A BLOGGERS DATE WITH NATE

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend the first Nate Berkus show taping in NY with a group of chic and very talented bloggers and magazine media.  Our day of fun started at the crack of dawn (ok, it was 7:30, but still awfully early to look good!) as our group of 14 queued in front of the CBS Studios for the morning taping of this new daily talk show. The group included: The Buzz/Diane James, Pretty Pink Tulips, Hamptontoes, Stylebeat, Shorely Chic, The Zhush , Dunes and Duchess, Bug and Bear and Style Attic; along with my favorite shelter magazines House Beautiful, Hamptons Cottage and Gardens, and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens. I was awed by so much incredible talent!

 On to our date with Nate-We were led into a beautiful studio punctuated with comfy leather and linen chairs mixed with modern side tables all set in intimate vignettes. Nate was just as handsome and personable as I had imagined-his confidence and comfort in front of the camera made the takes and retakes relatively easy!  His show featured fun and helpful segments on how to create a beautiful home: a DIY bureau that was painted in soft stripes and a fun piece on shopping for bargains on Craig's List were particularly interesting. A highlight for our group was when Lisa at Hamptontoes had a beautiful clip aired of her 2 year old son's room which she designed. Lucky Lisa then had a fantastic discussion with Nate about her design inspiration-it was a wonderful piece that is slated to air on Nate's first show September 13th. 

 

Congratulations to Nate on his new show-its sure to be a great success! 

GOLDFINGER

"I am an idealist. I am certain that very soon now humanity will arrive at a marvelous epoch totally devoid of Knoll chairs, jogging pants, tennis shoes and baseball caps sideway use, and the obscenity of Japanese rock gardens five thousand miles from Kyoto." Pedro Friedeberg


I first came upon artist Pedro Friedberg's iconic hand sculpture chair a few years ago on the cover of Metropolitan Home. I was intrigued by the chair's organic simplicity, but also a bit confused-while the chair was placed in a traditional seating arrangement, with its artfully curved fingers cupped into a cozy seat, surely this was not a chair for family lounging. I imagined the sculpture in my living room, playful, elegant fingers shining in the morning sunlight-until someone threw their book bag or tennis racquet into its golden grasp. Oops, time for a reality check. Clearly the hand will have remain an object of desire, along with the voluminous pale blue Scalamandre silk, a wish for another day.

 Jamie Drake's sleek apartment featured in The New York Times

The whimsical hand chair, first introduced by Friedeberg in 1962, has enjoyed a near cult like following over the years with a list of bold faced designers from Kelly Wearstler to Arnold Scassi collecting the artists pieces. The sculpture was recently featured in a piece on designer Jamie Drake's sleek Manhattan rental apartment in The New York Times.  Drake kept his color quotient at a minimum, allowing the thoughtful sculpture the attention it deserves.

 The fluid lines of the hand contrasts the stark New York skyline.

 

Nate Berkus designed home for Brian Atwood, Elle Decor

 

Jonathan Adler keeps it cool in his Florida pied-a-terre, Met Home.

 

Pop culture! A striking tableaux featuring a pair of hand and feet chairs and coffee table. Photo courtesy of Paul Friedeberg

 

Designer Kelly Wearstler's entry foyer.

Foot and hand table, photo Pedro Friedeberg.

 

Remember to enter my First Time give away, just leave a comment and suggestion with your email address--your chance to win your choice of  one of my favoirte Hampton inspired books: Weekend Utopia, Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics,  Michael S. Smith, Houses or Houses of the Hamptons. Winners will be announced next Wednesday!