Kell on Earth

{PR Powerhouse, Kelly Cutrone with former assistant Stephanie and new assistant, Andrew}

Kell on Earth, the new reality show documenting the hectic life of People’s Revolution founder, Kelly Cutrone premiered on Bravo last night and I am already hooked! Between the stresses that go on at Camp Zoe on The Rachel Zoe Project and now Kell on Earth, with it’s uber-stressed staffers whose major dark undereye circles tell just how sleep-deprived and stressed they must really be, I am convinced that fashion has to be one of the most cut-throat and demanding industries to work in. I felt a little stressed just watching the show, but it is all so fascinating.

You may remember Kelly as Lauren Conrad’s boss on The Hills and later as Whitney Port’s mentor on The City. Cutrone gets major props from me as she is the owner and founder of an incredibly successful, international fashion PR firm that she has built and sustained herself.

Did anyone tune in last night? What did you think? Will you be watching this season? If you missed the premiere episode last night, you can watch it here.

Book Review: Downtown Chic

I was thrilled to receive an e-mail a couple of weeks ago stating that the incredibly hip duo, Robert and Cortney Novogratz of Sixx Design were fans of my blog. They thought I might like to read their new book, Downtown Chic, so they sent me a copy. Well, not only did I like it, I absolutely loved it! Not only is it a testament to the Novogratzes’ design aesthetic, but to the way they go about living their lives. They have the ability to see the beauty in even things and places most people would disregard.

Downtown Chic chronicles some of the Novoogratzes’ best known and best loved projects including their incredible townhouse and two of their most recent projects, 24 Bungalow, a chic boutique hotel on the Jersey Shore and 5 CENTRE MARKET PLACE, a conversion of a former gun shop in SoHo.

Each project features an eclectic mix of modern and vintage elements as well as high-end and thrift store pieces. The book serves as a wonderful guidebook for anyone who is about to buy a home or is in the process of renovating. It is filled with helpful hints such as: “Tips for Buying a Wreck, Get Inspired: Where to Go for Ideas, Shopping for a New House: Style on a Shoestring, and How to Flea, and Decorating with Flea Market Finds.”

Then, the book goes on to nine chapters filled with invaluable information and inspiring images for anyone who loves design. There is an entire chapter on renovating one’s home, as well as chapters on adding “French Urban Flair” to your home, designing a country house, entertaining, design for families with children (The Novogratzes have seven children including TWO sets of twins), and designing a dream home in a foreign land.

The book is essentially a treasure trove of information written in a witty and humorous style. One of my favorite things about it is the collection of inspiring quotes that are peppered throughout, naturally.

“I met a lot of people in Europe, I even encountered myself.”

– James Baldwin

“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead of someone else’s.”

– Billy Wilder

“Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.”

– Jean Cocteau

“Design is not making beauty. Beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love.”

– Louis Kahn

“It is better to fail in originality that to succeed in imitation.”

– Ben Franklin

“The details are not details. They make the design".”

– Charles Eames

Downtown Chic truly makes for an inspiring read and would make a fabulous holiday gift for your favorite design lover. If you’re like me and you can’t get enough of Sixx Design, look for their new reality show on Bravo, Design Sixx which is slated to premiere in January 2010.

Jet Set: New York City for Fashion Week

New York: A City Like No Other

Tomorrow marks the official start of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. I cannot wait to see what is in store for the second half of the year. Herrera, De La Renta, Kors, Von Furstenburg, Posen... oh my! If you are lucky enough to be in Manhattan for the Fall shows, you may be staying at the equally fashionable 60 Thompson Hotel. If it's good enough for the Zoe (fashion icon extraordinaire, Rachel Zoe), it's good enough for me.

Located in SoHo, one of New York's premiere neighborhoods for shopping and all things fashion, the intimate, 100-room 60 Thompson Hotel was designed by Thomas O'Brien. It is also home to the acclaimed Kittichai restaurant, Thom Bar, and the A60 rooftop lounge with incredible views of the city. The well-appointed guestrooms feature sleek furnishings, Sferra linens, Kiehl's toiletries, and pantries stocked with Dean & Deluca products.

The Undeniably chic and hip hotel describes itself as "effectively sophisticated and classically cool". "Who is the the typical guest of a Thompson hotel?" you might wonder. According to the hotel, "Bohemian chic meets art house wise meets quiet yet radical elegance; really more of a mindset than a demographic. We wish we had known Steve McQueen, Bobby Kennedy, Mick Jagger in 1973, Grace Kelley, Jean-Luc Godard, Edie Sedgwick, and the fictional Royal Tenenbaums." Seriously, does it get any cooler than that?

Kittichai Restaurant

Thom Bar

Thom Bar

A Guestroom at the 60 Thompson

A Two-Story Suite

I love the clean, warm look of the rooms at the 60 Thompson

Once you are finished with the fashions shows, make sure to visit The Met and The MoMa.

A View of the City

A fashionable stay in New York would not be complete without a meal in a fashionable restaurant. Enjoy Modern Asian cuisine at the gorgeous Buddakan in downtown Manhattan.

If it looks familiar, you may remember it from the Sex and the City Movie. It was where Carrie and Big held their rehearsal dinner.

60 Thompson photos via Tablet Hotels

Restaurant images via Buddakan NYC

Shots of the city were taken by my husband and I.

Olivia Palermo's Tribeca Apartment

Olivia hanging out in an art deco chair / Part of her vintage jewelry collection

{both images from Gotham Magazine}

By now, many of us have established that despite the fact that The City is all kinds of fake, we will keep tuning in for the fabulous fashion and glorious shots of my favorite city on earth. And, let's be honest here. Who doesn't love a little dose of drama, even if it is staged? We don't hold that against Gossip Girl, do we? After her fall from grace, Olivia Palermo, Whitney's co-worker at Diane Von Furstenberg decided to become an actress. Yes, an actress, which given the over-the-top fakeness of the show, sounds about right. Her goal was to become a household name and with all of the sudden interest in her, I'd say she's on her way.

While watching the new episode on Monday night, I couldn't help but notice some of the design elements, like Whitney's hideous sofas and Olivia's vintage Hermès tray. I did a little research and found some great pictures of Olivia's Tribeca apartment to share with you via The New York Post's Page Six and Gotham Magazine. In the Page Six interview, she is asked if she is in fact going to participate in The City to which she answers "No, I want to be a serious actress". All hatin' aside, she is absolutely gorgeous and I'm sure she is a nice girl. If nothing else, she has a pretty sweet apartment.

Olivia's 63 square foot closet, complete with zebra rug and packed to the gills with amazing clothes, was designed using an ELFA system from The Container Store.

Olivia received this art deco chair as a housewarming gift from her aunt. Her apartment, which is housed in a newly-built building features floor to ceiling windows and enviable views of the city.

The apartment, designed by Olivia and her mother, Lyn Hutchings, a partner at the interior design firm, Hutchings-Lyle, was inspired by Mariah Carey's Manhattan penthouse and features a "1960s look with a classic old Hollywood feel". The convertible sofa is from Jennifer Convertibles and the baby blue side table is from Gracious Home. The Carlyle ­Custom ­Convertible white leather coffee table with nailhead trim plays host to the star of the room, a vintage Hermès tray found in The Hamptons.

Image 1 via Gotham Magazine. Images 2,3, and 4 via Page Six

Cynthia Rowley's Manhattan Oasis

Cynthia Rowley's home is as feminine, original, and beautiful as her designs. Her awe-inspiring dining room (pictured above) is my favorite room in the house. It looks so ethereal, as if it were straight out of a fairy tale. The gorgeous, metallic wallpaper was designed by Rowley and produced by Flavor Paper. The chairs and banquette are covered in fabric by Cole and Son.

Rowley, her husband, and eldest daughter, Kit

The loveliness of the dining room can only be surpassed by Rowley's precious daughter, Gigi.

The living room plays host to Rowley's drawings above the mantel, a zebra print rug, re-upholstered flea market chairs, and a screen with a clover motif reminiscent of Van Cleef and Arpels.

The whimsical master bath hosts a venetian mirror, sleek mosaic tile, and waterproof (naturally) wallpaper of Rowley's design.

The mid-century chaise lounges in the garden are covered in fabric from Lee Jofa.

Images via Elle Decor on PointClickHome

To see more of Rowley's home, check out this month's issue of Elle Decor and be sure to visit her delightful blog!

