David Rockwell to Speak at FIT

Design thoughts from one of the greatest living designers? And for free? Sure.

Just head over to the Fashion Institute of Technology on April 28 to hear David Rockwell give an address as he receives the 2011 FIT Lawrence Israel Prize.

Rockwell is no stranger to awards, having designed the sets for the Academy Awards in 2009 and 2010---after completing the Kodak Theater, in which the ceremony is held. He’s also received a mind-boggling list of awards for his work with the Rockwell Group, including the 2009 Pratt Legends Award, the 2008 National Design Award by Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt for outstanding achievement in Interior Design, a lifetime achievement award from Interiors magazine, an induction in Interior Design Magazine’s Hall of Fame and the Presidential Design Award for his work for the Grand Central Terminal renovation.

Just take a look at one of his most recent projects, the lobby of the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, and you'll see why he's considered a giant in the field.

photo courtesy of the Rockwell Group

At the event on April 28, Rockwell will speak about his professional journey, Rockwell Group’s current projects, and his new explorations into creating more powerful spatial experiences using technology. The talk will begin at 6:00 pm, in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater at FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street.  This event is free and open to the public, with no reservations required.

The Lawrence Israel Prize is awarded every year by FIT's Interior Design Department to an individual or firm whose ideas and work enrich FIT Interior Design students’ course of study.

Find more information here.



New York Times Building

If you're traveling to New York City for the busy holiday season and want something a little different in your sight-seeing, consider a stop at the New York Times building on 9th Avenue between40th and  41st Streets, right across from the Port Authority, and only a couple of blocks from Times Square (which, in case you're wondering, was named after the New York Times, whose headquarters used to be there.)

Tours of the entire 52- story building are not available---it is, after all, a working newspaper---but you can go into the lobby and learn more about the building, which was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano--- who also designed the Pompidou Center in Paris --- and built in 2007.

For more on the building, check out:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=105317&p=irol-pressArticle&ID=1079716&highlight=

Uptown Arts in NYC

In the northern tip of Manhattan there is a park-like, treed slice of Washington Heights that's remarkable for its small-town feel, even though the express A train is always just a couple of blocks away. It's one of those neighborhoods in New York City that has an overabundance of artists, writers, and musicians, and each year their work is celebrated with Uptown Crafts, an art and crafts show with over 40 exhibitors.

The show opens Saturday, November 6, with a reception, and runs Sunday, the 7th, and then the following weekend on both Saturday and Sunday.

And your very own Stylehound is exhibiting and selling her greeting cards. Here's a sample:



For more information on the show, and directions, visit http://www.hvgartsgroup.com

For more on the Stylehound's other cards, visit www.notthispig.com

Warm Up To IceStone

If you're looking into remodeling a kitchen or bath and want to have gorgeous countertops while doing the earth a favor, you should consider the greenest countertop material we've found: IceStone. Before you read on about its credentials, let us tell you that what we first liked about it was its look---it's bright, smooth, and elegant, rivaling any other countertop material on the market.

The company, based in Brooklyn, New York, boasts of having a "triple bottom line"---the manufacture of the stuff is done in the greenest way possible, with 80% of their waste recycled, recovered, or composted.

Second, their mission statement includes a mandate for social responsibility, including providing health benefits and education programs to employees.

Third, the material itself: it's made of recycled glass in a concrete mixture, so it is both recycled and recyclable. It's been used in several LEED-certified projects, including the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park in NYC.

Finally, it's a woman-owned business, so if you want to support women entrepreneurs, here you go.

IceStone. We really like it. http://www.icestone.biz/

Everything, and the Kitchen Synch

There seems to a trend sweeping Great Britain---selling off display kitchens. Yeah, the whole kitchen, from appliances to drawer pulls. One website specializing in this rather surprising trade is http://www.kitchensynch.co.uk---they've got great kitchens, including from such high-end manufacturers as Poggenpohl. And they're in every style, too, from country, here:

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