The Boy's room set

Last week, Amelia Battaglio, one of the best production designers I know hired me to decorate a commercial for an air freshener . It was a quickie - She had scouted locations for 2-3 days and I was hired on friday to start decorating.

We were on a tight budget so she and I headed out to Ikea to purchase most of the furniture. It was a exhausting trip late in the afternoon that lasted almost 3 hours. We ploughed through, and with the help of Jose, my driver we filled his minivan with all of our purchases - bed, mattress, dressers, shelving, rugs - The works.

So I continued shopping on monday and tuesday - sporting goods, curtain fabrics, rugs etc. Everything was coming together.

At around 3pm, the director contacted Amelia and said that he thought the kid should have a collection of his converse sneakers..."like 30 pairs", he said on the phone. The idea was he had collected all the converse he had ever worn - "Hmmm, 30 pairs," we thought. Where to find 30 pairs of used converse in varying sizes... at 4pm in the afternoon. Amelia suggested a place on St. Mark's Place. A guy who sells used sneakers in an old shoe repair store.

I drove over there, and he had 8 pairs that would be appropriate. He charged me $70. Then I went down to a store on prince Street called Vintage. They had Vintage Converse - White, yellow, blue, even converse with an american flag pattern. Each pair priced at $80-90. So I bought two pairs and headed back to Brooklyn.

He also wanted gnarley looking stuffed animals so I stopped at the Atlantic Avenue Salvation Army

When I got back, Amelia said that the director called to tell her that the clients had nixed the sneaker idea.

All in a day's work. All in a day's work

In Treatment- Walter hospital set

Just watched the latest Walter episode which was decorated by  Elaine Odonnell. It's an impressive hospital room and hallway set. It's more than the average hospital room. It's one of those high end hospital rooms for the rich and  famous. There is a whole suite like that at Mt. Sinai. It was right down the hallway from where my dad stayed in the oncology unit of Mt. Sinai.

In this set, there's a beautiful deep purple wall. The room is quite serene whith an interesting  abstract painting - possibly a landscape above a dresser.  There's a view outside the window that reminds me of the view out my dad's window at Mt. Sinai. The hospital is supposed to be in NYC so it very well could be modeled after the IM Pei wing at Mt. Sinai.

There's an interesting wallpaper in the hallway - sort of a textured plaster look -

The bed has textured blankets - possibly brought from home.  There are your typical hospital style striped curtains on the window...

The show continues to be very, very engaging, interesting and arresting. And continues to move me.  

God of Carnage

Went to see a great play called The Gods of Carnage on broadway the other week starring,  James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden,  Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis.  They call it a comic tragedy. Two couples  attempt to discusss their children's misbehavior in a playground. One child has knocked the other child's teeth out. So the parent's are trying to "diplomatically" decide what to do about the situation.

So that's the premise. And then it just goes from zero to sixty  within 20 minutes. All of the adults start to behave as 5 year olds.  All of their neuroses and craziness  revealed for all to see.

It is a wonderful, cathartic and surprisingly enjoyable evening watching these 4 excellent actors hash it out.

I recommend it highly.

I give this one 4 stars

Decorator Diva?

I think I'm going to have to change the name of this blog. There are just too many people calling themselves Decorator Divas...ANY IDEAS?

I wish I could call Dad.

 He would always have a great idea for a name. He was always so clever. Always there with the perfect turn of phrase, slogan, whatever.

There are so many times that I think, "Oh, I must call dad", "Dad would want to know about this".

Tears are coming to my eyes... 

I miss my dad.

two decorators @ Jamali

I ran into a fellow decorator today @ Jamali on 28th Street. She mentioned the company  that she was working at, and I told her I had gotten a call for a very low budget job there last week. She was not working on that particular job.

 She told me that she was concerned and a little upset that the producer of that job   had hired someone not in our local, but a person  who had just been admitted to 829, the set designer's union.  I should add that the person in question has very little experience in both designing and decorating.

What upset us both was the fact that he was hired over other decorators.  Was it possible that no decorator would take that job? I found that hard to believe in these difficult times, even if the rate was exceptionally low ( scale, perhaps).

 I was happy not to have to take that job, but would I have had to  if this other one hadn't booked? 

As I write this, I realize that the reverse  happens frequently  when decorators are hired in lieu of designers. And of course, this upsets the designers and their union.

I will not mention any names in order to protect all involved. We discussed the possibility of calling the hall, but both thought it might have negative ramifications.

I told this decorator that I had been calling around to drum up  work. She said, "oh, I never do that. When I don't work, I go to the movies.." 

Ouch.

I was surprised by her comment. Perhaps it was just off the cuff, but I thought it was a bit, shall I say, rude. 

It seemed so out of sync with our times. As if, we were still in the days when not working for a couple of days or maybe a week or two was kind of a  luxury of sorts. The happy freelancer's conceit that work would always come his or her way -  

If only that were still the case.

When we left the store I told her that she should appreciate all the work that is coming her way, but that was not the case for everyone. And to recognize that the industry was going through a  difficult time.

 I don't know why I felt like I had to say this to her - But she did seem a bit, shall I say,  clueless?

I wonder now why I was so honest with her - Perhaps I was a little too transparent...

Jamali

West 28th Street

Great source for pots, gardening supplies, candleholders, materials, ribbon - Great for decorating parties.

busy busy job...

So, now it's as if I never stopped working. 

It was good to see all of my regular vendors - Like Dominique at Props for Today, Bobby Hraska and Richie Slavin @ Arenson prop centre, Jim, Suri,  Barry. Louise and Sandra at Eclectic, Colleen @ Bethel Studios ( fantastic seamstress), Maxine, Keisha, Slim and Jigme @ Prop Co.

Today was a good day. Everything seemed to go well..  Colleen knew exactly how to make the Victorian style drapes for our Gone with the Wind knockoff.  Doros annex made a beautiful arrangement for me, and so did Mimi @ Pany -  So it seemed that the stars were in allignment. I made good decisions and  beautiful things were created...

So many moments of decision and choices to be made...

And of course none of the running around, beating the clock would be possible without my driver, Jose Hernandez. Such a nice companion in the mini van all day long. Always finding the quickest and most expedient way to get anywhere.  

We enjoy our lunches at Bottino, and the occasional stop at Tasti-Delite. 

This is what keeps us going.

 If I didn't have Jose, I don't know what I would do...

So there are many people to be thankful for. It was a good day.

Sources:

Arenson Prop Centre

212 564-8383

Bethel Studios

Colleen

Props For Today

330 West 34th Street

Pany

silk flowers

West 28th Street

Doros Annex

9th Avenue @ 21 street

NYC

beautiful, stylish florals

Prop Co.

111 West 20th Street

Eclectic Encore

620 West 26th Street

212 645-8880

Tudor Manor

East 11 Street

Over the top reproduction porcelain figurines - So gauche, but pretty too.

West Elm/Pottery Barn

comfy, homey and stylish furniture

Crate & Barrel

My favorite store

It's spring and the place is brimming with bright colors. Let the recession be dammed. 

Buy colorful pillows and you may feel better about the state of the world. 

Life seems better when you are in Crate & Barrel

The timing was perfect.

I don't know about you, but sometimes, the job comes just at the right time.  I was able to spend  almost the entire spring vacation with my daughter.

We saw Dora, the circus, visited the Brooklyn Children's museum, and the Brookyn grown up museum - went to the zoo and the carousel. 

And then I had to got the call to go to work. Just at the right time. No sooner.

so the phone calls worked

I am currently taking a break from blogging to work on a tv commercial for Breyers Ice Cream with Jane Krakowski, the actress  who was so funny on Ally McBeal, and now is on 30 Rock.

Somehow, the phone calls worked, although this particular job was not due to my contacting anyone. The designer called me out of the blue - possibly from a recommendation from his usual decorator who was busy, I assume. So thank you freelance Gods.

Also, I got 2 phone calls last friday. One from one of the companies I had contacted during my "dialing for dollars" day.  I noticed a lot more activity around. People in the prophouses, running into other decorators - Hearing that other people are working.

So commercial production is happening...people are making commercials. Products need to be sold and promoted. 

According to the New York Times advertising correspondent, Stuart Elliot,  advertisers are now interested in "older people" as opposed to the coveted 18-34 year old market. Hey, the older people have some money to spend, and the baby boomers are aging. So bring on the pharmaceutical ads...

And so I am working again... No blogging this week. It is time to work.

PLEASE RESPOND

PLEASE RESPOND AND FEEL FREE TO SEND ME STORIES, IDEAS, LOVE LETTERS AND ADVICE...OK I'M NOT ROLLING STONE, BUT I'M GATHERING MOSS HERE ANYWAY...TAKE THE LEAP. SIGN UP WITH GMAIL. ONCE YOU DO IT IS EASY SAILING.

Freelancing stinks

Oh yes,  being a freelancer can be great when work is plentiful, and  there always seems to be another job around the corner. 

It really stinks  when there are no job  prospects and you have to get on the phone and look for work.

dialing for dollars as they call it. 

I hate that.

Thank God for the internet. Hey, you can email people and inquire about jobs  without actually talking to anyone . How perfect is that? But how successful. Don't you have to suffer and grovel to actually get a job. Or at least put the good karma out there that you need a job?

And of course, the job always comes from the most surprising place.  but you have to put out that call, the good karma call. The call that says that you are "ready, willing and able" to grovel for work.

I remember in the early 90's when we had that recession period, and work was slow.

There was one week  when the majority of the union was out of work. It was a hard time and I realized that I loved my job, but hated looking for work.

But how can you be a freelancer and not be able to handle the down time. Isn't the looking for work  part of the job? 

But oh how I hate it.

My uncle Roy always thought a freelancer should have a bag packed so that when they finish a project, they can leave on a trip somewhere. Oh, if only there wasn't the mortgage to pay or the child to look after or the husband to attend to.

If only life were so easy.

I did try changing careers in the 90's. I went to social work school with the thought of becoming a psychotherapist. I went part time for 2 years or so. But, coincidentally, the economy improved and my career became more and more successful.

 It became necessary to make a choice - Social work or set decorating. Drum roll please.

I couldn't do it.

 I wasn't ready to change careers. My identity was too closely linked with earning a good living and being a sucessful set decorator. I guess I loved what I was doing.

But don't get me wrong. I loved reading about Winnicott, Freud, Margaret Mahler, Horney and child psychology.  What I hated was statistics and the thought of being a social worker.

I realized I was lucky to have a career in which I could spend my days deciding which fabric worked with what paint which worked with which pieces of furniture  as opposed to the more serious pursuits of social work. 

And I don't think I'm a shallow person. I am just a visual person who loves to solve visual problems, not social ones. 

And so, here I am again.  facing the telephone. Who to call? When will I work again? Hey, I wish I had a real career, whatever that would be? Oh yes, I could have been a social worker or psychotherapist.

You know that expression, You are only as good as your last job?  But my last job was good, wasn't it? Shoulder to shoulder with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Beth Rubino and all that?

It's terrible being freelance. You always feel like you are starting over, that is till the phone rings again.

a day at the circus

I took Sonya to the circus, accompanied by my sister and niece.  I hadn't been to the circus since my nephew Henry was 4 or 5 and we went with my dad.  

We bought Henry some kind of laser light, but the boy in front of him had the sword, and he just was smitten by the thing.  As we left, he cried for a sword, and my dad had to run back to get it for him.

The other day, I asked 18 year old Henry if he remembered going to the circus - He said he remembered playing with that sword.

So we went to Ringling Brothers and I must say it's a bit mediocre. Can't compare to Cirque de Soleil. The choreography, music and acrobatics are just not that interesting. But that's me the adult speaking - Sonya loved it. And she adored watching the Elephants, dogs, horses and tigers. 

I was struck by the sad, old appearance of the elephants, and couldn't help but feel sorry for them. The tigers were amazing, though. And you have to watch them under a huge zoo like cage.  

 The tiger wrangler particularly fascinating. I guess there is always the danger that he will be attacked by his Tigers. It makes watching him work very exciting, and scary too.

  What an occupation - what a calling.

All in all it was a fun morning at the circus.

We dropped by at Props for Today. I wanted to show off my daughter to Dominique and Kerry and anyone else who might be around.  

Sonya and Alice enjoyed looking at all the props. Even Louise my sister  found the place fascinating. She suggested it would be a good place to do writing exercises because every aisle of furniture affords you a different period, a different mood, a  different attitude.

 She was struck by how the furniture altered one's sensibilities - from depression era club chairs to hi-tech  glamour - all in the blink of an eye...

It seems that Props has downsized a bit.  The 14th floor  sales space has been cut down - It appears that they may be thinking of sub-leasing some of the space. That would be my guess.

There was maybe one customer in the store, and very few orders going out - at least that is what I could surmise. It certainly wasn't bustling with activity.

So that's my report from 34th street.

shopping sleuth - where to buy Gefilte fish the day after passover

So we drove into manhattan to pick up  9 pieces of Gefilte fish and Matzoh ball soup at Citarella the day after Passover - Lo and behold,  both the downtown and uptown Citarellas were sold out of the stuff - Shocking but true. So shopping sleuth that I am , it occured to me to drive down to Russ & Daughters on Houston Street. As Jeff drove the car, I called ahead and a woman ( a daughter? ) answered the phone and in the most cheerful voice said "Of course we have Gefilte fish - 3 different kinds . And Matzoh Ball Soup, homemade horseradish and other passover fare". I told her we would be right there -

Russ & Daughters was packed. It's an old fashion style deli filled to the gills with lox, bagels, chocolates, all kinds of caviar ( wasabi caviar?)  and all styles of macaroons and other jewish style goodies.

 It also has a splendid selection of cheeses and packaged goods like olive oils, teas and fresh coffee. It's a beautiful and warm shop with a friendly group of salespeople anxiously filling orders, slicing lox perfectly  and moving  fast and efficiently.

I felt very at home  at Russ & Daughters. It was as if I had been transported to New York in the early 20th century and I was living in a coldwater flat on the lower eastside -

I  decided to never go anywhere else for my gefilte fish and other passover foods. Russ and Daughters is the place to be.

Top Shop

As a professional shopper, I  was anxious to go to the new Top Shop - a british import clothing store geared to trendy,  style conscious women  on a fairly low budget. 

So, voila, Top Shop is now open on Broadway between Grand And Broome streets in Soho. People have compared it to H&M  as well as Fiorucci and Pandemonium from  the 60's. 

It is a very lively and fun  store with pumping loud music and a festive carnival like atmosphere. The clothing is definitely more interesting than that at H&M. More trendy  and unexpected - not just designer knock offs. 

I admired  beautiful vintage style  dresses that reminded me of shopping at Betsy, Bunky & Nini in the late 60's.  This is especially true of the Kate Moss line which has a whimsical and sweet quality. 

There is little there for a woman of  a certain age...hmmm, that would be me, although I was impressed with the shoe selection which went from ridiculously high stilettos to a selection under the name "office shoes". I particularly liked a pair of black loafers with tassles named "typically English". 

 My sister and I enjoyed our hour at the store and started to feel that exciting buzz of wanting to spend money.  We had a great saleswoman in the shoe department who was very anxious to please us. 

Alas, we left, empty handed... but are eager to return soon - especially with my niece who would look adorable in many of those cute dresses.

We met our friends at an  italian restaurant on Broome Street called Aurora. It's a lovely place with a  tuscan style decor - very earthy and warm - plaster walls and country furniture. We had delicious Bronzino and shared a couple of bottles of wine in celebration of our friend Pam's birthday. It was a lovely evening...

Dora the explorer at Radio City Music Hall

I took my daughter and niece to a live version of "Dora the Explorer" at Radio City Musical hall yesterday afternoon. And wow, what a spendfest that was - Within 2 seconds of entering the hall, you are barraged by merchandise.  Laser lights? $20 bucks - a bucket of popcorn? $10. And how about an enormous bag of cotton candy with a vaguely cat in the hat hat on top. another $10.

I was able to steer my daughter away from that laser light. We did settle upon a Dora doll ($20)  - But it was all part of the fun. 

What was really exquisite was being in Radio City Music Hall. Its  art deco glamour and splendour  more beautiful than ever. I was particularly taken with their clean and expansive restrooms -  They refurbished or reordered beautiful mint green pedestal sinks. They are lovely. They even have the original hand dryers, except these you have to push a foot pedal to use. Figured that out on the third trip to the bathroom with my daughter.

The show was actually - enjoyable. That is for the first  half hour or so - Let's say it was about an hour too long. But the production value is surprisingly good -  Bright colored sets with simple clean graphics. Good costumes, and of course memorable songs like "Dora, Dora, Dora the explorer..." I guess you would have to be a mom of a 4 year old to appreciate it.  But most important, my daughter loved it and was absorbed by the show  the whole time...

Masochist  that I am, we had dragged a long one of my nieces old American Girl Dolls ( Nikki) to see if we could get her hair done at the nearby American Girl store.   Silly me. there was a 2 hour wait at the hair salon.

 I was able to divert the disappointment by suggesting we buy a new outfit for the doll -  We even visited the doll hospital to inquire if the rat's nest of hair could actually be rescued in the salon. One of the "doctors" looked at her hair, and said it was unlikely, although possible. He did suggest that for $39.00, she could get her head replaced.  We declined, and decided to try the salon on another day. He did volunteer to tighten her head since it was loose. 

The F train ride home was not  surprisingly empty as it was the first night of passover. My daughter slept the whole ride home to Brooklyn. A perfect first day of vacation...

update on "in treatment"

I heard from Elaine Odonnell - She told me that she didn't decorate Paul or Gina's offices, although she was responsible for some sets that will be seen later in the season. Apparently, Karin Weisel was the decorator of note on those sets. Kudos to Karin.

She did say that  Neil Patel, the production designer, works mostly on theatre sets and that is why he  was chosen to design the sets for the current episode. Why?  because they are theatrical in nature - The camera does not move around the room, and is essentially focused on the actors in the set. Interesting.

 Thanks, Elaine, for the information.

I did notice that the episode in which Paul and Gina were filmed on her couch felt very still, and theatrical in nature - 

Next up, Gina becomes Paul's shrink again, and she sits opposite him... stay tuned.

Any work? Anyone Working? Please share....

Vendor of the moment: Jenny McGibben of the Strand

As I was writing the previous post, I was imagining that Jenny McGibben probably picked out all the books on the "In Treatment" set - They are probably all psychology books - There are books by Freud, Jung, Klein, Winnicott, Horney  as well as other psychologists. They may have asked for poets  and novelists  too. Yeats, Eliot and Shakespeare too. 

Jenny McGibben is the go to person at Strand books when you need to rent 100's of feet of books to fill bookcases and rooms. On  Untitled Nancy Meyer, I ordered 100's of feet of books for Streep's house - They were cookbooks, gardening books, organic farming, novels, biography, art and photography.

 And Jenny's choices were spot on -  Books give a set that patina - that layer of intellect and motivation that informs the room and the character. When you walk around a set and see the books that a character would  read, it makes everything in the room feel real and true.

I have never met Jenny Mc Gibben in person, but I feel like I know her. She is smart, efficient and very nice to deal with.  

Renting from the Strand is not cheap - We spent at least $6000 to rent the books for the duration of the shoot ( 4 months) .  The opportunity to work with Jenny McGibben? Priceless.

Strand Bookstore

828Broadway

New York, New York  10003

Jenny McGibben:

212 473-1452

 

Analyze this - the set on "In Treatment"

 The "in Treatment" set does a good job of reflecting the journey of our protagonist, Paul. The artwork is abstract, and in a sense more complex and  less easily understood than the previous artwork in his old office. The furniture is relatively new - There's the Crate & Barrel sofa and arm chair as well as a quintessential comtemporary  reclining chair - very danish modern in style, but possibly ergonomically correct - It is new, and looks comfortable. 

 The curtains are a raw silk blend in a soothing burnt sienna - the walls are green, and the wood accents give the space a quiet serenity.   The "smalls" have a organic and natural feel - There is not a lot of excess - except for the plethora of books -   A few vases here and there.

There are also plants around the room, a symbol of growth, perhaps. Paul is changing , growing and so are his patients. 

Gina's living room is a broad contrast to Paul's more austere surroundings. She is a woman of style who appreciates  beauty and decoration.   She has redecorated from last season - Her living room is  painted a soothing but bold  chocolate brown - And the creamy furniture is nicely silhouetted against the dark background.

 She is complex too, of course. There are interesting  African sculptures in her bookcase - a nod to Freud's interest in African Art and the subconscious. The monchromatic room is broken up by the strong orange throw on the couch - a beautfiul  damask textile with fringe. The lamps create interesting vertical  shapes behind the head's of the actors. 

We will be spending a lot of time in this room as Paul has decided to go back to see Gina on a weekly basis. We will see how that works out...

Armchair analysis: The patients in the show represent the different facets of Paul's life and internal confilicts. More on this later.

Decorator nod: Karin Weisel and Elaine O'donnell and" In Treatment"

I was so happy that my favorite show returned to HBO last night - "in Treatment". I knew that the show had moved to New York - probably to be closer to the home of it's star, Gabriel Byrne and to benefit from the tax rebates available in NYC  - But I didn't know that they fictionally relocated the show to Park Slope Bklyn. 

So our shrink, Paul has moved from Maryland to his new digs in Park Slope Brooklyn. You see, his wife left him last season. You see, although he is an incredibly capable therapist, he is distant and cold to those closest to him.  And, it became evident that he was in love with one of his patients. So the wife left him. It is not clear at this juncture why he has moved to New York, especially since he has two children and his shrink ( the excellent Diane Weist) is in Maryland as well.  

I couldn't catch the credits, but my friend Kate had told me that Elaine Odonnell was one of the set decorator on the new set.  Tonight I caught the credits. Karen Weisel was the main decorator although Elaine did a number of sets as well.  They both  did a great job. I loved his previous office - it was chock full of books, antiques and  sailboats - It was very warm and cozy office  filled with mica shades and leather and mission furniture.  There were probably a tad too many sailboat references in the previous set for my taste, however, but then I am just quibbling with perfection.  

Most of the drama took place in that office, so I imagine that they  needed to fill it with as many clues to Paul's personality - His desire for transport? to sale away? To be absent within his own life?

The new  set feels appropriately more  transitory - His life has obviously been painfully  turned around - The couch is defintely from Crate and Barrel - One of my favorites there.  but there are warm touches created with pillows and lamps - There is one sailboat for good measure - The set is architecturally a   spot on recreation of a Park Slope Brownstone's garden apartment. 

I literally went into a depression last year when the show's season was over - no kidding. It filled my evenings all last spring. 

Now I am so happy it is back. 

DecoratorDiva's vendor of the moment: Eleanor of Carpet Time

vendor of the moment: Eleanor of Carpet Time

How can you not love Eleanor. She has the set  decorator's temperament to solve problems, make miracles happen.

 

I love her energy and verve. And she has great taste and quality resources. She really gets what we do, and how hard we work.

 She will even email you a sample of a carpet.  And Fernando, her assistant will rush over sample books so decisions can be made quickly.

Of course they will rush orders, and bind then quickly, if necessary.

 She obviously lives to sell carpet and flooring. She  has access to linoleum, tile and wood flooring too, of course. 

That is why I love her.

Carpet Time

34-56 48th Street

Long Island City, NY 11101

718-472-4740

Carpettimeinc@verizon.net

what's happening at Props for Today

We all received that disturbing email that PFT was filing for chapter 11 -  What a shock - A staple of our industry for 20+ years. 

For those new to the biz, Props for Today is  New York's Largest  prop house  that rents furniture and props for movies, tv, film print advertising and events. They have a varied selection of contemporary and period furniture as well as props galore. 

 They are especially useful for short term projects like TV  commercials and television sets. I noticed on the movie that we rarely rented from anywhere since the sets need to stand for a long period, and often need to be stored away in case of reshoots.

Dyann Klein began the business in the 1980's. I remember when she had a couple of shelves at Nostalgia Alley which was an amazing emporium of antique furniture and props.

 The proprietor of NA was Carol,  a famously cranky and idiocyncratic woman who scared many a stylist and decorator but possessed a kind heart.. She could often be seen with a cigarette dangling from her lips. She died about a decade ago, and I believe Proposition Rentals purchased a majority of their inventory.

 At one point, Nostalgia Alley expanded in the Chelsea Market building  to 1000's of square ft - It was a cavernous space filled with the most exquisite antiques - linens, lace, dishes, old bicycles, dressers, cupboards - Everything one would need to outfit a period set... ah those were the days.

But I digress, and date myself . As the need for more contemporary furniture and props grew through the 80's, Props for Today flourished and grew and grew until today where it fills 1000's of square feet in 330 West 34th Street.  

So Props for Today has experienced a downturn in the market for prop rentals due to the recession as well as the writer's strike last year and other problems afflicting our industry. 

 I just spoke with Dominique  Montelbano, a senior sales representative at Props for Today. She said that PFT was in partnership with another company called Interiors who held the lease for the company.

 Apparently, they were either witholding payment or their rental payments were not accepted due to a conflict they were having with the landlord. According to Dominique, the conflict was resolved and Props for Today is staying at 330 West 34th Street, and have been allowed to complete their lease. And, according to Dominique, THEY ARE NOT IN CHAPTER 11.

According to Ms. Montelbano, Props for Today is doing okay.  Business has picked up in the last few weeks. Commercials have picked up and they are receiving credit applications for some movies that will be coming to New York City Shortly. So things seem to be better. GLAD TO HEAR IT.

I am currently unemployed. I just finished working on the Untitled Nancy Meyers project. I was an assistant set decorator ( Buyer)  on the film for 7 weeks. It was a great experience working under the talented hands of our lead decorator,  Beth Rubino. It was a tough job filled with a lot of drama and turmoil.

 My job was primarily to facilitate the decorating of the "Village Bakery" set that was built at the Picnic House in Prospect Park, coincidentally, 2 blocks from my home in Park Slope. It was a lot of work.  In the film, the hero character, Jane, played by Meryl Streep owns a sucessful bakery/gourmet store/coffee bar and restaurant ( think  Dean & Deluca and Pain Quotidien) located in Santa Barbara Ca. 

The picnic house was used really as a stage - Everything was built although the front and back wall were used. It was an amazing set that required a lot of continuous replenishing - fresh flowers, vegetables and fruits. And of course baked goods galore.  It was a heady, fun and stressful experience, but one I enjoyed immensely. It was great to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, two of my favorite stars. I was certainly starstruck. But also reminded of the mundanity of the everyday life of filmaking. So laborious.  I had the prvilige to observe Ms. Streep on set and was impressed by her professionalism and patience. I watched her do take after take of a seemingly mundane scene - Her first  meeting with "Adam" played by Steve Martin.

I was introduced to so many amazing sources from working on this film - from fantastic upholsterers, fabric resources, pottery makers, restaurant  and kitchen suppliers. The list goes on and on. I will share some of these in the days ahead. 

It is good to be back home, taking care of my daughter who is 4 years old. I was away from her a lot for the past 7 weeks. I have a full time babysitter who is fantastic, but it is clear that my daughter missed the attention of her mommy. And now I have been paying the price. She has been moody and quite demanding of my attention. Lots of whining and misbehaving. Things are finally calming down after being with her consistently for the last few days. I have enjoyed being able to take her to school each day and picking her up as well as observing her in her dance and music classes after school. More later...

 

The beginning of Decorator Diva

Welcome Decorator Divas.  I was literally inspired to start this site today as a place in which Set Decorators can check in to vent their feelings, find new sources, cry, laugh and basically commiserate together on the joys and frustrations of being a set decorator in the film business. So here goes. I hope to have daily topics regarding our industry as well as new  resources explored. I will welcome any help and inspiration from all of you out there. And for aspiring decorators, set or home interior designers, I welcome all of you as well. So Welcome to DecoratorDiva - The blog for set decorators.