Celadon is a great color for spring! It’s fresh, pretty, and pairs well with a variety colors. With blue and grey, celadon looks sophisticated and soothing. When paired with more vibrant hues, it balances out energetic colors for a well-rounded look. Celadon works with so many other colors because it stems from ocean blues, hazy greys, and muted greens. It definitely has a real zen-like quality!
There is beauty in collaboration, and although I am surrounded by my own favorite and trusted sources, I appreciate being introduced to great resources by my clients.
When beginning a design project for a client’s home, I ask myself, “Who lives here?” It’s important for the design to tell the client’s story, not my own. With that in mind, I keep myself open to what my clients bring to the table. There is beauty in collaboration, and although I am surrounded by my own favorite and trusted sources, I appreciate being introduced to great resources by my clients. It broadens my horizons and adds to what I have to offer my future clients. Here are some examples of products, artists, and other resources I’ve learned about from clients.
Stocking a library or extensive bookshelves with antique books can be expensive. You also want to collect books you would actually read. However, putting together a set of books that also looks great with the room around them can be more of a challenge. A client introduced me to Books by the Foot, where you can order books by color, in matched sets, vintage books, wrapped books, and even faux books. This makes it possible to achieve just the pulled-together look you want in any style. This is an amazing site, even offering coffee table books and sets for commercial interiors!
Art changes the dynamic of a house and makes my work speak better. It creates a visceral reaction that varies from person to person, which is why art choices sometimes have to come from the client and not from the designer. When a client introduces me to an artist I am not familiar with, it’s such a gift! The photography of Ben Ham (who I’ve written about in the past), Eric Zener’s paintings, and Vik Muniz’s eclectic modern art, were all brought to my attention by clients. Expanding my knowledge of artists and having a relationship with a local gallery such as Samuel Owen Gallery, helps me collaborate with clients to find just the right art for each project.
Zebra, after George Stubbs by Vik MunizA New Direction by Eric Zener
A client from London who bought a house here in the US sent me a link to Trainspotters website and I fell in love with their amazing lighting. They have great scale and colors — I’d use these products in my own studio! This lighting, salvaged from a huge variety of places around Europe, are authentic and interesting. We used lighting from Trainspotters in my client’s kitchen and the results were fantastic!
Lighting salvaged from a hangar at Heathrow now installed in a hostelry in Portugal.Czhech arms factory lights.
This book is a great resource I first learned of from a client. As a guide to color and creating a palette for a room, it’s an invaluable resource to share with clients. With actual paint swatches from a variety of manufacturers and beautiful examples of rooms, Colors for your Home makes it easier for clients to visualize an unlimited number of color schemes.
One of my favorite tools for choosing colors with a client is House Beautiful’s 500+ Paint Colors App.
One of my favorite tools for choosing colors with a client is House Beautiful’s 500+ Paint Colors App. This handy, visually pleasing app lets you browse colors along the entire spectrum. The app also puts complementary colors together and gives you related options. This useful app stemmed from House Beautiful‘s book Colors for Your Home.
House Beautiful’s Colors for Your Home
I find the value of this app comes from the ability to help clients visualize ideas and color interactions. When I can show my clients their preferred colors next to complimentary hues and examples of those colors in a room scheme, they begin to think about how colors work together and feel confident we are on the same page.
Favorite Paint Colors AppColor App Menu
For homeowners who want to color shop on their own, the House Beautiful app encourages them to branch out from their safety zone and consider colors they may not use on their own.
Choosing from a color spectrum.
The app includes several tools to help choose a color palette. Color River lets you browse paint colors and read reviews from professionals. Editor’s Picks features House Beautiful’s top color picks in ten different hues while the Color Personality Tool lets you learn your personalized color based on numerology. In My Paint Box, you can save and compare paint colors. There’s also a social aspect to the app that allows you to share your favorite colors via Facebook and Twitter.
My Paint Box
You can download the House Beautiful 500+ Favorite Paint Colors App on iTunes!
A night table is a personal space whose use and appearance depends on your habits.
A night table is a piece of furniture whose use and appearance depends on your habits. For example, my own night table has so much stuff on it! It’s usually covered with magazines that I never quite seem to finish reading. For you, the night table might be a place to store things, display things, or simply keep certain items within easy reach. The style of your night table can also be a reflection of the rest of the bedroom, using different materials to create an overall mood. The night table can be sexy with a glossy coat of lacquer or serene when layered with an ottoman. Or, it can be a simple, understated table! Here are some examples of great night tables in a variety of styles.
With so many different shades of blue, it can be bright, serene, bold, subtle, or dramatic.
