I Don't Search I Find

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My latest store window design installation for Kingston’s Half Moon Books is a Word Search Puzzle… There’s 5 words that are hidden in the puzzle of letters. Can you find them? See below for some spoilers.

When Jessica, the owner of Half Moon Books and I first met to discuss this window design, we wanted something fun and lite yet celebratory since this was to be her Post-Covid 19 Pandemic “reopening” Summer window. I honestly don’t recall how we landed on a giant word search puzzle, but when Jessica and I brainstorm, it’s like lightening in a bottle. Shablam!

And since it had to involve books, I thought if we opened books you could paint one letter per page. I went with a rainbow assortment of colors to make it fun, positive and happy… It’ Pride Month after all. Then I found this great website that generates Word Find Puzzles for you. The puzzle consists of 32 total books, 4 across (opened) by 8 down - essentially an 8x8 character puzzle. And voila… We had ourselves a window. I always feel like I’ll run out of window ideas but they keep coming. A reminder to believe in yourself.

The construction went so smoothly. I’m usually defying gravity, but compared to some of the other window installations, this one was pretty easy. And that’s exactly what I wanted.

Okay, can you find the following 5 words that Jessica picked: Justice (we gave you this one), Peace, Liberty, Equality and Love… There’s other ones but those are bonus!

Be safe out there. xo

SPOILER ALERTZ! Don’t go any further if you want to find the hidden words on your own.

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Porch Chops & Apple Sauce

The next chapter of my Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic quarantine home improvements project (wow, that’s a mouthful) was painting and redecorating my 3-season front porch.

This porch is one of my fave rooms in the house but it was beyond dirty. I think because it’s so wet in my area and the room isn’t totally air-tight that it gets really dirty and moldy. I was at the paint store and this guy said to just wash the walls with bleach and it would kill the mold. Aside from the stinky smell, he was correct. I barely had to wipe down the walls… The bleach just annihilated everything and left beautiful walls that barely looked like they needed painting. But I forged again… Besides, I wanted a slight color change.

Here’s the before. Not too bad, just a bit shabby.

Look at that beautiful fresh painted floor.

For the walls and trim I went with Benjamin Moore Exterior, White Dove (OC-18), Semi-Gloss. The floor is Benjamin Moore, Floor & Patio Latex, Light Gray and then there’s the ceiling, which I did in Benjamin Moore, Icy Blue (2057-70), Flat. And here’s why…

The existing ceiling was painted a light blue and I always wondered what that was all about. Was is supposed to evoke sky? Well, I did some research and here’s what I found: It’s called Haint Blue and it’s a tradition of painted porch ceilings blue in the South - originally created from crushed indigo plants.

From Wikipedia:

Originally, haint blue was thought by the Gullah people to ward haints, or ghosts, away from the home. The tactic was intended either to mimic the appearance of the sky, tricking the ghost into passing through, or to mimic the appearance of water, which ghosts traditionally could not cross. But while the enslaved Africans of the Low country and their descendants believed in the protective power of haint blue, the cultivation of indigo to produce the dye energized the 18th-century transatlantic trade, thereby increasing the enslavement of Africans.

As Gullah culture mingled with white southern culture, the custom became more widely practiced. The use of haint blue has lost some of its superstitious significance, but modern proponents also cite the color as a spider and wasp-deterrent. However, the color has not actually been scientifically shown to stave off bugs.

Once the painting was done, it was time to sass up the decor… I kept what I had but took out some of the wicker chairs to highlight the 2 vintage Eames chairs I have. They also compliment the orange Jonathan Adler chair. And then I brought out the 2 Lilly Pulitzer for Target lounge chairs. And doncha love that orange pouf from CB2?

And in my little dining area, I put my Bea Åkerlund (Lady Gaga and Madonna's Stylist ) for IKEA crown bowl as my centerpiece surround by fun thrift store floral art.

And the after image… Can you feel the HAINT?

design, home improvements, Painting, QuarantineChris BickJune 19, 2020Interior Design, Painting, porch, Decoration, screened in porch, home improvementsComment

Kitchen Confidential

Next stop on my Coronavirus quarantine home improvement to-do list… Painting the kitchen.

My kitchen has been the same ever since I moved in back in 2009. I’ve wanted to paint it forever, but never was able to find the time… Quarantine Silver Lining alert!!! Painting was what it really needed; Head to toe. The cabinets, the walls and the fridge.

I took it out of its 90s purple vibe into a minty retro realm. I was always obsessed with Martha Stewart’s green accents and I’ve been dying to have a mind kitchen. Dreams came true with Benjamin Moore “Mantis Green” (2033-60).

I also had the ugliest and rustiest refrigerator that I’d ever seen. It was easy to get it to a brand-new look once again. All I did was sand off the flaking rust and then dazzle it with some high-gloss white from Rustoleum. Check out the photos.

The essential “Before” image… I love purple but on in my kitchen.

Shelves of vintage treasures and curiosities. The Owl cookie jar is my fave.

My vintage Sputnik clock is going to my grave with me! #bananas

Up next… The three-season porch!

home improvements, design, Quarantine, Kitchen, PaintingChris BickMay 15, 2020Kitchen, Painting, home improvements, quarantine, Benjamin MooreComment

Chains of Love

I took the day off from work to install the new Spring store windows at my fave Bop to Tottom… I guess I was in a bubble up until because this was the day when the Coronavirus Covid-19 hit home for me. I heard of toilet paper hording and social distancing for the first time ever. No sooner did I finish the window than Bop to Tottom had to close and I then I was laid off at my full time job.

Once this ends, there will be super fun and colorful store window Bop to Tottom to bring you some happy cheer. Even if you need a quick pick me up, drive by and enjoy this colorful tribute to Spring re-birth!

This too shall pass as we will get thru this… Alone together.

To see the entire window display, click here.

Bop to Tottom

DREAMS COME TRUE. I’ve always wanted to do the windows at Kingston’s signature gift shop, Bop to Tottom. The windows are incredible. They’re a vintage style, foyer wrap around on the corner of N Front St and Wall St. It’s reminded me for so long of Fred Flare. Giving me that nostalgic rumble.

When I heard that Karen, the owner, wanted me to do this year’s holiday windows… I was sooo happy… Absolutely thrilled. We had a tight schedule but it was so fun. I had a blast with Karen and her team. And here’s what I made…

The motif is “Sex and the City get an AirBNB in Pheonicia for the Holiday.”

Let’s take a tour…

The front girls… Rita, Dolores and Simone… At their front door.

THE NORTH-FACING WINDOWS: This is loosely interpreted as “inside” the girls’ AirBNB in Phoenicia. I merchandised little rooms and wanted to pack with the windows with great gift merch… So, every time you looked at the windows, you’d discover something new.

Check out the stumps as product platforms.

THE SOUTH-FACING WINDOWS: This is loosely interpreted as “outside” the girl’s AirBNB. I used a winter photo mural and loads of trees to give it that forest vibe.

It's Ornamental

Here’s a “how to” demo on making books as ornaments…

BOOKS AS ORNAMENTS HOW TO:

I picked a bunch of books that made nice fans. The paperback “romance novel” size seemed to work the best.
I drew lines on the covers where I wanted to cut them. 2 diagonal lines gave me the diamond shapes. Explore shapes!
Using my friend’s woodshop, I cut the books using a bandsaw. Be careful… Safety has NO QUITTING TIME!
Next, I cut 7/8” red ribbon in all different lengths and hot glue gunned the ends to the spine of the books.
Finally I would fan the book and hot glue the covers to each other… Creating an awesome fan effect.

Using my friend’s woodshop, I cut the books using a band saw. Be careful… Safety has NO QUITTING TIME!

Cutting the red ribbon in all different lengths and hot glue gunned the ends to the spine of the books.

About to glue the covers to themselves.

And voila… The finished product!

Wanna see it in real life? Be be sure to visit Half Moon Books on N Front St in Uptown Kingston this Holiday Season. Happy Holidays. xo, Chris

design, display, Half Moon Books, Holiday, installation, kingston, marketing, RetailChris BickNovember 27, 2019books, Bookstore, ornaments, Holiday Windows, Holiday, retail, window display, InstallationComment

Tens Across the Board

Another fantastic window collab with Half Moon Books. They’re celebrating their 10 year anniversary, so of course, I wanted to give them a cake of books! 🎂📚 Happy Birthday Half Moon Books. I love you!!! 🎉🎈🌜 #windowdisplay #bookstore #happybirthday #installation — at Half Moon Books.

display, design, Half Moon Books, installationChris BickMay 10, 2019retail, display, window display, anniversary, ten, Bookstore, books, Half Moon Book Store, used book, cakeComment

Less is More

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For the Winter 2019 Half Moon Books store window update, I wanted to do something interesting but also minimal. I think after Holiday, minimalism is a great motif. I thought of just one solid pillar of books spiraling. There’s repetition and pattern in the simplicity. #monolithic

Click here for more Half Moon Books installation

design, display, Half Moon BooksChris BickFebruary 3, 2019half Moon BooksWinter, Bookstore, Half Moon Book Store, window display, window shopping, Installation, store window, display, retail, bookstore, Vintage Books, used bookComment

Commit to Memory

I love these top nine posts from Instagram. It’s cool to see the bike rack design from 2017 and then it in reality in 2018. Progress happens. Thanks to all my fab clients. Here’s to an amazing 2019! xo

design, Advertising, marketingChris BickDecember 12, 2018instagram, photography, 2018Comment

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Check out some of my fave Holiday design layouts I did this season! What’s your fave?? I think mine is the Stocking Stuffers layout. Happy Holidays. xo, Chris

design, Advertising, Holiday, marketing, RetailChris BickDecember 12, 2018Graphic Design, Holiday, Christmas, Promotional MaterialsComment

Starry Night

And without further adieu, here’s my latest window installation for Half Moon Books in Kingston, NY… STARRY NIGHT.

I wanted to create something a bit different for this year’s Holiday windows. Something a bit darker and not totally “in your face” Christmas. No red or green, no Christmas Trees and no Santa. So, I came up with Starry Night.

