RESTAURANT LOVE :: BUDDAKAN

Last fall, during my trip to New York, I went on the Sex and the City tour (yes, I know, cheesy. However, I will admit I thoroughly loved every three hours of it.) During the tour we stopped at the famous Buddakan.

You know, the spot for "the last single girl kiss".

MR.BIG AND CARRIE - LAST SINGLE GIRL KISS

The instant I walked in, I fell in love with the space. We were greeted with beautiful hardware. I love it when restaurants pay attention to hardware, it's those little details that I like to call the jewelry of the space which make such a huge difference. 

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Entry hardware

The moment we walked in I was happily welcomed with bright colors splashed through the space, the bold fretwork designs really caught my eye and I couldn't stop gazing at them!

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Then, I turned the corner... and this stunning banquet hall dazzled below me. The grandness was really quite amazing. All of the beautiful wood work, the long linear tables, the large scale chandeliers dancing through the space, like graceful ballerinas. I can honestly say, this room evoked a very powerful emotion. 

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I just couldn't stop staring at this room, I was in awe!

Have you ever been to Buddakan? I was really happy to have had a private tour of the space, but it really left me dying to try the food too. Next time I am in New York, it will surely be on my dining to do list! 

DESIGN CHAT: FABRICA PIZZA

It's been a few months since we finished Fabrica Woodfired Pizza, and I have to be honest, I still love it just as much as the day we started! There is something fantastic about the clean open environment, combined with the fresh ingredients, I just can't get enough!

So I decided to talk about a few of my favorite Fabrica things:

• Recycled materials. The table tops are derived from old churches around the United States, no trees suffered while creating a spot for you to eat!

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Ohio is where these table tops once called home. 

• This glorious woodfired pizza oven. All 7,000lbs of it. No, that wasn't a typo. At one point, we considered covering the facade in small gold tiles (you know, I love to put gold on anything.) However, honestly, I do believe leaving it in it's natural state was the best choice. The stark white looks so lovely and clean. This oven stands very proud. (And, us too!)

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• Open environment. This space is seriously wonderful. It's open, airy and not over stuffed with too many tables. You don't feel on top of your neighbor, which is really great. I hate it when restaurants shove you next to the bathrooms or the kitchen door. There is plenty of breathing room here.

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• Amazing Italian photography. So, the owners of Fabrica Woodfired Pizza are pretty great. The goal was for Fabrica to have an authentic Italian vibe, so they purchased original photography from a very talented Italian photographer. We got to have fun with it and turn it into wallpaper, creating a beautiful focal wall in the space. I love this image so much.

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• One word, tufting. I mean, really, can there ever be too much tufting in the world? Well, yeah, there can. However, in this case, it's the perfect amount of tufting and it looks fabulous on the camel faux leather. 

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• Pizza. Pizza. Pizza. Amazing, delicious, mouth-watering, pizza.

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So there you have it, a few of our favorite Fabrica things! Have you been yet? If so, tell us your favorites below!

General Contractor: Boyd Construction Co.

All photography: Native House Photography

INSPIRATION: TILES

We love the idea of an unexpected design element. Having an original pop of color or surprising texture can really make all the difference in a room. Tiles have both those qualities and, therefore, double the potential to impress.

Whether used as a combination of simple squares or as a complex mosaic, tiles have been used for decor since the 13th century BC. After all this time, they can still be just as beautiful and unique.

They can be part of just a small highlight like this decorative sink from the Hudson Valley boutique hotel Glenmere Mansion…

Photo Credit: Lonny

Or this kitchen Portuguese tile accent piece.

Photo Credit: Carla Aston

They can add a colorful and artistic personality to a space like in this staircase in Jaipur, India…

Photo Credit: The Jungalow

Or this bohemian bathroom.

Photo Credit: Decoholic

And even in black and white with a distinctive pattern, it can have a unique charm like interior designer Jessica Helgerson’s work in the Mexican restaurant Corazón…

Photo Credit: Design Sponge

Or in Capree Kimball's dramatic bathroom renovation.

Photo Credit: Apartment Therapy

When done right, tiles can even be the star of the room like in this jaw dropping living room. You may need a mosaic artist to install this one, though, but for this look, it’s definitely worth it.

Photo Credit: Mimar Interiors

INSPIRATION :: A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE IRISH PUB

Saint Patrick’s Day is around the corner and the holiday immediately brings a few images to mind, the color green and Irish pubs being some of them. Our glam inclination, however, has us dreaming not of the rustic, busy corners of dive bars but the way that other places have taken the charm and character from Irish drinking joints and translated them into more modern, sleek and clean designs.

Like this emerald hued space that makes you want to order a drink by the bar stat…

Or the award winning design for The Lost & Found bar that took the coziness of an Irish pub and made it way more elegant with modern lighting and seats.

How in this home, a vintage industrial bar cart in a basement man cave is just the right amount of unpolished along with an exposed brick wall leading up to it.

And how these super modern restaurants took the classic leather Irish pub booths and green velour fabric and made them so chic with variations. 

Very different from the classic St. Patty’s spots but just as inviting. Cheers!