Interior Design Insights

Interior Design is the unrespected profession

2009-08-19T12:02:00.004-05:00

I was having dinner with my wife and a friend three days ago, and I found out that there was a new interior designer in town (its a very small circle). In further discussion, I find out that this new designer is not an educated designer at all, but a former garden landscaper who felt like he had the "talent" to go into the business. Well, that is all I needed to get on my soapbox!

Who do these people think they are that they can just put out a shingle and called themselves "designers" without any training, without any education, without any experience? Can you name any other professions where someone can do the same thing (you can't count most other creative professions)? I went to college for the same amount of time that an urban planner or a landscape architect does, yet no one can just jump into those professions. Can I just decide one day to become a surgeon and walk into a hospital and operate? NO. But for some reason, interior design does not require the same respect as other professions in most people's eyes. A potential client can walk into someone's house for a party, like how it is "decorated", and ask the host on the spot if they would consider designing their home. Does that person know how good of a business person the decorator is? Can they do multiple "looks", or are they a one note Johnny? Most importantly, how deep is their knowledge of the principles of design so that they will not manufacture anything in error?

I just think this is outrageous. The average person will usually look for the credentials of a person that will be handling their health care, their automobile, or even their lawn maintenance. But they will hire any Tom, Dick, or Harry to do one of the most important places in their life, their home.

And where do these "know-nothing" people think they can just waltz right in and take another piece of the clientele "pie" from all of us who are certified, struggling, interior designers? These are the people who have NO respect for the profession and who are too stupid (harsh?) to realize that there is more to what we do than picking out wallpaper for a bathroom. I know of another "interior designer" in town who has no knowledge of structure, and still he gets clients! If you wanted to remodel your home, he could not provide the initial designs before they would be turned over to an architect or a contractor. Why would anyone use this person? It is a frustrating mystery to me.

And let me briefly say about what the average client thinks we "deserve" to charge. I have graduated with a BA in interior design from an accredited design program, I have worked in this industry for 25 years, and my design firm has gotten multiple design awards from the Chicago Homebuilder's Association. Yet, do clients look at our charges and think,"Well, that looks right. And I AM paying for his expertise as well". Very few do. It is always a negotiation, like we shouldn't have spent as long looking for the sofa for the lining room, so lets knock off 2 hours of that charge. WHAT? If they thought it was so easy, why didn't they look for their sofa? But because all of us are starving these days, we take it and say,"Thank you. May I have some more?". And don't get me started on how so many clients totally disregard the contract that they sign with the unspoken message,"try and sue me."

I bet that you think that the architectural profession treats us as equals, as we often have to work together on projects. Wrong again. We are looked upon as the steriotypical "interior DECORATOR" who doesn't know sh_t from shinola. We are looked at with annoyance at joint meetings until we prove ourselves to them that we do know what we are doing and can even point out things that are wrong with the plans that they did not catch. I always LOVE that moment when I make that first valid point that catches the architect off guard and I can see it in his face. Usually, from that point on, he does treat me differently.

So, my friends, if any of you out there are passionate about becoming an interior designer, I will not discourage you, because I LOVE what I do. But realize that just because you have a degree and possibly even some adavanced education as well, and maybe have won an award or two for your work, you will still have to work every day at proving you deserve your client's or your fellow subcontractor's respect. It is a wonderfully fulfilling career, but you have to generate your respect and pride from within, and don't expect anyone to just give it to you. And, as you accumulate the years of design work, you will cringe less and less when someone calls you an interior decorator, and my even let it pass without correcting them. Because the only person who knows the difference is you.

Vintage--wihtout the grapes

2009-07-23T11:28:00.015-05:00

I was looking one of the last "Pottery Barn" issues, and the title was "Vintage Style", which got me thinking. When I mention the word "vintage", what comes to your mind? Victorian antiques? Things that were in your grandmother's house? Things that belong in a museum? And what does "vintage" look like to you?

The truth is, vintage means something different to everyone, depending on where you grew up. For those of us who grew up in the Midwest, vintage means old iron beds with chipped paint; simple, wooden shaker nightstands with glass knobs (painted or stained); homespun looking quilts, tin ceilings; and most any non-manufactured furniture piece made from zebra-grained oak. I have only mentioned a few elements. There are many more.

On the eastern seaboard north of the Carolinas, vintage can be more classic, with furniture styles from Queen Anne, to Hepplewhite, to Adams. This is because of the direct influence this area had had from England when it was first being settled, as well as very masterful cabinet makers who resided there. And you'll also find more interesting woods used, such as cherry, walnut, and pecan, because they were all indigenous to the area. You'll still see quilts, but they will be made out of finer materials, such as silks and velvets. In fact, most everything crafted on the east coast had a finer design to it. And if the piece was made close to a coastal port, there will be nautical themes present too.

On the west coast, the people who crafted vintage furniture, etc. were inspired by the ocean and the tropical trees and flowers. Hard woods were not as plentiful, so they used bamboo and reeds to form wicker and rattan materials. Here is where you will find vintage deck chairs and cabana furniture. Instead of the fabrics being of cotton with small prairie flowers like in the Midwest, or formal images like cabbage roses on glazed cotton, the west coast had more coarsely woven fabrics that even had visible slubs sometimes. This added texture went perfectly with the more textural wicker and rattan furniture that they had. And, of course, the images printed on their fabrics were often palm trees and hibiscus flowers, as that was what was all around them. You can find even some whimsy in some of the furniture and accessories, reflecting the fun, care free attitude a west coast person had.

So you can see that the word "vintage" does not just mean one thing or style. It relies on the area of the country that the piece came from as to what vintage "look" it has. Upper east coast has classical English influences, the Midwest has more rustic, prairie influences, and the west coast has a more textural, tropical influence. Depending on what vintage look you want will determine what part of the country you need to visit to find your treasures.

Shown below are some images illustrating what I mean. Write back to me and let me know how you feel about what I have written!

Here is a vintage Franklin desk from the east.

This is a vintage federal lamp that you would also find in the east.

Pictured is a classic cherry, vintage Queen Anne high boy, common in the eastern states.

Now we have traveled to Midwestern vintage. Notice the use of calico and prairie-influenced images on the fabrics.

The cupboard, bench and even clapboard walls all scream out Midwestern vintage (not so much the large sea turtle on the wall).

Can't you just see "Aunti Em" from The Wizard of Oz stepping out of this kitchen? Soooo Midwestern.

Check out the freshness of this vintage California bedroom. A wicker nightstand and a bamboo vanity chair bring in that texture.

These were usually used on the porch or patio, but I have seen pictures of these being used inside the home as well.

I wanted to include some vintage accessories too. Notice how this earthenware from California is glazed in all of the colors of the ocean.

Naturally Comfortable---Bringing the Outdoors In

2009-07-10T16:29:00.015-05:00

It seems like everyone these days is all about making everything in their life "green". The environment is one of the top concerns of multiple generations, and the focus on our outdoors has created an interest in having our interiors have the feeling, if not the colorations of the outdoors. We also are seeing more directly the use of recyclable materials in the backgrounds of our spaces, such as bamboo floors, slate floors and counters, and rattan to name a few. So in the quest to make your rooms more like the outdoors, lets look at why we are wanting this, and what are different ways to achieve it. Finally, I will have illustrations of what I have spoken about so you don't have to recreate my concepts in your mind.

The most obvious way to have the outdoors come inside is to bring in live plants to your spaces. I know that they have come out with some good silk imitations, but there is nothing that is silk that can recreate the variations in color within one leaf, or the shadowing a real plant makes when up lit. I hear a lot of you now saying,"I have indoor plant death syndrome"! You are not alone (my wife is also one of you). THE most common reason for killing a plant is in either over watering or under watering it. If you don't understand the watering instructions for a plant you have just brought home, go to your local nursery and ask someone who deals with plants all of the time to SHOW you what the instructions mean. The second most common reason is that the plant is in a place where it either doesn't get enough light, or it gets too much light. This should be your main criteria when buying a new plant. If you need it for a room that gets very little natural daylight, then DO NOT choose a plant that requires sun 75% of the day! It will NOT adapt---it WILL die. There are all sorts of plants out there that can survive in a wide variety of conditions. Just buy one for the correct lighting and stay true to the amount of water it needs and you will have a thriving plant.

Elements from nature are predictable, as they are around us all of the time. Because of this, they are calming and comfortable, like an old pair of jeans you've had forever. The four elements of nature are earth, fire, air, and water, and when you parallel any of these elements in an interior, you are recreating some of what makes up the comfort of outdoors in your own home. If you ever hear anyone say that there is no psychology behind interior design, they are completely wrong. The whole approach to making your interior spaces feel more like the outdoors is at least 50% psychological.

The most influential part of making your space feel inspired by nature is color. Color on the walls, ceiling trim, fabrics, and accessories all play a big part in completing that goal. When you walk outside, you will see an endless combination of colors from nature that you can put together to create the pallet for your room or rooms. I will list some colors that I particularily like, and then you can take it from there. Colors I like from nature include: leaf green, grass green, pebble beige, bark brown, earth brown, stone grey, sky blue, ocean blue, ocean green, white cloud, foamy water white, sun yellow, firey yellow-orange, and stormy grey.

The backgrounds you use for a space are crucial in how the space ultimately feels. Backgrounds include the wall and ceiling colors, whether the trim is stained or painted and the flooring materials, to name the main ones. In one of my first postings, I wrote about what to look out for if you are wanting the paint you use to be "green" friendly. And we just finished talking about paint color. So next we should talk about whether you have stained or painted trim. Neither choice is wrong. Stained woodwork brings your trim to the forefront in your space, making it a decisive part of your scheme. Because it is natural, it obviously has that feeling of nature that you wanted. But if you paint it, it still can give you that feeling. The wood element will be a part of the subconcious make-up of your space, whereas the color will take the forefront. The more trim you have, whether it is painted or stained, the more that natural feeling will be a part of your room. Flooring is the next backgound to examine. Again, natural is what it all is about right now, so there have been a lot of new material introduced lately, as well as some old ones that have been reurected. Some of these materials can also be used on various countertops through out your home. Some of them are: Wood, slate, granite, marble, limestone, cork, and bamboo. They all have their own specific characteristics, so it is very important to find out what these are before you commit to buying anything. Additonal things that can be added to your backgrounds would be beams on your ceiling, either rough or finished; wainscoting from the floor to 40"+ up on the wall; or various types of wood mingled together in a herringbone or some other floor pattern. On top of these floors, a nice natural thing you can bring in is a sisle or jute rug. Or your funiture can be made of rattan, or have caning inserted into the back &/or the seats of your chairs. The list goes on.

The whole approach for the look you want will depend on how "outdoorsy" you want to make the space. A very formal interior can have influences from the outdoors in its make-up. I have a picture to illustrate this. Or you can swing to the other side of the pendulum to a log home with a split log interior and a cast iron wood stove in your living room. Decide the amount of outside influences you want to have, and then decide if you want these influences to be overtly outdoors looking, or if you just want the calming and soothing effects in your space that the outdoors does to you. The illustrations listed below will clarify any questions you might have. Let me know what you think about this posting, or give me any questions you might have.

This pretty simple interior looks very comfortable by using natural elements. From the colors to the natural fabrics to the stone floor, a lot of the outdoors has made its way into this room.

