BE MINE

Be Mine Design

presented byAccess to Design™

"For the month of February, the New York Design Center’s Access to Design™ designers have curated a collection of products from their most adored New York Design Center resources. Travel the 16 floors to discover what these tastemakers have selected for Be Mine Design and find something to make yours. Pick up a handout in the lobby to navigate Be Mine Design at 200 Lex and visit the Access to Design™ office in Suite 424 for more information on how to work with a designer." I am honored to have been selected to participate in this fun endeavour. I choose Profiles at the NYDC ( http://www.nydc.com/) as one of my favorite showrooms. I also was asked to select some of my favorite items. The following photos show some of them, for the real impact you must visit the showroom with a designer.  http://www.nydc.com/news/be-mine-design/Thank you so much Jim Druckman!  I truly enjoyed our beautiful breakfast in the Christopher Guy showroom. Come experience this wonderful building with 16 floors of new and cutting edge style, trends and fabulous merchandise and people. This is NYC at it's finest!

THE BAL HARBOUR SHOPS

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One of my favorite things to do when I am lucky enough to get down to Miami is to visit the Bal Harbour Shops in Bal Harbour Miami, Florida. http://balharbourshops.com/ I live in cold gray dreary New York in the winter. Just getting off the plane into the sun changes everything. Bal Harbour is rich in every sense of the word. For me it is rich in inspiration. Just when I think this winter is never going to end, there is color, beauty and shopping, shopping, shopping. I love looking into almost very shop. The Bal Harbour Shops are so bright and beautiful . Only the best lighting, flooring, and fixtures are used. I have always gotten great inspiration from fashion. Spring 2013 here we come!!!!

"THE DORILTON" BEAUX-ART AT ITS FINEST

One of our favorite clients just moved from one apartment on the Upper West Side to a new apartment in the same area.  The Dorilton, wow what a building! It was built in 1902, restored in 1998, and the Beaux-Art style stands out in comparison to the minimalist style of later architecture.  In a Manhattan increasingly characterized by faceless skyscrapers, the Dorilton really makes a statement. The detail and durability of the materials used are exquisite.

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The interior of the building is just as extravagant as the exterior. The foyer holds angelic cherubs surrounded by carefully constructed framework that reads more like art. Upon turning the corner, you’re met with a unique railing that speaks to the structure’s French history. There was no holding back when it came to detailing the interior, and it makes an impression.

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The interior space has stained glass windows, very intricate crown moulding and heavy doors that are all solid wood. The interior wood floors are the finest walnut in a herringbone pattern. Once again, it is ALL IN THE DETAILS!!!! Now starts the fun part, making this new apartment feel like a warm and cozy home to our clients and their three children.

ART NOUVEAU AT THE MET

Here is a great example of Art Nouveau (French for 'New Art') used in Interior Design. What you're looking at is a fireplace surround that is capturing the true essence of nature itself. The beautiful ceramic glass uses colors that are found outdoors. Unlike most fireplaces that are characterized by harsh 90 degree angles, this surround only uses soft curves -- just like you'd find in a natural environment. Personally, I find it amazing that an artist can take a hard material, like ceramic, and imbue it with such flowing lines, reminding us of waves -- the tide coming in. Most importantly, the focal point is a mask representing humanity.  Art Nouveau celebrates the relationship between humanity and her environment.

This style is best used in rooms that are meant to make us feel welcome.  Although this piece looks harsh standing on a bare wall, it would be right at home in an Bohemian hotel with young Parisians sitting nearby arguing passionately, wine glasses in hand. Perhaps a beautiful accent to this grand surround could be a classic candelabra (Beauty and the Beast style) with a piece of art by Gustav Klimt --perfect for above the mantle. If this is the taste you desire, then Art Nouveau is exactly what you're looking for!

Attributed to: Desire Muller( French, 1877-1952) French Luneville, ca.1900 Glazed Stoneware

Alexander McQueen Exhibit

“You’ve got to know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition.”

-Alexander McQueen

I was lucky enough to find myself at the Alexander McQueen Exhibit in New York last week. “Savage Beauty” was the theme of the show and it definitely lived up to its name. Of course the always fabulous Metropolitan Museum of Art is where the exhibit was shown. A show that features pieces entitled “Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims” and “It’s a Jungle Out There” is sure to raise a few eyebrows

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and that it did! It was definitely a “savage” show, but it was undoubtedly beautiful as well.  

Each gallery of McQueen’s collection had its own room and corresponding theme — giving each room its own unique ambiance. The overall purpose of the exhibit was to celebrate McQueen’s life and productions through the years. The designer always pushed the envelope when it came to his art and that was evident last week at the Met. There were about one hundred outfits and over seventy accessories on display that he created throughout his career. It was a great opportunity for me to see each and every ensemble up close. Luckily I got a chance to snap a few photos, as well.

The show runs until August 7. Be sure to check it out!