JasonWu #NYFW: a Room + a Reunion

RUNWAY

Jason Wu’s Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear Collection: modern with a traditional influence, tailored with a focus on the finest materials, glamorous but never fussy. Seen last February during New York Fashion Week courtesy of Brizo.

image via jasonwustudio.com

TO ROOM

Jason Wu for Brizo collection in my Petite Powder Room at the 24th Annual York Decorator Show House: matte black finishes contrasting with soft whites, dramatic black lace florals paired with sexy nude tones, edgy snakeskin leather and shiny metal accents. Modern design elements. Baroque inspired florals.

wallpaper: Farrow + Ball Versailles  //   Jason Wu for Brizo available via Designer Bath

“The snakeskin leather floor in this powder room is really just for show, kind of a fashion statement that is beautiful to look at, but not completely practical when it comes to everyday wear (much like a killer pair of stilettos).”

ROCKING LACE

image via jasonwustudio.com

LACE ROCKS

If you look closely, there is a small tube of Lancome lipstick on the dotted swiss ceramic tray. I believe the Jason Wu for Lancome collection is being launched this week. The egg on black stand? Symbolic of Wu’s guiding fashion mantra based on “strong femininity.” Jason Wu signed print courtesy of Brizo.

accessories via Blue Peacock Home 

JASON WU FOR LANCOME

image via fashionista.com

AN ICONIC OWL

Members of the Brizo #blogger19 were gifted with key chains bearing Jason Wu’s symbolic owl logo.

THINKING OF YOU, MR. WU

SHOWTIME

Fall 2013 runway ... black shiny large scale marble floor tiles inset with a border of equally large mirrored tile squares. In the center a huge sparkling chandelier ... bigger than the entire size of my powder room!

CLOSE UP READY

The small size of this half bath was a particular challenge. How does one make a tiny room stand out in a vast show house? I took my model thin space and dressed it dramatically from top to bottom. During the five weeks of the show, it certainly turned some heads.

mirror, sink, counter via Designer Bath

Peshtemal Towel via The Turkish Towel Company

photo credit: Eric Roth

PETITE POWDER BEFORE

PETITE POWDER AFTER

PETITE POWDER

JASON WU FOR LANCOME

image via fashionista.com

RUNWAY MEMORIES INSPIRE

THANK YOU, BRIZO

my NYFW experience courtesy of Brizo starts here

photo courtesy Brizo

Brizo understands that brands and businesses benefit from having ambassadors. This summer, they reunited almost 100 of their New York fashion week design bloggers to attend a three day reunion in Memphis, Tennessee. Why Memphis? Memphis is the home to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, their charity of choice. Brizo is passionate about improving lives, whether that involves designing cutting edge bath and kitchen fixtures that are as beautiful as they are efficient or giving back to the community that surrounds them. As an invited guest on this all expense paid trip, I was introduced to other design bloggers who share the #blogger19 alum status, and was taken on a guided tour of the St. Jude campus as part of our 3-day reunion experience.

TARGET HOUSE TOUR

The rotunda at Target House, a family residence on the St. Jude campus

ST. JUDE HOSPITAL TOUR

Inspirational artwork lines the walls at St. Jude

The mission of St. Jude, founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, is one of hope. That “no child should die in the dawn of their life.” St. Jude has been leading the way in pediatric cancer research since it opened its doors in the late 1960s. They provide treatment for FREE to the children who need it most. They also provide a long-term place to stay for children AND their families during their treatment. Having spent a couple nights on various occasions at Boston Children’s Hospital with one of my own boys, I was completely impressed with the attention given to establishing a healing environment that takes the entire family into consideration. I will share more about what I saw at St. Jude as well as what we saw on our Brizo factory tour in another post. For now, I am going to take the liberty of posting a veritable scrapbook of photos from my #blogger19 reunion. When you are immersed in an engaging experience that creates lasting memories, the people you share those days with become like family. So these pics are for you, my @Brizo #blogger19 family ...

BRIZO + ST. JUDE CELEBRATION DINNER 

Reunited with my peeps from February #blogger19 Fashion Week:

Cristi, Laura, Donna, and Judd from Brizo

Cristi and Laura

with Lisa, Laura, Marilyn and Donna

Todd and Adele

Boston designer Linda with her #blogger19 pal Gloria

wtih Marilyn and Cristi

with Judd and Donna

Marilyn and Erika

and we danced ...

photo booth op: team Brizo’s Seth, Jon, Sam and Judd

team Brizo incognito

yes, I am sporting a tiara (it was a long, emotional day, after all!)

iphone case design tricks – thanks, Toni!

Seth and Trevor: bright lights, big ideas

raffle winners: Marilyn and my #YorkShowHouse pal Barbara

Carrie and Michelle with their Brizo gift baskets

Cheryl also won ... just as I predicted!

St. Jude received a donation with each basket given away

getting silly: boas + tiaras with Cheryl, Sam, Brandon, Judd, Nicole

Smile! Kristen, Judd, Brandon

Tiaras for everyone! Courtney, Lisa, myself, Manvi, Paul

Dubai x2: Manvi and Laura

CLOSING EVENT: DINNER AT

ITTA BENA BLUES CLUB

(day event factory tour info to come!)