This room has a very transitional style, but they used natural fabrics, a wood floor, colors from nature, and accessories from nature to give it a soothing feeling.

An existing wood floor was refinished to begin this room's renovation. The beams, the wood ceiling, the natural colors, and the feather motif on the screen all help to add that touch of nature that makes this a very comfortable space.

Here is a very formal space that doesn't seem cold or uninviting because of the use of nature in its formation. The wood floor, the stone fireplace, the live plant, and the colors from nature combine to accomplish this.

Another transitional interior seems almost spa-like from its use of natural elements. They used natural fabrics and colors, a wood floor, wood moldings on the walls, natural accessories, and a stone top cocktail table to create a calming and comfortable space.

I wanted to show a very contemporary photograph of how natural elements can work in these interiors. First, they used natural colors to soften the hard tendencies of a contemporary look. Then, they added actual items from nature, like the skull on the wall, the long bowl filled with horns and bones and antlers, and the tall goblet filled with more bones. The colors of the rug and flooring really anchors the whole look.

Wow, could they have used more elements from nature for the backgrounds of this room? Rough hewn beams and wood ceiling give this space its immediate impact. Other items from the outdoors include the live plants, the stone floor, the river rocks in the fireplace opening, and the accessories. Natural colors and fabrics fill out the list that created such a warm and cozy space.

The "green" aspect comes to play in this kitchen, where they have reused two antique tables to function as islands. The beams, the natural wood trim, and the stone floor all show off their natural origins, and the use of natural colors finishes off a very warm but dramatic kitchen.

An interior that uses elements of nature doesn't always have to be muted, as is shown in this photo. What could have been a garrish step back into the 1970's was saved by including a beautifully stained and distressed ceiling, a stone floor and fireplace, and live plants. Use of natural fabrics, and colors and accessories from nature finish out the room. There is a little "pop" to the overall calmness here.

This space is the epitome of what my post is all about. They used wood wainscoting almost to the ceiling, but then took the remaining wall space and the ceiling and put natural raffia wall covering on it. The furniture is sea grass, they used a live plant on the cocktail table, and accessories from nature as well. They capped it off by using natural fabrics, colors from nature, and a seascape. How much more influenced by nature can you get?

Is the Room Well Done or Overdone?

2009-06-26T13:04:00.020-05:00

There have been so many times when friends finish a room on their own and then ask my wife and me over to get our opinion. And so many times they ask, "Is it too much, or is it OK?" Sometimes we luck out and our friend has hit it right on, and then there are other times where we have to pull out the diplomacy and gracefully mention what things are bad that are changeable without too much additional cost. I think this topic will be best served by illustrating it with pictures rather than with my text (my wife is applauding in the background). The elements to think about when you are looking at my pictures are:

Color
Pattern
Texture
Scale
Balance
Quantity of any one element

I will start out with well done interiors, and end with overdone interiors.

My term for this interior would be "rustic elegance". What makes this a well done interior is that the designer knew how to balance the textures of the ceiling, the floor, the lamps, the night tables and the cocktail table with smoother textures in the room. The basically monochromatic color scheme based on a mid-tone color of burlap softens any use of pattern in the space. Thus, the striped bed bolster, and the three patterned loveseat pillows exist harmoniously together. I love the addition of the iron on the cocktail table as an unexpected texture and as another element of rusticity.

This beautiful, traditional interior has a lot of elements involved in its make-up, but notice how there is essentially 2-3 neutral colors that make up the majority of colors used. This allows the designer to bring in many fabric patterns using an accent color of soft blue and not make the space too busy. A wonderfully unexpected rustic wood cocktail stays in the established neutral tones, but takes some of the staid quality out of the space.

So many times an ultra traditional interior looks overdone because the designer felt like there needed to be tons of accessories on every surface and all of the wall space needed to be filled. This room, however, works well because the opposite was done. The cocktail table is very reserved in its accessorization, and the pictures on the wall are even smaller than one would expect. But the bookcases are treated similarly, and by doing so, create a formal balance in the room that is reintroduced by the two brown chairs flanking the normal size cocktail table. The fact that through the middle of this picture the color pallet is very monochromatic tones down what could be a visually much busier room.

If you can notice the scale of this room, it has very large proportions. The designer brought the room into human scale by painting out the paneled walls a soft blue color, thereby luring your eye down to the upholstery level of the room by removing the distraction of all of the squares. All of the furniture has very simple lines, even the walnut chest in the background. Further room unification occurs through the wood tones of the lyre-based tea table, the chest and the front door. A spark of gold leaf on the round cocktail table and the two candle sticks brings some interest and excitement into this very soft, soothing space.

I love this bedroom. The only complex pattern is at the head and the foot of the bed. The two chairs at the foot of the bed mimic the shape and feeling of the headboard so much so that at a quick glance, they look like the bed's footboard. The fabric on the chairs has the same muddy, old world quality that the painted headboard does, giving the bed a unified feeling. Take away the picture above the bed, and the night chests would look like two big, black blobs flanking an otherwise softer pallet. The artwork creates a triad, of sorts, in black. Any other patterns on the bed are subservient to the rest of the room as they are kept in the same color family. The one "pop" comes from the decorative bolster that contains all of the colors that are in the headboard.

Now, I know. You're looking at this picture saying, "Why is this not overdone?" The designer wisely chose to paint the walls and the ceiling the same tone of white creating a buffer for all of the blue in the room. Also, there are a variety of blues used here, and they are found in a variety of scaled patterns. And even though the sofa pattern in and of itself could be considered "busy", the simplicity of everything else in the space softens the pattern. Also, the addition of deep wood tones anchors the room and takes some focus away from the blue.

You're saying, "Wow, no way is this not overdone!" "I couldn't live in all of that color." I wanted to show you that you can have fun with a beach home (this is on the East Coast) and not have to resort to sailboats and awning stripes. And since it is a second home, you can be more daring with colors. The aqua of the drapes and the background of the sofa draws the aqua from the ocean into the room. The orange chairs and the flowers on the sofa tie in perfectly together and establish a color rhythm for the table top. The natural wood floor and the wooden dining table absorb the intensity of the colors everywhere else, as does the white walls and ceiling. The slatted ceiling is a fun touch.

Using this tapestry as the main artwork for this room could have started a downward spiral of too many patterns and too many colors. But this designer was smart and used the tapestry as the spoke that everything else pivots around. All of the upholstery is neutral, and the pillows are solid colors from the hanging, except for the great dragon pillow on the loveseat. The only exception that I take with this room is the paisley pattern on the French armchair. I wish that the red tones in the fabric we just a little bit more orange. The ceiling and walls are painted out the same color as the loveseat which unifies the space.

What a dramatic room! What makes this room work is the combination of the bold yellow balancing out the large scale of the floor, the table, the chandelier, and the striping of the walls. Also notice the strong geometry of the objects in the space. Diamonds, squares, circles, and rectangles all play a role in the balance of the room. And keeping the chairs in an off-white material lets the eye truly appreciate what the space is saying.

Now, for the overdone spaces.

Where do I begin? All of the fabric textures are the same giving the viewer no relief. The colors used everywhere are all of the same value, making everything look murky and muddy. And the scale of everything is oversized, so nothing has the ability to show itself off. This is an advertisement for a furniture line, so I will cut them some slack since a professional designer didn't do this (I hope). But don't you think that they would want their pieces to compliment each other so the picture isn't so painful to look at?

Some designers consider this a viable look--very English garden. But I think that there are way too many fabric patterns that, to me, don't relate well enough to be used together. And the scales of the patterns are also too similar that it makes it hard to look at both of the chairs together. I also feel that there are too many, what I call "look at me" items in the room, causing the viewer confusion as to where to look first. And is that tiger print hassock in front of the background chair really necessary? I'm just not a fan.

OMG! Again, this is an advertisement for a shop in Dallas, Texas0C VB , but did they really think that they needed to put EVERYTHING in their line in the photo? I included this shot to illustrate the point of too many elements. There is stuff everywhere, and it makes you dizzy to look at the picture. If this were a real interior, you would need to simplify the dining table, decide on whether you wanted to use the rug or the tapestry, but NOT both. Take most of the copper pots off of the wall and just display 3-5 of them. And simplify the top of the armoire and the French cupboard (maybe even having nothing on top of the cupboard). And it goes without saying to get rid of the kiddies' table and chairs. And, finally, paint a nice, normal color on the walls rather than that vibrating orchid color.

I bet the kitchen designer that did this kitchen would have gone to the big sub-zero in the sky if they had seen how this kitchen was accessorized. I dare you to try and find ANY open counter space (except on the island). It ends up looking just junky when you have no space to separate groups of accessories. Accessories are the final element that balances out a room, so it is really one of the most important steps of the design process. Having too few accessories can make a space look sterile and uninviting. Having too many can make you feel claustrophobic and agitated. After you set up some accessories in a room, step back and look at what you have done. Then analyze what the rest of the room needs based on what you have already done. Take it one step at a time, and you will be able to recognize when you should be finished.

It can be a fine line between well done and overdone, so if you are in doubt, bring in other opinions BEFORE you are done with the space. Or, better yet, hire a qualified interior designer that you trust, and that person can educate you as you go through the steps to having a well-done interior. Let me know what you think about what I have said, or if you still have questions, put them in the comments and I'll get back to you.

Slide Open the Door to Design

2009-06-22T13:45:00.019-05:00

If any of you were born sometime in the late 40s or the 50s, you know firsthand about sliding doors and pocket doors. The new architectural craze in the 50s was rethinking the traditional home that had colonial exterior shutters and a raised panel front door. All of a sudden there were pitched ceilings that followed an exterior off-center peak and triangular windows to conform to that pitch. Rooms were open to each other, and in order to cordon off space to suggest a dining room or a living room, accordion doors came from one side of the space and locked in to the other side of the space. Any doors that did exist, were either plain-faced with a simple, convex knob, or they were pocket doors that slid into the walls. The concept of doors that moved out of the way and did not intrude into the space was ground breaking. It totally went with the space-age concept of modern.

Now that 60+ years have passed, pocket doors and accordion doors have lost a little of their excitement. They are often used as having a strictly utilitarian purpose, rather than being a part of the design element of the room. Only when we think of a warehouse/loft space does a person think of doors on tracks. And when accordion doors are mentioned, the image of my grandmother's plastic accordion door that was in her basement to block the eye from her laundry room flashes before my eyes. However, this is exactly where we should be looking at those types of doors again if we want our home to stand out from our neighbors'.

I know what you are thinking: I have a very traditional house, so there is no way that I could have doors like this. WRONG. As a matter of fact, my sister and brother-in-law live in a turn of the century home that couldn't be more traditional in its appointments. But, the very smart architect who designed and built their house used 10-feet tall French pocket doors to shut off the living room from the entry, and the parlor from the living room. Back at the turn of the century, privacy, private conversations, and intimate visits from friends were the norm. But very grand, elaborate parties were also thrown, so these doors allowed the space to be open and flowing for a large scale party (or for air flow during the hot months of the year), or closed and secluded for every day life. The doors have raised panels, bead molding, and other traditional appointments in keeping with a house of that period. And in case you are wondering how difficult it is to pull shut or slide open these doors, they still can operate with two fingers!

