BLOGFEST 2011

For three jam-packed days earlier this week I was in New York with the creme de la creme of interior design and lifestyle bloggers on a whirlwind adventure called Blogfest 2011.

So much was packed into the itinerary that it is a challenge to condense everything into a blog post (one of the things I learned at Blogfest was to edit) but I'll try...

DAY # 1 - HEARST

The festivities kicked off at Hearst where we had an energizing luncheon on the 44th floor of the impressive Hearst Building.

From there we got an intimate look at the editors that create the pages in House Beautiful, Veranda, and Town & Country.

These industry heavy weights put on a little show of "The View" for us, from left to right: Mark Rozzo of Town & Country (Whoopi) Newell Turner of House Beautiful (Joy) Dara Copinigro of Veranda (Elisabeth) and Beth Greene of Kravet (Barbara).

A highlight at Hearst was getting to see early covers of House Beautiful, which was founded in 1896 and is the #1 shelter magazine today.

After some fabulous champagne toasting on the 44th floor of Hearst, hosted by dapper Mark Rozzo of Town & Country, we were off to the ELLE DECOR Concept House. A favorite space was by Sarah Story (and yes, that is her real name). Hand-painted walls and ceilings reference Klimt and Sarah envisioned the room as a ladies salon. What could be a more fabulous place to have thrilling conversation on art and culture?

Blogfest was similar to a reality show in that everyone was offered cocktails at every turn. The above concoction stood out from the sea of champagne and white wine. Not sure what was in it besides booze, Seattle's best coffee, and a lot of sugar, but it was good.

What? Another cocktail party? The festivities continued Monday night with a chic party thrown by Design TV Joss & Main. Possibly the most fantastic floral arrangements of Blogfest were to be seen here, and trust me, there was some tough competition.

See what I mean? Love that peonies were in season for Blogfest. An informal poll shows that all bloggers say that the peony is their favorite flower.

DAY # 2 - ALL ABOUT DESIGN

If Monday was magazine day then Tuesday was designer day - so no surprise that Tuesday was the fave day for this group of design junkies. We had the morning free so I headed over to the Kips Bay Show House...


As is typical of show houses, Kips Bay was larger than life and not for ordinary living. The bedroom designed by Amanda Nisbit, above, was a standout and made me want to curl up in the bed with a copy of Valley of the Dolls. It was the perfect rich girl gone wrong bedroom, with the shocking Marilyn Minter piece over the bed, along with the feminine yet almost violent hand-painted pink wall covering.

The color rush continued at the D&D Building where I joined my fellow bloggers at a Lilly Pulitzer picnic in this fabulous showroom. That's the cute Kravet team of Jennifer Powell and Ann Feldstein in their best Lilly attire. (Missing from this photo is Beth Greene, who conceived the whole affair, and who also wore the chicest dresses every day, complete with wardrobe changes for evening.)

This room was just too fabulous for words and made me want to light up a pink Virgina Slims and play some high-stakes backgammon.

And from there it was an inspiring talk from design icon, Barbara Barry (with Scott Kravet below)...

The audience of bloggers was a tweet with proclamations of love for Ms. Barry and her inspiring words..."Food cooked with love tastes better"..."Life can be hard but it can be balanced by beauty and gentleness"..."Beauty causes me to slow down"...and on and on. I think we all fell a little bit in love.

Why else would over one hundred accomplished design professionals literally line up to have the chance to meet Barbara Barry?

From the D&D we jetted off to Mayo Studios in Long Island City for a Traditional Home party to celebrate more fabulous designers, included the humble and funny Suzanne Kasler.

Here she is trying to get out of being photographed...sorry, couldn't resist!

This charming desk makes me want to create something beautiful.

Love this pretty inspiration board and the understated pink color scheme.

I couldn't manage more photos of some of the other incredible designers there, including Eric Cohler, Thomas O'Brien and David Easton, as my hands were full with my gorgeous "Inspired Styles" book from Kravet, my enormous goodie bag (worthy of their own blog post), cocktails and finger food.

As we were leaving Mayo Studios, I stumbled upon this inspiring prop/flower room for the stylists working photo shoots here.


