NYC Trip Wrapup

This trip was full of highlights and visiting family, friends, and architectural sites top the list.  I can't possibly write about everything we did, but I'll share a few other photographs that describe the full breadth of our adventures... 


Broadway

images via playbill.com

My friend and fellow interior designer, Erin, joined us for a night on Broadway to see Promises Promises.  The all star cast was incredible, and we are all thrilled with surprise when Molly Shannon stepped out to play Marge Macdougall.

Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock, the best view in Manhattan, is always our favorite.  The architectural and interior details are stunning.  Wizard of Oz, anyone?

Top of the Rock Chandelier

Food

Penelope on Lexington has a stellar breakfast- their french toast is amazing and our table neighbors seemed to enjoy their fresh cider mimosas.

I don't have any photos, but my family treated us to an amazing ravioli meal from Pastosa.  Pastosa has a long history of serving Staten Island residents with the best fresh pasta.

Family

Although I'll spare my family by omitting photos from the blog, we had a great mini-reunion over food and wine.  I got to meet my brand new baby cousin and see how my other small cousins have grown.  Family is the most important aspect in my life, and I'm happy that we were able to make it back East to see everyone.  We were treated to a feast, and I hope someday we can do the same for them.

Enjoy your weekend, everybody!

Fig Studio

Glimpse & Gander: Maharam Design Studio

Our fabulous local Maharam rep, Richelle, hooked us up with an amazing tour of the Maharam Design Studio, located on 5th Ave., just steps from Union Square.  We were so impressed with the kind atmosphere and inspiring projects they have in process...and I know exactly what fabric I'm going to use on my next cafe project. 

 difficult to tell from this photo, but those pieces are actually embroidered!

We were surprised by the intimate size of the design team, and that such sweeping projects and new product offerings came from such a tight group.  Maharam does partner with some of the most cutting edge folks around: Hella Jongerius, Bruce Mau, and Paul Smith to name a few, and they're new products really show a commitment to innovation. 

Maharam is a fourth-generation, family run business.  The office is light, bright, and airy (any creative's dream!).  The head honcho's office is out in the open, with a library fit for a design king.  In fact, anyone in the office is welcome to borrow his books.  He also has a nice collection of bikes I would have liked to take out for a spin.

 Textile Sneak Peeks

Maharam Digital Projects - Full Scale sampling.  "...at the convergence of art and design, Maharam Digital Projects is an expansive are carefully curated portfolio of digitally printed wall installations."

I have a renewed appreciation for what goes in to launching new textile patterns and weaves.  Maharams studio is the perfect example of what dedication and hard work can bring to designers and the marketplace.

Hunt & Gather: Cake

No Birthday is complete without a chocolate cake.  We stumbled upon Little Cupcake Bakeshop while walking the streets of soho.  While I think the Americana trend is a little overdone and overused (we saw it just about everywhere we turned) the place was very cute and warm.  The cake itself was incredible: moist, with just the right amount of sweetness.

The classic carrera marble cafe table with iron base will always be my favorite.  It serves as the perfect backdrop for baked goods.

Later that night, my friend Sarah brought me a bounty of yummy cupcakes from Billy's, her favorite bake shop.  Their pumpkin spice is amazing!  We also celebrated with a Belgian Beer toast and lots of frites.

Hunt & Gather: The Brooklyn Flea

I somehow managed to completely skip over Saturday in my trip diary, a day that was actually quite eventful and fun.  We journeyed over to Fort Greene, Brooklyn to check out the Brooklyn Flea, a highly recommended stop by many of our friends, including Casey over at KID Collective, who happened to be arriving in the city the day we left!  Be sure to check out NYC through her lens over at her blog.

I love the pattern play the trees created on these old Brownstones.  We both felt that if we were to move to Brooklyn, this felt like a very comfortable neighborhood that reminded us of home.

