Author: Amy Hirsch

Favorite Things: Sofas

Sofas come in all manner of styles, and these are some of my favorites.

Sofas come in all manner of styles, and these are some of my favorites.  What makes a sofa great is attention to details such as nail heads or the turn of a leg, artfully placed tufts, the shape of an arm, or the curve of the back.  The upholstery is customizable and throw pillows add more interest, but the key is starting with that perfect sofa as the base.

1.  B & B Italia Ray Sofa  The steel base influences a modern feel.  Get closer and you can see the beautiful stitching detail.

2.  Coco Beach Sofa  The revel of the arm with the nail head trim is a great detail.

3.  Modern Chesterfield Sofa  Love the tufting detail and the slight flair on the arm.

4.  Benedict Chaise  Think about pairing two of them together.

5.  Chesapeake Sofa  The wood frame adds another dimension to this sofa.

6.  Field Bench  Love the low back and the legs with casters.

7.  Arden Sofa  The Arden Sofa features beautiful tufts that are nicely balanced by solid, chunky legs.

8.  Vicente Wolf Sofa  Another example of great lines and delicate legs.

9.  Classic Bridgewater Arm Sofa  Add tufting to the back and it changes the look dramatically!

10.  D & L Settee  Not your conventional sofa – this is so elegant.

11. Thom Filicia   Stylish structure and the platform wood base adds character.

12.  Redcraft Sofa  With deep tufting and solid legs, the Redcraft Sofa is a sumptuous piece of furniture.

Ram’s Gate Winery

I came across a spread in the June 2012 issue of Interior Design magazine featuring Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma, California, and was immediately struck by the beauty of the place.

I came across a spread in the June 2012 issue of Interior Design magazine featuring Ram’s Gate Winery in Sonoma, California, and was immediately struck by the beauty of the place.  A collaboration between designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy (of ODA Design Associates) and Backen, Gillam, and Kroeger Architects, Ram’s Gate Winery sits right at the entrance of of famed Sonoma Valley and features a stunning design worthy of its location.  It is just so beyond gorgeous, inside and out.  Diaz-Azcuy wonderfully embodied the vision of winery manager Jeff O’Neill when creating these sophisticated interiors that retain a casual, rural feel.

Merida

I recently met with a Merida sales rep and became even more impressed with what they have to offer.

Merida area rugs are a great product that have been around for a while.   They’re a solid choice for using sisal flooring and I’ve long been a fan of their sea grass carpet (even on walls!).  I recently met with a Merida sales rep and became even more impressed with what they have to offer.

Founded in 1978, Merida is committed to providing a beautiful, quality product while practicing sustainable methods and partnering with suppliers and manufacturers who share their responsible priorities.  Their headquarters are in Boston, and while some of their products are made with fibers from around the world, many of their rugs are woven at a mill in Fall River, MA.  Their products are known for being as durable as they are attractive.

Merida’s rugs are also customizable, which is something I learned when meeting with their sales representative.  Considering their reasonable price point, the level of customization is truly impressive.  Being able to make this kind of product entirely your own is a fact I really like.  The simple, natural colors and designs of many of the rugs give them all kinds of decorating possibilities.

Also exciting is Merida’s recent partnership with designer Celerie Kemble.  Her rug designs are so vibrant.  Many of them have just the right jolt of color or a very graphic pattern.  This collection “has everything from colorful flat-woven and tufted wools, intricately woven designs of sisals, chunky alpacas and textural jute.”  My personal favorite is the Catalyst line, a chevron pattern available in six different color palettes.

Here in the Greenwich area, I’d suggest going through Turabian and Sariyan for Merida products.  If you aren’t in Connecticut, Merida’s website includes a search feature for finding showrooms in your area.  You can also find Merida on Facebook and Pinterest or follow their Blog.

New York International Gift Fair

Twice a year, every year, NYC is host to the New York International Gift Fair.

Twice a year, every year, NYC is host to the New York International Gift Fair.  This fair is so huge, it can’t be contained to one venue and sprawls across Piers 92 & 94 as well as the Javits Convention Center.  This year’s fair ran from August 18-22 and included a huge range of vendors displaying new products and lines for the upcoming year.

The Gift Fair just has to be experienced in order to have an idea of the magnitude of the event, but I can tell you, I was like a bat out of hell at this year’s fair!  There’s such a crush of people, all wanting to be the first to spot that must-have, hot item or trend.  Everyone from designers to retailers flocking from vendor to vendor so that I had to suppress the urge to yell at everyone to get out of my way because I had some serious looking to do.  It’s a lot of contagious energy, creativity, and enthusiasm for the incredible world of design that just permeates the atmosphere and inspires you to see and experience everything!

This year I stumbled across some really great things at the Gift Fair.  Some of the first vendors to catch my eye were Michael Partenio and Stacy Kunstel with Dunes and Duchess.  What I love about their line is that they focused on an idea and let that idea evolve.  Dunes and Duchess creates these stunning candelabra pieces, all made in Connecticut.  Used as-is or with a shade, the pieces are substantial with great shapes and a beautiful, high lacquer with so much sheen.  The colors are beautiful, but they can customize products using your own color choices.   They also make incredible tables in almost any size that are practical but very chic!

