Revitalizing_XY

This is when I pull out the British passport and do the ‘only in America’ . I went to the launch last night of the new Ivana Trump champagne. It was located in the Tincati Milano boutique,a beautiful town house at 20 East 63rd st. Lovely 5th floor terrace and lounge.

It was a interesting event, did bump into couple of old clients…so networking was good.

When it comes to the men’s clothing excellent accessories and clothes, in a tres civilised setting. Well worth popping in next time you are in that part of the world!

http://www.tincati.mi.it/indexeng.html

Another go to place I love is Etro. You have to give it to the Italian males they do know how to dress..

http://www.etro.com

If it wasn’t for my great clients, I wouldn’t have the material to write this blog, so thank you!

Here’s the deal: let’s assume you have the big boobed blonde (boob size and hair color change to suit), fab apartment, and the car of your choice…whats left for you to you indulge in?

Here’s a couple of fun examples we’ve worked on recently:

• $10,000 for 4 (yes, 4!) exterior ice boxes for a Hampton’s summer house

• One client insisted that we put a TV in his steam shower so he could watch the games! All of us on site had the same question: How will he see the screen?

Steam showers are great and we do recommend them for clients. Here’s the website video which is cheesy and psuedo sexual if you want more info.

• $180,000 for a home automation system, which includes iPad operated switched lights, TV remote, motorized blinds, all audio visuals, etc. However, we had to go back and spend $20,000 re-installing light switches, because everyone who stayed there from parents to friends could not work it out!

I realized that I must really be away from my homeland for a long time when I was surprised to find out that Stoke City was in the British FA Cup Quarter Finals against Liverpool! I’m not even sure if Stoke had a football team when I left the UK. (Yes, football, not soccer!) However, I did know that “March Madness” refers to basketball! 

I heard an interesting piece on NPR about basketball: 

“Good grief. This year, there has been more buzz about Mad Menthan about ‘March Madness’.”

I probably shouldn’t comment further on sports, having not been to a sporting event in my 20 years stateside, or a single soccer game during my five years in Manchester, England. Like a lot of Americans, I am caught up with the retro glamour of Mad Men, with its martini-drinking, politically incorrect males and their plethora of sexist comments and innuendos. It feels like a gorgeous guilty pleasure, thinking to myself, “Thank god I don’t have to deal with them!”

Not sure what basketball has done for male fashion, and to be honest I don’t care… we love the Don Draper sexy silhouette. We don’t even have to talk about the skinny tie or Fedora. (Not sure how many men in 2012 could pull that off.) Let’s keep it to the basics - the suit. Yes, the slim fit is far more flattering than an ill-fitting saggy one. If you cannot afford a bespoke tailor, do yourself a favor and pop into a local tailor to have an off-the-rack suit tailored to fit. Unless you are a male fit model size, of course!  

70 degrees here in NYC and my mind is slipping into vacation mode.

Thinking about a trip to Rome a couple of years ago, and all things Roman. I would add a visit to Rome to anyone’s bucket list. It is a fantastic a ‘real life’ theme park, that you can get a sense of in 3-4 days. Like most European cities it is better to visit off season, less crowds.

Travel… One of the highlights was splurging and staying in an Imperial club suite at the  Rome Cavalieri  – a Waldorf Astoria hotel. As a rule, I’m not a fan of opulence and over stated environments; however, the decadency of the interior amplified the trip in a surreal way.

Fitness… Recently received an email inviting people to sign up for two months of training like a roman warrior… guaranteed to get you way more points with the female sector than saying “I work out at the gym!”

Film… There have been some brilliant on scene interpretations of Rome… one of the best is Gladiator with Russell Crowe.

Small screen Rome in the TV series on HBO.

Orgies… Contemplating on how far we have advanced as humans, contrary to a lot of miss held beliefs, the roman orgy was frowned upon by the officials.

We will venture into the dark side on a few occasions…

Episode 1: Pedicures

Okay, I understand that this is an area that most heterosexual males really don’t have that much time for; shaving and a hair cut suffices!

However, flip-flop season is not a million miles away here in NYC and I want to touch on want seems to be a taboo subject for a lot of men…pedicures. Men getting pedicures is one of the fastest growing sectors in the beauty industry. Within this demographic, the men tend to be slightly older because they are possibly more secure in their sexuality and long past worrying about what their peers think.

Most men that I know have admitted to getting their first pedicure by being dragged “kicking and screaming” by their daughter, wife or girlfriend, but once they have had one they are hooked. Why?

