Design
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The Art of Home Automation Smart Home Designers Guide to Technology
APR-MAY 2014
www.smarthd.com
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Interview by Marius Koller // Text by Lera Gavin // Photography by Milena Tyree-Mikic
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APR-MAY 2014
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D Ryan Galvin
CEO of Smart Home Designers
APR-MAY 2014
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he streetlights glimmer in the distance as the swarm of cars ascend to South Beach via MacArthur causeway. Two towering edifices with a curved glass design greet the oncoming traffic on West Avenue. On top of the high-rise, the bright blue glow is emanating like an intergalactic spaceship that is looming over the night sky. Perched above however, is not a UFO from a galaxy far, far away, but a swanky penthouse wreathed in LED lights. Responsible for this piece of futuristic display, are the home automation gurus Smart Home Designers Inc. The driving force behind this company is Miami native Ryan Galvin who conceived Smart Home Designers Inc. a decade ago. Fueled by his exuberant passion for technology, Ryan mastered his craft while running a customer-centric technology integration business with over 25 years of expertise in working with high-tech electronics and luxury clientele. Le CITY deluxe was taken aboard for a tour of the extraordinary dwelling that was transformed by the virtuosos of the home automation industry. A gigantic display of flashing LEDs adorned the walls by the elevator of the two story penthouse loft at the Bentley Bay condominium towers that were built by the internationally renowned architecture firm Arquitectonica. However, the impressive panel of bright blinking lights is only a minuscule marvel of the home design. “Technology should only enhance one’s lifestyle and never complicate it,” says the technophile and the CEO of Smart Home Designer Ryan Galvin. Indeed, his company does just that. The Bentley Bay penthouse is not just beautifully decorated but also fully
automated for total comfort. With a touch of a button, be it on the iPad, iPhone or Lutron panel mounted to the wall, one could easily control the lighting, video surveillance, temperature, and even the window shutters of the entire property both from the inside or from any remote location. The total cost of the renovation amounted to $1million dollars– a small cost to pay for a tremendous gain.
Home automation is integral in every day life. “A lot of our clients invest into luxury real estate. After the renovations, they resell the properties. Most request a full-automation package. It’s really adding value to the end product. It’s turn key and ready to go for high-end buyers,” says the CEO of Smart Home Designer. “Home automation is integral in every day life. It has become autility like electricity, the Internet, or a home phone,”says Galvin who in 2002 started out as a programmer in this newly budding tech. As technology became more sophisticated, the demand for home automation soared. With the team of talented ten, the award winning Smart Home Designer Inc., caters to a wide variety of affluent clientele ranging from doctors, to lawyers and hedge funds, to professional athletes, and to some of Miami’s trendiest nightclubs and hotels. Although extremely prolific and successful in
their line of work, Smart Home Designer Inc., takes on only a handful of ventures at a time. “We work on about four to five projects a year. This way we produce top quality work,” says Galvin. In addition to high caliber work, Smart Home Designer made a name for itself for their one of a kind customer support by offering their clients around the clock call service and routine maintenance. “We always make sure that the software is upto-date and that everything is running smoothly. Moreover, we make sure that our customers get the newest technology out there,”remarks Galvin. Currently, Smart Home Designer Inc., is working on installing a fully automated system on a 150’ Yacht with an LED lighting design that would liken the marine vessel to a space ship. “It is one of the greatest feelings to find a client who’s open minded and willing to get creative and have fun,” exclaims Ryan Galvin. “This is the second most interesting installation. The first one was a 3D theater and multi-zone system on a private Boeing 727 aircraft,” he adds. Moreover, Smart Home Designer Inc. has a very glowing outlook on the future of the home automation business. “The next step for us is to perhaps work on full buildings, communities or even neighborhoods,” says Galvin. “All the new technological advances are quite exciting. There’s going to be more voice command automation and you see companies such as SONY developing patents of brain waves reading technology.But this is far stretching into the future.” Even though it sounds like science fiction in the present, this one day will become a reality
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FEB-MAR 2014
Interview Claudia Trimde Photo David MatthiessenÂ
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Paolo Agresti Artisans of Luxury
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necessary companion for luxury lifestyle aficionados, an Agresti armoire is a testament to style,elegant design and innovation. This company stayed to true to its roots, having drawn its inspiration from the tradition of Florentine craftsmanship for more than six decades, yet keeping up with the times. Mr Agresti, tell our readers a bit about your company. The company was founded in 1949, so we have been manufacturing interiors and lines for jewellers and watches for ladies and men for 64 years. In the past 10 years, we introduced what I would call a revolutionary idea – a wooden armoire with a real built-in face where you can store all of your jewellery. Some of our pieces also have watch winders that are made in Switzerland, by the same company that produces them for Rolex. This armoire can be opened with a single movement. A very interesting feature is the biometric opening device which enables the owner to register himself as the master user and to allow up to 100 other entries. Just as easily, the owner of the master account may cancel all other entries. What are the features of an Agresti armoire? Most of our items now have a safe that can be anchored to the wall in order to secure all the valuables that one may need to store. There are other elements as well: jewellery boxes, a secret compartment for documents, the new bar set, glasses, a refrigerator for wine, chips and cards.
