Interior Designers – High End Weekly™

Holiday House Celebrates Design and Benefits a Worthy Cause

Not To Be Missed

Designer show houses are places where anyone can visit and be inspired to dream, built, and perhaps dare to even design one’s own home as well. For decades, The Kips Bay Decorators Show house became the staple of American Design, and now there seem to be a risen star among the myriads of decorators show houses across this country. One can easily argue that the New York State Area does boast its fair share of top designers, but does that necessarily mean that the houses that they design are worth a visit? The answer is positive, of course. There is no price on beauty, but when it comes to supporting the fight against breast cancer, the sky is the limit.

The Holiday House Hamptons 2013: 4 Fair Hills Lane, Bridgehampton, New York, was opened on Monday, June 24th, and it closes on Sunday, July 21st, 2013. Hours: Friday – Monday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Participating Designers are:

Marshall Watson Interiors

Thom Filicia, Inc.

Susan Glick Interiors

Donna Livingston Design

Mabley Handler Interior Design

Huniford Design Studio

Lynne Scalo Design

Elizabeth Bolognino

Stephen Burks For Dedon Outdoor Space

Opening Night at The Inaugural 2013 Holiday House Show House

Tête-à-Tête with HGTV’s Design Star, Vanessa DeLeon

Earlier this month, we caught up with Vanessa DeLeon, Principal of Vanessa DeLeon Associates (VDA) at the Norwood Club. Vanessa was excited to talk about the launch of her latest venture, VDA Virtual Design (www.vdavirtualdesign.com). The interactive initiative offers design services and solutions to the online marketplace. DeLeon has gathered all the tools and put together a clear and concise digital package for creating customized interiors. Her mission was clear – she wanted to offer high fashion design concepts at affordable prices to clients via the worldwide web.

High End Weekly™: You just launched VDA Virtual Design on your website.
Vanessa DeLeon: We are so excited to have launched VDA virtual. The world is driven by technology and social media. This site is made so that people are more inclined to go forward with an interior designer. It’s a great way for people to manage their time and money.

HEW: I like the fact that you have a strong footing on Social Media. Do you think that platform plays a big role in people’s lives when it comes to design and decoration?
VD: This absolutely plays a big role in people’s lives. The social networks open up the possibilities of discovering and learning new information, sharing ideas, and interacting with each other.

“Our world is changing and people want fast, convenient and digital design solutions that they can personally implement. Thanks to content sharing sites such as Houzz and Pinterest, consumers are extremely well-educated, tech savvy and immersed in design. They have a good sense of their style, but still need a professional’s help to pull it all together.” Vanessa DeLeon

HEW: You’ve been featured on top shows including HGTV’s Design Star and Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible (one of my favorites). What were some of the joys and challenges of working with such tight schedules, and still be able to produce some of the most outstanding projects we’ve ever seen?
VDL: The challenge was the obvious, getting the project done in a very limited time frame. Practicality and esthetics are very important with projects like this. Being resourceful plays a big role.

HEW:When I first met you, I was quite taking by your sheer charisma and great sense of style. Have you always been that way?
VDL: Thank you!! As a child I was always fascinated by clothing, fashion, and my Barbie house. Growing up my parents weren’t financially able to give me the latest fashion trends, so I always took what I had and used my creativity.

HEW: What iconic designer has inspired you?
VDL: Fashion: Coco Chanel. When it comes to interior designers, my picks are Kelly Wearstler, and Jamie Drake.

Top Designers & Members of The Press Gathered Together in NYC to Kick-off Masterpiece London

Thomas Woodham-Smith, Mario Buatta, Susan Gutfreund, Geoffrey Bradfield, Audrey Gruss, Ellie Cullman, Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Nazy Vassegh, Nicola Winwood, Jamie Drake

This was the second year that the American Patrons for Masterpiece London held their New York kick-off to announce plans for Masterpiece London, which opens with a preview on June 26 and runs through July 3 at the South Grounds of The Royal Hospital Chelsea. This year Ellie Cullman hosted the reception at her magnificent apartment.

