interviews

Reflective Art - Custom Mirrors from Michael Solomon

Filed under: Decor, Art

Mirrors are a favorite luxury item of ours at Luxist, whether it's extravagant pieces for the bathroom like Alchemy Full Moon Mirrors or the elegant, light-spreading Mirrored Furniture from Horchow. That's why we were excited to chat with artist Michael Solomon, who makes custom mirror art for homes and businesses all over the United States.

Luxist: Why mirrors? What interests you?

Michael Solomon: Mirrors help open up space with natural and artificial light - they reflect room colors and familiar surroundings and are a wonderful contrast to the strong colors of my glass mosaic borders.

L: What were you doing before this?

MS: I sold commercial printing business to business -- the art was my hobby that evolved into my vocation, and the sales experience has helped in my success.

L: What's the furthest place you know of where one of your creations is hanging?

MS: San Francisco - I shipped this 46 inch sunburst circle there in 2007. I met the client at the Bruce Museum Craft show in Greenwich, Connecticut (see gallery for photo).

L: What was the most extravagant piece you've ever created?

MS: Actually there are two of them that live together -- I completed them in November of 2006. The design is a reflection of each other, and they hang in the front hallway of a home in Bethesda, Maryland. They are 30 feet apart and can be seen from the upper balcony and front entranceway, dining and living rooms. The pattern flows like wind from the windows. Each piece is 7' tall by 5' wide -- and they have NO mirrors!

... But still, they are unmistakable Michael Solomon creations. Check out all the pieces he mentioned, plus the man himself and his five personal favorites in the gallery!

Gallery: Reflective Art by Michael Solomon

Want to see more? Visit Michael Solomon's website, Reflective Art, email him at info at reflectiveart.com, or give him a call at 973-376-0203.

Tags: art, home, interviews, michael solomon, mirrors

The Luxist Guide to Wedding Gifts

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Holiday Guides, Wealth

Wedding gift display at Buckingham Palace

We at Luxist want you to be prepared and properly educated for all situations. Summer wedding season is nigh, so here is our guide to wedding gifts, created with the help of NYC Lifestyle Concierge Lora Chio, a personal shopper to the Manhattan elite. Lora answered all our etiquette questions and gave us some great ideas -- tips for brides and grooms getting ready to register, too!

Luxist: If you can't make the wedding, do you still have to send a gift?

Lora Chio: If you get an invitation, you have to send a gift. Yup. This means that if you don't know the bride, but she invites you to her shower, you need to send a gift (regardless of whether or not you attend; regardless of whether or not she knows your name).

L: Is sending money ever okay? How much should you send?

LC: The unspoken rule of thumb for giving cash is to basically pay for your plates. For example, if you are at a wedding where you believe the reception rings in at $100 per head, and you were allowed to bring a date, you should give $200. That's just a starting point -- many other considerations should be made before you decide on a dollar amount:

How close are you with the couple? Very? Give a little more.
Did they give you money at your wedding? If yes, you should give the same amount (or $1 more, just to be clever).
Did you have to travel for the wedding (and therefore pay for a hotel, a rental car, plane tickets, etc.)? Feel free to knock the dollar amount back a little -- you've already done a lot to be there for the special day.

L: When it is okay to get a gift that's not on the registry?

LC: Buying off-registry is totally acceptable if you feel like you know the bride or groom well enough to give them something they will love. Registries were designed to give a newly married couple a little boost -- a starter kit, if you will. While registering for gifts is very exciting (you get to point a gun at stuff!), many trigger-happy couples regret having to keep half of Bloomingdale's in their storage units because their 700 sq ft apartment doesn't have room for soft-boiled egg cups.

L: What's a good example of an appropriate off-registry gift?

LC: The key to success with a rogue gift (i.e. not on the registry) is having an alternative that you are sure the couple will love. I like to do personalized gift baskets with lots of little things that will make the recipient happy. Ten years ago, before sushi was in corner delis, I sent a friend a home sushi set because she loved sushi -- I wrapped each individual piece as a gift and put them all in a big glass floor vase. She loved being able to open 35 little gifts.

L: Since you often shop for other people, you don't always know the bride and groom. Are there any safe bets for good wedding gifts -- even for people you don't know?

LC: Safe bets for good wedding gifts are often consumable -- something that can be used up and help create a experience for the couple long after the circus has left town. Everyone loves getting nice wine, tickets to a great show, gift certificates for fancy dinners, but if you want to give a tangible present, here are some of my favorite things to give and get:

Gallery: Recommended Wedding Gifts