Alan Wanzenberg + Remains Lighting

Architect Alan Wanzenberg and Remains Lighting recently teamed up to produce The Taghkanic Studio Collection.  Their line of table lamps, consists of five handcrafted ceramic and wooden lamps, made individually by artisans in New York.  I think they would be perfect for a project I am working on at the beach.

The La Cornue Kitchen

I always enjoy attending the Architectural Digest Home Show to see the latest products in home design. This year my favorite booth was from La Cornue, the century old producer of enameled French ranges and rotisseries. They have expanded their product line to include custom metal and wood cabinetry as well as sinks, and accessories. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail is absolutely exquisite in person.

Miranda Brooks

Now that the weather is feeling a bit more like spring I have been thinking about gardens. I have always loved landscape architect Miranda Brooks' work so I was pleased to see her Brooklyn home featured in Vogue. I usually prefer a more polished look, but there is something so charming about her casual elegant style. It is amazing that they live in the city and have a rooftop rabbit hutch for their bunnies Peter and Bun Bun. (The pony seems to fit right in but it was just for the shoot!)

The White Barn Inn

The White Barn Inn, located in Kennebunkport Maine, is one of my favorite winter destinations. The inn is known for it's restaurant, which is located in a 1820's converted farmhouse.  They have a unique way of balancing a rustic barn (featuring country antiques in a hayloft) with unparalleled food and service. It is a combination that is quintessentially New England.

Egg Collective

I recently discovered Egg Collective, a Brooklyn based design company.  I admire their concept of American-made furniture that merges heirloom quality craftsmanship with contemporary design.  Most of their pieces have a metal component that can be done in either brass or nickel.  47 Hall Street, Brooklyn NY

Haley Side Table, Brass and Marble

Brass Credenza, Lacquer and Brass

Oscar Dining Table, Brass and Travertine

Atera, NYC

I am looking forward to checking out Atera in TriBeCa .  This tiny restaurant, which was designed with only 14 counter seats, offers up tasting menus by Portland celebrity chef Matthew Lightner. The menu and interiors were conceptualized around the chef's foraging background.  To reinforce the chef's indigenous ingredients approach, there is a vertical herb garden filled with rosemary, mint, thyme and lavender.  The rolling bar cart (pictured below), used to make custom drinks table side, is a fabulous idea for a restaurant tight on space. 77 Worth Street, NYC.

Zwelethu Mthethwa: Brave Ones

Zwelethu Mthethwa, South Africa's most well know portraitist, is back in NYC for his sixth solo show at the Jack Shainman Gallery.  To produce his new work he traveled back to his home town of Durban for a new series called "Brave Ones." 

The work captured the style of dress worn by a group of young men from a Nazareth baptist church. "There's an androgynous element in the fact that they wear kilts and blouses with frills. And they contrast that with something like sport socks and they wear shoes with the metal toe-so it's interesting how they mix and match." Their attire is a reflection of the history of the area, with the kilts reminiscent of the British and Scottish army's having been through. But what the artist found fascinating was the boys' misunderstanding of these pieces of Western dress. He particularly liked their casual use of the bow-tie. He said, "I like the way they take an item and create a new identity. So in a way they are reinventing their identity." 

The show runs through February 23, Jack Shainman Gallery, 513 West 20th Street, NYC.