Art Southampton & Luxe Hamptons Launch

At the end of last month, we attended a launch party for one of our favorite magazines, Luxe Interiors + Design, to introduce their new Hamptons edition. The magazine launch was hosted at the Maserati Lounge at Art Southampton, directly in the center of one of the most incredible art shows around. We began working closely with Luxe several years ago, after we were featured on their April 2012 cover, and since then, we have partnered with them for multiple events and have maintained a close relationship. To show our support and help Luxe celebrate this milestone, we sent our own Taylor Lagerloef to check out the action:

Art Southampton, the “sister” show of Art Miami, is an art show that runs each summer for a period of about 4 days. This year’s venue entailed an extensive 100,000 square foot space and hosted work from over 660 artists ranging from 43 different countries. Upon my arrival, I walked past a graffiti-ed Ferrari and an iridescent taxidermy elk…clearly I wasn't at your typical local art show. I then passed by aisle after aisle of cool, contemporary artists – many of which exhibited very avant-garde and one-of-a-kind pieces. One piece utilized paper-thin fragments of glass laid out in a circular pattern, creating a shimmery, three-dimensional effect. Another piece was an over-sized oil painting of a beach scene, which would be just superb for a beachfront abode. Other pieces at the show included an avant-garde life-size spray can of Campbell’s tomato soup, surfboards plastered with Andy Warhol prints (perfect for those Montauk surfers!), and a gorgeous oil and pastel piece from Abby M. Taylor Fine Art. This was truly one of the best art shows I had attended. What added to the excitement was walking amongst some of this century’s most renowned talents: Warhol, Lichtenstein, Calder, Frankenthaler…all on a simple Friday evening in Southampton.

The excitement continued once I reached the Maserati Lounge. Curated by Luxe Interiors + Design and designed by Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, the space was located directly in the center of the venue and allowed guests and collectors alike to mingle with a panoramic view of the entire pavilion.  Launching a Hamptons edition of Luxe is a great move for the magazine, and what better way to break into the market than with a fabulous art show?!

Lautaro Cuttica "Beach Scene"

An oil and pastel painting from Greenwich's own
Abby M. Taylor Fine Art

Taylor Lagerloef with Janice Browne of Luxe Interiors + Design

Being an interior designer, I enjoy attending these types of shows and events so that I can shop for clients (and because it is great to see what direction the art world is going in!). Art can be the final element to truly complete a room and a home. Many people overlook the importance of this, and see art as something that only serves a decorative purpose. Your home should reflect your personality and lifestyle, and art is the last component to really make it personal and your own. Some people opt for prints and posters, which can be reproductions, while others might opt for one-of-a-kind pieces that have history and tell a story. Either way, artwork can fill the void in a home and will brighten up any room.

On a final note, thank you to Luxe Interiors + Design for including us in the celebration! We can’t wait to see what you do with the magazine – we are certain it will be great!

Spring Cleaning with Rinfret

Aah Spring…the season that seemed so improbable after the never-ending Winter of snowstorms and single-digit temperatures. Though the official start to Spring was only on March 21, it is safe to say that everyone has been anxious to finally get back outdoors and transition into warmer weather. What better way to segue into the new season than with some Spring redecorating?! Luckily we have some good tips and new furnishings to help. We even enlisted our very own Cindy Rinfret to answer some of your top questions about “spring cleaning”! Allow yourself to get inspired...

Here are some of Cindy's Spring selections from Rinfret Home & Garden:

Awards Season

We have all been glued to the red carpet this winter watching the parade of stars at the Oscars and Golden Globes, so now that the awards season has come to a close, we thought we'd take this opportunity to do a little bragging on our own awards sweep this winter.

For the second year in a row, we are the proud to be voted as the "Best of Houzz"! This is a really special award as it is determined by the Houzz users. Here are some of our most popular images on Houzz:

Which ones are your favorites?
Visit our page on Houzz and add these images and more to your idea books.

This awards season we won another "people's choice" award with Serendipity Magazine readers designating Rinfret Home & Garden the BEST of Fairfield and Westchester Counties! We've got stiff competion in this area, but as the designer that defines "Greenwich Style" we think Cindy Rinfret earned it fair and square.

We were especially touched by the words of one of our most famous clients, Tommy Hilfiger:

 "Cindy Rinfret has worked with me on at least 15 different projects. She has amazing taste, she is totally professional and is simply the hardest working decorator in the business. What I admire most about her is that she finds great solutions to problems on the job. She is also an incredible purveyor of antiques and hard-to-find vintage pieces. Her ability to go from modern to classic, city to country, or American to European makes her a real star. She possesses a true talent in so many areas. She is undoubtedly the best decorator in Greenwich and the East Coast."

Above: Cindy Rinfret (second from left) with friends and clients, Tommy and Dee Hilfiger (on right) and friend and garden designer, Phillip Watson (on the left), at an event earlier this winter.

What a testimonial! Curious to see some of the rooms that Cindy has designed for Tommy? Here's a look at a few of our favorites (with more in the works right now):

It's safe to say that we have enjoyed a "winning" start to 2014. We can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us and we look forward to sharing it with you. Stay tuned!

Cindy Rinfret is inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame

Cindy Rinfret has won her fair share of awards over the years. In fact, in 2013 alone she has been recognized by the atHome AList Awards, won an IDA from Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, and is included in Mountain Living's Top Interior Designers and in the Luxe Interiors + Design Gold List. But it's not every day that one is honored with the lifetime achievement of being inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame.

