Design

High Point Market Happenings Day 7- These Sustainable Times! Part One

| Nancy Fire

Style Spotting for the High Point Fall Market was a bit different because of Covid, less attendees and exhibitors but designers and buyers who did attend were positive, upbeat and were serious about committing to product purchases! Exhibitors had more time to spend with customers and it was much easier to navigate market which is comprised of 10 million square feet, roughly 2000 exhibitors (pre-covid) and about 180 buildings! (This market about 70% of the showrooms were open)

The biggest change for me in this market was the presence of sustainable minded products and displays as well as a general focus on products that are more environmentally friendly. With my style spotter focus on sustainability this year I was more than pleased to see this trend more as a lifestyle. Moving forward we are going to see more forward thinking companies do what they can to offer designs that are mindful in their product processes, material choices and transportation footprint from sourcing to selling! Below are a few of my favorite finds that relate to a more sustainable mindset. Part Two will be posted tomorrow as I continue to share more mindful products!

Palecek, IHFC D202 Design Center Floor 2 is a company that is truly inspired by natural materials and has been for years. For them sustainability is not a trend, it’s truly a lifestyle. Pictured here Fritz Rope Side Chair and Bench. Kirk Nix Wisteria Oversized Pendant, Whitewashed. Broderick Dining Table.
Palecek-This oversized pole rattan mirror is hand wrapped in a beautiful gray finish. The texture and dimension of this sustainable piece is beautiful and will sit center stage in any room.
Palecek-Playa Wall Decor is created using cultured saddle oyster shells hand placed in a petal-like design.
Palecek- Lenox desk with rattan accent drawers and metal base, create the perfect work from home interior addition to any room.
Palecek-Live Edge Table.
Kirk Nix Collection By Palecek Bronson Sconce-Each glass globe is hand blown creating an artisan touch to each light fixture.
V Rugs and Home-These raffia accent pillows are a perfect way to bring natural accents into your home.
V Rugs and Home- Leather and fringe accent ottomans.
Beth Webb for Arterios-Sea Island Pendant in linen and rattan.
Arteriors-Uriah Sconce has a thick, seedy slumped glass in a smoke luster finish which cascades down the front of a clear seedy glass wall! Truly a refined organic vibe to any space.
The Lash Lounge Chair by Kara Mann for the McGuire Collection. Wrapped in leather cording with a loose seat cushion in a soft chenille fabric.
Selamat-These Sea Cliff Chairs combine substrates that create a unique and updated product by mixing rattan with lucite with an added dimensional addition of textured performance fabric.
Phillips Collection-Atlas Console Table made in Chamcha wood with a gray stone finish is one expressive accessory piece for your home! The metal figures act as the base of the console holding up the chamcha wood top.
Titan Rugs-This antique rug has been upcycled by over-dying it and removing some of the pile to recreate the color as well as the finish. The original rug was navy and rust.What a creative way to repurpose rugs and give them another life!
Universal-Seaton King Bed featuring two types of woven materials.

High Point Market Highlights Day 3

| Nancy Fire
This is my sustainable smile because I found so many creative products at the High Point Market with a focus on mindful living and sustainable style!

Had such an aspirational day talking with manufacturers at the High Point Market who are inspired by using natural materials in their product development. Not all pieces are 100 percent sustainable but many companies are coming close while others are realizing the importance of creating sustainable products!

Oyster Shells From Local Restaurants Repurposed To Make Creative Lighting Fixtures at Made Good.
Inspired by Natural Materials, Palecek Hospitality and Residential Are One Of The Go To Companies When It Comes To Sourcing Sustainable Products.
Ro Sham Beaux On Main Street in High Point Always Showcases Sustainable Product Selections.
Love How Selamat Combines Mixed Substates To Create An Updated Vibe To The Sea Cliff Chair.
Another Palecek Sustainable Product,
The Wrapped Pole Rattan Mirror In Grey.
A White Quartz Credenza Front From The Baker Collection
Palecek Sustainable Vignette Highlighting This Credenza, Wall Art And Home Decor.
Kara Mann For The McGuire Collection Plush Chenille Fabric, Leather Cording and Rattan.
Raffia Sideboard From Bernhardt With Chrome And Glass.

