One of my favorite events every year is the Hearst Designer Visions Cinema Style Show House. They usually hold it in a newly constructed residential building and the three chosen designers are paired with a Hearst magazine and choose a film as inspiration for their spaces. Since the building this year is 1212 Fifth Avenue which faces Central Park, they asked the designers to choose a movie in which the park plays a role. Jessie Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company were paired with Town & Country and chose the quirky 2002 film Igby Goes Down; Heather Moore of Jed Johnson Associates was paired with House Beautiful and was inspired by Factory Girl from 2006; and lastly Thomas O'Brien of Aero Studios joined forces with Veranda and was inspired by the 1987 film Someone to Watch Over Me. I am always lucky enough to be invited to tour the spaces and photograph them for my blog each year but they are usually only open for special events. This year, not only can you see them on my blog but now you can also tour them in person on October 15th and 16th from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The $35 admission fee will be donated to the wonderful organization The Art of the Elysium. Click here for more information and tickets.
Since I know Carrier and Company the best and Jesse Carrier was kind enough to walk me through their space, I figured why not start with them. As I mentioned, their apartment in 1212 Fifth Avenue was inspired by Igby Goes Down. I will admit that I have not see the movie but they decided to summon "the uptown/down chic of the quirky film" starring Kieran Culkin, Amanda Peet, Susan Sarandon, Clair Danes, and Jeff Goldblum. They created "a residence for a smart and savvy pair of New Yorkers, not unlike the discriminating Town & Country reader."
Many readers email me asking for specific details without first checking my links. You can find out all the details for this space on the Town & Country Facebook page here. (You will need to log into Facebook first.) All of the paint supplied in all the spaces is from Ralph Lauren and can also be found online. When I first walked into the Carrier and Company living room, I thought it might be wallpaper but it was Ralph Lauren Paint Natural Linen Technique with a base of coat in Stucco White with a glaze of Tuscan Beige. I'm not usually a fan of special paint techniques but I really liked them here.
Artwork plays a large role throughout this apartment.
I love the propped and layered look of these works on the console.
There are also many large colorful abstract works by artist Leah Durner.
The living room has an amazing cast metal rustic stump coffee table from Mecox that looks like a sculpture.
Love this mix of patterns.
New Yorkers love their books so they are also seen throughout. Books also add color and interest to any room.
This skirted table acts as an entry table but could probably also function as a small dining table.
I can't wait until I have the room for a table like this piled with all my favorite books.
I don't think there is nothing chicer than this antiqued mirror hanging above a modern brass and glass console table.
If this fictional owner collects art, they would definitely have auction catalogs lying around.
As we know from the blogs, high gloss lacquer walls are very popular. I also know from experience that they can be extremely time consuming and expensive to create. A great alternative is this Phillip Jeffries glossy striped wallpaper in the hallway.
The color orange runs through many of the rooms.
The kitchen contains a great mix of textures like the Ralph Lauren Paint on the walls and the Karastan antelope carpet on the floor that soften the slick and shiny appliances.
I love that they also painted over the register and HVAC cover.
The glass table takes up less visual space in the small eat in area.
You should never be afraid to add artwork and decorate a kitchen just as well as any other room. I would just suggest not hanging the priceless works of art there.
New York kitchens are usually small so a cart adds extra space for often used items.
I also love hanging a flat screen television with other art so it blends in a little more.
The den includes another Leah Durner artwork and fabulous orange textured walls in Bright Canvas Technique by Ralph Lauren Paint with a base color of Plateau and a Poppy glaze.
The open sides of the desk also take up less visual space which is nice in small rooms.
Interesting bjects decorate the desk.
The framed intaglios pop off the orange walls.
I don't think there is any more relaxing color for a bedroom than blue and here it's Willow by Ralph Lauren Paint.
The mirror trimmed Morgan Low bed is from Oly.
The side tables were borrowed from Christie's.
Love how the pattern on the plate relates to the pattern on 20th-century Italian fruitwood marquetry side tables.
Another piece from Leah Durner.
If you can't afford a full set of draperies which require many yards of fabric, drapery panels like these are a great alternative, especially if you have a black out shade.
Not sure where these white chairs came from but I love their lines. The nude is from Christie's.
Every bedroom needs a chair for either putting on your shoes or to throw your clothes on instead of the floor.
Love all the textures not only on the walls but in the fabrics.
Phillip Jeffries Glam Grass in Maldive Blue lines the custom closets designed by Clos-ette.
Kohler products are used in every bathroom. They were also designed by S. Russel Groves who was the architect on the project.
Again, I wouldn't put priceless art and furniture in the bathroom but you certainly don't have to leave it bare.
The parrot is by Lladro. It's nice to see that they make other pieces besides dancing couples. All in all, I loved this apartment by Carrier and Company and as with all show houses, I have filed away lots of ideas for future projects. Hope you can check it out yourself this weekend! If not, it should appear in an upcoming issue of Town & Country.
Photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic
