Tag Archives: Accessories

6 Simple Ways to Refresh a Sofa

House Beautiful asked me to style a sofa for their most recent issue (Jan/ Feb 2011). It was a fun project as it challenged me to get my personal style across with just throw pillows.  As you can see from my portfolio, I love color, texture, and fabrics so I thought it best to try to find a combination of the three.  There are many fabulous throw pillows out there but these caught my eye as something fun, chic, and different.  I am a fan of pairs of pillows and on a white sofa I love a solid color to make the throw pillows pop.  The deep eggplant ostrich feather pillows are so much fun.  Both the color and the feathers jump off the clean ivory linen sofa.  Layered in front are some of the most beautifully embroidered multi-color throw pillows I have ever seen.  The embroidery adfds another layer of texture.

I often advise clients who are in rental apartments/ homes to go with a neutral color palette for their base so they won’t have to reupholster their sofas over and over as this can be expensive.  Stick with a neutral on the sofa and you can completely change the feel of your next apartment with throw pillows and paint colors.

To see the other 5 ways to refresh a sofa visit House beautiful: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/pillow-decorating-ideas-0211

To purchase the Dransfield and Ross throw pillows you can visit my shop:  http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

I took it one step further and selected additional items I would furnish the room with:

I would go with a deep teal grasscloth on the walls ( as seen in the background) to add an earthy texture in a bold color.  Taking a cue from the glam ostrich throw pillows I would bring in the capiz shell light fixture, gilt foo dog table lamps, and antique mirrored desk.  A desk chair with a fun shape upholstered in acidy yellow pulls out the color from the embroidered throw pillow.  The rug from Van der hurd studios adds another pattern and so unbelievably soft.

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues- Gray

Gray – stone, elephant, dove, Dior, asphalt, slate, silver, steel, cement, anthracite, smoke, pearl, dust, driftwood, putty, charcoal.  All these words are used to describe one of my favorite colors.  It can be moody and calming.  Grays are another way to go neutral depending on what you pair with them.  Below are some of my favorite fall gray rooms.

A room designed by Mary McDonald for the Greystone Estate show house.

Thom Felicia designed the above bedroom.

Silver Gracie wallpaper in a dining room by Andrew Raquet.

Both rooms above are in Monique Lhuilier’s  home featured in Elle Decor.

Jeffrey Bilhuber goes all grey with wall upholstery, painted floors, and upholstered sofa.

Pops of gray:

The above room by Todd Romano works with tans, caramels,a nd ivories with a nice pop of deep charcoal grey on two club chairs.

Room by Jeffrey Bilhuber

Gray paint selections ( as seen in House Beautiful):

1.  Benjamin Moore Horizon

2.  Farrow and Ball Pavilion Grey

3.  Benjamin Moore Stone Harbor

4.  Modern Masters Platinum- this paint actually has some metallic in it so it glistens ever so slightly at night.

5.  Farrow and Ball Down Pipe

6.  Fine Paints of Europe Silhouette Gray

Gray Wall coverings:

1.  F. Schumacher Zimba Silver 5003300

2.  Osborne and Little Wilde Carnation W5554

3.  Osborne and Little Trifid W5556

4.  F. Schumacher Imperial Trellis in Charcoal 5003361

Gray Fabrics:

1.  Vanderhurd Grand Prisme in french grey/ cream

2.  Vanderhurd hand woven fabric fez in desert- how fabulous would this tough fabric be on a headboard or sofa?

3.  F. Schumacher Cloisonne Velvet in platinum by Celerie Kemble

4.  Lee Jofa flannel 2009138_11

5.  Lee Jofa SC10026_1611

6.  Thom Felicia for Kravet 30779.516

7.  C & C Milano

Gray Accessories:

1. Leontine Linens Addison and Grace Bed Linens

http://www.leontinelinens.com/index.php/bed/product/addison_grace/

2.  Throw pillow with spots in charcoal by Michael Devine

3.  Moroccan Pouf in silver through Pieces Inc.

http://piecesinc.com/moroccan-pod-silver-metallic

4.  Alexa Chair in cerused oak through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1451

5.  Custom x-bench through Jonathan Adler

http://www.jonathanadler.com/X-Bench-in-Brussels-Charcoal/

6. D Porthault bed linens Tigre on Gray

http://dporthault.com/www/#/collections/bed-linens/tigre-grey/

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues- Beige

Beige- camel, sand, caramel, toast, tan, taupe, buff, acorn, mushroom, squash, milkshake, hay, chardonnay.

