Styling interiors: what the pros know

interior design by Thom Filicia

styled by Raina Kattelson // photo by Eric Piasecki

American Beauty: Renovating and Decorating a Beloved Retreat

interior design by Katherine Hodge of Sage Interiors

styled by Stacy Kunstel // photo by Michael Partenio

New England Home Connecticut, spring 2013

Want to know the secrets behind the beautifully styled images found on the covers of shelter magazines and on the pages of interior design coffee table books? Check out my latest post for WSI Designer Marketplace for tips and tricks from some of my favorite photo stylists. Thank you, Stacy Kunstel and Raina Kattelson for sharing!

{ read the full post here }

Preview Party Pics: North Shore Design Show

A corner of my vignette “A Modern Family Mudroom” being featured

through May 20th at the Wenham Museum’s North Shore Design Show

Getting to the opening night of a design show is quite a journey. Given just under one week to completely set up our 8 ft. x 8 ft. spaces at the Wenham Museum – which often includes building a wall or two (thank you, Howell Custom Building Group), painting, wallpapering, supervising deliveries, installing light fixtures, prop styling and last minute design decisions – by the time the Gala Preview Party rolls around, the designers and museum staff are all ready to celebrate!

With North Shore Design Show Honorary Chair Stacy Kunstel 

Last Friday evening the 13 designed spaces were unveiled to a full house, hosted by New England Home editor/ designer/ blogger Stacy Kunstel. It was such a pleasure to have Stacy at the show! She is always so gracious, and has a great eye for design. We all appreciated her support of and visit to the charming gem that the Wenham Museum is to all of us on the North Shore.  

This indoor/outdoor potting sink was the inspiration piece behind my design. Manufactured by Stone Forest, it is by far my favorite item from the Designer Bath showroom. It looks like soapstone, but is actually honed black granite. The terrarium was designed by my across-the-board-talented friend Laura Thomson and the tiled chalkboard was a project I collaborated on with a favorite North Shore resource, Tile by Design.

Beth Gujral and Laura Thomson relaxing amidst furnishings

from Circle Furniture and lighting by Lucia Lighting.

There is a lot more to see in my space – you know how I love details –  but I don’t want to give it all away just yet! For now, I will leave you with some snapshots from the Gala, but am saving others taken that evening for a later post.

This Thursday night there will be an on open house at the Museum hosted by Landry and Arcari (who provided the gorgeous carpet in my space) with a presentation by Wilson Kelsey design. They will change their current Belgian-style vignette (see a peek of it here) to a modern looking space right in front of our eyes! Check out this link for more details.

Maybe I will see you there?? 

With Susan Howell from Howell Custom Building Group and

friend Chris Joy. Susan is on the Board and Leadership Team

of the Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity Builders Blitz.

With Kevin O’Connor, host of This Old House

During the evening, I did get the chance to chat with Kevin O’Connor, host of This Old House, who happens to call the North Shore home. We discussed the upcoming Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz which is taking place across the country in June. I had told Kevin that Steve Thomas, former host of This Old House and current spokesperson for Habitat International, would be visiting the Merrimack Valley Habitat build site in Lawrence on June 9th. Kevin shared some positive stories from his own experiences helping out on Habitat for Humanity projects. I am really excited to be a small part of telling the story of this wonderful organization that pulls together so many professional builders and generous volunteers to help provide affordable housing for those in need (see current issue of New England Finery Magazine : )  I tried to get a photo of my husband (who is also in the building trades) alongside Kevin, but John was being camera-shy. I did manage to get one picture of him in my space though ...

If you make it to the show, be sure to check out the amazing chandelier from Lucia Lighting that is hanging above my vignette. John installed it for me from the cathedral ceiling (and made it look easy!) That is what the show is all about, though, presenting decorating and design ideas that visitors can imagine in their own homes while connecting them with the design professionals who can help achieve “the look.”

The North Shore Design Show is the major fundraiser of the year for the Wenham Museum. All proceeds support the Museum’s continued efforts to provide educational exhibitions and enrichment programs for children and families as they have been doing for over 90 years. I am truly honored to participate once again in this year’s event! More vignette photos and designer introductions to come ...