"We introduced what I would call a revolutionary idea – a wooden armoire with a real built-in face where you can store all of your jewellery."
It must have been a great challenge to combine what is a traditional element of what one needs to keep everything, but still make it look like a contemporary furniture piece. What is your design process? Although we have an in house design studio, in the past few years we have consulted other professionals in order to broaden our offer in terms of design. Varying from a very contemporary look to art deco, classic style there is an Agresti armoire suitable for each home. What does the future hold for the company? Even in the current economic climate, rich people make more and more money and they have jewellery, watches, documents and other valuable things to secure. We offer a stylish alternative to a heavy, ugly looking safe, which I believe appeals to affluent people. Is it a special order delivery? In some places we have distributors, in some places,we have stores and,sometimes,very affluent people contact us privately. We have some booming markets at the moment,in the Arabic Countries and Russia. What does this piece cost, for example? Price is confidential. Let’s just say that it will be a fraction of the amount and value of jewellery or Louis Vuitton bags that will be placed in here. I can tell you, however, that this piece costs 80,000 euros
FEB-MAR 2014
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Agresti Vaults of Class
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lorence, universal cradle of art, is the setting for a company that has been manufacturing valuable safes and fine jewelry furniture for over fifty years. Starting from the elaboration of authentic ideas and the study of original concepts, Agresti comes to the production of exclusive models that demonstrate a sublime craftsmanship. The "Imperial" collection, characterized by elegant woods and finishes, is enriched in certain products by the peculiar combination of malachite and gold leaf, originating an exclusive piece of furniture that hides an elegant safe inside. Lacquered wood and steel enhance the so-called "Design" collection which stands out for the essentiality of the lines and the contemporaneity of the models. Agresti is the creator of masterpieces which go beyond the boundaries of safety and uncover a secret space that becomes a coffer of dreams and feelings
More information concierge@le-citydeluxe.com
FEB-MAR 2014
Tempo Assoluto
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Armoire in polished ebony, handle in white nickel, anchorable to the wall. Inside safe in black metal polished containing 16 watch winders and watch drawers, trimmed in front with white leather.
Ambientata New rounded shape armoured jewelry armoire, in three version. Briar and mahogany matt finish / White polished wood and stitched leather / Malachite and gold leaf.
Bacco e Tabacco Radica
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Bar armoire with two doors and lid that can be fully opened. In Shiny Elm briar and mahogany, maple interior.
Collezione Design Contemporary design armoire in polished ebony or bird’s eye maple gloss white. Contents safe anchorable to the wall with drawers organized to accommodate all types of jewelry and watches. Opening with biometric fingerprint and energency key.
Il Forziere Delle Ore
Shaped armoire in white lacquered wood and stitched leather inserts. Inside safe in shiny white 24 karats gold plated brass accessories. Handles in white leather.
FEB-MAR 2014
Safe covered with polished ebony and black leather. Bullets proof glass (1000 Jauls) and antibreaking (P6B), nine winders, two drawers and travel leather pouch.
La Dama Bianca
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Karim Rashid
Sensual Minimalism
DEC- JAN 2013/14
“I am inspired by the world around us. We are all human and need and desire human connections.”
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Biography Karim Rashid is an industrial designer and interior architect. His designs include luxury goods, furniture, lighting, surface design, brand identity and packaging. Time magazine has described him as the "most famous industrial designer in all the Americas".
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chnologies and thought I could reinvent shopping. I always wanted to design interior architecture but needed an opportunity. I proposed shops with no clothes. When you enter a full 3D body scanner would scan your body, and then you would see yourself full-scale behind large mirror plasma screens.Then you could drag with your finger all of Armani's 30 years of archives onto your body and see yourself in 3D. The shops also had a runway with models constantly walking on it to show the latest collections only. Obviously this was all too premature as the technologies were not ubiquitous like today, and the costs were quite prohibitive, unlike today. Then Stephan Starr approached me to design a new Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia in 2000. That was a turning point for me because it was so successful that it really gave me the opportunity to design about 100 interiors globally since then and have recently begun quite a few full architecture projects, condos in New York, Miami, Tel Aviv, St. Petersburg, Riga, etc. What I love about working with architecture and interior space is that I have the opportunity to really influence human experience beyond an object.
