Author: Harry Allen

DesignPop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl1K5HyZoD0 Sneak Peek: DesignPOP by Lisa S. Roberts.

The Grey Area in Brooklyn

When I lived on Myrtle Avenue in the early 90s it was downright dangerous. Now it is home to Grey Area. I attended their fall opening party with Liz Collins. Grey Area straddles the zone between art and design, hence the name, and it stirred the collector in me. I love these bowls by Katherine Gray… […]

Bedford Beauty

Last week I attended Bedford Magazine’s 10th Anniversary party. They made it through one of the most difficult ten years in the publishing industry and celebrated it in style at one of the highest and most beautiful points in town. The magazine is a phenomenon; a little local startup by Geoffrey Morris – who very […]

DUNE Opens new Showroom

Last night John and I attended the grand opening of the new Dune showroom at 200 Lex. In attendance were lots of fun design world friends including Amy Lau and Cindy Allen. The night was sponsored by Interior Design Magazine, but I love the shot above of Joe Doucet, Carl D’Aquino, Myself and John (in […]

EXHIBITION/ PROVINCETOWN / LABOR DAY WEEKEND

New Furniture and Lighting  Designed in collaboration with Liz Collins.  At the Art Market Gallery in Ptown.  Opening reception August 29th, 6-8 pm Liz and I met during our residency at Haystack earlier in the summer. 

Norwegian Contemporary

John and I just got back from Norway where the weather was phenomenal and everyone was living outside. The trip focused on family and friends, but there is beautiful design in Norway too. On the southern leg of our trip we stayed at the Farris Bad Hotel and Spa in Larvik, John’s hometown, which hangs out […]

Snow White

A mosaic Snow White on the Lower East Side

Massimo on my Mind

I was away when Massimo Vignelli passed, but I came across this in a drawer yesterday. A 1972 subway map of his mastermind that I picked up on ebay as inspiration. I only had one real interaction with Mr. Vignelli. It was in the 90s, and I was called  to work on a project for […]

Haystack

I am doing a two week residency at Haystack Mountain School of the Arts on Deer Isle Maine. I am sure I will have lots to report when I get back, but internet is scarce up here and I am relishing my time in the studio.

Pingry Honor

My high shool in NJ, Pingry, honored me last week with an Achievement in the Arts Award. I was inducted in 2012 but was unable to attend the ceremony until now. Miles Boyd, the Chair of the Fine Arts Department, waited patiently to give the award in person. My name starting with an “A”, and my […]

Collective Consciousness

I’m not sure what is happening to design week. It seems to be expanding into Design Month which is OK by me. This week John and I attended the Collective Design Fair, another Design-Miami-y gallery show, but in NYC. There were many beautiful things on display, but I am officially over the 20th Century, it’s […]

Wickisseur

We are just finishing up my mother’s summer house on the NJ shore. It has been a long and grueling process getting the house restored after 39″ of Sandy washed through the ground floor but we are now on the fun part of buying a few new things. Mom is not a very contemporary lady, […]

Porklandia

My little Bank in the form of a Pig is so much more famous than I. He was just spotted on Portlandia, Episode 3 of Season 4.

Color Report: Amphibian Grey

This little frog is right on trend. Amazing how he blends into our patio table, and amazing how he sat still for this iphone photo.

Four Borough Thursday

If I had had breakfast in Queens I would have made it to all five boroughs. I started and ended the day at 207 Avenue A in Manhattan’s East Village. The first meeting for our Built NYC project, the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame display cases at the Ocean Breeze Athletic facility took us out […]

3D Fedora

Leave it to Kevin Michilli, the proprietor of Ciao For Now (one of my favorite East Village eateries) to make good use of his neighbor, the 3D printing shop, CUBO. Kevin had them scan his favorite Paul Smith fedora and print it out in glow in the dark green. I think he is on to […]

Milano – Day 4

My final afternoon in Milano was spent in the design halls at the fairgrounds. These rugs at Danskina were just so cheerful and simple. I want one. I cannot recall where I saw this little crinkled chair, one of the Swedish companies I believe, but I thought it was very fun. Likewise this colorful little shelving […]

Milano – Day 3 (continued)

Also in Rosana Orlandi’s basement – where the younger designers show – I loved these glass and foam pieces by Roos Gomperts. I am a sucker for an interesting material story.  Upstairs in the store we admired this embroidered Eames chair. Then we headed out to the Lambrate Area – a long trek from town. […]

Milano – Day3

Milano – Day 3 On Wednesday  I made the rounds with my friend Patty Johnson. We started at Rosana Orlandi Gallery where Patty had some new work (which I embarrassingly forgot to shoot). My favorite thing in the gallery was this new Ripple lamp by Loebmeyer. I think I had it on my blog last year when […]

Milano: Day 2

I’m trying to keep it down to the best of the best this year. My first stop was at DePadova where my good friend Monica Forster was showing a new sofa that I liked alot. Simple and pretty with powerful piping on the cushions. I wandered around town where I spotted this very beautiful lamp […]

Milano: Day 1

Projections on the Villa Necchi at the T Magazine celebration. Very fun.