Over the weekend I went to the 19th annual Rooms with a View design showcase in Southport.
Over the weekend I went to the 19th annual Rooms with a View design showcase in Southport. Rooms with a View features vignettes created by twelve area designers using this year’s theme of Americanism: Timeless and Timely Design. The theme was a nod to the late Albert Hadley, the iconic designer behind the original idea for Rooms with a View. Each designer reinterpreted one of Hadley’s designs for their vignette.
Thom Felicia was honorary chairman of the event, which also included a boutique, book signings, food from local chefs, and a fashion show. The main attraction for me, of course, was the design. I love the opportunity to see what other designers are doing — it’s very inspirational and I’m always left feeling energized. Here are the vignettes I found most memorable.
Love this vignette by Christina Lake. Ski retreat — absolutely clever.Sara Gilbane: Fabric from her collaboration with Peter Fasano. Smart, well put together space.Bold and vivacious. Strong statement by designer Patrick Mele, who also collaborated with Peter Fasano on the fabric.Love the table by Christian Parkay. Leather top with zig zag contrast stitching and gradating gold dust base at the root – super sexy in an organic way.
If you made it to Rooms with a View, what was your favorite vignette?
Last week, I was happy to host New England Home’s networking event for designers, builders, and architects at my Greenwich studio.
Last week, I was happy to host New England Home‘s networking event for designers, builders, and architects at my Greenwich studio. We had a wonderful evening! My friend Stacy Kunstel – talented stylist, writer, producer, and editor – wrote a great feature about this event for the NEH blog. What a great start to a new year in my new studio.
Last Thursday night New England Home kicked off its networking events for 2014 in Greenwich at the new studio of Amy Aidinis Hirsh Interior Design. Having published Amy’s work before in our Connecticut edition, and having recognized her with a 5 Under 40 design award,* we of course expected it to be a wonderful space. I, for one, was unprepared for how much I absolutely loved this interior design studio. Here are a few photos of the space before it started to fill up with people.
Photos by Stacy Kunstel
As with her residential designs, details are so important and play such a crucial role. These cerused tables and baskets serve as stylish markers and organizational tools.
More than once during the evening I heard other designers mention how much they wished their own samples room looked like Amy’s.
Equal measures rough and glam balance the studio, such as this combination of rough-hewn beams and shimmering paper.
Check out the powder room, break room, and back hall.
Amy’s own office is just as chic.
Congratulations, Amy, on your new space, and thanks for making it such a great party!
* Editor’s note:It’s not too late to be one of 2014’s 5 Under 40 award winners—however, all nominations and supporting material are due next Monday, February 10. Click herefor more information.
Artist Nathan Sawaya builds incredible sculptures using Lego bricks.
Artist Nathan Sawaya builds incredible sculptures using Lego bricks. His art has been displayed all over the world, earning him a huge following and well-deserved praise. His current exhibit, called The Art of the Brick, is running at Discovery Times Square in New York City. The exhibit opened in June and will be on display until Jan. 5, 2014. If you have not experienced Sawaya’s art, you still have plenty of time to visit this amazing exhibit.
The Art of the Brick features various aspects of Sawaya’s work. The exhibit covers several rooms, each with a different style and theme. Visitors are first presented with Sawaya’s Lego interpretation of well-known works of art. I really feel that people tend to revert to what they’ve been shown and taught when creating, and this section of the exhibit is a great example of that. Sawaya seems to understand that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just tweak it and do it your own way. His Lego versions of masterpieces present these works of art in a new light while opening the viewers’ minds to new possibilities. Try looking at the mosaic style images from a distance rather than up close. It’s almost magical how much clearer the picture is if you take a step back.
Vermeer’s famous Girl with the Pearl Earring done as a Lego mosaic.Van Gogh’s Starry NightDancer by Degas as a Lego sculpture.
