NY SOHO SHOWROOM TOUR – Part 1

I have been absent recently. Not just from my blogs, but in other parts of my life too. I know there are some periods of our lives that we get busy with things, or get in turmoil, or both. I have been in both lately. However, this is not what I want share today. I am moving on and I have started yesterday… I started having some fun, and at the same time educating myself about the options available in my field. It was a really nice afternoon, in the terms of weather: so, I headed to Soho, downtown New York City. I picked one street: Greene Street, and started “zigzagging” it, visiting all the furniture showrooms available on that street. Oh, Man! There were a lot! A lot of them I have visited already at another time, but some of them were new in the area, or new just for me. But, yesterdayt was a new day… even the ones that I had known already became a new experience for me. I saw many beautiful things… I met so many interesting people (who work there). It was fun! I would love to share with you the places that I passrd by, and the people who I met. You might want to have an afternoon like that too.

17 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

FOSCARINI INC.

Here I couldn't speak with the sales associate because she was busy on the phone. But the place was a mix of being in a galery and a lighting showroom. Super fun! The red tubes where playful.

21 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

JACQUES CARCANAGUES

Please, look for Yvonne Chin.  She is incredible, super nice and great to chat with.

She has been working there forever...! She knows everything! The place has an amazing quantity of all kinds of exotic pieces from Asia, with moderate prices. And, ask her to take you downstairs.

23-25 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

STUDIO ANISE

Ask for Paul Anis, if he is not busy.  He is the owner. He is so helpful. Really knows his products, and he is willing to explain everything about it. 

Please, don't forget to go downstairs to see more amazing kitchens and bathrooms.

31 GREEN STREET 10013

NEW YORK

BOFFI-Soho

Contact Saya Hara. Kitchens on the street level, and bathrooms on the ground level.

33 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

DE LA ESPADA

Though I did not met Unha Kim yesterday, I recommend that you speak with her. But you are free to ask for help from any of the girls that work there.  They are all nice, and the pieces are beautifully handcrafted. 

39 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

KARTELL US

Darinka Chase is a very nice lady who you could ask for help when visiting Kartell in Soho.  

52 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

GANDIA BLASCO USA

Look for McCary Smith. He is the manager. Even though I did not speak with him because he was not there,  I am sure he would be very helpful.

54 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

BOCA GRANDE

Hank Payne is one of the owners (I think).  He would be super helpful to you. Gives you tips and ideas...

They have a great SALE now for their floor samples.  Don't miss it!

59 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

RAUL CARRASCO

Vidal A. Chavez (my sales associate contact) told me that I could not take pictures inside the showroom... but he did not say that I couldn't take them outside! Anyway... one of my favorite showrooms in Soho.

MOLTENI & C

60 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

The same thing with Molteni & C... across the street of Raul Carrasco and Cyrus Company. NO pictures! 

 But if you pass by there ask for Priscilla Bissi, my half-Brazilian-half-American friend.

She is very pretty and has beautiful hair! 

57 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

CYRUS COMPANY

Every time I pass by Cyrus Company I can't resist going inside... Looks like the furniture that you maybe would see in heaven.  But talking with Andrew Griffin would not feel in heaven at all. He is an energetic sales person really willing to help you.

76 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

DEDON

Ah... Dedon.  Love their collection. Liz McEvily told me that they now have an island and 

they also sell "exotic outdoors trips".  If you are interested, speak with him.

121 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

ANDRIANNA SHAMARIS

Talk to Andrianna or Rosemarie.  They have hidden gems.

So really don't forget to ask one of them to help you, to find the gems.

138 GREENE STREET 10013

NEW YORK

B&B ITALIA

Ask for the sweet Carol Lindsey. She is on the ground level.

On the lower level you find the whimiscal pieces.

HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE TOUR!

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN SERIES

I have been feeling so bad that I haven't posted anything lately... It's not because of a lack of subject, it's just because you know that sometime life gets really busy and somethings have to wait a little bit. Hopefully with this post you can forgive me for been so absent! I want share an interior designer's secret with you...
For a while now I have wanted to start a new series which I could share one of the secrets of interior designers. You probably have asked all the time _ "How interior designers can create beautiful rooms that seems to be so perfect?". Of course there are so many factors that we have to take in consideration; as experience, talent, hard work between others... But there is also one, two or maybe six basics elements that interior designers use that are essential for a good design. They are six of them: Color, Form/Shape & Line, Texture, Scale, Pattern & Ornament and Lighting.

COLOR

Color is a physical property of light. When we speak of color, we are referring to a pigment.

FORM/SHAPE & LINE

Form is the basic shape and configuration of an object or space.

TEXTURE

Texture is a sensory experience that may be tactile, meaning that it can be felt by touch in addition to being visual.

SCALE

Scale is the relative size of something as related to another element.

PATTERN & ORNAMENT

Pattern is a repetition of a specific motif. Ornament is used to denote visual detail that is not functional, but rather purely decorative.

LIGHTING

Light is part of every design’s concept and solution. Light affects how we perceive space and objects.

THE MAGIC ASIAN LANTERNS

I have disappeared! Here I am, but ready to disappear again! Wait a minute I will explain. The last few weeks I have been so busy with my mom and brother in town, who came all way from Brazil to enjoy a little of the summer with us! I tell you: We were busy together and having a lot of fun! But the truth is… summer is going to become busier {for me and Mike} from today on! We are leaving to China this afternoon, going for an adventure for 21 days. I am excited, but not with big expectations. Sometimes I think I am going to be really surprised…!

We try to watch movies and documentaries about the place where we are going… I think it’s important to learn about the place where you are going to visit before you go, in that way when you are there you would experience the culture in another level. The last movie we watched was “Raise of the Red Lanterns” (a movie I watched so many times already), but I wanted to watch again to get in the “Chinese mood”… So talking about lanterns… today I would like to share the magic of the Asian Lanterns!

Well, if you are not going to Asia… and maybe is a little bit jealous of me I would like to help you to bring Asia to you, just to your backyard! To start: get inspired by these amazing indoor and outdoor spaces… table arrangements… from these images. All beautifully designed with an ancient kind of touch_ the paper or silk lanterns; creating a magical mood to your space. It’s a simple and inexpensive solution to make your party a visual delightful experience with an oriental detail.



A little of the history of the paper lanterns…

According to China Travel , the precursors to Chinese paper lanterns might have been torches carried on the eve of the Chinese New Year by Buddhist monks as early as 250 B.C. Monks carried these torches at night in hopes of spotting the ethereal figures of the Buddha and his bodhisattvas. Soon, commoners began making lanterns with frames of bamboo, redwood or wire and covering them with thin, oiled paper, gauze or silk. Today, lanterns are largely unchanged in design, though paintings of historical or heroic figures, divinities, and landscapes on the paper are popular.


Here some great new designs of paper and silk lanterns:

If you are interested in shopping for lanterns go to:

Paper Lantern Store

Just Lanterns

Allsop Home & Garden

SEE YOU IN 3 WEEKS!



A Special Lighting for a Dark Corner

I picked some cool lighting fixture to lighten up that dark corner... Besides the fact that they do the job... they also are an interesting statement of design for any home or office! Which one do you like or identify with the most?

A BEAUTIFUL CEILING LEAK

Searching for a ceiling mounted fixture for a residential project I found these beautiful ones for another project! Aren’t they seducing? I can’t stop looking at them!

Glo by Danilo de Rossi - LEUCOS


Cascada by ET2


Ether 90 S by Eurofase


Galassia by Eurofase


Martellato by Eurofase


Mercury by Artemide


Anemome by Robert Abbey