Appartment & Home

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Get inspired! Decorati has pulled together coordinated fabrics, rugs and paints.

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The type of light under which color is viewed impacts how we perceive a particular hue.

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Temperature
Whether we perceive a color as warm or cool is relative to the particular color and its surrounding colors. Generally, reds, yellows, and oranges are warm colors, while blues, greens, and violets are considered cool. Warm colors tend to “advance” or “condense” a room, while cool colors “recede” or “expand” a room. Combining both warm and cool colors in a decorating scheme intensifies the temperature of the respective colors.

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Intensity
Intensity (or chroma) refers to a color’s purity or brightness and, conversely, its dullness. The purer or less gray a color, the more intensity it has. Bright yellow and cherry red are high-intensity colors; ochre and brick are low-intensity colors. Try using intense colors as accents in your décor. Intense colors add energy to a room, while lower-intensity colors can give a room a calming effect.

Direct Sunlight

Considered the ideal light source, natural sunlight maintains a neutral balance between both the warm (yellow cast) and cool (blue cast) ends of the light spectrum. Northern light is the coolest, while light from a southern exposure is the strongest. Direct sunlight provides the “truest” rendition of colors in a room.

Indirect Sunlight
Natural sunlight is not consistent. It changes from sunrise to noon, to late afternoon and dusk. The intense golden rays and distinct shadows of a sunny, late afternoon can have a profound effect on the colors in a room.

Artificial Light
Color rendition appears warm under incandescent and halogen lights. Reds and yellows are enhanced and blues and greens are culled. Under the cool cast of fluorescent lights, blues and greens are enhanced, while reds and yellows are muted.

   

Set sail on a chic summer adventure with these ocean inspired looks.

Shane

Decorati Founder

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By Donna Sapolin

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Interior designer Jamie Drake hops off the curb to flag a New York City cab and answers my call. The urban din—bustling crowds, honking horns and screeching brakes—could rattle even the most inveterate multi-tasker, but Drake manages to calmly and deliberately articulate his design vision while dashing from one pressing errand to the next. (I, on the other hand, drop my receiver when the doorman unexpectedly buzzes me during our conversation.)

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Photography by Eric Striffler.

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This phone session will be Drake’s only “free” time in the next 10 days, he says, and so he persists, asking the waitress to turn down the music when he pauses to grab lunch. If his steady focus and suave, unflappable mien is any indication of the way he communicates with clients, it’s no wonder he’s racked up commissions the world over (from Paris to Saudi Arabia) that are celebrated as much for their acute attention to detail as for their irreverent jolts of color.

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Drake’s personality, expressed not only in his words and decorative schemes but also in his attire, is so colorful and captivating one cannot help but envision the cab’s brilliant yellow paint and the entire visual cacophony of New York City when speaking with him.

.Photography by Nick Johnson.

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Entering a Jamie Drake-designed room, be it modern or historic, can make you feel as if you’re walking into a bold and brazen hot-house or a subdued and serene spa. The most hushed of rooms—bedrooms, libraries—become lush and lively in his deft hands. Gathering rooms morph into restful havens without sacrificing a sense of surprise or sociability. “But the ultimate look is all about the clients’ preferences,” he reminds me. That may be the case but the Drake touch is always evident.

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“My take on color is painterly. I find unusual shades and juxtapositions intriguing. Each room and each project offers different opportunities—sometimes I employ colorful accents in a more neutral space and other times a room will be slathered with color in a variety of tones and shades. Every surface is absolutely considered even if it’s one that’s off-white or gray—it’s all part of an overall vision.”

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The myriad errands to which he’s attending during our chat have as much to do with the trip he’s about to take (Greece and London) as with work (a New York Times interview, project meetings). Drake immerses himself in travel not only for respite but also to fuel his dramatic color-infused worldview. “Last month I spent a week in Paris and Morocco—places that were hardly new to me but reminded me of their fabulosity,” he says. “This evening I’m leaving for Greece. I’m sure I’ll come back from the islands and want everything to be brilliant white. But I’ll be finishing up the trip in London so a touch of opulence will be creeping into my new visions as well.”

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Photography by Eric Stiffler.

