Our three days are filled with show house and showroom tours, panels with designers and editors from the leading shelter magazines, food and beverages served by the most handsome wait staff of male models in the city (thank you, Kravet!) and intimate peeks into the workings of the Kravet brand studios. I came away feeling camaraderie with my fellow bloggers and respect for our unique voices and individual talents. All of Blogfest was a showcase -- for the equanimity of the Kravet family and staff, for the candidness of the panelists who shared personal stories and professional secrets, and for the collaborative spirit of the attendees. I can't wait to go back.

There's a lot to say about Wanted, ICFF and Blogfest, but to do them justice, I must do separate posts. Today, I’m taking up a challenge presented by House Beautiful. On Tuesday of Blogfest, we heard editorial panels from the Hearst Magazine Home Group, including Veranda and House Beautiful. House Beautiful’s panel discussed “A-ha” moments: what editors see in designers’ scouting shots that make them publication-worthy. House Beautiful challenged us to blog about our own A-ha moment.

My A-ha moment coincided with my first professional photo shoot. I was launching my website and had completed a sufficient body of work to justify hiring a pro. Rick Mandelkorn’s son and my son were school buddies so it seemed right to hire Rick, one of the best, to do the shoot. The first interior we shot was a living room I had recently finished. The house faced east and Rick caught the morning sun’s radiance on the sofa and grasscloth wallcovering, in the folds of the draperies, and even in the vase I placed on the mantel. The shot made the room look iridescent and I realized at that moment the talent of designer (me!) and photographer to ably capture light in a room in this way.

First on my itinerary is WantedDesign, an event inaugurated in 2011 to showcase New York City as an incubator and destination for design along the lines of London, Paris and Milan. With a program of exhibitions, workshops, lectures and lounges, WantedDesign seeks to bring together designers, architects, craftsmen, editors, and communications professionals to collaborate and build community. It's definitely an event worth exploring.

Next I'll be attending the International Contemporary Furniture Fair or ICFF, a show featuring exhibitors in the contemporary design world. I'll be going to this show as part of Blogfest 2012, a three-day event sponsored by Kravet Fabric and Furniture to bring together design bloggers and shelter magazines for Design Week offerings. I'm thrilled that as part of Blogfest 2012, we'll be seeing the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, the premier show house in New York City (and perhaps the nation). Whenever I can, I try to get to Kips Bay. It's always interesting to see how other designers interpret space. Rest assured I will share my reactions on the blog.

Blogfest 2012 will have me and about 150 other design bloggers meeting with Veranda, House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Traditional Home editors and celebrated designers like Thom Filicia; touring the Kravet studios, showrooms at the D&D Building (Decoration and Design) and the Museum of the City of New York; and networking with designers and vendors from the New York design community. If this will be my last trip before summer, what a way to finish!

Grisaille Chest

Faux paint finishes were all the rage from the mid-1980s to mid-2000s. I invested heavily in how-to books and magazines, and did my fair share of decorative painting. It certainly was a great way to give walls drama without committing to wallpaper. And for DIYers, it was inexpensive. Poor wallpaper. It suffered during this craze.

Some faux finishes I think are done. At least for now. But others have staying power. They are:

Stencils--This technique has been around for centuries and will remain so. Stencils make it easy to apply repetitive motifs. At the Brimfield Tweetup I attended last week, I fell in love with patterns by Cutting Edge Stencils, a sponsor. Their fabulous patterns make it easy to custom color a motif for any decor. If you read my post on Mother of Pearl, you know I'm in love with inlaid pieces. One of Cutting Edge's stencils makes it possible to reproduce the inlaid pattern. It's an easy way to replicate the look without the price tag.

                                                        Some Patterns from Cutting Edge Stencils

        Tables stenciled with Indian Inlay Furniture Stencil by Cutting Edge Stencils; photo (right) by Jessica Delaney

Murals--Like stencils, murals have also been around for centuries (think cave paintings!). One of my favorite muralists is Susan Harter, who has converted her murals to canvas and wallpaper. Susan and I did a show house together years ago and I have loved her work ever since. With a classical technique, Susan creates timeless scenes and landscapes to grace any room.

               Custom Mural Wallpaper by Susan Harter; Interior Design by Carter & Company; Photo by Eric Roth

Venetian Plaster--Again a centuries-old technique, Venetian plaster involves troweling on plaster in multiple thin coats which are then burnished with wax. What's great about this technique is that it creates texture and illumination. I have seen applications where mica dust is added to the plaster to create sparkle and other applications where a painted undercoat peeks out to add color and depth.

                           Venetian Plaster in a Foyer; Interior Design by Carter & Company; Photo by Eric Roth

Faux Wood Grain--Making things that can't be wood look like wood is still a faux finish that has its place in design. I had clients that had metal radiator covers in their living room. All the millwork in the space (moldings and fireplace mantel) were wood stained. It just wouldn't work with the space to paint these covers the wall color. So I had a decorative painter match the radiator covers to the millwork with a faux wood grain paint technique. My painter, Monica Erickson of M.Designs, did a similar treatment for a front door.

                                            Before                                                                                After

I had picked out fabrics over the years for my bedroom that were a combination of yellows, reds and blues. In my head, I was painting the walls yellow. Then, one sleepless night as I was re-thinking my bedroom decor, it struck me: not yellow, but peach! Why peach? Because peach is a color that makes white skin look pretty, so it's no wonder that it would be a good color for the bedroom. Not to mention that Benjamin Moore just last week forecasted peach as a color trend for 2013.

Peach varies from a blush color (what I'm thinking for my bedroom) to salmon, apricot, coral and melon. I like it because it acts as a neutral. The paint color I'm thinking of using--Benjamin Moore Sunlit Coral 2170-60--is a pale backdrop for the English pine bed and armoire and painted antique bureaus I have in my bedroom. It also works with my blue carpeting and bedding. It feels fresh to me as opposed to the yellow I had been wed to for a while.

Some of us may remember 1980s peach--paired with gray or teal in fabrics and wallpapers. To prove that peach can have a renaissance, I combed the internet for images of contemporary peach interiors (not necessarily in style, but in time period).

                         Dining Room by Ashley Whittaker Design                                        Bedroom by Kemble Interiors

                              Living Room of David Flint Wood and India Hicks in Sept/Oct 2011 Lonny Magazine

In the living room above, the peach sofa becomes a focal point in a room of black, grays and tans.

                 

I've always been fond of antiques. My parents used a decorator who was also an antiques dealer to help design my childhood home. So naturally, some of the furnishings I grew up with were antiques. When I moved into my first apartment in the East 20's of Manhattan, there was an antiques dealer in my building, and one of my first purchases was an old oak chest that called out to me from the storefront. Ever since, this chest has moved with me everywhere, from being a foyer fixture to currently being a bedside table.

I started collecting arbitrarily. In an antiques shop, I saw a green swirled bowl with a lovely apple-green color. So began my "green plate collection." I collect anything that is pottery or dishware in this matte green color. The collection took off long before I even knew what I was collecting. But I discovered at Brimfield that what I was collecting was McCoy pottery, W.S. George Petalware, Homer Laughlin Riviera, Stangl Colonial and other early to mid-century dishware patterns.

I'm also a fan of vintage textiles. I collect tablecloths from the 1930's and 40's with floral, fruit and state designs. They're so cheerful and colorful. They really make me happy when I use them.

So what's so special about Brimfield? I can go to Brimfield for a couple of hours, set a budget of even just $100 and come home with several treasures that give me that thrill of the hunt. And along the way, I'll meet vendors that share the same crazy obsessions that I have. Or I'll see some memento from my childhood that makes me feel so nostalgic. I'll pick something up for 5 or 15 or 50 dollars that touches me in a way that few possessions can.

