Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Value Of Digital Design

Have you ever gone to the grocery store only to get home and realize that you didn't get the main ingredient to a cake that you were baking? Trust me I know frustrating, I have been there.

When designing a room I love giving clients a 3D mock up of what the room will look like as well as a shopping list for all of the items in the room. It makes it easier for the client because they can see my intended vision in detail prior to ordering the first item. This also helps clients that are working with a budget and doing the room piece by piece.

What I would like to know are what are your thoughts of the of 3D Design?

Check out the Belmere Project that we just completed.


The Family Room "After"



This is a "Before" look of the Family Room.

Below is the 3D Design that we created of the room prior to changing or ordering any thing for the client. This shows what the room design will look like to the client once completed.



Below is the after picture again. 

So my question to you is do you is what are your thoughts on 3D Design? 





Friday, March 23, 2012

I'm going Mad over....Mad Men Inspired Design


I am counting the hours until the season premiere of one of my favorite shows, Mad Men.  In honor of the big event (Sunday at 10 pm on AMC), I wanted to share with you some of the rooms from the set.
Set in the early 1960s, nearly every shot of “Mad Men” is filled with objects from an era rich with new ideas, a time when modernism was still fresh, yet more mature than its early years — on the brink of going mainstream.



















Thursday, March 22, 2012

Fun Rugs

When I am working with a client  there are different stages of the design that get me excited, rug selection being one of them. I love the difference that a rug can make in a room. Wether is a fun shag or a wool tufted a rug can transform the space.























Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Free Outback Steakhouse Dinner Giveaway


Welcome to our next awesome giveaway where you can enter to win a $75 Outback Steakhouse Gift Card! Giveaway will go from March 21,2012 - April 20, 2012. Bloomin’ onion anyone? Yes Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Celebrating Green, a St. Patricks Day Tradition




I love the color green, and nothing makes me think of it more than St. Patricks Day. 
So since tomorrow is St. Patricks day today I am giving you some rooms that showcase the color green. 











Quartz or Quartzite, Whats the Difference?



Here in America stone is generally categorized in six categories.  
Granite, marble, limestone, slate, soapstone and sandstone.
So a lot of times you will see quartzites labeled as granite or marble.  Stone yards are getting better now though, I am starting to see quartzites labeled correctly more and more.
It's important to label quartzites correctly because they aren't the same as granite or marble at all.  
 

Quartzite's are hard, but they are more porous than granite.  Technically they shouldn't etch, but I have heard of many quartzite slabs etching which means they must have some calcium in them.  
I highly recommend getting a sample of the quartzite from the slab you would be purchasing and do some acid testing on it.  This way you will know if it etches or not before it's installed in your new, expensive kitchen.
Keep in mind etching isn't necessarily bad.  If you are okay with a patina it's great.  If you want your countertops to look perfect forever use granite or quartz.

 

Speaking of quartz, what's the difference between quartz and quartzite?
When you hear about quartz countertops people are usually not referring to real quartz, we are referring to a man made product.  
The man made quartz products are sold under brand names such as CaesarStoneRadianzCambriaCompac, etc.  These slabs are made of over 90% of the real quartz along with polymer resins and pigments.
 

Quartzite's are generally higher priced than most marbles and granites.  They are also some of the most stunning pieces of stone you will ever find.  Just be sure to do your research and hire an experienced, knowledgeable fabricator.

Monday, March 12, 2012

I'm in Love with Mirror Mate Frames!!!!



Last Friday we installed Mirror Mate Frames in a clients master bathroom and guest bathroom.
As you can see from the pictures below the bathrooms came with standard builder grade mirrors over the vanities. 
Instead of the client opting to order new mirrors we decided to install 
Mirror Mates over the existing ones.





As you can see it comes as a frame that will fit nicely over the existing mirror.
The client opted for a deep ebony finish to complement his wood floors that are in the other rooms.

Our amazing faux artist will be refinishing the cabinets to match.


The Frame Attached

LOVE!!!!! What a difference!!!



Friday, March 9, 2012

Its Getting Hot... And We Have A Kindle Fire to Giveaway to One Lucky Follower

I’ve got a new giveaway for you guys today, and I’m pretty positive you’re gonna love it! I have a Kindle Fire ($199 value!) to giveaway to one lucky reader! This tablet is really awesome – WiFi enabled, access to thousands of popular apps as well as 19 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books! It has super fast web browsing powered by Amazon Silk, and you get cloud storage for all of your Amazon content. It’s pretty rad. Sounds like a plan to me! Enter to win below!

IMPORTANT
You must follow the blog in order to be able to earn points below. You will also gain +3 entries for following the Blog. To follow first join the site then click the follow button at the top left hand side of the screen.  You will be disqualified if you aren't a follower. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

A Little Paint and A Lot of Hard Work


 
Recently one of my favorite clients (and best of friends) had a tenant move out of their rental house. The condition of the vacant house was pretty rough.  Since they were going to rent it out again they didn't want to do a complete remodel, so we looked at options that would update it and make it a desirable rental.
Below are some before photos.

The tenants had spilled oven cleaner onto the face of the drawers leaving them bleached out.
As you can see the cabinets were in really bad condition. The countertops were an old laminate that had seen better days.
Below are two pictures mid way through the renovation. The homeowner took down some old drop cabinets that were popular during the 60's to make the kitchen feel more open. The 1960"s fridge was actually sold on Craigslist. 
All of the cabinet doors were taken off in order to get them ready to be painted.


Once the cabinets were painted new granite countertops were installed along with  all new stainless steel appliances.
The Terrazzo floors were also refinished. 