Another aspect of the Gift Fair I love is that it’s a great source for pre-made pillows.  There are a lot of great designs without having to go the custom route and sometimes a bit of instant gratification is really nice!  I found some wonderful pillows from Design Accents and their sister company NBR Home.  From Design Accents, these cowhide pillows with a hint of gold really present well in a room.  The quality is good and the metallic hint is subtle enough to avoid being gaudy.

NBR Home offers a more upscale product with some very cool designs and colors.

I definitely went a little lamp happy at this year’s Gift Fair.  Mr. Brown, a division of Julien Chichester, has these lamps with a mid-century vibe, just really stunning pieces.  I’m a big fan of the turquoise lamp.  It has a Kelly Wearstler, high-impact feel to it.  I also love the standing lamp.  It looks like a piece of sculpture and would make a great choice for ambient light.

As for furniture, I saw some pieces I love from Design Legacy.  They have a transitional kind of furniture that is really unique.  I am head over heels for the secretary desk.  It has great height and scale and a geometry on its face that I love.  With storage and a flip down desk, it’s a wonderful piece.  I also really like the table and the chair with a nod to one of my favorite designs, the Greek key.  These pieces are an ideal way to freshen up a space.

My last find at this Gift Fair actually involves a search that started a year ago.  While at the New York Gift Fair last August, I found a product that I knew would be perfect for a client.  I was so excited about it, but I somehow misplaced the information and could not find it anywhere.  This year, I went to the Gift Fair with a mission.  I was determined to find this one product again, even while knowing my search amounted to looking for a needle in a haystack.  I knew this product would be in an area of the fair with everything from tabletop items to Christmas decor, from kids’ stuff to books.  I made my way as closely as possible to where I remembered seeing this particular product last time and finally found what I was looking for!  It was the best moment of the Gift Fair for me!  What I’d been looking for were these amazing frames from Wexel Art.  Made of plexiglass and magnets, the frames are a contemporary way to display art or photographs.  Changing the art in the frame is a quick and easy process, making it particularly suited to displaying kids’ artwork or family photos.  The frames come in all sizes, including custom measurements.  I can’t wait to use these to create a whole gallery for a client.  This time, I absolutely won’t lose the information!

Patricia Urquiola

Patricia Urquiola is an architect and designer who was born in Spain but now lives and works in Milan, Italy.

Patricia Urquiola is an architect and designer who was born in Spain but now lives and works in Milan, Italy.  Her talented design work has earned her quite a bit of recognition over the years.  Her products were selected for the Italian Design 2001 exhibition and for International Design Yearbook 1999 and 2001. In 2001 she was chair of the jury for the 19th CDIM Design Award and was lecturer in the Domus Academy. In recent years, she has received numerous awards including A&W Designer of the Year and Design Prize Cologne. In 2011 her set of glass vases All Ambiq has been exhibited at Glasstress, a collateral event of the Venice Biennale.

I first discovered the work of Patricia Urquiola during a Southampton project where I used one of her pieces — the Nub Chair.  It’s comfortable and sweet and introduced me to her other items.  I quickly became a big fan of her very cool sculptural furniture.  Her clever designs are intricate and composed of the layers I look for when designing.  Her pieces are truly works of art, showing how Urquiola is thoughtful of lines and details that never feel harsh.

Patricia Urquiola Fat Sofa

I loved the Fat Ottoman/Coffee Table – the Fat Sofa is another great piece from the same line. It looks so comfortable!

Nub Chair

We installed this Nub Chair in Southampton and it is absolutely gorgeous!  The detail on the back has an organic feel.

Canasta B Italia: Fabulous for the exterior!
Bohemian Seating Collection

The leather tufting of the Bohemian Seating Collection makes you want to cuddle up in this chair.

Vieques Agape

She even has the bath covered!  The steel tub is so chic.

Crinoline Collection

The Crinoline Collection is a wonderful blend of bronze, natural fiber and polyethylene weave.  Fabulous height – truly a sculpture.

You can follow Patricia Urquiola on Facebook .  Her posts are in Spanish, but she also features photos of her work.

Color Obsession: Gold

The metallic luster of gold is something I think of as a texture, more of an accent than an overall color.

The metallic luster of gold is something I think of as a texture, more of an accent than an overall color.  In a lamp or light fixture, gold tea leaf on a ceiling, gold brings a really beautiful, monochromatic bit of glam to a room.  Gold is  a warm, reflective way to jazz up a space and my particular choice for jewelry!

1.  Bedroom by Kelly Wearstler

2.  Beaded Handle by Collier Webb

3.  Grace Studios Metallic Wall Papers

4.  de Gournay Wall Paper

5.  Ryder Small Vintage Lamp from Arteriors

6. Zig Zag Tray

7.  Dress by Givenchy

8.  Charlotte Olympia : Lorelei Shoes

Olive Oil

We all have our go-to favorite meals for a quick dinner or a simple way to entertain guests, and mine certainly includes olive oil.

