Cheap is Chic: Exceptional 'FINDS' on the Harbor

A Green State of Mind: Re-Use, Re-Purpose, Re-Cycle & Give Back
Sponsored by Boyd Interiors & REDO Tag Sales

Eileen Kathryn Boyd has acquired some amazing pieces in a vast inventory of treasures. She is now in the process of recycling and repurposing many of those one-of-a-kind items at her Cheap is Chic Tag Sale. Partnered with Celebrity Estate Planners, REDO Tag Sales “FINDS”, Eileen and her team have strategically created attainable luxuries at unbeatable price points. From the waterfront house to the boat in the drive-way to the fabulous accessories inside, everything is up for grabs. REDO strives to make the tag sale experience less of a passer-by event and more of a destination affair. This philosophy has helped them land many prestigious clients such as, The Alan King Estate, Helene Fortunoff, & Adele Puhn just to name a few.
What can you expect?
· Enticing Art
· Antique & Mid-Century Furniture
· Past Show House Furniture
· Custom-designed Eileen Kathryn Boyd pieces
· Amazing Lighting
· Accessories Galore
Perhaps the most important element of this Re-Use, Re-Purpose, Re-Cycle Sale is that a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in order to sponsor children in lower income areas and provide them with opportunities. Close to Eileen’s heart, this charity has served their community by offering a sanctuary and retreat to its children. Make an appearance at this community event….Enjoy the beauty of Huntington Harbor while indulging on some delicious delectable’s courtesy of our local merchants, Tastefully Simple & The Harbor Club.
Friday, June 26th – Sunday, June 28th
10:30 – 3:00
17 Woodland Drive
Huntington Bay, NY 11743
Contact: Susan & Mark, REDOINC@aol.com & Boyd Interiors, Baycrest@ekbinteriors.com

The Party's Over

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House has finally come to an end. It was heartbreaking to watch my show house room be dismembered yesterday, but my excitement to have been a part of it is still alive. I wanted to share some of my FAVORITE photo's from all the functions and party's.

Robin Gordon, Duralee Director of Marketing, and I at the President's Preview

Amy Lau and I with our two biggest fans, our Mother's.

My sister Nancy Tracy, Megan Cadematorie & myself at the Gala.

The wonderful & talented Plant Specialists with my mother and I at the Gala

Charles Pavarini, myself & Jamie Drake speaking at an IFDA Show House Event

Its all been so memorable and I am eager for the next big project to come my way. Stay tuned....

Life has been such a world-wind the past two months. Now that I've found a moment to catch my breath, I am realizing all that I need to catch-up on.

First things first, I am dying to walk through Bergdorf's....I am always so inspired by their shoe department. There are just so many amazing design ideas in high-end fashion and they really allow my mind to float outside the box.

Secondly and equally as important, I am excited to check out the International Contemporary Furniture Fair taking place at the Jacob Javits Center on May 16th through the 19th. After such a crazy-wonderful experience, like Kips Bay, I really need something to re-charge my design battery and it's just so much fun to explore these international concepts.

I have heard such wonderful reviews about the special exhibition at the MET, The Model As Muse: Embodying Fashion. The exhibit captures modeling over a period of 50 years, from 1947-1997. I can't wait to take my daughter!

Springtime in New York is always filled with such activity and inspiration. I am most excited to spend some quality time with my family and dig into some really great projects I have coming.

“Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery -- it recharges by running.” -Bill Watterson

Color Vibe

Every designer aspires to be invited to partake in the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse....It's definitely the Superbowl in the interior design world. When I found out in February that I was selected as one of only 30 designers, I was simultaneously thrilled and terrified. Thrilled to exercise my creativity in such a prestigious forum and terrified by the pressure to execute my vision in such a short time frame.

This room was all about color which was personified through the art, fabric choices, and every element in between. Stay tuned to my next blog for all the details behind the inspiration....

I would love for you all to stop by and check out all the fabulous rooms designed by this talented group. The Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse is located at 22 East 71st Street and runs through May 17th.
“Organize your life around your dreams - and watch them come true.”

IFDA Event for Kips Bay Show House

I am so excited to be a part of the Kips Bay panel discussion for the IFDA and in such amazing company! I will certainly have plenty of design anecdotes to divulge. Please visit my website for additional information regarding tickets....Hope to see you all there.

"It's lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges,

and I believed in myself." -Muhammad Ali

Spring Forward with Fashionable Fabrics

Who isn't tired of winter? It's time to usher in a spring frame-of-mind with these fresh hip fabrics from fashion icon Trina Turk.

I absolutely love her newly introduced line of indoor * outdoor fabrics for Schumacher Modern. Just think of all the practical possiblities!

If you are familiar with my aesthetic you will notice that fashion is threaded throughout my designs. I have always been a great admirer of her work and brilliant use of color. I was lucky to be loaned one of her hot orange peep-hole dresses for a photo shoot from one of my favorite Huntington boutiques, Rexer-Parkes.

