravet.com.