Not that I like any of this stuff, but my youngest has her opening night tonight.
Monthly Archives: May 2008
In Honor of Honk!
1
Filed under Friday Collage
An Excellent Example of Texture
Filed under Design Principles, Living Rooms, Rooms, Texture
These photos illustrate how important texture is to a design scheme. In this room, the color story is tight. Basically three colors, the blues, greens and tan are close in saturation as well. Texture is what makes this room shine.
Notice how evident the weave on the furniture upholstery is. The grain on the fabulous credenza leaps in joy. The silver shiny hammered metal practically grabs your hand. The throw, bumpy and soft, contrasts the tight weave of the chair. The plush rug and the reflection of mirrors invite you in. The feathery flowers add even more contrast. Even the candle looks so matte and mottled. It is just begging to be lit.
My client, Bonnie, chose all of this. She is fabulous, isn’t she? I swear she hired me to be nice!
Hemnes
Filed under Look What I Found!
Today I met with a daughter of a client. Elissa found these great tables at Ikea and plans to use a white one as a nightstand.
Check out the colors–yellow, blue and black. A cluster of all three would make an interesting coffee table. And they are only $99 each. Note to self: Go to Ikea and see them in person.
Later, I also was introduced to a new source. My friend, Rebecca, showed me a catalogue for At Home America. While most MLMs make me shiver, (I hate the pressure, the parties, all the feigned success…if I have to hear one more time, “I left my high powered corporate job to work for myself” I am going to throw up.) I could be convinced to at least attend a party. From my quick perusal, the furniture seems decent and pretty inexpensive for such, if a bit country. (With a name like At Home America, I expected more patriotic kitsch.)
These candlesticks looked interesting, and only $30 for three.
I also liked this rack, only $99.
Although the website reads a little tacky to me, the catalogue was printed on high quality heavy matte paper. Rebecca had an interesting display box that sampled the wood grain and hardware for the furniture. I’m open…
Businesses Need Love, Too
Filed under Uncategorized
I spent the day back from the holiday touring a commercial space. It struck as odd how often commercial spaces are neglected aesthetically. In many ways, public spaces are even more important than residential ones when it comes to appearance.
The space a business maintains is its face. Certainly the employees are important, and do represent the character of a institution, but a judgement is made instantaneously, as soon as a glance is made. The judgment can be unconscious, but an unkempt office or shop whispers, “You are going to get poor service here.”
I suppose every culture understands this to some level. Monuments and cathedrals are/were built strictly to testify to greatness. Our modern day temple of consumerism, Starbucks, is about much more than coffee.
Outdoor Rugs
Filed under Look What I Found!
One of the newest trends–and right in time for barbecues. Outdoor rugs are a fun and functional addition to the patio. They look as nice as anything you would get for the inside, but they are completely weatherproof. A homey touch to your porch or patio, check out World Market in today’s ads for an amazing buy. Amalfi Rugs are only $60.
She Sells Sea Shells…
Filed under Friday Collage
In anticipation of my Florida trip…Not for a month and I just can’t stand the wait!
Clockwise from top left: Shell Mirror at PotteryBarn.com, Margot Shell Topiary at BallardDesigns.com, Shadowboxed Shells at Wisteria.com, Shell Chandelier at Horchow.com, Shell Birdhouse at Velocity Natural Shell Cocktail Picks at Z Gallerie, Shell Bouquet at LightingUniverse.com
Sometimes You Just Need a Little Color
Filed under Color, Current Projects, Design Principles
I have a couple new ”Before and Afters” which illustrate my belief that design changes don’t always have to be big to make a dramatic difference. In this case, adding a very little bit of color, close to the current scheme, made the rooms more cohesive. Notice with the sconces, we actually TOOK AWAY the color. By painting them white, they appeared less harsh.
More Things to Do With Glass Vases
Filed under Look What I Found!
Glass vases can be used for more than orchids. As you can see, I do prefer the square and rectangle ones because items display more neatly than in a round shape. Pottery Barn shows them planted with little cacti–too cute!
Last fall I used harvest M&M’s that I layered in stripes. This proved to be too tempting. My daughter’s best friend said she couldn’t take it any longer and finally ate them.
Then in the winter I used them in a centerpiece in a home I staged. I filled them with cinnamon sticks and coffee beans and some candy from the Asian market. The smell was wonderful.
I saw a picture of a glass vase filled with sand with a few small shells and a starfish on top, but I can’t find it now. This would be a great summer display. I am going to Florida in a few weeks so I will plan to recreate it when I get home.
But the most beautiful use came to me from a florist. I have a new friend who is very well versed in all things good and wonderful. She could not make an event that I hosted, and was so thoughtful to have not one, but two arrangements sent to my house! She specified to this florist exactly what she wanted, white floating roses with thin long bowed strains of twisted grass. Trust me, the effect was stunning. It knocked me over when the door bell rang and my husband walked up the stairs carrying these!
Orchids on Another Rainy Day
Filed under Look What I Found!
My client and now friend Laura shared this project with me. What could be better on another dark day than orchids?
The best part of this project is the expense. Because all the supplies are available at Ikea, the whole thing can be done for less than $30. The square glass vases are a part of my repertoire. I use them in my business all the time. They run from $3 to $24 for a huge 18″ concave version. The one pictured is $6.
Laura layered her glass marbles. The shiny/matte contrast gives a bit of dimension. The orchid goes in next, with the moss from the pot.
Water your orchid, but don’t over saturate. Place in a sunny area and enjoy!
Accessory Triangle
Filed under Accessorizing, Design Principles
This gorgeous photo was sent to my inbox by Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams. How beautiful is the pure white, shadowed in bluish gray to match the subtle stripe in the rug. The arrangement of the accessories are so important here, since the scheme is completely monotone.
To achieve this look, imagine an invisible triangle when accessorizing. This will avoid static, boring groupings and will prevent a vignette from developing into a pile of clutter. If there are too many items to arrange this way, there are probably too many!
