I <3 DG

Designers Guild that is, not Dolce & Gabana... though I can't afford either. I first discovered this line while on a solo tour of the D&D building in NYC. The colors used in these fabrics and designs is what I love the most. DG are the color gods who create colors for other colors, much like Eve was created for Adam. Bright and vibrant, yet warm and inviting. They are best known for their fabrics and wallpaper, but also sell furniture, rugs, candles and more.

Many of their designs can be summed up as "girly", but there are several patterns that men won't be embarrassed to drape in their bachelor pad. I've decided to pull out just a few of my favorite pieces from their collections. I encourage you to browse their site and showroom in NY. You'll fall in love!

domino sofa


fretz bedding


alcina rug


trianon birch wallpaper

Mama Shelter

Today has been quite a day. Long and tiring. I feel the need to blog.

Talking to administrators at NYSID about the the different types of design, has got me thinking if there is anything other than residential I could be interested in. I though about the various contract design options, from hospitals, to restaurants to offices. And right now my heart lies in residential design, however, I am opening up to hospitality, specifically hotels. When I stay in a hotel or walk by the many amazing ones in NYC, design plays an important part into my (or someone else's) stay. Granted, a hotel can never truly feel like home, but then again don't you usually go to a hotel to get away from home? You expect more from a hotel than you do your house in which you are very familiar with and have lived in for some odd years. For this reason, I have become very interested in hotel design and would like to learn more about it. It is not too far from residential, I could still design bedrooms, living room and dining - just on a much larger scale. If I were to design a hotel, I would be designing a new, temporary home for hundreds of people to stay at however long they choose.

Travel + Leisure gave the 2009 Design award for Best Large Hotel to Mama Shelter in Paris, France. #1 I love the name. #2 I love Paris. #3 Philippe Starck designed the hotel, which just speaks for itself. Mama feeds into the modern minimalist's desire for clean lines, functional spaces and hidden quarky treasures. A former parking garage, Mama has 172 rooms all overlooking the beautiful, busy streets of Paris in the 20th arrondissement. I plan on visiting Paris again in the next couple years and will definitely book a room at Mama Shelter - oh and it's affordable too! That just makes me love this hotel even more. Not only are you beautiful but you don't ask for much, well then yes I will marry you.

Enjoy the pics below, visit the website mamashelter.com, research Philipe Starck if you don't know who he is, and visit Paris! That is all =)

I Scream. You Scream. We all Scream for Ikat.

You don’t have to be the most observant person to notice this pattern popping up everywhere, from the runway to showrooms. Ikat is an Indian design that is created through a weaving process that uses resist dying like tie-dye (this sentence courtesy of Wikepedia). This pattern has a retro feel to it, however it’s timeless and it can come and go as it pleases.

I first noticed the prevalence of this pattern when perusing photos of NYC Fashion Week earlier this year. Since, then it has been everywhere. This design would complement any room and can easily adapt to various room styles – modern, contemporary, period, French, Asian inspired, etc. This is just one of the reasons I really love and would like to work with Ikat. Whether covering a chair in your study with the fabric, or creating wall art by mounting and framing an interesting Ikat design (featured on the cover of Elle Décor March issue). This is a versatile pattern that everyone should try to incorporate in one of their rooms.

Below are some examples of Ikat seen in fashion and interior design. And if you’re a bit hesitant to throw the pattern in a room, try it out in fashion (a shirt, hobo bag, etc) and see how you like it. I’m sure that article of clothing will become one of your favs :)

Light My Fire

I'm home. After a long train ride, in which I JUST missed my first train and my transfer, and ate a not-so-good meal at Burger Heaven (the name should have been warning enough). I'm home and I'm happy. My happiness stems from what happened prior to these events... open house at NYSID (New York School of Interior Design). I have been looking forward to this night and it more than lived up to my expectations. The open house consisted of an hour of alumni and faculty talking about the school, a tour and ended in the gallery where designers work was on display. I realized my dream can be a reality. My big fear was that I cannot draw, and guess what, many other students couldn't either, but they learned.

NYSID sparked a fire under me and now I am running towards my passion. I am a firm believer in doing what makes you happy, and exploring every inkling you have (within reason). Although finances are a huge hurdle I have to jump over (it''s very expensive), I have hope and faith. As Dean's coach said in the Ultra Marathon Man (current read) "If it feels good, you're not pushing hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." Granted he was talking about running, I intrepret it as nothing comes easy, you have to work hard for what you want the most and the harder you push the bigger the reward. I will continue to pray, be patient, and work on small projects. One day when someone asks the oh so popular question, "So, what do you do?" I can smile and say happily "I'm an interior designer."

Brush + Acrylic + Love

I love art. Specifically, modern art. Unfortunately, I had never painted a day in my life...until a few days ago. I decided to put a brush in my hand, paint by my side and a canvas in front of me and see what happens. It was an AMAZING Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, and to take advantage of the first sunny day since spring started, I painted outside on the balcony and basked in God's creation.

The idea of this painting had come to me literally 10 minutes before I put paint to canvas, while I was watching music videos on VH1. The lines in the painting represent music, and the wavering moods it can put you in, the high and low notes of songs as well as your life. Many people have a song that brings them back to a time in their life that they never want to forget, or maybe just the opposite. The saxophone represents situations that evokes emotion once you hear a music.

I let my hands and the strokes flow freely, however, painting light colors on a dark background was not the best idea as I had to go over these strokes multiple times for the black not to show through. Overall, I am thoroughly satisfied with my first painting, seeing as I am not a self-professed artist. I am proud that I wanted to do something and I did it. This is just another small step in this new journey that I am on to be happy. And no matter what the picture looks like after I set my brush down, painting makes me happy, and happiness is a true masterpiece.

Pier 94 Takeover

Saturday, March 28th I went to the Architectual Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94 of Chelsea Piers. For the $25 admission fee, I must say it was well worth it. My intentions for attending was to get a feel of the industry, measure how rapid my heart beat once I saw an amazing design, and to get ideas. I must say I initially felt a bit overwhelmed b/c I was surrounded by incredible talent and people who could afford to pay for these talents. I was in awe of the skills displayed in some of the booths. I must say I was a fan before, but after seeing more of their furniture, Ligne Roset designs are among my favorite. Lights Up!, based in Brooklyn, had some great lighting on display and will definitely be a store that I check out. Overall, this show taught me that interior design will be challenging, but it's a challenge I want to conquer. Here's a list of the some of the booths I visited and pictures of artistry.

[art] addiction

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

DDG Designs

Lights Up!

Richard Nardone

Lorna Lee John Muller Designs

Mindy Miles Greenberg

Miriam Weinreb Lissak

Lindsey Adelman Studio

Portrait of a Lady by Suzanne Lovell
Cosmopolitan Glass

Arch Digest Show NYC

I am going to the Architectual Digest Home Design Show on Saturday! Look out for a post next week on all of the amazing designs and ideas I encounter. Until next time...

The Show:
http://www.archdigesthomeshow.com/

The Mag:
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/

Design My Room

Upon browsing Elle Decor's site, I discovered designmyroom.com. This is an online community for decorating enthusiasts. This is how it works: 1. You choose a room (bedroom, dining, bath, etc) 2. Decorate away! 3. Post your design. Yep, it's as easy as 1,2,3. Before I go into how amazing it is, I figure I'd divulge the cons first. Because it's a beta, as I'm sure among other reasons, there is bad depth perception - it's as if you're working with 1 locked layer in photoshop. Also, if I choose a bed facing forward from the product list, it's going to look pretty awky (awkward shortened) if I intend it to be sideways in my room. This, in turn, forces you to either limit your design or add furniture that fits in the position you want, but is the wrong color or style.

On to the good stuff. There is so much to choose from! Flooring - laminate? hardwood? vinyl? carpet? Countertops - granite (in many variations)? stainless steel? marble? Accent tables, sconces, fainting chairs, art work, plants, window treatments, you name it. Another amazing thing - everything you choose for your room or browse through is available for purchase. The site tells you how much it costs and where to get it. So, if you design your room and you absolutely LOVE the peacock blue on the walls, you can buy it with one click of your mouse.

It does take a good while to actually complete your room, so set aside about an hour and a half or more, or do it over several days like I did. I encourage anyone who reads this to at least check it out. I have posted my "Parisian Bedroom" on the site, and it is currently listed under "Recent Designs". If you read this much later after I post, you can simply search by my username on the site (15cousins) and leave comments and ratings. Much appreciated!

http://www.designmyroom.com/community/Default.aspx

Here's a peek.

Urban Outfitters...Decorating Oasis?

I am all about bargain shopping. Whether I am looking for a pair of pumps, a new "little black dress", or a side table. And with this said, Urban Outfitters may not look or sound like it's a place for modern, innovative, and affordable furniture/decor...ah but it is! I have found so many little knick knacks, cute accessories and beautiful furniture pieces in store and online, that UO has become one of my go-to stores for a cute pillow, lighting accessory or whatever else I may have the urge to buy to spruce up a room. Another reason why I love UO stuff is that most of it just makes you laugh. To me, sense of humor is one of the most important things in a man, and furniture. Check out these decorative accessories that put a smile on my face and can add interest to any room.

Spectrum Chandelier $36

Matt Stephens Baby Bird Pillow $32

Umbrella Girl Shower Curtain $28

Orange Pod Table $110

Antoinette Fainting Sofa $575



www.urbanoutfitters.com