And add to this the creation last year of the Brimfield Tweetup by Cynthia Bogart of The Daily Basics and Gretchen Aubuchon of Fashion + Decor. I went to the second Brimfield Tweetup in September of last year. It was the first event I attended where everyone was brought together by social media. Many people I met at the event, who I knew before only as Twitter handles, have since become colleagues and friends. So from hunter I became gatherer. That's why I love Brimfield.

At Market, Global Views introduced their Teeter Totter Stone Table with a terrazzo top and cut travertine base. In two sizes--a large coffee table with a 40-inch diameter top and a smaller end table with an 18-inch diameter top--the table can be used inside or out.

I absolutely adored the Phillips Collection Freeform Consoles. Made of species like teak, rosewood, and monkey wood, these tables are as close to nature as one could get, short of rootwood.

Phillips also fashions slabs of wood into coffee tables and in a similar vein, makes bronze facsimiles as benches.

This woven Abaca ottoman or coffee table by Made Goods shows tremendous versatility: the top lifts off for storage.

I was fascinated by the tables below and other pieces by Mr. Brown. They have a multi-layered paint finish which is applied by hand, so no two are alike. The finish is called "putty." But to me, it had the feeling of gesso--a mixture composed of paint, clay and animal-glue binder--which is an old-world multi-layered finish (gesso is mostly known as a substrate for paint canvases). The finish on these pieces was so textural and complex. But I wondered if it was practical. I mean, really? Can you put a drink on it? No worries though: there is a protective topcoat. You'd treat the tables like any fine piece of furniture.

Currey & Company featured a similar gesso-like applied finish on their Amedeo Table Lamp in Ancient White and Applied Rust.

Speaking of table lamps, natural materials featured prominently on lamp bases at Market. Zentique showed this twig lamp base on their large Le Sculpture Lamp.

Arteriors featured hand-thrown terracotta lamps with earthly glazes. Below left is the Treva Electric Moss lamp and on the right is the Wagner Organic lamp with pistachio glaze.

If you want to go organic, though, my favorite of the Arteriors lamps was this Wyatt Clay white porcelain lamp. Straight out of Chez Flinstone in Bedrock.

Underwater water elements surfaced (ha ha) at High Point also. These tables by Mr. Brown and Julian Chichester showed the color variations possible in urchin bone. Cool bases too!

This mirror from Made Goods was overlaid entirely with cut shells. An amazing pattern and feat of delicate handiwork as you can see from the close-up.

On the wall, if you like skins, this laser-cut Hair-on-Hide by Gold Leaf Design Group was fabulous. I could see it hanging as a pseudo-headboard in a master bedroom. Talk about sensuous! Skip the bear-skin rug.

In interiors, preppy style manifests itself in colors, patterns and classic forms, and these abounded at Spring Market in High Point. Without going to the obvious (Lilly Pulitzer, whose showroom I missed), I found plenty of this look elsewhere. Hickory Chair pulled off the preppy look in colorful upholstery patterns and painted furnishings.

This classic ikat appeared in the Hickory Chair showroom on this sofa, on side chairs and throw pillows. Red, yellow, and navy. Throw in a little turquoise for good measure. Bam! Preppy.

The Sara Side Table by Alexa Hampton for Hickory Chair (right) and the Fretwork Side Chair, part of the James River Collection for Hickory Chair (below), can be finished in Benjamin Moore paint. The floor models were finished in Benjamin Moore HC-136, Waterbury Green.

Also classic preppy was this pink bedroom suite created by Suzanne Kasler for Hickory Chair in Antique Ivory. My favorite piece is the quatrefoil-back Alexandra Chair in the foreground.

Across other showrooms, upholstery stayed true to classic preppy forms. C.R. Laine combined a yellow leather chesterfield sofa with chinoiserie pillows to create an updated preppy look.

