In the collection of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Garden

Anyone who has been around me since April 26 knows that I have been obsessively touting the cause of Beauty in the Bronx, Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens (BPMM).

BPMM is currently engaged in an American Idol-like voting contest for preservation funds along with 39 other worthy sites in New York City. American Express in conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation selected the sites late last year. Volunteers for BPMM (including me) have been working hard since last January to develop our plan for winning votes. We are up against some stiff competition from much larger organizations such as the New York Botanical Garden, the Intrepid and the Guggenheim! The top four sites with the most votes are guaranteed their grant money.

And….drumroll please….BPMM has been in the number 4 slot for much of the competition!! 

How did we get there??

We have lots of loyal supporters and dedicated volunteers. I also think my friends in the blogging and twitter worlds have been a HUGE help. These wonderful friends have all written beautiful posts about Bartow-Pell to help get out the vote: Jennifer at Decaporter, Cynthia at The Buzz, Katie at the Neo-Traditionalist and Elizabeth at Pretty Pink Tulips. BIG hugs and thanks to each of them. Their posts, plus my own, here and here, (and pretty much anything else I had to say about Bartow-Pell on twitter) have been retweeted by so many twitter friends that I couldn’t begin to name them for fear I would leave someone out.

BUT IT IS NOT OVER YET! The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on May 21st. Please, please vote for Bartow-Pell, today, Saturday, Sunday and Monday (yes, you can vote each day) by clicking here. We have heard rumors that the ‘big guys” pull out all of the stops these last few days.

And I’ve decided, a good luck charm doesn’t hurt.  There are greek keys all over our Greek Revival Mansion.

In the collection of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Garden

With your help, maybe they will lead us to success!

Love this stair runner in the Mansion

Bunny Williams, Brian J. McCarthy, David Kleinberg

Sophisticated. Curated. Stunning.

This year’s Kip’s Bay Show House may well be my favorite. Ever. 

Each room is multi-layered and rich with detail, as if a connoissuer waved his magic wand and the finest in art and furniture appeared. There is no art hung whose sole purpose is simply to shock—and I for one didn’t miss it. And the designers moved away from that formulaic, paint-by-the-numbers type interior. These are my kind of rooms.  

For the first time ever, the show house has crossed Central Park and is located on the Upper West Side—in a brand new condo, the Aldyn. The designers were given two duplex penthouses to decorate. Of course the rooms are different sizes, but in a way the playing field was rather level. Everyone started with a white box.

With over 200 photos, I have a lot to show you. I thought I would pick my top 3 rooms to share, but I find I can’t narrow it down–I loved so much. Instead, consider this your tasting menu. I will be back next week to dive in with the full details. It will take a few posts…..

Timothy & Associates Interior Design

Jamie Drake

Alexa Hampton

Alexander Doherty

Scott Sanders

Gunn Landscape Architecture and Vert Gardens

Detail shots of these rooms, plus many more rooms to come next week.

By the way, the stairs on the terrace lead to this:

Yes, really. Each penthouse has its own private swimming pool.

All photos by me. 

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Have you voted today to preserve Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens? You can vote once per day til May 21 to help them get the grant money they need. To read more about it, click the green button in my right side bar. To go straight to the vote, click here.

Plus I am going with a blast of a cast!  Joining me for the trip are Tamara from Nest by Tamara, Liz from Shorely Chic and Amy from ABCD Design Sketchbook.  These gals are FUN, and I can’t wait.

Of course I will return to share my adventures.  And I would expect a tweet or two (or three) during the event.

Although I will be on the road, there will be posts here on Decor Arts Now.  Come back at noon today for a first look at this year’s fabulous Kips Bay Show House.  And I have something  planned for tomorrow too–I shouldn’t be the only one having a good time.

Photo credits: House Beautiful and Pinterest.

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Have you voted today to preserve Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens? You can vote once per day til May 21 to help them get the grant money they need. To read more about it, click the green button in my right side bar. To go straight to the vote, click here.

