FZ NEWZ July 2013

A Note From The Editor:

Felicia Zwebner Design & FZ Collection have had a very exciting Spring and are already full swing with Summer events and projects. FZ Collection made its debut at the D&D with our Romeo bench featured in the new Romo Black window, and will soon be featured in the Christian Fischbacher showroom! In June, FZ Design & FZ Collection moved into a new office in Chelsea, Manhattan. We are very excited to be in New York City and are ready for new adventures.  I look forward to sharing our good news and updates. I wish everyone an enjoyable and prosperous summer!

Best, 

Felicia

July 2013

Where Art Meets Design

Opening soon is the new Extell Development International Gem Tower! Located in the heart of the Diamond District, this new marquee office building on 47th street in NYC features a Felicia Zwebner Designed lobby. FZ Design selected a stunning sculpture and painting, and designed FZ Collection's new Basel bench specifically for this project.

Inspired by a sculpture that Felicia saw at Art Basel Miami, the Basel bench is comprised of strips of steel that ebb and flow around each other, mimicking the motion of the wall sculpture.  Felicia also discovered Pedro Movellan's awe inspiring Levantar sculpture at Art Basel. Levantar uses air jets to move each piece at timed intervals creating the illusion of a fluttering ribbon. Ellen Berkenblit's abstract painting of flowers and the bright red of Movellan's Levantar introduce bursts of color into the lobby.

Felicia's vision for the lobby to serve as a reception area complete with art and furniture that is of equal caliber to the high-end jewelers who occupy the building, has come to fruition with these unique pieces. 

May 2013  

Felicia Zwebner Honored by Emunah Organization 

Emunah, the Israeli women's charitable organization for empowered women, recognized Felicia as a talented interior designer and upstanding member of her community. 

Felicia regularly participates in designer show houses that raise money for community organizations and charities as well as volunteer teaches art history at a local school. Most recently, Felicia contributed to the Kips Bay Show House, which raises money for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. 

For additional press information, click here: http://www.fzcollection.net/press.aspx

Pictured: Miriam Arond, Miriam Morgenstern, Felcia Zwebner, Debbie Davidman, and Vick Harari. Photo via The Jewish Press, 7 June 2013. 

May - June 2013

Kips Bay Showhouse

This Spring, Felicia was asked to design a room for the Kips Bay Show House. Inspired by international travel, Felicia created an elegant sitting room around the theme of "World Class Luxury Travel."

Felicia's attention to detail and use of art as well as luxurious fabrics and unique furniture earned her attention from Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief of Elle Decor. 

Read our Kips Bay Blog to learn more: http://www.artdetriomphedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/world-class-luxury-travel-my-kips-bay.html

Pictured: Michael Boodro, Editor in Chief of Elle Decor; Felicia Zwebner, Owner of Felicia Zwebner Design.

June 2013

FZ Heads to HOTEC

Felicia Zwebner and Joao Costa, co-owners of FZ Collection, traveled to HOTEC, a hospitality industry conference in Tucson Arizona where they met with industry leaders, procurement specialists, and other commercial manufacturers. 

FZ Collection produces high-end furniture at competitive prices with reasonable lead times for commercial, hospitality, and residential use. Browse the entire FZ Collection and portfolio online at www.fzcollection.net.

Read our blog to learn more about FZ's trip to HOTEC: http://www.artdetriomphedesigns.blogspot.com/2013/06/fz-collection-travels-to-arizona-hotec.html

July 2013

Coming soon to the D&D in NYC!

Starting this summer, the Christian Fischbacher showroom in the D&D Building in NYC will undergo a Felicia Zwebner Design transformation and showcase FZ Collection furniture. Christian Fischbacher sells high end luxury fabrics to the trade and is located at 979 Third Ave Suite 411, New York, NY 10022. 

For showroom inquires, contact Andrea at 212.207.4427.

Among the featured pieces, is the Lesab coffee table (pictured above). Inspired by a sculpture Felicia saw at Art Basel Miami, this metal and mother of pearl table was first seen at the Kips Bay show house. Modern and sophisticated, this table epitomized Felicia's luxe style. Check back for updates and showroom pictures!

For more information on where to buy FZ Collection, visit our list of showrooms: http://www.fzcollection.net/showroom.aspx

FZ Collection Travels to Arizona For HOTEC North America

FZ Collection Heads To HOTEC

Two weeks ago, I headed southwest with my FZ Collection partner Joao. After a short flight and drive through the Arizona desert, we arrived at the stunning Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain resort in Tucson. Tucked away in the hills surrounding Tucson, Ritz Carlton's Dove Mountain Resort was the perfect fit for HOTEC, a conference that brings together vendors and buyers in the hospitality industry. 

As a designer, my first impression is always the decor. Dove Mountain's decor fuses elegance and durability (longevity is always important when selecting materials for hotels) with the relaxing ambiance that is typical to the Southwest. Rich terra cotta fabrics and stone pillars brought the look of the surrounding landscape into the hotel. Although the day's were filled with back-to-back meetings and educational speaking engagements, the natural decor was relaxing and put everyone at ease.   

Welcome to FZ Collection!

