My favorite Macarons

Yesterday we celebrated Lucas' baptism and we had a great time. I decided to go with Madeleine Patisserie macarons because of their incredible taste. And in no way was I disappointed about their packaging, they came in very cute brown boxes with pink silky paper wrapping the gorgeous and delicious macarons. I'll post more pictures of the decorations next week.
I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

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Between the lines

image from here.

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Thank you

I am sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been busy running around to organize my little one’s Baptism this coming Saturday. I'll be posting pictures this time, I promise. Not everything has been tiring and stressful however. Between running around I made sure to stop and smell the roses, well actually stop and try the macarons. Yummy!! I've been to two new places that I hadn't tried yet in NYC: MacarOn Cafe and Madeleine Patisserie. They were both good, but Medeleine macarons were superb and turned out to be my favorite. The only problem is that MacarOn Café adds a nice touch of detail where the macarons are served in a gorgeous presentation box (below). Not that I'm shallow, ladies, but I love everything with that kind of details. I'll let you know which one I chose next week.

In another note I want to thank Christina and Charlotta. These two lovely ladies have honored me by mentioning Belle Vivir in their fantastic blogs and for the generous gesture of the awards they have granted me. Thank you Christina and thank you Charlotte. You two are fantastic with great blogs and it’s an honor being awarded by you.

picture above from Charlotta.

Picture from Christina.

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Home Trends, Kitchens that don't feel like kitchens

Kitchens that look like anything but kitchens and I love idea.

You can't get a kitchen more dressy than with a silver-leaf Napoleon III mirror above the stove. Richard Norris and Mark Leslie's intention was to have a kitchen that looks more like a dining room. They accomplished it very well. I loved this kitchen.

In Olivier Gagnere's kitchen the cabinetry is covered in crocodile-embossed leather. Now that's fancy. Below is the kitchen in Rose Tarlow's house. A very interesting woman with impeccable style I discovered through Joni. If you, by any chance missed this post you should read it. Rose Tarlow's great style and intriguing personality will inspire you to continue to keep being yourself and to be different.

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ADHDS

Yesterday morning I attended an early breakfast hosted by Architectural Digest before the show would open its doors to the public. It was a great opportunity to meet interesting people and also to get a private small tour of the show. The show was very well put together. Each booth was set to look like a real living space, which I personally think makes exhibitions far more interesting to designer eyes compared to booths with only free standing furniture with no relationship to each other. One of my favorite exhibitors and probably the one with the most beautiful booth was The New Traditionalists. Their furniture does honor to its name. It's American style meets European style in a very uptodate comfortable living way. I love all of their pieces. Later I had the pleasure of attending the seminar "Selling Design in a Changing Economy" given by Vicente Wolf, Dakota Jackson and Mitchell Gold. Beside the seminars interesting and informative part I enjoyed the charm of Vicente whom I had the honor of meeting afterward.
Of course the star of the show for me was Dining by Design so I made sure I paid a visit and absorbed as much as I could. I also took pictures of a few of my favorite tables for my lovely readers to have some table setting inspirations. Enjoy.

None of these pictures give enough credit to any of these gorgeous table settings but especially the table designed by David Beahm for Continental Airlines which was among my favorites. The table looked like an interior garden with climbing, twisted dry trees with real orchids, bulbs and leafs on them. The round banquette were upholstered in a green silk embroidery fabric with I think, removable wood seats on top of it. The table was entirely mirrored and each table top was different but in such a subtle way that you don't really notice it until a few minutes pass because all glasses were clear and the difference in plate color were very subtle.

A closer shot of the attached orchids. Below is a more organic table designed by Architectural Digest and Moore & Giles. I loved the detail of a different quote on each plate.

How cute is this Manhattan table setting designed by Marc Wilson designs and Marc Tamayo for Manhattan Magazine. Those yellow cabbies and the NYC hallmark buildings are so much fun.

The delicacy of this table and a movie by Audrey Hepburn as its background was such eye catching especially with that beautiful crystal cascade in the middle. Designed by David Rockwell from Rockwell Group.

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Yeyy! Suzany is officially back!

As we can spot two or more in the Paris apartment of interior designer Olivier Gagnere in this month's Elle Decor issue. After all, who says that classic design is ever out of fashion. It's all about what makes you happy. To see more of this gorgeous apartment click here.

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Rose Anne de Pampelonne

Going through my files I came across Rose Anne de Pampelonne Parisian limestone mansion built in 1900's and redesigned by the designer who is also a baroness. The multi floor mansion that she shares with her bank-president and baron husband Bruno, was featured in Elle Decor a little while ago and has since been in my files because of its eclecticism and use of different hues. Asian antiques and porcelain, indigenous fabrics, sculptural antique fishing baskets hung as art, African mask, velvet and brocade fabric are gracefully combined in harmony layering this sumptuous home.

Above and below images of the gorgeous stunning dinning room

Rose Anne de Pampelonne placed an elegant 1940s relic bed with leafy silvered legs and a neo-Baroque headboard upholstered in silk velvet and brocade in her living room. I love it when designers think completely outside the box.

A table in the courtyard is dressed with an antique saris.

Rose Ann de Pompelonne photographed by Roger Davies.

Enjoy your weekend.

All images from Elle Decor.

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nesting newbies

You may already know about nesting newbies but if in the remote case you don't, then you should know that nesting newbies is a digital shelter magazine with great sources of inspiration and ideas about cooking, entertaining and decorating. The overall message is that cooking, entertaining, and stylish decorating can be easy, fun, and affordable. Chef Lea McIntosh shares her expertise and original recipes in each issue. Their winter 2010 issue is already available featuring great designers such as the fantastic California based designer Jay Jeffers.

