Jo Laurie Design

Today in NYC, One World Trade Center became the tallest building in town. Tonight, the building is being illuminated in the colors of the Port Authority which are blue and white to mark this milestone. 

As someone who witnessed the second plane hit on 9/11, and preceded to watch the towers collapse on a roof top with architects who had worked on the buildings, I am delighted by this news.

This is the photo I took from the roof top on 23^rd &  6^th Ave.

I want to congratulate the all the hard working people involved, especially all the trades on site. They often do not get the recognition due to them, especially on a complex project like this one.

For all those that are interested, this is how One World Trade Center relates to the other buildings around the world and the twin towers.

According to a recent New York Times article, “1 in every 4 American households is occupied by someone living alone; in Manhattan the number is nearly 1 in 2.” From one who has worked on many apartments in the city, this number comes as no surprise. In Manhattan, our single clients’ apartments run the gamut from studio/one bedrooms to townhouses and penthouses.

For those more spatially challenged, the modern Murphy bed could be a great design solution. Clients who like to entertain in smaller apartments, but aren’t keen on having guests sit on their bed, favor this option. Forget about losing precious art space - the new generation of Murphy beds are not mounted on the wall, but on the ceiling! 

For those lucky clients with extra space in their apartment, single living can accommodate whatever your lifestyle dictates, whether you dream of a meditation room or a cigar room.

A meditation room tends to be more of a tranquil environment than a traditional home gym and is a personal refuge.

Cigar rooms are also a great addition to the quintessential bachelor pad. They often incorporate a bar area or library to create a luxurious and sophisticated space.

Bottom line: living alone has a lot more to be said for it than just getting full access to the remote control. If you want to paint a wall dark blue or buy a lime green couch, you wouldn’t have to run it by a spouse or roommate. Whether you have a small or large space, it’s yours to customize. From a design standpoint you have total control - how many areas of your life can you say that about?  

Explore. Shop. Get Inspired.

Architectural Digest Home Design Show is a feast for your creative eye. Over 350 exhibitors come each year to showcase their latest and greatest products for your home. Discover new and established brands and get inspired by new ideas from the top talents in the industry.

There is much to see and do at the four-day event, including complimentary one-on-one design consultations, cooking demonstrations and tastings by celebrity chefs, and design seminars presented by the New York Times, among others.

We’re especially looking forward to seeing the exciting new products from our favorite vendors, including Artistic Tile, DOM Interiors, Michael McHale Designs and The New Traditionalists. While currently working on an exterior kitchen for a client in the Hamptons, we’re looking forward to seeing Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet.

There’s something for everyone at the show, ranging from corporate production brands to local artisans. Many participants offer customization capabilities as well.

This year’s event takes place March 22-25 at Pier 94, 55^th Street at 12^th Avenue in Manhattan. 

http://www.archdigesthomeshow.com/

Last week we attended an event hosted by Architectural Digest and Hastens Beds to celebrate the latter’s new showroom in Manhattan. It was a great atmosphere; they had live jazz music and cocktails that paid homage to their motherland of Sweden called Northern Lights. We got to try out the beds ourselves (no drinks in bed) and didn’t want to get up. I’m sure the cocktails had nothing to do with it! No matter, we did learn a few things about the beds to share with everyone while we were there.

A king bed ranges from $7,000 to $35,000; for those looking to invest in great sleep, they offer a $90,000 bespoke bed that is handmade over 140-160 hours. 

What makes them so expensive? The bed is comprised of layer on layer of genuine, hypoallergenic horsehair, cotton, wool, flax, and pine. Natural materials create wicking so your body can breathe through the night to ensure a good night’s sleep. Two layers of pocket springs support you; soft, medium, and hard options are available with a 25-year warranty. 

This may be the Bentley of the bed world, but none of us should be in a Kia (sorry Kia owners!)

Viewing an item in a 10,000 square feet showroom with 14-foot ceiling heights is a totally different experience than seeing it in one’s home. Unfortunately, this often results in purchasing furniture and finding it’s not right for the space. This could be due to factors such as the ceiling height, inappropriate scale or it’s stylistically not in keeping.

Remember: the majority of sales representatives work on commission, so they like any piece of furniture you do! This is still a better option than purchasing online…more on that later!

Always try to consult an experienced interior designer when buying furniture. A lot of designers will do consultation by the hour. If this isn’t possible, you can use masking tape to mark on the floor where your furniture will go, including current items. For example, don’t just mark the new sofa location; put in the coffee table with enough room to move between that and the sofa! Measure before you buy!

Shown below are other measurements you should take before your purchase. The widest part of the piece and the overall height are important, too.

As designers, the vast majority of the furniture we produce for clients is completely bespoke, with each piece individually designed and custom. We use trade-only showrooms and local artisans. The interior design industry, like many others, has quality products that take time to make and are not inexpensive.  

This will help avoid problems of it fitting when you move the beautiful piece to its new home.

As designers we take a different and personal approach with every project, in residential design we help bring to life the clients’ wants and needs with our unique vision. Hospitality for us is about pushing the limits and to inspire, whereas commercial design is all about the practicality and functionality of the space.

We will be enlightening you with real design industry stories and fresh ideas from the inside point of view.

The interior spaces which Jo designs often reflect her experiences while traveling or living in cities around the world. Her university training took place in UK and her formative years were spent in Australia, Africa and Asia; this has enabled her to incorporate a younger, more inventive sense of design. Since arriving in New York Jo has been based in downtown Manhattan. Initially she established various fashion companies under her own label, and went on to become a recognized fashion and prop stylist, before moving into the world of interior design. 

Her projects have ranged from specialized hospitality, high-end residential and commercial undertakings. Jo Laurie Design LLC has been operating internationally for over 15 years, and has developed an extensive portfolio of award winning projects and has been published in the USA, London, and Australia.

Jo’s portfolio represents a small sampling of the many and varied projects on which she has worked.  Each project is unique and tailored to a client’s desired ‘look’ and budget. Jo makes each new interior an imaginative departure from traditional norms, while still respecting the functionality of the space, but always with a stylish quirkiness.