Ron Marvin's Ultra Stylish Apartment

Ron Marvin's incredibly stylish Manhattan apartment

Ron Marvin's stylish Manhattan apartment is a testament to the fact that any space can be fabulous, regardless of its size. At just 250 square feet, his studio apartment has miles of style. Marvin was able to create separate "rooms" (studios typically consist of one large room with a bath and possibly a kitchen with their own walls) throughout the space. I absolutely love Marvin's aesthetic. It is modern, polished, a little glam, with just the right amount of vintage items thrown in to make it look collected. The color palette, streamlined details, and lack of anything frilly appeal to my sense of style (more masculine than feminine in terms of interiors).

Marvin has homes in Manhattan and San Francisco (lucky!) and his interiors have been featured in Metropolitan Magazine, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and on HGTV. Even if you don't think you are familiar with Marvin's name, you have probably seen his work on many occasions. He has worked in visual merchandising for stores such as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Hold Everything, Gap, and Williams-Sonoma Home. Be sure to watch the video at the end of this post. It was his entry for Apartment Therapy's Smallest, Coolest Apartment contest in 2007. In the video, Marvin takes the viewer on a guided tour of his beautiful apartment.

Love the walls, bedding, mirror, and the fact that all of the spaces are clearly defined

Marvin's 250 square foot apartment is home to 11 chic lamps! He calls himself a "Lamp Tramp"! I love it. I will have to start calling Fabian that. It is evident that he has maximized every square inch of the space.

Parsons desk, vintage lamp and chair (both flea market finds), and turquoise foo dogs in the office niche

The chocolate and white palette continues into the bathroom. I actually think it's a great idea to utilize the same palette throughout a small home like this. It really unifies the space. No space is safe from the Lamp Tramp! Marvin's bathroom hosts a floor lamp and a small lamp on the vanity.

A vignette featured at Marvin's bedside. I love the classic look of the lamp, but the photograph is my favorite. To me, the man in the picture looks like a Spanish torero, or bullfighter, being coy behind a fan. I love the yin and yang of masculinity and femininity in the photograph.

A close-up of the cabinet in Marvin's living room. The vintage yellow lamps are very Palm Springs. What is the overall look of Marvin's apartment called? I feel like it is a mix of things, but I'd really like to know because it is so me. I love it!





Images via Ron Marvin

Tiny Apartment, Loads of Style

I recently came across the Copy Cat Chic blog thanks to one of my reformed lurkers. Her fantastic blog which sets out to recreate expensive looks at a fraction of the price is completely new to me. Unfortunately, she hasn't updated her blog since May 8th, but I'm crossing my fingers that she'll start up again since she really knows how to get the most bang for the buck.

I literally read every single one of her posts and was so impressed when I saw how this teeny, tiny New York apartment had been drastically transformed. Can you believe it's the same place?! Sure, I would do some things differently. I'd probably go with a different rug in the living area, maybe zebra skin, and I would have chosen a different mirror to hang above the couch. I'd most likely go with a bolder choice for the throw pillows, but the transformation from the way the apartment started out is incredible. Read all about it here.

Before:

After:

Images via Copy Cat Chic

House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year 2008

Yesterday morning, House Beautiful revealed it's 2008 Kitchen of the Year on The Today Show. The kitchen was designed by the magazine in collaboration with kitchen designer extraordinaire, Christopher Peacock and is currently on display in Rockefeller Center. It is large, very functional, and has a very strong Hamptons vibe going on.

Wooden ceiling beams and an abundance of natural light contribute to the Hamptons feeling of the kitchen. Peacock chose a combination of white painted cabinets and stained wooden cabinets with vintage-style hardware to add character to the space.

The counters are made of Caesarstone, a quartz surface which stands up to virtually anything.

The dark wood floors are a source of visual impact.

Although the Delta Touch2O faucets used in the kitchen are not the most attractive option, they have a very cool feature. You can turn the faucet on or off by simply tapping it. So, when your hands are dirty from handling food, you don't have to worry about spreading bacteria onto the faucet.

These polished nickel industrial pendants are very similar to Circa Lighting's Houston pendants.

Another view of the kitchen

Look for more details in the September issue of House Beautiful. In the meantime, find out more about the kitchen in this video of the big reveal on the Today Show.

Images via House Beautiful.