FOODIE SCAPE: GOURMET POPSICLES COLOR INSPIRE

GOURMET POPSICLE  (source)

Wouldn’t you want to sink your teeth into this Blackberry/Vanilla Gourmet popsicle this summer? What a great backyard dinner party treat that inspires a modern sophisticated space!

I have always loved the color purple. Its hue embodies luxury, sophistication and royalty. When teamed with vanilla white, it is a forceful statement. When it comes to interior spaces, this regal color is striking; yet soothing. It blurs the line between masculine and feminine and has a youthful edginess;yet mature and elegant. So GO for it!

See the crisp white sheets against the lush headboard designed by Vern Yip below. This bedroom is inviting, peaceful and calm:



(image via Vern Yip)

SHERMAN WILLIAMS KIMONO VIOLET #SW6839

What a fun and flirty bedroom for a young and contemporary girl:

(image via homedecorgallery.net )

SHERMAN WILLIAMS DYNAMO #SW6841

Purple is also a creative color and works well in working environments and communal gathering spaces like the space designed on Design Star below. The contrasting white really pops against this rich use of color.

(image via Design Star)

SHERMAN WILLIAMS INPULSIVE PURPLE #SW6832

Be unconventional like the color Purple!

FOODIE: Martha's Meringue swirls Color-Scape

IMAGE OF GOURMET SWEETS TO COLOR-INSPIRE WITH THE FOODIE IN MIND

My sweet tooth was inspired by this image of Meringue swirls

by Martha Stewart Living. A color palatte of orange and

white can inspire a modern look for your home!

(pic via ELLE DECOR)

Long white bookcases against a focal wall

of orange adds sophistication to this room.

(pic via JANE BEILES PHOTOGRAPHY)

A pop of bright oranges and reds are used

in this room through artwork and fabric on the couch.

(pic via pinterest)

The contrast of white and orange is quite powerful.

I love this planar use of color on the ceiling!

MARTHA STEWART PAINT: PENCIL #MSL082

Inspired by orange and white for your home renovation? Try using Martha Stewart Paint # MSL082 called Pencil and pair it with Benjamin Moore - I-02 Super White -This hue is my favorite non-color as it plays up architecture.

Bright orange makes me feel happy and warm!

It brightens any room with just the right pop!

PEACE, LOVE AND CUPCAKES BOOK SIGNING AT DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

Had a blast celebrating the new sweet book series, Peace, Love and Cupcakes by Sheryl and Carrie Berk at Dylan's Candy Bar in New York City this past Thursday night! Every book was purchased! Go girls!! The book is about a fourth grade girl who forms a cupcake club at school. She makes friends, fights off bullies and,is having fun decorating cupcakes!!

Besides the whimsical and colorful party space at Dylan's, we were surrounded by total indulgence: chocolate martini's, and adorable mini cupcakes with edible covers of the book from Georgetown Cupcakes on every gumball table. So amazing and delish! The lava cake is to die for! Here are some images from the awesome party!:

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES MADE CUPCAKES WITH EDIBLE COVERS, SO COOL!

Spotlight with Dylan Lauren: Candy is Art at Dylan's Candy Bar

DYLAN LAUREN, CEO AND FOUNDER OF DYLAN'S CANDY BAR

Dylan's Candy Bar, on Third Avenue and 60th Street in New York City is not just any candy store, it is a fantastical candy experience! It's like walking thru a giant kaleidoscope, except the colored mosiac is candy. Delectable images of candy are embedded in the architecture like over-scaled lollipop columns, candy-inspired lighting, back-lit candy shapes on its staircase, oversized ice cream cones, peppermint barstools,gumball tables and the attention to detail goes on. The Founder and CEO of this wondrous world of candy is Dylan Lauren, daughter of the infamous fashion designer, Ralph Lauren. Like her dad, she has created a shopping experience, but one with a whimsical twist. Dylan's Candy Bar is a destination for all ages because, as we all know, the scents, the flavors and the colors of candy makes us all happy!

