Blog

5 Treasures from Winter Antiques Show Dealers

2012-02-21T14:00:59Z

Photo: The Martha Blog / Martha Stewart

I just attended the 58th Annual Winter Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan. Glittering event! The Who's Who of design was in full force as well as exhibitors from all over the world, showing only the finest antiques ranging from furniture to fine art and jewelry. The quality was staggeringly high ... and so were the prices. A personal favorite is artist Romare Bearden, and one of his smaller works was selling for $180,000. Here are five antiques that took my breath away. Click on each photo for more information.

Associated Artists: Herter Brothers Library Writing Desk c. 1880

Hostler Burrows: 1920s Danish Floor Urn for Herman Kahler

Jonathan Boos Gallery: Under the Overpass by Henry Koerner, 1949

Moderne Gallery: Anthroposophical Cabinet by Sigfried Pütz

Jeffrey Tillou Antiques: George III Sofa c. 1765

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, antiquing is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. If you're interested in learning more about antiques and the decorative arts, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Lights, Camera, Action! TV's Most Beautiful Interiors - Part I

2012-02-16T15:00:54Z

(Bones' loft)The camera might be focusing on the melodrama between the actors, but I’m always checking out the set design of the television show. After wading through a lot of mediocre sets, these interiors sparked my interest!

(Dr. "Bones", played by Emily Deschanel)Bones, from the Fox network, may have a grisly theme and name, but the set designs are fabulous. Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan - played by Emily Deschanel - investigates the skeletal remains of murder victims for clues in the soaring and unique setting of the imaginary Jeffersonian Institute. The Institute is part museum and part laboratory space – one wall contains from floor to ceiling a display case filled with bones that’s backlit for a ghostly effect.

But it’s Bones’ home – a renovated loft - that really shows off the design talent of the show’s set designer, Kim Wannop. The loft is an open space plan with the work space, dining, kitchen, and living space all flowing together. Wannop chose an Asian theme, displaying sculptures, crafts, weapons brought back from Dr. Brennan’s extensive travels to study anthropological sites around the world. The large open display case (see first photo above) shows off these treasures. The warm mellow golden hue of the display contrasts beautifully with the nine foot long slab of white concrete that is Bones’ work table but also looks like an altar for some foreign deity.

The living room below continues the Asian theme with Chinese lanterns and Indian or Chinese goddess sculptures decorating the walls. The pale melon color of the walls provides the needed contrast and warmth to the dark sculptures and the duller earth browns of the brick walls. The tall ceilings of the loft require the multiple levels of light, from the track lighting on top, providing ambient light, to the suspended Chinese lanterns for mid-level lighting. The table lanterns add also accent lights to the side of the room.

(Bones' loft - living room)The kitchen and dining space shows off wonderfully the different textures of the loft. The rough brick walls contrast against the smooth marbles of the kitchen countertop. The deep pile rug also provides contrast to the smoother wood floors and smoothly polished dining table above it.

(Bones' loft - dining area)The loft may be a huge space that could provide problems to design but the warm color palette of oranges, yellows, and browns and its Asian theme pull the whole apartment together into a cohesive entity. Tune in next time for our ongoing review of television’s most beautiful interiors!

Interested in learning more about space planning? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

So you're engaged...now what? Part 2

2012-02-15T14:01:01Z

Well, here we are again. I hope you found part 1 (click here) helpful and are ready to jump into part 2! I just want to mention that Heather, who commented on part 1, made a very good point...decide on a preliminary guest list. This will greatly influence the decisions that you will make from here on out. (Thanks Heather!)

After deciding on a budget (hopefully!) and booking a venue, these are my next suggestions (not in any specific order).

3. Book the caterer.

This is certainly dependant on whether the venue you recently booked has an in-house caterer! If it does not, then start looking...don't wait. Good caterers book quickly (seriously...quickly) and while there are many out there, especially in the New York area, you want to get the best for food quality and pricing. This can be tricky. Ask for references, especially ones that were married at your venue if possible. Some venues have very small kitchens, which can affect the caterer, while some just have unusual floor plans. It's a big plus if the caterer has experience in your venue; it seems to really help with the flow of the day and the setup of any rentals such as table, chairs, bars, lounge furniture, etc. Most importantly, have a tasting! Next to finding a dress and having your cake tasting, this (in my humble opinion) is the best part of planning. All of the delicious food being brought to you...heaven! The final menu selections won't have to be made for a while however (yay for that!).