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Apart from travel, Drake cites fashion and magazines as key inspirations. “But for me it’s mostly about keeping my eyes open as I move through life,” he says. That’s apparently something he’s being doing since the get-go—Drake is wired for color. His mother was an artist; his father, a printer, and some of his most gripping memories are of paint-encrusted pallets and ink vats.

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He started painting and creating collages at age seven and served as the resident interior designer of his friends’ backyard forts, which he outfitted with “antiques”—broken old bottles, falling-apart farm implements and old washing vats. During high school Drake interned with a large interiors contract firm in Connecticut and after graduation, moved to New York and entered the Parsons School of Design. He graduated Parsons with two commissions in hand and launched his firm. “I was propelled without thinking into my own business,” he says.

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Photography by Lucus Allen.

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Today, Drake Design Associates employs a staff of 12 architects and designers. “In addition to the design development, we work in a collaborative effort to find art and antiques for our projects,” he says. The firm is just finishing up a 4500-square-foot apartment in New York’s fabled Dakota building. “After two-and-a-half-years of work, the clients have moved in and we spent the day yesterday shopping for art—contemporary western art as distinct from the collection of Chinese contemporary art that the couple has in their 10-month-a- year home in Shanghai.”

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Photography by Tim Lee.

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Drake is also are working on two radiation oncology clinics in Jacksonville, Florida. The first is a building his firm designed from the ground up with light-filled, soaring spaces slated for completion and final installations in August.

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In all his projects, Drakes eschews what he regards as the number one mistake designers can make: Creating something expected and generic.

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“I hate uninteresting, safe and banal schemes that look as if they were plucked from a showroom window.”

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He urges risk-taking above all and developing the guts and conviction to do something bold. “Cut the pillow down,” he urges by way of example. “You can make it smaller but you can’t make it bigger.”

Photography by Lucus Allen.

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To convince a client to bring a vision that pushes the envelope to fruition, he says, requires both confidence and a creative thought process.

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“Early on, when I wanted to persuade someone to paint a ceiling in a vibrant color, I offered to paint it back on my own dime it they didn’t like it… but I never had to write a single check.”

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Whether they are designed to be sedate or glimmering, Drake’s projects dare to bust boundaries and bear testimony to a strong belief in a uniquely personal vision.

Photography by Erif Striffler.

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The palette for a library he created in Metropolitan Home’s recent Showtime House—a New York concrete gray with amorphous slate blues and dashes of khaki and olive—gives expression to David Duchovny’s character in “Californication”. “Hank is a low- key kind of guy, even with all his anxieties,” says Drake. “He wouldn’t be living with fuchsia so I went for something serene and thoughtful.”

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The designer situated a sculptural artist-created book tower in one corner of the library to evoke Hank’s writer’s block. “What could reflect his personality more perfectly than a tower of books that comes tumbling down if you pull one out?” he asks. Artist Gary Ponzo’s delicate paperclip chandelier reinforces the occupant’s fragile writerly status.

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Upholstered walls and curtains made of Ultrasuede forge an atmosphere of spare luxe; the ceiling, painted in a satin-finish soft blue from Benjamin Moore’s Metallics collection, serves as a shiny counterpoint to the fabric. The seating is provided by a large double chaise custom fabricated by Delta Upholsters and covered in Ultrasuede and an oversized chair with a totemic back inspired by a tribal throne Drake spotted while traveling in South Africa.

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The desk sports an elegantly eroded finish that is an interpretation of the ancient Japanese technique— negoro nuri. The piece was made by Alpha Workshops—Drake’s favorite charity and one for which he serves as board chairman. The acrylic and resin painting by James Lecce from McKenzie Fine Art broadcasts the room’s full range of hues. “Its patterns are full of movement,“ says Drake. “You can easily get lost in it while daydreaming.” Handcrafted glass and bronze sconces by Jonathan Browning flank the artwork.

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Photography by William Waldron.

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Movement, in fact, characterizes all Drake designs. He ingeniously plots its course with a careful repetition of tones and shapes throughout the spaces he designs. In the case of the Upper East Side NYC apartment he created for a dear friend, a home he describes as “polite and mad at the same time,” he relied on circular forms and colors inspired by a collection of Danish pottery.

