The 1stdibs Antiques Dealer Block Party

The street scene at Il Cantinori on East 10th Street

Over the transom came an invitation from 1stdibs, the online antiques and art emporium, to attend "Between the Squares," an extended block party where eighteen antiques dealers located between Union, Washington, and Cooper Squares would open their doors for some festive browsing accompanied by passed hors d'oeuvres and cold Champagne.
What's not to like?
I enlisted by young nephew Aaron to join me – Aaron is living in New York City now (yay!) and is an intern at the très chic decorating firm Carrier and Company which has done work for Anna Wintour, Bob Pittman, Catie Marron and Jason Wu. We met on East 10th Street where most of the antiques dealers are clustered, and stopped first at Bernard Goeckler, the Swiss antiques dealer who specializes in twentieth century pieces from the 30s and 40s. While Aaron was looking overhead at the vast range of chandeliers , I was eyeing this chair. I liked its glossy black leather and stylish frame which looks like painted bamboo but actually is metal with brass trim. This chair to me is a great combination of elegance and comfort.

Its tag said it was made by Jacques Adnet in France around 1950, price $22,000. 

We passed the renowned Italian restaurant Il Cantinori (pictured above) and crossed the street to Eskander. The London-based fashion designer Eskandar Nabavi was born in Teheran to a English mother and a Persian father. His rustic, airy store on East 10th Street offers his simple, loose-fitting clothes in natural fabrics and pretty colors. They share that same feeling of elegance and comfort.

As Eskander, wood and metal furniture is piled with art books. You know I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.

In the back at the antiques dealer Maison Gerard was mounted a special exhibition of coquillage by Thomas Boog. Coquillage, if you are not up on your French, means ornamental seashells, and the exhibition included sconces and mirror frames made of fantastic seashells by Boog who was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, and roamed the Italian Riviera as a child looking for shells.

The elaborate white sconces held dark black candles and were hung on matte black walls for a very sophisticated, dramatic effect. Likewise, the iridescent shell mirror frames floated on a wall of smokey black.

Aaron and I circled around East 11th Street and visited some more antiques dealers, and stopped in front of Fleurs Bella, the well known florist shop of Bella Meyer who is the granddaughter of...wait for it...Marc Chagall, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century. Bella uses not only flowers but also fruit, seeds, twigs and greenery in her arrangements for stellar clients like the Brooklyn Academy of Music. We will have more treats up coming from Bella here on the blog!

In need of sustenance after all of our browsing, Aaron and I soon found a table at a corner cafe in the Village where we had some dinner and some wine. It was wonderful to be wandering around New York City on warm autumn night. Beautiful things worked their magic.

20th Century Art and Design at Lincoln Center

Sheer banners decorate the front of the The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center. (click on photos to enlarge)
TD and I were invited this week to the opening of the inaugural New York 20th Century Art and Design Fair organized by 1stdibs up in the tent at Lincoln Center. I haven't been up to Lincoln Center in a while – don't ask me why, time flies! Lincoln Center looked great, all spiffed up and polished. It was nice to be there again on its wide quiet plaza.
Mounted in a spacious, comfortable tent adjacent to the The Metropolitan Opera , the show includes 36 dealers from 1stdibs offering 20th century furniture, art, design, clothing and jewelry. It's up this weekend and admission is $20 – check it out if you can.
I liked this chic combination of furnishings, framed art and very dark walls at Dragonette Ltd. from Los Angeles.

Vintage and estate jewelry dealer Neil Marrs offered some enticing baubles. Elizabeth Taylor-worthy.

Dealer Jayne Baum and Good Design teamed up to present a combination of furniture and art. TD knows Jayne from Bailey House where they have both been involved for many years with the annual auction. I liked this big photograph of a water glass by Amanda Means – very Mad Men.
An art work by John Noestheden featuring Swarovksi crystals was hung next to his acrylic painting.

You know how I like a little sparkle.

There were good things to eat and drink in the tent as dusk fell.

Outside, it was a nice spring night as TD exited the tent.

We walked through the plaza and passed the central fountain.

Here is a view of Lincoln Center as we left.

It was a civilized and congenial night in New York, as it should be.

Dreams in the City

BB with artist Lulu de Kwiatkowski

Last week we were invited on one night to two artists' openings here in New York City. We were just back from a trip to Florida so the cold rainy weather was a bit of shock, but never mind. First stop was 1stdibs. You may remember my visit to the new 1stibs showroom at the New York Design Center on Lexington Avenue which features more than fifty antique dealers. That space also includes a gallery where now on display through April 15 is an exhibition of the work of photographer Greg Lotus which was curated by Charles Churchward. 1stdibs founder Michael Bruno hosted the opening along with model Molly Sims. “I chose to present Greg Lotus’s work as our first photography exhibition because it is thought-provoking, sensual and graphic,” Michael told me.

Dividing his time between New York City and Miami, Greg Lotus shoots for a range of top flight magazines and advertisers, most notably Italian Vogue. Cinematic and surreal, his work presents his own polished, personal dreams. Whether it's a woman walking a giraffe

or striking shadows on a nude,

the images evoke a glamorous world of fantasy and imagination.
Your correspondent with photographer Greg Lotus –


Then it was on to dreams of another sort downtown at the Clic Gallery on Centre Street in Soho where Lulu de Kwiatkowski is exhibiting her collages now through May 8. Flowers, birds, lollipops, beach umbrellas and more make up the whimsical visions of the artist.


Two years ago Lulu published a book of her work, and she is also a successful textile designer with a good blog. Lulu is the daughter of Henryk de Kwiatkowski who famously was imprisoned and escaped from a Nazi Siberian labor camp, made a fortune in New York as an aeronautics financier, and became a world class breeder of thoroughbred horses. His wife, Lulu's mother, Lynne de Kwiatowksi Russo, encouraged her daughter's artwork and introduced him to horses and the world of breeding. His second wife, Barbara Allen, the model and Andy Warhol confidante, is Lulu's stepmother.

Lulu told me she's been with her husband, whom she met in Paris when she was 21, for nineteen years. They have twin sons, and she said she just had another baby son exactly three months ago. The family now lives in L.A.
Talking with Lulu –

"The collages are about family, life, death, travel," said Lulu. "There are even love letters in some."

Many people hold an idealized vision of their childhood in their head, and Lulu has created hers through collage. "They are a visual autobiography of my life," she said.

The work is colorful, bright, sparkling, warm, like Lulu herself.

The Exciting New 1stdibs Gallery

The selection from New Orleans antiques dealer Karina Gentinetta.

Darlings, you already know about 1stdibs.com, the very successful, ten-year-old, online marketplace where more than 1,000 art and antiques dealers in the United States, Canada and Europe offer antiques and 20th century design. Last week in Manhattan, 1stdibs opened an actual "brick and mortar store," a huge gallery space in the New York Design Center featuring 53 dealers. My friend Mario Buatta invited me to join him along with Marilyn White at the preview party sponsored by Elle Decor magazine. The big showroom was really pretty amazing, and I recommend you stop by tout suite. It's open to the public Monday-Saturday at 200 Lexington Avenue at 32nd Street, 10th floor. You can see what is for sale in the New York gallery here.

At the main entrance to the gallery is an exhibition space which will display rotating shows. This painted and gilt table, brought by the dealer Malmaison, was made by Maison Jansen in Paris in the 50's for the Ford family of Detroit.

What's great about the 1stdibs floor is that it's surrounded by huge windows which allow for lots of natural light. Here is the mid-century offering from Wyeth Home, based in the Hamptons:

An enticing display at Bourgeois Bohème, from Los Angeles:

Vintage industrial furniture and and accessories at Get Back Inc. from Oakville, Connecticut:

Heir Antiques, from Providence, Rhode Island, was manned by the charming Tyler Doran who reported that the caribou head was on hold.

Tyler placed a glass top on this antique hospital cot to create a low table. Pretty clever.

The party got under way and filled up with mobs of people.

The friendly dealer Karina Gentinetta from New Orleans had a popular corner.

I met Michael Bruno, who is the president and founder of 1stdibs, and caught up with Michael Boodro, the editor-in-chief of Elle Decor.
There were waves of people at every turn

and a wide selection of offerings for every taste.
On the way home down Fifth Avenue I passed Madison Square Park. A full moon shone over the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building tower on the right, and the "Scattered Light" art installation by Jim Campbell below.

That was a fun night.