Mother Daughter Design Team

Since my own daughter will graduate in 2012 with a degree in interior design and architecture from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and hopefully join me in my business I was particularly interested in this mother daughter team from New York, Robyn Karp Interiors. This mom and co-designer daughter look so young it doesn't seem possible that they could have achieved such an impressive portfolio - but they have! Check it out..........................

Great use of the KW Imperial Trellis.


Love the light fixture



Lavender and Lemon - Delicious




Soothing blues and tans



Adorable girls room in pink and grey.




The Venetian mirror hung over the back drape of the canopy is delightful and worthy of the great AH.



Perfection!




Nice...........




Fabulous tiny tot retreat.

These ladies seem to know what they are doing. I love their fresh aesthetic and the uncluttered arrangement of their rooms. I'm sure we'll see more of their work in the future. You can check out their website here.

All pictures Robyn Karp Interiors

The Rebirth of the Botanical

Botanicals are all the rage these day but we've come a long way from the framed prints from Redoutes Roses we all had on our walls in the 80's. I must have framed hundreds of those pages for clients in every color and variety. Today, rather than perfect images of beautiful flowers the exotic and more interesting botanicals are getting the spotlight.





Bold colors or subtle hues are fine as long as the composition of the overall print is interesting. www.Panteek.com is a great source for antique botanicals. They have a very diverse selection.



I'm absolutely in love with these fantastic antique griege prints from Gutenburg.org. These would make a stunning statement in any room.


This years Kips Bay Show house was no exception with Bunny Williams placing this pair of vibrant botanical paintings front and center in her space.


The colors in these images are just breathtaking!



I'm in love with this entire artichoke series.

They are very reminiscent of Georgia O'Keffe's paintings


The brilliant mind behind these painting is Scottish born artist Sarah Graham.


She seems to be bringing new life and vitality to an age old art form that dates all the way back to the Egyptian culture. Her huge oversize charcoal drawings and paintings lend themselves to modern and traditional interiors alike. There is a universality to the natural subjects that she paints. I think we will be seeing a lot of her work in the future.



If you're looking for a readily available source for botanicals, purveyor of fine art and blogger extraordinaire Soicher~Marin is the place to go. They have a fresh take on the traditional form with these prints done in a light blue silhouette.



Or, check out my personal fave, these black and white reproductions of traditional colored prints.


If the real thing is more your style take a trip over to Velvet & Linen and read Brooke's post about preserved botanicals.


No matter what your style I think botanicals will always be a staple of the design trade. What amazes me is how one subject matter can be interpreted in so many unique and beautiful ways.

Positive Thoughts for a Friend

Vicente & Me at the Fall World Market Center Reception

Please send some good thoughts and prayers to our blogging pal and all around nice guy, designer, Vicente Wolf who has been in the hospital for the past two weeks with a bad case of pneumonia. He blogs about it here but says he is on the mend although still in residence in the hospital.

You can send him a get well message here.

Pillows ~ Pillows ~ Pillows

What's your pleasure?
Furry?

Nubby?

Slick?

Fresh?

Metallic?

Baroque?

Fancy?

Oriental?

Bold?

Country?

Embroidered?

Regal?

You Can Get Them All at Pillow Decor

Book Giveaway ~ And The Winners Are..................

Paris Hotel Boutique

Thanks to everyone who enter the giveaway - I wish I had enough free books for everyone!

The three winners are:

#11 ~ Tonya Strong
#20 ~ Donna Cash
#56 ~ Shelia

Congratulations winners ~ Please email me at: jackie_vontobel@msn.com with your mailing address and I will send your new copy of The Design Directory of Bedding to you .

numbers generated on www.random.org

The Design Directory of Bedding ~ Giveaway!!

The books are here so it's time to give a few away to some lucky readers!

I'm giving away three copies so just subscribe to my blog and leave a comment about why you want my book, and you're eligible to win!

If you are already a subscriber please just leave a comment telling me why you want my book and you will be entered.

Winners will be announced on Monday.................Good Luck!

Going Pink ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Month

In honor of breast cancer awareness month I am going pink in solidarity with other bloggers including the awareness ringleader Mrs Blandings and I'm showing off the first pics of my beautiful Pink Pagoda Pillows!!!!



They are so gorgeous, I wish you could see them in person. But you will be able to soon because the website is almost finished and ready to sell my new collection....



You'll be able to take home these beauties as well.


I love, love, love my peacocks. I am so happy with the way the pillows look. You have to see them to believe it.



Here are some of the fabrics ready to go. I hope to be able to go live with the site in a few days. Stay tuned for the big announcement...

See other "Pink" blogs here....

Free ~ Ready To Cover ~ Storage Table

My friends at Ready To Cover are giving away one of their fabulous ready to cover, storage tables, here.


* must be a qualified designer to enter.

Maison & Objet ~ Paris in January - Let's Go!!

I've been dreaming for years of taking a trip to the ultimate design show, Maison & Objet, held twice yearly in Paris but I never wanted to go alone so I put it off. I always thought it would be more fun to go with someone else who would be as excited about attending as I was. My friends Deb Barret and Susan Shultz attended every year and come back with such great inspiration, new products, and suppliers that they share with the attendees of the Window Fashions Expo and other WFCP events. I've been living vicariously through them for years but this year will be different. These fabulous ladies are putting together a small group of 12 lucky travelers to attend the Mason & Objet show with them!




I can't think of a better way to attend this show than with these two knowledgable ladies who have been every year for over ten years. They attend as trendspotters and industry insiders who have expanded access to the event and know the show inside and out. They have it wired and are now willing to share this priceless knowledge with newbies like myself!!!

They are offering a package deal that includes:

7 days /7 nights, January 18 - January 26, 2010, in the City of Lights

Airfiare from New York or Chicago, all airport transfers, luxury hotel accomodations (Double occupancy including breakfast)

All zone metro passes/carnets for 7 days.

Admission to Maison&Objet and Planet Mueble trade shows.

Welcome reception at M&O from show management

Exclusive M&O trend presentation with Q&A opportunity Priceless!

As-you-wish meet-ups for cocktails or dinner to review the day, compare notes, share stories, etc. ( This of course will be my favorite part!)

Pre-travel web session(s) with Deb and Susan to preview locations, M&O planning, travel details, our Paris faves and more

Cruise on the river Seine.

Free entrance to the Louvre or Orsay.

High Tea one afternoon in the Aubusson’s Grand Salon.

All taxes and service included.

And Deb & Susan's expansive knowledge of the city of Paris.

Visit Deb's website for more details and pricing.




We'll be staying at the Hotel d’ Aubusson, Four-star, double-occupancy Superior room in the heart of St. Germain (Super-convenient location and they've stayed in this hotel and love it!) Five minute walk to the subway, direct line to the show. Walking distance of the Louvre, Orsay, Notre Dame, Sorbonne; surrounded by art galleries, restaurants and shops.



I'm looking for a roomie so sign up quick. They have limited the group to twelve so we can still enjoy Paris without having to follow one of them holding a flag and yelling into a bullhorn everwhere we go! It should be a great intimate experience and a once in a lifetime chance to attend the show like you're a seasoned pro and gleen some great knowledge from these wonderful women.

I can't stress enough how great an opportunity this is. I hope you'll join me Deb & Susan for a cocktail as we cruise down the Siene.