The Freedom To Create Fine Interiors

My husband and I have a standing joke about his perception of things.  When I ask him what he thinks of something, even if he likes it . . . and I mean, REALLY likes it . . . he still uses the expression, “I think it’s fine.”  For someone, like me, who is much more descriptive about my level of enthusiasm, he might as well be saying, “It’s mundane, ordinary, okay, or passable.”  Sigh! 

When I use the word, ‘fine’ in reference to interior design, it takes on a whole new meaning.  It’s about the originality, the quality, and the process. Being in this industry, for almost thirty years, I very much appreciate the inspiration and execution behind pulling off an original design concept and to see it evolve into form.  It’s like watching a beautiful butterfly emerge from it’s cocoon.  Others may not have the vision for what’s about to hatch, but the miracle first hidden from view can be quite stunning!

I often think of the times I’ve done work in show houses or for charitable events.  I’m able to chose how to invest my time and product in the most creative of ways, a bit more carte blanche, as it were, for what the circumstances allow.  It’s where I often receive the comment, “I never would have thought of that but it’s beautiful and it works!”  Don’t you think that’s one of the reasons people are attracted to design?  They love being delighted by the element of creativity?

My favorite projects, (while still acknowledging the client is in the driver’s seat), are when I’m allowed the freedom of the creative process.  In the business that I’m in, I work with other creative types, too.  Photographers, decorative artists, graphic designers, workrooms, etc., will all tell you, when they try to work in more controlling circumstances, their output feels more stifled and ordinary. 

Last year, about this time, I was in the midst of creating a couples table for an event.  The process was the same as if I had been designing a room.  From the furnishings source to the decorative painter, there were a total of eight individuals who had a part in making the intangible come to reality.  It all began as a vision in my head, and I translated it to a cursory design board so the other folks could share the vision, too.  And by the way, I’m a big fan of the design team concept!

If you read the fine print, in the bottom right corner of the design board, (above), you’ll see the set-up time was tightly scheduled.  I had to have my creative ducks in a row, well before everything landed at the venue.  It took much of the entire day, with some last minute tweaking before closing time.

With the exception of the vintage china, the crystal, and the flatware, everything for this setting was a custom creation and was hand-crafted.

The mirrored mats evoked the wow factor!  My decorative artist has a special process.  (The secret’s in the source!)  The hand-sewn, linen table square was also hand-painted and crystals were applied.  People couldn’t believe it when they saw it.  They thought we just embellished an already printed cloth.

 

The floral designer brought out various containers and we discussed the available seasonal flowers.  I wanted to float tea lights, in wisps of ribbons, and to keep the flowers airy, as well.

He really listened and the end results were amazing!

 

So many little details . . . and so much joy!

If you’ve been reading my blog, for a while, you may recognize these photos from another post.  I still love looking back over the project and thought I would share it, once more, with a reminder of a few important observations:

• Great design is timeless and can and should be enjoyed for more than a fleeting moment.
• You’ll get the most beautiful results when you allow creative people a little more room to spread their wings.
• Interior design is more than an overnight process.
• Interior design involves time and a financial investment.  (And the two do intertwine.)
• Quality always shines through.
• A vision can only be fully shared when the project has been completed.  The real picture will then come into focus.
• If your designer is happy, chances are you will be, too!  Let them do what they do best and your results will be rewarding.  (My clients always say, when they see me smiling, they know to expect the best!)

What questions or comments do you have about the process of design?  I’m happy to share!

It’s all “fine”! - Wanda

Fresh Interiors For 2011

After The Holidays . . . One Step At A Time!

If your holiday decorations have made their way back to storage, you might be experiencing withdrawal from all things sparkly and bright.  It could make you feel a bit turned upside down!

The great reason for continuing to have all of those “pretties” placed about could be to distract you from some of the household “to-do” items you may have missed back in the fall.  (I have seen decorations left up until Easter!)

 

Now that the New Year has arrived, are you feeling a little challenged by the notion of adding one more thing to your list of resolutions?  How about considering this option?  Create a “love” list instead!  Isn’t it time to make 2011 the year of “Loving The Home You’re In?”™

 

I’m here to share with you how simple it can be by taking small steps, which add up in a big way.  You can lead a well-designed life! 

Rather than have you immediately focus on big areas or big projects, in the next couple of weeks, I’m going to share small steps to help you better embrace those projects when you’re ready for them. 

