An INDUSTRIAL SALE at INTERIEURS

I don't often feature my second home, INTERIEURS on my blog, as Art de Vivre is more an expression of myself, my likes and dislikes, my life as I live it. However, for the past 15 years, Interieurs is  the chore of my work, an extension of my daily life. I love designing furniture, finding that unloved object and defining a re purposed life from a strictly utilitarian piece to a beautiful appreciated, well cared for piece of furniture, accessories or lighting.

This is a unique SALE in the showroom...hopefully these amazing pieces that I am so fond of, coming from different corners of the world, will find their way to a welcoming new home.

Industrial pieces on display in the INTERIEURS showroom entry

A few of my favorite pieces on sale:

A Bientot,

Francine

Interieurs as Featured in Garden Design Magazine (July/August 2011)

 In our industry, the support of editorial is critical. I am an avid (borderline neurotic gardener) and have been reading Garden Design for years. My house was published a few years ago in the magazine, the story was about our new Interieurs collection. As a result, a new client called on me to redesign and furnish her nearby week end residence.  I was thrilled when Katie Mendelson contacted me about our terrace which she had seen during one of our parties. Here is our outdoor space styled by Garden Design.

  

 

 

 If you find the time to read it, here is the transcribed text:
City Style
When I refer to the deck of my Brooklyn apartment, I use the term loosely;in truth, it is a dirty patch of tar roof. But after a trip to the design firm INTERIEURS on New York City's East 58th Street, I realized that with a few smart choices, even the most sharp-edged cityscapes can become an urban oasis.
When INTERIEURS'owner Francine Gardner relocated her showroom in 2010, she knew what she was after: "I wanted a place to meet with clients, to eat lunch, and to relax and entertain," she says. Inside, the breezy duplex showcases finds from four-poster beds to egg shaped lamps. But the piece de resistance is its 1,000 square foot terrace. Even penned in by office buildings, the terrace's currated mix of furniture and greenery is ripe for casual entertaining."it's quite unexpected in midtown manhattan,"Gardner notes.
Gardner's design philosophy, favoring relaxation over perfection and melding periods and styles-an indonesian petrified wood side table topped with artist Jose Esteves'contemporary bird sculpture , for instance-results in an inspiring but serene environment of vignettes.A sleek white dining table dressed with a colorful runner is the site of dinner parties; two sitting areas, one with ample handwoven fiber chairs, the other arranged arounfd tables set with eclectic conversation pieces, invite guests to sink in, enjoy a cocktail, dream and chhat.
The details that give this terrace its inviting ambiance can be replicated even in the smallest of spaces.Furniture-wise,comfort should reign supreme:gardner's sofas and chairs, chosen for thier high design and cushiness, are  by italian manufacture Unopiu. But the real mood comes from personalized accents:Vierkant concrete planters,nautically inspired tekna lighting fixtures,and plenty of warm touches."What comes to mind when i think odf an outdoor retreat," she says "are great fabrics,blankets for cool evenings, scented plants and soft colors"With these few principles as a guide, Gardner's goal-tot turn her piece of nature into a relaxing space that fostersher guest 's enjoyment-is achieveable for any city dweller,whether their outdoor space ia an expansive terrace or a rooftop.
Katie Mendelson.

A Bientot,

It's time..design for the outdoor life

The tent sale is over! Our terrace is cleared and waiting for its new outdoor collection, where clients and friends would gather for morning capuccino, lunch or just simply a place to meet, enjoy fresh air and evening Yoga...

This season I curated an outdoor living space that is modern yet comfortable and practical with a touch of whimsical at price points that are manageable.

Here it is, Interieurs Outdoor for Spring 2011.... Would love to hear your thoughts.

Eden Collection

Synthesis Collection

Atlantis Collection

Unfortunately, not enough space on the Interieurs terrace for this fabulous Cocoon...

... perhaps in my garden?

Will soon show you the terrace with its all new furnishings

Happy Spring!