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The client, he says, is a fabulous, bold and dynamic woman who possessed some exuberant, over-the-top pieces. “I felt that my job was to stand up to them and enhance them by adding more madness to the mix.”

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To that end, he designed a 16-foot-long buffet (made by Roman Thomas) with orange pony skin- covered doors, arrayed the client’s ceramics on top, and integrated their colors into silk cabochons in a round custom-designed wool rug. The golden hues of the gilded baroque chandelier (from Bernd Goeckler Antiques), mirror frame and candelabra are echoed in the hand-knotted silk fringe applied to the leading edge of the portieres that serve to separate the space from the adjacent living room.

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The tone repeats on the walls, which are upholstered in a Donghia khaki-gold silk and cotton fabric. The Giacometti-inspired table base from Carole Gratale is topped with a round slab of heavily figured Persian onyx. It’s encircled with reproduction Italian provincial chairs painted in an antique plum color and upholstered in an iridescent saffron and plumb silk.

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Photography by Nick Johnson.

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The 2007 Kips Bay Decorator Show House coincided with the launch of Drake’s fabric collection for Schumacher and he put it to zesty use in the bedroom he created for the home. The walls are upholstered in an orchid-colored fresh interpretation of moiré with an embossed dot pattern. A cool base of lush lavender-tinged gray wool carpet from Patterson, Flynn & Martin tempers the room’s exuberant floral palette. Curtains in Drake’s signature “Jazzed Stripe” fabric from Schumacher hang from Michael Tavano’s elegant crystal rods.

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“The custom sleigh bed is both severe and romantic at the same time,” says Drake. “Its square lines were explicitly envisioned to show off my “Not Square” fabric, a silk velvet cut to reveal a soft metallic ground.” Gilt nailheads further emphasize the bed’s form.

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Photography by Nick Johnson.

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On each side of the bed, an Alpha Workshops black wood “Waterfall” table with fuchsia peering through a negoro nuri lacquer finish holds an antique Chinese lamp from Mallett’s. Above the headboard, a painting by David Mann depicts a celestial explosion of energy. “I love the palette, its modernity and its mystical feeling,” says Drake.

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An antique Russian desk purchased at Florian Papp is made of Karelian birch and features verre eglomise drawer panels.

Photography by Tim Lee.

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This book-filled space for a home in backcountry Greenwich reflects Drake’s take on a classical Connecticut panel library. “Having grown up in the state, I understand it quite well,” he says. Apparently, well enough to tweak it successfully:

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“In my own subversive way, I chose not to utilize the expected mahogany or cherry and instead opted for the cool tones of American walnut and for detailing that is more art moderne than 19th-century English.”

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He further pumped up the volume in the surprise department with robin’s-egg-blue lacquered bookcases. A black reveal lends the hue additional pop.

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Eclecticism reigns in this space: Lyrical antique English walnut desk with ebonized detailing joins contemporary Louis XVIth guilt-frame “Swag” chairs (from the Jamie Drake collection for Lewis Mittman) upholstered in woven leather with vibrant red grosgrain welting. A 1940s bronze and crystal chandelier from Maison Girard is “a chic take on a wagon wheel chandelier,” says the designer.

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The red in the chair’s welting is repeated in an antique Japanese enameled lamp base and in the shade’s trim. The room is anchored by a boldly geometric carpet made from pieces of antique flatweave Kilim from FJ Hakimian. It rests atop a cherry red stained oak floor that echoes the adjacent room’s wall color.

In this eastside apartment, a corner room facing both Central Park and lower Manhattan showcases a triptych by Ryan McGinnis over an updated classic sofa. The painted walls and upholstered sofa share an identical shade of August sky blue.

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Pillows and a chair in shocking pink and orange add vibrant dash along with colorful glassware atop Lorrin Marsh’s gilt-base, marble-top table. One of a pair of faux lizard ottomans provides additional seating.

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The acrylic-base end tables’ mother-of-pearl and lacquer tops reveal Drake’s penchant for using unusual materials in his rooms. Some are precious; others are commonplace ones in a less familiar form, such as recycled glass and eco-friendly composites. The carpet he envisioned for the space gives a psychedelic character to wood grain patterns.

