Greenwich Archives - Page 24 of 26

The Local Vault: Interview with Amy Hirsch

I recently sat down with Local Vault for an interview and as a guest curator.

The Local Vault is a really cool marketplace in Greenwich that buys and sells pre-owned local decor while also showcasing the talent of area artists and vendors. They specialize in bespoke furniture as well as unique vintage finds, all of which is carefully curated by an expert staff. I recently sat down with Local Vault for an interview and as a guest curator. Here is that interview along with my curated product choices. Hope you enjoy!

Interview with Amy Hirsch

thelocalvault

Here at the Local Vault we have been so inspired by the surge of fabulous items we have in stock this Summer, that to showcase them, we have a brand new website we couldn’t be more excited to share!

To celebrate the launch of our new site, we sat down with one of our all time favorite interior designers, Amy Hirsh, to talk personal style, the zen element of her office that she can’t live without and find out her must have item this Summer.

But we couldn’t just stick to talking when we could be shopping with Amy! We invited her to shop our current collection and here she shares her top picks. From chic silver modern lamps in the Bauhaus style to a stunning rare pair of vintage Edward Wormley for Drexel Lounge Chairs circa 1947, we think you will love Amy’s selections as much as we do.

Antique Sofa with Wood Frame

Crackled Celadon Gourd Lamp

Jax Cocktail Table by Lucy Smith

TLV: What is the best piece of advice that has impacted your life as a designer?

AH: Total communication and transparency with a client. It’s important to have a healthy understanding between the two parties. The more information a client can convey allows for a better design journey. As well for myself and my team to be realistic with the expectations of the client. You never want to kill the spirit of design, it’s an intimate process so the more open and as much information provided is best.

Verellen Dark Grey Suede Ottoman with Wood Base

Quadrille Pillows Set of 2

Niermann Weeks Beaton Mirror

TLV: What architect or style of architecture are you most drawn to?

AH: Lately, I find myself looking at Australian architecture – the architecture is more modern, streamlined yet still holding core traditional roots. Urban, open spacial plans connecting the land to the interior of the house.

Vintage Art Deco Klismos Style Black Chair Pair

The Rug Company Karsan Sui Taupe Wool Rug

Decorative Box Set of 3

TLV: What is the essential element of any room?

AH: The foundation of a room – especially with well executed architecture, even in the simplest form. The backdrop is so critical for making a room work properly. We provide so many layers to a room it is important to understand scale, proportion and circulation of the spaces.

Leather Dessin Fournir Barrel Chair Set

Bauhaus Style Silver Plate Floor Lamp Pair

Wool Overdyed Rug

TLV: What are some ways people can quickly update their houses for summer?

AH: I love inserting light cashmere throws – they are great for cool nights. Plus, it is a good way to add color without feeling as if you have to keep it. Pillows are the other easy fix – a light weight linen for the summer can change the mood completely. For the kitchen, new table settings, wine glass or pool bar ware – let me tell you the things you will find at home goods! I absolutely love my new lavender wine glasses!

Rare Vintage Edward Wormley for Drexel Lounge Chairs

Chin Hua Ordos Cocktail Table from Century Furniture

Circle 1 by Martin Pelenur

TLV: What item or element of design in your home makes you most happy?

AH: At this moment I am in a temporary situation so the thought of a new home makes me happy. When I am at my studio, I have a beautiful accent wall of 10” wide walnut planks. They are bare with a hint of stain applied and nothing is hung on top of them, they are a true form of art and always bring me peace.

Niedermaier Tiffany Chair

Christian Liaigre for Holly Hunt Dining Table

Round Zebra Mirror

TLV: How would you describe your personal style?

AH: I like to think that I am very simple, tailored but with a bit of an edge. Personally, I am influenced by Alexander McQueen and Helmut Lang on the fashion front.

TLV: Do you have any design rules you follow?

AH: There is no true formula or rule I follow. To be honest, I always follow my intuition and gut instinct – it never fails. When something is unsettling with in, it just means I have to keep working on the space or selections.

Greenwich based Amy Hirsch of Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design is known for her innovative take on furnishings and materials and her understanding and expert execution of architectural detail.

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Design Dose

Progression of one space to another.

Outdoor Furnishings

As we start my favorite season of the year and total summer bliss begins, remember that the exterior of your home is one of the most important spaces.