DEC- JAN 2013/14
arim Rashid is one of the most productive designers of his generation. With over 3000 designs under his belt and 300 awards, Karim Rashid is the legend in design world. Le CITY Deluxe had the pleasure to interview Karim Rashid and learn what inspires, moves and excites the interior design icon. Tell us a little bit about yourself? I am who I am. I am because I create. To be is to create. I always saw myself as a pluralist, even when I was a student. I did not like the idea of specialization and admired creative people who touched many different aspects of visual culture. I am interested in shaping a beautiful more seamless, more comfortable and most importantly, more inspiring future. How did you get into Interior Design? In 1999 Giorgio Armani asked me to design three shops for NYC,Paris and Tokyo to define the 21st century for his brand. He said he approached me because he saw that my work embraced new te-
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DEC- JAN 2013/14
What inspires you? I am inspired by the world around us. We are all human and need and desire human connections. So we can develop the inanimate world to be an extension of our emotions and our physical being.I am also very inspired from my travels.The best way to see any place is to work there and learn a culture from within. Design for me is like I am a cultural editor, I absorb information like a sponge and have a great memory to retain and dissect that information. I observe and memorize, then I read every bit of literature on the area, then I try to see and film everything.I smell, listen, touch, and taste as much as I can in the shortest amount of time.Every place inspires me - I love and get inspired usually by the unfamiliar so even the lost local places of industrial parks, airport’s hotels in small towns, alley ways in big cites, taxis in London, a gym in Hong Kong, a bathroom in Paris, a prop plane in Sweden, a cinema in Milan, a Renault in Sweden, food in Qatar, shanty towns in South Africa, anything that is new to my senses, unusual, odd, inspires me. Beauty is in everything if we want to see it. Ideas are abundant if we want to embrace them. Tell us about your collaboration with BoConcept? What have you created for them? I was very flattered to be invited to work with BoConcept because I've respected their brand for so long and even purchased some of their furniture. I always felt they had a similar feeling and climate to one another. I was also inspired by BoConcept’s history of democratic design which is very much in line with my philosophy. I created a dining collection of a modular table, chairs, side board, hutch, lamp, tableware and accessories. My favorite piece is the chair itself. It’s a leaf-like form.The shapes of the legs of the chair, table and sideboard seem to creates a forest of trees; a branchy landscape. Best part of the chair is that it’s comfortable!!! All the detailing of the collection is soft so you feel relaxed and invited into a home.
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Interview Lera Gavin
What are some of the other high profile projects you worked? I was the design director for Method Home, styling and creating their brand which is now in every home. I created beautiful limited edition objects for Veuve Clicquot. They gave me great freedom because they are not manufacturers with strict guidelines on what they create. Artemide , Italy has been a long standing client because they continue to produce magnificent lighting. I’ve also worked with Umbra, Audi, Dirt Devil, Swavorski, Citibank, Nhow Hotels, Related Group to name a few. What is your style of design? And why? I call my work sensual minimalism because it is reductive yet human, minimal yet organic and amorphous. I use organic curves to break up an atmosphere and create strong statements, hopefully achieving a sense of vitality and stunning beauty. What do you think of minimalist designs and the idea of "less is more"? I think that as designers we tend to clean up the world – we make order from chaos. Yet 'modernism' and minimalism is sterile and too brutal to live in. I have said this for years. I believe there is a trend away from tired archetypes, and/or very cold minimalism. I wanted to challenge the boundaries of design, to bring a fulgent vibrancy to an environment.
Have you ever been or worked in Miami? Yes I own a home in South Beach in a building designed by Chad Oppenheim. It’s been a joy to get to know Miami Beach. Most people know South Beach, but all Miami Beach and even surrounding areas such as Bal Harbour, Surfside, and Key Biscayne are all really beautiful and quite remote. My first visit was 30 years ago when it was a small retirement village for old people full of small art deco buildings that were decrepit. I then returned 10 years ago for Art Basel and I’ve been coming back ever since. My wife and I love strolling from 23rd down to south of fifth, stopping for Cuban food or coffee or working out at Equinox Gym. Also, we like suntanning nude at Haulover Beach Park. I’ve since designed a new condo with the Related Group,called My Brickell, set to open any day now
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BRICKELL DESIGN BOOm Miami’s Brickell Transformed Into Luxury Design Locale
“Brickell design boom is parallel with the growth in the residential population on Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami.”
