Timothy Corrigan on Antiques and Interiors Part 2

Posted on March 12, 2013 by quintessence   •   14 Comments

Timothy Corrigan on Antiques and Interiors Part 2

Today we continue our conversation with Timothy Corrigan on antiques and interiors. I am a fan of his great use of decorative antique pieces. They bring such a nuanced layering to his spaces and I wondered whether he shops for specific spaces or just buys what he loves, keeping a collection to cull from for future projects.
photo by Alexandre Bailhache
“I am always on the look out for great accessories and decorative pieces…they are one of the most important parts of helping make any project look finished. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to find interesting decorative accessories that are unique and special.  Whenever I see something that I like I buy it and know that it will find a good home somewhere on one of my projects or at my own home!…

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Timothy Corrigan | Designing and Living with Antiques

Posted on March 11, 2013 by quintessence   •   25 Comments

Timothy Corrigan | Designing and Living with Antiques

Timothy Corrigan’s tag line “A World of Comfortable Elegance” tidily sums up his distinctive design ethos. Known for his fusion of European elegance with California comfort, he is a master at incorporating elements from all eras. A consistent fixture on the AD100 list, with luxury projects around the world, Corrigan is known for his extensive use and knowledge of antiques, hence the perfect person to consult for a primer on incorporating antiques into today’s interiors. While I had originally intended this post as a follow up to the Winter Antiques Show, the mix of old and new is a frequent topic in these parts and a timeless theme.…

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World Tour

Posted on March 10, 2013 by quintessence   •   6 Comments

World Tour

World Tour is a tribute to travel. Not the travel of today with long lines and frequent frustrations but the civilized voyages of the early 20th century aboard stately ocean liners and legendary trains – a time when elegant passengers journeyed around the globe visiting grand hotels across the continent and exotic locales beyond.
This marvelous tome, stylishly packaged with embossed leather cover and fabulous  printed page edges, presents for the first time over 900 hotel luggage labels from the vast collection of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, each helping to tell the story of the art of travel in this Golden Age.

It is also the story of two people with travel in their DNA.…

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NYBG Orchid Dinner Finale Redux!

Posted on March 9, 2013 by quintessence   •   3 Comments

NYBG Orchid Dinner Finale Redux!

Today we will take our final look at the tables of the NYBG Orchid Dinner. This event always immediately precedes the Orchid show at the Botanical Garden which is the largest of its kind in the country. This year’s show, designed by Francisca P. Coelho, transforms the conservatory into an abundant rainforest, incorporating some of the garden’s 300 trees destroyed or uprooted by hurricane Sandy. There are also many special programs, demonstrations and events (including evening viewings with cocktails, music and even dinner at a local restaurant).

LMD Lewis Miller Design created a table of sumptuous allure. The old world charm of the festooned hot air balloon contrasted perfectly with the more modern appeal of the dark tabletop.…

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New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner Finale

Posted on March 8, 2013 by quintessence   •   4 Comments

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner Finale

Today we are starting to wrap up coverage of the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner, where, to use our new favorite phrase, there was a delightful embarrassment of riches. I had planned on bringing you the remainder of the tables in this posting, but due to nagging and time-consuming technological issues, we will extend into the weekend.

Stephen Elrod created a chinoiserie reverie for Brunschwig with fun graphic slipcovers in the Lhasa Print from the new Le Jardin Chinois Collection. A spectacular centerpiece hung gracefully over the table like a scene from a Chinese painting and the table setting was a fun mix of pattern and plain with the coordinating Clouds Embroidery from the same collection.…

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Stylish Shopping Dividend | Bunny Williams Home at John Rosselli

Posted on March 6, 2013 by quintessence   •   6 Comments

Stylish Shopping Dividend | Bunny Williams Home at John Rosselli

Just as Alexa Hampton described the John Rosselli showroom as an embarrassment of riches in Susanna Salk’s and my stylish shopping episode with her, so was our video with the dynamic designer.
I was reminded of when I was college touring with my eldest and some of the top tier schools explained they could fill their freshman class three times over with equally qualified applicants. The same held true for our footage with Alexa – I could have made three videos. One of the segments included a particularly elucidating piece about the Azure Chair from Bunny Williams Home - a little art history and design lesson in one! So we decided to publish a short dividend from our stylish shopping trip with Alexa.…

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Thank You Design Bloggers Conference

Posted on March 4, 2013 by quintessence   •   36 Comments

Thank You Design Bloggers Conference

This week in Los Angeles has been the Design Bloggers Conference, a two day event for “interior design bloggers, new media innovators, and interior design industry leaders.” I attended last year and it was a terrific venue for learning, networking and meeting many online friends in real life. Although I couldn’t make it out this time, there has been a great line up of speakers offering sage advice to those in our corner of the blogosphere.
As you may remember, I was nominated for their Design Bloggers Hall Fame awards and was thrilled to learn that I won for Best Overall Design Blog.…

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NY Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner Continued

Posted on March 3, 2013 by quintessence   •   5 Comments

NY Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner Continued

As we continue with coverage of the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner hosted by Veranda, I am always amazed by the wide range of flowering plants that belong to the orchid family. And equally awe-inspiring is how, each year, the participating designers find such creative and impressive ways of incorporating these beautiful flowers into their tabletop compositions.

James Rixner‘s dramatic table for Saint-Louis and Puiforcat was stunning in its height as well as tabletop. I loved seeing one of my favorite Hermes patterns, the Balcon du Guadalquivir in the black version for a change. It looked so smart against the Chevron presentation plates.…

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New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner

Posted on February 28, 2013 by quintessence   •   6 Comments

New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner

One of my favorite events of the season is the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Dinner, held at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. Featuring exceptional orchid centerpieces by leading designers, it was underwritten this year by founding sponsor Tiffany & Co, principal sponsor Karen Katen Foundation and major sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Davidson.  All proceeds go toward the development of the Garden’s orchid research collection, whose work you will be able to see when the annual Orchid Show opens this weekend.
Long time sponsor of the dinner, Veranda Magazine, was again involved, with Editor-in-Chief Dara Caponigro co-chairing the event along with Fernanda M.…

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Rachel Laxer Paris Design Finds | Avant-Scène

Posted on February 28, 2013 by quintessence   •   1 Comment

Rachel Laxer Paris Design Finds | Avant-Scène

All of Rachel Laxer’s interiors are marked by a sophisticated and often unexpected edge, due in great part to her inclusion of both fine and functional art. While many these days are comfortable with collecting fine art, the category of functional art is one that seems to be only now fully coming into its own. This schism between art forms was the subject of a discussion with Murray Moss and Susan de Menil in the Fortuny showroom I wrote about last year.
photo by Matthew Millman
Needless to say, Rachel is a huge proponent of functional art and one of her sources in Paris is the Avant-Scène gallery where Elisabeth Delacarte curates an impressive collection.…

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