Friday, August 28, 2009

DORM DECOR

Newsday Article by Kristin Taveira
A newly minted cast of players is about to burst onto the world stage: The college-bound are ready to declare a break with their high school selves - they're ready to write their own scripts, choose their own soundtracks and realize their own creative visions.
For most young adults, the backdrop against which they'll play out these new and exciting scenes will be their living space - be it a dorm room, a first apartment or even a revamped version of the very room where they've spent their childhood. For many, taking a space and visually declaring it "my space" will be their first opportunity to make a statement that's uniquely their own. And with a little expert advice, they can learn to do it with polish.
Cookie-cutter catalog themes won't cut it with the big kids. "College-bound students are more interested in making rooms personal than thematic," says Eileen Kathryn Boyd, who owns a design firm in Huntington. But an emerging taste for the urbane doesn't mean you have to abandon youthful obsessions, says Merrick interior designer Marlaina Teich. It's just time to find a new way to express those passions - grown-up style.
Instead of wearing your heart on your sleeve - or all over your bedspread - scrap the cutesy overkill of themed bedroom decor and learn to say more with less, says Teich, who owns Marlaina Teich Designs.
Start with a modish color scheme: Cool, sophisticated gray, punctuated with a vivid color like orange or lime green, is the hot palette this season, Teich says. Also, there's a trend toward more earthy-feeling rooms, using more natural materials, she says. And in case you're fortunate enough to have some say over your furnishings, Teich says today's most fashionable fixtures feature sleek, clean lines with an industrial vibe, a la CB2 or IKEA.
Next, it's time to personalize it - cleverly. Add pops of color, comfort and individual flavor with judicious use of trimmings such as pillows, throws and desk accessories.
Finally, to give it the wow factor, Teich has two words for you: Accent wall. Use color if you can, and arrange a few key items into a high-impact display designed to put the exclamation point on your personal statement.
These cliché-busting ideas can give a sophomoric bedroom a college-style face-lift - no matter what label you wear.
To view the rest of the article: http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/home-and-garden/college-freshmen-put-a-new-spin-on-dorm-decor-1.1396999

Monday, August 17, 2009

Monday, August 3, 2009

Artistic Tile and MTD

I am so excited to be collaborating with Artistic Tile for the Mansions and Millionaires Designer Showcase 09. Richard Johnson, PR Director at Artistic, my design team and I have been meeting to select the most GORGEOUS mosaics and stone finishes for the space.

According to Artistic Tile's website, " In 2004, Nancy Epstein opened a boutique showroom inside the Manhattan Center for Kitchen and Bath. In Fall, 2007 she opened a new, expanded flagship showroom in the equally esteemed Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The new showroom design has since been rolled out in Manhasset on Long Island’s North Shore and Chicago on the prestigious LuxeHome floor of the Merchandise Mart. Artistic Tile’s showrooms invite designers and homeowners to play and interact with thousands of tile options in a lively atmosphere that includes an extensive design library complete with countless samples. Umbrella-shaped fabric canopies with handmade Murano crystal chandeliers bathe the space in warm light while illuminating lifestyle vignettes that beautifully blend a variety of products and suggested installations. Her devotion to creating a warm, comfortable, inspiring environment in each showroom is evident in every detail. Wine is served in the afternoons, coffee in the morning, and lunch upon request. "Our customer service and atmosphere should rival those of any luxury resort,'' Nancy notes, "but most important, our clients should love not only their finished projects, but also the experience of creating them."
Thank you to Nancy Epstein, Richard Johnson and the team at Artistic Tile for creating such an exciting and luxurious atmosphere.