Hope Designer Showcase

I was happy to take part in the Hope Designer Showcase at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show over Presidents’ Day weekend. Now in its second year, the exhibit features room vignettes that highlight product from the antiques show and raises awareness of the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, championed by Audrey Gruss, which funds research into diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mental illnesses.

My idea goal for the vignette was to present a display that could be taken as a room in someone’s home. I started with a beautiful 19^th Century reclaimed oak herringbone floor donated by AAA World Flooring. I wanted the palette of the room to use clear colors and jewel tones so that it felt relative to Florida but still rich in color. Scalamandre’s Paradiso in chocolate covers the walls and Scalamandre’s Colony Collection Rice Bean in blue woven is on the Bunny Williams Home Pierre Chair. I used Wolf Kahn’s painting, Florida Sunset, loaned by Cavalier Galleries, to break up the wall, creating a window-like effect between the two metal and gilt palm trees from John Rosselli. I constructed the illusion of depth by using a pair of Venetian mirrors from Carlos de la Puente Antiques across from one another.  Larger items like a pair of 19^th Century American stripped fluted Ionic wooden columns from Dawn Hill Antiques and two large potted palms from Foliage Garden really help ground the space.

I’d like to thank Scott Snyder and Christopher Smith in Scott’s office for their enormous help, as well as Ken and his team from J.G. Mitchell Contracting who oversaw the entire project with a keen eye for detail and was instrumental in creating the walls  (which fit together like a puzzle!), and Justin of Westbrook Deliveries for all of his logistical help. Other friends and vendors to whom I’m grateful include: A. Schneller Sons, Blanche P. Field, Cedric Dupont Antiques, Lee Calicchio Ltd., Maison Gerard, Sutter Antiques, Valerio Antiques, Niall Smith Antiques, STARK Carpet, John Robshaw Textiles, Antique Textiles Gallery Inc., Treillage Ltd.,  Authentic Provence, Inc., Floral Emporium and Potterton Books.