Designers Shine Re-cap

At the Designer Bath showroom with Ann Murdock and Linda Hentschel

of Renaissance Interiors, Nancy Faye Glass of Glass House Designs

and Laura Gifford of Gifford Events

Lindsey Wishart and Julia Frost of Chive Events  serving up designer cocktails 

A swag bag of goodies for each of our Shine Award Party guests

My summer has been a busy one. I am just getting caught up with posts that detail events that took place in July! The “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award party was certainly a highlight of my one year anniversary as the marketing director at Designer Bath (officially on the calendar last week, but technically started with them around mid-July of last year on a freelance basis). This was a special opportunity to celebrate the relationships our showroom has with the interior professionals that use Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply as a resource on their kitchen and bath projects. It was also a fun way for me to combine work and pleasure. How great was it to host a party at work and have so many of my design friends on the invitation list? To see more photos from the event – along with the announcement of the winning designer who will be featured in the next issue of Design New England Magazine – see my Designer Bath blog post.

photo by Cassandra Charest

Speaking of magazines, I am extremely happy to announce that part two of the summer issue of New England Finery is now online! I have a lot to say about how much this issue means to me, but before I start another long blog post, I will leave you with this photo by Cassandra Charest, a Lawrence high school student whose work really moved me while sourcing content for our follow-up to the Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz that took place in early June. Along with her photo essay, there are some great tips on achieving designer style for less plus a scrapbook of photos that highlight the five days that it took to build a home from the ground up for two deserving families in Lawrence. It was an amazing process to witness – get a glimpse of it by checking out the time-lapse video on page 59. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our home renovation projects were completed as quickly? 

Another NY roadtrip

My last visit to New York with Roseanne and Katherine

Yes, summer vacation is just about coming to a close for us (the boys go back to school next week) but I find myself longing for a quick getaway to the city. Let me clarify ... an ADULT getaway. One where I get to “ooh” and “ahh” over design goodness.

Dining at Eataly: Don’t all bloggers photograph their meals before they eat?

And then go out to eat at renowned restaurants owned by people I went to college with ... Master Chef Joe Bastianich lived in my dorm senior year at BC, literally next door. While last in NY, my girlfriends and I dined at Bierreria (a cool spot a la rooftop) and I fell in love with Insalata di Mela. I think it is time to go back ...  

Lots of people just enjoyed – and have been blogging about – the New York International Gift Fair. I’ve been before, and it’s a lot of eye candy to be sure. Since I couldn’t make it this time around, I would settle for an invitation to the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NY in September. “Hello, Jason Wu? I am a big fan of your work as well as your collections designed for Brizo. I would do some great promoting of your brand if given the chance ... oh, wait a minute, I already do.”

Ad I put together for Designer Bath that ran in Design New England Magazine

We all know fashion and design are kissing cousins these days. We dress our homes by looking in our closets for inspiration ... what colors do we look good in? What fabrics do we like? What patterns  make us happy? What translates across the board: usually what feels good to the touch will end up being the most comfortable in the long run. 

I met Andrea at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show last winter.

Often times, an eye-catching piece of furniture can even inspire a new confidence to combine prints that we might not have considered wearing all at once. Andrea Mihalik of Wild Chairy is an expert at this type of pattern pairing. With a background in professional photography, she knows what reads well both on film (can we still call it that?) and up close in real life. I recently showcased samples of her work in a post I wrote as a guest blogger for New England Home Magazine (read it here). Below are some more of her stylish pieces that I consider best dressed.

Red Hot: confident, bold, cheerful {photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Winter Forecast: bare tree branches paired with icy blue and warm tweed

{photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Trend-worthy: who doesn't love zigs and zags?

{photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Fall Fashion: burnt umber plus golden oak

{photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Yellow with black always gets attention

{photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Although orange and pink is also worth a second glance

{photo courtesy Andrea Mihalik}

Excuse me now while I visit Pinterest for awhile to daydream about suitcases, taxi cabs, and Jason Wu fashions.

Summer arrangements ...

Driftwood with succulents and summer accessories by Laura Thomson

Even with the wealth of flowers outside our windows in the summer months there is still much to be appreciated in the gathered variety. For the “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award event that I planned for the showroom in July, we hired Laura Thomson to create arrangements to add a bit of nature-inspired beauty to our designer celebration. She really came through with her thoughtful designs. See them posted on our facebook page and read about Laura’s design process here.

Yard snipped hydrangeas in a low glass vase with pebbles 

This past week, the winning space of the Shine contest was photographed by Michael J. Lee. Ian Mentasti of Stephen Terhune Woodworking, a division of Carpenter and MacNeille, was our award-winning designer and his master bath project was amazingly beautiful. I brought lots of luxurious bath items to style the space for our professional photo shoot including hydrangeas from a friend’s front yard. The leftover blooms came home with me and I put them in a low vase to enjoy for awhile. Look for the winning space in next issue of Design New England Magazine as it will be featured in a full page ad for Designer Bath. The entire house was stunning! I really wish we could have stayed to photograph more of it.     

Ferns, ivy and peace lily in a large black urn by Churchills Garden Center

I took a trip to visit the York Decorator Show House today. Designer Gerald Pomeroy was a shining star at this year’s show. His living room, dining room, kitchen and sun porch were elegantly designed with lots of rich textures and subtle patterns. I wasn’t there to photograph the show, but I was able to capture the above urn on the grounds surrounding Harmon House. There is only one day left to view the 19 decorated spaces ... if you can’t make it in person, there are a few photos of Pomeroy’s work on the Design New England blog. If you do plan to visit, you’ll see lots more designer flower arrangements inside (along with some fabulous decorated living spaces), plus gorgeous gardens and plantings outside. Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design created an outside kitchen set against the backdrop of the York Harbor that looks like the perfect place to spend a summer afternoon.

On vacation ...

I apologize ... it may appear as if I am not around much lately, however, I have been taking care of a lot of business related to my day job while tending to the activities of summer along with other design related commitments. I promise I will be back with updates. In the meantime, please stop by and visit this recent guest post I wrote for New England Home Magazine. Then go outside – if you can – and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine!