Kyle Bunting Beauties

There are certain design elements that will have a permanent  room in my design brain. One is the work of Kyle Bunting. His group of designers create pieces from cowhide that are just spectacular. I remember seeing a rug  in Amanda Nisbet's room at Kips Bay last Spring. See post.

At Highpoint I saw rugs that were Bunting-like. Mass produced, less expensive, but fulfill a niche.

But there is nothing like the real thing...

So beautiful.

See you...

Christina

Getting Ready for a Trunk Show at Cici Crib

We are getting all new merchandise in for the show this Friday and Saturday.We went looking for  unusual holiday gifts for kids.  Briati Jewelry will return with her very special fine jewelry for girls. She is bringing a nice collection of earrings both studs and drops for little ones.

Much more fun jewelry will be brought in. Feathers and little leather bracelets. Layer them like Chan Luu..

Bunches of these little bracelets make great inexpensive holiday gifts...

Slap watches that you can trade with your friends....

But some kids may want to get their hands dirty, Time for a dino dig..

Some little guys would prefer a softer dinosaur...

Hope to see you  this Friday and Saturday...

Christina

Cici Crib Trunk Show Dec. 9th and 10th

It's our second annual trunk show at Cici Crib!

We decided to mix things up alittle this year. We have been gathering together unusual holiday gifts for boys and girls. There will be cool excavating kits and dinosaurs for budding paleontologists. We are also bringing in the beautiful  fine jewelry from the talented European company Briati. From slap watches to leather bracelets to feathers , totally cool accessories will be displayed.

Enjoy the season with some holiday refreshments at Cici Crib.

Hope to see you!

Christina

Bedding for a Little Guy

A very lovely customer was looking for bedding for her son. She was completely taken by the Trina Turk fabrics from Schumacher. How exciting to do kids bedding in something so unexpected. There were so many fabrics to choose from Turk's fabrics are bright and punchy.  So very unique....

We chose this Ikat inspired pattern for the pillows. They will be trimmed in a narrow navy flange.

She needed a coverlet to go with them. We chose a complementary fabric that wouldn't compete with the pillow fabric. This fabric will also trimmed it in navy.

Her little guy loved his new bed. Notice how she mixes it with other traditional elements in the room. It really works..

See you...

Christina

A Change in Plans

I was supposed to go to Austin, TX last weekend with my son for a fencing tournament. I did research on antique areas, food trucks, shopping, etc.. Would have been great, but our flights were cancelled and we couldn't get there in time for the tournament. Bummer... All our plans down the drain.  At the last minute I decided to take a quick trip to Pittsburgh to visit with family. My brother in law and I like to check out real estate in Pittsburgh.  One morning we crossed the river to check out the Northside- a spirited community that is up and coming.  The birthplace of Mary Cassatt and the Andy Warhol Museum . What a combo. It is like walking back into Victorian times. Every house and every  building is completely intact.  Coming from New York, the real estate prices in this area are so unbelievably reasonable.. Must be  what the meatpacking district was years ago.. What a great loft this would be..

An old coffee company and battery and flashlight factory is also nearby...

Just down the street it turns residential. Sidewalks made from brick. Houses painted in vibrant colors.   Woodwork  that is nothing short of spectacular. It is like this street after street in this area.

The other side of Northside borders the oldest park in Pittsburgh.

I can't wait to go back to discover more of this area...

See you..

Christina

New Art Arrives at Cici Crib

We have received our first order of  a new kind of art that is already getting  rave reviews from our customers. The art has a glowing effect due to it's construction. It is printed on acrylic and is invisibly mounted on the wall. The piece below is 30" long. They also come in different sizes.  Kind of Andy Warhol like, it is a great decorating addition  for a tween's bedroom..

Also great modern artwork for a baby's nursery or child's bedroom..

See you...

Christina

Marimekko Store at Flatiron District

A couple days ago I got a chance to check out the new Marimekko store in NYC. I remember my mother's great Marimekko dress in the 1970's.  I saw it the other day in my sister's closet. As you approach the store, huge Marimekko umbrellas are clustered around Madison Square Park.

The entire store is filled with their signature prints.

Fabrics can be purchased by the yard.

Great inspiration for decorating kids' rooms...

