Designer Vision Showcase ~ Jamie Drake & Carlos Aparicio

Jamie Drake's was channeling Josephine Baker's fictional granddaughter when designing the exuberant  Art Deco inspired apartment.   A contemporary woman of today who would have conveyed modernist ideas, while embodying characteristics of Josephine's.   She was described as a woman who was "breaking barriers in a provocative and glitzy fashion" while still  retaining a sensuousness and exotic forward thinking ideal.  I would say Jamie's interpretation exhibited those same traits, not an easy feat! There were nods to the past , the appropriate vintage pieces and some forward thinking design on Jamie's part as well.   The paler jewel tones were a great counterpoint to the black and gray that found its way into each room and balanced the contemporary art. 

Jamie is known for his masterful use of color, and he did not disappoint.  The coral walls in the great room were a multi-layered process.  Benjamin Moore's opal, along with green, blue, and gold minerals (the kind that eye shadow is made out of) were applied to the walls, then sealed with polyurethane.  It spoke of the colors of the bricks we saw outside the windows.  It was luminous!  I would have loved to have seen those walls at night.  I'm sure they positively glowed.

The bronze, wood and lacquered lipstick console from Hudson furniture makes quite the statement, as do "Jamie's girls" and his lighting for Boyd Lighting

I always look to show houses for great "take aways." Jamie seems to create "moments in art."  This installation you could create for yourself should you choose.  The simplicity of the arrangement of books in the nooks flanking the contemporary mirror are made artful by their arrangement and the mere fact that they face out, showing the pages, rather than in, showing their spine.  It takes on a geometric neutralness.

The "puttin on the ritz" vibe of the roaring 20's was felt the moment you walked thru the front door.   The Clarence House wallpaper, Hudson console table, vintage Murano sconces, and the Robert Kuo vases painted a pretty riotous picture.  You always know you are in for a surprise in one of Jamie's interiors.

I am always enchanted by Black Crow Studio and their custom watercolor canvases.  Being enveloped in the dreamy hues makes you feel like you are part of the painting, not just an observer of it.  The high gloss blue in the closet doors and console behind the bed say drama, but the addition of soft neutrals dampen it enough to still keep it restful.

via Curbed

Jamie created this ingenious custom lighting fixture by Modulightor to fit in the soffits of the ceiling.  Asymmetrical uplighting dancing off the ceiling is as beautiful as it is functional.

Jamie Drake along with House Beautiful are a perfect pair because of their obsession with color.  It is taken to an art form and that is certainly on display in the daughter's room.  So is artist Brenda Gurand's  sculpture or contemporary "canopy" made from steel, paper, silk, and fiber.  With her strong visual aesthetic, she speaks a similar language.

The goodies filling each closet did not go unnoticed.  Roberto Cavalli and Brunello Cucinelli's latest collections were highlighted in the closets of my dreams.

Carlos Aparicio for Veranda had someone like himself in mind when designing the apartment in Walker Tower.  Within the walls of the serene, light filled environment, everything painted a matte gray, a gentleman collector could cultivate and curate a museum worthy art collection.

Aparicio integrates a diverse melange of periods as well as playfulness to his carefully curated selections.  Decorative Arts move easily around the apartment enabling him to tell different stories.

I liked the inlaid wooded screen hiding the utilitarian (but quite beautiful) kitchen.  I wonder if this art collector cooks?

Take note, the stairway is a perfect blank slate for a display of some kind.

The 1950's iron daybed by Mathieu Matégot, the parchment André Arbus daybed in the living room, arts and crafts masterpieces, the Royère's, and Frank's tell a decorative arts story with a masculine/feminine side that is always evolving and shifting.  Carlos explained that the pieces resonate more the longer you occupy the space.

                                               I'd be happy occupying any of these spaces!



Ph: CLI along with

For House Beautiful:

Reprinted by permission from House Beautiful, copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Jonny Valiant, photographer.

Reprinted by permission from VERANDA, copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved.

Max Kim-Bee, photographer. 

The Designer Visions Show House

Inside this unassuming building in Tribeca, an industrial turned residential conversion contains three  show stopping apartments, each a collaboration of a designer with a shelter magazine, sharing the same vision or design aesthetic.  These apartments share other things as well; subtle marble clad spa like bathrooms, Poggenpohl kitchens, Ann Sacks tile, and dark wide oak wood floors and spectacular views.

