Inspired.talk

Blogfest 2012 Day Two

Continuing the fun from the first day of Blogfest 2012, take a look at our continuing photo recap.

Tuesday morning, Kate Kelly Smith from Hearst Home Group welcomed our group to the 44th floor of Hearst Tower.

VERANDA editor in chief Dara Caponigro chatted with designers Darryl Carter and Timothy Whealon about the May/June issue.

House Beautiful editor in chief Newell Turner invited three New Wave designers (from left, Michael Herold, Jill Goldberg and Jon Call) to discuss their career paths and the "a-ha" moments they've experienced along the way.

The ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House, awaiting bloggers for a pre-lunch reception.

Anne Foster, Marisa Marcantonio and Suysel Cunningham at the ELLE DECOR Modern Life Concept House.

Robert Brown discussing his collection of furniture for Holland/ Macrae, on display at the Lee Jofa showroom at the D&D Building, where Traditional Home magazine hosted a Nantucket-themed luncheon.

Management consultant and author Keith Granet spoke to our group about design branding and taking your business to the next level at the Kravet showroom in the D&D Building. 

Alexa Hampton and Traditional Home editor in chief Ann Maine had the crowd in stitches talking candidly about the industry.

Designers lingered at the Kravet showroom for a chance to meet Alexa after the Traditional Home panel.

Marisa Marcantonio and Brunschwig & Fils showroom manager Andrea Brooke selecting a favorite piece to photograph for the Brunschwig Laduree Twitter contest. 

Baccarat invited designers and bloggers at Blogfest, along with guest of honor Vicente Wolf, for a "hard hat" preview of the new showroom. We sipped champagne and beautiful crystal chandeliers hung at eye level for perfect photo-ops.

Enjoying delicious food and drink from the kitchen experts at GE Monogram, our host for Tuesday's cocktail party. From left, Beth Greene, Ann Feldstein, Paula Cecere, Cary Kravet, Lisa Kravet, Jennifer Powell. 

Blogfest 2012 News

We have so many exciting updates for Blogfest, we couldn’t contain it in a tweet or Facebook status update. Ready?

Parties Added: More the Merrier  

We just got confirmation that the opening party, hosted by Margaret Russell and Architectural Digest, will take place at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House. This year’s show house will take place in two penthouse apartments at the Aldyn, a luxury building on Manhattan’s West Side. Mingle with editors and A-list designers in a penthouse, snap photos of beautiful interiors, that’s what Blogfest is all about!

Kips Bay 2011 Show House

Monday night, after you’ve partied uptown with AD, and made your way downtown (we’ll get you there!) to meet Thom Filicia and see the space he designed for the Savant Experience Center, the party won’t stop. Savior Beds is opening its Soho showroom for an after-after party. (And really, what better place for an after party than a showroom filled with amazing beds!) Who needs sleep when we have design?

A snapshot from ICFF 2010

Just like last year, you’ll all get a free ticket to ICFF so you can visit before Blogfest begins. Wilsonart, the world-leading producer of decorative surfacing products, has generously offered to host all of the bloggers that attend ICFF on Monday afternoon at their booth AND provide transportation from the Javits Center to Kips Bay around 4pm. So if you’re in town early, they are making it super easy to attend ICFF and head straight to the kick off.

Baccarat

Have you heard that Baccarat is opening its first US showroom right here in New York City? Well, it gets better. During Blogfest, they are popping the cork and breaking out the good crystal (it’s all they have!) for an exclusive event just for us, hosted by Vicente Wolf. On Tuesday afternoon, Blogfest attendees will be the very first to see the brand new Baccarat showroom in the D&D Building.

Where will you stay? 

If you still haven’t booked your hotel, we have secured a discount rate at the Ace Hotel, right around the corner from the now-sold-out Flatiron Hotel. The rate is $329 for a single, $379 for a double. This rate, which is about 40% off the regular rate, will be available through May 4 but inventory is limited so book soon!

Ship your goodies home and lighten your load 

Sponsors have come from far and wide to get their goodies into your hands, and we are thrilled about the great gift bag. But, it is HEAVY! This year you have the option to ship your gift bag to your home or office. No more weighing the merits (not to mention actual weight) of each item before trying to fit it all in an already overstuffed suitcase. Check your email for details.   

Speaking of Facebook and Twitter, make sure you’re following us so you don’t miss any updates.

See you in May!

How to Get Published

 
Display collections in innovative ways. Vicente Wolf, featured in Veranda

Next week while we are digging out of another major snow storm on the East Coast, Carolyn Sollis will be in Kravet showrooms in Southern California to present a very informative presentation titled, “How to Get Published.”

 
Be bold with color. Tobi Fairley, featured in House Beautiful

Sollis is a former style editor at House & Garden and a former executive editor at House Beautiful, so she is uniquely qualified to answer the tough questions about catching an editor’s eye and packaging a story to increase your chances of getting a project published.

Some of the things she’ll discuss:

The changing landscape of print media

Building a personal brand

Getting recognized

Creating a great submission

 
Layering neutrals creates a rich look. Barbara Barry, featured in Town&Country

She’ll be in Scottsdale on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 10 a.m., Laguna Beach on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m. and San Diego on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 9:30 a.m. If you’re located near any of these cities, contact your local showroom to RSVP. Interested in hearing this presentation near you? Let us know, we’re still planning our showroom events for the year and we’d love to hear from you!

- JP

Inspired Snow Day

“Just being in New York is an inspiration.” –Vicente Wolf

 

The last time I got excited about snow, I craved Eric Cohler’s lodge look: upholstered walls, rich textures and cozy patterns. This time around, the snow has blanketed the entire Northeast and the bright white calm that has fallen over New York City has me thinking about some of the bright modern spaces that rely on white as a unifying theme.

I went back through what is, for me, an endless source of design inspiration: Inspired Styles (Assouline) and found this project by visionary designer Vicente Wolf. I love how the clean white backdrop allows the warm wood and upholstery in layers of grey to stand out. Enjoy the photos and stay safe and warm!

Cheers,

JP