What I Learned From The Elle Decor: Women In Design Event

1. People that work at cool museums tend to be cool themselves.  A few weeks back the folks from The Cooper Hewitt Museum sent fellow LIFC blogger and my favorite city cohort, April an invitation to attend Elle Decor’s 2nd Annual Women In Design Event- which the museum was co-hosting.

The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum (an outpost of the Smithsonian Institute) is housed in what was Andrew Carnigie’s 5th Ave. mansion

April’s Feeling The Felt At The Cooper Hewitt post had caught their eye and they thought she’d like to hear for herself what a few of today’s most successful female designers have to say about juggling life, love and career.

They were so right- we were psyched.  The line up was fabulous.  Elle Decor’s Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell playing host to this year’s recipients: (minus Josie Natori-too bad, I love her PJs!)

Charlotte Moss (whom the magazine also presented with their annual Vision Award)

Kelly Wearstler

Holly Hunt

and Michelle Nussbaumer

2. Margaret Russell must have some innate sense of direction. I quickly realized that these women represent not only varying styles and life stories, but when pinpointed on a map they also represent a crisscross of locations within our colorful country.

Moss (NY), Nussbaumer (Dallas), Wearstler (LA) and Hunt (Chicago).  Was this just a coincidence? Was Ms. Russell consulting an atlas?  Whatever the reason for their geographical alignment, I was thrilled. Feeling as if I’ve been suffering from ‘NY tunnel vision’ I was excited to hear about life as a designer beyond the Big Apple.

So I happily headed to the heart of Times Square to hook up with April outside of the hip and happening TheTimesCenter housed within the NY Time’s headquarters (wow, try saying that 10 times fast).

3. That TheTimesCenter is an amazing space inside an even more amazing building. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The New York Time’s new headquarters is a 52 story marvel of glass and steel. It’s transparent facade allows outsiders to peek in and the day’s ever changing light and colors to shine back through.  Here’s a quote I found from the designer himself:

“I love the city and I wanted this building to be an expression of that. I wanted a transparent relationship between the street and the building. From the street, you can see through the whole building. Nothing is hidden. And like the city itself, the building will catch the light and change color with the weather. Bluish after a shower, and in the evening on a sunny day, shimmering red. The story of this building is one of lightness and transparency.”-Renzo Piano (source)

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The building really does change colors.  I remember it first caught my eye while I was driving in a cab up the West Side- it’s facade had literally turned the same amazing palette of crimsons and blues as the evening’s sunset.

I had yet to ever have the opp to be inside- as soon as we walked through the big glass doors we were struck by the space’s colors- about as close to Pantone’s color of the year for 2009 Mimosa as you can get highlighted with punches of a bright, true red.

When I walked into the auditorium and caught sight of the building’s interior moss and birch tree garden beyond the stage’s windows I was truly blown away. It’s no surprise to learn that Piano has become the go- to architect for museum redos throughout the United States.  The space has the same serene and contemplative feel you’d expect to experience in a modern day gallery or museum.

3. Networking is important, but when you are not in the mood very hard.  Luckily sometimes fate steps in. I was first and foremost there to listen in on the conversation between Ms. Russell and her panel of ‘designing women’.  But the cocktail hour at these events exist for one reason and one reason only- to quench your thirst, feed your hunger and fulfill your need to meet new people and provide your own answer to New Yorkers’ favorite question ‘What do you do?’.

But it was a Monday night and after a busy weekend I found myself lacking all social energy.  Besides I was having way too much fun egging April on to talk to the cute catering guy and playing the ‘Does where we stand effect the amount of hors d’oeurves we are offered?’ game to be bothered.

being this close to Holly Hunt, it probably would have been a smart move to say ‘hello’

By the time we were instructed to line up to enter the auditorium we realized we hadn’t talked to anyone other than each other.  Then as if on cue a lovely woman came up and asked if we were in line and an interesting conversation ensued.  Long story short she owns a ‘fringe’ art gallery and has a very exciting art show opening this month.  We ended up sitting together and now we have yet another interesting event to look forward! So sometimes being lazy does pay.

4.  That we must remember how awesome the founding mothers of modern day design are and that Margaret Russell is really cute in person.  Elsie De Wolfe , Dorthy Draper and Sister Parish were among the mavens mentioned in the opening slide show. It was fascinating to take a quick jaunt through history and see how much of an influence these woman still have on what makes for a beautiful home today.

rooms by Elsie De Wolf and Sister Parish (combining mauves and greens was a big hit for all 3!) and one of Dorthy Draper’s stylish ‘how-to’s’

Margaret Russell was quite poised, able to laughed off a few minor technical glitches and at herself -divulging us with her need to suck on cough drops due to a lingering cold. Once the panel was introduced and took their seats next to her in the living room like set, she charmingly referred to the evening as her own version of ‘The View’.  ( She however did not explain an ankle brace she was sporting with her LBD and heels but judging from her ‘gams and her guns’ I’m guessing kick boxing accident).

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5. That Charlotte Moss is hilarious. April and I of course loved her for the fact they she’s a Virginia girl turned New Yorker-just like us, but it was her plethora of feisty one liners that kept us chuckling throughout the evening.  When Margaret (or Peggy as Charlotte refers to her) asked “Do you care if you are called a designer or a decorator (since Elle Decor tends to use both terms in their magazine), Charlotte replied- ‘I don’t really care what you call me, as long as you pay my bill on time”.

I also admire that Charlotte is the only blogger out of the bunch.  Tete-A-Tete followers her latest musings and inspirations. (By the way none of the panel including Ms. Russell Twitters)

She was also quite candid about her recent decision to shut down Townhouse, her famed Upper East Side retail store. Saying that what seemed at first to be an incredibly hard choice, once made- was in the end one of the easiest she has ever made.  The demands of the store had taken ‘all the fun out’ of the other areas of her professional life.

6. That even the most successful of designers has a decorating skeleton or two in the closet.  When asked what the worst decorating mistake they ever made was.  Michelle Nussbaumer offered up that at a clients request she had slipcovered a desk- ‘You couldn’t even open the drawers’ she laughed.  While an entrance way  of six different colored stripes led to Kelly’s worst ‘decorating don’t’. Michelle also stated that she has mounted a stuffed alligator over a console in a client’s dining room (it’s a Texas thing, I suppose!)

7. That a good staff can organize your life and perhaps even polish up your fashion styling skills. Kelly Wearstler credits one overly zealous staff member with having the organizational skills of a pro, creating what sounds like an amazing clear bin system of all of her samples, memos and archives. She described it with such awe and appreciation you know it must be incredible.  Then Michelle let us in on the fact (after it was first brought to our attention by Charlotte) that she often takes her younger, just starting out in the business staffers shopping for their professional wardrobes. (Wow-really?  Again, this must be a Texas thing?!)

8.  That Holly Hunt believes success comes from taking risks.  She admitted to making many mistakes when she was first starting out in business, but that it was her risky decisions- like buying a showroom after her divorce and eventually signing on to partnership with designer Christian Liaigre that helped to define her career. I loved that she admits to being totally disorganized and even made reference to the many, many piles of papers that constantly crowd her desk (hey, Holly-me too!).  Plus even though she’s called Chicago home for many decades now, she has yet to lose her West Texas drawl- which I find very cool.

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the evening’s stylish crowd-we’re in there somewhere

9. A room’s atmosphere and energy is what a successfully designed space is all about. These were the keywords on everyone’s lips. How the room makes you feel, it’s comfort level and how a room can enhance your life are of top priority for all four women.

10. It was refreshing to know that even the most famous of designers don’t always have carte blanche when it comes to running the show.  Charlotte Moss was again hilarious in talking of the trials and tribulations of working with clients saying that she sometimes has to tell her clients “let’s step back for a moment and revisit why you called me in the first place’.

11. Kelly Wearstler believes its important to constantly surround yourself with inspiration-  Scouring bookstores, museums, movies and travel are some of her personal favorite sources. Charlotte makes sure to keep a notebook in every room and bag so she’s always on the ready to jot down an idea,  Michelle works with traditional inspiration boards as a starting point to defining the mood of a new projects, while Holly always keeps an eye open believing that good design ideas are all around us everyday.

12. That Michelle believes that in order to be a successful mother, friend, wife, sister and business woman it takes finding that perfect balance:  Since she manages to be a career woman and mother to four children, I’m guessing she’s found it.  I wish more had been discussed on this subject- perhaps she will start a blog…I will read it Michelle if you do:)!!!!

After a big round of applause we all made our way out to the lobby to say our goodbyes and the panel came out to mingle with the crowd.  As we were leaving, we caught sight of Charlotte Moss and felt it was imperative to give a ’shout out’ to the common bond of our ‘Old Dominion’ home state.

She was very sweet, comparing notes on being southerners in the city and encouraging us to ‘keep blogging’.  When we told her that she was the one that we voted ‘the designer we most wanted to go have drinks with afterwards’, she politely laughed and said’ Oh, yeah, well that’s good, I like that-but I’m off to dinner now” and away she went.

Rats! If only she had taken us up on it- what a fantastic ending to an already great evening we would have had.  Oh, well. Holly…. you’ll be happy to know we took a risk.