Kravet's Ronald McDonald House of Long Island

I first heard about the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island project last year when I attended BlogFest2013. BlogFest was sponsored by Kravet, one of my most favorite fabric houses. I even had the great pleasure of sitting right next to David Kravet during lunch and then touring "behind-the-scenes" at Kravet following the hoopla of BlogFest. David Kravet told me all about their collaboration with the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island, which happens to be just miles away from where I grew up.

As if I weren't a huge Kravet fan already, their level of empathy and philanthropy is overwhelming. Here are some of the rooms that were completed in Phase I of the project with the help of 30 designers. Now they are moving on to Phase II. I threw my name in the ring to work on the project. We'll see what happens- these designers certainly set the bar high!

Michael Herold

 

Amanda Nisbet

Tarasoff Interiors

Drew McGukin

Mehditash Design

Kate Singer

 

Mr. Call Designs

Eric Cohler

 Which is your favorite? 
My mind is spinning with all the wonderful Kravet fabrics I would use in a Ronald McDonald room if I am selected to participate!

Sarah Richardson at Kravet

What do you get when you combine two of my favorite powerhouses? One very happy designer.....and that is because Kravet now carries a fabric line designed by one of my absolute faves (a best friend in my head) Sarah Richardson!

 

Sarah Richardson

You TV junkies may recognize her from Design Inc or Sarah's House on HGTV. I love her down-to-earth approach to design. She makes the design process seem very approachable without down-playing the value of a professional designer. And she is absolutely gifted at working with color and mixing patterns.

When I was at BlogFest 2013 a few months ago, I had the privilege of touring the Kravet offices and I had a little sneak peek at the Sarah Richardson line.....I practically broke a sweat with excitement and grilled the Kravet peeps about the behind-the-scenes deets on Ms. Richardson....word around the office is that she is super sweet and a true pleasure to work with. Glad to hear her reputation didn't disappoint!

And here are some of the fabrics available at Kravet! If you are interested in any of these fabrics, Homestyling101 can get them for you!

Brookhaven


Hazelwood


 
Highpoint





Cottingham

Thank you Sarah for these wonderful fabrics...I already ordered my samples for an upcoming project!

BlogFest 2013: Day 1

So on Monday and Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending BlogFest2013- a conference of Interior Design Bloggers brought together for some fun, learning, networking, touring, lots of laughs (and some food and drinks...and gifts!). Over the next few posts I will share all the wonderful things I took away from this whirlwind of a time!

The first day started bright and early with an opportunity to tour the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse privately with the other bloggers (sans the public!). The Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse has been around since 1973 when it was started to benefit the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club after school programs for NYC kids. It was such a treat and truly inspiring! I took some pictures but the professional ones on the Kips Bay site are much better so here are a few teasers compliments of Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse site:

This dining room was probably one of my favorite spaces. It had laquered blue walls, yellow-ochre curtains, a deconstructed metal buffet and the one gem you can't see in this photo....a gold-leaf wallpapered ceiling that was hand-painted over. I COULD DIE! It was amazing! And the designer was in the room to greet us and she was so lovely. Kudos to Kristen McGinnis- you killed it! 

 

 Dining Room by Kristen McGinnis

 I believe this room below is the Lounge Suite by Garcia/Maldonado, Inc. It was such a gorgeous and serene sitting area. I loved the unique color combination...so pretty!

Garcia Maldonado Lounge

Here is the Master Suite compliments of one of my favorite designers, Kathryn Ireland. It was a beautiful combination of antiques and her always unique play on patterns and colors.

Master Suite by Kathryn Ireland

AMAZING Laquered powder room on the main floor.....love the play of two-toned turquoise and gold!

Foyer/Powder Room by Andrew Suvalsky Designs

I have to say- the outdoor areas in this Decorators House were unbelievable...each one more enticing than the next. I don't have a photo of the sitting area on the first floor but it was serene and sophisticated done by Nievera Williams Design....and then take a look at this....imagine bathing right outside in NYC! The fifth floor terraces featured amazing work by West Chin Architects & Interior Designers.

Fifth Floor Terrace by West Chin Architects

We were also treated to a lovely breakfast compliments of Doodle Home in this amazingly sophisticated yet rustic kitchen by Christopher Peacock. The wood can't be appreciated in the photos but those cabinets and the hardware were just divine. And Doodle Home had the most delicious breakfast set up for us to start off the day. For those readers who are designers- definitely check out Doodle Home- it is the wave of the future in how you will run your business and purchasing!

Kitchen by Christopher Peacock

After touring the beautiful Kips Bay, we headed on buses over to the Hearst offices which sit high up in NYC for a festive lunch and speaker time! Ok, you've been reading long enough...I think you've earned something....how about some HGTV goodness?

HGTV was so generous in offering the bloggers at BlogFest and our readers a 69% discount on a subscription! Just visit subscribe.hgtvmag.com - I am already a subscription but make sure you visit to be able to get your own monthly treat in your mailbox! Stay tuned for the next post on the HGTV lunch and the hilarious speakers.....

What I'm reading...Undecorate

On my last trip to the library, I happen to grab a book that I had my eye on for my design library. I love being able to preview the books through the library before adding them to my already large design library. The latest book I picked up was Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design by Christiane Lemieux.

Christiane Lemieux is the founder of DwellStudio. DwellStudio is known for their very cool style, eclectic mid-century home furnishing and mod prints in geometric and graphic patterns.

Gate Azure Pillow

Mallory Chair

While I was reading it my very enlightened six year old asked me why I would read a book called Undecorate when I spend all day helping people decorate. Curious boy. Wasn't sure how to answer this question...couldn't he have just asked where babies come from? That would have been easier.... Seriously, though- the book is about the antithesis of the "decorating process". It's the antithesis of the "act of decorating with intention". The rooms seen in design books are typically rooms that don't make sense for real life.

As Lemieux puts it:

 "Great style isn't necessarily a finished product so much as it is an ongoing process." 

As she states "These aren't flawless residences straight from the pages of some interiors magazine; these homes are imperfect and unbuttoned, a lesson in how to live whether you're a fashion designer or a dentist."

"Undecorating isn't haphazard style; it's not thought-free. It's about being guided by something other than the traditional constraints- whether it's your commitment to the environment, or your love of polka dots, or the fact that you want to feel like you're in Paris when you live in Peoria"

I wish I could share some of the beautiful interiors but you can meander over to Amazon to check out some pages inside...fun! I'll definitely be ordering this one for the coffee table....

I am also SUPER excited because on Monday and Tuesday I will be attending BLOGFEST 2013 sponsored by Kravet, HGTV among other amazing companies. It is the third annual BlogFest held for interior design bloggers- FUN! Anyone else going? These things are so much more fun when you have someone to hang with!