SEPT-OCT 2013
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ove over Midtown, as infamously corporate Brickell has loosened its tie. Renowned worldwide as Miami’s banking and business center, Brickell is quickly becoming a new hot spot for contemporary designers and artists. In the last couple of years the area has been swiftly shaping into an interior decor and art gallery ‘it’ place with sleek, trend-setting shops rapidly opening up in the locale. Miami’s Brickell area is striving to replicate New York City’s Midtown area where modern art exhibits and high-end interior design firms are in fruitful abundance. The Brickell design boom is parallel with the growth in the residential population on Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami. According to Miami Herald, “over the last decade, the Downtown population has nearly doubled, reaching 71,600 in 2011 as residents filled up new condominiums. Add in a work-day population of about 200,000, and the combination becomes extremely attractive for both restaurants and retailers.” Seeing a huge potential, design brands are quickly moving into the area. Danish luxury furniture retail Boconcept is set to open a flagship store on Brickell Avenue where they will feature their newly released 2014 collection, along with select pieces from top-line collaborations with prominent designers such as Henrik Pedersen, Karim Rashid, and Anders Norgaard. However, acclaimed interior designers are not the only ones who are privy to the growth of Brickell’s creative side. For two consecutive years, Brickell has hosted a Brickell Art Walk every last tuesday of the month. Unlike its counterpart in Midtown, Brickell Art Walk is more upscale and aims to introduce the works of well established and recognized artists into the Brickell community while enhancing its cultural milieu. The Brickell area is surely destined to be a huge success as it is quickly becoming an interior decor and art gallery mecca
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Brickell City Centre Brickellites and South Floridians can now look forward to a lavish $1.05 billion open-air shopping and mixeduse development scheduled to open in late 2015 – Brickell CityCentre. TExT JENNIfER maRCuS
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feature the environmentally friendly Climate RibbonTM architectural design, integrated access to the Miami Metromover light rail station, and an underground car park. Brickell CityCentre will have competition to its immediate north and south – The Village of Merrick Park, located just over 5 miles south, with its already existing haute shopping and dining, and the Miami Design District, situated just under 5 miles north, with its current vogish restaraunts and planned insurgence (by 2014) of nearly 50 high-fashion luxury retailers. Undoubtedly, Brickell, with its small neighborhood feel and the sizzle of a major metropolis, will prevail. For it, unlike the Miami Design District and the Village of Merrick Park, will have it all – unparalled shopping, retail and dining, gorgeous sky-reaching residences, and a multitude of professional office spaces. All within walking distance of eachother. And with the addition of Brickell CityCentre, the Miami Design District and the Village of Merrick Park just won’t compare. While Brickell CityCentre’s completion is still a few years away, the excitement about what hotel, stores, and restaraunts it will bring to Brickell, has already arrived. And for now, residents can sit back, relax, and watch Brickell CityCentre come to life SEPT-OCT 2013
nce referred to as Millionaire’s Row for its mansions and luxury homes, Brickell, an area just south of Downtown Miami, has become an international financial capital and a highly desirable place to work, reside and visit. With luxurious sky-soaring condomoniums, ultra chic lounges, restaurants and bars, trendy, yet professional hotels, and a location just 20 minutes from Miami Beach, it is little wonder why Brickell has become one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in South Florida. And if that isn’t enough, tourists, Brickellites and South Floridians can now look forward to a lavish $1.05 billion open-air shopping and mixed-use development scheduled to open in late 2015 – Brickell CityCentre. In early 2013, Swire Properties, Inc., formed a partnership with the Whitman Family, owners of the luxurious Bal Harbour Shops, to co-develop Brickell CityCentre’s retail space, and in so doing, to create a world-renowned shopping and dining wonderland. Brickell CityCentre will boast not only twin high-rise office buildings, a much needed addition to Brickell’s skyline, but will also host a sumptuous 243-room hotel (yet to be named), an 800 unit twin-tower condominium, a 120,000 sq. ft. wellness center and a 500,000 sq. ft luxury retail and entertainment haven, just to name a few of the project’s highlights. And for the ecoconcious consumer, Brickell CityCentre will
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D ECO BoConcept in Brickell
Modern Chic by
BoConcept
800 Brickell Avenue - Suite 107 Miami, FL 33131 Tel. (305) 3501941 / (305) 3501942 www.boconcept.us
Danish Luxury Furniture Boutique Is Coming to Miami
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enmark’s most luxurious furniture boutique BoConcept is set to open a flagship store on Miami’s prestigious Brickell Avenue. On display, you’ll find the new 2014 furniture collection that is replete with contemporary designs, new colors, new functionalities and exciting materials. Select pieces from BoConcept’ collaborations with the most prominent interior designers such as Karim Rashid, Anders Norgaard, and Henrik Pedersen will also be available. Le City Deluxe selected some of the most unique and significant pieces from BoConcept’s 2014 collection to show you here. Enjoy!
HamilTOn CHair
Price: $4,423
Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, light brown Salvador leather/ stainless steel.
CranE FlOOr lamP
Price: $649 CarlTOn SOFa
Price: $7,386
SEPT-OCT 2013
Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, mocha Estoril leather.
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Black metal with black fabric shade.
