Stanhope

                                                       STANHOPE

On 1/2/12, Felicia received a phone call from a real estate developer asking her to check out an old historic building for a possible job opportunity. From the start, Felicia considered the offer a dream come true in the interior design field. Even before finding out the exact details about the job, Felicia was sold on the opportunity to work on a job in such an amazing location. What really sealed the deal was the fact that the job would allow her to design an entire floor in the building!

Early on, it became evident that time was of the essence since the wintertime job was expected to be completed and ready to be sold that spring. Despite the time restraint, Felicia felt confident that the end result would be far from typical and average. Also, like many other big design jobs, Felicia was given a pretty tight budget to work with. However, Felicia strategically and carefully selected furniture that would be perfectly fitting for the apartment and the budget she was given. Among the selected furniture was some of Felicia’s own from her furniture line, FZ collection.

The main struggle that Felicia faced was the fact that the old building is from the early 1900s and it only has one elevator! Given that she had never had to work with such a limited mode of transportation for furniture, Felicia and her team had to put their heads together to figure out how to get the large and lavish furniture into the apartment. Ultimately, the solution was to remodel the large furniture to have detachable parts so it could all fit in the tiny elevator! Clearly, Felicia’s ability to really roll with the punches allowed her to come up with a great solution under pressure.

Since the project was so big, it required a lot of installers to get the job done. Throughout the job, there were painters, electricians, upholsterers, and many more installers across the spectrum to help finish the apartment. Being that the apartment is right next to the Met, Felicia felt that the apartment should be decorated with fabulous art. She ultimately chose artwork by Robert Motherwell and Willem De Kooning, both of whom have art featured at the Met. Felicia also included photographs of Sean Connery and Bridget Bardot by world famous photographer, Terry O’Neill.

In the end, the one-of-a-kind apartment was finished on time and came out as perfect as could be. The combination of the prime Manhattan location and Felicia’s unique designs is what sold the apartment after two months for $30 million. Felicia’s hard work and dedication paid off and her eye for elegance is now showcased in this beautiful space.

Holiday House May Be Over..But the Holidays Continue

As yet another Holiday approaches this weekend.  We wanted to share with you our Holiday photos.  Holiday House was a smashing success.  The Dining Room was a popular venue for many types of press. Fox 5 conducted several interviews with  both Design Editors and Antiques Editor of  Traditional Home Magazine, not to mention an expose given by Felicia Zwebner of how to make the most of Thanksgiving without being cliché…click here to see Thanksgiving Without Using Turkeys   

Editor at Large also got in on the action by conducting a casual and entertaining interview with Felicia regarding  her take on the Holiday season from decorating to gift giving  and more…

The Dining Room also was the venue for theatre performances.  Ironically enough the play that was performed was called “The Long Christmas Dinner” by  The Fundamental Theatre Project directed by Sam Underwood. It was fascinating to see how a room comes alive once there are actors performing in the space.  The  majority of the furniture was created by Felicia from FZ Collection  (www.fzcollection.net).  The sound and movement of the actors breathed life into the room.  Since there were only several performances and  6 weeks of show house touring, Felicia decided to incorporate the concept of sound into the designed space.  However given the age of the home coupled with the antiquated lighting there were very few outlets to be had.  Lighting was also important since the room is enveloped in dark paneling so clearly lamps (requiring outlets) would take precedence.  Therefore, in collaboration with Saga Electronics, Felicia used special bulbs for the lamps that contained sound bytes.    These sounds filled the room, by the window one could hear the sound of horse hoofs clopping through Old New York, the tables had dinner conversation (which was recorded by the very actors that were performing), the fireplace had the rustling of leaves, and by the seating area the French Sultry Music by Edith Piaf.  

Oh The Holiday House is Upon Us...

Hello fellow design enthusiasts!

Just as I'm sure you're gearing up for the holidays, I am preparing for this year's Holiday House in NYC.  For those of you not familiar with the event.  Holiday House is a mansion on 5th Avenue whose rooms are designed by professional designers with a different holiday for each room.  While it is an amazing experience to let my imagination take flight and think up an environment we all dream of during our favorite holiday, putting it together is a real life experience in the trials of designing.

The holiday I am designing for is Thanksgiving, and fortunately enough I am designing the dining room, with a real working fireplace.  This entails setting a gorgeous table with all the dinnerware and finery we can only dream of.  This however, proved challenging when the crystal is still in France and yet to leave with only a few days to go.  It's fortunate that there are so many companies in NYC that carry beautifully crafted stemware.  So it wasn't too long before I had a lovely replacement.