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Selected Resources:

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2009 Kips Bay Show House: Bolster trim, Trim on Window Treatments, Coffee Table Embedment, Daybed and Pillow Treatment: CRYSTALLIZEDTM – Swarovski Elements, Sofa, Daybed, Mahogany Armchair & Window Treatment Fabrics: F Schumacher & Co, Tall Lounge Chair, Ottoman & Pillow Fabrics: Reynaldo- available through Michael Tavano Design. Paisley Fabric for Throw Pillows: Clarence House, Chocolate/Silver Fabric for Throw Pillows: Opuzen – available through Koroseal, Ottoman & Decorative Pillows Re-Upholstery & Windows Treatments: Michael Tavano, Painting: America Painting, Hand Painted Wallpaper: Alpha Workshops
Carpet: Sacco, Bookcase: Holly Hunt, Game Table: John Boone, Trims: Samuel & Sons, Paint:: Aura Interior Paints, Benjamin Moore Paints, Chandelier, Porcelain Table Lamps, Bronze Coffee Table, Side Table and End Tables Flanking Sofa : Bernd Goeckler Antiques, Three Door Cabinet with Grey/Black Horsehair Doors & Antique Mirror Top: Roman Thomas, Custom Oval Coffee Table with CRYSTALLIZEDTM Swarovski Elements: Orion Retail, Pair of Tortoise Shell Chairs: John Salibello, Pair of Mahogany Armchairs: Alan Moss
Pair of Leleu Bergeres: Maison Gerard, Floorlamp: Poltrono Frau, Balcony Installation and Flowers: ZeZe Flowers, Papier-Mâché Books By Jean Lowe and Artwork by Chris Gallagher: McKenzie Fine Art Inc.
‘Conquistador’ Artwork by Dan Christensen: Spanierman Gallery, LLC, Collection of 1930s French Ceramic Vases: Robert Altman, Japanese Bronze Vase with Spiral Design: H.M. Luther, Large Tiger Eye and Rhodonite Sphere: H.M. Luther, Russian Amethyst Glass Open Box: H.M. Luther, Pair of Red Glass Decanters: H.M. Luther
French Metal-Mounted Ivory Lacquer Letter Box: H.M. Luther, Pair of American Bronze Bookends in the Form of Male Athletes: H.M. Luther, Swedish Ceramic Sculpture of a Parrot: H.M. Luther, French Patinated Plaster Sculpture of a Young Man’s Head: H.M. Luther, Pair of Italian Obelisks: H.M. Luther, Turquoise Art Glass “Spiky” Vase by Barovier, Ovoid Ribbed Violet Murano Glass Vase: John Salibello, Wallpaper Installation: DecoRada Wallpaper Installation and Michael Ehrlich for Sagebrush Painting Co., Bronze Tree Sculpture: David Duncan Antiques, Ceramic Trains By David Packer: Dean Project

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Metropolitan Home Showtime House: Toray Ultrasuede (America), Inc. Suede Fabric for the Upholstery of the Walls, Furniture, Window Treatments; The Bradley Collection (Donghia) “Knot” Steel Collection for Window Treatments; Michael Tavano Design for Wall Upholstery & Window Treatments; Delta Upholstery for Chaise and Lounge Chair w/ Ottoman; Tom Benson for Free Standing Book Sculpture; Alan Tanksley for Paperclip Chandelier by Gary Ponzo, McKenzie Fine Art for “Juicy” by James Lecce; Scott McBee for Collage Door “Oranje” by Scott McBee; Elitis (Donghia) for “Glass” wallpaper, Benjamin Moore for Aura and Studio Finishes; Alpha Workshop Finish for Hank Moody’s Custom Desk, Floor Finish by State of the Art Flooring; Nella Vetrina Bookcase, Holly Hunt Crystal Sphere Sconces by Alison Berger.

