New York Design Blog | Material Girls | New York Interior Design

Midnight Garden

Rebecca-NY — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:25:28 +0000

There’s a new collection at Beacon Hill that absolutely stopped me in my tracks the other day while shopping at the D&D building. It’s got a little bit of everything and the name speaks for itself. Below are the fabrics that caught my eye so I swooped up some samples and will be sure to incorporate them in one of my upcoming projects. Take a look at a few of the fabulous samples below and let me know where you’d use them if you were given the opportunity!

Enchanted Vine Emerald

Enchanted Vine Navy

Hidden Temple Emerald

Hidden Temple Indigo

Lioness Indigo

Moon Blossom Midnight

Moon Blossom Orchid

Design on a Dime

Rebecca-NY — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:05:05 +0000

It was another successful year at the Design on a Dime fundraiser in the Metropolitan Pavillion where 1.1 million dollars was raised to help support those living with HIV/AIDS in NYC. Housing Works (along with all their amazing sponsors and co-chairs) pulled off a fabulous event with a lot of mingling, inspirational design ideas and colors galore thanks to Valspar. I myself swooped up a few purchases of my own and I have to say, the bill doesn’t feel as painful when you know the money is going to a good cause. Let’s run through some of my favorites starting with Genevieve Gorder who created a dual space for Valspar using lots of fabulous color.

Genevieve in her Valspar Vignette where she created two separate spaces. One kids area with a bright yellow wall and one dining area with the navy blue. She really wanted the color to have an impact on the space so she chose colors that had nice contrast and worked her magic from there

As you can see her choice of color really packed a punch! All of the pieces were collected from various Housing Works locations around the city and she had to pull the vignette together with what was available. Never and easy task! Using Valspar paint she was able to transform each piece and re-purpose it in a way that’s unimaginable to the eye until it’s complete

She found an adorable daybed for the kids half of the room and used a fun, bright throw to cover it which allowed her to bring in other colors like the pink side table and green pendants. Valspar makes it easy and fun to use color

One of my favorite finds was this antique side chair with a strong black and white ikat upholstered seat and rich black painted frame. It was snatched up before I could get my hands on it so unfortunately it’s not one of the pieces I went home with..

Not only did Genevieve add bold color but she threw some stripes and matallics in the mix to give the space some variation in pattern and color. Don’t be afraid to take your paint projects to another level

Here we are together in her vignette!

Samantha Knapp designer and creative director of Tiger Lily’s Greenwich stands in her “Wizard of Oz” vignette

Samantha used a mixture of matallics and furnishings both traditional and modern to create this fun space which included an actual yellow brick road.

Nicole Gobbons Studio (aka SoHaute) created this colorful space using bright colors and abstract art which seems to be a BIG trend these days. It’s a great way to spice up a room in a jiffy

Here’s a close up of the abstract painting which was done by blogger and artist Nicole Cohen of Sketch42

Larry Ruhl from High Falls Mercantile used old pages from a collection of books as his rug and various antique maps that he’s been collecting for years as his wallpaper. He’s the king of re-purposing!

Check out this gorgeous wallpaper by Florence Broadhurst! Bravo Arden Stephenson for selecting something so smashing

Lara Spencer (another chair of the evening) created this blue and neutral room for One King’s Lane

Housing Works made their own fun vignette using bold fluorescents and a geometric pattern on the wall with Valspar color

One of my favorite rooms of the evening was by Danielle Colding (the HGTV design star winner) who used bold black and whites including the gorgeous juju wallpaper by Aphrochic. Swoon worthy..

I love the touch of bright orange on the edges of this unique console table

A masculine groomsmen’s suite

Pops of color added to this neutral room gave it just enough oomph

Thanks to Valspar, Housing Works, Elle Decor and all the co-chairs who were responsible for another successful event that will help the homeless and those living with HIV/AIDS. I can’t think of a better way to spend my money and gather design inspiration at the same time.

Best shopping event (in NYC) of the year

Rebecca-NY — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:37:10 +0000

For those of you who are around the NYC metro area this weekend you MUST come by the best shopping event of the year! Housing Works will present it’s annual ‘Design on a Dime‘ event which will feature 50 top designers who create fabulous vignettes using lots of beautiful Valspar color! The event is open to the public on Friday, April 26 – Saturday, april 27 and I highly recommend that you stop by to scoop up the deals that haven’t been taken on opening night. If you’re still interested in attending opening night you can purchase a ticket here - The event is tonight so hurry and join me as I interview Genevieve Gorder from HGTV and mingle with others such as Lara Spencer, Sabrina Soto, Nicole Gibbons Studio, Tiger Lily’s Greenwich, High Falls Mercantile and so many more!

Stay tuned for the full coverage of the show later this week!

Katherine Rally Textiles

Rebecca-NY — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:39:04 +0000

As I’m selecting fabrics for my own apartment I’m realizing how difficult it is to commit to something when there are so many fabulous designs and textiles out there. I’ve come across several lines that I absolutely love so I thought I’d highlight one that stands out and that I keep coming back to..Katherine Rally Textiles. Her collection is somewhere in the middle of a modern geometric and a hand printed batik which is the perfect balance – especially if you’re looking to coordinate with a more traditional floral. Take a look at some of her fabulous prints below:

Afrique

Madagascar

Dallah

Field day

Joie de vivre

Sassa

Zanzibar

Now you can see why I’m in a bind. Too many great patterns to choose from!

Oscar de la Renta (and Miles Redd) does it again

Rebecca-NY — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:58:29 +0000

When you put one of the chicest, coolest designers in charge of creative direction at one of the chicest and coolest brands you get perfection. Miles and ODLR have done it again. The new ODLR home line is stunning and I can’t wait to own a set of this gorgeous collection. Take a look at the genius behind the making here and shop for your next table setting so that you’re guaranteed to wow your guests. Miles has plenty of tips to share so there are no excuses for a poorly executed party!

Talk about a table to swoon over!

Relax and have a good time!

Mixing and matching at its best

Beautifully etched glasses

A little bling for your salad bowl

Throw & Co

Rebecca-NY — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 01:25:03 +0000

There are a lot of companies out there who have tried to perfect the decorative throw pillow but not all have succeeded. In most cases I’ll have my own pillows made for my clients so that they work perfectly with the custom scheme but sometimes I’m working with a smaller budget or I’m in a pinch and need something quick. Therefore, I’m always looking for a good source. I was extremely pleased to come across this new company Throw & Co on Facebook today. The creator, Meg Gabriele, wanted to make custom designed and professionally made pillows for the public. They’re fun, creatively trimmed and will offer just the right amount of impact to your space without breaking the bank. Some of my favorites are below but take a look at the website to see the full collection.

The new Kelly Wearstler collection has arrived

Rebecca-NY — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:32:33 +0000

As usual, Kelly Wearstler is making noise in the design world with her new collection of rugs at The Rug Company and latest and greatest book Rhapsody – a stunning creation of her luxurious interiors that showcase her swanky old-world Hollywood and modern pop style. We all know she loves bold color, pattern and texture so take a look inside her world and see how she works behind the scenes to create such fascinating and inspirational designs. She’s one of a kind and might I add, extremely humble and gracious in person – a breath of fresh air in the decorating world!

No wonder I’m drawn to black, white and pink these days

A picture of Kelly and me at her book signing at The Rug Company

My signed copy of Rhapsody

Serpent is my favorite in her new collection – visit The Rug Company website for more fabulous designs

Going Green

Rebecca-NY — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:56:07 +0000

As I begin to shop and scheme for a new client I have to keep in mind her mention and love for the color green. It just so happens that emerald green is Pantone’s color of the year, so lucky for me, there’s some inspiration out there. I’ve always loved green — it’s a color that surrounds us and makes our gardens, lawns and forests as pretty as they are. It’s refreshing and relaxing which is why I can’t wait to get started and create a wonderful space for my client using green. Take a look at some inspiration I’ve found while cruising the web:

love the black and whites against the emerald green walls

i love this bold leopard carpet against the emerald green built-ins

a lovely green chinoiserie

a splash of emerald green curtains

inspiration and colors can come from anywhere – if you like it on a door you’ll like it on your walls

mix your greens!

nothing better than a tufted sofa with a pleated skirt in emerald green

mixing geometrics with patterns and various greens

playful and bold moments of green!

VOTE for the Material Girls

Rebecca-NY — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:09:00 +0000

We’re ecstatic about our recent nomination for the Design Bloggers Hall of Fame awards which is for ‘Best Overall Design Blog’ ! We love our followers and would love your support by voting for us here. Regardless of who wins, we’ll still continue to bring you the latest and greatest in design. As always, thank you for following us and making our blog a huge success.

Love,

Emily, Lauren, Jill, Julia and Rebecca

Portrait Photography

Rebecca-NY — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:14:47 +0000

The holidays are in full swing and everyone is scrambling to find the perfect gift for their sister, brother, aunt, cousin, mom — you name it. There are gift guides galore and just about everyone is offering holiday deals to pressure you into buying that new gadget that your dad will never use. Well, this year maybe it makes sense to spend your money wisely and give a gift that keeps on giving. A gift that is meaningful and captures a moment in time. A gift that will preserve a wonderful memory for someone you love.

Ben Larrabee is the perfect gift to give this holiday season. He is a nationally recognized portrait photographer who specializes in photographing people and families. His images are found not only in some of the finest homes from Santa Barbara to Chicago to New York but also in the permanent collections of museums including the MoMA and the Museaum of Fine Arts in Boston.

His work is unlike other portrait photographers because he has a way of seeing people and showing their inner spirit. He calls his work “Moments of Grace”

A photo of Ben on the other side of the camera at Rooms with a View 2012.

A stunning photo of horses printed on kozo paper and then hand shaped and contoured – this is incredible in person!

Mother/daughter

Sisters

Young couple

Father/son

Sister/brother

Ben also worked on a series called ‘Faces of Light’ with women from Greenwich and Darien, CT who are all breast cancer survivors. The images and their stories are incredible. The entire series can be seen on his website. You can also read the numerous and wonderful testimonials from clients and learn more about Ben and where he got started. The photos above are a few examples of the wonderful portraits he has taken over the years!

For more information about commissioning Ben Larrabee for a portrait session you can contact him here