A few weeks ago, on one of those warm end of summer days, I jumped in the back of a yellow taxi to visit the legendary Scalamandre townhouse. To be very honest, many moons ago, I saw the name Scalamandre and thought it was pronounced "salamander." Say it with me, Scal-uh-mahn-dray. This legendary house of design has a very rich history. In brief, the grandaddy of it all, Franco Scalamandre, sailed to New York from Italy in 1923 in search of freedom and opportunity. In 1929, he met his wife Flora Baranzelli who studied at Parsons School of Design. She painted some of their earliest patterns. I am a sucker for the finest crafted trimmings and details. The hand-made tassels that can be found in this house are fit for royalty; they use classic techniques and only the finest silks. On staff they have a tassel expert—yes, a person whose sole purpose is to design and create tassels and trims. Can you say amazing!? Check out the pink fluffy trimming above—it belongs on the legs of a dear old friend of ours. Yes! Big Bird is a client! I mean, come on. I always knew that bird had high-end gams. Scalamandre is truly a multi-faceted resource! I was loving the wallpaper on the left; it looks like ruched fabric, so billowy. Personally, I love using sophisticated products in children's rooms. Leafing through the flats of fabric, I fell in love with this rainbow of possibilities. Scalamandre's Moiré fabric and wall covering are so …
