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!

May Madness: Mark your calendars!

Get ready to book up your calendar - May is a busy one for us!

Here's what we have on tap:

Wednesday, May 1st
Book Party with Cindy Rinfret
Rinfret Home and Garden
354 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT
6:00 - 8:00pm
The first book party of the season is not to be missed! Join us at Rinfret Home and Garden for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and be the first to get a signed copy of Greenwich Style: Inspired Family Homes. We have partnered with Christopher Noland Salon and Beauty Spa, as well as Equinox Greenwich and Luxe Interiors + Design to give you fab goodie bags stuffed with lots of treats, not to mention a raffle with some seriously amazing prizes. We can't wait to celebrate Greenwich Style with you!
RSVP

Wednesday, May 8th
New England Home's "To the Trade" Book Signing with Cindy RinfretWakefield Design Center
652 Glenbrook Road Stamford, CT  
4:30 - 5:15 pm
Industry friends, come out to the Wakefield Design Center for a "To the Trade" event organized by New England Home's Connecticut. The day starts at 12:30 pm and offers an impressive lineup of presentations by industry leaders including Oly Studio, Farrow and Ball, Vanguard and Osborne and Little, and last but not least, from 4:30 - 5:15 pm Cindy Rinfret will give a presentation about the making of her latest book.
Click here for more info

Thursday, May 16th
NYC&G Book Party with Cindy Rinfret
Christopher Peacock
222 East 59th Street, New York, NY
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Greenwich Style comes to NYC for a fun evening hosted by New York Cottages & Gardens and Christopher Peacock to honor Cindy Rinfret and her new book. Cindy and Christopher go way back so we're looking forward to some great stories at what is sure to be a fab night out in the city.
RSVP to nycgevents@cottagesandgardens.com

Thursday, May 16th - Saturday, May 18th
7th Annual Warehouse Sale
Morgan Manhattan
16 Bruce Park Avenue, Greenwich, CT
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
The sale of the year is back and promises to be better than ever! Save the date for this epic sale where you can score the best deals possible on furniture, accessories, artwork, mirrors, you name it! There is so much stuff that we open up the doors of Morgan Manhattan (at the bottom of Greenwich Ave) so you can check it all out. 
Click here for more info

Tuesday, May 21st
Innovation in Design Awards
The Stamford Hilton
1 1st Stamford Place, Stamford, CT
6:00 pm cocktails, 7:00 pm Dinner & Awards Presentation
Rinfret, Ltd. is a finalist (for the third time) for the Connecticut Cottages and Gardens IDA. Come down to the Stamford Hilton and cheer us on in the Best Bath category. We're also excited to see the entertaining Jonathan Adler on stage as he'll be honored as the Innovator of the Year.
RSVP

Saturday, June 1st
Westchester Showhouse
2 Cooper Road, Scarsdale, NY
12:00 - 3:00 pm
Come meet Cindy Rinfret and get a signed copy of Greenwich Style: Inspired Family Homes as you visit the Westchester Showhouse and tour its impressive rooms.
For hours and directions call 914-937-3800, ext. 209.


With all of these events, we hope to see your smiling face this month. Let's all spread the Greenwich Style!

PS - Keep tabs on everything that's going on and follow us on facebook and twitter!

Fashion Week with Brizo

Last week I had the supreme pleasure of joining an elite group of design bloggers as part of Brizo's fashion week. This fashion-forward faucet company invited us to an all expenses paid whirlwind tour of New York City, with our home base being the chic Eventi Hotel. In return we gave the Brizo designers and marketing team our feedback on never before seen prototypes. It was an amazing experience that I will not soon forget. Here's a look back at the magical few days...

On our first full day with Brizo we learned about the brand and their partnership with the designer Jason Wu from the head designer and "rock star" of the company, Judd Lord. His charisma and enthusiasm made looking at faucets actually fascinating!

 

Above, Judd talks about Brizo's partnership with Jason Wu and below we see the sketches for the collection.

 

It was interesting to see how Jason Wu kept a modern design but added unique flourishes that we learned were inspired by photos of Versailles that were part of the "Parcours Museologique Revisite" collection.

That afternoon we headed to the Hearst building to hear a funny and informative talk from Ann Preiser of Elle Decor, followed by a very cool tour of the Hearst building. We got to see all the fabulous office spaces, killer views of Manhattan, and an epic art collection, not to mention the "alpha barbies" (the term our tour guide jokingly used to describe many of the Hearst employees). 

