it's been a while

wow.. it has been some time since I've written anything on here. a lot has happened since i last checked in! what's ironic, is the last post on here was a few days after my wonderful friend of 22 years told me about zach, and just 6 days before our first date.. fast forward a year and zach and i are engaged, i have a new job, and we have a new home!  it's really crazy how life works.  

as i mentioned, i  have i left my menswear bros for the wonder-filled world of event design.  i have met some of the most incredible women (with a sprinkling of some truly amazing men). this next chapter in my career has pushed me, creatively, in ways i thought i would never experience.  this world is truly magical..  and it puts a whole new pressure on planning a wedding!  i am completely up for the challenge.

now.. onto the new space!  though we stayed in the same building, sadly the cozy studio did not provide enough space for the stuff of two people.  zach moved into my studio last july, and in september we moved upstairs to a one bedroom, better known on IG as the #antonioucohenhaus!  i wanted to share some photos of the new place, and as of yesterday i think we are finally as finished as we will ever be!  we still don't have a bed... but you know.. we'll get there.

happy sunday!

interior inspirations: upscale industrial

I don't typically talk about my "day job" on here but I recently had the amazing opportunity of designing my company's new office on Wall Street.  From concept to completion it took about 6 months.  It was a very aggressive timeline to say the least.  It aged me by say.... 10 years... but it was and is my proudest moment.  There were a lot of moving parts and it was definitely a team effort.  

We started with a raw space as seen in the photos below.  It's so cool to see where we started and where we ended up.  The over all concept was clean, upscale, with just a hint of industrial.  The goal was to encompass the aesthetic all three House of GANT collections with a nod to downtown NYC... and maybe I threw a little LA vibe in there as well.  

So as you can see I got to start with a blank canvas!  I have to say everything came together better than I imagined.  

The floors are a sprayed concrete which were a great contrast to the white brick walls.  Since we are in a commercial building an actual exposed ceiling would have been an eye sore.  It would have looked like popcorn ceiling central.  To achieve an exposed ceiling look, while running like hell away from a dropped ceiling tile situation, we built out a soffit that echoes the existing beams.  We then applied a grey stucco so that the ceiling has more of a concrete look to it.  The exposed pipes were painted a matte black which added to the whole clean industrial details of the space. 

The lighting fixtures are a mix of School House Electric, Urban Archeology, and my personal favorite, Workstead.  The pieces that excite me most in the space I would say are the couches by Stephen Kenn.  I saw them at a GQ party right around the time I was starting to source the furniture for the office.  I felt like they really encompassed the brand from the indigo dyed cushions to the vegetable dyed leather belts.  They are also super comfortable and if I could take a nap on them everyday I would.  The desks are my other favorite pieces which were designed by a company called Sawkille. I had found them one day while I was browsing on Instagram.  Jonah Meyer, who I believe is the owner/founder, is just so talented.  They built our tables in the large showrooms as well.  They are absolutely gorgeous. 

I also really love how the reception area came out.  The danish modern pieces are by OX Denmarq out of.. you guessed it.. Denmark.  The couch was a vintage piece I picked up from Brimfield as well as the carpet.  The carpet was from a company I really fell in love with called Nomadic Trading Company.  They had some really cool finds. 

The kitchen is really what got everyone in the office excited.  The blue tile came from our specific color of GANT Blue, but it also reminded me of the exterior of B Bar.  It looks pretty awesome, especially against the white marble and black cabinets.  The brass hardware in the kitchen is by Lewis Dolin.  These ones I discovered on good old Pinterest! 

I can't forget to mention the beautiful plants that are sprinkled throughout the space.  These plants and pots were provided by The Sill.  I have wanted to work with them for so long now.  I am so excited to have their pieces in our space.

And lastly..... the custom pool table..... that.. pool table.  I lost so much sleep over this pool table.  All I can say is that it exists, it is here, and I can finally move on with my life.  In all seriousness it really looks great.  We use it waaaay more than I thought we would, and no one has shot a ball into a glass window... yet.

Just recently we had the talented Mr. Alastair Casey come in to photograph the space with all of its final touches.  He did such a great job capturing all of the details.  

This was definitely a unique experience and I feel like a proud mamma!  I hope you all enjoyed the photos.  If you have any questions about any of the pieces please leave a comment below!

mountain creek cottage

My 30th birthday weekend was everything I hoped for.  All I wanted was to be in the middle of the woods, in a cabin, far away from the city, dancing around a fire pit like Max from Where the Wild Things Are, and I got it!  All of it!!  I found the most adorable little cottage on Airbnb.  It looked like it was plucked out of a fairytale!  After booking it (all I cared about were the aesthetics) I then decided to read about the place.. I'm not a researcher, I've never claimed to be.. and yes I judge books by their cover.  After reading I saw that the cottage was located in West Kill off of Devil's Path... so naturally the girls and I were convinced that we were going to get murdered.  Of course, we fast forward and as soon as we got to the house were in love! Even after getting to there at 10:30 at night.  Call me crazy but I'm very sensitive to energies and spaces and I get creeped out very easily, but this place felt SO nice.  There were great vibes happening between those walls.  (I still lit a little sage just incase!)

The owners, Kim and Robert, had just renovated the 1950's cottage and the decor was perfection!  They had pour over coffee drippers, flatware from Fishs Eddy, Danish modern furniture, a brand new grill, and the most comfortable beds!  At night you were falling asleep to the babbling brook beside the cottage.  No cell service, no TV, no internet, just a land line!  It was SO refreshing.  Kim stopped by Saturday morning with fresh veggies from her garden and homemade jam and gave us some hiking tips for the day.  While Sadah and Nicole went out to buy some food for the cottage, Ash and I ate snap peas and planned out our trail.   

There were soo many pictures, so I split them up into sections!

Saturday, after our hike, the girls set the screened-in porch up for a little birthday celebration. They did such a great job!  Sadah had made the cutest succulent cupcakes in little tera cotta pots.  There were presents and champaign and hot dogs! All the best things!  After dinner we had a little Craftermoon session and made our head pieces that we would wear around the fire pit. 

Our main activity Saturday was our hike.  Our 10 mile hike.... and we are not hikers.  We knew we were in trouble when this old man who worked at the fire tower said "Well you girls must be experienced since you're doing this trail."  Seven hours, several marshes, one rolled ankle, one bum knee, one snake, two panic attacks, zero walking sticks, and one beautiful waterfall later we were out of the woods!  I immediately started singing Taylor Swift.  

The views were stunning and I personally think it was worth it.  

After the hike we showered and then I had two personal firsts.  I successfully built a fire (thank you Alfredo) and I successful barbecued!!  Ash kept the fire going which was the hardest part. We were very proud.  I then had my Max moment, we played with sparklers, and then ended the night by staring at the stars for about an hour before bed.  Even back home the stars don't look like that.  It was so nice.

On Sunday we said goodbye to the little gingerbread house and made our way over to the Phoenicia Diner, then to Woodstock, and then to our final destination..... the World's Largest Garden Gnome at Kelder's Farm.  I made friends with a cow there.  Her name was Sally.  

It was the perfect way to honor 30 years. 

“let the wild rumpus start!”

— Where the Wild Things Are

3 days in sweden

We took a train from Copenhagen to Stockholm.  The ride was beautiful and just as I expected.  Rolling hills and farm houses. Horses and cows and lakes.  Fields of flowers.  It was definitely a ride to clear the mind.  

Sweden was more of a work trip for me, but work in Sweden doesn't ever feel like work.  We had a large conference down in a beautiful seaside town where we barbecued and danced on a dock till around midnight. The sun of course barely went down.  We stayed at the Miss Clara Hotel in Stockholm.  It was so beautiful.  The rooms each had tall windows with a comfy little window seat.  

I was also very excited to see my friend Katinka's store for the very first time in person. It is called.... Katinka's Store haha.  There is a mix of second hand and local designer clothing.  Her dog Zoe is the cutest pup.  She just follows you around and when you go to try on shoes she'll hop in your lap.  She is hysterical.  I ended up purchasing these little wooden butterfly coasters that Katinka found at a local flea and these shoes that are made from recycled plastic and hemp.  They are THE most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.  Katinka is the sole distributer in Sweden and Denmark I believe.  She has an online shop which is katinkasstore.com.  

I of course had to visit the GANT Rugger store!  They now have pour overs!!  The coffee was delish but it unfortunately did not cure my hangover from the night before.  The store was beautiful, as they always are.

We definitely partied hard in Stockholm and still managed to get a lot accomplished.  My favorite night was when we got out of this club early early in the morning and saw the most beautiful crescent moon over the water.  It was jaw dropping.  As was the whole trip.

copenhagen day 2

It is day 2 and I am exhausted! We managed to fit in everything in!  We saw the smallest hotel in the world, The Central Hotel + Cafe.  With only 1 room above an adorable cafe it is definitely the cutest hotel I've ever seen.

We then ate breakfast at Granola (thank you AGAIN Hannah!) and the food was of course... so so good.  YUM!  We then walked over to Nørrebro and found this little cafe owned by the nicest man called Arabica.  He was so friendly and hospitable and the furniture in the space was really cool.   After some lemon ginger tea we went shopping for home decor!  I found some great additions for my studio.

After some light shopping we went over to the Assistens Cemetery where Hans Christian Anderson is buried.  It sounds morbid but the cemetery was jaw-droppingly beautiful and the Danes have picnics and treat it as a park.  It's actually a nice idea to bring life and happiness to a normally sad place.  Sadah and I laid in a patch of daisies for about an hour.  It was lovely.

Next on the list was "Paper Island" or Papirøen.  We took a little ferry over to this spot and it reminded us a lot of Williamsburg.  It was a warehouse on a dock that had food trucks and food stands from all over the world inside.  The food, per usual, was fantastic.  Sadah got this gin drink that was the most beautiful thing we've seen all trip.  And it tasted as good as it looked (that matters to some people I guess).  

After finishing our drinks with our legs hanging over the dock we marched on to Christiania.  Christiania is a magical place filled with graffiti, overgrown plant life, and little stoners and photography is NOT allowed (which was obviously kiiiilling me). The large scale paintings of cameras with lines through them got the point across.  Christiania is a self-governed society that has its own flag and currency!  It was pretty cool to see.  This little fairy park was my favorite.  There was a tree with a red heart painted on it... and I couldn't take a picture.. and it shall live in my dreams forever.  

After Christiania we went over to the Dome of Visions which is by far one of my favorite spaces.. in life.  The dome is in existence to create awareness and more importantly initiate action and solutions when it comes to sustainable design.  The space is basically a lounge within a greenhouse with a bar to top it off!  Right on the water.  In Copenhagen.  So.. heaven.  Loved it!

Now it is time for bed once again, for tomorrow I am off to Stockholm!! 

inspiration trip: brimfield

The first Brimfield of 2015 was perfect.  The air smelled of lilacs and the sun was shining.  I was there for 3 days and met so many talented vendors and designers.  

For those of you who are not familiar, the Brimfield Antique Show is this massive flea market filled with acres of antique vendors and collectors, as well as furniture designers, from all over. It happens 3 times a year in western Massachusetts and you get a little taste of small town countryside.  It is so nice!

3 days is definitely the way to do it.  Day 1 was about taking it all in and seeing what was out there.  I didn't pressure myself to buy anything.... and so I bought a couch.  Day 2 my dad joined me and it was adorable.  He loved seeing all of the antiques and loved spending time with me and experiencing a little piece of my world.  Day 3 I knew exactly what I wanted, did my final purchasing, and explored the vendors on the other side of the street that I had missed the other 2 days.  3 days and I think I made it through 75% of vendors.  And that guessing on the high side. 

I walked away with some brass ship sconces, a pair of 1930's industrial floor lamps, a stunning royal blue and cream wool rug, hemp pillows, over sized hand-carved wooden kitchen accessories, and a danish modern leather couch.  That was all for a project I'm working on.  For me, I scored a handmade barn wood frame and this really cool vegetable scientific print.   My favorite vendors by far were Nomadic Trading Company and eneby antik. 

I was very selective in my picture taking this time around.  I'm getting better at editing my eye, if that makes any sense.   For more photos check out my Instagram on @thecrabandthemoon!

interior inspirations: paris round 2

The Paris room is going to look SO good.  I stepped away from the sophisticated graphic boutique look and made it more of a fun, floral, pastel-ly cafe concept, which is what the adorable 7 year old came up with.  I love these girls already! 

Since the bed will have a canopy, the overhang can become an awning with thick stripes.   We can also transform her closet doors into cafe shop doors!  I am picturing her windows to have flower boxes where we will have a little bistro table and chairs set up.  Since there are so many places in this city to purchase props I really would like to get her some fake macaroons and cakes and cake stands to put on her dresser!  This is going to be so fun!

interior inspirations: beach house round 2

There were some changes made to the gypsy nook.  It has taken on more of a surfer girl aesthetic.  I really would love to have an ombre wall like the one pictured (where it's darker in the corners and then fades out) and have the quote "you can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" large scale in white.  The details will be muted and washed out colors with images from She Hit Pause Studios.  I also picture a vintage surf board in the corner of the room, beach wood on the wall behind the bed, and some type of floor seating area.  I want this little sweet pea to feel inspired, calm, and like a little ocean goddess in her new space!

interior inspirations: paris

Now THIS... is the second theme for the children's rooms that I am styling. Paris. This was the first concept board that I came up with. My first step was to get far away from the cheesy Eiffel Tower furniture and accessories that you would find in Homegoods and create a more updated and modern design concept.   I wanted it to be graphic and bright and super girly! Oversized floral with details of gold against thick black and white stripes.  I think for an initial jumping off point it was great and it got the creative juices flowing.  After analyzing it a bit it was a little too "girl in her 20's".  When I go back in I will be sure to sprinkle some innocence and cuteness into the mix!  

