Equestrian Elegance - Revisited

What happens when you combine the Equine world and one of Frances top designers - a clean, timeless and impeccably detailed space.  Enter François Champsaur and his Yearling Auction House in Dauville, France.  I have a love and fascination with horses and rode for most of my childhood and adolescence (see Equine Elegance post one here) and so for me this is the perfect marriage of the French design philosophy at the moment and one of my lifelong loves. What I find truly amazing about this space is that he has personified the refinement of the equine world in a contemporary way, something that we aren't accustom to - usually it is all about pomp and pageantry.  While I wonder how the space actually functions, for me the aesthetic is so successful that really does it matter? Sometimes not...

Photos courtesy of Francois Champsaur

Quintessentially New York

Life gets busy!  Every once in a while you need to stop, take a moment and relax with those who are important to you.  It has been forever since my husband and I went for a Friday night drink after work, and so we decided that it was time to bring that tradition back.  With both our office in mid-town Manhattan we decided that it would be good to stay close and so decided on the recently opened Viceroy Hotel restaurant and bar Kingside.  Designed by Roman + Williams the oober cool NYC company, the interior is everything on would expect - rich woods, interesting lighting and cool details.  While the cocktails were true to NY prices and strength, the atmosphere was buzzing and really was a great choice for our step back into the NY scene - and seeing as it is down the street from my work I am sure to visit again.

Grubstreet

Kingside

Items of Interest - Part 4

It's no secret that emerald green was one of the colors of the year.  With fashion, fabrics and design making it a feature, it seems that it really was everywhere (even posted about it here).  So when I came across this table by François Champsaur on one of my searches I thought that it would make a nice end to this week of Items of Interest.  Manufactured by the French master metalworkers Pouenat, the shape, color and changes in plane make this piece fun and functional.  

Pouenat

PS - I am happy to say that I have finally joined the world of Instagram and I am addicted.  For all of you that want to share I can be found at handle @abaraness.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Items of Interest - Part 3

British artist Sam Orlando Miller's work has been in the design world for a few years now,  and while perusing Gallery FUMI in search of inspiration for my meeting I came across his mirrors once again and just had to include them in this weeks feature.  His play with different mirror finishes and colors, shapes as well as the positive and negative makes his work truly unique.  These are gallery quality pieces (and come with a price tag to match) each is hand-crafted and after seeing them in person, more stunning than you can imagine. As with most coveted design items these days, there are knockoffs a plenty (Restoration Hardware and West Elm to name a couple). So if you just have to have one, there are budget versions available, however don't expect the same detail, depth or craftsmanship - that is reserved for Sam's pieces.

 Sam Orlando Miller

Items of Interest - Part 2

There has been a surge in the design world with brass and copper.  What has been thought to be 'traditional' (and sometimes tacky in it's likeness to gold) is now regarded of as 'cool' and 'refined'. The Cloche lamp by Lars Beller Fjetland fits perfectly into this scenario. By creating an anchored cast iron base, the ash wood stem of the lamp rises elegantly to the bell-shaped shade which were made in either brass or copper - I think that the copper adds that extra little bit to it. The piece comes in four essay to assemble parts and really plays to the Norwegian designer's fascination with how materials and form work together.  Unfortunately this piece is just a prototype, but hopefully in the support of up-and-coming designers we will be able to have pieces like this on our projects soon.

Trendland

Items of Interest - Part 1

I have been doing research for a project into new and interesting Galleries, suppliers and artist.  As designers I feel that we are always searching for what is new, exciting and interesting and this project is no exception - especially since the client has several other properties and seems to know everything about the industry and the furnishings we show her.

Over the next couple of days I thought it would be good to share the things that have really stood out to me, and while we aren't using them, perhaps they can help inspire other designers or those reading for what they need. Hope you all enjoy!

The Virtu Series by DE INTUÏTIEFABRIEK (a Dutch design studio) features this wonderful vanity/dressing table.  I am not a girly girl, however there is something about this table that makes me want to sit, take time, and be a girl!  With it's simple palette, lines and change in finishes for me this vanity really is everything one should be.

Priveekollektie