Strategic Moves and Changing Design Trends

Recently I was going through my stash of design magazines from previous years. Sometimes you just have to clean out the old. But I always give them one last look and save the articles of  interest to my “tear sheet files.”  I have done this type of idea saving for years, and what makes it really interesting for someone in the design filed is to compare how things have changed. For instance, I have noticed that our current trends are for light-filled spaces. Gone are the days of heavy draperies crowding small windows and blocking the light. We used to call this “layering the windows”. I love natural light in every room. All of the window coverings I design these days maximize the natural light. In this photo (taken from Pinterest), there is something very beautiful about how the light floods the room! Note  the lack of window coverings on the large picture windows.

These days, our houses fulfill the need for more “open” interior space, more so than  residential interiors of 10 years  past. The heavy decorated look has given way to a much more relaxed interior. That’s a good thing; it means that the residents of the home can live in a less formal, multifunctional space which fits today’s busy lifestyles. Some of today’s looks that help to lighten a room are the use of fewer patterns and lighter-color background fabrics. We’re craving relaxed textures and more unique one-of-a-kind accent pieces. Table runners that were used to protect the wood surface have been stripped away, with the beauty of the wood left to make the room’s statement.

The three rooms featured here coincidentally all have white walls and neutral pallets, but currently we have seen a color explosion happening in paint, and bold wall color has become the basis for planning a room. 1o years ago we may have been timid to use chocolate brown on the walls or bold black, but that’s what’s so great about design that is constantly changing, evolving and moving in new directions.

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All photos courtesy of Pinterest and House Beautiful magazine.

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Before and After, Its all about the vision

If you love to peruse  the design and shelter magazines like I do, you have probably noticed that they very rarely show you the before photos. I believe that showcasing the before and after project photos really shows the design team’s talents better than anything else.  Its all about the vision…

These 2 before photos show the original 1960′s kitchen and kitchen nook, which had not been remodeled since the home was built. We removed walls, raised the ceiling and created a cook’s dream kitchen for the new homeowners.

We were able to accomplish this without changing the footprint of the house!  The previously “closed” kitchen, compartmentalized by walls, narrow doorways and overhead cabinetry is now open to the dining room on one end and the adjacent family room on the other.  While preparing family meals, the homeowner can now stand at the kitchen island and be part of all the family festivities, while enjoying sweeping views of the backyard pool as well.

In the family room, we opened up the dividing wall with a sweeping arch, and relocated the fireplace to change the orientation of the seating and TV viewing in the room.

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2 Projects, 1 common goal: Feng Shui

Currently, I have the privilege of working on a professional office  space and a family’s daily living space in the heart of their busy home.  These are 2 very different clients and 2 totally different spaces for me to conceptualize. But I am excited because  each client has emphasized their desire to include principles of Feng Shui into the design.

Feng Shui is the ancient art of placement, with the main goal of calling in the good energy (chi)

into a space. It is believed that incorporating good energy into our interior spaces will bring abundance in all aspects of our lives.  As an interior designer, that has always been my ultimate goal for the spaces I create for my clients.

My client with the professional office space has consulted a Feng Shui master. He advised her about orientation of the building, the most productive area of the office, the least productive area, the overall flow of the space from the entry door, and how the five elements of Feng Shui (fire, earth, water, metal, wood) affect her in the most auspicious way. What she wants from me, as the designer of the space, is to incorporate his recommendations while making the office space functional and beautiful for herself, her employees and clients.

My client with the residential project has a strong belief in creating good energy in her daily life and specifically in her home. We are looking at making sure that the path ways into the room are not restricted, that the room is light, airy and uncluttered, and we are incorporating natural elements such as wood flooring and live plants.  Along with the Feng Shui concerns, it is my commitment to my client to make her family room functional and stylish to meet the needs of her growing family while making it comfortable to entertain guests as well.

“In particular, the energy of our homes, our offices, or any place where we spend a prolonged amount of time, interacts with the energy of our bodies to affect all the other related aspects of our lives, such as health, love lives and relationships, work performance, financial prosperity, and overall success.  This energy runs through our bodies, and our bodies interact with it at all times, whether we are conscious of it or not.”  This quote from Simona F Mainini, Dr. Arch in her book Feng Shui for Architecture.

