Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2016

I have been so remiss in posting to my blog lately. I do apologize. We have had some structural issues going on in my Pittsburgh townhouse renovation. Everything is finally moving forward and I will post on the progress soon. In the mean time I have been busy baking at the beautiful Senti Restaurant and Wine Bar and decorating for clients in Pittsburgh and New York. It's a crazy life.

Last month I was able to swing by Kips Bay Decorator Show House in NYC. The nation's best interior designers participate in Kips Bay.  There are tons of blog posts about the rooms. I want to focus on details. So here's a list of some great decorating details.

Alex Papachristidis' Salle a Manger Glamour:

A beautiful place setting,:

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Interesting Pillow combination on the sofa:

The fabric and trim on the lamp shade:

Suzanne Kasler "sophisticated simplicity" sitting room used an upholstered a panel used as a decorative wall feature.

Victoria Hagan's " American Dream" living room upholstered the sofa in two contrasting fabrics.

David Kleinberg's Library installed some show stopping sandblasted pine bookshelves:

Jamie Drake's "Master Floor Library" perfectly upholstered cornices and trim!:

Benjamin Vandiver's "Ascension" had an original combination of this light fixture and wall covering. So fantastic!:

Timothy Whealon's "white orchid room" was just lovely in every way. Soft window treatments and an inviting nest of a bed. A wonderful escape from a busy life!

See you!

Christina

The Renovation of the Pittsburgh Townhouse is coming along!

I was back in NYC looking at a clown shoe collection while work was progressing on my Pittsburgh townhouse! I was sourcing some stylish accessories to decorate a Madison Square Park duplex, but these didn't quite make the cut, unfortunately...

Back to the renovation- It's moving at a fast pace now.  All the dry wall is up and the mudding is in full swing.  I expect this part of the project to take forever since most of the house was covered in popcorn. Not only popcorn ceilings, put popcorn walls!  Lots and lots of skim coating!

One of my favorite spaces is the kitchen. I love to cook and bake!  It is not a large space and so architecturally insignificant as most kitchens were in the 19th century. I wanted it to be the center of the living space. This is what it originally looked like.

We completely opened it up. The ceiling was a bit of surprise. We thought it was a standard height. Once the demo started we realized we could raise it to the height of the rest of the first floor which is about 9'. Now it is an integrated space. Light flows in from the larger window as well as the sky light. All the "lovely" stone was removed and sheet rocked.

We removed that large awkward window in the living room below. It was replaced with two proportionately sized sash windows.

Now the space is completely open and light. Behind the staircase we snuck in two closets. A coat closet and a pantry. Closet space in these townhouses are rare.  I would love more storage, but I had to be mindful of the petite,  narrow proportions of the house itself.

In the above pic, I found an antique door for the powder room. The knob is black porcelain. LOVE it! It will all be painted white.

 The second floor build out is also coming along. The master bath is comfortable , but kind of small . I am still getting used to smaller spaces. Life in suburbia was so much more breathable.  The laundry room and walk in closet is built out. The only significant change to the master bedroom will be the installation of a mantle. The fireplace in the master bedroom was dry walled over at some stage in it's life.  The pic below has a long piece of plywood in front of it.

I didn't want to open up this fireplace. That can be a can or worms in this old house.  But I like the idea of the fireplace in the master.  I found a mantle that came with a gas insert and summer cover. The gas insert was made by the Dawson Brothers at the turn of the century. So now it is a fake fireplace. Anyway, it needs to be finished out, but in the mean time I think it looks really nice.

The third floor kids bath seems very spacious as we enclosed the weird opening of the original space.

The only change to my office was the removal of the slider. We put in a french door that has as much glass as possible to take advantage of the wonderful views of downtown Pittsburgh.

That's it for now!

See you...

Christina

My New House

This past summer, I bought a fixer upper in Pittsburgh. I am excited to share my journey to renovate,redo and decorate it.  Since my life has changed so dramatically in the past two years, I yearned  for a home that is  filled with light, warmth and comfort. I don't want a fancy house anymore. I want a welcoming yet peaceful place for family and the pets. It will not be a Victorian reproduction. I wanted a clean open layout, while respecting the original elements.  Unfortunately most of the original features were destroyed by it's previous owner. We will keep what we can.

