Meeting Rachel Ashwell

I had no idea that when I was writing about the new Shabby Chic Couture boutiques last week I would be meeting Rachel Ashwell in Coral Gables last night at Books and Books. What a coincidence! It was quite wonderful and pleasant to see such a turn out in Miami. I am still inspired this morning.

Rachel Ashwell was so lovely, personable and inspiring....
She shared highlights from her brand new and most beautiful book; She shared a bit of her personal story, inspirations, comforts and values. She brought cameos, pins and a few of her favorite tea stained fabrics. And spoke of authenticity and quality. Rachel was acquainted with the world of design by her parents. She spent her childhood antiquing in England with her mom, a doll restorer and her dad, an antique books dealer. I also spent childhood weekends antiquing with my parents who are American Antiques dealers. We shared a moment reflecting on a similar experience and a love for beautiful things.

I am inclined sometime today to revisit the heirlooms and collectibles most dear to me. Declutter my office a bit... And enjoy my renewed appreciation for the muted colors, florals, texture and beauty around me.

DCOTA Event: The Art of Entertaining

Yesterday, as the rain finally brought cooler weather to South Florida, my husband and I headed to the DCOTA (Design Center of The Americas) for the Art of Entertaining. A debut lifestyle event sponsored by Florida International Magazine. South Beach Florist Pistils & Petals, Jo Malone Fragrance Bar and rare showroom openings were available for some good shopping. But the real highlight of the event were the cooking demonstrations, wine tips and delicious treats by South Florida shining Chefs.

My favorites included Chef Tim Andriola of Timo in Sunny Isles Beach. He demonstrated an extraordinary handmade truffled ricotta ravolini with chanterelle mushrooms in a marsala sauce. For true italian flavor, he suggested cooking the boiled pasta together with the sauce. Chef Sam Gorenstein of BLT Steak, located at the newly renovated Betsey Hotel in South Beach provided samplings of their famous and deliciously oversized gruyere popovers. While a basic recipe, for extra height and loft, his secret is to pre heat the popover pan first at 350 and make sure the milk is warm. And Chef Didier Lailheugue of Paris' legendary Au Pied de Cochon now located too on Washington Avenue in South Beach tempted us with tuna tartar, a trio of French cheeses & house wines

The DCOTA is celebrating it's twenty first year in South Florida. It is the largest design destination for the trade in the world with over 150 showrooms specializing in kitchen, bath, fine furniture, decorative fabrics, accessories, lighting & materials etc. Please feel free to contact me for more information or to schedule your own shopping tour or service.

Shabby Chic Returns

Rachel Ashwell is reinventing Shabby Chic into a Couture Collection with two newly opened stores in Santa Monica (her original space) and New York with London to follow next year. I just read a tweet this morning referencing yesterday's New York Times article. And I am thrilled to update my last post from March regarding her store closings. It is amazing to me that in just a short time and 20 years since her mere beginnings in 1989, Rachel Ashwell is bringing Shabby Chic back.

In my last post, I provided some eco chic tips that to me Rachel Ashwell has inspired. Well, when reading more about Rachel's new projects on her blog, I was happy to learn that her slipcovered furniture, tables and bedding are all made in the USA. The vintage pieces are recycled from another era, and none of the bedding is packaged in plastic. She seems to be more deliberate and purposeful, concentrating on "authentic workmanship" by local craftsmanship that I am so excited to see. And while the Shabby Chic concept is iconic in decorating, I agree times are fitting for Rachel to bring back an affordable, accessible and comfortably chic revival, with a new and fresh approach.
Also available is her new book, Shabby Chic Interiors.

Miami Art & Design: Artist, Ricardo Pelaez

Op Pop Hibiscus, 2009

Every month, Art & Design Night is held on the 2nd Saturday in the Miami Design District from 7-10 pm. It is an opportunity to gallery hop, meet local artists, enjoy cocktails and music. As we approach our winter season, the crowds get larger and the events get bigger. One of my favorite galleries is Etra Fine Art and this past Saturday night, my gallery opening pick went to Art in Context, work by Ricardo Pelaez, Colombian Artist and Naples Florida resident.