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Sustainable Kitchens Part 2, Surfaces

Selecting the surfaces, finishes and “visuals” for the kitchen are definitely the most fun part of a kitchen remodel.  Keeping them within an eco-friendly framework is not a difficult task at all, especially if you have a clear vision of what you want or if you are working with an interior designer or kitchen designer.

In part 2 of my sustainable kitchen series, I have compiled some guidelines to help you achieve your sustainable design goals for your kitchen remodel with regard to surface selections. The choices keep increasing, as manufacturers become more aware of this niche in the marketplace and continue to improve their triple bottom line (people, planet, profit).

• Flooring:   Reclaimed wood, natural cork, bamboo, FSC certified wood, brick, concrete, salvaging existing floor
• Counters:
  Concrete, Ice stone (as shown in photo), Vetrazzo (recycled glass counter tops), FSC certified butcher block, salvaged metals such as stainless steel, engineered stone (stone / resin composite)
• Backsplash:
  Glass and recycled glass tiles,
• Cabinetry:
  FSC certified woods, MDF, and reclaimed /re-purposed cabinetry and shelving
• Metals:
  Stainless steel, copper, zinc, salvaged metals and metals made of recycled content
• Recycled Materials:  reclaimed wood beams,
  (in addition to other recycled items previously mentioned).
• Repurposed furnishings:
  Unique antique pieces used for center islands and pot racks.
• Lighting:
  Repurposed fixtures, recycled glass fixtures, LED fixtures and flourescent bulbs in can lighting
• Paint:  Zero VOC      Wallcoverings: Wallpapers made of recycled content

Shown: Bamboo flooring, reclaimed wood flooring, and open kitchen;  photo sourced from Pinterest to show the beauty of reclaimed beams and antique stools.

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A Designer’s Pledge

I pledge to listen to my clients and make every effort to create a dynamic yet practical space in which to live and work.

I pledge to be mindful of the environment with each of the decisions we make for your home or office.

I pledge to respond to your phone calls, texts and emails  promptly.

I pledge to be respectful of your budget and to not show my disappointment when you (occasionally) second guess our decisions.

I pledge to be the only designer you will consider hiring for your next project after this one is completed.

I pledge to help you enjoy the design process.

With over 26 years proven success:   http://www.pbid-interiordesign.com

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Artistic Composotion / Art and Soul Expressions

A client recently asked me to post some design tips for hanging art, photography, and wall groupings. There used to be a lot of rules of thumb for this, but anymore the basic rule is that there are no rules. That being said, it is very important to keep in mind the scale and proportion of the room, as well as the style of the furnishings. If you are grouping over a large space or a very finite space such as an entry way (as shown in this photo found on Pinterest), pay close attention to the furniture placement as part of the grouping.

A wall grouping that is very busy and full of various frame styles fits more with a vintage style than a modern one. Odd numbers work well in this type of wall grouping and generally, the eye tends to feel more comfortable with the pieces that hold the most “visual weight” to be hung on the left side of the grouping. Notice in the photo on the right (also a beautiful Pinterest find), the wall display is very balanced in both color and style and has been methodically-planned to work  horizontally with the long cabinet in a transition area in the home.

In the photo to the left it is apparent that the furnishings in the room, bookcases and table tops, are equally as important for displaying art as actually wall mounting your art. I often feel this is the most charming way to display art, and it allows flexibility to move things around when you need a change. (Third photo also courtesy of Pinetrest.)

Here’s a list of guidelines that can help you in your quest to hang your treasured art:

• Use paper outlines of the sizes of the frames to help you visualize and decide on the ideal arrangement. Tape these to the wall and arrange and re-arrange until you find the combination that suits your eye. Once you have the right look, hang your art according to the placement of the templates.

On HGTV, Designer Candice Olsen recommended using blue painter’s tape to mark the area of the wall that you wish for the grouping to cover. This is a good lesson in proportion. Then, when hanging your art, keep it within the parameters of the painter’s tape.

