BlogTourNOLA ~ In Love with New Orleans

So for those of you following me here and on Twitter and Facebook, you will have seen that I have arrived to New Orleans with the great group of bloggers on BlogTourNOLA with Modenus.

We are here, in part to showcase the beauty of this special 'melange' of a city as well as to attend KBIS later on this week. Today, as I arrived a little early I decided to let my feet guide me as I explored the city without any real agenda or destination in mind - and ended up in the French Quarter.

I am mesmerized by the amazing mixtures of colors and how they change from street to street. I have wanted to see these homes for myself, always finding images on Pinterest and the like as a great source of inspiration but was worried about what I would see as the city is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.

I feel so much at home here as I walked around just taking in the strong European roots in the architecture and styles of homes .. where the fusion of cultures, and the tensions that is created with the lack of that fusion between old and new, is truly invigorating.

No, not Lisbon! 

The scars of a town ravaged by the force of Nature are still evident, and make me wonder on the comparisons to what we are feeling still back home in New York as so many still recover from Sandy.. and it is humbling to think that less than 8 years on, and still the city is in such need of help. While this is true, the energy and buzz from below the city streets, are very much a part behind the resilient force reestablishing s strong footing on the world of art, antiques and most of all music.

More to come in the next few days, as I explore New Orleans.. so make sure to follow along on all fronts!


Thanks as always to the amazing sponsors that are supporting Modenus make this trip possible.









*All images are by me, from New Orleans. Feel free to share them (everywhere!) but please don't forget to link back to this post! Thanks.

Veranda Magazine & Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala ~ "High Society"- Part 2

Loved the tabletop designs from this weekend's post.... Well, feast your eyes on a few more of the great table designs that a very talented group of 45 fabulous creatives helped put together  ~ all in aid of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala with Veranda Magazine as it's media sponsor.

Color, Pattern and grand statements were made with stunning flatware, creative centerpieces and a some magic fairy dust that brought these tables to life.

From the bright and bold, Scalamandre table (above) which is sold at Bloomingdales and not playing favorites but happen to love this pattern!! and love how my fellow Bartow Pell Mansion designer, Bryant Keller, used it in his Kips Bay Showhouse design as well.

via Scalamandre

Brooke Gomez for Gomez Associates, creates a fresh spring look with a mixture in metal tones, and soft pastels..

ARDEN (above) and Sam Allen (below) brought pattern and fresh warm color tones with corals, salmons and hints of strong blues and grays to contrast them.. 

as did Dennis Rolland, with a darker set of tones and more elaborate metal combinations..

Christopher Maya took the Spring inspiration one step further with a boxwood tree covered in lemons, and feathers with Ostrich eggs as the table centerpiece .. but I especially loved the treatment of the seat coverings where no small detail has been left unattended..

Black and White contrasts with spicy green tones played a part in both Michael Aram (above) and Keith Carrol (below)

while John Todd Bishop strong blues and a sartorial twist to the High Society themed event.

Since 1894, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House began as the Community’s First Free Kindergarten until today where it continues to serve those in need who live, work or attend school on the East Side of Manhattan. 

2013 Gala Designers: 

Alberto Villalobos & Mercedes Desio; Allison Hennessy; Andrea Stark + (LMD) Lewis Miller Design; Andrew Raquet, LLC; ARDEN; Ashley Whittaker Design; Brooke Gomez, Gomez Associates; Byron C. James; Christopher Maya; Christopher Spitzmiller, Inc.; Creel and Gow; David Duncan Antiques; David Kleinberg Design Associates; Dekar Design; Dennis Rolland; E. Braun & Co. New York/Design by Susan Orsini; Harry Heissmann, Inc.; Hilary Pereira; Joel Woodard; John Todd Bishop Interior Design; Julia B. Linens; Kathy Abbott Interiors; Katie Ridder Inc.; Keith Carroll; Leontine Linens Ltd.; Lindsey Coral Harper Interior Design ; McMillen Inc.; Michael Aram Inc.; MR CALL DESIGNS for STARK; Nicole Gibbons Studio; Plaza Flowers; Richard Keith Langham, Incorporated; Roric Tobin for Geoffrey Bradfield, Inc.; Rottet Studio; Sallie Giordano for Leta Austin Foster & Associates, Inc.; Sam Allen Interiors; Steven Stolman for Scalamandré; Thomas Burak Interiors & Michael Devine; Timothy BrownStudio 

All images of tabletop decor are courtesy of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. 