A native of Medellin, Colombia, Pelaez studied architecture and art in Colombia and Florence Italy. I read that his background is in graphic design and that his earlier work included etchings which is evident in the multi media and layers of texture and pattern used in his current work. Each piece is actually an installation and a dialogue between iconic imagery and contemporary design like Frank Gehry's signature cardboard chair above.

Fritza, Bitte Sitz, please sit!

Here he references Gustav Klimt's "Fritza von Riedler" of 1907, art nouveau motifs, decorative pattern and color. Pelaez intends to blur the line between art and design as he transforms Master Paintings and repurposes contemporary Design and fabrication into a three dimensional artful and interactive experience.

If you haven't yet been to the Miami Design District, it is worth a visit. Home to some of our best art galleries, trendiest design boutiques and now great fashion and food too. A few of my favorite design shops include Jalan, Jalan, Kartell, NiBa, Marimekko Miami and the phenomenal Senora Martinez, owned by Chef Michelle Bernstein and her husband. The Design District is located between N.E.39th and 41th Street and N.E. Miami Avenue and N.E. 2nd Avenue.

Meet Lonny

She is...

a new online friend

eco friendly

modern

&
design inspired...

check out her debut at http://www.lonnymag.com/.

Michelle Adams, Creator and Editor in Chief of Lonny Magazine is also owner of one of our favorite organic textile companies, Rubie Green . As you'll see from the first read, she fills the void for all of us missing Domino magazine. In fact there is a feature story on Deborah Needleman, Editor in Chief of Domino plus Top Design's Eddie Ross and much more.

Art of Shade: Eco Chic Fashion

The other night I went to my first green tweetup in Downtown Hollywood. It was great meeting other local tweeters who are also eco minded. I always seem to find something new and interesting in Hollywood be it an antique fair, a cool wine bar or a new gelatto cafe. I will definitely write more about Hollywood. But for now, downtown is a lazy town with great character that is close to the Beach and in the midst of a redevelopment. One of the most eco chic and refreshing newcombers is Art of Shade, a couture fashion boutique uniquely based on recycle and redesign.

Designer Kaycee Armstrong's designs are one of a kind and custom pieces of art, reflective of her own take on repurposing and individuality. Each piece is reconstructed using recycled materials like sweaters or the men's dress shirts used below. Everytime I step into their creative showroom, that is often open late or hosting trunk shows, I am inspired.

Spring 2010 Home Color Trends

Just in time for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, the Pantone Color Institute has officially announced the colors for Spring 2010.

Designers describe this palate as happy, colorful, cool, modern, fresh, delicate, wearable, romantic, feminine, earthy. Inspired by the seaside, country garden sunsets, weathered neutrals, global travels, urban jungle, iconic natural images of Georgia O Keefe and the fluid romanticism of Degas ballerinas. 1930s, 40's, 70's

1. Amparo Blue - a brighter blue references the ocean & tropical beaches
2. Turquoise
3. Sunshine, Aurora yellow
4. Coral
5. Romantic Violet is reminiscent of Spring blooming
6. Tomato Puree Red
7. Neutrals are comforting but luxurious like the new “bubbly luxury" of Pink Champagne
8. Tuscany, a warm beige perfect with Coral or Violet
9. Dried Herb green
10. Cool Eucalyptus gray

Home & Interiors Color Trends 2010: Also recently released

1. Green Market - Visual Appealing, Artisanal, Urban - colors like tomato puree, apple green, paprika
2. Resourceful - Sustainable, Preserving, Originality, Value- golden ochre, aqua sky, mauve orchid
3. Transformations - Modern Nostalgia, Romantic, Graceful, Soothing - lavender grays, stratosphere blue, pale gold, cameo pink
4. Ambiance - Understated, Layered Neutrals, Retro Glam, Sensuous - coffee bean, cognac, silvered pink
5. Galaxy - Metaphysical Presence, Illusion, Passage of Light - turquoise, orchid, peridot, stormy violets, golds
6. Gatherings - Global, Cultural References - copper, smoked blue, cyprus green
7. High Definition - Refined Glamour, Sleek Sophistication, Clarity - black, white, gray with dramatic pops of fuscia, purple, silver & gold
8. Pastiche - Upbeat, Unexpected, Tongue & Cheek Playfulness - a potpourris of blues, mimosa yellow, strawberry ice

