DEMYSTIFYING DESIGN

Let’s Get Graphic!

Demystifying Design — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:09:43 +0000

Gang: How's your week going so far? John and I are just back from Los Angeles, and we are still running... I am headed upstate tomorrow to prepare for John & Jason's World-Famous Annual Yard Sale and Vintage Finds Bonanza (try saying that thrice!) that takes place every Memorial Day weekend... And then John and I are in the Hamptons on Friday to scope rooms for the Hampton Designer Showhouse where we will be showcasing our myriad skills this summer. But let's get graphic. Specifically, let's talk about the gorgeous patterns, symbols, and fretwork that we spotted while wandering around Beijing during our recent trip to China. Excuse my naivete, but I don't know the significance of most of these symbols, but John and I loved the bold graphic qualities and the frisky use of color. I plan to incorporate some of these motifs into wallpaper and fabric designs. Take a look at some of our favorite finds...

Pastel Perfection!

Demystifying Design — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:08:52 +0000

Gang: OK, so I have been a bit checked out the past week, so apologies for no posts... I have been running and how! John and I flew to Los Angeles last Monday to attend the Legends of La Cienega design events, and the week has been go, go, and go! Plus, I moderated a panel discussion this past Friday, so I had to prepare for that... And it went just great. And then we retreated to Palm Springs for a tad of downtime. Tomorrow we fly back to NYC, and we have our World-Famous Annual Yard Sale and Vintage Finds Bonanza taking place over Memorial Day so we have to get ready for that. If you are in the Catskill Mountains over Memorial Day you must come visit. We offer up some incredible goods at even more incredible prices. But let's talk about pastels. This spring, everything seems to be coming up in Jordan Almonds colors... Louis Vuitton has models posing in an ice cream parlor in their ad campaigns, and London is totally awash in pale pinks, pistachio greens, and icy blues. So if you are looking to re-paint a room, why not consider a perfect pastel?

Jet, Set Go! Or, Viva the Legends of La Cienega!

Demystifying Design — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:24:51 +0000

Gang: I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend... We were upstate at Madcap Cottage in the Catskills, and it was sublime. The weather was perfection, and spring has just "hit" so the plants are still budding away. I cannot wait to do some major gardening this summer. John and I are off to Los Angeles tomorrow for the Legends of La Cienega events... Click on the link to scope the amazing, 3-day array of design talks, seminars, and cocktail parties... I will be moderating a panel discussion on Friday about jet-set design. How fun! I love moderating because that means I can run the show and hog the microphone. Just kidding. Sort of. Check out the stellar list of other moderators, including House Beautiful editor in chief Newell Turner, Elle Decor editor in chief Michael Boodro, Traditional Home editor in chief Ann Maine, and many other dear friends. I think I will make myself a "chief" for the week, too. Why not? See you on La Cienega!

A Cruise Up the Yangtze River!

Demystifying Design — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:11:09 +0000

Gang: Happy Sunday! Are you sick of our travels through China, or do you want more? Let me know if you're ready for something closer to home for I still have loads of tales to tell from our perambulations through the Orient... Tonight I was looking back over images from our trip, and I was especially taken by the cruise we took up the fabled Yangtze River from Yichang to Chongqing through the gorgeous Three Gorges region. The trip was mostly magical... Here's a little photo tour of our journey.

Be Seated… Courtesy of Our May 8 One Kings Lane Sale!

Demystifying Design — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:51:48 +0000

Gang: John and I are driving back from Tampa, Florida to Brooklyn today, so that will be us tooling up I-95 with tables and suitcases tied to the roof of our Subaru like high-end okies. But let's talk design. Does your home lack stellar seating options? Do you need some color in your chair selections? Do you crave comfort and good looks paired with the pizzazz that only the Madcap Cottage gents can bring to fruition? Well, you are in luck since our May 8 One Kings Lane sale has gobs of seating options... Our One Kings Lane sale starts at 6pm on May 8, so mark your calendars and get ready to shop. We have 330+ items for sale this go-around, so there's sure to be something for everybody and at every price point, too. Peruse a few of our color-kissed perches...

Panel Discussions with Panache!

Demystifying Design — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:06:49 +0000

Gang: I am crazy about being asked to participate in panel discussions... And I am thrilled that I will be participating in a panel at the Legends of La Cienega design events in Los Angeles next week on the topic of jet-set glamour. The discussion will take place on Friday, May 11th from 1pm-2pm at Szalon Antiques (910 North La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood), and, yes, there will be valet parking. I am moderating, and the panelists include delicious designers Jeff Andrews, Natasha Baradaran, Erika Brunson, and Donna Livingston. It's going to be fun, and I promise that the discussion will be at least a tad provocative. So if you are in LA next week, please do come!

Shop Our New Boutique on 1st Dibs!

