Bachelor Pad Chapter 2 - Before Photos

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am very particular about the photos I post on my blog. So, it pains me to see the "before" photos of my friend's bachelor pad posted before I have any "after" photos to share. But everyone has been asking for them so I thought I might as well go for it since I have updates to the project to tell you about.

Above is a view of the living room. It's not terrible but it's not great. The walls are a pale sage and the furniture is a mix of mid-century and country. I realized after talking to my friend's step-mother that anything decent in the apartment came from her including the C&B Italia sofa from 1973, the glass and chrome coffee table, and the window blinds. More on her and the fab furniture in a later post! My friend bought the rug and likes it so I'm incorporating it into the design. Of course, I had to get it cleaned and order a rug pad. I slid on the darned thing every time I crossed the room. At one point, I thought I was going to take a header into the coffee table. The walls in the living/office/dining area will be painted Benjamin Moore Collingwood, a pale taupe color.

The audio/visual wall is also due for an update and will be getting a snazzy new console to hide all the stereo/tv ephemera. The business meeting notes taped to the wall will be getting a very professional looking easel and will be relegated to the "office" area. The kitchen is behind the television wall and boy is it lovely.

You're lucky I didn't post the photo the showed the hideous florescent light fixture. The institutional yellow is bad enough but then there are those weird curved "wall splashes" (I don't know what else to call them) on each side wall that are killing me. My original plan was to paint the kitchen dark brown a la Ron Marvin, and install mercury glass back splashes but since it's a rental, I didn't want to tear those things off and create a bigger mess. So now the kitchen will be painted Benjamin Moore Dove Wing and I pray that it makes those things less noticeable. We're also taking off the "swinging door" which is completely useless since it runs into the stove which juts out too far. Gotta love it.

This is the view to the front door with the other kitchen door open and one of the two entry closet doors visible. There are a lot of doors in this place with not so nice trim so I am planning to just paint the entire entry including the trim and doors Benjamin Moore Middlebury Brown so they hopefully all blend in and disappear. I am also going to take page out of my friend Maison21's rule book and install a dimmer on the entry light. You can never underestimate the power of mood lighting.

This cheap monstrosity of a book case will be one piece of furniture that will not be staying. In it's place will be a large console table topped with a pair of lamps and a mirror to reflect the light from the wall of windows in the living room. I also would like to flank it with a pair of chairs but we'll have to see how far the budget takes us. I practically had to pry the credit card out of my friend's hand today in order to buy the paint so I don't think I'm going to be getting any more money for this job. Oh, did I mention I'm not even getting paid? We'll discuss that later. Moving on...

Are we in a fishing lodge or a New York apartment? Hard to tell huh? All of that is going, needless to say. It's too bad my friend doesn't have a country house. We could relocate everything to it and kill two birds with one stone. I might have to work with the dining table but the pale blue ladder back chairs will be replaced with something more modern. Not sure what yet. The unfortunate light will also be replaced.

As I mentioned earlier, the blinds are actually nice so they are staying. One less thing for me to worry about! Funny there is a bike in the dining room considering all the empty closet space. That and the fact that I can't actually see my friend riding it!

The bedroom isn't that bad actually. We're keeping the wood sleigh bed but replacing the mattress. I've also picked out two vintage bedside tables with drawers. It's hard to tell from this photo but there is a lot of floor space so I'd love to add a pair of chairs by the window and move the brass Cedric Hartman looking reading lamps next to them. I also found a great double dresser with leather handles from Ralph Lauren that I would love to add to the wall across from the foot of the bed but it's $7,000 price tag is a little steep for our budget.

I'm planing to paint the walls Benjamin Moore Horizon, a pale grey blue. The plastering has already begun and the painters are hopefully starting on Tuesday. My friend said his apartment looked like a flop house last night which made me laugh. I think he was a bit naive as to the amount of work that goes into even the smallest design project. But in the end, it will all be worth it. I just hope I get invited over to enjoy all my hard work!

domino, derian, decoupage and drinks!

