A tall cup of coffee and a healthy breakfast are required before entering the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) in New York City this week. One of the largest international trade shows in the world, the NYIGF showcases more than 2,700 exhibitors in 400 categories including home textiles, furniture, lighting , bedding accessories, candles, fragrances, stationery and more in two locations. This fair is open to the trade only, and we think it must be because anyone not part of this industry would find it all together too overwhelming! We courageously started our exploration at the Jacob Javits center today, and we’ll go to the At Home division located at the Passenger Ship Terminal Pier 94 tomorrow. It’s literally impossible to view the entire show in just one day. But from the small slice that we saw today, we can tell you that COLOR is definitely in for 2010. This year will not be a somber one in the design world. Gone were the sedate, refined collections of years past. From pillows to candles to furnishings, there was an outpouring of bold colors like orange, hot pink, yellow, and, yes, even turquoise (the Pantene color of 2010). Below, some of the vibrant soaps and candles by LAFCO.
Here are our favorite sightings of the day: Artichoke Lamp at Stray Dog Designs, Chattanooga, TN: “Cookie cutters are for cookies, not for furniture ” is the motto of this family-run Chattanooga furniture and accessory company owned by Billy Pritchard and Jane Gray, and we couldn’t agree with you more! These are handmade by artisans in Haiti and the US out of paper mache from recycled materials.
LAFCO’s newest edition, Little Luxuries Candle Collection (New York Luxury Articles & Fragrance Company): These affordable candles ($8 wholesale) come in the most charming custom tin ever! The clever package includes a lid that can be used as a stand and, cleverly, a box of matches is included. Whether used as a travel candle, or to add tranquility to any space, these candles are sure to be a hit. GBGP favorite fragrance? We were loving the Fig.
Oly has a new collection of blue and white painted porcelain jars imported from Indonesia.  A wonderful modern take on a classical decorative object.
New Oly Warner Chair (carved hardwood frame with antiqued mirror detail). Talk about glamorous. This chair just oozes femininity.
Sydney’s beautiful, hand-painted plates with exquisite depictions from nature are the work of a lovely French artist who now calls East Hampton, NY home. She sells her pieces at Barney’s and other stores and is now branching out to into embroidered table cloths and linens.

Tokyo Milk is relatively new, launched in October ’08 and is brought to us by the owner of one of our favorite beauty lines, Lollia. The Tokyo Milk collection includes fragrances, candles, and bath soaps in some of the most beautiful packaging we’ve seen. Our favorite perfume is “Let Them Eat Cake,” a delicious combination of sugar cane, coconut milk, vanilla orchid, and white musk (the line is heavily influenced by Paris and Marie Antoinette).
John Derian Cake Platters: It’s hard not to be a fan of Johns’. We’ve long been cake platter collectors, but ours are mostly white and clear glass. We love how he marries the wonderful art of decoupage with this festive piece of tableware. A wonderful gift idea for a new bride or a very special hostess.
*N.B.: This fair is for the trade only. Individuals must document their direct professional trade affiliation to be admitted. The next show is August 14- 19th, 2010. – S & L

Our entire way of thinking began many years ago. As a young interior designer in New York, I was relentless in my pursuit of stylish and original pieces to include in the homes I was hired to decorate. Often, my best finds were made on the weekends because, when you’re running a business, you simply can’t spend all of your time shopping! This is how it came to be that little Lauren would tag along with me at weekend flea markets, estate sales, and, tag sales. Strangely, she rarely complained on those excursions. Mind you, she had a working mom, and was happy to spend time with me, but, who knew that a burgeoning style maven would emerge? (Below, grabbing lunch after one of the early morning shows).
Sometimes, we would play a game together to see who could come up with the ” best piece” of the day. The criteria were vast, and not always met, but nevertheless it was always fun to compare what she and I would come up with at the end of the day. We still play this game when we divide and conquer at antique shows. Lauren will say,”Mom, did you see that amazing clock in the center aisle?,” and I’ll smile and nod my head, knowing that she spotted it–the best piece of the day. Here are five great pieces from our latest excursions (the clock below, found at the Pier Show this past weekend, is from Braswell Galleries in Norwalk, CT).
This wonderful table with it’s unique carved stone pedestal comes from Provence, France. We spotted it at Circa Antiques, in Westport, Connecticut.
Lauren found this American Pie Cabinet at the Rhinebeck antique show this past fall. We were both taken with the detail around the windows, and the curvature in the skirt. Notice the original gray paint and the mysterious “mouse hole” above the top drawer. You can’t deny this piece would make a great conversation starter!
This is my favorite lamp at the moment. I found a pair of them at Bungalow in Westport, Connecticut, one of my treasured stomping grounds. I purchased a pair of them for a client in an apartment in New York City and they look fab.
I found this chair at the Holly Hunt showroom in New York City. Isn’t it great? – S

