Sequins!

I have to admit that I'm not much of a skirt person. Part of me would, however, secretly like to have a sequined skirt.

left :: center :: right

I think the middle skirt would be the nicest for me.  The one on the left would be too short for me to be comfortable and has two "flattering" front pleats {didn't everyone decide years ago front pleats aren't flattering?!?} and the one on the right is a bit too long though I like the color.

Does anyone have a sequin skirt?  Do they bend if you sit wrong?

Merry Christmas

Harry Winston Holiday Building

It's not exactly a window display, but Harry Winston dressed the whole building up for the holidays this year.  It was one of my favorite sights this season.

Kate Spade & C Wonder Window Display

I have only one image each of the Kate Spade and C. Wonder windows.  I thought I'd group them together since, at least in my mind, they are basically the same shops.

I'm posting this Kate Spade window display for the giant diamonds alone I also kind of like the giant jewelry boxes the mannequin is sitting on. I actually think the display is a bit too cluttered to read well though.  {If you have read any of my previous window displays you know I love the simple ones best.}

The vibrant colors of this C. Wonder store caught my eye as I passed, and the giant zebra made me smile.  There is a small pile of merchandise on the window sill below but there is enough white space around it that it isn't as distracting as in the photo above.

Is anyone else in love with the store front below?

Bergdorf Goodman's Holiday Window

I'm going to let these windows, from Bergdorf Goodman, mostly stand for themselves rather than babble on about them. I will say that I love all the detail and work that has obviously gone into putting these window together.

There were five windows, showing five different acts, in the windows along 5th Ave.  These were my favorite and the most detailed.

Act 2 :: Naughty and Nice

Act 1 :: By Request

Act III :: A Cast of Thousands

Act V :: Showgirls

Act IV :: Daredevil

Along 58th Street were simpler windows showing snapshots of performances.

I wish I had a closeup of this seal below.  It was actually made out of tiny 1"x1" {probably} mosaic tiles.

The windows on 57th Street show the theatre, but focus on the drama that happens in the seats and backstage, rather than on stage.

If you care to read more about the windows, you can take a look at the store's blog.  They actually have the wrong tags on their photos or the wrong descriptions for the acts so I did my best to get them labeled as correctly as I could.

Barney's New York Holiday Window Display

Two of the most unlikely companies were paired together for the Barneys Window display.  Disney turned famous people from the fashion industry into cartoons. In some ways it was a terrible idea because, with the crowds, I stuck around for about 30 seconds and never really saw much before I got tired of being jostled and stepped on.  I did get a short video though since timing both the video playing, and a gap in the crowd, to get some good photos would have taken a small miracle.

On the otherhand, evey time I think of one of the people saying, "Aye, aye, aye!  We look like cartoons!" I can't  help but laugh.  {Does anyone else remember Kidd Video?}

Between the cartoon videos, there was this.  There seemed to be a lot of this.

Alice and Olivia Holiday Window Display

Because nothing says Merry Christmas like a jaguar wearing pearls.

J Crew Holiday Window Display

Sorry about the long absence, my laptop is temporarily broken so I took a bit of a break since it's hard to type on an ipod.  I finally got a tablet to use in the meantime but it's really only good for simple tasks.  I went down to take photos of the window displays in Manhattan this past weekend {and went through a lot to actually get photos of the windows through the crowds} so I will work hard to try to get them posted by Christmas.

I like this very simple holiday background by J. Crew {I actually think there is a similar display I took at a Boston location but I can't confirm until my computer has been repaired}.  It looks to be made entirely of gift tags but if you look closely, the wreaths are made mostly of construction paper with some colored gift tags added.

Also, for those wondering, I used the HDR action on the Photoshop app, so the colors are not actually this bright in real life.  I just use that to cover up my bad photography.

Fama Living

A long, long time ago I promised to start putting up my ICFF photos that I had neglected to post.  As an end of the year cleanup, I am starting again.

Fama Living is a new to me company from Spain that sells upholstered furniture.

I really like the similar style sofa in the cheerful fabrics below.

via Nuevo Estilo

It's not for everyone but I like the idea of low seating in a room.  How about you?

Flower Paint Chip Display

Since the butterfly display was in the corner of a photo I posted on Monday, I realized I never posted about the display I found last month.  I was a paint shop for a seminar and they had these colorful flowers {could be butterflies} displayed on top of a shelf.  If you look closely, you can see they are actually cut from paint chips.

It is perfect for the type of shop, simple and inexpensive. 

Rustic Kitchen

It's finally the time of year where it's chilly out and you want to stay inside by a fire.

via Nuevo Estilio

It kind of makes me want to hibernate.  I love this kitchen with the combination of the modern concrete and lighting with the rustic beams and stone wall.

Do you prefer your kitchen less rustic and more modern? 

Colorful Mannequin

I came across this colorful mannequin recently and had to grab a photo. I usually find them to be creepy {see the spear-necked mannequin to each side} or just boring.  Perhaps since this is actually a dress-form, and a Pantone inspired one at that, I really like it.  I think it wouldn't work for displaying clothes as well as the others.

The butterflies in the background can be found in this post.

Industrial Real Estate

I've been swamped lately with everything I have to do {in a good way} but I have a ton of things to share after Thanksgiving.  In the meantime, I thought I'd leave you with the view I have been seeing a lot these days.  I really like the sign but not really the area - there's something about having to cross a bridge to get somewhere that makes it seem so far away {even if it's really only 3 blocks}.

I hope everyone in the states has a good Holiday!

Ceiling Treatments

Here is where I show you what a creep I am.  A few weeks ago I totally took a photo of this ceiling in Boston even though there were people sitting at the window who saw me looking into their living room.   The glare from the light prevents you from seeing the whole ceiling pattern but it's amazing and the edges of the room have a dentil molding.  Sort of like a fancier version of this ceiling.

Thinking Pink

I'm pretty sure I have mentioned my love of extremely vibrant pinks before. It's not often that I get to use it in a project so I have to live vicariously through those who can. Needless to say, I fell in love with this bright, cheerful interior I found on HGTV {via Pinterest}.

I really like the molding on the ceiling.  Ceilings are so overlooked in design that it's nice to see one with a treatment like this.

{via HGTV}

{via HGTV}

In other news, there may be a home for the flooring I mentioned last week. Not the one pictured and not in pink, but the striped version may be coming soon to an office building near you.  Assuming you live near Boston, of course.

Crewcuts - Building Window Display

Oh J. Crew, you're so punny {even if I don't get how the words in the speech bubbles relate}.

This is a cute and simple window display so it fits all my categories for a window display.  I'm not sure what the buildings are made of but they would be easy to make out of some thin {or even corrugated} cardboard.

Paper Source - Flower Puff Ball Window Display

I found this flower puff ball in the window of Paper Source one evening.  It was surrounded by the tissue paper puff ball ornaments found everywhere for the last few years so it really stood out from the crowd. 

I find paper folding calming so I think this would be fun to make and after thinking about it I realized I pinned instructions on how to make it a while ago.  There is a tutorial on how to make the Kusudama origami flowers on the Folding Trees website.  The instructions on how to attach them to make a ball or ornament is here.  It actually looks like a lot of fun!

Has anyone ever made these?  I'm thinking they might be fun to make for the holidays or perhaps if the power goes out with the storm today.

Thrifting :: Tons of Furniture Edition

I found a bunch of great furniture on my last trip out.  It's actually from two thrift and one consignment shop - I've been busy.

This evil cat looks familiar and makes me happy to look at.  I almost got it for my niece but this was a new consignment shop for me and their prices were at the top of what I would pay for things {new} and I already have Christmas presents.

There's something about curled wicker that draws me in.  I have some end tables with the curved wicker curlicues but my last cat used to work really hard to bite them off {she didn't ever even scratch things but she really wanted the nibbly bits on the wicker dead} so I hid them.  I'll have to drag them out and use them again.

These chairs are quite nice - I think there was a whole set of 6 which is a rare thing it seems.  They'd be nice with the wood refinished or painted and some new seat fabric.

This is an amazing sofa below.  The curved lines, the rolled arms that go straight into the rolled back, the deep tufting.  Contrary to what the picture shows, it's a deep deep red which is a great color.  It's so gross that I itched for two hours after seeing it, but if I needed a sofa I'd buy it and throw the cushions away and rip the fabric and foam off while it waited for reupholstering.  I'm super happy with my own sofa though so this will wait for someone else.

Wanted: Pool House Project

Because I really want to use this Bolon flooring in one.

{via Bolon}

It looks a bit like carpet in the photo but it's actually a woven vinyl flooring so it wouldn't be ruined by water or dirt like carpet would.  I'm pretty sure using this would make the project my favorite project ever.   Who's in?

Anthropologie Merchandising Techniques

Although I haven't actually purchased anything from Anthropologie in years, I like to check out their window displays and also go in to wander around and look at their merchandising displays.  They do a very good job with their merchandising and here are a couple techniques from their Boston store {I think}.

The first technique is that they make the store feel like a residential space.  With applied letters and an exterior light over the door, this back room is made to look like an apartment entry.

A note among the glassware below.  Makes it feel like you are seeing something left for a messy roommate. 

"Please keep the kitchen neat!"

The other technique is the quirky displays scattered about.  These are not necessarily for sale but they give people surprises as they peek in a corner or look through an opening.  The plush cactus leaves inside old fans, in the photo below, achieve this goal.

These are only a few examples, but have you noticed any other techniques used?

Thrifting :: Consignment Edition

I popped into a few thrift and consignment shops last week and found mostly nothing special but there were a few things I really loved.

This waterfall desk is really great.  With the veneer pattern being so nice, it should be back to working condition with a tung oil treatment and perhaps a bit of stain.  The drawers were nicely dovetailed and I love the simplicity of the pulls.

 A bamboo vanity!  It's super 80s but I really like it and it was in excellent condition {with the exception of the bench seat}.  It wasn't cheap though.  The classic dresser to the left was very nice too, you can kind of see a sliver of it in the photo.

I fell in love with this hefty ash tray.  I think it's the bright orange and white combined with the metal that I loved and it would be great for holding paper clips or keys at the front door.

These 70s lamps {I want to call it a chandelier lamp} with the hanging smoked glass disks make me really happy.  Again, not cheap but in perfect condition.