Before & After: Gracie Wallpaper for Ronald McDonald Project Design

From yesterday's post of the bathroom remodel for the Ronald McDonald house of Long Island, I wanted to venture back into the bedroom through the entry and focus on the incredible custom wallpaper collaboration with Gracie Studio that has generated many an "ohhh and ahhh" for the visitors coming into the room.

I am so pleased with the end result, especially on the ceiling as it really helped create a very serene environment in which the families can truly feel as though they were embraced by love and warmth as they look into the blue sky above...

Jennifer & Mike Gracie

With an 8ft ceiling but a room with a very awkward trapezoid shape, I wanted to draw your eye in and help establish a more ample and regular space through the trim and wallpapered ceiling.

While I was working on the design of the room, I remembered that a while back I had received an email from Jennifer Gracie and decided to reach out to her crossing all my fingers and toes in the hopes that they would be willing to partner with me and create some of their amazing wallpaper in the name of this great cause.




Wouldn't you know it, they welcomed the idea wholeheartedly and off I was rushing to their great showroom at the D&D Building to have a first look at all the options available to me. A family run company, since its inception in 1898 and with modern day clients such as Tory Burch, that also included Gracie as part of the backdrop to last season's New York Fashion Week runway..

Tory Burch Instagram feed

and Aerin Lauder, with her quite widely published dressing room as featured here in Elle Magazine..

Images: Christopher Sturman, Elle Magazine

I knew I was in great hands. The options are tremendous, from Vintage and Antique panels in sepia, black and white all the way through the color spectrum to any custom color a designer could dream of.

1. SY-500 Mid-Century Slate 2. SY-239 Gilded Garden 3. SY-216 Slate Forest

Vintage Gracie panels. 1/VG4 – handpainted panel by artist Lieung from the 1960’s, and VG51 – 

painted in the 1930’s/40’s. 

Antique Panels. The first image is 534 (#5) a French 18^th century all-over pattern. 

The last image is a panel part of Passage des Déstroits.

We are quite familiar with the more traditional panels, either on paper or silk backing with floral and nature inspired motifs, but I did quite like the more geometric glamorous gold pattern as featured above and can't wait to be able to use it in an upcoming design project.

1. SY-650 Mint Blossom  2. GT-6 Gold Fret

But once I considered all of my options, I decided on this panel. I really liked the tree, branches and flowers and felt that they would be soothing and yet still captivating for both my entry and ceiling treatments.

SY-205 Caroline Street

Initially we tried to leave the original background color, but as I wanted to have the lacquered finish we needed to select a different ground. This meant that the paper would have a stone like pattern to it, almost creating the illusion of panels within the panels..

But once they began, it just didn't feel right. So we sent the artists a sample of the Brunshwig et Fils fabric as a source for the blue I really wanted as the background (as seen above) and they recolored the paper sample for me .. Perfection!

The panels were quickly coming to life, and we were busy preparing the room and when I say "we" I actually mean Oliver Marinovic and his team ~ that added the trim molding to enclose the space within the ceiling, and frame the closet area all awaiting he paper installation.

With the greatest care, and attention to each detail. Matching the seams, ensuring that each flower was of equal distance .. honestly, it was a very long day but well worth the end result!

Thanks again Gracie for allowing me to share your beautiful product with each and every family that will call Room 101 their home.

Over the course of the next few weeks I will continue the Before & After series moments of mine as well as  all the rooms with special focus on the amazing brands that have made it possible for me to participate:

à BAKER FURNITURE – www.bakerfurniture.com

à BENJAMIN MOORE – www.benjaminmoore.com

à BRIZO – www.brizo.com

à BRUNSCHWIG et FILS – www.brunschwig.com

à CALIFORNIA CLOSETS – www.caliclosets.com Contact: Carolyn Musher 

à CURREY & CO – www.curreycodealers.com

à CUSTOM WINDOWS – (203) 231-3659 Contact: John Hayes

à FILMORE CLARK – http://filmoreclark.com/

à GRACIE – www.graciestudio.com

à KENISE BARNES – http://kbfa.com/

à KRAVET – www.kravet.com

à LEE JOFA -  www.leejofa.com

à OLIVER’S HOUSE PAINTING, LLC – T: 914 954-3742

à STARK - www.starkcarpet.com  Contact: Adam Khan - T: 203-899-1771
à THE FINISHED WALL - Contact: Angela Capan & Nancy Schadt. www.thefinishedwall.com

Please make sure to visit each of their websites, as they are simply amazing!