At this time of year, it’s hard to avoid the inevitable administrative tasks at hand. You know what we mean, pre-income tax prep, collecting W-2 forms, post-holiday credit card bills, spring sign ups for school events and what not. It’s daunting. Not everyone has the luxury of a room designated as an office in their home. Most of our friends are just looking for help in setting up a designated space that’s just for business. With laptops today, a working space doesn’t have to be large, it just has to be uncluttered, and without distraction.
We love to re-purpose great pieces, and the tag sale found table above is a perfect example. I stumbled across this spool leg table in Brooklyn many years ago, and it has moved with us from home to home. It’s really nothing special, but it has great bones, and the scale of it is perfect for a small space. If you see a piece like this in your travels, it’s a good investment, as it can serve as an entryway table, a night table, a desk, and a vanity. You can see it in the above photograph as a vanity in Lauren’s first apartment. I have since reclaimed it for my work space! A well edited, yet organized work space needs very few items. A laptop, good lamp, some storage for files and paper work (we like these white metal ones from The Container Store), a vessel for pens and pencils (we used a McCoy vase picked up from a flea market), and a small wastepaper basket. For a little feminine flourish (and to give the area a little personality), I arranged a few illustrations by Patricia Van Essche. I used the same lucite bench that Lauren had as a seat at her vanity as a place to stack some of my decorating and fashion reference books. Even if you only have a small area to work with (I have just this sliver of a wall!), it’s nice to know you have a designated space that’s just for you. – S

We were pretty busy this weekend–hitting the American Antiques show, the The Winter Antiques Show, and the Pier Show all in the span of 48 hours. By the time we got to the Pier Show on Sunday afternoon, most of the booths were looking pretty picked over. Nevertheless, we came across Roxanne Stuart’s unbelievable collection of vintage and costume jewelry. She is definitely one of my new favorite collectors! Roxanne, also known as “The Gemfairy,” finds her pieces all over the world. We both wanted just about everything in her booth! It’s not until you see a collection like Roxanne’s, amassed from so many different decades, that you realize how much of today’s jewelry has been inspired by the past. Below, me and mom at Pier 92 (skinny belt twins!).
This was the first piece I zeroed in on (below), made of pearls and rhinestones. Isn’t it breathtaking? I would love to wear a bracelet like this with a simple black cocktail dress. Couldn’t resist trying it on, but had to walk away when I heard the $250 price tag. I’ll be dreaming of this bracelet for a long time I think.
Two really great statement necklaces, below. I was particularly in love with the longer necklace with the bright white beads. Couldn’t you just see some glamorous, bronzed woman wearing it with her breezy beach tunic on her yacht in Capri? That’s where my mind went, anyway.

Looking nothing like the bronzed bombshell I just described (I need sun…badly), here I am holding up one of my favorite American pieces. I love this color. Would be great for layering or even worn alone with the stripe shirt I’ve got on!

You can find the Gemfairy on Ebay by clicking here. – L

The American Antiques Show has always been our favorite show of the January antique season in New York City.  A benefit for the American Folk Art Museum, the exhibition provides visitors the same beautifully edited experience as visiting the galleries of the museum itself. The more than 40 exhibitors are refreshingly willing to talk to anyone who expresses interest in their collections. The dealers come from all over the country, from Maine to Michigan to Pennsylvania. We’ve learned much of what we know about American antiques and folk art from conversations with these dealers over the years, and you can too. Just step right up; the dealers are unpretentious and very knowledgeable. Here are five of our favorite pieces from this weekend’s show:
1. This fanciful Bird Cage, aka. Avian Palazzo, grabbed our attention immediately because it is such an elaborate and detailed structure. The dealer, Stephen Score, from Boston, Massachusetts even put two lovely red toy birds inside to make it feel even more real. The piece is painted its original color. It dates back to about 1840. Contact:  Stephen.score@verizon.net

2. We loved the way this dealer displayed these iconic carved geese in such a modern way as if to show how they could be hung on a wall in one’s home as art. In fact, these six hand carved geese were once used in a barn in Maine to hold childrens’ saddles (circa 1910). In their original setting, they were all attached to a pole horizontally one on top of another for easy access. They have original weathered paint. Contact: The dealers, Ricco Maresca are located in New York City, www.riccomaresca.com.