I had to defy gravity with the books like I usually do and I had found great pictures of “floating books.” That’s when I had the idea to create the books as chimney smoke. A cozy, winter scene.

I love vintage books

Making the book fans

Hanging the blue paper

House cut-out and twinkle lights

I initially wanted to use a cabin but upon my research I found this great vintage Sears Catalog house illustration. It’s the Randolph style if you’re interested! BINGO… The books serve as chimney smoke puffs for this charming Sears Catalog spec home.

The background is dark blue paper mounted to a pegboard base with twinkle xmas lights poked thru the holes… Instant starlit night sky. And then I used the half moon from the store’s actual logo and VOILA; A Starry Night was born.

I hope you enjoy! Shop small this holiday. Peace and Love for all.

Oh, I almost forgot. I made a table too!

Under construction

Finished product

design, display, installation, Retail, HolidayChris BickNovember 25, 2018Half Moon Bookswindow display, window shopping, Holiday, Holiday Windows, christmasComment

In the Works

Lots of fun new clients and websites that I'm working on. I thought I would give a shout out to them all to show my gratitude for the opportunities. I hope you'll visit their sites and book or buy their services. Each one is extraordinary at what they do! xo

Le Shag: the premiere hair salon of the Hudson Valley, leshag.com. Site is live but currently under construction.

Cabane Studios: fine photography for our ever changing world, cabanestudios.com. Site hasn't been launched yet. Stay tuned.

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Arcane Cane: the exclusive walking cane for those needing support and protection, arcanecane.com. Site hasn't been launched yet. Stay tuned.

Graydon Yearick Architect: a boutique architectural design firm, graydonyearick.com. Site is live but currently under construction.

design, marketing, web developmentChris BickJune 29, 2018web design Comments

Fresh Picks

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Another new window installation completed at the wonderful Half Moon Books in Kingston.

I initially pitched an entirely different scheme that Jessica, the owner, didn't seem to keen on. She kept mentioning flowers... So, I knew I had to get her some summer blooms for our 3rd summer window together. Viola, "summer reads" was born.

I used books as petals strung to pegboard. I had found this cool technique of crocheting yarn on pegboard, so I used it for the middle of the bloom as well at the stem. It looks so simple, but the work was painstaking.

Have a great summer and make sure you pop into Half Moon Books to get all your summer vacation reads. xo, Chris

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It's done... Grass, Plant Maker Signage and little bees added

My original design sketch for the Flower Window.

design, RetailChris BickMay 23, 2018Half Moon Bookswindow display, summer, summer reads, Bookstore, crochet, pegboard, window shoppingComment

Lips Service

Inspired by the "Swak" lips murals (see below) that I did with artist (and my husband) Buddy Valentine back in 2014 for the O+ Festival, I introduce the Lips Bike Rack in Kingston, NY.

It's been well over a year since we entered and WON O+'s bike rack design competition and the Lips Racks (3 total) have finally been produced and are being installed along Cornell Street in Midtown Kingston.

This one was installed today the Lace Mill. Another one will be installed at the Cornell Street Post Office later this summer and the 3rd and final one will be located at the corner of Cornell and Broadway once the complete street / bike path construction is completed in the Fall. Stay tuned and we love ya... MWAH

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designChris BickMay 4, 2018The Lace MillBike Rack, Lips, Swak, O+ Festival, Kingston NYComment

Building a Case

I'm building a case that my little hamlet of Mt Tremper, NY has some of the coolest design popping up in the Catskills. We have some Passive Solar Houses, Modernist Style, Prairie Style and a new breakfast place with the most deelish "chubby squirrels" pastries ever. Planning a visit to the Catskills? Make sure you include Mt Tremper on your agenda.

designChris BickMay 1, 2018design, passive solar house, architecture, Mount Tremper, Catskills, The PinesComment

Love is in the Flare

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A trip down memory lane showcasing some of my best Valentine's Day display motifs from the Fred Flare store in Brooklyn. Gosh, I miss Fred so much! Happy Valentine's Day everyone and enjoy! Love ya...

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Retail, designChris BickFebruary 13, 2018fred flarefred flare, valentine's day, display, window display, valentine, hearts, red, pink, Brooklyn NY Comment

Thanks for the Memories

2017 was an incredible year. Thank you to all our amazing clients, friends and family. We did some incredible store window displays, some transformative interiors and are working on an exclusive Bike Rack design for the City of Kingston. With 2017 being so amazing, we can only expect great things from 2018. Stay Tuned...

designChris BickJanuary 5, 2018Happy New Year, window display, Interior Design, instagramComment

Are You On Bard?

Buddy and I hanging out at that exquisite Fisher Center building at Bard College by Frank Gehry. Simply sublime!

designChris BickSeptember 27, 2017Bard Collegearchitecture, The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts - Bard College, Frank GehryComment

In Bloom

Check out the booth design that I assisted on for Tousey Winery's recent exhibition at the 2017 Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival.

The Tousey staff at the Floral Entry Arch.

We created an initial "floral arch" at the booth's front with hanging flowers for dramatic impact. A second structure was installed within the booth for additional foliage, display, menus and branding. Tousey Winery won both "Best Winery" and "Best Booth" with this display.