Five things: 9.19.11

My gosh we had an incredibly trade-oriented week. Day after day of events and meetings. And now we’ll bring what we found to you, since that’s our job.

1. What’s New, What’s Next? at 200 Lex.

 

Clearly we enjoyed ourselves at this event – but what’s not to love when handed champagne and cupcakes and other deliciousness (not to mention a demo and tasting of Wolf’s induction cooktop, which BTW, boils water in a jiffy).

And obviously, the best part for these two chicas is being surrounded by brand new to the market gorgeous home furnishings.

 

2. And the next night we surrounded ourselves by antiques at the Armory. We couldn’t snap pics of the gigantic diamonds, the Louis Vuitton wardrobe suitcases or the $160,000 chaise that we saw, but we did catch this one…

Highly refreshing cocktails by Follow The Woody, in this adorable Woody (duh).

And give these girls an old building filled with architecture, history, and probably some ghosts and we can just stand there and stare. For hours. Til we are asked to leave.

3. Our girl Cameo from Dornbracht stopped by for a visit with her guy from Alape. If you don’t know – Dornbracht and Alape are like the Porsches and Maybachs of the plumbing world. So get to know them.

Here are our two favorites that Alape has to offer:

This classic original design – so utilitarian, so retro, but oh-so-modern. And paired with that sleek faucet. Well, it doesn’t get any better.

 

 

And this one. Well, I don’t have words. Because it’s faceted and I love it.

And speaking of Dornbracht, I also love the serious simplicity of this shower system.

 

4. And, we also had visit from our friends at Urban Electric Co. who we’ve been dying to get our paws on for awhile now.

This one is killing me (softly). 

And we plan on building an entire library around these bad boys.

 

5. Annnd, my Mom and Dad’s house is so close to done (for now). The powder room wallpaper went up and it’s too bad that you can’t all come over and see it in person because it is so freaking wow.

Hope you have a beautiful weekend!

 

 

 

Five things: week of 9.12.11

1. Wow! What a week!

Within the past 7 days we’ve been featured in The Daily News, Apartment Therapy, and Elle Decor’s designer registry. Can’t hardly believe it all.

And, to keep up with our big week, we have a big announcement as number 5 of the week (so keep reading).

2. Some of the gorgeous-ness we are considering for a project:

 

3. Two things crossed our paths that made us go hmmm….

First: Holy tufting! This is a flat wallpaper that oh-my-god looks like an upholstered, tufted wall! Do you know how real it looks? Really real! It had us fooled from about 5 feet away! And in case you don’t know, upholstering a wall is bonkers expensive. But when it’s a paper that looks like tufting…it’s about 1/16th of the price! And I love everything tufted. I could live in a tufted house.

This wallpaper is available at Romo.

Second: Did you know that Virginia could live in a plaid house? Not just in the fall and winter, but, like, all year long. And there would be plaid carpeting, plaid window treatments, plaid furniture, plaid lamp shades, and now, PLAID MARBLE TILE!

Guys, you have no idea how tremendous this tile is! I’m telling you, you could hear our jaws hit the floor! Sorry it’s all plastic wrapped up in the photo, but it was a sneak peak from our friends at Studium since it’s a brand new product. So now when I design Virginia’s fantasy house, she is going to have a plaid powder room, and you are all going to want to use it!

Oh, P.S. she’ll probably make you a fancy meal while wearing a plaid dress and serve you on a plaid tablecloth.

4. Had a visit from our favorite rep Julie from Osborne and Little to preview the amazing fall 2011 collection of O & B and Designer’s Guild (two of our faaaavorite go-to lines). Apparently animal skins are STILL IN. Not that we’re complaining…

This wallpaper is a funkified hologram reptile skin – crazy! But in the right place it would be smashing! 

Reptiles don’t discriminate. They also shed their skin on velvets and velours and what have you. 

And just because they do their oversized colorful florals so right…

5. And, finally, our “Do It Yourself Design” program giving id 810 style lovers our signature look for (much) less, launched this week (coincidence that it launched at the same time as Missoni’s Target line? We think not! Great minds, people. Great minds.)

It’s aptly titled Blueprint 810, since we provide you with the “blueprint” to build your home in your own decorative style .

In all honesty, we really can’t put in words how excited we are to now be able to accommodate a wide variety of budgets and price points.

