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Batya Stepelman 7/31/18 Batya Stepelman 7/31/18

Spotlight: Studio DB

Studio DB is an esteemed NYC-based architecture and interior-design practice headed by Damian and Britt Zunino, a husband-and-wife team. I was familiar with the firm's name, but when a 2016 New York Times piece featured the couple's own personal construction project in Amenia, New York, I really fell in love with their philosophy and approach to designing unique spaces. I just can't get enough of their work!

As you'll see throughout this post, Studio DB's residential projects are extremely design-driven, but their spaces are also practical, warm and sensible. This is something that stems from the couple's own life at home, which includes four young children. Studio DB seems to answer two important questions: "Who actually lives here?" and "How does this space need to function?" - all without sacrificing great modern design. (As a mother of 2 very active boys, design-wants are always balanced against practical considerations, so this approach resonates with me.)

I've been pouring over the firm's recently completed projects. While they incorporate the work of some very high-end brands (like deGournay's hand-painted wallcovering, above), I've seen them use moderately priced pieces as well. They have the talent and ability to mix-and-match, and they place the work of independent makers at the forefront of their designs. That, plus the careful consideration of when to use tile, fabric, wallpaper, and color (or even a neutral backdrop), helps them create homes that don't feel like untouchable or staged showrooms; they read as spaces that you'd actually want to live in and entertain inside for years to come.

Thank you Studio DB for providing so much inspiration. Enjoy!

xx, Batya

For more Studio DB head over here.

Photography by Matthew WilliamsCopyright of Studio DB — Photography by Matthew Williams
Copyright of Studio DB

Photography by Alexandra Rowley Copyright of Studio DB — Photography by Alexandra Rowley
Copyright of Studio DB

Batya 11/9/15 Batya 11/9/15

modern monday: concrete + cement

Concrete (that durable composite material made from a mixture of broken stone or gravel, sand, cement, and water) and cement (the main ingredient in concrete) have been popping up everywhere in the design world...from lighting to tiling to jewelry, and even inspired wallpaper.

Recently I won a fiberglass-reinforced concrete Kreten Candelabra from Souda (thanks Instagram contest!). It's a strong statement piece which sits on the mantle in our living room, and it provides a nice contrast from my other tabletop and décor objects, which tend to be softer and lighter. The Kreten is always a topic of conversation, so naturally it sparked a new interest in concrete.

Here are some designs I’m really fond of right now. Got any favorites? Feel free to share them.

Happy modern Monday!

xx,

Batya

Top Row (L to R):

Kreten Candelabra from Souda

Concrete Earrings from Konzuk Shop

Concrete Lighting Round-Up via Blood + Champagne

Middle Row (L to R):

Rainbow Shades from Julien Renault Objects

Edgy Tiles from Kaza Concrete

100% Sand from Anabella Vivas

Bottom Row (L to R):

Vases from Seung Yong Song
JWDA Concrete Lamp designed by Jonas Wagell for Menu

Cement Ceramics by Studio Twocan via The Design Files

Batya 9/26/14 Batya 9/26/14

friday favorites: brass

I love brass design- from planters, to kitchen utensils, to lighting - it just seems to work well in our home and I think it’s a nice color for fall too. So this week I decided to round-up some of my favorite designs in the color of the moment (at least according to me), brass!

My love affair with brass – am I the only one to get that Beastie Boys song stuck in my head whenever I hear the word “brass?”- started around the time LindseyAdelman posted instructions on how to assemble one of her designs using brass parts that cost around $100, a considerable markdown from the hefty 5-digit price tag her designs usually cost. When Lindsey let the world in on her fabulous DIY lighting system called the You-Make-It Chandelier, it went viral. I saw it here, here, here and here. And before long I found myself thinking, “If those bloggers can do it then why can’t I do the same…?” Well it turns out that some of those bloggers had partners who were electricians by profession, or they're absurdly handy, or they have a spare 18 hours- and a ton of patience- to spend putting bulbs and sockets together. It turns out that I'm not as handy as I thought and assembling this brass chandelier was harder than it looked…it was also driving me nuts!

Almost 6 months have passed since I posted this photo on Instagram, and in the time I’ve hardly made any progress. But last week I heard of a business in town that will assemble problem chandeliers for a small fee, and yes, I'm surrendering and having someone else take a stab at it. I’m dropping off our light on Monday and I have high hopes that there will be a fantastic brass chandelier hanging over our dining room table in no time at all! Then maybe I’ll get a brass planter to go with it and some nice brass flatware too….

“Brass Monkey, that funky monkey…”

1. Brass Planter by Schoolhouse Electric

2. Habibi Side Table by Philip Bro Ludvigsen for E15

3. You-Make-It Chandelier (DIY) by Lindsey Adelman

4. x3 watering can by Paul Loebach for Kontextur*

5. Hikari Pendent Light by Fiyel Levent*

6. Vega 5 Chandelier by Schoolhouse Electric

7. Brass Flatware from ABC Home + Carpet

8. Origami Bowls by AKMD

Full Disclosure: My firm has a relationship with Kontextur + Fiyel Levent, but this is not a sponsored post and the opinions here are my own. Thank you to Carly Loman, of DLD PR, for putting the collage together!

I enjoy traveling, photography, hiking, street art, design, architecture, food trucks, gardening, the cosmos, cooking with the seasons, political activism and wallpaper! I know my interests span a variety of categories, here's where they all come together.