de le Cuona has the right touch for summer days

As much as we love high-tech fabrics and their sweat-wicking properties during these hot days, there's something so calming, comfortable and inviting about a neutral, natural environment. So as we starting to wind down for the weekend, we wanted to capture some of that vibe with a look to de le Cuona.





The English purveyors of beautiful natural fibers, a company started by South African Bernie de le Cuona, perfectly embodies the relaxed lifestyle we should all embrace during the weekend.



We tend to cram our weekends full of activities, particularly with the countdown on to Labor Day and the official end of summer, so why not "schedule" at least some time out this weekend. Take a nap, read a book, or just enjoy wherever you may find yourself. And when you're back in the DDB, stop by and see the full assortment at de le Cuona.

As seen in: Elle Decor

Earlier this week we saw some great DDB showrooms and products in the May issue of Elle Decor. Thomas Jayne and Katie Ridder selected an armoire by Julia Gray, and a Ralph Lauren Home end table, below:


Ralph Lauren Paint:




Romo:


Maya Romanoff:


Fabrics from Duralee, Clarence House, Ralph Lauren Home, Kravet and Manuel Canovas, Brunschwig & Fils, Fabricut, de le Cuona, Pollack and Zimmer + Rohde:

Design Seminar Series at the DDB

The DDB's DESIGN SEMINAR SERIES continues with DESIGN HISTORY SERIES on the HISTORY OF THE INTERIOR. Sign up now and brush up on your decorative arts history. We We promise it'll be more fun (and insightful) than summer school! This five-session program examines the history of the 20th-century interior through the filter of the major design movements that influenced the modern home. The discussion highlights key concepts of the development of the modern interior, such as taste, class, style, identity, hygiene and modernity. By viewing icons and some of the most important interiors of their time, the series will include analysis of furniture, furnishings, lighting, objects, wall coverings and the decorative arts of the interior.


All lectures by Daniella Ohad Smith, Ph.D. Sponsored by Modern Magazine. The five-week series with Optional CEU certificate is in partnership with NYSID costs $25 per course credit (.1CE .1LU per course). To register as CEU, please contact 212-472-1500 ext. 209 or visit www.nysid.edu. General RSVP to RSVP@DDBuilding.com.


Tuesday, May 29, 9:30AM, Crestron, Suite 400
The Birth of the Modern Home | CE145-W-A 
The campaign for the modern home and the transformation from Victorian concepts of domestic culture into those adhering modern living were initiated by William Morris and the fathers of the Arts and Crafts Movement. In the wake of industrialization, they proposed alternative visions of production that integrated art and labor as well as manifesto that focused on furniture, furnishings, and the appearance of the modern home. Breakfast reception to immediately follow.


Tuesday, June 5, 9:30AM, Donghia, Suite 700
Art Nouveau – The Art Home | CE145-W-B
The attempt to reform and renew the domestic sphere through a complete design program in fin-de-siècle Europe, had informed the European Art Nouveau home. Concepts such as an 'artistic' home, the Gesamtkunstwerk interior, nationalism, and a transformation from a historicist tradition into modernist ideals came to inform and define that unique home that tells the story of its time. Breakfast reception to immediately follow.


Tuesday, June 12, 9:30AM, Pierre Frey, Suite 1611
The Art Deco Interior | CE145-W-C 
Two streams and concepts regarding the modern interior were developed in France between the two world wars, reflecting historical-traditional vocabulary on the one hand and an avant-garde approach on the other. Issues such as machine-age aesthetics, mass culture, antimodernism, and domesticity became apparent in the construction of the French Art Deco interior. Breakfast reception to immediately follow.


Tuesday, June 19, 9:30AM, Designers Lounge, 14th Floor
The Midcentury American Home | CE145-W-D 
The postwar suburban projects, the Case Study House Program, furniture production and promotions, are at the center of discussion of the American midcentury home. It is contextualized within postwar modern design and the work of such key figures as the Eameses, Eero Saarinen, Knoll, George Nelson, Robin and Lucienne Day, and Eva Zeisel.
Breakfast reception to follow at Knoll Luxe, Suite 1702.


Tuesday, June 26, 9:30AM, de le Cuona, Suite 914
Living with Postmodernism | CE145-W-E 
The departure from modernist ideals in home design toward the Postmodernist home reflect a critical shift in the practice of culture and consumption and in the understanding of concepts relating to the essence of interior design. Themes such as consumption of popular culture, kitsch, the transformation of the 'good taste,' and nostalgia, all came to play central role in the emergence of the postmodernist interior. Breakfast reception to immediately follow.

Pretty pillows from de le Cuona

World traveler Bernie de Le Cuona started her eponymous linen company in her kitchen in 1992. She now has showrooms in London, Russia and on the 9th floor of the DDB. She's expanded into a range of alpaca wools and has launched a collection of pillows with beautiful detailing, including intricate metal work, always remaining true to the serene, very livable palette for which she is known.

