This NYC interior designer joined her best girlfriends who run the non-profit Friends of Fresh and Green Academy for the Give Good Market, which showcased 100's of women owned businesses hawking sustainably made gifts, all for a great cause.  Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite goods for the home, along with some other ideas for "giving good" this holiday season. My buddies not only support the school at Fresh and Green Academy, but also the Mother's Cooperative, which teaches skills to the students' mothers encouraging to them support themselves, and helping to sell their amazing handmade wares. I own literally over 20 of their hand-woven scarves, which can also be used as holiday table runners. And the trivets are just perfect for hostess gifts. Ever wondered if those "handmade" gifts are really handmade? Here is a video of the women in action: Fresh and Green Mother's Cooperative Also at the sale we snapped up some throw pillows from Mercado Global which strives to link rural indigenous artisans to international markets and break the cycle of poverty.   From right here in NYC we found these incredible handmade ceramic from artist Ikuko Iwamot - a perfect tabletop addition to a penthouse we're completing in TriBeCa. and some stunning artwork by artist Mark Reigelman that might work on our Charles Street project: Both the vase and light art pieces are available at the local NYC gallery Underline....

Last week, NYC's top interior designers attended the annual What's New What's Next at the New York Design Center. We'll be posting more info on what we saw and what we're going to be using on upcoming interior design projects, but- I was most interested too learn that, hold on to your hat, chintz is back! No, it's not a typo, I wrote CHINTZ. Yes, like the '80's when I used to hang out at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael's Maryland. Now I loved Laura Ashley as much as I loved Stiff Stuff hairspray and acid washed jeans, but I would never want to go through that phase again! So...Chintz? That's what Wall Street Journal contributor and decorator Sarah Ruffin Costello says is what's HOT now. However - not a ton of chintz ala Mario Buatta, but a "dollop" of chintz just to smarten things up. She also mentioned that David Hicks, Moroccan, and Ikat are all DEAD... So my first reaction was to walk out of the room, but she had some good points- Now that everyone can shop at DWR for modern designer furnishings, and get a mid-century looking credenza at West Elm for peanuts what on earth is making design "special" any more? If people can go on hivemodern.com and purchase all of the classics fitting out their penthouses in Corbusier why hire us?? Well, because we have something that the average internet shopper/design...

1. How do you charge for your services? Answer: When we meet with you, our first concern is making sure we understand why you want to do your project, and what you have envisioned. We take time to evaluate your wish list and priorities, and then, based on what you want and need, we develop a Value Based Fee proposal that fits your needs and desires. Our clients have found that they love this model because they decide up front exactly how much they’re comfortable investing, and know that the project will not exceed that amount, unless they decide to change the scope of work. 2. Why is it so expensive to hire interior designers? Answer: When clients come to us, they typically want their project designed and customized to their taste, preferences and timeline. Often, they attempt to do their own work, and have spent hours and hours struggling to make decisions. It looks so easy on HGTV (not real), and there are so many options you can purchase online. Sometimes our clients make mistakes and the result is not what they expected, and the mistakes are costly. Even buying the wrong scale of sofa could cost thousands of dollars, or choosing the wrong material could result in having to repurchase item sooner than planned. Many of our clients have even made the classic NYC mistake of purchasing items that won't fit into their elevator or through their front...

Over the past two weeks, we've been wrapping up the NYC West Village townhouse interior design and renovation we began last November.

For a beach house we designed in the Hamptons we encountered wood floors. We painted them white to brighten up the cottage and deal with the flooring

As a lot of you will be heading "out east" to the Hamptons for what might be a long weekend, we'll be hard at work on wrapping up a Hamptons beach house design we began last October. The Client is scheduled to move in July 15th and the Contractor is working around the clock to make it happen. The project was a complete gut renovation of a 1920's ranch style home with a 1980's addition. We have brought it into the 21st Century for a young modern family. Here are some sneak peeks of our design: We removed the existing roof adding a roof deck with views of the bay and the ocean. A skylight brings more natural light into the interior. New Open Kitchen Design: Living and Dining Area: Family Room: Home Office: Baby's Room: Girls' Room:   The push is on to have things ready when they're summer rental is up on July 15th!  

Small spaces in NYC take a few tricks of the interior design trade to really optimize the available extra room (if any) as well as keep stylish and uncluttered.

All New York panelists felt there is a growing connection between the fine art and interior design and that the lines are blurring.

When I design window treatments for our NYC interior design clients, I like to address functional issues in a way that compliments the rest of the space.

This NYC Interior Designer is stuck here working on this beautiful July afternoon.... I am dreaming of a summer getaway...what's your favorite place? Hamptons?