DAY # 3 - ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

The last day of Blogfest ended with a bang with arguably the most powerful woman in interior design. Margaret Russell is the new editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest and former editor-in-chief of ELLE DECOR.

After seeing Margaret on reality TV, I was bracing myself for a bit of a diva, but could not have been more wrong. She may be a Prada wearing Conde Nast editor, but there was no devil in her. It was exciting to hear that she loves blogs and comments herself. And hearing her insider stories was a treat. (She was at Liz Taylor's home on the day she died.)

Blogfest was an inspiration and such a wonderful opportunity to meet other bloggers in this wonderful design community. Thank you to Kravet for making this happen!

May Madness

Sports fans have March Madness, when the TV always has a good basketball or golf game going on, but for us interior design fans, there is May, when it seems like there is always an event geared towards home design.

Last week Rinfret Home & Garden kicked off the month of festivities with a Networking Event that we co-hosted with the magazine, New England Home's Connecticut.

The weather was perfect (finally!) and we had a huge turnout. It was a major networking night that probably had guests calling their printers the next morning to place business card orders.

New England Home set a great tone to the evening with their Editor-in-Chief, Kyle Hoepner encouraging everyone to get to know each other. We love how this new magazine to Fairfield County focuses on networking and building the interior design community. Through networking events like this we have made business connections that have helped Rinfret to grow and that is the experience with most guests at NE Home events. But enough gushing, on to the raffle...

We raffled off a pair of hurricanes (which were filled with business cards from the attendees). Cindy chose the winner, Joy from Joy of Light, who wowed us with her gorgeous matchbook collection (which she gave us samples of). Thanks Joy!

I met a lot of new and interesting people last Tuesday, but to be honest, my favorite part about Rinfret Home & Garden parties is having the chance to have fun with my fabulous co-workers. With Cindy as our leader, we all know how to have a good time, and that we did. Here is, from left to right, Chelsea Garber (Cindy's assistant), Hilary Merrill (the Shop Manager), Kristen Farrington Dawson (Senior Designer), Chelsea again, and me, Elizabeth Ethridge McGann.

The NE Home CT party was definitely the highlight of last week for me but it was certainly not the only thing going on. One might think that Cinco de Mayo was a celebration of shopping rather than to commemorate Mexico's freedom. On May 5th New Canaan held its annual Design Destrict event, which I attended for the first time this year and loved. Hilary Hotchkiss from Moffly Media had told me about it and it sounded like fun but I was really blown away by what an event it was, with all the great design shops in New Canaan staying open late, serving fun cocktails and giving out freebies. It didn't hurt that it was another lovely evening. I'll definitely be back next year. Also on Cinco de Mayo was Art on the Ave on our own Greenwich Avenue. This is such a fun night and it's always great to have an excuse to shop late and check out the work of local artists.

We've barely finished the first week in May and there is so much more to look forward to, with two hotly anticipated events coming up in the next week. This week (May 12 - 14) Rinfret Home & Garden is holding its Fifth Annual Warehouse at Morgan Manhattan (16 Bruce Park Avenue, at the bottom of Greenwich Ave). This is an epic sale and you never know what kind of treasures you might find.

Check out the above photo from last year's Warehouse Sale. Yes, that is a stuffed bear in the background, and yes that sold to a lovely couple with a gorgeous home. (I know because I had the dubious distinction of transporting the bear to its new home.)

But there's a lot more than just taxidermy bears. The Warehouse Sale is famous for its fantastic collection of light fixtures, mirrors and furniture pieces that are marked down to their lowest prices of the year. Come early for the best selection. The sale is this Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

The biggest event for me this month is without a doubt Blogfest 2011, which I have been anticipating for months and can't believe that it's just a week away.

Kravet and Lee Jofa have organized a whirlwind three days for interior design bloggers where we will meet such industry heavyweights as Margaret Russell, Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Digest, Newell Turner of House Beautiful, the designer Barbara Barry and many others. I am so honored to be included among the outstanding group of bloggers that will be there and am so excited to meet the faces behind the blogs. Stay tuned for a blog post about this event very soon!!

As part of Blogfest, I'll also get to check some other "May Madness" events off my checklist, including the Kips Bay Designer Showhouse and I'll get a sneak peak of the ELLE Decor Modern Life Concept House. I'm literally counting down the days!