For real. We’re this excited.

(see? this is us, being excited.)

We’ve always believed that everyone is entitled to an incredibly designed home, no matter what the budget, but interior design in it’s traditional sense is somewhat limited (to giant budgets, ya know?). But thankfully we have a really good relationship with our BFF the interweb and now we can make magic happen.

photos by the phenomenal Jacob Snavely

And because we are SO EXCITED to launch this program, we are giving YOU our blog readers a limited time 10% discount offer! Just head on over to the site and enter “IREADTHEBLOG” in the promo code, and voila! You are officially a Blueprinter!

Happy weekend, weekenders!

Here’s the deal.

One of us is already wearing tights, scarves and booties, while the other is clinging to carefree, lightweight summer the best she can, to avoid the premature seasonal depression that is bound to happen. So, we came up with a color concept to please both of us. A little of that traditional fall time orange, some rich camel (like that perfect fall trench), with a dash of summer turquoise, to remind us that the beach, sea and sun are just a plane ride away…

Mythic Paint: Emerald City, Mythic Paint: Camel Coat, Pillow, China Seas Fabric, Glassy Baby: Cognac, Horn Bowls, Tray, Lamp, Cocktail Table, Rug, Half Round Console, Mirror, Sofa

some new loot

I am thrilled to report that I FINALLY got around to antiquing while vacationing in Emerald Isle, NC last week. Granted, I didn’t find the pieces I went searching for, but I certainly made out well. The crimped edge cream and sugar cups are hobnail patterned milk glass circa 1930’s, the egg shaped pieces are heavy as heck and are marble, the retro razor will sit in a cup in my bathroom – it’s just so darn handsome!, and the circa 1950 milk glass studded necklace had me at the shop keeper’s mercy. Can’t wait to do this again…..buuuuut this time I must stay focused and come home with the items I actually set out to buy =)

This week: in the Daily News

WE WERE IN THE DAILY NEWS!  We are very, very thrilled with our feature in the Rent City section of today’s paper about decorating luxury rentals in our favorite city, which we know a thing or two about…

We talk about everything from mirror magic to affordable wallcovering glamour to setting the mood with lighting…head to the newsstand and read all about it!

Contemplating art.

We took the week off to enjoy the final days of summer. It’s hard to believe that it’s already September. I’ve been spending some time trying to finish up my apartment, and I have a large wall that is calling for some large art.

I used to have a gallery wall on this wall, but I tired of the trend and dismantled it a few months ago, and have been taking my time looking for a piece of art that really speaks to me. Some art I’m considering:

I love the retro vibe of Poolside Gossip by Slim Aarons, and there is something so eery but also chic about this shot that I just can’t get enough of.

This photograph by Jessica Marchetti is a top contender. I am in love with old architecture, and right now I’m having a moment with Parisian rooftops. The moodiness of the sky, and the perfect, straight on shot and symmetry are right up my alley. I have a large vintage mirror hanging across from where my new art will go, and I love the idea that when looking in the mirror it will appear that this beautiful scene would be just outside my window. A girl can dream, right?

I’ve always loved this 20×200 image, but it’s sold out, so it’s not going on my wall.

I fell in L.O.V.E. with the gorgeous work by Roberto Dutesco about 5 years ago when I was at a yoga event in the Donna Karan warehouse with the Dalai Lama. This photo was being auctioned off and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a long time. In fact, it’s haunted me ever since, I’ve seen it everywhere, but it will never get old to me. (PS did you know that the Dalai Lama is on twitter? Follow him.) And speaking of horses, if you love them as much as I do (or even if you don’t, but you just want to end animal cruelty), please help get them off the streets of New York and sign this petition.

Also, speaking of gallery walls, though, here is a fun installation in the works…

PS for a throwback, read one of our early posts about gallery walls.

c’est magnifique of the week: 8.22.11

1. We had our bachelor’s photo shoot for a magazine we’re VERY excited about appearing in. We didn’t use this amazing damask and skull wallpaper there, but we just came across it this week, and a rocking bachelor like him could totally pull it off, don’t you think?

