Contributors
- Auction Houses, Contributors, Daniella Ohad, Decorative and Fine Arts Sourcing, Decorative Arts, Design, Educational, New York School of Interior Design, Wright Chicago
Design as an Art Form
“Collecting Design” by Daniella OhadCollecting modern and contemporary design has become one of the most dynamic, influential territories in the international marketplace, a territory that stands at the forefront of style and taste. While at first it was fueled mainly by the fine art market, collecting design has emerged as a discipline in its own right; one that not only dominates interior design, but also attracts those who value living with beautiful things. The design market is now a global barometer of trend forecasting, signifying status and culture. Collecting design inspires scholarly analysis, art fairs, museum exhibitions, and monographs, and was cited recently by the Wall Street Journal as a lucrative avenue of investment. Although collecting design generates tremendous interest worldwide, a dedicated program was nowhere to be found. To fill the gap, I authored the first course exclusively devoted to collecting design, and it is open to everyone.In the ten-session program, I examine the themes, periods, and styles with the strongest presence in the marketplace, including the American Arts & Crafts Movement, French Art Deco, American Modernism, Mid-Century Design in the US, Italy, and France, the Studio Movement, European Design of the 70s, and Contemporary Design. Each lecture is complimented by dialogues with dealers, collectors, curators, designers, and writers. I have the honor of sharing insights and candid advice from the world’s most knowledgeable experts. Together, we examine exhibitions, publications, auction records, relevant connoisseurship, major design fairs, and the stories behind the scenes. For information and registration: https://www.nysid.edu/academics/continuing-education-professional-studies/collecting-design.Contributing Story from Daniella OhadWatch Her YouTube Design Videos Right Here -
Ladies For A Day
Downton Abbeyphoto via Fabsugar.comWritten by Elaine G. FloresDon’t you just swoon over “Downton Abbey” on Sunday nights? I certainly do. In these Big Gulp, plastic days, it’s wonderful to imagine a world so passionate about style and indulgence. I recently took a jaunt to London with some fellow Abbey addicts to see how much luxury we we could fit into a single day.The Crawleys are clearly committed to fashion, so we started with a morning trip to Kensington High Street. I’m fairly certain that we became a tad more soigné, just strolling along, or at least that’s what we imagined.
Downtown Abbey Season 3Photo via CBS.orgOne can’t picture Lady Mary doing anything without glamour, so my group was determined that even the least glamorous of activities–a trip to the, um, loo, if you must know–would be done with some flair. Yes, we headed to the Ritz-Carlton to use the facilities. The hotel famously regards jeans and sports shoes the way the Dowager Countess looks at Americans, the middle class and electricity, so we made sure our outfits were up to snuff. (No word on what they think of the kind of people who make field trips to their powder room.)Obviously, afternoon tea, had to be a part of this experience. The Crawleys demand the very best, and so did we. We headed to the award-winning Athenaeum, where our biggest concern was whether to finish off with the lemon drizzle cake or Elderflower Jelly. The correct answer? Both.While we’re not sure if Lord Grantham would approve of us willingly entering a kitchen, we did pay a visit to a cooking school to learn about the sort of French cuisine Mrs. Patmore would have served. Those of us who are tragically without a live-in staff should still be able to have a gourmet meal at home from time to time.After a long day of leisure, it was time for an adult beverage, so we headed to the Terrace Bar at the Chesterfield Mayfair for cocktails. As we were on our way out, Chris, the velvet-voiced concierge fussed over us, insisted that we sample old-fashioned English candy (And really, who doesn’t love a man who insists that you eat candy?), ushered us out and then gave us a gallant bow. It was as if we’d found our very own Mr. Carson.
The lesson we learned is that somebody has to be pampered, it might as well be us, and hopefully, you too.
The Crawleys from Downton AbbeyCourtesy of © Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for Masterpiece TheaterPhoto via Vanity Fair
Downton Abbey Tea Party CookiesPhoto via Cookie Pixie
Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Carltonphoto via http://downtonabbeycooks.com
Kensington High Street, London
The Athenaeum HotelPhoto credit Jonathan Player for The New York Times
Chesterfield Mayfair, LondonPhoto via Chesterfield Mayfair
The Athenaeum, LondonAbove photos via CNN Traveler
The Athenaeum, Londonphoto via CNN Traveler
A room with a view: The Athenaeum, Londonphoto via http://www.everettpotter.com
London Sotheby’s International RealtyPhoto via Sotheby’s Realty
The simple pleasure of Afternoon Tea (photo ITV)Photo via Downton Abbey Cooks
Best afternoon teas in LondonPhoto via CNN Traveller
Photo via AZ life and StyleElaine G. Flores blogs for Sterling Silver Tours, which offers, “Downton Abbey” themed tours to London.
- Art Deco, Art Deco Society of New York, Christie's, Contributors, Decorative Arts, Furniture, Gail Green, Kathryn Hausman, Steven Greenberg
Greenberg’s Art Deco: The Splendor Of The Sublime
Art DecoMASTERFUL CRAFTSMANSHIP
The Steven Greenberg collection of Art Deco art, furniture, and accessories represents the magnificence of a time relived through the eyes of this special collector. Capturing the Art Deco zeitgeist through selective acquisition, with an acute eye towards exquisite beauty, Greenberg amassed works by Dupas, Dunand, and Ruhlmann.
As Kathryn Hausman, president of the Art Deco Society of New York, who was both a close personal and professional friend of Steven Greenberg notes, “When it came to his collection, Steven had both an eye for attention to detail and an appreciation for the masterful craftsmanship and beauty that epitomized the Art Deco period. He lived and worked amongst these works of beauty as though each piece spoke to him of a time and artist still alive. Stevenʼs ability to create such a collection illustrates his profound knowledge and love of the period.” With the majority of his exemplary collection centered on the works of these three titans of the times, Greenberg sets the Christieʼs stage with a feast for the splendor of the sublime.A COLLECTOR’S PASSION FOR BEAUTY
Paul Bonetʼs hand-tooled leather binding with George Barbierʼs lively illustrationsTalking sublime, Paul Bonetʼs hand-tooled leather binding with George Barbierʼs lively illustrations is artistic virtuosity. Influenced by Pierre Legrain, Bonetʼs work exhibits a three dimensionality that is highly innovative. This black Morocco gild leather binding, whose cover is encrusted with a “sunk-in lacquer panel in black, red, gold, silver, and eggshell, and whose lower cover is gilt and decorated with red morocco inlay and golden iridescent silk end leaves” exhibits the whimsy and fanciful decoration of the illustrations within. Encapsulating the beauty and materials of the Art deco period, Bonet was both highly imaginative and daring.Unlike any Eileen Gray I have ever seen, this rare six panel 1923 dark brown colored lacquer screen is a wonderful example of the designerʼs art moderne style. Incised and painted wood panels display linear and arced shapes reminiscent of the De Stijl movement, Grayʼs work shows a sympathetic alliance to the international artists of her time, both in innovation and technique. The work is about as much as the spaces she defined within the lines as it is about the process and genius that these lines distinguished.
Jean Dupasʻ pair of wall panels, dated 1934/5, define Greenbergʼs taste for the period as well as epitomize the Art Deco period itself. The allegorical themes which it portrays in full splendor are as bold and magnificent as the work itself. Sea monsters, sirens, waves – a drama played out verre eglomise display a boldness of line and spirit that raise this work to magnificent artistic heights. Originally designed for the Grand Salon of the Normandie, the gold, silver and palladium leafing palette must have made a grand gesture matched only by the ship itself.Steven Greenbergʼs masterpiece collection of French Art Deco artistry highlights the unfaltering eye of a collectorʼs passion for beauty and genius. Best Wishes! Gail.
Six panel 1923 dark brown colored lacquer screen
NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
Classic American Style at its Best
Joseph Abboud’s Classic TuxedoThe British have Savile Row, and Italians are well known for their fashion savor fair, and everything sartorial. And in America, we have some of the most trail blazing fashion designers. Joseph Abboud has long been recognized as having his own brand of classic style, and is by large a “style guardian”. In 1981, he began working along side the American Style Icon Ralph Lauren, and thus started his namesake label in 1986.Written by Mark Scott
Joseph Abboud Super 120s Wool Tuxedo
photo via suitored.com
Joseph Abboud has furnished everyone from athletes, musicians and businessmen to everyday Men of Style (such as myself). His unique style is classic but still very relevant to American Fashion. In February 2013, I will look forward, once more, to the spin he puts on American Style during Fashion Week in New York!
photo via Joseph Abboud
photo via Joseph Abboud
photo via Joseph Abboud
photo via Joseph Abboud
Jospeh Abboud’s Runway Show/2013photo via The Fine Young Gentleman
photo via Joseph Abboud
Cufflinks by Joseph Abboudphoto via modnique.com
Joseph Abboud’s Home Collectionvia Joseph Abboud
Joseph Abboud’s runway show/2012photo via Fresher than Chris
Joseph Abboud, Spring 2013photo via The Fine Young Gentleman
Fashion designer, Joseph AbboudNOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
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Contemplating the Genius of Place & The Places of Geniuses
Midlands, EnglandAfter our marathon visit to Liverpool, prudence dictated that we sleep until respectably late hours, and then spend the remainder of Friday a bit closer to home. We gathered at Anne and David’s, and inspected Anne’s exquisite back garden (all photos of which were taken by Anne)……and then proceeded to Julia and Roger Aldridge’s for tea, where Julia and her cats Tim and Henry gave us a tour of her yard (photos of which are also Anne’s).
As you can see, my British friends make sublime gardens!Our plan for the afternoon was a visit to the ruins at Witley Court,Great Witley, Worcestershire. Inevitably, since the buildings we’d bewandering through are roof-less, the skies, which had been reticent all morning, finally unleashed drenching rains: the afternoon would be soggy.Rather than rewrite what has already been well-stated, I quote from the English Heritage guidebook, “Witley Court” :“Once one of England’s great country houses, Witley Court was largely gutted by fire in 1937. The owner, Sir Herbert Smith, decided not to rebuild, but to put the estate up for sale. Witley was never lived in again and was subsequently stripped and abandoned. Yet, as a ruin, it remains deeply evocative. Today it offers a rare opportunity to see the bones of a mansion that has grown over the centuries, from a substantial Jacobean house, based upon a medieval manor house, through expansion under the first Baron Foley and his son in the 1720’s and 1730’s to the addition of two massive porticos by Regency architect John Nash. It finally reached its peak of grandeur in the 1850’s with the extensive remodeling commissioned by the first earl of Dudley from the architectSamuel Daukes. Lord Dudley’s immense wealth, generated largely by his industrial enterprises in the West Midlands, enabled his family to live an extraordinarily opulent life. It also funded the creation of an ornate formal garden at Witley designed by William Andrews Nesfield, the leading garden designer of his day. An army of servants was involved in servicing the property and family, further swollen during the lavish house parties attended by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and his circle.”
Witley Court in its heyday
Today’s ruins and restored gardensWe first popped inside the Witley Parish Church, a still-functioning place of worship that’s attached to the manor house ruins. The Church is a rarity in England: the baroque style of its interior is more typical of Italy and southern Germany.
A fine Rococo InteriorLeaving the Church, we approached the magnificent ruins
Ruins of Manor House to the left; Parish Church to the right
Archway leading to the West Wing
The Conservatory, also known as The Orangery, was one of the largest in England. AG
South Parterre Gazebo. AG
Fountain in ACTION. Perseus and his winged steed Pegasus are riding to Andromeda’s rescue. Sea monsters snap at their heels, but the hero and his lady fly off, in a spray of water! How’s THAT for watery entertainment. The fountains are activated, once every hour, and run for 20 minutes. AG
A Dog-Walker’s Paradise. AG
Anne and Janet strolling by Cupid, who is riding a dolphin
These photos of Witley’s ruins say it all: rarely have I been to a place that so exemplifies
the concept of sweet melancholy. -
Central Asia’s Fashion Week
ON THE RUNWAYT with Loris DiranHeaded by Uzbekistan’s own Fist Daughter Gulnara Karimova and her Fund Forum Association, Art Week Style which took place in Uzbekistan’s Capital city, Tashkent, on October 4th through the 9th, focused on bringing together various international designers and artists in events ranging from Fashion shows to Master Classes for the country’s students. It was quite a cultural exchange for all involved and it introduced me to a country that, outside of some very vague geographical references, I knew relatively nothing about. I came away with it understanding the Central Asian region with an appreciation for an ancient culture that dates back to the reign of Gengis Khan and Amir Timor. The historical landmarks, the texures and literal fabrics of this land are truly inspiring. I never know where the next source of inspiration for my collection will come from.
Loris Diran’s Fall 2012 Fashion Collection
Carolina HerreraAmong the designers attending were: Versace, Carolina Herrera, Matthew Williamson, Dolce and Gabbana, Temperley London, and Hoss Intropia of Spain, as well as Me!
Life of the party
All roads leads to…
Founder and CEO of Loris Diran LLC
Loris DiranImages courtesy Loris DiranAll rights reserved - California Closet, Contributors, Extra Space, Forbes, Jessica Alba, LA Closet Design, Luxury Closets, Poliform, Tim Eyre, Walk In Closets
The Well-Appointed Closet
10 Most Important Closet Ideas for Your Home
by Tim EyreWhether you’ve made your home in an Upper East Side brownstone, a charming California cottage, or a renovated Southern plantation house, your closet space is sacred ground. Even if your digs were built before the mid-20th-century, when closets became a fixture in the American home, or after the walk-in wave hit the construction industry, your wardrobe space should be as polished and put together as you are.Pictured: Jessica Alba’s Shoe Closet
Photo via P. Series Stylist
Poliform Luxury Walk-In ClosetWhile every woman (and many a man) wishes to dress inside a sumptuous and well-appointed walk-in, that luxury may be out of arm’s reach. But with a bit of creativity and consideration to the user’s needs, any ample-sized closet can feel like a deluxe dressing room. Here are a handful of elements to elevate your closet beyond the simple rod and racks.Opt for Organizational Options:No matter the size of your style space, by outfitting it with a variety of drawers, doors, shelves, baskets, and cubbies, you can organize by style, season, and sort. Divide your walls into purposed sections: double hanging rods for shorter items like shirts and skirts and a more open hanging space for dresses; hooks for hats, belts, and ties; pull-out baskets for large accessories; shoe cubbies; shallow drawers for intimates and under things (take it one step further by inserting dividers into those drawers); and open shelving for folded knits and tees.Step Up Your Shoe Display:Discard the pedestrian plastic shoe pockets in favor of a more sophisticated system of displaying your footwear. Many custom closet companies offer angled or roll-out shelving as well as rotating racks that allow you to easily see every pair. Looking for a DIY approach? Line an empty wall with lengths of crown molding, over which you can easily hook high heels, then arrange small modular cubbies below for containing flats and flops.
Photo via California ClosetTake Wire Hangers to the Cleaners:In fashion, a well-built garment is preferred to inferior imitations; the same can be said of hangers. While flimsy wire hangers and unsightly plastic perches will surely hold your clothing, opting for sturdy wooden hangers will give your space a decided pick-me-up. Choose a variety of types (think basic, coat, clipped, padded, trouser, and skirt) in one style for a uniform look.
California Closet Step Back and Reflect:
Mirrors do double-duty in a closet, reflecting light to brighten a space and providing the dresser with a reflection of his or her style. So take advantage of this hard-working asset and hang more than one. I recommend at least a full-length mirror for considering how you look head-to-toe and an eye-level magnifying mirror for admiring accessories up close.Get High-Wattage Shine:No one wants to get dressed in the dark, so include a variety of light sources for brilliant style. You’ll want a bright focal point with soft overhead lighting around the edges of the space to eliminate dark corners, concentrated task lighting on specific areas (shoes and accessories), and a table lamp if your closet includes an island or vanity area. Want to really take your lighting over the top? Have a skylight installed for natural illumination.
Lisa Adams from LA Closet DesignPhoto credit: Brad Swonetz, via Forbes MagazineInclude Padded Sitting for a Perfect Setting:
Whether it’s a small cushioned stool, a plush upholstered armchair, or a pillow-topped built-in bench, every closet should provide a soft place for the user to perch when slipping on pants or shoes. To keep your sartorial sanctuary special, be mindful not to turn your seating into a catchall for unhung clothing or discarded accessories.Additional Perks for Your Press
- Include two adjacent valet rods or wardrobe hooks for side-by-side outfit comparisons.
- Hang a petite built-in ironing board for seamless quick-presses.
- Install a charging station and speaker hook-up for your smart phone, media player, or other digital device so that you can enjoy music and entertainment while dressing.
- Line a shallow drawer with a velvet jewelry tray for simple arranging of watches, rings, and cufflinks in his closet or necklaces, bracelets, and other wearable gems in hers.
Tim Eyre works in the storage units industry, regularly traveling to see various storage locations. Tim is part of Extra Space Storage which has locations across the United States, which are listed at Extra Space.NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you.
- Art, Contributors, de Kooning, Drawings, Durer, Morgan Library, Photography, Polly Guerin, Polly Talk, The Metropolitan Museum
Autumn in New York
Rich cultural venues drive the wealth of museum openings to keep New Yorkers and tourists busy in the world’s most fascinating city, fueling inspiration on a broad scale from historical to modern. Here’s the scoop!!! CROSSING BORDERS: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries. For a rare glimpse into antiquity when books were unique works of art as well as repositories of knowledge, head uptown to The Jewish Museum for Crossing Borders, the meeting place of medieval cultures, where illuminated manuscripts from England’s Bodleian Library, established by Thomas Bodley in 1602 are on display. Renowned for its great treasures, this exhibition features over 60 works, Hebrew, Arabic and Latin manuscripts, the majority of which have never been seen in the United States including the splendid Kennicott Bible, the most lavishly illuminated Hebrew Bible to survive from medieval Spain.
In addition to viewing the actual illuminated manuscript, visitors will be able to look at digital images of every page in several of the bibles and examine details on touch screens. At The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd St., through February 3, 2013, T-212.423.3200.
DURER TO de KOONING: 100 Master Drawings from Munich marks the first time such a comprehensive and prestigious selection of works has been lent to a single exhibition. The Morgan Library & Museum hosts an extraordinary exhibition of rarely-seen master drawings from the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, one of Europe’s most distinguished drawings collections. Durer to de Kooning occupies the Morgan’s principal galleries containing more than 60 Italian, German, Dutch, French drawings of the 15th through the 19th centuries with celebrated artists Rubens, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Titian while the second gallery features late-nineteenth-century and modern contemporary works. Through January 2013. 225 Madison Ave.
FAKING IT: Manipulated Photography Before PhotoshopFAKING IT: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop While digital photography and image editing software have brought about an increased awareness of the degree to which camera images can be manipulated, the practice of doctoring photographs has existed since the medium was invent. Featuring some 200 visually captivating photographs created between the 1840s and 1990s in the service of art, politics news, entertainment and commerce, this exhibition offers a provocative new perspective on the history of photography. The photographs in the exhibition were altered using a variety of techniques including multiple exposure, photomontage, over painting and retouching on the negative or print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art through May 2013. 1000 Fifth Avenue. SAGA SITES, Landscapes of the Icelandic Sagas. The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) presents a unique exhibition tracking the great, medieval narratives of Iceland, known collectively as the Sagas of Islanders, through the 19th century watercolors of British artist W. G. Collingwood and the contemporary photographs of renowned Iceland artist Einar Falur Ingolfsson. The first of its kind in the U.S., the exhibition explores the inimitable visual dialog forged between Collingwood and Ingolfsson and highlights the significance of the sagas within Ireland’s literary heritage and their enduring cultural inspiration. Free Admission. ASF, 58 Park Ave., @38th St., through January 2012.Ta Ta darlings: Don’t miss an opportunity to see breathtaking treasures in the Jewish Museum’s rare illuminated manuscripts.Written by Polly Guerin, Polly Talk New York
NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. -
Ahae’s Stunning Photographs at The Louvre
The Natural
The Ahae experience continues. Following the opening of the Ahae De Ma Fenêtre at the Louvre Pavilion at the Jardin des Tuileries in June, a memorable concert was held on July 4th.Hello World: Grey Heron (2010) / © Ahae PressA review followed: Under clearing skies on a warm July 4th evening in Paris’s Tuileries Garden, the famed Orchestra Lamoureux played a concert of French classics and new compositions while two enormous screens showed images by Ahae, the Korean-born photographer whose exhibition De ma fenêtre (From My Window) is currently on view in the Louvre’s garden. Pieces by Debussy, Saint-Saens and Offenbach were played on a stage specially built for the concert. Ilan Eshkeri’s De ma fenêtre was given its world premiere to generous applause.
Mother Nature: Spectacular entrance to Ahae’s Show at Musée Du Louvre,Jardin Des Tuileries Bespoke Exhibition Pavilion in ParisFrom My Window is an exceptional show of photographs taken from the vantage of just one window in Ahae’s house. The landscape, photographed throughout the year, reveals the subtle changes of the seasons as well as a great sensibility to life in all its forms. Painstakingly photographed and printed, the show is already a popular success. Revealing a tranquil sensibility in the midst of the chaos of nature, it features some of the largest reproductions ever mounted.
Flock of Magpies (2009)
Azure-winged Magpies (2010)Sold in the Ahae Pavilion bookstore is the new Assouline collectors title, AHAE: Through My Window. Scenes pastoral and comic, dramatic and tragic, dynamic and serene, enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful are revealed through his lens. With introductions by the director of the Louvre, the former director of Prague’s National Gallery, and the director of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Moscow, and featuring poetic texts by the photographer, this beautiful hardcover volume of inspiring imagery is presented in a luxury slipcase (available August 14th, $200, through Assouline). The exhibits ends on Sunday, August 19th, 2012.
Captivated: Museum goers marvel at the wonders and simplicity of nature
Water Deer (2009)Images courtesy © Ahae PressAll Rights ReservedContributing Story by Joan Parker
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Treasure Hunting from Eve Kelly Herman
Noted antique dealer, Eve Kelly Herman shares highlights from her trip to Italy, England & The Netherlands. Her space on the 1st Dibs floor at the New York Design Center is a must for interior designers and discerning collectors looking for that special, unique finds that she brings back from her trips to Europe and beyond. But, some may know little of what it takes to unearth these sought after goodies. Good taste and a good eye are only the begining. As any intrepid dealer knows, just plain grunt work makes all the difference.
Here is Eve Kelly Herman’s commentary from her recent trip to Europe:
I hear it all the time, “Oh, you antiques dealers. It must be so wonderful just to spend every day shopping for beautiful things.” I try to keep a straight face and murmur, “Well, it’s not as glamorous as you think.” This sometimes inevitably leads to a discussion about some of my favorite purchases such as Italian glass, like mid-century Murano lighting for example, or beautiful Florentine sterling silver pieces from the 1950’s.
Bartolozzi & C. Sterling Silver Cup
Left: Venini Chandelier. Right: Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte SconcesOver the past couple of months I’ve traveled to England, Italy and The Netherlands to curate pieces for my business. Visiting cities such as London, Parma, Bologna, Florence, Milan, Arezzo and Amsterdam led to my return with many highly sought and coveted objects. Outside of a few decadent meals and some educational trips to the design museums in London and Milan, my explorations were not much of a vacation.Parma appears much less charming when navigating an unknown autostrade for 15 kilometers at 5am on a rainy morning only to arrive at a grim exhibition hall in the middle of an industrial wasteland that might as well be in New Jersey. However, inside was a treasure house where I came away with a variety of wonderful Italian glass mid-century lighting, which includes some truly remarkable 1960’s Venini chandeliers and sconces. The demand for beautifully crafted pieces is endless and they are getting much more difficult to find.
It’s nearly impossible not to take some time to enjoy Florence or Venice, even when I’m obsessively on the hunt for new merchandise. But the leisure aspect of the trip dims when I am focused on making purchases. It can take a lot of mental effort to really evaluate fine Murano vases when you’re looking at them by flashlight in a dusty, teetering crate on the third floor of a very dark warehouse. They do sparkle much more now that they’re on display in my space at 1stdibs in the NYDC.
Pauly & C. CVM VasePhotos courtesy Highland Park Antique and Contemporary Furnishings
All rights reservedIn Amsterdam, I did take a full day to learn about the city and see some of the major attractions, which was followed by four days of clambering through narrow shops, and multi-story warehouses with no elevators. Amsterdam is famed for its canals; it should be famed for its stairs. I must have climbed a flight of stairs for every item I bought. Even so, I’m looking forward to my next trip there. I’ve never had such a workout incorporated into the day.I love what I do. I get to see beautiful things I never imagined existed as well as handle them and learn about them from my suppliers in addition to my own research. My colleagues tend to have diverse interests and even more diverse backgrounds. It’s a field where strong friendships are a big part of the business interactions. But don’t get the idea that it’s a glamorous life. Like a miner, we all spend days sifting through the rubbish of the past to find one or two items we feel are lost treasures.Article contributed by Eve Kelly Herman
