Fall’s Hottest Design Trends

Everything for the home from dinnerware designed by Angelina Jolie’s tatoo-artist (left), to South African-made wool ottomans that looked like stones, were presented to buyers and interior designers and the press at the N.Y. Gift Fair last week.

Buying ramped up a bit according to this — very hurt — segment of the market. The general consensus was more hopeful than at the previous, January market.

Color Trends from the New York Gift Fair

Sick of your chocolate-brown-and-sea-blue color scheme? We are, too.

And if you’re spending more time at home it’s only natural to want to freshen up the place. Check out my latest post for Richmond Home magazine about color trends for 2009/2010. This week, I’ve revived my When in R•Homeblog to report on what’s happening from the New York International Gift Fair, a twice-yearly trade show for interior designers, shop owners and other tastemakers in home design.

Things got exciting on Tuesday, when I spied designer/potter/reality-show host Jonathan Adler hanging out near his booth. [Remember my post about how Adler designed the Barbie Dream House for the doll's 50th birthday?] Ah, the glamorous life …

Brunch Porn for Your Weekend Enjoyment

This weekend don’t forget the most important meal of the week. Here’s a mouth-watering example of it’s import: two poached eggs over cheese grits with house made pork sausage and smoked pork jus. And of course a savory bloody Mary.

This week’s brunch porn is from Cookshop in Chelsea, N.Y.

What’s your favorite brunch spot?

Lets Go Native American on This Economy!

German artist Anna Jandt created a horse's head for this room, which makes me think of "The Godfather" but she says serves as "a comment on the anonymity and overpowering nature of posh hotel rooms."

Has the Great-Recession squashed your grand travel plans? Here’s an idea: Barter for your hotel!

That’s right, why exchange Benjamins when you can trade?

Berlin’s Hotel Marienbag is offering artists free accommodations in exchange for a work of art. The catch is that the artist must come from outside of Berlin, and, well, you have to be an artist. But that’s great news for U.S. artists interested in checking out the art mecca that is Berlin. Prost to that!

The program is coordinated by Susanne Pfeffer a curator at Berlin’s Kunst-Werke Institute of Contemporary Art, who says conceptual artists, sculptors and painters are welcome to participate and stay at the hotel.

[via DesignBoom]

Special Assignment: Queen Celebutante Jumping Penthouse?

Tinsley Mortimer at New York Fashion Week, 2006. Photo by Scott Elmquist.

Now I know what it must be like to write for InTouch. I didn’t resort to going through garbage or bribing hairdressers, but when I got a call from Style Weekly to cover the Tinsley Mortimer divorce rumor, I jumped to action.

Yup, that’s right. Ace New York divorce reporter at your service.

Read the sizzling tale here.

A Moment at The Met

At The Metropolitan Museum of Art this Sunday, these two people stood in front of “Mark” by photorealist painter Chuck Close for ages. Close’s work has that “how did he do it?” affect on people. This photograph reminded me of one of my favorite artists, photographer Laurie Victor Kay, and her “Au Musee” series in which she captures kids in museums. There’s something wonderful about the contrast of the innocent kids next to complex and weighty works of art.

I love the idea of watching people look at art. Not because I want to critique how anyone takes it in, just because I like to see the setting a work is placed in. And when you look at art in galleries and museums, you’re not usually alone, so those other people become part of the experience, too.

Above is her “Decapitation” taken at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay in front of Henri Regnault’s 1870 “Summary Execution under the Moorish Kings of Grenada.” I’m captivated by this sweet little girl and her chubby arms being exposed to that gruesome painting before her. I hope she’s not scarred for life.

Whose the Genius Behind the Marilyn Graffiti?

Marilyn Monroe is everywhere. Well, at least her iconic ‘do is. I spotted Spock wearing it — and looking rather debonair — in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. (That’s my husband there in the striped socks; he’s not part of the graffiti.)

The black-and-white, paste-up style is the craftiness of L.A. graffiti artist Mr. Brainwash, a.k.a. MBW. He’s Marilynized others, too. Madonna and Angelina also get graffiti makeovers in New York. Here’s a cool Flickr collection of more pop-culture inspired street art by Mr. Brainwash. And the L.A. gallery that represents him. [Photo below by Timothy Schenck.]

These made me wonder if Michael Jackson’s image will have such staying power 50 years from now …