"Holiday House" sitting room designed by Jennifer Duneier

This house was lived in for one year.

Following the completion of its construction in the mid-1920s, William Ziegler, Jr., owner of the unique mansion on the cusp of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, took up residence in his estate for merely an instant. Over the years, the house – a departure from the neighborhood’s brownstones and larger mansions – then cycled through a series of heir-apparents, until 2005 when it landed in the hands of a Russian-born financier. He purchased the home and infused it with a usual caveat: for five weeks of the year, spanning November to December, the mansion is to be, as its history relays, “reverted back to its former grandeur.”

This annual transformation – under the moniker “Holiday House” – turns a stunning piece of New York architecture into a breathtaking designer showhouse organized by Traditional Home, with ticket proceeds benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last winter, an exclusive group of 32 decorators and designers was chosen to reimagine the mansion’s interior, with each designer appointed two to three rooms. The catch? Each room had to represent a different holiday theme.

Jennifer Duneier of Duneier Design

When Jennifer Duneier, creative tour de force of Duneier Design, asked for Easter, it was a selection made without hesitation.

“Easter is a fun holiday – one of the few happy holidays!” Duneier explained. “It’s about good things: family and kids.”

For a holiday typically associated with sugar-coated marshmallows, plastic eggs and cellophane grass, Duneier discarded any preconceived notions of the occasion, transforming the entire construct of the Easter aesthete into sublime elegance. Tasked with a lady’s sitting room and an ensuite bathroom, Duneier unfurled an elegant lightness into the spaces, flanked by complex explorations of color and pattern.

This focused use of color is no surprise to anyone familiar with Duneier’s work. For the past decade, Jennifer Duneier has seen great success as a highly-recognized member of the international interior design community. A New Yorker by residence, Duneier has lived in the city for more than 20 years, spanning multiple neighborhoods – from Chelsea to the Upper East Side – and always finding new perspectives. Trained at the New York School of Interior Design, and an Allied Member of the ASID, the residential designer works around the world, sporting a true commitment to high quality aesthetics and to fulfilling the visions of her clients.

"Holiday House" ensuite bathroom designed by Jennifer Duneier

As Duneier prepared to pursue her Holiday House commission, she knew one thing for certain. With a myriad of choices for textures and accessories, there was one uncompromising element for Duneier: her choice of fixtures for the ensuite bathroom. Continue Reading »

As the pre-eminent source for the best and brightest in design and interiors, Architectural Digest has long-garnered respect in a competitive industry, hailed for its taste, acumen and commitment to showcasing luxury and innovation.

The recent announcement of this year’s “AD100” – an impeccable compilation of trailblazing artists, designers, decorators and design firms – Architectural Digest set out to capture the most influential stylemakers: tomorrow’s eyes of the world. It is an undertaking of substantial proportion and represents the industry’s most discerning opinion. It is with much pride and enthusiasm that two THG auteurs – Alberto Pinto and Jamie Drake – are among this coveted, prestigious group.

For Scott Triethart, National Sales Director, THG-USA, the inclusion of two THG visionaries is a testament to our brand and our cadre of designers – and only serves to uphold the standards for which THG prides itself.

“As the world’s leading luxury faucet brand, THG is committed to collaborating with the most talented, highly-regarded, and innovative designers,” Triehart explains. “This quality of artistry is synonymous with THG. It’s what puts us in the most immaculate settings around the world – from the finest hotels to residences to palaces and yachts. Our dedication to talent is our signature, and our designers’ presence in the AD100 is proof.”

Jamie Drake, designer of THG's Profil collection

Jamie Drake Profil mixer with Lalique crystal

THG Profil faucet handles

The creative force behind the New York-based Drake Design Associates, Jamie Drake, is no stranger to navigating the aesthetic waters of post-modernism – moving seamlessly between traditional and contemporary and highly revered for his explosive and innovative use of color. And while Drake has long devoted his passion to interior work on a larger scale, it is in fact his most compact executions that truly illustrate his vision. The THG Jamie Drake Bath Collection highlights Drake’s singular eye for design-in-design. With Profil, his sculptural line for THG, Drake makes sharp use of both space and textures, incorporating stunning materials – onyx, Lalique crystal – in a most elegant setting. Faucets, levers, and other bath accessories crafted to resemble the most beautiful forms of flora are contrasted with inlays carved with the most intricate transparent patterns. Continue Reading »

It all started with ivory Chanel and a pale blue blouse. That’s what Ernesto Garcia’s client wore the day they met to discuss plans to reimagine her 9,250-square-foot Arizona abode. Garcia, one of the Southwest’s most acclaimed designer-architects, listened thoughtfully to his client: she and her husband were recent Park Avenue transplants who shared a love of the art and romance of southern Europe, and had recently relocated west to be with family and start their own.

Garcia listened. And when he left, what he remembered was not only these, but also a gold-and-lapis brush the client revealed from her purse as the afternoon went on. For all the notes taken about her love of Florence and Rome, one look at the finished product says everything about the way Garcia works. The master bath: gold fixtures, an Italian mosaic in ivory, pale blue and lapis. Talk about reading your environment. Continue Reading »

Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris

In Paris, if you’re looking for a hotel that radiates undisputed comfort and opulence along with old-world elegance, look no further than Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Having won over international clientele with decades of unmatched luxury and service, this is one grand dame hotel that will not disappoint. Notably, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée’s interior features THG luxury bath fittings: the refined Spirit collection. As artisans of ultra-luxury, custom-crafted faucetry and bath fixtures, THG is well suited as the fitting of choice for the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, given that the brand is found in the world’s finest hotels, residences, yachts and other high-end properties.

THG Spirit collection

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2011 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

Fort Lauderdale, Florida is affectionately known as the “Yachting Capital of the World”; this week the city is hosting the 52nd International Boat Show – the largest in-water boat show in the world – running October 27-31. THG, the French luxury bath atelier of custom-crafted faucetry and bath fixtures, has long been known as the premier brand for luxury yacht manufacturers and owners. This year, THG is set to dazzle the yachting crowd at the show with collections including the recently launched DAUM and Le 11, which serve as exquisite additions to high-end yacht and boat interiors.

THG Daum Collection

Covering more than 70,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition space, this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show boasts more than $3 billion worth of yachts and super-yachts, boats and boating accessories, from virtually every major marine manufacturer and sea vessel builder in the world. The show also features a wealth of exotic automobiles, private jets, designer clothing, fine jewelry and timepieces from prestigious brands including: Bugatti, Pilatus, and Dewitt, serving as the ultimate venue for the world’s most coveted luxury items. At a critical time for luxury brands given the current state of world financial markets, the International Boat Show benefits from a high level of interest from those seeking to invest in upscale, lifestyle products like yachts. Designers and connoisseurs alike are looking for the fine details that make the difference, like THG custom-crafted faucetry and accessories to complete their yacht’s bath environment. THG has a well-earned reputation for enhancing the décor of some of the world’s most impressive yachts. Case in point: THG faucetry and fixtures are featured on billionaire Paul Allen’s mega yacht, Octopus. Continue Reading »