Design
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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…
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mad for plaid
I was talking with a girlfriend recently about her upcoming wedding. “I’m thinking about incorporating tartan,” she said. “I know that’s probably not your thing as a designer.” Au contraire! I can’t get enough of checks and plaids. Everything about them appeals to me — the geometry, the endless color combinations, the nod to Midwest traditionalism. I have incorporated a check or plaid in nearly every Huntley & Co. project and have plenty of it in my closet as well. The evidence of my ongoing love affair can be seen below. You don’t have to be Scottish, traditional, Midwestern or preppy to love these patterns … fall is upon us, so…
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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…
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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…
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Gifting
Shopping for Christmas (Hanukkah, etc.) can be a blast when you find just the right gift for your special someone. I’m sharing some of my best finds for those of you who are still on the hunt. Happy holidays! * Scroll to the bottom for LUXE & LUCID gifts that give back * | FOR THE AESTHETE | Male or female, the key to buying a gift for this type is finding a functional object that is executed beautifully. Shagreen matchstriker (L); custom knife from Rockin’ One Knives (C); UrbanEars headphones (R) | FOR YOUR MAN | He is no doubt handsome, but with these accessories, he will…
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Broken
Breaking Bread, Breaking News, Breaking Ground, Breaking Bad. Breakthrough, Breakup, Breakdown, Breakaway. Tough Break, Flat Broke, Broken Hearted, Goin’ for Broke. I thought I would have a little fun exploring all the ways we use the word “break” and its derivatives in our daily speak. This because I took a bit of a spill and broke my arm two weeks ago. I was mountain biking in Virginia and had a pretty nasty wreck – flying over the handlebars of a bike was never on my bucket list. However, what I clearly lacked in skills, I made up for in fortitude. I’m proud to say I finished the ride and made…
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Light it Up
I enjoyed some exceptional work days last week. I was in Charleston visiting The Urban Electric Company. Urban Electric is a lighting company with a distinctive vision, brilliant products and a stellar team. I have been using their light fixtures in my designs for nearly a decade. In recent years, I started to design custom fixtures for them to produce. In an exciting development last year, UECo chose to select one of those designs for their permanent collection. The “Huntley” was born as a sconce for a client’s Bethesda home and can now can be found in residential and commercial projects in the US and abroad. As part of their…
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The Alchemy of Opposites
I mentioned in my last post that I like a little “rock-n-roll with my ladylike”. That statement describes more than just my fashion sense – it’s a personal credo, a balancing act and the foundation for how I design. Contrasting modern with traditional, sexy with conventional and subtle with provocative allows me to enjoy all the world has to offer. More importantly, it’s the incongruity and tension that makes a room or collection [and even a relationship] sing. Huntley & Co. interiors. Mixing pieces that seem incompatible gives an ensemble just the right edge. (L) Dries Van Noten, (M) unknown (R) Christopher Kane It’s not…
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NYFW
New York Fashion Week is coming to a close, and like so many, I’ve spent a significant amount of time trolling the internet looking at all the glorious goods. I like to think I have a healthy relationship with fashion. I’m not a slave to it, but I do enjoy pulling together my ensembles. I love to mix styles and textures to give my look just the right amount of attitude. Fashion is a form of expression much like interior design. The upside is that it offers immediate gratification and I can switch up my style every day if I like to suit my mood. That’s a nice change of…
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Garnet & Goats
Hmmm, January. This can be a challenging month. The holiday sparkle has worn off, a little too much winter lies ahead and we’re all a whiter shade of pale. I agree it’s tough to feel motivated when it’s cold and dreary outside and happiness is Haagen-Dazs and a Snuggie on Friday night. However, I’m a January baby and a Capricorn which means I believe from problems come opportunities and there is still reason to celebrate a month as gloomy as this. January can actually offer inspiration. Not in an obvious way, but beneath the surface and outside the box. As with so many things worthwhile, in January you have to…