High Point Market Highlights Day 2

| Nancy Fire

Texture, Trim and Tucked Up

Mask on with purell in hand [literally] I spent my first day at market ready for combat…creative combat that is…touring showrooms by appointment and getting versed on product details…which were all about texture, trim and tucked up…the art of bringing comfy and comfortable fabrics into your home!

Cozy Comfort at Nathan Anthony with this Vintage Vibe Fur Infused 70’s Chair
Seventies Inspired Fur Throw and Decorative Pillows Trending in a Beautiful Warm Tone Palette
Updated Fringe Detailing with Braided Interest by V Rugs and Home
Raffia Fringe Pillow Detailing at V Rugs and Home
Bloom Easy Armchair Swivel in Microfiber, with Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer and Steel Available in 8 Trendy Colors by Kenneth Cobonpue.
From Dovetail, Indigenous Baskets with a Focus on Mixed Materials, Chunky Weaves and Artisan Detailing
Handcrafted by Skilled Artisans this Eichholtz Ginkgo Coffee Table is Created in a Vintage Brass Finish with Black and Gold Legs. Love the Organic influence from Nature and the Graphic Interpretation of the Ginkgo Leaf! [Style Spotted by Me]
Merrick Textured Wood Round Dining Table from Dovetail [see next image for detail]

Detail of Merrick Textured Wood Table

Cozy Comfort from The Bold Monkey Furniture Collection of Seventies Inspired Furniture and Accent Pieces.
Sierra Bed with Perf Fabric Headboard with Textured Pillows and Throw from Dovetail.
Jada Cabinet in Amara Ebony Veneered Frame Sycamore Veneered Face with Offset Faceted Design by Theodore Alexander

Looks like I am tucked up from my first day at the High Point Market as a 2020 Style Spotter and look forward to my non-stop day tomorrow with appointments booked from 9am through 6pm. First stop…Global Views…with my mask on and purell in hand, literally!

Reboot/Rethink/Rediscover

| Nancy Fire

My self quarantine started 14 days ago when I flew back to NYC from the Netherlands Antilles, better known to most as St Maarten. My sunny sky and turquoise water memories seen like a distant dream already! Usually (nothing seems usual these days) when one returns from vacation within a few days your memories start to fade, you jump right back into your routine (nothing seems routine these days) and life goes on as expected (nothing seems expected these days)…but my return was far from usual, routine or expected, quite frankly it was scary.

I was actually on my original scheduled flight back to JFK one of the last flights out of St Maarten before the flight ban was enforced. I was one of the lucky ones who had a ticket and did not have to wait on standby to try and leave this beautiful island to return to the rumored chaos at JFK customs. Adorned with a face mask (I actually always travel with an emergency one that a friend gave me a year ago when I returned home sick from overseas…which was never used until 14 days ago) and plastic gloves that I picked up in a grocery store in St Maarten! I felt like an alien coming back to my own country! I left 10 days prior to my return and honestly I arrived on what seemed to be another planet!

Fast forward 14 days….where I have been self quarantined 60 miles outside of NYC in our home that I adore! A place usually where family & friends visit and enjoy cookouts, kayaks, beach adventures and more…but this visit was different, it was indefinite and not in a positive way..not in a vacation type of way and not in a “let’s have friends over way”! This was serious as I needed to sequester myself into my own room and bathroom, eat separately and maintain my distance from my husband and son (my daughter is sequestered in Holland due to her studies and could not get home in time before the chaos started) Our lives were not usual, routine or expected anymore!

Looking back during these past 14 days…and looking ahead to when life will return to a more usual, routine and expected way..I realized that I will not return to my usual, routine and expected life…the world has changed and so have I….here’s where the “Reboot, Rethink & Rediscover” awareness comes in…I keep asking myself what can we all learn from this, is this an opportunity to change our thinking…and I believe it is. I know that I feel I can live with less, make food last longer while not wasting any of it. I tried new recipes, read many books and cleaned my home like I never did before! I am teaching myself new computer programs and zooming with our designers all over the country and overseas! We are all nervous with the uncertainty that lies ahead but are up for the challenge of coming back wiser, stronger and more compassionate. I have to BELIEVE that my design team will return to our beautiful design studio in nyc where we can once again collaborate in person and learn from each other…but until that time I am rebooting, rethinking and rediscovering…My new attic office that I created today with items from other rooms in the farmhouse. I dreamt of doing this for years… I am so excited to work in this space tomorrow surrounded by many of my favorite things. This farm table was a find from the Brimfield antique market from 20+ years ago, our antique chair has been in the family for the past 30+ years and recently was reupholstered with my Studio NYC Design fabric and of course our rattan ottoman from Home Nature in Southampton that will serve as another work space for my desktop computer!