Domino magazine, John Derian and Bergdorf Goodman are three of my favorite things and tonight they all converged at the Domino hosted event at BG to launch John's new furniture line! The party was packed to the gills with stylish New Yorkers and designers so it was hard to take photos but I managed a few. I was also finally able to meet some of the fabulous ladies behind Domino magazine in person including editor-in-chief Deborah Needleman who could not have been nicer! The whole team is beyond amazing including PR Director, Amy Peck, who is always so sweet to invite me to events.
John's new line is based on some of his most cherished antiques and even though they are new, they have a wonderful vintage quality to them. But of course, I wouldn't expect anything less than perfection from the man of the hour.

The 7th floor of Bergdorf Goodman is a jewel box space filled with amazing home accessories including a huge display of John's decoupage trays and paperweights.

The display of Astier de Villate was so beautiful that I wanted to buy every piece!

I was having a great time at the party but had to head home early to finish my first story for Domino!!! I pitched some ideas to the editors a few months ago and they actually like one of them so I got to write it! I'm very excited and can't wait to see the finished product in the August issue. Until then, I will be pouring over the June/July issue that is full of the most amazing summer homes! I'm so ready for summer now! Thanks Domino!!!

Katie Lee Joel and her Nate Berkus designed home is on the cover and featured inside and I have to admit that I loved it...even if she did have to marry a man 32 years older than her to get it. Did I just say that out loud? Oh well, you know you were thinking it too!

Lobel's Mid Century Modern Masterpiece

Lobel Modern is an amazing store in New York that "showcases furniture, lighting and art by important designers from the 1940's through the 1980's, including Edward Wormley, Tommi Parzinger, Harvey Probber, Vladimir Kagan, Paul Evans, and Karl Springer, among others." So it's no surprise that it's owner Evan Lobel's apartment is just as fabulous as his shop. Some of these photos have been seen before but they are worth seeing again since the apartment is so full of beautiful furniture and inspiring ideas. To read more, click HERE.

"Oh Lord, Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz"

Every time I leave The Other Room, a cute little bar on Perry Street, I pass by Cooper Classics Collection and drool at the classic cars inside. I finally remembered to Google them this weekend and found out that they have a lot of great classic cars for sale. I dream of driving out to The Hamptons in a cute little Mercedes convertible and Cooper has many to choose from including the very expensive 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE pictured above. Good thing I'm not a fan of the olive green color since it's 170,000!

This fabulous plum colored 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL above is a little more reasonably priced at $52,000 and would look very chic driving around Southampton.

The baby blue 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Roadster is the most to die for convertible on the site but it's unfortunately a manual. I can barely drive an automatic so manual is definitely out of the question which is a shame since it looks like something Grace Kelly would drive around in with Cary Grant.

Of course, Ms. Kelly was driving her convertible on a sound stage which accounts for the perfect hair. I'm sure I would have to securely wrap a scarf around my head or risk ending up looking like Bridget Jones after her ride! Maybe, I should buy the scarf now since that I can afford and start saving up for the car or I could always start praying like Janis Joplin!

Jardins Extraordinaires

My blogger friend Decorno was lamenting the state of her backyard recently and it had me thinking about my favorite book for outdoor inspiration, Exceptional Gardens or Jardins Extraordinaires in French and Bijzondere Tuinen in Dutch. It's a fancy trilingual book produced in Belgium and full of drool worthy gardens some of which I've posted here. It's the perfect book to escape into on a cold and dreary day like today in New York. (Oh and by the way, thanks for ruining another Friday Mother Nature!)

Gardener's Delight

It seems like all I've done lately is look at gardens and pools for inspiration for a few of our new projects. It's actually quite fun considering the closest thing I have to a garden is a fire escape. I guess I could consider Central Park my garden but since I have to share it with 8 million other people, it's not really that quiet or peaceful.