Luscious! With tangerine tango being Pantone’s color of the year, and House Beautiful naming purple as their top color, it is no surprise that the two are being combined—with gorgeous results. 

Don't miss the orange in the pillow.

Moroccan inspired fabric for my High Point sponsor, Hooker Furniture's Sam Moore line

But is it really a new color combination?

Nope! The stunning passementerie above came from the gorgeous c.1820 Lannuier bed in the collection of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens. The bedding is believed to be an exact reproduction of the original–proving that orange and purple have long been hot!

Photo credits: Bartow-Pell images by me. Other images were gathered on my purple and orange Pinterest board where sources are noted. 

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Have you voted today to preserve Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens? You can vote once per day til May 21 to help them get the grant money they need. To read more about it, click the green button in my right side bar. To go straight to the vote, click here.

I just got back from the antique marathon that is the Brimfield Market with friend, Lisa, owner of the vintage goodies store, Reposed NY.

It was rainy and muddy but that didn’t dampen our spirits.

I was hoping to find some interesting items to style my beach house for photography, and Lisa was sourcing new inventory for her gallery spaces in Stamford, CT and storefront in NYC.  Success on both fronts!

Here are some snaps of our adventures.

If you were furnishing your front porch, you were all set here:

Wicker Wonderland

An incredible drop down desk from the Streamlined Modernism era could have been yours for a mere $675.  A fabulous example from that period.

Food and money.  Always necessary.

Can’t say we spotted anything new trend-wise from our last trip in September 2011.  There was still lots and lots of Steam Punk and the typography thing just wouldn’t quit.  More on that trend here.  Plus neither of us want to see a green enamel pendant light ever again.  They were everywhere.  Let’s do something new–OK?

What did we go home with?

Lisa’s first purchase was this charming 70′s-ish, “Hi”.  We both were smitten—I am not sure if she will be able to part with it.  I guess that is the best thing about having a store.  Things can live in your apartment, and then when you have had your fill, off they go.  Visit her website to see more.

Here is a little peek at what I got.

A group of these pretty blue/green jars will make a nice vignette

People were lined up behind me to nab this folksy table, if I didn’t take it.  It is going between the beds in my twins’ room. Remember when I shared my plans to update their space?  The toile tray is destined for behind the MTK kitchen sink–will go great with the blue/green walls.

This large coral was the most expensive thing I bought—some pieces already broke off on the way home.  Fingers crossed I can keep the remainder whole when it travels to Montauk.

My favorite purchase is this watercolor.  Just love the colors and it looks just like Montauk harbor.

You never know what you are going to find in Brimfield–but that is what makes it so fun.

Rolling the dice at Brimfield

Mood Boards are in!  They have become everyone’s go tool for creative thought.

Sights like Olioboard, Moodboard for iPad and, of course, social media’s new darling Pinterest are all on-line methods to develop your “mood.”

What’s fascinating is that these online tools are not just for individual use.  My sponsor to High Point Market, Hooker Furniture Company, is using Pinterest to develop a new furniture line that (fingers crossed) we will see at the next High Point Market in October 2012.

While I was at the April 2012 High Point Market, Hooker designer, Cindy Hall told me that the company wanted a new line that had a “collected over time” look with the feel of vintage and antique furniture.  She gathered all of her inspiration pictures on Pinterest.

I always adore when I get a peek inside a designer’s thought process.  Here is a close up of one of the images Cindy found on Pinterest for her mood board.  Check out the arch top cabinets behind the table.   Now, look how that concept translated to a piece in the new line in the rendering that follows.

My friends at Hooker Furniture seemed tickled that they were able to develop an exciting new furniture line using the uber popular Pinterest site.

What charmed me is that Cindy asked me if I had any ideas for a name for the new collection.  Since each piece is intended to evoke a favorite find at a large flea market or antique fair, I suggested calling it “Brimfield” after one of North America’s largest antique shows! 

I would get such a kick if they used my name.  How fun it would be if a furniture line that was inspired by a social media tool was named by a blogger.  And the collection looks like it is going to be so cute too!

