CABINET NOIR

In French "cabinet noir" means black room. Although these may not be the rooms where secret documents are read or code-breaking is done, dark cabinetry adds an air of mystery and elegance to the home.

In shades of onyx, espresso and midnight, these kitchens range from modern to traditional but all are chic in their own way. Contrasting the jet black cabinetry with creamy marble, glass or stainless countertops create a sophisticated look. Can't you see your dinner party guests raving about your new LBD (little black dress) in your new LBK (little black kitchen).

POP POLITICS

Coming soon to the newly remodeled Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH is an exhibit of Mr. Pop Art himself, Andy Warhol.

From September 27, 2008 until January 4, 2009 "Andy Warhol: Pop Politics" will showcase paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs of political figures.

Just in time for this year's presidential election, this exhibit is exactly what art lovers (like myself) need to get-in-gear to hit the polls come November.

(Pictured above, and to be on display at the Currier, from left, Warhol's Jackie O., Mao and Richard Nixon).
Warhol's 1972 lithograph of Richard Nixon did not "win the artist any friends in the White House," wrote CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch in 2001. "Once Nixon took office, Warhol said he was audited annually by the Internal Revenue Service."

More great Warhol political prints:

Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan), screenprint, 1985.

Uncle Sam, screenprint, 1981.

MAD FOR MICHAEL

Long before his pearly whites flashed on the small screen as a judge on Project Runway, I loved this man's designs. His clothes somehow resonate with me season after season. Michael Kors has a way of mixing American Sportswear with European elegance to create looks I could live my life in. So when his Ready-To-Wear for Fall 2008 hit the runway last winter, I was again pleased with the eye-candy. Winter pastels popped against camel coats. Mink stoles, structured bags and stilettos...all so lady-like.

Anytime Kors seeks inspiration from the past, like he did with this collection, I tend to drool even more. For Fall 2008 Kors mixed the sleek sophistication of actress Kim Novak, of Hitchcock's 1958 film Vertigo (pictured in black and white), with the throwback tunes of current singer Amy Winehouse. But it seems Kors is also in tune with the vintage fashions now seen on AMC's small screen hit Mad Men (actress January Jones of Mad Men pictured in fashion from the set). Just like in Fall 2003 when fishnets and brooches were all the rage, dressing like our grandmothers is back! And I love it.

WORKIN' 9 TO 5

With an office this chic, how could anyone get any work done? This faux snakeskin desk and matching chair, along with the white cowskin cocktail bar come from Graham and Green, a UK furniture shop with four London locations.

I love the crisp white against the angular polished chrome legs of each piece. Highball anyone?

THEY NAILED IT!

The make-up mecca Sephora has teamed with my favorite line of nail polish to launch a new brand called Sephora by OPI Nail Colour! Finally Sephora has tapped into the nail market, something I always felt was missing from the best beauty store around. The new nail line has over 54 shades with quirky OPI-esque names like "Madame President" in primary red and "Skinny Jeans" in metallic aqua. I want to check out the creamy neutral "Nonfat Soy Haf Caff" and the dark cherry chocolate color "Brunette on the Internet." (Purple polish pictured above is "Don't Go There," part of the Autumn & Eve Fall 2008 collection). Bottles go for $9 each at sephora.com, where you can also stock up on all the Sephora by OPI mani-pedi essentials like polish remover and Nail Colour Drying Drops.

PAPER NOT PLASTIC

The chicest way to update a drab powder room is to add colorful wallpaper with a elegant print. Take these styles from my favorite wall covering maker Thibaut. Notice how the white lav sinks pop against shades of aqua, orange, pink and blue. Incorporate accessories to carry out the theme of the print as well, like a blue chair in the room to mimic the blue chair in the wallpaper. This creates a cohesive look. And with so much color going on with the paper, keep towels white to add a crisp, clean feel-it is a bathroom after all. (Thibaut wallpapers pictured from top left clockwise, Happy Frogs (green) from the Sweet Life collection, Tweety (orange) from the Serendipity collection, Chairs (blue) from the Barbados collection and Nautilus (pink) from the Toile Resource Vol II).

NOT TO BE MISSED

Starting October 3 and running through February 22, the Museum of the City of New York is exhibiting the fashions, design and culture that emerged from Paris and New York between 1925 and 1940. I cannot wait to check this out!

(Pictured above) A poster depicting Josephine Baker, designed by Jean Chassaing in 1931.

These are just some of the items on display as part of the new exhibit:

(Pictured above, left) An ad for Stetson's Normandie hat featured in July 1, 1935 issue of Vogue (Courtesy the John B. Stetson Company).

(Above, Center) An ad for St. Raphaël aperitif, L'Illustration, from June 10, 1939 (Private collection).

(Above, Right) A promotional photograph of the Normandie superimposed on New York City streets, photograph by Byron Co. in 1934 (Museum of the City of New York, Byron Collection).

Exhibit description:

"The 1920s and ‘30s witnessed a burst of creative energy in the fields of architecture, design, and fashion. Shaping new styles of buildings and furnishings, redefining fashion, and giving visual form to avant-garde performing arts, architects and designers forged a still-influential modern aesthetic. The era’s most creative figures rarely worked in isolation, preferring instead to participate in international dialogues that crossed national boundaries and linked capital cities in collaborative artistic enterprise. Between the world wars, no two cities engaged in a more fertile conversation than Paris, capital of 19th-century refinement, and New York, the upstart challenger that represented 20th-century dynamism.
Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940 will explore not only architecture and design, but also film, fashion, and the performing arts. Styles from Art Deco to neo-romanticism will be examined along with the work of such legendary figures as Helena Rubinstein, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali­­, and Josephine Baker, and lesser-known figures such as costume and set designer Pavel Tchelitchew. The exhibition and its accompanying publication (Monacelli Press, forthcoming in September 2008) will bring together never-before-exhibited drawings, furnishings, decorative objects, costumes, photographs, posters, and films."

This is such an interesting mix of design, fashion and art in one exhibit. Mark your calendars!

For more info go to mcny.org

WEST COAST IN WEST LONDON

If I ever get to London I have to stay at this chic hotel! The Chiswick Moran Hotel in southwest London was re-vamped in 2006 to have a 60's California vibe through the use of contemporary design. The 120 suites have bedrooms with the theme colors of surf, turf and desert-so L.A.-that feature graphic black and white patterned curtains and shag pile carpets. So groovy!

The bathrooms show off ceramic tiles fashioned to resemble original 1960s design in tangerine, lime and slate grey. Far-out!

Even the Dupont company was inspired by this hip hotel. They featured the Chiswick's ultra-cool bar (photo above with the lime booths) in their Color Trends 2009 brochure for Corian and Zodiaq countertops.