A Chic Design Shop Gets Bigger and Better (from elledecor.com)

Thanks Elle Decors for your mention....

A Chic Design Shop Gets Bigger and Better

Written by Dickson Wong

Intérieurs, New York City

Francine Gardner, a favorite of decorators coast to coast, has moved her elegant downtown Manhattan store Intérieurs to an expanded space uptown. The two-story showroom is outfitted in dark woods and an earthy palette, providing a sophisticated setting for the tastemaker’s mix of chic upholstered furnishings, artful lighting by José Esteves, and 19th-century industrial chairs. Also available to shoppers for the first time are outdoor seating, tables, and accessories, displayed on an open-air terrace. At 228 E. 58th St. Call 212-343-0800; interieurs.com.

For more chic new restaurants, hotels, and shops, click here.

A Chic Design Shop Gets Bigger and Better

AN INTERIEURS BUYING TRIP

I'm so sorry for the long silence...

I've just returned from the Maisons & Objets Salons trade show in Paris, followed by my "Industrial salvage collection" purchases in the south of France.

I have been attending the French "Salons" for more than 10 years and am always in awe of the creativity, the perfection of displays, all under one giant roof. My typical buying trip is spending my first day, since i usually land in the very early morning, dropping by to my favorite spots in Saint Germain where I always stay.

Cafe de Flore, on Blvd Saint Germain

my lunch: warm goat cheese on toast divine

Modenature showroom at 59 Rue de Seine

www.Modenature.com

My dearest friend Henry Becq owns Modenature. Interieurs would not be what it is today without its long relationship with Henry and Modenature. Our professional relationship has become a very strong frienship. We actually discovered after a few years of working together that we both come from Lot et Garonne in South West France

La Maison Rustique

My favorite bookstore on 26 rue Jacob for design and garden books

I cannot end the day without crossing the Seine and

admiring the Louvre and its stunning glass pyramid

During the Furniture Salons, my typical day's schedule is quite grueling, up at 6:30 AM, catch the RER train by 7:30 for an hour's ride to the convention center not far from Charles de Gaulle Airport; early meetings at the "Club Maisons et Objets", then walk, look, talk, walk, look, talk... always, always, always looking out for new ideas, products and vendors. At 7pm, rush with thousands of maddening and maddened people back to the RER station, while trying to avoid being crushed by the crowd of commuters all hoping to catch the next train back into cental Paris. Wait, and wait some more, usually under freezing rain, for the next train, too often facing either the occasional and suddenly announced train strike, or a bomb alert (which was the case this trip that almost caused me to be crushed by the crowd after a 2 hour evacuation delay for a train.... Finally, by 9 pm, the the thought of the taste of my entrecote keeps me going. Then its time to wait yet again in line with hordes of diners all begging for a table at Le Relais de L'Entrecote.

Le Relais de L'Entrecote where the only two menu choices are

steak, either saignant (literally, bleeding) or a point (medium).

My husband believes he's cracked the secret of the restaurant's famous

sauce, a long and very closely held family secret and the real story

behind the small chain's amazing success.

This year, glitter and shine seemed de rigueur at the shows, it is not my cup of tea but still, it was refreshing and uplifting

I love this simple installation, very bucolic

I also noticed touches of humor in contemporary designs and enjoyed the colors, the whimsical chances that these designers were taking.

Some of the new pieces and collections I purchased for my (soon to be moved) Interieurs Showroom

A Sofa from the New Paola Navone Collection

Accessories

Overall, I felt that everyone in france, feeling the impact of a high Euro and decline in sales were playing it very safe; the mood was not very uplifting.

One of my favorite parts of my work in France is catching the TGV to Avignon where I spend a couple of days working with Bernard on our industrial pieces for the next container. As I mentioned in a previous post I love looking for industrial pieces to salvage and transform. It is such a fun challenge to give a new purpose to these industrial discarded "obsolete" pieces... such a part of history and the Industrial revolution.

