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Small Space Tips: Inside Meaghan Kimball's UES studio

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:19:07 -0400

For many New Yorkers, decorating and arranging your shoebox apartment can be a giant pain. When you lack a living room and your kitchen doubles as your office, creativity is key in home decor.

Meaghan Kimball is a triple threat: Writer, producer at HBO and home decor enthusiast. When she moved into her studio, a new project is what she say and went straight to work on new and different ways to turn this little nook, into a comfy, practical and elegant home.

So before you give up and decide to donate 90 percent of your belongings to Goodwill, read these space saving decor tips from Meaghan Kimball herself. -DD

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1. Start an apartment look book - Find pictures of places you like. Small spaces organization is very popular so it won’t be hard to find ideas online to help you with decorating. I myself have 100 pictures and organize them by area - living room, bedroom and office space. This really helped me.

2. Keep the look consistent in a small space. In my space, I worked with a black and white look to complement the black and white floors. Don’t try to disguise it as a place with several rooms- with paint or a wall divider. It will end up feeling crammed. Instead arrange the furniture against the walls to keep the center space open

3. Use material to decorate. To match my floors, I used b/w material: black and white toile, black and white ticking, black and white stripes. You can find great things online for less cost.

4. For furniture, raid your parents’ house. Parents have more furniture than they need. Also, having family furniture makes the space more personal and can look cool if you mix it with younger more contemporary furniture. I shipped the black chinoiserie cabinet, toile love seat, toile bedspread, blue china/champagne glasses, decanters, and silver champagne bucket from my parent’s house.

5. Invest in a good light fixture Even if you rent you can have your super install it and it makes your small space look more luxurious. I bought my chandelier at Restoration Hardware. Also consider investing in a decorative medallion to frame the light fixture to add an extra layer of design and luxury (I bought mine on Ebay).

6. Try to get furniture with surfaces that have a gloss so they reflect light. Mirrors on the wall (ebay) , A lucite table (ebay) White acryllic desk (ebay), brass chandelier (restoration hardware). It will make the space feel more open and also they are in style now too!

7. Add fringe to pillows and even lampshades. I used black piping on my pillows and black piping on the lampshades to add a hint of luxury detail.

8. Eye candy. With a small space, everything matters so make sure all of the things you have are a joy to look at. I chose a white creuset teakettle because it was so visible in my place!

9. In a bathroom, consider having a matching sink skirt and a valance. The sink skirt hides everything. Also, I made the valance myself with foam core, which I learned how to do from You Tube tutorial! I bought the black and white material online (they sent me a sample first which is only $5). I had the skirt made from the seamstress down the street.

10. Consider monogrammed towels in the bathroom - Another way to add a touch of luxury in your small space - even a small bathroom!

Blau Jeans Video Excerpts

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:50:11 -0400

Want to see a bit of Blau Jeans for yourself?

Below, check out these three video excerpts from Meaghan Kimball’s Blau Jeans.

Danke schön’!

Developing Your 60 Second Pitch with Charna Flanzer

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:46:00 -0400

By: Danny Deza

Over a cup of coffee, I met Charna at a quaint café in the East Village. We conversed on career builders, uniqueness and fighting your fears. When we finished, I found myself inspired, refreshed and excited to tell her story.

Figuring out our next career moves can be exhausting. I find myself getting overwhelmed over what to pick on Netflix — so many movies! The idea of one decision impacting so much can make anyone sweat, so I welcomed Charna’s stories and advice with open arms.

Last week we debuted our second lede on FTL: you can read all about Charna’s journey from sculptor to career coach here. Her path had plenty of detours, but what I found most interesting was her ability to combine her artistic dreams with career management.

In this video you can meet Charna for yourself. She talks about how to develop your 60 minute pitch to employers and the importance of always having one prepared.

For more information on Charna’s career coaching services, you can email her at charna@nyc.rr.com or call her 212.982.0841

'Supermoon' snaps from around the globe

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:40:00 -0400

If you missed Saturday’s “Supermoon,” here’s your chance to catch up. Boston.com’s The Big Picture features different snaps from around the globe. To see all 27 photos, click here.

Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:15:00 -0400

By: Danny Deza

Get ready to feel warm and fuzzy inside, and you may need a tissue or two.

Here is a clip from a new documentary called ‘Alive Inside’ where filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett investigates the power music has on the memories of patients who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia.

To learn more, click here.

Calling all 'Humans of New York'

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:17:00 -0400

By: Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

How many times while riding the subway or walking down the street do you see something or someone and think to yourself “Only in New York City?”

