NY Hotel Design: Yotel // #Blogfest2013 part 1

For our first evening in New York, Linda Holt and I put on our most colorful outfits from our suitcases to attend the #Blogfest2013 kick-off party at the Jonathan Adler showroom on Madison Avenue. We asked a lobby attendant at our lodging, Yotel on 10th, to snap our photo before we went back out into the rain (we had just trekked from our Manhattan bus stop to our hotel in a not-so-welcoming downpour). We weren’t sure why the guy taking our photo insisted on standing so far away from us when recording the moment on my iPhone, but after seeing his framed point of view we realized the bike hanging over our heads certainly deserved to be part of our scenery shot.

The bathroom in our hotel room, or pod as we called it, with a large Electric Mirror

(we sell them at Designer Bath) that lights up around the bordered edge.

I am fascinated with hotel design lately. Since I rarely travel, just staying away from home is an experience in itself. A trip to a concept hotel, however, is a valuable lesson in public and private space planning. Yotel was designed to be uber-efficient, making the most of every inch of space. There are no extras at Yotel, like room service and mini-bars, but it is clean and neat, and if we had watched the 2-minute video on their website we may have had more of a clue on what to expect from our hotel stay. As it was, we didn’t even realize that we had drawers for our clothing in our room, as they were tucked away near the cabin door, which we noticed as we wheeled our luggage out on the last day.

Amenities like towel warmers were a nice touch,

although ours was not heated for some reason.

For me, I prefer a warmer environment, with more textures and personality, plus design that is a little more intuitive. When you only have a short amount of time to get to know a space, the last thing you want to do is spend 15 minutes at the end of the night trying to figure out how to make the head of the bed go down flat (one of our Blogfest friends actually slept sitting up!)

Linda’s pashmina was about the size of the room.

Automated luggage storage in the lobby.

An orchid that I saw on our visit to the ICFF (I liked the lucite rods)

vaguely reminded me of our Yotel lobby luggage bot. 

I sent this photo home to my lego-loving boys. 

No concierge in our lobby. Just touch screens. Although a couple of

actual humans were on-hand for those of us who looked bewildered.

Saint Germaine with muddled cucumber and vodka at the lounge

The Yotel terrace is the largest outdoor hotel space in New York

photo credit: Yotel website

I can’t show you one of the most interesting design elements that we discovered at Yotel. On the first night we heard a lot of noise coming from the lounge area. It sounded like we were in a market place or staying at a youth hostel! We were tired after our first night out meeting the other design bloggers (more on that later) and didn’t want to deal with hotel crowds, so we skipped the lounge and went to our room. The next morning we woke up and we heard chirping when we entered the lobby. No birds in sight. In the afternoon, we heard relaxing caribbean-like music. They were piping in ambient music at different times of day to set the mood! Genius!

photo credit: Yotel website

For more on the Yotel experience click here.



More from #Blogfest2013 to come ...

Back from Blogfest!

A warm welcome from Kravet

After spending three days this week in New York as a #Blogfest2013 attendee, I have hundreds of colorful photos to sort through and SO MUCH design related info to share! My friend Linda Holt and I returned to Boston just before midnight last night. I did manage to get up and make it to my day job at Designer Bath this morning, but I haven’t been very creatively productive after leaving the office, plus my attendance was required at a High School concert after dinner and prep work had to be done for tomorrow’s 3rd grade “Breakfast of Champions” invitation which I had forgotten all about. My unpacked bags are calling me and I have tons of emails to sort through, but I think I will just park myself on the couch for an hour, watch my DVR’d episode of Mad Men, and call it a night. I will be back with some great photos from inside Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, our HGTV sponsored luncheon, meet and greets with Jonathan Adler + Alexa Hampton + Thom Filicia + Aerin Lauder, a tour of Kravet Design Studios, my picks from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and more design goodness from the city that never sleeps ...

Bamboo hedged terrace at Yotel in NY

Celebrating Great Gatsby Style

Oh dear, I think I may have a touch of Gatsby fever ... have you seen the movie yet? It has been on my list of girls-nights-out but I have yet to make it to the theatre. I did, however, make it to the Wenham Musuem 90th Birthday Gala held at Misselwood Estate in Beverly in early May. For the past four years, I have been one of the participating designers for their annual North Shore Design Show. This year, however, they chose to have a birthday celebration off-site instead of hosting the show at the museum. And what a party they had!

The museum first opened in 1922, so the theme was very Great Gatsby. The ocean side estate charmed us with its architectural details and scenic location. Mint juleps were served. A pre-party viewing of the Kentucky Derby was the only sign of the present day. If it were not for the big screen and surround sound, I could have sworn we were in another era. An era that I could certainly feel right at home in, and so could my design friends ...

With designer Linda Hentschel of I-Design Interiors

Designers Stacy Clarimundo and Kristina Crestin

Kristina Crestin Design

Designers Jill Janasiewicz and Eric M. Haydel

ASID NE board members 

Un chapeaux switcheroo!

Two designers living in the same town meet for the first time!

Fascinators sparkle while a swing band plays dance tunes 

(love the iPhone in the foreground!) 

Engraved silver julep cups with rich red roses

Chocolate fountains were in vogue in the 20s right?

Delicious menu provided by Creative Catering

A wealth of fabulous items were auctioned off to benefit the mission of

the Wenham Museum: to protect, preserve and interpret the artifacts of childhood,

domestic life and the history and culture of Boston’s North Shore.

Cidalia Schwartz of Lyon-Waugh Auto Group

with Rick Sedler of Northshore Magazine

Linda imagining a Mini test drive

Marlene Pippins and Honorary Chair

Rita Cary from The River 92.5 

Great Gatsby fashion ... cream lace with pearls

 

Pam and Rick Sedler with Kristin Noon,

Executive Director of the Wenham Museum

Lots of dancing on the floor ... lessons were provided.

 

This sweet couple danced all night!

Wenham Museum’s Mary Barthelmes and her husband Bob with Eric Haydel

A gathering of Wenham Museum supporters and fans!

(Sally Wilson with the tiara : )

photo credit kikilarouge

If being a guest wasn’t good fortune enough, I also won the Kentucky Derby horse race raffle (thank you, Golden Soul!) and took home a gift certificate to Viola Lovely in Wenham. 

I have to say, the entire evening was so much fun! Just to be able to step outside the hectic pace of our everyday lives and go back in time to the simple glamour and elegance of another era. A special thank you goes to the board members of the Wenham Museum for hosting, and additional gratitude goes to my friend Laura Thomson for whipping up a fresh floral fascinator for me at a moment’s notice (see a great shot of the peony up close on her design blog).

I know for sure that I will be back to this gorgeous seaside estate (our nephew is getting married at Misselwood in August) and I know for sure that it will be equally fabulous!!

For a glimpse of the sights and sounds of the Wenham Museum 90th Birthday Gala, click here.

Designers at Work + Play

Now that I have your attention, I am ready to share some behind the scenes of the #YorkShowHouse! Trio Design (myself, Rosanne Palazola and Katherine Hawkins) have been traveling to Kittery at least once a week to prep, prime, paint, and determine our design installation plans for our spaces (bedroom, bath, mudroom and powder room).

Lately, our early morning commute from Massachusetts has set itself on auto pilot, navigating us to Beach Pea Baking Company in Kittery to grab coffee, delicious sandwiches for lunch, and sometimes a sweet or two (the ginger snaps with lemon creme filling are heaven!) When we are completely done setting up our rooms, one of their decadent cakes is on my reward list.

Katherine, myself, Rosanne, Barbara Elza Hirsch

In mid-April, before the house was made available for its transformation, the show house committee hosted all of the designers at a meet and greet at the Remick Barn in Old York. It was a great chance to catch up with some old friends and get to know the other artists we will be working alongside of this spring and summer. The media sponsor for the show, Maine Home + Design Magazine, was there, as was Jay Goldsmith, our official portrait photographer. He took a group photo while we were all gathered, and later in the evening a bunch of us went out for more Maine goodness (When Pigs Fly Wood-Fired Pizzeria) and took some candids of our own. 

We shared small plates and design discussions with Meredith Bohn

(I highly recommend the roasted brussel sprouts!)

And shared lots of laughs with Frank Hodge and Valerie Jorgenson (on right)

and their significant others who have witnessed many a show house together.

Each day when we show up for work, I like to go by the salt water pool first. The grounds are starting to fill in with lush perennials, but I have heard the landscape will look completely different by the time the show opens.

The view outside the screened porch is another favorite of mine.

Bathroom Number One, Day One

I brought a postcard from work to mark my territory

Bathroom Number Two, Day One

Bye Bye Birdie ... wallpaper removal time

At our front door (after a long day of prep work)

On a return visit, Katherine has recruited help (with her husband, Dave)

After three days on-site, I have managed to make some progress (hello two coats of fabulous Farrow + Ball paint on one ceiling!) For now, however, all I can show you is a sneak peek of the guest soaps I have chosen for each space ...

Hand-cut soap from Saipua // Hand towels from Frette

For show house updates, follow the #YorkShowHouse tag on twitter and instagram, and be sure to visit our Trio Design blog posts where each of us will be sharing our behind-the-scenes adventures. While it certainly takes a lot of work and resources to pull off a design show, I know it’s well worth the effort. Spending quality time with the other designers and watching how they go about accomplishing their visions is a bonus.

Stay tuned for more fun from York ...

Be a gem ...

Northshore Magazine, Hidden Gems issue // May/June 2013

Cover illustrated by Christian Lindemann

Northshore Magazine is hosting a silent auction on Thursday night, May 9th, at the Northshore Mall from 5 to 7:30pm to benefit One Fund, Boston.

Over 150 items valued at over $30,000 have been donated from dozens of area businesses – a trip to Italy, spa packages, sports memorabilia, health and wellness gift certificates, jewelry, theatre tickets, art, and so much more (look for a Designer Bath gift certificate in the mix).

The auction will take place on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing during the already planned Mom’s Night Out shopping event. Stop by and place your bid knowing that all the proceeds will help those injured during the Marathon bombing. 

Click here for a complete list of auction items. To donate directly to the One Fund, click here. 

To protect and to serve ...

It has been almost three weeks since the finish line at the Boston Marathon was bombed. Since that time, I feel as if I have been on an emotional roller coaster, which has finally slowed down enough for me to step out and regain my balance on solid ground.

In my head, I have composed a dozen different posts about how I felt that Monday and the days, and weeks, afterwards. I have tossed and turned in my sleep, I have had nightmares, I am pretty sure I have been grinding my teeth. I wasn’t even in Boston when it happened. I was at work. All of my kids were home, less than a half hour away from the city. It was the start of school vacation week, which I typically dread since it means I am working and they are home with unplanned schedules.

Fortunately, my husband was at home with them all day. When I heard from someone in my office that some kind of explosion happened at the Marathon, my first reaction was that it was probably something minor. I had two more hours till my day was over. I knew this was not a place of worry that I wanted to go to in my mind when I was far from home. But part of my job is to monitor social media, like Twitter, so as more information came in, I became painfully aware that something was very wrong. I checked in with everyone at home. I texted my oldest son who was skateboarding at a town park. The same park I was in when I first heard that we were attacked on 9/11.

I remember that day so clearly. My oldest son had just started pre-school that week. On the first day, I dropped him off with a very long note to his nursery school teachers warning them that he liked to climb things. And that he liked to be outside. And that he may try to go outside without asking. I had special Safety First plastic door knob protectors on every door in our home for that very reason.

When I first saw the Little Tikes log cabin in the nursery school playground I was more than nervous. My daring first-born would no doubt try to climb to the roof, and maybe even try to jump off, and would these teachers be watching his every move like I did at home? I prepared instructions for them to keep an eye on him during recess, especially if he approached the log cabin. And please watch the doors while inside. He might slip out without anyone noticing.

