NEW YORK NOW- Day 1: Shopping the City Part II

As we finished up our day of shopping, we happened on one of the best domestically owned new home stores, Michael Dawkins Home (232 E. 59th Street) with shops in New York and Miami. The store has great style and a specific point of view-- both refreshing-- a great option for those that demand more in personal style than the “RA” look which seems to have taken American style hostage.
 

Among our favorite things were the Anglo-Indian furniture reproductions with traditional Indian inlaid bone, but all on contemporary style mirror frame, pictured below. We also loved the use of multiple cocktail tables gathered together in front of a Sofa, each in a different style with varying heights, shapes and sizes.

Well executed Anglo-Indian Reproductions

 

Trend Alert: Multiple Cocktail Tables

Fendi Casa (153 Madison Avenue) has opened their US flagship home furnishings store in NYC, and it does not disappoint, on two floors. The fashion house is in the home furnishings business, not only for themselves but they also produce a line of furniture for Bentley (yes, as in the car company). Granted the style maybe a bit far out for conservative California but it's executed like a fine Fendi handbag. We loved the “Cat” pouf with its wooden Fendi chain just like on their handbags; we again saw the use of multiple cocktail tables gathered together in different heights (a trend?) in front of seating areas, and the white linen SOHO sectional detailed in leather. Sofas and Sectionals were shown with multiple Cocktail tables here as well.

The "Cat" pouf at Fendi Casa

Multiple cocktail tables at Fendi Casa

We loved the SOHO Sectional, upholstered in white linen, framed and trimmed in Saddle leather. A luxe detail -- cushion seams outlined in very small matching leather trim (see last SOHO photo).

 Above: The SOHO Sectional by Fendi Casa

 

 

 

 

Below: The corners of each seating piece is connected by a leather belt

 Above: The exposed frame of the SOHO Sectional is covered in saddle leather

Below: Cushion seams are outlined in fine leather trim 

The most interesting piece was Fendi Casa's SYNI Buffet (shown below) which slides open from either end to reveal the most accessible storage.

 

There was also Fendi Cucina, with an Alligator paneled refrigerator with silver double reversed "F" handles, and cabinets with leather drawer bottoms embossed with the reversed “F”.   

Fendi Cucina (Kitchen) lacquered cabinets

The Fendi refrigerator is covered in faux alligator and features the double "F" hardware

The Fendi cabinet drawers are lined in double "F" embossed faux leather

The Bentley Furniture collection was predictably car-like: Chairs with lacquered burled wood detailing and leather upholstery, a quilted white leather  dog bed that will fit in the floor board of your Bentley… you get the picture.  

A Bentley Club Chair in signature quilted Bentley leather and sheathed in the automakers famed Burled wood   

 

The Bentley Dog Bed in signature quilted Bentley leather

Across the street from Fendi Casa was what looked like a junk store on Madison Avenue! It was the salvage company, Olde Good Things which had some of the original marble fireplace surrounds salvaged from the last Plaza Hotel remodel, a bevy of period lighting, hardware, and furniture. One of the best pieces we saw in all of New York was here, a fabulous 7ft. tall X 10ft wide, 1960's solid cast Bronze screen which was so MAD MAN, and of course madly expensive.

What a surprise: A salvage yard on Madison Avenue!

Marble fireplace surround salvaged from the recently remodeled Plaza Hotel

 

 

Above and Below: A random find at a salvage yard: An antique hand held, lighted mirror. Black ebony handle, beveled glass, and silver filigree back. The light bulb is protected by the mirrors stand- pretty dang smart.

We made a quick stop at our passementerie (trim) supplier, based in the city, to see their newest collection. We loved the new leather tassels, the bright summer silks trims, and the mid-century metal tiebacks designed by Lori Weitzner.

Nearly Neon bright trim

New leather tassels

Lori Weitzner designed metal tiebacks in her signature geometric style

We rushed back to the hotel to change clothes for our one Broadway play on this trip, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar Grill, starring Audra McDonald.

McDonald won the Tony for Best Actress for her portrayal of the drug addicted Billie Holiday, in her portrayal of Holiday's last live performance at the fading bar and grill. One scene (pictured above) is of Holiday bringing her dog Roxie (actually a rescue dog from Hurricane Katrina) onstage in an attempt to cheer herself up. It was a tough watching the story of the iconic Billie Holiday self destruct from her addiction to alcohol and heroin in front of an audience.

Dinnertime!

Whew, what a day! After the play we headed out for a civilized late dinner at famed chef Daniel Boulud's BOULUD SUD Restaurant (20 W. 64th Street) adjacent to Lincoln Center. The food was terrific and is "Mediterranean-inspired". Caroline had the fish and I had the lamb- both fabulous. The interior is in the art deco style and features a large scale pair of art works by artist Vik Munoz.

A pair of works by artist Vik Munoz center the restaurant

We toured (more like trespassed) the wine cellar and private dining rooms downstairs, and left through a back stair that led up to Boulud's BAR BOULUD, and his  Epicerie Boulud. Is there anything Boulud doesn't do?   

The wine cellar at Boulud Sud

 A wall in the private Dining room at Boulud Sud: Antique corkscrews framed in Plexiglass

Whew- finally, the day was over and we headed home so we could rest up for day 2.

 

Lastly, I usually end with Worst in Show- but since the show hasn't opened yet and this was shopping the city, we'll call the next few photographs, YIKES!

A baby grand piano sheathed in faux alligator. Yes, that is a bar coming out of the back leg! YIKES!

It just must have been the day of the tacky piano: A malachite encrusted piano with gold ormolu mounts. YIKES!

