Store I've Missed: Club Monaco

One of the things I hate the most about Florida is the lack of decent shopping (save the Millenia Mall in Orlando where you can buy Jimmy Choo and Crate & Barrel under the same roof - oh my!) Somehow the fashion train always seems to arrive in Florida 4years late. Regardless of the fact that they sell the same copies of Vogue there as they do in NYC, the trends and styles of the moment never seem to trickle into the mainstream shopping in Florida quite as fast as they should. Some stores are altogether unrepresented (exception: Miami seems to be it's own Fashion Island in Florida and yet somehow the other cities cannot follow their example). One store I've missed regular window-shopping trips to is Club Monaco. Think of it as a more edgy Banana Republic. Although a bit over-priced at retail, they discount deeply when merchandise is marked down and are a great source for well-fitting "basis with a twist". Not your run-of-the-mill black pants and white shirt store. Amen.

Efficient Efficiency

I always laugh when I hear people complain about living in 1,200 square feet. Here in New York, 1,200 square feet is a luxury reserved for only those who are very wealthy, or those who have 11 roommates. We are lucky if our studio is large enough to fit a bed AND a couch. Accordingly, it’s very important to have a well-thought out design plan when you live in a small space. Case in point: Italian Architect Luca Andrisani’s Manhattan apartment as featured in the November issue of Metropolitan Home. I love it when I see an architect who cares about interiors – especially their own. His design makes great use of every inch of space in his 400 square foot apartment, from a double-sided storage wall to a rotating flat-screen TV that can be swiveled to be viewed from either the living room or the bedroom. He is an incredibly talented designer – not to mention incredibly good-looking! I wonder if he’s single…okay, in this business, I guess the question should be, I wonder if he's straight and single?

And the Winner Is...

Nathan's winning Dining Room with custom-designed chandelier (yes, those are paper plates!)

This post is a week overdue, mainly due to the fact that I don't have a TV right now and had to wait until the finale of Top Design was posted on www.surfthechannel.com, but also because this post brings up the issue of Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator: what's the difference, anyway?? I will delve into the definitions of the profession in a later post, because the public at large is greatly uneducated about my profession (due in large part to shows like this). But for now, I want to share with you my favorite rooms from the season finale of Bravo's Top Design.


Pink and black living room by Ondine (she's from Brooklyn - holla!)

Guest room by Preston - nice mouldings, but a little too blah for my taste.

Almost Famous

If you happen to stop by an Urban Outfitters store sometime this Holiday season, pick up their latest catalog. My Brooklyn loft (technically my brother's loft but I'm currently living there!) is featured prominently on the inside back cover, as well as several other pages. I'm frankly surprised this is the first time UO has rented this location. A Brooklyn warehouse loft and Urban Outfitters are a perfect match - grunge meets grunge.

Dear America,

You did us proud.

Finalized: Color Scheme!

The Inspiration: Actress Rashida Jones' Manhattan studio apartment featured in a recent issue of Domino.

A new apartment always means one thing: lots of shopping. It seems whatever you had in your old place just never seems to fit quite right in the new place. In this particular move, I knew I would be downsizing from a one bedroom to a studio apartment, which presents a whole new set of challenges. For several months now I've been frantically pulling together tear sheets, paint chips, fabric samples and perusing every website and design blog I can find for inspiration. I have decided, for once in my life, I am going to treat myself as my own client and actually create a design plan for my new apartment. After sorting through the wish-list, I have settled on a scheme of black-and-white, lavendar, deep purple, light blue and turquoise. Being a designer and creating a pulled-together space for yourself is always a challenge because we love everything we see and want it all, but in a small space, it's best to keep to a consistent pallete or it could end up looking haphazard. I've flipped back and forth on the colors several times now, the only consistent color being light blue (an existing armchair I am keeping and have to work with), so posting it on this blog is my way of sealing the deal. I'm not allowed to change my mind again!

The Headboard: Cheap and Chic from Target!

Window Treatments: Lavendar Dupioni Silk

Jonathan Adler's "Love" Pillow

Jonathan Adler's "Links" Pillow

Thomas Paul's "Flock" Pillow

Crate and Barrel's "Tempo Velvet" Pillow

Pair of Foo Dogs

Sunburst Mirror: A great e-bay find for only $70!

Circa Lighting's "Dean" Sconce

The Freaks Come Out at Night

And usually they are confined to the East Village, but one night a year, they migrate West and march up 6th Avenue in the Village Halloween Parade. This year's freaks consisted of 73 zombies and Michael Jackson impersonators doing the "Thriller" dance to set the Guineess World Record, serveral Sarah Palin beauty queens, a group of Richard Simmons look-alikes, the usual assortment of Freddy Krugers and Michael Meyers, Witches in Bikinis and "2 girls and a cup" (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't want to - trust me). Enjoy!