Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2016

I have been so remiss in posting to my blog lately. I do apologize. We have had some structural issues going on in my Pittsburgh townhouse renovation. Everything is finally moving forward and I will post on the progress soon. In the mean time I have been busy baking at the beautiful Senti Restaurant and Wine Bar and decorating for clients in Pittsburgh and New York. It's a crazy life.

Last month I was able to swing by Kips Bay Decorator Show House in NYC. The nation's best interior designers participate in Kips Bay.  There are tons of blog posts about the rooms. I want to focus on details. So here's a list of some great decorating details.

Alex Papachristidis' Salle a Manger Glamour:

A beautiful place setting,:

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Interesting Pillow combination on the sofa:

The fabric and trim on the lamp shade:

Suzanne Kasler "sophisticated simplicity" sitting room used an upholstered a panel used as a decorative wall feature.

Victoria Hagan's " American Dream" living room upholstered the sofa in two contrasting fabrics.

David Kleinberg's Library installed some show stopping sandblasted pine bookshelves:

Jamie Drake's "Master Floor Library" perfectly upholstered cornices and trim!:

Benjamin Vandiver's "Ascension" had an original combination of this light fixture and wall covering. So fantastic!:

Timothy Whealon's "white orchid room" was just lovely in every way. Soft window treatments and an inviting nest of a bed. A wonderful escape from a busy life!

See you!

Christina

Cool New England Summer House

It's finally summer here in Pittsburgh,.  I'm so in the mood to head to the seashore.  As a summer project I've been asked to consult on the design of the house as well as decorating the interior of a simple Rhode Island beach house. It's a fun summer project. Not much stress- just asked to give my ideas to the architect and pick the interior furnishings for my client to purchase. The client wants a clean modern interior. 

The Atlantic  was a swirl of green and blue on the day I visited. The rocky beach was saturated in grays and sandy whites.  We will use these colors. The house is simple. We will invert the living space, in order to take advantage of the ocean views. Bedrooms downstairs. Kitchen and living upstairs. All finishes will be kept to a minimum. My idea is modern Shaker. Let's see how it will be translated.... Here are some images that we were my inspiration.

A pic from Leslie Architects

I was in Westport, CT a few weeks ago and saw this front door. I loved the simplicity. 

My client found these great wooden shutters about 5 feet in length. They are probably from the 1960s. So graphic. They will make a strong statement. They will find a home on the wall in the living room.

We will use this Italian porcelain tile on the first floor for all the sandy feet that will be entering. These porcelain "wood" floors are popular, and extremely practical.

The second wood floor will be painted Benjamin Moore's Buckland Blue. A gorgeous gray blue .

We love this calacatta marble tile for the bathrooms, but yikes it may be discontinued.

That's it for now. There will be more later.

See you,

Christina

What's New at Design Trade in the Strip District

April is the time when new fabrics are rolled out by the most discerning fabric houses. Interior designers were invited to Design Trade in the Strip District to preview the new collections. It was a festive and inspiring time!

My favorites were from opposite ends of the decorating scale. Classic and clean versus edgy and quirky.

Thibaut showed some crisp traditional fabrics with a twist. 

By the way, we were so inspired by the butterfly paper above we decided to  use it in a little girl's bedroom as an accent wall. 

My other favorite from the Spring Market preview was a French company,  Élitis. Sometimes highly textured, sometimes three dimensional, and sometimes completely out of scale.  Just fantastic. Their coverings work in both  both comercial as well a residential environments.

See you,

Christina

Cici Crib Interiors write up in Pittsburgh's Tribune Review

The interior design  concept of Senti Restaurant came directly from the heart of the owners. Franco Braccia, a native Italian, spoke of the elegant restaurants of much of his early life in Venice. Annette Ishida, Franco's lovely wife and my very talented sister, helped translate and direct her own ideas into the project. The result is unique and completely fresh. Cozy, modern, quiet conversations,  gallery like and drama were descriptions on the design table. They may seem like contradictions, but each idea was incorporated into the final product. So a great shout out to the Trib for noticing Senti's design!

Interior Design of Albertine in NYC

I got a chance to stop into Albertine book shop a few weeks ago in NYC. Located in a Fifth Avenue mansion owned by the French Embassy, I quietly say it was it's interior design that drew me to visit the shop.  The space was designed by Jacques Garcia. He totally respects all aspects of traditional French design. But he also adds colors and twists that make the space fresh and unique.  Garcia designed a furniture line for Baker which is in that same quirky traditional vein.

There is crazy inspiration for a home library or office in the bookshop.  The celestial ceiling, the green interior of the bookshelves, the trim on the bookshelves, the simple step stool, the eclectic mix of modern and traditional furniture.

And how can anyone not notice those out of proportion, gorgeous light fixtures. So enormous.

C'est magnifique!

See you...

Christina

Getting Ready to Go...

...to the High Point show in North Carolina! I am so excited, as always, to go and see the vast array of furniture and ideas! I'll be coming back completely inspired, so be sure to check this blog for all the photos and new ideas!  Here are a few companies I know I will be visiting:

Hickory Chair

Mary McDonald

Chaddocks

So much gorgeous design to explore! (like a kid in a candy store! ;)

*C