A shade or two darker than ivory or just shy of brown tan is a wonderful neutral.  It can read both feminine and masculine depending on what is paired with it.

Soft painted beiges:

The above room by Bunny Williams has soft beige walls and a sisal rug while the upholstered pieces take the room into darker caramel and toffee hues.

A bedroom by Jeffrey Bilhuber plays with ivories, beiges and grays for a neutral, relaxing, and sophisticated scheme.

A living room by Jeffrey Bilhuber

Beiges and animal prints:

How chic! An entry staircase covered in leopard.  The natural pine console and mirror keep it from going over the top.

Soft beige walls are the perfect backdrop to the bold art and spotted rug ( carpet is Antelope through Stark)

Soft beiges and creams keep the room feeling light and airy and the pinks, reds, and animal print benches add a spark of personality.

Ivory walls with pops of tan:

Above: I LOVE this tan sofa with the nail head details. Show stopper!

The effect of wood:

A home by Thom Felicia.  The natural walls, beams, and stone fireplace take center stage.

A barn done by Carrier and Co.  The natural wide wood planks on the walls and the beams create a wonderfully rustic backdrop for the linen sofa upholstered in ticking stripe, the rush wing back chairs, and the farmhouse table.

One more barn conversion above.  The old brick floors are softened a bit by the sisal rug, kilim ottoman, and sofa.

Deeper textural caramels:

The zig zag patterned grasscloth makes this neutral color anything but boring.

Deep caramel walls and the caramel/ goldenrod mohair club chair make this room ready for fall. Room by Nate Berkus.

Though neutral in color (except for the wild yellow sofa), Nate Berkus heightened the drama of the room with texture.  The stone fireplace, leather upholstered panels on the wall above and lots of brass and bronze make this room interesting.

Beige paint selections as seen in various House Beautiful issues:

1.  Benjamin Moore Raccoon Hollow

2.  Full Spectrum Paints Mushroom

3.  Farrow and Ball Shaded White

4.  Benjamin Moore Milkshake

5.  Benjamin Moore Camelback

6.  Farrow and Ball Buff

7.  Benjamin Moore Chilled Chardonnay

8.  Farrow and Ball String 8

1.  C & C Milano Art. 161957

2.  Michael Devine Orangerie through John Rosselli

3.  Edelman Leather Royal Suede in Toast

4.  Clarence House Tigre Velours Soie silk velvet

5.  Edelman Leather Ostrich Color 11

6.  Duralee Giraffe

Beige Accessories:

1. Custom leopard print console

2.  Holland and Sherry embroidered blanket EMB727

3.  Leopard print settee through Todd Romano

4.  Throw pillow through Michael Devine

5.  Raffia chest of drawers through Italian Profiles

xo,

S

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Introducing Shop Sara Gilbane Interiors

We have recently added a shop to our website. You will find a variety of items we have purchased on our travels ( antiques, accessories, wallpapers, fabrics, pillows, art, etc). New additions are added frequently so check back often.  A few of the items are listed below:

Visit the store to shop: http://saragilbaneinteriors.bigcartel.com/

xo,

S

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One Kings Lane Sales


Fabulous cashmere and lambswool/ angora throws in all of Aumtums finest hues are for sale on One King’s Lane:

Draped over a sofa or armchair, folded on a bed, or wrapped around your shoulders, a traditional Celtic throw is a warm, wonderful way to transition into fall and winter.
A perfect medley of classic, beautiful and decadently soft, these throws are the genuine article, made from cashmere harvested from the fine, downy undercoat of the Mongolian mountain goat (shed in the springtime and obtained by combing), as well as angora-blend styles, all masterfully produced by premier Scottish weavers. They belong in every room of the house.

They are selling out quickly….

Visit and sign up for One King’s Lane to shop:  http://www.onekingslane.com/Event.aspx?l=00010194056800000000

McGuire is also having a sale and some of my favorite items are still available ( like the killer Bassam Fellows counter stool).