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CarlTOn SOFa
Price: $3,859
Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, dark brown Globe fabric.
TaBlE wiTH SuPPlEmEnTary TaBlE TOP
Price: $1,995
Walnut veneer/titanium gray burnished steel.
DESK
Price: $995
Desk, white lacquer/oak veneer/matte white structure lacquer. Also available in black-stained oak veneer/oak veneer/matte black structure lacquer .
COrnEr CarlTOn SOFa Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, gray Salto leather.
SEPT-OCT 2013
Price: $13,132
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PORTRAIT
Biography
SEPT-OCT 2013
For almost 18years, the CEO of Alembert Interiors and Gardens, has worked on turning the homes of Miami’s most prominent residents into works of neo-classical art.
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P www.aleksanderalembert.com
“Different areas can give a store a little more exclusivity. Design District already has Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier.”
AlEkSAndER AlEmbERT A mAn OuT Of TImE InTERvIEw ClAudIA TRImdE PHOTO dAvId mATTHIESSEn
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nterior designer Aleksander Alembert is a man out of time, a passionate artist who draws his inspiration from centuries past and thinks modern design is merely a passing fad.Recently, Alembert was asked to collaborate with trendy furniture boutique Fendi Casa. The luxury furniture store located in hip and happening Midtown Miami, was set to debut a new collection and wanted Alembert to work his magic in its showroom. Alembert transformed the room into a tribute to his favorite school of design, Rococo –the 18th Century arts movement known for elaborate ornamentation. So tell us about your Fendi Casa collaboration? Fendi approached me in April, to help them do something out of the box. It was a nice opportunity for me to work with them. For ten years I’ve been on a board of trustees of Villa Vizcaya & Museum, so I thought merging Vizcaya and Fendi would be a good idea. Both are Italian; Fendi produces contemporary furniture while Vizcaya has all the Rococo of neo-classical times. I specialize in 18th and19th century styles so I’ll be recreating Vizcaya’s look of Rococo’s Italian walls and crystal chandeliers.
It was my first job by myself. I took it on and from there, I started doing interior design. What do you think of Midtown as the location for furniture stores and designers? I think it’s fine because if you’re in the neighborhood, and you’re looking to get your apartment or house furnished, you go into one area. The downside is that everyone’s homes start to look alike, because now you only shop at the local stores. Some furniture stores are actually relocating to Brickell. Boconcept for example just opened up a flagship store in the Brickell area. What do you think of that? Close enough. It doesn’t all have to be in the same spot. Besides, different areas can give a store a little more exclusivity. Design District already has Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier. Do you think Midtown is unique? It’s not a conventional place where you’d think you’d find luxury brands. In Midtown, you have the opportunity to buy furnishings and clothing at the same time. So if you’re going to shop for a handbag, next door you’ll find marble and mosaic tiles. From there, we’d create your closet, living room space, and you can see your whole entire life created the way you want without having to look further. Design District really has the greatest stores for interior design in Miami SEPT-OCT 2013
When did the event take place? September 19 at Fendi Casa in Midtown. It was a pre-gathering for the Vizcaya’s ball in November. We gave the crème-de-la-crème of Miami an opportunity to experience FendiAlembert collaboration. There was a red carpet, beautiful music and Rolls Royce and a Bentley at the entrance.
Would you say that your style is quite opposite of modern styles? Right. I was brought up in palaces, and museums, and followed the royal families. We had opulent drapes, beautiful tapestries, rugs, chandeliers, crystal-ware and porcelain. In modern furniture, there isn’t any of that. So I always felt like modern furniture is just a fad. When I was a kid, I’ve seen my mother’s house redesigned several times while my godfather’s house which was done in antiques, never changed. When he died, I inherited most of his furnishings. They were amazing pieces worth a great deal of fortune. I decided to stick to dealing with antiques or high quality reproductions. Antiques give you a sense of greatness and a sense of pride. You have to be gentle with an antique. It teaches you value and self-worth. So how’d you become an interior designer? I had a big antique store in Boca Raton and we used to redecorate that store all day long, but I was never called an interior designer. All these interior designers would come into my store to buy furniture from me and I’d drive the UHaul to deliver these pieces to these guys and make sure they were placed correctly. And if the designer was not there, I’d have to redo the room to place the piece. That’s when I decided to go into interior design. I got hired by the ASID (American Association of Interior Design) to do marketing, and then they started using me as an assistant. I did everything for them for two years. When I got a chance, I broke off from there and was hired by some rich Canadian guys who gave me this penthouse to decorate.