So instead, I live vicariously through the gardens of others like my favorite from Canada (or America's Hat as Decorno likes to refer to it) seen in the new Liagre book. The book won't be released until September in the US but we have a special copy from France. I can already tell that the book is going to be a bestseller since it's packed full of beautiful interiors and gardens. Enjoy!

I Heart Kansas City!

One of the reasons I have been so exhausted lately is that I am literally doing four jobs right now! But I wouldn't have it any other way because they are all fun and exciting and have brought me into contact with some really amazing people, especially those at Kansas City Home Design magazine! I was approached a few months ago about signing on to become a judge for their KCHD Design Excellence Awards and in the process was also asked to write for the magazine! My first story about shopping in Soho was just published in the new May/June 2008 issue and the best part is that you can read it online! Woo hoo!

I would like to thank great team behind KCHD, Chadwick Brooks, the editor-in-chief; Erin Benda, the Director of Content and Creative; and Eryn Swanson, the Managing Editor for allowing me to be a part of their wonderful magazine. I will be Kansas City in June for the KCHD Design Excellence Awards ceremony and I can't wait to finally meet them all in person!

I also can't wait to meet fellow blogger and Kansas City resident, Mrs. Blandings, and my favorite Kansas City design friend, David Jimenez! Should be a very fun weekend! But now I have to get back to work!

Sagaponack Surprise

You know it's almost summer in New York when the first copy of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens arrives! The May 2008 issue marks their 7th anniversary and one of my favorite features is the Sagaponack, New York home designed by interior designer Marshall Watson. It's full of light summery colors and beautiful fabrics. And don't you just want to jump into that pool?! Happy almost summer!

Robert Rauschenberg 1925 - 2008

I was so saddened to learn that artist Robert Rauschenberg died today at the age of 82. His "Combines" show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005/2006 was one of my all time favorites. The art I've featured here is from that show and althought most of it dates from the 1950's, it is still modern and moving and most certainly beautiful.

Jasper Johns said "Rauschenberg was the man who in this century invented the most since Picasso." Quite a compliment. Jerry Saltz wrote in "Our Picasso", Everything Abstract Expressionism was, Rauschenberg and Co. weren't. Ab-Ex was big, lofty, abstract and made by older straight men. This neo-Dada, proto-Pop and Pop art was smaller, cooler, figurative, vernacular and often made by younger gay men. As Rauschenberg professed, "I could never make the language of Abstract Expressionism work for me -- words like 'tortured,' 'struggle' and 'pain,' I could never see those qualities in paint. How can red be 'passion?' Red is red. Jasper and I used to start each day by having to move out from Abstract Expressionism."

His piece entitled "Bed" from 1955 was slightly controversial and turned art on it's ear and Leo Steinberg said it"expresses the most radical shift in the subject matter of art, the shift from nature to culture."

"Rauschenberg created a turning point in visual syntax and optical structure.
Roy Lichtenstein said Robert Rauschenberg's combines "marked the end of Abstract Expressionism and the return of the subject." The combines are radical for the way they fuse painting, sculpture and everyday objects."

"As Lorenzo Ghiberti fused illusionist space and materials in his miraculous bas-relief baptistry doors (1403–1424), Rauschenberg created a turning point in visual syntax and optical structure. If all representational images promise depth, the synaptic rhythms and rhymes of the combines create a new kind of visual poetry. As Rauschenberg put it, the combines offered him "a new kind of wisdom."

Time magazine art critic Robert Hughes, in his book "American Visions," called Rauschenberg "a protean genius who showed America that all of life could be open to art. ... Rauschenberg didn't give a fig for consistency, or curating his reputation; his taste was always facile, omnivorous, and hit-or-miss, yet he had a bigness of soul and a richness of temperament that recalled Walt Whitman."

