Holiday Party at Moroso in Soho

Designers get together at the Moroso holiday party in Soho.

Moroso refreshed their Soho showroom with a Holiday event for designers on December 20. A long day of work called for yet another holiday event and of course seeing new furniture is something to get excited about. Moroso is  collection of high quality Italian seating furniture that is edgy and whimsical.  Not only are these chairs and sofas well made and fun to look at, they also have a green factor. Moroso's furniture production process is environmentally conscious, nonpolluting, while using materials that are natural or as recyclable as possible.  Some favorites are highlighted below:

Celebrity Shoe Closets

Get inspired these celebrity shoe closets! This is probably the most comprehensive guide on celebrity shoe closets, focusing on the actual design of the closet and storage style. There are so many great ideas- look at ALL the details, like Miley Cyrus's shoe closet...designed with ladder bookcases and bold accessories! And speaking about ladders, they are a huge trend in celebrity closets! All the available space is utilized completely to the top, so it can be accessed with a step stool or ladder.  Displaying your shoes on shelves so that they are visible instead of keeping them in boxes really does make them much easier to find!  Scroll all the way to the bottom to see Alfonsina Romero's own shoe closet! 

Kourtney Kardashian's Shoe Closet Koutney's closet is thoroughly designed with the right pops of color, from the red ladder to the orange boxes overhead!

Urban Farms at the Greenbuild Event with Metropolis Magazine

Urban Farms are a thing of now and Brooklyn Grange taught us just that during a presentation at the Metropolis magazine  Green Build event at the Davis Warshow showroom in Soho on December 11.

Designing with Monaco Blue

Pantone's Monaco Blue

Monaco Blue was one of the popular Pantone colors seen on styles by top designers during fashion week. The color dominated the runways as on of the Spring 2013 top colors for fashion. 

Alfonsina Romero created an eclectic and complimentary design scheme inspired by Pantone’s Monaco Blue.  Alfonsina introduces the color into the room without letting it become over powering, breaking through browns, whites, silver accents and adding muted orange pieces.  Love the well balanced design? Click on the design to look at the individual furniture pieces used in this scheme along with where-to-buy information and prices on ProjectDecor. 

Tribeca Loft Design Scheme using Monaco Blue, by Alfonsina Romero

Establishing a look with Porcelain Surfaces

In a world of materials and endless design options, porcelain plays a role at Apavisa.

Apavisa, a tile company from Valencia Spain, houses strictly porcelain surfaces that are inspired by other natural materials such as rust, metal, limestone, copper, and even hardwood flooring. Along with finish, the Apavisa porcelain can also take a 3D form, with waves, bumps and peeling shapes. 

Apavisa porcelain is great for residential and commercial use. It is a durable material, perfect for high traffic areas like hotels, restaurant, and airports. The material has its advantages over natural stone.  is pre-sealed, pore-less, requires little maintenance, and uses up to 40% recycled materials in production.

Apavisa panel that looks like wood strips. 

Reupholster: An Old Sofa Gets New Life

When it comes to design, an exceptional designer sees endless possibilities in what seems impossible.  Alfonsina Romero revived and old vintage couch by giving it a new look with functional fabrics from ARC-com. For the purpose of variety, she selected leather for the base which was also used to reupholster the inside of the attached storage ottoman. The leather surface created contrast with the durable but soft-to-the-touch fabric which has high tech qualities of being impermeable thanks to its  eco friendly inner lining. The new  tufting design steered away from the original channeling to produce a cleaner look.  Having the leather as the base surface makes the cleaning the sofa a breeze as it requires no more than a simple wipe down.

Alfonsina believes that sofas should be functional, comfortable and shouldn't be covered in plastic, as this particular piece was originally. The plastic did protect it from the elements for so long, however, enabling the reupholster to use the original foam of the piece, which was in excellent condition. Fortunately, the new fabrics that Alfonsina selected continue to protect the sofa's core from liquids, providing a shield inside. The original legs were left on the sofa, but can be replaced anytime with legs in chrome finish to create a more modern look.  