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CHARLES NEAL modern baroque master Interviewed by Natalie Koho
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nterior Designer Charles Neal is emerging at the top of his game. With numerous celebrity clients, guest appearances on HGTV & Bravo, his own reality show coming soon from A&E, plus a furniture line in development, Neal is set to take the USA by storm with his own blend of Baroque Modern designs and Southern charm. Explain your stylistic motto, “Baroque Modern,” in a bit more detail for us! I use this phrase a lot. Baroque Modern is a blend: classic values with modern lines and the right balance between glam and comfort. Since you have an interest in historic aesthetics, are there any particular cities or other eras that inspire you? I do love Art Deco, so I like Miami and the areas and designs that exist there. I’m continually inspired by that style and era. I love the Old World feel of Paris. The Baroque obviously is a theme I always go back to, and then the Modern era. My style deals with living from one extreme to another and finding harmony amidst it.
Vol 1 Spring 2013
Tell us about your typical clientele. Who would be your dream client?
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I usually work with clients between 35-55 who are ready to design their homes, but maybe have never done it before or had the funds. It’s a new adventure for them, and they want their home to look beautiful and opulent, but not like their parent’s or grandparent’s home.
My ideal client would be someone who gives me free reign and multiple homes to create different themes. Obviously as a designer, we have our ideas but we’re held back or limited by budgets, lifestyles and different variables. You’ve designed homes for a long list of celebrities. How is it designing for such high profile clients? Working with celebrities is exciting and brings a new thrill to creating. Often the ones I’ve worked with are artists themselves, so there’s an appreciation for the art of design. On the other hand, celebrities are very demanding and rarely told no, so when there’s a time restraint on custom design pieces that I can’t control, they don’t want to hear it. True
TRUE BEAUTY CANNOT BE RUSHED. beauty takes time, and there are certain things that cannot be rushed. It always works out in the end, and when they see the monument I’ve created to their wealth, they can be reminded everyday of their accomplishments when they come home. You have been featured frequently on reality TV shows that center around design. How was it designing in front of the camera? I love being on camera, and I’ve done a number of design shows with HGTV as well as reality shows where I’m featured as a designer, such as Kim Zolciak’s spinoff from The Real
Housewives of Atlanta. I’m designing her new house and filming with Bravo for that. These projects have been a lot more stressful, and it’s not reality either in so many ways. You are currently filming your own reality show. How is that going? I can’t say too much at this point, but filming my own reality show has been so much more exciting than working on someone else’s show! It’s being produced by A&E, with a Designing Women meets Modern Family approach. Do you have any upcoming projects that you are particularly excited about? I have a furniture line that I’m developing which will really help relay the Charles Neal design aesthetic, because I end up making custom design furniture for almost every project. With my own line, it will be much easier to create my vision, and of course my own TV show will help propel that. What was your most valuable mistake in life? Not dreaming big enough. When I was younger, I don’t think I reached far enough with my goals and dreams. I was perhaps too realistic and focused mainly on day-to-day survival. Regardless, I’ve had a long journey in my career overseeing many businesses and Charles Neal Interiors is actually only my latest company.
Vol 1 Spring 2013
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El Maestro Barroco Moderno
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l Diseñador de interiores Charles Neal está emergiendo en la parte superior de su juego. Con numerosas celebrities como clientes, apariciones especiales en HGTV y Bravo, su propio reality show que se mostrará muy pronto desde A&E, además de una línea de muebles, Neal está listo para abordar los USA con su propia mezcla de diseños barrocos y encanto sureño. Explique con más detalle su lema estilístico, “Barroco Moderno”. Esta frase la utilizo mucho. “Barroco moderno” es una mezcla: los valores clásicos con líneas modernas y con un adecuado equilibrio entre glamour y comodidad. Puesto que usted tiene un interés en la estética histórica, ¿hay alguna ciudad en particular o otras épocas que le inspiran? Yo hago Art Deco, así que me gusta Miami y las áreas y diseños que existen allí. Me siento continuamente inspirado con el estilo y la época. Me encanta el ambiente del Viejo Mundo de París. El Barroco es, obviamente, un tema al que siempre vuelvo, y después a la era moderna. Mi estilo de vida va de un extremo a otro y busco la armonía entre medio. Háblenos de sus clientes habituales. ¿Quién sería su cliente ideal?
