One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale!

It is very exciting to partner with One Kings Lane for my first Tastemaker Tag Sale!  The chic online retailer offers designers a unique opportunity to host "flash sales," where the designer provides one-of-a-kind pieces which are available to purchase on One Kings Lane for a limited time.  My sale starts Monday, March 11 at 9pm EST and closes Friday March 15 at 9am EST.  The sale includes about 100 items from various vintage dealers, custom craftsmen and some from my personal inventory.  Here is a sneak peek!

Vintage Faux Malachite Box; Quadrille Pillows; Faux Python X-Bench.

Tented Room (wall curtains, valance, shirred ceiling); Velvet Chaise Lounge; Garden Seat; Gilt Chippendale Chair; Parsons Bookcase/Desk.

Tablecloth with Grosgrain Trim.

Faux Banana Leaf Place Mats.

 

 

 

This Thursday: Young Collectors Night at the Winter Antiques Show

The Winter Antiques Show is one of the most anticipated design events of the year.  A range of periods and styles are represented by 73 superb exhibitors, so there is something for everyone to admire - if not purchase - at this exquisite Show, which benefits the East Side House Settlement. 

Young Collectors Night is a fantastic opportunity to privately view the Show while enjoying cocktails and mingling with members of the design community.  It is a delight to be part of this years Young Collectors Night Interior Design Committee, so we hope to see you at the Park Avenue Armory on Thursday, January 31, from 7-9pm for this fabulous evening! 

Click here to purchase your ticket now: http://www.winterantiquesshow.com/cms/tickets/

Joss & Main Best Curators of 2012

Over the summer, it was great fun to host my first flash sale with online home decor retailer, Joss & Main.  Among Joss and Main's multiple, daily, flash sales are their Currator's Collection sales, where designers are invited to "curate" Joss & Main merchandise into a limited edition "collection".  Thanks to you, my sale was one of the Top 10 Curator's Collections of 2012.  The top 9 pieces from my sale will be re-launched on the Joss & Main site from Dec 25 through 31.  Here is a peek at the pieces, and thoughts on how to incorporate them into your home. 
 


Tufted Ottoman: great as a coffee table or as extra seating in front of a fireplace.

Armless Love Seat: use it in the breakfast room as a banquette or to make a little seating area at the foot of a king bed.

Industrial Style Pendant: a show stopper in any kitchen.

Drum Shaded Chandelier: the feminine lines of this classic chandelier get a contemporary update when paired with a drum shade.  Perfect for a bedroom, bathroom or ladies dressing room in need of a little drama.

Wicker Arm Chair: the weathered finish seamlessly blends into a casual setting, but is transitional enough to help dress down a more formal room.

Club Chair: the classic styling of this chair (tight back, bridge water arms, exposed wooden legs on casters, nail head trim) strengthens the presence of this piece of upholstery.  In the Living Room, Bedroom or Study, you can always use at least one, or a pair, of club chairs.



Throws are an interchangeable way to bring color into a Sitting Room or Bedroom.  Throws also make great gifts, especially when personalized with a monogram.

Firescreen: this one is clean and simple, which will not distract from the architecture, art and accessories that surround your fireplace.  To complete the look, select andirons and fireplace tools in the same finish and of similar style.

Gift Certificates from ATH Interior Design!

A guest bedroom decorated by Allison Hennessy.
Photo by Emily Followill.

Who doesn't need a little extra design in their life?  A gift certificate from Allison Hennessy Interior Design makes a perfect and personal holiday gift!  Gift certificates can be tailored to your needs or available in pre-set amounts:
On-site Design Consultation:
Walk through your house or space to design with Allison.  Explain how you live in the space and any style ideas.  Get Allison's punch list for how to execute the design.
1 hour on site (in Manhattan): $375
1 hour on site (within 1 hour distance of Manhattan): $500
1 hour on site (in city Allison traveling to in 2013, email for info): $375

Remote Design Consultation:
Email your design ideas, photos of room to design, photos of existing furniture, and floor plan to Allison.  Then schedule a 30 minute phone conference to discuss your vision and needs.  Allison will then follow up with a written plan on how to execute the design.
$300 for 2 hours.