Lynne Westcott, Geoffrey Bradfield

Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Sandra Nunnerley

Alex Shuman, Jeffery Bilhuber

Philip Hewat-Jaboor, Nazy Vassegh, Nicola Winwood, Thomas Woodham-Smith

Timothy Van Dam, Ron Wagner

Rod_Keenan

Jennifer Ceasar

Thomas Woodham-Smith, Bennett Weinstock, Michael_Simon

Henry_Neville

Greg Kwiat, Dana Kiyomura

Christina Murphy, Nina Carbone

Maureen Footer, Daniel Hamparsumyan

Richard Dragisic, William Brockschmidt, Tom Scheerer

Bruce Bierman, William Secord, Audrey Gruss

Constantino Castellano, Christopher Hyland, Geoffrey Bradfield, KyleMarshall

Photos Credited to Annie Watt

It’s Time To Celebrate!

Davide and Paolo Sozzi

Welcome to the DIFFA Age

The Italian furniture atelier PROMEMORIA held its annual holiday parties in cities around the world this week including Paris, Moscow, London, Milan and New York. At the New York fete, in the company’s Upper East Side showroom at the Fine Arts Building, New York’s prominent interior designers, design editors and design-loving New Yorkers gathered with hosts Davide and Paolo Sozzi to celebrate the season take a chance in a “Wish-Raffle” to benefit Design Industries’ Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA). Guests made a wish and a donation to the organization for a chance to win one of two tremendous prizes.

Some of the wishes were general in nature, others were more specific to the AIDS cause, for which DIFFA has mobilized the immense resources of the design communities and granted over $40 million to hundreds of AIDS service organizations nationwide since its founding in 1984. Journalist and author Jorge Arango made this heartfelt wish “As someone who has lived with AIDS since 1993, it is my sincerest wish that the good works done by DIFFA will not be necessary in some near future, and that a cure will make the organization’s existence unnecessary.” David Sheppard, Executive Director of DIFFA National for more than 15 years, wished for generous benefactors: “What a difference it would make if more companies like Promemoria added ‘doing good’ to doing good business!”

Raffle prizes were donated by generous sponsors and included The MoMA VIP Experience (featuring a private, after-hours tour of the museum and dinner for four at The MODERN restaurant, one of New York’s premiere dining experiences), and a deluxe Holiday Home Entertaining package (featuring 8 bottles of fine wine from LaCrema, 6 hand-blown Murano glass tumblers by Promemoria, and a $100 gift certificate to chef Mario Batali’s Eataly Market).

Arlene Angard, RioHamilton, VynaStPard

Michael Tavano, Barry Richards

Rock Axtman and Inson Wood

DIFFA Director Bill Murphy

Darrin Varden, Michael Tavano, LarryMartino

Dennis Scully and Michael Tavano

Fruit Display

James Rixner and Rio Hamilton

Jorge Arango, Vyna St Phard

Maggie Brown, Steven Williams

Michael Tavano, Arlene Angard, Vyna St Phard

Michael Tavano, Arlene Angard

Michael Tavano, Larry Martino

The three hour party was afloat in Italian wine and Prosecco, delicious hors d’oeuvres were copious and a huge buffet table laden with luscious fruits in della robbia style displays and several enormous Panettone, the traditional sweet breads that mark the holidays in Italy, and which hail from the north of the country, where Promemoria is headquartered and where they makes all of their fine furniture, lighting and gift items by hand.

Live jazz from the 45 Riots Quartet featuring Broadway

star LaShonda Reese singing holiday and jazz favorites

Rock Axtman, Lizzy Schofield

The Panettone is the highlight of the event, and is flown in from Milan especially for the occasion by Promemoria, which has its entire staff tasting various versions of Panettone from Milan’s top bakeries and voting on the favorite months in advance of its worldwide celebrations.

Photos courtesy Promemoria