Roaming By Design

So we're saying goodbye to May, marvelous month that it was, and stepping into June with our eyes on tweetups and junkets that will serve as great roaming opportunities, and we'll definitely be reporting back (be sure to check out our sister site adroyt for some of the fun--okay, so she's the smarter sister but we're still cute here at RBD!).

We had a blast at Alessi and once again Marcel was on the scene, um, actually, he was the scene! A group of bloggers gathered to tweet what the Maestro of Moooi had to say about his designing mind. 

A fab time was had by all at the Museum of Art and Design as we hosted a Tweetup during the opening party of MAD's exhibition "Are You A Hybrid," curated by Stephen Burks. 

GD Cucine was hopping with a hip vibe as design devotees feasted on freshly prepared Italian fare and on Cleto Munari's vision, which was sprinkled around the showroom in the form of the "Il Magnifici 7," a colorful collection of furnishings that popped within the serene backdrop of sleek kitchen charisma.

Our Tweetup during Moss Gallery's Fraternal Twins event was packed!

Soho was one rocking nabe during much of the week, our Moss tweetup being a highlight. We hit so many showrooms on Monday night that we stumbled around in sensory overload, ending the evening at Scavolini's showroom with its lively atmosphere, fantabulous food and hip crowd.

There were so many events, so little time, which is about how we always describe ICFF week in New York City; that said, we did our stellar best to make it to some of the hottest parties and unearth the best in design offerings. Oh yes; there was the show itself! Here's one of our favorite offerings: James DeWulf's Ping Pong table, in concrete, which can also serve as a dining room table.

Cassa Hotel & Residences: Our AD Show Headquarters!

What’s chic and dynamic and fabulous all over? The three days Roaming by Design spent gallivanting around Manhattan as we made our way from our sophisticated digs at Cassa Hotel & Residences to the 10th annual Architectural Digest Home Design Show. There were furniture launches (our Blogger19 cohort Susan Serra being among the buzziest of all), tweetups (the magical Veronika Miller, @Modenus, and Troy Hanson, @troynyc, holding one that drew some topnotch Twiterrati to the Ligne Roset/Valcucine/Margaritelli/Rimadesio lounge), parties (the DIFFA Cocktails by Design being a highlight) and dinners (more tweep talent at one table than any on design junkie deserves)! Making our RBD headquarters at Cassa was a smooth move, as the amazing mid-town location meant we were at the center of everything. We had an extended-stay apartment in the sexy building designed by Enrique Norten. The luxe treatment and serene setting were just the balm for the manic schedule we maintained.

Susan Serra with her new Bornholm Kitchen

On Thursday evening, we had the pleasure of saying hello to Margaret Russell, the editor in chief of AD, at the DIFFA cocktail party, and ran into some of our favorite design elite, including Daniele Busca of Scavolini and Tamara Stephenson of NestNestNest. We then whisked away to dinner with some of our favorite friends from twitter. Carmen Natschke, The Decorating Diva, cornered the evening on photo ops, Sabrina Velandry out-ordered everyone, Cynthia Bogart, whose site The Daily Basics we love, was a surprise addition to an already amazing night! Getting to see Modenus’ UK contingent, Tim Bogan, was a blast; we adored hanging out with Andie Day; and RBD’s creative director Rich Holschuh stole the show with his kilt—yes, I said kilt! Friday was all about the show, beginning with Modenus’ Mary’s & Mimosas Tweetup and continuing through a dizzying display of design where we bumped into the always vivacious Amy Dragoo of ABCD Designs, Cheryl Kees Clendenon, Sarah Lloyd, Marcy Feld, Catherine Avery, Chuck Wheelock and Talis Lin. Susan Serra’s Bornholm Kitchen debut drew a stellar crowd. The Scandinavian-inspired furnishings were given a fitting tagline “Warm Heart, Cool Designs,” and we salute Susan for producing such a finely-crafted collection. Think Fabricate was also at the show with an artful line of furnishings, and our friends at Boca do Lobo brought some interesting pieces to the show once again this year. A newbie to us, perched perfectly within The Paris Apartment booth, was Munna. We couldn’t have been happier to see Aston Smith and Manhattan Center for Kitchen & Bath at the show, and Maybelline Te’s newest introductions for Snug Furniture were as exciting as ever—how she continues to push the envelope in design is beyond us!

Maybelline Te with her Woven Nest table

We were particularly fond of the MADE section of the show, where artisinal products of every stripe were showing, the array of materials included within the booths covering the spectrum. While making our way through the maze of products, we bumped into the talented duo Eric Slayton and Elena Lyakir—a pair to watch, as we are convinced their stars are on the rise. Among the offerings in MADE, Douglas Thayer’s designs in concrete & wood were standouts, as were the mod-Asian wares in Jia Moderne’s booth. We were drawn into Randi Solin’s booth, aching to touch her vases and sculptures dripping with drenching color (thought didn’t dare)! Her Solinglass studio in Brattleboro, Vermont, is filled with talented artisans creating luscious designs. We asked her to describe her process when she is creating her art. We hope you enjoy her work and how knowledgeable she is about her craft.

We’ve spotted a few other worthwhile recaps of the show that we thought you might want to see. Modenus has one, as does Quintessence.

Sleek and Chic Scavolini

Uber-connected blogger Paul Anater turned me on to a great showroom opening in Soho a few weeks ago and the event turned out to be a chic affair with foodie flair. It was the debut of the first U.S. flagship of Scavolini, a hip Italian brand of kitchens with clean contemporary lines and seriously cool color combinations. The space holds 15 kitchens that highlight the customization for which Scavolini is known. Daniele Busca, the showroom manager, and Francesco Farina, the CEO who worked with SpaCe Architects to create the wonderful ambiance achieved, were beaming that night.

Daniele Busca, Daniel Boulud, Michael Boodro and Francesco Farina

As he should have been! The media sponsor was Elle Décor, and the new Editor-in-Chief Michael Boodro was on hand, as was celebrity Chef Daniel Boulud. To highlight how well the showroom handles cooking demonstrations, which will take place on a recurring basis, a pasta dish inspired by Marky Ramone's sauce was prepared during the event. You can find it in the November edition of Elle Décor under Daniel’s Dish. Here are the dets! Marky Ramone's Drum Punk Pasta 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 T capers, roughly chopped 1/3 cup black nicoise olives, pitted and halved 1/2 bunch basil, leaves torn 1 24-oz. jar Marky Ramone's Brooklyn's Own Pasta Sauce or other jarred sauce 2 lbs. fettuccine pasta 1 cup sheep's-milk ricotta cheese Zest of 1 lemon 2 T fresh parsley, chopped 2 T extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Twist and Shout! (Photos by Patrick Butler)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a large saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel, onion, and red pepper flakes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add garlic, capers, olives, and torn basil, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the garlic is golden. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. When it is still firm to the bite, strain the pasta and toss with the sauce; keep hot. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve pasta hot, with a spoonful of ricotta on top of each portion. For other Daniel Boulud recipes, visit the Elle Decor web site. Is it just me, or could the Ramones have used a cooler kitchen in this takeaway video of the day? Happy sauteing everyone, and if you stop in at Scavolini, be sure to tell Daniele that Sax & the City sent you!