Since the Lever House font is the font that started my Fontastic! series on the blog, it surely deserves an inclusion here. Remember when the Lever House used to have this site-specific painting? I loved walking under that painting. Why did it have to be painted out? Yes, temporary art is beautiful, but I wish it would just become permanent. Read more about what it was and why it's gone.

The Lever House in March 2007. This site-specific painting, Robert Towne,
by Sarah Morris was on view from September 12, 2006-March 12, 2007.
I happened to be walking by the day they were painting it.
That was pretty neat. I really loved this painting.

Take a closer look at the shapes that compose this unusual grate at the ticket window at Grand Central. Two different repeating patterns. The repeating circles act to magnify the repeating quatrefoil-squares. Inside each circle you can begin to see an hourglass shape of sorts emerge. I would love to know more about this pattern.

I must admit, I like taking pictures of my apartment after I clean it. It's like a reward for a job well done. Or something.

Holiday gifts anyone? Our new SONGBIRD NECKLACE is offered at a special price until January 1, 2008. CLICK TO SHOP OUR ACCESSORIES.

SONGBIRD NECKLACE
REG. $68.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER: $46.

SONGBIRD NECKLACE, Sterling Silver, $46. on elaineperlov.com

Carved in dark wood, our new SONGBIRD NECKLACE is a lyrical accent to any jewel neckline. 16.5" chain. Lattice wood pendant measures approx. 1.5" x 2" across.

Wear this necklace simply with denim or brown. Choose your favorite chain: 18k Gold vermeil delicate round-link or Sterling Silver flat-link.

SONGBIRD NECKLACE, 18k Gold vermeil, $46. on elaineperlov.com

How can you argue?

With the table design all set and the house clean, today is all about the menu and gathering ingredients. I have already been out to 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, Queens to get some special surprise treats for our TG feast tomorrow. I bought a small ton of veggies too.

Yesterday at the Container Store, I found delicate gold leaves that look like lace to include with my mini pumpkin, purple mums and gold pine cones. Now I must set the table, and go back out for more food gathering. Back soon to post more.

We caught the 11:51 to Poughkeepsie from Grand Central on Saturday, and off we went to the Dia:Beacon. Traveling up the Hudson by rail is pretty fantastic. The scenery! It was a grey day, but at least it didn't rain. When the sun came out for a few seconds, the fall leaves really came to life. The reds and yellows! For now, I will show you a little of the train trip. (I have left the truly dramatic parts of the river out, because I think you need to see it in person to really experience the beauty and the grandeur of the Hudson River. Take the train!) Later, I will show you the museum. If you like minimalist art and romantic train trips, I recommend the package deal.

[page print from zoozoom.com]

Published: Zoozoom.com, The Zoo Daily
Read it on Zoozoom: click here
Writing: Elaine Perlov
Photo: Sarah Lester



If you like Chilewich's innovative materials for the table, you want to get your hands on one of their Zip Bags.



If you cannot view on Zoozoom: click on the image above
To read more of my articles for Zoozoom: click here

Red is always popular around the holidays. I love pairing red with camouflage and black. I guess many of you do too. Here are the pieces that are selling like hotcakes on elaineperlov.com this holiday season (just updated today).

1. CAMO V-NECK, $72.
   
2. 'RED-SWIRL' WINTER OBI, $96.
   
3. LABYRINTH TOP, $46.
4. PLEXI HEART NECKLACE, $54.
5. RANCHO SKIRT, $98.
   

I know you have seen this paper wreath adorning the doors of a certain popular coffee chain. Do you think the designer was looking to the origami collars so popular in fashion right now? I think yes.

A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz strapless party dress with origami neckline,
as seen in Blueprint, $280, available on myshape.com

We are toying with the idea of taking a daytrip to the Dia:Beacon this weekend. Apparently Beacon, NY is supposed to be a beautiful old town on the Hudson. Sounds great. Via Metro North, it seems pretty convenient. I saw an ad on the subway for a discounted rail and admissions package. Here is the link, just in case you think it sounds like a good idea too. It takes 80 minutes to get there. I am pretty excited to explore the Dia, which I read has over 240,000 square feet of gallery space! I hear rumors that they have Richard Serra sculptures. I hope!

