Shifting Style Gears In Interiors

I’m often asked about my preference for a particular interior design style.  I suppose, growing up in the South and also being around a mother who loved to find antiques, I developed a real appreciation for timeless classics.  I know with the right touches, classic designs can be updated with color, fabrics, patterns and accents and they will stay fresh for years to come! 

On occasion, I’m asked to step into a more modern world and it’s great fun to apply the principles of design, in a different way.  If a designer knows his or her trade, personal preference doesn’t get in the way of creating a client’s desires.

I’m working on a lower level “man space”, where my client asked for me to transition away from the upper levels of the home and to create a personalized living experience for an escape from his normally hectic world.

Here’s a peek into the progress:

A rug is forthcoming and I’ll get those pictures, later.  It’s going to be the piece that pulls this all together.  I’m still in awe that my client and his family installed the cork flooring, all on their own!  It’s a great solution for a sublevel space.  A fun design, on the ultrasuede ottoman, hints of some color accents to come.

Leathercraft was the maker of this super cool recliner.  We wanted to get rid of the bulk of a traditional style and my client, who is 6’4”, needed the height.  We had them add two more inches for a better fit.  It just goes to show, it doesn’t hurt to ask a manufacturer if they can customize their products.

The more rustic fireplace could have pushed us into another design direction.  We decided to wrap our brains around a modern, Arizona lodge.  A little Mission meets Modern vibe.  The side walls are wrapped in American Clay and the remaining walls were painted with Mythic flat paint.  We focused on being as eco-friendly as possible.

The stone and brick gave us some direction for our leather color palette.

Another portion of the area has been devoted to a media function.  A super comfortable sectional, from the Norwegian company, Ekornes, fits the space perfectly.  (Thanks to Rick at Innbo Furniture for all of his great help!)  Another rug is on the way to round out the space and to provide a soft texture.  Eventually, the remainder of the space will be finished with the wainscoting you see in the backdrop.  The larger cabinet, in the background will be moved and a bookcase will take its place.  The client’s original art provided us the inspiration to have some custom pillows done, by Leathercraft, in brilliant Ultrasuede tones. 

I love the top stitching!  The weight of the filler allows the pillows to rest in place on what could be a slippery surface with the leather.  Lightweight foam pillows would be all over the place.  I’m going to say it out loud. . . details are what I think I do best!  I really try to anticipate the cause and effect of product specifications.

I suggested my client might like to consider using some photography in the opposite space.  My wonderful photographer, Whitney Gray, just happened to be in Sedona, last week.  You should take a glimpse of her heavenly views.  I think they would mirror the brick in the fireplace, don’t you?

While some might feel it’s better to see a room in total, or in one big reveal, I like to share some of my projects as they are being layered and personalized.  Each addition has a story and a reason for why it fits. 

. . . And I do love sharing my stories with you. Tell me about yours! ~ Wanda

Interior Design Photos – Before & After or After & Before?

I’m always trying to decide what blog readers like to see first – the before or the after portion of a design project?  Do you like to be wowed, at the start, or do you like a big reveal?  Inquiring minds want to know!

For this post, I’ll start at the beginning:

A client’s guest bath, accessed directly from a guest bedroom, also served as the main level powder bath.  It had a traditional tub/shower combination with white tile.  Certainly clean and crisp with Ryegrass walls.  The challenge was to make it seem less, “bathroomy”, while maintaining the bathroom function.  Covering it up just seemed to call more attention to the bathing area and it closed off the room.

The Before:

The After:  Presto!  (Well, it always seems to be so in the photographs.)  The tub and surround were removed, added an overhead light, a new shower pan was installed, along with new tile, new fixtures and some dust and labor. Though this doesn't bode for an overnight process, my project’s contractor did move things along!  (A note to myself . . next time, turn off the vanity lights for a photo!)

The Before:  A nice sized vanity for any guest.  It just wanted to be a bit more special.