3. The amazing bead work on this patriotic memorial was made by a Racine, Wisconsin (home of Johnson Wax) woman for her husband, Vincent Digaudio. It dates back to 1924. The piece features flags of the Allied Forces, a son-in-service banner, an eagle underneath the sun, a deer, and medallions with illustrations of Washington and Columbus. If you look closely, in the center of the piece is a small portrait of her husband. Though this was made to commemorate her spouse, it is full of life with bold colored beads and so many elaborate graphic elements. A true work of folk art. Contact: Jeff R. Bridgeman, from Historic York County, Pennsylvania, www.jeffbridgman.com.4. We weren’t quite sure what to make of this unusual object when we walked up to it. The dealer grinned at us as we looked perplexed, but then explained that it is a Windsor-era lighting device that is is rarely found. It was designed to magnify the candle light necessary for the tedious work of tatting, or making lace,  in the late 18th and early 19th century. Once the candle was lit, the water in the globes helped magnify the light projected and allowed the lacemaker to work on into the night. Contact: George R. Allen and Gordon L. Wyckoff from Oley Forge, Pennsylvania, www.racooncreekantiques.com.

5. This very unusual set of American folk art Windsor chairs caught our attention because we love the form of any and all Windsor chairs, especially hand painted ones. The dealer, Jeff R. Bridgmann, from Historic York County, Pennsylvania said that they were probably made in Maine or Philadelphia. They have their original paint and all six chairs are part of the original set. One chair was made slightly shorter than the others due to the special requirements of a family member. Contact: www.jeffbridgman.com. – S & L

Whenever we have an opportunity to salvage a tag sale find, we take it. The two now luxe-looking side tables on either side of the sofa (below) are our latest conquest. When we first discovered them (courtesy of our friend Kate, a dedicated weekend “antique picker”), we looked inside the drawers to find that they had been made by a now defunct, but once quite reputable American furniture maker called Kroehler Manufacturing. How did we know that these side tables would make great pieces? Four reasons. One: they’re a pair. Decorators love pairs because they add symmetry and balance to a room. Two: they’re a pair that are slightly different from each other–even better. Three: they’re well-made (out of natural wood materials). When you pick them up, they feel sturdy, and the drawers slide in and out effortlessly. Four: they have an unusual and interesting architectural feature, in this case their profile (if you continue scrolling down, there’s a side view of the legs to show you what we mean). While they may have been made in the 1950′s, we think they look quite modern and updated in our living room.
A quick history lesson on Kroehler in case you’re curious. It turns out that Kroehler Manufacturing had a long, and and at one time, quite prosperous history. It began in 1902 as a family business, started by Peter E. Kroehler in Naperville, Illinois (the factory actually survived a tornado in its earliest years). In the mid 1940′s, Kroehler Manufacturing company,with over $20 million in annual sales, was the second largest furniture maker in the country! Unfortunately, the company took a turn for the worse in the ’70s, closing its historic factory in Naperville. Since being acquired in 1981, some Kroehler furniture is still being manufactured today (and it can be found online). Notice the classic hardware made of solid brass. We chose to preserve and reuse these.We began our DIY by pulling together all of the ingredients and tools. We like using an electric sander on furniture projects. First, we cleaned, and then lightly sanded, every surface. To prepare the wood for an enamel paint, we used Zinsser primecoat water-base primer and sealer (two coats). We chose a neutral taupe color from the BEHR paint collection at Home Depot called Castle Path (730C-3); it’s a high gloss enamel. We let the paint dry overnight, then gave it a second coat. Lastly, we coated the surfaces with Min Wax fast-drying polyurethane clear semi-gloss to give the tables an even more lacquered look.
And here they are on either side of the sofa post-transformation. Ta-da!
Originally, it was the side-view of that tables that grabbed our attention. It’s this feature that gives these pieces that staying power we’re always looking for.
While they can easily live beside a sofa in almost any room of the home, they look equally great as night tables in your bedroom. Their flexibility is one of their greatest assets. They’ve got good bones, and they’re great pieces (sorry, we couldn’t resist).
Want to see how we created the ironstone arrangement above the sofa?