The opening night of the seventh annual Design on a Dime fundraising event took place last night at the expansive Metropolitan Pavilion. As one of the most sought after soirees of the season, it came as no surprise to find it packed to the brim and completely sold out for its premiere. Design on a Dime is a 3-day shopping extravaganza filled to the brim with the best in interior design. Some notable attendees of the event include Model and Entrepreneur Iman, television host Nate Berkus, Fashion Designer John Bartlett as well as stylists Derek Warburton and June Ambrose. Designers were invited to create individual room vignettes with new merchandise that has been donated by vendors. The pieces are then sold to attendees at a healthy discount with all proceeds being donated to Housing Works.
Housing Works Thrift Shops seventh annual Design on a Dime sale is free and open to the public both Friday, May 6th (10AM to 6PM) and Saturday, May 7th (10AM to 6PM).
Location: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St. (btwn. 6th & 7th Ave.)
Some of our favorite rooms were:
1. Beale Luna– Loved the neutral pieces against the delish wine tinted walls. The vibrant semi-gloss was courtesy of Valspar.
2. Micheal Bagley– This controversial room featured Andy Warhol’s likenesses of Saddam Hussein as well as Osama Bin Laden. The plush cushions and livable looks were also a major attention grabber.
3. Brett Design– A very manly space with menswear inspired wall paper.
4. Genevieve Gardner– An over the top romp down the rabbit hole awash in color and light. Reminiscent of Alice in wonderland the striped walls and bright pieces bring back fond memories of the Mad Hatter’s tea party
5. Home Goods by Elaine Griffin– We were fortunate to meet the designer herself who gave us the inside scoop on her inspiration. In honor of the successful chain home goods final arrival to New York City the 2 vignettes created by Griffin stood as an homage to New York style.” Our first look was inspired by the it girl. says Griffin, “We are evoking the energy and style of icons like Carrie Bradshaw, Holly Go Lightly and most recently Gossip Girls. We kept the space stylish yet affordable.” We adored the bright flirty colors of the living space as well as the mixing of various fabrics and textures. Their second Vignette was inspired by the New York terrace and roof tops. As a city with scarce lawn space, many use terraces to bring the inside outdoors. Home Goods first NYC location will open on May 22nd.
6. Lara Spencer- Black shag carpeting add a softness to this very stark room. The contrast gives it a comfortable livable look. We also loved the posters adorning the walls.
7. Huniford Design– 3D finds its way beyond the screen in this lovely space. The 3 dimensional wall hanging proclaiming the space as a Paradise is an interesting break from the “marble” wall treatment.
8. Miles Redd— Whimsical red and white polka dots decorate the walls of this space. The clean look is accented by dark wood pieces as was as a stunning pair of bright yellow lamps.
9. Ralph Lauren– You can never go wrong with Ralph. This room had a nautical theme with wicker and light wooden fixtures accented by striped fabrics and pillows.
10. Elizabeth Bauer– One of the most explosively colorful vignettes of the evening this look featured fab purple walls with colorful place settings and flat ware.
Throughout the evening guests purchased pieces, and by its end many of the spaces were all but dismantled. Those that remained were littered with sold tags. A successful event by any standard there are still 2 days left to shop. Though tonight’s festivities served as the official kick off the general public is invited to partake in the savings over the next two days. Don’t miss out on theses savings these items are pried to moved and will be gone before you know it! The last day to indulge will be Saturday May 7th. So go ahead spurge a little spruce up your place for Spring, its for a great cause after all.
About Housing Works
Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org