EDITORIAL EXAMPLES

Design

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ThE ART of hoME

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SMART hoME DESIGNERS GuIDE To

TEchNoloGY

INTERvIEw bY Marius Koller // TExT bY lera Gavin // PhoToGRAPhY bY Milena Tyree-MiKic

www.smarthd.com

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The streetlights glimmer in the distance as the swarm of cars ascend to South Beach via MacArthur causeway. Two towering edifices with a curved glass

design greet the oncoming traffic on West Avenue. On top of the high-rise, the bright blue glow is emanating like an intergalactic spaceship that is looming over the night sky. Perched above however, is not a UFO from a galaxy far, far away, but a swanky penthouse wreathed in LED lights. Responsible for this piece of futuristic display, are the home automation gurus Smart Home Designers Inc.

The driving force behind this company is Miami native Ryan Galvin who conceived Smart Home Designers Inc. a decade ago. Fueled by his exu-berant passion for technology, Ryan mastered his craft while running a customer-centric technology integration business with over 25 years of expertise in working with high-tech electronics and luxury clientele. 

Le CITY deluxe was taken aboard for a tour of the extraordinary dwelling that was transformed by the virtuosos of the home automation industry. A gigantic display of flashing LEDs adorned the walls by the elevator of the two story penthouse loft at the Bentley Bay condominium towers that were built by the internationally renowned architectu-re firm Arquitectonica. However, the impressive panel of bright blinking lights is only a minuscule marvel of the home design. “Technology should only enhance one’s lifestyle and never complicate it,” says the technophile and the CEO of Smart Home Designer Ryan Galvin. Indeed, his com-pany does just that. The Bentley Bay penthouse is not just beautifully decorated but also fully

automated for total comfort. With a touch of a button, be it on the iPad, iPhone or Lutron panel mounted to the wall, one could easily control the lighting, video surveillance, temperature, and even the window shutters of the entire property both from the inside or from any remote location. The total cost of the renovation amounted to $1million dollars– a small cost to pay for a tremendous gain. 

“A lot of our clients invest into luxury real estate. After the renovations, they resell the properties. Most request a full-automation package. It’s really adding value to the end product. It’s turn key and ready to go for high-end buyers,” says the CEO of Smart Home Designer. 

“Home automation is integral in every day life.It has become autility like electricity, the Internet, or a home phone,”says Galvin who in 2002 started out as a programmer in this newly budding tech. As technology became more sophisticated, the demand for home automation soared. With the team of talented ten, the award winning Smart Home Designer Inc., caters to a wide variety of affluent clientele ranging from doctors, to lawyers and hedge funds, to professional athletes, and to some of Miami’s trendiest nightclubs and hotels. 

Although extremely prolific and successful in

their line of work, Smart Home Designer Inc., takes on only a handful of ventures at a time. “We work on about four to five projects a year. This way we produce top quality work,” says Galvin. In addition to high caliber work, Smart Home De-signer made a name for itself for their one of a kind customer support by offering their clients around the clock call service and routine maintenance. “We always make sure that the software is up-to-date and that everything is running smoothly. Moreover, we make sure that our customers get the newest technology out there,” remarks Galvin. 

Currently, Smart Home Designer Inc., is wor-king on installing a fully automated system on a 150’ Yacht with an LED lighting design that would liken the marine vessel to a space ship. “It is one of the greatest feelings to find a client who’s open minded and willing to get creative and have fun,” exclaims Ryan Galvin. “This is the second most interesting installation. The first one was a 3D theater and multi-zone system on a private Boeing 727 aircraft,” he adds. 

Moreover, Smart Home Designer Inc. has a very glowing outlook on the future of the home automation business. “The next step for us is to perhaps work on full buildings, communities or even neighborhoods,” says Galvin. “All the new technological advances are quite exciting. There’s going to be more voice command automation and you see companies such as SONY developing patents of brain waves reading technology. But this is far stretching into the future.” Even though it sounds like science fiction in the present, this one day will become a reality  

 

HoMe AutoMAtion is integRAl in eveRY DAY life.

Ryan Galvin Ceo of smart Home Designers

NEW SPRING COLLECTION

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A necessary companion for luxury lifes-tyle aficionados, an Agresti armoire is a testament to style, elegant design and innovation. This company stayed to

true to its roots, having drawn its inspiration from the tradition of Florentine craftsmanship for more than six decades, yet keeping up with the times.

Mr Agresti, tell our readers a bit about your company.

The company was founded in 1949, so we have been manufacturing interiors and lines for jewellers and watches for ladies and men for 64 years. In the past 10 years, we introduced what I would call a revolutionary idea – a wooden armoire with a real built-in face where you can store all of your jewellery. Some of our pieces also have watch winders that are made in Switzerland, by the same company that produces them for Rolex. 

