Cutting a Rug

Probably my favorite place in the world to buy rugs can be found in Manhattan.  Double Knot is located at 13 White Street in Tribeca and run by Murat, a Turkish man who is not only very knowledgeable about carpets and rugs but also extremely friendly to work with.  I have even bought a few quieter pieces for my home in Istanbul and had them shipped.  Murat has an amazing collection of old jute kilims, usually sewn together from the best pieces salvaged from late 19th and early 20th Century carpets.  The end result is almost modern in its simplicity.  I also enjoy their artisan quality and provincial feel they add to 18th Century or mid-Century modern furniture.  The photos I took during a recent trip are bold and striking compared to the softer pieces I have acquired.  But placed in the right spot, they can easily liven an entrance or any floor surface for your home.  Definitely worth a visit to Double Knot.  Murat is tirelessly helpful and honest about what he sells.

 





God is in the Detail: Hotel Bauer

I'm raising a glass to my favorite place to rest whilst in Venice, the Hotel Bauer.  Its combination of old Venetian palazzo and fantastic Gothic architecture (designed by the 16th Century architect Andrea Palladio), combined with a mixture of opulent details, including eclectic doses of Art Deco, makes for a dazzling spectacle for the eyes.

Bathed in Light

I love being in my apartment during sunset . . . the glow is both dazzling and serene, and the energy of the rooms seems to fluctuate between the two.  While awaiting a small group--including my friend Fernanda Killigan, who's on her way via London to Kate Shelter's Tuscan wedding--for drinks, I decided to take a couple of shots of my apartment with my lovely Blackberry camera (still need to take that leap to a new phone).  Yes, I'm back in Istanbul and looking forward to showing my friends the town. While I'm a huge fan of entertaining at home, I know visitors want to see the sites and sounds.  But looking at these photos really makes me want to stay in tonight.

Inhabited Sculpture

Since being back in New York after Istancool, I relish being in my store.  It's really like coming home after a long journey.  We held an event here last Wednesday, and I found myself proud of the objects and furniture meshing with the beautiful crowd, especially Chuck Pryce's sculptures, which people couldn't help but pick up and touch.  I'm very lucky to have been introduced by a close friend to Chuck, and since then he and I have become good friends and colleagues (just recently in fact he sent me those amazing eggs from his Hamptons farm).  His pieces are sensual yet, because of their weight, masculine and sturdy.  One can appreciate the substantial quality of the objects, especially because, I think, they invoke a presence, which seems to vibrate with joy, either when resting or whilst being held  My first and favorite that I fell in love with is the wishbone, available in so many sizes and colors, but there are many other shapes to have and hold.  I'd love for you to stop by the store and experience the magic of Chuck's sculptures for yourselves.

Secretaire of the Interior

A quick blog post today . . . I'm in love with this 19th Century English Chinoise secretaire. These pieces are fantastic to color up just about any room. It's stylish and even practical. I love the color, its gilded finials, secret drawers and the patina on the mirrored doors. I've sold many of these over the years and this one currently in my store on E 11th Street is one of my favorites. Stop by and see it some time.
Photography by Yale Wagner

Burnishing Baubles

Although I’m not much of a jewelry man, I can still appreciate a good diamond. So when asked to design a party for the launch of Harry Winston’s New York Collection, I must admit feeling honored and slightly buoyant having the opportunity to be around all that bling.

I had the chance to speak to the beautiful Sandrine de Laage (Creative Director of Harry Winston) about the collection. She said New York constantly inspires her designs, and in this collection she wanted to capture the city's energy, movement, and architecture. I think she did a fantastic job.

I must be honest, walking into the Harry Winston store on Fifth Avenue can be intimidating: the army of guards, the sparkling baubles, the elegant and yet quite formal interior designed by Maison Jansen. After performing my initial walk through, I knew that I wanted to enhance the space by making it younger and sexier. While many details went into transforming the environment for the Harry Winston launch, I’d like to speak about three fixes made to improve the space while preserving the Jansen aesthetic.

Immediately I felt the carpet took too much attention away from the vitrines used to showcase the collection, so I covered the floor with 3-foot square lucite tiles, and a twelve inch border of gold lucite. The shimmering floor made the entire room float and the main area for the party fresher and more focused on the jewelry.

Second, by wrapping the chandeliers with black tulling, the atmosphere became less formal and much more fun.

And finally, to create a more salon-like environment, I custom designed a four-sided banquette and plopped it in the middle of the room with a large water pool in the center, fitting well with the Louis 16th style of the store. This way, the room was transformed into a salon, creating more of a sexier lounge atmosphere, for people and jewelry watching.

The party was a great success, and the jewelry, amazing to be around, especially with the company of breathtaking Freida Pinto, adorned with Harry Winston Jewels. The New York Collection is sexy and fresh, especially layered as Sandrine de Laage wore it the night of the party, pared perfectly with her exquisite Miu Miu dress.

Lost and Found

I love losing myself in a city and finding new treasures. During a recent trip to Paris, I found an amazing map, which you can see in person at my store on East 11th Street.

This is the early 20th Century edition of Michel-Etienne Turgot's monumental 1739 map of Paris. This map of Paris is one of the most ambitious urban mapping ever undertaken. Turgot, who held the mayor-like office of Prévôt des Marchands de Paris, commissioned Louis Bretez and Claude Lucas to produce this map in 1734.

The map, printed on canvas, is oriented to the east, and shows every building, window, tree, shadow and park. It took nearly five years of sketching and surveying to assemble this masterpiece. In order to accomplish this feat, Bretez was issued a permit to enter every building in Paris. Oh the wonders of government.

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