Metal Embroidered cushion on glazed linen:



Florence cushions in Sky, Berry and Frost:















Prince of Wales cushions in Cream and Cocoa:

Save the Date: de Le Cuona Shares 2012 Accessories Collection

de Le Cuona's DDB showroom is hosting an all-day open house this week to show off its newly unveiled 2012 Accessories collection. You won't want to miss this day of shop talk if you're in New York City!

Join CEO and founder of de Le Cuona, Bernie de Le Cuona, throughout the day. Bernie will walk people through her inspirations behind the designs and show how the new Accessories collection can be used with the existing fabric collections in the showroom.

de Le Cuona's open house takes place tomorrow, Wednesday March 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Suite 914 at the DDB. For more information, call 212-702-0800.

GDG Gift Guide: de Le Cuona Throws Pillows in our Direction

de Le Cuona's cushions add even more comfort and style to your home for the holidays. We stopped by the showroom to check out the best gifts to be on the lookout for.

The Shearling throw pillow is deliciously soft and buttery and makes for a perfect statement cushion with a masculine edge for your male clients.

“If you're looking for something more elegant and dainty, we suggest the Cardinal silk velvet throw pillow with metal embroidery. This cushion is made in one of the last remaining silk mills in Scotland and has an ornate metal threaded design with a gold rope trim for a unique statement present,” said sales associate Laura Cannon.

We adore the Jolly Roger throw pillow, made with 100 percent linen and a hand-embroidered motif sewn in France. The cushion is playful and just right for a little boy's room or the man in your life looking for a fun, feisty style.

Last but not least, anotherfavorite is a throw pillow that truly resembles a piece of artwork. The Watercolour Paisley cushion in the Puddle color palette is hand woven at the speed of three meters per day on an ancient handloom. It's sure to compliment any couch or bedroom in the most tactful, soothing way.

Stop by the de Le Cuona showroom at the DDB in Suite 914 and for more gift ideas or browse online.

de Le Cuona's Spring Accessories Collection Gets Funky

de Le Cuona was inspired this Spring to bring out their wild side! They're using bold statement pieces in mismatched prints and colors, all while continuing to add a wide range of neutrals to their newest accessories collection.

"The accessories collection embraces English eccentricity with thick wool paisleys and mad patchwork blankets," said Bernie de Le Cuona, founder and CEO of the brand. “But it still maintains a relaxed domestic look of neutral, understated linens in earthy tones."

Floppy stone-washed linen cushions in whites and greys provide strong basics for a scheme while shearling black fur cushions are the interior’s answer to current fashion trends. The felt cushions have taken de Le Cuona's paisleys to a new level by using a more heavily textured wool fabric to give the patterns a 3-D look. They also mixed pattern and color for throws and cushions with various tartans, herringbones and paisleys used together for a much funkier take on a classical English look.

Around the World in de Le Cuona

We'll admit it, it was the Dutch master–worthy fruit-and-cheese spread that caught our eye (there was even white wine to accompany the brie, people!), but we stayed for the fabric.

At de Le Cuona there is "a touch of linen in everything," US sales manager Scott Russell told us. The linens themselves are so crisp they're almost crunchy! One woven linen, is so heavy you need a build like Schwartzenegger (or Cohen Marketing VP Bobby Contini) to handle it. The fabric is perma-creased, giving the effect of veins in Cararra. "To do it," said Russell, "the mill tumbles it with'"bowling ball–sized pumice stones.'" Don't try this at home, kids.

de Le Cuona

The two fabrics featured in the first picture are Imbali and Aviator; both upholstery weight fabrics. Imbali, a linen cotton mix is named after the Zulu name for ""Flowers", and the neutral plaid in Aviator reminds us of a vintage pilot's jacket and scarf. Bernie de Le Cuona will be giving a presentation on these fabrics and the rest of the new collection on Wednesday, October 6th at 2pm in the de Le Cuona  with special guest Dara Caponigro of Veranda Magazine.

de Le Cuona Introduces Fall Collection

“Leonardo”, one of the new fabrics from de Le Cuona’s 2010/2011 collection is a 100% linen hand painted fabric suitable for upholstery and curtaining and perfect for walling. The cloudy, subtle effect is achieved by the unique color absorption of the various wefts in the design; leaving you with a finished product that resembles a piece of artwork as much as it is a versatile fabric. The new collection from de Le Cuona will be launched in the showroom on October 6th and will encompass fabrics ranging from delicate silk linen sheers to textured, supple upholstery weight velvets and art deco inspired patterns. The luxurious quality of each range reflects de Le Cuona’s commitment to producing unique and innovative fabrics that are both global in nature and universal in appeal.