BrooklynBride

02. 02. 2010 Studio tour: Well Spun Wedding Films

[images from Well Spun Weddings]

02. 01. 2010 Parcel Post for Brooklyn Bride [no. 14]

Hi friends at Brooklyn Bride! I am back this week with inspiration in kraft and white. Over here at Urbanic one of our brides just left with this invitation set. When her suite arrived it was absolutely stunning and I found myself thinking of all the creative things she could do with her reception pieces. How cute would it be to have your escort cards be written out on a string of hanging awards! These little pencils would be the perfect accompaniment to a cork guest book. Garlands and decoration possibilities are endless as these papers are so accessible – not to mention recycled!

above: award ribbons by Nice Package • wood pencils from Lemontree 77 • paper garland by Frazier & Wing • rsvp postcard by Alee and Press

01. 26. 2010 Studio tour: d. Sharp

Name: Denise Sharp
Location: Portland, Oregon
Company: d. Sharp

What is your aesthetic?
My work is vintage inspired –  little paper luxuries to mark an occasion. I am a collector and fascinated by old ephemera, and like a mix of vintage charm and modern polish.

How does your studio style convey your professional aesthetic?
A lot of the functional elements I use for storage or to organize are vintage finds – a tin honeycomb from a winery, an old wooden screen stand to hold ribbon, vintage film canisters and baking pans {anything tin!} to hold stuff, old medical cabinets.

Favorite part of your studio?
The heat!  We built the two story studio and it’s insulated – our old house isn’t.

Where do you go for inspiration?
My drawers of ephemera  and stacks of old books, fun stuff with husband and kids, Powell’s Books, the flea market, a few favorite shops, coffee {meet friends or people watch}, sketchbook. Time at the gym helps me mentally sort through and clarify things.

What tool do you use in your business that you can’t live without?
I never thought I would say this, but my computer.

Is there anything you’d upgrade to?
There are some things I would love to have in the studio, but am pretty happy with what I have.

Anything else we should know?
Having scaled back the wholesale side of the business after my second child, I would love to license a paper/gift line. Designing new pieces is the best part  and I would be thrilled to have an opportunity to spend more time doing it.

[images from Where Women Create]

12. 15. 2009 Studio tour: Nancy Liu Chin

Name: Nancy Liu Chin
Location: San Francisco
Company: Nancy Liu Chin Designs

What is your aesthetic?

Great questions.  Modern. American. Classic.  And Pretty.  I am to be the Ralph Lauren of Weddings!

It’s a 2 story commercial workspace with a bottom workroom that has high ceiling.  My office is on the top floor.

Our studio is very simply designed using all light blonde wood.  Everything is very clean, tailored, and simple.  Colors of cream, tan, brown are the dominant.  Every year I change the accent color.  It’s been a light/sky blue for a while now.  Magazine boxes in happy green.  Kolo boxes in dark chocolate.  Pillows in suede mocha brown.  We show off our portfolio using a slideshow presentation on our Sony 42 inch color tv screen.  Everything is clean.  On one wall we have some shelves and 3 large oversized floral images framed in thick White wooden frames.  That’s my studio.

If you are wondering, our space in Potrero Hill, our logo, station products reflect my casual, fun. unpretentious personality.

My desk!  I combined two simple rectangular desks together so they are back to back.  It creates a really nice work space.  Also, when my assistant is working, we love chatting face to face. Love it.

I love to shop and window shop.  I often get inspiration from walking around Hayes valley with their ecletic, urban mix of shops and eateries.
Going to restaurants and hotels is a huge source of inspiration as I often design for large spaces.  I love the decor at hotels like St. Regis, Clift, and Solage in Calistoga.   There are so many wonderful restaurants in the world.  A few in SF that sparkle my imagination include Michael Minna’s restaurant in the Westin St. Francis. The beautiful new Out the Door in Fillmore is lovely and urban.  There’s a Supperclub in SF and the decor is very provocative.  That’s appealing to my senses.

Believe it or not, movies and pop culture gives me inspiration.  The Twilight mania is just one example of how pop culture/movies inspires.  Though I haven’t done a “vamp/goth” wedding, it does inspire me.

This sounds so crazy but I love food, candy, pastries.  Going into Miette’s candy shop is eye candy for the senses.  I love how food is displayed like at Bi Rite.  And when you see a plate of food from Cyrus, it’s art.  How can I not be inspired by these things.

Manila Folders – they keep me organized
Fandeck – it is a deck of cards that shows almost all the flowers from a to z.  It’s my secret tool when brides can’t figure out what flowers they like.

We are getting new computers next year…at least I hope.  We are currently trying to phase out of pc’s.

I think that’s a whole lot!

[images from Nancy Liu Chin Designs]

10. 13. 2009 Studio tour: Gabriella Bridal Salon

I had the pleasure of visiting Gabriella at her salon a few months ago, and knew her space would be perfect for a studio tour…its hard not to be inspired when you’re surrounded by beautiful dresses like she is!

Name: Gabriella Risatti

Location: 400 W. 14^th st. Ste. 2A New York, NY 10014

Company: Gabriella New York Bridal Salon

What is your aesthetic? We are a loft in the Meatpacking District in an old building and our studio has the original hardwood floors.  We have chosen fixtures and furniture that join the industrial feel of the space with the elegance of the gowns.

How does your studio style convey your professional aesthetic? One of my main objectives for the salon is to provide red carpet service without the attitude or uptight feeling that some salons have.  My studio is set up like someone’s home to create that welcoming and friendly environment.  For example, I chose the most comfortable chairs and couches for guests to sit on and displayed the jewelry in an armoire like you would have in your own bedroom.

Favorite part of your studio? I love the windows! We are on a corner and the walls are lined with big windows that let in tons of light and give a great city view.

Where do you go for inspiration? Recently, I have been spending a lot of time on the Highline.  It’s such an amazing escape from the city and allows me to slow down and relax.  The gelato truck in Chelsea Market also inspires me on a very regular basis!

What tool do you use in your business that you can’t live without? Our on-line appointment scheduling system!  It allows brides to book their appointments on-line, which saves them a phone call.  Very often, girls end up doing their wedding planning late at night when the stores aren’t open, so this solves that problem!

Is there anything you’d upgrade to? I would give anything for a second elevator in our building, but somehow my landlord doesn’t seem to agree!!!

Anything else we should know?  All of our dresses are exclusive to us in New York and we love to showcase emerging designers!  We offer a selection of gowns that most people have never seen before and we always hear women saying they like our dresses because they are so different.  We are also a flagship for Sara Gabriel headpieces and veils, which are really beautiful and fashion forward.

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