Portland is seriously lacking in the Flea Market arena, so it was with great anticipation that we dug through each vendor's collection.  You can learn a lot at a place like this- a cooling table is not for sunbathing, for example.  I'm only on season two of Six Feet Under, so you'll have to cut me a break. We agreed before we entered that we could only purchase items that could fit in our suitcase, unless we encountered the deal of the century.  The Fritz Hansen table we so desperately wanted to take home was overpriced, and we really couldn't justify shipping an industrial table home.  So, we ended up with a few lightweight souvenirs from our trip:

Fig Studio Fact:  I collect tea towels.  I have a towel from every trip I've been on in the past 5 years.  My husband has managed cut holes in nearly all of them, but they are still special to me and every time I hang my towels it's a reminder of my love for travel.  This 2011 Buy Local Calendar towel is by the talented Claudia Pearson- you can make your purchase in her Etsy store.

We collected enough vintage press letters to spell Guggenheim, now we need to figure out how we want to display them in our home.  Perhaps mounted on a beautiful wallpaper sample or in on of our terrariums?

My birthday fell on a Monday and the one stop that I could not miss wasn't going to be open for us to celebrate, so we were sure to hit it up Saturday.  The Red Hook Lobster Pound.  I'm pretty much obsessed with seafood, and lobsters aren't exactly an Oregon specialty.  I wanted to try Maine fresh lobster, whole, with all the juices.  We weren't disappointed!  Full flavor with all of the trimmings.

Secret find:  The new Brooklyn Ikea has a free ferry on weekends.  Red Hook to Pier 17 in 20 minutes flat.  What a deal, and what a view!

Row Your Boat Ashore

A Central Park first for us.  The cheapest entertainment on the island, and a welcome rest for our feet on this beautiful day.

The perfect spot to view Fall's colors

Glimpse & Gander: Empire State of Mind

The best cure for jet lag is to hit the ground running and never look back.  Our first NYC destination has been on our must-see list for a while, as Phase 1 was still under construction during our last visit in '08.  The Highline phase 1 is a 9-block long elevated public park offering sweeping views of Chelsea and the Hudson. The design reveals a true nod to the structure's past role as a freight rail line, and has preserved what could have been a true loss to the city.  This is one of the best examples of adaptive re-use I've seen, and I hope it serves as a model for other cities facing industrial change.

Nature softens industrial remnants and modern interventions

The success of this project is magnified by the sheer number of people using the space.  It's a beautiful, safe place that allows users a respite from the concrete jungle below. Many used the reclining lounges to finish up work on their laptops, while others were simply taking the opportunity to bask in November's mild warmth.

After spending almost an hour in the park, we headed down to the Chelsea Market to pickup some Oregon wine from the Wine Vault (a favorite I discovered while studying at Parson's) and grab a quick bite at the market's crepe stand.  We made our way back to our home base for the week and relished in the fact that we still had six days left to explore and eat our way through the city.

Planes, Trains, and Ferries

Fig Studio is off to New York City to see family, friends, and a few incredible showrooms.  We've gathered a list of all of our favorite spots in the city and a few new-to-us adventures, including treasure hunting at the Brooklyn Flea...

...a lobster feed in Red Hook...

....and a side trip to the Philip Johnson Glass House. 

We'll share our finds with you upon our return.  Enjoy your week!

Cover Your Walls

After two weekends of wallpaper hanging for this project, I've got wallcoverings on the brain... and stuck to my hands and painter's jeans.  I'm really loving the graphic qualities in many of the new prints out there, and I particularly admire the collection from Oh Joy! for Hygge & West.  Stone's Throw Away allows the viewer to complete the story, to see beyond the lines and interpret the pattern. As a side bonus, this print may help hide wall imperfections in older homes, where other wallcoverings can actually enhance blemishes.

Fig totes around a journal with a similar print

My other favorite is out of Madison and Grow's Pasadena collection.  I have this spec'd on a current project so I'll have some beautiful installation shots to share by Spring 2012.

Elizabeth : Moonbeam on Cream.   You may have spotted this in your latest West Elm catalog. 

Angles: Erica Wakerly for Hermitage has been around for a while but I'm still waiting to see a smashing installation.  I keep this one tucked into my back pocket for just the right client and space.

 

My favorite spaces to cover in print:  Entryways and powder rooms.  What are yours?