Summer In The Hamptons is Design-Filled, The East Hampton Antiques Show

Recap of the Hamptons Antiques and Design Tour while visiting the East Hampton Antiques Show

written by IFDA NY chapter/board member, Su Hilty

the author's selfie--joining the antiques and design tour for wine tasting earlier in the day at Wolffer Estates in Bridgehampton 

I had the opportunity to join a special antiques and design tour in the Hamptons led by interior designer and style maker Tamara Stephenson for the renowned Antiques Diva.  If you are not familiar with the Antiques Diva, let me explains...owner Toma Clark Haines has built this company to become the world's largest antiques sourcing company.  Basically, they lead design and antiques aficionados throughout Europe on buying tours, then assist them on shipping their wares home.  As part of a new expansion into the United States, they kicked off their United States tours with a special one in the Hamptons during a busy week of summer.  Tamara has joined the team and with her expertise on design and the local history and sources of the area, she led this fun-filled and educational two-day tour.  There was a fun group of Div-ettes taking part and it culminated at the special opening gala for The eleventh annual East Hampton Antiques Show, benefiting the East Hampton Historical Society on Friday July 21, 2017.

our antiques & design group

While my schedule did not permit me to attend the many antique stops and cultural visits earlier in the two-day event, I met up with the group at one of the Hampton’s most iconic spots, Wolffer Estates in Sagaponack for a sampling of rose’ wine and cheese prior to heading east to the historic Mulford Farm Museum and the Antiques Show. 

This was my first experience attending the antiques show, and I was very impressed by the thirty-six antique dealers spread throughout eight different locations at the Museum. I had heard so many wonderful things about the show over the years from Tamara, and now I finally had the opportunity to witness it.

Antique Diva's Toma Clark Haines with Lamont Studio owner, Carlyn Kenny.  Kenny spotted Toma in the crowd and stopped her to let her know she is a big fan of  The Antiques Diva’s blog. 

This little tyke was rocking out with the evening’s entertainment, cool jazz with Jane Hastay and Peter Martin Weiss Quartet 

Tamara, Toma and Kendell Cronstrom

During the evening, we had the opportunity to chat with Kendell Cronstrom, Editor in Chief of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens magazine, and the event's sponsor.  It was a breathtakingly beautiful event and evening.  The group ended the experience the next evening with some of the group attending the Southampton Designer Showhouse Gala, which benefits the Southampton Hospital the next evening, July 22nd. 

Vichai and Lee J Chinalai, Chinalai Tribal Antiques.  

Even without a trained antiques and design eye, I can tell the wares at Chinalai Tribal are stellar, and I particularly love their indigo blue clothing pieces.

About The East Hampton Historical Society
Founded in 1921, the East Hampton Historical Society cares for six historic sites including: Mulford Farm Museum,
1680; Town House Museum, ca; 1770; Osborn-Jackson House Museum, ca. 1720; Clinton Academy Museum, 1784;
Hook School House Museum, ca. 1784; and the East Hampton Town marine Museum, 1942. The Society manages a collection of over 10,000 artifacts and interprets the social and natural history of the area through exhibitions, tours, lectures and other special programs.

the outbuildings and barns on Mulford Farm are quite unique and historic, and are some of the oldest in the East End of Long Island

About IFDA
The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), founded in New York City in 1947 and now with 12
chapters worldwide, provides a professional forum for communication and interaction among its high-profile members.  The IFDA, a nonprofit volunteer-run association, also promotes career advancement and educational opportunities and is structured to increase public awareness of the furnishings and design industry through specialized programming, networking and service to the community.

IFDA NY's Rose Hittmeyer Journals her Travels to Norway

Design Journals from Norway

guest post by Rose Hittmeyer

Thanks to IFDA NY's chapter administrator, Rose Hittmeyer for this lovely story about her travels to Norway.  

Please note Rose's bio below.  

I have a confession to make. I am a Rosemaler! I can hear you saying "what on earth is Rosemaling?" It is traditional Norwegian Folk “Rose” Painting. You will see it on cabinets, chairs, ceilings, walls, and on serving pieces, mostly “ale bowls”. I recently traveled to Norway to research the history of Rosemaling with the Vesterheim Norwegian America Museum out of Decorah Iowa. I want the share the wonders of Norway and their long tradition of beautiful color and design sense.

There are many different styles of Rosemaling. The details in the styles overlap a bit because the artists who painted in each region traveled from community to community painting whatever the “clients” wanted or could afford. The Rosemalers were also inspired by each other.

This Orange chamber is the main living space in a building on the Prestmoen Farm in Tuftin Fjellgard.  It was painted by Tore Kravik in the 17th Century in the Numerdal style. Orange is a signature color in this style. It borrows scrolls as a design anchor from the Telemark style and incorporates flowers similar to the Valdres style. This room would have been the family’s living, eating and sleeping space. Carvings at the corner of the bed mirror the scrolls in the Rose Painting. Beams in the room as well as all the panels on the door and ALL furniture have been decorated!

Iconic Rosemaler Sigmund Aarseths’ whimsical Kitchen at his home in Ron-Heggenes. This work is very personal and marries several Rosemaling styles as well as contemporary scenes.

 Aarseth is admired for his beautiful Norwegian landscape oils as well as traditional Rosemaling where he works in several styles. The navy trunk at left is in the Rogaland style, and the cream door panel is in Telmark style. He is most admired for his contemporary twist on Rosemaling, shown at the right in medium blue ground painting.  I believe I see some of Picassos influence in this work.

The Church in Lesja shows off the Gudbrandsdal Style.  Every inch of the church is painted in this monochromatic Blue and white style. The style is influenced by acanthus carving which you will see in the intricate details in the gilded Altar carving. Its graceful scroll details will remind you of feathers or folded over leaves. Often accented with red tulip flowers.  It is one of my favorite styles to paint!

Acanthus and Dragon Carving create a harmonious dance with Rosemaling. The two are often combined in a room, either on furniture or in separate functional items. I visited Rolf Taraldset’s Carving Studio and saw the beautiful portal he was carving to replace a medieval door. He was working from an image of the original portal which will be moved to a museum to protect it from the elements.

The BR. Bjorndalseater Carving studio, for three generations, has specialized in acanthus carving but has recently had a dramatic increase in requests for Dragon carving. (especially for headboards!) This style incorporates the dragon figures and will remind you of Celtic carvings as the seafaring adventurers have influenced each other over the centuries. I credit the influence of Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings for the revived interest in this style.

left to right styles, Os ( one of the newest styles began mid 18th Century) , A Gudbrandsdal Tray, and a Valdres Plate.

These are a few of the pieces I painted before my Norway visit. Stay tuned for the Rosemaling to come with my Norwegian inspiration!

about Rose:

Rosemarie Hittmeyer started her career as a fashion designer for Ladies evening wear.  When her fashion business closed she jumped the fence into Home Fashions.  She has been working as a home products freelance designer and marketing consultant and has spent much of her time on IFDA activities as our NY Chapter Administrator.

With the support of an IFDA/EF grant and an EF scholarship, she returned to her Alma Mata, The Fashion Institute of Technology and earned an AAS degree with honors in interior design. Her favorite projects at school were the retail store and the restaurant. She hopes to work for an Interior Design firm that specializes in hospitality, but says residential would be fun too as it expresses her great love of pillows.

An IFDA member since 2004, she has been the VP of Membership and Special Events where she has been the chair of the Rising Stars of Interior Design Event since its inception and continues to sit on several committees such as the Special Events and Circle of Excellence Committees.

Outside of the home furnishings arena she is an avid artist. Her landscape paintings have crept into her ceramic work where she brings the love of the flowers and the outside on to the table. She’s been a Rosemaler since 1999 and is ready to get to work with all the Norwegian inspiration she gathered on her trip to Norway to study Rosemaling and carving. She has to paint the 20 pieces of turned wood ale bowls she brought back in her suitcase.

The Busy Fall Design Season in NYC Begins With The Annual What's New What's Next at the New York Design Center

Put your hand in the 

design cookie jar this week, 

and mark your calendar 

to ring in the fall season!

 It's official summer is over,

 and the fall season rolls into New York City with many exciting events for the interior design industry.  This week we are in the throes of what is happening in the industry, beginning with the very special What's New What's Next hosted at the New York Design Center at 200 Lexington Avenue.  All day long Thursday the calendar is chock-filled with talks, book signings, new product launches and symposiums to put us in the thick of interior design.  rsvp here for this day-long celebration this Thursday, September 18 from 2 pm-9 pm.  

We know many IFDA members will be in attendance, so please pop over to our IFDA NY desk to say hello, maybe take the opportunity to renew or sign up on your membership, as well as hear about our upcoming events.  There will be volunteers from the IFDA manning desks on both the 4th and 7th floors, so please find us!

What's on my agenda for the day? 
I want to hear from the shelter magazines in attendance bringing us up to speed on the latest and greatest in design. Below is just a sampling of some of the design magazines involved...

 

 

My stops will include popping in at 
2 pm to Century Furniture suite 200 
in order to hear what Newell Turner EIC of House Beautiful magazine has to say about designer Windsor Smith's new ICON collection with Century.

Then, from 2:30-4:30 I want to hear Cottages and Gardens' "Designer Inspiration Salon" which is a partnership with Potterton Books, and a unique opportunity to meet and speak with authors of today's hot design books. 

Also, from 4:30-6:30 pm at Sedgwick & Brattle  in suite 815 domino magazine's "Rooms with a View's 20th Anniversary Showhouse" will be discussed and celebrated.  A time to meet Robert Leleux, editorial director and Beth Brenner, Chief Revenue Officer of the magazine, as well as hear from interior designer Thom Filicia, who chairs the showhouse in Southport, Connecticut.

I plan to visit the Cliff Young showroom at 6:30 pm in suite 505, with EIC Elle Decor magazine's Michael Boodro who will host a panel discussion "Making It Memorable".  There will be a discussion on how to infuse personality into every room with interior designers Robert Couturier, Richard Mishaan and Markam Roberts leading the charge. 

There is Oh So much more, 
and for a complete calendar of events check here.
Hope to see you there!

the 2nd Annual Take A Seat is in the works, with a visual recap of last year's chairs!

For the love of design, 

creativity, 

collaboration 

and worthwhile causes...
please Save The Date 
Wednesday, May 14th 
for the 2nd annual IFDA NY 
Take A Seat chair charity auction


Plus, a look back at last year's gorgeous chairs, 
works of art created by talented designers and artists...

Rose Hittmeyer (right); Andrea Mihalik & Janell Wysock (left)

Christine Baumann (left) and Lois Croce (right)

Dwayne Clark & Bob Gaynor 

 This year, we promise a spectacular evening with special chairs designed by some of NYC's finest designers.  Please check out more sublime chairs from last year's first event in order to stir our creativity...

Scott Hohl (left); Andrea Algaze (right)

Irwin Feld (left); Anna Israel (right)  

 Nancy Fire (left); Stacy Garcia (right)

Mary Little (left); Jessica Geller & Virginia Toledo (right) 

Rose Ott (left); Florence Perchuk (right)

 Sarah Sarna & Tina Ramchandani (left); Sam Simon (right)

                 Michael Tavano (left); Tamara Stephenson (right)

Claudia Giselle Tejeda (left); Sara Touijer (right)

 Karim Rashid (left); Katharine Wood (right) 

Well, there you have a full visual recap of last year's chairs photographed just before they were auctioned off to an enthusiastic crowd.  We hope you will join us on May 14 for this special evening.  Please stop back soon for sneak peeks of this year's chairs while they are transformed by a talented bunch. 
Invitations coming soon!