Earlier this week, I spent the morning with celebrity designer Chayse Dacoda over coffee and heard all about what she has been up to – projects, licensing deals and more! Most well known for her roles as the feisty designer on TLC’s While You Were Out and HGTV’s Get It Together, Chayse is referred to as an expert of merging styles that inspire people to live their dream every day. She can currently be seen as a guest designer on NBC’s Open House. Read our interview to get the full scoop and hear more about Chayse’s personal design style!

Robin Baron: What does fabulous mean to you?

Chayse Dacoda: Fabulous is something that brings an instant smile when words haven’t come yet, it is something that needs to be celebrated with exclamation points!! Fabulous usually involves something ordinary that has been tweaked, changed and celebrated from a different perspective.  Fabulous is a very visceral thing. The word usually rolls off my tongue unexpectedly when I can’t quite understand why I admire something or someone so much that they are – FABULOUS!!  It is something we should strive to have more of in our lives every day. Thanks for helping simplify it so that it abounds!

Chayse at one of the rug weaving villages outside of Jaipur

RB: You work in many different styles, what style hits home the most for you? No pun intended!

CD: I tend to lean towards modern and contemporary, but with touches of ethnic and splashes of color.  I also like to bring the culture of a land into an interior, with architecture wherever possible.  I am very intrigued by India lately and its vast celebration of color – in everything.

Chayse with Jason Moody, the Creative Director at Jaipur in front of a geometric design

RB: It was great talking to you about Tarkett’s iSelect flooring system and your new rug collection for Jaipur. What are your top three favorites from your Jaipur collection?

CD: As this line is still being made in India, most are not ready until the Market in Las Vegas this summer, so I may not have any favorites yet!  A few have been completed in the modern series called Geometry in Nature that are very simple designs. I think people want simple for many spaces, and these rugs combine wool and viscose (art silk in the business) to create a varied texture in the rug with colors.  Simple stripes in the Wide Grid rug are done in viscose as a fun pop of color in an otherwise neutral palette.

Some of Chayse's favorites from the Tarkett Fiberfloor collection

RB: What object in your home inspires you the most?

CD: First, I think the view of nature that I have outside every window at the moment. And second, the art I have collected from my travels in India and Greece, especially Santorini. In addition, to these is my wood-burning fireplace –  couldn’t live without it in the colder months!

RB: We both work with color all the time and color can influence so much of what we do. What is your current favorite color?

CD: At the moment it is a deep, bright, happy blue with hints of fuschia and navy blue thrown in for balance, wild and fun.  But I like all color – and all colors have a place somewhere.

RB: I’m always interested in how fellow designers are influenced by their travels, restaurants and daily life. From a design standpoint, where is your most favorite place and what is your favorite restaurant?

CD: Wow, I will have to say India.  Visiting that country has changed me forever in a wonderful way, specifically Rajasthan – either Jaipur or Udaipur. They are such gorgeous places with incredible textiles and people. Jaipur has great jewelry and The Jai Mahal Palace, which has a great restaurant. It has the most incredible flavors I have ever tasted – from breakfast to dinner under a full moon.  My second favorite restaurant is unfortunately closed now – Pil poul in Athens. It had the most magnificent roof top view of the Acropolis at night. And lastly, 1800 in Oia, Santorini – pure magic!

RB: I hear that you’ve started to do stand-up because your life is like a comedy. So is mine, maybe we should do improv together!

CD: Ha, I am not sure who decided that my life would be a walking sitcom.  If only there was a camera at all the appropriate moments to capture it. I did study improvisational comedy years ago, with The Groundlings in LA and a few other groups. I have done stand-up comedy as well, which I still dabble in at the moment!  I see humor in everything!

