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
Interior design firm Atelier AM is composed of husband and wife team Michael and Alexandra Misczynski.
Interior design firm Atelier AM is composed of husband and wife team Michael and Alexandra Misczynski. Based in Los Angeles, their client list includes Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes as well as Jane and Michael Eisner. After only ten years in the design field, they have earned an incredible reputation for stunning design. They are an amazing duo and a powerhouse of a team.
I love Atelier AM’s worldly, well lived in interiors. The way they use scale and materials ranging from wood to iron is very clever. Their use of reclaimed elements looks fresh, designed for today as opposed to period pieces.
I love how Atelier AM starts with a neutral base and adds fabulous pieces of furniture. The decoration is very simple, but with handsome, rich materials. The interiors are collected and full of history.
Alexandra and Michael’s designs have a chameleon quality, able to adapt to the surrounding environment while staying true to their earthy, organic style. Whether they’re designing an apartment in NYC or a loggia in California, they succeed in creating the ideal look for each project.
One of my favorite design books is Atelier AM’s Interiors. You can also find contact information on their website as well as many more images of their work online through the numerous design sites, blogs, and magazines that have featured this talented team.
The current issue of At Home in Fairfield County features a kitchen I designed for a client in Darien.
The current issue of At Home in Fairfield County features a kitchen I designed for a client in Darien. This was a great project with so many fantastic elements. The goal was to design a functional, yet beautiful, kitchen, suited to the owner’s love of cooking and family life with a young child and two dogs. With that in mind, we chose materials that look great but are durable and easy to maintain. In addition, we opened up the area so the owner could enjoy conversation with friends and family while cooking. The kitchen features two islands, a polished marble backdrop, and a gorgeous butler’s pantry. If you haven’t seen this issue, pick up a copy today!
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the contributions of incredible women to all aspects of life.
March is Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the contributions of incredible women to all aspects of life. It’s a time to show appreciation and respect for the women who made history through their courage, style, and refusal to accept the limitations placed on them by society and the times they lived in. When I think of influential women who helped shape their worlds, three names instantly come to mind: Coco Chanel, Elsie de Wolfe, and Sister Parish. These women changed the world of design and fashion and I truly admire all they accomplished. Each of them is an icon, a forecaster whose designs still work today.
Coco Chanel was an inspiration for women in era when the world was all about men. Born Gabrielle Chanel in the Loire Valley of France in 1883, she grew up impoverished with a strict convent education. Her early life inspired her to take her own direction, first on the stage (where she earned the nickname Coco) and then as a milliner. Chanel opened her first shop in Paris in 1913, selling hats and garments. Her practical designs led to a devoted clientele which boomed as people flocked to Paris at the start of WWI. Her ideas of how women should look, act, and dress had a profound effect on her designs, letting women leave corsets behind and take on more active pursuits. The enduring popularity and success of the Chanel brand is a direct result of Coco’s ability to package and market her own personal style and freer attitudes. Coco Chanel navigated through difficult times as well, including the closure of her salon during WWII. In the early 1950’s and at an advanced age compared to her contemporary designers, Coco reentered the world of fashion design, updating her style while staying true to her own classic approach. Even after her death in 1971, her name and brand continue to be associated with haute couture design as well as an inspiration to the world of fashion.
Coco ChanelEvening dress by Coco Chanel, circa 1926-27.Modern Chanel
It would be difficult to think of a woman who did more for the world of interior design than Elsie de Wolfe. Born in America around 1865, she became an interior designer when such a thing didn’t yet exist, especially for women. At that time, interiors were put together by upholsterers and architects. Elsie succeeded in transforming dark Victorian interiors into light, stylish homes featuring practicality and fresh colors. American homes were introduced to sophisticated, vibrant, and comfortable style for the first time. What I find most surprising about Elsie de Wolfe’s design career is that she didn’t start designing until she was 40 years old. Prior to that, she was an actress and society figure who became interested in design while staging plays. She studied the French lifestyle and approach to art, entertainment, food, and fashion and used that influence in her designs. Her clients included the likes of Anne Vanderbilt and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. According to The New Yorker, “Interior design as a profession was invented by Elsie de Wolfe.” She was truly a pioneer!