I love how this is styled! Adorable...courtesy of Bridal Snob.

4. Book the photographer.

For me as a planner (and someone who was extremely disappointed in her own wedding photos...sigh...), this is the most important! After you are married and the honeymoon is over and you are back to work, the one thing to look forward to is the PHOTOS!!! Yay! You may be the type of bride who will look at 20 different photographers blogs and analyze every last detail (and that's perfectly ok) or you may see a friend's photos, love them and book their photographer immediately. Whatever your style is do it quickly. Much like the caterer, photographers book very, very, very quickly! Is my point getting across here...VERY quickly.

One of my favorite photographers, Laura Ryan, has been totally booked for 2012 since mid 2011. Many of my brides have missed out because of this... so sad. So, whatever your personal taste is in photography...find who you love, call them asap and sign the contract!

A helpful hint that I always tell my brides, is ask to see an album from an entire wedding, start to finish, instead of parts of multiple weddings. This will give you a better sense of how they shoot throughout the day. You may love one photographer's ceremony shots but hate their reception photos...so keep this in mind. Love their photos and love them! They will be with you ALL day, more than anyone else. So, if they annoy you during the initial meeting...trust me they will annoy you times 10 on your wedding day. I can say that from personal experience!

Photo courtesy of Laura Ryan - from a wedding I planned last December. I love it...

Please stop back in next Wednesday for part 3 and see what's next on my list.

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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.

Jewelry Love: 10 Rings on Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T14:00:37Z

In the words of Beyonce Knowles, "If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it!"

It's Valentine's Day, and time for thoughts to turn to love and lovely jewelry - rings, to be specific. Here are 10 rings we're loving today, for all occasions and reasons from "just friends" to "bling time" to "wedding bells" to "artistic statement." Click on each photo for more information, and at the end of this post, vote for your favorite ring.

Ring 1 - Party of Three by Lavender Cottage

Ring 2 - Arrow Ring by Miju and You

Ring 3 - Clustered Teardrop Ring by Alexis BittarRing 4 - Personalized Stump Ring by Uncommon Goods

Ring 5 - Three's Company by Lavender Cottage

Ring 6 - Miss Havisham Crystal Encrusted Marquis Ring by Alexis Bittar

Ring 7 - Bonkers Wide Cluster Ring by Marc By Marc Jacobs

Ring 8 - Fossil Porcelain Ring by Suite One StudioRing 9 - Jaipur Multi-Stone Ring by Marco Bicego

Ring 10 - Stone Cluster Statement Ring by Ippolita

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, I try to stay current with jewelry styles. If you're interested in learning more about jewelry design, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Make Giant Do-It-Yourself Paper Wedding Flowers

2012-02-13T14:00:48Z

This is a really exciting post.

Remember Brittany and Paul’s super cute, ultra whimsical wedding - the one with the HUGE PAPER FLOWERS?

Yes, of course you do.

Well, Brittany sent us over a tutorial!

Hooray!!!! Now we can all cover our houses or decorate our weddings in huge paper flowers and we will be happy all the time.

Here’s the scoop from Brittany:

“From the get-go, I wanted large paper flowers to create a Thumblina/Alice in Wonderland-ish effect for our garden reception. My amazing mom came up with the brilliant centerpieces by creating a pattern, which we then duplicated about 30 times for all the centerpieces, walkways, and stairs. The great thing about paper flowers is that we could create them with plenty of time before the wedding without worrying about the wilting. That said, by the wedding day we then had 30 huge paper poppies “growing” in our house and we were plenty ready to get them out! Making the flowers is easy as pie. You’ll need a large surface to work on because these babies are quite large."

1. The base of the flower is 9” wide so you can start by marking the middle of the short end of the paper at the 9” mark and then marking 4½ inches out on either side.

