Travel by design: New York City

There are great restaurants known not only for their dishes, but for their ambiance and décor; the city boasts design shops that offer one-of-a-kind finds and hotels with the prettiest pillows you'll ever see. Everywhere I go I feel inspired by what is around me.

Here is where design addicts must eat, sleep, and shop while in New York City.

Megu

For a very special night out, Megu offers spectacular Japanese food and opulent surroundings! This restaurant will give you a taste of New York glitz and a feast for the eyes and the palette.

Tomate Rouge

This restaurant is one of my go-to favorites. It is sophisticated and high-end while using local, fresh ingredients. The décor is serene and elegant. The restaurant's pale wood, ivory leather, cotton, linen, and natural stone delight the eyes and create a calm, relaxing dining experience.

Gramercy Park Hotel

The Gramercy Park Hotel is a modern day wonderland. Think of the design as edgy old-world! Fans of fine art will fall in love with the lobby, as huge works of art dominate the décor and dictate the color schemes. You don't have to stay as a guest to enjoy this hot spot…have a sip of champagne at the roof top bar or settle in downstairs at the lobby bar to enjoy one of their specialty cocktails.

Il Buco

You will swear you are seated in a friend's Tuscan kitchen when you have dinner at this quaint Italian joint in NoHo (New York City slang for North of Houston Street). Wine bottles adorn the walls, and the décor is a luscious mix of Italian country antiques and aged wood. The menu is as interesting as the interior!

Moss

One of my favorite design shops in New York! If you enter the world Murray Moss, you are bound to leave New York with a fresh and funky gift or an interesting item for your home. The store has fun contemporary items as well as a collection of vintage items hand-picked by Murray himself.

The Conran Shop

This one-stop-shop for modern homes was opened in New York City in 1999 and houses contemporary, clean-lined furniture and home accessories. Their vast new showroom is located in ABC Home (another must-see, design-tour destination). The Conran Shop has everything a girl needs to complete her contemporary home. Can't get to New York? The store also has a user-friendly online store.

Ace Hotel

If plush leather couches and library books feed your fantasy, this hotel is for you! The lobby, with its high ceilings and wooden tables, harbors guests and even some locals who plop down to read a travel book or the latest issue of New York Magazine. The décor mixes ultra trendy with a younger sense of a traditional.