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Joseph Ginsberg’s background and formal training in art, sculpture, color science and photography, along with two decades of technical experience and experimentation have allowed him to create with thoughtful ingenuity. Guided by color and light, he integrates the organic elements of nature with the texture of everyday life, producing unpretentious forms, at once functional, practical, and ravishing. A native-born New Yorker, Ginsberg has a multi-faceted background that transcends the boundaries of artistic disciplines, just as his canvases transcend the boundaries between art and nature. His diverse training has given him the tools for his unique creative approach. He earned degrees from FIT (textile design), the School of Visual Arts (graphic design), NYU (filmmaking), and Pratt Institute (where he studied and then taught the techniques of the many varieties of printmaking). Ginsberg has been involved with many shows both national and international, including Gallery Dauste (Hamburg), Laight Gallery and Barbara Walter Gallery (New York), Claudio Roucher (Paris), Santa Reparata Grafica d’Arte (Florence), Galleria Baldinotti (Sicily), and Fortman Studios (Florence). His work is in numerous private and corporate collections including those of Michael Jackson, Coca Cola, Christies East, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Estée Lauder, and MTV.

Robin Baron: Tell me about what you do

Joe Ginsberg: I am a fine artist, interior designer, fabricator, photographer, product designer and materials specialist.

RB: What do you love most about what you do?

JG: The freedom to explore new ideas and taking chances along the way in order to create something original.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor?

JG: Eclectic. It is a mixture of modern and traditional styles.

RB: What do you love most about your home and why?

JG: The garage. It’s peaceful, a haven for me to have quiet time when I shut the door.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone comments on?

JG: The custom hand-made front door, which I designed and built myself.

RB: What do you put on your shelves? On your dresser?

JG: I use my shelves and dresser mostly to display drawings and ceramics.

RB: What does fabulous mean to you?

JG: Something that is original, intriguing, that jolts the senses in a dynamic way.

RB: Anything else really that you’d want to include about the company would be wonderful!

JG: We are a progressive, multimedia interior design firm bringing our unique approach to the projects we are involved in. As a full-service design company, we have been a source for the A&D community servicing residential, commercial and hospitality venues, as hired by the developer, architect, general contractor and home owner. Known for our specialization in custom material applications and architectural details, we have been trusted by our clients to bring originality to the projects they commissioned us for.

In 2011, we introduced Tempo Luxury Home, a unique lifestyle brand featuring hand-blown glass lighting, custom-made furniture, %100 silk rugs, art and accessories.

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This week we’re checking in with Christian Turnier, Founder and Creative Director of Vedere, a global online marketplace to buy and sell art and décor as well as list services such as interior design, fixture installation and remodeling.

Robin Baron: Hi Christian, Tell us about what you do.

Christian Turnier: I am the Founder and Creative Director of Vedere.com. We bring the world to your home.

RB: What inspired you to create the website?

CT: Vedere came to me while I was on a trip in Italy with my family. While touring the country I saw so much beauty and creativity it inspired me. One story is in San Gimignano, Italy. I saw a ceramic table maker who was working on a new piece and the passion that went into his work amazed me. I came back to New York and saw a culture of mass produced goods, which lacked the human touch I had witnessed and decided to do something about it. I wanted to find a way to give an opportunity to talented creative people globally so they could live off their skills, create and be connected. The home décor industry has so much to offer, with Vedere we want to give individuals a chance to discover a new side to the world. Discovery can start right from your neighborhood and grow from there. Vedere, see the world in your home.

RB: What is your favorite part about the site?

CT: My favorite part of the site is the passion from everyone that is involved ­- the Vedere team , our vendors, fans, and anyone else who joins our cause. Passion is the driver that will make us successful.

RB: What do you love most about what you do?

CT: I love seeing my dream grow. Also, the support we are getting from the industry. I love the fact that everyday is an adventure and a discovery is waiting for me.

RB: How would you describe your own home décor?

CT: My home décor style evolves as I find myself growing into who I want to become.  I love earth tones. Organic contemporary would be how I would classify my taste. My home has to be comfortable and welcoming.

RB: What do you love most about your home and why?

CT: I love that it is roomy and I have a great couch to host movie nights with friends and family.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone comments on?

CT: I have this amazing carnival mask from Haiti, my home, that my parents brought for me and it is a unique piece. It is a head of an animal that combines a wolf, eagle, lion, and dragon all in one majestic piece

RB: What does fabulous mean to you?

CT: Fabulous educates and reminds the world that there is beauty out there and not to be afraid to venture out and discover new opportunities and styles. Fabulous has a new resource to find products and talent in the Vedere community.

RB: Anything else really that you’d want to include about the company would be wonderful!

