Blogfest in NYC: Design and the City

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Confession: In one of my many fantasy lives, I live in a glamorous New York penthouse with views of the Hudson River, perfectly decorated spaces done by top designers, luxurious fabrics and furnishings to die for.

Photo of Wrenda Goodwyn of Spectacular Spaces at Blogfest 2012I met my dream this week at Kravet’s fabulous Blogfest 2012.

It was the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse which is celebrating its 40th year for Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. Considered the hot ticket in New York, it takes place through June 14 at the Aldyn, a luxury building on Manhattan’s West Side at Riverside Blvd. and 63rd St. Here, I found not one, but two adjacent duplex residences with views of the Hudson, beautiful terraces. And one even has a large pool and spa. The good news, they are both for sale: $16.9 million and $15 million. If I can scrape up the $$$ I would like to purchase both and link them together. The bad news: I have a long way to go.

But for now, I am content to dream about the wonderful thingsPhoto of ad for Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse that I heard and saw. Blogfest designers had exclusive access for the evening and we were hosted by Architectural Digest Editor in Chief, Margaret Russell. Highlight was mingling with the designers in each room.

As a southwest Florida interior decorator who works with homeowners who mostly want a contemporary, Florida-style home that combines old and new, I am always looking for new ways to combine color and textures for indoor and outdoor spaces. The showcase was a virtual feast.

Because the Aldyn is a modern highrise (each apartment is on two levels: 20th and 21st floors), there are no fancy architectural details in the structure so the 31 designers used amazing creativity in creating these masterpieces from basic, plain rooms.

Noted throughout the house: heavy use of beautiful grasscloth, lacquered walls and ceilings, mixtures of old and new pieces.

And while Tangerine Tango may be the color of the year, Green is the color at Kips Bay. Jade, emerald, grass shades...in paint, fabric and accessories. Beautiful.

My favorites...well there were so many.  But I could not get past the “Gallery” designed by Thom Filicia (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, major designer, charming, cute and latest design crush!).  The open gallery connects to the living room, dining room and library and is lacquered in an amazing green that I am told is Benjamin Moore’s Cat’s Eye 2036-10. The color is stunning and shows what can be done in a very simple space.
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9/11 Memorial: Beautiful and forever sad

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This week I am in New York City for Blogfest 2012 with designers, photographers and writers from around the country for a whirlwind three-day design event.
 
But when I arrived yesterday, my first stop was Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial.

Photo of 9/11 Memorial 
It was almost full circle for me. 
 
On September 11, 2001, I stepped out of a cab at the Newark airport on the most beautiful of New York mornings. The two towers sparkled across the river.  In two hours they would both be gone.

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Inspiration: Heading to NYC and Blogfest 2012!

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It doesn’t get any better than a trip to New York in the Spring.  My favorite thing to do: Long walks in Central Park. Beautiful. And shopping. Museums. Just being in NYC.

But this coming week (May 21-23) will be an exciting, extra-special NYC adventure and I am counting the days! I am so fortunate to have been included in Blogfest 2012, a three-day tour planned exclusively for interior design bloggers that features the industry's top shelter magazines, A-list design celebrities and breathtaking venues. Sponsored by Kravet, Lee Jofa, and Brunschwig Fils, it is jam-packed from morning until night with design events that have my head spinning!Blogfest 2012 logo

Jennifer Powell, Kravet’s social media wiz and overall amazing person, assures us that there are surprises around every turn and guarantees that we will experience the very best of interior design in NYC. I have my running shoes ready to go!!

An added bonus:  I will finally have the opportunity to meet some of my favorite designer/bloggers that I have communicated with via social media.  And my friend and Houston designer Pamela O’Brien of Room Redo and I will be going a day early because after all, a girl must have some fun time in NYC. 

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Island hopping: Kravet's Soleil Lifestyles fabric

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Photo of colorful Kravet fabricPhotos: KravetLonging to escape to a tropical paradise this spring?

One of my current, fun decorating projects is a total lanai redo for a client who wanted major pops of color on her gorgeous new furniture. So, as I began planning, I discovered Kravet Soliel Lifestyles with collections from Echo Design and Windsor Smith Outdoor.