Usted ha diseñado casas para una larga lista de celebrities. ¿Cómo se diseña para esos clientes con un perfil tan alto? Trabajar con celebrities es emocionante y aporta una nueva emoción a la creación. A menudo con
La verdadera belleza lleva tiempo y hay cosas que no pueden precipitarse. los que he trabajado son los propios artistas, por lo que hay un aprecio por el arte del diseño. Por otro lado, las celebrities son muy exigentes y rara vez digo que no, así que cuando hay una restricción de tiempo de diseño en piezas personalizadas que no puedo controlar, no quiero oírlo. La verdadera belleza toma tiempo, y hay ciertas cosas que no se puede apresurar. Al final siempre funciona, y cuando ellos ven el lujo que he creado, pueden recordar todos los días sus logros cuando llegan a casa. Ha sido presentado con frecuencia en reality shows que se centran en el diseño. ¿Cómo fue el diseño frente a la cámara? Me encanta estar en cámara, y he hecho una
serie de programas de diseño con HGTV, reality shows donde me presento como un diseñador, como spin-off de Kim Zolciak en Real Housewives of Atlanta. Estoy diseñando su nueva casa y lo estamos grabando con Bravo. Estos proyectos han sido mucho más estresantes, y no es la realidad en muchos aspectos. En este momento está filmando su propio reality show. ¿Cómo va eso? No puedo decir mucho en este punto, pero filmar mi propio reality show ha sido mucho más excitante que trabajar en algún otro show. Está siendo producido por A&E. ¿Tiene algún próximo proyecto del que está particularmente entusiasmado? Tengo una línea de muebles que estoy desarrollando y que realmente ayudará a transmitir la estética de diseño de Charles Neal, ya que me acaban de hacer muebles de diseño personalizado para casi todos los proyectos. Con mi propia línea será mucho más fácil crear mi visión y, por supuesto, mi propio programa de televisión que ayudará a promocionarlo. ¿Cuál fue su error más valioso en la vida? No soñar lo bastante grande. Cuando era más joven no creo que llegara lo suficientemente lejos en mis metas y sueños. Quizás he sido demasiado realista y me he centrado principalmente en la supervivencia del día a día. De todos modos, he tenido un viaje largo en mi carrera supervisando muchos negocios y Charles Neal Interiors es en realidad mi última empresa.
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Suelo trabajar con clientes entre 35-55 que están listos para diseñar sus casas, pero tal vez nunca lo han hecho antes. Es una nueva aventura para ellos, y ellos quieren que su casa luzca hermosa y lujosa, pero no como la casa de sus padres o de
sus abuelos. Mi cliente ideal sería alguien que me de rienda suelta y múltiples hogares para crear diferentes temas. Obviamente, como un diseñador, tenemos nuestras ideas, pero estamos retenidos o limitados por los presupuestos, estilos de vida y diferentes variables.
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D ESIG N
A NTH ONY FAGLIONE Written by Natalie Koho
FASHION’S FAVORITE
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or almost 20 years, Anthony Faglione has mastered a unique niche of building by providing turnkey services for some of fashion’s top brands like Calvin Klein, DKNY and Halston. With a repertoire of building runways, showrooms, stores and recently the new Council of Fashion Designers of America office, Le CITY USA talked with him about his background, journey and love of building for fashion houses. When did your interest in fashion begin? I’d say that I first fell into fashion at about 4 years old when my mother began dressing me like a nice little Italian boy. The only problem was that we were living in Queens, so I’d say I was becoming fashionable, but my neighbors didn’t agree. How did you first get into building for fashion labels?
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I started working in the fashion industry through an opportunity, and then continued working in fashion because the work kept coming and I enjoyed it! My first job for Calvin Klein was very intense for about 4 years. While working for Calvin, I’d get to know people who went on to work for other fashion houses and then would recommend that I work for those fashion houses.
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What is the most challenging aspect of designing for fashion labels? Designers never stop designing! To build a store or a showroom for a designer can
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MASTER BUILDER sometimes be challenging given their inherent nature. Managing that design philosophy while keeping everyone happy I find most challenging.
Tell us about working on the new CFDA building!
Tell us about some of your upcoming projects!
I’m of the mind that it’s important to create a niche for yourself, and I like to engineer and provide a different array of services to clients so that you become more of a need as opposed to just one of many.
The CFDA office is within a building, and it was a great project. I was invited to build this project as a turnkey, and I worked very closely with an architect and the client. The architect wanted to design only the best for the CFDA, and the CFDA, given that they are a non-forprofit foundation, did not have an unlimited budget. The challenge and exciting part was getting the budget to work for the design, and at the same time, satisfy everyone.
For the past 35 seasons, we’ve built the runway set stage for Ralph Lauren and we just completed two stores for a French skincare brand called Caudelie. I’m building the flagship store for Canali, an Italian brand, on Madison Avenue. I’m also currently working for Halston, who’s re-launched their image, and I’ve also built their showroom in SoHo as well as working on the Madison Avenue store.
What is your favorite design aesthetic? Least favorite?
Which design project are you most proud of?
I love the Calvin Klein look because it’s very clean and minimal. One would think that minimalism is easier to put together when in fact it actually is more difficult because every single line must have a purpose. The challenge of making that happen is what I find rewarding. I don’t like busy, messy lines or things that don’t make aesthetic sense. Everything should have a reason, and when it doesn’t, I find it a turn off.