McGuire commissions some of the world’s most respected designers and rising stars to create collections with depth and personality.  Crafting raw nature into a geometry of perfect proportion time and time again, McGuire creates a flawless harmony between form and material. Whether bending sinuous vines into subtle, elegant curves or using century-old techniques, each piece elevates craft to an art form. With their strong lines, these pieces mix effortlessly with everything from modern forms to antiques.

Visit and sign up for One Kings Lane to shop: http://www.onekingslane.com/Event.aspx?l=00010303056800000000

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Yellow

Yellow- Saffron, butter, dandelion, daffodil, gold, corn, buttercup, sunshine, canary, citrine, grapefruit, maize, taxi cab. Yellow conjurs up a positive sunny feeling.  I have come to love yellow more and more and tend to mix traditional with modern for a youthful feel.  As I stated in a previous post regarding yellow two of the most celebrated rooms in 20th century interior design had bold lacquered yellow walls: Nancy Lancaster’s legendary London sitting room/office (shown below) and Babe and Bill Paley’s Fifth Avenue drawing room, decorated by Albert Hadley and Sister Parish. Let’s dive into some fabulously chic autumn yellow rooms.

The traditional approach:

We will start of with Nancy Lancaster’s famed yellow drawing room above.  This room was done by John Fowler in 1957 and would be just as stunning if done today.  Fowler applied numerous layers of glaze over a butter yellow paint.

Andrew Virtue drew his inspiration from Nancy Lancaster’s yellow room and created his own writing room ( on a smaller scale) at the Greystone Estate show house. This deep vibrant yellow works so well with burnt crsipy browns, greens, and plums.

A sitting room designed by yours truly.  When the sun sets in the afternoon the pale gold walls glisten ( custom paint color by Rollinson Hues).  A soft pale yellow is a great neutral backdrop for most colors.  We wanted to enhance the sunset so the reds, corals, pinks, oranges, and golds were introduced. The simple sisal rug keeps the room grounded and approachable while the scattered throw rugs add warmth underfoot.

One of my favorite rooms in a house by Architect Gil Schafer.  They used a slightly bolder yellow than I did and kept the furniture simply upholstered.  The antiques steal the show ( all brown wood always looks great against yellow). Beautiful! On a side note, Veranda and their new editor in chief Dara Caponigro selected and recently announced the winners of their second annual Art of Design Awards. Honoring design industry trailblazers whose work is both “innovative and timeless”. Gil Schafer won the award in the architecture category. Congrats!

The bedroom above by Jeffrey Bilhuber introduces a strong yellow as drapes for the bed.  How lovely to be cocooned in a yellow tent! I love the pale lilac paired with it.

Christopher Spitzmiller’s apartment is shown above as seen in Elle Decor. Yellows, browns, and teal blues keep the room fresh and modern.

One final Bilhuber creation.  The slightly more modern tufting on the chairs (loosely tufted rather than deep) and the yellow sign in this room off of the dark wood walls.

The modern approach:

Tone on tone yellows paired with black and white by Jamie Drake make for an exciting bedroom. I love that the base of this bed is upholstered in zebra. Very chic.

Kelly Wearstler created this yellow and black library for the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica.  Again we see tone on tone yellow paired with black, white, and mirror.  The bookshelves turned on diagonal and books stacked in opposite directions adds whimsy and a focal point when you walk into the room.

Another room done by your truly.  We needed to bring some life to this manhattan loft space.  With pale seafoam on the walls and grey suede sofa we brought in a strong yellow Oushak carpet and pops of yellow ( throw pillows and accessories) for life.

This room could be filed under pink, red, or orange.  I love the high gloss pink fireplace and I die over the silk ikat upholstered walls.  The yellow linen roman shades with crisp brown ribbon tape inset keep the room feeling clean rather than chaotic.

Yellow paint picks:

1. Donald Kaufman Collection #30

2. Ralph Lauren Goldfinch

3. Benjamin Moore Showtime

4. Farrow and Ball Babouche

Traditional yellow wallcovering picks:

1. Farrow and Ball BP 1928

2. Farrow and Ball BP 1632

3. Farrow and Ball BP 572

Traditional yellow fabrics:

1. Lee Jofa Oak Leaves in yellow BFC 3514-14

2. F. Schumacher Seneca Cotton Stripe 62982

3. Lee Jofa Hisari ikat in plum 2008136_909

4. Quadrille Simba beige on gold

Traditional yellow accessories:

1. Antique spool stool with Robert Kime fabric through John Rosselli Antiques

2. Antique Samarkand rug through Doris Leslie Blau

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=448340

3. Christopher Spitzmiller Happy lamps in Butter with 23k gold water gilt base

http://christopherspitzmiller.com/lampdetail.asp?LAMPID=112

4. William Sonoma Home cashmere yellow throw in lemon drop

http://www.wshome.com/products/p126/index.cfm?pkey=ccashmere%2Dfaux%2Dfur%2Dthrow

5. Sharyn Blond table linens in Jardin pattern

http://sharynblondlinens.com/hand_table.html#2

6. Bee Line Home throw pillows through John Rosselli Antiques NYC

Modern yellow wallcovering picks:

1. China Seas Balinese Batik in inca/ gold

2. F. Schumacher Imperial Trellis in citrine

3. Manuel Canovas Trellis in citrine

4. Cole and Son palm leaves in yellow

Modern yellow fabric picks:

1. Lee Jofa Tulip in white/ yellow GWF-2622-140

2. F. Schumacher Katsugi in gold and mushroom 2620934

3. Lee Jofa Facet in Saffrom SC10049-1612

4. Ruby Green Mary in yellow

5. Ruby Green Marilyn

Modern yellow accessories picks:

1. Lippa armchair in yellow through Tonic Home:

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1511

2. Yellow geometric pillow through Pieces Inc.

http://piecesinc.com/yellow-geometric-pillow

3. Pink Jacket on Yellow 50″ x 50″ gloss on aluminum by Natasha Law through Voltz Clarke Gallery

http://voltzclarke.com/law/1.html

4. Yellow garden stool through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1419

5. Jonathan Adler Carnaby Lamp:

http://www.jonathanadler.com/Carnaby-Hollywood-Lamp/?cat=0&initial=

6. West Elm Parsons desk in tumeric:

http://www.westelm.com/products/parsons-desk-with-drawers-f099/?pkey=e%7Cyellow%7C9%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C6&sku=1653740&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-Common%20Top%20Wide%20Rule%20What’s%20New

7. Yellow vases set of 6

http://www.mermaidhut.com/Prod-18-1-2604-30/Yellow_Vases_Assorted_Set_of_Six.htm

8. The Rug Company Sellarsbrook rug by Suzanne Sharpe ( The Rug Company also won in it’s category for the Second Annual Art of Design Awards by Veranda.

http://www.therugcompany.info/contemporary-collection/suzanne-sharp/sellarsbrook-yellow.htm

9. Vanderhurd Kafir throw pillow colorway 4

http://www.vanderhurd.com/hand_crafted.php?t=cushions&p=1&id=358

xo,

S

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Autumn Hues – Orange

Orange – pumpkin, rust, saffron, marigold, paprika, melon, peach, copper, spice, gold, flame, citrus, poppy, curry, mandarin, tangerine. Orange brings energy to a room. It can be dramatic in a deep rich shade or soothing in a pale peach or apricot. It works well with all colors ( just get the shade right, for example, a pale blue or a navy blue, a soft lavender paired with a deep orange is calming, orange paired with green brings a tropical feel to a space, bright orange with crisp white and chocolate brown keeps a space modern and fresh).  Below are a collection of my favorite oranges:

The above image is Fredric Fekkai and his wife Shirin Von Wulffen’s 5th avenue apartment.  I love the eclectic mix and the deep orange velvet in the living room is stunning.

Tory Burch’s orange library in her New York City apartment is amazing.  Pulling in deep blues, chocolate brown alligator (the cocktail table), leopard print ( on stools), and tortoise shell decorative painting ( on the molding around the doors) makes this room work.

The above bedroom by Sarah Story is all neutrals aside from the vibrant orange bird wallpaper.  When you have a wallpaper like this…who needs anything else! The side tables, lamps, and headboard keep the room from going vintage.

I love this room with it’s hot orange de Gournay wallpaper, bright coral silk drapes, and blue and white ikat chair seats.  The rug, table, chairs, and wallpaper are quite traditional but the colors make it modern.

This room by James Lumden for the Greystone Estate show house is wonderful.  The melon colored walls bring a warm glow to this bedroom while the moses rug from the Rug Company and the soft brown tufted mattress ground the room.

Another fabulously energizing room by my close friend ( and former colleague at Kemble!) Christina Murphy.  The orange sofa pops dramatically off all of the chocolate brown and white. Love it!

The slightly more subdued cantaloupe orange walls work well off the grasscloth insets and dark wood.

Both images above are of the same room designed by Honey Collins.  Again we see how nicely orange pops against dark wood and canvas. I love the orange piped trunk, throw pillows, and pops of orange in the rug and wing chair fabric.

The above room by David Netto is all cool blues, greys, and crisp whites.  The orange throw gives the room some zip. If you are nervous about bathing your room in orange this is a good way to test the waters.

Kelly Wearstler added a pop of orange leather in her pink and black room. Unexpected and chic.

The iconic Hermes wool blanket gives this room a jolt.

Below are some orange accessories to bring your home to life:

1. Dempsey & Carroll pumpkin stationary

http://www.dempseyandcarroll.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=32C-PUMP

2. Glazed orange lamp with gold base through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=885&catid=74&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D74

3. Orange faux shagreen pencils

4. Orange cashmere throw through Tonic Home

http://www.tonichome.com/catalog.php?item=1151&catid=74&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D74

5. Orange Luce silk ikat throw by Madeline Weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/mw/ikat/Luce-Sunburst.html

6. Hermes wool blanket through Hermes

http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&categoryId=128023&leftCategoryId=128022&topCategoryId=127528&parentCategoryId=128021&productId=45989&nbItem=0

7. Orange and gold giraffe print coasters

8. Leontine Linens Alcott pattern

http://www.leontinelinens.com/index.php/bed/product/alcott/

9. Orange wool rug through Madeline Weinrib

http://madelineweinrib.com/ama/tibetan/07-Orange-Sugar.html

10. Wedgewood Dynasty China

http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=294704&cm_mmc=Google_Feed-_-6-_-75-_-%7Bkeyword%7D&kw=%7Bkeyword%7D

11. Hermes ashtray through Hermes

http://usa.hermes.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10202&catalogId=10052&langId=-1&categoryId=10934&leftCategoryId=10932&topCategoryId=127528&parentCategoryId=128021&productId=16855&nbItem=0

Drool worthy orange fabrics:

1. F. Schumacher Bleeker in Spark by Celerie 174043

2. F. Schumacher Arches Print in Orange by Trina Turk 174272

3. F. Schumacher Nurata Embroidery in Coral 174180

4. F Schumacher Weave in Spice 62541

5. Lisa Fine Baroda II in Cury

6. F. Schumacher Imperial Trellis II by Kelly Wearstler in Ivory/ Mandarin 174410

7. Katie Ridder Peony in Poppy

8. F. Schumacher Bagan in Spark 62652

9. Vanderhurd embroidered Stellar in Sunrise

Fabulous orange wallcoverings:

1. F. Schumacher Rajasthan Paisley in Persimmon 5004471

2. Katie Ridder Pagoda in Persimon- I LOVE this. I am dying to do an entry hall or powder room in this paper.

3. Farrow and Ball The Ranelagh Papers – 1822

4. Farrow and Ball Strie wallcovering – DR 1285

5. Farrow and Ball Plain Stripe – ST 1147

6. Room by Kimberly Ayre and wallcovering ( on wall and inset) is grasscloth by Twenty2 style Montague

7. Manuel Canovas toile Tortuga in Safron

Orange paint selections:

1. Benjamin Moore Corlsbud Canyon #076

2. Rollinson Hues #20

3. Benjamin Moore Soft Marigold

4. Farrow and Ball Orangery

5. Sydney Harbour Paint Blood Orange

xo,

S

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Vanderhurd

I recently met up with the lovely ladies at Vanderhurd to see their latest besopke designs in fabrics, carpets, and accessories and was blown away.  Those who know my design aesthetic know I love color and Vanderhurd’s products do not disappoint in that category.  I have always been a huge fan of their products ( see my previous post on the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho) and was not let down by the latest additions. They offer endless options for carpets: hand woven flat weave wool, linen, hemp, hand-knotted cut pile and loop linen, silk, hand knotted cut pile Nepalese wool/ silk blend, felted wool, Tibetan silk, New Zealand wool….the list goes on and on); fabrics: block printed, hand stitched, hand printed, vintage; and accessories: cloisonné trays and lamps boasting chevron-esque geometric patterns reminiscent of a Missoni print..  A few of my dream carpets, fabrics, and accessories are below.

Above: The pruple, black, and ivory silk dhurrie (Rhonda Amethyst) is a fun choice for a room when paired with neutrals. I love the soft taupe and peach hexagonal silk dhurrie and would pair it with a neutral rough grasscloth on the walls for a livable but beautiful room.

Above: A silk grey and grey stripe dhurrrie with metallic threads woven through.  This would be an amazing runner in a stairwell.  The metallic threads catch the light and the grey is so soothing.

Above: Silk zig zag dhurrie in the most fabulous sorbet colors.  I am picturing this with high gloss lavender walls and white furniture.

Above: The green, black, and aqua carpet on top is a nice thick rug (Cordoba Emerald) made of hand knotted cut pile wool.  The black and white carpet below is made of 100% hemp and is surprisingly soft.  Vanderhurd has also come out with a line of sisal carpets that are truly beautiful.

Above: These linen carpets were a favorite.  I would love to use one instead of sisal.  The colors are so vibrant and the woven linen is beautiful.  The pattern you see above is a hand woven cut pile and a hand woven sumac- creating a tripe like pattern.

Above: Vanderhurd’s hand embroidered textiles are the ultimate in bespoke fabric. Employing intricate French knot, “Satin” and “Kanta” stitches, the collection is available on natural coloured linen or cotton cloth, or on any of the patterned fabrics, and has been designed to compliment their collection of hand printed textiles. In addition to the collection, they can embroider any design in any colour cotton thread on any cloth. The standard width of their base cloths is 44 inches, but requests for custom widths can be accommodated.

Above: more hand embroidered fabrics.

Above: Vanderhurd’s hand printed fabric designs are entirely modern in form and colour, although they derive from antique Indian block print motifs. This marriage of ancient techniques with contemporary design—informed by a great knowledge of the history of textiles, manifests their design philosophy. The textiles are hand block printed or hand screen printed on a selection of natural base cloths—linen, cambric or chanderi—and the colour palette reflects our quintessential juxtaposition of soft and vibrant shades.

Above: a few more examples of their hand embroidered fabrics

Above: Vanderhurd routinely designs custom pillows, bedspreads and headboards, and offers in house upholstery services.

Above: Antique African Indigos.  These Indigos are woven by the Koulongo and Abron weavers from the Bondoukou region of the Cote d’Ivoire and by the Nigerian Yoruba people.  These cloths were woven on small looms as narrow strips, which were then sewn into “Wrappers” worn as skirts by both men and women.  Vanderhurd New York’s Creative Director, Emilie Jean, an avid collector and dealer of tribal and antique textiles has introduced them to Vanderhurd’s repertoire.  Also, their presence in Vanderhurd’s showroom makes perfect sense, given Vanderhurd’s commitment to handmade, unique textiles, and to sustaining the culture and tradition of exceptional indigenous craftsmanship.

Above: The pale purple and pink silk and the gold silk with chartreuse border are two of Rocio Moreno’s silk fabrics.  Rocio Moreno, a well-known interior designer in Spain, has long been a traveler to India where she developed her collection of exquisite hand-woven silk brocade textiles.  The weavers she works with there are unique in that they continue to employ the complex technique of weaving silk brocades by hand, in the same way as they were produced in the 15th and 16th centuries in Venice as well as the Imperial Moghul court in India, where all the court rituals and its economic structure were built up around the symbolism, cost and almost mystical stature of the silk.  Today the weavers Moreno works with continue to produce silks for temples and palaces across the East, for the Dali Lama and the Royal Family of Nepal.  Moreno was fascinated by the workmanship, quality and texture of the brocades.  Up until the weavers produced her designs, they had only ever produced very traditional textiles.  Moreno’s designs are totally modern in form and colour, although they are derived from Ottoman motifs.  The result of this marriage of ancient techniques with contemporary design informed by a great knowledge of the history of textiles is Rocio Moreno’s collection, and as such, very much in the spirit of Vanderhurd.

Above: Their beautiful cloisonne trays and lamps.

To see many more examples of their beautiful work visit their website: http://www.vanderhurd.com/

xo,

S

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Made Goods launches new items!

One of our favorite companies has just introduced 60 new styles of mirrors, accent furniture, chandeliers, and objects. I will be seeing them in person soon at the New York Gift Show. Can’t wait!

Blake mirror: Now is white! Crafted from crushed Kabibi shells.  The shell is hand cut and molded in a soft, ruffled, round design.

Dawn mirror: Inspired by a beautiful vintage necklace, thin metal rods wrap a central mirror and terminate with a slight flare. This is a personal favorite.

Diana mirror: An updated version of a Venetian style mirror. A large round mirror framed with an antique mirror border that has back etched circles and floral motif overlays.

Fiona mirror: A geometric floral motif with a narrow border in three different materials ( bone, metal, and mirror).

Tavis mirror: A zebraesque pattern in black and white created with shells.

Anna: New colors for the faux shagreen boxes accented with ceramic shell handles.

Elmas: cream and brown patterned bone tray

Gala: Carved bone boxes with an oval shape

Lila: Hand painted silk panels with a floral motif.

Ines chair: Traditional Rajasthan bone inlay updated with a simplified pattern, fresh colors, and a quality linen seat cover.  Perfect for a desk or dining chair.

Henry:  Made with over 100 bead drops and finished with two types of circular discs: luminous mother of pearl and translucent capis.  Finished with antique gold metal detailing. Very glam.

Silvana: A classic empire chandelier is made fresh and airy through the use of pure white shells. An antiqued silver frame reinforces the casual vintage vibe

Many Made Goods products are available through Mecox Gardens ( www.mecoxgardens.com ) or contact us for pricing and availability.

xo,

S

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Todd Romano Showroom

Todd Romano’s shop is always a pleasure to visit. His love of color, fabric, and pattern comes through in each piece he has selected for his store.

In addition to his unique collections of antiques, furniture and unusual decorations, he carries wool dhurrie rugs designed by Langham and Fine, exclusive fabrics by Tillet and Northcroft and Bob Collins ( a favorite of mine- whimsical and brilliantly colored), and accessories. He also carries hand thrown ceramic lamps by Christopher Spitzmiller, which offer a unique custom like quality and are represented in a multitude of styles and shapes not to mention an exquisite color palette.

Recently relocated to The Fine Arts Building, in the heart of the design district after seven years on Lexington Avenue, his expanded showroom attracts regular traffic from America’s top decorators and tastemakers. Go to his store to experience his unique vision and well edited assortment that he has become famous for.

All the chairs in the store are special. Fabulous shapes, unique fabric, and fun scale make each one special. The quilting on the small grey chair is beautiful.

Throw pillows galore- Todd Romano keeps his store stocked with throw pillows upholstered in vintage yet modern prints in chic colors.

These wool dhurrie rugs designed by Langham and Fine are simply beautiful in person. I am eyeing one for my apartment. You can order custom sizes and colors.

1. Great Gatsby anyone? I love these glasses.

2. Lavender boxes- perfect for your dresser to keep stationary, jewelry, photos.

3. Tall mercury glass vase- the shape is beautiful and the silver fades on the neck for a clear finish.

4. The chinese dragon head on top of the armoire is huge and fantastic. What a fun prop!

5. The lamps, the silly ceramic frog cachepots and the beautiful deep greeny teal lacquered desk are all standouts.

Christopher Spitzmiller sells his hand made lamps here and they have a fabulous display. I love them all. The new baby lamps are perfect for an entry hall console or desk.

Visit the store:

The Fine Arts Building
232 East 59th Street
4th Floor
New York, New York 10022
(212)421-7722

9 am- 5 pm

xo,

S

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