I love how these colors are happy, uplifting and hopefully a tell all for the future. It is so inspiring. My favorite way to include a trend is in the accessories. Just as you might splurge on one red dress or a few colorful bangles you can select sofa pillows with a pop of bright color and your living room will take on a whole new look. Express your passion for eating healthier or living greener by changing up the dish towels and artwork in your kitchen with new colors like tomato red and paprika from the green market palate. Or, if you are in need of a new paint job, replace your beige walls with a fresher, more modern neutral like lavender gray or a deeper green.

Decor Trends & Tips Fall 2009: Bloom

Butterfly window treatments
Butterfly Bench
Amy Butler Rug
Nature and the beauty of flowers, butterflies and all that blooms has never been more inspiring - literally. And color from nature's garden: Cool blues, royal purple, bright pink, red rose, yellow and lime green are the perfect pops of color for accessorizing this Fall. There is a renewed appreciation for our environment, whether it is a natural motif or actually organic and eco friendly. It will transcend style or any other trend and it is here to stay...grow & evolve.

So you can feel good about investing in one of a kind hand made items and supporting your local artists. Collecting and combining ethnic, artisan finds from different cultures.

It also means that there is little reason to put away your summer flea market or Target finds.

Enjoy a garden party with your friends inside with the same dinnerware that you used over the summer. Replace sea shells and crisp cottons with a layered look of linens, branches and leaves from your backyard or a huge bouquet of red roses.

Combine your coral prints with warmer beiges and grays.

Bring one great floral rug into a minimal space for a grand statement.

Add texture to your sofa with a mix of damask and floral embellished throwpillows, cashmere and wool throws.

Julie & Julia - Happy Birthday Julia

Tomorrow is Julia Child's birthday, born August 15, 1912. Like many, my husband and I went to see Julie & Julia last Saturday night. Yes, there are some harsh critics out there, but I thought it was just wonderful! I knew I was going to love the scenes in Paris and the food of course, since I love to cook and I love everything French. Meryl Streep was fantastic, a complete transformation from let's say, her character in Mama Mia. But I was also particularly inspired by Julie's commitment to her blog. And Julie & Julia's mutual desire to make a difference with food and writing.

It has inspired me to take time to revel in joie de vivre. This week, we have taken time to look at our pictures from Paris & Provence, enjoy wine together on our balcony in the evenings and I am reading My Life in France, Julia's memoir. I also tracked down Julie's blog http://www.juliepowell.blogspot.com/. Reading all of her previous entries and her current insight is fascinating.

This will be the first of my posts celebrating everything I love French. We will also begin Miami Moments for those living in South Florida. Miami Moment: Through September 4, Darryl Moiles, executive chef at Four Seasons Palm Beach is offering a special menu featuring Julia Child’s favorite recipes from The Art of Cooking. Julia Child frequently dined at Four Seasons Boston and visited the kitchen where Chef Moiles began his career.

Elizabeth Bailey's Eco Friendly Bedroom - Hampton Designer Showhouse

courtesy of Newsday

courtesy of Interior Design

The Hampton Designer Showhouse on Long Island opened July 26th and pictures of the rooms have been circulating. This year, I am inspired by the eco friendly bedroom designed by Elizabeth Bailey. She layers a soft color palette of pinks and blue/gray with luxe upholstery and elegant yet organic fabrics to create a show stopping bed. By combining high end furniture and fine antiques with vintage pieces and great artwork, I think this room becomes a beautiful example of modern, thoughtful, sustainable design. I just LOVE it!

I spy too a floor pillow (above) in Aspire by Mod Green Pod. If like me you are so disappointed that you can not be in the Hamptons right now to see for yourself visit Habitually Chic and MA Belle of Rubie Green fabrics( also featured) for more amazing pictures.