Archive for June, 2011

Pillow Talk

Posted by Vicente in In the news, Video on June 29, 2011

It’s not often I am interviewed in bed with another person….hope this doesn’t turn into decogate! (aka weinergate)

SFERRA is expanding its popular “In Bed With” series and will feature 5 new videos that explore the intimate relationship between interior desing and bedding. SFERRA has invited 5 of its favorite interior designers to get cozy in a SFERRA bed with host and Brand Ambassador, Ronda Carman of All The Best Blog www.allthebestblog.com

All The Best Blog, Ronda Carman, SFERRA

9 Comments

Digital Days

Posted by Vicente in Photography, Projects on June 28, 2011

More and more magazines are only shooting digital these days, if not all magazines. As most of you know I shoot film, which took me about 7 years to master (due to my slow absorption process). Next week I am shooting a job for a magazine digitally. It should be an interesting experience and will definitely push my boundaries. I will let you know how it goes….painful or not!

3 Comments

CNN en Espanol

Posted by Vicente in In the news on June 23, 2011

I had the opportunity to appear on CNN-E the other morning, for those of you who understand/speak Spanish let me know what you think. I am hoping to be a regular on the show and your comments might help make it happen!

CNN Espanol

16 Comments

Designing With Limitations

Posted by Vicente in Interior Design Business on June 21, 2011

We are getting ready to present two new jobs, one in Manhattan and one in Long Island. I must say my heart is the most joyful when I am creating.

Designing is different than it was a few years ago; we are dealing with today’s budget limitations and people’s general nervousness. I think people are accustom to a level of luxury that is just not economical right now but they still want it. Working for clients with high expectations and low budgets is on one hand challenging and pushes my creativity but on the other very difficult. Another challenge of having lower budgets is the rising prices in the marketplace, fabrics that were $80 per yard are now $100 and custom sofas that were 8k are now 12k! As designers we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, we want to express our creativity but are limited by lower budgets and rising price tags.

I have started going to mass-market retailers such as Wisteria, Restoration Hardware and Design within Reach to complete jobs within budget. Not that there is anything wrong with that, in fact I think it brings a different dimension to the work. But years ago it would have never occurred to me to go that route…how are you all dealing with this in your own work?

17 Comments

Judging

Posted by Vicente in Events, Interior Design Business on June 20, 2011

I always find it a little strange judging other people’s work mostly because I don’t like people judging my work. Over the last few weeks I have been a judge in three different contests and I know people are going to come down on me like a ton of bricks for saying this, but I am really surprised by the submissions.

In general the work seemed to lack imagination, they looked more like showroom set ups than something you would find in a home. I also had a hard time finding a cohesive design aim. This bothers me because I know there are incredibly talented people out there…possibly these competitions don’t appeal to them? I was sadly disappointed, as I wanted to be blown away.

One of the competitions did have some amazing landscape submissions, where the designers had limited budgets and extremely limited space. To me the most impressive designs were the simpler jobs that required a great deal of imagination and thoughtfulness and I am happy to say, they did blow me away.

9 Comments

Spider-Man Round II

Posted by Vicente in Theater on June 16, 2011

Spider- Man Turn off the Dark recently re-opened on Broadway, I saw it about two months ago before the departure of Julie Taymor and really felt it wasn’t the horror everyone said it was. I am very interested to see the revised show and compare the two. The reviews are still not shining but they are not as horrendous as the last round. I would love to hear your thoughts if you have seen either or both of them.

1 Comment

McQueen Round II

Posted by Vicente in Events on June 15, 2011

Luxe Magazine is hosting an event tomorrow night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A bunch of designers will be going through the Alexander McQueen show, Savage Beauty. As I said before I thought the show was spectacular and I feel so lucky to be invited to this event, as it will be wonderful to see it again. Hopefully this time there will be less of a crowd and I will get the opportunity to focus in on the pieces that I thought were extraordinary.

Thank you Luxe!

Luxe Magazine, Savage Beauty

2 Comments

The Pink Swan Project

Posted by Vicente in Events on June 14, 2011

I was so honored to be asked to participate in SUITE New York’s, The Pink Swan Project, which benefits The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I was given a Fritz Hansen Swan Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen to customize along with 18 other designers, architects and fashion icons. You can read the inspiration behind the chair we designed (below), see all the other chairs and learn more about the project here.

I want to give a special thanks to Kimberly Christiansen for all her hard work on this project.

Suite NYC Pink Swan Project, Swan Chair, The Pink Swan Project

3 Comments

Ask Vicente

Posted by Vicente in Ask Vicente on June 13, 2011

Name: KValas

City: Bethesda

State: MD 

Comment:

I appreciate all of the information on your blog. As a new designer it helps me tremendously. My question is how do you bill friends? I struggle to charge my friends when I do work for them but I spend a lot of time working on their projects. How do you handle that situation? Thank you.

Vicente Responds:

I would deal with friends very cautiously, the best thing you can do is have a contract from the beginning; this way there are no questions. Discussing money with friends can be awkward, so if you have someone in your office that can handle this part of the contract they should. If not make sure that you are completely upfront from the start, if you wait too long you will be in trouble…

Do any of you have any tips for working with friends?

6 Comments

God’s Love We Deliver

Posted by Vicente in Events on June 9, 2011

If you are going to be in the area please don’t forget about these 2 events benefiting such a great cause. You can read more about God’s Love We Deliver mission here. Like I said before it’s going to be a wonderful party, get your tickets!