Now, with real estate being so expensive, and the cost of utilities climbing as we speak, the trend is that homes are becoming smaller to make them more affordable and less expensive to heat and cool. But you don't have to lose the drama from you home just because it isn't larger than the White House. And these doors allow you to maximize those smaller spaces by not having to deal with door swings. Take a look a the pictures that follow; these are some great examples of pocket, sliding, and accordion doors that fit right in to today's way of living. Be sure to let me know what you think of what I have said or if you have questions about my examples.

This sliding door not only defines the space, but it acts as a wonderful design element. The circular openings are also functional in that they continue to let light in from the room beyond.

Here is a great example of how a pocket door can have a very traditional presence. The door glides in a pocket that is recessed into the ceiling. The finish and design of this door is particularly outstanding.

Typically, a sliding glass door is associated with an exterior door, but with this sliding door, they have cleverly used sandblasted glass with decorative striping to block the kitchen from the dining room.

A set of over-sized French doors add drama to this entry hall purely by the size and the simplicity of the doors. This simplicity would also lend these doors to work in either a contemporary or a traditional interior.

It may be hard to see in this size of picture, but this pocket door has been made into a unique part of the room design by the use of an unusual material; modeled metal.

This was an ingenious pocket door design. When partially open, the notch in the door becomes part of the geometry of the wood shelf on the opposite wall. When closed, it conforms around the shelf and becomes a part of the sculptural design of the shelf. And, on the lowest of levels, the notch is also how you operate the door.

Two very important features of this set of traditional doors. First, they close off a very large opening that gives great flow to both rooms. And because of the size of the opening, the doors need to be large scale to close off the rooms when needed, giving them a sense of importance in otherwise smaller scale rooms. Secondly, the way that they slide on an outside mounted track, they take on the appearance of sliding barn doors, which adds to the rustic French design of this home.

I know what you are saying. "But what about the accordion door?" Well, here is an accordion door for today's home. These happen to be very simple, painted flat doors that are hinged together and then attached to a track above. But what if you found a six or eight paneled hand-painted screen; an antique lover's jackpot? Think about separating each of the panels, then hinging them back together, and placing them on a similar track. This could be a room divider for your living room/dining room, a way to conceal your kitchen (as they did here), or as a floating wall when you don't need quite so much space. Or how about multiple like-sized antique doors in the same scenario? The possibilities are endless.

Exposure (Not the Trenchcoat Kind)

2009-06-16T11:58:00.010-05:00

My wife and I just came back from a two week trip to the Perigord region of France, and had a spectacular time. This is the region that foie gras, truffles, and walnuts come from. It is also the location of where the 100 Years War was fought. The first town we stayed in (Sarlat) is a perfectly preserved renaissance town in the middle (called old town) that has beautiful shopping courtyards, limestone buildings, and fabulous restaurants. Every Wednesday, the town hosts a produce, fish, meat, cheese, and pastry market where the locals come and do their main shopping (there is a super market in the new part of town that carries essentials such as milk). It was like stepping back in time 60-70 years, as you saw the older townspeople getting together looking very dapper to have their weekly "catch up", and food vendors with berets hawking their goods in French (these are farmers or small businesses, so no one spoke much English). The language barrier was not very tall, as we made due just fine with our very limited French. The ambiance was nothing short of magical.

The second town we stayed in (Beynac) was a perfectly restored medieval village, complete with castle. In fact, Castle Beynac was one of the main fortresses in the 100 Years War. We stayed in what was once the attic of the home that was the village blacksmith's, complete with 800-year-old beams. Original cobblestone streets lead the way up and up until you reached the castle at the pinnacle of the hill. The walk was very steep and made me very thankful that I still work out three times a week. This countryside was rolling and green and very treed, and our apartment looked right over the Dordogne River, which separated the French from the English in the 100 Years War. These buildings were also limestone, but not quarried in blocks, and most of the homes still had remnants of old architectural features, like the indoor/outdoor bathroom (see picture).

I know this post doesn't sound like it deals with anything related to interior design, but you couldn't be more wrong. This trip, as in all the trips that my wife and I have taken, has exposed us to a period in time that we never had much insight into. How the people lived, worked and played, are all very important pieces of knowledge to anyone who aspires to either be a confident arm chair designer, or a full fledged degreed designer. But it will also open the eyes of anyone who experiences it. Exposure to different cultures and different periods in history provides the background needed when selecting a fabric or a piece of furniture for any space. It shows you why there were so many tapestries during the medieval period (to ward off drafts in the room, to record historic events, or for fashionable decoration), or why there were turrets on so many chateaus (you had to have a turret to be called a Chateau, otherwise you were just a Manor), or why there are heavy beams at the ceiling in a lot of larger new homes (they are trying to recreate the beam support that a chateau had to have to support a stone floor).

And I am not saying that you must travel all of the way to Europe to be exposed (even though this is where all of the historic trends in design and architecture started). Travel in your own backyard to the nearest city, and take an architectural tour. Go to a historic site (Williamsburg, Virginia is like stepping into the colonial days again) and observe the colors and fabrics and furniture that are shown. And if all of those options are too expensive, go to your local library or bookstore and read books about different cultures and different periods in time or go online and research history that way. The less hands-on you get, the less interesting it might be (unless you are a history buff). Seeing it in person gives a dimension to your information that nothing else can. An if you are touring with a particularly good guide, he or she can give you so much more insight about what you are seeing than a book or a website can. I know history initially sounds dry as a bone, but in the right place with the right atmosphere, it is like opening up a really good book that you just can't put down. It will lead you to look up parallel information to what you have learned, which will lead you further on, like a good mystery. And that is exactly what you are doing; unlocking the "mystery" of what makes up good design.

So look on a map and choose a city or a country that you have always wanted to go to, research what it is that makes that area interesting, and start saving your pennies for a trip that will not only be relaxing, but exciting and enriching toward the history of design. It will set a pattern for you for the rest of the trips you take! Write me a comment on this or ask me any questions you have.

The outside of our apartment in Sarlat. Fountain is in the foreground. We were on the top floor where the dormer windows are.

A Renaissance home made into a first floor shop and upper apartments.

A great example of Renaissance architectural ornamentation.

A produce vendor with a lot to show.

One of the many bread vendors. Notice the cloth that he has put under the bread and its pattern.

My wife selecting skate for one of our dinners, loving every minute of it.

Our attic apartment in Beynac. There was another flight of stone stairs to get to this point!

The courtyard of our Beynac apartment. Notice at upper left there is a rectangular area of stone projecting away from the building next door. They have walled underneath the opening, but when someone used the bathroom inside it just dropped onto the wall on the outside under this area. It gives a whole new meaning to "Look out below!"

Castle Beynac

The Dordogne River from Castle Beynac.

Castle Beynac--The Great Room for the guards.

Interior ideas that are past their prime

2009-05-06T14:34:00.014-05:00

One of the most asked questions during the 25+ years that I have been a practicing interior designer is, "What are the latest trends." Being from the Midwest, the latest trends seem to hit us 2-5 years after they have become trends. Consequently, when those trends become passe, the Midwesterner tends to hang on too long, creating a dated interior that family members and friends try gracefully not to point out. That is why I try to suggest to my clients not to jump on the "trend bandwagon", but to give a little twist to a classic look. That way, if the space is basically classic in design, you can change minimal things to keep looking current. The same goes for trendy colors. Keep those in minimal amounts where they can be changed easily.

The First Trend to be put to bed: Wallpaper borders anywhere in the room. Especially by themselves over paint at the ceiling line or at chair rail height. This used to be an inexpensive way to bring personality into a room, but it has evolved into something "cute" or "trite". Don't resort to getting your character from a piece of wallpaper; get it from the multiple elements in the room that join together to give your room personality. Most paper companies have stopped making borders, so it will be the lesser quality companies that will still be including borders in their books. That right there is a reason to not use one. Even in a baby's room; there are plenty of great wallpapers for infants that you put on all of the walls, over some strip of color and characters at the top or the middle of the room. Do not confuse this first point with thinking that you should not install chair rails. Chair rails can be a viable decorative touch depending on the use. I will address that in one of the next points.

The Second Trend to retire: Accent walls. I know, I know, you see accent walls everywhere on HGTV. This does not mean that this is right. You have to be very skilled in design do execute an accent wall properly. The typical homeowner does not understand that by painting (or papering) one wall in a room completely different than the other three walls, that it pulls attention away from everything else in the room and focuses on anything that is visually a part of the accent wall. This creates an imbalance in the room and gives the room a degree of "discord". In my field, visual merchandising, it was a viable resource to be able to highlight a specific architectural feature for the builder by painting that focal area a different color. Or pop some life into a small children's bedroom that would seem uninteresting otherwise. So this is my caveat: if you see an accent wall in a design publication or in person at some model homes, analyze why it is there. The designer probably had a specific reason for accenting the wall or space that they did. If you feel you have a space that needs an accent wall, only paint it a shade or two lighter or darker that the other walls, thus still creating a cohesive feeling in the room. Please, no fire engine red accent walls!

The Third Trend that should go: Do-it-yourself faux finishing. Five to ten years ago, faux paint finishes were all the rage. But then people started seeing shows that encouraged doing these techniques on their own, and that is when the trend started falling. Expert painters who did these techniques wrote book upon book about how easy it was to create your own "villa in Tuscany" effect. Unfortunately, what they didn't say was, like any other artistic endeavor, it takes creative talent to do these techniques properly. So we ended up with sponged walls in one of our friend's houses that looks like irregular polka dots done in a darker color, boldly placed over walls that are a drastically lighter color---disaster! I am not saying that all faux finishes are bad, on the contrary. If done by a professional, a faux finish can give the walls or woodwork so much more depth of color. They are definitely still a design asset, just not done by an amateur.

The Fourth Trend to adios: Palladium windows---everywhere. I'm sure the Venetian architect, Andrea Palladio, would be rolling over in his grave if he could see the misuse today of his graceful window. It's intent was to increase the view of a villa or estate set in a rolling countryside terrain. The fact that this window is found extensively in his early structures where his patrons were wealthy, has given the association of wealth and station to this window. Consequently, most builders and architects of today that are not involved in custom work over use them in their homes to imply wealth and station. They are not meant to be strewn over the face of a house as if they were thrown out of a person's hand and they were placed as they landed. They are to highlight a special place in your home, like a solarium, or a loggia, where you want to bring more of the outside in, as that is the room's focus. Please, please stop using them over a front door in a two story entry. Unless you have a Baccaurat crystal chandelier that you want everyone who passes by to see, do not use them over your front door. Find a special room and highlight the room by using these windows.

The Fifth trend to oust: Using granite for your countertops. It has become that if you build or remodel a home all of your counters need to be granite for the quality. This is not so. While I love granite and all of the colors and patterns that are found in it, I am getting bored with seeing it everywhere. I just recently saw a soapstone counter in a kitchen that looked great. We, personally, have concrete, as no other materials had a small enough crystal "grain" that didn't compete with the rest of the design of the house.We love our concrete counters, and to make the color work better, we had it stained a warm taupish color. There are also butcher block counters that can be sanded down once they have too much living on them and resealed. There are now some new colors in the quartz product that have been out for a time. And, lastly, there is the Corian product that has been used for some time now. I am not a fan of Corian because if you drag anything over the face of it there could be a mark left in its wake. Obviously, this only applies to lighter colors of the product. So, when you are out looking for kitchen counters, please keep these and other suggestions in mind in addition to granite---and be inventive!

