A Happy and Safe New Year

My friendly readers - and can you believe that I JUST found out that the number of readers can be VASTLY different than your number of followers?! My little ego-driven soul just exploded over that little tidbit of news - I wanted to take an opportunity to wish you the happiest, healthiest, most productive and love-filled of New Years ever known to the world.

I'd also like to take a minute to caution you about one tiny thing....EXCESS

For those who know me (and for those who have only seen my pictures or heard of my exploits) you know that I am a BIG fan of excess. Excessive beauty, excessive fun, excessive enjoyment of life that seems, all too often, not to supply us with the excesses that we would like.

Enjoy your celebrations but, please, enjoy them in a way that keeps you and those around you safe.

So, as I continue my New Year's Eve Day with preparations for tomorrow's Holiday Open House - baking, cooking, mulling of cider, etc. - I wish you all again a....

Happy New Year!

Joy To The World!

To those who celebrate the holiday today I wish the best that Christmas can bring to you. And, to those whose beliefs don't include this particular holiday, I wish that you feel the love, joy, and peace that it represents in your lives.
I would apologize for not blogging more about the season's dealings but as I'm sure you know, this is one of the most time consuming and stressful times of year for everyone and I am definitely included in that group.
Between holiday concerts in Pennsylvania, finding perfect gifts, train travel, teaching, cards and letters, decorating trees and planning menus, this one has been....well....let's just say it - NUTS!
But I am happy it all was done when it had to be. Now on to our annual Holiday Open House on January 1st. This gives me time to enjoy this holiday, have a slight breather, re-group and throw a beautiful, cozy shindig that we all can enjoy.
Tonight, however, we're having another couple over for dinner - a tradition of Jae's and mine that, unfortunately, has been on hiatus for far too long - where I get to spend the day in the kitchen making something special.
In this case tonight's menu includes a prune, apple, rosemary and pecan stuffed pork roast with a spicy mustard crust, braised red cabbage (supplied by our guests) and roasted potatoes. Actual utensils at an actual dining table, candle (and tree) light and a fire in the fireplace - and by that I mean the fire DVD on the wide screen!
It should be festive and satisfying.

I hope your holidays are all that you wish for them to be, dear readers, and I will be back very soon with more of my inanities and insanities.

Happy, Happy!
-SSG

HowmanytimesdoIhavetotellyoukidsnottoshakethepresents?!?!

It's OK. These days there are so many of us that do the prudent thing and get our friends and loved ones gift cards so that they can choose something that they have had their heart set on having.

Pros? Well, it IS easier and we all like to be happiness enablers now and again. And the recipient doesn't have to worry that their gift from you will totally suck, But the cons, for me, really outweigh the pros in this situation.

Those cons? When have you ever seen a child jump up and down and scream, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for the Target gift card. It's just what I've always wanted!!!"?

I don't know. I just get a kick out of planning the perfect gift. Something that says that I puzzled long and hard about the person and when I saw this perfect something I thought of them and realized that they would feel that special little tug of our friendship/love/respect/generosity every time they looked/thought of/used that particular item.

Sure, convenience is great but not personal and personal isn't always great or convenient but I have, over the years, learned my lesson when it comes to that saying that 'it's better to give than to receive'.
It's SO true....at least for me. For even as I start to unwrap and open a gift from someone special, it seems that all I can think about is how wonderful I hope my gift to them is going to make them feel.

So this season, sure....go ahead and give me beautifully wrapped boxes filled with cash or fantastical plastic cards with the promise of excitement and shopping joy and, trust me, I will love your gift and not think anything less of the thought that went into it - I'm admittedly tough to shop for - but don't be shocked when you open a gift from me that is surprisingly apropos for you and you alone. That's one of the ways that I am fortunate enough to be able to tell you how much I care.

I hope you're all in the midst of a great holiday season!

-SSG

Maybe This Time - I'll Be Latke

Many times I wonder, loyal readers, how much one man can do with one day.
I don't know if you are aware, but there's lots of stuff to do for the holiday season!
What? You knew? And no one told me?

I'm in the midst of rehearsing a holiday concert series out of town while trying to keep the home fires burning. holiday cards, holiday shopping, arranging for trees and decorations, planning open houses and special meals, travel, communicate with clients, students - fer cryin' out loud!
Who has this kind of energy?! Well, apparently, I must because I tumble into bed at night with song lyrics rushing through my head, fall into a fitful sleep just to start it all over again.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I'm amazed! Why is it that I go months with one or two projects to complete at a time and get overwhelmed or put them off shamefully but then this season rolls around and I manage to get so much more done? Why on earth can I be this productive under pressure but the rest of the year just going down to the corner for a half gallon of milk requires a mid-afternoon nap?!

If I could just harness this "holiday spirit" for use during the rest of the year I could be downright dangerous. I need to figure this out so that, maybe this time, I'll be able to stretch this burst of creative energy for a little longer than just the holiday season.

Meanwhile, I know I haven't given you all a good recipe for a while (Who knows? Some might say I NEVER have!) so I'm including my mom's recipe for AMAZING Potato Latkes...they truly are NOT just for Chanukah anymore!

DEE'S AMAZING POTATO LATKES

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded using the big holes of a hand grater or processor
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup grated onion, using the smaller holes on grater
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 cup peanut oil

1. Combine the eggs, flour, onion, salt, and pepper, stirring to blend.

2. I usually do the grating (or processing) of the potatoes after everything else is measured, beaten, etc, so they don't turn black.
3. Using your hands or a clean tea towel, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the potatoes.
4. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture, mixing well.
5. Bring a large, heavy skillet to medium high heat with about a tablespoon or so of oil.
6. Spoon the batter by large spoonfuls into the hot oil, flattening them with the back of the spoon.     DON'T crowd them!
7. Fry until the bottom of the latkes are nicely browned (3 - 4 mins)
Turn the pancakes and cook for about 3 minutes longer. Repeat for the remaining pancakes, adding oil to the skillet as needed.

Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you make LOTs more.
Serve with apple sauce and sour cream OR for those who like the savory, sour cream and horseradish! YUM!

Let me know how you like them. I'm sure my mom would be proud if you made them.

Enjoy!

Chappy Channukah? Hanukka? Chanukah? Hanaka?

Is there anything better than a holiday one has to EXPLAIN?
YES! A holiday that most of your friends don't know how to SPELL!
And, hey, it's not anyone's fault. Just take a look around at how many different ways there are out there that this holiday can be misspelled....

• Chanuka
• Chanukah
• Chanukkah
• Channukah
• Hanukah
• Hannukah
• Hanukkah
• Hanuka
• Hanukka
• Hanaka
• Haneka
• Hanika
• Khanukkah

Personally, I prefer the 'less is more' approach ... if there's an opportunity to double a letter I just don't. I find it very green. Saves time, energy and ink! And you can recycle those unused letters in other more needy and deserving words. And who doesn't like to be a little more charitable at the holidays, right?
Now, there is one way to never, ever spell this beautiful holiday wrongly:

Very frugal, concise, not even bothering with vowels. Now, THAT's my kind of holiday! It lives up to the beauty and simplicity of the story of the reconsecration of the temple with a jar of oil only big enough for one day that miraculously lasted for eight days. Nice, right?

Well, dear dedicated readers, we are in the midst of this year's celebration of the Festival of Lights and I want to wish you all every bit of beauty and peace of this and all holiday seasons.

My Best,
- SSG 

Safety First! A Christmas Cautionary Tail...um...Tale

I think I may have mentioned, my friends, that I'm a great, big, unabashed fan of Christmas. Not so much of the birth of the baby Jesus and the wise men and all of that stuff, but I have to say that the music and the jovial atmosphere and the general "makin' purty" has always been right up my alley.

Today I'd like to talk to you about the safety issues of having a tree in a home with curious critters.
I'm sure you've seen it on those funny home video shows and plastered on YouTube where the family pet takes a headlong leap onto the decorated tree and all hell breaks loose and many other things just break.
Amusing? I guess. But the first place I always (mentally) go is the bad place. "What happens if they get an electric shock?", "OMIGOD, there's shattered glass everywhere! What if their paws get cut?".

Jae and I had never had cats before in our lives when we got Violetta and Mercedes. We had both grown up with large dogs as little brothers - his a collie named George and mine a black labrador named Duke. Dogs are not, in general, climbing animals and aside from the occasional fascination with a toy, they're not drawn to shiny stuff just so they can swallow it. Cats, however, are pre-programmed to create as much havoc as humanly feline-ly possible. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against that. It's in their DNA.

Our first tree was planned to the very last detail for their safety and our sanity.
First, we decided to get a real tree, so that meant keeping it watered.
We figured that it was best that the bottom branched were as high off the ground as possible to discourage temptation so we propped this nine foot monster in a HUGE cache pot that i filled with about four gallons of water and a whole lot of green food coloring.
Three quarters up the tree I tied mono filament fishing line and connected that to two eye hooks on the wall so that, just in case the girls decided to do an Orville and Wilbur Wright off the mantelpiece, the whole damn thing wouldn't fall right over.

After that I had the most inspired idea that I could imagine. I purchased a HUGE roll of 3/4 inch ribbon and sat down to tie up groups of glass ball ornaments...4...5....6 of varying size and finish in silver and gold leaving enough left over ribbon to TIE these groupings securely to the tree.
Continuing with this inspiration, rather than using those wire ornament hangers I got a roll of green twist ties from a garden store and everything else, fragile or not, got the secure tied-to-the-tree treatment. Believe it or not, the only decorations that got broken that year were ones that I (the family klutz) dropped myself.

I'm sure you all know by now which holiday plants are dangerous to your pets but just in case you don't here is a random link to some information:

http://www.suite101.com/content/christmas-plants-toxic-to-pets-a10644

If you're going to have gatherings of friends and family in your home over the holidays, may I make one little suggestion?
Not to be a pet party pooper,  but just to be on the safe side, ask your guests not to feed any party foods - or especially alcohol - to your pets.
Yeah, I know it sounds stupid to mention, but you'd be surprised how often people who don't have animals at home will think it's OK to give kitty a taste of bourbon or puppy his first hot wing (don't even get me started on the bone issue)!
And try to make sure that there is enough table space and coasters for your guests' drinks. A cocktail on the floor is like a homing beacon to dogs and cats.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and that it just keeps getting better and better.
Thank you all for being loyal readers. Tell your friends - unless of course you really hate my blog and it's like needles in your eyes each time you catch sight of it. In THAT case.....just tell your enemies and know that I'm happy to help you out!

Ciao for Niao.

- SSG

Home(keeping) For The Holidays

Tis the season, my few but mighty readers, to enjoy the company of our friends and loved ones in the privacy and comfort of our homes, apartments, condos, lean-tos, igloos, yurts and teepees.
The urge to entertain is strong among some of us and I, for one, get that urge MIGHTY bad at this time of year. The only problem is that this season is jam-packed with lots of other things too so the prep time to have friends to the apartment is scarce so I have a few helpful hints to help you connect with that fantastic entertainer inside you just bursting to get out and spread holiday cheer.

Ready? Here we go....

•  Remember that a clean house is not just for guests. And clean doesn't mean surgical scrub nurse clean. All it means is that things are picked up and put away and there isn't a mound of dirty clothes in the hall or dishes in the sink. The basics of "clean as you go" come in very handy here. Also, keep in mind that the rooms are going to be filled with revelers so no one is going to notice that tiny stain near the chair leg or that smudge on the coffee table so don't drive yourself nuts. There are limits and the party is for YOU too!
• Take out a saucepan. Fill it with a mixture of one part apple juice or cider, one part orange juice and three parts water. Now, get yourself a coffee filter and some dental floss - yes, dental floss.    In the coffee filter make a little mound of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, whole or ground allspice, and ground nutmeg. You can even add a dash of vanilla and almond extract.       Next, twist the coffee filter into a little bag and tie tightly with the dental floss. Toss it into the saucepan  and set to simmer. Don't let the liquid boil away. Once it starts to smell fantastic and before your guests arrive, take the pot off the stove and walk around the house with it letting the scent waft around. Instant potpourri from stuff you had in your spice cabinet!
• You are not feeding and watering a third world country here. Something to think about when you're planning what to serve is that most people who were raised right (and why wouldn't YOUR friends be in that group?) would never dream of going anywhere empty handed so there might be more wine or spirits or food than you could possibly use. DON'T over-serve.
• What you DO serve should be house friendly. If you value your home you might consider not serving anything difficult to negotiate while carrying a glass. I love hot wings but the carpet is not too fond of them....just sayin'. There are a lot of finger foods that are tasty as well as neat and tidy. If you serve red wine, just make sure there's white as well - to help inevitable stains.
• YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH ICE!
• A very important entertaining tip...You are NOT Martha Stewart. Well unless, for some strange reason Martha is reading my blog, then you, Martha, can back me up on this...not all of us can afford the same extravagances that the more well-to-do can and do. But that doesn't mean that your decor can't be beautiful, exciting and impressive. You just need to know where to shop and what to do to cut the cost without cutting the visual impact. Did you know that they make plastic flatware that looks like stainless? I KNOW! Cool, huh? And they also have plastic plates that have the same look as those beautiful white banquet dishes with the silver or gold edges. They're washable, reusable and pretty darned good looking for a buffet or cocktail party.
• Things don't have to be expensive. Ever heard that saying, "It's the thought that counts."?           It's really true. If you put thought into what you do before you do it you can make it a truly spectacular celebration without breaking the bank.

If you have any specific questions about what to do or where to buy things, please don't hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment and/or a question and I promise I'll answer. Between us, we can have some amazing and wonderful parties this season and many more to come!  Have fun!!!

A Holiday Wish

A Very Happy Thanksgiving To All!

Enjoy your friends, your family, your food and take a moment to 
remember how fortunate we all are to be sharing in this
world of possibility.

Steven's Adventures In Holidayland

Hello everyone out in Blogland.
The holidays are on us now like beige on uncooked quinoa, white on rice, cat hair on...well...everything we own. But I'm not discouraged - far from it.
You know why? Because, except for our second (legal in the state of Connecticut) anniversary on December 28th - not to be confused with the twenty-eighth (actual) anniversary that we celebrate on December 25th (I know...VERY confusing), Jae and I tend to keep our holiday gift giving to a minimum.
And, except for a holiday open house that usually happens on Christmas Day, we tend to be frugal gift givers and prefer to give all our friends of our hospitality and good cheer by going all out for said gathering. Meaning? SHOPPING OVER! Buying, not so much, but the choosing of perfect gifts is taken care of and now I get to plan the menu for the open house instead of worrying about silly things like gifting. Let me know if you can come!

My mother, may she rest peacefully, had a saying about me - "Ain't nothing like a nice Jewish boy making pretty for Christmas!"
She truly enjoyed watching me decorate Jae's and my home(s) for the holiday season. I've always said that it was for my husband's benefit - ours is a mixed marriage - but to be completely honest and above board SHHHH...he couldn't care less! Sure, he likes the house to look festive but couldn't give a fig how it gets that way.
I think its like a lot of things in our relationship over the years. He's been brilliant enough to "become" inept at certain things like cooking, designing, laundry, sewing and the like so that his controlling and energetic husband will take over so "it can be done right". What a fool I've been. It's okay...I love it and he is my biggest fan.

One of my favorite stories is about the year that I was on the national tour of Phantom of the Opera and Jae was hired to join us in New Orleans to work as a dresser for our stay which encompassed Christmas and New Year's that year. YES! A dresser. He had actually worked as a dresser when we lived in Chicago and had been the dresser of Rudolf Nureyev whenever he would come to town. Dressers SEW. Let it go, Steven, let it go.
Well, before Jae left New York he pre-mailed a box of ornaments for the requisite tree that we would have in New Orleans. Our apartment there was HUGE and had eighteen foot ceilings, the box got lost in the mail and I bought a tree that was at least ten feet tall!

So, here's a little tip for all of you that get trees that are too big for what you have to put on it:

MESSIAH ORNAMENTS
What you need:
A musical score or a photocopy of the first page of the Hallelujah Chorus from G.F. Handel's Messiah
1 roll dark red (or green or red and green, brown...whatever) wired ribbon
Instructions:
Take your page to a local copy center and ask them to copy the music onto BOTH sides of about 30 - 40 sheets of natural color, parchment paper.

Go home and roll up these sheets from both short ends toward the middle in a scroll that looks like an "S"

Cut lengths of ribbon long enough to wrap around these scrolls and to make a decorative bow.
Now you have 30 - 40 new ornaments that you don't even have to hang on the tree; just stick them in among the branches!

You also have the option of tying bunches of cinnamon sticks together and attaching them to the tree. The 99 cent store usually has bags of them for sale - though, not around the holidays, go figure!
And of course, there are those old fragrant standbys, clove studded oranges. But I never stop there. Try studding lemons and limes as well; they are beautiful and smell amazing.

Now, I'm sure you have lots to do to prepare for the days ahead. Let me know if I can be of any help. I've got some amazing, yet inexpensive recipes that might wow your guests and families. If you need anything...just ask!

Thanks for stopping by!
- SSG

Pet Peeve Time

Howdy, Folks!

Today is Saturday. I love Saturdays for a number of reasons. Jae usually opens at the hotel on Saturdays so I get to sleep in a bit longer. I phone my daughter every Saturday morning which starts my day off with a smile. I rarely schedule students on the weekends if my schedule will allow it so that means sweats, a cup of coffee and a leisurely start to the day.....

BUT....it's also the day that I do most of the work around the house that I have been too busy (or, let's face it, lazy) to keep up with during the week. That also usually includes shopping for the kitchen staples for the week ahead. And THAT means going out and dealing with...PEOPLE.

Now, I've probably said this before but I feel very blessed to live where I do. I love our apartment and if I never had to leave here....well, let's just say I find our home to be a gigantic engraved invitation to agoraphobia!

ag·o·ra·pho·bi·a   /ˌægərəˈfoʊbiə/ Show Spelled[ag-er-uh-foh-bee-uh]–noun Psychiatry .n abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes accompanied by anxiety attacks.

It doesn't make me anxious, really. I would just rather not watch some of the stuff that goes on out there. I know I only have a few followers and that this blog is supposed to be about things that go on in the home for the most part but I have a little list of things I just don't want to see out on the streets of New York (or anywhere else for that matter) anymore.

1. I don't want to see mothers/nannies pushing strollers into oncoming traffic because they are on their cell phones and have forgotten (or never knew) the basics about personal space and paying attention to their surroundings.

2. I don't want to have to politely say, "excuse me" MORE THAN ONCE to exit onto my own floor from the back of an elevator. Nor do I care to elbow my way past people who have forgotten (or never knew) the basics about personal space and paying attention to their surroundings. Do you see a trend starting here?

3. I don't want to have to be stuck behind a chorus line of ladies of a certain age, blithely (and slowly) walking seven or eight abreast down the sidewalks of New York and taxing my resolve NOT to get up really close to them and screaming at the top of my formidable lungs, "RED ROVER, RED ROVER!" just so that those of us who live here and have places to be can get our daily chores and responsibilities taken care of.

4. I don't want to have to trip over someone who stops dead in their tracks, right in front of me on the street just to answer their cell phone or to start a new text message. We all have work to do. If you were in a car, my hope is that you'd pull over to do that kind of thing. Try using the same logic on the street and be aware of...um... the basics of personal space and your surroundings.

5. GIVE YOUR DAMNED SEAT TO SOMEONE ELDERLY, PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED OR JUST SOMEONE WHO LOOKS MORE IN NEED OF A PLACE TO SIT in the subway and on the bus. It's just common courtesy - which apparently isn't as common as one might imagine anymore. BOY, do I feel old when I say that!

There are others not listed here, of course, but I feel a rant coming on and no one likes to listen to (or read) a manifesto on manners. This is by no means a comprehensive list, by any stretch of the imagination, and please feel free to contact me with suggested additions and I will happily comply! Now, of course, it's off to do all the things that Saturdays demand.

I will be back on more constructive topics very soon. Thanks for listening!

-SSG

Gift Ideas - MORE Shameless Self Promotion!

 

Today's entry is about a little side business I started last year - as if I didn't have enough to keep myself busy...um...occupied...insane, YES, that's it! INSANE - but it's something that's near and dear to my heart.

For those who know me and Jae, my husband, you probably are aware of our passion for reading. Honestly, more Jae's than mine. He's voracious. I'm merely obsessed. Add this love of books to a love of design, a love of children and a love of clocks and this was destined to happen. Here is the mission statement that is included in my product:

With  Storytime™  Book Clocks I have found that a love for my favorite books from childhood, and a longing for the time to read them over and over and over again, have inspired me with the idea to re purpose books that are no longer readable while passing on the desire to read to a new generation.

I also offer some other options as well.

I can custom-make a clock for you using your favorite book or even search to find a title that you have always loved and create a one-of-a-kind timepiece from that volume as a gift for a friend or loved one, child or adult.

As with the books on display, the finished clocks are of variable prices, always taking into account the age and rarity of the book and the difficulty in the loving labor that is involved in its transformation.

I hope you enjoy these literary timepieces as much as I have enjoyed crafting them for you.

So, here are a few pictures of my clocks for you to peruse:

The House At Pooh Corner

GEOGRAPHY

Journeys in Distant Lands

(wall or stand)

The Children's Dickens

(wall or stand)

The Gorilla Hunters

The Wizard of Oz

Heidi

Fairy Tales

Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue

How Other Children Live

The Secret Garden

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

All of the clocks are quartz and run on one AA Battery (included) and every one is unique.

Please feel free to contact me at essessgee@aol.com and make sure to put the word Storytime in the subject to inquire about available titles and prices. Most all of the book clocks are in the range of $40 - $70 plus shipping.A wonderful gift for a baby shower, a child or for yourself.

Please tell me what you think about this unique product.

-SSG

One of my design projects...Shameless self promotion!

This information comes directly from my website, www.DaddysHomeInc.com

I am re-posting it here because it's so much easier to update things here so tell all your friends - especially those in need of design help.

How do we get the most out of the limited amount of space that we all seem to have?
Daddy’s Home, Inc. can help you overcome any of the storage and living space challenges you might have.

We will consult with you to determine what your personal needs are and offer suggestions that will make your home or workplace comfortable, organized and beautiful. Then, after those design decisions have been made, we can do the hands-on work to make them happen.
• Your home
• Our discerning eye
• Our workmanship
• Your new, comfortable, efficient environment

Steven Stein-Grainger

Steven has an eye for the beauty of his surroundings and an aptitude for the creation of order and aesthetic excellence where none existed before.

With a background, education and experience in interior design, theatre, costume and lighting design, he has found beauty in, and gathered inspiration from the environments in which we all choose to surround ourselves.

Being somewhat of a renaissance man, Steven has combined his design skills, his eye for space and balance and his abilities in hands-on work in upholstery, paint and color application and basic construction methods to give his clients the personalized attention that they and their spaces deserve.

Daddy’s Home, Inc. has become, for him, a rare opportunity to bring a level of comfort, beauty and order to many people that have needed a catalyst for their own creative instincts while providing them with guidance and ideas to make their homes and offices more efficient, more comfortable and more beautiful.

---

Services

Daddy’s Home, Inc. offers personalized services for any size dwelling; from the smallest studio apartment or office to entire homes.

• Interior Design
• Clutter Consultation
• Personal Shopping/Buying
• Floor Plan Consultation
• Custom Upholstery
• Custom Linens and Cushions
• Staging (To Resell Property)
• Organizational Implementation
• Handyman Services

Daddy’s Home, Inc. will work within your schedule and budget to solve the challenges that so many of us face in making – and keeping – our homes and work environments comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

Contact:

Daddy’s Home, Inc.
484 W. 43rd Street Suite 5Q
New York, NY 10036

917.209.5621

Client Testimonials:


Steven,
I want to thank you for taking my newly acquired apartment from bare walls to a thing of beauty. Everyone who has visited has complimented me (meaning you) on everything from the color scheme to the accents to the overall concept. And it is such a warm, gemuetlich environment to live in!
Thanks so much,

Doug Futuyma, Manhattan
Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolution
State University of New York at Stony Brook

---

Steven did a great job of organizing my one bedroom apartment. He came up with creative ideas within my budget and was tremendous in putting a sense of order back into my life after a chaotic year.

Bruce G. Smith, LCSW, CI/CT
New York, NY

---

Steven,
I am forever grateful for the fact that you saved my tenuous sanity when I was dismantling my apartment for painting and then reassembling it! You may remember that in a halllucinatory moment I thought, as a 107 lb woman, that I could move everything myself; I called you in tears, and you really saved my life and my sanity. That time is coming around again and I will be in touch!
Thanks again for your hard work and your patience with me

Ilene
Ilene Miner, LCSW
New York, NY

---

Steven,
As a busy Photographer my life at home was chaos! I cant thank you enough for the re-design of my home/studio space. I can move around with ease, find what I'm looking for and enjoy coming home again.

Warmest Regards,
Thomas Bliss
Thomas Bliss Photography
IAAP AIA ASMP EP

RECENT PROJECTS:

This client purchased a one bedroom apartment in a classic prewar building on the Upper West Side of New York with the intent of having a pied a terre in the city for weekends and holidays. Already owning a home outside the city where he worked, he was interested in a chic, beautiful and new space so he needed EVERYTHING. We proceeded to provide him with all that was necessary from top to bottom.. all of the painting, renovations, color palette, furniture, artwork, housewares, window treatments, linens and accessories were discussed, purchased, built and finished for him to move in to a fully functional and beautiful space.

 

 

Living Area

 

Dining Area

Office

 

 

 

Bedroom

Bath

Kitchen

 

 

Foyer

 

 

Entrance Hall

 

 

Quite a challenge given the time and funding restraints, but with smart shopping, building rather than buying and careful planning the apartment went from completely empty to comfortable and stylish.

Valances were fashioned for the windows, a headboard for the bed, the floor of the kitchen that might someday be replaced was painted with industrial floor paint and then the grout hand colored (on hands and knees) with thick permanent marker.Cabinets were painted out and a new medicine chest replaces the original that was six inches wider than the new one. A little plastering never killed anyone!

His pottery collection has a home as do the baskets and masks and other artifacts that mean so much to him.

More projects to come. If you want to know how to accomplish any of these things, feel free to get in touch.