CT: My dream was able to come true because I have parents that believe in me and helped me make this happen. I also have an amazing team that inspires me everyday.

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Last night I attended the Housing Works’ eighth-annual Design on a Dime benefit, one of New York City’s most stylish and iconic shopping benefits.  I interviewed Genevieve Gorder, renowned interior designer and HGTV star.  She took furniture from Housing Works Thrift Shops and used Valspar Paint to transform them into fresh new pieces!  It looked fabulous!

Robin Baron:  Hi Genevieve…Why do you support this particular event?
Genevieve Gorder:  Well Housing Works is an incredible charity!  It’s been in my neighborhood for many years.  I’ve shopped there, I’ve given there…It’s nice to actually design with them and for them.  And Valspar is a great partner of mine…and to celebrate color in a booth with vintage items, there is nothing really more up my alley than that!  It’s a great combination!

RB:  Vintage anything, repurposed and reused is great anyways!
GG:  Oh it’s soul. Pure soul.  Naturally in design, whatever new thing I bring in there’s something vintage as well to balance that.

RB:  You mentioned your neighborhood..what neighborhood do you live in?
GG:  I’m a Chelsea girl! I was on 17^th between 7^th & 8^th which was a block from Housing Works, all through college and after…and now I’m a few blocks away but I’ve been in Chelsea almost 15 years… it’s home.

RB:  Chelsea does has a lot of fantastic, fabulous places!
GG:  It rules!

RB:  So tell me, what are some of your favorite design marts in your neighborhood?
GG:  Obviously, Housing Works is one of them. My True Value Hardware, on 9^th Avenue and 22^nd Street has the biggest selection of wallpapers in the city! It owns this whole Swedish line, Sandberg, that I can’t find anywhere.. he has the exclusive, as well as on Farrow and Ball. Obviously, Olde Good Things…I go to often and frequent. Apt 48.  And my textiles..l’aviva home, that’s in Soho but I go there a lot… she’s wonderful!

Valspar Color Chips for booth

RB:  What about things for your own home, where do you shop?
GG: All of those places I shop at.  But I also am pretty global where I shop.  I go to a lot of the architectural salvage stores where I grew up in Minneapolis.   Because as your childhood landscape, that is really symbolical.  All the woodworking from that area of the world, mostly Scandinavian…thick, Norwegian, German woodwork doors, leaded glass, I bring it all back to my apt.. So then I feel like I see my Grandma, I see my Mom..I see my childhood every day.  The total values, even how things sound from you as a kid, and bringing that into your adult home is crucial for me to feel like I own it.

RB:  What are a couple of cool restaurants in your neighborhood?
GG:  Tia Pol.  It’s so legitimate Spanish tapas.  I used to live in Spain so I’m a snob when it comes to my tortilla.  It’s a half a block away and it’s perfection. La Bergamonte Patisserie has the best French pastry in the city I think.

RB:  What does fabulous mean to you?
GG:  It’s different to everyone… but I think it’s knowing who you are and owning it completely!

Color Chips Reference Guide:
Valspar Wall Color: Luscious Green
Dining Table: Lincoln Cottage Black 4009-2 and Ultra White 7006-24
Desk/Vanity: Mark Twain House Ombra Gray 4004-2A
Dining chairs (all 4 mismatched dining chairs): Golden Delight 3005-1A
Tall Chinese Lattice (PAIR): Ultra White 7006-24
Side Table: Rugged Suede and Ultra White Pattern
Framed Picture: Lincoln Cottage Black and Ultra White
Bird Sconces: Lincoln Cottage Black

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Simplifying Fabulous! with Veronika Miller

Veronika Miller is the founder and CEO of Modenus, the interior design resource that has become the essential hub for manufacturers, artisans and designers in the US and Europe. Veronika has built a community with social media at its heart and real life events such as the phenomenally successful BlogTour, turning digital media buzz into real world opportunities.

A successful interior designer for 10 years, Veronika provided creative design solutions for residential and contract clientele both in the US and Europe.  She conceived the idea for Modenus from her own frustration at not finding a resource which curated only the best and most interesting products in a catalogue that was accessible and attractive.