Gift certificates will be beautifully wrapped and mailed to recipients.  Please email design@allisonhennessy.com for more information.  Happy holiday shopping!

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel

Diana Vreeland, at home in her "garden in Hell".  Photograph: Horst P. Horst, 1979.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel is a wildly entertaining and inspiring film which documents the life and work of the fashion icon.  Vreelands’s style, wit and outlandish persona are captured in a series of video interviews, most of which were filmed in her famous red Manhattan sitting room she fondly referred to as “a garden in Hell”.  These chats are intermixed with glorious fashion photography (from her reigns at Bazaar and Vogue) plus interviews (with photographers, designers, models and Vreeland’s children) which illustrate her larger than life ideas and the atmosphere that she created.  With little patience for school, much of her vision was a combination of instinct and personal exposure to beauty.  She found great excitement in looking ahead to the newest, next thing. 

Vreeland’s energy level never waned—in her seventies, her days were spent revitalizing the Met’s Costume Institute and at night, she was often spotted at Studio 54.  Her musings on everything from passion to Coco Chanel and leopards to skateboarding are sure to make you laugh and admire this vivacious style “racehorse” whose influence remains as alive as ever today.

"A world without a leopard in it - who would want to live in that?" - Diana Vreeland.

A Chat With Jeremy Corkern

Mid-century renovation by Bates Corkern Studio.  Interior design by Betsy Brown.  It was a treat to tour this amazing project with Jeremy earlier this month!

One of the best parts of working in the design world is meeting the wonderful, creative individuals who influence the industry.  Architect Jeremy Corkern of Bates Corkern Studio in Birmingham, Alabama is one of the first talents I met in the business, and one of the nicest, too.  It had been a few years since I had seen Jeremy (although it is easy to follow Bates Corkern Studio's projects in House Beautiful, Veranda, and many other magazines) so during a recent trip to Birmingham, it was great fun to chat with Jeremy about architecture, his inspirations, his favorite houses, and his recent work.

The Art of the Table - Sneak Peek!

Join me at the Bilotta showroom on Thursday evening for the unveiling of The Art of the Table!  I was thrilled when Traditional Home invited me to style one of Bilotta's stunning kitchens for this event, using dinnerware, glassware, and accessories by French brands with rich design traditions: Bernardaud, Baccarat, Christofle, and Frette.  Here is a little background on these companies and a look at some of the beautiful pieces you will see on our kitchen!

This clean and classic white kitchen by Bilotta Collection is similar to the one I am styling for The Art of the Table.

Porch Living with James Farmer

 

The antique wooden and bamboo porch furniture is rustic yet refined, in keeping with the natural surroundings.

James Farmer is an accomplished landscape and interior designer; chef; florist; author; and contributing editor for Southern Living. Talented at a young age, James was a college student when commissioned to design the flowers for an Atlanta wedding.  He used my mother-in-law's garage as his impromptu workshop, spurring a wonderful friendship that was reignited on the porch of the Cashier’s Designer Showhouse during our recent visit to North Carolina.

Better Homes and Gardens Stylemakers

Heidi Klum graces the cover of the September 2012 "Stylemaker" issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

It was great fun to attend the Better Homes and Gardens party held at Story in Chelsea.  The event was held in honor of the second annual BH and G September 2012 "Stylemaker" issue, which is packed with fresh ideas to inspire your house, wardrobe and more.  It was nice to meet some of the editors and really get to know the magazine better.  BH and G is a very user friendly magazine with lots of decorating and lifestyle ideas that are extremely attainable, no matter the size of your space or budget.  Here are a few of my favorite excerpts from the Stylemaker Issue. 

Dinner in the Garden with Michael Devine and Thomas Burak

Thomas Burak and Michael Devine, at home in their garden in Kinderhook.

Thomas Burak's chic interior design and Michael Devine's amazing hand printed fabrics are wonderful sources of inspiration. It was a delight to meet this talented duo while seated together at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Spring Gala, where we both designed tablescapes. We became fast friends and I was very excited when Michael and Thomas invited me to visit them in Kinderhook, New York.



