A peak inside the bloggers' goodie bags

As a BIG thank you to the participants of last week's DDB Spring Market, the 20 bloggers went home with some very nice treats, most of which were one-off, specially created batches. Many showrooms showed their thanks for the bloggers' attention, coverage and participation with goodies ranging from tote bags to pens to jewelry. Thanks to everyone who donated, and once again to the bloggers for all of their great reporting. (We'll continue to share all that the bloggers have to say in their post-market recaps, so keep checking back.)

ANICHINI: Merino Wool Scarves, made in Italy from 100% Merino wool, and renowned for their soft, silky feel. Designs are exclusive to Anichini
CREATION BAUMANN: Umbrellas
CRESTRON: Zipdrives, that are both techy and adorable
DONGHIA: Leather Notebooks, made with a soft cover and lined pages to document your every design need
GRACIE: iPhone Case, with Gracie’s scenic hand-painted wallpaper, combining the finest level of hand painted detail typical of the 18th century Chinese designs with a modern bold orange accent
HOLLAND & SHERRY: Fountain Pens, covered in their signature wool
HOULES: Beaded Key Chain and Post it Compact. This beautiful beaded keychain offers a glimpse into Houles newest trim line, the Palais Royale
KNOLL LUXE: Nail Polish in Knoll Textiles custom color, “Tryst”
LUTRON: Maestro Wireless Dimmer, Single Pico® Wireless control has the power to control up to 10 Maestro Wireless dimmers and switches, up to 100 feet
MAYA ROMANOFF: Slink Notebooks
NEKTAR DE STAGNI: Bracelets, Nektar De Stagni  "Smiley Face" Freshwater Pearl earrings, with black Crystal pave

PIPINO 57: VIP Member Cards
POTTERTON BOOKS: Book Du Jour
QUADRILLE: Tote Bag
QUINTESSENTIALLY: A two-week pass to Quintessentially Unlocked
ROBERT ALLEN: Ikat Pouches
ROSE TARLOW: Leather Coaster. It's 5 o’ clock somewhere! Coasters in RTMH leather with our signature house emblem – the perfect desk accessory
SCUBE DESIGN: Hand-crafted pencil pouches, with silver-foiled glass beads and Swarovski crystal stones
VAUGHAN: Tape Measures

Event Recap: Gracie Shares History at Student Design Day

The DDB's Student Design Day-goers were all ears at Gracie Studio's presentation on the company's history, not to mention a lesson on Chinese and Japanese antiques and hand-painted scenic wallpapers. Jennifer Gracie and Mike Gracie, co-owners of the family-owned company, walked students through the past to what their family has spent decades selling.

Mike Gacie, principal of the fourth-generation, family-owned Gracie Studio, shared the story behind the brand and gave students a first-hand view on the finest hand-crafted works in décor.

"The turnout here on Student Day was huge, and it's great to know how impressive the future of design is," said Mike. "Jen gave an in-depth overview of Japanese and Chinese antiques, and the response was excellent. Students asked great questions and really kept the conversation going with their curiosity."

"It's always wonderful to spend time with students who are pursuing the industry that you're in," said Jen. "I had a lot of fun giving the presentation to them and sharing Gracie's story with new visitors in the showroom who may soon be avid clients!"

Stay tuned for more on Gracie's newly designed website that we can't wait to share.

GDG Gift Guide: Gracie Gifts are Picture Perfect

Gracie has just the gift you're looking for if you've got a client whose love of art can't be quenched. When we dropped by the DDB showroom on floor 14, Gracie stole us away with its picture perfect gift ideas.

Gracie has a fabulous collection of framed 19th-century Japanese woodblock prints of kimono designs. You can purchase the set or buy each separately depending on how many gifts you're giving this year.

If you're looking for something slightly different, Gracie's framed hand-painted Chinese scenic wallpaper fragment on a pieced 18th century style antiqued background will steal your heart. You might even consider gifting it to yourself!