For show hours plus visitor information, click here.  

Design Show 2012 Sneak Peek!

This tile from Tile by Design in Danvers will be

featured in my Modern Family Mudroom.

Today I stopped by the Wenham Museum to begin setting up my space for the North Shore Design Show which opens this weekend. I love watching the other designers assemble their vignettes before my eyes! By Friday, the Museum will be completely transformed into over a dozen “favorite spaces” that represent some of the best design on the North Shore.


I had lots of pieces brought in today, including some fab items from Circle Furniture and a beautiful carpet from Landry & Arcari. Tomorrow I will paint and decorate while I wait on deliveries from Designer Bath and Lucia Lighting. Special thanks goes out to Brian from Howell Custom Building Group who was on-site today to create a wall to define my space. I love having a design team on my side! 


Be sure to order your tickets for the show in advance. Friday night is the Gala event with our honorary chair, Stacy Kunstel from New England Home Magazine (remember her great Dunes & Duchess candelabra in my last vignette?) The show opens to the public on Saturday. On Mother’s Day they will have treats for moms and their dates : )

Another fun event during the week of the show will be on Thursday night from 5pm to 7pm, hosted by Wilson Kelsey Design with Landry & Arcari. This will be a make-over your room type of presentation with time to network with other attendees and designers. Contact the Museum for more info.


Don’t forget the Wenham Tea House is open during the day for a bite to eat after you tour the vignettes. I am looking forward to being there on Saturday with some friends. Until then, I have lots to do to get my space ready for visitors. Let me know if you plan to attend -- I’d love to catch up in real life!

Kristin Drohan Collection @TwelveChairs

John Canopy Bed from the Kristin Drohan Collection

available at Twelve Chairs in Boston

A couple of weeks ago I attended the launch of the Kristin Drohan furniture collection at Twelve Chairs design studio in Boston. The owners of Twelve Chairs, Miggy Mason and Roisin Giese, are interior designers and purveyors of sustainable furnishings. Their pretty shop, filled with organic wares, has a warm and inviting ambience. It is the perfect spot to host a party! They recently started to carry pieces from Kristin’s line, and the rooms were filled with guests who were invited to check them out “in real life.”

Each piece from the collection is made from reclaimed woods and is marked with its own “Provence.” The fabrics are extremely durable and the eco-friendly soy-based cushions have extreme bounce back (inner coils = no bootie prints on these seats!) The upholstered pieces are also quite beautiful in design, scale and proportion.

Click here to see Kristin describe the anatomy of her collection in her own words.

The Sydney Lounge Chair available at Twelve Chairs

With Kristin Drohan at Twelve Chairs launch

Kristin Drohan Collection in New England Finery Magazine, summer 2011

Kristin was featured in the summer issue of New England Finery Magazine. Shortly after, she moved with her family to Atlanta. It was so nice to meet up with her during her return visit to Boston. Read her design story here.


One of Kristin’s goals when I first interviewed her, was to expand the offering of her collections to a variety of showrooms and geographical markets. She recently had a very successful sale on One Kings Lane in addition to launching at Twelve Chairs. Lots of designers are finding out about her custom-build options ... I think she is well on her way!

Congratulations, Kristin, and thank you Twelve Chairs for hosting such a fun evening! Below are more pics from the party.

My friends and feature contributors to New England Finery:

 designers Rosanne Palazola and Katherine Hawkins

 

Rosanne lounging on The Reagan Sofa at Twelve Chairs.

Dunes and Duchess: Michael Partenio and Stacy Kunstel

with designer Linda Merrill of Surroundings

FYI: Stacy is the honorary chair at this year’s North Shore Design Show at the Wenham Museum. Order your tickets to the Gala event now! It’s always a fun time (I will be there : ) 

This Dunes and Duchess Chappy Table was stunning,

painted in a rich, charcoal blue-gray. 

The console table by the window is another

pretty piece from Dunes and Duchess.