Special Event: The Art Of The Table

 

Thank you, Traditional Home, for inviting me to participate in The Art Of The Table, a special kitchen design event hosted by Bernardaud, Bilotta and Traditional Home.  Four interior designers - Carol Brewer, Jennifer Post, Nancy J. Ruddy, and I - will each accessorize a kitchen in the gorgeous Bilotta showroom.  Styling the kitchens should be a breeze, considering the fine French companies who have generously loaned merchandise: Baccarat, Bernardaud, Christofle and Frette.  It has been a pleasure to be associated with these wonderful companies, designers and Traditional Home.  Please join us for the opening night party on October 4 at the Bilotta showroom, or check out the kitchens which will remain on display for NY Tabletop Market week. 



The Greenbrier with Carleton Varney

 

Varney and me in front of the Love Clock as featured on The Bachelorette.

A highlight from my trip to The Greenbrier was a chance to meet famous interior decorator, Carleton Varney. Varney first started coming to the Greenbrier with his mentor and former boss, Dorothy Draper, when she was decorating the hotel. Varney, now the owner of the Dorthy Draper Company, has been decorating and ‘curating’ the Greenbrier for half a century. He balances preserving the Draper vision in certain historic rooms, while decorating new spaces and properties for the ever expanding resort.

Dorothy Draper's Greenbrier

The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  The main hotel, pictured above, dates back to 1913 .

The Greenbrier offers all the luxury amenities that one could hope for in a countryside resort, but its decorating and history set it apart from anywhere else.  Guests have been coming to The Greenbrier since the 1700's and the main hotel dates back to 1913.  The Greenbrier is known as one of America's great social resorts, and was in need of a dramatic makeover after it was used as an army hospital during World War II.  That is when The Dorothy Draper Company of New York was commissioned to completely redesign the hotel.  This original assignment took two years but The Dorothy Draper Company (now owned and run by Carelton Varney) has been The Greenbrier's decorator for the past sixty five years.

The main staircase in the lobby of The Greenbrier is an example of exuberant Draper decorating.  She unexpectedly paired the historical Zuber wall mural with bright, bold colored carpet, which is grounded by simple black and white tiles.

Bunny Williams: Past, Present and Future



House in Provence, decorated by Bunny Williams. Image: www.bunnywilliams.com  

Another interesting and informative lecture I attended at the Design Bloggers’ Conference was given by Bunny Williams. I’ve heard Bunny speak on several occasions when she was launching one of her books but this talk was about how to develop as a designer and how to practice as a good designer.

ATH Interiors Voted Traditional Home Reader Favorite in Hunter Douglas Contest!

Hunter Douglas wood blinds perfectly match the wood floor stain and provide privacy for this street facing study in my projected featured in the Spring 2012 issue of TradHome.  Photo by Emily Followill.

It is such an honor to be voted Traditional Home reader's "Favorite New Trad Designer" in the Hunter Douglas Sweepstakes!  Thank you to Hunter Douglas and all the fabulous readers who voted!

Hunter Douglas produces high quality window treatments, offered in a wide array of styles, materials and price points.  Hunter Douglas is the industry leader in safe and energy efficient window treatments.  Wood blinds, woven bamboo shades and plantation shutters are a few of my favorite Hunter Douglas products!

Thank you again for this wonderful honor!

Beach Side Garden Design Quick Tips from Eric Groft

It was a pleasure to attend a lecture by accomplished garden designer Eric D. Groft, ASLA of Oehme, van Sweden and Associates, Inc.  Groft’s gardens are full of fun surprises such as secret gardens off master bedrooms.  Agelessness and timelessness are always his goals.  Here are a few of Groft's quick tips:

Snow fencing blends seamlessly into beach side landscapes.

Spring Fever Dinner Table at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala

Our tablescape at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala at Cipriani.

One of my favorite design events is the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Spring Gala benefit.  In recent years, the evening of dinner and dancing has been hosted at Cipriani on 42nd Street, which was formerly a bank and has spectacular architecture.  Each year, about fifty designers are invited to design tablescapes for the guests, and this year the tables were centered around the "Spring Fever" theme.    

For months, I had been eyeing this gorgeous hand blocked umbrella from the Indian Garden Company in London.  The name of the umbrella is "Show Stopper" and it was the perfect Spring piece to center my tablescape around, and create an intimate environment for the dinner guests.  Next, the umbrella needed some light so I found these paper lanterns and installed battery operated flicker candles inside.