The flagship stores for Reiss, a UK brand. I built three in total: two in New York and one in LA. Those were great because they were nice size projects and the client, Reiss, wanted to make an impact. The designers and those involved were very talented and in tune with delivering a great store. For example, the LA store has thousands of silver chain details that look like rainfall and reflect the British climate where Reiss originates.
What do you enjoy most about your niche of building?
EVERY SINGLE LINE SHOULD HAVE A REASON AND PURPOSE.
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EL MAESTRO CONSTRUCTOR FAVORITO
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esde hace casi veinte años, Anthony Faglione ha sido capaz de dominar un nicho de mercado al proveer servicios de construcción y servicio de llave en mano para algunas de las firmas más importantes de la moda como Calvin Klein, DKNY y Halston. Entre su repertorio se encuentran construcciones de pasarelas, salas de exhibicion, tiendas y recientemente las oficinas del Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Le CITY USA conversó con él acerca de su vida, su experiencia y su amor por la construcción para las grandes marcas de moda.
para Calvin Klein fue muy intenso y duró casi cuatro años. Mientras trabajaba para Calvin conocí a gente que trabajaba para otras marcas de moda y me recomendaron que también trabajara para ellas.
¿Cuándo comenzó tu interés por la moda?
¡Los diseñadores nunca dejan de diseñar! Construir una tienda o un showroom para un diseñador en ocasiones puede ser todo un desafío dada su naturaleza inherente. Me parece que el mayor desafío es poder plasmar la filosofía del diseño y lograr que todo el mundo quede contento.
Diría que la primera vez que caí en el mundo de la moda fue cuando tenía unos cuatro años y mi madre empezó a vestirme como a un niño bonito italiano. El problema fue que vivíamos en Queens, en ese momento yo pensaba que iba a la moda, pero mis vecinos no estaban de acuerdo.
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¿Cómo empezaste a construir para las marcas de moda?
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Empecé a trabajar en la industria de la moda porque me salió una oportunidad, y después continué trabajando porque el trabajo seguía viniendo ¡y lo disfrutaba! Mi primer trabajo
CADA LÍNEA DEBE TENER UN PROPÓSITO Y UNA RAZÓN DE SER ¿Cuál es el desafío más grande de diseñar para marcas de moda?
¿Qué es lo que más disfrutas de tu propio nicho de mercado? Soy de la idea que es importante crear un nicho de mercado para ti mismo. Me gusta desarrollar y ofrecer a mis clientes un abanico distinto de servicios que me permita convertirme en una necesidad en lugar de ser uno más del montón.
¿Cuál es tu estética favorita? ¿Cuál te gusta menos? Me encanta el estilo de Calvin Klein porque es muy limpio y minimalista. Uno podría pensar que el minimalismo es más fácil de lograr cuando de hecho es más difícil, porque cada línea debe tener un propósito y una razón de ser. El reto que supone plasmar un estilo es lo que me motiva. No me gustan las líneas confusas y desordenadas o las cosas que no tienen un sentido estético. Todo debe tener una razón de ser, y cuando no lo tiene, me resulta muy desalentador. ¿Cómo fue la experiencia de diseñar para el CFDA? Las oficinas de la CFDA están en el interior de un edificio, ha sido un gran trabajo. Me ofrecieron entregar el proyecto totalmente terminado y trabajé de forma conjunta con el arquitecto y el cliente. El arquitecto quería diseñar lo mejor para la CFDA, pero dado que la CFDA es una fundación sin ánimo de lucro contábamos con un presupuesto limitado. El desafío más emocionante del todo el proyecto fue lograr que el presupuesto se acomodara al diseño, y al mismo tiempo que todos quedaran satisfechos.
DEL MUNDO DE LA MODA ¿De qué proyecto te sientes más orgulloso? Las tiendas propias de Reiss, una marca británica. Construí tres en total: dos en Nueva York y una en Los Ángeles. Fueron grandes proyectos debido a su envergadura y porque el cliente, Reiss, quería causar una gran impresión. La gente y los diseñadores que estuvieron involucrados en el proyecto tenían mucho talento y por eso el resultado final fue
una gran tienda. Por ejemplo, la tienda de Los Ángeles tiene miles de cadenas de plata que simulan la lluvia y reflejan el clima británico típico del lugar de donde Reiss es originario. ¡Cuéntanos de tus próximos proyectos! Durante las últimas 35 temporadas hemos construido las pasarelas y los escenarios de Ralph Lauren y hemos terminado dos tiendas
de la marca de cosmética francesa Caudelie. Ahora estoy construyendo una tienda propia para Canali, una marca italiana, en la Avenida Madison. También estoy trabajando para el relanzamiento de Halston. Anteriormente construí su showroom en SOHO y la tienda de la Avenida Madison.
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