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!