Happy summer! As we start my favorite season of the year and total summer bliss begins, remember that the exterior of your home is one of the most important spaces. When making outdoor furniture selections, it’s always best to prepare in the winter and early spring months while the chill is still in the air. We have been installing so many exterior spaces in the past few weeks and the components have been mostly modular. These are great since you can configure the pieces in so many different ways, making the most of your exterior layout.

modern retailers — Patio furniture from Modern Retailers

Muubs Rockefeller Teack Fiber Concrete table — Muubs Rockefeller Teak Fiber Concrete Table

This year, I’m seeing a lot of comfortable pieces like daybeds, swings, and rockers in a mix of materials. So many companies came out with total eye candy – it can be hard to pare down selections when there are so many great choices. Rockers are big this year, particularly comfortable, modern rocking chairs.

canasta daybed walters wicker — Canasta Daybed from Walters Wicker

west elm huron lounge chair — West Elm Huron Lounge Chair

Walters Wicker Omega Curved Sofa — Omega Curved Sofa from Walters Wicker

SWINGREST Hanging lounger dedon — Swingrest Hanging Lounger, Dedo

mbrace dedon rocking chair — Mbrace Rocking Chair, Dedon

hanging lattice chair Patricia Urquiola — Patricia Urquiola Hanging Lattice Chair

I also like in incorporate outdoor lamps to bring an unexpected element and encourage the idea of bringing the inside out. Heaters are another great addition to an exterior. They look whimsical but have a purpose and really do a lot to extend the use of your outdoor space.

sutherland furniture outdoor lamps — Outdoor Lamps from Sutherland Furniture

kindle living — Outdoor heaters from Kindle Living

There are so many possibilities with the different lines of outdoor furnishings. Pieces can be customized with a range of materials, finishes, and fabrics. How would you design your ideal backyard retreat and a true extension of your home’s interior?

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Design Dose

The art of mirrors.

Design Dose

Summer spirit.

Serendipity: Women in Business

I’m really proud to be part of Serendipity Magazine’s Women in Business feature.

I’m really proud to be part of Serendipity Magazine’s Women in Business feature. It’s humbling to be included in this group of inspiring and talented businesswomen! You can see the full editorial in the June 2016 issue. Enjoy!

Dining Room: Before and After

While this dining room was a good size and had some nice features, it lacked a cohesive, finished design.

Last week, I shared some before and after photos of a library we designed for a client. Today’s before and after features another room in that same home — this time, the dining room. Like the library, the dining room needed a facelift to brighten and update the space. While the dining room was a good size and had some nice features, it lacked a cohesive, finished design.

While the dining room provided proportionate and generous space for large gatherings, the overall feel of the room started to look dark and dim compared to the adjacent rooms which echoed a whiter, brighter approach.

We were so lucky to have a great dining table which remained untouched. We reupholstered the Rose Tarlow dining chairs in a simple linen. Our objective was to eliminate the purple and green palette that saturated the room. A custom white plaster was applied to the walls and the pine mantel was painted a white to match the existing trim. The plaster adds a more modern edge and allows texture within the space. The window treatments became unified with a beautiful wool fabric for both the roman and drapery panels. The drapery hardware is understated, yet the contrast of the nickel rings adds the right amount of detail to the space.

Lighting is jewelry to any space, and these pieces are so impressive in scale that they finish the room properly. Initially, the custom chandelier was allocated for another space within the house, but sometimes an unexpected surprise turns into a happy reallocation!

The existing console table and mirrors remained, but we added the braided sisal rug, modern art, and ceramic lamps. The natural light filtered throughout the dining room adds a whisper of grace; the finished room has such presence now.

To see more photos of our design projects, visit my website or my Houzz profile.

Meet the Design Market Digest 2016 Honorees

I’m very excited to be a Serendipity Design Market Digest Honoree!

I’m very excited to be a Serendipity Design Market Digest Honoree! Tonight is the cocktail celebration for this year’s Design Market Digest and I am really looking forward to it. I’d like to thank Serendipity for this great write up by Amy Levin Epstein about my approach to interior design and why I was chosen as this year’s Honoree.

Meet the Design Market Digest 2016 Honorees: Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design

by Amy Levin Epstein

When the founder of Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design, LLC, takes on a new project, she first reflects on a home’s past. “Every house has a history or a story, even if it is brand new. The architecture is my primary focus, as well as the land which the house is nestled in,” says Hirsch. She will examine the details, from paneling to wood flooring to original ceiling treatments, and identify ways to enhance them. With the house in these photos, she focused her work around existing water views. “Everyday is a changing back drop so I wanted to embrace the interior, capture moments of the exterior, yet add a bit of femininity which reflects the home owner,” says Hirsch.

“To be surrounded by the view of Long Island Sound and the marsh—what’s not to love?” says Hirsch.

