Last Call!!!!

Bunglow Hotel

I have been obsessed with a TV show lately....and usually that doesn't happen. I can miss a show here and there and really not care too much. But I have to say, the Novogratz family has just captured my imagination and my heart. Corny...maybe....but true. I have not missed a single episode. 9 by Design on Bravo has everything a good show needs....action, comedy, tension build-up, romance....and suspense (will they find missing son Wolfie in London? Will developer friend and client like his new pink refrigerator....or hate it?! Will they be able to find a venue for a book signing party supposed to take place in mere hours?). It also has design! And good design at that!

Well my friends....the last episode of the season is airing this next week, Tuesday June 1. What will I do this summer without them?! They have inspired me to get going on my own projects at home and with clients, to push the envelope a bit and think about design in a fresh way. I will be anxiously waiting the new season!!!

Until then....a few pictures of their latest project, the Bungalow Hotel.

Looks like a prefect Memorial Day Weekend Getaway!

Hope you enjoy yours!

(We will be enjoying our Alley Party Saturday afternoon with kegs of beer brewed by our very own alley neighbor, Rob....and a live band. Um....Bob and Cortney...if you don't have any plans yet...jet on over... and bring the kids!)

For some previews of the Finale click on over HERE. I love these guys.

Remember These Guys?

The Novogratz Family

Robert and Cortney Novogratz, the owners of Sixx Design in NYC, are the couple who wrote Downtown Chic, a book that chronicles the renovation and decoration of their numerous houses, all while having six kids....wait....make that seven. They are fun, sophisticated and have created a sort of "formula" for living a stylish life with a brood of young kids in the heart of New York.

Well, guess what?

Bravo TV thinks they are worth a more personal look! If you want to see behind the scenes and into the life of this couple who seems to have it all, check out 9 BY DESIGN a new docu-series on April 13th at 11:00 ET/PT for the Premiere. (Moves to 10PM Tuesday, April 20th). It is an eight episode series where the couple take on a string of projects over a nine month period, taking the projects from wrecks to wonderful. Watch out HGTV!

Will you be watching?

Did You Know About This Show?

"Launch My Line" Cast

I received an email this morning about Architect David Applebaum becoming a contestant on Bravo's latest Reality TV Design Competition: Launch My Line. David is an L.A. based architect who has worked with celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Diane Keaton, Rupert Murdoch and Cuba Gooding Jr. Curious, I went on over to the Bravo website to check it out.

So here is the deal. Ten fashion designers already in the biz are being paired with ten professionals (in creative fields like music, architecture, event planning and so on...) that have always wanted to have their own fashion line. The teams will battle it out to see who creates the best fashion line. Dean and Dan Caten of DSQUARED2 host and judges including Stefani Greenfield and Lisa Kline. Click HERE to read all about it.

I guess what caught my attention is that one of the contestants is an architect (that's David Applebaum, bottom row, second from the right), which brings me to the point. Fashion and Interior Design are so intertwined and interdependent aren't they? You can just look at the recent auction of the amazing collection of furniture and artifacts of Yves Saint Laurent to realize the close connection. I suppose that anyone in a creative field thinks about what they are wearing and will fantasize about designing their own clothes. Haven't you always thought, "if I could just find a blouse ( sweater, dress....) like the one in my head, I would be happy!" Well now we get to see how that works for us creative types.

The show starts December 2. What do you think? Will you be tuning in?

Dan and Dean.....or Dean and Dan

It will be fascinating in and of itself to watch Dan and Dean in conversation. They complete each other.

Napa: Eat Here

If any of you watch Bravo's Top Chef, you will also know about Top Chef Masters. Some of the worlds greatest chefs have been competing to win dollars for their favorite charities. One of my favorite competitors has been Chef Michael Chiarello, founder of NapaStyle, that yummy catalog of cooking essentials. You may have also seen him on his Food Network show: "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello".

During our weekend of stuffing ourselves in Napa, we made it to Chef Michael's latest venture: Bottega. This Italian based restaurant is located in the town of Yountville in the Napa Valley on the historic Vintage Estates Property, one of the oldest wineries in the valley.

OK...enough of the backstory....on with the food! (And the restaurant of course...this is an interiors blog after all.)

We walked in to see a beautiful interior that was warm and comfortable, and perhaps most importantly, set up to be more about the food, less about the "decorating". Farm house style tables, worn leather chairs and terracotta pavers created that casual but sophisticated atmosphere which embodies the spirit of Napa. We were all smiling at once.

We decided to eat outside on the patio which was covered with awnings which created a warm glow. (Very flattering to the complexion, but I will have to apologize for the color quality of the food photos.) This is the patio next to the entrance where drinks and appetizers are served:

We had a wonderful meal, and I have to admit there were forks flying all over the place while we shared bites. I had a delicious pot of polenta with sauteed mushrooms for my appetizer. Served with a small pitcher of warm balsamic. I just loved this presentation:

Tim had the chicken, flavored with fennel and served with sweet corn, fava beans, onions and peppers...so good! The plates looked perfect with the logo on the edge.

I also had the Tuscan Tomato and Bread soup, very hearty and very yummy! I could not get a get a good shot however. But I highly recommend it. Perhaps my favorite item at our table was my friend Nicki's salad of snap peas, sweet corn and delicate onions in a citrus vinaigrette...so refreshing and very tasty. (I am going to try and recreate it for my book group this Friday....wish me luck!)

And at the end of our meal, I felt very pampered when I dabbed my lips with the Frette napkins!

Bottega is well worth a visit if you are planning that Napa getaway. Great food and ambiance. And for all of those shoppers out there, it is right across the path from the NapaStyle Store!

Bon Appetit!

The Brown Brothers, "Flipping Out"

Some of you may already know about this. But here it is again if you don't. You know that crazy, and sort of wonderful house flipping show on Bravo called "Flipping Out"? Well....Ryan Brown, one of the stars of said show....you know the calm one who partners with the very particular OCD-ish flipper designer guy? The one who whips his staff into shape and turns out some of the quickest and most well designed flips in the LA area?......well, I got a little email from them just to let me know he now has a blog with his brother Joshua. I'm assuming that I am not alone here. But thought I would spread the word along. Find out more about their blog, "Brown Design" here. They have some great posts about their work and .....AND you can visit their website here. These are just a coupla photos of their work I particularly liked. So go "checkitout"!

Welcome Ryan and Joshua! I wish you all the best with your new blog. And I look forward to another season of Flipping Out!