For more on the mood boards at High Point click over to my friend Liz’s blog, Dovecote Decor.

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As a matter of fact, I am heading up to Brimfield today to help my friend Lisa source some new inventory for her store Reposed NY.  Things have been flying off the shelves for her.  Such fun!!  I will be back later this week.

While I am away, don’t forget to vote for Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum. Remember you can vote each day until May 21. Just click the green button in my right sidebar. Help them keep their number 4 position so they are guaranteed their grant money. 

Aquarius chest in orange leather inspired by France's Hermes

The thing to remember about furniture from the Art Deco period is that the top of the heap came from France.

Designers such as Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Jean-Michel Frank and Andre Groult designed with exotic materials.  Woods like zebra and macassar ebony were used and often inlayed with ivory or accented with parchment or shagreen.  Other pieces were given a rich lacquer.  Edgar Brandt worked in intricately wrought metal.  There was the distinctive art deco leg (developed by Ruhlmann) and all of the designers were influenced by silhouettes in the tradition of Louis XV and Louis XVI.

Furniture was true art.  If you thought that type of craftsmanship and style was gone forever, think again.

Lexington Home Brands has taken the bold move of issuing a furniture collection that draws on all of these influences with their Aquarius line.  When I visited their showroom while at the April 2012 High Point Market, no one told me the Aquarius collection was influenced by the Art Deco period.  The parallels just jumped out at me.

Take this chest with its diamond pattern and mother-of-pearl inlay.  It bears more than a passing nod to the Ruhlmann pieces that follow it.

Aquarius collection

Ruhlmann sideboard

And pay attention to the legs in the Ruhlmann furniture.  There is a similar silhouette in the legs of several of the Aquarius pieces including this green lacquer credenza below.

Aquarius collection

Many pieces in the Aquarius collection have parchment or faux shagreen accents.  (Real shagreen is sharkskin–probably not even allowed to be used today.)  I especially liked this cabinet, with its parchment accents and King Louis sunburst inspired hardware.

Compare it to this Frank designed oak and parchment chest.

Chest by Jean-Michel Frank

Frank also liked to work in shagreen, as seen in this well known desk by him.

Shagreen desk by Jean-Michel Frank

Although the legs are different, the top of the Aquarius faux shagreen desk has a similar feel to the Frank desk.

Frank also designed a desk with pull out side tables.

Jean-Michel Frank

The designers at Lexington Home Brands interpreted this as a coffee table where an extra wing swings out for more surface space when needed.

Art deco designer Andre Groult is known for his bombe shaped furniture.

Andre Groult chest

The Aquarius designers lightened up that shape by playing with the concept of negative space as seen in the next two pieces.

The Aquarius collection even has some highly crafted metal work.  The swirls in the base of these tables look likesuper-sized versions of the same shape in work by Edgar Brandt.

Aquarius Collection

Edgar Brandt mirror

Edgar Brandt screen

Lexington says that each piece in the Aquarius Collection was “designed with imagination and creativity to stand alone with distinction.”  There are no matching pieces in the entire collection–virtually unheard of in today’s market.

Experiencing the craftsmanship of the Aquarius Collection was one of the unexpected highlights of my recent trip to High Point.  I hope you agree.

Blogger's favorite: A mirror in the Aquarius Collection

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Did you vote for Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens today?  Help them hold their #4 position so they are guaranteed their preservation grant money.  To vote, click the green button in my right side bar.  Thanks!

Doesn’t the photo above make you feel like summer?  I love its patriotic vibe as we approach Memorial Day.

It was shot by Lisa Fegley-Petti and it just happens to be the window of her store for vintage finds, Reposed NY, in the East Village (she also has booths at Hiden Gallery and Antiques and Artisans in Stamford, CT).  Lisa is an accomplished photographer and she often posts her original photos on her blog found  here.

And summer is the perfect time to make these luscious ice cream sandwiches.  Yum!  Recipe from the Smitten Kitchen here.

I get lost in the colors of the napkins shown below.  Perfect for a picnic.  Get them here. 