The Sixth Trend that needs to go: Having the same fabric on multiple things in the room. For example, it used to be popular to put the fabric that is on the sofa onto the occasional chairs in the room, and maybe also in the drapery treatment as well. Not that this is wrong, but it is SO safe that it is boring. The occasional chairs should connect in some form with the sofa, but not with the same fabric. And use the drapery fabric to pull in a third fabric into the room that you can also use as some pillows. Change the scales of the patterns so that you have a progression from small to medium to large. Having the fabrics in the room be all the same scale is visually disturbing and causes the eye to be unable to focus on any one fabric. Scale is extremely important in the selection of multiple fabrics for a single room. Bring some exciting fabrics together that you may not have initially used in the same room, but, by being a little bolder, you can create an exciting space that everyone will be asking you, "how did you think to put these together?"

Obviously, there are many, many more past trends that I could mention, but I'll have to do those in another entry. Most importantly, if you are looking at a high end interiors magazine, and you don't see a treatment, etc. that you were thinking of putting into your home, more than likely it is out of vogue. Look at that same magazine, however, and examine what is in vogue. This should give you a good direction in how to design your space.

Because of the nature of this article (treatments that are passe), I haven't found any pictures to correctly illustrate my points. If I do find any, I will add them at a later date.

I finally found an illustration of a wallpaper border. Aside from the fact that these fabrics have been around since the 90's, the whole package is way too "matchy". The border is just overkill on the whole look.

A Bright Idea---Using Lighting to add Inexpensive Drama

2009-04-27T11:45:00.016-05:00

I have been asked by many clients what one thing can they do to their spaces to add drama without spending a lot of money. My answer to them is in one word---Lighting. By putting different types of lighting in different locations, you've added another design element to your colors, fabrics, textures and lines. The locations of shadows are as important as the locations of the light beams themselves. I will give you different sources of light for your room and explain how those sources will influence your space.

About overhead lighting: If your space has a ceiling-mounted light fixture, you should either remove it and patch the ceiling, or never use it (this does not include chandeliers). This is because an overhead light will wash out all of the shadows in the room eliminating any possible drama. O.K., you can turn it on to find your contacts, and that's it!

Your first lighting source: Table lamps. Because most table lamps have some type of shade, the light they give off is in 3 directions---up (out of the top of the shade), down (out of the bottom of the shade), giving off a cone of light established by the size and shape of the bottom of the shade, and out (coming directly through the shade).

The shade is the first variable of the type of lighting a lamp gives off. (1) If a shade is made of a light, neutral fabric (silk, cotton, linen, or any type of blend), the light will be diffused through the shade giving off a soft glow. The light coming out of the top and the bottom will be stronger and clearer. If the lamp is near a wall, you'll see an hour glass shape that is being formed by that top and bottom light. A more colored fabric for the shade will allow less light through the shade and will also throw out some of the shade color onto any walls, drapery, or furniture that are nearby, so be careful. That beautiful color that you picked for you walls may turn into something totally wrong if a colored shade is used on the lamp(s). Once you get close to black, you'll get less color being thrown by the lamp shade and also a lot less light. (2) If a shade is made of parchment (stiff paper), it can be any color you want because none of the light will come through the shade to cast color from the shade. A parchment shade will always block all of the light coming out of the shade, thus intensifying the light going up and down from the shade, making for a more dramatic look.

The bulb is the second variable for the quality of the drama from a lamp. With a standard incandescent bulb, you can buy either clear or frosted. As you would assume, frosted will produce a softer light, clear a stronger. If you use a CFL bulb (compact fluorescent), you will not have that option (see my posting about green design and the differences between a standard incandescent bulb and a CFL bulb). A CFL bulb is becoming more flexible, as it can be on or off or dimmed (new dimable bulbs) if the lamp or the light switch has a dimmer on it. It now can also come in a single, double or 3-way wattage like an incandescent bulb. I would suggest testing the differences between the two bulbs to make sure you have the one that produces the right effect for you. So with the right bulb and the right shade, you're on your way to a dramatically new space.

**A little bit of inside info. The recommended wattage that is listed on the light bulb collar of a lamp is intended for heat protection for the shade. It has nothing electrically to do with what wattage the lamp can or cannot handle. The closer the bulb is to the shade, the lower the recommended wattage.**

Floor lamps are a second lighting possibility. First, let me clear up the difference between a floor lamp and a torchère (Tor-share). A floor lamp has an anchoring base, a long shaft, and a lamp shade covering the bulb. A torchère also has an anchoring base and a long shaft, but at the top is usually some type of flared glass "bowl" that spills all of the light above the lamp onto the walls and the ceiling. They have less of an application for personal function and more of a general function for lighting the room. They do provide dramatic lighting and are a good design solution based on your and the space's needs. However, a floor lamp and a torchère can come in many price points, and you definitely get what you pay for. A floor lamp brings the light source to a lower level in the room than does a torchère, but higher that a table lamp. So it can be perfect for a mid-range source of lighting. The design options that apply to the table lamp also apply to the floor lamp.

Uplights are possibility number three. For the most part, uplights are single light fixtures that rest on the floor and are angled upward to illuminate a tree or some other object from below. The resulting pattern on the wall and ceiling is made from the shadows of the uplit object. This pattern, if you highlight the correct object, can be very exciting and very dramatic. Uplights can also be placed to light a dark corner of a room where the darkness draws too much attention to itself. Because the source of this light is at floor level, it makes uplights a very important element in dramatic lighting.

Number four: Strip lighting. Strip lighting is usually used on the underside of cabinets to give a glow and provide task lighting to the surface below. Most strip lighting installations are for the task lighting, but the client gets a bonus in the drama they yield.

Wall-mounted lights is number five. These are usually placed in pairs flanking a mirror, a piece of art, or a series of pictures. They are commonly not hard wired (where the fixture wiring goes directly into the wall), but have a cord hanging down from the backplate of the fixture. You should cover the cord with a metal cord cover (usually sold with the lamp) that matches the finish of the fixture. If you do not use a cord cover, you will have a kinked and wavy cord that hangs on top of the wall that looks very unsightly (unless you are going for that NY Soho "Rent" type of looking place!). Wall lamps can light a wall that cannot, for whatever reason, have furniture near to hold a more conventional lamp. They can also illuminate a wall that is too far away from the room's other light sources. They usually either have shades, or fabric light deflectors.

Picture lights come in at number six. These are usually tube lights that are on a bracket that gets mounted to the back of a piece of art. The light bracket arches over the face of the art allowing the light to illuminate the art. And unless they are battery powered they, also, have an outside cord like a wall lamp that needs to be hidden. You may or may not need a cord cover depending on the size of the art and if the art is hanging over a piece of furniture that blocks the cord. The light this fixture produces is minimal, but when combined with uplighting and some table lamps, they can provide a very dramatic glow in a different intensity than the other lights.

Other light in a room will include recessed lights, track lights, and monopoint spots, all of which are usually hard wired into the walls. That is why I am not including them in my list, as getting any of those lights installed will cost a lot more money because you will need an electrician, a drywaller, and a painter. However, if you already have one or more of those fixtures, the best thing you can do is put dimmer switches on all of them (assuming the fixture will interact with a dimmer). This really allows you to experiment with different light levels, and where you want "hotter" spots of light, and where you only want a faint glow to define the surroundings. My wife and I play with our dimmers all of the time; for parties, folding clothes, intimate dinners, and other events, whether they are special or not.

Once all of your light sources are in place, experiment in the evening with which lights you want on, which you want off, and which you want dimmed for every effect you are going for (you may need to write these down initially). This can take some time, so be patient and think of it as if you were painting a piece of art, and each light source you place correctly is another brush stroke toward defining the final work. Once you are finished, I guarantee you will be shocked by the difference in your room. And just because you like where everything is now does not mean you can't move and change things around at a later date to give the space a completely new feeling (that's always been hard for me---change and I do not walk hand in hand). Above all, though, the most dramatic lighting source has always been candles. The more the better. Who doesn't look wonderful in candle light??

Here is a good example of the hourglass effect from linen shades.

Notice the lamp on top of the vertical chest. It is creating a similar effect to an uplight or a Torchère.

Here are some very dramatic wall-mounted lights. Most wall mounts do not have the long bases that are shown here.

See how dramatic the under cabinet lighting can be?

The Mysteries Behind the Area Rug

2009-04-14T11:47:00.020-05:00

Today, most of us are installing hardwood floors into some part or all of our home. It has become one of the top items on everyone's list when they remodel or when they are building new. Unless you are a collector of fine rugs, or had hardwood floors in places you lived before, you probably don't have any rugs for your new floors once they are finished. Some people don't want to cover their floors after they are installed, but after living without them for a while come to realize that they need to have area rugs to absorb the sound in the space, or to soften the space from all of the hard surfaces, or both. Some of us start out the decorating plan knowing that there will be an area rug in the room that will be the featured design element, bringing all of the color and texture to the space. Whatever the reason, area rugs can be confusing to select. How do you know if this rug is hand made or machine made? What type of rug does my space need? Does it need to match the colors already in my room? What gives an oriental rug the name? What do the names "Tabriz" and "Bokhara" mean? I will try to answer all of these questions.

In looking at your room, you'll need to decide whether it is formal or informal. Remember that the guidelines I am giving you are general, and your specific space may go against some of these guidelines. But for the most part, you can use these to select what is right for your space. For formal spaces, just like when you are selecting wall to wall carpeting, you'll want the rug to have a plush pile, which can be low in the case of a silk area rug, or high and deep, as with most other oriental rugs. In an informal space, you'll want a flatter weave with no vertical pile at all. This can still be comfortable under foot, but the way this is woven produces a bolder, more identifiable pattern than a pile rug. One exception to this is the Aubusson rug whose origins is in France. This rug usually has very formal images and patterns even though it is a flat weave rug. The colorations are delicate and sophisticated, so this rug is normally found in a formal space. There are also area rugs with a pile that are machine made that have rustic or informal designs that definitely should be used in an informal space. As you can see, I have just come up with two exceptions already, hence the mystery in area rug selection.

Here is an example of an Aubusson rug pattern showing the subtle colors and formal patterns.

To determine whether the rug you are looking at is hand made or machine made, you'll need to flip it over and look at the back. There are two types of hand made rugs with a pile: hand tufted and hand knotted. The back of a hand tufted rug has a solid canvas backing with no signs of the fibers that make up the pattern on the front. On the edges of this rug you might find a "selvage" that has been applied to the rug after is was completed. There may be fringing at the ends of the rug, but this, too, will be applied after the rug is finished and look very regular and intentional. On the back of a hand knotted rug you will see all of the details of the face pattern. Some of these rugs can be flipped over and used upside down because the pattern on the back is as detailed and refined as the pattern on the front. It will have a self selvage, and the fringing on the ends of this rug will show an inconsistency in the knotting. Both types will use a natural fiber for the rug, wool or silk being the two most popular.