Here’s a good “Love List”, to start:

1.  Start with one room or a small cluster of spaces.  Getting one area completed not only makes for a positive impact, psychologically, it’s allows for a better focus of how the dollars are invested.  Trying to spread a one room budget, throughout an entire home, still leaves for projects unfinished.  Of course, expansion to other areas is totally up to you!

2.  Clear the clutter.  While this might seem obvious, clutter is not only about “junk”, but unless something serves a purpose, is a true treasure, or enhances the room, it’s hard to see the proverbial forest for the “stuff”.  This doesn’t mean you are 100% permanently removing those things, it just allows you to start with a fresh perspective.  For example, I’ll often have clients strip down bookcases, before I arrive, place the items on a table in a dining room, and we’ll “shop” in there, first, before eliminating or deciding to add or update the shelves.  The transformations are always amazing!

3.  Take a room assessment test.  Now that the room has been somewhat cleared, take a look at what’s going on in the background.  Do the floors or floorcoverings need attention . . . cleaned, replaced, or a new area rug?  Are the walls and trim scuffed and in need of touch-up or repainting?  Does the ceiling show stains from leaks?  Without lamps, is the room dark and relying on one lone ceiling fixture?  Do you have any trim molding details which are not in proportion to the size of the room or any molding at all?  As a designer, I take a good look at the bones of a space.  I can often tell if the homeowner is spending more dollars on furniture and accessories, in effort to compensate for some missing architectural definition or function.  Temporary or cover-up solutions are only band-aids and don’t necessarily address what the “design doctor” might really need to order.

No matter the style of your home, when completed, there are certain items that will make it sparkle and shine!

I’ll continue to share some special tips and advice, throughout the month, along with some regular posts.  I’m in the process of practicing what I preach, so the Horton household has been receiving some attention to the little things, as well as some business housekeeping.  A new logo, an updated website, and even a name tweak is in the works!  (Thanks to Aimee O’Boyle, at Creative Montage for her amazing talents!)

Stay-tuned!  2011 is going to be a great year for “Loving The Home You’re In”™ !

All my best! ~ Wanda

Custom Design ~ The Icing On The Cake

Sometimes it takes a bit of imagination to see beyond the blueprints of a custom design project.  I love the process of working from the design phase to watching a project unfold before my eyes.  It’s like baking a cake from scratch.  You have to start somewhere . . . akin to leafing through the pages of a cookbook to find a tried and true recipe.  There are always some instructions to keep the cake from falling, keep it from crumbling, and to keep it delectable.  Sometimes; however, you just like tweaking the ingredients so that it’s a little different from all of the cakes which have been previously made.  Something to call your very own!

Custom building and remodeling can be a bit like baking from scratch.  There are always some of the necessary elements, for a successful outcome, and a bit of patience is needed before the icing can be put on top.  The cake has to be baked, cooled, and prepped.  And - as is always the case, sitting in front of the oven doesn’t make it cook any faster.  We all know what happens when one opens the oven door too soon!

This photo was taken in the early summer.  It’s a vacation home project I’m working on in Blowing Rock, NC.  At this stage of building, the possibilities abound!

We were able to pick out stone selections from a local quarry.  The stone mason was so kind as to set up an example of some options, in both the stone type and the design.

This was another option.  My client prefers straighter edges.  Even though this is a mountain home, since she has a more modern leaning, these felt a little too rustic for her.

From the road, the house appears to be a story-and-a-half cottage.  It actually consists of four levels.  Two are below grade.  (Did I tell you it’s on the side of the mountain?)

Now you have a better idea of the height of the house.

It’s a long way down!  The trees hide the drop from the edge.  I could only go so far before my toes began to tingle.  (A phenomenon which happens to me when I feel I’m a wee bit high off of the ground!)  By the way, in speaking of scary heights, the builder had us out on a stone-hunting escapade, where he wanted us to see some work he had done on another home.  The road was all gravel and when we turned around to come back up the slope, the back tires spun out and we could have met our demise down the side of the ledge.  We were finally able the to figure out how to make it out of there.  (Too long of a story to tell.)  After that narrow escape, we could hardly speak . . . for a few minutes.  We finally broke into hysterical laughter after we realized we were going to live to tell about it.  It was a bonding moment.  Near death experiences will do that to you!

Of course, during the process of construction, we did go ahead and source the permanent selections.  Since these were “attached” to the house, we needed to stay a step ahead of her builder in order to keep things on schedule.  The tile installer was working away on the master bath, at the time of this photo. 

We loved the deep charcoal tones and knew this would be a winner with her preference for a gray palette.

The floor is looking great!  (Please forgive the spots.  Photography during construction catches dust particles, too!)

The shower is coming along nicely! 

Now back to the exterior view.  It’s such a shame to have to put up doors and railing.  (Well, except for the "it’s a long way down, thing”.)

What a difference!  My client is beginning to get a clearer picture of the project’s progress.

The glass panel inserts allow for the vistas to be enjoyed, year-round.

And even though there is still a lot of work to be done, I would say she already has her icing on the cake!

All my best! ~ Wanda

Click on the image for a divine recipe!

PS - Contest Alert!  I’ll be giving away an autographed copy of Vicente Wolf’s “Lifting the Curtain On Design”!  All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on any two of my posts, beginning with the 2010 High Point Furniture Finds – Post 1, and by November 30, 2010.

I’ll announce the winner the first week of December 2010.  I hope you’ll enjoy a festive month!

If Walls Could Talk

As an interior designer, who has been guilty of participating in the “wallpaper removal movement”, I have to say, I have a renewed interest and love of how the latest array of beautiful coverings have made their way back into focus.  There are so many crisp and delightful patterns!  If you took them out of the picture, (literally), such as in the room settings below, the outcome might be a bit blasé. 

My expert installer, Steve, will be so pleased to know he can go back to his title of, Steve the Paperhanger, rather than his moniker, of a few recent months ago, “Steve the Paper Stripper”.  (So sorry – sometimes I do have to get past the stuffiness often associated with interior designers!)  It should be known, while some folks are courageous enough to attempt to install their own paper, I heartedly recommend using a local experienced craftsman.  If you are investing in quality goods, why not invest in the best presentation of it?

Talk Topic:  How to bring the garden indoors? ~ Green and Grillwork.

Talk Topic:  How to create vertical balance without window treatments? ~ Pink Plaid Placement.

Talk Topic:  How to lower too tall ceilings?  Juxtaposing Jacobean

Talk Topic:  How to add in a large pattern?  Coordinating Color Compliments 

If after viewing this lovely display of fabulous walls, you still are nervous about the prospect of adding wall coverings as a design element, let’s talk about it.  Most of my vendors offer the option to purchase large, full-length samples, so you can have a better visual.  If you need to tie in some existing patterns, such as a rug, artwork, or existing fabrics, a bit of assistance will give you the confidence to forge ahead.  This is one of those design decisions which can also offer almost immediate gratification.  In a day or less of installation – viola! – a new room!

If these walls could talk, they would say:  “What are you waiting for?!”

Thanks for the cheery wall chat!  Wanda

(Photos compliments of Thibaut Wall Coverings.  One of my favorite trade vendors and available through Interior Concepts by Wanda.)

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Great Beginnings – Part 3 – Thinking and Creating “Inside” of the Box

During the month of January, I’m continuing my Great Beginnings series with a post I think is so appropriate for this time of year. While we are in the midst of winter, and may be feeling a little lackluster about our immediate surroundings, it’s a great time to take stock of interior projects and to begin the process of planning, before spring’s arrival, and the outdoor living spaces begin to divert our attention.  (And the local craftsmen!)

(While not always the “pretty” part of design, detailed measurements let you know what you can and cannot create, “inside of the box”.  This is how I began the design for a client’s bonus room.  I later added electrical and trim detail notes.)

First, it’s imperative to take a good analysis of a particular room or space to determine how it could be optimized.  There might be areas you can identify as problematic because of traffic flow, space use, inadequate lighting, high maintenance requirements, energy inefficiency, or discomfort.  Do you wish you had the ability to push back the walls and open up the areas in order to be able to “breathe”?  Or, maybe you have the opposite problem of feeling as if you have to shout from one chair to the other, in order for someone to hear you speak.  Perhaps, there’s an “it” factor missing and you can’t identify what the “it” is.  I have a fascination with how our immediate surroundings make such an impact as to our sense of well-being, focus, or boost in energy – or – a lack, thereof.

(If I can see several solutions, I offer them as part of the overall package.  We all love to have a choice!  This was option 1 and showed a sleeper sofa for extra guests, as there is a bathroom off this bonus room.  The pool table, football table, bookcases, and TV were a must keep.)

Interior refreshing and remodeling can be a way to accomplish several goals, at one time.  Many solutions may not necessarily require a major overhaul of your space.  By having a professional interior designer take a good assessment, an inventory of the room, and by really facing the quirks or challenges, you can team up to create a smart plan, literally, from the ground up.  Having a function and priority list on hand, makes it so much easier to bring in the aesthetic desires, too!  As mentioned in a previous post, utilizing multi-functional furniture may confirm you don’t need to bump-out wall space, as you might eliminate a piece from the room’s footprint.  In making wise investment selections, you no longer have the burden of hanging onto a “white elephant” purchase because of the impulse of a “good deal”.  You’ll be able to make confident, quality decisions, and with a professional’s guidance.

(This was the 2nd option and the one my client selected.  The television had to stay where it had been originally placed, and having the full view, from the sleeper sofa, was even more important than playing a game of pool.  You can see, if we didn’t have this directive, extra furniture pieces would have been unnecessarily purchased.)

Retrofitting an area – meaning – keeping the existing footprint but reworking it “inside of the box”, will amaze you with the results!  It’s always beneficial when clients allow me to offer this experience to them.  Sometimes, it’s as simple as removing a door, never used for privacy between rooms, and creating a wider, arched opening.  On other occasions, we’ve reworked cabinets, changed furniture layouts, or added a larger, cleaner piece of furniture, rather than multiple little ones.  I often get positive feedback on how window treatments can make a space seem larger, rather than smaller, if done correctly.  The bottom line is, the more cohesive and complete the overall room plan and implementation can be, the better the outcome for the client. 

Cheerful beginnings to you!  Wanda  

Text ‘Haiti’ to 90999 to donate to the American Red Cross – Click on below, for more details.  Thanks for giving them a new beginning.

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Great Beginnings, Part 2

So. . . the New Year is here, and you’ve packed away the decorations and cleared out or reorganized the clutter.  (At least the thought has arisen, right?)  As I promised my clients and readers, I’m working on a series, “Great Beginnings”, to be a guide for planning and implementing any home design project.

Space planning is just one of my first priorities in planning a room, whether it be a simple or a complicated layout.  I use a special program to scale the design and the furniture for the best fit.  (More on this subject, later . . . )

In a previous post, I addressed some points on organization, not only to open up space, but to plan it in a way which promotes for ease of living and less wasted time in trying to locate important possessions.  A method for achieving that was briefly covered in multi-functional rooms or even multi-purposed pieces of furniture. I’ll get back to some more detailed examples of that, in Part 3.  For now, I want to chat about what emotion or lifestyle you want your well-designed space to evoke.

Identifying this takes a little extra thought.  Many of my clients have collected pictures, prior to our meeting, to show rooms they like.  I study them carefully to see if I can put together a pattern, be it the color scheme, the design style, particular pieces of furniture or accents.  In most cases, the bottom line revolves back to how the room makes them “feel”.

Do you crave a cheerful, airy space – such as this room, featured on my AVA Living Space?  I named it the “Glorious Morning Room”.  It was designed for a shingle-style home and the original artwork, by Jan Yearwood, was the starting point for the color palette.  Many visitors have said this room made them feel happy.

Or . . . is it more your preference to create a cozy retreat, enveloped in texture?  My client’s dining room, dipped in delicious, dark chocolate, achieved the desire of having guests linger over coffee and cordials.  No dinner bell required.

Is your wardrobe more formal and tailored?  Chances are, you’ll love an elegant entry . . . smooth and polished, with the details of a custom couturier. (Custom build project for my client, with Arcadia Homes, Inc.)

If you are a free spirit, (or a ‘tween of the feminine persuasion), you’ll dream of a personalized nest to reflect your passions, plans and ponderings - with vivid hues placed in a play of patterns.  (Photographed by Chanda Pope – Room featured in “Little Ones” Magazine.)

The rooms, above, were completed down to the last ingredient.  They had to have a Great Beginning, in order to achieve the Best Ending.  I was so fortunate to have clients who allowed me to take them through the entire process, from the first questions to the finishing touches.  After all, even with the right recipe in hand, you can’t enjoy a cake, half-baked!

Stay tuned for Part 3 . . . “Thinking Inside of the Box”.  If you would like to receive these posts, be sure to subscribe to my feed, here, or on Facebook Networked Blogs.  (The buttons are to the right.)

Meanwhile, I’d love to hear about your dream room.  What does it feel like, to you?

Cheers to “Feeling Good”!  Wanda

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