Design by Justin Shaulis

Interior Designers, Architects and Industry Experts return to The Mayflower Grace for a 'Day of Design' on Saturday, June 13th. These design experts and industry gurus will discuss their inspirations, style secrets and design aesthetic. We are thrilled to be a sponsor of this event which introduces another stellar group of panelists to the area. There will be an al fresco lunch provided by the restaurant ‘Muse by Jonathan Cartwright’ and a VIP ‘Meet the Designers’ cocktail party with a book signing with Robert Couturier and Susanna Salk

Stacey Bewkes, Robert Couturier and Susanna Salk at last year's event.

Alan Barry Photography

The first morning panel, ‘Styling the Collection’ will bring together Kathryn McCarver Root of KMR Arts Gallery with designer Alan Tanksley and the Editor in Chief of New England Home Magazine, Kyle Hoepner to discuss how to curate, style and display your collections.

A styled collection by Alan Tanksley

The second morning panel is ‘The Narrative of Wallpaper’. Our friend, dynamic interior designer Philip Gorrivan and Fromental North America Director, Melissa Mittag will give an informative talk on how wallpaper can transform a modern interior.

Exquisite wallpaper from Fromental

The first afternoon talk covers ‘Bold Moments in Design’ a subject that examines what are those elements of design that make the strongest statement. The three panelists have rich backgrounds; Stacy Kunstel is a designer, stylist and a writer for national magazines who also founded the design company Dunes and Duchess with her partner, photographer Michael Partenio. Katie Curtis and Justin Shaulis are young energetic interior designers with an eye for what is fresh and exceptional.

Design by Kati Curtis

Following this panel is a discussion of ‘Designing Paradises’ with internationally renowned Robert Couturier who is included in Architectural Digest’s prestigious annual list of the best decorators. From Morocco to South America to the Litchfield Hills, the residences that Couturier has built and decorated are the houses of dreams.

Design by Robert Couturier

The moderators for the panels are two of the most preeminent style setters and design mavens in the industry. Susanna Salk, a Litchfield County resident is a prolific author of highly regarded design books including her latest publication, ‘Decorate Fearlessly!’. Stacey Bewkes, founder and writer of Quintessence, has a mantra to ‘Experience, inspire, inform – it’s all about living well with style and substance.’ After 17 years as an art director in New York City, she left the corporate world for Connecticut. She adds, “It is a continuing love of design that led to the creation of this lifestyle blog, a discerning online guide to those special discoveries that make life just that much better.”

Reservations are required and can be booked by calling Christine Afiouni at The Mayflower Grace 860-868-9466

Linda has been a friend and neighbor for many years. She has a great design sense and really understands luxury materials and products. She made my kitchen table (see below) which is truly my favorite piece of furniture. I am thankful for it every day. She can custom make anything. I have also enjoyed seeing her take a room that is blah and transform it with her chic touches into something special. The custom leather walls that they make are really astonishing.

Design is at the heart of York Street Studio. Concepts, visual narratives incorporating leather walls and other custom treatments, bold luxe accessories and hardware are all part of the company's exquisite design aesthetic. Linda continues this tradition of forward-thinking product development and pairs it with her extraordinary sense of style.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Linda to ask her about her work, background and design inspirations. Below is one of our favorite photographs of a York Street leather wall treatment. Talk about chic!

How would you describe your design style?

Intuitive modern sensibility with great attention to architectural details. In sleek contemporary spaces as well as in antiques filled environments, an aesthetic that mirrors today's lifestyles in a luxurious yet natural, subtle way is always the goal. With unusual juxtapositions of remarkable materials and textures, my design style in every project, from start to finish, provides a singular vision that encompasses the individual clients needs aesthetically from a functional point of view.

What are the most important elements in design?

Proportion, scale, materials and ight. The proportion of the room dictates the scale of everything and anything that comes in to the space...from architectural details to the scale of paneling.

Your Harry's Chair featured above has an interesting history, would you share it with us?

The chair we all call "Harry's chair" was designed by my father Harry in the mid 50's for my parent's design office.  There was a fire in that office (which had been featured in House and Garden) which forced them to move into the newly built Seagram's building. The chairs were reupholstered in the early 60's in the calf they are still covered in today and were located in my father's office. Those chairs made their way to Connecticut and have been in my dining for the past 20 years! I still produce the chair along with a version for outdoor use as seen below.

Your custom leather walls are the ultimate luxury, do you have a favorite installation that you have done?

All the leather room installations are the ultimate luxury, they take a tremendous amount of foresight and skill to produce. Some may have been more challenging or more intense to produce, like the octagonal leather man cave that was a spectacular project rendered by Stephen mostly or a recent man cave in LA.

As with most other artists and designers, we all have to keep moving forward with our vision and implementation of that idea. In looking ahead, over time, my process may become more refined combined with my approach. I have had to evolve to keep it alive, fresh, and innovative. The project I would reference as the ultimate luxury with the most innovative assembly is a hand stitched leather library I am working on now in Chicago.

Can you tell us a little bit about the background of York Street Studio?