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2007 Kips Bay Show House: Fabrics Jamie Drake For Schumacher, Provencal Cabinet & Saddle Bag Chairs: Jamie Drake For Lewis Mittman, Custom Millwork & Construction Services: Uberto Construction, Lequin Collection Alexandrite Waste Basket, Tray & Box, Boule Collection Black Marble Cachepot; Jamie Drake For Labra, Bed & Ottoman: Jamie Drake By Michael Tavano, White Rabbit Fur & Carpeting: Patterson, Flynn, & Martin, Bedside Tables: The Alpha Workshops, Pair Of Chinese Black & Gilt Table Lamps & 18th Centure German Pier Mirror: Mallet, S X Cut Crystal & Gilt Bronze Vases, Pair Of Lythlalin Glass Tazzaz On Gilt Bronze Bases, Alexandrite Table Lamp: Marvin A, White Ceramic Figurine: Lladro, David Mann Painting: Mc Kenzie Fine Art Inc, Custom Framing: J. Pocker & Sons, Swedish Neoclassical Gilded Sulla Chair: H.M. Luther Antiques, Bronze & Crystal Chandelier, Pair Of Round Tables: Maison Gerard Ltd, Floral Arrangements: Ze Ze, Russion Writing Table: Florian Papp, Saturn Acrylic Chair: Andrew Martin, Gold Picture Frame: Grumps, White Glass Snake: Robb Wynne, Slipper Chair, Wall Upholstery & Window Treatments: Michael Tavano, Fireplace: Andy’s Marble & Granite Inc., White Onyx For Fireplace: Artistic Tile, Bronze Fireplace Surround: Minimum Decorative Arts & Design, Fire Screen 7 Tools: Wm. H. Jackson Company, Lyle 7 Umbach Andirons: Holly Hunt, Cedric Hartman Floor Lamps : Pollack, Trims: Samuels & Sons, Mattress: Charles H Beckley. Terrace Landscaping: Blomdies Tree House Inc., Electronics: Compushine, Painting: Jack Franck Painting & Decorating, Paint: Benjamin Moor

   

By Susan Serra

Susan Serra is a Decorati Contributing Guest Blogger and author of The Kitchen Designer blog.

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Bonjour mes amis! I’m thinking of all things French-inspired this month, first and foremost, French kitchens. It’s an annual ritual for me…total immersion in the 3-week long incredible Tour de France now just finished! An annual ritual of focusing equally on the architecture and landscape via the fantastic TV coverage, as well as the daily race toward Paris. All that, and annual ritual of following the cities, towns, and tiny villages “le Tour” passes through while dreaming of authentic French kitchens. This month, I’m all Francophile, all the time.

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My annual French immersion has my attention directed to, perhaps, the next frontier of French “country” kitchens…but these are not the French country kitchens you see stateside. Far from it. What I’m observing is an altogether new, fresh, and strong statement in French kitchen design, blending old and very new…and it’s very chic.

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Here are the elements of the new French Country Kitchen that I see happening in France:

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Wide open shelving
Concrete anywhere and everywhere
Mix of ancient textured walls with modern cabinet design
Neutrals – lots of gray, some black elements, white, warm tones
Accessories as always – antique pots, baskets, added textures
Still fresh today…le batterie de cuisine is often displayed
Wood species meant to be appreciated in a natural finish in ceilings and/or cabinetry

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Here are features to note in these gorgeous French kitchens.

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Below: A very smart design in terms of color and tones. It could not be more simple – the use of “dark” gray concrete countertops and cabinetry (note it’s the same gray tone) and “light” walls and flooring. Simple, elegant. The beams take us to a very warm place inside our souls, and accessories follow the theme with warmth and texture. The headline is that this is a simple two-toned kitchen, made wonderful by the use of texture.

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Below: A celebration of le batterie de cuisine, doesn’t this look like a cook’s kitchen? To my eye, “form follows function” seems to have been the mantra here. Easy access is the point. The neutral, soft, tones clearly play a backdrop to the cook’s tools and appliances. Note the black accents and door trim.

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Below: A common architectural style, the French farmhouse with multiple arched ceilings, the feeling is highly textural and incredibly cozy. Earth tones dominate. Contemporary (yet earthy) cabinetry is juxtaposed with traditional elements such as the architecture, lighting and furnishings beyond. Note the integral sink in the corian countertop. Splashes of color in this nearly monochromatic space attract attention.

