Meeting the lovely & crazy talented Denise Porcaro, creator of  Lower Manhattan’s Flower Girl, was a chance encounter at a mutual friends Nolita boutique.  I was instantly captivated by this stunning creature with piecing blue eyes, a warm demeanor, & distinct style. Later that very evening I was smitten by the petite & artfully arranged florals that adorned the tabletop at an intimate dinner party. When I learned these whimsical arrangements that evoked a rustic yet elegant edge were none other than Flower Girl I thought… ok, well here’s a sign.

At that very moment I whipped out my phone ”….do you think Denise might want to collaborate on an EyeSwoon spring flower feature?”  And there you have it….that’s how magic happens!  I went from not knowing Denise, to having a full on SWOON feast! Spending the entire day together; first at the flower market, then moving on to her charming & perfectly curated Flower Girl storefront. Watching Denise in her environment; experiencing her palpable passion for florals & learning her brilliant & natural flower arranging tips just might have been one of my favorite days ever!

Flower Girl approaches flowers in a refreshing way….with an edge that adds personality & a juxtaposition that makes her stand out amongst the rest. Her aesthetic & unique style of combining unusual floral varieties, textures, & use of quirky vessels, gained her the respect of many top fashion brands she now calls clients.

Denise & I created two very distinct style floral arrangements, both jaw-droppingly gorgeous! Our concept for this feature was to show both super luxurious flowers you can only purchase at the flower market, to your basic pedals you can always count on finding at any corner deli.  I think we can agree that there is always a need for both the high and the low…what’s essential is making them both SWOON~worthy beautiful!

SHOP  S W O O N

Pruning Shears                                                 Ball Jar                                  Flowers by Irving Penn                        Flower Girl Apron                         Olive Bucket

I first met the incredibly talented interior & prop stylist Kim Ficaro on the beach in Montauk. As we chatted, I was instantly aware of how at ease I felt as we both affirmed “it was our summer to surf!” Through sporatic run in’s at the beach we shared surf lesson tales, milestone, fears, & setbacks as though we were the oldest of friends.

Little did I know at the time, this was a woman whom I quietly admirded for many years. Kim was the style director at Domino, which I can attest was the magazine that initiated my love of interiors & design. I coveted each issue & in my memory have filed away specific shoots & design tricks. Domino & Kim somewhat schooled me in design…I still have every issue!

Later that summer, Kim came to scout my home in Amagansett for an interiors book she was shooting with Ditte Isager. Have you ever had those surreal moments when you take a step outside of yourself & realize – wow, without knowing so I dreamt this up….I set this intention & now its really happening!

The day they shot my house I had the opportunity to create along side two woman whose work I swooned over and admired for years & years! I was bursting with excitement seeing Kim in action, playing with & styling my things, as Ditta documented each moment so beautifully..…pinch me please!

The shoot was just magical and by the end of the day Kim & I both knew we would become fast friends, I felt as though I had found my kindred spirit! Kim embodies all the same passions as I do….a love of design, food, and making things beautiful.  She has such an incredibly refined eye and knows just the right mix of rustic & refined, how to create balance in a room, on a table, or in a photograph that elevates it to art – all the while remaining effortlessly layered with subtle complexities. I asked Kim if she would swoon with me and share her styling essentials, tips & tricks for creating a stunning tablescape.

SHOP  S W O O N

French Bistro Napkins              Duralex Picardie Rocks Glass      Chemex Drip Coffee Carafe      West Elm Scape Dinnerware         Riedel O Wine Tumblers

Months later when compiling images for a color inspired post, I began pondering how to create something unique. That same day I took a trip down memory lane viewing images from my wedding. My grandmother, a religious woman, was ill & it was unknown if she could attend. I represented her by placing her Virgin Mary at the end of the aisle surrounded by flowers. Since then the statue has sat in the back of my moms closet.

Then it struck me! I just LOVE when various isolated moments unite. I called mom to pull out Mary; she was getting a makeover! I do hope no one gets offended…the way I see it, I am elevating & modernizing Mary in an artful way while honoring my Nonna!

I’m not reinventing the wheel here.  What I’m offering is nothing new, however,  the addition of vintage Moroccan rugs is certainly a design statement I return to time & time again.  They continually add the vibrant pop of color, desired texture, & obscure pattern to an otherwise neutral room.  They also add history, warmth, & that rustic element I yearn for in the interiors I create.

