ART DE TRIOMPHE LLC

Holiday House May Be Over..But the Holidays Continue

2012-02-17T11:08:00.001-05:00

As yet another Holiday approaches this weekend. We wanted to share with you our Holiday photos. Holiday House was a smashing success. The Dining Room was a popular venue for many types of press. Fox 5 conducted several interviews with both Design Editors and Antiques Editor of Traditional Home Magazine, not to mention an expose given by Felicia Zwebner of how to make the most of Thanksgiving without being cliché…click here to see Thanksgiving Without Using Turkeys

Editor at Large also got in on the action by conducting a casual and entertaining interview with Felicia regarding her take on the Holiday season from decorating to gift giving and more…

The Dining Room also was the venue for theatre performances. Ironically enough the play that was performed was called “The Long Christmas Dinner” by The Fundamental Theatre Project directed by Sam Underwood. It was fascinating to see how a room comes alive once there are actors performing in the space. The majority of the furniture was created by Felicia from FZ Collection (www.fzcollection.net). The sound and movement of the actors breathed life into the room. Since there were only several performances and 6 weeks of show house touring, Felicia decided to incorporate the concept of sound into the designed space. However given the age of the home coupled with the antiquated lighting there were very few outlets to be had. Lighting was also important since the room is enveloped in dark paneling so clearly lamps (requiring outlets) would take precedence. Therefore, in collaboration with Saga Electronics, Felicia used special bulbs for the lamps that contained sound bytes. These sounds filled the room, by the window one could hear the sound of horse hoofs clopping through Old New York, the tables had dinner conversation (which was recorded by the very actors that were performing), the fireplace had the rustling of leaves, and by the seating area the French Sultry Music by Edith Piaf.

Oh The Holiday House is Upon Us...

2011-11-11T14:12:00.001-05:00

Hello fellow design enthusiasts!

Just as I'm sure you're gearing up for the holidays, I am preparing for this year's Holiday House in NYC. For those of you not familiar with the event. Holiday House is a mansion on 5th Avenue whose rooms are designed by professional designers with a different holiday for each room. While it is an amazing experience to let my imagination take flight and think up an environment we all dream of during our favorite holiday, putting it together is a real life experience in the trials of designing.

The holiday I am designing for is Thanksgiving, and fortunately enough I am designing the dining room, with a real working fireplace. This entails setting a gorgeous table with all the dinnerware and finery we can only dream of. This however, proved challenging when the crystal is still in France and yet to leave with only a few days to go. It's fortunate that there are so many companies in NYC that carry beautifully crafted stemware. So it wasn't too long before I had a lovely replacement.

Now, if I can get the lightbulbs to fit properly in the antique lighting and the landscape design to reflect autumnal harvest, we should be all set! Stay tuned for more adventures in designing and pictures of the final product. The Press is stopping this upcoming Monday, so I will have pictures soon. If you're interested in visiting this year. Please click on the following link to purchase your tickets. http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/buy-tickets/

Here is a pic of my colleagues and I preparing for the kick off.

And some before pictures for you.

All the best,
Felicia

Coffee or Tea?

2011-08-12T18:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Summer Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the weather and making time for some R&R. Although I have taken some vacation time, I have also been working at my usual pace. One of the newest and exciting projects this summer has been the launch of the Contract line for FZ Collection. After, the residential line was on display at The Lucida, I had an opportunity to meet with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to design custom furniture pieces for their new flagship store in New York City. You might recognize this coffee company from its West Coast locales. They are opening their new venue this August. Be sure to check out the store on Broadway and 39th Street.

One of the first pieces that I have designed is the “Signature Coffee Bean Chair”, which has a hand-carved design on the back part reminiscent of a coffee bean dimple. Adding to the coffee farm motif, are the custom upholstered banquettes in burlap with the printed names of the coffee plantations that contribute to Coffee Bean’s product line. The table tops have been made to order as well with the company logo embossed using an acid application. The amber, gold color of the table top makes you think of a warm cup of coffee or tea.

