Meet the designer: Darren Henault

We asked NYC designer Darren Henault to reveal some of his must-see showrooms at the DDB. Henault, one of the multitude of talented professionals available through the DDB's Designer Referral Program, is known for his luxurious and yet liveable environments, as seen in the bedroom of this NYC townhouse:


-Christopher Hyland. He's got the most gorgeous jacquards and lampas' I have ever seen. If you want super high quality, Old World weaving techniques, this is where to find it. Being a textile fan, it's love love love.
-Chesneys. We're currently installing a beautiful marble mantel into a home upstate New York. Chesney’s has got everything and if they don't, they will make it. They have done a very good job of offering very traditional profiles in a modern way by varying the stone selections.
-David Sutherland. They have got beautiful seating based on Louis XVI furniture. I'm tired of all of the distressed finishes that are ubiquitous and poorly done. They're doing furniture in a waxed, unfinished quality that is more beautiful.
-Farrow & Ball. Finally I can get their gorgeous colors in wallpapers as well.
-Fortuny.  Even before I visited the printing facility in Venice I was hooked.  Now I'm addicted.
-Gracie. We're using their papers in clean monochromatic tones, taking the tried and true and making it fresh and crisp.  The ever-lovely Jennifer Gracie is so nice to work with besides.
-Holland & Sherry. The ability they have to turn anything we come up with into the most exquisitely executed embroidery is unbelievable. I'm, of course, loving their new ever expanding rug collection which includes my own designs, including China Gate [pictured below].

-Jerry Pair & Associates. More and more clients who like traditional are asking for cleaner lines.  The Madeline Stuart collection is perfect and fits to a T.
-John Rosselli. If you are looking for a masterful mix of furniture, Bunny Williams and John Rosselli have done all the work for you.
-Pindler & Pindler. Wonderfully cheerful fabrics. If you're on a budget, you're going to find all of the same basic solids and textures here as everywhere else but for half the price.

Check back soon when we'll share what caught Henault's attention for summer on an afternoon of shopping at the DDB.

New at John Rosselli

John Rosselli has welcomed the Elizabeth Hamilton collection to its showroom, adding to its rich roster of boutique fabric lines. Hamilton worked alongside Peter Fasano for over 30 years before branching out on her own. She works out of her Great Barrington, MA studio to silkscreen by hand on linen, hemp, cotton and silk. Her traditional prints, mostly inspired by natural elements, are tempered by stripes and solids, and all are made using water-soluble pigments in an environmentally friendly studio. (Dogwood linen is shown above.)


Fiddlehead linen:





Margi linen:

Fall Market Buzz: Three Women & a Passion for Fabric at John Rosselli

The DDB's Fall Market had the building packed with people checking out keynotes, panel discussions and new collections. One of the favorite events was at John Rosselli & Associates for the  presentation Three Women and a Passion for Fabric," with Lisa Fine, Carolina Irving and Elizabeth Hamilton.


"The three women so passionate for fabric were so fabulous to hear from!" said a Market attendee. "Both Lisa and Carolina showed off their growing fabric collections and spoke about their love for their interiors and the creative process of their work. It was absolutely inspiring!"


Elizabeth has worked side by side with lighting designer Peter Fasano for 25 years and introduced her first collection, now available at John Rosselli, at Fall Market.


Super stylish, worldly and complete with a little bohemian-chic flare, each of these women have created collections that transcend a stylistic definition and encompass the feelings of romanticism.


"Romanticism is a genre within my collection and overall style that I simply cannot shed," said Elizabeth. "I think all of us, Lisa and Carolina included, aim to make our work mesh seamlessly in both traditional and modern décors. When we capture this, we've done our job!"


Stay tuned for more DDB Fall Market Buzz this week.

Delightful Lights

When we stopped by John Rosselli last week, we were delighted to discover a lovingly-crafted reproduction line of table lamps, sconces, chandeliers and lanterns by the 50-year-old family-run lighting company Paul Ferrante.

One of our many favorites in the showroom was the Soho Table Lamps, shown above. They're finished with old iron with screen-like attached shades and come in two sizes that look great clustered together, or on either side of your mantel or bureau. A few other best sellers in the showroom by Paul Ferrante include the Windsor Lanterns and Battersea Lanterns.

"The inspiration for so many of our pieces has often come from travels overseas and seeing the originals; it's why we love and carry so much of the antique-look," said Elizabeth Kaplan, who is a member of the Ferrante family and of the business.

See more of Paul Ferrante's collections at John Rosselli in the DDB and DCOTA and at the company’s own showroom at PDC.