Photographers Greg Premru and Michael Partenio

Window treatment expert Sarah Devaney-O’Neil, designer Barbara Elza Hirsch  
and Elizabeth Wilcox who works with Sarah at Storibook Designs 

Wendy from BDCs Ralph Lauren Home with Erika Johnson from Radiant Republic

and another designer seen in New England Finery Kristen Rivoli

Katie Stinchfield From House Rules (and Rue La La)

with Kate Van Geldern from DomestiKatedLife

Yours truly catching up with Kate.

With designer Julieann Covino, photographer Sarah Winchester

and her adorable new baby girl - the youngest guest on the list!

Brimfield: in real life

sytlist/editor Stacy Kunstel, photographer Laura Moss,

Michael J. Lee Photography, and me : )

After featuring the spring tweet-up at the Brimfield Antique Fair in the last issue of New England Finery, I knew I had to check it out for myself this time around. So I headed there last Friday, and with me, I brought a sneak peek of the newest Finery cover (which is scheduled to release late September/early October) and the talented photographer behind the shot, Michael J. Lee. Michael photographed this room by designer Frank D. Hodge at the Old York Decorator Show House with me this summer. There are a lot more great pics from the show that will be featured in the Autumn issue so stay tuned!

The first twitter friends we ran into were Stacy Kunstel of New England Home Magazine and Dunes and Duchess along with her friend, photographer Laura Moss. We were off to a great start! The weather was perfect - 70’s and sunny - and we were able to find more dry ground to cover than there had been all week at the show as it had rained non-stop for the first few days of the event. Thanks to the advice of some twitter peeps, I left my flip flops in the car and wore sneakers (I just could not bring myself to put on boots in early September!)

When we arrived at the #brimfield VIP tent, we were welcomed with a bright and cheerful space adorned with Company C fabrics on the ceiling and tables, fresh flowers arranged in Benjamin Moore paint cans, plus a well-tended bar. Snacks and drinks were complimentary including a Gimlet-style signature cocktail which was very refreshing even at 1:00 in the afternoon : )

Twitter friends gathered to chat and tweet between shopping excursions. In this photo: designer Gloria Battista-Collins of GBC Style, social media expert marketer Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and Deidre Drewes, another social media talent, of Dragon Search Marketing. I loved how the tent “walls” were painted with samples of Benjamin Moore colors. A nice touch!




I finally got to meet #brimfield tweet-up organizer/designer Gretchen Aubuchon and lifestyle designer Kelley L. Moore who were more than happy to pose for me on the luxurious linens displayed by event sponsor Pandora de Balthazar.

Custom monogramming by Pandora de Balthazar

Pandora de Balthazar also had a table with their naturally fragrant lavendar collection of products in the adjoining tent.




Kelsonthehouse (as he is known on twitter) carpenter-extraordinaire Brian Kelsey of Martha Stewart Radio, was there along with graphic designer/art director Stacey of the style blog Quintessence. Stacey recently redesigned the Pandora website so check it out – it is lovely!

photo credit: Stacey of Quintessence Blog

I was happy to meet Brian in person to thank him for providing me with his video clip and quote for the spring issue of New England Finery. He was also kind enough to encourage me via a home decorating chat on twitter that it was easy to change out a door knob (a small project that had been on my to-do-list for too long). My secret strategy to getting the job done was to get all the tools out, start the project and look just confused enough to convince my husband to take over and finish. In the end it got crossed off the list which is all that matters : )

photo credit: Michael J. Lee

Along with socializing, we did do some shopping. This is the great find that I wanted to bring home with me from Brimfield. How cool would this look in our barn? My boys would have loved it, but the price was a bit out of my range by oh, about $1,000 or so.




Instead I brought home this charming pair of wooden shoe forms. I have seen a lot of adult size ones, but this miniature pair reminded me of the little shoes my boys used to wear. They are a bit smaller than the shoes my youngest wears today ...





As I was walking around the grounds, I was collecting ideas for an upcoming design event that I am participating in, The Boston Antiques & Design Show & Sale. It will be held on the weekend of October 15th and 16th at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, MA (just off of I-93).