Take a look at the photos below to see how the process comes about.

Be sure to check back on my blog to see how all of the pieces from FZ Contract Collection come together to form Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's new store!

Rumson Showhouse After Pictures

2011-05-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

As Promised! Below are the After pictures of the Recreation Room I designed at this year's Rumson Showhouse. If you look at my previous blog, you'll see that the room, was dark, cluttered and didn't really lend itself for entertaining of any kind. But now, you could definitely have a sophisticated party that includes family and friends.

If you haven't had a chance to visit the showhouse yet, I really encourage you to go and visit this jewel of a house. From it's location above the Navesink River, the views are spectacular. And the tastefully designed rooms only add to the whole experience. Don't miss out!

Showhouse at Holly Hill

2011-05-02T16:01:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Once again it is that time of year when interior designers prepare to partcipate in the Stately Homes by the Sea Designer Showhouse. http://www.statelyhomesbythesea.com/default.asp
The event is being held from May 3rd - June 12th, 2011.

This year, the event is being held at Holly Hill, a historic country estate, near Red Bank, NJ. More than 35 of the region's top interior designers participate in designing a different room or area in the estate.

For my own design, I am transforming a dark recreation room in the basement of the residence into a room that not only looks chic but can still be used for entertaining guests at any age. I've used the greys and calming colors of the sea to create a sophisticated atmosphere and at the same time brought the garden outside through the french doors and into this 'new' space. I can not wait for all of you to visit and take a look at the transformation. Hope you can make it!
Stay tuned for the after picture......

FZ Collection at The Lucida

2011-04-01T17:48:00.002-04:00

Hello All!

Phew!....These last couple of weeks have been non-stop and I can't wait to tell you about them. I was asked to design a whole apartment in New York City's first LEED residential building, The Lucida. You must be asking yourself what does LEED mean?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an ecology-oriented building certification program run under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED concentrates its efforts on improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human health: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings.

The program is designed to educate and inform those in all areas of the design profession how to best design a space in a "Green" way. And constructing a green building in New York City of all places is no easy feat. That is why I am so proud to be asked to participate and design for this space.

At the same time I was asked to design for The Lucida, I was also launching my new furniture line FZ Collection. And what better way to introduce my line to the public than by including them in the design of the apartment.

But wait! The news gets better. I had the opportunity to showcase Anthony Quinn's art at The Lucida after the lovely introduction to his wife, Katherine Quinn.

And how to present so much art and design to the public? With a party of course! The official FZ Collection Launch Party took place on March 24, 2010. Guests included people from the design trade, clients, friends and family. With the jazz pianist playing on the baby grand in the background, guests were able to go from room to room and see how FZ Collection can be incorporated into different designs and uses. From the Roark desk in the Study/Guest Room to the Gatsby in the Dining area to the Port in the Living Room. The furniture is not only functional but versatile in its design. You can check out my new FZ collection by clicking on this link www.fzcollection.net

FZ Collection has Launched

2011-02-14T21:25:00.000-05:00

Bonjour!

I am glad to share with everyone that I have launched my very own custom furniture line entitled FZ Collection. The catalogs for these custom pieces have just arrived and already people are remarking what they would like to order!

Putting this together has long been a dream of mine and seeing it come to fruition is not only exciting but opens up Art de Triomphe to many new possibilities. To get a sneak peek at some of the pieces and see how it all came together, take a look at the pictures below. I never thought a photo shoot in a freezing warehouse would get such beautiful results.

New Year, New Opportunities

2011-01-14T16:52:00.002-05:00

As part of the New Year, I am embarking on a new venture by launching a furniture line in conjunction with Joao Costa. After many years of collaborating on various projects together, we felt the need to create a new furniture line that would contain all the details, materials, and finishes my clients are used to seeing in my designs.

