19 June 2009

Jamie takes Manhattan

One of the great developments of 2009 has been my discovery of the great designer Jamie Goldberg and her blog Gold Notes. Jamie lives on the other side of Tampa Bay from me and it's been a real boon to make a live connection with someone I've met through the blogosphere.

Jamie just returned from a Manhattan Showroom tour and she's graciously written the following post in which she shares some of her discoveries. Take it away Jamie...

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Visiting New York City as a designer is like visiting Disney World as a child...Exhilarating, energizing, overwhelming and not a little exhausting. Oh, but so worth it!!! I promised my friend Paul Anater, proprietor of this splendid blog, that I'd share my favorite Gotham goodies with you, his dedicated readers. Hope you enjoy!

FIXATED ON FIXTURES

The trend I've been observing this past year or two is the flattening of the vessel sink from its earlier bowl-like existence to a more contemporary, close-to-countertop style. This trip largely took things in the completely opposite direction. The first showroom I visited in New York was Hastings Tile & Bath, also in the A&D Building. Right in its entry was a gorgeous lav called the Grande Ceradur Basin.


In this same shape, but glossy white, is Duravit's Bacino.


Duravit had some other fab fixtures at its Madison Avenue showroom, and in its press kit showcasing upcoming releases.

Starck K is its first-ever kitchen sink, now available in the U.S. market. I love the shape, the optional cutting board and drain board sections and the Anthracite, Chestnut and Pergamon color additions to white that you can choose from.


Its Starck 1 barrel lav is now also available in high glass black and white finishes. Its popular 2nd Floor series also added a white lacquer finish option, and an ultra-cool revolving mirror and mobile storage base. The ebony finish is pretty cool, too. I especially love it on the tall storage cabinet with sliding mirrored door.




I also really liked Duravit's PuraVida lavs with their "pillow-style" concealed drains. (It also includes the option to add the coordinating faucet by Hansgrohe.) PuraVida is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in October.


TILE STYLE

I've always loved tile, even when I was a college student studying Greek and Roman antiquities. Here are some of my fave tile finds in New York.

Artistic Tile's Effervescence adds fun and flair to your roomscape.


Always an old world enthusiast, I enjoyed Country Floors collection of Pedralbes terra cotta tiles from Spain.


Hastings Tile & Bath featured a large selection of Casamood tiles in traditional and contemporary styles. Lovely collection, including this Iki thin tile.


Seeing Bisazza mosaics on a display board is one thing. Visiting its Soho showroom was another experience altogether - sheer bliss! This is its restroom.


Sicis, another art tile company, has a spectacular four-story showroom in Soho. The Italian firm not only offers floor and wall tile, but also mosaic-encrusted tubs and its brand-new pendant lights.


NOTES

(c) 2009, Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS. This posting was excerpted from Gold Notes: Nuggets from the World of Residential Design. Gold Notes is written by Tampa-based kitchen and bath designer, Jamie Goldberg, AKBD, CAPS. To see more New York finds, please click here.

2 comments:

  1. I read this post on Jamie's blog -- I love EVERYTHING she saw in NYC!!

    I managed to convince her that Ottawa is less cool than Tampa Bay when it comes to home decor ;-)

    Kelly

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  2. Really? I hold up Tampa as the US major metro that taste forgot. We can't get squat down here, you'd never guess that we're the largest metropolitan area in Florida.

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