New England Finery Magazine will be hosting a 20 x 20 foot space to promote interior design that incorporates antiques. When the show producer, Marvin Getman, asked me to coordinate this project I was so honored! He loved the coverage that his last show, Elm Bank, got in our summer issue in a feature titled Looking for Antiques so he asked me if New England Finery would like to be a part of his next event. Of course I said yes! I had just watched Million Dollar Decorators on Bravo and loved what LA designer Mary McDonald did with her space at the Los Angeles Antique show (see snapshots of it in this post by Kelley Moore) so I was completely inspired to design a space for this event that will celebrate antiques in a modern way.

So if you missed your chance to shop Brimfield this year, mark your calendar to attend this fabulous INDOOR antique shopping venue (no need to worry about rain, heat or cold and you can wear whatever shoes you’d like ; ) We will even have a special area set up in the New England Finery “room” to take photos of visitors with their favorite finds (similar to what they did at the Brimfield tweet up, which I thought was a great idea!) So please come to shop, and then stop by and show us your acquired treasures. You just may find yourself in an upcoming issue of the magazine!

Who is joining me ...

A sneak peek of the foundation of my designed space:

Turkish carpet of Mahal design from First Rugs, Danvers
handspun wool, vegetal dyes, 6' 7" x 8' 11" $5,900

This week I have been at the Wenham Museum setting up my space for the North Shore Design Show. On Monday, my darling husband, John, took time off to help me transport my items from home to the museum. He helped with all the heavy lifting and even the drapery installation. He is the best (even if he doesn’t feel the same way about design as I do : )

Fall Rose & Gardenia Bouquet 15" tall $530

One of the fabulous items on display – and for sale – is this beautiful centerpiece created by Diane James Home which is based in Connecticut. Since the show will run for over a week, I chose this permanent arrangement to grace my “town and country” setting. I would highly recommend these realistic designs to anyone decorating a second home or to those who are less inclined to water the real thing!

“Diane James Home is a luxury resource for limited-edition decorative floral arrangements and orchids, and botanically-inspired gifts. In 1997, the company launched its first collection at Bergdorf Goodman. Diane James’ designs are now sold at rine retailers and have graced many interiors, from country homes and modern lofts to chic hotels and fashion retailers. Made of the finest materials, with an artist’s attention to color and form, each seasonal collection encompasses a garden of possibilities.”

Also sharing my space will be a stunning piece from the “romance inspired” collection from Dunes & Duchess. Read all about the New England-based designers Stacy Kunstel and Michael Partenio in this month’s Lonny Magazine p. 40. I have had the opportunity to get to know Stacy through many of the design-related events that I have attended recently. She is a doll! She was just interviewed on The Hidden List blog recently. Check it out to discover some favorite things of Boston’s very own “Duchess.”




Being surrounded by such good company is one of my favorite parts of any design show. The Gala Event on Friday night will be a great time to meet the talents behind the designs while enjoying a lot of pretty spaces, delicious food and festive drinks. I hope to see you there or sometime during the week. Click here for advance ticket information : )

What I loved at the NYIGF

Two-talented: Stacy Kunstel (aka Duchess) and
Michael Partenio (otherwise known as Dunes)

at their nautically-inspired booth at this week’s
New York International Gift Fair

Last night I returned home from a weekend trip to New York to scope out the New York International Gift Fair. This was my first time attending and I am so glad I went! My traveling companion (and guide) was Rosanne Palazola who pens Focus On Design, shares retail space with me and others at New England Fine Living, tends design clients of her own, and has been to the gift fair a number of times while working with Tuttle and Co.

Roomates Rosanne and Tina

Snacks-to-go: Blueberry muffins
wrapped in swan-shaped tinfoil

We arrived in New York just before noon on Saturday and quickly hailed a cab to the NY apartment of Rosanne’s friend, Tina. The apartment was a delightful pied-a-terre with plenty of room to entertain overnight guests, and blessed with its own courtyard garden that looked charming even while blanketed beneath a white-winter snow.