Stay tuned for the behind the scenes of the first ever Blogfest 2011...!

British Invasion (in honor of William & Kate)

The countdown to the Royal Wedding is on and I am swept up into the wedding frenzy, so decided to make this blog post about all things British in the world of design. It wasn't difficult, as the British may have the best taste when it comes to interior design (no offense to the French or Italians). Their unique sense of play and wit, paired with an entire empire of collectibles, makes for fantastically imagined spaces.

This hand-painted headboard that Cindy had commissioned for a little boy's room appeals to the anglophile in me. I'm a sucker for a "Sir" and it doesn't hurt that this boy shares the same name as the prince of the hour.

You know you're doing something right in the library when it has a British vibe to it. This library has a secret bookshelf door (a favorite element in a Cindy Rinfret library) which will make even the most uptight professor smile.

It's impossible to talk about the British without mentioning their dedication to the ritual of tea. This breakfast room (or should I say tea room?) that Cindy designed is in back country Greenwich but it could just as easily be in the English countryside.

Another reason to love British design is that they gave us British Colonial. Cindy designed the above window treatment for a boy's room. The whole bedroom had a British Colonial design scheme, which is perfect for the aspiring explorer in every young man. Along with this fabric, Cindy paired this great British Colonial desk:

Cindy likes to say that one of the main reasons she wanted to have her own design firm is so she could travel around the world shopping for her projects (this was before the less glamorous age of online shopping). London is one of her favorite cities, as this map in her library makes clear.

Aside from just the London map, the eclectic nature of this room also references the British design aesthetic -- a zebra rug from Africa, textiles from India, and shells from Bermuda. The magic of British interiors is that they have an empire's worth of treasures to incorporate into their rooms.

Another reason to love the UK is that they have the royals, while we're stuck with the Clintons and Bush Family. Part of what makes the monarchy so great is that they really know how to make a good insignia. Just because you haven't been knighted by the Queen doesn't mean you can't bring some royalty into your home with this striking needlepoint pillow from Rinfret Home & Garden.

We obviously love all things British but there are a few fave companies from across the pond that we have to highlight here.

Osborne & Little is one of the best fabric houses from England and we love this new collection of velvet fabrics. Maybe the royal wedding is subconsciously making me obsess over all things relating to the monarchy. That could be why I was immediately drawn to these gorgeous purple velvets (both velvet and purple being associated with the monarchy) or maybe it's just because they're so beautiful.

Andrew Martin is another British company that deserves a shout-out.

How much fun is this nail head chest? Perfect for the little princess who's also a little rock and roll.

Christopher Peacock is a master at bringing the English Scullery kitchen to the States. He may have lived in New England for a while, but he's still got the accent and design aesthetic of a Brit. Cindy and Chistopher go way back, as they used to share a space in Greenwich years back. They continue to work together on many projects, as his kitchens are definitely in vogue. Judging by the photo below (from Cindy's project that was published in New England Home's Connecticut) it's not hard to see why:

Last but certainly not least, is Theodore Alexander, which is the gold standard when it comes to British furniture (especially if you want your home to look like it belongs to a Duchess). Their Althorp line includes gorgeous reproductions of the pieces from Princess Diana's childhood home, Althorp (pictured below):

Theodore Alexander is Cindy's go-to choice for dining room furniture.

These chairs are some of Cindy's favorite and have a great preppy spirit with their star detailing. They (and the console in the background) are favorite Theodore Alexander pieces. (You can purchase both these items at Rinfret Home & Garden.)

On a final note, we have to pay tribute to the most iconic element in British design: The Union Jack, as seen above in this fantastic throw pillow, that although small in scale, pulls together this cozy bar in the home of a dapper British client of Cindy's.

Hope you enjoyed your Royal British fix as much as we did!

Cheers to William and Kate for inspiring this blog post!

Tricks of the trade

To say that Cindy Rinfret has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to creating gorgeous interiors would be the ultimate understatement. A design education at RISD and the University of Copenhagen School of Architecture will give you that, not to mention over twenty years working in the trade with the best architects, upholsterers and stylists.

Here are six of Cindy's best tricks for creating an inviting space.