Now, if I can get the lightbulbs to fit properly in the antique lighting and the landscape design to reflect autumnal harvest, we should be all set!  Stay tuned for more adventures in designing and pictures of the final product.  The Press is stopping this upcoming Monday, so I will have pictures soon.  If you're interested in visiting this year.  Please click on the following link to purchase your tickets.   http://www.holidayhousenyc.com/buy-tickets/

Here is a pic of my colleagues and I preparing for the kick off.

And some before pictures for you.

All the best,
Felicia

Coffee or Tea?

Happy Summer Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the weather and making time for some R&R.  Although I have taken some vacation time, I have also been working at my usual pace.  One of the newest and exciting projects this summer has been the launch of the Contract line for FZ Collection.  After, the residential line was on display at The Lucida, I had an opportunity to meet with Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to design custom furniture pieces for their new flagship store in New York City.  You might recognize this coffee company from its West Coast locales.  They are opening their new venue this August.  Be sure to check out the store on Broadway and 39th Street.

One of the first pieces that I have designed is the “Signature Coffee Bean Chair”, which has a hand-carved design on the back part reminiscent of a coffee bean dimple.  Adding to the coffee farm motif,  are the custom upholstered banquettes in burlap with the printed names of the coffee plantations that contribute to Coffee Bean’s product line.  The table tops have been made to order as well with the company logo embossed using an acid application.  The amber, gold color of the table top makes you think of a warm cup of coffee or tea.

Take a look at the photos below to see how the process comes about.

Be sure to check back on my blog to see how all of the pieces from FZ Contract Collection come together to form Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's new store!

Rumson Showhouse After Pictures

As Promised!  Below are the After pictures of the Recreation Room I designed at this year's Rumson Showhouse.  If you look at my previous blog, you'll see that the room, was dark, cluttered and didn't really lend itself for entertaining of any kind.  But now, you could definitely have a sophisticated party that includes family and friends. 

If you haven't had a chance to visit the showhouse yet, I really encourage you to go and visit this jewel of a house.  From it's location above the Navesink River, the views are spectacular.  And the tastefully designed rooms only add to the whole experience.  Don't miss out!

Showhouse at Holly Hill

Hello Everyone,

Once again it is that time of year when interior designers prepare to partcipate in the Stately Homes by the Sea Designer Showhouse.  http://www.statelyhomesbythesea.com/default.asp
The event is being held from May 3rd - June 12th, 2011.

This year, the event is being held at Holly Hill, a historic country estate, near Red Bank, NJ.  More than 35 of the region's top interior designers participate in designing a different room or area in the estate.  

For my own design, I am transforming a dark recreation room in the basement of the residence into a room that not only looks chic but can still be used for entertaining guests at any age.  I've used the greys and calming colors of the sea to create a sophisticated atmosphere and at the same time brought the garden outside through the french doors and into this 'new' space.  I can not wait for all of you to visit and take a look at the transformation.  Hope you can make it!
Stay tuned for the after picture......

FZ Collection at The Lucida

Hello All!

Phew!....These last couple of weeks have been non-stop and I can't wait to tell you about them.  I was asked to design a whole apartment in New York City's first LEED residential building, The Lucida.  You must be asking yourself what does LEED mean? 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an ecology-oriented building certification program run under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED concentrates its efforts on improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human health: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings.

The program is designed to educate and inform those in all areas of the design profession how to best design a space in a "Green" way.  And constructing a green building in New York City of all places is no easy feat.  That is why I am so proud to be asked to participate and design for this space.

At the same time I was asked to design for The Lucida, I was also launching my new furniture line FZ Collection.  And what better way to introduce my line to the public than by including them in the design of the apartment.

But wait!  The news gets better.  I had the opportunity to showcase Anthony Quinn's art at The Lucida after the lovely introduction to his wife, Katherine Quinn.

And how to present so much art and design to the public?  With a party of course!  The official FZ Collection Launch Party took place on March 24, 2010.  Guests included people from the design trade, clients, friends and family.  With the jazz pianist playing on the baby grand in the background, guests were able to go from room to room and see how FZ Collection can be incorporated into different designs and uses.  From the Roark desk in the Study/Guest Room to the Gatsby in the Dining area to the Port in the Living Room.  The furniture is not only functional but versatile in its design. You can check out my new FZ collection by clicking on this link www.fzcollection.net