Pumpkin Season....

 

Ahhhhhh.... fall.  The leaves start to change colors, the days get cooler, and PUMPKINS are everywhere. 

Sooooooo excited!

I am an equal opportunity pumpkin fanatic.  Real ones, glass ones, fake ones, grapevine ones, and even green glitter ones....

Love me some pumpkins!

A couple of wkends ago near Wilmington, NC, one of the local churches - Wesley Memorial United Methodist - was hosting their annual pumpkin patch fundraiser.  Of course, I had to stop on my way back from the beach.  And... they get some serious props for staging! 

 

 

This past weekend, I was able to have brunch with my mom in Asheville.  And, guess what the Grove Park Inn had on display at the front entrance..... pumpkins!

 

 

 

And, don't think that this is a new love affair.  Oh, no!  This is a long-term relationship.  In fact, a ceramic pumpkin from my childhood is proudly displayed in the master bedroom.

 

 

 

Sadly, I am completely inept at carving those little orange beauties.  Fortunately, Coastal Living and Southern Living have some great carved pumpkin displays for our enjoyment.

 

http://www.coastalliving.com/homes/decorating/pumpkin-carving-00414000076436/

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/holidays-occasions/halloween-pumpkins-00400000054772/

 

 

Of course, there are lots of other pumpkin ideas for the holidays.

 

 

Pumpkin luminaries...

 

Grapevine pumpkins with lights...

www.potterybarn.com

 

 Pumpkin window boxes...

Glass pumpkins....

www.wisteria.com

 

And, perhaps a pumpkin wreath......

 

 

So, happy pumpkin season!!!!  Hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.  

 

 

...finally!

Josie's new upholstered headboard

 

 

After months of discussion, Josie's new headboard was installed, yesterday.  Thank GOD!

 

I've been hearing about that silly thing.... for years. 

 

In all honesty, I think that the final result is great.  Though the plan is to reupholster the plaid chair and to find another ottoman or bench for the end of the bed, the overall look of the room is certainly coming together. 

 

A few of her design sources include:

1.  Headboard:  Custom, 64 inch, herringbone pattern, off white chenille with brushed nickel nail heads from Carol Fuller in Charlotte

2.  Sheets: Sferra

3.  Comforter/shams: Legacy home

4.  White sham: Ralph Lauren

5.  Lamps: Carolina Pottery

6.  Side table: vintage

7.  Juju hat:  www.snobstuff.com

8.  Curtains: Green Dupioni silk, hidden rod pocket

 

 

And, a little side note....

 

Historically, my nemesis has been patten matching.  How in the world do you manage to have a room with stripes, checks, solids, and florals without it looking like a hot mess? 

 

Well, here is an easy trick.  To figure out patterns, take a photo of the space and convert it to black and white.  As you can see, the concept of multiple patterns in Josie's guest room actually works very well.  (Shhhhh....don't tell her!)  While it won't help determine a color palate, it certainly helps to see that multiple patterns can exist in a space without competing with each other. 

See... that litte trick works like a charm. 

 

 

Josie and yours truly at the NC Outer Banks a few months ago. 

 

 

 

Congrats on the new room, Josie!  

Designing for the masses...

Missoni for Target Ad

 

MISSONI for Target 

A year or so ago when Missoni paired with Target to provide a line of affordable Italian-inspired products, the result was spectacular.  Not only did it sell out within a couple of weeks but it also crashed the Target website. 



Despite being a fairly savy shopper, my Missoni boxes were purchased from... eBay.   They had completely vanished from the stores within 8 hours.  Grumble!

Missoni boxes for Target

  

 

Anyway, over the past few months several notable designers have started creating home goods for mass distribution.  Poof-be-gone to those, "For the Trade ONLY" signs.  These .... are widely available at very reasonable price points. 

 

 

NATE BERKUS for Target

 

Nate Nate for Target

photo from www.NYTimes.com

 

Oprah loved Nate and we do, too.  A great sense of style without being overly "decorated" probably best describes the Berkus philosophy.  In a couple of weeks, Target will be featuring his newest line of home goods.  Here are my favorites.

 

I absolutely LOVE this yellow tortoise shell.

Both the shell and the lamp are available from Target on October 20, 2012

 

 

 

NOVOGRATZ for CB2



http://www.cb2.com/landing/

www.thenovogratz.com/

  

In all of their "free time," Courtney and Robert Novogratz not only host a show on HGTV, manage to raise a house full of kids, and run a NYC design firm, but they have also managed to create a line of products for Crate and Barrel 2  (CB2).  The aesthetic is definitely Novogratz quirky with a little nod to family. 