This is SUCH  fun project.  I can't wait to meet the little girls!  Their mother tells me that the oldest loves to draw and has been looking through my illustrations.  That seriously melts my heart. 

interior inspirations: beach living

I am very excited to be working on a very inspiring + fun side project. I will be styling two adorable little girls' bedrooms. Each with different themes, beach house + Paris.  Pictured above is the very first concept board for the beach house theme.  I want the room to really encompass a calming and whimsical feel.  There will be lots of twinkle lights with cozy little nooks.  Perfect for a little beach babe!

I'll be sure to share the 2nd theme very soon!

xx

interior inspirations: kids rooms

Interior styling for kids and baby has come a long way.  I am loving these spaces that I've seen on Instagram. There may be a new project coming up!  Excited to see where it goes.

Photos by: @littlepeainteriors . @sophie_vine . @shinasiconcept . @maecocointeriors . @kristinplanskymurals . @bexyylou . @sweetcreationsboutique . @bebe_sac . @alwaysme_baby . @littletotem . @littlegatherer . @roxyoxy_creations . @genwoocraft . @tralalagifts . @littlewillemsens . @houseofhawkes . @the_wild_unknown . @chairishco 

@yeswilliamsburg instagram takeover

Today I took over @yeswilliamsburg's Instagram account and I am loving it.  I am doing what I love which is sharing what inspires me. This time it's with a larger audience than my own.   Very cool!

Every restaurant and every shop in Williamsburg has such a cool vibe and is so visually stimulating.  All I do when I'm here is take pictures.  So far I've taken everyone to Bakeri, my most favorite and adorable coffee and bake shop, my bestie Sadah's apartment that she let's me go crazy and style and decorate however I want, GANT Rugger Williasmburg, my proudest moment in my Visual Marketing career, and Sprout Home, where I get my flower crowns and love to look at all of their trinkets, plants, and home decor!  There are so many other places I could share as well but I only have 3 more posts left! 

Above is a photo of my fire escape from when I lived here.  I loved setting it up with all of my plants and pillows.  I would have a beer and watch TV through my window while I sketched.  It was heaven.   I miss it.  But one thing I definitely don't miss are the sounds of Bedford at night... I do not miss that. 

Anyways, I'll be posting away into the night so follow along on @yeswilliamsburg + @thecrabandthemoon!

interior inspirations: stick pose

Today we had a snow day in New York so I got to wake up and start my day with the lovely Adriene.  I really do love waking up early and doing my yoga before going to work, but lately I can't seem to get in bed early enough to not wake up late and be in a complete rush in the morning! Today was definitely a healthy balance of work and yoga.   Everyday should be like that.

Day 12 and lucky day 13 were all about realigning the spine and building endurance.  We sat in stick pose for a second so of course my brain went right to my new stick decor!  Sounds weird.. but it looks great!  I've got branches on the brain!  I love when my yoga practice can relate back to my art and design work.  Keeps me inspired.   

inspiring sundays

Today I found some inspiration on Franklin Street in Greenpoint.  Sadah and I had the most adorable brunch and then walked around.  We hit up People of 2morrow, Home of the Brave, a few other cute home decor shops.  The store designs were all just as beautiful as the product.  Makes me excited for the day that I have a whole house to design instead of just one room. 

I also got closer to finishing my frame wall.  Very excited about that.  I think I need maybe three more and my collection will be complete!

So the shopping therapy was taken care and now we take care of the mind and body...

Lately I've been doing two videos a night.  That's just how I function... I'm in my zone and I want to keep going.  Day 10 was nice and is why I love these videos so much.  They are challenging but they also allow you to relax and not feel like you have to have this crazy difficult work out everyday.  It's nice.  I also just think she's hysterical.  

I hope some of you have tried these videos or at the very least they have inspired you to get out and move around in your own way.  One of my best friends, who was also a yoga instructor, would always encourage me to just simply move around a little.  It doesn't take much to release stress and make your body feel good.   

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

day 5 + 6 + i found my crow

And by crow I mean my crow pose in yoga and not my original raven painting.  Trying to be a little witty here combining my yoga practice with my painting practice. And yes that's my Treasure Troll top knot and belly button.  Anyways, I am SO excited because, like I said, I found my crow again and I held it for a whole 10 seconds!  It's the small victories on this feel good inside and out new years resolution challenge.  Tonight I completed days 5 and 6 of the 30 days of yoga and I feel great!  I will of course leave the videos for you to follow along as well.  But first!  I want to share my very special surprise from today... it felt a little like Christmas..

My dear friend Kat finished my wall tapestry!  This is her first woven tapestry and I absolutely love it.  I have big plans for this guy.  One of which is that he will hang from a branch from my home town on the wall next to my bed.  When he is finally complete I will of course show him off! For now he's just hanging out on some antlers.  So excited!!

I hope you are getting inspired either through these little yoga videos or through learning about new and beautiful ways to make your home feel cozy!  Part of feeling good in the mind and body is feeling good in your space!  Maybe that will be my mantra.  Keep my mind, body and space clean and feeling good.

With that being said, I'm going to light some sage and cook a little dinner!

Namaste. (prayer hands emoji)

the crafternoon

I must say, the crafternoon was a success! We had such a great time, everyone made a little something, and no one burned the place down (though we had a few close calls).  And I got to keep a few creations like my new ombre phases of the moon friendship bracelet by Liz Wong, and a woven snuggly tapestry (still in the works) by Miss Kat Dawe.  My painter's pallet cheese plate was definitely the star of the show.  I must point out that I did arrange the cheese and treats by color.  So please take note! 

Everyone did such a great job.  The projects were as follows:

• Kat: woven tapestry
• Miranda: experimented with watercolors
• Lauren: friendship bracelets 
• Liz: friendship bracelets and a manicure
• Emily: pom pom banner
• Me: handmade valentine's day cards and had a little too much champagne

This was the first formal crafternoon and it certainly won't be the last! 

Also: It's day 3 in 30 days of yoga!  I'll post the video in a separate post.

getting ready for a crafternoon

Today I will be hosting my first gathering in my new home.  It's a girls only crafternoon and cocktails.  

The tables have been set and there will be lots of photos to come! Above is just a little peek into the colorful and creative day.  So excited! There will be lots of champagne. Lots!

Also!  Tonight was day 2 of my 30 Day Yoga with Adriene and I'm loving it.  

a happy mind: day 1

The theme of this past month, as I headed into the new year, was a happy mind.  A happy mind for me means finding time for myself to clear my head of all the stresses of my everyday.  It helps me and allows me to be more productive, more creative, and most importantly a pleasant person.  Yoga gets me there every time.

Since I can't afford to take classes at a yoga studio right now I have been doing yoga in my own little studio apartment!  Tonight I came across Yoga With Adriene and her 30 Days of Yoga.  I figured I would try it out and I wanted to share what I'm currently practicing with you! She is adorable and I love her teaching style, but what really caught my eye was the quality of her videos and the background decor.  It's nothing crazy or fabulous, it's just relatable, simple, clean, and aesthetically pleasing (which is hard to find in "homemade" yoga videos).  As a creative person I appreciate that. 

If you would like to join me on my 30 Days of Yoga journey please do! I do have to warn you though, my 30 days may be scattered (I take days off here and there).  

My new years resolution is to feel good all over and so why not start at the top!  A happy mind is a healthy mind.  

interior inspirations: woven tapestries

I am currently obsessing over these wall tapestries that these talented weavers are creating!! They are SO cool.  They are the epitome of handmade perfection.  The pieces shown above are by Warped Threads and Anne Djupvik Andersen.  Absolutely beautiful. 

Lucky enough I have a friend who makes magic with fabric and yarn. We will be doing a little trade for trade!  Loving this project.  We will be documenting the process of the piece on a crafternoon hopefully in the near future!  I LOVE the mauve, camel and cream color story.  Eek! I'm so psyched.

To shop Warped Threads go to etsy.com/au/shop/WarpedThreadss. Follow Anne's weaving blog at weavemeaway.blogg.no. You can follow both of them on Instagram at @warpedthreads + @ada_interiors.

photos 1-7: warped threads, photos 8-10: weave me away

interior inspirations: frame collage

Before finding my new space I knew I wanted to have an entrance wall with vintage frames that cover it from floor to ceiling.  In my mind it was simple, graphic with a feeling of home.  After finding my new space and starting my beautiful display wall I was perusing through Instagram and I discovered @twinkleandtoast.  They had also created a frame wall for a wedding which I thought was absolutely stunning!  I loved the addition of the cream flowers and gold leaves.  I would love to add these accents after my collection is complete.  Also.. funny enough, the lady behind twinkle and toast.. is named Taryn.  

Visit twinkleandtoast.com to see some beautiful photos of their work.