First about the location. It is in the Mexican War Streets. A quaint, but funky neighborhood in the northside of Pittsburgh. The house is one of many 19th century town houses that were mostly upper middle class and middle class homes. Many of the homes in the war streets are quite grand. My house is well built, but lacks many of the beautiful features.  On the flip side, because it doesn't have a strong architectural personality, it allows for a more flexible design vision. Needless to say, all design decisions will all be constrained by both my budget, as well as what the neighborhood can handle in terms of value.

The following pics were taken when I purchased the house.

Here is the front foyer:

Living room:

The mammoth 1970s fireplace. I wonder what the original looked like. Floors are all laminate.

Dining room and kitchen

Kitchen

Master bedroom

Back bedroom and odd bathroomish space. This space will eventually be a dressing room, master bath and laundry room.

Third Bedroom and another gross, bathroomish space. This will be the kids room and bathroom.

The office,where the least amount of work will need to be done.

My view from the office. Heinz Field! I would have to say one of the best things about Pittsburgh are the Steelers. All over the War Streets you can hear the distant cheers from the stadium. So great!

As you can see there is lots of work ahead. But it's super exciting!

See you...

Christina

Stuff I loved at Highpoint Fall 2015

Searching for the perfect table that fit's my client's sensibility and space is a challenge that is really  exciting.  We, as designers, are thrilled when we find just the perfect item. It's something that is hard to explain, but it brings us so much joy!  For one client, I needed a little table to sit between two transitional club chairs. There is a large minimal, yet strong painting behind the club chairs. I think I found it!

As I was taking a picture, the designer of this table approached me. It was created by Barry Dixon. The gold ball comes out. He wants people to play with his pieces. He said you could put a birds nest in it, instead of the gold ball. So playful! Interestingly, this collection was inspired by medieval combat. So many of the pieces seem armored and sharp. Mixed with some rounded bulbous shapes. The sconce was inspired by a fencing mask. 

So many great pieces to get inspired about decorating at Highpoint...

Mirrored dining chair with a storage unit that also serves as a platform for a piece of art.

Lighting which includes sconces , Kelly Wearstler's "crystal" chandelier, simple table lamps. I am a sucker for simple lines that make a statement.

See the guy above climbing up the scaffolding. Nice not to be so serious sometimes.

Cool coffee tables

Ok in the above pic, you need to ignore the accessories and upholstery and just look at the simple table.

Also some decorating ideas in terms of window treatments and wall coverings. 

In the above pic, the showroom used tape and nail heads to create the design on the walls.

I also liked this window treatment detail in this showroom.

And I can't ignore the children's spaces, the beginning of the decorating journey of Cici Crib Interiors.

Great compact  glider for a baby's nursery...

The decorating look may just call for a modern rocking chair- I love this super cool leather one.

And of course art work is just so important. I love these works for a baby's nursery or even a master bedroom. So peaceful. 

Too many digital clocks these days. Kids need to practice using analog clocks. Great for a playroom or boy's bedroom.

Cosy seating for a girl's bedroom...

Well that was just a sampling of what goes on at Market.  Lots to bring back and decorate in New York and  Pittsburgh!

See you...

Christina

Cool New England Summer House

It's finally summer here in Pittsburgh,.  I'm so in the mood to head to the seashore.  As a summer project I've been asked to consult on the design of the house as well as decorating the interior of a simple Rhode Island beach house. It's a fun summer project. Not much stress- just asked to give my ideas to the architect and pick the interior furnishings for my client to purchase. The client wants a clean modern interior. 

The Atlantic  was a swirl of green and blue on the day I visited. The rocky beach was saturated in grays and sandy whites.  We will use these colors. The house is simple. We will invert the living space, in order to take advantage of the ocean views. Bedrooms downstairs. Kitchen and living upstairs. All finishes will be kept to a minimum. My idea is modern Shaker. Let's see how it will be translated.... Here are some images that we were my inspiration.

A pic from Leslie Architects

I was in Westport, CT a few weeks ago and saw this front door. I loved the simplicity. 

My client found these great wooden shutters about 5 feet in length. They are probably from the 1960s. So graphic. They will make a strong statement. They will find a home on the wall in the living room.

