Creating Mood Boards with Nous Decor

Another interesting find during NYC Blog Tour with Modenus was Nous Decor, similar to Pinterest and Olioboard, it is a great tool for creating room concepts. 

Here is how it works: 

1. You can create a board from Scratch or use an inspiration photo to find similar objects

I chose this photo of an office from Atlanta Homes Magazine

Then you use the tool bar and search by color, size, price for items that are similar or even exact. You can also add your on pictures to the page. 

What is also cool it that adds the retail pricing for each item and a source. All of mine came from 1stdibs. 

Drevopodnik bookcases $8900

Vintage Scandinavian rug $3600

Italian Sputnik chandelier

$5600

Donald Sultan Art

$4500

1940's desk Chair

$4800

Lucite Desk

$3800

It totals up the price of the room as well. This room was $31,200. There is also a place to leave your boards for others to give you suggestions. 

What a great new tool! Give it a try at Nous Decor

The House that Plastics Built

While at ICFF in New York we met Grace Jeffers, the Manhattan art historian and Formica Expert at the Wilson Art booth. Although they were highlighting the student chair competition ( which was impressive ) I was more interested in the back drop, a glimpse of a mid century motif. 

When asked about the backdrop Grace told us of the story of the Ralph and Sunny Wilson home in Temple Texas. Ralph Wilson was the founder of Wilson Art then names Ralph Wilson Plastics. He created this home as a test and showcase of all the laminates could do. 

When hired by Wilson Art to help build their corporate archives she was invited to see the house before they tore it down. She begged them to save and renovate the property which now stands as a supreme example of 1950's architecture and products. It is the youngest house on the National Historic Registry. 

Check out the images of this home so Brady Bunch! 

Some of these images remind me of homes in Richmond that I have worked on. It is a remarkable save and one of the highlights of the Modenus Blog Tour NYC.

All photos from Wilson Art

Watch this video for more information on this home: 

History of a Fabric House Giant

Another highlight of Blog Tour NYC was our visit to the Donghia showroom in the D&D building. Although I sell Donghia fabrics and furniture regularly I wasn't as familiar with the history and WOW what a history. 

Angelo Donghia started Donghia Associates by 1972. He was both friends and clients with Halston, Ralph Lauren,Diana Ross, Barbara Walters to name a few celebrities at the time. His love of fabrics lead him to establish Vice Versa fabrics in 1976 and later Donghia Textiles in 1980.  ( I remember this from my days as an intern - pricing fabric flat folds ) 

Watch this interview for better view of his vision and brilliance.  

I found these incredible watercolor renderings by R.Martin of spaces he designed or intended to design. Could have been when he was with Yale Burge Interiors as a partner. How incredible!

Thank you Donghia for a fabulous history lesson! 

Loving A Good Show House!

Welcome to the 42nd Annual Kips Bay decorator Show House in NYC. Special treat to go inside the Villard Mansion at 457 Madison Ave. right next to the Palace Hotel. Originally designed by Stanford White in 1884 in a Neo-Italian Renaissance style 

My take aways from this house were the details: 

Let's start with the powder room off the living room by Young Huh

I loved her door treatments

The drapery treatments in the main rooms were fabulous. I loved the idea for the sheer roman shade lit from the top between 2 beautifully constructed panels. 

Ingrao's room

Inlayed steel table design

Juan Montoya's room

Everyone's favorite million dollar decorator Martin Lawrence Bullard in the Foyer - lots of talk about how those panels did not line up under the chair rail. 

Modern sculptural tables in the William Georgis room

Beautiful hand painted stripes - looked like Fromental to me but I was corrected. 

Loved the embroidery in the middle of the drapery panel. 

Cullman & Kravis

These tables were killer!!!  and that blue bed….

Absolute favorite room was Carrier and Company. Loved the wallpaper, the mix of styles, use of mirror and color. 

Patterns and colors

 Vincent Wolfe's room - breakfast/lounge area. Lacquer orange walls are always good. 

2nd favorite space was the kitchen - creative details and well crafted. 

Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria from the ATL

Look at the stainless doors - custom made with brass details. 

Tube pieces as window dressing to mimic the organ pipes at St. Patrick across the street

Mullion details again taken from the church facade

Suede finish on the Silestone. Brass hardware and faucets

Can you see the tubes? 

Bulter's pantry in blue again like the DC Designer house.

Beautiful 1stbids vintage french press set

Loved the leather flooring detail in this very small room. 

Stairwell hand painted by Robin Sacks

Blue suede walls with fab ceiling treatment. Can you see the hidden door? 

That ceiling treatment  … WOW!

I had seen Alexa Hampton's room online and didn't love it but in person I found things I really loved..

Detail of the wallpaper

trim on the arm of the sofa - it was big at Highpoint too

Nailheads on the cornice

Daryl Carter's room

daybed floating in the room

What a treat to visit the NYC show house 3 years in a row. I love it! This was only day 1/2 of day 2 in NYC with the Modenus group. 

Happy Decorating…..