Luke, my husband, came along for the ride and I showed him the Provence I love where we hopefully will ultimately live for at least part of the year.

Gordes, an old city in the Luberon section of Provence

Then on to my family village for a few days with my parents and extended family. A surprise feast prepared by my cousin Gaby awaiting us and all dearest cousins Andre, Francoise and Marie Therese were there to welcome us. These moments spent with the ones you love are really what is important in life...the rest...work... so you might as well work with passion and try to find time for yourself, your friends and family... I believe that we too often tend to forget that in the States...

Clermont-Dessous, my 12th Century village

Reflections on the Holidays and my Second Home, Interieurs

Saturday morning I woke up to a beautiful pure blue sky. Going outside I felt the crisp cold air of late November here in the northeast and suddenly felt the spirit of the coming holidays sweep over me.

I really love the winter holidays, especially Christmas when its time to decorate the tree, my house and especially finding new and creative ways to gift wrap Christmas presents.

When my children were young, every Christmas over a period of now uncountable years, we hosted "Christmas" lunch for all our friends. Often we would have as many as 28 people (of all ages, shapes, sizes, hues and faiths) trek out to Connecticut from Manhattan for a stunning feast prepared by my husband and we would luxuriate in the gifts, food, wine and, most importantly, companionship. Often my parents would come from France and my mother-in-law would come down from Newport to join us. These celebrations gave my sons a great sense of comfort and community. They now tell me how much they long for and will always remember those great Christmas parties past. Alas, now, almost all of those friends and their children (now all grown up) have scattered to new cities and countries, so re-capturing those times can only be done from our memories and photo albums.

As our friends began moving away in the years after September 11, we left behind the large dinners of Fondue Chinoise (or Canard-a-L'Orange, or Beef Wellington), Rose Champagne, Bordeaux wines, foie gras, salmon roe caviar and chocolate/hazelnut Buches de Noel.

In 2004 we started a new family mini-tradition of traveling to Asia where, that first year, we spent Christmas Day in a Dayak village in Kalimantan (See my post Deep into Kalimantan). For a period of several years afterward we went to Asia every year for the holidays (except 2007 when we went to Whistler B.C. after a very quiet Christmas at home). Last year we spent Christmas in Bangkok and New Year's Eve in Phuket having already fully pre-paid the trip just before the economic tsunami hit here at home.

This year we will spend Christmas at home, something my now college student sons Alex and Hadrian actually look forward to, as do my husband and I. After so many years of semi-nomadic holiday traveling, we look forward to a quiet regrouping of our emotional and financial resources. As I'm sure most if not all my readers can readily agree, 2009 has been a really tough year. Celebrating the holidays at home, with loved ones and close friends will be a wonderful and welcome change.

As I reflected on the holidays, I realized that Interieurs really is my second home. It also dawned on me that I have never fully introduced you to that part of my life, so Saturday morning I headed down to the Manhattan Flower Market district where I loaded my trunk with greenery to style my Showroom's windows for the Holidays. As I worked along, I took a few snapshots of the space to share with you here. If you are planning to be in New York, I hope you'll stop in for a visit.

Interieurs... My TriBeCa Showroom

My Welcome to the Holiday Season

Jose Esteves' "Peace Bird" greeting the
holidays by our "Audrey" Sofa

Interieus' Bamboo "Marcelle" Bed named

for my paternal Grandmother

Interieurs' "Julien" L-Shaped Sofa with re-purposed
industrial furniture from the South of France

I love these old hand Re-bound books.

Our "Aurelie" Sofa and "Antoine" Bamboo cocktail table

The "Jason" Steel Sandwich table.
Most "Jason" tables are unique pieces made
from re-claimed industrial parts here in the U.S.A.

Interieurs' Walnut or Oak "Armande" four post bed

Below, the same showroom, styled for an advertising photoshoot to introduce our Le Bambou Interieurs furniture line. Photos: Michael Grimm, another of my favorite commercial photographers.