Our hope is that our new design and fresh creativity will meet old fashioned European craftsmanship to produce one-of-a-kind pieces. Our collection is created by hand one piece at a time. We start with a custom design made specifically for the project; a wood species is selected for the frame, a finish is hand applied, and a luxurious fabric stitched in place. Attention to detail is our standard.

As many of you are aware from reading my blog or seeing my work, Art de Triomphe's mission statement is Capturing The Art of Interiors. Art isn’t just what you hang on your walls, it should also be the products you use on a daily basis, such as your furniture. Our products are created by skilled artisans whose skills help us achieve our goal of creating unique yet functional furniture that can be customized to meet specific needs.

I'd like to invite you all to take part in the launch of our new line FZ Collection. Stay tuned for further information and pictures of our new line....

The Holidays Are Over?!

2010-12-27T20:03:00.000-05:00

Yes you read the title right! But I don't mean the holidays by what you are thinking...
I mean the holidays at Holiday House (the designer showhouse at 2 East 63rd in NYC). I am not just saying this because Art de Triomphe participated in it, BUT IT WAS A GREAT SHOWHOUSE!

View Outside My Room

View Inside My Room

I am attaching some photos that highlight the showhouse in case you didn't get to go or in case you want to see it again.

Hanukah

Boxing Day

Mother's Day


Irwin, Iris, Tom, Tim, Jolie, Diane, & ME

Can't wait to do it all again next year. If you like the pics then I suggest you plan ahead next year because this showhouse only lasts 2 weeks as the old saying goes IF YOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE!

Art de Triomphe on TV!

2010-12-06T14:12:00.001-05:00

Great News!
The room I designed for Holiday House was featured on CBS. Look closely at the back drop during the interview- that's Art De Triomphe's Bedroom entitled "New Year's Day" Click on the link below to learn more about the showhouse and see my room first hand.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/12/05/fight-against-breast-cancer-continues-in-annual-east-side-fundraiser/

Stay posted for more news....

New Year's - The Day After !

2010-12-04T22:50:00.000-05:00

Hey! Talk About a Busy Holiday Season.....

As I mentioned in my last blog, I just finished installing the Lampworks window, only to move on to another installation this one is for a showhouse in New York City called Holiday House. Every year, several interior designers are chosen to participate in this event to benefit the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Foundation. We are asked to pick a holiday and design a room inspired by this day.

Now as you all know, New Year's is a night of fun and revelry, but New Year's Day is when all the stories of the previous night's peccadillos are shared. With a wink to an imaginary couple's night after a New Year's Masquerade Ball, I have created a bedroom suite that is both refined and intimate. An ivory bed framed in mother of pearl tiles contributes to the sumptuousness' of the whole room along with smaller details such as elegant tableware including champagne flutes by Versace..

The Gala opening held on November 30th was well received by the press. The showhouse then opened its doors to the public starting December 1st. If you were following my tweets and facebook page (@artdetriomphe and Felicia Art de Triomphe) you know that getting everything together took a lot of scheduling and hard work, but hearing the positive responses makes it all worth it.

You can visit Holiday House which is actually located in a majestic Brownstone at 2 E. 63rd St. in New York City (between Madison & 5th Avenues). Click on this link for more information.

http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/holiday-house-2010-schedule/

Felicia in Lampworksland Part Deux

2010-12-03T13:17:00.001-05:00

Bonjour Everyone!

After a fantastic team effort from Art de Triomphe, Window 25, and Faux Time Design our
“Felicia in Lampworksland” window is complete. To kick off the completion of this amazing window, we celebrated with Lampworks on November 18^th. Many of our business colleagues, generous vendors, and friends in the design industry stopped by to celebrate with us. You can see some of the pictures from that night below.

I'm excited to share that not only industry people and the general public have stopped in to look at the window I created, but celebrities too! Catherine Zeta-Jones came into Lampworks one day because the upside-down world I designed drew her attention. Too bad I missed her!

