I love the organic rawness of wood. It is so beautiful and can be used in its simplest, natural form. With so many types of wood, each with its own finish and texture, you have incredible design opportunities. Instead of assigning wood to the floor or furniture, consider using it in a more unconventional place!
If you haven’t heard of Savant Systems, it is definitely worth checking out!
If you haven’t heard of Savant Systems, it is definitely worth checking out! Imagine having a control panel at your fingertips that allows you to manipulate just about everything electronic in your home or business. Using your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, or HDTV, you can control lighting, climate, security, and entertainment. If it has an on/off switch, it can be integrated with Savant Systems. You don’t even have to be home for the system to work!
Savant’s technology.The interface is known for being smart and intuitive.
I recently visited the Savant Experience Center in NYC. The overall interior design at the Experience Center was done by the amazing Thom Felicia. His design combined with the Savant technology really gives you the full impact of the system’s potential. The integration of style and luxury with this level of easy control is just so cool!
The showroom bedroom at Savant.The home theater area.Main living area.
The various areas of the Experience Center demonstrate how seamlessly the technology interacts with the beautiful decor. From any point, you can instantly adjust the lighting or temperature or select options for home entertainment. If you’re away from home and want to turn lights off and on to make the home look occupied, Savant makes it possible. More than that, Savant gives your home the ability to think ahead and plan for you. Imagine pulling into your driveway late at night. The garage door automatically goes up, lights turn on to guide you safely through the entry and hall, and the home security system engages behind you, all without you having to press a button or flip a switch. Remotely close blinds, lock doors, and turn on exterior lights. Receive alerts when the kids get home from school or if the garage door has been left open. Savant includes options to limit access to video systems for children and allows you to remotely view home security cameras. While managing this technology might seem like a daunting task, Savant has worked hard to create a system that is free of frustration and simple to use.
Savant Systems have a lot of appeal for businesses as well. Being able to manage lights, media, and security gives business owners a level of control that helps with efficiency and lets them focus on other tasks. Just like in a residential setting, the Savant System doesn’t interfere with amazing design.
Here are a few photos I took myself when I visited the Experience Center. It was great to see first-hand how the system works and how easily it can be incorporated into a home without compromising on the interior design.
The iPad Control Panel.Bar area at the Experience Center.A bathroom in the Experience Center, also part of the Savant System.Sitting and entertainment area.
To learn more about Savant, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook!
With so many different shapes, materials, colors, and finishes, you have endless options with table lamps!
Everyone needs lamps! The placement of your table lamps should always be strategic, leaving no dark spots while creating the ideal ambiance. Table lamps not only make a statement, but can change the whole feeling of a space. With so many different shapes, materials, colors, and finishes, you have endless options with table lamps! It’s important for a table lamp to have the right scale and shape for the space, so here are some of my favorite lamps to inspire you!
The finished potting shed gave my client the ideal space for spending time on his favorite hobby.
Last summer I shared my plans for a potting shed design that was a work in progress. Looking back on those initial plans, it’s interesting to see how many of those details were incorporated into the final design. And yes, it is possible to use grow bulbs with sconces! The finished potting shed gave my client the ideal space for spending time on his favorite hobby and has now been featured by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens as a Project of Note. To see photos and read about details of this project, pick up a copy of the magazine today!
When I recently worked with a family to turn their architecturally overdone Greenwich townhouse into more natural, pared down interior, I was thrilled with the result.
Helping my clients turn a residence into the perfect, thoughtful interior is definitely the best part of my job! When I recently worked with a family to turn their architecturally overdone Greenwich townhouse into more natural, pared down interior, I was thrilled with the result. The home is now much more suited to its inhabitants. As an added bonus, this project has been featured in the May/June issue of At Home in Fairfield County. Pick up a copy today to read more about this amazing project which was completed in a mere six weeks!
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.
It’s not easy for me to step away from my hectic work schedule and give myself some down time, but if I were to treat myself to an incredible vacation I know exactly where I want to go!
It’s not easy for me to step away from my hectic work schedule and give myself some down time, but if I were to treat myself to an incredible vacation I know exactly where I want to go! When I’m on vacation, I want my surroundings to be the opposite of my day-to-day life: serene, calming, and free of distractions. There are three hotels that are definitely on my must-visit bucket list and what all of them have in common is an incredibly appealing atmosphere of tranquility.
Blue Palace Resort and Spa, Greece: Stunning scenery, incredible blue water, and all of the luxuries you could desire on vacation. I would love to spend a week or two being pampered and spoiled here.
Infinity pool at Blue Palace ResortRoyal Blue VillaPrivate BeachArsenali Lounge Bar PoolOlea Dining Room
Rosewood Little Dix Bay: An amazingly gorgeous Caribbean destination in the British Virgin Islands. I love being near water, and Rosewood Little Dix Bay provides more than enough beautiful ocean for even me. With thoughtfully designed accommodations, a spa, and fine dining, this is exactly the kind of destination that I am drawn to!
So beautiful!One of the dining areas.Perfect beach.Love the stone shower.So relaxing!
Mayflower Inn and Spa: Nearer to home in Washington, Connecticut, the Mayflower Inn is a truly tranquil place to escape to. With beautifully landscaped grounds, luxurious fine dining, and spa you’d never want to leave, visitors here can indulge in as much (or as little) activity as they like. I love the clean, refreshing design and traditional sophistication of the accommodations.
Mayflower Inn’s lovely grounds.Understated sophistication.Simple and uncluttered.A treat from the dining room.A more traditional, elegant room.
My goal is to create a handsome room that will be suitable for my client’s son for many years to come.
I recently worked on an interesting project for a client who asked me to design eight bedrooms. The rest of the home had already been decorated by another talented designer, so I had to be conscious and respectful of the work that had previously been done while at the same time designing for eight different personalities. Sometimes it can be harder to adapt to a style already in place than to start with your own vision from the beginning! One of the bedrooms belongs to a young boy and has been particular pleasure to work on.
The goal is to create a handsome room that will be suitable for this boy for many years to come. I’m planning a room he can grow in, for the rest of his childhood and into his teens and early adulthood. For that to happen, the bedroom has to contain elements that will appeal to the young boy as well as the person he will grow into. I started with a palette of colors and patterns that are masculine without being too adult.
Sophisticated rather than juvenile.
For the walls, I chose a paper from Phillip Jeffries that I’d been wanting to use for a long time!
Rivets in Copper on Elephant Manila Hemp
The furnishings and accessories also fit the idea of creating a handsome room for this young man. With leather accents, plaid, and other boyish touches, the furniture had to be solid and strong without overpowering the space.
Sutton Desk from Noir FurnitureFrench Academie Iron Bed from Restoration HardwareRedhill Side Table from NoirSteam Punk table lamp by Jamie Young
Another nice accent I used in this room is this leather braid for the window treatments.
Samuel and Sons Woven Italian Leather Braid
I can’t wait to see all of these elements come together to create a fantastic room!
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.