Elsie de WolfeA salon by Elsie de Wolfe.Elsie de Wolfe’s villa.
Dorothy May Kinnicutt grew up the only girl in a family with five children, leading to her lifelong nickname of Sister. In 1930 she married Henry Parish and opened her decorating firm in suburban New Jersey in 1933. Up to that point, she had designed the interiors for her family’s country home, several neighbors’ homes, and a nearby restaurant. She was credited with ushering in the American country style of the 1960s. When she hired Albert Hadley, the pair became a design legend. Parish is perhaps best known for her designs in the Kennedy White House as well as the influence she had on an entire generation of New York designers. Parish herself said, “As a child, I discovered the happy feelings that familiar things can bring — an old apple tree, a favorite garden, the smell of a fresh-clipped hedge, simply knowing that when you round the corner, nothing will be changed, nothing will be gone. I try to instill the lucky part of my life in each house that I do. Some think a decorator should change a house. I try to give permanence to a house, to bring out the experiences, the memories, the feelings that make it a home.”
Sister ParishYellow Oval Room in the White House by Sister Parish.Interior design by Sister Parish.
It’s hard to quantify the influence of women on today’s world of fashion and design, but these giants of design made themselves into household names and have inspired generations of girls to follow their own dreams without compromise.
Thanks to the skills and talents of my project manager Jessica, I am pleased to be able to offer my clients an extremely realistic 3D rendering service for our interior design projects.
Thanks to the skills and talents of my project manager Jessica, I am pleased to be able to offer my clients an extremely realistic 3D rendering service for our interior design projects. This is an incredible tool for communicating and planning. Without being able to see into my clients’ minds, I can’t be sure we are entirely on the same page when visualizing how a space will look with all of the design elements in place. Not everyone can imagine the way a specific tile will look next to a certain piece of furniture, how how well a light fixture will go with the rest of the room. By creating a highly detailed computer rendering, I can be confident my clients and I are sharing the same vision.
Using a 3D modeling program called Rhino, Jessica starts with a floor plan and builds walls into the space so we can see what that area is like in real life. From there, she can assign materials such as wood, glass, or metal to build accessories. She even assigns specific products, like wallpapers, to areas of the room. Rhino allows her to create complex things like curves for an extremely accurate picture of the final design.
Screen shot of a rending in progress.Adding elements takes a lot of time and skill.The finished design begins to take shape.
Once Jessica has used Rhino to create the design, another program called Flamingo transforms that design into the actual rendering. From there, she can use Photoshop to make the design look even more realistic. A lot of time and complexity goes into this process from this point, but once the model of the client’s space is built and rendered, making changes to the details is a comparatively quick and simple job. If the client looks at the rendering and says, “You know, I think I’d prefer a darker tile,” we can change the rendering without starting over. The finished rendering looks almost like a photograph of the space!
One view of a bathroom rendering.The same bathroom rendering showing a different view.Our renderings offer the client views of multiple angles and aspects of each space.
Using programs like Rhino and Flamingo requires a good amount of education and experience. Jessica has years of experience with drawing, drafting, and programs such as AutoCAD. This level of realistic rendering is a really helpful service available to all of our clients!
An ottoman is such a versatile piece of furniture, able to double as a coffee table or make a statement in the center or a room.
I love using ottomans when designing a room. An ottoman is such a versatile piece of furniture, able to double as a coffee table or make a statement in the center or a room. The ottoman doesn’t have to be confined to the living room, either — it can look great at the foot of a bed or under a console table in the entry or hall. Ottomans are useful for layering a room and come in such a wide variety of sizes and materials. The ottoman can soften a room or dress it up with just the right details. Here are some of my favorite ottoman designs:
Your front door is not only the opening to your home. It’s also the first thing to greet guests when they arrive at your house.