How can you not be in a good mood after visiting the store. The evening seemed to get even better. As we stopped for a coffee at Stumptown, who walks by?  Yes, Anthony Bourdain from No Reservations.  My favorite tv show! I just about jumped out of the window to say a few words to him. You would think I would tell him that his sharp wit and writing is just so special. Something alittle more meaningful than" I love your show." I did mention that I thought Stumptown had the best coffee in the city. He said- " I know." I guess that was sort of profound.

See you...

Christina

Highpoint Part II

This is a story of two vendors. I saw them on the same day and they couldn't have been more different. Visiting  Bevera Design House, I felt like I was at my mother's dining room table raking over all the new acquisitions she had purchased at the latest auction.  I think I could have spent all day there sipping tea and chatting about their collection.  A very personable and inspired group of artists that sell a very well curated group of products and art. Each piece in their collection has a real story behind it.

I particularly liked the work of Rebecca Szeto. She took the thorns from the lower branches of  rose bushes and created Kiss. Not only  do the thorns make a statement, but notice how the shadows cast another element to the piece.

Szeto also recycled her old paint brushes and created little personalities. Just as a side note, the brushes below are sitting on a console made out of  discarded NASCAR parts.

From there we went to see the Lily Pulitzer Home collection. What a complete difference. Like going from an intimate theater production to Broadway. A sharply produced commercial production that was just  fantastic.

The entrance was inviting.

The collection was so Palm Beach sunny. It was too bad we couldn't get much more from the showroom staff as they were pretty indifferent to say the least.

Below is a jewelry and lingerie station . Can you believe how useful this is..

Talk about storage. Looks like an "ordinary" Lilly Pulitzer ottoman.

But no, shoe storage as well..

The spirit was bold throughout the showroom...

Lily is a major fan of pink and green. A favorite decorating palette for a girl's bedroom..

It was a fun day at market! See you...

Christina

Highpoint Part I

Wow is just about all I can come up with when describing Highpoint. Highpoint is the largest furniture show in the country. With more than 10 million square feet of showroom space, it was a race to see as much as we could. I went with a designer friend. We felt like kids at camp! We started out the day with a discussion on global trends by Hermine Mariaux. She just returned from Maison & Objet in Paris. In a nut shell- She believes the future of color will move away from grays, turquoises, acid greens and pinks and gravitate towards  browns, golds, spice and other jewel tones. Deep reds and blue ultramarines will be significant. It's just a forecast....

From funky to traditional to modern, Highpoint has everything.

From the invisible...

To super saturated color with out apologies...

I love these pod stools for kids rooms. So comfortable for an adult as well as a child.

Lots of interesting rugs. Always looking for rugs, that work in tween bedrooms..

Upholstery with solid direction...

And ofcoarse beds...

To interesting dressers...

By the end of the day we were so tired, but couldn't resist taking this pic of these glasses  for a giant...

Day one at the market was so much fun. . More to come ...

See you...

Christina

Warhol and the Poodle Part II

We finally got some good pics of the client that had the Warhol in her little daughter's room!  See  first post. Just to reiterate, her daughter was moving into a big girl's bed and the mom wanted to make her room a little more hip. The mom didn't want to change everything about the room. She already purchased the big girl bedding.  The window treatments and some furniture would remain as well.

The first thing we did was remove the chair rail. No more crib. A big girl bed was in order.

The little coffee table was custom sized so the little girl can use it as a table with her little chairs.  The chairs also have double duty as a step stool to get in  and out of bed.

The  sofette fits nicely in the space.

She needed a pretty, but bookshelf for all her favorite things...

A real pop of pink make it oh so sweet..

But her most favorite thing is the poodle lamp!

See you..

Christina

A Ray of Sunshine

When I was a little girl, my favorite color was yellow.  Bright, sunshine yellow. A customer wanted to put a little zing in her daughter's bedding to fit her personality. She wanted it to be simple with a splash. We chose  Serena and Lily's  classic bedding in berry with yellow marni euro shams and a great bolster made by Bebe Chic.

A touch of yellow is just so lovely. Love these rooms...

Lily Z Designs

Palmer Weiss

See you...