Itta Bena above BB King blues club on Beale Street = all ours!

sit down dinner after many “last night” photos are taken ...

Brizo’s Laura, Jai, and Marilyn

Adele, Barbara, Barbara, et moi

Dubai + Interior Designer Chat

Canadian contingent: Corey, Jonathan, Meredith

with Kristen and Elvis

Donna of Savvy Interiors, JB of Building Moxie, Eric of StudioM

my Chicago design sister

2cute: Cristi and Niki

happy to meet: Michelle, Eric, and Carmen

like-minded marketers: striking a pose with Whitney

the fab-four one last time (for now!) Marilyn, Donna, Barbara + me

where we stayed: The Peabody Hotel (ducks included)

how we were treated: like royalty

@Brizo #blogger19 Reunion

photo courtesy Brizo

Not time to say good bye yet ... there’s more to come including a second Brizo-inspired bath for the York Show House and more from the reunion (daylight events : )

P.S. Jason Wu is showing his Spring/Summer 2014 collection at New York Fashion Week on September 6th at 1pm. Watch the live stream here, then let me know what you think of it!

A whisper of summer ...

Tomorrow is the last day of the York Decorator Show House in Kittery Point. I am feeling a little sad! It went by far too quickly and I did not get enough time up there to really enjoy the visitors who stopped by my two baths and the other Trio Design spaces. The time I thought I would be able to spend with the other designers was also not enough. We will have to make up for it tomorrow evening at the Closing Soiree and Secret Garden Party! Show house tours are ending a bit early on Thursday (call ahead to confirm exact time) so if you are planning your visit for the last day don’t go out for a long lunch first! I will be back later with more photos from the show, snapshots from summer design events, some completed project photos as previously promised, and a few special announcements ... 

Birthday Wishes and Fairy Dust

My Birthday Surprise: London Calling

So today is my birthday. I should be taking the day off from social media, but I had to pop in to share a special gift I received. Yesterday afternoon I was on twitter and noticed that a bunch of people – many that I have met at various blogger events – were being introduced as being selected to travel to London to attend the London Design Festival.

Check it out! The London Design Festival

BlogTour by Modenus

11 people were named, all of whom had expressed interest in being on this very exclusive list. Several times a year, Veronika Miller of the interior design curated site Modenus, organizes these all-expense paid blogger participation trips as a way to introduce fabulous products and share design inspiration with bloggers who then share what they discover on their journey with their audiences. Pretty amazing, huh?

From my recent Brizo trip to Memphis (More on that later! Still working on posts!)

on left: my friend Barbara Elza Hirsch went to BlogTour in New Orleans in April

middle/right: Marilyn Russell and Laura Bielecki are on the list for BlogTourLondon

It was fun to see each blogger being introduced. Especially when I saw a number of friends from my recent trips with Brizo and the Blogger19 filling the coveted spots. This is very much like winning the blogger lottery! Plus it is an incredible opportunity to be exposed to cutting edge design while in the company of some amazing (and seriously fun!) people.

Then I saw my name in a tweet. What’s this? Something about a vote? One blogger (there is supposed to be 12) was unable to attend. All of a sudden there is an open spot and six bloggers have been selected as vote-in candidates. To see my name on this list came as SUCH a surprise! I felt like I had been handed a golden ticket! Honestly I never even put my name in the running to go as I have been sincerely fortunate this year to be able to travel to a number of blogger events that were also unexpected opportunities. What an honor to be chosen!

At Itta Benna in Memphis for the Blogger19 Reunion hosted by Brizo

Cast your vote before 5pm today!

So now I have until 5pm today to find out if my name ends up filling the 12th spot on the London BlogTour list. But you know something? I already feel like I have won something. I have been blogging for five years. I have written over 500 posts (hello, could have written that novel by now!) I have made some wonderful connections and real life friends as a direct result of engaging with the creative community I have found online. Just being selected and having my blog recognized for the original content I work so hard to create is the real gift. It makes it all worth the effort. Tonight I will eat cake with my family, drink champagne and celebrate the fact that doing what you love is its own reward. In the meantime, if you would like to vote for me, click here. Cheers!  xoxo yvonne

York Show House Preview!

 with Katherine Hawkins and Rosanne Palazola of Trio Design

After months of traveling back and forth to work on our four spaces at the 24th Annual York Decorator Show House, my Trio Design friends and I celebrated with the other show designers at a special preview party gala on Friday night. We were all very happy to ditch our painting clothes, get dressed up, and celebrate with a round of bubbly ... the hard part is over!

The view from the guest cottage at Secret Cove

This was the first time that we got a chance to see all of the transformed spaces by the many talented designers who are part of this year’s show. Watching bits and pieces of the rooms come together during our weekly visits built up a lot of excitement! Stunning furnishings, luxurious materials, freshly painted walls in seaside hues, dramatic artwork and fabulous light fixtures, have all come together to tell a new story for this seaside home. The resulting spaces, with their special touches and designer style, show just what can be accomplished with a lot of planning, dedication, and real teamwork. Having beautiful resources available for our use, like paint and paper from Farrow and Ball, fixtures from Designer Bath and accessories from Blue Peacock Home for example, made the job that much sweeter. While I can’t show you what’s behind all of the closed doors, I can share some sneak peeks and gala photos ...

SNEAK PEEK: In Syrena’s Bath, a sea fan and ocean coral fabric from Thibaut was my starting point. I paired it with rich, chalky paint colors from Farrow and Ball (from top to bottom: Borrowed Light, Manor House Gray, and Pitch Blue). This full-size bath coordinates with an adjoining teen bedroom filled with thoughtful details selected by Katherine. When you see playful shades of purple and lavender combined with lots of silver sparkle, you will know you are in the right place!

SNEAK PEEK: my husband John in a Trio Designed space.

I couldn’t have pulled it off without him! xoxo

Rosanne and I worked with Mary Donovan of Landry and Arcari to select carpets for two of our spaces. Mary has been by our side for many design shows! Rosanne’s “Poolside Portal” is really fabulous and the new carpet she selected for the custom install is the perfect combination of practical and pretty.   

SNEAK PEEK: accessories in the Petite Powder Room

If you like “runway-to-room” design translations, don’t miss the Petite Powder Room that I decorated based on the aesthetic of fashion designer Jason Wu. It is just around the corner from the show house kitchen and at the end of the hall in Rosanne’s Poolside Portal. Thanks to my friends at Brizo, visitors to the show can see the Jason Wu for Brizo matte black collection in real life. The collection is super glamorous, as is the wallpaper from Farrow and Ball

My Brizo traveling companion, designer Barbara Elza Hirsch (on the right), has decorated a very elegant screened porch at Secret Cove. In it she features mosaic work by tile artist Ariel Finelt Shoemaker (on the left). Their design collaboration is beyond lovely!

SNEAK PEEK: a glimpse of Barbara’s screened porch with vintage accents

with Katherine, Michael Nest, designer Frank Hodge,

designer Helen Hanan, and Dave Hawkins

Frank Hodge and Helen Hanan have both designed unique interiors for the show. While Frank’s study is right next to Katherine and my space on the second floor, Helen’s guest suite is on the other side of the house. It was fun to be able to meet up at the gala and compare design notes, since we didn’t often get a chance to connect while busy working on our separate rooms.

Friends at the gala included artist Susan Siefer (whose gorgeous commissioned works of art grace the halls in one of the spaces designed by Meredith Bohn) and my Blogfest 2013 companion designer Linda Holt. Linda loves color as much as I do, and no we did not coordinate our outfits!

SNEAK PEEK: the master bedroom suite by Pat Finn

Pat Finn of Finn-Martens Design and I have worked on a number of design projects together over the years. Her work always impresses me with its good Feng Shui. Just walk into her rooms and immediately you will feel relaxed! Her Secret Cove master bedroom suite (bedroom, bath, and screened porch with hot tub)  is quite the “after” and includes a few pieces selected from the Designer Bath showroom along with a lighting favorite from my friends over at Dunes and Duchess.  

There are lots of other designers involved and more pictures to come, but do try to make it up to Kittery Point before the show ends on August 15th. It will conclude with a designer auction at a Secret Garden Party and Closing Soiree. Super fun!

While up Maine for the preview party, my husband and I took the kids to stay at my mom’s cottage near York beach. We couldn’t let the weekend go by without a quick visit to Nubble Light, Kittery Trading Post and the Weathervane for seafood. Now that the show house has opened, I am planning to enjoy lots more day trips and summer travel, starting with a quick visit this week to Memphis, courtesy of the oh-so-generous team at Brizo. Stay tuned for updates on my reunion with the Blogger 19 and a special day spent with Brizo’s chosen charity St. Jude’s Hospital. I am excited to see what they have planned for us, and am so looking forward to seeing all my design blogging friends who will be in attendance. Over 100 of us are Memphis-bound, so it should be quite an experience! Follow us at #blogger19 on twitter for real-time updates throughout the week. And if you make it to the show house while I’m away, tag your thoughts on twitter with #yorkshowhouse.

I’d love to hear what you think!

Show House Countdown!

The 24th Annual York Decorator Show House opens this Saturday with a fabulous preview party planned for Friday night. We designers are just about ready for our curtain call! There have been lots of tidying up to do for the press visits this week, and behind the scenes marketing details to tend to ... I have been a bit busy! I will be back later with a sneak peek of our spaces, but for now, check out the show house progress blog posts from my partners at Trio Design.

FYI: Be sure to order your tickets early if you want to attend any of the scheduled events as they sell out fast. Regular admission show house tickets are available at the door for $20 and are not available online.

I know I promised a post on the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, so stop by the Designer Bath blog where I posted the top trends in baths that I saw while visiting. If you ever can’t find me here, that is where I am writing, unless of course I am at the show  : )