Prior to my attic office I was using our guest room as a work space before realizing that this quarantine will last many more weeks and I needed a larger space to work and create!

I do not see a Dead End…I see New Beginnings🙏🏻and I am grateful to the frontline heroes who are helping our country respond to this pandemic, every healthcare worker, EMT, police officer, firefighter, grocer, trucker, store clerk, mail carrier, hospital staff and nurses/doctors and countless others who have stepped up during these uncertain times.

Other imagery:

East Quogue Rainbow Chalk Drawing

Beach Wave Walk By Myself

Brimfield Desk Cleaning

Homemade Goat Cheese, Spinach, Leek and Mushroom Quiche

Social Distancing Seagulls

Remnants Of The Day Sandcastle

Nature Walk By Myself

New Beginnings

All Images Property of Color, Chaos & Creativity.

Sustain+ability in Products at NY Now

| Design Works International

Sustainability and Wellness in products seemed to be on the rise at this weeks NY Now Show at the Javitz Center. Many artisan inspired brands that are new to market were showcasing various beauty, wellness and food related products. Companies had to submit their brand statements and prove that their products were sustainable in order to showcase their brand at NY Now!

The passion behind these products and the artisan-ship in creating beautiful brand stories made my daily 10k steps worth every move! Oh…and the buddahbooth…quiet space for noisy places…was pretty cool cause you got to zone out most of the surrounding chaos!

Just a few products that sustained my attention…but honestly they all did. Happy to see a bigger shift towards companies caring about their carbon footprint and our planets future🌍

Jungle Jute Tote by America & Beyond

Bambooless Incense by Maroma

Herbal Healing

Wellness Displays Exfoliating Soaps

Therapy Dough

Sophie Ottaner Felt Pillow From Peru

Rescued Wine

Buddahabooth RELAX RESET RECHARGE

Textile Treasures…NYSID Kravet Archive Exhibit Tour

| Design Works International

If you love textiles and their history then it might just be time to experience the Archive of Archives curated by Kravet. Honored to be a part of this small intimate group associated with the New York Chapter of the IFDA to tour this exhibit at The New York School of Interior Design at 170 East 70th Street in New York City.

Preserving the history of these precious pieces so future generations can trace their legacy and learn from past artisans going back hundreds if not thousands of years is a true gift.

Special thanks to the Kravet family for sharing their love and appreciation for these incredible pieces of textile art.

Tree of Life (9 Foot Repeat)

Ellen Kravet sharing an original wood block panel.

Original archive painted paisley.

Woodblock and printed textile. Notice the printed piece is a reverse of the actual woodblock panel.

Sample swatch book.

Miscellaneous Woodblock Panels.

For further information regarding the Kravet Archive contact: Kravet Inc. 225 Central Avenue South Bethpage New York 11714 Phone 516-293-2000 Fax 516-293-1994

Color, Chaos & Creativity…India

| Design Works International

I had the pleasure of spending a week in India and my journey was really incredible. I was there on business and between our travels throughout New Delhi and Jaipur I was looking through my lens at this fascinating culture. Feeling blessed to travel for my job but even more blessed that I get to experience a country through color, food and the fabulous people I came in contact with.

Jaipur Market

Jaipur Roadside Flower Market

New Delhi Farmers Market

Photobombed by a Drongo while photographing New Delhi

Street Art New Delhi

Tricked Out Trucks..love all the decorative tassels and pom poms!

In preparation for Karma Chauth..celebrating health and happiness in honor of your spouse by fasting for an entire day.