We will use this Italian porcelain tile on the first floor for all the sandy feet that will be entering. These porcelain "wood" floors are popular, and extremely practical.

The second wood floor will be painted Benjamin Moore's Buckland Blue. A gorgeous gray blue .

We love this calacatta marble tile for the bathrooms, but yikes it may be discontinued.

That's it for now. There will be more later.

See you,

Christina

Boys Style British Style

Drizzle, cloudy and damp. This is what we are expecting for our upcoming trip to the UK. Cozy boys bedrooms in Tudor houses is what I always imagine to be in Britain.

Birth place of punk. You can always expect the funky in decorating. Love these childrens fabrics by Jennie Maizels!

The union jack is always a popular motif in decorating boys bedrooms.

LOVE British Style...

See you... Christina

Cool Vintage for Kids Rooms

Strolling in NYC the other day, a very ordinary storefront lead us to a manly man jewel box of antiques.  Mantiques Modern is filled with the most intriguing oddities.  There were some really cool pieces that you could use to decorate your kids rooms..

I believe this head came from a playground merry-go-round. I had a very similar piece in my shop that sold to a couple in San Francisco for their baby's nursery.

So many interesting things...

Cool T-Rex model  for the dinosaur inspired children's rooms...

Race cars frozen in a lucite cube..

What a great Robot lamp!

I've always collected oddities. Yes I practice what I preach! My older son loved T-Rex. A huge head still is on his wall.

My younger guy loved this hammerhead I found at a flea market, so he has it above his display case. It sits between old prints of mushrooms. He always loved to go mushroom hunting.

I think kids get inspired by what's around them. So put some interesting items on a shelf or on the wall, it may have a lasting impression. Some of the great vintage pieces in our shop-

Diver Helmet Container

Real leather tiny cowboy boot

Original Train Print

See you... Christina

Large Drum Shades For a Boy's Bedroom

I really like exaggerated ceiling fixtures in small rooms. What a design statement! Why must we always be so careful to make sure everything is perfectly scaled.

These two large  drum shade pendants came into the shop last week. Each shade is anchored in chocolate brown, they will be the finishing decorating touch in two very cool boys rooms.

See you...

Christina

A Peak at Whats New and Next at the NYDC

A spur of the moment change in plans, coaxed on by a fabric vendor, lead me to a very interesting evening at the New York Design Center. Oh I wish I had more time to spend there. That is the story of all aspects of my life right now. Never the less, it gave me a nice decorating  jolt. I saw some interesting new lines...

The highlight of the evening was listening to a talk given by Carlton Varney.  I am afraid to say that my limited knowledge of him was a crazy Dorothy Draper inspired wallpaper that I wanted so desperately in a dressing room of  a little client. The client's mom did not like it at all.  Read more... I loved his crazy color. I saw a man with a crazy tie, and I said to a friend of mine, that must be him!

He is inspired by nature. But not the sand, the driftwood, or tree bark. The true brilliant color of strong brilliant flowers. Mix it up with true Hollywood glam and you have Carlton Varney at his best.

He teaches design students to recall their very first room as children. What do they remember about it?  That memory will form them into the designer they are today. His first memories were the colors of forest green and red. My first memory of my room were my Alice and Wonderland window treatments. Hmm. That makes sense.

See you...

Christina

Nursery for a special baby girl

I got a call from a dad who wanted to do a surprise nursery for his wife and new baby daughter. Both mother and daughter were having a bit of a rough go, and were in the hospital when he called me. I could hear his worry and love for his family over the phone. His wife admired a little girl's room, that I had decorated and blogged about.   There was no one to make design decisions. He wanted a nursery like the little girl's bedroom and it had to be pink. Be positive and move quickly forward. We got much of the room together in 6 weeks.  It was entirely custom. A huge feat, which I must really thank my vendors for making such accommodations. It was a nursery that would grow into the little girl's bedroom.  The changer would be very temporary. They needed adequate storage and a comfortable glider to feed the baby.

This was the room before...

I decided not to wallpaper the entire room, as the wall's quirky angles  would hinder the look of the paper. We did one wall. It looked like an outline of a house. Perfect. I chose a sunny yellow crib to welcome the little one home.

This very traditional armoire  looks a bit more transitional, when we added the lattice fabric.  It will be nicely centered against the wall when additional muscle arrives. It is a solid piece.

So sweet...

It was really a very rewarding job. Baby is just thriving and I've gotten to finally know the lovely mom.

See you...

Christina

Welcome Robot

Welcome the robots into the shop.

They will need a book so they wont get too bored...

Don't be afraid. You are going to a home of a very sweet boy...

See you...

Christina

Around the World in Eighty Days

Once again it is trade show time.  I completely look forward to checking out all the new stuff!  Yesterday I spent the day at the New York International Gift Fair.  It was a day of exploration.  A trip Jules Verne would be proud of.   Whether one is decorating a baby's nursery or child's bedroom or even a playroom, using world travel as inspiration is endless. Could see these hot air balloon prints in a nursery...

So love these  riveted aluminum pieces made in the same way as an airplane's body. The bookshelf and desk...

The round desk is really cool..

A trunk used as a side table..

Framed reproduction racing car steering wheels...

A very worn leather chair..

Pillows are just fun..

These pillows will be in the shop soon...

As will these animal heads that are made of paper mache in Haiti. I liked them because they seem so friendly. Not at all scary.  Slightly rounded in nature and handmade...

Like these elephant prints...

It was quite a trip to the show... See you..

Christina

Monkeys everywhere

I sold my vintage sock monkey in the store last week. A bit sad about it. I will miss him.  Another customer picked up her bumper made with this great monkey fabric..

Monkeys are such a popular inspiration for decorating a baby's nursery or a child's room.

Vintage sock monkeys makes their appearance...

New Arrivals bedding and accessories....

Monkeys used in wall stickers...

More  mod monkeys...

Look how Tobi Fairley decorated for her daughter's playroom. Tis the season...

Happy Holidays! See you...

Christina

It's getting chilly.. Think Plaid!

Ooh it is getting a bit chilly outside. We haven't turned on the heat, but as I write, I am wrapped up in my plaid, cashmere throw. It's cozy warm.  Classic plaids are used in many ways. We see it everywhere in the decorating world. On tables..

On light fixtures...

In bedrooms for both girls and boys...

As wallpaper...

On sheep, oh my...

Plaid at Cici Crib has taken a calmer tone.  New in the shop this week is a little toast to  the   Burberry plaid baby...

Delightful little burps and bibs...

Coming soon are  hooded towels and crib bumpers trimmed in the signature fabric.

See You ...

Christina

Alphabet decorating for a nursery

I found these brushed aluminum letters at a flea market not long ago. They are quite large.  The dealer told me they came from  an old car dealership. The letter A went into a little boy's bedroom. We mounted the A on top of a large aluminum framed bulliten board. I still have the letters F and C. I wish I had more. The font is so simple and clean..

Collecting letters and putting them up thoughtfully can be a really fun way of decorating a nursery.

Shabby chic letters in a shabby chic nursery...

You don't need an entire alphabet to make an interesting statement. Just begin by collecting the odd letter at a flea market and look what you can create...

This is one of my favorites...

This is no ordinary mural in this modern nursery...

At Cici Crib, Binth's alphabet poster is oh so stylish.

This print has alphabet whimsy..

Crib bedding with an alphabet pattern.

Many different alphabet directions.

See you..

Christina

The New Birdhouse

After I came back from a short trip to Pittsburgh, I told Miles that we needed a birdhouse. My sister's small city garden in Pittsburgh is a bird's paradise. There is gourmet birdie food and fresh water daily. You hear chirping all day long. When I came home, I realized how silent our yard  was. So we went to the Wild Bird Center and picked up all the bird necessities. We set it up and waited. It took 3 days for the birdies to discover the new restaurant. Oh my goodness, it is out of control now. So many different kinds of birds. Cardinals, woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, gold finches.....

The yard is full of chirping and it is so peaceful. I see how we are inspired to decorate with birds.  We see birds in lots of nursery decor. So cute for  baby. At the same time as our birdhouse was set up, these charming clocks came into the shop. Handmade in the USA.

There will be more birdie decorating stories in the future.

See you.