 

 



 JONATHAN ADLER for Kohler

Annapolis Blue sinks from Jonathan Adler

http://www.us.kohler.com/us/KOHLER-Colors-Featuring-Jonathan-Adler-for-the-Kitchen/content/CNT14600013.htm

 

 

Jonathan Adler has taken his funky color palate to the kitchen and bathroom.  With his new line for Kohler, sinks come in myriad of colors including Piccadilly Yellow, Palermo Blue, Annapolis Navy, and Greenwich Green. 



Greenwich Green sinks by Jonathan Adler for Kohler

 

 

 

THOM FILICIA for One Kings Lane and Kravet

 

Gifts for the Home by Thom Filicia featured on One Kings Lane

https://www.onekingslane.com/sales/12390

 

 

Though his initial claim to fame was "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," Thom Filica has been busy creating everything from fabric to gifts for the home.  Depite being a delightfully colorful character on TV, his designs are actually fairly traditional. 

 

Euclid Ink, Contemporary Fabric by Thom Filica

http://www.decoratorsbest.com/prod-30767_516-222023.aspx

 

 

And, the list goes on.   Candice Olson has a wonderful line of furniture through Norwalk.  Genevieve Gorder created bedding ensembles for QVC.   And, Vern Yip has developed a home decor line exclusively for HSN. 

 

So, on this beautiful fall weekend, get out there and shop.  Its not... "just for the trade" anymore.  

 

 

 



Trees..... as art???????

Graft by Roxy Paine

 

 

A couple of months ago while in DC for a continuing education meeting, one of Roxy Paine's tree sculptures was on display in the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden.  Though it was a dreary afternoon, the tree was mesmerizing.  I'm fairly certain that waited at least 10 minutes for all of the people to get out of the way in order to take this photo. 

 

But... where have I seen THIS before????  Well, not this exact tree - it IS part of the permanent collection at the National Gallery - but something similar.  

 

Ding.  Lightbulb moment. 

 

Raleigh, North Carolina, and New York City.

 

Last November, the North Carolina Museum of Art, in Raleigh, was hosting a traveling Rembrandt exhibit.  And, for whatever reason, it was my first trip to the museum. 

 

 

In the gardens surrounding the museum, also known as the museum park, there was..... a metal tree sculpture.  I dug thru the photos on my phone and found this!

 

Askew by Roxy Paine, NC Museum of Art, Raleigh

 

 

And.... several years ago, she had done an installation on the roof of the Met in New York.

 

Maelstrom by Roxy Paine, The Met Museum, NYC

So, the logical question that you are probably asking is:  Why is this a blog topic, today?

Well, this past weekend, New York City was the destination for a wedding.  Getting to the Big Apple had been a complete cluster.....  Tired, irritated, and grumpy, I arrived first at the Intercontinental Hotel at Times Square.  And, there was an amazing tree sculpture on view just through the lobby windows. 

Wonder if Roxy Paine created it????  Ok, iPhone... do your thing. 

Interestingly, the answer was... NO. 

Because her stainless steel trees have been exhibited nationally and internationally, her price point has become increasingly elevated.  Most of Ms. Paine's trees sell for around $2.5 million. 

Back at The Intercontinental Hotel, the goal was LEED green certification.  Consequently, the design staff was trying to obtain as many things locally as possible.   Though Ms. Paine lives and works in Brooklyn, the concern was that she utilizes new materials for her sculptures. 

Enter stage right.... Josh Hadar.  (Sorry, had to get in at least one Broadway reference.)

Josh Hadar of Hadar Metal Designs designed the tree in the hotel lobby. While he is probably best known for his custom bicycles....

Christy Lynn bicycle by Josh Hadar

http://hadarmetaldesign.com/gallery-christy_lynn.php

 

 

...his early work focused on reclaimed building materials and broken bicycle parts.  As a result, he was commissioned by the Intercontinental Hotel for an environmental installation using recycled materials. 

 

Here are some photos from HIS website regarding the install. 

 

 

http://hadarmetaldesign.com/

 

And, the final result that welcomes hotel visitors...... amazing!!!!!   This was one of my absolute favorite photos from the trip. 

Trees by Josh Hadar, Intercontinental Hotel Times Square, NYC

 

 

Not only is the tree with the red backdrop stunning, but his prices are also much less stratospheric in nature.  Commissioned works range from $25,000 to $65,000. 

 

So... I guess that trees CAN be art!