Window Shopping

To continue with the holiday theme, what is more iconic than the wonderfully artistic store windows which each year grace the streets of New York City? My absolute favorite was Bergdorf Goodman. They always put on quite a spectacle, but this year, in my humble opinion, they outdid themselves with their "Carnival of Animals" theme.

Then there is the always fantastical world of Macy's. They worked with 'Make a Wish' and narrate the story of a spacecraft which goes into space to grant wishes.

Tiffany's went bigger than usual and transformed their smaller windows into carnival rides to astounding and playful effect.

Lord and Taylor always manage to have the most creative windows year round. For the holidays they went with a family oriented theme keeping with the more traditional interpretation of Christmas.

Saks' windows keep a less colorful but nonetheless playful approach to their holiday windows. Their theme is from the book "Who Makes the Snow".

Last but not least, Bloomingdale's went with interactive windows where passers by can take a photograph of themselves which will then be posted on the store's Facebook page, very amusing and addictive if I am honest. The theme is a play on the iconic Bloomingdale's shopping bag with the addition of penguins, reindeers and of course a skating Santa.

A pocketful of New York

The holidays always bring amazing things to the city. One I haven't experienced before is the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Apparently I am the only one in my family interested in seeing it so I will have to live vicariously through photographs until my daughter is at least the right height to see the train. But if you are anything like me and love all things miniature, you should go. The gist of it is that you follow a train through New York's signature buildings and landmarks and appreciate the pure genius of it.
For more information on this and other exhibits on at this time visit http://www.nybg.org/

The Apollo Theatre

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Park Avenue Armory

Brooklyn Bridge

New York Brownstones

Cityscape 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Chez Moi

I believe the first place to put your ideas into action is at home. It's a great way to experiment without the worry of a disappointed client at the end of it. There is no real right or wrong when it comes to decorating, it's more a matter of taste. Home is where I started putting some ideas together and where I can add or change as I please (well with some negotiating with my husband).

Baby's Room

A child's room is where you can have the most fun. Your and their imagination is the only boundary, unless you live in NYC and then space might have something to do with it as well. Space planning is key. Especially with an infant, there are pieces that are necessities such as the crib, changing table and rocking chair. Start by placing these items in a way that makes sense to your routine. No point in having the chair on the other side of the room if you breastfeed your baby to sleep, by the time you reach the crib he'll be yelling for more.

That said it is also easy to take it a little too far. There are so many cute themes and ideas out there it's hard to narrow it down, but try to stick to one or two at the most. You want your child's room to be a soothing space as well as visually interesting, but you don't want it to be overstimulating.

I'm a big fan of wallpaper (more of that to come) but in a nursery or child's room it means you are tied to it for years to come, unless you want to deal with redecorating once your kid gets into skulls. Appliqués or wall art are a good option to jazz up plain walls and you can take them off at any point. Don't forget to include some at your toddler's viewpoint, or where they need distractions, like the changing table.

I highly recommend dressers, drawers or cabinets as storage. Baskets are adorable, and I take my hat off to those who can pull them off, but as soon as that toddler is walking they will be constantly empty with their contents living on your floors. Consider using them higher up, for things like creams, thermometers etc.

Guest Room

As I said above, I love wallpaper. I realize it has old and stuffy connotations with some, but they are wrong. As in my previous post about fabulous wallpaper, there just isn't enough wall space for it. My personal choice to hang it on one wall was due to the fact that our bedrooms are not big rooms. If I was to use such a busy wallpaper all over the room it would feel claustrophobic. Using the wallpaper behind the bed makes the one wall a feature.
I am rather OCD about symmetry, but when it comes to lighting I find that as long as the lamps have some similarity between them, such as material, size, shape or color, then it's ok to mix and match.

Master Bedroom

As with the guest bedroom I wanted to accentuate just one wall of the room; by returning the wallpaper all the way to the window it makes the back wall appear longer.
Another thing I have become a big fan of is mixing antiques with modern, such as the bedside tables and the lucite lamps, which in this case are matching. It would have been too much to add yet another ingredient to the mix.

There are few rules that I follow with any space, but they are invaluable:
1. Dark furniture makes a room feel smaller. Only use it if you have plenty of space.
2. Less is more when it comes to accessories. If you decorate a room beautifully and then cover it with knick knacks you might as well have saved your time and money as it won't shine through.
3. Lighting is not only useful as a light, it can be a sculptural addition to any space.