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Below: As only the French might do, here we have natural woods everywhere and what else…black! As in fashion, the French style can be strong, bold, cutting edge. The mix here of uber-rustic blended with very clean lines clearly has one perfectly polished toenail in the past and the rest in the future. Again, simple, clean, elegant (always), warm. The use of neutrals claims a cohesive feeling. Did you see the traditional hand towel in the image? Perfection, and a nod of respect to the traditional French country kitchens.

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I’ve enjoyed sharing my French finds with you, and I hope it’s opened up a new window to French kitchen style. Images from Art & Decoration and Cote Maison. For even more French inspiration, don’t miss the blog Cote de Texas. Till next time, au revois!

   

The design team behind Decorati Partner Costantini Design is a husband and wife team, and their factory in Buenos Aires is also family-owned. The design studio is in West Hollywood, California, and their products are available in 5 showrooms nationwide. Recently, their newest collection was premiered at the Nhow Hotel in Zona Tortona for the Milan Furniture Fair. Click more to learn about their exquisite Serrano Table shown above.

The Serrano Table is a minimalistic design from Costantini Design that highlights the natural beauty of the wood material that you select. As shown in Guayubira, a sustainable wood from Argentina, where Costantini’s factory is located, it can be used for indoor use or outside. For indoor use, select any wood species available worldwide, or choose from Costantini’s standard woods, including some that are FSC certified.

   

Keep reading to find out Buzz’s top tips for antique novices to expert designers and anyone in between.

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What are the top 5 questions you would want a first time antique buyer to ask before purchasing a piece?

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Anyone buying an antique for the first time should ask:

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1. Do I love this piece?

If the answer is no, don’t bother asking any other questions and don’t buy the piece, regardless of the price. You should only buy antiques that you love.

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2. Is this antique the best quality that I can afford?

Quality is critical in antiques and a mediocre piece will always be just that. It’s smarter to buy one great antique than 3 second quality ones.

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3. Do I have a place for this piece?

A great antique with no place to use it is not much good to you. Buy a piece that you can use and enjoy every day.

4. What portions of this piece have been restored?

Virtually every antique on the market has suffered some damage at some point in its life and if it hasn’t, it’s probably a fake. Think about it: after two hundred years of kids, pets, housekeepers, sun, ceiling leaks, cocktail parties and sloppy drunks, you’re going to suffer a bit. And a good antique should attest to that.

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Plus, it’s exactly this wear and tear that gives a piece its character and uniqueness. Love an antique for it’s imperfections–unless you’re over 100, every antique has been on this Earth much longer than you (or I). And they have survived to this day in spite of the hard knocks. Rejoice in that and use your antiques. That’s what they were made for and this allows you to enjoy your purchase to the fullest.

5. Lastly, a critical question every first time buyer should ask is “Who am I buying from?”

Is it an established and knowledgeable dealer? I’m just amazed at how many people purchase antiques from complete strangers over the internet or at swap meets. And then they’re disappointed when they find out the piece is junk.

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The best advice I can give a first time buyer is that “If you don’t know antiques, know your antique dealer.” With the right dealer, you don’t have to be an expert to find the right piece. The dealer will guide you both as to quality and value. Established interior designers know the dealers, their reputations and how to get the best pricing on any given antique.

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What are some of the most common questions designers ask you?

1. The most common question I get from designers is “Can you do better on the price?”

This is a perfectly legitimate question and we understand that designers want the best value for their clients. So we (or any other to-the-trade dealer for that matter) never get insulted when asked to negotiate a price. Sometimes, a lower price can be worked out and in other cases it can’t. But it’s always smart to ask (the worst a dealer can say is no!).

2. I love this set of 8 antique dining chairs but my client needs a set of ten? Can you help?

Yes, this isn’t a problem if the client is open to having us create two reproduction chairs to match the original 8. So the designer purchases 8 original antique chairs and 2 reproductions for a set of 10. Simple dimple.

We also do this a lot for clients who find a single antique chair (or settee or whatever) but needs a pair. Our 30 person custom workshop gives us the capability to solve these kind of problems (plus the reproductions are less expensive than the antiques of course). The only caveat in cases like this is that the client needs to understand that reproductions (even those made by us) will not appreciate like the real antiques. But that’s reflected in the price of course.