Come into my showroom and get inspired by Trina's fabulous patterns and prints...A great way to get rid of the winter blues.

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!" -Robin Williams

Inspiration is Just a Click Away....

I finally had a spare minute to do some much-needed inspiration research. In the comfort of my home in my jammies I get completely relaxed hunting around for great ideas for my next project. Being so busy doesn't always allow me the luxury to research myself, so I look forward to these moments.

I don't about you, but I am completely over winter. These two palettes are so fresh & clean and they scream SPRING!

Talk about a POP of color, these two images are pushing the color envelope to its limit. The fusion of these two contrasting palettes, the neutral paired with bold, create color magic.

I am always so excited when people come into my shop and tell me they came for inspiration. It makes me so happy to be somebody's point of reference. Right now my shop is chock-full of some amazing deals. Everything from chandeliers to desk lamps, mirrors to armoires, & all that's in between.

If you are in the New York area, please stop by my shop for a little dose of inspiration yourself www.ekbinteriors.com

Anyone that mentions the blog will receive 20% off any regularly priced item

Clean Sweep

We all feel compelled to make those hard-to-keep New Year's Resolutions. But this year I decided to keep my goals attainable and thought that by sharing some ideas with you it might help you begin giving your home a fresh start for 2009. Lately, I've been using some of the basic principles of Feng Shui to guide me through the ritual of starting off the New Year with a clean slate. Nothing is better than how you feel after de-cluttering....Put away, donate, or just toss those things in your home that don't give you pleasure. We're all buried under mountains of papers and magazines, so do your best to start with that. Any clothes, books, household items or gifts that have been sitting around and unused should move on. If something is broken, fix it! If something is looking a little tired, re-paint it. I guarantee you will feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of you. You'll be free to move on in more creative directions.

I find it hard to focus on a new project for the home until the cleansing process has been completed. Only then can my creative juices start flowing. We recently undertook this process in my shop and studio. What a positive transformation! The fabric studio is a dream to work in and the shop windows are sparkling with new ideas. My team and I are in the process of embarking on some new and very exciting projects (stay tuned to upcoming blogs for the latest).

My wish for you all is a joyful, prosperous and spiritually uplifting 2009. I hope that my team can inspire you all to make your homes a place that is a pleasure to come home to.

"Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility." -Eric Zorn

Back to the Drawing Board...

One of the biggest stumbling blocks in the creative process is usually...getting started. There are so many ideas and inspirations swirling around that it becomes difficult to edit them. Trying to formulate a cohesive plan is often a huge roadblock in design.

Keeping an idea file is a great reference for everyone. A notebook filled with magazine tear-sheets, fabric snippets, paint swatches, photographs, and anything else that catches your minds eye. These files can be of great assistance when getting the creative juices flowing.

For me, due to my painting & art background, sketching what my fantasy for a project is usually where I start. I find that some of my clients have a difficult time visualizing my ideas....A sketch often shines a revealing light onto a prospective idea.
Sketches are helpful in so many ways...For example, furniture placement and finding the holes where you can now create a furniture 'wish list.' I always do my best to incorporate pieces a client already possesses and show them how they will be transformed into the new space. Whether it be by re-upholstery or a change of paint & hardware....If it has great bones it's worth the effort and expense to transform it.

Of course, color is extremely important when sketching as well. I live and breathe color and therefore am always incorporating it into my drawings. It is such a vital part of my design process that it can help convince a color-reluctant client to take that leap of faith. Once they do....Watch out because color is powerful once it's unleashed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Problem...SOLVED!

Great interior design is often a series of exercises in problem solving. They usually require us to think outside of the box. Or, in this case, inside the box of my New York City apartment.
For better or worse, apartment dwellers get to know their neighbors intimately. One of the challenges I face is trying to create a calm, quiet, and serene retreat in the midst of this hectic city. Here are some great tips from my contribution to Time Out New York....After the ceiling is soundproofed a clever way to finish it off is by using wallpaper. I find that wallpaper often solves many design dilemmas. For my dining room I choose a bold look that I'm experimenting with for several other projects I'm working on. Wolf Gordon makes a fabulous smooth patent wall-covering in many beautiful shimmery colors. I chose a metallic bronze that reflects the light of the chandelier. Not only does this create a great finishing touch, it also gives the illusion of additional space....Something every New Yorker yearns for in their apartments. The use of the grosgrain ribbon from MJ Trimming and silver nail heads add a finished appeal as well as architectural interest. This project really freshened up my cozy dining room. Definitely pick up a copy of this Home Design Issue of TimeOut NY...There are so many great ideas!

"Believe it is possible to solve your problem. Tremendous things happen to the believer. So believe the answer will come. It will." - Norman Vincent Peale