Robin Baron:  What led you to create Modenus?
Veronika Miller:  I had been working as an interior designer with focus on kitchens and baths for over ten years and was frustrated with online resources and with the options that were given to manage the products I had found. I wanted to create a virtual space where designers could find beautiful resources, manage projects and meet peers and even new clients.

RB:  What is your favorite part about the site?
VM:  I love waking up to new products that one of our participating manufacturers or artisans has uploaded onto the site and I love the aesthetics of Modenus. The background is very dark and sumptuous and presents the products on the site very beautifully and I love that we’ve stayed away from banner ads and other disruptions and made the look and feel very clean. We want people to enjoy their time browsing Modenus.

RB:  What do you love most about what you do?
VM:  The people. I love great design in all its forms but what really matters to me most are the people I meet in my work. Because we’re very visible on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and even LinkedIn we have a broad reach and I get to meet people all the time in real life, after having connected with them virtually first.

Particularly since we’ve launched Modenus’ BlogTour I’ve been able to meet designers and design bloggers everywhere I go and it’s been a privilege to not just give them a chance to travel with us to international design destinations but to hear them tell us that through BlogTour their work has become more visible, they have been able to increase their site traffic and social media following or even been able to make new business connection.

When we hear that we’ve contributed to a designer finding a new client, a vendor selling product or bloggers being perceived as more and more valuable in today’s media world then we know we’ve done what we came to do.

RB:  How would you describe your own home décor?
VM:  Relaxed and generous. I love open floor plans and one of the first things I did when we bought our home over ten years ago was to start removing walls. It’s an 80′s ranch style house and had this atrocity of a fireplace wall, complete with cedar paneling and river rock which served as a divider between family room and dining room as well was a half wall with one of those pass-thru windows to the kitchen. Now the space is all one with the fireplace free standing and all areas flowing into one another.

I designed the kitchen about 9 years ago when espresso stained cabinetry hardly existed and it was a huge production to get the cabinet guys to commit to such a dark color, as where the 3” wide frames on the shaker doors – all of that became very stylish a few years later but as they say…”We want what we want, when we want it”.

RB:  What do you love most about your home and why?
VM:  The light. There are big windows and french doors everywhere, all without window treatments, that overlook the 3 acres of land we live on. No matter where I’m at in the house I always see lots of tropical foliage and live oak trees. It’s a comfortable, unpretentious and peaceful place that I love coming home to after a busy day.

RB: What is the one thing in your home that everyone comments on?
VM: The kitchen.

RB: What do you put on your shelves? On your dresser?
VM: I’m not an accessory person at all. I love vignettes that other people put together in their homes but it never works for me. Good art goes on the walls and my shelves are packed with books which I’m not giving up on no matter how much of a techie I am. And believe it or not, I don’t have a dresser. It’s all a built in wall in my closet.

RB: What does fabulous mean to you?
VM: Anything or anybody that makes me stop in my tracks and it’s not just about aesthetics. A piece or a person with a great story can be just as fab as a beautiful object.

I’ve included a few pieces from Modenus of my most recent “fab finds” which you’ll find to be very monochromatic and sculptural, my current love.

RB: Anything else really that you’d want to include about the company would be wonderful!
VM: Modenus is all about community and we love to hear from designers and design lovers. People can always get in touch to share a favorite find or to be considered for a guest post on Modenus. We regularly feature talented designers in our “Design Spotlight Series” and in “Before & After” and we hand the stage to designers, bloggers or shop owners in cities all over world to contribute to Modenus MyCity, which give our readers a chance to learn about local, and often hidden, gems and contributors benefit from being able to share their story or tell people about their work or business.

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Simplifying Fabulous! with Leslie Carothers

Leslie Carothers is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of The Kaleidoscope Partnership – a social media agency for the home furnishings and related industries. She has been involved with the furniture business for the past 28 years and prior to that she was involved in real estate investment banking.

Robin Baron:  Hi  Leslie…Tell me about what you do.
Leslie Carothers:  Hi! First, thank you for inviting me to be a guest interviewee on your blog. I sincerely appreciate it! Regarding what I do, well, a lot of the time I hang out online and talk with people … but it does go a little deeper than that.

