Designer Blues

As a designer I am lucky to be able to be surrounded by color all day every day. And I just can't get enough. I love putting together different color combinations that are unexpected. There are no rules in design, you just have to like the outcome. But there are some basic standards that help create an aesthetically pleasing design. One tip is to work off of an inspiration color. My inspiration in this virtual room is turquoise blue. That doesn't mean that everything in the room should be turquoise. In fact, quite the opposite. When using such a strong color as your main focus you don't want to over do it. You want to create a surrounding palette that will allow the turquoise to stand out. Notice that the bedding in the room is a nice neutral off white. This allows you to add a little punch of color in the pillows or sheets you use. Another way to add color is to have one or two furniture pieces in the room have the inspiration color as well. Here I have selected a turquoise media center and coordinating corkboard. These pieces should not be used near each other but across the room from each other so that they create their own balance. I always suggest trying to think outside the box. Anyone can just buy a matching bedding set from your local linen shop and it will look nice. But adding some unexpected pieces is when the fun starts! Be creative and have fun!

Going Green & Loving It!

I have fallen in love with a new "green" product. Vetrazzo countertops made from recycled glass. I pride myself on being a fairly sophisticated designer but have always had a little bit of hippie in me as well. Come on I was born in the 70s and my parents went to Woodstock, how can you blame me! So this new product is the perfect fit for me. I just love the use of recycled glass to create such an upscale and chic surface material. Nowadays, with being "green" at the top of everyone's agenda, there are so many new materials on the market. It used to be that going green mean reusing styrofoam cups to create a chandelier or creating furniture from corrogated cardboard but it's a whole different ballgame these days. There are more and more companies realizing that being environmentally conscience doesn't mean having to forgo style and sophistication.

I specified Vetrazzo in a custom built home in Saratoga for the kitchen. My first thought was to use the material in one of the bathrooms but I knew it would have more impact and interest in the kitchen, the focal point of the home. The client wanted something unique, no more granite, and eye catching without being too distracting. I had been dying to find a project where I could specify Vetrazzo for at least a year so I was thrilled when my client saw the sample and shared my enthusiasm. In the photo, which doesn't do the product justice, we have it paired with a slate & aluminum mosaic backsplash.

Vetrazzo comes in slab form but some suppliers will offer it in half or even quarter slabs, you just have to ask. You can fabricate it with any edge detail you want but I always think that a straight edge fits the modern, sleek style of the material best.

And this is one of the coolest things about Vetrazzo. Most of the glass comes from your everyday curbside recycling programs. Other glass comes from windows, stemware, windshields, stained glass, reclaimed glass from building demolition, traffic lights and other unusual sources. Every Vetrazzo surface has its own history. After you purchase a slab, you can request a Certificate of Transformation that tells you where the glass in your Vetrazzo came from. Now that would make for some great cocktail party conversation!

Check it out at www.vetrazzo.com. But be forewarned, once you see this product, you are going to want it in your house as well. Contact me if you are interested in specifying this product in your next project.

Awaken Your Colorful Self

Spring has sprung but maybe it is still winter in your home. Are your walls staring back at you as white as snow? Do you want to bring the sunshine and life from the outdoors inside? With a little imagination and Sherwin Williams paint you could be on your way. Paint is one of the easiest ways to inexpensively transform a space. It can set the tone for a room and bring your personality to a room. I have had great success creating custom color palettes for my clients. Take a look at this plain old dated bathroom on the left. There is no life, no personality...it's JUST a bathroom.

And then you will notice the dramatic transformation into a thoughtfully designed and intriguing space.

Could you use a little color in your life? Send me some photos of your space and I would be happy to give you some feedback.

Happy Coloring!!!!

Difference Between Interior Designer & Interior Decorator

This is one of the questions I used to get all the time. I do remember getting into a VERY heated discussion with a friend and some guy at a bar one time when I was in college about this very topic. I still feel bad about the drink I threw in his face ;) You must know that for an educated and professionally trained Interior Designer this is a very sensitive question. "What's the big deal? You say Tomato, I say Tomahto" Let me start out by saying I have nothing against Interior Decorators. I believe that it is a very reputable title to give to someone. However, for myself, who has studied Interior Design at the collegiate level, has passed the NCIDQ exam and has dedicated most of my life to Interior Design, I would like to be referred to as a Designer not a Decorator or "pillow fluffer" as some may say :).

So what is the difference? I finally found a wonderful article that states the differences beautifully. Here are the key points to the article:

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) defines an interior designer as one who "is professionally trained to create a functional and quality interior environment. Qualified through education, experience and examination, a professional designer can identify, research and creatively resolve issues and lead to a healthy, safe and comfortable physical environment." At it's heart, interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior in order to create functional spaces within the structures that architects design.

Interior designers are responsible for a wide variety of tasks including: organizing a space to suit its function, making sure that designs match are in compliance with building and safety codes, managing the construction and installation of a design, and even designing for appropriate acoustics and sound transmission. An interior designer is also responsible selecting and specifying fixtures, furnishings, products, materials and colors -- but note that is just one of many responsibilities.

Interior designers are also -- in some, but not all states -- required to have a license (usually acquired by completing the NCIDQ exam). This licensing certifies that the designer is a qualified professional who has the background and schooling required to make complex decisions about interior spaces.

Okay, so what does an Interior Decorator do?

Interior decorators, on the other hand, are primarily concerned with surface decoration -- paint, fabric, furnishings, lighting and other materials. Decoration is often characterized as the furnishing or adorning of a space with appropriate (often fashionable or attractive) things.

"But wait," you say. "Don't interior designers do that too?" The answer is often yes, but the biggest difference is that the interior designer typically has a number of other issues on his or her mind. For instance, when it comes to floor coverings, an interior decorator will probably be responsible for choosing the type, color, texture, and pattern. The interior designer, on the other hand, will make the selection based on those criteria, with an additional eye towards the appropriateness of type, usage, sound transference, acoustic properties, flammability, off-gassing properties, static electricity requirements and flammability.

So, this is a sincere apology if I have bitten your head off after being called a Pillow Fluffer or Decorator. I know you didn't mean it...you just didn't know any better. But now you do so be forewarned!

Make The Most Out Of Your Furniture

Are you making the most of the furniture you have? Too many times we have furniture in our homes that we just aren’t using to their full capacity. Look around your house. Do you have any decorative chests of drawers or cabinets that you are utilizing for storage? Or maybe you have a sofa table that you wish had drawers or doors for storage. Check out Container Store or Pottery Barn for some decorative storage boxes that could be stored on the floor under the sofa table. Use these for sorting mail or storing magazines that you haven’t gotten a chance to read.

Have a little one? Use the boxes to store toys to keep your house looking clutter free. I complain about not having enough storage space in my house but when I really started thinking about it I realized that two of the four cabinets in my entertainment stand aren’t even being used! We got rid of our pretty but not very practical coffee table and replaced it for three leather storage ottomans. They are just great for storing all my tablecloths and spare blankets. And the Asian style chest of drawers that used to be purely decorative now holds our miscellaneous electronics that I want accessible as well as some personal finance organizers that I like to have handy.

It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of going through your closets & other storage areas every few months to clear out what you don’t need to make room for more. You will be surprised at how much space you can clear up if you get rid of old magazines, clothes you don’t wear, toys your children have outgrown and just junk that is eating up valuable real estate in your home.

If you still feel like you don’t have enough storage in your home it may be time to call a professional. One of the services I offer is to help redesign your home with your existing furniture. This is a low cost way to get a fresh new look. I also work with an amazing Professional Organizer who is always able to help you find more space in your home. As long as you are willing to maybe donate a few items.......