Quintessence Blog's Stacey Bewkes

Stacey Bewkes, author of Quintessence blog, at the Brunschwig & Fils showroom in London.

It was an honor and delight to be nominated by Stacey Bewkes, author of Quintessence blog, for Traditional Home’s 10 New Trad Designers.  Quintessence is one of my favorite blogs so it was fun to finally meet Stacey when she wrote about the Rooms With A View showcase in Southport, Connecticut last fall.

Quintessence covers interior design, architecture, fashion, books, food and wine, travel, and more.  Stacey's well researched articles, original photography and background in the arts have made Quintessence a trusted source for all things chic.  Stacey's long standing interest in architecture began with an Art History major at Brown.  She was an art director at Simon & Schuster in Manhattan for seventeen years before moving to Connecticut with her husband and four children. She remains, in her words, a “design and style addict”.  Stacey says she loves to “read, research, write, and be inspired every day by people and their creativity”.  Dominique Browning called Quintessence one of her favorite combinations of brains and beauty.  It is visually appealing and intellectually rich, a testament to her motto “Living Well with Style and Substance”.

Stacey also writes a style column for Women’s Voices for Change, has been creative director for several web sites and was an inaugural member of the BlogTour team at the London Design Festival. 

Stacey and I both love classic modern style and great design in all aspects of life.  I’m grateful for her confidence in me and proud to be featured alongside her in the May issue of Traditional Home.

New Trads 2012!



2012 NewTrad designers and bloggers featured in the May 2012 issue of Traditional Home magazine.



Thank you to Traditional Home for including me in the group of 10 New Trads for 2012!  It is an honor to be part of such a talented group and to be nominated by the fabulous Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence blog.  The full article by Stacey and photo shoot of a recent project is featured starting on page 157 in the Spring issue TradHome, Traditional Home's online magazine.



The project was a renovation for a lovely family in Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood.  The client commissioned architects Bill Harrison and Rick Hatch of the esteemed Harrison Design Associates to redesign the floor plan of the house and add additional bedrooms to what was previously the attic.  Every foot of the house is now usable, beautiful and receives ample sunlight.  The thoughtful and speedy renovation was overseen by contractor Joe Daniels of Dovetail Homes, and paired with finishes and cabinet designs by Lyndsy Woods of L Kae Interiors. 

The work of many exceptional local craftsmen and antique dealers makes up the majority of the furnishings.  A very special thank you to:

A. Tyner Antiques

Brooks & Black

Bruce Wiley

Dan Agricola

Dave Lennard

Decorator's Helper

Fabulous Things Ltd.

Huff Harrington Home

Hyland's

International Art Properties

Joseph Konrad

Mrs. Howard

Nicholson Gallery

Don't forget to vote for your favorite NewTrad designer and a chance to win $1,000 from Hunter Douglas!  Click here to vote now: https://secure.traditionalhome.com/common/profile/regStep1.jsp?returnURL=%2Fcommon%2Fcontest%2Fmember%2Fcontest.jsp%3FregSource%3D0404%26contest%3Dtrhdesigner2012&regSource=0404&_requestid=620751



Remembering Mr. Hadley

Albert Hadley.  Photographed by Mark Hampton.

The design world has lost one of its leading influences of the 20th Century; Albert Hadley died on Saturday at the age of 91 in Nashville.  Mr. Hadley is highly admired for his innate talent, strongly grounded design principals and for the stunning yet realistic interiors which he created for many prominent figures, most of whom were fashion and style icons themselves.  Mr. Hadley's work is well documented in multiple publications spanning over half a century and in Adam Lewis's Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer.  Those who knew Mr. Hadley light up when they hear his name.  The Hadley enthusiasm is not only for his style but for the gentleman he was; impeccable manners, humility and graciousness are words frequently used to describe Hadley.  He was a beloved mentor to many of today's leading designers - Bunny Williams, Thomas Jayne and Christopher Spitzmiller to name a few.  Hadley never stopped learning and worked well into his later years; I spotted him at lectures as recently as last spring and in the D & D two years ago.  Mr. Hadley will be missed by those who knew him and by the many admirers of his work.