Photo of colorful Kravet fabricWindsor Smith Home fabrics left to right: Kanekopa in Akuatic - 31725-13, Kura Kura in Orkid - Kura Kura-17, Halua in Hibiscus - 31718-317, Kura Kura in Haze - Kura Kura-6, Mandella in Orkid - Mandella-17, Halua in Parakeet - 31718-540, Kura Kura in Veridian - Kura Kura-3, Mandella in Haze - Mandella-6, Kura Kura in Akuatik - Kura Kura-13

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Travels: Gardens, wine, artists and a peek inside the lives (and homes) of friends made along the way

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The best part of traveling (for me) is having a chance to see where people live and what their daily lives are like. And along the way, meeting folks who give you a unique perspective about where you are.  And I am always looking for ideas that I can  bring back home.

Photo by Elise Hoogsteden-Roberts.So, when I took a train from the Wellington Railway station on a warm, sunny New Zealand morning, I knew that my day of visiting gardens and studios of local artists (and lunch at a winery) in the beautiful Wairarapa region, would be another adventure. A chance to peak into the lives of some talented artists and to take in the regions's beautiful gardens.

Elise Hoogsteden-Roberts, a photographer and artist from the Wairarapa area, shot this photo (above) that summed up my thoughts about that day.  Like this porch with New Zealand summer fruits, it was just a place that you wanted to be. 

Photo by Elise Hoogsteden-Roberts.As an artist, Elise makes fun and fantastic jewelry that reflect the region. Fruit Salad Gal is the perfect name for her business because...well, click here and you will see what makes her craft so unique.  Her work is fun and popular and she ships to many Americans who return home and decide that they must have one of these yummy treats as a reminder of their visit.  Fortunately, she has realized that she has something that visitors want and if you go to her Facebook page, you will see a great selection of photos of her work.   Photo by Elise Hoogsteden-Roberts.

After gallery tours with resident and perfect guide, Julie Kidd, meeting artists at their studios and seeing their homes, walking through beautiful gardens,  the day ended with a fabulous lunch and tour of Gladstone Vineyard. Salmon caught that morning, asparagus picked from the garden and wine from the Vineyard. I could have stayed there forever. 

New Zealand just gets better and better.

 

Sweet memories of a day in the Wairarapa...

Beautiful gardens.

 

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Spring forward with these tips to refresh your home

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Spring forward with these tips to refresh your home

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press• April 7, 2012

Since this is a close to spring as we get in Southwest Florida, most of us are looking for ways to give our homes a little freshening up! Some decluttering.  And maybe a couple of home projects that we have been thinking about since the holidays. Something about spring, wherever we live, always gives us a nudge to shake things up a little. And even if budgets are tight, you can still do a little decorating to make an impact.

Photo of vintage pickle jars from Pottery BarnAdd spring color with vintage glass pickling jars from Pottery Barn.10 tips for putting a little spring into your home:

• Say goodbye to clutter.  Spring is the perfect time to get rid of anything that you don’t love.  Go room by room and drawer by drawer.  Closet by closet.  I find that tackling one room at a time works best. Don’t aim for perfection.  Just try to make a dent. And don’t forget to dump all of the piles of magazines that you have not read in the past two years.  Too many collectibles?  Put some away and rotate them back in the fall.

• Don’t try to redo the entire house but pick one room and give it a makeover.  Maybe the family room or the bedroom.  Make changes that you have been thinking about.  Spend some time and plan it out like a decorator.  Find photos in magazines or on the internet.  Make a vision board.  Establish a budget.  Set some priorities.  Have fun.

• Add some color for the biggest change.  Try some pops of that Tangerine Tango that you have heard so much about.  Pantone’s Color of the Year is cheerful and bright.  Try new throw pillows, a throw, picture frames. It goes with almost anything when used as an accent and is a very happy color!

• Give the kitchen a facelift. Not a remodel but some small changes that will make you love your kitchen again. Take all appliances off the counters (you will have room in your cabinets or pantry that you have decluttered).  Okay, leave the coffee maker.  But seriously, remove everything else.  Now you have room for a vase of beautiful spring flowers.  Now…replace the drawer pulls and any other outdated hardware. Then add a fresh coat of paint.

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