Designer Barry Dixon recommends that to achieve balance with a group of pictures that are different in size and scale, draw an imaginary axis vertically and horizontally on the wall and make sure that the art has equal weight in each of the four quadrants.

Lastly, keep in mind to always hang things lower rather than higher and closer together rather than farther apart.

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Quick Project Re-DO: Update your frames with paint

Easy and Quick! Repaint an old picture frame to give your art a new look.

Sometimes you realize that things just look dated. You may still love them, but they are looking old and tired. I am referring to art and accessories. (I will not go there in another context.)

A quick fix is always paint. In this case, I took some much loved french photography prints and updated the frames in about an hour. I purchased a dark grey Restoration Hardware paint sample ($5-$6 approx for a small sample can) and simply painted over these 80′s gold frames. Since they are ART and hang on the wall, I didn’t even sand or prep them other than dusting.

2 coats of satin paint, and they were ready to rehang that afternoon.

Follow our blog for more creative re-purposing and quality time-tested interior design philosophy. 

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A Girl’s Gotta Have a Project

My creative side is always yearning for a new project. So, one beautiful fall afternoon I dragged and antique oak music cabinet into the back yard and began sanding the old, dated finish. Because the size of the cabinet was so manageable,  it did not take long before it was all sanded and smooth. Always sand following the grain on the wood.

Next, I cleaned off all of the dust and primed the cabinet with a good quality acrylic primer.

I let the primer dry over night, and then lightly sanded it with a fine sandpaper.

Next, I cleaned the cabinet well  to remove any trace of sawdust and painted it with a Benjamin Moore shade of paint AF-155 Weimaraner. I used their top quality “Aura” paint for durability in a satin finish. Note: Apply paint as well as primer following the direction of the grain of the wood.

I had a magazine photo of a cabinet that I liked, which had a warm rustic finish. I used this as my inspiration for selecting the paint color and how I wanted the finished product to look. I emphasize that it is important to visualize the desired outcome so that you are working from a plan.

I let the Weimaraner top coat dry thoroughly for 2 days, and then had some fun creating the rustic look.

I sanded off the edges using both my electric sander and hand sanding. I played with this look until I was satisfied and that the cabinet looked “naturally” aged.

Again, I thoroughly cleaned off any sanding dust before adding the final touch!

I used a Bri wax in dark brown, for a furniture finish that would make this piece look professionally refinished. The Bri wax is really great because it not only deepens the color, which adds another dimension of layering, but it creates a smooth waxed fruniture finish that protects the piece.

Follow the directions on the Bri wax insert. I lightly applied the wax to the piece, let it sit for a short time, and then buffed it a soft shine. Because I wanted to deepen the color, I applied a second coat of Bri wax a day later, and followed the same pattern of buffing to a deeper wax finish.

The whole project took about 5 hours and less than $45.00 for all supplies. View the end result:

Creative re-purposing by http://www.pbid-interiordesign.com

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Creative Inspiration Part 2: Indecision and where to start

In terms of designing our interiors, inspiration is always around us. Don’t let indecision creep in. Make it a fun and creative process and you’ll have that room put together before you realize it. As a professional interior designer, let me share some tips with you for getting started.

I start with looking at what I have and what I want to use in the room. I remove those items that I am unsure about reusing. I look at other rooms in my house to see what I might have that may be better served in the room I am working on… And then the creative work begins…

1. I visualize what I hope to achieve in the space and how the room will be used on a daily basis.
2. I look at the lighting in the space;  how the natural light works in the room is a critical element to consider.
3. I re-visit photos on-line or in magazines of the styles that appeal to me.
4. I think about color, function and design style.
5. I allow my mind to go on a creative  journey… I go for a walk in nature. I listen to music. I think of places that I have enjoyed visiting and the feelings that I take with me from those places.
6.  I am open to  inspiration all around me: shapes, colors, textures, repetition, nature.
7. I formulate stronger opinions about color, function and design style.
8. I visualize a plan. (and if I’m working for a client, I draw the plan on paper and sketch ideas)
9. I am ready to begin with confidence and excitement… No room for indecision.

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