Stop by the Gracie showroom at the DDB in Suite 1411 and for more gift ideas browse Gracie online.

Event Recap: Mike Gracie Shares the History of Scenic Wallcovering at Gracie

The Gracie showroom was the place to be this past Tuesday for a CEU course led by Mike Gracie, fourth-generation owner of Gracie. The talk Rooms with a View: A Brief History of Scenic Wallcovering took the audience from formal palaces to comfortable countryside estates where precious wallcoverings have been used throughout history to decorate homes with scenes from far away.

"Greg Herringshaw of the Cooper Hewitt Museum was really great and helpful and provided some excellent reference materials that I put into the slides regarding production of French hand-blocked scenic wallpapers and the turnout was great," Mike said. "I normally don't get the chance to put a presentation together and learn so much more about the craft of producing hand-painted wallpapers and French scenic wallpapers, so it was a pleasure to take the time to do so."

Mike discussed the history of antique Chinese and French wallcovering, similar to what can be found at the Gracie showroom, and touched upon the role of wallcoverings as an element in today's design.

"The event was great, I love doing this because the history is fascinating to me and it's a great excuse for me to do research in my own profession," said Mike. "There was a really enthusiastic crowd at the showroom. All in all it was definitely a success and I'm looking forward to doing this again in the future."

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo for more CEU courses and if you missed Mike's talk, make your way over to the Gracie showroom to browse its stunning selection of antique Chinese wallcoverings.

Event Spotlight: The History of Scenic Wallcovering with Gracie

From formal palaces to country estates, precious wallcoverings have been used throughout history to transport people to scenes far away from their familiar surroundings. Rooms with a View: A Brief History of Scenic Wallcovering explores the history of scenic wallcovering with Mike Gracie, fourth-generation owner of Gracie.

In particular, Mike will discuss the history of antique Chinese and French scenic wallcovering and the role of this special decorative element in design today.

The event takes place September 20 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the DDB's Astra Café on floor 14. A reception will follow at Gracie in Suite 1411. For speaker information and reservations, please call 212-472-1500 ext. 209 or visit www.nysid.edu. The fee is a $50 and the course is worth .1 CEU.

Save the Date: The Insider's Guide to Working with a Decorative Painter

Venetial plaster, strie, trompe l'oeil, or faux bois? If you’re struggling to decide which faux finish effect to use, you're in luck. Renowned decorative painter Dean Barger comes to the DDB to share tips on the best ways to work with a professional decorative artist to create just the right painted technique to complement your interior design work.

Dean will review the process from formulating the initial concept, developing the design and choosing the right technique, effect or illustrative mural, to developing a work schedule and various forms of agreement for services.

A reception will follow at Gracie in suite 1411.

The event takes place June 21 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. at the DDB's Astra Café on floor 14. There is a $50 fee with 0.1 CEU credit. For speaker information and reservations, please call 212-472-1500 ext. 209 or visit www.nysid.edu.

DDB Spring Market Buzz: Gracie Teaches Chinese Painting Techniques

Veteran Gracie artist, Yen Ming Tsai was the center of attention at Gracie's Spring Market event, where he taught designers the technique of hand painting 18th-century-style Chinese flowers and birds. Designers had the opportunity to try their hand at painting such beautiful images and even took home their watercolor paintings to show off.

"This was just so much fun and so different from any event I've gone to!" said a Spring Market-goer. "Yen Ming Tsai is so talented and seeing him paint in the showroom just brought a whole new level to the way I look at Gracie's showroom. It makes me love and respect it even more!"

"Typically exposed to so much product at Market, one could become a little jaded, or less impressed because everything is beautiful," said Bobby Contini, VP Marketing of Cohen Design Centers. "Experiencing an artisan sharing his craft is a reminder of the incredible talent and creativity that surrounds us."

“Yen Ming is a senior Gracie artist who has been with us for many years," said Mike Gracie, President of Gracie. "He’s been enjoying some celebrity status recently after being mentioned in the New York Times for his work on the Gracie wallpaper in Jeff Lincoln’s Kips Bay Showhouse room. He also is very cheery and fun to be with so I know our visitors are having a great time while showing some excellent painting talent of their own!”

Be sure to check back with GoDesignGo for more Spring Market Buzz at the DDB, and please send us your work if you painted with Yen Ming Tsai.

DDB Spring Market Buzz: Rose Tarlow Smells Like Roses

It seemed only fitting that the Rose Tarlow showroom's Spring Market event, Authenticity in Design: A Series on Living and Entertaining, included heaps of roses and other flowers. Van Wyck & Van Wyck, a family-owned event design and production firm, hosted the event teaching showroom visitors how to pair flowers together with tasteful design. We even got our own bouquet to take home!

"We wanted to have an event that was more casual in nature, where the atmosphere was less structured and more relaxed," said Showroom Manager Stacy Sinclair. "Bronson Van Wyck, President of Van Wyck, was here to give one on advice and answer any questions that our guests had."

The questions for Bronson ranged in topic matter and included tabletop, lighting, food, music and, of course, flowers. Van Wyck had a team of three floral designers on hand to arrange nosegays with guests as takeaway's, which made visitors positively delighted.

"I love my flower arrangement!" said a Spring Market-goer. "I can't believe I get to keep these! I loved learning the best combinations for my flowers and understanding how to better compose a bouquet. It was so much fun!"

"I loved everything that was going on at the DDB for Spring Market!" Stacey told us. She got a chance to wander around throughout the day and stop into other showrooms for their events. "It was such a wonderful way to welcome in Spring. At Rose Tarlow, the Van Wyck team was just amazing! Bronson and Mary Lynn Van Wyck are so charming; it was such a pleasure to have them here for our first Spring Market."

"The flowers were spectacular. Having such a wide variety of color and species under one roof was so wonderful! We had a great crowd with visitors throughout the day and into the early evening who heard about the Van Wyck flowers. They were all hoping that we had one last nosegay for them!"

Check back with GoDesignGo next week for more DDB Spring Market Buzz, including watercolor painting at Gracie and Campion Platt at Lorin Marsh.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

From a brilliant bevel to the perfect patina, J. Pocker specializes in a wide variety of custom framed mirrors.

"We want our audience to know we don't only frame art, as in the case of mirrors, and we're also not limited to traditional gold frames. We've got a lot of modern, new pieces of art and frames that are more contemporary and fresh," said Showroom Manager, Rebecca Vicars.

It’s no wonder J. Pocker is the only showroom in the DDB solely devoted to custom framing—how could anyone compete with President Robyn Pocker’s devotion to customization? Other showrooms in the building such as Chesney's rely on her expertise for their own framing needs.

"J. Pocker has an endless selection of frame styles that can make into custom sized mirrors, from powder room to ball room. Our newest love is a silver leaf with black clay with Dutch waffle influences," Rebecca told us. “Robyn found this beautiful antique frame [shown below] in London this past September. She brought it home to have it interpreted by our own craftsmen. We are always on the lookout for the unique design in frame styles, something totally ‘Pocker.’"

Slubby Silks in Season

Mike Gracie, President of Gracie, gave GoDesignGo a sneak peak of the new line of silk handmade wallcoverings just in from Japan.

The new line features 26 vibrant patterns that emphasize color in the most decadent ways. ‘Wisteria’ tugs at a room’s desire for sensuality and high style . ‘Celery’ creates a crisp organic backdrop. ‘Paprika’ infuses walls with enough warmth to get you through the cold. Soft slubs punctuate the silk, creating the the textural nature that President Mike Gracie loves.

"Although we have carried silks before, we wanted to offer a more comprehensive line of silk papers with an interesting range of colors," says Mike. "We also love the slubby, textural nature of these patterns."

He had us at ‘slubby‘.