It feels good, especially when combined with a mini foot massage. It also relieves stress. Try to find a salon that has quality massage chairs. Good foot care is especially important - trimming toenails, removing calluses and rough patches make it easier to walk.

Lastly you end up with sexy feet. Okay, not guaranteed, but there is nothing better than a guy who takes pride in his appearance, without going over board.

Contact us if you need help. We can recommend a few male friendly places in your area. You’ll love it. Honestly.

This applies to everyone, however, doesn’t the new pad deserve an exceptional bed?

jolauriedesign:

Last week we attended an event hosted by Architectural Digest and Hastens Beds to celebrate the latter’s new showroom in Manhattan. It was a great atmosphere; they had live jazz music and cocktails that paid homage to their motherland of Sweden called Northern Lights. We got to try out the beds ourselves (no drinks in bed) and didn’t want to get up. I’m sure the cocktails had nothing to do with it! No matter, we did learn a few things about the beds to share with everyone while we were there.

                      

A king bed ranges from $7,000 to $35,000; for those looking to invest in great sleep, they offer a $90,000 bespoke bed that is handmade over 140-160 hours. 

What makes them so expensive? The bed is comprised of layer on layer of genuine, hypoallergenic horsehair, cotton, wool, flax, and pine. Natural materials create wicking so your body can breathe through the night to ensure a good night’s sleep. Two layers of pocket springs support you; soft, medium, and hard options are available with a 25-year warranty. 

                                       

This may be the Bentley of the bed world, but none of us should be in a Kia (sorry Kia owners!)

On dates years ago I dreaded hearing, “I’ve booked a table at a steakhouse”, and then the conversation, “I don’t eat meat or poultry.” Instead I would chicken out and not even mention it until I was seated, only to end up with a couple of sides dishes and disgusted looks from the octogenarian wait staff…One establishment, not to be mentioned (name begins with P**L**) comes to mind. I nearly left in tears!

Thankfully time has moved on.  I recently took a trip to Parlor Steakhouse, pictured above. I was pleasantly surprised by a diverse menu, pleasant décor, and a helpful, polite staff.  It didn’t remind me of an old English gentlemen’s club with decades of nicotine-stained walls. 

This represents a new wave of steakhouses; just because some of us choose to not eat meat does not mean we don’t love people who do, or that we don’t want to share the experience.

Below: BLT Steak and Prime Meats, respectively. 

We as women do not understand how, by a certain age, the male of the species can undo complex gowns and detailed corsets in nanoseconds, but buying a decent pair of jeans is beyond the capabilities of most men. Age worsens the affliction too, unfortunately!

No, that shade of denim never looked good ..even in the days of “Ice Ice, Baby”!

“Mom jeans”, “Dad jeans”… it is all the same unflattering, high-waisted and shapeless jeans often worn by middle-aged men.

Please just head to a halfway decent department store with a  jeans department, try on 10 pairs, and come home with two. Slim, straight cut in a dark denim - no pleats or baggy legs. Most jean brands have numerous styles and cuts, and you don’t have to pay a fortune.

Make sure to throw out the obnoxious solid light blue jeans. Do not even think about saving for gardening or fixing the car. They need to be burnt as an offering to the denim gods!

Due to the dire situation, we will be posting on this topic twice a year. Sorry! 

Flowers and chocolates you cannot go too far wrong, however points awarded on both, that’s another blog.

Perfume, never buy a women a perfume unless you know which one she wears. As a teenager I worked in a local pharmacy that had the largest stock of perfume in town. I was always amazed when men would come in on Valentine day or Christmas eve and ask what perfume I was wearing and buy it for girlfriends and wives!
 
A great date and a novel take on perfume, if that is something you think you want to buy her…

How about popping into Frederic Malle, (898 Madison Ave.) a divine world of fragrance created by a world master.

Followed by lunch at Chat Noir, a gorgeous gem of a bistro.

She will be impressed by your knowledge and awareness…French themes and tres’ sophisticated!

When looking for your new home the layout is one of the most important factors. Most new construction in the city is thrown up very quickly, building materials are not always the best. So with that said, I highly recommend that your bedrooms are on either side of the living space. The master bedroom, ideally with an en suite bath on one side and a guest room on the other.  

Notice in the layout above there is a separate master suite with a guest room and office on the opposite side. 

This layout is not ideal, each bedroom has a shared wall which could result in sound and privacy issues.

This client had one of the best layouts, with a master wing.