Gil Mendez for Dining by Design 2010 in San Francisco

Jay Jeffers studio

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Cisco Brothers

A couple of months ago I walked into ABC home looking for a sofa or anything else that would catch my eye. I found the cutest sofa with perfect proportions that happened to be comfortable as well. When I inquired about it I was told it was manufactured by Cisco Brothers. I remembered reading about the company somewhere. At first I thought of re-upholstering it but after all the food, water, milk that have spilled on it and after cleaning it with a wet cloth without leaving a stain of course I changed my mind. It doesn't show clearly in this picture but the color is not that bad and I can make it work. The back of the sofa is curvy and it's the first thing you notice as you come up the entrance so I am planning to upholster it in a graphic fabric.
Cisco Brothers is a very respectable Furniture Company located in Los Angeles and its owner is from Jalisco, Mexico. He started working part-time for a small shop disassembling sofas while in High School and discovered his love for furniture making. In his twenties he and his wife were making custom furniture for neighbors out of his garage and Cisco Brothers was created. In not an easy business to succeed in Cisco Pinedo developed his furniture with superior craftsmanship, cutting-edge style, and unparalleled value. In 2006, The company moved exclusively to FSC Pure certified woods on upholstered furniture, using reclaimed hardwoods for a collection of stunning case goods and the use of water based glues and environmentally friendly detergents to wash all fabrics. Today, Cisco Home has six retail showrooms including a gallery at ABC Home Furnishings in NYC and the acclaimed LA Design Center in South Central Los Angeles.

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Drafting Table

While I draw on a regular table there is this stunning drafting table available at Urban Archaeology, just a little bit out of my price range with a tag of $19,500. Anyone interested?

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Everything goes

These two kitchens are completely different yet I love them both. The high ceiling and the cleanness of the black and white of the first image serves as the perfect background for the collection displayed on wood shelves. Whereas the bottom kitchen's layout and tall closed cabinets is a more traditional approach, the apple green cabinets keeps it fun and young. I also think it is a very cool and child-friendly detail to letter the doors.

Photographers Roger Davis & Deborah Whitlaw respectively through Coastal Living.

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Have you seen...Ruthie

Once in a while I find myself going into Ruthie Sommers website hoping to see it up and running to lose myself in the beautiful interiors and start to enjoy all the new stunning inspirations I'm sure she's been working on lately. While we also await for her upcoming book I wait in anticipation of a magazine hoping to find her unique creations that will keep me in awe for a long long time.

Have a great weekend!!!

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Humble Collection

Unique beautiful pillows that are hand screen printed with water based inks on 100% cotton or organic cotton. Beautiful and good for the earth. Here.

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What is not happening in NYC

That is the question to ask around this time in NYC where everything is starting to happen. If you are visiting or living in the City and are a design aficionado you won't find time to actually keep up with all the activities available for inspiration.

There is DIFFA's 13th Dining by Design from March 18-21 where you'll be able to see the original creations which selected designers create while also sampling food and wine pairings of TABLE HOP & TASTE.

Barclay Butera Dining by Design 2008

Right next door so you don't even have to venture anywhere else is the 9th annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show. More than 300 premium brands will exhibit their products, 1stdibs will have an antiques and mid-century section, The New York Times will host Design seminars and many other interesting activities. For more information go here. Below a photo of ADHDS 2009.

Also in the same roof is the GO GREEN EXPO, with 250 plus exhibits in areas such as food, health, transportation, home & building and others. As part of the show the ADHDS has The Architecture and Design Film Festival, March 19-21, 2010 presenting an evening of films ending with a panel discussion on Sunday.

And of course I can't ignore the very much anticipated 2010 Kips Bay Decorator Show House relocated to 26 West 76th Street, New York from April 30th to May 28th. Exclusive designers are assigned a room which they transform into stunning spaces.

2008 Kips Bay Show House by Cetra/Ruddy.

Whatever interests you there is plenty to do in the City. Enjoy.

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Adam D. Tihany, Designer Extraordinaire

I became familiar with designer Adam D. Tihany on a recent visit to Daniel in New York City which was renovated in late summer 2008. The stunning sleek and elegant furniture juxtaposed with neoclassical features at its soaring 18 foot coffered ceilings, balusters, arches and delicately carved pilasters sent me in an urge to know more about this designer. I must have been living under a rock because I didn't know about Mr.Tihany who is widely recognized as one of the top hospitality designers in the world. Tihany has conceived interiors for 300 luxury restaurants and boutique hotels- many of the restaurants are 3 star Michelin rated. In New York City alone, Tihany has been the creative mind behind Per Se for chef Thomas Keller, Jean Georges for Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and the legendary Le Cirque 2000 for Sirio Macchioni to name a few. Acclaimed for his impeccable multifaceted design and immaculate taste, Tihany has brought to live innovative restaurant concepts in many of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities and exclusive resorts and has been a major force in Las Vegas’ development as an international gourmet capital with restaurants in his curriculum as the likes of Aureole at the Mandalay Bay. His more significant projects include the signature C restaurant for chef Charlie Trotter at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Cabo San Lucas, the restaurant and bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London and many others that if I continue mentioning would take the front page of my blog. I mean, seriously, I should be embarrassed that I didn't know about this magnificent legend in the design world.

Daniel restaurant in NYC.

per se in NYC

Le Cirque in NYC

Definitely Adam D. Tihany is a designer to follow and to look up to.

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