An artists resides in all of us…Long Live Rembrandt according to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

| Design Works International

Imagine…seeing your art hung at one of the most prestigious museums in the world! I was pleasantly surprised when I visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam to see the “Long Live Rembrandt” Show.

Not realizing that the show was a juried exhibition of 575 people who told stories about their relationship to Rembrandt and his art. Each contributor has his or her own view of the great master. Many painters feature Rembrandt as the main character in their narrative while others have shown him with other icons.

More than 8500 people from 95 countries sent in their work of art, young and old, professional and amateur! Side by side, these generations of artists pay tribute to Rembrandt. The youngest artist is three while the oldest artist is in her nineties.

What an awesome way to bring a bit of Rembrandt into all of our lives, the people looking at this unique collection to the 8500 participants that felt compelled to enter their work that was inspired by the greatest Dutch artist of all time.

Below are just a few pieces from the “Long Live Rembrandt” exhibition, showcasing various techniques from painting, torn paper, fabric manipulation, plaster and sculpture.

To quote Pieter Roelofs, chairman of the jury and head of the Rijksmuseum’s painting and sculpture department, “In Long Live Rembrandt we see the master through the eyes of the makers. The exhibition is not only about Rembrandt, but also about ourselves.”

Inspired!!!!!

I am going to get in touch with my Rembrandt in hopes that one day my artwork will inspire others like I was inspired by this creative and collaborative exhibition.

Lots of color, a bit of artistic chaos and a whole lot of creativity.

Leaving Amsterdam and heading to Paris hoping to seek out more creativity in the art world.

Color, Chaos & Creativity Returns👏

| Design Works International

It’s been a while since I posted but since my trip to Oslo has been so inspiring I had this awesome urge to share!

Invited by the Norwegian Consulate to attend the Fushion Show in Oslo (August 28-30) celebrating fashion, art and music by redefining the creative standards through innovative performances revolving around fashion.

Our first stop was at the LMN Gallery showcasing ESP/Morie Fashion paired with innovative artwork and interactive models in motion.

After taking the reins of a 60-year old outerwear factory at Økern in Oslo in 2015, designer and entrepreneur Elisabeth Stray Pedersen established her label ESP. Ever since, the brand continued to develop the factory’s signature style, which was iconic blanket coats in pure wool, besides creating new designs. ESP utilises the finest Norwegian lamb’s wool from freely walking crossbreed sheep in the highlands around Gol in Norway. The wool is Nordic Eco labelled and their fabrics are Woolmark certified.

Founded by Creative Director Charlotte Fische and Head of Design Linn Sannes Brevik-Ribeiro in 2016, Moiré is the offspring of Oslo based Moiré Fashion Agency.

The brand speaks to the modern minimalist who wants to embrace their inner maximalist – with a strong focus on keeping it elegantly feminine. Totally opposed to the use-and-discard mentality, the brand is built upon a mutual wish for more tailored clothing, one-of-a-kind details and high-quality textiles. 

Moiré loves storytelling and the design process is a significant part of the small but highly curated collections. Every season is a result of a creative development that often involves a range of different designers and artists.

Tonje Plur is a womenswear designer and artisan based in Oslo/Norway. She combines social and geographical references with a variety of craft work and designs, making her collections a visual reaction to the present time.

Avenue is a woman’s and menswear brand founded in Oslo, Norway by Ingvild Abrahamsen, Gustaf Gyllenhammar and Espen Follestad. They showed their first collection in 2015 for Autumn-Winter.  With a long background in music, design and textile production, they are creating clothes highly influenced by their music references. They specialise in high quality garments with natural fibres and make distinct design suitable for everyday comfort.

Established in 1997, Cathrine Hammel is an Oslo-based fashion brand, producing new collections based on a variety of themes each season. The team consists of designers, a garment specialist, tailors, a production manager and a creative director working closely together to create elegant clothes that are meant to be worn in the real world. The clothes are laboriously altered to fit a progressive lifestyle, whereas the boundaries between work and pleasure collide into one single entity. Each garment reflects a Scandinavian way of living and its democratic ideals: Gender equality, a sustainable approach to the environment, social cohesion and a balance between life and work. Cathrine Hammel is a modern wearable fashion brand, catering to open-minded people, who recognize quality and durability as the most sustainable approach to fashion.