Recently in “Pillows”

Inspiration is all around us ....... in 2006, for her graduate degree show at the RCA London, Mexican designer Liliana Ovalle presented a collection of furniture, the Mugroso Series. Inspired by the "improvised" furniture created by the homeless in Mexico City, she continued working on the series when she returned home.

I saw this recent addition to the collection at Design Miami. The theme touched my heart, and I found the piece visually stimulating and beautiful. Starting with a metal frame, adding wooden slats as the base, Liliana "upholstered" the chair by randomly knotting and tying feather stuffed "bean bag pillows" and assorted textiles to the frame. Pillows are one of my favorite "accessorations" and "flooding" this chair with them looks stunning to me!!!! Another amazing piece for a beach house!!!

As a "pillow queen supreme," I change and rearrange my pillows constantly!!! I think that pillows are fabulous accents and changing them reinvigorates a room and me!!!! I love to create a new look and feeling ..... without an extravagant redo!!!!! Lately I have been thinking about black & white accents. I'm not "feeling" geometric patterns right now, and am looking for an alternative, so imagine my delight at finding these spectacular graphic images from Archival Decor!!!! Interior designer Jill McCrae and photographer Michelle Pattee are the creative co-owners of this divine San Francisco based company. The images they have selected, photographed by Michelle, are hand screened with water based sepia ink onto organic hemp. The pillows are backed with cotton velvet, filled with down stuffers and an antiqued bronze zipper seals the deal!!! DIVINE!!!!!!!!!!!

Opened in Soho, in October, this stunning hotel was brought to life by world renowned, British hotelier's, Tim & Kit Kemp, owners of the UK's luxurious Firmdale Hotels. The duo's unique philosophy, "hotels should be living things, not stuffy institutions," is the basis of their "specialty" hotel business. While incorporating this concept in all of their hotels, this is clearly the design dictum leading their first U.S. venture. Co-owner Kit, known for her "quirky, colorful, London style,"  designed the hotel's interiors. She uses an innovative mix of color, pattern, and texture; adding a unique blend of antique, classical, and modern furniture and accessories. A modern mix of organic materials and shapes, as well a variety of foliage and flowers, also complements the hotel's aesthetic. In addition, Kit has put together an extraordinary collection of original contemporary art, that is featured throughout the hotel. Designed to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly, the hotel is aiming to get gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, as well.

There are a number of innovative and interesting design elements throughout the space ..... the first one that appears is the hotel's sign. Seen from the outside of the building, through leaded glass windows, the word CROSBY is composed of individually framed collages, reminiscent of Chicago artist Tony Fitzpatrick, each including a different letter. The word STREET is a combination of vintage and new "found" letters, a la artist Jack Pierson. The visual is spectacular ....... but, unfortunately, there is an Italian shelving unit sitting inside the window that is a bit distracting ....... this is easily remedied and is my only complaint in this otherwise perfect place!!!!!

The public spaces in the hotel are fabulous!!!!! The lobby seating area includes a wonderful vintage wood frame settee covered in soft French linen, and two vitrines filled with shells, that became instant coffee tables!!!! Two "rag -rug stripe" slipper chairs finish the set up...... and in the distance are two wing chairs covered in souzani patterns!!! On the other side of the lobby is a stunning organic wooden garden bench, covered in greenery; a stone dog reclining on it, under an enormous mirror, is lit by a giant theatrical standing floodlight ...... beyond chic!!!! In addition, there is spectacular art in the lobby, including a giant 10' head made out of white letters, three divine dogs covered in comic strips, and a wonderful framed collage of a dachshund!!! YUMMY!!!!!

The Crosby Bar, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and tea, has incredible eye candy; a magical blend of pattern, print, and color!!!! In addition, hanging from the ceiling are the most spectacular light fixtures in New York City!!!!! Another wall fixture is created by telephones mounted to the wall that are lit .......... so incredible!!! Vintage tables have zinc or aluminum tops ..... chairs and throw pillows are upholstered in incredible Maharam woolen collaged textiles, designed by Hella Jongerius ....... and the banquets are covered in amazing stripes!!!! The bar has a trio of colored lucite lamps that make my heart pound!!!! I thought I had landed in "accessorator heaven"!!!!!

