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Blair Clarke Checks Into The Avalon
By Sara Bliss on March 11, 2011My friend Blair Clarke is a contemporary art dealer who specializes in work by emerging artists. Blair has an amazing eye for new talent and the art that she represents tends to be colorful, cheeky and very cool. Given that so much of the contemporary art market is about shock value, I love that her pieces are things that not […] -

Think Pink at Hideaway at the Oceana
By Sara Bliss on March 8, 2011The perfect pink! Not too girly, not too Pepto, and not too bright, the dusty pink walls of Santa Monica’s Hideaway restaurant at the Oceana Hotel are just right. The playful, yet sophisticated, shade of pink is Sheer Rosebud (DE 5112) by green paint manufacturer, Dunn Edwards. The color would look fantastic in a powder room, bedroom, or living room. Notice the framed […] -

Design Lessons from The Oyster Box Hotel
By Sara Bliss on March 4, 2011Perched on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, the Oyster Box Hotel boasts newly revamped interiors and incredible sweeping views of the Indian Ocean. The c.1947 hotel recently underwent a 2-year makeover, re-opening its 86 updated rooms in 2010. The new design perfectly melds contemporary South African art, colonial chic furniture and bold prints. Lots of great ideas here. Read […] -

Design Lessons from Le Royal Monceau
By Sara Bliss on March 2, 2011In the world of hotel design, Philippe Starck is a total rock star. He’s designed some of the most showstopping and original hotels ever–Miles Redd’s favorite The Fasano in Rio, The Delano in Miami, The Hotel Costes in Paris, and The Royalton in New York. His latest hotel, Le Royal Monceau Raffles in Paris, is no exception, proving to be theatrical, whimsical and […] -

Elizabeth Mayhew Checks Into The Dylan
By Sara Bliss on February 25, 2011I first met Elizabeth Mayhew many moons ago when I was an editorial assistant at House Beautiful and Elizabeth was the editor of their popular Stylebeat column. I learned so much by watching Elizabeth work. Wheras I would go into an editors office and tentatively say I’m not sure if you’ll like this idea but….and then launch nervously into my […] -

Budget-friendly Green Hotel: The Element Times Square West
By Sara Bliss on February 22, 2011I was recently invited to tour Starwood’s green hotel brand’s first NYC property, The Element New York, Times Square West. I often write about eco-friendly design so I was eager to check it out. The 410-room hotel is on a bit of a random block on 39th between 8th and 9th, close to the Javits Center, but the prices for NYC […]
