NY Now Re-cap Part 1..Plus a giveaway!

So it took a week (or two) but I'm finally back at my computer to do some re-caps of NY Now: the Market for Home + Lifestyle. It was a great market filled with amazing vendors and products- in fact there is just too much to highlight in one post so I am going to share some of my favorite finds over the course of the week(s)!

 

Javits Center NYC

Since I arrived in the city a little early, I decided to walk across town to the Javits Center. I cut right through the Fashion District, where I spent a lot of time while studying at FIT, so it was nice to wander around those streets for a little while. There is such great energy there- you can feel the creative juices flowing all around...and you just never know what you're going to see there!

 And you thought you would only see this in the 80's...but in NYC nothing is a surprise!

One of my first stops at the Javits was to the Go Home Ltd. booth. I just love this company- they have such unique products. I feel like their style is a great blend of rustic, industrial and sophisticated all rolled into one!

Go Home Ltd. Display at NY Now

 Thank you Go Home Ltd. for this Mercury Glass deliciousness!

What can I say....Gorgeous Go Home Ltd!

My second must-see was the Dash & Albert booth. I just can't get enough of these rugs and have used them on so many projects. Their colors are spot-on...their patterns are current yet classic and the quality and workmanship is just amazing. In fact, they  have some rugs that can be hosed down and bleached! These are great for my clients with homes filled with kids and dogs.

Sorry, I didn't get great shots of the rugs  (visit their site for that www.dashandalbert.com) ...but I did snag a shot of this new product (can you tell they are a dog-friendly company?) called the WAMP. Its an amazing ramp for doggies! Must get one for Fergie so she doesn't hurt her knee getting on and off our high bed!

Now this I wouldn't mind next to my bed!

Then off to Two's Company. The Two's Company booth is like the mecca for accessories. Their booth was so unique- it just seemed to draw a crowd...plus they were giving away free tote bags and everybody loves freebies:) Their product and displays were stunning.

Two's Company

Do I spy more mercury glass? And look at the back wall- that is so achievable on any budget! You don't have to spend tons of money on a large mirror- buy less expensive small ones and group them together. Love.

Brilliant.

Next week I'll share some of my great vendor finds from NY Now- companies that I just discovered for the first time. And there were lots of them!

After NY Now, I walked over the the HGTV Magazine's Blogger's Block Party. This was an all-day event dedicated to blogging, tweeting and crafting. There were some great crafting projects going on, and some amazing refreshments, too! Thank you HGTV for always supporting us bloggers when we are out in the trenches!

Loved their display of front doors...for those of you who read HGTV Mag you know that they feature a front door every month in the magazine- unique colors, numbers, styles, etc...one of my favorite regulars because it shows how creative you can be in the details of your home! (For those of you who don't read HGTV Magazine, I'm done speaking with you until you get yourself a subscription! And HGTV is not sponsoring this post...just love the mag:)

While there were presentations going on all day, I was there for the Kitchen Art DIY presentation. Sara Peterson (my BFF in my head...you know when you feel like you know someone- but you don't- and you feel like you could be BFFs if only you did know each other..well, Sara Peterson, the Editor-in-Chief at HGTV Magazine is one of those BFFs in my head.)

Anyway, Sara, along with one of her fabulous craft editors, demonstrated three different DIY projects to create your own kitchen art. Here is a picture of my favorite art created at the event but you can find all the deets in the September issue of HGTV Magazine. Can you believe this is just an Ikea frame, some wooden spoons painted with craft paint and some linen fabric glued to the mat! GENIOUS!! Love this one! But be sure to go to the September issue-its all about kitchens!

Blurry iPhone photo of my girl, Sara Peterson showing off some DIY kitchen art!

There is another great piece they demonstrated using a blank canvas, some paper napkins and stencils on their site. Very cool stuff!

You can check out step-by-step at HGTV Mag.

If you've made it all the way here to the end...I commend you. I think you should get a prize or something. Maybe I'll give away a copy of the September issue of HGTV magazine! To enter just follow me on Twitter here or Facebook here or subscribe to the blog. Then leave a comment on this post telling me what you did to enter. The winner will be selected randomly. You have until 9/10 to enter. I believe this is the longest post I've ever written....thanks for staying with me...more to come on NY Now once I've recovered from writing this monster post!

 

NY NOW, The Market for Home + Lifestyle and the HGTV Blogger Block Party!

Getting out early this morning on the Metro North headed into NYC for a super exciting trade show: NY Now, the Market for Home + Lifestyle at the Javits Center. This trade show is open to the trade, including designers, buyers, retailers, press, etc and features over 100,000 products and 2,800+ exhibitors. Let's just say I'll be wearing my comfy shoes!

And as if that isn't enough excitement (because it is!) I am also going to head over to HGTV's FIRST EVER Blogger Block Party! Yes, I know....I love my job! This is an all-day event dedicated to meeting, tweeting and crafting! And I have experienced an HGTV event before when I attended BlogFest 2013 and boy can they host an event! Love me some HGTV!

Join me tomorrow for my first re-cap of the things I loved most at NY Now, the Market for Home + Lifestyle and for some dirty deets on the HGTV FIRST EVER Blogger Block Party! Or, if you just can't wait that long, follow me on Twitter for instant updates or Instagram (Homestyling101)...I promise I'll accept your request! Get ready for some pretty things!!

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!

Re-Upholstering the World...One Piece at a Time...