This armoire can be opened with a single mo-vement. A very interesting feature is the biometric opening device which enables the owner to register himself as the master user and to allow up to 100 other entries. Just as easily, the owner of the master account may cancel all other entries. 

  What are the features of an Agresti armoire?

Most of our items now have a safe that can be anchored to the wall in order to secure all the valuables that one may need to store. There are other elements as well: jewellery boxes, a secret compartment for documents, the new bar set, glasses, a refrigerator for wine, chips and cards.  

It must have been a great challenge to combine what is a traditional element of what one needs to keep everything, but still make it look like a contemporary furniture piece. What is your design process?

 Although we have an in house design studio, in the past few years we have consulted other professionals in order to broaden our offer in terms of design. Varying from a very contemporary look to art deco, classic style there is an Agresti armoire suitable for each home.

What does the future hold for the company?Even in the current economic climate, rich

people make more and more money and they have jewellery, watches, documents and other valuable things to secure.    We offer a stylish alternative to a heavy, ugly looking safe, which I believe appeals to affluent people.

Is it a special order delivery? In some places we have distributors, in some

places, we have stores and, sometimes, very affluent people contact us privately. We have some boo-ming markets at the moment, in the Arabic Coun-tries and Russia. 

What does this piece cost, for example?Price is confidential. Let’s just say that it will be

a fraction of the amount and value of jewellery or Louis Vuitton bags that will be placed in here.  I can tell you, however, that this piece costs 80,000 euros  

Artisans of Luxury

Paolo agresti

"We introduced what I would call a revolutionary idea – a wooden armoire with a real built-in face where you can store all of your jewellery."

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AGREStIvAultS oF ClASS

Florence, universal cradle of art, is the setting for a company that has been manufacturing valuable safes and fine jewelry furniture for over fifty years. Starting from the elaboration

of  authentic ideas and the study of original concepts, Agresti comes to the production of exclusive models that demonstrate a sublime craftsmanship.

The "Imperial" collection, characterized by elegant woods and finishes, is enriched in certain products by the peculiar combination of malachite and gold leaf, originating an exclusive piece of furniture that hides an elegant safe inside.

Lacquered wood and steel enhance the so-called "Design" collection which stands out for the essentiality of the lines and the contemporaneity of the models.

Agresti is the creator of masterpieces which go beyond the boundaries of safety and uncover a secret space that becomes a coffer of dreams and feelings

More informationconcierge@le-citydeluxe.com 

Ambientata

New rounded shape armoured jewelry armoire, in three version. Briar and

mahogany matt finish / White polished wood  and stitched leather / Malachite

and gold leaf.

Tempo Assoluto

Armoire in polished ebony, handle in white nickel, anchorable to the wall.

Inside safe in black metal polished containing 16

watch winders and watch drawers, trimmed in front

with white leather.

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Collezione Design

Contemporary design armoire in polished ebony or bird’s eye maple gloss white. Contents safe anchorable to the wall with drawers organized to accommodate all types of

jewelry and watches. Opening with biometric fingerprint and

energency key.

La Dama Bianca

Shaped armoire in white lacquered wood and

stitched leather inserts. Inside safe in shiny white 24 karats gold plated brass

accessories. Handles in white leather.

Bacco e Tabacco Radica

Bar armoire with two doors and lid that can be

fully opened. In Shiny Elm briar and mahogany, maple

interior.

Il Forziere Delle Ore

Safe covered with polished ebony and black leather.

Bullets proof glass (1000 Jauls) and

antibreaking (P6B), nine winders, two drawers and

travel leather pouch.

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SENSuAl MINIMAlISM

Karim Rashid

“I AM INSpIrED by thE worlD ArouND uS. wE

ArE All huMAN AND NEED AND DESIrE huMAN

CoNNECtIoNS.”

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Biography

Karim Rashid is an industrial designer and interior architect. His designs include luxury goods, furniture, lighting, surface design, brand identity and packaging. Time magazine has described him as the "most famous industrial designer in all the Americas".

Karim Rashid is one of the most pro-ductive designers of his generation. With over 3000 designs under his belt and 300 awards, Karim Rashid

is the legend in design world. Le CITY Deluxe had the pleasure to interview Karim Rashid and learn what inspires, moves and excites the interior design icon.

 Tell us a little bit about yourself? 

 I am who I am. I am because I create. To be is to create. I always saw myself as a pluralist, even when I was a student. I did not like the idea of specialization and admired creative people who touched many different aspects of visual culture. I am interested in shaping a beautiful more seamless, more comfortable and most importantly, more inspiring future.

 How did you get into Interior Design? 

In 1999 Giorgio Armani asked me to design three shops for NYC, Paris and Tokyo to define the 21st century for his brand. He said he approached me because he saw that my work embraced new te-

chnologies and thought I could reinvent shopping. I always wanted to design interior architecture but needed an opportunity. I proposed shops with no clothes. When you enter a full 3D body scanner would scan your body, and then you would see yourself full-scale behind large mirror plasma screens. Then you could drag with your finger all of Armani's 30 years of archives onto your body and see yourself in 3D. The shops also had a runway with models constantly walking on it to show the latest collections only. Obviously this was all too premature as the technologies were not ubiquitous like today, and the costs were quite prohibitive, unlike today. Then Stephan Starr approached me to design a new Morimoto restaurant in Phila-delphia in 2000. That was a turning point for me because it was so successful that it really gave me the opportunity to design about 100 interiors globally since then and have recently begun quite a few full architecture projects, condos in New York, Miami, Tel Aviv, St. Petersburg, Riga, etc. What I love about working with architecture and inte-rior space is that I have the opportunity to really influence human experience beyond an object. 

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 What inspires you? 

I am inspired by the world around us. We are all human and need and desire human connections. So we can develop the inanimate world to be an extension of our emotions and our physical being. I am also very inspired from my travels. The best way to see any place is to work there and learn a culture from within. Design for me is like I am a cultural editor, I absorb information like a sponge and have a great memory to retain and dissect that informa-tion. I observe and memorize, then I read every bit of literature on the area, then I try to see and film everything. I smell, listen, touch, and taste as much as I can in the shortest amount of time. Every place inspires me - I love and get inspired usually by the unfamiliar so even the lost local places of industrial parks, airport’s hotels in small towns, alley ways in big cites, taxis in London, a gym in Hong Kong, a bathroom in Paris,  a prop plane in Sweden,  a cinema in Milan, a Renault in Sweden, food in Qatar,  shanty towns in South Africa, anything that is new to my senses, unusual, odd, inspires me. Beauty is in everything if we want to see it. Ideas are abundant if we want to embrace them. 

 Tell us about your collaboration with BoCon-cept? What have you created for them? 

I was very flattered to be invited to work with BoConcept because I've respected their brand for so long and even purchased some of their furniture. I always felt they had a similar feeling and climate to one another. I was also inspired by BoConcept’s history of democratic design which is very much in line with my philosophy. I created a dining collec-tion of a modular table, chairs, side board, hutch, lamp, tableware and accessories. My favorite piece is the chair itself. It’s a leaf-like form. The shapes of the legs of the chair, table and sideboard seem to creates a forest of trees; a branchy landscape. Best part of the chair is that it’s comfortable!!! All the detailing of the collection is soft so you feel relaxed and invited into a home.

INtErvIEw lErA GAvIN

What are some of the other high profile projects you worked? 

 I was the design director for Method Home, styling and creating their brand which is now in every home. I created beautiful limited edition objects for Veuve Clicquot. They gave me great freedom because they are not manufacturers with strict guidelines on what they create. Artemide , Italy has been a long standing client because they continue to produce magnificent lighting. I’ve also worked with Umbra, Audi, Dirt Devil, Swavorski, Citibank, Nhow Hotels, Related Group to name a few.

  What is your style of design? And why? 

 I call my work sensual minimalism because it is reductive yet human, minimal yet organic and amorphous. I use organic curves to break up an at-mosphere and create strong statements, hopefully achieving a sense of vitality and stunning beauty.

 What do you think of minimalist designs and the idea of "less is more"?  

  I think that as designers we tend to clean up the world – we make order from chaos. Yet 'modernism' and minimalism is sterile and too brutal to live in. I have said this for years. I believe there is a trend away from tired archetypes, and/or very cold minimalism. I wanted to challenge the boundaries of design, to bring a fulgent vibrancy to an environment.

 

Have you ever been or worked in Miami?  Yes I own a home in South Beach in a building

designed by Chad Oppenheim. It’s been a joy to get to know Miami Beach. Most people know South Beach, but all Miami Beach and even surrounding areas such as Bal Harbour, Surfside, and Key Biscayne are all really beautiful and quite remote. My first visit was 30 years ago when it was a small retirement village for old people full of small art deco buildings that were decrepit. I then returned 10 years ago for Art Basel and I’ve been coming back ever since. My wife and I love strolling from 23rd down to south of fifth, stop-ping for Cuban food or coffee or working out at Equinox Gym. Also, we like suntanning nude at Haulover Beach Park. I’ve since designed a new condo with the Related Group, called My Brickell, set to open any day now

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BRICKELL DESIGN BOOm Miami’s Brickell Transformed Into Luxury Design Locale

“Brickell design boom is parallel with the growth in the residential population on Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami.”

Move over Midtown, as infamously corporate Brickell has loosened its tie. Renowned world-wide as Miami’s banking and business center, Brickell is quickly becoming a new hot spot for

contemporary designers and artists. In the last couple of years the area has been swiftly shaping into an interior decor and art gallery ‘it’ place with sleek, trend-setting shops rapidly opening up in the locale. Miami’s Brickell area is striving to replicate New York City’s Midtown area where modern art exhibits and high-end interior design !rms are in fruitful abundance. 

 #e Brickell design boom is parallel with the growth in the residential population on Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami. According to Miami Herald, “over the last decade, the Downtown population has nearly doubled, reaching 71,600 in 2011 as residents !lled up new condominiums. Add in a work-day population of about 200,000, and the combination becomes extremely attractive for both restaurants and retailers.”

 Seeing a huge potential, design brands are quickly moving into the area. Danish luxury furniture retail Boconcept is set to open a $agship store on Brickell Avenue where they will feature their newly released 2014 collection, along with select pieces from top-line collaborations with prominent designers such as Henrik Pedersen, Karim Rashid, and Anders Norgaard.

 However, acclaimed interior designers are not the only ones who are privy to the growth of Brickell’s creative side. For two consecutive years, Brickell has hosted a Brickell Art Walk every last tuesday of the month. Unlike its counterpart in Midtown, Brickell Art Walk is more upscale and  aims to introduce the works of well established and recognized artists into the Brickell community while enhancing its cultural milieu.

 #e Brickell area is surely destined to be a huge success as it is quickly becoming an interior decor and art gallery mecca

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Once referred to as Millionaire’s Row for its mansions and luxury homes, Brickell, an area just south of Downtown Miami, has become

an international !nancial capital and a highly desirable place to work, reside and visit.  With luxurious sky-soaring condomoniums, ultra chic lounges, restaurants and bars, trendy, yet professional hotels, and a location just 20 mi-nutes from Miami Beach, it is little wonder why Brickell has become one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in South Florida. And if that isn’t enough, tourists, Brickellites and South Floridians can now look forward to a lavish $1.05 billion open-air shopping and mixed-use development scheduled to open in late 2015 – Brickell CityCentre.

 In early 2013, Swire Properties, Inc., for-med a partnership with the Whitman Family, owners of the luxurious Bal Harbour Shops, to co-develop Brickell CityCentre’s retail space, and in so doing, to create a world-renowned shopping and dining wonderland. Brickell Ci-tyCentre will boast not only twin high-rise o%ce buildings, a much needed addition to Brickell’s skyline, but will also host a sumptuous 243-room hotel (yet to be named), an 800 unit twin-tower condominium, a 120,000 sq. ft. wellness center and a 500,000 sq. ft luxury retail and entertainment haven, just to name a few of the project’s highlights.  And for the eco-concious consumer, Brickell CityCentre will

feature the environmentally friendly Climate RibbonTM architectural design, integrated ac-cess to the Miami Metromover light rail station, and an underground car park.    

 Brickell CityCentre will have competition to its immediate north and south – #e Village of Merrick Park, located just over 5 miles south, with its already existing haute shopping and dining, and the Miami Design District, situated just under 5 miles north, with its current vogish restaraunts and planned insurgence (by 2014) of nearly 50 high-fashion luxury retailers.  Un-doubtedly, Brickell, with its small neighbor-hood feel and the sizzle of a major metropolis, will prevail.  For it, unlike the Miami Design District and the Village of Merrick Park, will have it all – unparalled shopping, retail and dining, gorgeous sky-reaching residences, and a multitude of professional o%ce spaces.  All within walking distance of eachother.  And with the addition of Brickell CityCentre, the Miami Design District and the Village of Merrick Park just won’t compare.  

  While Brickell CityCentre’s completion is still a few years away, the excitement about what hotel, stores, and restaraunts it will bring to Brickell, has already arrived.  And for now, residents can sit back, relax, and watch Brickell CityCentre come to life

Brickell City CentreBrickellites and South Floridians can now look forward to a lavish $1.05 billion open-air shopping and mixed-use development scheduled to open in late 2015 – Brickell CityCentre.

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CranE FlOOr lamPPrice: $649Black metal with black fabric shade.

Modern Chic by BoConceptDanish Luxury Furniture Boutique Is Coming to Miami

BoConcept in Brickell800 Brickell Avenue - Suite 107Miami, FL 33131Tel. (305) 3501941 / (305) 3501942www.boconcept.us

Denmark’s most luxurious fur-niture boutique BoConcept is set to open a !agship store on Miami’s prestigious Brickell

Avenue. On display, you’ll "nd the new 2014 furniture collection that is replete with contemporary designs, new colors, new functionalities and exciting materials. Select pieces from BoConcept’ collabo-rations with the most prominent interior designers such as Karim Rashid, Anders Norgaard, and Henrik Pedersen will also be available. 

Le City Deluxe selected some of the most unique and signi"cant pieces from BoConcept’s 2014 collection to show you here. Enjoy! 

HamilTOn CHairPrice: $4,423Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, light brown Salvador leather/stainless steel.

CarlTOn SOFaPrice: $7,386Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, mocha Estoril leather.

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CarlTOn SOFaPrice: $3,859Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, dark brown Globe fabric.

