Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club 2010 Decorator Showhouse

I was visiting New York this past week and was able to visit this year's Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Decorator Showhouse.  The annual showcase is normally between April and May.  Luckily for me, the dates were postponed until October because the agreement for the original house to be showcased fell through and organizers had to scramble to find another property.

The showhouse which serves as a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club is considered to be the creme de la creme of all showhouses.  Having volunteered at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase this past May, I was very excited to see how the two compared.  Boy, was I blown away!

The designers spared no expenses covering every square inch of this 10,000 plus square foot home.  There were no bare walls, ceilings or flooring.  They were either wallpapered, stenciled or plastered.  The sumptuous fabrics were some of best I've ever seen.  Many of fabrics were sourced from Britished based Holland and Sherry.  The lighting fixtures used ranged from Asian inspired to Art Deco to Mid Century Modern.

These pictures do not do any justice as to how truly wonderfully these rooms were designed , but enjoy!

"Dinner at 8" Dining Room by Cullman and Kravis.  This was my favorite room for one reason:  The draperies were absolutely drool inducing.  I think it was a wool fabric, embroidered and embellished with gemstones.  I was this close to attempt to shove the entire wall of fabrics into my purse.

Kitchen by Eve Robinson Associates.  Another one of my favorites.  The white cabinets and white marble countertops are lovely yet predictable, but the custom desk and wallpapered walls and ceilings were excellent touches.  The backsplash is a back painted glass.  Back painted glass seems to be more widely used now and can be a nice infusion of modernity to an otherwise traditional style kitchen.

Volunteer Lounge by Brett Design.  More wallpapering and back painted glass.

Art Collector's Room by Aman and Carson

CoffinierKu Design.  Both Etienne Coffinier and Ed Ku were in the room when I walked in!  But I was too shy to say hello (me, shy?)

Dressing Room by Darren Henault

Master Bedroom by The Jeffrey Design Group.  This room irked me.  They had a velvet rope at the front door so I had to crane my neck into the room to view it.  It was a bit cold for my taste.

Entry by Katie Ridder

CoffinierKu Designs

Bathroom was lined with marble tiles that almost has that faux bois look to it, which I love.  The disappointment was the bathroom already looked like this pre showhouse and the homeowners wanted to keep the bathroom intact, so the designers just added hand blown glass bubbles and accessories.

All in all, I have to admit the designs in New York triumphed over the designs at the SF Decorator Showcase.  The main reason being, even the most minute details were not left out.  As they say, the devil is in the details.  However, some of the designs here are too conceptual.  One may ask, how do you bathe in a tub with glass balls already in it?  Whereas, the designs at the SF Decorator Showcase are more realistic for a real life family.

I'm back

Thank you so very much for patiently waiting with me as I marked the 13 weeks that slowly crept by as Bernhardt fabricated the Cal King headboard in North Carolina and then trucked it across the country.

But, alas, here it is:

I was still floored by how massive it was, even though I already knew the measurements. 

Here is how the headboard looks in the master bedroom:

I also have chosen the fabrics for the euro shams and the bedskirt.  Both fabrics are from Baker

Fabric for euro shams.  The blue ties in with the wall color and the damask print on the draperies.

Headboard

I was very pleased with how efficient I was over the weekend.  I got work done (day job that pays for all these projects), hung out with friends and family, cleaned the house and hmmm what else?  Oh yeah, I ordered my headboard!!!  I know, I know.  I was supposed to make my own to keep costs down.  However, I found everything I was looking for in this headboard for a little bit more than I would pay for materials to make my own.  Plus, I'm still exhausted from the whole electrical DIY weekend....

Anyhoo, here is the headboard that is very similar to the ones I was admiring in a previous posting:

I love the curves on this; isn't it so Moroccan?  There are two rows of brass nail heads for a little bit of a rustic feel to it and the very top of the headboard is a whopping 66 inches from the floor.  Talk about putting drama in a room!!!  The only disappointment is production time is approximately 12 weeks.

These are the sample upholstery I brought back with me.

I narrowed down to either the grayish blue velvet fabric or the woven golden beige fabric.  Let me tell you, how I loved the velvet one.  It definitely added glamour and the extra oomph to the room.  The woven fabric I liked very much as well.  It did have the casual element that I was looking for to tone down the room.  Being the good wife (and the fact that hubby could not have any input until now), I deferred to him to make the decision and he chose...

The woven fabric!  It would still be a great look in the room but I will probably incorporate the velvet fabric in the form of euro shams and bolsters.  Yes, plural.

Another item crossed off the checklist.

Drapes are finally here...

Hey folks, I've been busy with the master bedroom redesign.  The drapes are in and here is a preview:

I can't open up the drapes for you to see yet as the pleats need a few days to set.  Next up, I have an idea to accent the headboard wall and will post a few samples to share with you.

See you soon. 

Chandelier is up!

I need to announce to the world:  My husband is the MOST AMAZING, PATIENT, LOVING human being EVER!!

Instead of spending the nice weekend out and about, I decided we should hang up the beautiful chandelier I nabbed at the Antique Faire last week.  After years of watching HGTV, I feel reasonably educated in electrical work (NOT).  I armed myself with instruction printouts from thisoldhouse.com and various magazine cutouts and we are ready to install the chandelier.

Not so easy!!!  FYI, hanging a heavy chandelier requires you to brace the junction box to a ceiling joist. Drilling a brace to a joist through a mere 4 inch wide hole further complicated the work.  Two trips to The Home Depot, three trips to The Ace Hardware and $ 100 in various tools and supplies later, we finally got the brace installed.  Just installing the brace took a day and a half.  It's always fun when the instructions are mostly in Spanish with a few English words sprinkled here and there.  The electrical connection was surprisingly easy.  The hanging of the chandelier wasn't too bad; though I did get quite a bit of workout holding a 50 lb fixture over my head while my husband connected the wires.  To make sure proper credit is given, when I say we, I mean my wonderful husband did all the hard work; I "supervised".

But all the hard work paid off.  We now have a rudimentary understanding of the electrical system and we have a beautiful chandelier hanging the master bedroom.

All in a day's (weekend) work:

Antique Fair - Candlestick Park

Everybody from San Francisco and the Peninsula- Rejoice!  The much anticipated Antique Fair has finally arrived at the Candlestick Park!!

After years of trekking to Alameda to find treasures, many of the vendors that have booths at the monthly Alameda Fair will be at the Candlestick Park every third Sunday of the month.

I got up bright and early on Sunday and brought a wad of cash and a long list of THINGS I NEED with me.  Here are some great finds I would love to share with you.   

Found this circa 1930s brass chandelier from Spain- perfect for the master bedroom redesign. 

A marble and alabaster lamp

A pair of small table lamps

An 1890s watercolor of London

An 1870s French lithograph

I spotted a pair of this French bombe chest.  I really really wanted them but my wallet was cleaned out.  If you are interested, let me know.  I have the vendor's business card.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised and very happy I came home with a car full of treasure trove.  You must go to the next event which is on August 15th.  The pricing beats any retail store prices.  Just remember, bring plenty of cash, newspaper to wrap your purchases and a small cart if you have one.  You'd never know what you would go home with!

Designer Profile - Liz Williams

Someone recently asked me at a party who my favorite designer is.  That truly is a difficult question to answer as there are so many talented designers out there.  I did say that I'm more partial to designers from the South.  Why?  While I admire many of the modern designs seen on East/West Coast, the Southern designers embrace the formal traditional designs (which as you should know by now rocks me to my core).

This leads me to my first ever Designer Profile!  I wanted to introduce to you the work of Liz Williams.  She is based in Atlanta and has had her eponymous firm since 1998.  Her designs have been recognized in multiple shelter magazines and she has participated in numerous decorator showcases.  She was also listed as one of the "20 Under 40 - The Next Wave of Local Talent" in the March 2007 issue of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles. 

I love the soft mint green draperies she used.  See the contrasting bronze fabric at the bottom of the panel?  This is a great way to customize store bought draperies by sewing on a complementing fabric.  I like that etagere between the windows too.

She has a way with injecting a bit of casualness to an otherwise formal space by keeping the draperies simple and adding the plates on the wall.  Is that mirror awesome or is that mirror awesome?!

