April 10th, 2008
I have just discovered a new shop that I love for buying gifts. Environment 337 is a lovely little shop on 10th street and University Place right here in the West Village. They have another location in Brooklyn where both owners, Donald and Loren, grew up. The store is filled with wonderful things at all price points. I have recently purchased a set of beautiful modern stem less champagne flutes with abstract designs etched on them. A set of four cost $35. I’ve also purchased terrific hand made cutting boards with flower designs burned into the wood($20), wonderful glass jewelery ($20 - $50), soaps, stainless steel necklaces, and some great wallets. They also have a small collection of furniture - a beautiful velvet upholstered arm chair and some great side tables. I’ve only ever met Donald who is lovely and easy to work with. They will sell directly to the trade and do a terrific job of gift wrapping.
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March 20th, 2008
There has been a design movement of late to emulate the Speak Easy’s of the Prohibition era. There was always Chumley’s, on Bedford street (now closed) which operated in a real speak easy location, hidden behind an apartment door. The interiors were dark and wooden with tons of great photos and memorabilia on the wall. Then in the last five years places like Employees Only and Death and Company have sprouted. Employees Only’s entrance on Hudson street is hidden by a palm reader window. The interiors harken back to the style and elegance of the 20’s and 30’s with rounded edge wood paneling, a wooden bar, and the original marble slab floor. Death and Company’s facade has no windows and a tiny sign which is easily missed as you walk by. The interiors are a wonderful modern take on the speak easy concept. Rich materials like marbles and woods are mixed with sleek dark upholstery, etched black marble tables and a beautiful metallic plaster application that looks like wood grain. Here the concept of the speak easy has morphed. One could say it was represented by a woman in a flapper dress sleeved in tattoos.
All this brings me to Elettaria, designed by Jason Volenec, where I went last weekend. The name is Latin for green cardamom. Here the speak easy motif has morphed yet again. Elettaria has elements which imply secrets. There is a wonderful fake staircase as you enter and all the art work and mirrors are cut off at the top to imply the ceiling was a last minute thought, or to imply a history and layering of the interiors. What is different here is the large plate glass windows. Here is the speak easy you can see into. The materials are lush with velvets, antique mirror and beautiful wooden tables. I loved the design and the food, service and atmosphere were lovely as well. The bathrooms seemed like an afterthought and were a little boring.
Its hard to get a reservation so book in advance or go and eat at the bar.
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February 27th, 2008
The Empire Hotel, across the street from Lincoln Center is one of Goodman Charlton’s newest designs for the Empire Hotel Group. It is quite lovely. The guest is greeted by an simple entry which leads into a double height elegant sitting room. This room is flanked by a bar, the reception desk, and the elevator bank. It is not a huge space which is nice. It felt warm, comfortable, and inviting. My friend Jen Morris (a designer at Zeff Design) made a good point in saying the space feels like a touch of old Hollywood. The room is luxurious with layers of fabrics, textures, woods, and a terrific floor pattern in stone. The combination of the dramatic double height drapes, zebra patterned accent chairs, and high backed velvet banquettes really brings back the sense of another era. The space is filled with textures and patterns (perhaps a few too many) but one that I love is the dark venitian plaster in an alligator print at the stair case. It’s gorgeous. The Mezzanine is only on one side of the double height sitting room. The designers, very smartly, echoed the metal bannister detail opposite the mezzanine. They put mirror behind the banister to give the alusion the mezzanine continued all around.
Goodman Charlton used the Empire Hotel logo throughout the space. This can often be cheesy but they did it really well. The metal door pull as you enter and the carpet pattern going up the stairs both incorporate the two E’s of the logo. The only thing I wish they had done differently were the bathrooms. The attention to detail that is exhibited in the main space is lost here. The partition doors do not close properly and there are a miriad of fixture finishes.
I didn’t have a chance to see the rooms or to sit at the bar so I can’t really comment on those.
It’s worth a visit and they had a very nice Spanish Cava.
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February 17th, 2008
My husband and I went to a fabulous new restaurant this weekend. We didn’t eat there (except for desert and the $16 kir royal). We did, however, sit at the bar and ooh and ah over the gorgeous interior. Bar Blanc is a beautiful small restaurant on west 10th street. It’s owned by a charming French man (didn’t get his name) and was designed by Meyer Davis. It’s a jewel. It’s simplicity is its strength. The interior is a simple white with punches of super shiny lacquer black. The original brick walls were laboriously covered with numerous layers of plaster creating a watery movement that is original and sensuous. There are spectacular mirror finish pendants and chandeliers hanging in the space that juxtapose the white walls and furniture. The bar stools and chairs are gorgeous. They must be custom and how daring to be white! The bar is a beautiful white marble with a touch of brown, warming the space but also adding a luxury that feels great. The staff was charming and excited to be there, which for me, makes the experience that much more pleasant. In addition to loving the dining room, the bathrooms (a pet peeve of mine) are lovely. A spectacularly shiny custom plaster finish greets you and continues into the toilet stalls. I love to pee in splendor!
Go to Bar Blanc - even just for a drink - it’s worth it.
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