The synthesis of rural, ancient rug designs juxtaposed against modern clean design makes for a surprisingly pleasing & well-matched combination. These polarizing opposites add intrigue & tension in a room…something I love!

My partner John calls me a sleuth. I am that gal who just does not like to hear NO or who is put off when things are challenging to find or too pricy. As a matter of fact it’s the challenge, the hunt of finding “it” that really incites a creative journey for me. I will spend countless hours pouring over the internet, tumbling through the portal of various sites that lead to another & another & another!

I do have a point here and I promise you will thank me for it!  When I was designing my DUMBO home I absolutely had to have a Moroccan rug for the entry.  I  specifically desired the colorful Boucherouite rag rug. Sadly, all dealers I contacted offered prices beyond my budget….so I sleuthed out and eventually found Jean Yves, a French Moroccan dealer, through Etsy.

After sifting through the Boucherouite site I ended up scoring 4 incredible rugs. All totaled less than a quarter of the price of the original rug I was eyeing! The process of seeking it out was somewhat thrilling (i know i’m a design geek) and was super simple. I sent a pay pal payment and 2 weeks later I had 4 gorgeous rugs!  Excessive, YES. Worth it, YES.  Am I swooning over my new rugs…INDEED!

The room came together quite effortlessly once we got on board (hehe) with the wall of skate decks flanking Jivan’s bed.  Our local skate shop, Homage, inspired the idea with their in-store display of decks. I wanted Jivan to choose the decks he most gravitated to but I needed to control the palette…umm control freak?  I choose 40 or so decks in the desired palette of green, hot pink, purple, & turk then let him pick the best of the best.

After seeing a graffiti piece go up on Houston Street, Jivan was immediately drawn to the idea of a crazy wall mural that reflected his world.  I called upon a dear friend & artist, Adam Razak, who came over one evening & asked Jivan specific questions about what he was visually drawn to. Diamonds, arrows, crowns, explosions, & the #10, all which were incorporated into his custom mural.

My personal favorite bit within the room is the use of skate trucks & wheels as handle’s for the bedside tables….courtesy of moi!

It’s so important for children to be involved in creating their personal space. This age & this room brings on a new era in my child’s life….a need for an environment where he goes to chill with friends, listen to music, decompress, create, & simply hang out in a space he feels connected to! 

After coming up empty handed, I choose to create it for myself.  It was a journey that I loved, having something specific in mind….a shape, a material, a patina, a vibe… And then collaborating with a craftsman, working in a medium I had never endeavored  before.  I was thrilled to work with Valessa Monk of Monk Designs, experiencing her metal worksop & realizing my concept being formed, start to finish, was just incredible!

We began with a slick & shiny rectilinear piece of bronze….torched, melted, manipulated, hammered, & banged until it resembled my original sketch.  The base of the table was was inspired & cast from actual plant stalks found in nature, giving the legs their amazing nubby tactile texture!

There was lots of visits to the shop to perfect the table top….more burnt, less glossy, too much texture…can we blur it out?, make the edges darker?…..this was the fun part!   I am SWOONING  the dainty and delicate asymmetrical shape of the table base juxtaposed with the rougher finish of the table top.  For me it’s a functioning piece of sculpture that I get to live with every day!  I’m also honored that my apartment, myself, & the table is featured in this months Harpers Bazaar  magazine!

So much more swoon-worthy inspiration to come in 2013!

Wishing you a year of abundance, contentment, creativity, beauty, and yummy food!

xx athena

One thing I never thought I’d tackle is electrical work! With that said, I did recently build and wire a lamp!!  Always up for a learning adventure, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience thanks to Lindsey Adelman’s step by step instructions.

It’s genius really…a chandelier built entirely out of stocked brass lamp parts! The design possibilities are endless as you can articulate & adjust every piece to suit your needs!

I have seen many interpretations of this chandelier…1st at Ruschmeyers in MTK, on Remodelista, & at One Girl Cookie in Dumbo.

I was inspired to create my own version for the master closet in my new apartment. Snoop an image of  my closet  in February’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar!

The direction for the home is for it to feel elegant & sophisticated with a mix of oddities and unique pieces that gives the space an edge.  I’m always seeking that balance….a little bit of glam and a little bit of grit. I love playing with contrasting elements as they add a curiosity to a room which makes me swoon. The architecture is modern & industrial, with a metal stairway leading to the 2nd floor and a double height concrete wall, so injecting warm & textural elements seemed necessary.

My most exciting purchase for the PH was finding a Dunbar tufted sofa on Ebay…score!!!  I chose to recover the sofa in a muddy grey tone silk velvet….very lush and the perfect starting point and anchor for the living room. 

Ben Pundole gave me the much needed push to create Eye-Swoon, & subsequently launched the blog for me via a greatly appreciated tweet almost one year ago.

Ben has an incredible & eclectic eye, trained through his many years of working in hospitality & nightlife at some of the finest properties around the world. Ben recently took a position with Ian Schrager at Edition Hotels where he will develop everything from brand identity, partnerships, food & beverage, marketing, nightlife, & social media. Ben is also developing a hotel review site called A Hotel Life due to launch mid November.

Since we both love all things BK when I had the opportunity to cruise the Bklyn Flea with Ben, I hopped over to W’burg & enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon together. Ben’s eye gravitated to so many interesting things…here’s a snoop!

Reclaimed wood beams do not necessarily have to be expensive and 100 years old.

What we all love most about this look, like the shelving in my  Amagansett kitchen, is the time worn aged appearance that reclaimed materials offer us.   The silvery, beaten up, patina that is characteristic of naturally weathered wood that develops over time.

Well, who says that process has to happen inside a barn?  I realized, while walking along a construction site, that  simple construction planks have seen the nitty gritty work load of tools, machinery, & contractors.

When you consider they have also been stacked outdoors on the streets or within a building, exposed to the elements, you achieve the exact same “reclaimed” look through an accelerated gruff process with a far less lofty price tag!

Fake it till you make it right…Beam me up!

I poured my heart and soul into the design & renovation of this “diamond in a rough” of a mid century modern beach house. Every single item in the home….a piece of furniture, art, accessory, antique, or oddity…has a specific & personal story attached to it & I enjoyed every drop of the very organic curation.

Working with Paul Masi, of Bates Masi Architecture, propelled the renovation process into another stratosphere, especially his brilliant engineering of the loomed rope ceiling.

The house obviously had spectacular bones and a lot of potential…however it was engulfed by trees, untrimmed for 40 years, with a roof that was caving in and ridden with mold….we had our work cut out for us.

One major concern was that the architecture was already uber modern and I wanted a home for my family that felt relaxed & rustic…I did not want a cold and austere modern house.  My vision was to turn this 1960′s house on its side a bit with the addition of mixed period pieces, oddities, and the use of warm, natural materials like rough hewn wood, leather, lava stone, and manilla rope.  The result is a home that in Summer is light-filled and beachy yet can completely transform to a lodge-like cozy retreat in Winter!

This is what caused me to design a growth chart to measure my child’s milestones of growth each year.

The design process happened very organically….while purchasing some walnut, to use as shelving for a design client, I was left with some leftover scraps.  I looked at the slab leaning against the wall and began sketching an idea.

A raw piece of walnut coupled with the slickness of lucite, created the perfect balance of rustic and modern design that gets me excited.  YoyaMart in NYC asked to sell the custom charts exclusively, and the NY Times followed up with a feature in their home section….{{{SWOON}}}

It could come in the form of color, texture, or taking a risk using a bold geometric pattern that will create the {{{ WOW }}}  upon entering a room.

There is just something so soothing and chic about the fusion of an alge like blue green, in varying tones, coupled with a sandy or blush pink hue.

I’m going through a “paint everything black” phase.

I can’t help it….everything seems to elevate to a chic sophistication in this saturated hue.

A can of paint is a wonderful reminder that good design doesn’t have to come at a lofty price….we can make furnishings our very own by simply scurry through our families attic or at our local flea.

theselby.com
theglamourai.com

I didn’t realize just how much vintage i had collected over the years and two days worth of playing dress up with Natalie was spectacular girly fun, i highly recommend it with a girlfriend!

There were a few moments I worried I was spreading myself too thin and was super close to sliding down that slippery slope of self doubt and uncertainty BUUUT…. instead I chose to plow through and not over analyze as I normally do.

*Note to self, this is a much healthier and productive approach.

 I have been living at One Brooklyn Bridge for 1 year, 10 months, and 2 days but today we officially signed the contracts to sell our apt!  YAY!!!

I love my actual apartment….the layout and waterfront views are spectacular but this particular area of Brooklyn Heights was just too isolated for my family and frankly we missed the community in DUMBO.

Had we been more patient i know it will be incredible once the Brooklyn Bridge Park is completed and retail moves in, but we just wanted more immediate action.  I also desperately needed an organic market outside my door where i can pick up fresh produce, fish, or meat regularly, without having to hop in the car.

Spending time at the hardware store allows my imagination to run wild….paint, tape, rope, stencils, nuts, bolts, hooks……there are so many goodies to play with and get inspired by.

One of my absolute favorite hardware outings was when i was designing my sons room in Amagansett.  I was at the Sag Harbor Ace Hardware and since Sag is a boating community there were spools and spools of brightly colored marine rope that caught my eye and got my creative juices flowing.

She was swooning over the color green that is highlighted in my guest bathroom. I have an old wood stump under the sink that is perfectly chipped in all the right places with the greatest green paint….a cross between kelly and jade green.

The hue, BM Cabana Green, is a refreshing shade that is vibrant, bright, and happens to match precisely with the striped green Turkish towels that are displayed on hooks.

I can spend countless hours assembling and then reassembling my favorite things….coffee table books, photographs, drawings, eclectic oddities i’ve gathered over time, memento,s or gifts from friends, and family heirlooms.

There are countless vignettes your can create with your sacred possessions….I am always a bit of a voyeur in friend’s homes,  I love seeing how they creatively place & display their precious objects with obvious care.

The best part about it was that if felt like an extension of my life in Amagansett and Montauk as La Barra is a very laid-back surfer beach town.

What’s crazy is that the high season is only 2 weeks long so it is action packed with grand dinners at peoples homes (the average dinner begins at 11pm….YIKES!) and late night parties.

I am spending the 1st day of 2012 packing for a much-anticipated trip to Punta Del Este.  I had a moment of fluster when I couldn’t locate my little jean jacket that travels with me everywhere!

I wear my shrunken wrangler boys jean jacket A LOT….maybe too much, it’s never met a look it doesn’t play well with!  Paired with a feminine flowy dress, with a maxi skirt and tank, layered under a heavier coat in winter, or in summer over a flirty dress or with shorts.

It is with out a doubt the go to piece in my closet that always works.  Throwing it over a more sophisticated dress gives my look a street edge and its mini proportions don’t distract a silhouette, they add to it, and are perfect for my frame!

Having the imagery that makes me SWOON in front of me at all times fosters my creativity.

I have been living with a 2 x 3 linen pin board in my office for way too long and there never seems to be enough room to curate all that inspires me.

To have all of your ideas and inspiration in front of you, not only helps spawn the many creative ideas that swirl in your head, its also a way to manifest what you want….visualization can me so powerful!

When it gets this cold out I immediately begin swooning of sitting by the fireplace!

That had me thinking…..It’s amazing how a pile of stacked wood can add so much beauty to a room.

So warm and elegant without trying so hard….I suppose because it’s purposeful.  Even strictly as a design feature it feels relaxed and unpretentious because of its textural rawness.  I also love the dichotomy of using a natural material in a sharp, confined, rectilinear shape.

www.batesmasi.com www.rawlinscalderone.com

 

I am very much drawn to the pairing of rustic wood materials and deep graphite tones.  I love the balance between the light and dark and the tension it creates in a room.

Often the black acts as a punctuation when set against a lighter more rough material. A perfect example of this you ask?  

Black chairs set against a wood farm table or painting a single wall in a deep gray tone. 

I think this juxtaposed union is a simple way to create stylish, moody, and comfortable rooms you want to spend time in.  

www.rawlinscalderone.com

I found myself being drawn to these images that clearly represent a letting go, purity, freedom, & acceptance.

Its amazing how quickly we can find resolution when we simply focus our attention and open our hearts.

Big thanks to Mijanou for the inspiring and healing images from Mystic Mamma!

Bold dark shapes juxtaposed upon white walls, varying textures…both worn, smooth, rough, and lush!

Pops of color and ethnic patterns….simple materials such as wood, leather, rope, metals, & linen.

I am equally passionate about food and get insanely excited about cooking fresh, seasonal ingredients while allowing my creativity to run wild…balancing favors and textures.

These are a few images of inspiration that i continually reference and frankly…make me smile.  Enjoy ~athena