Monday, October 20, 2008
Back in the Day: When Men Were the Interior Decorators
Yes, a Victorian Man may have put this together!From the other side of the pond comes a question with about whether or not there was ever a time when men were in charge of decorating the home as opposed to their wives? You may be surprised to learn that in the Victorian era of the mid- to late 1800s, the man of the household was also the decorator and in charge of furnishings, wallpaper patterns and more.
In an article from the Times Online of London, Harry Mount explains that before women were allowed to put forth their own credit or actually own any property, their husbands were picking out chintz patterns and designing "manly" rooms like the study or library with deep red velvets and other classically masculine aesthetic touches.
Not until the 1920's, after the decline of the servant class, who typically visited the stores on behalf of the family, did women get to a point where they were the "purchaser of at least 90% of the furnishings for the home."
The article is filled with examples of prominent Victorian-era men and their involvement with home design. It was written to coincide with an exhibit on this period's decor opening at the Geffrye Museum in London's East End.
Here in New York, one would like to think that both the male and female members of the household have always had equal input during the design process, and that, indeed, there were times when even the most masculine took the time to study chintz patterns!
New York Interior Decorators and Designers
Read the Full Article: Times of London
Labels: Interior Decorators, Interior Design New York, Interiors Decorating NYC, London Decor
Thursday, June 26, 2008
De-Cluttering and Closet Organization
The Last Time Living in a Junkyard was Funny was in the 1970'sCould you get rid of all the extra junk in your home and stick with 100 things that you truly need/ want? That's the challenge that blogger Dave Bruno has set out for himself and according to Red Eye (Chicago Tribune), its inspired people around the nation to de-clutter their lives and whittle down their belongings.
Even the pro's are taking notice and weighing in on Dave's quest. Below is a quote from Nadia Geller, an interior decorator and host of TLC's "Date My House":
"Times are tough right now, and people feel like they need to downsize and live a little simpler...We are now realizing that it no longer makes us feel better when we buy something new, especially if we can't afford it. Gas is higher, food is more expensive and it's not really a great time for over-consuming and having too many things."Here at cityhammer.com, we're big fans of de-cluttering and organization, especially when it comes to cabinets and closets, but sometimes you just have too much stuff to organize, no matter how many shelves you install. If that's your sitch, then let Bruno's challenge inspire you to pare down your stuff...you probably won't miss most of what you get rid of anyway!
Professional Closet Organizers in New York
Read the article on Red Eye: Living With Less
Visit Dave Bruno's Blog and Follow His Progress: http://www.guynameddave.com/
Labels: De-Cluttering, Interior Decorators, NY Closet Organizers
Friday, May 23, 2008
NY Home Improvement Blog Patrol
Photo by Tony the MisfitThe team at Real LI, the real estate blog for Newsday, has the scoop on a designer showdown happening in Montauk at the new Panoramic View Residences. The contest, co-sponsored and organized by Traditional Home Magazine and the New York School of Interior Design, will give three extremely lucky interior design students the chance to spend their internships out east decorating luxury villas. Newsday says there'll be a TV show later this year with the results.
Oceans 3: Showhouse Showdown
Everyone wants a home office, but lots of us are constrained by the space available, especially in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Remodelista's got a wall-mounted desk that just might hold a solution. Designed by MASH Studios, the desk comes in both English Walnut or European Birch Plywood, each with its own unique finish. Great pic's available, too.
Wall-Mounted Desk
They're finally here! What is? UrbanDigs' fabled charts have hit the web after a long and arduous journey to the internet. The amount of depth and data in these charts should give real estate pro's and geeks alike plenty to play with for a long time to come. You can see charts built with data such as:
NEW LISTINGS/CONTRACTS SIGNED
PRICE REDUCTIONS
TOTAL INVENTORY
This is more transparency that prospective buyers and sellers are getting anywhere on the internet and could prove to be an indispensable tool in the hunt for the truth in New York real estate. Rock on, Noah. Congrats!
Oooooh Mama! Did Someone Say Charts?
Labels: Furniture NY, Interior Decorators, Interior Designers, NY Real Estate Blogs
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
It's Back! Inexplicably, Top Design Gets Another Shot
India Hicks, the New Host of Top Design for 2008What was more awkward on last year's Bravo show, "Top Design"? Was it that kiss-off catch phrase from Jonathan Adler (in case you blocked it out, it was "See Ya Later, Decorator")? Maybe it was Todd Oldham's not-quite-ready-for-TV turn as host. Could it have been the conceit of the show's concept itself? Whatever it was that kept you from being able to watch more than one episode, never fear New York, Top Design is back with a new host and hopefully some hard-learned lessons from season 1.
The big news is that Bravo took a page out of the Top Chef playbook and cast a model, albeit one with an expertise and passion for design, a la Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef. India Hicks will be your MC for the festivities in 2008. She is a model and a design aficianado with an intensely British background centering around her relation to a Viceroy of India and her having been a bridesmaid at Princess Diana's wedding.
This is all well and good, but will the design and decor aspect of the show improve as well? Bravo is certainly counting on it!
Reminisce about season 1: http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Design/about/
Labels: Bravo, Interior Decorators, Interior Design, Top Design