The ottoman storage section's lid also got reupholstered with a bonus tab
made out of the same material as the sofa for easy lifting.

Reupholstering old pieces is a great way to hang on to good quality furniture pieces. Older furniture  pieces are quite often better built than newer models that might cost as much as investing in reupholstering an old piece.  Reviving furniture is also an eco conscious practice, because you are repurposing something that might end up in a landfill. 

Are you considering reupholstering your sofa? Perhaps a flea market find? Alfonsina Romero  is the perfect person for the job, she will help you shop fabrics in trade-only showroom, and guide you through various options, as well as ensure that your please gets crafted to perfection.

Contact AR for reupholstering services: info@ar-ny.com

Designing for a Cause: ScaleAFRICA

On August 2, ScaleAFRICA, a non profit organization dedicated to rebuilding schools in rural sub-Saharan Africa, held their third annual summer benefit at the LES's Above Allen at the Thomspon Hotel. There was an online auction of exciting gifts, including VIP tickets to Jay-Z's concert at the Barclays Center, admission to the show Sleep No More, and a vacation to Punta Cana, among others. The night culminated with a wonderful sunset performance by artist Reggie Watts. To find out more about Scale Africa's mission visit www.scaleafrica.org/

The Rooftop Lounge "Above Allen" at The Thompson Hotel in the LES

Bacardi was one of the event sponsors

SCALEAfrica founders Erinn McGurn and  Guy Baron

Sign up lists for the auction

With Reggie Watts

Reggie Watts performed at the event

Guests enjoying the sunset before the performance

The Ambiance at the SCALEAfrica Summer Benefit.

East Village Loft Closet: Before & After

AFTER, WALL B: Over sized hanging area 

A large East Village Loft walk in closet gets an incredible makeover, which welcomed functionality,  better utilization of space, and improved overall aesthetic appeal. Client was thrilled with the minimal but effective design solution that designer Alfonsina Romero provided for his loft closet.

The Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe

In 1929, the Barcelona chair welcomed the Spanish royalty at the Bacelona Pavilion in Germany for the International Exposition of 1929. An icon in modern design, the Barcelona Chair was designed by Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It is a welcomed addition to any space that is craving a breathe of modern and minimal. 

AR Design Idea: Place 2 Barcelona Chairs across from your modern sofa. Include the glass Barcelona Table to pair up with the chairs. If you prefer to have one chair, it can be used as an accent chair by to the sofa. Barcelona chairs are commonly seen in a lobby and minimal settings.  

Where to buy:

[SPLURGE]  $5068

[STEAL]$549

PS: Take a look at a new drool worthy design and twist to the Barcelona chair! Barceloneta is a revision of the Barcelona chair by Serralunga, meant for the great outdoor lounging. They are Stack-able and very sleek:

Olympic Themed Pool Party at Duravit

On Wednesday July 25th, Duravit converted their Madison avenue showroom into a pool party themed Olympic celebration along with swim footage, Olympic trivia, and all American sliders! Duravit is a supplier of bathroom ceramics, accessories and fixtures. Archtizer and Duravit's aquatic event was held in the perfect location... When it is time to re-do your bathroom in high style, visit Duravit for inspiration!

The tubs at Duravit were filled with beach balls! 

The Diamond Chair by Harry Bertoia

"If you look at the chairs, they are mainly made of air, like sculpture," said Bertoia. "Space passes through them." 

Harry Bertoia designed the Diamond Chair for knoll out of industrial wire rods. Since 1952, the chair has been in continuous production with the Knoll logo stamped at the base of the chair. The seat pad is available in 5 different colors at Design Within Reach for $1089. If you wish to achieve the look without the splurge, you can opt for a replica available at Hayneedle for $208. 

Hampton Designer Showhouse Preview Gala 2012

Presented by Traditional Home Magazine to benefit the Southhampton Hospital, the Hampton Designer Showhouse opens annually to the public to showcase high style interiors by A-list interior designers. The designers had less than 3 weeks to prepare their spaces. Noticeable design trends in the house are the use Mongolian sheepskin rugs and analogous colors schemes. This year’s showcase took place at 80 flying point road, with an exclusive opening preview gala on Saturday evening. The event was elegantly catered with live piano music by the pool. 