Each designer imagined a fantasy client for whom they designed.

House Beautiful and David Rockwell ~

David's imaginary clients were a Bohemian, chic couple whose passion for art and design informed their collected interior design.  Refined, rough, tactile, layered.  Mid century furniture resides comfortably with an array of pottery and textiles.  The classic and avant-gard happily co exist.

The hand crafted tile in this kitchen, reminiscent of Delft pottery, created consistency in the open space by bringing together the look of handmade and modern that we see across the room

There was a great melange of elements in the den that definitely was in keeping with the Bohemian vibe that Rockwell set forth to create.

A take away might be the cork flooring panels applied to the walls in the studio.  Form and function once again prevail ~ and look good doing it.

CLI

The choice of the Byzantine wallpaper and Ikat upholstered headboard may be strong for some but this was evocative of the couple's creative spirit, travels, and pedigree.

Elle Decor and Matthew Patrick Smyth ~

Matthew imagined his couple as jet setters with a refined sensibility; globetrotters whose interiors display treasures from around the world.  A ride on the Orient Express was the jumping off point.  Deep colors and bold patterns create an exotic and classic dwelling.  Matthew had a lot of tricks up his sleeve to personalize the sterile apartment.

The moody gray walls were a perfect backdrop to showcase the artfully designed living room.  There was a surprise around every corner.

The showstopper was this extra room that was turned into a dynamic dining room.  It has no windows, no view, and was the first room off the entry, but no matter.  Schumacher wallpaper was carefully cut and patiently applied to mimic that of tile work in Moorish architecture.  The capiz shell and crystal chandelier, antique table and velvet chairs produced a visual feast for the eyes.

I liked that the kitchen was kept quiet.  This was not the place to make a bold statement.  Subtle silver, crackle subway tiles accented the contemporary wood cabinets beautifully.

These new apartment conversions very often lack interior architecture.  Matthew added his own.  He brought in this elaborate antique door frame to act as a dramatic headboard for a simple metal bed.  He inserted a mirror, added a picture, and WOW!  Everything else in the room became a supporting cast member.

Another trick I am dying to try is the floating bookshelf.  A frame is created and in this case the center was papered, but I have also seen them upholstered.  The customized floating shelves artfully displaying accessories do not become the focal point, but an integral part of this whole design element.  I love it!

Once a steel drum, the desk base with the burlap top was customized by The Alpha Workshop.

CLI

Veranda and Anthony Todd ~

A philanthropic, cosmopolitan family of 3 wanting to live in a casually elegant space was Anthony's fictitious family of choice.   Todd filled the apartment with blocks of color to produce the intended effect and showcase the duality of the family's imagined life, which is in keeping with Todd's philosophy of creating timeless, sophisticated environments.

CLI

The application of the Ann Sacks mirrored subway tiles was exciting to see because I chose them for a client's butler's pantry.  Let's just say...beyond stunning.  Pops of pink and the combining of pieces spanning several centuries make the room as casual as it is formal.

A lot of texture but little pattern make the den a relaxing spot.  Accented with Turkish and Asian textiles and a contemporary canvas, you could easily idle the hours away.

The soothing silver of the walls makes for one calm retreat... Nothing should interfere with a view.

Benjamin Moore's Blue Danube paint color wrapped 2 walls in the boy's room with sophistication and warmth:  a nice teenage twist.

BUT that's not all  ~  Hearst's Designer Visions Show House in conjunction with The 48 Hour Film Project,  invited 2 film makers for each apartment to use as a movie set for a film they had to write, produce, shoot, and edit, all in 48 hours; a daunting task!

Click on the names of the magazines, if your interested, to watch the short films ~ or you can cut to the chase and just watch my favorites.  Brought to you by Veranda's sponsored apartment and Anthony Todd designs:

The Toast and Mr. Freckles (Grap a tissue)

AND if that's not enough Derring Hall, the on line marketplace for fine design and products, is selling items similar to those in the showcase apartments.




ph: courtesy of each magazine, unless otherwise noted