Monday, May 7, 2012

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!








Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Fashion Destination: Madison Avenue



Do you like designer labels but don’t want to pay full price to change out your wardrobe each season? For my local readers, you have to check out Madison Avenue Consignment Boutique in Melrose. The owner, Joanne Cotton, has created a one-stop shop for fashionistas. We’re talking runway wardrobe at “I’ll take two” prices. All items are meticulously curated – including items on consignment and new fashion-forward jewelry lines. The store is filled with cool accessories, must-have handbags, conversation starting shoes and a lot of designer bling, not to mention high-end brands that would upgrade most closets.


Visit the Madison Avenue website or their facebook page for updates on what is currently available or stop in to experience some bargain-shoppers delight ... you won’t leave empty handed! The store recently celebrated its one year anniversary at its Main Street location. Read about the concept behind the consignment here. 






photo courtesy Madison Avenue





Sunday, April 29, 2012

New England Finery + Habitat for Humanity

New England Finery Issue 6: Rendering by architect Andrew Steingiser


I am really excited to announce that the spring issue of New England Finery Magazine is now online! Well at least part of it ... this issue will be covering from beginning-to-end the building of a two-family home that will take place over the course of ONE week! Across the country, over 200 homes will be built by Habitat for Humanity affiliates during a nationwide Builders Blitz this June, and two of those homes will be built just 30 minutes from where I live. The Merrimack Valley chapter of Habitat for Humanity is partnering with a team of some pretty amazing building professionals and dozens of local volunteers to ensure that the home you see in the rendering above is completed within the one week time frame. In order to achieve this goal, there is a lot to be done before the build. Click here to see where the story begins ...


Would you like to be a part of this exciting project? Click here for volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.





Thursday, April 26, 2012

Designer at work ...

{my space at the Wenham Museum North Shore Design Show, 2010}


This time of year is always very busy for me. With the Wenham Museum’s North Shore Design Show just around the corner, I have lots to take care of before the gala event on May 11th. In previous years, I did not have a full-time day job vying for my attention. Fortunately, I have found a way to include my position as Marketing Director at Designer Bath into my vignette for the 2012 show. I have a great team of businesses that will also be a part of the space. Read more about what I have been working on here ...








Thursday, April 12, 2012

Social Interiors + Circle Tweet Up

Before jumping into this post on the first official Boston tweet-up organized by Social Interiors and held at Circle Furniture in Boston, let’s just appreciate this beautiful peacock bedding and more importantly the never-go-to-bed-angry accent pillow. 



Julieann Covino, Social Interiors founder, with Sarah Cooney of Circle Furniture


There was a full house of designers, design bloggers and industry related design partners last week at the recently opened location of Circle Furniture on St. James Avenue in Boston. Lately I have been spending a lot of time at their Danvers location since they will be part of my decorated space for the North Shore Design Show at the Wenham Museum in May. This was the first time I have visited their Boston store and I really liked its urban vibe.





I met up with Ann Murdock and Linda Hentschel of Rennaissance Interiors in North Reading and headed in with them to the event. Linda, among other projects, is the interior designer of the Jules Verne Steampunk-outfitted room at Audio Concepts, also in Boston, which was just unveiled last night. You have to stop in to see it to believe it!



The point of these tweet-ups is to get to know other professionals in a related industry who can help with resources and recommendations and who can simply relate to being in the business of design. Kristine Kennedy from the online shopping mecca Wayfair (which used to be CSN stores) is seen here with Winchester-based interior designer Kristen Rivoli.




We are very lucky to have these opportunities to get together socially when most of us work independently in our respective creative fields. Thank you, Julieann, for organizing this event!


Also seen at Circle ...


Erika Johnson of Radiant Republic, pictured here with her fiance, has been very busy: on  Joyous and Joss & Main.






I met designer Mally Skok for the first time at this event. Along with being an interior designer, she also has created a line of fabrics including this one that I just saw at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York. It is called Ikat Crazy Pink/Orange and I just love it! So whimsical yet sophisticated.




Of course the furnishings at Circle deserve some special attention, too! I loved the pairing of the verdant green carpet with the more subdued sofa. The two occasional tables are a cool coffee table alternative.





And how about this extra long tufted leather sofa? Very Mad Men looking to me, even in forest green. The fluid rug pattern below is a pretty counterpoint to the lines of the sofa and the trio of ceramic baby doll heads certainly caught my eye (these would last all of 3 minutes in my home!)





Thank you, Richard and Harold Tubman of Circle Furniture, for hosting the first Social Interiors tweet-up in your Boston location. If you are a Boston-area (or from the North Shore like me : ) design professional, be sure to follow Social Interiors on twitter to be notified of the next event, which hopefully will not be too far off in the future!





Friday, April 6, 2012

Easy to care for ...



I am thinking about getting a pair of bunnies, but I am on the fence. Do we need more mouths to feed around here? Should I just stick to trying to fill the planters at my front door before Easter? And then remember to water them? My indoor plants have not fared so well this winter. Moss and grass I am pretty sure I can handle. Moss is very forgiving and will stay green even without water for extended periods of time.





I really love these lightweight stone resin corner planters cast from estate originals by the company Pennoyer Newman seen at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Combining a set of four could create an intimate English garden-like seating area. Boxwood plantings would fill them nicely, or a fragrant herb garden perhaps. These bright and cheerful flowers are ranunculus. Aren’t they sweet?






This circular planter would make a stunning container garden focal point, with or without the heron statue. I love how the succulents are paired with the moss.  The egg shaped garden stones in the background are pretty cool, too. They would look neat tucked away in the wooded part of our property like fossilized dinosaur eggs. Is it too late to have them delivered for our Sunday morning Easter egg hunt?



How will you fill your planters this spring?




Sunday, April 1, 2012

Cherry blossom pink straight up

photo credit: yvonne blacker


15th Annual DIFFA: Dining by Design
Bar lounge installation by fashion designer



“The idea of design for me is about giving something an aesthetic, a point of view and making something beautiful. The world of design means you can create beautiful things, whatever that is or whatever you choose to do.” - Richard Chai




April


MONIQUE LHUILLIER ball gown
£5,325 - harrods.com


Rsvp peep toe pumps
$99 - zappos.com


Shared Earth evening bag clutch
£15 - fashion-conscience.com


Suzanna Dai ivory necklace
$470 - charmandchain.com


Kenneth Jay Lane stud earrings
€107 - pret-a-beaute.com


Shaun Leane cherry ring
$375 - astleyclarke.com