Five years after leaving the city that was once home for ten years, I was super excited to hit the sidewalk and re-open my senses to the orgiastic feast of sights, sounds and smells that can only be New York City.  Getting back into the groove was like riding a bike - or shall I say ‘Citi Bike’, which I immediately noticed in abundance crisscrossing from every direction throughout the city, shared and ridden by fit and environmentally conscious New Yorkers - The system boasts 6000 bikes with 332 stations and has proven to be a massive success with more than 93,000 New Yorkers subscribing to the service. 

Aside from catching up with old friends, bargain shopping and devouring meals at favorite haunts I’d been craving for over 5 years, I was in NYC to attend an Interior Design Show as well as check out several iconic New York homeware stores, seeking inspiration for next year’s collection at Montauk Style.

What's New, What's Next?

The annual “What’s New, What’s Next” exhibit was held in the sixteen story New York Design Center on Lexington and featured over 70 showrooms of the nation’s elite designers and manufacturers showcasing the industry’s latest trends in interior design.  Here I was privileged to view thousands of new and antique products as well as mingle with top editors, interior decorators and industry experts such as Heather Karlie Vieira from 20thcenturybyhkfa, a passionate and vivacious antique dealer from Philladelphia who has painstakingly sourced and curated an eclectic and sought after range of 20th century treasures who clients from all over the world turn to for that statement piece in their living room.  I also received valuable industry insights from Antique Dealer Sales Rep, Christi Stevens, who gave me a detailed rundown on some incredible one-off pieces for sale on the showroom floor of 1stdibs - another heavy hitter in the super high-end antique world.  Here a one-off circa 1960's monumental walnut bookcase by George Nakashima can set you back a mere US$95,000!  Following several hours of rubbing shoulders with the industry’s finest and most flamboyant, it was time to down a few beverages and rock out with The King at the after party.

Image of Heather Karlie and her daughters taken by www.highpointantiquecenter.blogspot.com

Monumental Walnut Bookcase by George Nakashima

 Later that evening, rockin' it with The King!

ABC Carpet & Home

Another extraordinary establishment I visited was ABC Carpet & Home in Union Square.  As I entered, world renown fashion photographer Bruce Webber and a gaggle of well co-ordinated assistants were filing out of the multi-level flagship complex.  Any floor could have easily served as a backdrop for the shoot with gigantic antique carpets, renaissance-style chandeliers and luscious thick linens merchandised like it was prepared for royalty.  I traversed the six warehouse style floors for a few hours then ventured across the road for 3 more floors of top-of-the-line homeware nirvana.

 ABC Carpet & Home - Image by www.afar.com 

Fishs Eddy

A few streets north on Broadway was Fishs Eddy, a quirky, affordable well-spaced home and dishware store brimming with traditional, vintage and collectible novelty items.  I’m not a huge fan of kitsch, yet found myself spending quite a bit of time perusing the brightly coloured and beautifully finished items whilst appreciating the eloquent design and aesthetic quality evident in even the most simplest of products.  Despite every nook and cranny being packed with items, the layout allowed you to move freely without congestion, even when the store was filled with shoppers.

Fishs Eddy store image by mercurylab.com 

Written by Martyn Feller from www.montaukstyle.com 

Stay tuned for more NYC stories….