September, 2009 Archive
At the Auction
Nicholas Murray-frida Kahlo on a bench
If you want to learn more about the value of art auctions can be a great resource. If you’ve never been to one, Phillips de Pury & Co is a good place to get started. Their upcoming auction this Saturday October 3rd features contemporary art, design and photographs from Latin America.
Michael Eastman-green dining room-cuba
The auction house is located in the Meat Packing district right by the High Line Park at 420 West 15th Street. Even if you can’t afford to buy anything it is great fun to go to the preview, pick out a few pieces that you like and then look up what they sold for when the results are published a few days later. Go for a walk in the park, have lunch and make an afternoon of it.
The fun thing about art is that you really can’t be ‘wrong’. It is very subjective. The most important thing is that you like it because you will be living with it, not your friend (husband) the critic.
Lucia Maya-set of lithographs
These are a few of the images that caught my eye but there are plenty more for all tastes to enjoy.
Seed Banks
Seed banks have been with us since the ancient world. However in recent years there has been a much more concerted effort to store seeds in the event of a worldwide crisis. For instance the Doomsday vault in Australia hold stores 15% of the worlds plant species.
Most impressive of all is the Svalbard global seed depositary shown above; this complex will hold up to 4.5 million seeds in sub zero temperatures. Even if the local climate is affected by global warming, or there is electricial failue the seeds will remain viable.
How extraordinarily beautiful are these floral seed stored at theKew Millenium seed bank?
Green Luxury: Concept Bike
We have seen plenty of concept cars but at last we are seeing a more earth friendly concept; the Intelligent Bike. The carbon frame has an inbuilt computer that allows only the owner to unlock it via their fingerprint. Perfect for the mean bike lanes of New York City. It counts calories as you pedal, plays music and uses a solar-powered motor when you get tired. Wow! Recently unveiled by cyclist, Chris Boardman.
Green is cool
What usually comes to my mind when I think ‘green’ is organic cotton and recycling day, not much fun I know. But what I love about Stella McCartney is that she shows us vegans are cool too, and we can care about the environment while looking like a rock star at the same time. The outfit above is part of her resort collection. The sequined jacket reminded me of this table by Aurelio Martinez-Flores with it’s base made from crushed cans. It is included in the Latin America auction at Phillips de Pury on October 3rd. The Pegasus horse speaks for itself. You are either into it or your not. Fashion, art, and vintage signs. All green, all cool.
Metropolitian Home-TriBeCa
This week we are feeling very moody and our focus is on design that is a little dark, with strong links to the past. So it is natural that we would be attracted to the current Metropolitan Home showhouse at the TriBeCa Summit. Particularly to the apartment that is inspired by The Tudors, a showtime favorite.
photographs: new york times
This idea is not a new concept, but it is a fun way to pass an couple of hours if you are in the TriBeCa area. Tickets are $20 and benefit Housing Works.
The Dakota
The Dakota is one of the great real estate Icons of New York. It was built in the 1880’s and was an immediate success amongst the elite of the city. It is easy to see it’s ‘age of innocence’ appeal.
Even though the exterior was influenced by North German architecture the interiors are laid out enfilade style, in the manner of great french palaces and homes such as Versaille. The main living rooms are formally aligned with connecting doors running on a single axis; providing an uninterrupted vista through the apartment when opened. All very grand- and with a separate pathway for the servants.
At the time it was built the Dakota was a combination of luxury and modern convenience. The drive Porte Cochere allowed carriages to park inside and an elevator lifted them to higher floors for storage. The dumb waiter that brought food up from the dining hall was powered by the building’s private plant.
With the advent of the great classic apartment buildings of the 1920’s the Dakota may seem outmoded by today’s standards, though it greatly raised the bar in its day. However to many, especially the artistic it has always had strong appeal. Rudolph Nureyev and Leonard Bernstein called it home. The most famous occupant of our time to live there was John Lennon.
Detail of mahogany fireplace and exterior wrought iron.
The opening sequence of Rosemary’s baby features the Dakota in the 1960’s. Sadly a little run, down but you get a glimpse of it’s original grandeur.
4500 square foot three bedroom floor plan.
Antiquarian
Maybe it is because Fall is here that I am so attracted to the gothic opulence of the pieces above. The chinoiserie cabinet, my very favorite Van Der Straeten mirror that you can get through Ralph Pucci and the futuristic Gothic style of the Haider Ackermann dress. Neverwhere meets The Traveller…
I am just back from my brother’s wedding in Ireland . Whenever I go home It makes me very nostalgic for Evelyn Waugh, and country house hotels; I was a teenage girl when Brideshead Revisited was first shown on BBC television and since then I have loved the idea of placing antiques in a modern setting.
Hovey’s loft in Williamsburg-New York Times.
This Williamsburg loft that was featured in the New York Times is a variation on the same theme. Brooklyn lends itself very well to this type of design, perhaps because so much of the Borough has a ‘frozen in time’ ambiance.
One of my favorite stores to shop for this look is Darr. This is a wonderfully eclectic shop that holds the mind of the browser. Tucked into antiques row on Atlantic Avenue, Darr, along with Foundry, offers an offbeat counterpoint to the typical antique shop.
Why is Darr so named ? There is a Bollywood movie called Darr, meaning “fear” in Hindi/Urdu. Could Darr be named for fear ? The proprietors are from the old world… & there is a goth element to the style mixing taxidermy, antique anatomy /biology graphics, that lends a heightened sense of mortality to all design elements they touch…
Crosby Street Hotel
The Crosby Hotel is a charming new addition to a street that already has so much downtown New York character. It is the first hotel outside of London for the Firmdale group. I stayed at their Covent Garden location a few years ago with my husband on business and we had no complaints. They bring the ambiance and comfort of a city house and the service of a much higher priced hotel.
No one does eclectic style like the English. Theirs is a cheeky irreverence for the old that allows them to upholster ’serious’ pieces in bright colors, mix styles from a variety of eras and make it all work effortlessly.
I can’t wait to visit.
Shopping on Crosby Street
Two of my favorite shops in the city are on Crosby Street, BBDW and De Vera.
My first love in this shop was the black walnut table on the top right, handmade from a single slab of wood. After I got over the fact that I couldn’t afford it, I transferred my affections to a variation of the case piece on the lower left, which is now housing stereo equipment in my living room. I am also very desirous of the leather bound mirrors which seem to be a modern interpretation of Jacque Adnet’s classic. All handmade in America.
Here is a treasure trove of wonderful objects from around the world. At first they seem so incongruous, but their individual beauty and uniqueness brings them together in this incredible shop.
A must see if you are in the neighborhood.
Lofts on Crosby
They say it is easy to sell something you love and that is absolutely true. Over the years we have sold a couple of lofts on Crosby Street. Below a classic loft in a cast-iron building at 16 Crosby Street.
Also raw space in another beautiful building, at 129 Grand Street on the corner of Crosby, and this incredible loft below at 30 Crosby Street.
Exterior of 30 Crosby Street.
An understated exterior masks the very desirable address; 76 Crosby Street.
Interior images of 76 Crosby courtesy of the Real Estalker.
