Design Week Delights
Rain + Shine, NY Design Week 2025 Delivered
It started on a misty night, passing the famed 169 Bar and FORWARD building, also a few flights up, the studio of the inimitable and dear to me Cheryl Dunn (and home of Billy Hill the cat). I rolled up to Love House’s new ground floor gorgeousness at 179 East Broadway to a polished showroom and a beautiful room, featuring works by crushable luminaries such as Studio Paolo Ferrari and Ara Thorose.
I was met by Jennifer Behr who, as a jewelry and accessory designer, is a great person to see beautiful things with. We sipped fizzy water and talked with co-founder, Jared Heinrish. I loved Atarah Atkinson’s piece from the show’s invite image, even more pretty and slightly surreal in the IRL. I loved this chunky table, I believe by Yasanche, and so much more. Can’t wait to go for a quiet swoon session here soon.
Off like a shot, I bounced to Pocoapoco’s NY fundraising dinner 3 blocks down at Kalen from UPSTATE’s colorful studio, generously converted to a 40 person-tabled dinner party. We were steamy and quenched with Vida Mezcal, Topo Chico and wine, before we sat down to a DEE-LISH meal prepared with a tender (tho not themed) meal by Julia Sherman paying homage to Oaxaca with ingredients like pink pine nuts (heaven!). Also of note, the joy of sipping from yellow, blue and pink swirled glass from Upstate’s collection.
Plain English was a welcome and civilized addition to the week that followed, starting with a spot of tea and the classic teatime treats, which did not disappoint. All this before the truly interesting dialog between host Alex Tieghi-Walker of Tiwa, interior designer Nicola Harding and Merlin Wright, which I learned is THE English Kitchen #lifegoal from my date Patience Harding (truly a Brit of great taste and a fun date!).
Conveniently, we were able to pop into Maison Gerard (love the old and new in there) and the NY location of LA staple Nickey Kehoe, on the plotted course to Chelsea. The Highline was an unplanned and welcome moving interlude that filled us both with glee. Especially mesmerizing were the GIANT jurassic magnolia blooms and I never tire of the truly exceptional architecture of this project, both aesthetically pleasing and sincerely considerate of Nature, MORE OF THIS PLEASE, HUMAN FRIENDS.
Up-by-elevator and down-by-stair was the way with Pierre Yavonovich Mobilier. I don’t know if its my Divine masculine speaking here, but I loved the chunky, bold, spare-yet-delightfully-rich style of the design in this tidy and spacious showroom. There were plenty of beautiful things, and the touch of a bright green, slightly provocative artwork was enjoyed by me––and many others that noticed it.
Then to Dobrinka Salzman, an utterly lovely show “To Invent a Garden” presenting new works from Jake Coan and Christopher Baker. Who would not bow to the whimsy of the brass and paper, floral lights after a walk on the Highline in Spring? So tender! Patience and I both also loved the illustrious design antiquities curated therein. So nonchalant is the mix of things as to be something utterly unique in both combination and presentation.
Because we can’t do it all, I quickly passed to COTE for a drink and some K-pop dance routines where I random rendezvous’ed with Klancy Miller in the loo that was so perfectly timed, and such a cute room honestly, we both took photos.
Dinner at Gjelina with the stellar dearhearted Laura Ferrara was nothing short of amazing. The orange wine was a floral, tasty treat. And the pasta-- le sigh. I would have written it’s name in my yearbook, for sure.
Annnnnnnnd Friday… was a yay! Highlight of that night was starting (so rare!) with a delightufl dinner at Lovely Day, then popping over to the Mercer Block Party. I loooooved seeing Host on Howard for the first time. I could live in that emerald/jade/moss agate/green world. It was a beautiful chance to see pretty things and high five Monica from Sight Unseen for her rad new offshoot Petra. And then shooting a pingpong ball at a cutout of a bear at BDDW with Sydney Oh was… fun-slash-mayhem. But glad I got in (that line tho!!!!!).
I took a break from city life to see Heidi Bivens Upstate on the weekend- bookended by brunch Sat in Kingston and Sun at Inness. The store was cute as hell and the Dutch baby is a must. But the treat of all treats was getting to be at Sabine’s Bday and mixing cake and martinis with a roster of fab friends at their equally fab home.
Mon, Tues, and soggy nights Wed, Thurs and then like magic, I was back home in Taos. Thanks for the good times NYC!!!!