Entertaining

  • THE AD DESIGN SHOW :: TRICIA’S 10

     I spent the day at the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York on Friday.  It’s always good to see what’s new, talk with vendors and “kick the tires” so to speak.  Seeing the finish/scale/construction of products in person is integral to quality control and intelligent design.  And, of course, it’s fun.  I’ve shared ten best picks — whether it be a specific piece or an entire collection — and why each was worth a closer look. #1  Van Cronenburg I am passionate about hardware and this company is stellar.  Substance and exquisite detail in every piece.            #2  A Space Wall Sconce All of the products from A Space – lighting,…

  • Thanksgiving and the beauty of home

     Like so many, I love Thanksgiving.  So many wonderful things come together — decorating, family, food! — on one glorious, indulgent day.  I’ve designed quite a few dining rooms for clients throughout the years and it’s always exciting to see these spaces come to life on Thanksgiving.  Décor isn’t the reason for the season, but sharing beauty and joy with loved ones is. Eclectic, tailored and dramatic is just the right vibe in a dining room.      For me, design is about expression.  The dining spaces below are in Maryland, DC, New York and Arizona respectively.  Each is a signature of a particular home, lifestyle and client.          Details are a key part of the…

  • Dark and Inky

    Halloween always inspires me.  I relish the drama and suspense of the holiday, not to mention the excuse to go a little goth and watch scary movies.  It’s always good to embrace one’s darker side, especially if you lean a little type A.  So with all my clean and tailored design tendencies comes a need for what I call “dark and inky”.  If you’ve worked with me or for me, you’ve heard me use this term.  I am always on the quest for the perfect murky green, garnet or ebonized-blue (and of course black).  Whether it’s a lacquered leather chair, a kick-ass pair of aubergine boots or a smokey eye for…

  • Shark!

    Sharks are certainly newsworthy these days.  Shark Week is in full swing on Discovery, JAWS  just celebrated the 40th anniversary of its release, and on a less inviting note, Carcharhinus have made the Outer Banks their summer vacation destination.  Yikes!  Surprising as it may seem, I am loving every minute of it.  Despite my lifelong fear of sharks, I am obsessed with the movie Jaws.  I admit this seems a bit odd for a land lover, professional aesthete and enthusiast of all things cute and fuzzy.  First, I love a good thriller.  Second, the cast is perfection.  Third, the cinematography (Spielberg, of course) is inventive yet convincing.  And fourth, the…

  • Time for Reflection

    The end of the year is indeed a time of reflection for many.  But rather than wax poetic about 2014 and all it meant and what we learned (blah, blah, blah), I choose to look back in a more literal and playful manner.  Using mirrors, and the magic of reflection, is one of the most beautiful and effective tools in my designer bag-of-tricks.  Regardless of shape, size, provenance or patina – mirrors bounce light, enlarge a space and add a hint of enchantment to any room.  So let’s say goodbye to 2014 not with regret or melancholy, but with anticipation for the year ahead and all that 2015 has in store…