In other great news, Traditional Home wrote an article on my window for their blog. The editor even notes that the window would have gone perfectly with their October issue of the Enchanted Forest (oh well! that means the window would have had to been created 6 months earlier in order to be published in that October issue) Read more about it here:

http://traditionalhome.com/blogs/companion/2010/12/01/sweetness-and-light/

Just as I am finishing this window, I am also preparing for the Holiday House Showhouse in NYC. Stories and pictures to follow....

Felicia in Lampworksland

2010-10-25T16:30:00.001-04:00

We are venturing into a new genre of design. Here we are in the Lampworks Showroom, installing a new storefront window for the Fall/Winter season. Our vision for this window was based on the origin of our company name, Art de Triomphe. Instead of designing something based on everyday Americana, like a picnic among pumpkins and wagons, we decided to add a European flair by creating the feel of dining in a Parisian courtyard. But we didn't stop there! To be more creative we turned the world upside down, so there is no sense of time or place. (A Nod To Alice In Wonderland)

And what may have seemed like an ambitious task, with a great team, we were able to bring it to fruition. To catch a glimpse of how our design is evolving, look at the photos below.

"The guys with the brawn of Window 25"

"The girls-Angela, Jill, & Dorris of Faux Time Design"

"The crew"

"Alex & Victor posing before hoisting this gravel on the wall"

"Felicia hanging the sky"

"The view from inside the showroom"


"Ingredients: Faux rock walls by Faux Time Design, Moss & Curly Willow by Gramercy Park Flowers, &Lights	=Magical"

But it's not over yet. Stay tuned for the finished window..........

What Is A Designer Showhouse?

2010-09-12T14:26:00.000-04:00

I often get asked the question “What is a Designer Showhouse”? The answer is about to be explained. The short of it is that a Designer Showhouse is typically a space (home, townhouse, condominium, or estate) that is given to selected designers to decorate.

The truth is there is a lot of work that goes behind the scenes to get the finished product the public and media get to see. Like any project a designer tackles one has to create a floor plan and then a design concept. Next the designers need to start thinking about which resources to use. More often than not even when a designer thinks the plan is coming together there are obstacles; for example, the fabric selected won’t be in on time to make production, shipping is costly because it is coming from overseas, freight will take too long because the item is on the west coast, another item is out of stock, the list goes on and on. To get the room to look what the designer envisioned is extremely demanding.

As a designer these are what we call “design challenges”. Contrary to magazines claiming that Designer Showhouses are wonderful because there are no clients to impose what the design concept will be, the challenges can be even harder since there are trades to coordinate and a tight time crunch involved before it is open to the public, in addition to the complications mentioned above.

However, in the end when the room has finally come together thanks to helpful resources and a great support staff it is worth it in the end to see the final product. The satisfaction is bar none!

...If you haven’t heard this week is Fashion Week in NY at Lincoln Center. I have the privilege this year to be in a very unusual showhouse. This Showhouse pairs Fashion Designers with Interior Designers to design a space that is inspired through fashion.
The Showhouse is at the Aldyn
(an Extell property in the Upper West Side)
at 60 Riverside Blvd.

It opens to the public September 21^st.
For more information click on this link http://www.editoratlarge.com/interiordesignevents/american-fashion-designers-at-home-showhouse

Can’t wait to see you there!

Felicia

Tackling Those Summer Projects

2010-06-03T23:38:00.000-04:00

When it comes to your own home – where to begin can be overwhelming. Here are some tips that may help the task be a little less daunting. Before you do anything- grab a pen and pad of paper. Start at the top floor and work your way down. You may want to divide this into several days so you can tackle these projects without getting overwhelmed- one floor for each day.