The designer’s path started as a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, where many of her professors were architects rather than designers. “I feel my foundation was more structured than a painterly, artsy approach,” says Hirsch. Even then, she had her eye on building her brand. “I always knew I wanted to own my own business, but never thought it would happen so fast.”

Comfortable sofas are covered in a sage green mohair and paired with a durable extra large coffee table.

Hirsch is well known in Fairfield and Westchester counties, as well as farther flung locales like Boca Raton and Montana, for her style, which she describes as “tailored and masculine, subtle and unexpected.” Those unique characteristics take time to pull together and Hirsch says she makes it a priority to speak with new clients about realistic timelines. “This is an investment and should be about the longevity, not about instant gratification. The creative process has to be organic and fluid. Everyone is excited, however, the process needs time to curate,” says Hirsch.

Elegant place settings from Hoaglands of Greenwich

Part of the process, of course, is inspiration—and Hirsch finds it everywhere. “I believe you have to be open and sensitive to every sensation you encounter. I take so much from the architecture, land and the client,” says Hirsch. “They are the initial start to the entire process.”

Brass accents create a chic lounge area in the master bedroom.

Listening to those clients, says Hirsh, is ultimately paramount. “If I am not listening, then the clients’ expectations will not be met. It’s simple: The design should not be about the interior designer and her style, it has to be a reflection of the clients and their needs,” says Hirsch. “It’s critical to pay attention to simple things a client says at any given moment.”

Trowbridge Gallery embroidered prints hang above the breakfast bar.

While she particularly loves working on second homes—“the design is more liberating and you may do things differently then you would in your primary house”—her dream project would be her own, “a home which is expressive of myself and my family.” This future endeavor, she says, will be a compilation of all that she has seen and done in her illustrious career. “I see so many beautiful things in the world and it will be interesting to see how I edit and focus on the right selections from the ground up,” says Hirsch. “You would think it would be easy—but I think it will be the most challenging of projects yet.”

Speed round with Amy Aidinis Hirsch

One word that describes you: Edgy

Your top design tip: Push the envelope.

What you’d do, if not in the design world: Fashion or photography

Favorite restaurant in the area: Winfield’s—but you need a ferry to get there!

Favorite cocktail: Margarita with lots of salt

People would be surprised to know: I love art deco.

A home should be filled with: Laughter

Favorite room in your home: We are house hunting—so I will let you know!

What you enjoy most about your work: Creative independence

Best design book: ABCDCS: David Collins Studio, by David Collins

Save the Date!

You’re invited to a cocktail recption celebrating our 4th annual 2016 Design Market Digest. Meet industry experts and the 2016 Design Market honorees, designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch and architect Douglas VanderHorn.

Wednesday, May 11th from 6:30p.m. to 8:30p.m at Lillian August, Greenwich, CT with Marcia Selden Catering

RSVP to events@ungerpublishing.com

Splatter

I had an idea for a Pollack-like, splatter look for a client’s wall that was inspired by some very cool splatter designs I’d been seeing.

I’m often fascinated by what comes up during the course of a project. I had an idea for a Pollack-like, splatter look for a client’s wall that was inspired by some very cool splatter designs I’d been seeing. I like how the splatter can be condensed or loose.

Splatter ceiling. Design by Kelly Wearstler.

When coming up with a splatter design for my client, I worked with an artist to develop not only the look I wanted, but the correct consistency of paint. The key was to use a paint that would splatter on the wall, but not drip. It took some trial and error to concoct just the right mixture.

One of the splatter sample panels I designed.

Another, looser, splatter panel I showed my client.

Even though the client chose not proceed, it is all about the process and the journey. Working with the artisan to understand the process and the selection of the correct color palette to make the masterpiece come together was a great experience. It’s also fun looking forward to the moment of being inspired by that client who opens the door for exploration into something unique.

Serendipity Feature & Design Market Honoree

I’m so pleased to have an entryway I designed featured in the April 2016 issue of Serendipity Magazine!

I’m so pleased to have an entryway I designed featured in the April 2016 issue of Serendipity Magazine! This entry was designed for a home in New Canaan, CT, and was inspired by the client’s love of antiques.

Also in this issue is an invitation to a cocktail reception celebrating the 4th annual Serendipity 2016 Design Market Digest. This May 11 event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. and will feature industry experts, including two Market Honorees. I am very happy to be one of this year’s Honorees along with architect Douglas VanderHorn. The cocktail reception will be held at Lillian August in Greenwich. You can RSVP to events@ungerpublishing.com. I hope to see many of you there!