Perfect!

We all have our go-to favorite meals for a quick dinner or a simple way to entertain guests, and mine certainly includes olive oil.  An arrangement of antipasto with oil for dipping is a simple, beautiful, and delicious way to end a hot summer day or feed guests without turning on the oven or stove.  My husband and I (but especially my husband!) love to try new olive oils, so creating a simple meal with fresh foods and different olive oil varieties is something we do regularly.  Besides being good for the soul, olive oil has the added benefit of being good for your health.  Extra virgin olive oil has more monounsaturated fatty acids than other oils and also contains more polyphenols, which may have benefits for your heart.

Thelo EVOO, from Greece
Chocolate infused olive oil. I think I’m in heaven!
Ascolano Certified EVOO. Superb, award-winning quality.

Choosing an olive oil from the many varieties at the store can be a little overwhelming.  What’s the difference between virgin and extra virgin?  Do you want cold press or first press, and what about light olive oil?  Generally speaking, extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality oil, made from olives that have been pressed to extract the oil without using any chemical means.  Cold press indicates the oils have been extracted without any added heat, and first press is a rather meaningless term because olives are only pressed once.  Virgin olive oil is produced the same way as extra virgin, but with a slightly higher acid content.  For dressings and dipping, extra virgin olive oil is the way to go.  Light olive oil is lighter in color with little flavor, making it a better choice for cooking.  You don’t necessarily need to buy the most expensive olive oil to enjoy the best quality, but you do typically get what you pay for.  I’d suggest choosing a light, less expensive oil for cooking and a higher quality extra virgin olive oil for everything else.  When stored properly, away from light and heat, a bottle of olive oil will keep for about a year, so go ahead and splurge on a decent bottle!

If the thought of choosing a good olive oil is still intimidating, try looking for a shop that offers olive oil tastings.  One I keep hearing so much about and can’t wait to visit myself is Olivette in Darien, Connecticut.  Olivette carries over 20 varieties of high quality olive oils which are all available for tasting.  When you find the perfect olive oil for your needs, it is bottled for you right there in the store.  Olivette also has everything you need to complement your olive oil, such as fine balsamic vinegars, breads, olives, and other treats such as preserves, honey, and sea salts.  It’s the perfect way to experience different oils and choose the right variety for your tastes without committing to an entire bottle up front.

Olivette Tasting Room
EVOO sampling at Olivette
Gorgeous tasting area! I can’t wait to go in myself.

Do you have a favorite olive oil or a preferred way to use it?

 

Favorite Things: Mirrors

Here are some of my favorite examples of mirrors in all shapes, sizes, and styles.

Mirrors make essential home accents.  They provide reflection and lighten a space and can even make a room appear larger.  I even really like the distortion of a convex mirror!  Here are some of my favorite examples of mirrors in all shapes, sizes, and styles.

1.  JS Driftwood Mirror2.  Pampa Mirror by Edwina Hunt3.  JT Mirror by Mclain Wiesand

4.  Ramo Mirror

5.  Entwined Dolphins Wall Mirror

6.  Octagon Bullseye Mirror

7.  Starburst Mirror from Mondo Cane

8.  Bubble Mirror – Tower 20

9.  Downtown – Laurel Convex Mirror 

10.  Moxham Mirror

11.  Shell Mirror

12.  Chinoiserie Mirror

New England Home Connecticut, Summer 2012

I am so happy to have one of my projects featured in the most recent issue of New England Home Connecticut!

I am so happy to have one of my projects featured in the most recent issue of New England Home Connecticut!  This article focuses on a gorgeous new home in New Canaan, CT, built by The Kaali-Nagy Company.   The client’s beautiful and traditional home was truly deserving of a warm and sophisticated interior composed of carefully layered details.  I hope you have the opportunity to pick up the magazine to read about this project and get an up-close look at the many gorgeous photos!

Lauren Gelgor Kaplan Ceramics

I often visit Bungalow in Westport, CT, as a source for my clients, and it was during one of these shopping trips that I stumbled across some really stunning pottery.

There’s a great shop in Wesport, CT called Bungalow that offers unique furniture, antiques, home accessories, and jewelry.  I often visit Bungalow as a source for my clients and it was during one of these shopping trips that I stumbled across some really stunning pottery.  The artist behind these incredible pieces is Lauren Gelgor Kaplan.

Lauren Kaplan was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Her early creativity was heavily influenced by her grandfather’s paintings and sculptures.  She began creating her own ceramics and pottery more than 25 years ago, inspired by the surrounding African bush and native wildlife like the zebra.  Lauren spent a few years living in Europe and now lives in the United States, but her life in Africa still inspires her work.

I am just mad for this pottery!  I’ve purchased many pieces of Lauren’s beautiful art.  Each unique piece has so much texture and individuality.  They can be grouped or stand on their own as home accessories.

I’m not alone in my admiration of Lauren Kaplan’s work.  Her work has appeared in atHome Magazine, New England Home, and Westport Magazine.  She’s also recently been featured with an incredible window display at Bergdorf Goodman!