The After:  Another viola!  The original drawer layout worked but the cabinet height was raised.  We had a vision to add wainscoting to the walls, so we chose a recessed panel style.  The cabinet was topped with leathered, mocha limestone.  The arched valance base makes it more furniture-like.  Gorgeous porcelain tile looks like stone but is much lower maintenance.  (An extra molding strip, at the side, will be finished to match the rest of the paneling.)

Here is a detail of the wainscoting.  It’s simply a series of wood rails and stiles, with a top cap, added to the walls.  An added shaped insert prevents the panels from becoming too Shaker.  It also catches the glaze.

The mocha limestone – close-up view:

We decided to add the glaze to the entire bathroom to tie it all together.  With the texture of the limestone and the tile, straight-out painting would have been too dull.  We left the walls alone to let the moldings pop.  We’re going to go back with just a touch of the wall tint for the ceiling.  It will keep the spa feeling flowing.

The project is almost done.  Just a few bathroom touches and I’m off to do the adjoining guestroom!  After that, my pro photographer, Whitney Gray will capture the images with her magical lens!

So, which do you like to see first?  The before & after, or the after & before?  Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

. . . And in the end, let me know if I can be of help! ~ Wanda

What Colour should a Workshop be Painted?

I know, you’ve been waiting with bated breath to know the answer to this question (not :) but ever since I walked into this furniture makers workshop and saw the back wall painted this colour, I wanted to show it to you because it’s so great.

BM 802 or CC-846

A basically unfinished room with lots of yellow toned wood everywhere really makes this sky blue colour pop. So in case you have always wondered what colour your windowless basement or garage should be, this is one option. I snapped this photo at the Vancouver Culture Crawl in November and just found it in my camera. This is a place where an accent wall like this really works!

source

This is just one example of a great blue but there are many others, like 2064-50 or 2058-50. The colour of the sky is a great colour for a windowless playroom in a basement as well!  No need to keep it light if you don’t have windows because as you know by now, A Light Colour will never come to Life in a Dark Room.

If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.


Related posts:

White is a Snob
Do you need an Accent Wall? Take this Test
My Decorating Mantra for 2009

New to this Blog? Click here ; Follow me on Facebook and Twitter; Become a True Colour Expert

Christmas Countdown – Day 10

Christmas Bright and Blue – Day 10 - The Year of Turquoise - 2010

In yesterday’s post, I unveiled the upcoming color trend from Pantone.  For some, it seems to take a few months to embrace the changing tides of design, and just about the time it hits their comfort zone – Whoosh! – it seems to be on its way out!

The great thing about color; however, is that we can continue to layer and mix until it becomes a part of a refreshed decor, as opposed to it being the focal point.  As the wise folks of Pantone plan for hues to hang around for about five years, you’re okay if you jumped onto a certain color bandwagon, within that time frame.  (Ever notice how tired you become of certain mixes, around that time?)

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ?” . . .

Not on Santa’s watch!  (Just click on each photo and it will take you to the creator and details.)

This handmade snowflake artfully shows us the intention of the turquoise palette . . . All is calm, all is bright.

 

The assortment of blue in this garland, by Love Monkey, will be good to go for many years!

 

A popular pop of red, as the accent, is shown on this ornament by rodica.

A little touch of green and navy rounds out some holiday bling!

Not only did this hand-painted lovely capture my eye, I love the clever idea for displaying it by inverting a milk glass compote!

Ooooooo . . . origami!  Can you just imagine a tree-full of these lovelies?

Remember, what’s old is new and what’s new is old.  These 1940’s vintage Christmas balls are a testimonial for timeless design.

Ahhh, dear turquoise, I knew you well.  Love can be a fickle thing.  Who knows?  Perhaps I’ll introduce you to Honeysuckle and all will be right in the world!

Bright and Beautifully Blue! ~ Wanda

16 Days and Counting!

A Bounty of Blue!

In my previous post, “Am I Blue” , I shared about missing some time with my favorite Blogger & Twitter friends, at an event in NYC.  They were heading to the Nate Berkus Show, but then the focus had become more about sharing fun times and connecting with one another.  That’s really the part I missed the most.  What mattered, in the end, was that everyone saw their “true blue” friends and made new connections, as well.  You could say it was a “Bounty of Blue” and I’ll share some links so you can read all about it!

Meanwhile, I’m wrapping up my Blue Week.  I’m really feeling “in the pink”, but that’s another color palette to be shared!

A lovely cabinet from Waterfall.  I think it’s a bit of Louis Phillipe meets Gustavian glamour.

Highland Court fabrics show a bounty of blue, tipped in turquoise.  It’s one of my favorite lines to offer my clients!

A buffet of bodacious blue!  (There are heirloom pumpkins which are actually grown in this color!)

I love the new Avalon collection from Thibaut.  The Hampton Ponds fabric is just the right scale for this upholstered headboard!

Have a “Bluetiful” Weekend!   ~  All my best!  Wanda

As promised, here are some blog posts about the big NYC Event!  (I’ll add more links so stay-tuned as my blogger friends chat away!)

ABCDDesigns

Jonathan Legate

Avery Design Interiors

Shay Geyer – IBB Design Fine Furnishings

Am I Blue?

So . . .  This week, a gazillion of my Twitter friends are heading to NYC to be in the audience of the Nate Berkus Show.  Why?  Well, because they are design bloggers, extraordinaire, and a couple of raving fans of Nate, the Moggit Girls, made this show happen.  There’s even a photo guide for everyone who’s attending. 

(Chanee Vijay, a Charlotte area blogger, created this page.  You can see the fun gal pals from Moggit Girls, Joy and Janet, along with my Twitter friend, Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo, a fab NYC blogger, recently in the process of refurbishing a country home in Connecticut.)

So why am I blue?  Well, if you peruse the photos, there’s one missing . . . .

Now don’t get me wrong.  While I would enjoy seeing the talented Nate Berkus, my demeanor is more about missing a meet-up with folks – and with whom I’ve shared tons of tweets, (even think of some as good friends), but some I’ve never met in real life.  I’m also very blessed to be busy with projects so I’m really thrilled my calendar isn’t overly empty.  It’s just a little bit like knowing there’s a great, school-night party and your parents are telling you to stay home to study for exams.  You know they’re right but it still leaves you in a bit of a funk.

In honor of this cool color, which gets such a bad rap in being often overused for describing a less than joyful outlook, I’ve decided to show it’s sunny side – and mine, too!

Something blue landing in your mailbox?  A handwritten note can chase the other kind away!

Ever heard of the bluebird of happiness?

You could certainly wash the blues away in this fab vintage bath featured on Decorology.

There’s just something plain fun about this not so plain blue milkglass plate!

Have a cup of warm tea in a lovely vintage set from my friend, Juliane, of Norbridge Antiques.  (Another Twitter friend I’ve not met, in person, but feel as if we’ve been close chums for a long time!)

Of course, something sweet always goes a long way in raising the endorphins. . . if not also ones blood sugar level!

Have a fabulous time, all of my blogging buds!

Be sure to tell  I said “hello”!

All my best! ~ Wanda

Flying Your Flag High – Inside and Out

We Americans are an odd lot.  Thankfully, it’s an inalienable right to be so!  It’s in our constitution to be able to express ourselves, freely and often, even if we don’t agree.  In fact, some may observe we are a nation, proliferate with a differing of opinions.  We can offer up a pretty good lot of criticism, especially during some of these trying times.  I view it a bit like being a part of a large family.  We can dish it out, but when it comes down to someone else stepping on the “family’s” toes, we band together with an immense source of protective pride!  The Fourth of July – or our Independence Day celebration – is to me, like a big family reunion.  We can be out-of-touch, for a time, but the day brings us together to recognize our roots, and we’ll fly our flags high, celebrate with great food, and make a lot of noise in the process! 

Here are some ideas for spreading the red,white, and blue theme, inside and out:

Bunting draped on this turn-of-the-century home leaves no doubt about the event being celebrated.

Some random accents add pops of color.

 

Pots bursting forth with patriotic pride! 

What a most creative way for this homeowner to display their quilt collection!  A cleverly placed screened-door, painted in ink blue, frames the contents.

 

We Southerners do love our porches! Nan Graham shares a fun poke at us, in her book, Turn South at the Next Magnolia.  To paraphrase . . . “Whereas others may hide their eccentric family members, we Southerners proudly display them on the porch, for everyone to see.”  Wonder if it’s like going “whole hog”, when it comes to decorating with the red, white, and blue?

I hope you’ll be inspired to show your true colors and fly them high.  You’ve been given permission!

Creating “Cool Points” With Antiques

In chatting with a new client, one of the first areas I address is in regards to preferences, be it design style, color, patterns, lifestyle . . . general likes and dislikes.  I do this, even before I make an in-home visit, because they may or may not want to use some of their current possessions and I would rather let the “could-be”, versus the “what-is”, determine the direction of their project.  Now - that’s not to say I overlook any prized possessions.  I’m definitely about repurposing, as it honors items of use and keeps the carbon footprint a bit smaller, while it brings forth the client’s personality.

On the occasion that we are starting from scratch, I do ask about using antiques.  In some cases, there may be a crinkling of the nose, and I can tell the imagination has run amuck to the idea of bringing forth a certain stiffness, in the genre of A Room with a View, or there’s a concern of a cluttered collection of “stuff” arriving across the threshold.  I can almost feel my “cool points” floating out the nearest window.

The fact of the matter is, I do love working with antiques or vintage pieces, and the reality is, not much in the world of design is truly unique or 100% new.  My vanity doesn’t preclude me from sharing too much about my age. I grew up during the period of Mid-Century Modern, Danish Modern, and George Nakashima. 

My mother, who did later turn her attention to a more traditional decor, was a modern, young woman of the fifties and early sixties, and joined her peers in outfitting our home with this latest trend.  It was the period when girls swooned over the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr.- just a few of the members of the “Rat Pack”, a group of Hollywood “it” guys.  I remember my mother twirling, in the living room, as their music came from a piece of functional furniture, we called the “Hi-Fi”, carefully chosen to go with the rest of room.

I think I had better go onto some great pictures.  I see my cool points quickly floating out of that afore mentioned window!

 Contemporary?  Yes, it was and is!  Kaare Klint Faaborg Chair - 1914

A French Victorian sofa, a spoon foot, cloverleaf table, a vintage footstool, and a Modern chair play well with one another in this citrus-hued room.  (Courtesy:  Country Living)

This small dresser, while rather simple, receives it’s retro cool from the frieze twist carpet, (ahem – shag), gourd lamp, neat knobs and Robin’s egg wall color.  (Courtesy:  Real Simple)

The classic cabinetry, chair and accessories, while not qualifying as modern, do get a boost towards “being of the day”, with a current color palette of tangerine and aqua.  (Courtesy:  Martha Stewart)IKEA?  Not quite.  Arne Jacobsen Seagull Chair - 1970

A little Mediterranean breeze can almost be felt, blowing through this bedroom.  Walk through any antique mall, and you may see a dark,walnut night chest, in a similar style as above.  Some sanding and a few coats of paint, and you have your own one-of-a-kind treasure!  (Courtesy:  Traditional Homes)

A minimalist approach can often benefit from a little texture.  This table has had plenty of time to achieve the “worn” look.  It’s 16th century.  (Courtesy:  Veranda)

What bungalow banquet wouldn’t benefit from a round table shape?  Easy access in and out.  Easy, breezy upkeep, too, with a metal garden table.  (Courtesy:  Country Living)

While furnishing a home is definitely a personal decision and choice, I do like to open ones thought to the possibility of considering the use of antiques and vintage items.  Aside from having something different from everyone else, they do allow us to recycle and renew.  Antiques often hold their value and may even appreciate, over a period of time.  They add an element of history and a story to share.  And, the thrill of the hunt is ever so fun!

“Cool Cat” Cheers to You!  Wanda