London design studio Doshi Levien has designed this charming loveseat for the Italian furniture company Moroso. It is part of the  Beautiful Backside Collection, inspired by this picture from the book The Garden of Life by Naveen Patnaik. Designers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien have been combining their sensibilities since 2000. The mixing of Nipa's Indian visual and cultural influence, and Jonathan's industrial design ..... result in this sofa, reminiscent of a One Thousand and One Nights. Inspired by this "miniature painting of a Maharani sitting on the floor of her palace, surrounded and supported by multipled of pebble shaped cushions" .....  the sofa is a collection of thin mats, placed next to each other or on top of one another, covered by various fabrics, creating a graphic style. The divan is available in several sizes, with different pillow shapes, and in a variety of fabric and color combinations.

This collection of furniture is the perfect example of the collaboration of ethnic and contemporary design. It is stunningly modern, with a classic Indian influence.

 

Leave it to the French to come up with an amazing way to say "thank you," and create a wonderful shopping experience as well!!!! Marie-France & Bernard Cohen, founders of the French cult children's brand Bonpoint, opened Merci this past spring in the Marais district of Paris, "combining fashion with philanthropy, vintage with contemporary design and bespoke creations with mainstream brands." Housed in a 16,000 sq. foot former wallpaper factory, this industrial space features an innovative and interesting treasure trove of "everything" from fashion to furnishing!!!!  Merci, created by the Cohen's as their personal "thank you," donates 100% of its profits to a charity that helps deprived children in India and Madagascar. Having traveled extensively in that area of the world, Madame Cohen was extremely touched by the lack of education for these children and she made herself promise to help them. To achieve this goal, the Cohen's used their retail talents and vision to create this unique shopping experience. "Merci is accessible to anyone with an eye for the unusual and the bespoke."

This extraordinary philanthropic endeavor has gotten an incredible response from the designers, artists, musicians, actors, authors, stylists, and famous friends that the Cohen's went to for help. In addition to donations and the specially designed merchandise that is found only at the store, there is a continuously changing selection of eclectic, well designed product from French companies and various interesting flea market finds. Joining the Cohen's in their generosity, many of the designers and companies involved are also forgoing their profits, resulting in the price of the merchandise being 30% below traditional retail. In addition to gifts, clothing, accessories, and furnishing...... there is "Merci Fleur,'' a flower shop featuring florist Christian Tortu and the "Used Book Cafe" with a 130 foot rolling book wall of donated second hand books. Another wonderful feature is a selection of six scents from perfumeur Annick Goutal (Annick is Mdme. Cohen's late sister)  that are being sold in simple glass or aluminum containers like those used by perfumemakers in Grasse, rather than their classical decorative flasks, and aptly called "Merci Annick."

"Christmas at Merci" features a well curated holiday collection of accessories and apparel; as well as gifts from international designers such as Tom Dixon, Patricia Urquiola, Atelier, and Droog; plus a wide selection of one-off pieces, vintage items, and unique holiday creations designed exclusively for the store. An intriguing  selection of vintage Christmas ornaments and decorations completes the eclectic holiday assortment. 

As everyone knows, Dransfield & Ross are my very favorite pillows designers!! These four African batik patterns are the ultimate pillows for this season.  Brightly colored and bound with straw tassels, they cover the whole gamut of "chic" for summer 2009!

A must, must, must have for all of the "pillow queens" among us!!!

As anyone who knows me knows.....I live for pillows!!!! Pillows have always been my absolutely favorite accessory. My bed overflows with them and my living room is a temple to them! There can never be too many of them!  

A number of decades ago I begged to be the pillow buyer at Bloomingdales but, that was never to be! A million years have now passed and I have finally created my own collection of pillows!!! I spent two years putting together a brightly colored and highly patterned selection of vintage Indian textiles & quilts and have made pillows from these unique pieces of cloth.

This past weekend I showed my pillows at the East Hampton Antique Show, where they seem to be very well received!  But, what made it even more exciting for me was to have the opportunity  to show them to Barbara D'Arcy, a legend in the interior design world.  Ms. D'Arcy was the high priestess of the home department of Bloomingdales in the 60's, 70's, and 80's.  She invented the "model room" and made the store the "temple" of interior design that it was.  And guess what......she loved my pillows!!!! I could have had no better affirmation than her delight in my colors and patterns.......after all, it is she who was my idol!!!!! So thank you Ms. D'Arcy....I can't tell you how long i have waited for your praise!!!

Available at j.roaman

This corner says it all for me!  I adore the colors, textures, and patterns .... a dynamic mix. For me this says "accessory!"