1. THROW PILLOWS
Got a limited budget? Instead of going broke on an expensive new sofa splurge instead on fabulous throw pillows. Luxurious pillows will bring new life to your sofa and make it look expensive.

We have the most amazing selection of throw pillows in Rinfret Home & Garden right now (as seen above in cheery, spring colors) plus more to be found in our online shop.

2. PAINT THE CEILING
If you have low ceilings there is something you can do to give the appearance of height. Never leave your ceiling white. This is a huge pet peeve of Cindy's. Too often people will put time and energy into decorating a room and then stop short with the ceiling. You can choose a complimentary color to your walls but that may be better left to a professional, so to play it safe you can also simply use the same color as your walls but 50% lighter for the ceiling.


In the above dining room the blue ceiling perfectly compliments the hand-painted wall covering.

3. BE BRAVE

Be brave in design and think outside the box. Try something new and find inspiration in the unexpected. Cindy often incorporates unusual finds from her travels into her interior design.


In Cindy's master bedroom at Laurel Hill, above, she used an unusual piece that she found in Thailand for her headboard.

4. THINK BIG
Think BIG when it comes to lighting. A common mistake is going too small with light fixtures. It can be hard to visualize how a lantern in a crowded showroom will look in your open entryway. So many times our clients will see the enormous box containing their new light fixture and worry that the scale will be too way big - but once they see it installed they immediately recognize why Cindy chose that size. You want people to notice your beautiful light fixtures (especially since these pieces are often pricey) so don't be afraid to make an impact.

See what we mean?

5. IT'S IN THE DETAILS
The beauty is in the details. The fun part of design is in adding the personal touch that says something about you and your family. Whether that be a gorgeous coffee table book that shows off your love of fashion, a map from a favorite city, or a monogrammed pillow, details add personality. Plus, people will notice (and even if they don't, we guarantee that you will, and that's what it's all about).


Even for a decorator show house, Cindy made the extra effort to bring in pieces that referenced the environment of the show house (in this case, the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI).

6. ACCESSORIZE!!!
Last but not least: accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! Much like the ceiling that is left white, too many projects are left unaccessorized. It's not uncommon to lose steam after spending so much time (and money) finding the perfect rug, furniture and fabrics for your room -- but don't! Accessories are the jewelry of a room. The power of a well placed throw, vase, book or chic tray is not to be underestimated.


The above vignette would be far less interesting without the urn, lantern, frames, art and mirror.

Still feeling greedy for more insider tips? Check out this fantastic interview on the Asmara website (where you will also find the most gorgeous rugs) and hear Cindy describe her process in creating the beautiful design of the Tower Suite at the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI. (We encourage you to also check out our blog post on this project as well.)

Spring Cleaning

It is officially Spring and in the spirit of "Spring Cleaning" we thought we would share with you some of our favorite baths. Perhaps these may inspire you to update a bath in your own home, after all, Spring is a time for new beginnings.

The gorgeous bath above is from Tommy Hilfiger's former home in Greenwich and it epitomizes the luxurious yet light and open bath that pretty much everyone loves.

This bath is from Cindy Rinfret's home, Laurel Hill. Cindy ends each day with a peaceful bubble bath so when she designed her home she made sure that this space was beautiful and calming. To achieve this look she used hand-painted paper from Gracie. The shelves next to the bath feature photos of loved ones and coral collected on travels. It's no wonder that this is one of Cindy's favorite places in her home.

This powder room is also from Cindy's home. Powder Rooms are such fun because these jewel box spaces offer the perfect opportunity to take risks.

We love the Greek Key detail on the sink that is again mirrored in the tape along the chair rail.

This bath is simple and preppy, and fittingly so as it's in the Ocean House in the exclusive blue blood vacation spot, Watch Hill, RI. Monogrammed towels don't just have to be initials, if you have a summer cottage with a cute name, put it on the towels. Design is truly in the details.


As we noted before, powder rooms offer a space to have fun and take risks. Cindy did just that with this Western Ranch's powder room.

Believe it or not, but the bath below belongs to the same owner. The house is different (located in Greenwich instead of Wyoming):

This is one of our ultimate favorite baths. It is feminine without being froufrou, and stylish without being trendy. Check out more photos of this bath in a gorgeous spread from the latest issue of Beautiful Kitchens & Baths.