Buzzfeed’s post called 40 Photographs of Interesting New Yorkers is a culmination of that sentiment.

The photos are taken from ‘Humans of New York,’ an “effort to create a photographic census of the city of New York, with an eye toward creating artistic portraits of strangers on the street.”

The photographer is Brandon Stanton. His bio on the site states that after he lost his job trading bonds, he moved to the Big Apple to take photos of strangers. He’s taken more than 3,000 portraits so far.

The site also has a collection of stories of some of Stanton’s most interesting subjects as well as audio-visual component.

I can’t help but draw a parallel between this project and Follow the Lede. ‘Humans of New York’ documents interesting New Yorkers through a lens, and we do it through words. Stanton’s photos are fascinating. It’s so interesting to see the different characters he has photographed, some of which I myself recognize (I am almost certain I’ve seen the Michael Jackson impersonator on the subway!). Take a look around the site, as photos are added daily, and see if you recognize any of of these people. If not, keep your eyes peeled next time you’re wandering the streets of New York. Be sure to check the ‘Humans of New York’s’ Facebook page as well!

(Photo by Brandon Stanton)

Shakespeare on board...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:54:00 -0400

photograph by Rodinelli Photography

By Danny Deza

The subway in NYC is filled with all kinds of crazy. I get enough just from my morning commute to work: Ear buds blaring, children screaming and the occasional cough in the face (yeah I am talking to you! You know who you are…). But every now and then I come across something underground that makes me think, “You know what MTA, you’re not half bad!”

Well, this is where Fred Jones and Paul Marino come in. I was never a fan of Shakespearean plays in high school, but this duo gives them a nice spin — even the bratty 16 year-old within stands impressed. This pair performs as Popeye and Cloudy and they reenact Shakespeare on the subway.

Without costumes, they tumble on hard floors, bounce off poles and role-play fight scenes, right in the middle of your train cart. Their specialty is acting out Romeo and Juliet - Act 5: Scene 3 to be exact.

Also if you are interested in other forms of transit art during your daily commute, the MTA offers an array of artistic mediums such as photography, music, poetry and posters. Have a look at their schedule here.

Keep your eyes peeled and all senses alert. You might be in for a surprise this summer.

Photography for a cause

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:34:00 -0400

By Mary Ann Georgantopoulos

Over the past several months, I’ve become very familiar with Lorna’s photos. She managed to capture the greatness of the Iraqi people through a lens – women laughing, children playing and raw emotion. Despite it being a time of war, Lorna was able to capture the positivity of the people. If you haven’t seen her photos, click here.

Her images bring to mind a non-profit organization I’ve recently come across called Nuru Project. Nuru, which means ‘light’ in Swahili, leverages photography for social change in the developing world. They sell photojournalism prints to support non-profits and storytellers. Some of the non-profits they support include Acumen Fund, Malaria No More, Partners In Health and Pencils of Promise.

Photo from Nuru Boston event - via Facebook

Nuru provides its audience a more interesting way to donate to charities. The organization has partnered with some amazing photojournalists to sell prints. From a black and white shot of a man lifting weights in Nairobi to a vibrant image from the Indian festival of Holi, there is an array of photos to satisfy all tastes. Prints range in price, depending on the size. 50% of the funds benefit the non-profit, 25% benefits the photographer and the remaining 25% goes to Nuru.

Check out their website to browse through photos, and like them on Facebook for updates on upcoming events.

We are ready for our close up...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 08:00:00 -0400

By Danny Deza

This is what a proud parent must feel like.

After months of fine-tuning and web temper tantrums, the site has left the nest (awww). Follow The Lede has made its debut.

Our first Lede, Lorna Tychostup, is a force to be reckoned with. This photojournalist’s captivating story about her time in Iraq in a post 9/11 world set the project off to a great start. She wanted to see Baghdad for herself, took matters into her own hands and ended up in a country she couldn’t point to on a map. To read more about Lorna’s story, click here.

Now, let me introduce you to her dorky little sister, Follow the Blog (go on now, clap!). This cutie pie is a creation by FTL editors meant to keep A.D.D. readers satisfied. For your entertainment, we will post between Lede features with around the clock news and badass recommendations. On Follow The Blog, editors will be highlighting interesting people doing interesting things from across the globe - much like our website concept, but on a larger scale. So be on the look out, like us on facebook, follow us on twitter and don’t be a stranger! Let us know what you think about this bad boy at followthelede@gmail.com.

Also, check out this sweet promo video produced by our pal Kelly Kludt: