Why the hell is it below freezing in March? I just can’t take it anymore- I’m turning my thoughts to warm sunny days on the farm. Check out this rad shoot that Les Loups and the rest of these supa stars did at BK Grange, our favorite warm and sunny roof top farm in Brooklyn. See the full gallery and a roster of all of the talent behind this here.
As the winter leads us into a snowy wonderland, we naturally wanted to flee the city and retreat to a cozy ski lodge on a mountain top. ahh the smell of a burnin’ fireplace and the sound of rocks twirling in a glass of bourbon is what gets us cracklin’ to the sounds of an old fashioned NY winter. So… why not bring a ski lodge to the studio before we all get that well dreaded cabin fever feeling! Just picture it- you & a handful of your favorite faces gathered up on some snuggy sofas with some wool throws, a library of books, grandpas old cough medicine, oil paintings up the wazoo . And lets not forget– you’d of course be bobbin your head to some old timey records. Now that sounds like bliss to me. Good ol’ Bushwicktown looks good with a ski lodge in it– now if only we could build them black diamond mountains in our backyard to pair with it…
We are so lucky here at Patina, we get to work with a lot, and I mean a lot of talented peeps. One of my favorite things about this whole gig is working with creative people and witnessing the magic that comes from a collaborating on a project or idea. And that’s exactly what happened when we asked Amber Gress and Courtney Arcese to shoot our Patina x Domestic Construction shoot last month. Magic. These ladies really brought their A-game to the project. They are filled with amazing ideas, awesome energy, a collaborative nature, and an appetite for perfection. One of the reasons our new collection was so well received because of the hard work and creative energy they put behind shooting it- these ladies have mad-skillz- check out more work from Courtney, and Amber and some of the images from the shoot.
I’m excited to announce our new collab with Domestic Construction. These Brooklyn ladies are so badass, they concept, design and fabricate handcrafted, one of a kind sets, event decor and furnishings in their Greenpoint studio. I started working with Trish in the Fall to design a collection that would appeal to the Patina clients needs, and would incorporate the textured, layered feel that Domestic Construction is known for. I’m totally in love with the results. Hand painted, hand sewn pieces that balance softness with chunky details. Naturals textures and neutral colors are accented by sparkles and sequins. Its a totally cohesive collection, but each and every piece can stand alone. And everything works so well with the Patina collection- its a killer collab check it out here. And, it’s the first of several collaborations we are launching this year with some dope designers and crazy talented artists to flip the event industry design on its head.
Domestic Construction girls building the collection
Domestic Construction girls building the collection.
Dear 2014, It’s so nice to meet you. You seem very exciting. We can’t wait to get to know you better. Xoxo Patina
All things bar related have been on my mind lately, I could blame it on all of the holiday partying I’ve been doing lately but that would just be an excuse. As someone who can usually be found either attending, or hosting a party anytime of the year, I’ve bellied up to a bar or two in my time. And y’all know that here at Patina we take our drinking seriously. So it’s no surprise that I have quite a few opinions on bars, the look, the drinks, the size, the servers, all of it. To me, it’s one of the more important aspects to entertaining- it sets the mood and it gives event planners a way to make a statement, get creative and set the tone. As I continue to expand our bar collection you’ll see some more rad vintage bar carts, new custom bars made from reclaimed wood ( from Brooklyn) that come in 5ft and 10ft lengths, and some cool vintage decanters and barware. The new pieces will round out our already crazy popular bar items the Crank Tables and Raise the Bar Stools. Check back soon for the new pieces or get in touch with Kim for a preview. Cheers!
1960′s Bar Cart, Gray Lady Chair
Rad 1960′s wood veneer and brass bar cart.
Baby’s got Brass Bar Cart
I’m still recovering from too much egg nog and roast beast. Only a few more days of my very sloth-y vacation filled with cozy fires, board games and booze, then I can put my new lulu lemons and spiffy new juicer to good use. But I’m feeling no guilt at all, in fact just the opposite. I’m totally reveling in the much needed week of nothing, so here is well overdue 60′s inspired holiday post shot by Ro of Les Loups, produced by our good friend Melissa McNeely shot and her crew of merry collaborators in our studio. Check out the full post and credits here.
Fall and winter are synonymous in my mind with cooking big meals & gathering at home with friends and family. Ever since I picked up a copy of The Kinfolk Table: Recipes For Small Gatherings I’ve been thinking a lot bout the simple dining table and how important it becomes as we enter the season of gatherings & holidays. A table and chairs by themselves are nothing spectacular. They’re a place to sit, and surface to eat upon. But when we bring together a group of people around a table, it’s purpose and meaning can be transformed into something so much more meaningful. It’s a place where we can sit side-by-side with the people we love & linger over old stories and a good bottle of wine. It becomes a connecting point. A hub of togetherness.
