MEET OUR MEMBERS COLUMN: INTRODUCING LAURIE VEGA

Meet Laurie Vega

We had the opportunity to interview our member, Laurie Vega, and here's what she had to say...

What inspires you day in and day out? 

• What inspires me as far as work is concerned is the thrill of the chase - working so hard to get the attention of an important client; hoping my efforts, knowledge and skills have raised an eyebrow.  And the feeling when it comes through. And the excitement of doing it all over again. The rush!

What do you do?

• I am the Director of Sales for Axiom Fine Art Consulting, covering the tri-state area. My job is to connect daily with people in the interior design industry, architecture, real estate, brokers, wealth advisors, and builders and general contractors to determine the need for art for their projects.  Axiom provides art from decorative to blue chip, for the private client, hospitality and commercial. It is very important that I educate clients about our process so that they understand it is absolutely possible to have great art at any budget.

Why are you great at it?

• Networking is such a critical part of my work.  I can say confidently that I have a gift to engage people in an instant.  I know how to work a room, light it up, make people want to know who I am and what I’ve got to offer.  I have also been a musician all my life so I am accustomed to performing and turning it on.

Why did you join IFDA? 

• IFDA NY Chapter has a strong crew.  The team is extremely dedicated and focused on conducting incredibly productive networking events, and to stay connected with one another.  Unfortunately, there are not many worthwhile networking events in this industry and IFDA breaks the mold. I have made many connections through IFDA events and am confident it will be a constant source of referrals.

• How can we learn more about your business www.axiomfineart.com

Little-known fact?

• Played drums & sang for a rock/blues band in the East Village in the 80s & 90s including CBGBs!

Häfele LED Lighting Making News

Lighting as it should be: 

Bold, Bright, Brilliant &

Environmentally Responsible

 

Lighting is a fundamental part of any design and will noticeably affect the overall feel of a project. LED lighting has transformed our industry and thus the spaces we design.  LED lights have an extremely long life, radiate little heat and, as a result, use less energy while conserving energy and reduce unnecessary waste. In addition to being very energy efficient, LED lights can be very functional – and even tunable.

Our IFDA NY Chapter sponsor Häfele America Co. offers LED lighting which is ideally suited for all your design needs and boasts rich and saturated color that dramatically illuminates any room via a wide variety of switching options.

A designer favorite, the company's Loox LED Lighting System is entirely plug and play.  From accent and task lighting to innovative strips, fixtures and pucks, Loox brings unique illumination to any interior area.  It's engineered to make lighting your designs easy, flexible and reliable.  All that's needed to install is a choice of light, a driver and a standard electrical outlet.  It doesn't get much easier than that!

Häfele’s designer-friendly system is also user-friendly and can be controlled on any smart device via select components or an easy to use mobile app. Offered in multiple finishes to match your preferred aesthetic, these lights provide a chic finishing touch any project or space.

Design In The East End at the East Hampton Antiques Show

Designers and Antiques Aficiandos 

flock to the 2018 East Hampton 

Antiques Show Opening Gala

Summer in the Hamptons is chock-filled with design-industry events.  The annual Opening Night Cocktail Party of the East Hampton Antiques Show is always a fantastic way to start this busy weekend in July.  Interior designer Scott Sanders hosted the party as the honorary designer chair, and the event benefited the East Hampton Historical Society.  

Set on the historic Mulford Farm (one of the oldest farms in the East End), the venue is a perfect place to lure designers, antique aficionados and dealers from all over the East Coast.  Both local style mavens and celebrities turned out this year to walk the farm and shop through the billowy tents around the farm's property, as well as inside a historic barn while enjoying early buying before the show opens to the public.   Hamptons Cottages & Gardens (HC&G) magazine was the media sponsor for the event. 

+photography by Gabriella Stephenson except where noted

from the pages of NY Social Diary

Gabriella and Randal Stephenson (left)

Interior Designer Melanie Roy and friend (right)

photo courtesy Rio Hamilton
Martha Stewart and friends 

Melissa Mittag, Cathy Whitlock, Tamara Stephenson

and HC&G magazine's Kendell Cronstrom

left to right:

Melissa Mittag, Steven Stolman, Rio Hamilton

Jack Deamer of Jed Antiques in East Hampton

IFDA NY Chapter Blog Features Hand Made Rugs By Obeetee at DIFFA Dining By Design

Want to express yourself while giving back?

Learn More About

Obeetee's Collaboration at

DIFFA This Week in New York City...

Here's one way to do it with the help of Obeetee, a leader in hand-woven carpets and an IFDA NY sponsor. Last fall to introduce their Obeetee Express quick-ship program, the company partnered with DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, to create the DIFFA Collection of customizable rug designs by 17 top interior designers and architects.

That collection is available at here for you to custom color or you can choose from hundreds of other designs, or design your own.  All Obeetee Express rugs are expertly hand-tufted using New Zealand wool in 194 colors with a 2-week lead time for custom samples (after rendering approval) and a 6-8 week production time for most sizes.

To support DIFFA's silent auction for the DINING BY DESIGN event this week -- their largest fundraiser -- consider bidding on Obeetee's donation.  It's item #87 -- up to 50 square feet of a hand-tufted rug of your design choice as part of Obeetee Express. We've shown here some wonderful examples of what a few color changes can do to one Obeetee Express design. We bid you well!

