My interview in Benjamin Moore Nuance

My interview with Benjamin Moore on color inspiration

Benjamin Moore's Director of Marketing for Architects and Designers Segment, John Turner, flattered me by inviting me to be part of Benjamin Moore's focus group on design. My interview and the article are embedded below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 Benjamin Moore Nuance - Francine Gardner Interview

Design trends...eclectic style

A Vignette in my Interieurs Showroom

I am now preparing for my September purchasing trip in Paris and the South of France. I always look forward to Maisons et Objets, as I find this show quite stimulating visually and I usually discover  young artisans brimming with new ideas. This show is also a thermometer of sorts in terms of measuring design trends.  I am almost finished with a two year project of a rather large Tribeca loft (in New York), a beach house in the Hamptons, soon to be published, and I am embracing a very challenging (design wise) project in  New York.


Going through the latest publications of design books, european and US design magazines, reading blogs, looking at my favorite designers' websites, and relying on my own design direction and style, "eclectic" remains the key word in our industry. A few months ago, I shared a few modern eclectic visual collages I had prepared for a potential huge project...(which I unfortunately did not get as the owner flipped the space before moving in, for a very tidy profit...). This post is about  my personal interpretation of eclectic style. Let me start with the definition of this adjective (which is also a noun): eclectic means "composed of elements drawn from various sources". The greek origin of the word first used in1683 is "to gather".


My style has always been eclectic, years before editors and designers would embrace this design trend. During the years of pure french country style, minimalism, the immensely successful Christian Liaigre with his clean ebonised furniture style, I would feature in my Interieurs Showroom in Tribeca, an eclectic mix of sophisticated, simple, distressed or ethnic furniture I would gather while traveling in various parts of the world, in french flee markets or high end furniture shows. I guess my lack of design schooling (I majored in finance...) allowed me to create my own style without any burden of design rules and conformity. I do work however with very talented associates trained in design schools in all methods of new technology.


This post is a tribute to the design I love most, the designers that epitomize the best of the eclectic sensitivity and hotels that now offer a pic at such a lifestyle.

A master of the eclectic style, Thom Filiccia, featuring my Interieurs Bamboo Harrison cocktail table

Interior by Steven Gambrel

Bedroom by Aurelien Gallet

The Best of the the best...Roman and Williams.We worked together on this condominium project.Dining area featuring the Interieurs farm table and chairs. We designed the model apartment.

Pure eclectic by Roman and Williams

Kitchen by Steven Gambrel

Dining by Sibella Court

 Brad Ford, a favorite designer

Ochre

Great Entrance (from my pinterest)

Modern eclectic kitchen (from my Pinterest)

From the genius... Axel Vervoordt

Interieurs

A space we designed for the Met Home Showtime Showhouse

Interieurs by Francine Gardner

You can experience the eclectic style in the newest trend of boutique hotels

Bowery Hotel, lower East Side New York City

The Greenwich Hotel, Tribeca, New York City. Interieurs designed and manufactured furniture for the lobby and bedroom and sourced industrial pieces.

The GreenThe Kex hotel, Rekjavik Iceland, hotel designsShowhousewich hotel bedrooms: we designed and fabricated the steel nightstands

The Kex hostel in Tekjavik. This great city and country is worth a visit

If you would like see more of my favorite eclectic projects from designers and interieurs, check my pinterest eclectic board and www.interieurs.com

A bientot,

Francine

Time for a new bed

My sanctuary...

Out of all the rooms in my house, i spend the most time in my bedroom.
My bedroom is my sanctuary, roses by my bed, an antique Buddha from Burma on my dresser, a note book and pencil always nearby, baskets filled with magazines, pile of novels to be read. I still sleep in the same bed I designed and had made more than 20 years ago. In the summer I dress the bed in cotton netting i had made in Bali, and sleep in linen sheets, hand embroidered by grand mother's and her helpers.

I felt it was time to introduce a new bed at Interieurs, a bed that is cosy, inviting, elegant but with a touch of luxe.

Here is the Cathryn bed... would love to hear your comments, would you enjoy sleeping in this bed?

Cathryn Bed

My other favorite Interieurs bed: Marcelle (named after my grand mother)

Interieurs most popular bed: Armande

Shown in white

Bonne nuit!

Francine