I attended the opening party for the
Showtime House last evening to check out the suites by a handful of designers who poured their creativity into spaces reflecting the edgy lineup Showtime produces. When I exited the elevator in penthouse two, the attendant said, “The Weeds den is to your right and the Californiacation room is to your left; drinks in the middle.” Now that’s my kind of penthouse! The building itself—
Cassa Hotel and Residences—had spectacular views, which made mingling above the city on the rooftop garden an iconic treat.
I had a blast hanging with Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke of John Loecke, Inc., in their “Weeds Den” (don’t they look dapper in the photo I snapped of them?). They had an uber-creative product in their space, HP’s Wallskins, which makes designing your own wallpaper super easy. I thought I’d let the trendsetters tell you about their room in their own words:
“Nancy Botwin and her far-flung brood inhabit a surreal fairytale land that mixes one part playful, and two parts moody and dangerous. From the Arcadian splendor of suburban life to Ren Mar’s herb-filled climes and the verdant estate of Esteban Reyes (just, ahem, mind the croquet mallets), “Weeds” carries the viewer into a bosky world brimming with dark and whimsical adventure. Nancy is a modern-day woodland nymph who has abandoned her manicured garden for the rough-and-tumble woodland where nothing is quite what it seems. She is the fertile goddess survivor who rules this kooky kingdom with caffeinated determination, a land where everything could go up in smoke in a second. The Weeds den—“Paradise Lost”—personifies this spirit, taking the traditional and turning it upon its head. The room is inviting but also curiously sinister, exciting and pregnant with possibilities but also dark and brooding. Traditional, almost-clashing fabrics tempt and tease and invite you to lose yourself in this den of iniquity. Wall coverings, here HP’s innovative
Wallskins product, break the architecture and creep onto ceilings and doorframes and spill onto moldings. Take a deep breath, step inside, and savor the rush of a fever dream: For who knows what adventures lurk when you get lost within the dissolute embrace of “Paradise Lost.” And be sure to peek into the bathroom with its vintage state plates and digital photo frames that display images of retro roadside attractions: Nancy is on the run, and the road beckons with a sultry siren call.”
If you haven’t checked out their blog Demystifying Design yet, you should. Their posts are chock full of tips to take design from overwhelming to uncomplicated. Jason was also tapped as guest curator on Zatista. See his choices for frisky, fabulous, fun works of art here.
My other favorite room in the Showtime House was “Californication State of Mind” by Space 4 Architecture, spearheaded by Michele Busiri-Vici, Guelfo Carpegna and Ulderico Micara. The room was inspired by Hank Moody’s “life on the edge,” and the team of architects meant for it to force the viewer to experience balancing on a precipice so that they’d feel as though they’re part of Moody’s madcap world. The most interactive feature I saw was in ECCO Design's space where Eric Chan and Jeff Miller had created a photo booth (in the bathroom no less) that snapped your photo and morphed the faces of the Californication characters into your visage: now that's radical! Jeff Andrews designed the Dexter space. The bed swinging free in the space on massive chains was worth the trip to midtown! Great job everyone! We caught Design-Calendar's eye: see their post here.
