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The star of several settings at the AD Home Show were amazing crystal chandeliers.  The rest of the room might be in a quiet, almost stoic deep grey but with an amazingly detailed chandelier.  Kind of like wearing a Chanel suit with a really big diamond ring.  You know, in one of my better dreams.  Here are a few more.
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One question I get asked on a pretty regular basis as a designer is what furniture I would buy if money were no object.  I'm someone who has the inside scoop about what's available, right?  Well, for years my answer has been the same: Baker.  It's elegant, it's classic and beautifully made.  I'm buying a house full of it right after I win the Lotto--because all that quality and beauty ain't cheap.  But for the second year, I've seen an exhibit at the AD Home Show that has made me reconsider.  The New Traditionalists has some of the sexiest furniture I've seen in a long time.
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For a while there, wallpaper really fell out of fashion.  The late 70's and 80's provided some truly frightening wall treatments so it is no surprise that a sea of taupe reigned throughout the 90's.  But enough time has passed for our memories to clear and for wallpaper to have another turn on our walls.  Unlike painted walls, which can easily be changed with a few cans of primer and paint, wallpaper is a commitment.  So if you're going to go through the time and expense, you'd better pick something fabulous.  And I found something fabulous at the AD Home Show. 
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Now if you've learned nothing else about me while reading regularly, you've probably figured out that I love a bargain.  By that I don't mean something cheap just for the sake of having something; but instead a great deal on something wanted/needed.  But lately I've been thinking more about investing in fewer and higher quality items.  My wardrobe doesn't know it yet, but half of it is about to leave my closet for this very reason.  In that vein, I wanted to feature some truly stunning textiles from Aviva Stanoff.
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Ommmm......supper time
Do not adjust your screens or question your eyes.  That really is some guy sitting in the lotus position, meditating.  In the middle of the AD Home Show.  And no, he didn't break his concentration at all.  Let's focus instead on the design aspects, which only result in moderate head scratching.
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Benjamin Moore DIFFA table
This weekend I hit up Design Nerd Expo '10--better known to laypeople as the Architectural Digest Home Show--and came away with lots of great ideas and sneak peeks into what's new out there.  One element I saw consistently was the use of potted succulent plants grouped en masse as centerpieces.  This works out perfectly for several reasons.
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