The two types of hand made rug without a pile are: the Aubusson and the Kilim. The Aubusson we have already touched on. A sub-category of the Aubusson is the Savonnerie rug, which is the exact same thing, but was woven by the royal manufacturer to King Louis the XIV and Louis the XVI. These patterns will include more regal undertakings, as well as military motifs. Once the Savonnerie showed up in the royal palace of France, it was the rug to have by all of the other royal palaces, as France was the leader in fashion and interiors. If you are looking for a more unique rug for a formal space that no one else you know will have, this is the rug to buy. The Kilim is the informal version of the flat weave rug, and mostly has designs that have a variety of geometric patterns. The variety of patterns is dependent on the region in which it was woven or the tribe that wove it. Each area produces a different looking rug that has symbols relating to religion or something in everyday life that the tribe reveres. Shown below are samples of different types of Kilim rugs to give you an idea of the variety of looks this rug can have.

When looking at any rug, you first identify it by the overall weave it has (oriental--all pile rugs, or Kilim/Aubusson--all flat weave rugs.). Then the name of the pattern further identifies the rug. The reason rugs can be so confusing is that the sellers use the pattern names to identify the rug, which makes it seem as if there are thousands and thousands of rugs out there, and how can you learn them all?

This is a Kilim rug with an Anatolian pattern.
This is a Konya Kilim pattern.
This is a Silvas Kilim pattern.

With an oriental rug, the same is true. Once it is defined as Oriental, then the names of the country, region, and tribe come into play. The Oriental rug is made up of short strands of colored wool or silk knotted onto the warp and weft (the strings of the loom going vertically and horizontally), and held together by pressing the weft (the horizontal strings) tightly against each other. This is what produces the more intricate designs that the oriental has.

One of the primary types of oriental rugs is a Persian rug (made in Iran), and is among the most desired carpets in the world. They started out being purely utilitarian, covering the sand or dirt floor of their tent and keeping out the cold of the night. They then caught on with the kings and noblemen of the country, symbolizing the wealth of their household. The Persians have been weaving for over 2500 years, which has brought about a level of creativity and craftsmanship that owes to their reputation as the finest of all oriental rugs. Just as with the Aubusson, the Persian rug has many different types. I'll list a few of them. (1) Qum: Named after a holy city south of Tehran, this design is made of 100% silk. If it is wool, then there will be elements of silk within the pattern, and there is almost always turquoise in the pattern. The patterns vary within flowers, medallions, cypresses, gardens, hunting scenes, vases and birds. Besides turquoise, they usually contain colors of reddish brown, dark blue, orange or pink. (2)Tabriz: Named after the second largest city in Iran, these rugs come in many sizes. Patterns consist of floral, vases, trees, hunting scenes, and teardrop medallions. The most famous design is called "Mahi". The pile is of wool or wool and silk, while the warp (the vertical strings of the rug loom) are cotton or silk. You'll only be able to find reproductions of this type of Persian rug, as the authentic antiques are only found in museums or wealthy private collections. (3)Tekke: This is a rug made by the Tekke tribe and is also called a Bokhara in the west. Bokhara was the main trading center for the area where the Tekke was produced. The typical pattern for this rug is a larger border, and in the center area are octagonal-shaped "guls". The pattern is always geometric and the colors are often dark red with the pattern defined by dark blue and/or white. (4) Nain: Made in the small town of Nain which produces high quality wool. Some of these rugs have plant or animal patterns, but most have intertwined branches with small flowers. The colors are ivory or white, with the branches being in blue or green.

This is an example of a Qum Rug.

Here is a Tabriz Rug.

Notice the octagonal shapes in the center of this Tekke Rug.

All of the curved lines on the rug are called "branches", with round "flowers" along the branches in this Nain Rug.

Now that I have shown you the main categories of rugs and shown you pictures of examples of these rugs, how do you apply this to your room? Just from the pictures here, you can see for yourself what looks more formal than informal. Now, let's put one on the floor. For a very simple rule of thought, remember this, "All on or all off." This means that, if you are putting furniture on top of your rug, the legs of the furniture either need to be all on or all off the rug. I prefer to have all of the legs on, as it anchors the furniture piece more. When you are talking about a dining room table, move your chairs out from under the table to where a guest would have the chair to eat. This is where you should take your measurements from to get your carpet size. If you will not have any furniture on the rug, the next rule is to have the rug proportionate to the space it is occupying. Try not to have any more than 4 to 5 feet of space on all sides of the rug when it is down. Any more, and the rug will look like a postage stamp on your floor.

Your rug should look like a wonderful support of pattern and color to you room. This means that you DO NOT need to have every single color in your room represented in the rug. My rule of thumb is to have one MAJOR color of the rug in you room. Step about 5 feet away from the rug, and the colors that you see from that distance are the major colors of the rug. You can have more that just one color of your room in the rug, but it is not critical. You will have to decide how much of your room's colors need to be in your rug for it to work for you. If your design plan is to make the rug the focal point of your room, then your room should be of all neutral colors to let the colors of the rug really show. Imagine a room where all of the walls are beige, the upholstered furniture is all in tones of white, as are the draperies. And on the floor is a wonderfully colored rug. You can see how that would just "pop" in a room like that. Some people like their spaces to look very "collected", so for those people, the rug might not have one color in common with the room, which is OK. It is all about what you want out of your room.

Remember, first determine whether you want your rug to give your room a causal or a formal look. From there on, have fun looking at different rug options. A typical rug store will let you check out the rug overnight so you can see whether it works as well as you think it will, so most of the guesswork is eliminated from the shopping experience. Take color and fabric samples with you when you shop so you don't have to rely on your memory. And have fun---this is as much an expression of you as everything else in your room, and you may surprise yourself with what you ultimately select!

How do I make artwork work in my home and where should I put it?

2009-03-24T12:58:00.015-05:00

Artwork is one of the most subjective elements in a room. It is based on what you as the owner of the home personally likes in images, colors, styles and textures. That is why, as an interior designer, I need to have the client 100% involved in the selection process. It is not my place to pass judgment on what the client likes or doesn't like; it is my place to listen to my client and guide them in what they select for a room and where it gets placed. This is where my expertise comes in and is one of the reasons why my client has hired me. Remember, there are many solutions to one design problem, so even if what the client wants to do is not your first instinct as to what to do with the room, go with what they want, but also make it work for you.

As the person trying to decide what to hang in your new room, you'll need to identify what you like in art. This will take some time and research, as you'll need to go through books and magazines and web sites to find rooms that have artwork that you respond to in a positive way. You should also go to some local art galleries, even if your budget will not allow you to make a purchase. The gallery owner will be more than happy to have you come in and look around, as you could become a buyer in the future. This will give you a close-up of techniques, mediums (whether the art is done in acrylic or charcoal), subject matter, and colors. A piece of art DOES NOT have to match all of the colors in your room; it just has to relate to the room in some way. Don't get drawn into the "matchy matchy" concept of art. Art should have some individuality but still be consistent with what you are trying to express within your room. You'll get more of the hang of all this after you have done your research and can identify what a specific piece of art is representing.

Next you need to define you budget. Just because your budget does not allow you to be able to purchase original art doesn't mean that what you can afford needs to be any less wonderful. There are limited edition prints, there are people who sell original prints for less, and there is always ebay and other web "auction" locations. If this is still too pricey, then you can go to a framing gallery and go through their poster catalogs and select more unusual pieces than you would find at a common retailer. While at the framer, look at the frames they have available. The more frame samples they have hanging on their walls, the more you can make what you frame look unusual, unique, and the most like what you want in your space. I know a lot of framers say they can order anything in, but for someone who is a novice in the buying of art, this will be much harder than the framer is willing to admit. Plus, in the process of framing, by putting the frame sample up to your print, you will be the most sure of how your piece will look finished. Frames come in all ranges of prices, so get an idea of your price range from the framer when you tell them what you want the piece to end up costing. Frames come priced by the linear foot, so it is hard to figure out what the frame will cost unless the framer helps you out. Once your price range is defined, stay focused and don't waver into pricier frames that may look really wonderful (this will be harder to do than I am able to write). I am the most guilty of looking around at all of the possibilities and then falling in love with something that I can't have. You get stuck in your creative process and have to push on to get back on track. This is the same for when you get to the matting process. You may want to wrap a mat in a fabric that works in your room, but if it will end up putting you over budget, then it is useless to even think about it.

The first thing you will need to do when shopping for art is to either create a mini-board on a small piece of foam core that has all of your fabric and paint samples glued to it, or to find a small manila envelope and put cuttings of you fabrics and paint samples into it to take with you. The great thing about the mini-board is that with one look, you can see the colors in your room and identify whether what you are looking at works or does not. And maybe you will want to have both, especially if you have some wallpapers or fabrics that have patterns too large to show adequately on a small board. This sounds really "homestyle craftish", but the time you take to invest in it will really pay off for you in the future.

O.K., so now you have your budget defined. If your art requires you to frame it, this may seem overpowering, but it can be really fun if you let it be that way. Take your piece into the framer that you found that has all of those framed samples attached to the walls. If you have a lot of pieces, or just want to have an uninterrupted session with the framer, you should make an appointment. Depending on how much framing this framer does, listen to his suggestions with a grain of salt. They have never seen your space and you live there, so you are the most knowledgeable of what your piece should end up looking like. If this still seems too daunting, this is where you might want to bring in an interior designer who will work with you on just this project. Another thing I want to point out is that a lot of framers will try to talk you into using non-glare glass on your piece, but stay with traditional glass, as non-glare looks artificial and distorts the colors of the piece when you look at it face on. If the piece is over sized, you may want to consider using Plexiglas, as it will be much lighter and less at risk of breaking. Framers also want the mats that you choose to compliment the colors in the art, but if you are creative enough to try to pull some of the colors in the room into your mats without it looking contrite or disjointed, stick to your vision and don't let the framer intimidate you into changing your mind. Once you put the mats up to the art, it will be very apparent if your approach will work or not. Again, with budget in mind, you now will have to decide if you can afford to do one mat or multiple mats. If you can afford to do multiple mats, play around with the amount of color that each mat is showing. Just a sliver (1/4") of blue or orange next to the art might be all that is required to really make the piece "pop". There are also small, covered pieces of wood called liners - known technically as the filet - that you can put next to your main mat to give it a more expensive look. As you might expect, liners cost more than a second mat placed underneath your main mat, but if you can afford it, and your space requires it, it is a great look. I will say right now that when you are deciding the size of your top mat, and you are making all sides of the mat equal, you MUST go larger than 3" wide to make your piece look custom. My minimum is 4", but you can go as low as 3 1/2". I say this because any piece that you find at Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Pier One is framed in a 3" mat. To avoid giving your art that "retail" look, you need to go larger than 3". You can go under 3", but you need to be very careful that the end result is not too "wimpy" for the energy of the art. I have rarely found an instance where I could use a 2" mat unless I am tearing the edges of the art and surface mounting the art on top of the mat. This gives the piece an older, parchment-type look. This would also be the way to frame an authentic parchment piece.

If your art has dimension, like a weaving or hand-made jewelry, how do you frame that? There are frames available that have enough depth to create boxes for this type of art, and you'll need to select a mat for the piece to be attached to in the back of the box. If what you are framing is antique or has some other value associated to it, ask the framer what options he can give you. There are acid-free mats that will not affect the composition of anything that it comes in contact with. You can also find linen-covered mats that will be gentler to this type of installation. Another great way for you to showcase these 3-dimensional pieces is to have the framer build a Lucite box to put the piece into. The box usually has some type of neutral fabric at the back that the piece is attached to. This gives the art some substance when it is hanging and really showcases your piece, but, again, it is more expensive than finding a wooden "box" frame to use.

If you get stuck and cannot find a top mat that works with any of the colors you are using, there is another framing option I'd like to mention. The technique is "sandwiching". Your art piece is placed between two pieces of glass within a frame. Your piece of art appears to be floating in the frame. What ends up happening is the color of the wall or the wallpaper becomes the mat to your art. It is really a fun and creative way to show something off unexpectedly. This is another exception where you usually do not leave more that 3" of open glass around your piece. Some framers have never done this before, so make sure your framer has and understands how to do it.

Now you will need to decide how big you want the piece to end up. If it is going above a sofa or bed, you will need to measure the distance between the top of what you are hanging your art over and the ceiling line (if you have crown molding, you'll measure to the bottom of the crown molding). My rule of thumb is to leave 8" between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the art---framed. So, when you are framing, keep the amount of space you have in mind, or you could "over frame" your art and you would have to hang it someplace else. If you are hanging two or more pieces side by side, my basic rule is to leave no more than 3" of space between the pieces if the art is 36" wide or smaller. If it is larger, you can go up to 4-5" in between, as long as there is not too much space that the pieces do not relate to one another. If you are hanging multiple pieces over furniture, use the width of the piece of furniture as your outside boundaries, and not have the artwork go beyond these boundaries. This, also, will give you a good idea of how much space to put between your pieces. If you only have one piece of art, it should be large enough to be in balance with the furniture that is under it. I'm sure all of you have seen art hung over a sofa where the piece looks like a postage stamp, swallowed up by the size of the sofa. You also don't want to hang your pieces too high, either over furniture or by themselves on a wall. The art not only has to relate to the room, but also to the human element that is viewing it. If the art is visually out of reach, it will seem disjointed and not a part of your space. I'm sure you have seen this as well, where it looks as if someone 6 foot 4 inches tall hung the artwork at his eye level, not at normal eye level.

If you want to add more drama to the look of your piece, and it is oversized, you can hang it as close as 12" to 18" above your base boards. Or, if you have multiple pieces to hang, instead of hanging all three horizontally, hang them vertically if you have enough space. The bottom piece could hang below eye level, making this method of hanging very dynamic. You can also be daring enough to hang a piece where the bottom of it hangs below the top of the furniture it is above. You will really have to be comfortable with this method, as it is not for everyone.

One of my main lessons in hanging artwork, is to not fill up every wall in your space. Artwork needs space around it to breathe and to allow it to show the viewer all of its nuances. If there is something on every wall of your space, it will be visual clutter and confusion, and everything will suffer, from your room to each piece of art you have hung. So, instead of showcasing your pieces, no one will be able to appreciate anything. If this concept is not immediately apparent, place your art around the room where you think it will look best, but don't hang it. Live with it where it is, and then slowly remove the things you think are taking away from the more important pieces. You'll finally get the balance your room and your art needs.

Finding and placing art in your home should be a fun experience. Give yourself enough information before you go looking so you will be comfortable with the decisions you make when you buy. There really is no wrong or right; it is truly what inspires you and makes you happy.

This picture composition is using the space defined by the secretary desk and the two oval back chairs. That is why the art goes beyond the outside edges of the desk. Notice how close they are next to each other, but the space between the rows is larger. This makes for a more interesting viewing relationship.

Whereas this piece meets all of the criteria for the feeling and the style of this room, I feel that it has been hung too high above the sofa. Doesn't it seem to float over rather than connect to the sofa?

This is an example of taking three pieces of the same size and hanging them vertically rather than horizontally. This method of hanging duplicates the drama of the room, thereby creating a balance to the space.

As you might have heard growing up, all rules are meant to be broken. This piece far outweighs the sofa it is over, yet it still retains a balance in the room. Maybe it is because the room has a very traditional overtone, and the artwork is clearly contemporary. Whatever the reasons, the simplicity of shapes gives it a very dynamic quality without it being overpowering.

Here is a composition of art done in many shapes and sizes. Because of the mosaic quality of this method of hanging, it can span from very traditional interiors to very contemporary interiors. To accomplish this, find a center point on your wall. Then cut out pieces of brown paper traced in the sizes of your art, and with painter's tape (regular tape might pull the paint off of the wall), hang the traced sizes on the wall until you get an interesting blend of shapes and subject matter. You can then hang the art over the corresponding paper size, and remove the paper when you are done.

This headboard is tall enough that even trying to hang a smaller piece of art over it would make the space above the headboard too crowded. So, another option is to hang the art in relationship to the nightstands. It still relates to the headboard horizontally rather than vertically.

Newlywed and No Furniture/ How to furnish a cool apartment or condo without a lot of money

2009-03-11T12:31:00.014-05:00

Most of us have been there; the wedding is over, the gifts are all unwrapped, and you look at the apartment or condo that the two of you will be sharing for a while, and you think,"My college dorm room looked better than this!" Now that you are a couple, you want to entertain, have small and large get-togethers, and even invite over Mom and Dad. And with today's economy, how do you go about this and be able to afford more that the lazy susan that goes on the dining room table.

Before you march out and try to find something and realize that you have no idea what you want your place to look like, go to Borders or Barnes and Noble (I like Barnes and Noble because most of them have cafes that serve Starbucks) and skim through their interior design books and find two or three books that look like they contain pictures of what you want to buy. Notice as much about your favorite pictures as possible---wall color(s), flooring (wood, carpet, other?), window treatments (even sketch out what they look like on a note pad that you bring with you), and, finally, furniture. Notice the materials that make up the furniture. Are the tables, etc. metal and glass or are they wooden. If they are wooden, is the wood a light, natural color or is there a darker stain used? What color are the major pieces of upholstery? Can you tell if the fabric is a velvet or a lighter weight cotton? These are just a few of the questions you'll need to address when analyzing your pictures.

OK, so now you have a good idea of what you want. Now is the time to realize that what you saw in the pictures you liked you will not be able to afford (unless it was a "design on a dime" type of book). This does not mean that you will not be able to achieve your goal of a cool, grown-up home. It just means that there will need to be compromises and some design "tweaking" to get where you want to go.

Let's talk sources (where to get what you want). My first source is only one word: "IKEA"! They have well designed furniture for sometimes more than half the cost of other stores. Now, remember, this will not be your forever furniture, so when you visit an IKEA store, keep that in mind when you are critiquing what you see there. What is nice about them now is that IKEA produces pieces that would make up a country/cottage look and also a light traditional look, along with their classic European contemporary. They are now using dark stains, brushed steel, and even different colors in stains and painted finishes. They can be used as a "one stop shop", but your space will look more like it came out of a box (everything will have the same "feeling") than if you pick up other things from various other sources. The main caveat: The reason that IKEA's furniture etc. is so inexpensive is that a majority of it is unassembled in a cardboard box for you to assemble at home, and they encourage you to pick up everything at their store and take it home with you instead of having it delivered. They have delivery service, but it is an additional cost. The furniture is not difficult to assemble (believe me, I have done a lot), but the instructions are done in pictures so they don't have to print out multiple versions in different languages. The instructions sometimes lack adequate detail to make the assembly as easy as it should be. I believe that they offer an assistance hot line if you really get stuck. Another caveat: IKEA is one of the only companies that I know who has less merchandise on their website than in the store. The catalog also has less in it than the store (again, trying to discourage shipping). So, if you want to see EVERYTHING IKEA offers (and there is A LOT), you would be wise to schedule a trip to their closest store. My wife and I travel 5-1/2 hours to our nearest IKEA, so when we go, we stock up on everything we possibly need.

My next source is Target. Most of us are familiar with Target, so you know what I am talking about. They aren't necessarily the cheapest of the low cost stores, but their buyers really keep on top of the current trends in their accessories, pillows, bedding, and furniture. You really need to LOOK at what they have, because some things are great and are priced great, and others either are not the best quality or they are over priced. And also, each Target (this includes Target Greatland and Super Target) has different merchandise based on the buyers that are in their market area. So shop around, and if there is an upper middle class area around you that has a Target in it, look there for what you want---they'll have the most selection and the best things. But another way to find more at Target is to go online, as Target.com has WAY more that any of the Target stores do. And I believe you can have what you buy shipped to your closest Target store or directly to your house. It is really worth a look at their website.

Another surprising source is T.J. Maxx and More. They have more accessories, pillows, and bedding, but they also have light furniture (meaning not prime pieces like sofas, etc.) that are pretty cutting edge. If you know T.J. Maxx at all, you know that it is important to find out when they get their weekly shipments, and to go there the day after (preferably in the AM). That is when the best of the best will be there before it gets picked over. And believe me, it gets picked over pretty fast. Likewise, if you see something there that you like but you are not sure of the size, etc., either have it put on layaway or buy it with the intentions of returning it if it doesn't work out. DO NOT leave it there expecting it to be there a day or two after---it will not be there. As they say, "Strike while the iron is hot!"

Still another place to look in person and on-line is HomeGoods. For those not "in the know", HomeGoods is part of the same parent company as T.J. Maxx. However, the merchandise seems to be consistently higher quality than T.J. My wife always went there when we were doing a project to try to pick up more special, less run-of-the-mill pieces. Look at anything marked "clearance" first. The environment is less like a garage sale and more like a department store too.

The Great Indoors is similar to HomeGoods in that it is part of Sears. But go inside---it is so NOT Sears. Much more youthful and edgy, it must be merchandised for the customer that is not typically a "Sears" buyer. Again, the merchandise fluctuates from being wonderful everywhere you look to being very spotty, but they have really good lamps and a wide selection of drapery rods, along with everything else. Definitely a must, even if you are using it to "fill in".

For that more cutting edge look, go to West Elm. I think of it as the state-side IKEA. Very clean lines to their furniture in mostly the newest colors and finishes. It tends to be pricier that IKEA, but if you want something just a little different, West Elm will have it.

If you want that funky traditional look that is very popular right now, you'll need to look at a company called Brocade. White lacquered Bombay chests and laser cut headboards in Moroccan motifs mix with white flokati rugs and glass-top cocktail tables. Definitely for more of a dramatic personality. I have not found a retail store for them, only their web site and catalog. But for that specific look, this is the place to go.

And, do not forget estate sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. Granted, there is much more of a risk that you will not find anything. But most estate sales and flea markets do a pretty good job of advertising what they consider their featured or "draw" items. You'll be able to tell whether what they have will work for you from reading the first couple of lines. However, if you are just out and about, swing in even if nothing looked promising in the ad. What some people consider their unappealing merchandise might be the exact piece that will finish off your place. Also, ask around to friends and your friends' mothers. Believe me, more people go to those places than you might realize. And with a little creative thinking, some pieces that you will find can be transformed into great character pieces that make you home unique.

There are many more places that you can go, but from my experience, the ones I have listed will give you a wide variety of styles at a price you definitely can afford. Do it in stages if you have to. No one says that you have to go out and buy everything to make your place instantly furnished. A well done interior should be done more slowly and deliberately, so you are sure that everything that you put in is something you are pretty sure will fulfill that space's needs. And remember, don't stress out about this. This should be fun for you!

This is a very clean, cottage look that comes from IKEA. Comfortable and not so contemporary.

Here is a VERY contemporary den from IKEA. Wonderful chaise.

Kind of a transitional bold look. You can get both the loveseat AND the chaise for $978!!

This is the most traditional look I am showing. But see how it can still be new and fun and not like your Grandmother's living room?