My company consults and executes on a variety of strategic social media marketing initiatives for high end, luxury businesses in the home furnishings, interior design and shelter media sectors. We are hired for consultations, for one time projects over a period of two or three months, for tradeshows, and for long time social media strategy implementation and platform execution.

Each company is different with respect to their objectives. Some want to build brand awareness for a  new or re-launched brand, some want me to connect them with traditional media opportunities through my own twitter work as a micro-blogger,  some want us to plan and execute on contests and/or events connecting several different brands together, some want my company to manage their own social media platforms, some want us to help launch a new brand at a tradeshow or event, and some want training for their own in-house teams. The list goes on!

I’ve been fortunate enough to complete work for wonderful companies in the manufacturing, retail, tradeshow and shelter industries like Cargill’s BiOH Polyols, The New Traditionalists, SHINE by SHO, Von Hemert Interiors, Gardner White, Better Homes and Gardens, World Market Center Las Vegas, Bornholm Kitchen, ICFF, Spirit of Sports and many more. Current clients include Olioboard, The Curtain Exchange and Masins Furniture.

RB:  Why did you choose to focus on social media for interior design and home furnishings?
LC:  Because I have had 30 years of experience in the home furnishings and interior design sector and understand, deeply, the business needs of every stakeholder in the distribution chain. In addition, knowing many people offline through those years of work allows me to help my clients achieve their objectives – quickly.

For the first 20 years of my career in this field, I was an interior designer working at the retail level. I spent 4 years at Scan-Design in Florida, 10 years at Roche Bobois and 6 years at Cantoni – both in Houston, TX. As a result, I have a deep knowledge of interior design and the mindset of the luxury consumer.

When I left the retail design world and started my company 10 years ago, I began it by doing sales training for retailers nationwide. I wrote a sales training book which explained how retail sales consultants could use design in their sales process to increase their sales.

Eventually, I trained on site for over 36 retailers across the United States. When I got tired of so much travelling, I turned the focus of my business to the manufacturing side and was endorsed by Hooker Furniture Corporation as their nationwide design based sales training expert and taught their in-house reps how to take my process to their own national accounts to help them increase their sales.

When my father died, I retrenched a bit to help my Mother (and myself) and then in 2008, I saw the potential for social media to connect the fragmented distribution system of the furniture and interior design industry in ways never before possible and was the first person in my industry to turn the kaleidoscope of my business around to focus on social media.

Immediately, (and fortunately!) companies that knew me from my years in the business doing training, speaking, writing and volunteering on the board of WITHIT –Women In The Home Industries Today – began to hire me for their social media work and I’ve never looked back. I am very grateful for their support and for the support of so many who helped me in my early career.

RB:  What do you love most about what you do?
LC:  Being able to use my creativity, my writing skills, my business skills and my analytical skills to see new patterns developing via the time I spend on social media channels and then to connect my clients and others–fast –to deliver wonderful new opportunities for them that would otherwise have taken months or years to develop.

Leslie on vacation in Maui

RB:  What do you think is the next trend in social media?
LC:  Simplicity and Focus. People are overwhelmed and we can’t stretch our 24 hours. We’re not looking for another social network. We’re all looking for which two or three networks or tools allow us to meet our business objectives and personal objectives in the most time effective way possible and we’ll be focusing only on those.

Addiction. On a darker note, I think there is a huge issue with social media addiction and I think in 2013 you will see a trend of more and more businesses springing up to treat it.

Mobile: For businesses: I would advise their big investment this year to be in mobile. Make sure everything you have – your site, your blog, etc. is maximized for mobile delivery. There is a new acronym –BYOD. Bring Your Own Device. People are increasingly accessing everything via smartphones and regular phones.

RB:  How do you stay organized?  Do you have any special tips or tricks?
LC:  I don’t use it and probably should, but everyone I know is using Evernote to stay organized. For me, I prefer paper and my beautiful calendar. I still need to touch THINGS. I make a list on an index card every morning of what I need to accomplish that day and execute against it. That’s it.

A picture Leslie took in Amsterdam that she loves. It sits in her living room.

RB:  How would you describe your home décor?
LC:  Clean, peaceful, calm and filled with books and  a few treasured family heirlooms.

