Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Designing Greenwich Show

Our latest design, The Ariane Chaise

Last summer, I was approached by Mimi Sternlicht owner of the Loading dock and Meg Wendy to participate in a new type of trade show, an exhibition of sorts of designers' vignettes, art, antiques and furniture.

The show, to be held at the Loading Dock in Stamford, was to be high end  and intimate, reaching out to an upscale local audience of Greenwich and other Fairfield County towns.

At the time, I thought it might be a good venue to reach this specific audience, as I live in the area but my showroom and my work are in New York. I would love to have an office in Greenwich or Stamford and build a local clientele.

Of course, you can have the best plan in the world, but in life , as we well know, there is no guarantee... Mother nature played her trick, first a hurricane two weeks prior to the show which made it impossible for some of my artisans to work, as their lower manhattan studios had no electricity, then scrambling to get furniture ready on time within  the few remaining days, and finally a perverse coup de grace of a wild nor-easter snowstorm that made moving furniture pretty close to hellish! It took my wonderful electrician 10 hours to get home to New York when it would normally be an hour ride. I forgot to add to the equation the search for gas as most gas stations were depleted and huge lines guarded by local police were to be found at the few open gas stations. My husband and my son saved the day, by renting a huge rattling truck, picked up the furniture at various locations under torrential rain snow mix and helped move everything into our booth.

Opening day: Exhausted but thrilled to have pulled it off, I really had no idea of what to expect. Very interesting lectures were taking place throughout the day, Vicente Wolf spoke and stopped by my booth  where we chatted for a while, I listened to a great talk by Forence de Dampiere about French Chic...(I had to brush up on my french style...)

The day dragged on. My only experience with shows is crowds of people bombarding you with questions... I panicked a little, all this energy, time and financial investment... and I am standing idle in my booth with Jennifer my associate. But to day is a new day, I look at this as a new experience, Mimi and Meg are wonderful, I met a couple of interesting designers and who knows what tomorrow will bring?!?

Our booth 15x15 facing the entrance

I painted the booth with Benjamin latest paint collection

In lieu of a canopy , Jennifer and I resorted to chicken wire to install the Simon chandelier


Installing a chandelier...

Furniture delivered

Out look for this show was to go "modern glamour, eclectic"

Our new wing chair design: Jeanelle

Ariane sofa with To Turn You On table

Wide view of our booth

The Ariane chaise

Getting home after a totally exhausting day of picking up the furniture in different new York locations, installing the booth, spending hours hanging the Kadur chandelier (which sold ) I was ready to go home and collapse.Instead I was a raging woman with a broom, trying to save my trees whose branches were collapsing under the heavy snow. 





10 comments:

  1. What an a long but amazing day! It all looks marvelous.

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  2. Oh my Francine! But what an absolutely gorgeous space--it is cliché to say it but I could move right in and be happy as can be. Especially curled up on the Ariane chaise reading or snuggling as it is just wide enough for two!

    Of course, I had to smile that you needed to brush up on your French Chic. ;)

    Bonne courage! I hope this show brings a lot of good things your way...

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  3. Francine-
    Your room was absolutely stunning, and the wing chair is perfection. It was all worth the effort. I can't imagine a more beautiful room filling with beautiful pieces.
    Happy Wednesday.
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  4. The booth was beautiful, elegant and chick and couldn't be any other way. Can only imagine how tough it all was, but you did it against all odds. What a courageous lady you are! You're the winner! Stay strong Francine , there should be the light at the end of the tunnel.

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  5. Beautiful, I love all the strong color and that coffee table is fabulous!

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  6. Dear Francine,
    The space is just gorgeous!! I can't get my eyes of the Ariane chaise! Love the way you placed it and it looks gorgeous with the round side table next to the chaise!!
    I wish you a lot of success at the show! Wished I could visit you there!
    xx
    Greet

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  7. Dear Francine,
    The space is just gorgeous!! I can't get my eyes of the Ariane chaise! Love the way you placed it and it looks gorgeous with the round side table next to the chaise!!
    I wish you a lot of success at the show! Wished I could visit you there!
    xx
    Greet

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  8. Bravo Francine, c'est superbe!!!!et quel ténacité! You did an extraordinary job, you are to be admired...and your family also!

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  9. My goodness Francine, you are a goddess of organization and thinking-on-your-feet! To pull this gorgeous room off during any part of that storm (I won't say it's name for obvious reasons) is a miracle. Good for you and everyone who helped you. The room is fabulous, especially like the red chairs againest the dark burgundy walls......brilliant. Much love xx

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  10. Francine... the booth looked amazing and I am sure it was a highpoint in the show... that chandelier, the coffee table and the sofa, chaise and chair... all stunning...
    I hope you managed to save your trees... your image reminds me of a few years back in Provence... a storm like that and us trying to bash down the snow from the olive trees... We won some, we lost some... :)

    Happy weekend and a restful one... xv

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