Archive for category Random

The economy, the industry and then some…

Posted by Vicente in Events, Interior Design Business, Random on March 4, 2010

Last night I went to The Armory Show, an art show where dealers from around the world show their art – anything from contemporary to mid-century, early 20th century paintings, photographs and sculpture. Some amazing De Koning work was being exhibited at one stall and another one was all Henry Moore drawings and sculpture. Guests consisted of a lot of really pretty, tall, thin women and short men (it was a benefit, after all) and it was a real pleasant evening.

Straight after that event, I went on to the launch party for the Kips Bay show house where all the designers gathered. It is a daunting task to put this room together with major requirements that whatever you do, you have to bring it back to the way you find it. And then you have to try to knock the viewers’ socks off and be conservative with budget without having to show it. Not an easy task.

In addition to these I’ve been to a few other industry events in the last week as well and from talking to the people there, everyone seem to be much more hopeful about the economy. Though from watching the news I feel like it’s getting worse, I think that people with money are relaxing a little in how they spend it. That doesn’t help the middleclass and how they deal with their problems, of course. I’m torn between the fact that I want people to spend money and thinking of people who don’t have any. At least today they allowed the bill to extend unemployment to go through and stopped payments for the unemployed. I don’t know if it’s about the rich still getting richer and the poor getting poorer, but on the flipside, if you have 10 people working for you and you have to pay salaries and insurance, you hope the rich get richer and spend it with you.

Maybe I am just a capitalist pig at heart?

Before I left on the trip I saw the light, but after traveling around the world I feel like there’s a global kind of gloom…it’s a central decay. Governments not really being able to do anything and other governments that are just destroying their societies – be that in South-East Asia or Africa…I don’t believe in Armageddon, but so many of those signs are being written on the wall. I’m sure it’ll pass, but we need some sort of hope and we need some sort of unity, globally, that will lift our spirits.

And I think we are all responsible, because you listen to the tea parties here in the US and you can’t help but thinking that people are getting dumber, not smarter.

In general there are all these wonderful things like Kip’s Bay, the new book etc. None of them are money makers, but I think that we as designers need to put ourselves out there this year to benefit our businesses. Last year, nothing would have helped – even standing naked in Times Square, depending on what you look like, of course. My sense is that it is time to go public again. People are starting to come out of hibernation and get on with their lives. What is your sense of it all?

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Successful presentation

Posted by Vicente in Random on March 2, 2010

Whenever I come back to New York after a long vacation, I tend to suffer from post-vacation blues. The one thing that’s sure to pull you out of the doldrums is the successful presentation of a really exciting job. Just last week we presented our renderings of an apartment in the Chelsea area of Manhattan – one of the newer buildings with great architectural details and a great sense of drama, with views and great scale of spaces.

Like I usually do, I tried to bring a new nuance to it. The client is a single guy who wanted a sense of drama while giving the space a sense of longevity and some comfort and warmth. I think we achieved that. One of the elements that we did was a 9′ square quadrant of stainless steel, which is a different version of the leaning mirror. We did upholstered suade walls as a headboard in the master bedroom and in the end I think it’s a really ‘wow’ space.

Here is one of the renderings we did for the job – I hope to show you the final, published pictures in the near future!

P.S. He loved it and wanted to proceed immediately. A refreshing approach after presentation.

9 Comments

A new boardroom

Posted by Vicente in Random on March 1, 2010

By the end of the year I am always spent out. All the fuel has left the tank and I always think that you need something to look forward to when you return.

When I was in Amsterdam over Thanksgiving all the black and white I saw in the paintings inspired me. So when I got back, I started planning to redo the conference room from an all white room to black and white. Black & white stripes, we changed the table top to a pure white, got new black and white blinds made…It was going to be a huge departure for this office.

The people that work with me were kind enough to take on this project while I was away and it was such an unusual experience for me to walk into a space and see it done. This new boardroom has such a sense of drama and efferscence to it – I love it.

What do you think?

9 Comments

Avatar

Posted by Vicente in Random on February 19, 2010

While I was in Bangkok in January I went to see the movie Avatar.

I thought it was really a such an incredible visual feast and it opens your mind’s eye to imaginative usage of lighting and just…pure fantasy.

Highly recommended – even if it’s just as a creative experience.

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Why blog?

Posted by Vicente in Random on February 14, 2010

This past week I got a phonecall from Newell Turner Style Direcgtor at House Beautiful to discuss some facts about a story of mine that may be appearing in House Beautiful. I am flattered to say that Newell is a regular reader of this blog and we got onto the topic of what Newell calls ‘Stage Two Bloggers’.

Many bloggers are now questioning the purpose of maintaining a blog. Is it bringing in any money? No. So why do it? I think that it is something really worth questioning. Personally, I have found this blog to be a platform where I can share my experience with fellow designers, discuss our mutual problems, share inspiration and solve problems in a safe space where we can have a dialogue. It’s not about making a buck.

Initially I had my doubts about starting a blog, but I have found the feedback and the benefits very satisfying and worth the input. I think it’s a great to have this place where we do not have to question what we say – here I can express my feelings and get honest feedback on it. What is the best part of blogging and reading design blogs for you? What do you get from blogging? What else would you like to see on my blog? Would love to hear your input on this!

35 Comments

Technical difficulties

Posted by Vicente in Random on January 21, 2010

After a week of technical nightmares where we lost all the blog content and then found it again and then we had lost all the links, but found that again and then the images weren’t loading it seems to finally all be working again.

Thank you for your patience during this past week. Please let us know if you find any other technical glitches that we have not picked up on yet. You can email any problems to info (at) vicentewolf (dot) com.

2 Comments

Birthday

Posted by Vicente in Random on January 20, 2010

Thank you so much for all the kind wishes for my birthday yesterday. I did not celebrate it as I don’t believe in celebrating things like birthdays or new year’s…I usually try to be out of New York for these so-called ‘big dates’.

That said, I truly appreciate all the well wishes.

6 Comments

I’m back!

Posted by Vicente in Random on January 19, 2010

After a very frustrating couple of days in which I realized why I only trust paper and definitely not technology, I’m happy to say that we are back up.

Thank you for bearing with me during this adversarial time.

BTW – Did any of you spot the proposal in Thursday’s issue of the Metro newspaper? There was a follow up in Friday’s issue and we learnt that he took his girlfriend to my restaurant Alto pop the big question, which kind of makes me an accomplice, right?

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Christmas Blues

Posted by Vicente in Random on December 30, 2009

Rockefeller Christmas Tree The tree is shedding, one is starting to get nervous about the bills coming in, the pants are tight, the sense is that there’s a whole new year looming ahead, but we have to remember what it really represents. It represents a period of hope, of renewal, of ending something old. 2009 was a disgusting year for all of us, I think , but here’s to the hope that 2010 will bring us a little more positive energy, health, love, etc, etc.