2. We went tile shopping. This is one of our favorite activities because We. LOVE. Marble. Here are some gorgeous patterns we were drooling over, and we plan on using one or two of these for an upcoming project. 

this 3D tile installation at Ann Sacks is so trippy – takes a minute to figure out what you’re looking at! 

 love this interpretation of the van cleef and arpels clover 

3. Those awesome teal stairs we told you able last week got painted…

4. Also at the home of those teal stairs, we got to see the rest of our work in progress, and dropped our jaws a few times…so in love with that screening room that we can’t wait to be invited over for beer and popcorn (and a movie).

You’ve gotta see this Porcelanosa  tile installation in person. What a great feature wall it makes. 

5. We braced ourselves for Irene, and our city stayed strong (well, that, or the hurricane became weak). Either way, we are looking forward to relaxing and enjoying our final week of the summer.

A Week in Review: our highs of August 15-19

1. Our spring into fall photo shoot

2. Demolition began at our upper west side kitchen renovation!!!

3. We got the go-ahead to paint a staircase teal. Yes, teal.

4. Our Cheap, Chic kitchen cabinet tips were featured in HomeStyle Magazine August issue Kitchen Cabinets.

5. Went picking upstate and found some treasures…

Have a great weekend lovebugs!

Cheers!

Lots to celebrate this week – a special birthday and our first official summer Friday tomorrow…we kind of think we deserve it! Have a great weekend! We plan on enjoying ours!

A week in review: our highs of August 1-5

This was a week filled with highs for us – which we needed, since August has begun which means the countdown til summer ends is upon us, thereby making me already seasonally depressed.

1. If you haven’t been to Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forrest Hills, you should go. It’s a century old soda fountain with homemade ice cream. Is there anything better than being a kid in an ice cream shop? V went there with Sienna this week. I just about died when I saw this photo of her.

2. We stopped by the Sub Zero Wolf showroom in the A+D building with our clients this week and spotted this wine refrigerator scenario. The tower in the middle of the two refrigerators are actually custom paneled refrigerator doors. We were had at hello. 

3. Do you guys get Blackboard Eats deals? They offer really great discounts at some really great restaurants, and you don’t even have to pay to get the deal. We’re stoked about the one that just came through today – for brunch at the Morgan Dining Room in the Morgan Library. And it’s not the food we went crazy for (although we hope it’s good) but the architecture and history. The restaurant is in what was JP Morgan’s restored family dining room, with original woodwork and columns. Can’t wait to take a bite out of history.

4. Inspiration for a new project came right when we left a meeting and came across these darling French flats. We love the colors, the style and the Parisian lifestyle! 

5. One of our favorite vendors cordially invited us to his 30th birthday evening of dinner and dancing. This makes us happy for 2 reasons. 1. We really like him, so we’re excited to be invited and celebrating him, and 2. He’s so classy. Look at this invitation. What 30 year old single man do you know that would be able to pull this off without the help of a woman, and be so detail oriented?

6. Virginia walked into the door.

Ok, so this may be a low because her nose was killing her for hours, but it also had us laughing for days. Do you see the smudge on the glass door? That I framed and signed? Fun times at id 810.

7. You may have heard that my number 1 hobby is wandering the streets of my West Village neighborhood because there is always something new to see. Here are some of my favorite things I saw this week:

I also stumbled upon Charles Lane, which is the most nondescript little alley between Washington and West Streets and was home to a state prison from 1797 – 1828, at which point it moved upstate and became Sing Sing.

And there is a pez dispenser collection on the top of this door frame. 

This was the walk I also fell in love with a bicycle.

These were inspired by French bikes of the 50s and 60s and I want one (I was told this style would be better for me since my skirt and or dress wouldn’t get caught on the crossbar and I am often found wearing skirts and or dresses).

8. Tile shopping with our kitchen reno clients was really inspiring, and we found the most gorgeous color combination that we are all head over heels for…after months of searching for the right blend of French provincial, art deco, pre war and modern (does this sound like a tough bill to fit?) we landed on tile that we are all really pleased with, and we’re sure it’s the perfect selection.

9. And while we’re on the subject of narrowing down selections for clients, we are in love with the two color schemes we’ve put together for the two boys bedrooms we’re designing. 

Both are bright and bold, just like these boys.

10. And finally, our biggest high of the week was being interviewed for a big publication that we were so nervous for, but so excited about.  And we hope to share it with you soon.

Til next week, sayonara!