Weekend Instagram

Scenes from our farewell party and Bryan's first trip in a grocery cart.

Art that looks like interiors...

1. Bathroom by Rose Cumming via Architectural Digest
2. Lamp by Porta Romana
3. Living Room by Abigail Ahern
- Lauren

Glen Arbor - the final product part one

Well, as many of you saw from my previous blog post, we are relocating back to the New York area. One of the things we are most sad about leaving behind is our lovely home that we have worked so hard to refurbish and restore.  Funny how it isn't until you're ready to leave that you get everything in tip top shape and take great photos of the space.  Here are some photos from the shoot and that are posted on our home website now.  We hope that the next buyer appreciates our little Eagle's Nest as much as we have.

- photos by Michael McNamara

Blogger Style Challenge: Belmont Stakes

Lizzy who put together the great Memorial Day outfit last week, is back today with a getup for going to the Belmont Stakes in a few weekends.  Classy, modern, and perfect for a day at the races.

[01] YSL black floppy hat
[02] Madewell Colorcraft Necklace
[03] Madewell Stable Blazer (the name is oddly appropriate)
[04] Banana Republic Lena Sheath dress
[05] Tibi Stella Heel
[06] Gucci Boston Bag

Wander Lust: W Koh Samui

I have to say I'm not a fan of just cutting and pasting images from someone else to create a blog post. I like to curate or create my own content most of the time. However, these photos of the new W Koh Samui have been circulating around the interwebs and giving me a serious case of wanderlust. They were too incredible not to share.

All images courtesy of Freshhome

Art that looks like interiors...

1. Bathroom by Robert Couturier
2. Tile by Claesson Koivisto
- Lauren

Blogger Style Challenge: Americana Spring

My NY bestie Lizzy put together this great springy outfit perfect for the warmer days that we are now experiencing (anyone up for a clambake and some boating this Memorial Day?):

First get your hair up in a high pony with a blunt bang a la Reese.  Throw on some rolled up boyfriend jeans from Joe Fresh and this Madewell red racerback tank. Then kick around in these Sperry Topsider brooks flats which are perfect for boating (or dress it up with a heel).  If it gets windy on the water, this Banana Republic Dark Wash Denim Blazer does the trick.  And the Cole Haan Village Sheila Cross Body Bag prevents you from dropping any valuables.  Enamel Bracelets top off the look.  And this Anthropologie starlighting scarf keeps your coif in place as your cruise around the sound.

New Series: Illustrated Etymology: Enfilade

Today I'm starting a new series called Illustrated Etymology where I take a architectural, decor, or design term and tell you about the meaning, provenance and give you a little illustration to go along with it. A little snapshot of some of the things you learn in school but more fun than sitting through a lecture.  Today's word is "Enfilade".

Enfilade refers to a series of rooms or "salons", as they were referred to back in the day, that are  formally aligned with one another. The use of enfilade begain in the Baroque period and was continually used in classical European architecture, especially in the grand palaces and governmental buildings of France and Italy.  Not only are the rooms themselves aligned one after the other on a long central axis, but the doors entering each room are also aligned on this same axis, providing an expansive view through the entire series of rooms. The use of enfilade creates a sense of grandeur and procession and is often an architectural device found in museums and public buildings, easing the movement of large numbers of people from one space into another.Here is an example of enfilade at Versailles.

Can you think of any spaces that you've been in recently that employ this technique?

Artist Profile: Loren Berger

I met photographer Loren Berger a while back when she introduced herself to me as a source for cool art for the hotel projects I work on.  In my industry, most artists come to us by way of art consultants.  Not to insult the creative trades, but as you can imagine, those that live in the right brained world aren't always the best at marketing themselves and doing the business end of running an art business - hence the need for art consultants and galleries. Loren is an anomaly in that she is great at staying in touch and promoting her work.  I love that, but of course, I also LOVE her photography. She has such a great eye for detail and has such a way of finding the unusual in ordinary objects.  I did a little Q&A with Loren recently.

Top: Tibetan Prayer Flags   Bottom: Study of Three Elements

Jess: What are some of the foundations of your inspiration?
Loren: I grew up in a household that was extremely attentive to design. My mother would take any void or empty space and bring to it an unexpected combination of lines, colors, contours or textures. This applied to absolutely everything around me; the surface of a coffee table, a bedspread, the flow of furniture in a room, house plants. Every single element in that house was choreographed.

Jess: So, did this lead you to pursue a career in design?
Loren: No, as I grew up, I developed a disdain for all this attention to stuff and its placements, arrangements. I thought it was supremely trivial. I wanted a sight on tougher subjects: I developed a profession as a journalist and as a legal investigator focusing on political corruption, white-collar crime, corporate fraud, etc.
Jess: What is the connection, if any, between that work history and the photography you’re doing now?
Loren: When I first started photographing about five years ago as a hobby , it quickly became apparent to me that I was using the same skill set I had to practice on the job – that is an intensive study of detail. I am not concerned with the grandiose in photography – a 360-degree panoramic view of a city skyline or a spectacular mountain range at sunset does not appeal to me. If I were to approach a complex investigation looking for a single smoking gun, I would be sure to fail. The process more often involves knitting together a string of lesser details to form a pattern. It is, first off, seeing the significance in the small.

Top: Spring Blooms   Bottom: Untitled

Jess: How would you describe your aesthetics?

Loren: I am most interested in the fundamental; the reduction of a scene into one or two primary details with a palette of two to three colors at the most. This is how I compose my shots in the camera, and this emphasis allows me to think about form/shape, contrast, tone, and negative space. I am compelled as much by these elements of design as by the actual subject of the photograph itself.
Jess: What subjects most often draw your eye?
Loren: Pavement and concrete. I know it is unpopular to say this given the emphasis on green design and eco-friendly materials. I love the light on asphalt in the afternoon.If you spend time with a crack in the sidewalk, you can come to see great elements of harmony and serenity present there; in the contour of line.

Top: "Spring Rain"   Bottom: Random Construction Site Find

Jess: Where would we see your work?

Loren: My images have been installed throughout the public interior spaces of condominium projects in New York and California and have also been specified as guest-room and lobby art in hotels such as the Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental.

Jess: What has been the biggest surprise for you along this recent road?

Loren: That I have more in common with -- and owe more of a precious debt to -- my mother, who never knew my photographs, than I would have ever believed just a few years ago.

All images courtesy of Loren Berger

Weekend Instagram: Our House

A few instagram photos I took during our twilight photo shoot the other day as we get ready to put the house on the market.