Baroudi, specializing in ancient textiles and Hibr having a passion for antique furniture create their unique pieces in their Beirut studio with a team of highly skilled artisans. Sustainability is an important aspect of their vision, as all of the fabrics used are recycled vintage textiles from countries along the Silk Road. Each piece of furniture is uniquely designed based on the tapestry, tartan, lace, or handkerchiefs meticulously hand selected for the piece.

Bokja designs are highly coveted by collectors, artists, and designers. The influential Bokja studio has been appointed to produce furniture for high-end fashion boutiques such as Matthew Williamson and Christian Louboutin. We think they make great conversation pieces. A little bit of history, a little bit of culture, a little bit of color, and a little bit of texture. Every room could use a combination like that.

HighStreet.Cincinnati

Perfectly polished posh men dressed in candy colored three piece designer suits walk the streets in the poverty stricken Congo. Known as the Sapeurs, these men dress from head to toe in designer gear to the tune of Dior, Yamamoto, Fendi, YSL, Versace, Gucci, Cardin, and Prada.

The Sapeurs belong to the exclusive group, Le SAPE, which stands for Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, or the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. Members of this group follow a strict code of conduct which includes dress, behavior, and notions of morality.

Le SAPE is not a gang, they have no history of violence. In fact, the Sapeurs’ motto is “Let’s drop the weapons, let us work and dress elegantly.” Instead, the Sapeurs see themselves as artists, and most live in dingy shacks and work two jobs to afford the pricey threads they dress themselves in daily in the Congo.

This style of dress is not new, it’s actually borrowed from the French and Belgian colonists who took over the Congo in the late nineteenth century. The first famous African dandy in the Congo was pop musician Papa Wemba, who really fueled the Le Saper movement in the 1960’s and 70’s. The trend has spread and gotten more and more popular since.

The bright, playful yet professionally dressed African dandies have become highly infulential to the fashion designers in Europe. Their influence can be seen all over the 2010 runways.

Men taking a little pride in their dress always impresses us. And we love confidence in bold color.

HighStreet.New York

Raising children is an experience that warrants many joys– and one of the joys that particularly excites us is the aesthetic kind. (We bet you didn’t see that coming). But yes, not surprisingly the design opportunities that come along with children fill us with all sorts of fun ideas. Letting your imagination run wild results in delightful spaces for your happy little youngsters. You don’t have to restrain yourself like you do in the rest of your house.

Children love color. Experiment. There are plenty of fun wallpapers out there. Try one. Let your kids write on the walls; paint a wall with chalkboard paint.

Kids also love little cubbies or hiding spots. Create a cozy nook for them to nuzzle up with their favorite book. Build an indoor tree house. Make a teepee. Create a forest canopy.

It’s easy to get clever with storage and organization too. Use colorful bins for toy storage on a bookcase. Build a cupboard that looks like a miniature sky scraper. Display toys like pieces of contemporary art on floating shelves.

We’ve gathered some inspirational photos for you to flip through. Have fun. That’s what your kids would want you to do anyway.

HighStreet.Cincinnati

Want an easy way to bring color and pattern into a room?  Check out Karma Living’s new line of pillows and poufs – we’re wild about them.

Inspired by both Moroccan and Eastern Indian styles, which we foresee to be trending this summer, they add a fun, worldly feel to any space.  Priced to sell, it will be difficult for anyone to resist the inkling to bring a few of their favorites home with them.

Swing by HighStreet to get your very own, while they last.

HighStreet. Cincinnati.

Nathan Jenden’s Spring 2010 show was an exhilarating collection of kaleidoscopic prints, vivid color, and volume. Jenden fearlessly sent his models down the runway in striking fluorescent, sequins, and digitally engineered patterns. So many loud elements at once usually borderlines on a collection looking too garish. However Jenden grounded his collection with elegantly tailored jackets, pencil skirts, and silk blouses in jet black and stark white. We thought it was just enough to make us look at each piece as an independent, wearable garment.

The show had a multi-cultural theme– the models were all black and Asian, each sporting two high pigtail braids. The brightly colored tight mini dresses, frilly skirts and over sized hats had an old school Jamaican dancehall feel to them. Along with the Jamaican vibe Jenden also tapped into Indian culture for inspiration: Indian goddess prints, sari style wraps, and harem pants. Sparkly bangles stacked from wrist to elbow were paired with embellished 80s shades. The look was neon, ethnic glamour.

Nathan’s collection was a bit over the top for most women, but we found the show inspiring and really fun. We would love to pull some pieces from this collection to incorporate into our wardrobes this season. We want something lighthearted and full of energy after the harsh winter that felt like it would never end.

We only just heard of Nathan Jenden, but we like what we see-we know we won’t get bored. The British born designer studied at Central Saint Martens and the Royal College of Art, then going on to apprentice with John Galliano in the nineties. After working for Kenzo and Daryl K, he found himself at Diane von Furstenburg in 2001, where he would be Creative Director until just this past February. Jenden launched his own line in 2006, where he shared with the world his signature style: highly tailored, modern pieces. We are excited to see what he will show us next.

HighStreet.New York.

Refreshing. Stimulating. Uplifting. Witty.  Native New Yorker Hester Diamond had a serious art collection, but was afraid of it being taken too seriously. She was determined to create a design for her Upper West Side apartment that accomplished showcasing her impressive art collection in an approachable way.

Hester Diamond is the mother of Michael Diamond, otherwise known as Mike D of the “Beastie Boys”. Little did we know, she is also an original, a talented interior designer and quite the visionary. Seeing the fresh approach to this interior, you can see now where Mike D got his ground breaking style.

Hester and her late husband Harold began collecting art in the 50s and became addicts. She continued her art habit after becoming a widow and then remarrying the former Dean of New York University in 1982. Their collection grew to consist of Mondrians, Kandinskys, Picassos, Veroneses, Brancusis, Pontormos, and Legers. She and her now-late husband got to the point where they started trading some of their other possessions for iconic works of art they fell in love with. They were in fact, serious about collecting their art.

After years in a career of social work, Hester decided to take a shot at interior decorating. Not surprisingly, with her innovative taste, she was a natural. After retiring from the industry in the late eighties, she came to a place in her own home where she wanted a change. She then evolved through phases of Mid-Century Modern and Neo-Classical/Renaissance styles in the home. She felt compelled to be, at regular intervals, refreshed and inspired. A few years ago she decided to again take on the redesign of her home and called on the assistance of her son’s friend Jim Walrod, a New York based interior designer and art consultant. Mike D referred to Jim as his ‘furniture pimp’ in a Rolling Stone article in the 90s and the nickname stuck.

Walrod co-owned the modern lifestyle store Form and Function in the 90s, specializing in Mid-Century Modern furniture with Fred Schneider of the B-52’s and song writer Jack Feldman. Jim has collaborated with designers and hoteliers on innovative interior concepts for hotels and restaurants such as The Standard in Los Angeles and The Park and The Thompson LES in New York. Hester hired him to help her bring her growing Renaissance art collection to life in a vibrant, modern setting.

The two collaborated and came up with a fresh, colorful concept. The look is totally original. Hester’s big drive was to find a color palette that was inspiring and happy, and brought her artwork to the forefront. Walrod and Diamond chose modern furniture pieces from Marcel Wanders, Tord Boontje, and Dune, setting them against citron painted walls and a candy colored patchwork carpet. The result is lively and cheerful, yet refined. In Hestor’s words, “It’s the most joyous place to live. It’s impossible to be depressed in this room.”

We’ve never seen anything like it, and that’s a quality we love. Pushing boundaries always results in something extraordinary, and kudos to Hester for being fearless. We have to say, she’s crafty. Enjoy these sumptuous photos filled with light, color and culture.

HighStreet. New York

Dark walls are an inexpensive way to bring sophistication, drama and warmth into an otherwise stale, stuffy room.

Painting the walls of an otherwise unspectacular space ebony, navy or charcoal adds depth and substance to a room that a lighter shade could not achieve. Therefore, you may want to consider transforming your comfortably traditional space into a dark, luxurious retreat.

The key to making this look work is to have enough light in the room to balance the dark. Strangely, this is not at all difficult. Working with a room that has at least a small amount of natural light can be helpful, while too much may ruin the effect.  Investing in quality lighting from multiple angles will allow for a very particular, almost contemplative ambiance. Strategically placed lamps create a soft glow that balances the masculine with the feminine. Floor lamps, pendants and halogen track lighting can highlight accessories or art hung on the walls. Which brings us to your art and accessories…

Dark walls do wonders for your prized and even not-so-prized possessions. Anything that is light in color, (which is alot…) will look downright elegant on your deep, dark canvas.  You can have so much fun with color against a dark palette because the groundedness of the backdrop balances perfectly the frivolity of exuberant color.  A world of color opens itself up to you in a new, reasonable way and accessorizing a room such as this becomes a sincere and easy pleasure as opposed to what can be a sometimes difficult Math equation.

Conspiring what to place against your dark walls can be liberating, and a real thrill if you are into the aesthetic rush.

If you decide to pursue the temptations of the darker side then consider also covering your ceiling or floor a light shade if this is not already the case.  Lighter, neutral colors and patterns moving through the dark space is another great way to balance and brighten the room. And let’s not forget texture.  Texture in design is always good but against the dark backdrop texture takes on a whole new level of excitement much like it’s colorful counterparts.

So consider wielding some sexy dark paint. Experiment with the reaction when you use white, yellow, fuchsia or cobalt.  See for yourself how almost all vibrant colors look terrific against espresso brown, dark navy or complex charcoal. It’s hard to go wrong here.  At HighStreet we painted our long, concrete hallway and the ceilings a vibrant, true yellow.  This gives our black offices a lift and glow that makes everything feel and look terrific and, I have to say, I do enjoy coming into my office each day to find that my work space is not some stale little box, but instead a sumptuous, infinite, warm and comforting environment that inspires me to settle in and conjure some serious creativity.

Leah Spurrier. Katherine Tyznik.  HighStreet

Keira Knightly in Atonement via thejuicer.net

In ancient Indian tradition, emeralds were supposed to grant good luck. In ancient Rome, emerald was the color associated with Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. Reason and wisdom are virtues believed to be brought to the wearers of the precious stones, but perhaps we wear emerald clothes simply because we think they’re beautiful.

We love the way a deep emerald plays off of the locks of a lucky redhead. It’s such a radiant, regal color, exuding its rich elegance with a clear and daring glamour that cannot be paralleled.

Who can forget the knockout emerald dress worn so perfectly by Kiera Knightly in Atonement?  This bias-cut, backless flowing gown designed by Oscar nominated designer Jacqueline Durran was recently named the Best Film Costume of All Time in a survey.  Viewers of the film were so transfixed that the frock placed above Audrey Hepburn’s beloved, black Givenchy dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

See if you can summon some of the seductive power of emerald for yourself?

We sampled some emerald fashions from the Fall ’09 runway for your consideration.

BIG is an architecture firm based in and practicing mainly in Copenhagen that has been churning out some pretty innovative ideas. One of our favorites is their VM Bjerget (VM stands for Vestamager, the neighborhood in which it’s located, and bjerget means “mountain”). This apartment complex doesn’t hide its parking structure underground or behind an ugly façade. Instead, the garage rises up several stories, shrouded in perforated metal which, when you stand back, forms the image of a mountain range. The apartments sit on top of the stepped structure, giving each its own terrace.

But BIG wasn’t satisfied just making the outside of the building attractive. The metal façade hides a surprising and innovative interior. The hallways on each floor leading to the apartments have walls of windows looking down into the parking, and each is painted a different color. From inside the garage, these hallways form a rainbow of light overhead. The walls of the garage have murals stained into them, and even the traffic markings on the floor are different from anything we’ve seen before.

Another of BIG’s recent projects is a tower designed for a site near the center of Copenhagen. The city is known for its extensive network of pedestrian public spaces, and BIG used this to their advantage. They tempered the possible negative reaction of having a building taller than its surroundings by incorporating a public space that climbs up the façade of the building.

The building starts out as a giant stairway rising out of the ground, leading up to the various facilities in the building—a store, a library, a hotel—gradually twisting and getting steeper. Eventually the stairs gracefully turn into a vertical tower rising out of the public plaza they’ve created.

BIG also has an extremely informative website. Make sure to check it out and watch the animations explaining how they come up with the inventive forms of their buildings.

Michael Tyznik.HighStreet.Columbus

contemporary butterflies under glass by Image Surgery via thestateofthings.com

Are you a collector of pretty little things? We love pretty little things, collecting charming vintage animal figurines, pillows made with luscious designer fabrics, and piles upon piles of books on subjects ranging from Edgar Allen Poe to antique Turkish textiles. Collecting is a wonderful pastime, but some of us minimalists might find the collections of “stuff” a bit overwhelming. How on earth can your offbeat sentimental stuff look smart, purposeful and modern?

A simple answer? Place it on a white backdrop.

You can make a bold statement by cleverly hanging collections of colorful artwork, photographs, or accessories on a simple white wall. Your beloved treasures become the focal point of your room, like pieces of art in a modern museum. For this reason, white is a great color to use in children’s rooms. Their toys become edgy little sculptures by a some contemporary Japanese artist. White is exceptionally grounding for those who love color but require the dicipline of good design. It create a climate of balance in a room,  offering  your objects an air of sophistication.

We’ve laid out a few different takes on displaying colorful collections.

HighStreet.Cincinnati