Tag: interior design

Serendipity Feature & Design Market Honoree

I’m so pleased to have an entryway I designed featured in the April 2016 issue of Serendipity Magazine!

I’m so pleased to have an entryway I designed featured in the April 2016 issue of Serendipity Magazine!  This entry was designed for a home in New Canaan, CT, and was inspired by the client’s love of antiques.

Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 2Also in this issue is an invitation to a cocktail reception celebrating the 4th annual Serendipity 2016 Design Market Digest.  This May 11 event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. and will feature industry experts, including two Market Honorees.  I am very happy to be one of this year’s Honorees along with architect Douglas VanderHorn.  The cocktail reception will be held at Lillian August in Greenwich.  You can RSVP to events@ungerpublishing.com.  I hope to see many of you there!

Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 3

Kitchen Organization

The key to a great looking kitchen is organization.

The key to a great looking kitchen is organization.  In order to have uncluttered counters and tabletops, your storage solutions must be smart, suited your lifestyle, and designed to avoid wasting space.

kitchen storage

A kitchen takes about 12 to 14 weeks to build.  It’s important to consider how the space will be used so the design includes strategic storage solutions.  Think about where you cook, how you clean, and where you can store specific items.  How close to the range do you want spices, oils, and utensils?  Which kitchen items do you need close at hand, and which do you only use rarely?  When designing a kitchen, I look for storage and organization solutions that work for each client’s needs.

spice storagebulthaup

Part of designing a kitchen involves editing out superfluous items.  It’s more difficult to be organized if you have too much of everything.  Do you need five wine openers?  Focus on the basics, not on overabundance.  I also plan for the client’s storage needs in terms of dinnerware.  Today’s plates are big, sometimes 12 or 13 inches in diameter.  Typical kitchen cabinets may not work for oversize dishes, so I find a 14 inch clearance is ideal.  I also love it when the insides of cabinets and drawers are finished.  They should look beautiful when you open them!

porcelanosabulthaup drawer system

If you plan to renovate your kitchen or are building a home, think beyond the surface beauty of kitchen design and explore organization solutions that will allow you to truly enjoy the space.  Think about how you use your kitchen — are you a baker, an entertainer, an accomplished home chef?  Thoughtful design is essential!

hobson woodworks incheartwood kitchens baking drawer

 

 

Custom Rugs

About half of the rugs I install for clients are custom, which really allows us to hone in on the color, style, construction, texture, and pattern of the piece.

I love custom rugs.  About half of the rugs I install for clients are custom, which really allows us to hone in on the color, style, construction, texture, and pattern of the piece.  If I see a rug that I feel isn’t quite right for a client, I can adjust the color or keep the pattern but change the construction.  The beauty of a custom design is that we can design a rug around a particular room.

Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 1 Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 4

Sometimes I will see a big rug that’s perfect for a client but needs to be tailored down to fit a space.  Or, I’ll really like the border of a rug so will keep that element but leave the rest of the piece open.

Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 2Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC 5

When designing a custom rug, you have to aware of geometry and how the pattern will lay out over the entire surface of the finished rug.  You also have to take into consideration the amount of traffic a rug will endure.  For family room, I would create a hand tufted, completely indestructible wool rug.  Another rug might consist of linen and silk with a traditional sumac construction and an integrated weave of high and low pile.  A custom design results in a rug designed to look, and live, perfectly in a space.

Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC

 

At Home in Fairfield County: Get Fresh

At Home in Fairfield County Magazine asked forty designers, including me, to pick tried and true colors for a fresh spring look.

At Home in Fairfield County Magazine asked twenty designers, including me, to pick tried and true colors for a fresh spring look.  My choices are Steep Cliff Gray and French Lilac from Benjamin Moore.  Pick up a copy of the March/April issue to see all of the top color choices!

Amy Aidinis Hirsch At Home Color

Favorite Things: Floor Lamps

One of the most important aspects of a room is the lighting.