Demystifying Design — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:08:13 +0000

Gang: As you know, John and I love doing sales, both online and off... We are constantly scouring the globe (and we mean, the globe) for fabulous finds... We have unearthed divine textiles in Turkey, furnishings in India, and table lamps in the hinterlands of Florida. Each of these items receives the Madcap Cottage tweak and twist, and then we offer them up to you to bring some magic, color, and verve into your own home. So bring on the sales! John and I are hosting a Tastemaker Tag Sale on One Kings Lane on May 8th, so MARK your calendars. And we will be hosting our World-Famous Annual Yard Sale over Memorial Day weekend at Madcap Cottage in Hobart, New York, smack in the center of the Catskill Mountains. And, now, drumroll please... The Madcap Cottage boys have unveiled our "One of a Kinds" boutique on the fabulous 1st Dibs website. I am sure that everyone is familiar with 1st Dibs, but if you aren't it's the most divine collection of antiques, real estate, fashion, and jewelry to be found under the sun. We are truly honored and excited to be included in the 1st Dibs mix. Here are some of the fabulous items that John and I have collected and are now offering up through the 1st Dibs portal. Each item is truly unique and special. So get ready to shop! Look us over, and tell your friends!

Knock, Knock… From Scoping Trends to Nifty Knockers!

Demystifying Design — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:27:29 +0000

Gang: And we are back... John and I drove from New York to High Point, North Carolina last weekend to attend the furniture shows and then we drove to Florida to see my parents and then we hopped on a plane to attend the Kitchen and Bath Show in Chicago where we were invited by Silestone quartz surfaces to be trendspotters. Frankly, no one can sniff out a trend better than John and me, so we spotted and spotted then spotted some more. Ooh, I love figuring out what’s hot and happening, n’est-ce pas? And we are CRAZY about the folks at Silestone--what a delicious dream team! And that was all in the space of four days, so you can see why I have not posted any new blog installments this week. It has been go, go, and go! And while I love being the ever-traveling jet-setter, I needed a little bit of a break from my life as a blog. John and I wrapped up our Kitchen and Bath Show adventures yesterday and flew back from Chicago to Florida, and we are now happily ensconced in Tampa at my parents' home. It's in the mid-70s, and we are sitting on the patio with wine in hand and catching up on some work. The dogs love being in Florida: Jasper and Weenie are currently lounging about al fresco and soaking up the rays. We are off to Sarasota tomorrow for a little beach time--and, of course, we will be browsing the antiques shops in nearby Arcadia, Florida, a favorite source for bric-a-brac brilliance. But let's go back a few weeks to our adventures in China... I thought I’d highlight a few design “moments” that really inspired us… As you know from reading this blog religiously, I love nothing more than a good pair of boadacious knockers. Door knockers, that is. There's nothing like some paint on a door and a divine knocker to make an impact. So knock, knock then knock some more... Just be sure to knock your knocker out of the park.

So here’s a look at some of the best knockers I spotted in China.

A Color-Packed Moment in a Shanghai Park!

Demystifying Design — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:19:50 +0000

Gang: I love moments when I am assaulted by color in the least-expected situations... After our trip to Shanghai's Dong Tai Road antiques market, John and I decided to wander around the city's colorful French Concession neighborhood. Eventually, we ended up in verdant Fuxing Park. The park is lovely and overflows with flowerbeds and lawns. The Chinese are wildly meticulous about their landscaping, and their parks and roadways are beautifully maintained and are trimmed and clipped to perfection. Who knew the Chinese were such gardeners? As John and I wandered through Fuxing Park (of course, I made several cracks about the name "Fuxing"--I mean, come on...) we stumbled upon a lake that had big, bright, shiny, and color-packed blow-up "rafts" of a sort floating about in them. Kids climbed inside these Jeff Koons-like creations and rolled about the lake. The effect was surreal and fabulous and the impact of the color against the lake was riveting.

You see what some bold color can do? It can take a pretty situation and make it sublime!

Bobbing About in the Venice of Shanghai!

Demystifying Design — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:47:45 +0000

Gang: John and I made a glorious day trip out to the charming city of Zhujiajiao, situated not far from Shanghai, and, ooh-la-la, what fun! Frankly, I am not a big fan of cities that have lots of vowels and seldom-used consonants in them such as "z" and "zh," however the glories of this charming town overrode my linguistic preferences. Chances are you have never heard of Zhujiajiao, but it's a canal-hugging village that has been called the "Venice of Shanghai." And the comparison is accurate. Centuries-old, Zhujiajiao houses charming, white-painted homes and shops that hug streams crisscrossed with dramatic, vertiginous bridges. John and I wandered down the town's colorful and bustling narrow streets past endless stores selling sticky rice dumplings and cozy coffee shops appealing to the foreign visitor. The town has some 36 bridges, so you'll pass over numerous canals filled with elegant boats that traverse the waterways as you wander. One of the highlights of the visit to Zhujiajiao was our cruise along the town's canals: We especially loved the gorgeous architecture--including the elegant lines of the pagodas--and the red lanterns swaying in the balmy breezes.

Sadly, much of China's historic architecture has been plowed under and has been replaced with endless skyscrapers and box-like buildings that march across the landscape, so our visit to Zhujiajiao was especially evocative and wonderful.

Zhujiajiao is like a trip back in time to Old China, and we loved it.