We recently set up one of our Barn Wood Tables in the studio & surrounded it with our new Bistro Chairs as a nod to gatherings & to the feelings of warmth and nostalgia that it brings. It’s our hope that these photos will possibly inspire your own holiday table, or at the very least inspire an appreciation for all of the gifts that it gives us. Photos by Amber Gress.
Amalia joined us last week as our fall intern & jumped right in prepping for our Dream Lounge Event (check out our recap here). She’s an artist, crafter, & all around creative lady and we’re thrilled that she’s lending us her talents for the next few months. I’ll let Amalia take it away from here (photo by Bekka Palmer).
Sup Patina lovahs!
I’ll start by letting you know I fully live in a nostalgic land that sets place… in my brain. However, I settled here in Bushwick traveling from the great lands & sticks of upstate NY. A country gal if you will. I have a background in visual merchandising, interior design, & event decor. Stumbling upon Patina, brought me back to planet earth, helping me realize that bits & pieces of my imaginary land exist. And not to mention… so close to my home, instead of buried in the depth of my brain & in the pages of Tim Walkers style books.
Patina is an extremely rare bird, not only in NY but also world wide. Run by the most talented & warmly passionate ladies. The creativity flows like fine wine in this insightfully colorful studio. Inspired by all things Patina, as well as traveling gypsies & native americans, makes me want to pitch a tent/teepee combo thing & set up camp in each nook & cranny of the studio. So far as a Patina lady, I’ve assisted with curating looks for a shoot for Sweet Paul Magazine and helped style, decorate, and work an amazing event for engaged couples to build their own dream lounge for their wedding. Both have been a great success & super fun to help with. Not only are Corrin, Michelle, and Kim fun and amaze-balls, but their clients rule too! The environment these gals have created is simply magical & I’m so proud to be a part of it!
On the side I design dreamcatchers, paper flowers & headdresses as well as learning how to wire objects to start making lamps for a shop I recently launched on Etsy called The Peddler’s Trunk. I’m constantly crafting about town and am instantly inspired by all the gardens, street art, tin ceilings, weathered furniture, fire escapes & vintage NY playbills. I also do light extra work, as well as freelance & design props for an interior designer uptown. My home life & relationship closely mirrors the ‘I Love Lucy’ show with two mini dachshund sidekicks, Rhubarb & Banjo who seem to steal all the thunder!
Living in a day dream floating through Brooklyn has been quite the experience & now that Patina has been added in, is just the cherry on top of the most delightful ice cream sunday.
We spent the day yesterday at the Nearly Impossible Conference which was a new conference for startups in the biz of making physical things. There were so many great speakers spewing all sorts of amazing entrepreneurial advice all over 501 Union, but really it can be summed up in just a few words: It’s about the Story.
Dave Bias from the Impossible Project shared the importance of the story. The company didn’t have a shippable product for almost 2 years but managed to significantly grow awareness base because they crafted their story in a shareable way that their fan base (which he lovingly referred to as nerds) could easily get behind and share with others. Rachel Shechtman believes in the value of a good story so much, she started a retail store called Story – she gave a great talk extolling the virtues of a story and how it can get you anywhere – even an impossible dinner reservation.
Seth Godin’s genius advice flowed freely for about an hour while he fielded questions from the intimate crowd and covered everything from funding, to entrepreneurship models for the anti-social to social media. But he kept coming back around to one central theme (of course he did, he’s Seth Godin) which was that everything we have done as entrepreneurs, getting your product right, costs down, infrastructure set up etc. was the easy part; the hard part is really honing on in who you are, what your product story is and how you will build your company and brand to back that story. With so many new products on the market, and the endless shelf space of the internet, owning your story, and putting it out there in a way that makes people want to share it is the only way to succeed. As he put it, “Congratulations, you all are no longer in the business you think you are. You are now in the content publishing business”.
But, he wasn’t advocating spinning any old story that would stick – he was about diving deep and finding your own authentic story. He was about keeping it real-being more YOU than any impostor can ever be. He summed it up by saying “I have no doubt you will succeed… but will it matter?”
Rusty and Lauren from the Nearly Impossible Conference contacted us to see if we would be interested in working with them on their new project. Once they told me who was involved and what the purpose was, it was hard to control my excitement. All of my business crushes were somehow involved, either speaking, sponsoring or attending. So naturally, I jumped on it. Being a serial entrepreneur I’m kind of addicted to these non- conference-y conferences. And since Patina is focused on making and re-making physical products, which is the focus of the conference, the fit couldn’t have been more perfect. So we’ll be spending the next few days amongst the coolest group of entrepreneurial experts that Brooklyn has seen lately and we’ll share all of the goodness that comes from this conference with you because we know that many of our clients and collaborators are making cool shit for a living too- so stay tuned. In the meantime, I’ve had this manifesto of sorts lingering around my brain for a long while now. It’s been kind of an internal thing, a silent guiding principal but in light of this gathering I’ve decided to share a little bit of it with the other peeps making cool shit for a living. So here it is- its raw, if you have any thoughts on how to build it- add yours below in the comments or through the hashtag #makersmanifesto and we’ll compile everything into one place and put it out there for whoever wants it.
Halloween is by far one of our favorite holidays here at Patina. So when the restaurant Del Posto asked us to collaborate with them on their “Big Top” themed Halloween Party, we couldn’t have been more psyched! Their designer Hao Lam came to us with an incredible inspiration board, filled with deep saturated hues & playful color combinations.
We used this inspiration board to pull together three distinctive lounge areas using our Perry, Lola & Bardot sofas as anchors.We added bright pops of color with the Sweet Jane Chair and Gwen Chairs, and used our Vintage Travel Trunks to give that distinctive big top feel. We also helped create a whimsical cabinet of curiosities filled with antlers, globes, vintage books and cameras. We’re so psyched with the way everything came together & couldn’t have asked for a better set of collaborators! You can see more inspiration images on our Sideshow Style Board on Pinterest, but here are some of our favorite pieces from the party & how it all came together…
Last Tuesday we co-hosted our very first Dream Lounge event with Brooklyn Bride. We welcomed a bunch of couples into the studio, popped champagne & armed them with our handy style map to chart the course to their dream wedding lounges. We decked out the studio with each of the four styles – Happy Mod, Boho Glam, Single Malt & Industrial Farmhouse - and let the couples snag pieces to their hearts content.
Ryan Brown Catering also served up some AMAZING treats for our guests – black truffle macaroni & cheese, deviled quail’s egg with peekytoe crab, braised shortribs on creamy polenta & the most mouth-watering hazelnut-chocolate mousse in pretzel cups! Needless to say, we’re still dreaming about his creations.
Thanks so much to everyone who came, saw & snagged! And an extra big THANK YOU to everyone who made it all possible – Vané from Brooklyn Bride, Ryan from Ryan Brown Catering, Bekka Palmer for our fantastic photos, our bartender Jamie & our new intern Amalia. You guys rock! And thanks so much for making magic with us…
If you’re interested in attending our next Dream Lounge event, or making an appointment to snag your own dream lounge – check out our style map & email kim@rentpatina.com.
Planning an event? Overwhelmed from Pinspiration overload? Use our handy dandy decision tree to help you narrow your focus and get the style that makes the most sense for you!
Check out our Style Boards to see which pieces to use to get your look. It’s as simple as that. Happy Mod, Boho Glam, Single Malt and Industrial Farmhouse
Hint: Wanna mix it up a bit? Go ahead, play around. Mix in Happy Mod with some Boho Glam. Or some Boho Glam with some Single Malt. But try and stick with about 75% of your decor from one category and the remaining 25% will add a cool twist. Have fun!
Comment below on your results.
I’ve been reading Design Sponge religiously for years, Grace, Amy and the gang really know how to create both inspiring and practical content for design junkies like me. It’s hands down one of my favorite blogs, so you can imagine my excitement when they said they wanted to feature the studio. Michelle and the photographer Kristen Gladney worked together to get these beautiful shots. They did a great job, check out the full post here.
Patina Office
That’s right, folks! On October 22nd we’re hosting our very first Build Your Dream Lounge Event! We’re partnering with our pals at Brooklyn Bride to help happy couples design the most ass-kickin’ & soul-shakin’ lounges for their upcoming wedding day! We’ll provide the inspiration, cocktails, treats & jams. All you need to do is BYOB/BYOG (bring your own bride/bring your own groom). We’ll also be rolling out four new furniture collections that will help guide you in the design process! So RSVP by October 18th to partypants@rentpatina.com with you & your honey’s name, wedding date & your venue. And be prepared to knock it out & rock it out.
The last few weeks have taken us from the VMA’s to the Tents at Lincoln Center, from Product Launches to Power Lunches, from Martha’s Weddings to Showtime’s Premieres. We popped Champagne at the Krug house and got down with Dockers. We rocked out with Spotify and got some facetime at Facebook. We launched Brooklyn Magazine’s new issue and Love Inc’s new Mag. Hell yeah, it’s been a crazy-super-awesome month. We heart our creative clients + friends and are so happy to be a part of their amazing creations. Check out some of the instagram action from around town.