Finally, now that spring has sprung, it’s exterior house painting season!  Jean over at the Painted Room offers up some fantastic inspiration for exterior color schemes that sit beautifully with their surroundings.  Visit her here.

Sensing a theme, my lovelies?  Yes I have got summertime on the brain.  I can’t seem to stop myself from buying bathing suits.  :-)

Have a great week everyone, but before you go, please hit the green button in my right sidebar to vote to preserve the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum!

Read all about Bartow-Pell and the contest for grant $$ here.  Thanks so much for your support–right now Bartow-Pell is number 4 out of 40.  If they hold that position they are guaranteed their grant money. Remember you can vote every day till May 21.

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Where are these links coming from?  I gather my inspiration on my tumblr, found at www.decorartsnow.tumblr.com.  While there is always something to read at Decor Arts Now, my tumblr is a visual feast.

It is on my tumblr where I post pictures of the “art” I find in the everyday, in fields as diverse as food, fashion, travel, lifestyle, and, of course, interior design.  There are very few words apart from pertinent links for more information. 

Not in the mood to pore over a lengthy article?  Well now you know where to go to just look!  

Most of us have struggled at one time or another to find the ideal coffee table.  Or how about a place to perch your glass of wine (or lemonade)–a “drinks” table can’t be too big or too small.  As a character piece, it needs to strike just the right note.  And then there is the mirror dilemma.  A mirror has such high impact on how a room feels that it must be flawless.

Even legendary decorator Bunny Williams has grappled with finding these pieces.

In fact, she told me on Tuesday that she found herself  always searching for them, so she decided to create her own.  Lucky us.  The hunt is now over.

Right now and until May 11, Bunny has gathered all of her product designs under one roof in an absolutely gorgeous “Pop-Up” shop.  (Seriously, can I move in there, when the twins go to college?)

There is so much goodness to see, that I thought I would try to focus your attention on some of the wonderful options Bunny has created for mirrors, coffee tables and what we both call small “drinks” tables.

The first photo above has a great example of each.  I especially love her coffee table/ottoman with the built-in, removable tray. Ingenious.

But Bunny’s Compass Rose coffee table also is mesmerizing.  Bunny said she loved the feel of old parquetry floors, so she created a coffee table of marquetry in a kaleidoscope pattern.  The open base keeps things from being too heavy.

Bunny’s Country coffee table is great for active families.  It comes with the baskets so you can easily tuck away toys, remotes and video games.  Bunny pointed out that the lovely green finish has that nice patina because it is not sprayed on, but built up layer by layer.

If you want something a little more formal, this gold leg, with faux shagreen top coffee table has such an elegant shape.

Turning to mirrors, when you enter the showroom, you can’t help but be bowled over by this dramatic wall of them–Bunny’s latest line for Mirror Image Home.

I was simply unable to pick a favorite–loved them all–but Bunny’s version of the popular Pagoda mirror is near the top.

When it came to designing small “drinks” tables, Bunny created incredibly interesting one-of-a-kind pieces.  Each one has so much character it feels like it is a major score at a large antiques fair.

There is this one in leather.

Then there is the one that plays on nature with a tree trunk base. (Attention-deficit moment–the wing chair is to die for).

Finally, the ultimate “skirted” table done in carved wood–perhaps the cleverest thing in the showroom.  How can you not smile.

There is just so much to see (and learn by studying the styling) in the Pop-Up shop.  I have only highlighted a few things.  Click here for times and location.  It is wonderful to see how Bunny incorporates all of her products from multiple lines in room settings.

Happily though, this stuff is available beyond May 11.  Many may find these pieces a reach, but they are so well made you will have them for a lifetime.

And by the way, if you work with a designer who passes through his/her discount (I do–and many others do too), everything is 30% off.  Reason enough to hire one.

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All photos by me.   BTW, it doesn’t go with my post, but I had to upload these 2 pictures of this fabulous table in the showroom.  If you were anywhere near twitter on Tuesday between 5:00 and 6:00 for Bunny’s Buzz tweet chat, you couldn’t miss the chirping over the tabletop.  In the blogosphere, we all want it all. 