Christina

Atlanta Highlights

Back from the Americasmart and happy to be home. I feel inspired and design rejuvenated. I can't say there were many baby products that were new, but some of the showrooms were filled with solid  design ideas.I arrived in Atlanta just in time to sit in  on a talk given by Suzanne Kasler. I love her interiors. It was nice to hear about what inspires her. Like most " visual people", she is not just inspired by an interesting spaces, but by unexpected color arrangements, fashion,and the fine arts.  Anything that may catch her eye, she " files" for future references. Her own foyer is just beautiful.

After the lecture, I started to make my way around the showrooms. The interesting looks of industrial influences were apparent from the get go. It seemed like a celebration of the industrial revolution. Just great for  a boys bedroom or even nursery. Check out this funky dresser.

This little cube seat duals as a storage unit could  also be used as an ottoman.

I love these large wooden  letter plaques. The entire alphabet is available.

They can be made into side tables as well.

More interesting looks....

A kid who loves adventure could use some of these decorating ideas...

Love this ottoman..

What a nice lamp for a baby's nursery...

This lamp will make it's way into Cici Crib this Fall.

Next up it was all about color...

See you...

Christina

A visit to the Fela's Shrine!

We wanted to go out with the boys  before they left for their summer journeys. So last night we went to see the broadway show, Fela. Wow the music and dancing were so original. So cool. So much fun. It was a true story of a legendary man named Fela Kuti.  The Shrine was the name of Fela's nightclub in Nigeria during the 1970's. It was a wild time. The costumes were great and the set was interesting. I wasn't allowed to take pictures of it. Too bad. It was so colorful. One corner was decorated in African masks. It's clear that tribal  masks can make a great design statement. Check out this room from Elle Decor.

A real feeling of Africa come out of these tin animals I have in the shop. They are made by artisans in Zimbabwe. They would be a great inspiration piece in a baby's nursery. All lined up on a shelf. How neat is that.

It was a fun night out!

See you.

Christina

Summer is finally here!

Ok I had some major computer issues with my blog this week. I am finally back writing posts thanks to my happening computer guy. Well, it is the  last day of school for my boys.  The last day of school is a huge celebration when you have teenagers. No more nagging. No more trips to the tutor.  No more worrying about grades.  No more getting up at the crack of dawn.  I am just as happy as they are.

The boys have a busy, but incredibly fun summer schedule.  Fencing is heating up as they prepare for a national tournament in Atlanta over 4th of July.  After wards they  will visit with friends and family for a week .  Then it is off to Whale Camp.  Whale camp is something so special to them.   Camp stories trickle out from them all year long.  It is always a touch of sadness for Miles and me  to see them leave. But they can't seem to get to the airport gate faster. We are lucky to get a 2 minute phone call during their 3 week stay.  A customer told me once that our job as a parents is to give our children roots and wings. So I guess this is the wings part of the equation.

In the shop we are changing our window display in celebration of summer.  We will  have this lovely diving diva making a splash. They are cut from wood, painted and are about 48" long. A nice vintage feel.   They would make a real statement in a beachy bedroom.

We are using some of the other items from this company to   decorate  a client's  Jack and Jill bathroom. Touches of teal and some nice art for a little boy and girl. I love a bit of the mysterious. So we will use this mermaid picture.

Moby Dick  will also make an appearance.

Celebrate summer!

See you.

Christina

Love the dot

Sometimes when I mention polka dots as a decorating idea, I get a groan from my customers.  Yes, it  has been over used. Dots on the bedding, dots on the window treatments, dots on the rugs, and painted dots on the walls. Too many dots! Seen too many times.  But that simple circle can be quite inspiring. Check out Emily Clark's little girl's bedroom. Aren't those exaggerated dots fantastic? It sooo easy. You can just paint the wall  and use the wall stickers to make the circles.

A little more of a classic polka dot for this little girl who loves pink and green.

Love the oversized dots..

Another room that used wall stickers.

See the dots in Cici Crib that are also wall stickers.  Easy decorating for a nursery.

A painted chest of drawers in a bedroom or nursery can create a nice statement.

A simple shade in polka dot is definitely not overdoing it.

Polka dot decorating is endless. Just don't overdo it.

See you.

Christina