COrnEr CarlTOn SOFaPrice: $13,132Available in fabrics and leathers. As shown, gray Salto leather.

DESKPrice: $995Desk, white lacquer/oak veneer/matte white structure lacquer. Also available in black-stained oak veneer/oak veneer/matte black structure lacquer .

TaBlE wiTH SuPPlEmEnTary TaBlE TOPPrice: $1,995Walnut veneer/titanium gray burnished steel.

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BiographyFor almost 18years, the CEO of Alembert Interiors and Gardens, has worked on turning the homes of Miami’s most prominent residents into works ofneo-classical art.

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Interior designer Aleksander Alembert is a man out of time, a passionate artist who draws his inspiration from centuries past and thinks modern design is merely

a passing fad.Recently, Alembert was asked to collaborate with trendy furniture boutique Fendi Casa. !e luxury furniture store located in hip and happening Midtown Miami, was set to debut a new collection and wanted Alembert to work his magic in its showroom. Alembert transformed the room into a tribute to his favorite school of design, Rococo –the 18th Century arts movement known for elaborate ornamentation. 

 So tell us about your Fendi Casa collabora-tion? 

Fendi approached me in April, to help them do something out of the box. It was a nice opportunity for me to work with them. For ten years I’ve been on a board of trustees of Villa Vizcaya & Museum, so I thought mer-ging Vizcaya and Fendi would be a good idea. Both are Italian; Fendi produces contemporary furniture  while Vizcaya has all the Rococo of neo-classical times. I specialize in 18th and19th century styles so I’ll be recreating Vizcaya’s look of Rococo’s Italian walls and crystal chandeliers.

When did the event take place?September 19 at Fendi Casa in Midtown.

It was a pre-gathering for the Vizcaya’s ball in November. We gave the crème-de-la-crème of Miami an opportunity to experience Fendi-Alembert collaboration. !ere was a red carpet, beautiful music and Rolls Royce and a Bentley at the entrance. 

 Would you say that your style is quite opposite of modern styles? 

Right. I was brought up in palaces, and mu-seums, and followed the royal families. We had opulent drapes, beautiful tapestries, rugs, chan-deliers, crystal-ware and porcelain. In modern furniture, there isn’t any of that. So I always felt like modern furniture is just a fad. When I was a kid, I’ve seen my mother’s house redesigned several times while my godfather’s house which was done in antiques, never changed. When he died, I inherited most of his furnishings. !ey were amazing pieces worth a great deal of fortune. I decided to stick to dealing with antiques or high quality reproductions. Anti-ques give you a sense of greatness and a sense of pride. You have to be gentle with an antique. It teaches you value and self-worth.

 So how’d you become an interior designer?

I had a big antique store in Boca Raton and we used to redecorate that store all day long, but I was never called an interior designer. All these interior designers would come into my store to buy furniture from me and I’d drive the UHaul to deliver these pieces to these guys and make sure they were placed correctly. And if the designer was not there, I’d have to redo the room to place the piece. !at’s when I decided to go into interior design. I got hired by the ASID (American Association of Interior Design) to do marketing, and then they started using me as an assistant. I did everything for them for two years. When I got a chance, I broke o# from there and was hired by some rich Canadian guys who gave me this penthouse to decorate.

It was my $rst job by myself. I took it on and from there, I started doing interior design.

 What do you think of Midtown as the loca-tion for furniture stores and designers?

I think it’s $ne because if you’re in the neighborhood, and you’re looking to get your apartment or house furnished, you go into one area. !e downside is that everyone’s homes start to look alike, because now you only shop at the local stores.

 Some furniture stores are actually relocating to Brickell. Boconcept for example just ope-ned up a "agship store in the Brickell area. What do you think of that? 

Close enough. It doesn’t all have to be in the same spot. Besides, di#erent areas can give a store a little more exclusivity. Design District already has Louis Vuitton, Dior and Cartier.

 Do you think Midtown is unique? It’s not a conventional place where you’d think you’d #nd luxury brands.

In Midtown, you have the opportunity to buy furnishings and clothing at the same time. So if you’re going to shop for a handbag, next door you’ll $nd marble and mosaic tiles. From there, we’d create your closet, living room space, and you can see your whole entire life created the way you want without having to look further. Design District really has the greatest stores for interior design in Miami

AlEkSAndER AlEmbERTA mAn OuTOf TImE

“Different areas can give a store a little more exclusivity.

Design District already has Louis Vuitton, Dior and

Cartier.”

www.aleksanderalembert.com

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Interior Designer Charles Neal is emer-ging at the top of his game. With nume-rous celebrity clients, guest appearances on HGTV & Bravo, his own reality show

coming soon from A&E, plus a furniture line in development, Neal is set to take the USA by storm with his own blend of Baroque Modern designs and Southern charm.

Explain your stylistic motto, “Baroque Modern,” in a bit more detail for us!