Thibaut, a long-standing company known for their fabrics and wallcoverings, introduced their Fine Furniture line at this Market. The Brighton Sofa (below) with its gently arched back, winged arms and bamboo-style legs was a delight in pink Spring Velvet. Notice how it's paired with a green ottoman.

This Brentwood Chair, much like a slipper chair, with buttoned back and bamboo-style base and legs, had an old-fashioned silhouette and the feel of a family heirloom. How much more preppy can you get?

Oly Studio introduced this new green velvet called "Lily Pad" at Market. Maybe it's the combo with the pink throw pillow that makes me think preppy.

And talk about pink and green! How about these headboards introduced by Company C with the accompanying linens?

Light fixtures and accessories did prep too, just as a rep tie would finish off a navy blazer and khakis. Robert Abbey featured this Penelope Pendant with a drum shade in orange, fuchsia, black, navy or taupe with a silver mylar lining. Polished nickel and a lead crystal finial complete the look.

For the die-hards, Oomph, a favorite at High Point, featured their Charleston mirror (below left), a take-off on a classic Chippendale style, in 16 colors (by the way, that's Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence reflected in the mirror). Is plaid in your heritage? Maybe you'd like these Tartan stools by Tozai Home (below right).

Finally, what's preppy without some ancestral portraits or busts. These, by Oly, may just fit the bill.

Props to the High Point Market Authority. Every logistical aspect of being at Market is taken care of. And I don't think this is just Southern hospitality. Transportation is free and can get you anywhere while at Market. Event planners have a daunting job, and I now marvel at their forethinking and ability to handle the minutest of details.

There are so many angles to report about High Point. Ask two different bloggers and I'll bet they'll have two different takes on the trends spotted at Market. To make it easy, I'll categorize mine, starting with Heavy Metal.

Metallics continue to be important in interior design. After all, as reflective surfaces, they add shimmer and light to interiors. At this Market, metallics showed up on big ticket items, like the metal clad Oly Studio Amelia armoire. Below left is the Parker Armoire (new at Market also) in painted hardwoods. On the right is the Amelia armoire encased in stainless steel. The metal is definitely an industrial look reminiscent of aviation. I like the look and see it in an urban setting or loft, or to introduce contrast in a wood-laden mountain or country retreat.

In tables, metal appeared in the base of this new introduction by Oly on the left topped by a cast resin round top. On the right is Arteriors new Zena Oval mirrored cocktail table with a base of distressed gold leaf. I love the clear glass top with the mirrored base: the way the mirror reflects the tablescape above adds depth and magnifies the sparkle of the applied gold leaf. Definitely jewelry for the home.

Metal continues to be a strong material in lighting. Jamie Young introduced cast metal table lamps in three colorways.

Global Views took their Twig Pendant, introduced last fall in brass, and reinterpreted it in polished nickel for spring. They also introduced the companion wall sconce.

In accessories, metal adorned everything from vases to pillows. Barbara Barry for Studio A, the sister company of Global Views, introduced porcelain vases with painted electroplated metallic glazes in gold and pewter.

Nailheads, one of my favorite ways of adding a little shine to upholstery, showed up at this Market on pillows by Jamie Young.

 Next up in the series: Preppy Style. Stay tuned.

When you read this, I'll be in High Point, North Carolina for the Spring Furniture Market. It's my first time to Market when thousands of dealers, buyers, designers, bloggers and others associated with the furnishings industry descend on this U.S. furniture capital. After my trips to the Design Bloggers Conference in L.A. in February and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in March, I was on the fence about also going to High Point for Market Week. But luckily, I won a contest sponsored by the High Point Market Authority which paid for part of my trip. Being at Market gives me the chance to view new product introductions first-hand, tour showrooms for products not represented locally at the Boston Design Center and network with other designers, bloggers and industry professionals. So expect the next few blog posts to be about the new and great things I'll be seeing in High Point.