Leslie's Great Grandmother's handmade lace with her Grandfather's wife's antique ruffled glass vase

RB:  What design elements in your home have you personalized?
LC:  My library –which is also my guest bedroom. If you were to walk into it, you would be inside my head. It is filled with color which stimulates me creatively and it’s also filled with messages of hope and love which fill me with joy.

RB:  What is the one thing in your home everyone comments on?
LC:  That it smells good when they walk in the door.

RB:  What do you put on your shelves or on your dresser?
LC:  Books!

RB:  What does fabulous mean to you?
LC:  Living with a grateful heart, choosing to create tiny pockets of joy in the spare moments we’re given each day to do so and, no matter how much or little money you have, creating beauty in ways that are meaningful specifically to you.

RB:  Anything else really that you’d want to include about your organization would be wonderful!
LC: Get Published:

I started a Twitter chat a year ago called #GetPublished – http://getpublishedchat.com  The purpose of this chat is to connect my guests, who are either shelter editors, publishers,authors or very famous designers with the best design and creative talent in the world in order to create opportunities and share information.  I hold the chat on the 1^st Wednesday of each month at 6 pm ET.

This year so far my guests have been Assouline Publishing, author and Boston Globe book reviewer Meredith Maran, the editor in chief of Architectural Digest, Margaret Russell, design book author Susanna Salk and in May, I will host the Editor In Chief of Traditional Home, Anne Maine and other members of her team to discuss the second issue of her online magazine, #TradHome, debuting April 20^th.

Everyone is welcome to join the chats. All that is required is to show up on Twitter at 6 pm EST on the first Wednesday of each month. I post clear instructions before each chat on my FB Page at http://facebook.com/TheKaleidoscopePartnership, too.

My legacy business: Messages Of Hope

Everything I have been doing all my life is leading towards my legacy business – Messages of Hope. Three and a half years ago, I was *told*, powerfully, in a dream, to buy this url. It’s a long story, but, eventually, I was able to do so and I now own the url http://messagesofhope.com . It is empty at the moment but, thanks to the kindness of Philip Allen, it is currently being developed for me for free. I don’t know yet what its final form will do or be, but I know one thing –with the help of universal energy and the millions of people who want our world to become a better place – when I am gone, it will become a foundation that will deliver financial…. Messages of Hope.

Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed and share more of my own story on your blog. I appreciate it!

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Simplifying Fabulous! with Stephen Mitchell

Stephen Mitchell is co-founder of DESIGNLUSH. He holds a degree in both Business Management & Fashion Design from the American College for the Applied Arts in London. Prior to DESIGNLUSH he served as Vice President and Director of Operations of Sublime American Design LLC; his industry involvement includes Museum Shop Management for the Smithsonian, Director of Operations for LS Collection America, District Manager for The Nature Company as well as private retail and design consulting.

Robin Baron:  Hi Stephen, Tell me about what you do…
Stephen Mitchell:  We design and fabricate custom contemporary furniture, lighting and home décor as well as offer full scale interior design services.

RB:  What are you working on right now?
SM:  We are working on five residential projects at the moment (three in NY, one Las Vegas and one in the Hamptons). We are also launching and showcasing four new Designer Works for ICFF in May.

RB:  What was the inspiration behind your DIFFA’s Dining by Design table?
SM:  GOLDLUSH was inspired by the 60’s Fashions of Paco Robanne and the James Bond film Goldfinger.

RB:  What do you love most about what you do?
SM:  I love both the creative process and the finished result. I love working with our design team and clients to come up with an idea and then see that idea through to the finished product – it is VERY rewarding!

RB:  How would you describe your home décor?
SM:  Cool, luxe and inviting – minimal, sophisticated, warm and, I hope, comfortable!!

RB:  What design elements in your home have you personalized?
SM:  Pretty much everything – in New York you kind of have to as we have these strange cut up spaces that are next to impossible to design! Luckily we have a REALLY good source to get that sort of thing done!! We had to custom design our table & sofa to fit in our elevator and then it took about a year to decide on the perfect rug for the living room – designing for yourself is ALWAYS hardest!

RB:  What is the one thing in your home everyone comments on?
SM:  Our  Patagonian Sheepskin Pouf – Everyone immediately throws themselves on it and falls in love. It’s basically an adult luxury bean bag made out of very dense and amazing Patagonian Sheepskin…it is pretty fabulous – I must admit….

RB:  What do you put on your shelves?
SM:  I have an extreme aversion to tchotchkes so there’s nothing like that. It either has to be a pretty amazing and unusual piece of art or an item of sentiment like a picture frame or something. The only thing that comes to mind is my ceramic sculpture of Trio of Tongues by an artist I found in South America  – Truthfully I’m really not a “shelf” person.

RB:  What does fabulous mean to you?
SM:  Anything that moves and or inspires you – something that you cannot believe you have lived without or want to have or experience FOREVER!! Fabulous, in my opinion is used too loosely these days but it is supposed to mean something really extraordinary that is BEYOND!! Un-imaginable look, feel, experience – something memorable that you feel lucky to have encountered. That’s what it means to me, anyway.

RB:  Anything else really that you’d want to include about your company would be wonderful!
SM:  Really we just want to be known as a luxury contemporary platform and source for interesting and innovative design – most of which is made here in America and can be custom made to be as unique as our clients who enjoy them.

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Happy Fab Friday!  My Social Media Manager, Fara interviewed ME (for a change!) to get the scoop on everything I loved about the Architectural Digest Home Design Show.  Let’s get started!

Fara Jellson:  Hi Robin! Tell us, what were some of the highlights for you from the AD Home Design Show?
Robin Baron:  This year’s AD Home Design show was the largest and best show yet! There was a lot to see…great vendors, interesting merchandise and fabulous design.  It was exciting to see so many familiar faces while also discovering new brands and innovative companies.

FJ:  What did you think of DIFFA’s Dining By Design installation?
RB:  This is always an incredible event and this year was no exception! I love entertaining so I’m always intrigued to see the creativity of all the tables.

FJ:  Did you have a favorite table?
RB: I actually had two! My favorite fashion forward table was DESIGNLUSH’s entry.  It was cool, hip, chic… and oh-so-fab!  I couldn’t take my eyes off the two-tiered gold paillette chandelier designed by founder Stephen Mitchell.  Innovator that he is, he somehow found Paco Rabanne’s original fabricator to make these gold paillettes!

And because I just love great design…on the other end of the spectrum, my other favorite was Ralph Lauren’s luxe country-inspired table.  I often mix things together using found objects and incongruous looks to create interest on my tables and the RL team does exactly that with their entry!

FJ:  Did you stop by Modenus’s #MarysandMimosas Tweetup?
RB:  Absolutely! I wouldn’t miss anything that was organized by Veronika Miller from Modenus.  She is the consummate networker and puts together amazing events! And besides…any chance to be involved in one of her BlogTours and meet bloggers from around the world…I’M IN!

Susan Serra, Marilyn Russell, and me at the Tweetup

FJ:  Did you participate in the Modenus photo contest?
RB:  Are you kidding?  Put me in front of a camera baby! I made sure we took my picture, and well as my staff’s at every single participating booth in the contest.  I’m determined to win that trip to London and stay in one of those fabulous onefinestay’s flats!

FJ:  What was your favorite shot?
RB:  Since I had my own personal paparazzi following me, we took a lot of pictures and this is one of my favorites! Since I can’t take my much needed vacation, at least I can make-believe!  Check here to see all the photos for the contest.  Hopefully I’m picked and when voting begins on April 8th, please vote for mine!  I really do want that trip to London!!!

FJ:  Are you planning on incorporating anything you saw into any of your client’s home or your own?
RB:  Yes, as many things as possible! One of my new finds at the show is a company called Artsaics.  They do beautiful waterjet cut stone , and intricate mosaic patterns.  I can’t wait to incorporate them into in one of my current clients homes!