I use this phrase a lot. Baroque Modern is a blend: classic values with modern lines and the right balance between glam and comfort.

Since you have an interest in historic aesthetics, are there any particular cities or other eras that inspire you?

I do love Art Deco, so I like Miami and the areas and designs that exist there. I’m continually inspired by that style and era. I love the Old World feel of Paris. !e Baroque obviously is a theme I always go back to, and then the Modern era. My style deals with li-ving from one extreme to another and "nding harmony amidst it.

Tell us about your typical clientele. Who would be your dream client?

I usually work with clients between 35-55 who are ready to design their homes, but may-be have never done it before or had the funds. It’s a new adventure for them, and they want their home to look beautiful and opulent, but not like their parent’s or grandparent’s home.

My ideal client would be someone who gives me free reign and multiple homes to create di#erent themes. Obviously as a designer, we have our ideas but we’re held back or limited by budgets, lifestyles and di#erent variables.

You’ve designed homes for a long list of celebrities. How is it designing for such high pro!le clients?

Working with celebrities is exciting and brings a new thrill to creating. Often the ones I’ve worked with are artists themselves, so there’s an appreciation for the art of design. On the other hand, celebrities are very de-manding and rarely told no, so when there’s a time restraint on custom design pieces that I can’t control, they don’t want to hear it. True

beauty takes time, and there are certain things that cannot be rushed. It always works out in the end, and when they see the monument I’ve created to their wealth, they can be reminded everyday of their accomplishments when they come home.

You have been featured frequently on rea-lity TV shows that center around design. How was it designing in front of the camera?

I love being on camera, and I’ve done a number of design shows with HGTV as well as reality shows where I’m featured as a designer, such as Kim Zolciak’s spino# from !e Real

Housewives of Atlanta. I’m designing her new house and "lming with Bravo for that. !ese projects have been a lot more stressful, and it’s not reality either in so many ways.

You are currently !lming your own reality show. How is that going?

I can’t say too much at this point, but "lming my own reality show has been so much more exciting than working on someone else’s show! It’s being produced by A&E, with a Designing Women meets Modern Family approach.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you are particularly excited about?

I have a furniture line that I’m developing which will really help relay the Charles Neal design aesthetic, because I end up making cus-tom design furniture for almost every project. With my own line, it will be much easier to create my vision, and of course my own TV show will help propel that.

What was your most valuable mistake in life?

Not dreaming big enough. When I was younger, I don’t think I reached far enough with my goals and dreams. I was perhaps too realistic and focused mainly on day-to-day survival. Regardless, I’ve had a long journey in my career overseeing many businesses and Charles Neal Interiors is actually only my latest company.

TRUE BEAUTY CANNOT BE RUSHED.

CHARLES NEAL

Interviewed by Natalie Koho

modern baroque master

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El Diseñador de interiores Charles Neal está emergiendo en la parte superior de su juego. Con numerosas celebrities como clientes, apariciones especiales

en HGTV y Bravo, su propio reality show que se mostrará muy pronto desde A&E, además de una línea de muebles, Neal está listo para abordar los USA con su propia mezcla de diseños barrocos y encanto sureño.

Explique con más detalle su lema estilístico, “Barroco Moderno”.

Esta frase la utilizo mucho. “Barroco moder-no” es una mezcla: los valores clásicos con líneas modernas y con un adecuado equilibrio entre glamour y comodidad.

Puesto que usted tiene un interés en la esté-tica histórica, ¿hay alguna ciudad en particular o otras épocas que le inspiran?

Yo hago Art Deco, así que me gusta Miami y las áreas y diseños que existen allí. Me siento continuamente inspirado con el estilo y la época. Me encanta el ambiente del Viejo Mundo de París. El Barroco es, obviamente, un tema al que siempre vuelvo, y después a la era moderna. Mi estilo de vida va de un extremo a otro y busco la armonía entre medio.

Háblenos de sus clientes habituales. ¿Quién sería su cliente ideal?

Suelo trabajar con clientes entre 35-55 que es-tán listos para diseñar sus casas, pero tal vez nunca lo han hecho antes. Es una nueva aventura para ellos, y ellos quieren que su casa luzca hermosa y lujosa, pero no como la casa de sus padres o de

sus abuelos. Mi cliente ideal sería alguien que me de rienda suelta y múltiples hogares para crear di-ferentes temas. Obviamente, como un diseñador, tenemos nuestras ideas, pero estamos retenidos o limitados por los presupuestos, estilos de vida y diferentes variables.

Usted ha diseñado casas para una larga lista de celebrities. ¿Cómo se diseña para esos clientes con un per!l tan alto?

Trabajar con celebrities es emocionante y aporta una nueva emoción a la creación. A menudo con

los que he trabajado son los propios artistas, por lo que hay un aprecio por el arte del diseño. Por otro lado, las celebrities son muy exigentes y rara vez digo que no, así que cuando hay una restricción de tiempo de diseño en piezas personalizadas que no puedo controlar, no quiero oírlo. La verdadera belleza toma tiempo, y hay ciertas cosas que no se puede apresurar. Al !nal siempre funciona, y cuando ellos ven el lujo que he creado, pueden recordar todos los días sus logros cuando llegan a casa.

Ha sido presentado con frecuencia en reality shows que se centran en el diseño. ¿Cómo fue el diseño frente a la cámara?

Me encanta estar en cámara, y he hecho una

El Maestro Barroco Moderno

La verdadera belleza lleva tiempo y hay cosas que no

pueden precipitarse.

serie de programas de diseño con HGTV, reality shows donde me presento como un diseñador, como spin-o" de Kim Zolciak en Real Housewi-ves of Atlanta. Estoy diseñando su nueva casa y lo estamos grabando con Bravo. Estos proyectos han sido mucho más estresantes, y no es la realidad en muchos aspectos.

En este momento está !lmando su propio reality show. ¿Cómo va eso?

No puedo decir mucho en este punto, pero !lmar mi propio reality show ha sido mucho más excitante que trabajar en algún otro show. Está siendo producido por A&E.

¿Tiene algún próximo proyecto del que está particularmente entusiasmado?

Tengo una línea de muebles que estoy desa-rrollando y que realmente ayudará a transmitir la estética de diseño de Charles Neal, ya que me acaban de hacer muebles de diseño personaliza-do para casi todos los proyectos. Con mi propia línea será mucho más fácil crear mi visión y, por supuesto, mi propio programa de televisión que ayudará a promocionarlo.

¿Cuál fue su error más valioso en la vida?

No soñar lo bastante grande. Cuando era más joven no creo que llegara lo su!cientemente lejos en mis metas y sueños. Quizás he sido demasiado realista y me he centrado principalmente en la supervivencia del día a día. De todos modos, he tenido un viaje largo en mi carrera supervisando muchos negocios y Charles Neal Interiors es en realidad mi última empresa.

D E S I G N

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Written by Natalie Koho

FAGLIONEANTHONY

FASHION’S FAVORITE MASTER BUILDER

For almost 20 years, Anthony Faglione For almost 20 years, Anthony Faglione Fhas mastered a unique niche of Fhas mastered a unique niche of Fbuilding by providing turnkey Fbuilding by providing turnkey Fservices for some of fashion’s top Fservices for some of fashion’s top Fbrands like Calvin Klein, DKNY and Halston. With a repertoire of building runways, showrooms, stores and recently the new Council of Fashion Designers of America o! ce, Le CITY USA talked with him about his background, journey and love of building for fashion houses.When did your interest in fashion begin?

I’d say that I " rst fell into fashion at about 4 years old when my mother began dressing me like a nice little Italian boy. # e only problem was that we were living in Queens, so I’d say I was becoming fashionable, but my neighbors didn’t agree.

How did you ! rst get into building for fashion labels?

I started working in the fashion industry through an opportunity, and then continued working in fashion because the work kept coming and I enjoyed it! My " rst job for Calvin Klein was very intense for about 4 years. While working for Calvin, I’d get to know people who went on to work for other fashion houses and then would recommend that I work for those fashion houses. What is the most challenging aspect of designing for fashion labels?

Designers never stop designing! To build a store or a showroom for a designer can

B

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Tell us about working on the new CFDA building!

! e CFDA o" ce is within a building, and it was a great project. I was invited to build this project as a turnkey, and I worked very closely with an architect and the client. ! e architect wanted to design only the best for the CFDA, and the CFDA, given that they are a non-for-pro# t foundation, did not have an unlimited budget. ! e challenge and exciting part was getting the budget to work for the design, and at the same time, satisfy everyone.

Which design project are you most proud of? ! e $ agship stores for Reiss, a UK brand. I built three in total: two in New York and one in LA. ! ose were great because they were nice size projects and the client, Reiss, wanted to make an impact. ! e designers and those involved were very talented and in tune with delivering a great store. For example, the LA store has thousands of silver chain details that look like rainfall and re$ ect the British climate where Reiss originates.

MASTER BUILDER

EVERY SINGLE LINE SHOULD HAVE A REASON AND

PURPOSE.

sometimes be challenging given their inherent nature. Managing that design philosophy while keeping everyone happy I # nd most challenging.

What do you enjoy most about your niche of building?

I’m of the mind that it’s important to create a niche for yourself, and I like to engineer and provide a di% erent array of services to clients so that you become more of a need as opposed to just one of many.

What is your favorite design aesthetic? Least favorite?

I love the Calvin Klein look because it’s very clean and minimal. One would think that minimalism is easier to put together when in fact it actually is more di" cult because every single line must have a purpose. ! e challenge of making that happen is what I # nd rewarding. I don’t like busy, messy lines or things that don’t make aesthetic sense. Everything should have a reason, and when it doesn’t, I # nd it a turn o% .

Tell us about some of your upcoming projects!

For the past 35 seasons, we’ve built the runway set stage for Ralph Lauren and we just completed two stores for a French skincare brand called Caudelie. I’m building the $ agship store for Canali, an Italian brand, on Madison Avenue. I’m also currently working for Halston, who’s re-launched their image, and I’ve also built their showroom in SoHo as well as working on the Madison Avenue store.

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EL MAESTRO CONSTRUCTOR FAVORITO

Desde hace casi veinte años, Anthony Faglione ha sido capaz de dominar un nicho de mercado al proveer servicios de construcción

y servicio de llave en mano para algunas de las ! rmas más importantes de la moda como Calvin Klein, DKNY y Halston. Entre su repertorio se encuentran construcciones de pasarelas, salas de exhibicion, tiendas y recientemente las o! cinas del Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Le CITY USA conversó con él acerca de su vida, su experiencia y su amor por la construcción para las grandes marcas de moda.

¿Cuándo comenzó tu interés por la moda?

Diría que la primera vez que caí en el mundo de la moda fue cuando tenía unos cuatro años y mi madre empezó a vestirme como a un niño bonito italiano. El problema fue que vivíamos en Queens, en ese momento yo pensaba que iba a la moda, pero mis vecinos no estaban de acuerdo.

¿Cómo empezaste a construir para las marcas de moda?

Empecé a trabajar en la industria de la moda porque me salió una oportunidad, y después continué trabajando porque el trabajo seguía viniendo ¡y lo disfrutaba! Mi primer trabajo

para Calvin Klein fue muy intenso y duró casi cuatro años. Mientras trabajaba para Calvin conocí a gente que trabajaba para otras marcas de moda y me recomendaron que también trabajara para ellas.

¿Cuál es el desafío más grande de diseñar para marcas de moda?

¡Los diseñadores nunca dejan de diseñar! Construir una tienda o un showroom para un diseñador en ocasiones puede ser todo un desafío dada su naturaleza inherente. Me parece que el mayor desafío es poder plasmar la ! losofía del diseño y lograr que todo el mundo quede contento.

¿Qué es lo que más disfrutas de tu propio nicho de mercado?

Soy de la idea que es importante crear un nicho de mercado para ti mismo. Me gusta desarrollar y ofrecer a mis clientes un abanico distinto de servicios que me permita convertirme en una necesidad en lugar de ser uno más del montón.

¿Cuál es tu estética favorita? ¿Cuál te gusta menos?

Me encanta el estilo de Calvin Klein porque es muy limpio y minimalista. Uno podría pensar que el minimalismo es más fácil de lograr cuando de hecho es más difícil, porque cada línea debe tener un propósito y una razón de ser. El reto que supone plasmar un estilo es lo que me motiva. No me gustan las líneas confusas y desordenadas o las cosas que no tienen un sentido estético. Todo debe tener una razón de ser, y cuando no lo tiene, me resulta muy desalentador.

¿Cómo fue la experiencia de diseñar para el CFDA?

Las o! cinas de la CFDA están en el interior de un edi! cio, ha sido un gran trabajo. Me ofrecieron entregar el proyecto totalmente terminado y trabajé de forma conjunta con el arquitecto y el cliente. El arquitecto quería diseñar lo mejor para la CFDA, pero dado que la CFDA es una fundación sin ánimo de lucro contábamos con un presupuesto limitado. El desafío más emocionante del todo el proyecto fue lograr que el presupuesto se acomodara al diseño, y al mismo tiempo que todos quedaran satisfechos.

CADA LÍNEA DEBE TENER UN PROPÓSITO Y UNA RAZÓN DE

SER

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DEL MUNDO DE LA MODA¿De qué proyecto te sientes más orgulloso?

Las tiendas propias de Reiss, una marca británica. Construí tres en total: dos en Nueva York y una en Los Ángeles. Fueron grandes proyectos debido a su envergadura y porque el cliente, Reiss, quería causar una gran impresión. La gente y los diseñadores que estuvieron involucrados en el proyecto tenían mucho talento y por eso el resultado ! nal fue

una gran tienda. Por ejemplo, la tienda de Los Ángeles tiene miles de cadenas de plata que simulan la lluvia y re" ejan el clima británico típico del lugar de donde Reiss es originario.

¡Cuéntanos de tus próximos proyectos!

Durante las últimas 35 temporadas hemos construido las pasarelas y los escenarios de Ralph Lauren y hemos terminado dos tiendas

de la marca de cosmética francesa Caudelie. Ahora estoy construyendo una tienda propia para Canali, una marca italiana, en la Avenida Madison. También estoy trabajando para el relanzamiento de Halston. Anteriormente construí su showroom en SOHO y la tienda de la Avenida Madison.