Here you see a much more funky contemporary look where upholstery is not in the same fabric and the window shades seem to have no connection to the rest of the space. But I still think it is interesting enough to want to walk into. How about you?

The hardest part of this whole process is deciding what you like. And if you still can't figure it out after weeks of trying, call around to different interior designers. Not all of us charge only one way; some of us base our fee on the project (like me), and love to help out younger people. So don't eliminate us as a resource for you too!

Discovering Your Own "Latest Trend" Color

2009-03-02T16:59:00.018-06:00

I am looking through Pottery Barn's booklet titled "Getting the White Right" Spring 2009, which is their latest color trend predictions, and am noticing that they really haven't left out any major color group. Of course, tertiary colors like purple and orange usually don't get included as they are very taste-specific and occur more in smaller amounts in a room than as a major player. So, in looking at these colors, there are 9 whites, 3 grays, 3 beiges, 4 yellows, 3 greens, 3 blues, 2 reds, and 1 brown. A pretty even spread amongst the colors, with neutrals wining out. This says to me that there really are no "now" colors any more. Now, the color trend that you use in your home is based on you; who you are. I'm sure someone out there is saying, "Great, how do I find my color trend?" It isn't that hard, and when I list some of the ways that you can discover your colors, you'll recognize that you do these things all of the time. You just haven't registered it as an observed decision before.

Is there a particular outfit that you love to wear that makes you feel wonderful? If you are putting a combination of colors on your body that really gives you a positive lift, then those colors are very likely "your colors". You probably will like to live with those colors around you as much as you like to wear them. If the particular colors you are wearing are really vibrant, try using a tint (adding white) or a shade (adding black) of the colors to make them livable. Paint the colors on a large piece of white poster board or foam core and change where the are located to see which balance of color you like.
When you walk into a store, do the colors they've used in the interior put you off, or do they make you want to shop? If the store's colors make you want to shop, then take a look around and see what colors they've used for the walls, the floors, and the carpeting. You can get a really good idea of how they will look in your home in this 3-D example. Bring a paint deck to the store and ask the sales people if you can try to match their interior colors for your home. They are usually very accommodating and might even give you the phone number of the person at the corporate office.
Have you noticed any colors that tend to relax you? Maybe when you visited a spa for a massage. If you have, look at the colors that were surrounding you. Especially if you have a very hectic lifestyle, colors that you respond to and that relax you would be very good to adapt as your personal trend colors. Usually, these colors are in the blue and green ranges as these colors tend to soothe and de-stress.
Do you love being outdoors with nature in the sunshine? If you do, you would be attracted to the colors outside, like multiple shades of green, browns, yellows, and even blues (like the sky). They used to be called "earth tones", but now they are just referred to by their individual shade or tint, rather than being clumped together under one term.

Basically, my point is that, anymore, there is no "it" color(s) for any particular season or year. There will be predictions, and major color forecasters will try to tell you that a certain color palette is going to be the new movement. But, for the most part, I think that they will all agree that the colors that make a person happy and enjoy in their home and their surroundings are their "latest trend" colors. Be content with knowing that a well done interior using most any color palette will be beautiful. Don't be coerced into putting colors around you that don't fulfill you. You are the deciding factor as whether the colors you use in your home are the latest trend or not!

Let's say that this is your favorite dress. See how the blinds not only bring in the color, but also the texture of the dress. The small clip of draperies on the left also bring in the outfit's color.

A store that you shop in has yellow walls and red accents with natural wood fixtures. This would be a contemporary interior based on that scenario.

See how this interior, done completely in seafoam, takes on a totally restful and serene feeling. After a hectic day working, this would be wonderful to come home to.

This interior takes in all of the colors and textures from a passion for the outdoors. If you are a contemporary person, this is an example of how your home could look.

This is another example of an interior done with an outdoor emphasis. Instead of heavier textures and colors, this interior uses the lighter colors from nature for the walls, floors, etc. It shows that you can have a lighter feeling and still have your outdoor influence happening.

"Dark colors close in a room" and other Design Myths

2009-02-27T10:54:00.010-06:00

I won't comment on the people who have perpetuated the myths of design, but I am here to say that, in the world of design, the are NO steadfast rules. Rules, by their nature, inhibit a creative mind. So don't be afraid to go with your instincts and try something different. Who knows, you may start a hot, new trend!

Myth #1: Dark colors close in a room. Are you kidding me?? Some of the most dramatic and effective powder rooms (typically the smallest room in the house) have rich, dark colored walls. A darker color does create a "cocoon" feeling, making a room cozy and safe. And, conversely, lighter colored walls do not make a room bigger. Lighter colors reflect more light, giving a room a brighter, more airy feeling. I have had a living room in the past that was painted a green-black with white woodwork. Not only did it give drama and personality to a very generic space, but it focused the eye on the room as a whole, rather than a space containing a variety of different furniture pieces and accessories. DO NOT be afraid of dark colors---they show how truly daring an adventuresome you are!

Myth #2: Vertical lines bring the eye up and down producing alertness, and suggest stability, dignity, and formality. Seriously?! Let me break this myth up into two parts. First, Vertical stripes will not keep you awake if you've put them into your bedroom. They do enhance the height of a room by reinforcing all of the other vertical lines in the room's make up, encouraging the eye to follow the line of the stripe to the ceiling line. Second, a stripe or any other geometric shape does not give a room emotional qualities like stability, dignity (really??), and formality. In fact, one of my more favorite looks in a seaside cottage are vertical awning stripes. Definitely not dignified or formal. And what does a stable room look like? Another bunch of hooey!

Myth #3: The greater the area to be covered, the lighter the color should be. W-H-A-T?? I don't even know where to begin! Does this mean if you have an over-scaled living room, that you can't paint it dark brown? Hardly! There's not even one redeeming thing in this myth. The size of any wall or space has no determination on the lightness or darkness of color that the room should be. This is just plain ridiculous!

Myth #4: Curvy lines are feminine. Does this mean that straight lines are masculine??? Again, lines and shapes do not have a gender. I can see that, because a woman has curves to her shape (or used to have), that someone tied curvy lines to that gender. Curved lines create movement through a space, and make the space a little softer (like a meandering river is said to be "old" and "sleepy"). Curved lines are often introduced into contemporary interiors to take the hardness away from that look.

Myth #5: Placing several big, heavy-looking objects together at one end of a room makes that end look like it is sinking. Get Out!! Of course, you want a room to have visual balance, so one side doesn't look too "full" and the other side look too "empty". But if the other end of the room has a flagstone wall with a fireplace in it, those heavy objects actually bring the room into balance. This is another case where a blanket statement can be so easily shot down.

Myth #6: If your room is small, choose a fabric pattern with a light background and three dimensional effects (such as a trellis pattern, a ribbon-and-floral stripe, or a toile). The size of the room has nothing to do with what type of fabric pattern or background color a fabric should or shouldn't have. A small room can look spectacular with a large, bold pattern either on the walls or on all of the upholstery. It all depends on the effect YOU want to make with the room.

Myth #7: Choose a fabric pattern based on your house's overall exterior style. Again, I am speechless! First of all, if you are a contemporary person, I doubt that you will be attracted to a cute cape cod house with a white picket fence! But let's say that you are a traditional person, but you could only find a contemporary house to buy in the area you are transferring to. You can still make your home look and feel traditional, but just don't go overboard to make your point, or have it look too "themed" (like a Victorian interior). Actually, clean backgrounds like smooth marble, mirror, and clean hardwood woodwork can look very good next to an oriental rug, overstuffed upholstery, and select antiques.

There are many, many more of these design myths that can cloud your mind with doubt and trepidation, but do not heed one of them. NO design concept for one room or a whole house should be governed by some moronic rules that make a person afraid to attempt to design on their own or with an interior designer. The only rule in design is to never ignore your gut instincts, and be true to who you are.

Where to Find Design Inspirations

2009-02-23T10:49:00.004-06:00

Finding an inspiration for a room that you are redoing can be frustrating and confusing. You kind of know what you want, but not 100%, so you are adrift in a sea of design magazines and websites to find your way to your beautiful new room. Let me throw you a life preserver (OK, I'll stop the nautical metaphors!).

Open up your mind (no, this is not a yoga class). Open up your eyes and see everything that is around you. Most of us are so used to the environments that we live and work in that we have stopped noticing what makes up each environment. My wife had a friend that would live through each fall season and not notice the colors of the leaves. It wasn't until my wife pointed them out did her friend start seeing all of the beauty around her. I'm sure the same is true for you and the spaces around you. Look around.

First, notice the basics. What is the color of the walls and the color of the woodwork around you? Do you like the way the colors play off of each other? (stained wood also has color). If so, what do you like about the colors? Or, what don't you like about the colors?
Second, keep looking beyond the basics. What color is the the furniture in the room? How does that third element influence the other two colors you have already been looking at? How do the pillows in the furniture influence the fabric color(s) on the furniture? How does the artwork on the walls work with all of these other elements?

When you start breaking down what "makes" a successful room successful, then you can start looking at anything around you and plug what you see into each of a room's elements.

Look at people that walk by you and notice how they dress.Why does that man or woman look so together? What colors have they combined to make up their "outfit". What colors are accent (the tie, or the belt), and what colors are primary (the suit, the dress). Now apply that to a room. The color of the man's suit or the woman's dress would be the wall color in your room, and the tie or belt color would be accent pillows or major accessories in the room. Temper those colors by choosing a compatible neutral for the woodwork, and use a derivative of the wall color for your main upholstery. You can use this source of inspiration also when looking through a magazine and analyzing the clothing a particular model has on.
Go through some of your favorite vacation photos. Look at the colors in the picture. If you are in a rain forest, you'll see a lot of shades of green. But maybe there is a shaft of light breaking through the canopy that your camera caught. Notice the shade of yellow that the shaft becomes once it has come that far---it is not the same yellow as the sun in full daylight. And you also maybe caught an intensely bright orchid growing off of a tree, or a bright orange bird that was just in the distance. Take the shades of green and decide which one(s) you can live around day in and day out. Use one as your wall color, and one as your woodwork color. This will give a very subtle tone-on-tone effect and create a very soft surrounding--like your picture. Have your major pieces of furniture pick up the color of the floor of the rain forest, and use the colors of the orchid and the bird as accents in pillows or colors in your artwork. Tortoise or matchstick roll-up shades will give the tropical textures that you should sprinkle around the room.
If you stop to look at a shop window, what made you stop? Let's say it is a shop that sells cosmetics and soaps. What did they use as the backdrop for the window? Is it neutral (white, beige, gray, black), or is it a color? If it is neutral use that color for your walls. If it is a color, make sure you can live with that color before you commit to putting on the wall of your room. Are the soaps all the same color or are there multiple colors? Are they featuring a specific cosmetic, and if so, what are the signature colors of its packaging? Use those colors around the room in the amounts that you see them being used in the window.
What are the colors of the rooms that have a sight line to the room you are redoing? These colors have a major influence in the flow of your house, so you'll want to take them into consideration when redoing the room. Maybe the color of the walls of the room next to this one is a mossy green. Don't repeat that same wall color in the one you are redoing, but maybe put it in the fabric of an accent chair, or a painted wooden piece in your new room. You don't need to duplicate every color in the room(s) next to the one you are fixing up, but use enough of them so you can see a connection. If you have no sight lines to the room you are renewing, lucky you! You can basically do what you want in colors and textures. Remember, though, that if you have a very contemporary home and your new room looks like a log cabin in northern Minnesota, unless it is on a completely different floor of your home, people will think that you have lost some of that precious brain matter.
You have a fabric you found that you love. First, if you found it online or in a picture in a magazine, it is imperative that you find an actual sample of the fabric before you go any further. As you should know, how anything is represented online or in a magazine can be far from the actual colors. Once you have the fabric, extract the colors and use them in the amounts used in the fabric. Find a neutral color that you feel will work with your fabric, and use it to soak in the colors of the fabric you are in love with on upholstery, the walls and/or the carpeting. Bring the colors up off of the seating level and use them in window treatments and artwork. The main caveat: set your fabric on the back of a chair or another convenient place to prop it up, and then take 4 or 5 steps back away from it. Now, identify the colors that you see that make up your fabric. DO NOT look at the fabric up close to extract the colors. What you see up close is not what you will see when you are standing in the room. Your eyes might mix some of the colors together, actually creating a new color (this is called an "eye blend"). Many spaces have been ruined by the executor looking a the pivotal fabric under a microscope and using colors that the visitor actually does not see anywhere else in the room at all.
You have a rug that has been handed down from generations. This would be the same principles as a favorite fabric. Again, stand back away from your rug to actually get the colors from the rug. Another way a rug can be used to inspire a room, is by making everything in the rest of the room variations of the same neutral color, and have the rug be the only color in the room, with accessories and art reinforcing the colors.