I was able to interview Dylan Lauren. Learn more below as she describes her creative process and influences that impacted the design of Dylan's Candy Bar.
 

DYLAN'S CANDY  BAR'S INTERIOR

STAIRCASE OF CANDY HEAVEN

A great architectural element with back-lit candy images in the Staircase Treads!

 LOWER LEVEL

LOLLIPOP ARCHITECTURE - WHIMSICAL LIGHT FIXTURES!

No great designer exists without inspiration. So, I reached out to Dylan Lauren to take us behind the design of Dylan's Candy Bar and its colorful candy designs and asked her how did the interior-architecture come to be? Dylan happily replied, "I had always wanted to create a Willy Wonka-like environment that had oversized candy props. But I wanted to have it feel hip and modern so I combined the entertainment feel with Moma Design, Space Odyssey 2012 film and hip night clubs I'd seen. I was inspired by, as mentioned, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as well as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Toys, and all Disney cartons. I created inspiration boards with scenes from these films and other tear sheets."

PARTY ROOM: GIRLS AND BOYS PARTY INSIDE OVER-SCALED CUPCAKES

GUMBALL INSPIRED LIGTING

OVER SCALED ICE CREAM CONES - SCULPTURAL POP ART

BATH WITH GUMBALL SUDS, ANYONE?

DYLAN'S SIGNATURE LOLLIPOP - DELISH!

Dylan's 15,000-square foot Wonkaesque inspired store is jam-packed with thousands of different types of chocolate, sugary goodness, and various candy-related acessories, from T-shirts to jewelry. The Oompa Loompas are the only thing missing!  My faves are those adorable candy inspired boots and Dylan's own belgian chocolate bars, yumm, there is over a dozen to try. I have done my own taste testing and the 'best of the best' are the Cookies and Cream, S'mores, Milk Toffee Crunch, and for those bold coffee lovers, Espresso! There is even a Candy Spa, where you can bathe in chocolate with Hot-chocolate bath salts or hot-chocolate bubble bath. Aah, the sweet life!

PRIVATE PARTY SPACE

And you can even have a special bash in their private party room. So much fun, as I have been to a birthday party there where illuminated rainbow colored panels surround you! (See pic above)

DYLAN'S OWN BELGIAN CHOCOLATE, YUMM!

SO, ADORABLE!!

MY DAUGHTER WANTS IT!

Dylan sure has built a strong lifestyle brand that is visibly integreated into the interior design!! I asked Dylan, what fuels your creative process? She replied, "candy offers so much to work with. In our meetings we'd get a sugar and creative high eating the candy. And we also modelled the props, fixtures, architecture, colors, surfaces after the shapes, colors, patterns, textures of candy."

What is really most impressive is how the candy is organized and showcased. The backdrop of the store is all white so the focus is on the candy, sort of like a gallery setting. I noticed rows and rows of candy stacked and arranged by color and/or pattern. Not unlike a stack of colored or patterned shirts you would find in a boutique clothing shop. So I proceeded to then ask Dylan, did you find inspiration from fashion? She emphatically said, "definately. I love the colors, patterns, textures of fashion. I try to package candy with an unique design. I also admire the way retailers like my dad (Ralph Lauren) and Izod and Scoop merchandise clothing in color coded ways. Or create a themed environment with props to bring the clothes with that theme to life. We do this with seasonal props and colors to constantly keep the store ambience changing and make the candy of that season have a bigger story."

See the wall of M&M bins below where the colors are purposefully placed, overwhelmingly beautiful!

M&M BINS

Dylan's Candy Bar is "Pure Imagination." Can you hear the theme song? Every designer can learn from Dylan that inspiration can come in unusual ways. Her appreciation and passion for candy is evident in every aspect of her modern "candyland."  In her book with Sheryl Berk, Dylan's Candy Bar Unwrap your Sweet life, she say, " Candy is magic!, Candy is imagination!, Candy is art!, Candy is fashion!, Candy is joy!, Candy is memories!"

