HD Talks Blog

Meet Tara.

Last night, Tara and I got the chance to meet another Tara. She was sleek, elegant, and modern. Who was she? She was a bathroom faucet unveiled in black and white at an event held last night by Dornbracht and Blackman Plumbing Supply. The showroom was full of all kinds of Dornbracht products not to mention dozens of other bathroom manufacturers, but all eyes were on Tara. It was good to see something different, something steering away from the polished chrome or bronze finishes you'd normally find. 

Here's a glimpse of Tara in black and white:

Pictured below from left: Pat Jarvis and Jon Spector, Dornbracht; David Lyon, Blackman Plumbing Supply; Henning Siverts, Dornbracht International; and Robert Mannheimer, Blackman Plumbing Supply. 

Networking in the Capital

The 90 degree heat didn't stop the design community from coming out in full force for HD's CitySCENE: Washington, DC last Thursday. More than 125 designers, architects, owners, and developers headed to L2 Lounge, a private club on Cady's Alley in Georgetown. Once a furniture store, its just over a year-old sleek—and exclusive—interiors were a perfect backdrop for the next generation networking party (and the buzz of the party since few, like myself, had been inside). Yes the economy and surviving it was a big topic of conversation, but so was reconnecting and exciting new projects—some big, some small, small green, but all a positive sign. Special thanks to the sponsors, American of Martinsville, CDI, Durkan, Jane Hamley Wells, and Moore & Giles, as well as Brien Watson of Sorg Architects (who is also a DJ) who provided the tunes, and the student helpers from Catholic University and University of Montreal. Look out for photos from the event in the September issue of HD.

Modern art, bongo players, and living walls

Yesterday morning we checked out the Tate Modern, and again, I'm loving this city. No. 1, entry was free, which meant the place was crawling with art students...very cool vibe. No. 2, some of the installations/exhibitions were seriously provocative, and had me once again realizing just how prude we are as a nation. I mean, if the Brits are out-sexing us, we really need to step up our game! I was just at MoMA a few weeks ago, and didn't hear anyone say "gross" or "who decided that was art?". I'm sure different arguments can be made as to why that was, but just an observation. 

Then last night we had a fabulous dinner at the Landau at the Langham, and then hit the Maddox Club in Mayfair. Apparently an "it" spot, complete with snooty door policy and waif model types inside, but seriously fun! I'd tell you about the design, but I was somewhat distracted by napkin dancing and bongo players. (Hence, no photos from our journey.) But the manager tells me there about to change it up a bit and create a space where the chef and dj can "have a conversation". Stay tuned. 

Amazingly enough I woke up this morning (that's not the amazing part) and it wasn't raining. It was actually beautiful out, and has stayed so all day long. I had a fabulous treat when I met Miles and Stirling Johnstone, our friends from GS Magazine, and Martin Hulbert from Fox Linton Associates for lunch at the recently renovated Athenaeum Hotel. Martin took us around on a tour, and I now not only want to live in London, but want Martin to design my home...once I'm filthy rich of course. Here's a sneak peek at some of the interior details:

A bedroom in the penthouse suite, which they call the rooftop suite. It has the best view in all of London, as far as I can tell, and that's including a ride I took the other day on the London Eye. 

A desk chair and desk in a standard room. I won't even say it, I think you can see what I mean by his attention to detail. 

Custom-designed China, based on the Queen's pattern, set for tea time in the hotel's lounge. 

The vertical garden, courtesy of Patrick Blanc, filled with indigenous species. 

Then we headed over to the Dorchester spa, which Martin has also recently designed. I had already seen photos when we selected it for our upcoming spa issue, but they didn't do this space justice. And Martin's spa philosophy is something I could get used to: all about indulgence, no self-righteousness, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Check out the September issue of HD for the full story. 

Designer's Paradise

So here I am, day four in London, and I have to say, despite a hail storm in July, I'm in love with this city. My career goals have gone back and forth between gut renovating an old warehouse and creating the world's most fabulous hotel, to marrying extremely rich and spending all my time and someone else's money shopping all day every day. Design inspiration and painstaking attention to detail are everywhere. Below is a close-up of the wallcovering in the hall on the way to the business center at The Langham. It's extremely touchable gray felt, with little pops of the hotel's signature pink in these 3-D felt flowers. Very cool, and in such a random place, I felt the need to share.