One of Rauschenberg's first and most famous combines was titled "Monogram," a 1959 work consisting of a stuffed angora goat, a tire, a police barrier, the heel of a shoe, a tennis ball, and paint, above. I had the pleasure of seeing this piece first at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm while I was visiting and then again at the show at the Met. I was a member of the Apollo Circle at the time so we had a private tour of the exhibit and were told a funny story about how the goat came to the museum with a handler from the Moderna Museet who after it had been placed, pulled a comb out of his pocket and brushed it's hair. I bet Rauschenberg would have gotten a kick out of that!

"I don't ever want to go," Rauschenberg told Harper's Bazaar in 1997 when asked of his own death. "I don't have a sense of great reality about the next world; my feet are too ugly to wear those golden slippers. But I'm working on my fear of it. And my fear is that something interesting will happen, and I'll miss it." And the world will be a little less interesting without Robert Rauschenberg in it. May he rest in peace.

Night Off

Burning the candle at both ends for the last month has finally caught up with me so I'm taking the night off to curl up on sofa and watch Gossip Girl and relax. Hopefully I'll be refreshed and ready to go tomorrow. XOXO!

Grammercy Park Perfection

I posted a few photos from this Gramercy Park apartment designed by Robert Passal last week but it's such a great space that I thought it was worth posting the rest. I also admire the designer's style and philosophy. “Design is in my blood,” says Passel. “I habitually find myself contemplating ideas for current and future projects. I continually challenge myself and my staff to examine definitive segments of art and design, both modern and traditional, to bring an air of distinction to my work.”

My Favorite Artist

My favorite artist, Elizabeth Peyton, is also having an exhibition in New York through May 17th at Gavin Brown's enterprise. I dream of owning one of her hauntingly beautiful portraits someday which will require me to work really hard to be able to afford it since her work has continued to skyrocket in price. But until then, I'm going to have to make do by visiting the gallery and looking at her book again. Sigh.

Walton Ford in New York

Walton Ford seems to be everywhere these days and now he has a new exhibition at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York from May 8th to July 3rd. I can't wait to see his amazing watercolors up close.

According to the press release, Ford's work depicts animals embodying degrees of personification in the context of isolated historical events with meticulous detail. Transient moments recalled in Ford's work comment on, in his words, "the cultural history of our relationship with animals."

"Ford is especially interested in the perceptions of animals by humans as evidenced by documentation. After researching specific stories, Ford offers his interpretation—sometimes exaggerating the animal's supposed humanness and in other instances, stripping the animal of imposed metaphors, and thereby restoring the candor of the animal's bestial state. "

Of course, Walton Ford's work is often compared to the work of artist, John J. Audubon, one of Ford's many influences, but I don't think Audubon could ever have dreamed up anything as interesting as Ford's menagerie. Definitely check it out if you are in New York.

The Private House

"There are those who spend lifetimes in houses that have nothing to do with who they really are. They may be perfectly designed, yet if they fail to reflect the personalities of the people who live in them, the very essence of intimacy is missing and this absence is disturbingly visible." -Rose Tarlow

My friend Charlotte has this interesting little book sitting on her coffee table one day and once I opened it up, I found it completely intriguing. She told me that she had to read The Private House in design school so I figured that maybe it was worth buying for myself. The book published in 2001 is a summary of what Rose Tarlow taught at the UCLA School of Interior Design. I'm not sure if she still teaches or not.

I didn't really know much about Rose Tarlow before I bought the book. According to her bio, "Tarlow’s design career started small, with the opening of her shop, Rose Tarlow Antiques, in 1975. Today her Los Angeles—based company, Rose Tarlow—Melrose House, is renowned for its reproduction—or, in many cases, adaptation—of antiques, as well as its more modern designs."

She describes her style as “fresh, clean, contemporary furniture and art mixed with wonderful old pieces—and a very definite edge of eccentricity.” That's something I can definitely relate to.

Her book is filled with beautiful images and I'm looking forward to sitting down to read it thoroughly when I have the time. It sounds like she has great advice for the amateur and professional designer alike.

I can already tell that the chapter entitled "Confessions of a Shopkeeper" is going to be my favorite. It starts with her saying, "One of my great challenges in life is controlling the temptation to purchase everything I fall in love with. Once I discover a treasure, I am compelled to find it a home." A woman after my own heart!

She recently sold her company, Rose Tarlow - Melrose House, that produces furniture and textiles but I can't imagine her sitting around counting her money. I'm sure she's out shopping somewhere and giving her amazing finds a very happy home!

Bachelor Pad

My friend finally asked me to help him decorate his apartment recently and I couldn't be more excited! I've been mentally redecorating his place since I first saw it a few years ago so it's not going to be that hard since I already have a plan in my head! I had to show him some concepts though since he can't read my mind so I pulled some of my favorite masculine apartments from some of my favorite male designers.

I love the apartment that Todd Romano designed for Robert Burke so that was first up. I'm looking for paint colors now and I recently read that Romano likes Donald Kaufman DKC-7 a putty color for living rooms and I wonder if it's the color he used here. It looks perfect.

I've already been on the look out for interesting chairs since I told my friend that I wanted his place to look like he inherited pieces from his family or picked them up on his travels.

I'm also planning to add a console to his entry that leads directly into his living room. He needs a place to drop keys and bags but it still has to look inviting when you enter. I love Todd Romanos console and chairs above but I'm thinking about a more streamlined piece.

My friend's step mother is a pretty famous photographer and I'm going to talk to her soon about including some of her black and white photos in the apartment. He also got very excited when I mentioned that he needed a bar. David Jimenez has a small one in his room above but I think my friend needs something a little bigger.

David Netto always gets the mix of modern and traditional perfect and I'd like to incorporate some of his ideas into my plan since my friend has a dark mid-century leather sofa and glass coffee table that we are keeping. I don't think you need to have a blank slate for good design and I don't mind working them into the scheme.

I'm on the fence though about the current rectangular dining table though. The living room is huge and sort of L-shaped so you see everything. I'm trying to work with it but I keep toying with the idea of finding a round table. There are already a lot of angles in the space.

I love Frederic Malle's modern round table and antique chairs. I am also looking for a console for the bar that will be in the dining area but I also like the bookshelves idea. We'll see.

I love this antique chair and interesting stool in an apartment designed by Robert Passal.

He also designed this room in the same apartment with gorgeous dark walls and artwork. I wish my friend had a study that I could paint really dark but since it's all open that's not an option.

Antony Todd is a style genius and I love the color of the walls in his entry hall. This is one of the colors I'm also leaning toward. He also likes Asian art so I'm definitely going to take him to my favorite hidden source for great vintage statues and accessories.

My friend has a long entrance hall similar to this which is calling out for a console and chairs.

I've already sourced some great vintage furniture but I can't wait to start buying up accessories to create "tablescapes" and vingettes. I also wonder if proping up art against the walls would work. After we buy some of course.

I was thinking about adding the task style lamps from my previous post beside the bed but I then I saw these glass lamps in Antony Todd's room. They might be a good option to lighten things up.

I think we are going to keep my friend's wooden bed so it's too bad we can't hang striped wallpaper like Todd Romano did in Robert Burke's bedroom. I think a man's apartment is a great first solo project since I hate overly girly things and dispise pink!

My friend has five closets in his apartment and I am terribly jealous of this fact! Right now they are a bit of a mess and in need of a little TLC. I'm not sure if they will ever look this perfect but it's worth a shot to try. I'm not even sure he has enough clothes for all them so I may have to look into renting space in some of them!

Needless to say, I am very excited to help my friend turn his bachelor pad into a sophisticated grown up apartment especially since he just started his own company and deserves a nice place to come home to after a stressful day. And I look forward to taking you all along for the ride!

Dining by Design

I am always inspired by non-professional interior designer David Jimenez so it was funny for him to tell me he was inspired by a photo that he saw on my blog. A photo of Tinsley Mortimer no less! David loved the photo and decided to use orange, turquoise and chocolate brown as the colors for his Dining by Design table for the fundraiser for DIFFA Kansas City.

Here is Tinsley in all her glory in her new Upper East Side New York home.

David's table was really a room with "richly colored walls, eclectic artwork and lush flowers that gave the space a luxe yet bohemian vibe that made it a magical evening." Makes me wish I lives in Kansas City!

The whole table looked like it glowed!

What I didn't know is that Dining by Design was founded in Kansas City over fifteen years ago and has become the signature event for DIFFA chapters nationwide. I guess New York isn't the center of the universe after all!

My favorite part of the room is all the amazing art! I might have to see if any of it is for sale somewhere!

Orange, brown and blue are some of my favorite colors and they couldn't look more perfect than they do here!

David (second from the left) and all his chic friends at the Dining by Design event last weekend. Could they be any more good looking? (Note to self: get teeth whitened before visiting Kansas City next month!) David has such a great eye and fabulous design sense that I'm blown away by all that he does! And he's a sweetheart to boot! Kansas City sure is one lucky town!

White Webb: Kips Bay Recap

I mentioned in my Kips Bay Show House post that I wished I had a better image of the bed in the room designed by White Webb and Matthew White was kind enough to send one to me. It's dreary and cold in New York today and that bed definitely looks like the kind of place you would want to curl up with a blanket and read all day. White Webb also designed the occasional tables for their Clearly Classic Collection that is available on their website and soon in a showroom in New York.

And the man behind the wall art, Clare Graham, not only uses can lids but many other recycled items in his art including yardsticks, dominos, scrabble tiles, bottle caps, pop tops and much more! You should definitely check out his site!

Ok, Now Back to Work!

I've been doing some research recently for a new apartment project that I am about to undertake on my own, more about that next week, and I've noticed an interesting lighting trend that I am starting to appreciate. It involves lamps that I used to consider strictly desk lamps beside the bed and as living room table lamps. One example is the Equilibrium Table Lamp from Ralph Lauren that looks right at home in the bedroom designed by David Lawrence above.

I'm not sure the source of this particular lamp but it is another great option that David Lawrence has used in the bedroom above and the living room below.

A more reasonably priced alternative is the Studio Angle Draftsman's Lamp.

Of course, by now you know that David Lawrence used to work for Bruce Bierman, who I currently work for and it was in Bruce's work above and elsewhere that I first noticed this trend.

Another fan of the Ralph Lauren Equilibrium Table Lamp seems to be my friend David Jimenez who uses it in the masculine bedroom above and the two living rooms below.

I can't decide if it is just a coincidence that I've noticed these types of lamps used by male designers. I wonder if women would find these types of lamps appealing in their spaces.

Designer Ron Marvin uses a smaller version on his bedside table.

Even S. Russell Groves uses one on a console table. Makes me think again that decorating rules are meant to be broken now and then and to great effect. What do you think?

My Life in a Nutshell!

I told you I had some exciting news to share with you and up first on the list is my Blogoshere profile on 1stdibs! I must say it's weird to be on the other end of an interview but writer Marcia Sherrill was very sweet to work with. We started talking months ago so it's fun to see it finally in print. It was needless to say, the talk of the office today. Hope you enjoy it too!

Also, I owe a big thanks to Porter Hovey for my great headshot. She was a pro to work with and if you ever need a photographer, definitely give her a call!

When it rains, it pours...

It has been raining a lot in New York the last few days but it has also been raining good things in my life. I have so many fabulous things to share with all of you but I need a few more says until I can reveal them all. I've also been working myself to death but it's all going to be worth it soon! I also want to thank everyone who takes the times to read my blog everyday and to leave comments and send emails. If it takes me longer to reply right now, I hope you'll forgive me. I'm doing my best to juggle everything but sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day. But you know what they say, when it rains, it pours. Now all I need is for it to start raining men!