Kitchen Wall Makeover: Before & After

Designer Alfonsina Romero dramatically improved the look of a once very plain kitchen wall with two windows by adding a splash of red paint to the back wall and combining both windows into one with an oversized woven shade. Alfonsina states: "When it comes to adding an intense paint color to a space, I always pick the window wall because the color will have a softer visual effect."

5 Ways to Organize Your Closet With AR and Closet Room

As a part of your annual spring cleaning, organizing and maximizing the space in your home should be priority. When you combine all of your out-of-season apparel, heaping shoe collection and oversized handbags that are too cute to throw away, your closets mimic the apocalypse.

 Closet Room understands how an organized space can take the clutter out of your day, and has provided the top five ways to organize your wardrobe with essential closet  storage items. 

The number one rule to an organized closet is to hang smart. Closet Room will provide the right type of hanger for your clothes: wire pants hangers, chrome hangers, cedar hangers, skinny felt hangers, and the adjustable extra rod to create more space to hang from.  Closet Room's new skinny felt hanger can maximize the space in your closet almost by 40%! You will see an incredible improvement if all your hangers match. 

Next, use Closet Room's Chrome Closet  unit if you need a quick solution that is fast, easy to install and even temporary.  It is an affordable alternative to an otherwise expensive custom closet. The Chrome Closet is functional and versatile, it expands from the hanging rod to accommodate your hanging as it increases. It also has adjustable shelving on the sides for folded clothes and to organize shoes.  At only 14" deep and expandable from 58"-83", the chrome closet unit will fit comfortably in any space. 

Organizing using your existing luggage pieces is the third best way to utilize storage in your closet. Using your existing luggage to store seasonal pieces is a creative and stylish way to keep clutter out of sight. They will be more accessible when it is time for a season change, and it's a plus if you want to show off nice luggage. Use carry-on size luggage to store items like rain boots, and even winter boots when it is summer time. During the winter months, store your shorts and flip flops in the same carry on.  

 

Closet Room's fifth tip is to purge your items regularly.  It sounds repetitive but doing a regular inventory of what you own can help you remember what you have and know what you no longer need. If you don't need it, put it in a box and donate it.  Designer and founder of Closet Room Alfonsina Romero recommends contacting an acquisitions specialist at the Angel Street Thrift Shop,  they will pick up your gently used items  (including furniture) promptly and incredibly hassle free! Located in Chelsea, The Angel Thrift Shop benefits the  LESC Foundation of NY. 

Closet Room is here to make your spring cleaning a smooth transition into summer with an array of closet storage items to maximize your space and wardrobe. For all design needs, consult the experts at Closet Room. 

To Summarize: 

1. Use the right hanger for your space and needs 

2. Use matching hangers 

3. Get a chrome closet unit: fits anywhere,  and looks great. 

4. Use your luggage for storage 

5. Purge your belongings regularly

DIFFA's Dining By Design Tables: 2012

DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids)  is an organization who brings designers and design companies together to produce the Dining By Design Event at the Architectural Digest Show at the Javitts Center, NY. They kick off with an exclusive gala before opening to the public. While some table tops consisted of simple and standard designs, other really expressed the designer's creativity through their use of colors, patterns and materials. DIFFA's Dining by Design is a wonderful showcase of inspiration. Scroll all the way down for pictures and for a link to see last year's tablescapes!

Table by Jonathan Adler for Kravet.

Top 8 Closet Expo Highlights

The Closet Expo this year  took place at the Austin convention center, where many players in the closet industry came together to exchange information and ideas.  Closet Room was in attendance with open eyes and ears to learn about innovative storage solutions and new products. We have highlighted our favorites below:

Closet Room Defined

Closet Room is the boutique destination for everything pertaining to the closet. The unique concept, founded by interior designer and ASID member Alfonsina Romero, gives particular emphasis to stylish closet accessories and accents, as well as closet layout and design.