3. I have a focal point in the living room (dining room, etc.) that needs a really important antique. What do you have that might fit the bill?

With more than 4,000 antiques in our inventory, designers rely on me to suggest pieces from the collection that will fit the space, look, and budget of a client.

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4. Do you have any antique coffee tables?

There’s no such thing as an antique coffee table since that furniture form was created in the 1920’s. What we do have are coffee tables with later bases (meaning new or newer) but with tops that are antique (such as a 19th century scagliola top with a later base, as shown here):

5. Can I memo out (borrow) an antique and try it out at my client’s residence before we commit to buying it?

Definitely! This is a courtesy to the trade and we do it all the time. When buying an important piece, we actually encourage our designers to memo it out to make sure it works in the space.

6. A sixth question I always get from designers: How do you care for fine antique furniture?

The answer is kind of long but good to know:

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There is a common misconception that antique furniture needs to be “babied” when used or shouldn’t be used at all.

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The truth is that the best antique furniture was meant to be functional over several lifetimes and hence they have survived to this day. The finishes of these pieces actually mellow and develop their own unique patina/finish over time.

Having said that, since color and condition are important, taking proper care of antique furniture (or for that matter any fine wood finish) is important. If possible, a fine antique should not be exposed to direct sunlight and/or heating vents on a regular basis since this may lead to fading, warping, or the “popping” of veneered inlay. Also room temperature and humidity levels should be relatively consistent, since dramatic fluctuations can cause timber to split. Although fading, warping, veneer-lifting, and even splitting can be corrected by a skilled restoration firm (like C. Mariani), it’s an expensive proposition and should only be seen as a last resort.

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To clean, protect and enhance the finish of fine wood antiques or even modern furniture, the wood surfaces need periodic (usually a couple of times a year depending on usage) “feeding” which means using a properly formulated paste wax polish and a soft dry cloth.
What is a properly formulated paste wax? It is a pure beeswax base combined with pure gum spirits turpentine. This type of wax serves as a CLEANER (the turpentine) and a POLISHER (the beeswax) and is the only product you should use on the finish other than just “dusting”. For dusting, use a dampened soft cloth after which you should dry the surface immediately with dry soft cloth (avoid paper towers as they can scratch the surface).

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Silicone based polishes (yes, that includes Pledge) should never be used since they actually dull and destabilize fine finishes over time. Don’t let the temporary shine of these chemical “polishes” fool you-the shine will fade quickly and in time the furniture finish will be damaged, oftentimes severely.

Buzz Kaplan is a graduate of UCLA where he earned both Bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate degrees. Buzz began collecting antiques in the late 1970’s, while he was still practicing law and for the last 28 years has been a principal of Kaplan & Co., a consulting firm specializing in antique and other investment grade tangible asset collections. His clients have included dealers, major banks, foundations and other institutions seeking guidance in the acquisition and deaccession of 17th and 18th century European antiques as well as investment portfolios in gold, silver and platinum commodities. He is currently Executive Director of C. Mariani Antiques, Restoration & Custom in San Francisco.

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New York City has been invaded. And as goes New York, so goes the nation. These ugly blood suckers are not only here in the Big Apple but they have hitched free rides by unsuspecting and unaware travelers spreading their generations out across the nation to many of the finest apartments, homes and hotels. As of now have spread all over the world.

Major cities are affected the most but small towns, USA, are not spared either.

In fact, it has finally gotten so bad that the major news media outlets, such as Fox News, NBC, and even weekly local papers, such as the Queens Chronicle, are finally shouting it from the roof tops what has already become a living nightmare to many thousands of New Yorkers on a nightly basis.

There can be no doubt that these disgusting tiny vampires gained a huge beach head in their invasion because of two responses of ours as a society…. the first one is embarrassment, to admit the problem, to get help. The second is the “help” wasn’t much help. DDT, the best chemical weapon we humans had to beat bedbug population down was outlawed awhile ago and many of the professional exterminators wouldn’t even touch a bedbug problem up until a few short years ago Connex Environmental was among the first to answer the call.