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Simplifying Fabulous! with Elizabeth Beskin

Since 2008, Elizabeth Beskin has been President and CEO of 5^th Avenue Digital.  5^th Avenue Digital addresses the needs of today’s crowded photography market by offering exceptional photography talent at hourly rates, and then handing over the rights to the images on color-corrected disks.  This innovative business model is built upon understanding the consumer’s need for artistry, along with the professionalism and technology required to support it.  Seeing trends in the market place and acting upon them has been a hallmark of Elizabeth’s career.  Prior to launching 5^th Avenue Digital, she spent the 21 years helping to build Sarah Merians Photography into the premier brand in social photography.

Elizabeth is a proud and active member of the Women Presidents Organization and just won Enterprising Woman of the year for 2012..  She currently is a chair for the Annual Diabetes Research Institute Dream Gala, and serves on the board of The Pediatric Cancer Foundation.  She lives in New York Citywith her husband and two teenage children.

Robin Baron:  Hi Elizabeth, tell me about what you do…
Elizabeth Beskin:  I own 5^th Avenue Digital- a resource for high quality photographers for corporate events, weddings, bar mitzvahs.  We have also created the youbooth photo booth, which takes pictures, prints them, displays them onto large screens and has a social media portal to share with family and friends.

RB:  What do you love most about it?
EB:  I love being part of my clients special occasions and giving them amazing photography to cherish.

RB:  How would you describe your home décor?
EB:  Comfy, sexy and classic.

RB:  Do you have any special tips/tricks that help keep you organized?
EB:  Have a place for everything and it will get put away.

RB:  What design elements in your home have you personalized?
EB:  I like color and light.

RB:  What is the one thing in your home everyone comments on?
EB:  My fabulous bathroom.  It is like a spa.

RB:  What do you put on your shelves?
EB:  I like vases.

RB:  On your dresser?
EB:  Functional. I like perfume, jewlery and candles.

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Simplifying Fabulous! with Dana Buchman

ABOUT:  Since leaving the designer world, Dana has dedicated her life to a helping underserved LD children.  Dana wrote A Special Education, a book about her experience as a parent of an LD child.  Recognizing that her family was lucky to have the wherewithal to advocate for Charlotte, Dana founded PROMISE PROJECT to make sure that all families have the same opportunity.  Dana’s passion for PROMISE PROJECT’s mission bore fruit this July with the launch of PROMISE Program at Columbia.  PROMISE Program seeks to give children with LD access to a quality education, and to research effective interventions for learning disabilities so that one day all parents may watch their children thrive.

Robin Baron:  Tell me about what you have been up to since leaving the fashion industry?
Dana Buchman:  I founded and chair PROMISE PROJECT, a non-profit that changes the lives of impoverished children with learning disabilities. We created a breakthrough program with Columbia University and  New York-Presbyterian, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital  and are looking to build it into the imminent center for learning disabilities—treatment and research– in the country.

RB:  What was your motivation to start a non-profit?
DB:  My daughter, Charlotte, struggled with learning disabilities and I have seen how important it is that they be treated early.  So many cases are undiagnosed–sometimes the children are seen as stupid or lazy. They are intelligent, but they just learn differently.  The prisons are filled with people who grew up unable to succeed in the real world because of untreated LD.

RB:  What do you love most about your home and why?
DB:  I feel peace whenever I step into the loft. It is filled with light from windows all across the front and feels like an oasis to me.  Even though I can feel  the presence of New York outside, the noises are muffled through the  therma-pane windows. The back of the loft faces the buildings on the next street so it is eerily quiet.  Just a soft hum of the city at night.

RB:  What is the one thing in your home everyone comments on?
DB:  I have a huge color field painting by an artist named Zakanich hanging over a long Chinese cabinet.  Everyone thinks it’s a flat screen TV.  Really it is the opposite—very quiet and subtle.

RB:  What do you put on your shelves? On your dresser?
DB:  On my dresser, I have a gold and zebra trays filled with chunky bracelets that I love—always in pairs, one for each arm. I like having them laid out where I can choose and enjoy the texture and color.  I rotate them every few years and pull out ones that have been put away so there is newness.  I have only books on my shelves. I am constantly giving old ones away to make room for new ones.  I have a section for poetry, one for Buddhist thought and one for my husband’s motorcycle maintenance binders. No nicknacks.  In my walk-in closet, I have a floor to ceiling wall of black and white family photos, from great grandmothers on both sides to my children as 3 year olds in Central Park.

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