I was a wreck. I had a 1 1/2 year old toddler at home and a baby on the way. I needed my 3 year old to have some time away from home, I could barely keep up with him, but I honestly couldn’t imagine someone else watching him with the same kind of attention that I did. At home I had safety gates everywhere, which served to protect my son from perceived harm and to minimize the square footage of areas that I had to keep under surveillance.

After dropping my son off at school, I took my second born to the park. By the time I got there it was shortly after 9am. It was like a ghost town. I saw someone walking his dog. He said something about a plane crash in New York. At the time I don’t think I even carried a cell phone. I wasn’t really sure what this stranger was talking about. My son played in the sandbox for awhile. I was kind of relieved that the park wasn’t crowded. I didn’t have to worry about other toddlers grabbing a toy that he was playing with or throwing sand in his eyes. After our time was up, we headed back to pick up his brother.

As the news spread of what actually happened, the world became a very scary place. Even opening the mail became an act not to be done without extreme caution. My third son was born three weeks early. I am not surprised that he wanted out, what with the amount of stress I had internalized. At the time, no one really had any idea of what could happen next. Who could have predicted what happened in New York and in the sky in September of 2001? 

On Marathon Monday, these are some of memories that resurfaced. Memories of feeling helpless. Uncertain. Feelings of disbelief. Why? How? Who? What turns a person into an uncaring soul, capable of mass destruction, who no longer sees or values the spirit in another? 

My brothers are both police officers. Every day they have to deal with the consequences of people who have stepped outside the bounds of acceptable behavior. Minor incidents and major ones. Accidents and acts of intention. Every day they risk their lives to keep others safe. One brother used to be on the SWAT team. He has four kids like I do.

We all know how the week of the marathon ended. My brother and I spent some time that following Sunday at the elementary school park with our kids.

While our little ones played, I asked my brother how he deals with everything he sees. How he can flip the switch from being a crime-fighting cop on the streets to a dad who will sit patiently as his girls perform hour long “shows” with their dozens of dolls. He shared that he has developed strategies to deal with his job verses his family life. He tries not to take work home with him. He tries to be present for his kids. He worries about the same things that other parents and spouses worry about. He knows that not everyone acts on their best behavior and that there also are some people who can be turned around, with the right guidance, before something really bad happens. 

I am very proud of both of my brothers for all that they do day after day to ensure that the rest of us don’t have to worry full-time about “bad guys.” Over the past 14 plus years that I have been a mom, I have acquired a long enough list of worries on my watch-out-for list ...

• choking hazards like marbles, ice cubes, hard candy
• coconut, peanuts, walnuts + other anaphalactic health hazards 
• ticks, mosquitos, kids who bite, unfamiliar dogs, animal fur
• strangers, grouchy people, bullies
• anything on wheels, drivers on cell phones
• swimming pools, undertows at the beach, slippery rocks
• tornadoes, falling trees, climate changes
• access to inappropriate content 
• drugs, peer pressure, impending driver’s licences

To be completely honest, I am tired of all this endless worrying. I think I really lost it the most emotionally when I read that two brothers, standing side by side laughing on a sunny day waiting to watch a friend cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, both lost a leg in the bombing. How many times have I said to my boys, “Stay with your brother! Keep an eye on each other!” I woke up to this news and I sobbed. One of my boys heard me and came running. I couldn’t really explain to a 9 year old how I was feeling. How years of worry sometimes pours out at moments of emotional vulnerability. 

I had to cover my eyes. I had to stop watching the news. I had to stop reading the eye-witness accounts. I had to spend some time outdoors away from screen media. I attacked the weeds in my garden. I pruned the wild rose bushes. I felt the sun on my face. I listened to the birds sing. I started to feel better.

I am thankful that people came together to help one another get through this tragic series of events. I am grateful that as a community we have not let what happened defeat us. We look for the good. We help where we can. We raise funds for the victims and their families. We are Boston Strong. And when we are still not feeling that way, we fake it until we do.