HOTEC is a bit like speed dating, or so I imagine, except you actually want to speak with the people across the table from you. Meeting with the Principals and Buyers of high-end hopsitality design firms and hotels was an invigorating and enjoyable experience! We discussed FZ's production facilities and our ability to manufacture turn-key and custom furniture, in addition to our existing designs. Thanks to our factory in Portugal, FZ can easily live up to our slogan "Collect Ours, Create Yours!" To browse our extensive collection and see some of the examples we showed during our presentations, click here: 

http://www.fzcollection.net/hospitality.aspx

Team FZ & The Naked Jalepeno!

The meetings may have been all-business but connecting with your fellow colleagues in between meetings and during the evenings was when the real fun began! One of our favorite activities was the HOTEC Salsa Competition. Joao and I teamed up with Francis Wong, Elkie Saunders, and Neil Morrow to create the amazing NAKED JALEPENO!! Green and spicy, our salsa was a favorite with the judges. Look how clever the other contestants were:

Getting to know other vendors and buyers in the hospitality industry was a real treat, especially when it involved top-chef like competitions and pool side white parties. Listening to the educational panel, Patricia Rotundo of VOA; Bill Langmade of PMI, Ted Brumleve of Virgin Hotels; and James Carry of  Wilson Associates,  and interacting with the industry's leaders was informative and inspiring. I can't wait to be a part of such a welcoming and engaging experience next year!

Learn more about FZ Collection and browse our gallery! For questions, contact info@fzcollection.net or customerservice@feliciazwebner.com. 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn!

Romeo & Juliette: FZ Collection Debuts At The D&D Building

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

FZ Collection has made its debut at the Decoration & Design Building in New York City! Featured in Romo's new Romo Black lobby window, our FZ Collection Romeo Settee makes a stunning statement.

Distinctly modern with his high sloping back, the regal Romeo is handsome upholstered in a luxurious turquoise ombre velvet. Romo's textured Cadiz velvet has a Byzantine design that is both ancient and contemporary, making our Romeo Settee as timeless as his Shakespearean counterpart.

I love pairing exotic fabrics with our modern furniture to create a design style that is sophisticated and functional.

It is my lady; O, it is my love!

Every Romeo needs a Juliette, which is why we are creating the Juliette Chair! Coming soon to FZ Collection, the Juliette Chair will have the same graceful silhouette as her Romeo Settee companion. Clean, tapered lines make our Romeo & Juliette story a great addition to elegant modern decor.

What is a love story without an audience?

Love our Romeo Settee? Compliment the Romeo Settee and Juliette Chair (coming soon) with our Leah Coffee Table and Allura Cabinet for a worldly and inviting sitting room.

Shop the entire FZ Collection online. Contact info@fzcollection.net or customerservice@feliciazwebner.com with questions.

World Class Luxury Travel: My Kips Bay Cinderella Story

The 2013 Kips Bay Decorator Show House boasts spectacular spaces filled with gilded treasures, luxurious textiles, and sensational art. Each room begins as a blank canvas and is transformed by a talented designer into a microcosm of creative energy and fairy-tale perfection. Here is my Cinderella story:

When I was invited to participate in the Kips Bay Decorator Show house, I was in the midst of traveling overseas. I knew I wanted to design a room inspired by World Class Luxury Travel, complete with lush fabrics and a fireplace. What I did not know was, which room I would be assigned. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I would be decorating the laundry room!

Even more shocking, was the fact that my blank canvas was not actually a clean palette but instead had rusty pipes and a corroded tile floor.

Before

When my team sent me photos of the room so I could create the floor plan and design the custom furnishings, I realized I had to adapt my design concept. It was a challenge to accommodate the small dimensions as well as the metal pipes and tile floor, neither of which were a part of my vision. 

In order to cover the tile, we raised the floor and installed wide plank ebony wood. We then extended the wall to hide the plumbing and make room for the fireplace. Luckily, I was  able to find a fireplace that didn't have open flame and could fit in a 4"wall. Essentially, I made my small space smaller; when you have lemons, make lemonade!

After

Once the construction was complete, the real decorating magic began. Much like Cinderella before the ball, my room quickly turned into an elegant and inviting sitting area. 

I wanted my room to feel relaxing and luxurious even though it was barely larger than a closet. I selected Stark fabrics for the sofa, which I custom designed to fit into the space, and the pillows. The coffee table, another piece I custom designed just for this room, has a beautiful mother-of-pearl table top and an intricate metal base, which was inspired by a sculpture I saw at Art Basel. 

The walls are wrapped in a shimmering Stark paper that enhances the metallic accents throughout the room and complements the dark wood floor and silver wood veneer ceiling (also covered in a Stark paper).

Designing With Art

My philosophy is that good design warrants fine art and sculptures. I selected a David Dunlop painting depicting New York's' Grand Central Station to further enhance my concept of high-end travel. The moody blue hues invoke a sense of mystery and create a focal point. The glass sculpture and soaring lamps adhere to this belief and give the room a polished effect. 

I think I achieved my goal of depicting World Class Luxury Travel, but you be the judge!

The silver Clenos Console, FZ Collection Ottoman, Wilhemina Settee, and Basel Coffee Table are all custom designed by me and available for purchase through my furniture company FZ Collection. 

Please contact info@fzcollection.net or customerservice@feliciazwebner.com with any questions.

Photography: Thank you to Marco Ricca for the beautiful photographs!