New York Kitchen

New York Kitchen









Modern Kitchen Colors

TriBeCa Interior Design

How beautiful is this! 
This screen has captured my attention. I love how the light shines through the colored glass.  To fabricate the screen,
artist Susan Woods sawed blackened-steel tube into segments, welded them together, and inserted rounds of
colored glass.

 
Credit: Interior Design Magazine, TriBeCa apartment
Photo by Eric Laignel

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

2010 Color Reform Trends

 

ABC Carpet & Home Vintage 'over-dyed' carpets

ABC CARPET NEW YORK INTRODUCES COLOR REFORM TRENDS COLLECTION TO SALVAGE OLD RUGS

I got an interesting email from ABC Carpet & Home New York this week, that captured my interest - they (ABC Carpet & Home) is encouraging us to look on the bright side for 2010 with a their new rug collection that promises to: "escape predictability, embrace the unconventional, and help preserve our planet." This new assortment of hybrid carpets called Color Reform, transforms imperfect, vintage rugs into modern works of art. ABC Carpets are literally  “...rescuing carpets from the “rug graveyard” and giving them a new lease on life.”

ABC Carpet & Home has utilized this notion to develop the concept of Color Reform, which refers to evolutionary change through color. Each one of a kind rug was individually handcrafted by Turkish artisans in the Toros Mountains. The vintage rugs are neutralized to remove their original color and then over-dyed to create their remarkable chromatic state. The variations in the tonality of pigments result from the carpet’s original concentration of color combined with the dye application process conceived from each artist’s distinct vision.

Exotic rainbow hues range from neon pink and electric green to opulent reds and saturated yellows. The striking compositions evoke an almost translucent appearance as irregular, partially faded motifs emerge through the color, adding complexity and interest to each piece. Below is one of my favourites in the series, in a more neutral color palette, that I think you would be able to live with for many years to come and pass on to future generations.

 
ABC Carpet & Home Color Reform
Vintage 'over-dyed' carpet

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Design firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog™

Monochrome Interiors

Monochrome is a term generally used to describe painting, drawing, design, or photography in one color or shades of one color. A monochrome object or image is one whose range of colors consists of shades of a single color or hue. I have shown a monochrome interior in shades of white, but monochrome interiors can also be in shades of green, blue, red, etc. I particularly like this Monochrome interior - Blue Fin Restaurant at the W in New York, because of the way pattern and texture were used to give interest and drama to an otherwise all white space. I haven't eaten here yet, but I want to....I wonder if the food is as good as the design?

If anyone has dined at this restaurant, please let me know.

Photo: Monochrome Interior -The Blue Fin Restaurant W New York Times Square, Interior design Yabu Pushellberg

Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Diary of an Interesting Year

 

A Rendering of my Living Room given to me as a Christmas gift by Michelle Morelan.

2009 is a great year to reflect back on, now that it is almost over. Whew, what a turbulent year - full of challenges. I am not one to buy into the doom and gloom of the economic climate (I have weathered others through the years: early 80's, early 90's, late 90's), but this year was a year of an down economic climate that has seemed to have escaped no one in the 'world.'  There is a saying that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It is hard to see when you are in the midst of chaos, until you have come through it.....hopefully we are through it!!! One of the benefits for me was that I kept busy and was continually looking for ways to recharge and re-inspire. I was fortunate to have four wonderful trips this year to do just that. It is very important when you are working in a creative field to be continually evolving and expanding your horizons, and travel helps me to do that. I also full filled a life long dream this year and went back to school and took two Art classes in Mixed Media Painting. I subsequently turned my garage into an Art Studio and have spent many glorious days there immersed in painting.

A trip to Palm Springs in the early Spring - where I became fascinated with and wrote a Blog posting on the Mid-Century Post Modern resurgence of 'screen block.'

Palm Springs Modern Architecture and the Use of Screen Block

A trip to the Okanagan with my Dad and a visit to the The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort in Osoyoss where I was inspired by the use of Rammed Earth in Modern Architecture.

 
Rammed Earth Wall NK'MIP Winery Osoyoos

A trip to New York in September and another in December.  What can I say about New York, other than that it is one of the most exciting and visually stimulating cities in the world.  Being able to see the artwork of great masters at the MOMA, Georgia O'Keeffe at The Whitney, and Kandinsky at the Guggenheim - it just doesn't get better than that. I shopped for clients at the D & D Building, A & D Building, and the New York Design Center, explored Soho, Tribeca, the Meat Packing District, Canal Street, walked Central Park, 5th Avenue, tried the Subway, enjoyed live theatre, ate at wonderful restaurants, enjoyed the lights and shop windows all decorated for Christmas, met new friends, and connected with old friends.

 
Kandinsky at the Guggenheim / The Meatpacking district and Highline / South Pacific at The Lincoln Center 

Mixed Media Painting Classes at Emily Carr University of Art

Frottage 1  24" x 36" Mixed Media: Pastel, Acrylic, Gesso on Glassine

Experimenting with Mono Prints

 
Acrylic on Canvas

The Salton Sea 23" x 36" Mixed Media on Paper

West Coast Landscape 24" x 48" Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas  

Triptych in My Living Room: Be Still My Bleeding Heart 72" x 36"'
Chinese Ink on Bronze & Silver Metallic
 
Diptych in My Living Room: Koi Pond 16" x 16" Gold & Pearl Opalescence (right)

 
My painting companion - Nicole

I am very honored to be on the 'Board of Experts' for LoftLife Magazine in 2009, and to have an article published in BC Home Magazine

I wish you all a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2010 and may all your dreams come true!!

Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Christmas in New York City - Art Galleries & Theatre

Christmas in New York City - Galleries & Theatre

This Christmas visit to New York I was fortunate to see the Musical, South Pacific at the Lincoln Center, and two Art Galleries; Georgia O'Keeffe at The Whitney Museum of Modern Art and Kandinsky at the Guggenheim Museum. I love theatre in New York.  There is something very special about getting dressed up and the excitement of the opening strains from the Orchestra.It was a toss up between the new play 'A Little Night Music', the latest revival of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical with Angela Lansbury and  Catherine Zeta-Jones, or the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical 'South Pacific' at the Lincoln Center. I am happy to say that I saw South Pacific and it was as good as the concierge at my Hotel said it was. There was something soothing about hearing songs that I have grown up with and are so familiar. The theme song "Some Enchanted Evening," stayed with me for several days. Here is the YouTube version of 'Some Enchanted Evening' you can listen to.

 

  
South Pacific at Lincoln Center 

The Guggenheim Museum had a wonderful exhibit of the work of the Russian artist, Vasily Kandinsky, who was a pioneer of Abstract Art and broke new ground in painting in the first decades of the twentieth century. The Guggenheim designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was opened in 1959 and, rightly so, is claimed to be one of his most famous masterpieces. The spiraling design of the interior makes this museum one of the best venue's I have ever been in to view an art exhibit. As you walk up the spiral ramps you can view the pieces of artwork as a whole. Magnificent!!!

 

    

The view from the roof top of the Guggenheim across the reservoir & jogging trail of Central Park.

  
I want this townhouse!

 

These are two of my favourite pieces by Kandinsky from the exhibit. 
You can view the exhibit on line here.

After the exhibit we got directions to a local's favourite restaurant on E. 73rd Street where I had a most memorable lunch of Arugula salad topped with sliced roasted artichokes and topped off with large, (very large) paper fine slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Yummm!!

Via Quadronno on E. 73rd Street. (left)
A Beautiful piece of street sculpture outside the restaurant. (right)

The walk back to the Hotel was in typical New York style down streets lined with beautiful townhouses all decorated for the holiday season, past apartments with uniformed concierges, among the locals walking their dogs, across streets with bumper to bumper honking taxis, and a short jaunt through Central Park.

   
Townhouses decorated for Christmas on E 73rd Street

   
Fifth Avenue

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas

From the bottom of my heart.

Patricia Gray Inc is an award winning Interior Designer firm  in Vancouver, Canada who blogs about WHAT'S HOT  in the world of Interior Design.
2010 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Christmas in New York City - The Shop Windows

Christmas in New York City - The Shop Windows

This year I am fortunate to be spending some 'Christmas time' in New York, which for me is one of the prettiest times of year in this city.  There is so much to see and to do here at any time of year, but especially more so at Christmas.  The displays in the store windows are magnificent, the Christmas lights are bigger and better than anywhere, the concerts, shows and theatre are at their best, the restaurants are overflowing, and the stores are filled with shoppers looking for just the right gifts, and everywhere the city is filled with good cheer. Enjoy the pictures.

The ceiling at Macy's.

Swarovski Crystals

 
Louis Vuitton at Macy's

I loved the awnings at Lord & Taylor which were totally covered in green boughs and thousands of twinkle lights.

Kiki de Montparnasse in SoHo for the ultimate in Christmas lingerie.

Stella McCartney in the Meatpacking District 

 
Brooks Brothers at Lincoln Center featured a Tie Tree for the discerning gentleman.

 
Colombus Circle

 
Cole Haan Rockefeller Center

Anthropologie Rockefeller Center had fun and unusual window displays, like this one of the pink Cadillac in the snow bank.

 
The Gap

My pictures below of the windows at Bergdorf really don’t do the beautiful displays the justice they deserve. They were so much better than the photos. There were so many people standing in front of the windows, that it was hard to get a full shot, and then the battery went dead on my camera and I had to take the rest of the photos on my iPhone at a much lower resolution.  It is really hard to describe the amount of people in New York, unless you have been there at Christmas time.  When I returned to Vancouver it felt like a sleepy little Hamlet in comparison.

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York 

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

 
Bergdorf Goodman 5th Avenue New York

The striking glass structure of the Apple Store is iconic.  You enter through the glass doors into a glass cube and a spiral glass staircase leads to the service floor below ground.  I had my new iPhone with me and took it out to show it where it was born.  I am sure that there are going to be a lot of Happy little iPhones under the Christmas tree this year.

 
Glass Roof Apple Store

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here were are as in olden days,
happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who blogs about "WHAT'S HOT"
in the world of Interior Design: New and Emerging Trends, Contemporary Design, Modern Architecture and Travel,
as well as how your surroundings can enhance the world around you.
© Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™ 2009