Yesterday I had lunch at a very unassuming vegetarian salad-bar concept called Tibits, a Swiss import, located off Regent Street. The whimsical interiors are changed every two years, courtesy of London designer Tricia Guild, of the fashionable Designers' Guild wallpaper. (I literally stumbled upon this seating area on my way to the loo.)

And then there's the shopping. Maybe I'm the only person in the design industry who just discovered Liberty and Selfridges, but the combination of these two department stores has me seriously questioning if I'll ever look at Bloomingdale's or Saks the same again. The Liberty building front, in case you didn't know, is one of the most prominent Tudor Revival buildings in the city, and the wood used in the construction was taken from two British naval ships. And then once inside, forget it...they had me at the scarf room, but the top floor, usually reserved for art exhibitions, had some fantastic furnishings and lighting (and unbelievable sales, if you're here right now too) and the custom fabrics (below) are downright inspiring. 

Then there's Selfridges, and our extremely knowledgeable tour-guide Bruno's enthusiasm for this store, and its founder, was just contagious. A veritable treasure trove of "did you know?" facts about the history of department stores, I left somewhat ashamed that I hadn't known that I owed so much to Harry Selfridge. Now celebrating its 100th anniversary, did you know that Harry, an American who worked at Marshall Fields for 25 years, created his namesake store in London out of loyalty to his Chicago mentor? He couldn't bare to compete with him, but he did take a notebook full of ideas he had been collecting for a quarter of a century, and put them all into place in his new venture. So, did you know that Selfridges was the first store to take the merchandise out from behind the counter and let customers touch it; the first to create experiential shopping and the fine art of browsing; the first to bring American-style entertainment to shopping; and, due to the smell from the horse-drawn carriages driving by in 1909, the first to move the beauty counters to the ground floor. (The beginning of the perfume spritzing profession.) If you're in town, definitely check out the store's Centenary Exhibition, a celebratory, and seriously informative, retrospective. And ask for Bruno while you're there. (I promise even the straight men will leave with a bit of a crush.)

Swiss Textiles Land in the Big Apple

By Jana Schiowitz

Every few months, I get the chance to see the latest and greatest in product at the very many showrooms at Manhattan's D&D building. Last week I walked into the new Creation Baumann showroom, the first in the United States, and was drawn in by both the rich colors (a throw sprawled out on a chair like a dress drew me in immediately) and the amazing view (the natural light from the surrounding windows played well with the fabrics). The company is very excited about its debut and I am too (the company was represented by independent showroom partners in the city before). For those of you who don't know Creation Baumann, here's the story. The Swiss company (based in Langenthal) is a family affair with operations run by the family's fourth generation, Philippe Baumann. There is so much to choose from for the hospitality and residential markets from upholstery to window treatments and the new launches of product seemed to be endless! I loved looking at all of the new products, but was even more eager to learn about the company's contribution to sustainability. Some of the green highlights include no usage of PVC yarns, recipient of the Oeko-Tex Institute certification, and the company maintains a neutralization plant to process wastewater from the dyeing process. 

Here's the Creation Baumann staff with some photos of the new showroom

From left: Harry Persaud sales specialist; Dagy Huskic, showroom manager; Rolf Tschan, market manager who came to visit from the Creation Baumann headquarters in Switzerland; and Ranae Ahrens managing director in the United States.

Look up and down at all of these colors!

And now, for some new products...

Silver&Steel is a new collection that helps to regulate light and temperature in a space with a protective coating on Silver and then for Steel, a thin layer of the material is placed on the fabric to help reflect less light from the sun. 

Take a peak at...Peak. This is a new burnout design fabric for window treatments offered in eight

colors. The fabric is flowing and is a blend of polyester and viscose.

Welcome to New York City!

London Calling

I flew into London yesterday morning, and didn't even get off the plane before a new project literally fell in my lap. (This city is hopping with hospitality!) The man seated fortuitously next to me was Steven Varsano, an owner/investor of SnobFood Ltd., owner of Napket (pictured above), a very cool fashion-forward, fresh-market, qsr concept in London. It's a brilliant idea, and profitable even in a down-economy, thanks to low price points and high-volume lunch crowds. (I saw the line outside one of their locations while driving to my hotel...The Langham...much more on them later.) And with its newest location in Piccadilly opening this week, Varsano and partners are adding something extra to their typically day-time concept: a night-time option, complete with white-tablecloth dining. For photos and more on their newest location, check the August issue of HD. 

And here's a quick peek at the  recently completed $130 million refurbishment at The Langham. Stay tuned for more to come on that...

The façade of the hotel, which was originally built in 1865. 

The Palm Court restaurant by Richmond Associates.

A junior suite. 

The Landau restaurant by David Collins. 

Hong Kong Highlights

I just came back from Hong Kong, my first trip to the Far East (insert gasp!), and even though it was technically vacation, I could not help checking out a few of the newest and greatest spots. There's just something about this city—a feeling/vibe that's hard to put into words. Here's a quick rundown:

• The new W Hong Kong's nature-inspired design courtesy of Glamorous and Co. in Japan and Australian firm g+a definitely ups the ante (butterflies hang in the lobby living room, the restaurant is dubbed Fire, and the glass elevator is backed by tree branches) . What I couldn't get over were the views of the harbor and the Hong Kong skyline—that were everywhere. From floor-to-ceiling windows in the guestrooms, fitness center, and Bliss spa, to the pool (infinity edged) situated on the 76th floor.   
• Another place that is all about the views is Sevva (pronounced Savour) in Hong Kong. Located on the top of the Princess Building, its wrap-around terrace is a perfect spot for sunset cocktails and watching the city's "Symphony of Lights" show (at 8:00 pm each night, the city's buildings light up in various colors as though they are almost teasing each other). Dining inside is just as much of a treat thanks to owner Bonnie Gokson and designers Calvin Tsao and Team HC. There are five areas, each with its own personality (from glam to modern). My favorite: the lounge, with its living vertical garden wall.  
• And I had to see the view-of-all-views: the Felix at the Peninsula. Philippe Starck's white minimalist design from the mid-90s hasn't aged a day (and is truly Starck), and the floor-to-ceiling windows (even with the blinds) didn't disappoint. But in my opinion, the best views in the house were from the relaxation room at the breathtaking spa, designed by Henry Leung. For more on the hotel's newest addition, basement boite Salon De Ning, also by Leung, check out the September issue of HD.  
• And yes, in Hong Kong, there are quite a few great places without views. Take French fine dining restaurant Cepage, for instance, first Chinese outpost from Singapore-based Les Amis Group. Dining there is an intimate experience not only for the quaint size of the space (even though it is three stories, each story is modest in size) in the stylish Starstreet precinct, but also thanks to the French villa-inspired design by Tan Kay Nee (you guessed right: wood paneling, crystal chandeliers, rich colors). The only view at Pawn—a restaurant and bar housed in four Guangzhou-style balcony shophouses in Wanchai—is a view out on the trolley carts on the street. But here everything that is new is old again in Stanley Wong and Idiom's creation, from the distressed wood, worn leather furniture, old Pawn Shop signs, and even the roof garden. And even though Zuma in the Landmark is a year-old, Super Potato's glowing, stone-filled space is one to see—and be seen. The best part (besides the fantastic sushi) is the curved, illuminating center staircase, that hangs by cables and connects the upstairs bar and lounge to the downstairs dining room.  

 

Turgut from the Block

Last night I had the pleasure of checking out the newly opened Bar Luna on the Upper West Side. And though Chef Jacques Belanger had me at white truffle pizza and niçoise crostini, and having an excuse to hang out with NRN's Bret Thorn always puts me in a good mood, I must admit Glen Coben did a nice job creating a solid neighborhood spot. The 90-seat space is designed "to feel like sitting on a wooden sloop sailing the waters of the Mediterranean or Aegean." 

Interesting back-story to the restaurant, as the owner, Turgut Balikci, opened Bella Luna at the corner of Columbus Ave. and 88th St. 20 years ago. So now with five restaurant partnerships under his belt (Pasha, Bodrum, Bella Sguardo, Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar), his latest venture is a nod to his original in both name, and location (Amsterdam Ave. and 85th St.).