I have to do more research on spots for lunch and other points of interest in Beacon, and consult the weather. But it seems like a pretty good adventure to take. Yikes, it is going to be cold. Sunday seems like the better day. FYI, if you purchase online, you have to allow time for them to physically mail you the tickets! I know, I too was shocked. So I think we will purchase them in person at Grand Central and get slightly less of a discount. It seems that museum admission and round trip train fare is $27 per person.

There may be a strike on Broadway, but that doesn't mean you have to go without theater. In addition to the eight Broadway plays still running, there are 50 off-Broadway shows available at much reduced prices. You might even be able to see two or three plays for the price of one. Go to Playbill.com and start exploring. Check out this list on nytimes.com.

[page print from zoozoom.com]

Published: Zoozoom.com, The Zoo Daily
Read it on Zoozoom: click here
Writing: Elaine Perlov
Photo: courtesy of Brave Space Design



Brave Space Design exhibited at BKLYN DESIGNS in Dumbo back in May 07. I was able to chat with BSD, Paul Loebach and many more great furniture designers there. It was a great resource. I love how the photos turned out in this article.



If you cannot view on Zoozoom: click on the image above
To read more of my articles for Zoozoom: click here

[page print from zoozoom.com]

Published: Zoozoom.com, The Zoo Daily
Read it on Zoozoom: click here
Writing: Elaine Perlov
Photo: courtesy of Valerie Ferus



I first saw Valerie Ferus' unique cameo jewelry at Sodafine in Williamsburg. When Erin explained all about Valerie's work, I became most interested to write the piece.



If you cannot view on Zoozoom: click on the image above
To read more of my articles for Zoozoom: click here

I thought you might want to study the windows at Dior on 57th, and take a peak into the store without the concern of who is watching you. The display is quite captivating with the Morrocan-style doorways tiled in gold. And did you look closely at the heels and soles of the shoes? When I was there, there were five other people photographing the shoes. That is how I noticed them. The two windows flank the store which is so luminous and bright white, it seems to float. Now that is good store design.

Take a look. There are new features on the blog. I worked all afternoon, designing, Photoshopping and coding my little heart out. I now know many nuances of the Blogger code, I am pleased to say.

I have been talking about doing a Table of Contents of the topics I write about, and making use of the Blogger 'labels' (a feature which I love) to improve navigation. I basically turned my 'test pattern' on its side and added more shades to create this new navigation bar. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I also included the test pattern in the new navigation and made it a link to my favorite previous posts. So now you can get started on back reading in style. Just click on the picture or the grey text in the upper left.

The Coach Store on 57th and Madison

There is a lot of exciting bright color going on at Coach for the holidays. The store is beautifully decorated in stripes and bright blue, green, yellow, hot pink and orange, unlikely colors for Christmas, but that is why I like it. There is a pleasing richness to the interior design-inspired vignettes* they have created, like the one below at the 57th Street store, which are chock full of enticing new small accessories, by the way. If you have a major Coach store near you, I recommend a visit to beat the winter blues. The store personnel at 57th Street could not have been more pleasant. I think I might go back today and soak up some more holiday cheer.


*which I find to be playful like Jonathan Adler. There is a similarity in the color choice, the 'accent dog' in the window, the x-benches with trays on top, the zebra rug, and the way all the elements are combined. Could it be that Jonathan Adler is Coach's new consultant on the visuals? Or does JA and Coach have the same store designer in common. Whatever it is, both are very pleasing aesthetics.

Had we been checking Popgloss everyday, we might not have missed out on this ironic necklace by Brookadelphia*, sadly now sold out. And it is plexi! My favorite.


Brookadelphia=two sisters, Heather + Amber Zezeck, with a Brooklyn-Philadelphia connection.

At last, you can throw away your cell phones and adopt this bag by La Pochette. It really works! (How could this be possible?) I found this piece on Popgloss which is a great site for well-designed fashion finds. I strongly recommend a daily browse.

I wanted to share with you a fashion blog I found today, called Aesthetics + Economics, and copy this entire post, so you (and I) could explore A+E's compilation of blog articles, some on the topic of design integrity, which I was writing about the other day.

And then I noticed the date of the post: April 8, 2007. It seems that she is no longer writing her blog, which is too bad. I am hoping she will start again. The posts below are still pertinent and interesting despite the expired date.

40 Days and 40 Nights of Beauty Brands: Shiseido [Blogdorf Goodman]

Anoraks for Spring '07 [Second City Style]

The Devil Wears...Walmart? Low-Brow Adverts in a High-Brow Bible [Style Bites]

The Luxury of Valextra [Bag Snob]

Chantecaille's Reefs of Hope Compact, Yours For $420 [Beauty Addict]

Organizers For Jewels, Bags, and Shoes [She Finds]

So Long Mr. Slimane [Papierblog]

Did Chanel Copy Jessica Kagan Cushman? [Counterfeit Chic]

Fashion Houses Target Second Life [Trashionista]

Masayuki Yoshinaga, Roadrunner ST-01, 1999, C-print

Please excuse the light reflecting off the surface of the photograph.
I love samurai-ness of his pose with his bike, the incredible lines of the bike itself,
and that the subject matter is presented so starkly frank and devoid of context

Before I got into fashion, I studied Japanese art history in college and worked at the Asia Society and The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I have a particular fondness for Asian art, and design-wise, I am completely inspired by the minimalist Japanese aesthetic to this day.

So I was excited to attend the Asian Contemporary Art Fair this weekend at Pier 92. It was a great exhibition, with galleries from Japan, China, Korea, India, Indonesia, as well as England, Germany and good old New York. I took a lot of photos of the pieces that struck a chord with me. I wanted share them with you, with gallery links where possible. Note: I will be adding the works gradually tonight and tomorrow. Enjoy!

Ma Jun, Television, 2007, porcelain, from the 'New China Series'
Krampf Gallery, New York

Possibly my favorite piece from the show.
It is incredible how this artist has combined traditional
Chinese ceramics with contemporary electronics.
The extra layer of droll is that this and most televisions
are made in China.


Ma Jun, Television (back), 2007, porcelain, from the 'New China Series'
Krampf Gallery, New York


Ma Jun, Radio, 2007, porcelain, from the 'New China Series'
Krampf Gallery, New York


Long-Bin Chen, Guan Yin Manhattan, 2006, phonebooks
Frederieke Taylor Gallery, New York

You may think this sculpture is marble, but amazingly
this Guan Yin (Kannon) is carved out of a Manhattan Phone Book.


Liang Kegang, Buddha, 2007, tea leaves
Beatrice Chang Contemporary Art, New York


3 of 6 shiny Mao's at the entry to the show
I cannot tell you how many versions of Mao there were,
which was right up my alley. Chairman Mao is so graphically pleasing.
In fact there were many pairings of Mao and Marilyn (Monroe), a la Andy Warhol.

I think I have found a kindred spirit who sees the amusing doubleness in all things. Chema Madoz from Spain. [by way of haha.nu]

Isn't this a great lamp? I think I would like to have it. It would go so well with my subway decor.

Sputnik table lamp designed by Paul de Haan and available for 325 Euros from Decennia Design in the Netherlands.

a seat on the V train

I am always pleased when I can ride the V instead of the E train in the morning, not only because it is less crowded and cooler, but because it has a better color scheme. Yes, that may sound strange. That I love the color scheme of a subway.

But think about it. The orange and the faux woodgrain color scheme that you can find on the V and a number of other lines is gloriously modern. Take a look at the lobby (pictured below) at the Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel in Midtown.

You may remember that I have written about this hotel before, singing the praises of the mosaic door handles on the 51st Street side. There are many nice juxtapositions of orange and woodgrain in the lobby, recently redone to reflect the Mid-century modern look in which the hotel was originally designed in 1961. And when the lobby gets crowded, it looks somewhat like the V. Except I can always get a seat on the V.

the Doubletree lobby in a rare calm moment, bathed in warm orange tones

the orange George Nelson clock against the woodgrain wall


the lobby at rush hour, and not a seat to be had