(A stunner of an outdoor dinner from Colin Cowie,
rockin’ rooftop shoots with Tinsel & Twine for Hitched Magazine,
@julie_artofoverwhelm captured Viva Max in our “Ask the Wedding Expert” booth
at the Brooklyn Based Wedding Crashers,
and Cronuts & tattoos at the MKG pop-up for Dockers)
(The bodacious setup for the Brooklyn Magazine launch party
at 501 Union, Our “Lovers Lounge” for the
Love Inc. magazine launch party,
@fieldandfeather at The Ramsacle,
a very Tinsel & Twine wedding,
and two killer pics from events at The Foundry)
My newest obsessions are the Bardot Sofa and Baby Bardot. I found this killer peacock green velvet hidden behind some bolts of fabric at Zarin. I couldn’t believe my luck, it was perfect for a set of tufted pieces I had just scored. I love designing with this color – it can go so many ways. Here are 3 different ideas on how to style with the Bardot Set.
I love how the deep green/ blue of the Bardot pairs with red – it can feel so fresh. To create a lounge area, I’d start with a wall-flat of this Red and White Fan Wallpaper as a backdrop. Then I’d bring in some patterned throw pillows that pick up on the red/teal combo. I’d add our mirrored Silver Side Tables and some deep pink and red accent chairs – our Gwen & Astrid Chairs would be perfect. I’d keep the rug light – like this baby blue Medallion Rug - and then add this statement chandelier with red and black accents.
Or you could keep it all in the same color family by working with some lighter teals greens and even a touch of gray. It’s how to do calm without OD-ing on neutrals. And the color story lets you mix furniture from different era’s with ease. Farrow & Ball Ranelagh Wallpaper, Teal Doors, Teal Rotary Telephone, Twig Side Table, Dorian Grey Chair, vintage industrial pendant lamp, Brady Sofa.
For a more glam look, I would use this black & white wallpaper from Walnut Paper. The rich colors of The Bardot and the Emerald Slipper Chairs would look amazing against it. Bring in our marble-topped Copenhagen Coffee Table, our Chevron Rug, and this dark floral pillow from H&M’s home collection. Add some gold accents – like the Golddigga End Tables and Gold Hurricanes- and you’ve got a super glam lounge.
US: We’re Patina – a creative young company that curates an unmatched selection of vintage furniture & props. We have a lot of big projects coming up this fall: events, workshops, photo shoots and parties. This is where you come in – we need a talented & artful intern to assist with all things visual!
YOU: You’re a design savvy college student with a fine arts, applied arts, merchandising or styling background. You live and love the DIY ethos and have and incurable penchant for pretty. You’re naturally organized & love creating order out of chaos. You are a self-starter who sees something that needs to be done and jumps at it. You are not afraid to get your hands dirty – this is a big one! You are always up for a challenge and thrive in fast paced environment. Most importantly – you’re a really kind, communicative, and awesome person.
SOME PROJECTS YOU’LL WORK ON…
- Merchandising the studio
- Prepping & styling photo shoots
- Creating event decor and installations
- Shooting product photos
- Contributing to Pinterest & Instagram
- Writing blog posts
- Updating the website
DETAILS…
- 2-3 days a week
- Must receive college credit
- Familiarity with photoshop a huge plus!
INTERESTED?
Send your resume & at least one reference in an email to michelle@rentpatina.com. Tell us why you’re perfect for this position & what you’re hoping to learn. Include links to your website, portfolio, or anything else you’d like to share with us! Be creative & impress us with your amazing talent & personality.
Fashion Week in NY is a pretty busy time for Patina, our collection is all over Lincoln Center, parties and pop-ups across the city for some pretty awesome fashion brands. Some of the most creatively designed events I’ve seen, happen during fashion week and leave us all feeling pretty inspired. And of course, I can’t help but find inspiration on the runway. Fashion and decor are inextricably linked, so here’s my take on 3 Spring runway looks from some kick ass designers and how I’d translate them into a room.
Prabal Gurung had some pretty cool things going on, kind of a mid-century meets space age vibe but in a highly textured and ladylike way. To emulate this outfit I’d do: 1. This textured looking blue floral wallpaper 2. This cherry pendant for the perfect pop of red 3. Our Sven Settee 4. Our Marilyn Chairs 5. Some bright blue butterfly taxidermy 6.A mod round coffee table 7.This rope rug for soft texture
Mara Hoffman’s crazy colorful runway was so fun. I love how she took this geometric sweater with the vintage campy detailing and combined it with this tie-dye skirt and boho sandals. Very cool. Here’s how I’d style this room 1. This piece from Jamie Derringer is pretty great for this room and almost any in my book 2. This bright yellow faceted lamp 3. This faux taxidermy 4. Our Roxy Sofa 5. This purple tie-dye rug 6. This fun chair 7. One of our ottomans.
Zimmermann’s retro- futuristic runway was pretty cool. Their muted palette and use of geometric cut out patterns combined with 60′s inspired silouettes feels like freshly minted mod. 1. Play up the geo mod factor with this pleasure dome wallpaper. 2. The cut out look with this lamp from Ikea 3. Our Brady Sofa 4. A metallic aqua Cowhide rug 5. A black leather throw pillow 6. Our lucite coffee table