Open October 11-14th ONLY. This is an event you do NOT want to miss!
Call 516-775-5683 x129 to reserve your tickets today! Kravet NYC&G


Designers participation:  Amanda Nisbet, Anthony Baratta, The Breakfast Room, Bunny Williams, Core Consulting, Danielle Colding Design, Delrose Design, Drake Design Associates, Drew McGukin Interiors, Dwell Studio, Elaine Griffin Interior Design, Eric Colher, Kate Singer, Kim E Courtney Interiors & Designs, Mabley Handler Interior Design, Margreet Cevasco Design, Matthew Patrick Smyth, Meg Braff Designs, Mehditash Design (thats me!) Michael Herold Design, Michael Tavano Design, Mr Call Design, Nick Olsen, Pappas & Mirron Design, Tilton Fenwick Young Huh Interior Design, 

Dec-a-Porter 360* - When Fashion and Design Collide

I have been so inspired by so much from this season's New York Fashion Week.

Not only have the collections for Fall 2012 been really outstanding and hopefully a sign that great things are in store for us all in 2012..

but also as a designer I can't help but feel that this year there has been a real attention placed on the Design Elements of each runway stage and set and it made me take a deeper look into some of these examples from Fall 2012, as well as seasons passed.

To begin, and as two of my fellow bloggers Quintessence and Tilton Fenwick showcased, Tory Burch Fall 2012 collection sparked a Twitter frenzy among many design aficionados as we all fell in love with her great use of this Gracie wallpaper..

Image via Tory Burch on Twitter

Not only was the wallpaper fabulous, but every attention to detail as you would expect from Tory Burch, was made in setting the right stage for her collection, like the fabulous runner.

It just adds that extra touch, by awakening all the senses with its soft palette and pattern, creating a very comfortable and elegant as you would imagine that the ideal *Burch* woman would posses.

Grant White Design

But this was not the only example of Fashion and Design colliding on the runway, as designers create each stage for those attending and for all the images shared thereafter.

Without Hollywood set design budgets, these Fashion Icons  not only through their clothes and accessories but through music, light and Set Design have been able to set the mood for their story.
Here are a few more details that caught my eye..



This great entrance from the Jason Wu Fall 2012 collection was a stunner, with that studded detailing and red light, very much trend!




Some designers create a backdrop that is always true and symbolic of their brand just like the DKNY runway from both Spring and Fall 2012.. the only difference, the flooring changing to a patterned carpet for Fall, staying very true to her brand and client.

So New York, so DKNY.




























All this attention to the runway and runners made me curious as to how some other designers were tackling this element. Here, two other great examples of carpeting as runners, creating a warm and definite design statement through each of these choices.

Thomas O Brien Aero Studios

Above, Marchesa chooses a more traditional carpeting, with flowers and subdued colors as a backdrop for their uber-luxurious collection...

while Tommy Hilfiger (below) makes a more dramatic *urban-chic* statement through the use of a patchwork kilim runner with a gold trim and huge chandeliers.

Perfect way to introduce a strong color statement without necessarily using those colors on the clothes. Great for the shot too!

Commune Design

In contrast, the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2012 collection is a light filled space with a brick herringbone pattern runway with greenery creates an friendly outdoor setting ...

And Ralph! Oh, Ralph Lauren made a splash not only with his collection (which I personally love!) but also with showing off the quintessential Lauren style with the most exquisite parquet floors, reminiscent of Versailles.

via House Beautiful_Miles Redd

Versailles

or by some of these designers from previous fashion seasons, where a more avant garde theatrical approach was taken but still within a very subdued grey and white color palette.

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren

Versace Spring 2011 Milan

Credits:
Fashion images via NYMag.com and Vogue.com

You see, the fashion shows are not all about the clothes but great attention is paid to every single detail of these spectacular presentations...


I am headed to Los Angeles next week, and hopefully will find some really great things to share in the week leading up to Design Bloggers Conference.

Wishing you all a great weekend.