(Study by Brian del Toro)

Our first room above by designer Brian del Toro is a jewel-like study rich in beautiful materials and a brilliant blue-green and lime green color scheme.  The walls are painted in a teal grid-like pattern and the sofa upholstered in a matching teal strie velvet. The throw pillows are wrapped in Japanese obi, the sash used to tie kimonos. The gold, silver, and champagne check rug is from F. J. Hakimian Antique Rugs. The cubist glass mirror by Verner Panton further contributes to the sparkle of the room. Del Toro worked for the famous duo Parish Hadley before opening up his own firm. 

(Dining Room by Todd A. Romano)Todd Alexander Romano designed this ultra-sophisticated dining room with many tongue-in-cheek accessories.  The dining centerpiece is a Mexican Hilario Madrigal sculpture of a purple pineapple.  Can you spot the brass giraffe? The long-neck animal by Sergio Bustamante brings your eye up to the spectacular two-story space and the Venetian Murano glass chandelier. Providing elegance to the room are the French Directoire chairs. They are upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils fabric of the popular lime green color, brightening up the warm chocolate-painted walls. 

(Family Room by James Rixner)This sunny family room designed by James Rixner is suffused with chartreuse touches complemented by a rich blue.  The walls are covered in Lotus green grass cloth and the chartreuse is picked up in the velvet pillows and the linen curtains from Osborne and Little. The blues are picked up by the dreamy Nocturne rug by Orley Shabahang. To create the serene atmosphere and pull the lively colors together, a white leather upholstered sofa and chair were chosen.

(Living Room by Susan Zises Green)The zen living room designed by Susan Zises Green was fittingly called, “Living Room: Surroundings Inspired by the Flow of the Hudson”. 

(Twist Table from Thai Handmade Gifts)

Acacia is a beautiful hardwood found in Australia and Hawaii that has a wide range of appearances and hence can fit in a variety of interiors – from sophisticated to rustic.  Acacia has a warm color, varying from light to dark tones, as shown in the photos above and below.  The wood also shows off a highly-figured grain, as seen in the Twist Table above.  A darker version with a less wavy grain is seen in the Rustic Table from West Elm. 

(Rustic Acacia table from West Elm)Mango wood is a popular hardwood from Thailand and the Philippines that is eco-friendly.  Mango wood is cut from the mango fruit tree once the tree has finished bearing fruit.  Since these trees have to be chopped down anyway in order to make way for new trees that bear fruit, the resulting timber is recycled to other uses such as furniture and accessories.  Mango wood has a yellow-orange tone as seen in the sideboard and the ball table below. 

(Mango wood sideboard)(Mango wood Ball Table by Thai Handmade Gifts)

Studio furniture maker and interior designer Diane Paparo sat down with us recently and kindly shared with us her tips on where to begin when it comes to dealing with wood finishes, stains, and treatments. It's one of thosepractical decorating considerations that most people "wing it," but we wanted to hear what a strong furniture maker had to say. Diane has designed furniture for fine homes around the world - even the executive office suites at Revlon. Let's see how someone who combines luxury, quality, beautiful detailing, and thoughtful functionality handles furniture finishes.

Choosing a furniture finish can be a tall order. First, you'll want to consider the design scheme and how the finish can be integrated into the whole, but you'll also want to think about maintenance and repair.

1. Let's tackle color first. You have four options: natural, stained, dyed, and painted. Some woods are naturally beautiful with just a clear protective finish, but most look richer when they're stained. Stains give you the option of deepening a wood's natural color or mimicking another wood's color. 

Stains don't penetrate the furniture's surface deeply; they lhave a transparency that enhances the grain. Stains can also accentuate imperfections, so inspect the finish carefully.

Sigh.

So, for those of you who are thinking of becoming a wedding and event planner, I hope this post won't scare you off (that certainly isn't my intention) BUT it is designed to give you a little bit of insight into what exactly you will be in for.  

A little background info: Over the next two weeks I have one wedding and one fundraiser (I've been working on this since December and it's almost here!  WooHoo!!!)  Plus, I won't mention the numerous phone calls and emails that I will field all week from upcoming bride's, vendors, fundraising personnel and potential clients.  

Today: 12:30 - Drop off gift bags for out of town guests at hotel in Midtown

             3pm - Confirm with all wedding vendors

             4pm - Complete wedding day timeline that was begun last week

(Stinger & Rock Pendant Lights from Jamie Harris Studio)

At this year’s Architectural Digest Home Design Show, there were several impressive designs of light fixtures.  Above are the pendant lights from Jamie Harris Studio. The narrow, tapering light is called the Stinger Pendant and the bubble shaped-ones are called the Rock Pendants. 

(Droplets, courtesy of Moshe Bursuker)Glass artist, Moshe Bursuker, started with sculptures of blown and cast glass and then incorporated his designs into platters and tiles.  He branched out to creating jewel-like pendant lights called Droplets, reminiscent of Moroccan hanging lamps.

The day was perfect, the bride was beautiful and the groom very much in love...I'd say it was the loveliest of the lovely.

The photographer was the amazing Levi Stolove...I adore him.  He was sweet, easy to work with and best of all, his photographs were gorgeous! 

The flowers, the flowers, the flowers...I can't tell you how much I loved them!!  I especially loved the yellow Billy Buttons and they were a perfect fit for this modern New York wedding.  All florals were done by the talented Leeanne Rickey.  She was also an interior designer and had the most amazing eye...I am working with her again at the end of this month and I can't wait!

(Cabinet on Stand from Bart Niswonger)

Just as bold bright colors were the top trends in fashion, brilliant colors were also seen in many furniture designs.  The cabinet on a stand – seen above - from Bart Niswonger is a perfect example with its red-hot and yellow colors and floating yellow-green flowers.  Made of ash, cherry and cast urethane, the cabinet provides that pop of color and touch of unexpectedness to any interior.  Another whimsical piece is the ball side table.  Floating orange urethane tops the table as red balls pop out from its sides.

(Ball Side Table from Bart Niswonger)ThinkFabricate introduced their Not Your Mother’s furniture line - fun, trendy pieces for your home.  Below is the Skyline chest of drawers with a pink silhouette of Manhattan’s skyline decorating its front.  You can choose other colors and other silhouettes for further customization.

(Dresser from ThinkFabricate)For those who prefer their wood furniture to look like wood, the AD Show also offered incredibly crafted wood pieces.  BDDW introduced their Lake bookcase and Lake credenza made from a creamy-looking holly. Tyler Hays designed these pieces in quality hardwoods with hand-rubbed finishes. Their designs would complement any contemporary home.

(Lake low credenza from BDDW)

Amsale - My wedding gown was Amsale...I adore her!

Ann Bowen

Badgley Mischka

 Marchesa - I am in love with Marchesa Bridal (and her non-bridal designs...gorgeous!!)

Monique Lhuillier

Reem Acra

Vera Wang

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For more information on Wedding and Event Planning, please visit our website at the Sheffield School.

Katie is the Wedding and Event Planning Student Advisor and owner of Sara Kate Events. 

Samuel Marx style chest of drawers in green parchment - dealer Antony Todd Home

“One of the great things about Hollywood Regency is its versatility; the look can be done up in a very fun, camp manner or be tailored for an upscale feel.” - Dominic Albanese, owner of NY's Metropolis Modern showroom

Oscar Torres - Hollywood has not only influenced Fashion, but the Interior Design industry has widely been in the spotlight through the eyes of set designers and furniture designers as well. Hollywood Regency Style as sometimes referenced by designers, is inspired by the movie sets of Hollywood's most iconic motion pictures’ sets. Pieces range from simple lines inspirited by the past to hand-picked stylized objet d’art coveted by dealers, designers, and collectors worldwide.

Dorothy Draper 1940s plaster urn lamps - dealer Crais Van Den Brulle

This neo-classical revival style has been going strong in this century. Not only do we see it in décor, but also in home furnishings, textiles, and accessories from high-end Neiman Marcus to affordable Target.

(Shakti Floor Light from YLighting)

I haven’t used floor lights lately mostly because I found the selection very limited.  Then I discovered these sculptural lights that just floored me!  The floor light above is the Shakti, designed by Marzio Rusconi Clerici for Kundalini.  The Shakti reminds me of the Brancusi sculpture, Bird in Space.  The long body is a laser-cut Plexiglass tube and is available in several colors.

Another beautiful sculptural floor lamp is the Alta Costura, available at YLighting.  Designed by Josep Aregall for Metalarte, the Alta Costura is made of translucent PVC panels and looks like soft folds of linens spiraling around a center. 

(Alta Costura from YLighting)Floor lamps don’t have to be tall – they can be short and sit on the floor, lighting up a dark corner.  This Laszlo floor light ripples like a loosely wound ribbon.  The light is designed by Cristian Malisan for Fambuena and is made of molded plastic.