Blue is a safe color that a lot of people gravitate toward. With so many different shades of blue, it can be bright, serene, bold, subtle, or dramatic. You can drench a room in blue or use it as a strong accent color. In fashion, blue looks good on almost anyone and pairs well with a lot of other hues. What do you think of blue?
Here are some of my favorite examples of using brass in interior design!
Brass was a popular finish in the 1970s on furniture and accessories, and in the 1980s brass fittings, plumbing, and hardware were mainstream choices until the clean look of polished nickel edged it out of common use. Lately brass has made a comeback, and not in an over-the-top, opulent manner. Brass can be tactfully done to add warmth and elegance to a space. It can be chic, lend an art deco feel to a room, and have a visually grounding effect. Similar to using gold accessories, brass can be that pop of something extra in a beautiful interior. Here are some of my favorite examples of using brass in interior design!
1. Clarendon Wall Mirror from Crate & Barrel2. Kismet & Karma Brass Tiles by Alloy
A wine cellar doesn’t have to be obvious, with grape vines on the walls or wine barrel tables.
One of my clients is in the process of adding a wine cellar to their home. While they are working with a wine cellar professional on this project, they have consulted with me on architectural elements like flooring, paint, and lighting. With a 10,000 bottle capacity, this wine cellar is no small undertaking! I find their plans for the wine cellar really interesting and inspiring.
As I watched their excitement over the design of the wine cellar, I thought of my ideal vision for such a space. I like the idea of incorporating traditional wine cellar materials like wood and stone, while adapting these things for a more modern look. A wine cellar doesn’t have to be obvious, with grape vines on the walls or wine barrel tables.
Traditional, but unconventional.I love the catwalk above this wine cellar.A large, sleek space that is spare and functional.
I also like the idea of making the wine cellar more than just a storage space. Rather than keeping the wine out of sight in a place where the host or hostess retrieves it alone, why not incorporate some seating to turn the area into a gathering place? Being able to sit with a a friend or two (or several!) surrounded by great wine sounds like such a relaxing way to socialize.
Wine Station wine cellar, by MAP Architects.A more modern space.
If you like the idea of making the wine cellar a place to spend time with friends and family, it’s not much of a stretch to take the entire place out of the cellar. With modern technology making climate control possible in any part of the home, there’s no reason to confine a beautiful wine cellar to the basement. You can capture the wine cellar look and feel in a not-so-obvious spot, such as a room divider or a nook you aren’t really using. It’s an appealing and practical approach to create a usable wine area in a more accessible part of the home.
This would be such a cool place to spend time!Accessible, functional, and beautiful.Amazing kitchen with open wine “cellar.”Warm and lofty.Even a small area can be a sophisticated spot to display and enjoy wine.
What would your ideal wine cellar (or room!) look like?
Upholstered chairs are a great way to bring a fun, personalized aspect to any room.
Upholstered chairs are a great way to bring a fun, personalized aspect to any room. By creating your own custom chair, you let the piece take on its own personality. With a wide variety of sizes, styles, and fabrics, you can make the chair your own. Combining fabrics and materials and adding details changes the pitch of the furniture. A traditional wing chair with some modern elements can completely change the mood of the room. Chairs don’t have to exactly match; there’s a lot of room to play. I love designing chairs for my clients and seeing the way they really complete the final project! Here are some examples of upholstered chairs I really like.
My favorite black and white photographs have to be those of iconic celebrities.
One of my favorite things to do is find just the right artwork for a client’s home. I’m always on the lookout for a sculpture, painter, or photographer whose work would be a perfect fit for a particular client or space. There are certain types of works I seem to naturally gravitate toward, such as black and white photography. The dramatic contrast of this medium is something I have always loved.
Zebra photo by Jenvanw at Deviant ArtPhoto by Annie LeibovitzLipsVintage dancer photo
My favorite black and white photographs, however, have to be those of iconic celebrities. These instantly recognizable faces are legendary in their own right, but when captured in a black and white photo, whether it’s a posed shot or a spontaneous moment, the result is a fascinating piece of art.
Elvis Presley, a major music icon.Sophia Loren, photographed in Rome by David “Chim” SeymourClassic Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’sJames Dean: Ultra sultry and one of my favorites!The one and only Marilyn Monroe.Another favorite of mine, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, photographed by Ron Galella.
In fashion and design, lucite accents add a modern chic touch.
Lately I have really been loving lucite. For me it evokes the 1970s, a decade that I could happily live in forever. In fashion and design, lucite accents add a modern chic touch. It is strong, crystal clear, and easy to shape into any number of things. Because lucite is nearly invisible, it brings brightness to a space without visually cluttering up a room. It can work with any color and, when done correctly, looks so classy. Here are some examples of lucite pieces that caught my eye.