Your front door is not only the opening to your home. It’s also the first thing to greet guests when they arrive at your house. The door can make a big statement or have a quieter impact. Details such as carvings and nail heads form intricacies that tell a story and hint at the personality and style of your home’s interior.
I love the idea of using a unique door, maybe something reclaimed or salvaged, for the front door, a wine room, or a butler’s pantry. I once worked with a contractor who had a collection of such doors. They were all amazing, which made it so hard to choose! You can modernize a reclaimed door or dress it up with stained glass or antique mirrors. Turning the door into a work of art is a fun way to make something special out of a prominent feature of your home. If you need further inspiration, try looking at elaborate doors from around the world!
I absolutely love black! I wear it just about every day. Something about black makes me think of confidence, so I feel stronger when I’m wearing it. In interior design, black makes a dominant accent color, especially when used in a key area of the room. You can’t be wary of black when designing with it; you have to be bold and fearless, whether you choose to use it for paint, furniture, or fabric. I am obsessed with it!
When Darryl Carter, a favorite designer of mine, purchased the property for his new store and studio in Washington, the buildings were rundown and in need of a serious amount of work from years of neglect and decay.
When Darryl Carter, a favorite designer of mine, purchased the property for his new store and studio in Washington, the buildings were rundown and in need of a serious amount of work from years of neglect and decay. Missing windows and a lack of working plumbing were only two of the building’s issues, but Darryl Carter was able to see past the blemishes to the building’s structure, history, and potential. With the help of his own design team, Wnuk Spurlock Architecture, and Glass Construction, Carter succeeded in transforming the property.
This original skylight was kept in place during the restoration project.The exposed brick became an important part of the finished space.Part of a salvaged staircase.
With parts of the building dating to the pre-Civil War era, Carter was able to use many original aspects of the property to his advantage. Wood beams, exposed brick, and other elements were salvaged during the restoration and incorporated into the final design. Other materials for the store and studio have been salvaged from other places, including arched glass doors from Georgetown’s Dunbarton House, reclaimed timbers from the former embassy of the Central African Republic, and granite blocks from Baltimore’s Druid Hill. The amount of vision that went into transforming the main building and carriage house from near ruin to completely beauty is incredible!
The finished storefront.I love how the “ghost” of the original stairway is still visible!A gorgeous stone archway.The finished store features so many rooms for shoppers to explore.
To see more examples of Darryl Carter’s designs, you can visit his website or find him on Facebook. He also published The Collected Home and The New Traditional, both of which are great interior design books for any collection.
I am already looking forward to House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year.
I know it’s still a while off, but I am already looking forward to House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year. It’s a great opportunity to see new products and appliances.
Last year’s Kitchen of the Year by Mick De Giulio featured a design that I absolutely loved. It was so simple and beautiful.
Bright and open with a touch of glamor!A stunning custom cabinet.Including a cozy seating area in the kitchen is genius.Love the casual, mismatched chairs in the dining area.
Another past Kitchen of the Year that made an impression on me was designed by Christopher Peacock in 2008. His use of CaesarStone allowed clients and other designers to feel OK with using man-made materials. In general, I think the Kitchen of the Year is a good gauge of the direction kitchen design is moving and which brands are reliable and comfortable for both client and designer.
Christopher Peacock’s kitchen design with CaesarStone.
I’d imagine House Beautiful’s Kitchen of the Year will be on display and open to the public at Rockefeller Center in NYC as in years past. Show kitchen visitors will be able to enjoy demos and tastings from a variety of chefs, making this much more than a display kitchen. It needs to be as functional as it is beautiful.
The 2008 Kitchen of the Year in Rockefeller Center.NY Chef Marc Murphy cooks for a crowd in last year’s Kitchen of the Year.
2. Kismet & Karma Brass Tiles by Alloy
4. Brass staircase railing by Kelly Wearstler, image via Elle Decor
8. Iacoli & McAllister Brass Pendant Lamp
12. Brass Door Handle, image via Dwell