As you can see, you can get inspiration from basically anywhere that you see colors and textures interacting. The key is to keep your eyes open, and when you see something that makes you stop and take a second glance, you have found something that could be a potential design inspiration. You will also be seeing your environment in a whole new light, which should be very exciting!

This is an example of how an area rug can be the inspiration for a room. The most prominent color in the rug is the red, which is the color they used for the walls, the ceiling and the woodwork (obviously their favorite color). The next most prominent color is brown, which you see in the upholstery, the artwork frames, and the corbel holding the primitive angel sculpture. There is a small amount of camel in the rug, which they used in the artwork, the lamp table, and the primitive angel sculpture.

Here is a picture of Nathan Turner taken from Veranda magazine. I liked how he looks dressed up, but at the same time, casual. If I didn't want dark walls or woodwork, I would take his shirt color (French blue) and use it for my wall color. His tie has a warm cream in it, which I would use for my woodwork, and then I would take the midnight blue from his jacket for my major upholstery. The yellow and butterscotch colors in his tie are fresh and really "pop", so I might make an accent chair in butterscotch, and then use both of these yellow tones in pillows and accessories. If I were making a traditional interior, blue-and-white wear from Asia would go nicely in here.

This could be our vacation picture. There is a lot of green, but almost the same amount of that driftwood brown. I think I might paint the walls in the driftwood color, and use the weathered white as my trim color. I think to capture the outdoor feeling of the picture, I would paint the ceiling the sky blue. To make the room more serene, I would choose the beige of the flagstone and cobblestones for my major upholstery color, and use the green and ocean blue for my accent colors and maybe an accent chair. This picture is very textural, so I would accessorize with natural grasses, weathered wood pieces, and maybe a jar of stones or pebbles from the beach.

Using a rug like this for your inspiration will give you a very soft and subtle interior. The majority of the ground of the rug is a warm beige, so I would paint the walls and the woodwork the same color. If you want natural woodwork, just put a clear top coat over the raw wood to make it have this soft feeling (I would use Maple wood as the grain is more subtle). I would also paint the ceiling in the warm beige. To give that enveloping feeling, I'd pick out a plush carpeting in the same, warm beige. There is a soft camel border on the rug which I would use for all of my upholstery (maybe make an accent chair in leather to shake up the textures). Then, the Cabernet color, the Aqua, and the Creamy white would be the accents in pillows, art, and accessories. Keep all of the textures smooth and silky for a truly blanketing feeling.

I came across this picture and thought, "Wow, that would make a great interior!" The sand color is the most prominent, so that would be my walls. The porcelain white would be my woodwork, and the soft sky blue, my ceiling. I might do a sofa in the sand color, but flank it with two occasional chairs in the pale sea blue. I'd use the blue, the sand and the seashell tan for accents in the room. And a mixture of fine textures and glass would be my rule for the accessories.

Don't worry about what will strike you and inspire. It usually happens very unexpectedly, so keep your eyes open and experience the world around you!

Green Design---The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-02-18T18:31:00.001-06:00

First, I want to say that I am a first time blogger, but I feel that I have things to say that will be informative, interesting, and sometimes controversial. So much of the design industry is kept a mystery, or is available to only a chosen few. While not giving away trade secrets, I feel someone needs to shine a light on our profession, showing both the pros and the cons. With that said, the following is my first article.

I will agree that everything we use, buy, touch, etc. has an impact on our environment. In a perfect world, all of us would choose only that which impacts us and our surroundings the very least. But our world is far from perfect, so all of us as individuals must determine what is each of our comfort levels in the fight for a longer lived world. Don't let anyone force you to change that comfort level to suit their concepts of being "green". You and you alone know the reasons why you are at that level. Listed below are some common suggestions for changing the green level of our world.

Change out all of your incandescent light bulbs with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights)--(Why is it that when new products or procedures come into our lives, you practically have to learn a second language to know what is going on?). Pros: CFLs use far less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. A standard 75-watt bulb would be the equivalent of an 18-watt CFL. A standard bulb lasts about 1,000 hours because the metal filament inside burns away. Nothing burns in a CFL, and once the gas is energized, the bulb can last up to 10,000 hours. Cons: The initial financial outlay to do this can be daunting---most people have to do this in stages, which presents the problem of two different types of light on at the same time in you home. A CFL puts out a cold, blueish light reminiscent of a typical office space. An incandescent light has a yellow cast, sometimes compared to the glow of the late afternoon sun. This is why it is called a warm light. This also shows off more shadows and textures for added drama to the room. SUMMARY: Now it is your decision. Can you get used to the harsher cast of light that the CFLs put out? Do you have the budget to convert all of your lights to CFLs? If the answer is 'No' to one or both of those questions, don't feel like you are solely responsible for the extermination of the earth as we know it. There are many other things you can do to contribute.
Repaint the interior of your home with zero-VOC paints (Volatile Organic Compounds). Common VOCs in paints would be synthetic pigments, which can emit gases. Also, synthetic turpentine as an ingredient would be a VOC. VOCs are what mostly give paint its smell. Pros: Factories that produce common paints are among the heaviest polluters in the U.S. The World Health Organization reports that painters suffer 20% more cancer than average, and 40% more lung cancer. When painted surfaces or extra paint is disposed of, they leach chemicals which pollute the air, earth, and water. Cons: Natural color pigments in environmentally safe paints are visually softer than the boldness you can get with standard paint. Also, the eco-friendly paint dries faster than standard paint, so more expertise is needed to apply it. And, of course, eco-friendly paint can cost a lot more. SUMMARY: To me, this is a no-brainer, due to the direct pollutants produced by standard paint. However, if the cost of the eco-friendly paint will prevent you from redoing a room or rooms in your home, this might be a place on which you have to compromise.
Install a reclaimed wood floor rather than an engineered wood floor. Pros: Reclaimed wood comes from an old barn, warehouse or other pre-existing structure. The wood has a unique character from the years of use it has already had. There have been no existing trees cut down to provide this wood---they were cut down long ago. It is a misconception that this wood only produces a "rustic" look. Reclaimed "end cut" wood is just as it sounds---cut from the end of a timber rather than the length. This cutting method produces smaller sections of wood, but can look more refined than the reclaimed timbers. Cons: The biggest con is the cost. Not just the cost of the wood itself, the the treatment process it has to go through before it can be reused. It has to be dried in a kiln to kill any bugs, etc. that might be living in the wood. All nails have to be removed by hand. Beveling of the wood might also need to be done if that is your chosen effect. If you are looking for a smooth, perfect-looking wood floor, this is not the choice for you. The boards can come with knots and holes, and usually contains a rougher texture than a new board. To anyone who chooses a reclaimed wood product, this is the beauty of this type of floor. SUMMARY: You know the drill---is this floor for you or isn't it? Can you afford to do this? Again, don't beat yourself up if the answer is 'No' to both.
Use fabrics and carpeting that are made of natural fibers. Pros: Natural fiber products are like the reclaimed wood: it is a renewable source; it is safe for most of us; and is biodegradable. There is usually a tactile comfort from these products---nice to touch and feel. Mostly, natural fibers are easier to clean as they do not "hold onto" oil-based dirt like petroleum-based fibers. And natural fibers typically are pretty color-fast. Cons: Again, it's cost. Cotton is affordable, but usually not visually dressy or formal. Linen, silk, and wool tend to be pricier, but do not lend themselves to more casual interiors. Of course, there are ALWAYS exceptions. And synthetic fabrics or synthetic blends have characteristics that can be preferable---resistance to wrinkling, sturdier, and more economically priced. SUMMARY: This one really does come down to personal preference, but I feel that you can find beautiful, natural fiber products at an affordable price if you look hard enough.
Buying used furniture and accessories at antique shops, estate sales, flea markets. Pros: Again, you are using a renewable resource. The furniture you find has not created pollutants and emissions for our world today. Plus, I feel that finding unique and special furnishings or accessories that once belonged to someone else instantly brings warmth and character into your home. There is also the fact that items produced years ago can no longer be made as they were, as it would be cost prohibitive to do so. That antique rug from Turkey can be the perfect thing in a room that is otherwise very clean and contemporary. Older furniture or accessories are not just for the buyer with traditional tastes. Look at the Mid-Century Modern trend that is very popular now---technically antique but anything but traditional! Cons: Finding what you are looking for can take some time. Some people find the "hunt" exciting, but others find it frustrating. There can also be a search to find what you want in your price range. Antiques can get very expensive depending on the age, condition, popularity, and origin of the item. And if you are looking for something that will retain or increase in value, you'll need to go to places with reputable people who know what they have. This is a must. SUMMARY: You can see that this one is very subjective based on what overall look you want. Price can be a deterrent, but it is all up to what you can find and your ability to reach a price that you and the seller can agree upon (the excitement of the "hunt").

Here are a few very easy things that you can do to contribute to your ecological conscience:

Recycle---the most basic of basics.
Repair the broken chair rather than replace it---if you have someone else repair it, ask them to use eco-friendly bonding materials.
Recycle that old, forgotten piece of furniture in the basement or attic that you have used, painted over, and abused. Bring it out, strip it down (again, eco-friendly materials), and distress and refinish it to create a completely new piece for your home. Haven't you been looking for a way to impress your friends?
Find new uses for things you have lying around. Your grandmother made a wonderful quilt that sits in a closet or cedar chest being very unappreciated. Bring the quilt out, put it on a wooden frame and hang it on a wall where everyone can admire it. Or, if there happens to be some permanent stains on it from past use, cut around the stained areas and use the quilt pieces for pillow faces for pillows in you family room or guest room.

One can obviously go on and on with this topic, and I may revisit it sometime in the future. But for now, do what you can for the environment, but not at the expense of you pocket book or your sanity. Contributing is contributing, no matter how large or small the contribution.