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Nov 20, 2009

The Bathroom

James Duncan is a Decorati Partner and author of “A Well Traveled Aesthetic.” My grandfather, who was a boy in the early 20th century, told the story of how his family rented a farmhouse in the French countryside. As they planned to stay for a few years, his father asked if he could install indoor plumbing at his [...] (more...)

Nov 19, 2009

The Buzz: Morbidezza

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • No comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. MORBIDEZZA is pronounced “mor bee DET zah” and comes from the Italian word for softness. Morbidezza is a term used in painting (mainly old masters or antique Italian paintings) to describe a technique that exaggerates the delicacy, softness, and fragility of the skin, as [...] (more...)

Nov 17, 2009

Tools of the Trade: A Web-Based Resource Guide (San Francisco Design Center Panel Recap)

Posted in Founder's Blog • 1 comment

I was honored to be a panel speaker at the San Francisco Design Center, along with PR consultant Alisa Carol and Dwell Magazine editor Sarah Rich (hosted by California Homes Magazine and editor Vanessa Brunner). We covered lots of topics, including a sneak preview of Decorati Pro Premier – our new elevated service available to [...] (more...)

Nov 6, 2009

The Buzz: Bras De Lumiéres And Other Wall Sconces

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 1 comment

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. A sconce, pronounced “skahnz”, is a wall mount that is fitted to hold a candle or candles. Here’s a typical pair of 18th century Italian giltwood wall sconces: And here is another example, this one an amazing set at our gallery: (more...)

Nov 3, 2009

New Blog for Cohen Design Centers

Posted in Industry News • No comments

Cohen Design Centers (D&D, PDC, DCOTA, DCH) launched their much anticipated blog today - GoDesignGo.com. Check it out for all the latest happenings in the design centers. (more...)

Oct 30, 2009

The Buzz: Eglomisé, Champlevé and Cloisonné

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 5 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. Eglomisé, pronounced “ay glow me ZAY”, also called called ‘verre eglomisé’ (”vair ay glow me ZAY”), is a decorative glass technique where the glass is painted or gilded on the underside and then backed wih a metal foil. Shown above is an [...] (more...)

Oct 27, 2009

The Buzz on David Phoenix

Posted in Designer Profile, Guest Blogger, Profiles, The Buzz on Antiques • 13 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. I met David Phoenix in 2002 when he was already at the top of his game in the Los Angeles high-end design market… Back then, I went to LA to see him because many of my designer clients told me “He’d be a [...] (more...)

Oct 24, 2009

Chronicling Narratives: SF Galleries Open the Fall Season With Book Inspired Artwork

Posted in Art • 3 comments

By Patter Hellstrom San Francisco art season opens with fascinating work presenting themes of texts, stories and sequence images. These book-related images emerge and draw to mind the nature of a book, ripe with mystery and chronicling narratives. Stories both reveal and conceal meaning in this season’s fall art offerings. The reoccurring text themes are clearly visible [...] (more...)

Oct 23, 2009

The Buzz: Antique Fretwork

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 2 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. In this recession, a lot of us fret about our work or lack thereof. I’d call this “fretwork” but I can’t because that means something entirely different in antiques. So what do I call worrying the day away? Being a “Nervous Nellie”. And [...] (more...)

Oct 21, 2009

New Product Preview from Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman

Posted in Founder's Blog • 1 comment

While visiting Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman in High Point, I got to take some snapshots of new products. The sofa above is my favorite – so pretty! I love the pleats and other details. The two sofas below are so plush. The company is also introducing some new large ottomans with a sturdy table-like [...] (more...)

Oct 21, 2009

A Visit with Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman at High Point

Posted in Founder's Blog • 1 comment

Curious to know what happens after you place an order in a trade-only showroom? Well, if you are smart enough to order from manufacturer Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman, your order goes to the headquarters in North Carolina. There, a state-of-the-art manufacturing system insures your piece gets completed with high-quality craftsmanship in record time (see [...] (more...)

Oct 20, 2009

Win a Pair of Tickets to the Preview Party for DIFFA’s Dining by Design in SF

Posted in Community, Special Offers • No comments

We have a special ticket giveaway courtesy of DIFFA’s Dining by Design. Two lucky readers will each win a pair of tickets to Table Hop & Taste, the Preview Party for DIFFA’s Dining by Design SF events to be held on Nov 18th from 6-10pm at the Galleria at the SFDC. Be among the lucky few [...] (more...)

Oct 16, 2009

The Buzz: You, Glue, & Antique Restorations

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 3 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. Museum quality restorations, like those that we do at C. Mariani, increase the value of an antique and return it to its original beauty or at least a period-appropriate approximation. The problem in our business is that most “antique restorers” restore a piece [...] (more...)

Oct 15, 2009

Tile Transitions

Posted in Guest Blogger, Kitchen and Bath • 2 comments

By Saxon Henry of Design Commotion What’s hip is also classic at Cersaie, the world’s largest tile exposition held in Bologna, Italy. Given that Cersaie in Bologna, Italy, is where the world debuts its newest and grooviest ceramic tile designs each year, I was expecting the abundance of bling and ample edginess. But when the five-day fair [...] (more...)

Oct 8, 2009

Fine dining…in the Kitchen!

Posted in Guest Blogger • 5 comments

By Susan Serra, Decorati Contributing Guest Blogger and author of The Kitchen Designer blog. Dining is a very special experience, soulful in many ways. An end to meal preparation, a gathering of loved ones to share the days’ events, a place for celebrations. The casual dining experience in one’s home can feel relaxed, comfortable, be visually [...] (more...)

Oct 7, 2009

The Buzz: Commode

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 7 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. This is an essential and commonly misused word in antiques. A COMMODE (pronounced “kuh MODE”) is a low “chest of drawers” that typically has two or three drawers, and may or may not have a marble top. A commode is not a toilet. Trust [...] (more...)

Oct 6, 2009

The Buzz on James Lumsden: Back to the Classics

Posted in Designer Profile, The Buzz on Antiques • 6 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. The morning I interviewed Los Angeles design icon, Jim Lumsden, I forgot to eat breakfast and had low blood sugar. So when I arrived at his gorgeous home and office in the Hollywood Hills, I was feeling a bit woozy. When I arrived, [...] (more...)

Oct 6, 2009

Coming Nov 18-19 to SF: DIFFA’s Dining by Design

Posted in Events, Industry News • No comments

DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, with its Dining by Design 2009 Tour, will make a stop at San Francisco’s Galleria at the SFDC on Wednesday Nov 18 and Thursday Nov 19. To celebrate the event, Decorati will have a special ticket giveaway for our readers. Check back in a couple of weeks for your chance to win one [...] (more...)

Oct 2, 2009

The Buzz: Cabaret

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 7 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. Yes, yes, I’m fully aware of what Liza Minelli sings: “Life is a cabaret!” But that’s just plain Broadway musical baloney. A cabaret (pronounced “ca buh RAY” just like in the song) is actually a porcelain coffee or tea service that usually has [...] (more...)

Sep 29, 2009

Design Within Flat Fees?

Posted in Founder's Blog • 5 comments

A popular topic of discussion among designers (and homeowners hiring designers) is how to create a fair agreement. Why is it that so often both sides feel like they got the short end of the stick? Are there good models out there from other industries? I asked our FORUMS this question. What do you think? Feel [...] (more...)

Sep 26, 2009

To Designers re: Design Blogs, Get with it

Posted in Founder's Blog • No comments

While at Fall Market in LA last week, I was struck by how much curiosity there still is about the basics of design blogs. Designers want to know what they are, which are the best ones, how they can help their businesses, etc. Decorati has hosted packed panel discussions at Design Centers all over the [...] (more...)

Sep 25, 2009

Traditional Home Keynote Panel Recap

Posted in Founder's Blog • 1 comment

Yesterday was fall market at the Pacific Design Center in LA. I sat on the keynote panel hosted by Traditional Home covering “The Past, Present, and Future of Design,” along with designers Tobi Farley, Windsor Smith, Joe Lucas, and Peter Dunham, and moderator Candace Ord Manroe, Senior Design Editor at Traditional Home. Candace asked many probing [...] (more...)

Sep 24, 2009

The Buzz: Repoussé

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 5 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. REPOUSSÉ is a decorative metal technique that you see on many antiques. In a nutshell, it’s hammering metal from the reverse side to create a relief design on the outside, as seen here on the top and border of an antique Flemish [...] (more...)

Sep 21, 2009

Mosaics: Resurgence of an Ancient Art Form

Posted in Guest Blogger • 5 comments

James Duncan is a Decorati Partner and author of “A Well Traveled Aesthetic.” Mosaics were one of the first forms of decorative art. As early as the second millennium B.C., geometric patterns in colored stones and shells decorated temples in Mesopotamia. It was in 4th century B.C. Greece where pictorial mosaics were first created. Thereafter, the [...] (more...)

Sep 20, 2009

White Kitchens - A Philosophy

Posted in Guest Blogger, Kitchen and Bath • 8 comments

By Susan Serra, Decorati Contributing Guest Blogger and author of The Kitchen Designer blog. White Kitchens - who among us doesn’t love a white kitchen? White interiors are in our consciousness again. White kitchens are rapidly becoming even more popular than ever. There is seemingly no end to the love of the white kitchen! White kitchens present [...] (more...)

Sep 19, 2009

Valerie’s London: Mayfair

Posted in Guest Blogger • 1 comment

By Valerie Wills “I’ll put the kettle on and we’ll have a nice cup of tea”. That’s what you will be greeted with in any English home. It solves all of our problems. A nice cup of tea! I used to love going to my Grandmother’s house where she’d boil the kettle, [...] (more...)

Sep 17, 2009

The Buzz Word of the Day: Console

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 3 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. Ok, so here’s an antique riddle: what kind of table can have four legs, three legs, two legs, or no legs at all? This calls for a hilarious punch line–so if you think of one let me know. But since I can’t think [...] (more...)

Sep 14, 2009

Back to Blogging; Whirlwind Weeks (wedding, etc.)

Posted in Founder's Blog • 2 comments

Hi all! After a bit of a break from blogging, I am back. It’s been a busy month. For starters, I got married! I wore a Melissa Sweet dress and added a band of Donghia fabric (Get the Look: Debutante 10032) as an accent color, and to personalize the dress with an element of interior [...] (more...)

Sep 10, 2009

The Buzz: Campaign Furniture

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 2 comments

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. Campaign furniture dates back to Roman times but it was perfected by the English during the Georgian and Victorian periods (1714-1901) when the British empire was being built. It’s defined as any furniture made specifically for travel, being designed in such a way [...] (more...)

Sep 5, 2009

The Buzz: Shagreen with Envy

Posted in Guest Blogger, The Buzz on Antiques • 1 comment

By Buzz Kaplan, Decorati Contributing Antiques Editor and author of The Buzz on Antiques. True factoid: Shagreen is just plain chic. It’s one of those truths that are “self evident” (to quote our Founding Fathers who would have loved shagreen if they’d been decorators). But honestly, I don’t know one designer who doesn’t swoon over shagreen. Here’s [...] (more...)