Inspired.talk

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 [email protected].

Agenda and Waitlist Update for Blogfest 2011

  

 

We have some great news! We have made a slight change to the agenda and have now planned an exciting event for Tuesday evening of Blogfest: an event that is now bigger and better.

We are so excited to announce our collaboration with Traditional Home editors to style and shoot full-scale vignettes to celebrate Lee Jofa’s Heritage collection, which includes six modern interpretations of iconic Lee Jofa prints. Currently under construction at Mayo Studios in Long Island City, the room sets will feature designs by Eric Cohler, David Easton, Bill Diamond & Anthony Baratta, Suzanne Kasler, Thomas O’Brien and Suzanne Rheinstein. The designers themselves will even be at our event on Tuesday night, May 17, to meet our Blogfest attendees in person and present their vision and interpretation of their favorite Lee Jofa prints. How exciting is that??? Hats off to Lee Jofa and Traditional Home for organizing such an amazing event.

We are still taking names for our waiting list, and will release several more spaces towards the end of the week, so stay tuned! If you’d like to add your name, send an email to [email protected] with your name and blog URL and we’ll add you. We will notify you via email if we are able to accommodate you and you’ll have 24 hours to complete your registration.

For the full Blogfest 2011 agenda, visit http://www.blogfest2011.com/.

Trend Report 2011: Timeless Design

Mark Hampton, 1992

I just waded through a 23-page trend report for 2011 and I have good news: it seems as though there will be something for everyone this year.

As a copywriter I think a lot about trends and styling and how to use words to convey the feeling of a fabric or a room. And yet, I never use the word “trend” or “trendy” to describe a fabric color or pattern. I’m much more apt to use a word like “timeless,” which is supposed to mean the exact opposite. But does it?

 
Dorothy Draper, date unknown 

The concept of a “timeless” interior is, in my opinion, flawed. To borrow the words from designer Jamie Drake, an interior designed in the 70s to look timeless still looks like an interior from the 70s. Calling something timeless feels like assigning a badge of honor, like saying, THIS will stand the test of time, just wait and see.

But what’s so wrong with assigning a place in time and history to a fabric or a decorating style? It’s all about context. If a fabric from the 60s is versatile and still relevant today, it doesn’t become “timeless,” it’s simply a fabric from the 60s that is versatile and still relevant today.

 
Parish Hadley, 1984

So, as we look ahead to 2011, a new year and a new decade, we can also look to the past to see what’s stood the test of time. What does “timeless” mean to you? Are there any current trends you think will be around for a long time? Let us know in the comments.

-JP

 
Mario Buatta, 1987

 
Mark Hampton, 1990

 
Diamond & Baratta, 1994

GETTING PUBLISHED

 You and Your Business are a Brand

 I don’t agree with the notion that creative types are not good business people.  In fact most of the designers I have met across the country are savvy entrepreneurs who are always open to new ideas to grow and improve their businesses. I find, however, that many designers feel awkward about self-promotion and have the tendency to sit back and wait to be discovered. That attitude just doesn’t work today. It is time to be brutal, to reassess, and to think about your business as a brand. Even the timid among you need to learn some marketing basics.

   1. You and your design business are a brand and you need to stand out and separate yourself from the pack.
   2. You are in the style business. Your entire operation needs to reflect that: your office, all printed materials (stationery, business cards, etc.), your website, your wardrobe, the people you hire, the car you drive, how you entertain – it all matters!
   3. You need to have a point of view. It is impossible to get noticed if you are wishy-washy. Create a style for yourself and stick with it. Successful designers are not all things to all people. You get clients and you get published because you have created something unique.
   4. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself. Designers are arbiters of style and taste. People seek you out for your creativity and expertise. It’s time to get started!
   5. Bottom line:  Growing a design business is all about style, service, smart business practices, and strategic marketing.

There are numerous designers who you can look to as models and experts at the art of branding.  Think about designers you admire and whom you think have created successful brands.  Some of my heroes are: Barbara Barry, Diamond & Baratta, Thomas O’Brien, Kelly Wearstler, and Bunny Williams. I have known them all and they have several things in common: they are all creative geniuses, tireless workers, perfectionists, obsessed with staying true to their style, and great at connecting with people and telling their story. They may exert painstaking control over the way their brands are represented, but the results are brilliant and we can all take a lesson from them. Creating your brand cannot be left to chance, you have to take charge, and you have to give it 100%.

I also sometimes meet young designers who are savvy marketers and clearly on the path to creating a unique brand.  One up and coming design star I met on my travels was Kira Krumm. She heard I was coming to Naples, FL to talk about getting published. She made a date to meet me before the presentation.

 

 

 We toured her office in the Design Center, visited a room she had created in the building’s Designer Show House, and had a lovely chat about how she started her design business and how she hoped to grow it in the next few years.

 

I was so impressed with her charm, talent, and style I want to share them with you. Kira is a great example of how one starts to build a brand.

 

 

So put yourself out there not only as a creative mind but as a savvy self-promoter. What’s your brand?  What’s the personalized point of view that will separate you from others? Any obstacles that prevent you from marketing yourself as a brand? How can you go forward and market yourself in this economy? Let me hear from you.

 

 
Carolyn Sollis
Carolyn Sollis is a respected editor and journalist, has over 25 years of expertise in the fields of Home Furnishings, Interior Design, Architecture, and the Decorative Arts. Most recently Style Director of HOUSE & GARDEN, and formerly Executive Editor of HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, Carolyn has traveled the globe producing editorial features, covering the marketplace, tracking design trends, and searching for ideas and inspiration along the way.
Her passion for design combined with her delight in sharing her knowledge, has made Carolyn a frequent lecturer, panelist, and media guest. She has appeared on national television including the Fine Living Channel, CNN, and the Today Show, been interviewed regularly on radio, and has contributed countless times to newspaper articles giving tips, advice, and an authoritative voice to articles on decorating and design. She is currently working with several top designers serving as an advisor, marketing expert, and Creative Director.