Shaping the Future

Architecture
January 7, 2010

Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, VA

Back from Charleston, and had the most wonderful trip–although the weather was not as warm as I would have hoped, just being in that city is so rejuvinating. So happy to be in New York, and still on winter break, I went to one of my favorite museums, the Museum of the City of New York to see the exhibit Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future.

TWA Terminal, JFK International Airport, Jamaica, Queens, NY

St. Louis Gateway Arch

Yale Whale or Ingalls Hockey Rink, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Although an amazing and prolific architect, designing such striking buildings as the TWA terminal at JFK, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and the Yale Whale, interior designers recognize him for his furniture, the result of a partnership with Knoll Associates.

Saarinen “Tulip” Chair for Knoll Associates

Saarinen “Tulip” Chairs and Armchairs for Knoll Associates

Saarinen “Pedestal” Table for Knoll Associates

Saarinen “Pedestal” Dining and Side Tables for Knoll Associates

For a few years now, these tables and chairs have begun to appear everywhere. With their smooth, uncluttered lines, and variety of finishes, these tables and chairs are a great addition to any space. When he created the tables, Saarinen said that he wanted to “clear up the slum of legs in the U.S. home”–and that he did. Although the tables and chairs are quite modern, the placement of a Saarinen side table next to a more traditionally upholstered side chair is the perfect contrast–one’s whole apartment doesn’t have to be decorated like the Jetsons to use these fabulous pieces of furniture.

Jonathan Adler in House Beautiful

Deborah Needleman in Domino

David Netto in House Beautiful

Aaron Hom in House Beautiful

These interiors, by Jonathan Adler, Deborah Needleman, David Netto, and Aaron Hom, all showcase a Saarinen table in a different size or finish, and all look stunning. However, the problem with lusting after a Saarinen table is the price. At Design Within Reach, the smallest table in the least expensive finish starts at around $1500.00! — although something I may be able to look forward to in the future, it is currently not in the cards. For those of you “lacquered lifers” who feel as though I have made you hopeful and now crushed your dreams, do not despair! I would not lead you on like that without a solution.

The table seen here is available at Ikea for the bargain price of $149.00! Although Ikea does not offer side tables in their “Docksta” line, this dining table should satisfy your craving for cool while you start doing lemonade stands in order to save for a real Saarinen table.

This Ikea “Jakob” chair, for $139.00, while not an exact replica of a tulip chair, will give the same aesthetic as in the dining room by Aaron Hom, when paired with the “Docksta” table. However, I think that $139 is a bit expensive for a chair, and I would try and find something cheaper instead and experiment with lacquering it a cool color!

One Book at a Time

Designers
December 27, 2009

Henry Ward Beecher, famous abolitionist preacher and father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, said this with regard to books, “Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.” As in the photo above, of a library decorated by the revered Albert Hadley, nothing could be more true. However, a person does not have to have a library in order to use books for decor. I like to use big cocktail table books and stack them throughout my apartment with decorative objet on top. In my apartment in New York I had a coffee table with three large stacks of books and the books essentially became part of the table. Stacked on side tables, chairs, under tables and chairs, or even used as tables–books add a certain colorful classy expression to any space.

One day I will have a real library, but in the meantime, I will continue to use books for decoration. And will most likely continue to do so even after I have the library of my dreams. Since everyone knows that books are so important to me, they are always a big winner as Christmas gifts. Below are some of the books that I gave and received this year which I highly recommend.

If any of you are fans of Elle Decor (which we all know I am!), you should rush out and buy this book. It is a compilation of the best of the best of the magazine from over the years. The book is organized into sections such as kitchens, bathrooms and so on, and it is so cool to see the amazing range of interiors that the magazine has featured during its tenure as one of the top decorating magazines. Side note: in the January/February 2010 issue of Elle Decor, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Margaret Russell, writes her editors letter about design blogs!

David Hicks is a must have. Aside from the beautiful pictures, this text of this book is fascinating, and describes Hick’s changing aesthetic over the years. So amazingly British. The book is also huge, and would provide a great anchor for a tall stack of books!

Speaking of huge books, this one is a behemoth–but is full of the most fabulous pictures of the world’s chicest people. It covers some beautiful society weddings, Truman Capote’s black and white party, and the Costume Institute galas. What a treat!

The cover of this book should read: a book for italiophiles and romantics. This book is a compilation of stunning photos from beautiful homes in Italy which were lovingly restored by their owners. The perfect gift for any preservationist–we love before and afters.

Finally, Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire. A compilation of all the questionnaires from over the years coupled with their signature cartoon. Vanity Fair is my favorite magazine, and Proust Questionnaire, on the inside back cover, is always the first thing I read every issue. This book is great for just picking up and reading–and would do well on a coffee table where friends can open it and take a look.

I don’t have a library yet, but for now, my single shelf filled with books and back issues of Domino, Elle Decor, and House Beautiful will have to do!

Cheap and Chic of the Week: A Little Cheat Goes a Long Way

Finds
December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!–and to all of you who are running around trying to get organized for that Christmas Eve cocktail party you are throwing …

You told all your guests that it was going to be “casual cocktails” but for you a lot of work goes into making it look as though you didn’t do any work. Last year, I threw a Christmas Cocktail on a Sunday evening at my tiny little apartment in NY, and after I had organized all the food and the booze, I was stressing about the smallest final touches. There are two schools of thought on this: “don’t sweat the small stuff” or “its all in the details.” In my mind, it is certainly all in the details. For everyone there is a different detail that they want to get just right. Last year I found myself running around NY up until the last minute looking for a hand towel for the bathroom. I think that for those of us who are renters without wallpaper as an option, a hand towel can add that great hit of personality and pizazz to a room that is often overlooked. However, you would be surprised how hard it is to find a chic, colorful hand towel without spending a ton of money. After many hours of searching, I found an amazing cheat that I Must share with you. Perhaps this week “cheap and chic of the week” should be called “cheap and cheat of the week.”

Roberta Roller Rabbit is a gem of a shop on 73rd and Lexington in NYC. You can also visit them in the Hamptons, as well as online. They have pareos, loungewear, tunics, sheets, bags, and items for the tabletop. The people who work in the store in New York are lovely, and always willing to help you pick something from their wide array of gorgeous patterns. This is where I found my cheat.

The napkins at Roberta Roller Rabbit are $8!–and instead of wasting more time trying to find an actual hand towel, I bought one of their napkins, which I promptly folded and put in the hand towel ring in my bathroom. Perfection. And like so many details in party planning and decorating, the hand towel was one of the things most complimented by my guests.

Merry Christmas!

Photos courtesy of RobertaRollerRabbit.com