York Street was established in Brooklyn in 1988 by Stephen Piscuskas, my late husband. We relocated to Litchfield County in the 1990's. York Street has always maintained making product here in the USA. York Street progressed from a fine craftsman wood shop to an established brand in high end home furnishings, lifestyle products and increasingly, luxury interiors. The transition began with the development of decorative hardware, leather tiles and selected pieces for production furniture derived from some of our most relevant custom work, the company's root. Having left my career as a footwear designer, we combined the woodworking with leather craftsmanship integrating and combining those techniques into architectural details. This led the company into developing products like leather tiles and leather rooms in libraries, man caves and powder rooms. Our projects span across the country. The goal for York Street is to continue collaborating with artists and craftsmen, keep developing new ideas and continue to stay as innovative as possible as we design new products and interiors

You attended the Rhode Island School of Design, what did your education there teach you that is relevant now?

Attending RISD was being among top tier talent on a day to day basis from students to faculty to the rawness that Providence had at that time. Being among that talent there was an endemic pressure to keep up and surpass, it was top tier problem solving and being able to communicate that message in drawing 2-D or 3-D format. Striving to do your absolute best, combined with honing the fundamentals and the key elements of design: scale, proportion, form follows function. The process was the key part of how we developed our concepts giving a strong foundation to generating lots of ideas and taking those concepts in any direction to finite solutions.

This approach and skill set works well for interiors and product development, if something does not work one way it can be worked out a different way, its about finding the solution either interpreting precisely what the client wants or collaborating with them to achieve what they are looking for.

When you design a room, where do you start and where do you finish?

The scale, the proportion, the light are the most important to assess. A room should be able to stand on its own and then one can build layers to create an in depth interior.

Is there an interesting current project that you would like to share with us?

We are presently completing an exceptional interiors project which encompasses the property formerly known as The Birches. This large scale private residence which faces Lake Waramug is a tremendously exciting project presenting many unique and extraordinary design opportunities that attune the York Street Studio aesthetic to the owners' lifestyle.

If you would like more information about Linda Zelenko and York Street Studio, please click here.

Our 'Designer of the Month' is Susan Bednar Long, Principal of S.B. Long Interiors. If you are planning a project, please check out her top quality work showcased in this post and on her website. Sue has been a great friend for over ten years and has one of the best design senses of anyone I know. I also really respect her ability to multi-task, nothing slips through the cracks with Sue in charge! In addition, I relish her blog posts, they always have great design ideas so everyone should subscribe to her blog!

Susan Bednar Long honed her distinctive style during her tenure with two renowned luxury brands including Ralph Lauren where she oversaw the decoration of their flagship retail stores. She was a creative dynamo when at Coach where she spearheaded the launch of their new store prototype and furniture line. Her take away from these projects was clear. "My experiences taught me to layer all of the elements - wallpaper, artwork, furniture, fabrics, accessories, and lighting. Without layering, rooms aren't done."

Sue also spent over ten years running Tocar Interior Design in New York City. Her time, traveling for business and pleasure, became the muse and design inspiration on many projects. I love this quote from her website, "You never know when you'll see something special - from a row of cabanas on an Italian beach to a lobby of a small inn in the Alps - that can provide a novel inspiration."

The first three images in this post feature a chic weekend getaway that appeared in CT Cottages and Gardens.

I had the chance to catch up with Sue and chat with her about design, her style and her recent coverage in Connecticut Cottages and Gardens. 

What inspires you in your designs?

I love the graphic quality of stripes and often like to incorporate them in my designs in both classic and modern ways. I also like to mix modern and traditional elements in each room.


What past interior designer do you most admire?

I am a huge fan of Bill Blass and all his interiors. His classical and masculine interiors are lovely. I love the mix of dark wood
antique pieces set in a light, neutral setting - the contrast is beautiful.


What do you take into consideration when designing a country home or a city apartment or house?

With a country house I like to know how the clients want to feel in the space and who they will entertain and make sure
the materials are durable and conducive to the season or all year round use. In the city its important to maximize space
and light.

What three words would sum up your style of interior design?

Tailored, modern, traditional.

Tell me a little about your project that was in CT Cottages and Gardens.

The client wanted colorful spaces to contrast their all grey Tribeca apartment. It was fun to consider the colors and how
they ran from one room to the next. I also loved mixing in more modern furniture elements in the classic shingle-style home.
The house was used all year round, so we wanted it to feel inviting in any season. The client wanted a house that was
very kid friendly too - so we used a lot of durable materials.

       

What is your dream client or project?

Someone who lets me design whatever I want!

S.B. Long Interior's projects have been featured in design publications including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Luxe Magazine, CT Cottage and Gardens among many others. The firm has a diverse portfolio that includes distinctive residential apartments and townhouses in New York City, country estates in Fairfield and Litchfield County, Connecticut, luxury residences in Highland Park, Texas, resort homes in The Hamptons & Rocky Mountains, personal luxury yachts & cruise ships and prestigious corporate & hospitality properties.

 

To learn more about Susan Bednar Long and S.B. Long Interiors, click here.

 

Find deign ideas and inspirations on Sue's blog here.