Adding a bedskirt softens the rigid look of a crib and hides all the storage space underneath.

Grouping a bunch of smaller size prints is much more affordable than a large size art.

Upholstered bed - my fave

Striped silk draperies - another fave

More silk draperies.  How luscious are these!!!  Attaching draperies at the very top of the wall ALWAYS looks good.  Designers have been adding these little pleated skirts to dining chairs.  Another great way to lessen the formalness of a room.

I like that Miz. Williams uses alot of muted greens, blues, and browns.  Her rooms are soothing to look at and seem so livable.  Makes you want to kick off your shoes and plop right down on her couch.

Well, have a great weekend!!!  It's going to be a hot one!

Granite or Gran...NOT?

For the past decade, granite has been the countertop of choice for most kitchen renovations.  Having this classic stone installed in the kitchen can definitely make or break a sale of a property.

However, its popularity may be starting to wane....or is it?  Many homeowners are branching out and trying other types of stone.  I personally think granite is still the best bet price wise and hold up to heat and abuse better than other stones can.  But what is no longer popular is that moldy looking builder grade granite; seeing them makes me shudder every time.

Are you renovating your kitchen?  Here are a couple wonderful choices aside from granite.

Kitchen by Suzanne Kasler

Polished marble.  I die everytime I see this kitchen.

Kitchen by Steven Gambrel

Honed marble - This is probably what I would put in my own kitchen.

Kitchen by Phoebe Howard

Another marble kitchen.  As you can tell, I'm totally in favor of marble countertops.  They give such clean,

timeless look to any kitchen.  Granted not as practical but if you take care of it and not let spilled red wine sit overnight, I think you are okay.  Why would you not wipe up spilled red wine right away anyway?

Unknown source

Soapstone countertops are not as well known in the West Coast but they are very popular in the East Coast and especially in the New England area.  They have a greenish/grayish hue when left in its raw state and a darker slate/black color when oiled.  If you want a rustic look, this is a great stone to use.

 

This Old House

I love soapstone sinks...if I had $ 2-3K to spare for a sink.  They give such "farmhouse" effects.  You can either have them custom made along with the countertop to create a seamless look or it can be paired with other stones.  

Kitchen by Frank Roop

Look at those Ann Sacks backsplash (we'll cover backsplash in another posting!)  Anyway back to countertops...This is actually granite that looks like soapstone.

via Decorpad

This is a granite countertop that mimics the look of marble

This brings me back to granite.  There are granite slabs that look like other types of stone: marble, soapstone, limestone, etc.  This is a great way to go if you want the look of say marble but the maintenance is more than you want to consider.  So I think granite is here to stay...at least for the next decade!

Master Bedroom Design

Remember where I left off with the master bedroom re-design?

Since this picture was taken, I have painted the room and added a 5 inch baseboard and 4 inch crown moulding to the room.  Crown mouldings are fantastic because they are an economic way to add depth and visual interest to a room, not to mention increasing the resale value of the home.

My vision for this room is semi casual french traditional.  I say semi because I want incorporate just enough casual elements that would make you want to dive right into bed; it is a master bedroom after all.  But I still want to retain the air of formalness with the antique furniture and lighting that I am using.  Check it out!

Aren't these '40s antique sconces fab?!  They were saved from a French hotel that is undergoing a major renovation.  Since the room is small and the nightstands I am using are petite, having sconces instead of table lamps help declutter the space.

A bedroom should always be conducive to relaxation so I chose a calming blue grey paint from Restoration Hardware.  FYI, the paint collection carried by RH contains amongst the lowest VOC level in the market.  Being green never hurts!

Appropriately named...Atmosphere Blue

Sheers at 200% full to create privacy but still let light through.  Custom curtains are still in progress.  Whew, it's a good thing my nails were painted when this picture was taken...

Damask = Formal 

The blue damask is a perfect match with the paint!

Circa 1930s English nightstand and I've got two!

Early 1900s French armoire that recently made it across the pond.

Fixtures to match the brass sconces

TO BE CONTINUED.....STAY TUNED