Veranda Magazine & Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala ~ "High Society" - Part 1

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House hosted “ HIGH SOCIETY,” its annual Spring Gala Benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street, NYC on Wednesday, with 45 tables decorated by a different renowned designer. 

photo: DPC via NYSocial Diary

Bunny Williams and John Rosselli

With Bunny Williams and John Rosselli as Honorary Design Chairs of the gala which took place in honor of Caroline and Thompson Dean, long-time board members and generous supporters of the Neighborhood House and with VERANDA magazine as the media sponsor.. It was sure to be a fantastic success. Editor in chief Dara Caponigro and design and decoration editor Carolyn Englefield as Design Chairs along with antiques dealer David Duncan, interior designer Lindsey Coral Harper and ceramic artist Christopher Spitzmiller also helped make the night very special... so you can see -a star studded list with a fantastic lineup of designers helped make this year very special for those that it benefits. 

Amazingly from this year's gala alone, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House raised an outstanding $1,350,000! 

Vera Wang / Tory Burch Photo: Cutty McGill, 

with the support of top fashion and interiordesign designers, as they came together to support the cause including: Tory Burch, VeraWang, David Kleinberg, Katie Ridder, Christopher Spitzmiller, David Duncan,Lindsay Coral Harper, Ashley and Chad Stark (whose table was designed by JonCall for MR CALL Designs), Richard Keith Langham, Harry Heissmann, among so many others.

Elizabeth Pyne of McMillen Inc. took inspiration from the 1956 film with black and white images of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly against a fresh 2013 pink tablescape... with musical instruments and everything.

A "Sartorial Picnic" themed design inspired the fabulous Jon Call of Mr Call Designs for Stark to create a brightly colored florals and fabrics whimsically placed .. you simply can't help but smile at this table... 

Serene and elegant designs by Harry Heissmann Inc (above) and House of Oasis (below) both with a nautical touch sparkle and glitter with the lights..

Fantasy guests made for great entertainment, such as Andy Warhol “V.I.P. Playground of Studio 54” by Timothy Brown Studio or a life-size cutout of the late Diana Vreeland at Andrea Stark and Lewis Miller Design’s table joined the party.

The animal theme was present and carried throughout a few of the tabletop designs, with cages by Dekar Design's or David Duncan's hot air balloon or floral and butterfly paradise by Allison Hennessy  (above) and with feathers (below) in Peacock like David Kleinbergs or Black and White such as  Hilary Pereira / Veranda's table centerpiece

our 'hats' come off to all that helped make this such a great event for all.

Since 1894, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House began as the Community’s First Free Kindergarten until today where it continues to serve those in need who live, work or attend school on the East Side of Manhattan. 

More of the tables on the blog this weekend. Make sure to check back in! Happy Friday.

2013 Gala Designers:

013 Gala Designers:
Alberto Villalobos & Mercedes Desio; Allison Hennessy; Andrea Stark + (LMD) Lewis Miller Design; Andrew Raquet, LLC; ARDEN; Ashley Whittaker Design; Brooke Gomez, Gomez Associates; Byron C. James; Christopher Maya; Christopher Spitzmiller, Inc.; Creel and Gow; David Duncan Antiques; David Kleinberg Design Associates; Dekar Design; Dennis Rolland; E. Braun & Co. New York/Design by Susan Orsini; Harry Heissmann, Inc.; Hilary Pereira; Joel Woodard; John Todd Bishop Interior Design; Julia B. Linens; Kathy Abbott Interiors; Katie Ridder Inc.; Keith Carroll; Leontine Linens Ltd.; Lindsey Coral Harper Interior Design ; McMillen Inc.; Michael Aram Inc.; MR CALL DESIGNS for STARK; Nicole Gibbons Studio; Plaza Flowers; Richard Keith Langham, Incorporated; Roric Tobin for Geoffrey Bradfield, Inc.; Rottet Studio; Sallie Giordano for Leta Austin Foster & Associates, Inc.; Sam Allen Interiors; Steven Stolman for Scalamandré; Thomas Burak Interiors & Michael Devine; Timothy BrownStudio





All images of tabletop decor are courtesy of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.