 

Here I am checking out the panoramic view of the city (photo courtesy of Brizo, by Jayme Thornton Photography).

My favorite part was the Good Housekeeping floor which had lots of "testing areas" - everything from kitchens, to temperature controlled chambers.

Above, the Good Housekeeping test kitchen.

We ended the day with a fun cooking lesson from the culinary masters at Sur La Table. (This event definitely made us appreciate the smart touch technology of Brizo faucets.)


We even got our own fancy chef's jackets! Above, is the whole crew of design bloggers with our Brizo friends.

Not being much of a cook myself I made sure I had some good chefs on my team and they did not disappoint.


Adele Young and our Sur la Table teacher make pasta.

On Friday the event we had all been waiting for was here: Jason Wu's fashion show! Of course, mother nature made things a little interesting as NYC was about to get slammed with the infamous Nemo blizzard.

 Above, the view of the Empire State Building from my hotel window the morning that Nemo hit.

We hardly noticed the snow though as Brizo made sure that men with umbrellas were there to help us in to the SUVs that shuttled us everywhere.

Here I am (Elizabeth Ethridge McGann) on the right, with Katrina Stumbos and Shelly Rosenberg - we were absolutely giddy!

 

The invite alone was enough to get the heart rate going. Hello, leather! (Photo courtesy of Brizo.)

It was a blast to people watch as we waited for the show to begin. I spotted a gorgeous Allison Williams (from the HBO show "Girls"), Stephanie Seymour and her fashionable sons, Harry and Peter, and lots of very chic fashion editors and bloggers. The most captivating person in the audience was Anna Wintour who donned her sunglasses as soon as the show started.



It was also amazing to see the photographers piled seemingly on top of each other as they waiting for the models to come down the runway.

 The collection was magnificent and proved that Jason Wu is not just the designer of Michelle Obama's inauguration gowns, but a major force in fashion.

After the show we gathered at the grand chandelier on the runway for a photo op.

We ended this epic day with a private cocktail party with Jason Wu, Cannon (the stylist extraordinaire, seen below with microphone) and the Brizo team and lucky bloggers.

A huge thank you to Brizo for this incredible experience! Thank you also to the rest of the design bloggers who made this so much fun. Check out their blogs on Brizo Fashion Week below:

http://ethridgemcgann.blogspot.com/2013/02/our-very-first-blog-post-and-its-about.html
http://blog.elzabdesign.com/2013/02/24/bare-toes-to-gourmet-cooking-a-brizo-adventure/
http://designvignettes.blogspot.com/2013/02/brizo-wu-departure-from-ordinary.html
http://www.liluinteriors.com/blog/a-common-language/
http://bridgetbearidesigns.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-adventure-begins.html
http://designerbath.blogspot.com/2013/02/getting-glamorous-with-jason-wu.html
http://design-magnifique.com/2013/02/19/fashion-week-with-brizo-jason-wu/
http://www.thebuildingblox.com/photos-from-brizo-fashion-week/
http://www.thebuildingblox.com/faucet-trends-from-brizo/
http://blog.elzabdesign.com/2013/02/13/brizo-smart-hot-and-technologically-trendy/
http://networkedblogs.com/IeTzm
http://www.kellymarket.com/2013/02/jason-wu-brizo.html

Fashion Week with Brizo and Jason Wu

A big, huge shout out to the fashion-forward faucet brand, Brizo, for inviting me (and an elite group of interior design bloggers) to New York Fashon Week! Yes, that's right - I will be going to see Jason Wu's new collection at New York Fashion Week. 

You may not already be familiar with the brand but if you've been on pinterest you probably recognize this epic shower. Hello, that looks like it delivers one sublime bathing experience.

But I'm most psyched about the brand's collaboration with Jason Wu, who they have been working with since before he shot up to fame for designing Michelle Obama's gown. You remember that one, right?

 Brizo certainly found themselves a rising star to partner with, as we all know that the first lady chose Jason Wu to design her gown for the inauguration again this year.

 

Jason Wu is super hot right now so next week's fashion show should be a real treat. I'm looking forward to seeing how Jason Wu's designs for Brizo (below is an example) are reflected in the aesthetic for his runway collection. 

If his Spring 2013 collection is any indicator, it should be a knockout.

Stay tuned for more updates on Fashion Week. Who knows, maybe you'll even see me photo bombing a photo like this:

XOXO

Elizabeth Ethridge McGann