Sawaya also recreates significant works from antiquity. It’s difficult to appreciate the scale of these life-sized sculptures unless you can view them in person. The design of the exhibit lets you walk around each sculpture, looking closely from all angles. It’s impossible to avoid wondering how long it took for Sawaya to build each piece or how he is able to recreate his vision with nothing other than the same small plastic bricks you can buy at any toy store. He does not use any custom pieces or colors for his artwork.
Easter Island Moai, life size.Bust of NefertitiClassic Greek sculpture; I really love the vase.
Some of Nathan Sawaya’s most well-known Lego sculptures are his original pieces that illustrate his thoughts on human life and feelings. These sculptures are so pure and lifelike. The engineering that goes into these sculptures is just unbelievable. I love how the lighting around the sculptures is part of the art as well. This area of the exhibit showcases a different aspect of Sawaya’s art.
This sculpture of a woman swimming has fantastic lighting.Love the scale of these figures.Another figure with so much life.
I think it’s no surprise that an artist who works with Legos would have a playful side. Many of the pieces show this and make it clear that while Nathan Sawaya takes art seriously, he is also appreciative of the playful roots of his favorite medium. After being impressed, amazed, and made to think by Sawaya’s art, you are made to wonder and smile. Visitors of all ages can enjoy and appreciate this unique exhibit.
A very large T Rex is both fun and impressive.A portrait of Andy Warhol done in Lego.
To learn more about Nathan Sawaya as well as see other examples of his Lego artwork, visit his website. You can also find him on Facebook. For tickets to The Art of the Brick at Discovery Times Square, click here.
I am so excited to be a part of a great event, happening tonight.
I am so excited to be a part of a great event, happening tonight. Sponsored by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, this cocktail party marks the unveiling of the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Fall Collection. The party will feature three Connecticut lifestyle vignettes, one of which I created.
At the event tonight, I will be sure to take photos and plan on sharing them here. There will also be an editorial on the event in the November issue of CT&G, so keep an eye out for that as well!
With the start of Spring this week, the 11th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens is a must see.
With the start of Spring this week, the 11th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens is a must see. The beauty of the orchids, one more exotic than the next, is a fascinating experience to behold.
A glimpse of what the Orchid Show has to offer.
The show, which runs from March 2 to April 22, 2013, is a spectacular exhibit that displays thousands of orchids in the country’s largest curated show. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has been transformed into a lush rainforest where the orchids are displayed in an amazing array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. Tens of thousands of blooms stand out amid stately palms and exotic tropical leaves.
This year they have incorporated into the show Hurricane Sandy storm damaged trees as a design element and an acknowledgement of how orchids grow in the wild. The New York Botanical Gardens has orchids from all over the world, there are more than 7,000 orchids representing 3,075 different varieties in their collection.
The Orchid Show aims to display these gorgeous flowers as they would grow in the wild.
There also are special programs you can attend, including orchid care demonstrations, talks, and tours, to name a few. Located in the Bronx, New York, it is well worth a trip to experience the Orchid Show. Enjoy more photos of these mysterious flowers!
Darwin’s Star Orchid
This year’s show includes a rare event — the Darwin’s Star Orchid in bloom. The Botanical Garden rarely gets to share this flower with visitors while it is in gorgeous full bloom. Visitors often look for this flower, not only because of its elegant beauty but because of its associate with Charles Darwin. Legend has it, Charles Darwin was sent one of these orchids. When he examined it, Darwin theorized there must be an insect with a long proboscis capable of reaching the nectar at the bottom of this long, narrow flower and, in the process, enabling the orchid to be pollinated. No such insect could be found, however, and many scientists ridiculed Darwin for his unsupported theory. It wasn’t until decades later that a hawk moth fitting Darwin’s exact description was found to be drinking from and pollinating these orchids late at night when their activity had been completely unobserved. Darwin’s Star Orchid turned out to be a perfect example of co-evolution.
Black Buddha cross with SpellboundThe Nun’s Habit
To learn more about the show and its special programs or to plan a visit, go to the New York Botanical Garden website or find them on Facebook.