Bamboo

Once again two of my favorite things come together to make for one fabulous project. Here, Big Tree Farms build a chocolate factory in Bali made almost entirely out of bamboo. Surreal in its intricacy and stunning to look at. Not to mention that bamboo is a lot cheaper than steel-frame construction and way more sustainable.

Exterior view of the chocolate factory

Close up of construction elements

Ibuku Design who spearheaded the project also had a hand in building the Green School in Bali. A campus made largely from bamboo.

School under construction

Two classrooms at the Green School

A nearby village called Green Village was also taken on by architect Pete Celovsky. I read the living conditions are not quite reflective of the peaceful and graceful architecture, but that it is slowly getting better. Here is to hoping that all issues will be solved so that more and more projects can be inspired by this weaving technique of bamboo and save some of those much needed resources the earth has to offer. For more information and stunning photographs visit http://greenvillagebali.com/gallery/

Fauxidermy

My new recent obsession is wall art. More precisely animal wall sculptures. Personally I draw the line at taxidermy. I find it creepy and very, very sad. So imagine my delight when I found these great animal friendly versions I can go crazy with and not feel bad.

Noble Deer scuplture, hand carved in wood and available at www.nova68.com

Papier Mache sculptures available at West Elm - these were made by artists in Haiti as part of a collaboration between the retail store and Aid to Artisans nonprofit. One more reason we should all get one.

Ridged Antelope Horns - Cast in resin from Restoration Hardware

Smooth Antelope Horns - Cast in resin from Restoration Hardware

Steer Horns - Cast in resin from Restoration Hardware

Cardboard Kudu Sculpture by African artist Sharon Boonzaier

If you're thinking that you can't hang one of these sculptures unless you live in a chalet, you're wrong. Just because you live in a modern apartment, a loft or a quaint one bedroom it's no reason to limit your style. I am planning on hanging one of these (undecided on which one yet) above an old fashion bar in our very modern, open space living room. Scale is the key, don't let it overpower what is below or next to it.

Light Dreams

Still catching up on some light reading and this time I came across a new young designer who made the switch from fashion to product design. I don't know what Martha Freud was like as a fashion designer but I hope she sticks to products, lighting especially, because she makes the most exquisite lighting I have seen in a long time.  She probably won't remember, but I went to school with her, I also played tennis with her brother and started as a product designer. She's rubbing shoulders with celebrities and I am writing about her lighting. She obviously made the right call at some point.

Butterfly Light - so delicate and ethereal 

The Tea lights light (option to buy with the whole bookcase) - a simple, yet brilliant idea which is sure to make an impression in any space. 

All these lights and more, including some furniture are on her website. www.marthafreud.com

Around the world

I am slowly but surely starting to catch up on my magazine reading. What good timing too, as I pick up an old(ish) copy of the New York magazine to discover that it is mostly about design. I always read it cover to cover, but this particular issue was devoured in an hour. Below are some of what I deem to be the most brilliant, beautiful or just darn bizzarre (read interesting) designs featured.

8 House by Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen

Normally I would get dizzy at the idea of being in such a complex, (I get vertigo only looking at cruise ships), but the green roof, water proximity and interior courtyard might just convince me to move in.

Harmonia 57 by Tryptyque, Sao Paulo, Brazil

This is probably one of my favorite designs to date. Not only is it eco friendly but also stunning to look at. The plants are watered using recycled and rain water carried through those very architectural yellow water pipes which contrast so beautifully with the vibrant green of the fauna.

House N by Sou Fujimoto, Oita Japan 

This open box, which incorporated both the interior and exterior garden is such a breath of fresh air it just exudes relaxation, and the patterns created by the shifting light make such unique and interesting patterns throughout the space.

Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul, Korea

Isn't it exciting to see how throughout the world architecture and landscape are getting closer together? This beautiful space was created by tearing down the elevated highway that was blocking the stream. Not unlike our very own Highline in NYC.

Keret House by Centrala, Warsaw, Poland

I had to add this because to me it summarizes the great thing about architecture, as with beauty, it is in the eye of the beholder. An art installation for now (I rest my case) it will eventually be a writer's hideaway. Although I'm not sure how many creative juices one can get going in such tight quarters.

Ring Around a Tree by Tezuka Architects, Tokyo Japan

The Fuji Kindergarten classroom makes me want to go back to school. Resembling a tree house it has evolved immensely from what I remember as a classroom, no wonder the kids can't wait to go to school.