Christina

A Peak at Whats New and Next at the NYDC

A spur of the moment change in plans, coaxed on by a fabric vendor, lead me to a very interesting evening at the New York Design Center. Oh I wish I had more time to spend there. That is the story of all aspects of my life right now. Never the less, it gave me a nice decorating  jolt. I saw some interesting new lines...

The highlight of the evening was listening to a talk given by Carlton Varney.  I am afraid to say that my limited knowledge of him was a crazy Dorothy Draper inspired wallpaper that I wanted so desperately in a dressing room of  a little client. The client's mom did not like it at all.  Read more... I loved his crazy color. I saw a man with a crazy tie, and I said to a friend of mine, that must be him!

He is inspired by nature. But not the sand, the driftwood, or tree bark. The true brilliant color of strong brilliant flowers. Mix it up with true Hollywood glam and you have Carlton Varney at his best.

He teaches design students to recall their very first room as children. What do they remember about it?  That memory will form them into the designer they are today. His first memories were the colors of forest green and red. My first memory of my room were my Alice and Wonderland window treatments. Hmm. That makes sense.

See you...

Christina

Gray and Apple green Bedroom for a Boy

I met with a mom that wants to redo her son's nursery into his big boy bedroom. The only item she wants to use in his new room  is a vintage steel desk that she already purchased. I would like to do the little boy's room in gray with punches of apple green and a bit of navy. So I am just gathering inspiration...

Mark Lund

Cross Decor & Design

Great inspiration from Designers Guild.

Tons of inspiration from Pinterest.

Alex Hayden

Elle Decor

I saw this painting at Lilian August the other day.

I have a carpet I like and some fabric choices...

Hope the mom likes it! See you...

Christina

The Boy and the Very Elegant Gentleman

There is a boy who comes into the shop with his mom. He is around 8 years old. Every time he comes in he asks his mom to buy him this vintage print that sits in front of the signature Scalamandre wallpaper.    I told her she has brought him up very exposed to art. Well, his dad is a consultant to Sotheby's and Christie's. Sigh... I wonder what art he will have on his wall. See you...

Christina

Elephants are Marching in!

So much elephant merchandise is flowing into Cici Crib this fall. Our store window is filled with elephants. Smart and steady. From gifts to decor, what's not to love... New Jellycat elephant...

Chic Jonathan Adler clock for the wall

Babar books always make good gifts...

Our most popular bookend..

Hooded towels,burps and bibs, perfect for baby, from a company that makes it's products in Texas.

Large wooden elephant for the wall...

Can't forget the vintage. The vintage toys add a unique decorating touch..

And my absolute favorite is this little vintage wool rug, how great it  would be  in a nursery...

See you...

Christina

Print from my mom

Ok I won't even go into my vacation or lack there of, but everyone is healthy, safe and sound. That is truly the most important. During my time off, my mom had gone to an auction and  purchased this 1920's French print  for Cici Crib. Exactly a year ago, she received a liver transplant. It has been a long road, but she is finally getting back to doing the things she loves. It's a  miracle, and I had an extra big smile when I received the pic.

See you...

Christina

Summer at the New York International Gift Fair

I spent the last few days at the NYIGF in NYC, looking for inspiration and new products for Cici Crib.  There will definitely be  some new stuff coming into the shop.  Here is what I saw.. Start with the best. An Italian company playing up on pantone colors. Love these for a playroom or kids bedroom.

Over and over we have see  little storage units made to look like lockers. Most of them are so cheaply made that I can't bear to put them in the shop. These metal units are a tad costly, but the quality was just fantastic. Colors are great and the cabinet styles are numerous.

Their furniture was fun..

Love these  little card tables..

I am doing a teenage girl's bedroom right now. Saw a lot  of inspiration. Check out  this very cool jewelry box..

Lot's of industrial for boys. These bookshelves are made in Indonesia. All the wood is recycled from old boats.

Love this art for a budding scientist...

Lots of ethnic influences from American Indian to Moorish. These Pendelton blankets were a great inspiration. I am working on a boy's bedroom that we are doing in gray and acid green....

Loved these Picasso pillows....

The ultimate kitsch with a twist of fun was the dog lamps from London. The ridiculous undersized shades together with these very serious models, just made me smile..

I will be taking some needed  time off for the next 2 weeks. Looking forward to spending time with my boys!  See you soon.. Christina