So in true Rinfret spirit, we made the most of it and had a great time celebrating this major landmark.

Team Rinfret came out to support Cindy and celebrate her induction. It was a blast to get dressed up - which for your typical Rinfret girl means black dress and blond hair!

Cindy gave an incredible acceptance speech to a sold out crowd of her peers at the State Room in Boston. It was an emotional moment and she pulled it off with grace and poise. We are so proud!

To add to the excitement of the evening, Rinfret's senior designer, Jill Weisberg won the grand prize of a Canyon Ranch gift certificate. As if there was not enough to celebrate already!

We are honored to have been recognized by the New England Design Hall of Fame and to be included among such an impressive group of inductees.

This is a major lifetime achievement for Cindy Rinfret but as far as we're concerned, it only marks the beginning of of a whole new chapter for Rinfret. Stay tuned and see what we do next!

(All photos by Elizabeth Ethridge McGann, except for the first which is courtesy of New England Home magazine.)

A Look Back at Summer Fun with Phillip Watson

Summer is officially coming to a close so before the season is but a distant memory we invite you take a look back with us.

A highlight of the summer was a visit with our friend (and garden designer to the stars), Phillip Watson.



Phillip and Cindy had a blast on a photo shoot at Mead Point in Long Island. For more photos, see our facebook page.

We are lucky to share some fabulous clients with Phillip Watson and are a huge fan of his stellar gardens.

Above, Phillip Watson in one of his incredible gardens (image from http://www.phillipwatsondesigns.net).

And if you are not lucky enough to have hundreds of acres to devote to peonies, you can still enjoy Phillip's green thumb. Watch out for him on QVC. We think you'll agree that he is one talented (and charming ) guy!

As with any good summer, there were lots of fabulous parties. We already showed you photos from lots of them on our earlier blog post on  Cindy Rinfret's second book with Rizzoli, Greenwich Style: Inspired Family Homes. The last party of the summer was fittingly at the Ocean  House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. A more perfect summer escape is hard to come by.

It's always sad to say good bye to summer (especially when you look at dreamy photos like this one of Cindy below, taken on a fun day trip with Phillip) but we are already excited for a fantastic fall. Stay tuned for some very exciting news from us!

 

Cindy Rinfret's picks for Fourth of July

Fourth of July is around the corner. For many this conjures up fond memories of fireworks, picnics and hot summer nights. It does for us too, but we get most excited for the excuse to decorate. From the star spangled banner to classic red, white and blue, July 4th is without a doubt the best decorating holiday of the summer. 

So naturally Rinfret Home & Garden is stocked with lots of accessories that are inspired by July 4th - some so subtly that you can keep them out into the winter. Here are Cindy Rinfret's favorite items for the 4th, all available at Rinfret Home & Garden's Greenwich Avenue shop: 

This Stars & Stripes table is made of reclaimed wood with an inlaid steel base. What could possibly be a more perfect spot to rest your favorite summer cocktail? 

Blue and White Porcelain is a year round favorite but paired with your favorite fresh cut red flowers it becomes a patriotic accent!

July is a hot month so any Independence Day Party needs to be stocked with cold drinks. We love this nostalgia-inducing drink dispenser.

If you prefer something stronger than lemonade on a hot summer night then this silver plated cocktail shaker is just the thing to whip out when you need something shaken, not stirred. 

Last but not least, nothing can beat the good ol' stars and stripes for patriotic decor. This antique American flag in a shadow box is so special that you'll keep it up long after the last firework pops.

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We've made your shopping sweeter this year with a fabulous 4th of July Sale -- Come down to Rinfret Home & Garden at 354 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT and we'll help you shop for summer!

Happy 4th!

Celebrating Greenwich Style!

This spring may have been full of showers but the sun always came out to shine at our book events for Greenwich Style: Inspired Family Homes (Rizzoli). Take a look back with us at this party-studded month...

The party month kicked off on May 1st with a book signing at Rinfret Home and Garden, co-hosted with Luxe Interiors + Design Magazine and Christopher Noland Salon and Beauty Spa.  

 

 

Next stop on the book tour was the Wakefield Design Center in Stamford where Cindy headlined New England Home's Connecticut To the Trade Day with  a special talk  on the making of her book and what "Greenwich Style" means to her. 

 

We took the party into Manhattan on May 16th for another book signing, this time at the new Christopher Peacock Showroom. Cindy and Christopher go way back (when they were both starting off they shared a space in Greenwich) so it was a homecoming of sorts to do a party together. In true city style, the food and drinks (and waiters) were all delicious. Thanks to NYC&G and CTC&G for a fab night!

 

 

For close friends and clients (many of whose homes were featured in the book) Cindy Rinfret hosted a party with Serendipity Magazine at her favorite restaurant, Polpo. As with all the previous events, the sun was out and made for a perfectly balmy evening. 

  

 

Last stop on the book tour (for now!) was the Westchester Showhouse in Scarsdale, where Cindy signed books for visitors on June 1st.

We're taking a break from book events (after all, Cindy needs to rest her hand from all those signatures). In August we'll be back with another party - this one at the gorgeous Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI - which is featured in a chapter in the Greenwich Style. After all, Greenwich Style is a state of mind, not a place. Stay tuned for more details!