The Writer's Romantic Supper!
Barely back from my holiday, the new year is rushing ahead with its first big event for Apartment Therapy — we're competing against Eddie Ross (representing Elle Decor) and Eileen Joyce (representing Bloomingdale's) in this year's Big Window Challenge. Starting next Wednesday, all three of our window designs will be on view for two weeks in the main windows at Bloomingdale's and the whole world will get to vote which they like best. I've never stuck my head out this much, so I'm hoping I don't lose.
I am, however, particularly proud of my window, which I've been working on for the past few months. Today I'm going to give you a sneak peak. Tomorrow I'll show you Eddie's and then Friday, Eileen's.
The Plans
The room design is a writer's library inspired by my friend Amor, in which a romantic dinner has been set for a female guest. The room is dark and manly, piled high with books, and features items that may have come from far off travels. The side walls are painted faux bookcases. The decor inspiration keys off of the big leather Ralph Lauren chair, and the wallpaper and funky, steampunk style from Michele Varian's shop on Crosby.
The Bloomingdale's Pieces
The process started back in October with my selecting pieces from the Bloomingdale's furniture collection. A modernist at heart, I found myself being pulled — by what I saw on the floor — in a more traditional direction, and particularly liked the Ralph Lauren furniture that I saw.
This big leather "writer's chair" was my starting point. I loved how big and cozy it was, and the plan for the room fell around it.
This sofa came second. With a rich, velvety russet fabric, it was a bit more contemporary, but very "manly", so in keeping with my idea of building a writer's library.
I love Juliska glassware, so for the suprise dinner setting on the coffee table, I chose this whole setup that you see here. There are many pieces, so I figured it was easier just to reproduce the whole thing. It also injects a little whimsy in the room.
The chandelier was a find and I spotted it just as I was leaving the store. It's a Thomas O'Brien and I've always liked it. They say there's no trouble hanging it right over the middle of the room.
The Michele Varian Pieces
Michele's store on Crosby has always been a favorite, and as I searched for a bridge between my contemporary tendencies and a darker, more romantic traditional setting, her store was perfect inspiration. From there I pulled this amazing wallpaper, along with a number of accessories to help complete the look. The wallpaper is by Neisha Crosland and it is called Birdtree.
The Faux Bookcases
I needed help with the faux bookcase walls, so I called in Mark Chamberlain, who is planning on painting them in the windows this weekend! I told him what I wanted and he immediately said, "Studiolo", referring to the famous room at the MET. He's putting together a plan to recreate a the Studiolo effect with paint on both of the side walls.
Everything is getting delivered to Bloomingdales tomorrow and the installation starts on Monday. Voting starts on Wednesday, and then the truth will come out. Tomorrow, I'll show you what Eddie Ross has planned.
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Comments (40)
Looks very interesting. Look forward to seeing it all come together
I loved last year's Apartment Therapy windows, and I like the wallpaper, the faux-bookcases and the general idea of a "writer's room" -- but I find myself annoyed at the concept and your discussion of it. It feels off-putting. A writer's room doesn't have to be "manly," and it just feels like this is a visual reinforcement of the tendency to erase women writers from public thought. Writing shouldn't have to be gendered, and design shouldn't be exclusionary.
That said, all the elements of this room seem to work well together as a writer's room, except (ironically) for the chair that started it off. As a reading chair, it's full of win: beautiful yet masculine, strong but cozy. But no real writer would get much work done in that chair. Comfy for curling up with a book, but not useful for writing. The chair gets an A for the visual, and a D for practicality.
I love the lighting inspiration- to draw the focus inward is not only visually effective but also cozy! Best of luck to you, I will check it out in person when I'm in the city on the 30th for sure!
I wish I lived in NYC so I could see it in person. I design and install window displays in our city's salvage center so I know what interesting constraints there are when designing for a window! Fingers crossed for you Maxwell! How do people vote?
Does anyone know what the rug is under the Ralph Lauren chair?
All sounds fabulous and I love that RL arm chair. I'm a big fan of Neisha Crosland and have had Birdtree in my blog header for over a year now. Good luck with the voting
@ jplee: I agree and kudos. There is subtext to everything - even interior design.
It sounds (and looks) like it will be wonderful! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished room. Good luck!
jplee--
I find it funny you describe that chair as "beautiful yet masculine."
There's a subtext to everything, no?
Btw, good luck Maxwell!
And cool that you get to use the Ralph Lauren stuff this year! We couldn't during last year's contest!
Maxwell, you have a very well-thought out plan there and your choices will translate well to a window display - best of luck to you in the contest. I can't wait to see photos of the finished product.
I'm a retail store & display designer, and I've blogged about your window display today, with a linkback to your sketch image and post here. You can see my post at
[ http://decodivadebi.blogspot.com/2010/01/bloomingdales-window-display-contest-ap.html ] You've offered great info for my readers and I wanted to be sure they saw what you are up to! Terrific job...
How do you become involved with the Bloomingdale's Window Display Challenge?
Does anybody know where I could find the headboard (or something similar) shown in today's (1/13/10) Daily Find, the Diggi coral bedding from John Robshaw?
I confess, I'm wondering, Where's the writer's writing desk? writing pens? paper? The classic writers whom I can think of who did without a desk--working with a lap desk, for example--tended to be women. If I were looking at the space, what would lead me to see the "writer's" touch? Perhaps it is more of a reader's romantic dinner, which is even more suggestive to me! It suggests carrying the narrative romance from the page into the space of the room.
And your friend's name "Amor" is no coincidence for this romantic themed room?
I can not wait to see the display..Good luck!! Your design and theme are inspiring.
Lovely idea! Please take more photos for us to see.
Very cool, love the look... it's just the wall paper that doesn't seem to fit to me. It says "sunny kitchen" more than "manly library".
I, too, cringed at your association between "writer" and "manly" and was bothered by the lack of references to actual writing in the room. Certainly it seems like more of a "reader's" room than a "writer's". I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you did a bad job of explaining the "inspiration" from your friend Amor.
Mmmm. All this talk of "manly" this and that. Too much thinks this Northern Californian guy. I really think you need some stronger art to work with the wallpaper. And perhaps some Heath dishes and good wine glasses that a real wine lover would use. And some brighter color accents to balance all the beige and brown. Show some unique personal touches and it will reflect convincing of the secure and romantic writer you are. Who, by the way, uses a laptop at the table. And serves good wine. Cheers.
I *am* a little mystified about the lack of general fanfare of this event, which I think is a VERY cool merging of old and new media (AT and ELLE Decor), a former Martha employee and Top Design badboy Eddie Ross, and the New York flagship of Bloomingdale's.
Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf!
I enjoy your mix of contemporary and romantic, and particularly love the elegant chandelier and walking Buddha pieces. While the wallpaper is fabulous (colors are great), I can't quite envision it in this more serious setting either. I might look for a less graphic and more loose, painterly pattern with the same color palette. Curious to see what sort of rug you place in the room, and excited to see the finished product. Kudos!
I dig the inspiration and the style. AND, I second all the gender and writer vs. reader discussion. Let this comment be just one more person who dislikes the wallpaper. It reads retro A-line dress to me, not warm and scholarly at all.
I'm with jplee too. I like a lot of the pieces you chose, but the emphasis on a writer's room needing to be "masculine" rubbed me the wrong way. As does the statue, which in the context of the rest of the room adds to kind of a well-traveled imperialist vibe. I picture that room being where some 19th century dude wrote about the savages of the Orient.
Oh. My. GOD.
jplee was the one who seems to have started this topical derail... by misreading Maxwell's opening notes. Nowhere (that I could see) was it stated that it was masculine *because* it was a writer's room. It was stated that the room would be masculine BECAUSE the FICTIONAL inhabitant was a MAN. And happened to be (again, *fictionally*) a writer.
Oy.
Go with God, Maxwell.
Oy.
Go with God, Maxwell.
Why? Is God going to Bloomingdales?
Could be a manly woman inviting her lady friend over for a romantic dinner!
Anyway, patrick, you hit the nail on the head. And oy is right.
Can't really picture the wallpaper next to the painted bookshelves. Can't wait to see photos.
Love the leather chair but also think that it's more a reading than a writing chair.
Good luck, Maxwell!
Just off to NY- can't wait to check it out.
Why? Is God going to Bloomingdales?
HA.
But I thought He shopped at Barneys.
Yeah, I'm not seeing the connection between that wallpaper and the rest of that room - particularly a room intended for a masculine writer...
(Ernest Hemingway comes to mind)
...that pattern fairly screams "Girl!" as does the choice of dinnerware.
I'd have chosen a wallcovering based on Men's Wear but with a twist - such as a khaki linen, but printed with a navy damask pattern...
...and instead of a dinner I'd have a glittering bar setup w/ decanters of Scotch & Whiskey, a bottle of sodawater, an ice bucket and plates of half-eaten sandwiches - perhaps a few empty Champagne bottles and empty glasses with lipstick prints here and there - cigars in ashtrays and a humidor - riding boots kicked across the floor - Sepia prints of an African Safari and Deep-Sea fishing trips on the walls and in silver frames - a vintage ceiling fan slowly turning overhead - battered leather luggage w/ vintage hotel & ocean liner labels opened with striped shirts, a camelhair overcoat, a black bowtie and souveniers spilling out - wads of crumpled up paper everywhere and an old portable typewriter with a loosely stacked manuscript front and center...
...and a hunting rifle propped in the corner.
I was appalled and nearly had the wind knocked out of me as I scrolled down to see the 'birdtree' wallpaper-OMFG. Sorry 'Neisha' but viewing the pattern felt as if I was in a nightmare being tumbled into an awful time warp and spitting me out into a room in the 1960's where a formica/vinyl dinette set could easily be found-unless that was the intended reaction...VERY dated. I do enjoy the looks of the leather couch however I am not content at the thought of its rustic feel being placed next o a structured grey velvet couch-I am hopeful that the Thomas O'Brian chandelier and faux bookcases will work in your favor as the above 'gallery' does not seem to do your vision justice. Lastly, the table setting looks as though dining in a Juliska showroom...where is the originality???
Don't let the second-guessers cause you dismay Maxwell. Design, like law making, can be like watching sausage be made. If you can't take it, wait until it's served (finished).
I'm with Patrick (the other one) about lack of fanfare for this cool event. I wait for it. Last year's was wonderful. All will win in some way. Grateful Maxwell, Eddie and Eileen are making the effort--this is a lot of work in a short span, especially for people who run other businesses.
I commend all of the designers. There is so much work that goes into an event like this one and they are putting themselves on the line, opening up their work to the criticism and opinions of the public. Be gracious in your praise. Mention the features you like. Interior design, like so many other artistic ventures, is purely subjective, so how can you say one person's vision is 'better' than another?
When it comes down to strictly personal taste, I am especially drawn to "The Writer's Romantic Supper." Maxwell, you just earned my vote.
Thank you to all involved in this event.
I went to see the windows this am, they are all fabluous, the photos do not do any of them justice. I applaud your work Maxwell.
I confess to voting for the Bloomies window as it is more my personal style but it was a real treat to see such great design...
I absolutely LOVED this room...it's sophisticated, warm, intellectual and dreamy at the same time; It is an IDEAL.
Bravo!
I am drooling all over this room. I want it soooo bad.
AND
I agree with jplee 100%.
I'm a woman and a writer. And actually, the word "manly" threw me off here. It looks quite feminine to me--the floral motif, the sparkly throws on the couch...wow, I love it.
I'm just wondering where the desk and chair are. I see there's a desk in the corner; is there a chair with it? And a lamp? Gotta put my laptop somewhere.
And yeah, maybe the big comfy chair is for reading. Or procrastinating (surfing the internet).
maxwell, get rid of most of those letters. They don't know you! sincerely, mary
people like Beecham should either learn or get lost, sincerely, mary