Please follow us on:

Twitter @ObeeteeInc

Facebook @Obeeteeny

and

Instagram: @Obeetee  

Another Guest Post By Hunter Douglas-- Choosing Window Treatments for a Bedroom!

Ideas For Choosing

Window Treatments

For Your Bedroom

guest post written by Hunter Douglas

A bedroom has to be bright and airy by day, then dark and cool by night. Textiles and furnishings go a long way to create this double life, but window treatments are the secret weapon.  How do you accomplish this? One of our IFDA NY Gold sponsors, Hunter Douglas, tells us exactly how:

Privacy Please

Balancing light and privacy at the window can be tricky. In a light-filled bedroom with soaring windows, Luminette® Privacy Sheers are a great choice. The light-as-air fabric diffuses natural sunlight and hangs with the graceful look of drapes. And, since the fabric isn’t actually translucent, you get 24/7 privacy.

Motorization Magic

Add motorization to window coverings, and your shades become your cue to slow down at night or get going in the morning.  With the PowerView® Motorization App on your smartphone, for example, you can schedule all your motorized shades for automatic operation. Need to sleep in? Auto-raise the shades at noon! Ready to crash before the sun goes down? These smart shades can lower during dinner, so the room is ready for rest when you get there.

Energy Efficient

Create the perfect sleep environment and save on energy costs with Hunter Douglas cellular shades. The honeycomb construction traps air in distinct pockets to help keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

photos in post showing
Luminette Privacy Sheers;
Duette Honeycomb Shades;
Vignette Modern Roman Shades;
Wood Blinds

New Ideas from our sponsor, Hunter Douglas

Hunter Douglas

Smart Windows, Smart Home

Window treatments have come a long way!

Here to keep us updated about some of those advances is information from one of our IFDA NY Gold sponsors, Hunter Douglas.

Innovations in technology are making home life easier, more convenient and all-around smarter.

Energy-and-time-saving, automated window treatments are the latest example. Hunter Douglas is advancing the window treatment market with the PowerView Motorization system. Designed to work with either handheld or wall-mounted remote controls, with a customized app, or even with other smart-home systems like Nest. PowerView allows you to wirelessly control window treatments and create Scenes for each room, automating the operation of shades and blinds according to pre-set schedules.

IN YOUR FAMILY ROOM

Reduce the afternoon glare without leaving the comfort of your sofa.

IN YOUR DINING ROOM

Use natural light to help set the scene for your picture-perfect dinner party. Using the PowerView App on your phone or tablet, you can preset changes in the positioning of your blinds to capture the sunset.

IN YOUR BEDROOM

Wake with the sun by programming your shades to lift at sunrise.

FOR THE KIDS

Eliminate hazardous cords and pulls from areas that the kiddos spend time in with PowerView operated shades.

THE TOTAL PACKAGE

With PowerView Motorization, your home’s window treatments deliver just the right blend of technology and style. Perfect lighting, energy efficiency and everyday convenience seal the deal.

Want to learn more about PowerView Motorization?

head to Hunter Douglas!

MEET OUR MEMBERS COLUMN: Mimi Levitan

Meet Mimi Levitan

What inspires you day in and day out?

I have a lot of energy, and seem to be inspired by everything and everyone around me. My camera is always close at hand, and almost anything becomes a subject … in no particular order, saturated colors, architecture, great textures and flowers. Not just relative to interior design, but nature itself. My two young adult children inspire me and certainly keep me young, as do my friendships of a lifetime! And I really love what I do, even on the more challenging days!

What do you do?

I have been an Interior Designer for all of my adult life, and have worn a variety of industry hats throughout my career. As I have recently moved back to NYC via LA and So. Florida, I am reconnecting within the trade and working on business expansion. I have maintained a client base in Florida, so there is a lot of back and forth, which I actually love. As well, I am involved in several trade organizations, which allow me to access and continue my education as an Interior Designer.

Why are you great at it?

To be a designer has been a part of who I am since I was a little girl. I come from a long line of artists, both my mother and grandmother being fine artists…I took a slightly different route! So inherently, that helps me be “great”.

Within my residential focus, my clients' tastes are as varied as you might imagine. I pride myself on listening and really hearing, and am able to adapt my years of expertise to each individual client. Regardless of the scope, I dedicate myself to a successful outcome. And I really have a great time doing it; I think that Interior Design should be fun, and I try to bring that to the client. Why am I great? I’ve been doing this a long time, I have a natural flair and I am a great puzzle solver. As I have shared with my children, if you chose something that you love and make it your career, you will never really “work” a day in your life. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing!

Why did you join IFDA?

Joining IFDA initially was a promise to the South Florida Chapter President. She was right. Being an integral part of this community is beneficial not just professionally, but personally. It has been a pleasure to work and socialize with these members of the NY Interior Design community. We are involved in so many ventures; the options to be involved are never ending!

How can we learn more about your business? My website, though ever-changing, is www.mjldesigngroup.com. I think this will give you a small taste of all things possible. Follow me on Instagram at mjl.idesign, where you will catch me snapping shots of all things that inspire me on a daily basis! Most importantly, give me a call! Let’s chat, let’s have an iced tea while getting know each other We’ll have a great time, I promise!

 

Little-known fact?

I am a theatre lover, go as often as possible! And dare I say, I am a bit of a fanatic with crime genre, but have become absorbed by the Law & Order crime series! Oh, and did I mention a book lover? I still like to turn a real page while reading a great story!