It’s that time of year again– Brimfield Antique Show is in full swing! I spent yesterday trawling the market, searching for one-of-a-kind pieces for my clients; I did end up finding a cute vintage side table and brass vanity stool for one of my clients in Brooklyn. I will post photos as soon as I get the pieces to her space! But in the meantime, I wanted to share a few highlights from the rest of the show. This year’s selection was much more enticing than last year’s. Brimfield runs through May 17th, so be sure to check it out if you’re in New England! A bevy of Gustavian Mora clocks. Left: stone ram head wall hanging. Right: A signed Lee Reynolds mid-century painting of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York skyline. Papier–mâché animals and wall hangings. A vignette of retro mid-century clocks and industrial light fixtures. Moroccan rugs and throw pillows paired with a mid-century pendant light! Love these chairs! They would make a killer dining room set! For …
This weekend I visited Bklyn Designs, a 3-day showcase of emerging and established Brooklyn designers and artists. There were guest speakers, jewelry displays, pop-up lounges, furniture installations– all spotlighting the creativity for which Brooklyn is known. Bklyn Designs officially kicks off the NYCxDESIGN week, which runs now through May 19, 2015. Here is a rundown of the exhibits and products that caught my eye. This lounge area, designed by AphroChic, made great use of colorful boucherouite rugs and floor pillows. I was excited to see these rugs on prominent display because one of my clients just purchased a striped boucherouite for her dining area! Urban Chandy designs lighting fixtures, which make use of reclaimed and repurposed materials. This oversized chandelier with exposed bulbs like drops of water is a signature design. M. Spring manufactures beautiful jewel-like hardware– and also produces custom hardware if need be. The designer, Margaret Spring, uses both traditional and state-of-the-art techniques, everything from wax casting to 3D printing. Prototypes on display at the M.Spring booth. The American Design Club …
I just returned home from a long weekend on Nantucket for Thanksgiving. Even though I grew up in Boston, I had somehow never been to Nantucket before this trip! The island is full of traditional Cape Cod-style houses: low, symmetrical cottages with weathered shingles or wood clapboard siding. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Nantucket prospered inordinately as the hub of the whaling industry; but by the mid-19th century, whaling was in decline and a large fire destroyed most of the island’s earliest buildings. Jethro Coffin’s house, known in typical straightforward New England style as the “Oldest House,” is Nantucket’s oldest house still standing in its original spot and one of the few structures to have survived the devastating fire. Built in 1686, this saltbox house features a distinctive horseshoe design on its central chimney. I spent several days poking around the little shops in Nantucket Center. As it turns out, Nantucket has a notable retail history; R.H. Macy, founder of Macy’s department store, was born on …
We all know guys like my recent clients: three bachelors who have been out of college for a number of years, but their apartment is still outfitted with broken Ikea furniture and family hand-me-downs. My clients had a very small budget for decor, but they knew it was time for an upgrade. So I gave them a quick and dirty living room overhaul. When I design on a budget, I like to outline general parameters for the room without setting my heart on anything too specific. In this case, I wanted to create a sophisticated, but unfussy space, filled with natural materials and vintage accents. My first purchase was a vintage leather couch on Craigslist for $400. I love the warm medium tone of the leather. We paired the couch with a grey loveseat, which we found at Target for $430. The tailored look of the loveseat is a nice balance to the informality of the leather couch, but the loveseat’s …