One of the most important aspects of a room is the lighting.  Lighting contributes to both the mood and functionality of a space.  When choosing a floor lamp, take into consideration qualities such as style, size, and shape.  It’s also important to plan for the purpose of the lighting in that particular place – is it for mood, accent, or illuminating a specific task?  The right floor lamp is as decorative as it is useful.  Floor lamps are such a great opportunity to bring something sculptural to a room.  Here are some of my favorite examples of floor lamps:

1.  Anora Lamp, Dering Hall

anora lamp dering hall

2.  Arborescence Floor Lampsarborescence lamps

3.  Black Widow, Dering Hallblack widow dering hall4.  Cesare Lacca Floor Lamp

cesare lacca floor lamp

5.  Charlton Floor Lampcharlton floor lamp6.  Boston by Chelsom

 

 

chelsom co uk

7.  Gold Leaf Barrel Frame Floor Lamp by Dimond Lightingfloor lamp

8.  Mahari Floor Lampwww.andreasudati.comprofessional photographer

9.  Nathan Floor Lampnathan floor lamp arteriors

10.  Soledad Floor Lamp from Roche Boboissoledad floor lamp

 

Walter Arnold: The Art of Abandonment

Arnold’s series “The Art of Abandoment” has taken him to a host of dream-like places, from empty and decaying castles to haunted looking asylums.

I first became acquainted with Walter Arnold‘s photography after a friend saw his work at the iconic Woolworth Walk in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.  A Florida native, Arnold eventually made his home in the mountains of North Carolina.  The local natural beauty surrounding his new home inspired Arnold to pick up camera and learn photography.  One day, he stumbled across an airplane graveyard and discovered a passion for abandonment photography — the art of photographing places and things that have been left behind.

Altitude Zero
Altitude Zero
The Tennessee Brewing Company
The Tennessee Brewing Company
Ascension
Ascension

Arnold’s series The Art of Abandoment has taken him to a host of dream-like places, from empty and decaying castles to haunted looking asylums.  He has a gift for capturing the unusual light of these forgotten places.  His photographs allow us to glimpse the beauty that used to exist in many places.  They invoke a kind of stillness and leave viewers wanting to know more about why these places were abandoned.

The Salon
The Salon
The Mason's Castle
The Mason’s Castle
Ride to Ruin
Ride to Ruin
Ascending
Ascending

What I love about these photos is that they show the complete opposite of what we design and curate.  These are places that are no longer cared for.  In spite of the decay and ruin, you can still see the architecture, what once was there, and find inspiration in the beauty of desolation.

Sunlight Sonata
Sunlight Sonata
Marine Hospital
Marine Hospital
It's Always Summer Here
It’s Always Summer Here
Our Home
Our Home

Arnold’s photos are available as metal prints, meaning the images are actually infused into the surface of a sheet of aluminum before being treated with a high gloss finish.  The resulting print is astonishingly vibrant, lending a light to the abandonment photos that must be seen to be fully appreciated.

At Odds
At Odds
Braced for Impact
Braced for Impact
In the Ninth Hour
In the Ninth Hour
Invasion
Invasion

You can see more of Walter Arnold’s photography on his website.  You can also find him on Facebook.

 

Play Rooms

A play room helps keep the rest of your home, including your child’s bedroom, free of toys.

Many parents choose to dedicate one room in the home as a child’s playroom.  This is a great way to keep the clutter of toys to a minimum.  It also lets you maintain the child’s bedroom as a place to rest and spend quiet time.  In other words, a play room helps keep the rest of your home, including your child’s bedroom, free of toys.

Design by Wynne Taylor Ford
Design by Wynne Taylor Ford
By Sara Bederman Design
By Sara Bederman Design

Because the primary purpose of a playroom is to give a child a place to have fun inside, the room should be whimsical and inviting.  Think vibrant color, ample light, and plenty of space to move around.  The playroom must have enough room for little bodies to burn off excess energy.  It should include plenty of storage for toys, books, and craft supplies.  The nature of a playroom means fabrics should be durable and easy to clean.  Adding furnishings that are comfortable for parents as well as kids makes the playroom a spot where the whole family can have fun together.

Whimsical playroom design by Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC.
Whimsical playroom design by Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC.
Playroom by Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC.
Playroom by Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design LLC.

As kids get older, the nature of playtime changes.  A playroom that grows with your child is ideal.  Storage needs may change from places for toys to places for video games and board games.  Older kids prefer to socialize rather than just play, so the playroom will eventually become more of a hangout room.  Plan ahead for an entertainment system that easily transitions from movie time for toddlers to gaming time for teens.  When choosing a location for the playroom, keep in mind you’ll want a balance between supervision and privacy.  You should be able to hear your child playing without having to hover around the playroom.

By Robeson Design
By Robeson Design
Design by Oliver Burns
Design by Oliver Burns

What would your ideal playroom look like?