In a liquor store window: Don't ask, don't tell. YIKES!

All for now.

Good Night Moon

NEW YORK NOW - Day 1: SHOPPING THE CITY Part I

New York City from the air, with the new Freedom Tower standing proud in the background

I missed the island life before we even landed in Charlotte, NC., as we made our way to New York after having spent the better part of two weeks in the Caribbean. We were clearing customs in Charlotte, yes, Charlotte- and I was curious to see just how efficient this Southern airport with its contemporary architecture juxtaposed with white wooden porch rockers would be in processing an International Flight.

I’d heard that it was so much nicer going through customs here as compared to Miami, New York or LA, so I was hopeful! It was indeed mostly painless, with the entire process less than 20 minutes and the customs agents were, well, absolutely lovely! Kind, courteous, patient, and helpful—a far cry from clearing customs in NY or Miami, and sooooo much nicer than going through customs in LA—the worst place on the planet to clear customs!
 

We boarded the plane for NYC, landed at JFK, and “UBER-ed” our way to the city and were ensconced in the Essex House Hotel before midnight.
 

The Essex House on Central Park South

Unfortunately for us, there was a movie being filmed at our hotel -- all night long.

Side note: If you haven't joined UBER, you might consider it before your next trip to New York. The cars are clean, modern and do not have that annoying partition wall that cracks your knees between the passenger and the driver. It's said that UBER is less expensive than a yellow cab in New York- I don't know about that, but who's pinching pennies when your treated like a customer vs. a
passenger?

 

There's an app for UBER

Our wake up call came too soon, and we hit the ground running with our first and only appointment with Allen Nazmiyal Antique Rugs.  We usually reserve our first day in the city for walking the streets and shopping the stores for trends, color, fashion, etc…, and there's no better place to do this than on the streets of New York. At Nazmiyal we saw our first trend- vintage mid-century rugs from Sweden and Scandinavia (though vintage Moroccan rugs remain strong).  

Mid- Century, hand knotted Swedish Rug

 

Mid- Century, hand knotted Scandinavian Rug

Not Swedish or Scandinavian, but this vintage Missoni textile was so fabulous we had to include it!

These styles include abstract, pop-art, artist-designed, surrealist, and minimalist styles. During our appointment, very single client there was working with one of these rugs! FYI: Nazmiyal is a player- he has the endorsement of Julianne Moore in his ads. 

Trends on the street: For the body, we saw a more trends in men’s fashion than in woman's. We saw short pants, not shorts, but shorter pants, as in high waters! Tight-leg pants rolled up to make them shorter or pants that were made that way. Untucked casual tee's worn with shorter length, tight leg chinos, jeans, or shorts worn mostly with Vans and/or flip flops.

 
Facial hair was de rigueur, as was messy hair--- not just tousled, but messy, just out of bed hair- also referred to as “International hair”. Straw hats were everywhere, the kind that make the wearer look like a pin head. For business we saw tight legged shorts with shirts untucked with small, fitted Sport coats that look like you borrowed it from your little 14 year old brother. These worn with dress shoes seemed like a take on Bermuda's ‘smart casual’ style but without the tall socks. We saw neon colors of orange, yellow, and blue on tennis/sport shoes, and high top leather tennis shoes, worn with everything.  

For the females, we saw a return to more feminine dressing...thankfully.  

The most abhorrent "look" was at Barney’s New York where the sales people--not the clothes on the racks-- lacked fashion and style. The sales staff looked just this side of being homeless. Sloppy clothes and dirty shoes, unkempt hair on the head and face- it was truly difficult to tell who was an employee, and who was looking for a handout. If that were my store I'd scrub them all down and send'em packing! There was something terribly incongruous in the look of these Manolo Blahnik shoes and the sales people who would help you with them.  

Is he homeless or a Salesperson at Barney's?

Would you like someone with clean hands to help you with these Manolo Blahnik's?

Then you may have to buy them at Bergdorf's!

T’was not this way at Bergdorf’s, always chic and they have the best display windows in the high fashion retail world.  We loved the fun canine inspired windows, especially the one featuring Stella McCartney, and the dog scratching his ear upholstered in reclaimed vintage tapestry pieces by Parisian design team Frederique Morrel.

TREND ALERT: Bergdorf windows that weren't of the canine variety were full of color....neon color. From the clothes, the handbags and shoes, and accessories.

Neon is here to stay- get yours today!

We love Bergdorf's 7th floor Decorative Home Department and we spotted a further inkling of a fur and feather trend with Kelly Wearstler's Souffle Chair upholstered in black Goat Fur ($18,000) which looked more like Ostrich feathers, reminding us of the Valentino feathered pumps featured in one of their fabulous 5th Avenue windows.

 

Its dyed Goat hair, but it looked like feathers to us- should have put on my readers!

Fabulous Valentino pants over Valentino feathered pumps

More on Kelly Wearstler: We like her style! She's an author, decorator, hotelier, clothing designer, and humble to boot. Wearstler has a room dedicated to her home furnishings collection on the 7th floor at Bergdorf's. What will this West Coast Diva do next?

Kelly Wearstler's Bauble Box, brass encrusted with semi precious stones.

 

We loved the fab Brunello Cucinelli fur top (top is an understatement) and fur trimmed shoes, displayed next to the escalator- Bergdorf fabulous!

And speaking of shoes, the price of a pair of designer labeled ladies shoes seemed to average $800. Same for men’s shoes. Whose buying these shoes? It's crazy I tell you! 

Whew- what a day, and we're only half way through with it. I gotta stop and give us both a rest! Read me tomorrow for Shopping the City Part II.


Good night moon.