REMINDER: DID YOU VOTE TO RESTORE BARTOW-PELL MANSION MUSEUM AND GARDEN TODAY? CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON ON MY RIGHT SIDEBAR TO VOTE! THANKS!

Let me introduce you to a jewel that is tucked away in the northeast corner of the Bronx’s Pelham Bay Park.  Historical homes and gardens are always rich sources of design inspiration and the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum and Gardens is no exception.

Formal double parlors at Bartow-Pell

It is a rare example of 19th century country elegance.  Of more than a dozen architecturally significant homes built on the Long Island Sound, Bartow-Pell is the only one to survive.

Pretty light fixture and ceiling medallion in the stair hall at Bartow-Pell

The Mansion is built in the Greek Revival Style and retains its original architectural beauty.  Even the paint colors are original, having been recreated with paint analysis.

Formal dining room at Bartow-Pell. Love the wall color.

Although few of the Museum’s furnishings, paintings and other decorative items are original family possessions, they are meant to “recreate” an authentic lifestyle as the Bartow’s would have lived.

Girls' bedchamber with pretty bed hangings

The museum collection is typical of the highest quality of work from the French, English and American Empire periods between 1810 and 1850.

Only known Lannuier bed to retain its original crown

While the house was built in 1840, the gardens came about 75 years later.  In 1914, the International Garden Club was formed to promote horticultural knowledge and to save Bartow-Pell.  Over $100,000 was raised to rehabilitate the house and to plant formal gardens.  This is one of the earliest restorations in our country, predating even Monticello which was restored in 1923.

Aaron Burr's desk in the upstairs sitting room

The International Garden Club retained Delano & Aldrich, a prominent early 20th century architectural firm.  Delano & Aldrich created a lovely, classic, symmetrical terraced garden immediately behind the mansion, taking advantage of the home’s site line to Long Island Sound.

Original site line to Long Island Sound

The garden is enclosed by stone walls on 3 sides, with 3 elegant wrought iron gates.

The centerpiece of the garden is a square pool with a cupid fountain.

While the bones of the garden survive,  the years have taken its toll.  Unplanned trees and shrubs have sprung up obscuring the water view, the symmetry in the plantings is lost, and the garden lacks a much needed irrigation system among many other needs.  A family burial plot for the historic Pell family (the original owners of the site, dating from 1654) and a chestnut tree allee also require attention.

Today's obscured view to Long Island Sound at Bartow-Pell

The Bartow-Pell Conservancy hopes to restore the gardens for their centennial in 2014.  Here is where you can help.

Both a National Historic Landmark and an NYC landmark, Bartow-Pell has been selected by a joint venture between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, known as Partners in Preservation (PIP), as one of only 40 sites in NYC eligible for preservation money.

Katharine McPhee from "Smash" sings "New York, New York" as the sites are announced. The location for the announcement was the auditorium of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

American Express will be giving away a total of $3 million.  Bartow-Pell is seeking $155,000 for its garden restoration.  Each site is in a month-long online contest that invites people to cast votes for the places they would most like to see receive the prize money.

It’s like the “American Idol” of historic preservation.  The four sites that earn the highest number of public votes are guaranteed to receive funding.  Approximately 18 sites also will receive money based on how well they waged their social media campaign.  So your vote really counts.

I am asking you to vote for Bartow-Pell.  You can vote once a day, every day until May 21st.

It’s easy.  Just follow these steps:

1. Click here to go to the PIP voting site.
2. Once there, click “By Borough”.
3. Click Bronx, where you will find Bartow-Pell right near the top.
4. Click on Bartow-Pell and vote. You will then be asked to log-in.  
5. If you are on Facebook (aren’t most of us?), log-in with that. It is easiest and takes just seconds. Then you can confirm your vote.
6. If you are not Facebook, click register and follow the prompts. Once registered, you’re set for the entire contest period. Then confirm your vote.