The upstairs rooms are typically the bedrooms and bathrooms. Analyze what needs to be done in terms of work to the room. Look at the walls- do they need touch ups or complete repainting? How about the windows? Are they functional- or do you need to call someone to fix them? Try turning on the lights and lamps- do any need bulbs replaced or is it a case of calling the electrician? Now open those drawers and purge! Ask yourself these questions: Has this been worn in the last two years? If the answer is no- then donate it!! There are many foundations that will come right to your home and pick it up. Take a look at your closet – turn the hangers backwards on the clothes you haven’t worn in a while- if you don’t wear them in the next four months and the hangers are still backwards – time to get rid of this too! Assess your shoes are they worn out- send them to the shoemaker, but don’t waste the money if they are out of style. Getting rid of all this will help you find that much needed extra space in your closet. With organized drawers and a spacious closet; getting dressed will no longer be a stress factor. One of my favorite closet companies is http://www.affordableclosetsplus.com

Next tackle the bathrooms- same concerns as the bedrooms- is the paint peeling off the walls? Try contacting www.stevespaintinginc.com. Are the towels fraying? Do the bath rugs seems to have lost their fluffiness? Invest in good linens. Not only will they last longer, but nothing compares to the luxurious feel. Leron linens www.leron.com are excellent quality. I just used them on the bed in the Designer Showhouse of NJ. See the bed for yourself by clicking http://www.artdetriomphe.net/portfoilo/view/id/3/showhouses

Time to hit the ground floor. Survey your entertaining rooms (dining room, living room, great room, etc.)Do the carpets need cleaning? Before you do that-wipe all the moldings down. Clean the tops of bookcases, take the contents off the shelves, and wipe the shelves down. Another design tip when you put the items back on the shelves, assess what really works and what doesn’t. Keep in mind that often “less is more”. Maybe you can stack the books horizontally or group items together so it forms a collection. Rearranging accessories can give a room a lift.

Now hone in on the floors used more on a regular basis. The bathrooms and kitchen are always the rooms with the heaviest traffic. Does the grout need to be cleaned or your counters re polished? Then contact Amalfi, he’s the best in the business www.gilbertoamalfi.com

Sometimes freshening up a space could be as simple as creating new pillows. Check out this website www.window25.com.

Last place to tackle is the basement. Many people use this as “their dumping ground”. Try to consolidate what you really need and place like things together. It would be ideal to have a storage closet with shelving –contact www.closetsbydesign.com For example if you keep holiday accessories make a shelf with all your holiday accessories (which should be organized and in good condition- if you read my last blog). Label the edge of the shelf “Holiday” so you can easily identify it. The same idea could be used for seasonal items except your label on that shelf should be labeled “Seasonal” etc. Try and do this approach for everything else whether it’s toys or luggage and you will soon find you are a lot more organized. Now not only is your home free and clear so is your conscience to enjoy the great outdoors!

Winter Blues? There's Lots to Do!!

2010-02-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

Although it is snowy outside and winter seems like it is never going to end, believe it or not spring is right around the corner. Instead of using these dull winter days to “clean out the attic or organize the garage” think differently.
Now that all your holiday parties are over evaluate what around your home needs repair. This way you will be ready for next year’s entertaining. Create a checklist of what items you actually used during the holidays and then inspect them. Look at your stemware- are there chips on the rims? What about your china? Did some of your silver cutlery accidentally end up in the garbage? You can replace it by visiting the website Replacements, Ltd. Click here to follow the link http://www.replacementsltd.com/
Don’t stop there. What about your furniture- are there stains that don’t come out? Instead of trying and damaging it further click herehttp://www.fiberseal.com/ . Does your woodwork need repainting or wallpaper need to be changed – painters are easier to hire now that it’s winter try one of my favorites here http://stevespaintinginc.com/.
Your list may be overwhelming at first so my suggestion is try to tackle one or two things on the list each day – you will surprise yourself when you see how quickly it will all get done. Just think by the time Spring crops us- you will be able to enjoy the outdoors and not be stuck inside “Spring Cleaning”!