By Taylor Smith
The Architecture Digest Design Show, to be held March 21-24 at Piers 92 & 94 in New York City, is a four-day design destination peppered with special events and curated finds from over 400 brands in the luxury residential and hospitality worlds. Organized by sections (including Furnish, Refresh, Made, and Shops), special features are the AD Apartment and DIFFA’s Dining by Design. more
Photo courtesy of Simms Jewelers.
Engagement and Wedding Ring Design Trends
By Taylor Smith
Engagement and wedding ring influencers like Gurki Basra, senior buyer of jewelry and watches at Barneys New York, say that the top 2019 trends in engagement ring styles include colored stones, multiple bands, and a mix of metals. Gray diamonds in particular have begun to emerge as a style statement as younger brides become more adventurous in their choices.
If you’re drawn to an edgier look, but worry about your tastes changing down the road, jewelers advise that you can always reset your ring. Raw diamonds or uncut diamonds are another option for unique engagement rings. Raw diamond styles range from ultra-contemporary to minimal and organic in shape. They also tend to be slightly more affordable since they’re unpolished. In addition, no two raw diamonds are alike, fulfilling another engagement trend of one-of-a-kind pieces. The brilliance of a raw diamond is also something to behold, as they are warm in hue and contain a vast color spectrum, making the diamond look as though it is lit from within.
Photo courtesy of Aires Jewelers
The challenge of finding the right combination of metals, diamonds, gemstones, and setting is challenging for any bride or groom. Many jewelers recommend that buyers keep the metal and stone in the same color family. For example, yellow gold dramatically captures the luminescence of a yellow diamond. Similarly, a chocolate-colored diamond in a yellow gold setting generates a warm, luxurious feel. Complementary colors can also create an unexpected effect, such as a rose gold setting matched with a green gemstone. more
Designer Danielle Frankel Focuses on Classic Tailoring and Fit
By Taylor Smith
Danielle Frankel launched her eponymous wedding dress fashion label in New York City in 2017 after having worked at both Marchesa and Vera Wang. It was Frankel’s own nuptials that spurred her to create her wedding dress designs, which are produced exclusively in the United States, along with veils, bras, jackets, belts, and jewelry. She began by taking her own private clients on a hunch that modern women were looking for something that was less Cinderella-inspired and more modern and aesthetically unusual.
For example, Frankel’s own wedding dress included a silk-faille coat dress with an off-the-shoulder collar. The look was inspired by her husband’s white button-down shirts. For the reception, Frankel chose a 90s-era silk-duchesse coat that she purchased at the Brooklyn Flea Market. A similar wedding dress design is available in her current collection (the Lou for $10,995). This aesthetic of clean lines and menswear-inspired tailoring soon caught the attention of buyers at Bergdorf Goodman, and her wedding dress designs are now available at Bergdorf’s in New York City as well as Mark Ingram and Moda Operandi Madison. The designer also has a presence at exclusive retailers in Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Her looks are sold online at Net-A-Porter.com and ModaOperandi.com. Both online retailers are committed to bringing the most cutting-edge fashion to people around the world. As stated on its website, Moda Operandi in particular aims to “connect you directly to the world’s best designers.” more
By Taylor Smith
For outdoor enthusiasts, the Bean Boot is one of the most iconic pieces of active footwear. Leon Leonwood Bean created the leather and rubber boots in 1911 to combat the problem of cold, wet feet during Maine hunting trips. In 1912, the Bean Boot (originally called the Maine Hunting Shoe) went on sale under the new company name, L.L. Bean. more
By Taylor Smith
In the late winter season, nothing beats a bouquet of freshly cut blooms to add some cheer to your home. Flowers have the ability to brighten anyone’s day, and science suggests that simply looking at flowers can improve your mood. What’s not so cheerful? Dealing with a bouquet of dead or dried-out flowers. more
By Taylor Smith
CAP Beauty is an unusual beauty store.
Beyond makeup, lotions, and potions, CAP Beauty prides itself on holistic beauty with the philosophy that what you put into and onto your body can actually improve the quality of your thought and life. more
By Taylor Smith
With a wide array of fitness trackers available, Fitbit is probably the best-known name in terms of high-quality trackers. The user-friendly devices come in many style options and can suit everyone, no matter their fitness level. The trackers will monitor everything from basic daily movements to running, walking, swimming, cycling workouts, and sleeping. more
By Taylor Smith
The quality and design principles that have made Stance socks a favorite of NBA players are now backed by some of the leading names in sports and entertainment. With the philosophy of embracing “the uncommon thread,” this five-year-old company has sold more than 50 million pairs of socks. Using technology that is akin to rocket science (literally), Stance Socks is hoping to define the future of knitwear. more
By Taylor Smith
Looking for a holiday getaway? Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown and her husband, entrepreneur Steven Plofker, have opened a stately and fashionable 32-room inn in the New York City suburb of Montclair. A 35-minute train ride from Midtown Manhattan, The George is the perfect weekend destination for tri-state area residents. more
Interview by Laurie Pellichero
How long have you been in business, and what is your design background?
Thirty years ago, while a diplomat at the United Nations, I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology at night. I supplemented my income by decorating the residences of UN dignitaries. I moved to Bedminster to raise my family and pursue my passion for interior decorating. I started the business in 1991 and 10 years later opened our store in the heart of Bedminster. Accents By Design offers full service interior design, accessories, and high-end window treatments.
By Wendy Greenberg
Second homes represent a lifestyle change, an investment, and sometimes several years of exploring myriad locations. But often, the second home becomes as beloved as the first home, and many times the homeowners don’t want to go home. They ARE home.
As Spring Lake realtor Cindy Napp says, “Life is short. Buy the beach house.” more
By Laurie Pellichero | Photography by Charles R. Plohn
From the moment you walk in the bright green door to Elephant in the Room Design in the Princeton North Shopping Center, you will see that it’s not your average consignment store. The clean, spacious 2,000-square-foot showroom is filled with artfully-arranged vignettes filled with an eclectic mix of new and consigned furniture and home decor items. more
By Laurie Pellichero
Linda Kitson, designer and owner of MarketPlace Designs in Summit, said that color is a very big trend for spring. “The appetite for color has been building for a while, and COLOR has definitely arrived. Recent magazine covers have been showing not just color, but strong colors—even a mix of strong colors.” more
By Laurie Pellichero
When it comes to choosing the perfect wedding venue, one size definitely does not fit all. Fortunately, whether you want an intimate ceremony at a vineyard, farm, or the shore, or a large-scale celebration in an elegant ballroom, New Jersey is home to many unique spots that are sure to provide just the right fit for your special day. more
Girls' Day & Night Out in Downtown Westfield will take place May 10, 2018, from 11am to 9pm.
Shop for Mother's Day, party with your girlfriends, pamper yourself with promotions, and relax with complimentary refreshments and entertainment as you stroll among the retailers and restaurants in stylish Downtown Westfield, NJ. more
By Lynn Adams Smith
Photograph by Jeffrey E. Tryon
Back in 1968, Joanne Woodward purchased a Rolex Daytona watch for Paul Newman and had it inscribed “Drive Carefully Me.” For the next 16 years, he wore the watch while acting in movies, fly fishing, and racing cars.
In 1984, Newman’s daughter Nell was dating James Cox. One summer day Cox was helping to repair a treehouse on their property, when Newman casually gave him the watch. more