We have a different approach to bed bugs that not only involve pesticides but steam, We steam furniture, walls, doors and any crack and crevice where they might be hiding, several pesticides working together and a dust that goes behind the wall via electrical circuits, light circuits and any existing holes in the walls. You can go online and Google New York Versus Bedbugs and get more info on the going on with bed bugs in the city. Bedbug complaints to the city’s 311 hotline grew from 10,509 in 2006 to 22,218 last year and that’s just the people who call 311 don’t forget the people that do call exterminators and the do it yourselfers.

So, you may be wondering just how long can you escape from the clutches of such a nasty curse when they seem to be everywhere and closing in?

Well, I have some news that should have you sleeping better at night. If you follow these safety tips you should be able to reduce the odds immensely of your home or apartment ever getting invaded by this sleep destroying army of insects.

And if through no fault of your own, should you become one of the Big Apple bedbug statistics – you know you have a seasoned professional exterminator to come to your rescue. Connex Environmental Inc. We are available seven days a week. You can sleep safely at night knowing that Connex Environmental is on guard to defend your home from invasion whenever you need us. We have the solution to your bedbug problem. Call and ask us about our green pest Control solutions and people with allergies.

Since bedbug extermination is not a do-it yourself job — here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your home:

#1 Never, never and I repeat never, bring home a mattress you found in the street. Or a chair. Or a bookcase. Or a (fill in the blank). You get the idea, no? Now to most people this sounds like common sense and you are saying to yourself that you would never do such a thing…. but there are hundreds, and thousands of people who think they just won the dumpster diving lottery when they see that almost brand new Sealy posture pedic kicked to the curb. It doesn’t occur to them that it was thrown out for a reason. This includes ANY furniture. Bedbugs hide in wood joints too. New York has rich garbage, some of the richest on the planet…. much of it is tempting to drag home…. but please don’t. Those innocent days are over.

#2 Never buy a mattress from someone who collects and recycles old mattresses then flips them, selling them as new. Do I need to explain this one after reading #1? If you see a neighbor bringing in a recycled mattress better educate them quickly or soon his/her bedbug problem will be yours, I can guarantee it. Especially if your live in an apartment building. The more neighbors you educate about where they buy their mattresses, the safer you will be.

#3 – Even when you buy a new mattress from a reputable mattress company or store…. if they pick up your old mattress well, guess what? They are picking up other people’s old mattresses that very well may have been bedbug infested. And those mattresses go on their truck uncovered with bedbugs and bedbug eggs dripping all over the cab of the truck and your new mattress even though plastic covered comes into your home with some of them tiny bastards stuck on the new mattress covering or the delivery men’s shoes or pants cuffs. Remember, all it takes is one determined bug or egg sack and your are infested. Buy only from stores that do NOT take away the old mattress. Gone are the days when removal of the old mattress is considered a buying perk.

#4 – When moving and using a moving truck, ask them how often they spray their trucks. If they look at you like they don’t understand… get a moving quote from someone else. Insist on them doing a bug treatment before they pick up your stuff. Otherwise, seriously consider renting a U-Haul and get the cab sprayed by a professional. The peace of mind is worth it. You wouldn’t sit on a public toilet seat would you? In most cases, ANY moving expenses are a tax write off… check with your accountant. If your employer is relocating you, chances are they won’t mind picking up the tab if you explain why.

#5 – Have your new EMPTY home or apartment sprayed THOROUGHLY by a professional exterminator BEFORE you move in your things. If renting, your landlord should not have a problem providing this service. And unless you are buying a brand new home, never assume a home is clean of pests because it’s been empty for a time. Bed bugs can live up to a year without feasting on flesh. Insist that it is bedbug treated which is different from other pest control measures.

A professional exterminator will see to it that your new home is free not only of night time creepy crawlies but of any other household vermin that love to live rent free and make our lives miserable.

Next up, tips on how to protect yourself when traveling or when you have a house guest visit you.

Go here for more info http://www.nypestpro.com

The writer of this article owns a website called “NYPestPro.Com” which is a great place for How to get rid of Bed Bugs. If you are looking for a Professional Pest Control service then this is the place for you. Also Visit our Exterminator.