Yes. I know. Dramatic title. But that is how I feel when I venture down the road of re-upholstery with a client. Re-upholstering isn't for the light-hearted.

It isn't inexpensive...the options are endless...but the results....well...they can be just so out of this world!

Here is a piece that one of my clients needed help with.  See it all the way back there...the one armed-chaise. First question: re-upholster or replace? First I scoured the market for comparable pieces.... they were a few out there in a wide-price range. Some were out of the price range and the less expensive versions cost about as much as re-upholstering. Since this was a good, sturdy piece, we decided to go for the re-upholstery.

Another shot:

Now that we made the decision to re-upholster- we were on to fabric....fun! The client has some cats....they like to scratch...shocking. We were looking for a fabric that could with-stand the mighty claws, and still add something to the room. So we went old-school on the fabric choices and took a fork to them to see how they held up. We narrowed it down to two. Next test...and this can be the hardest one of all: the husband test. In my experience husbands fear two things in fabrics: pattern and price. Thankfully, our favorite fabric passed the husband test, too! Here it is: A gorg pattern from Duralee:

Off to the re-upholsterer we went and we ended up with this beauty:

Another a beauty shot:

Success all around...unless, of course, you are my client's cats!

What to do under the console table...

So one in one of my projects I put a super simple console table in the entry way. On top of the console table there are two teal lamps and a stunning nickel sunburst mirror. Great. Symmetrical. Colorful. Done.

Now what to do underneath? Not to say that you have to do something underneath but I feel like this space could use a little extra dimension....particularly under the table. Besides, there are two unsightly chords hanging down from those lamps....lets get shopping for under the console table!

This is a nice deep console table...and a cozy little ottoman underneath...nice option!

Contemporary Entry by New York Interior Designers & Decorators Glenn Gissler Design

Here is a slimmer console with two cubes underneath...cute and keeping the symmetry!

Contemporary Dining Room by Glasgow Interior Designers & Decorators The Couture Rooms

Now this is a very cool eclectic idea....a nice mix of vases...a bit unexpected but very pretty!

Contemporary Entry 

I'm loving this idea...a leaning piece of artwork and some sculpture. So pretty and it draws your eye to an otherwise uninteresting part of the room....love it!

Traditional Entry by Tiburon Interior Designers & Decorators Cecilie Starin Design Inc.

And how about a big ole basket underneath?

Beach Style Entry by Marblehead Interior Designers & Decorators Molly Frey Design

And of course, the most obvious choice, a sweet little pup!

 

Contemporary Living Room by San Francisco Architects & Designers Nick Noyes Architecture

Ok, now I am inspired...I have some ideas of what I'm going to propose to the client...let's see what wins!

Seek and Yee Shall Find

Thank you so much for the oodles of excitement you all shared with me yesterday over my new project. I am elated and excited to share the journey with all of you!

Right now at the shop, we are transitioning from W Antiques to Lexington Decor: the inventory, the image, the mindset. One of the biggest challenges is the overwhelming amount of inventory. Here is a shot when you walk in (these pics were taken a few months ago so some things have changed.)

 Oh yes...there is a LOT of stuff....very interesting and unique stuff...and did I mention a LOT of it? The problem is, many people can't take it all in...and they probably miss many wonderful things because there is such an abundance. Here are a few more shots....

You see what I mean....layers upon layers....of treasures!

And here is one more shot to whet your appetite!

And just to give you an idea..this is only half of the FIRST ROOM. There are THREE MORE ROOMS! Yes, people, take an hour lunch break...or two!

And that is why our motto is:

Shop. Explore. Discover

My New Project for 2014

 Good Morning! Yes, it has been months since my last blog post. I think I am realizing that I am not that good at multi-tasking once my tasks exceed about 100! The fall/winter was really very busy with clients (thankfully!) as everyone wants their projects completed or near completion by the holidays. Plus I started a brand new, very exciting project!

This new project is a business endeavor I have long dreamed about and it is so exciting (frightening) to have a shot at it. And here it is:

It is a home decor retail store!

Ok, so here is what the project entails....the store already exists. It is currently called W Antiques...but when you walk through the doors you will see it carries SO much more than antiques. The owner, Luigi, my business partner, runs high-end estate sales throughout Westchester County and from those, he acquires some amazing inventory on consignment. The pieces in the store are a mixture of antique and unique consignment  pieces. It is like a treasure hunt every time you come through the store which makes it so exciting...and quite a destination! 

However, there are a few things holding W Antiques back from being one of the most successful home decor stores in Westchester. First: the name. The store is way more than antiques and the name only attracts patrons attracted to antiques. Hence, the new name: Lexington Decor since we are located on Lexington Avenue in Mount Kisco. Do you like the new logo above? It was done by an uber-talented designer Julia Salerni. Brilliant!

The Second challenge: the interior merchandising. Due to the constant change in inventory and unique items, the merchandising has been a challenge. We have been putting in lots of work to pull the store together to make it more shopper-friendly. We are also going to start introducing some new inventory to compliment the antique/consignment pieces. It is going to be AMAZING!

Here is the current exterior...not much going to change here except signage and window displays!

So now, besides my design work and design-related posts, I'll be chronicling the exciting journey of Lexington Decor with all of you on the blog! Tomorrow I''ll be posting some shots of the interior of the store so we can track the progress......and in the meantime, if any of you are local and want to stop in, please do!

Lexington Decor, 342 Lexington Avenue in Mount Kisco, NY. 

We'd love for you to come digging for treasures!