The three of us headed over to the Pier section of the gift fair on our first day and then visited the Javitz center on day two. Aisle after aisle of gorgeous home decor products and gift merchandise greeted us upon entering each section of the NYIGF. While I did not take photos of everything I saw (honestly, it would have considerably decreased the amount of goodness we could squeeze in if we stopped to photograph every booth) I did collect the cards of my favorite exhibitors for future reference (and journalistic posts!)

Find the Dunes and Duchess at this well-styled space at the NYIGF

While there, we made sure to visit our Boston design friend, Stacy Kunstel at the Dunes & Duchess booth located at Pier 94, Booth #41059.

On display were new products like cool mirrors and elegant sconces that were added to this stylish line of accessories that includes lamps, candelabras, and giant hurricanes.

I finally got a chance to meet the talented and gracious Michael/Dunes in person, and he showed me a new free-standing pedestal that I know would look fabulous in the next design show that I’m working on : )

I would love to see the eco-friendly design-conscious lighting
by Artecnica offered at New England Fine Living

The energized crowds in the exhibit halls were just as stylish as the products being displayed. It was quite the fashion show! When I called home to check in with my family, one of my sons inquired whether I had seen anyone famous. No, I did not see Nate Berkus this time, but I did meet Lisa from the design blog Hamptontoes who had a House Proud segment on his show early in the fall. I have somewhat of a photographic memory and rarely forget a face, so I noticed her right away when she was visiting the Dunes & Duchess (plus I had seen her on Stacy’s blog after Stacy saw the Nate Show last August, so it was easy to put two-and-two together.)


More designer sightings ...

While we were admiring a gorgeous room decked out in lavender and linen designed by Oly Studio, I noticed a woman strategically shooting best-angle photos of the space. I figured she must be with the press since many exhibitors prefer that photos are not taken. When she turned around I immediately recognized her as Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic. I introduced myself as a fan of her design blog, but I could tell she was just like us, trying to see and record as much of the show as possible, so we didn’t chat long.

Designer eye-candy: Little Nest by Karen Alweil Studio

Going to the gift fair can be much like visiting an amusement park for design lovers, but it is also a work-related field trip that involves research and analysis. Designers are thinking “What does my client need?” Store owners are wondering “What would my customer like?” Writers are looking for products to engage their audience, and many of us are wishing we could take home all of our show favorites and not just order slips, catalogs and memories!

When the weekend was over we were like little kids wishing we had time for one more ride on the merry-go-round. But we knew our time was up, and to be honest, all the pretty-shiny-colorful objects had left our senses overindulged (in the best way, of course!)

As I notice posts about the show this week (it goes through February 3rd) I will add them to this list. If you post about the show, please leave your blog address with the post link in the comments. I would love to see what you loved about the NYIGF.


• Habitually Chic: Gift Show Guide

• Habitually Chic: Jonathan Adler

• Habitually Chic: Favorite Things

• Habitually Chic: Oxbow Decor

• Habitually Chic: For the Birds

• Habitually Chic: Trends Report

• Ishka Designs: NYIGF part 1

• Hamptontoes: Tour of the NYIGF

• Hamptontoes: NYIGF part II

• Frugal Farmhouse Design: Gift Show Observations

• Pretty Little Green Things: NYIGF Pier 94

• Pretty Little Green Things: NYIGF Javitz Center

• ShelterPop: Roost at NYIGF

• Shelter Pop: NYIGF – Favorite Booths

• The Itsy Factor: NYIGF Baby & Child Review

• My Mom Shops: NYIGF – Best new baby & child

• My Mom Shops: NYIGF – Melissa & Doug

• IVillage Home & Garden: NYIGF – Favorite Finds

• IVillage Home & Garden: Best Kid Friendly Designs

• IVillage Home & Garden: Amazing Finds for Pets

• Pretty Pink Tulips: My First NYIGF

• The Zhush: NYIGF A Newbie’s Perspective

• Fifth Joy: The Best of NYIGF

• Maison de Ballard: Dolan Geiman Art at NYIGF

• Design Sponge: Morihata International

• The Lonny Blog: Nina’s Finds from the Gift Fair

• Design Milk: New York International Gift Fair


And from my traveling companion ...

• Focus on Design: Road Trip

• Focus on Design: Road Trip, day 2