SPOTLIGHT: 9 YEAR OLD CARRIE BERK CUPCAKE CRITIC

CARRIE BERK: CUPCAKE CRITIC

From a very young age, Carrie Berk, my best friend's daughter, loved cupcakes. Her favorite cupcake joint on the Upper East side, Crumbs, was a destination when visiting her family. Amongst all the enticing cakes, Carrie would point out to my family the 'best of the best.' Now, this adorable and amazing 9-year-old is a blogger who critiques cupcakes! She has travelled internationally tasting cupcakes and has interviewed Top Pastry Chefs from Cake Boss Buddy Valastro to the owners of Georgetown Cupcake. Besides identifying the best or the worst cupcake, and she is merciless according to her Mom, you can read all about the latest cupcake trends, like cute cupcake bags, jewelry ,toys, etc on her site Carrie's Cupcake Critique and Facebook Page. Even Carrie's bedroom is a cupcake wonderland! See pics below:

CARRIE'S CUPCAKE BEDROOM

Are you blown away? Well, Carrie and her Mom/writer, Sheryl Berk, have just written a wonderful children's book about a Cupcake Club called Peace, Love and Cupcakes: The Cupcake Club!! Amazing, right? You can meet Carrie in selected areas for her book tour! So excited for her!!! Learn more about this inspirational cupcake kid as I snagged her for an interview!
 

How old were you when you started to critique cupcakes? How did this all come to be?
I was turning 7. I was coming home from a ballet recital with my Mom, my friend, Darby, and Darby's Mom, Kathy and I asked ALWAYS if we can go get a cupcake together and one day Kathy said, "If you love cupcakes so much, then why don't you do a cupcake blog?" That's how it all started.

When you critique a cupcake, what do you look for - the design, or the taste?

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKES - YUMMY!!

BROADWAY CUPCAKE FROM GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE OWNERS KATHERINE KALLINIS AND SOPHIE LAMONTAGNE WITH CARRIE

You really need to focus on both because both are really important. I look for creativity of the flavor (for example, black and white cookie broadway from Georgetown Cupcake) and also I look for creativity of the decoration (for example, NOT crumbs of the cake.)


Tell us about meeting one of your favorite Celebrity Pastry Chefs and how he/she inspired you?

CAKE BOSS BUDDY VALASTRO AND CARRIE BACKSTAGE

I met Cake Boss Buddy Valastro once! He is really amazing! He inspires me so much because he shows everyone that he can do anything, like if he makes a cake and he doesn't think he can do it, he tries anyway!

CAKE BOSS TEACHING CARRIE HOW TO DECORATE A SUNFLOWER

I was at a baking tour show when I met him. They called people on stage to decorate with him, and I wasn't one of those people so I got really upset. But after the show when I got backstage to meet him, I saw one cupcake that wasn't decorated yet. So I asked Buddy if he could teach me how to make a sunflower and he said, "Of course! " He gave me a private lesson on the stage alone! It was amazing! See pic above.

What inspired your new book Peace, Love and Cupcakes: The Cupcake Club?

COVER OF THE NEW BOOK PEACE, LOVE AND CUPCAKES: THE CUPCAKE CLUB

I was having a sleep-over with my friend, Jaimie and she had to do her reading homework so I had nothing else to do. The thought of cupcakes came in mind and I thought, "I wish there would be a book about cupcakes." So I tried writing a mini 2 page book!!!!! It was totally different than the book we have now. I had a character named, Ashley! But we did still keep the name Lexi! So my Mom loved it and showed it to her agent and soon we had a book deal!!

CARRIE AND HER PASSION - CUPCAKES!

Carrie ROCKS, such focused interest at such a young age. What an inspiration!