2. Create the shape of the petal. You can either copy this picture and blow it up to the right size or create your own. (I drew it in marker here to so it would be clearer, but use pencil to be more inconspicuous.) It’s roughly the shape of a light bulb or shell with lots of undulating waves (you don’t want them to be too precise ... they’re flowers!) From the 9” mark on the short side of the paper draw a 5” line up the middle.

3. Cut the shapes out.

4. Create the texture for the petal. We kept it simple by simply folding the paper over the ruler from the widest rim to the center of the shortest side. Space them out about every 1-1 ½ inches. Remember not to be too precise. Then, turn the petal over and turn every other fold the opposite way like an accordian fold. It might look a little too much like a sea shell at this point, but don’t worry, it gets better.

5. Overlap one of the 5” split sections by gluing one piece over the other, about 2-3”. This will create a cupping shape with the petal. (I made mine with the glue coming out to make it more obvious.)

6. Repeat for each of the remaining 6 sheets.

7. Assemble the flower. Take three petals and glue one on top of the other so they are evenly spread around to form the center of the flower.

8. Evenly spread the remaining four petals around the center to create the outer petals.

9. Create the stamen by drawing a 16” circle from the yellow sheet of paper and cutting it out.

10. Create the center by drawing a 10” circle from the black sheet of paper and cutting it out. I found a 10” bowl to trace.

11. Cut 3” strips around the perimeter of the black center at every ½” mark or so.

12. Do the same to the yellow stamen, about 5” strips.

13. Slightly and gently use the edge of the closed scissors to curl the cut yellow strips of the yellow stamen and the black center, much like curling ribbon for a gift.

14. Glue the yellow stamen to the center.

15. Glue black center into the yellow stamen.

16. Make the leaves. Using the 25” as the width and the 19” as the height, fold the edge into the center. Do the same to the other side. This will create 2 leaves. Use the fold as the center of each leaf and draw a half a leaf shape.

17. Cut out the shape to reveal the full leaf. Do the same to the other side.

18. Glue two leaves together. Make as many leaves as you would like. I used 5 in a few shades of pastel and deep olive greens.

19. Group the leaves around the flower and glue together at the bottom. Voilá!”

Cute, no? And it seems like the kind of project that we could all tackle. Thanks so much for sharing, Brittany! And thanks so much to your mom for coming up with the template.

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for this guest post. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.

So you're engaged...now what?? Part 1

2012-02-08T14:00:59Z

I have lots of brides contacting me panicking because they are engaged and now have no idea what to do next. As a wedding planner (and generally chatty person), I love this question because it means that I get to give my solicited opinion! There is nothing better than someone asking for your professional advice and (hopefully!!) taking it. I can't promise the last part however. Here is a beginning checklist for the first month of your newly engaged (or just when you decided to start planning) life.

1. Decide on a budget.

This is huge! This is the basis for nearly every decision you will make from here on out. Please, please, please be realistic. We know that you aren't Starr Jones or Kim Kardashian (and thank goodness for that) and won't have an unlimited budget or vendors giving you services in exchange for free press. I am sorry to have to break it to you but it's the truth. Look at your finances; speak with your parents if they have agreed to help (lucky you!) and no matter what, talk with you fiancé and make sure that you both agree. I know it may not be fun but it's really important. Whatever you agree upon expect that you will go above this number. Don't just expect, plan on it...pad your budget so that if you come upon your dream dress (here's mine!)

you will be able to afford it. Carolina Herrera isn't cheap ladies!

2. Book a venue.

When I got married nearly six years ago (my time does fly!), this was one of my favorite experiences. I loved browsing the internet and dreaming about all of the potential places that I would be married. It was heaven. We looked at about eight venues and finally decided on a private beach house located in the old section of Myrtle Beach, SC. As soon as I walked in, I knew it was THE place. My search was over. We rented it for a week, had our bridal party stay (it was a HUGE home, sleeping 16 - just the perfect size to fit everyone and their spouses) and had the wedding in the equally huge yard that backed up the dunes and the ocean. Here is a view of the ceremony.

I kept the decor very simple (as you can see) because the view was better than anything I could have made. So, whether you are going for a country club or catering hall or private beach house, pick something you love...something that will make you smile nearly six years and two children later.

Check back next Wednesday when I will be discussing booking the major vendors!

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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.

6 Feng Shui Tips to Make Your Bedroom Better

2012-02-07T14:00:29Z

Franca Giuliani - Happy Chinese New Year! On January 23, 2012, we started the Year of the Water Dragon- a time that brings spirituality and prosperity. I feel this will be a powerful year for all of us. And, we all need our rest. Hence, now is great time to take a look at our bedrooms. Here are the 6 Top Ways You Can Improve Your Bedroom with Feng Shui.

1. Get an overall impression.

How do you feel when you walk into your bedroom? Are you happy with what you see, or do your eyes start rolling and is your mind whispering, “Gosh, I have to do something about this!” Our bedroom is a very important part of our life - and not just the bed. Bedrooms are our sanctuary from the world. They are the places where we retreat to, rest, and rejuvenate.

2. Start to be more mindful of your bedroom.

Do you thank your bedroom? Or do you use every furniture top as a place to house a week-long pile of laundry, the past three days accumulation of worn outfits, and stacks of unopened mail. You need to treat your bedroom with respect so it can nourish you.

3. You need a new mattress.

Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and make sure that it's one that is new to you … meaning it wasn’t someone else’s first. Mattresses absorb Chi, the universal life force. So sleeping on someone else’s old mattress may not make you feel so new and rejuvenated. Yes, getting a new mattress may be a financial investment, but in the longrun, it's well worth it. We have to proclaim we are “well worth it” by investing in something for us.

4. You need a good headboard.

Next, you need a headboard - symbolic for support. You can be creative with this. You can enhance the one you have or even make your own with foam core and fabric. Adorn it with artwork and color, but make sure you don't add a shelf of any kind. It's not wise to sleep with something “hovering over” you.

5. Make your view count.

When you're in bed, what do you see in front of you? When you're lying in bed, what do you see above you? We always have to be attentive as to what is in front of us, because that view gets imbedded within our subconscious. The same idea applies with regards to the artwork and pictures around the room. If you see confusion, don’t be surprised if you feel confused. If you see beauty, don’t be surprised if you tend to smile a lot.

6. Clean everything out from under your bed.

And, may I ask, what's underneath your bed? Hopefully, nothing! Having “stuff” underneath your bed inhibits the flow of Chi, not to mention that it may give you a feeling as if you're lying on a "bunch of crap."

Now, these are just a few ideas of what to look for when examining your bedroom. There’s a lot more, but hopefully this will give you a start.

Your Feng Shui Homework for This Month

Re-examine your bedroom and see what changes you need to make. And I would suggest making a game plan to make the changes.

Franca is an Instructor in the Sheffield Feng Shui course. If you're interested in learning more about feng shui and interior design, then we encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

8 Top Color Sources to Help You Decorate Your Home

2012-02-06T14:00:01Z

Fashion and design experts and product manufacturers come out at the start of each new year with their color trend prognostications. They group colors together into compelling "stories" aimed at attracting consumers. If you're a homeowner, or someone who's interested in Interior Design, you should pay attention to these color trends ... but with a grain of salt.

"These shades of green will give you the comfort you're looking for in a world plagued by a declining economy - and who can't use a reassuring life?" "These colors radiate warmth and sunniness, putting you into a good mood and energizing your life." It all sounds good, but it boils down to the very real psychology behind colors.

Cool and warm colors impact our moods, and if you're running a paint company or coming out with new appliances or floor fashions or wall coverings, it pays to tap into the psychological vein, spin some color palette stories, and call them hot trends in the hope that consumers will buy more of your products.

I don't think color trends amount to compelling information you must use to keep your house fresh, au courant, and trendy. But do look at what the color experts are putting together when it comes to color stories.

These can be helpful ways to group colors that make sense and sometimes form surprising color blocks that might shake your interiors out of the doldrums. Experts are putting these stories together, so look at a variety of them and gravitate towards the one that you'd like to live around day after day in your home. Here are my 8 Top Color Sources that can give you some color story inspiration; click on the links below for more information.

The Big 8 - Top Color Sources

Benjamin Moore Color Trends 2012 - Earth & Sky, Eclectic Elegance, Spiced Life, Sense & Sensibility
Sherwin-Williams colormix 2012 forecast - Neutrals, Reds, Blues, Greens
Valspar Trend Colors 2012 - Precious Garden, Converging Cultures, Organic Elements, Urban Light
California Paint Company Color Trends 2012 - Soulful, Spirited, Dreamy
Behr Color Trends 2012 - Santa Fe Today, Retro Recall, Safari Escape, Tea Party
Dunn-Edwards Simply Refocus 2012 Color Trends - Simply Sentimental, Simply Refined, Simply Revolutionary, Simply Essential
Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2012
And if you'd like to purchase industry forecasts that are 2 years ahead of the current season, go to Global Color Research Mix Trends publications

As lead curriculum developer for Sheffield School, I'm fascinated with color. If you're interested in learning more about color and interior design, then I encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.
Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Top 5 Super Bowl Party Ideas

2012-02-02T15:46:02Z

Being the sweet Southern girl that I am (and former head cheerleader) it is often assumed that I love football ... well, I do! I love everything about it from pee-wee to professional, I adore it. The best part is rooting for your favorite team from the stands surrounded by other crazy fans. However, if you aren't able to actually be in Indianapolis then here are five fun Super Bowl party ideas. Go Giants!

1. Snacks

This comes from Tastefully Entertaining and makes me very hungry! Click here for the recipes.

2. Dessert

I adore cake pops. They are very cute and (fairly) easy to make. These adorable football shaped pops are from Love and Butter.

Or these delicious looking chocolate covered "football" strawberries from Shari's Berries.

3. Decor

If you aren't familiar with Hostess with the Mostess, you should be. She is amazing and has the best themed party ideas. I dream about her parties they are that good. Here is her football party tablescape ... it's fabulous and would be easy to recreate.

I love the idea of a theme, even down to decorating the beer bottles ... you need to have a lot of extra time or maybe the ability to stay awake until 3am to complete it. Or you could just order it from Paper and Cake.

4. Attire

There are lots of different jerseys and tee-shirts for both teams but I will show you what my little ones will be wearing this Sunday.

5. Drinks

I left the most important part of any Super Bowl party till the end! It doesn't have be beer (that is my football viewing choice) but it should be fun.

For the New York Fan - the classic Manhattan.

And for you Boston fans - the Cape Codder.

Katie is our Wedding and Event Planning Student Advisor. We encourage you to explore the Sheffield School, New York, NY. Sheffield began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Tips for Chic Transformations: Office Storage

2012-02-02T15:00:32Z

I look at how people organize their homes and sometimes I just give a deep sigh of boredom. Aren’t you tired of the gray steel file cabinets, the black or white plastic trays, the humdrum brown storage boxes? I know you may not have a choice in an office workspace but to submit to the corporate drabs, but that doesn’t mean your home office storage should be the same. It's time for a transformation!

I picked out the typical storage choices one sees all over the place and found some fabulous replacements. Let me know if you agree too! As seen above, instead of the usual leather and wood desk accessories, I found this bold red and blue geometric design in acrylic with an exotic Indian motif from Horchow. Every office needs a file cabinet, but do they have to be plain Jane?! Here's a champagne diamond-patterned file cabinet also from Horchow.

Where do you put all those magazines? One ho-hum solution is a brown leather basket like the one below on the left. Or you can glamorize it with brilliant embossed leather Marcella totes found at Z Gallerie. Or these Chanel-inspired quilted Lovisa magazine totes from Beyond the Rack.

Another storage piece that is begging to be transformed is the ubiquitous wood bookcase. If you really like to display your books and other knick-knacks, why not give it a truly attractive home? This Hive bookcase from CB2 is both fun and eye-catching; you can also add more cells and build it into a bigger unit.

There is no rule that the office has to be dull - maybe, if you introduced some style into your office, it may stir your creative juices!

Interested in learning more about storage and decluttering? Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design. At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.