The credit goes to my clients Adam, April, and Charlie, day in and day out they worked on this project.

Floor Refinishing- First Class Cleaning and Restoration
Granite Countertops- Earth, Rock Granite

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

I'm Seeing Stripes!


If there is one thing I love… It’s drapes! Lately my eyes have been drawn to bold stripes, not only in fashion and home interiors but also in drapes! Such a simple yet super bold concept!! Check out a few fantastic examples of beautiful striped drapes!


Aren't stripe drapes cool? 
Thanks for reading!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Adding Bold Accents to Neutral Rooms


Neutrals are essential to me in 'grounding' a room. 
Something to build on, 
to add to...
...but it can be boring as well.
White walls are easy! Neutral walls let you change your decor on a whim, completely change the look of the room with a few curtains or pillows rather than having to repaint. Neutral walls are safe, secure.
Anyhow, my point is, you can change your bold accent color in your room four times a year, and it will change the whole look for around a $100!!!!

There are wonderful ideas below...

Even adding a little greenery to a crisp white room can really make the room stand out...

And for the Bohemian Chic Gal, layer patterns in different colors...it gives you that "Anthro-inspired" look..

Besides the fact that this room is gorgeous, what do you think the first thing I noticed was? 
The horsey, of course!!  They look like they are hugging....;-)

I LOVE the un-expected seafoam colored bench across from the sofa...and the touch of RED...
right up my alley...

Don't forget that certain colors are complementary to eachother...if you're not sure which ones are, look online for a color wheel.  It's a cheat sheet if you can't visualize it...

Another un-expected surprise....the orange chair...paired with the teal glass jars...SO CUTE!

And if you don't want to play with pops of color...use reclaimed wood pieces to add
some weight to the room...

Don't be afraid to mix colors and patterns...look how unbelievably cute this room is...

For my momma readers out there...imagine how long you can hold onto something like this!  When she is tired of the pinks, oranges, and greens, pull it out of the room and you have a blank slate...

My favorite part about this room is that it has the picked-up-along-the-way-look....there are just so many things to look at...

Hope you are having a VERY happy Wednesday!  For those of you that have a normal work schedule, you are half way to the weekend!  Yayyyy.  

Friday, March 2, 2012

Its Getting Hot... And We Have A Kindle Fire to Giveaway to One Lucky Follower

I’ve got a new giveaway for you guys today, and I’m pretty positive you’re gonna love it! I have a Kindle Fire ($199 value!) to giveaway to one lucky reader! This tablet is really awesome – WiFi enabled, access to thousands of popular apps as well as 19 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books! It has super fast web browsing powered by Amazon Silk, and you get cloud storage for all of your Amazon content. It’s pretty rad. Sounds like a plan to me! Enter to win below!

IMPORTANT
You must follow the blog in order to be able to earn points below. You will also gain +3 entries for following the Blog. To follow first join the site then click the follow button at the top left hand side of the screen.  You will be disqualified if you aren't a follower. GOOD LUCK!!!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Creative Ways to Style Your Bookcases




When styling bookcases, there are some techniques to always consider to achieve great results. 

1) Stand Back and Assess Your Bookcase

Are you starting out with a sturdy, well-built piece? Are the shelves fastened securely? Is the overall effect balanced and in proportion?
If you’re planning on holding books and heavy objects, your bookcase cannot look like it’s ready to fall over! In the situation above, the shelves were spaced too far apart and shallow for the height of the built-ins. 
Is the finish in great shape and does it complement the look you are trying to achieve?
If you’re going for a light-airy look and your bookcase is stained dark, it’s not going to work. Paint it out in white or another light color.
In addition, think about contrast. If you know the accessories you’re going to use are white and the bookcase is the same, they’ll basically disappear. Painting out the back in a brighter color or wallpapering in a small repetitive print will make the objects pop.




2) Add Lighting

Lighting enhances a space so much and can be added in several ways. If your shelves are glass, install interior lighting at the top of the bookcase.
If possible, hang sconces on either side of the bookcase or use candle options if wiring is an issue. Consider library style sconces hung above the bookcase if space on either side is an issue or use a lamp placed on one of the shelves if there’s room.


3) Map Out and Create a Plan for Accessories

Selecting the right accessories for your bookcase can be tricky. However, if you take a picture of your bookcase and print it out or make a sketch on a piece of paper with the dimensions, you can have it by your side while you’re sourcing.
When choosing accessories for your bookcase, consider the elements- fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. Each of these should be balanced within the room using color, shape and texture. If there is too much of one element, it will seem a bit off.
  • Fire represents passion and energy- candles, red color, triangular shapes, lamps, pictures of people, etc.
  • Earth represents grounding us- stone, “earth tone” pottery, sisal and seagrass (wicker), colors yellow and brown.
  • Wood represents growth- plants, rectangular shape, color green, floral pictures or fabrics, frames, wooden objects.
  • Metal represents strength- light colors, electronics, and metal objects such as frames, bowls.
  • Water represents flow- glass, colors blue and black, crystal, flowing patterned fabrics.
When shopping for accessories I look for a tapestry of textures- trays, candles, leather, metal, glass, pottery, natural elements (e.g. shells or mother of pearl), plants (orchids are always nice), something woven, books, covered boxes, small art pieces, etc. These items should relate, but vary in size and shape.
Take a look at what you already have. Choose items that “speak” to you and tell your story. They should be representations of the past, present and future and should relate to your lifestyle. In Hanna’s case, she used varying items from nature to represent the rustic quality she was after.
Remember that it may take a while to find the “right” piece for a particular area and that’s okay. You want it to look curated and not straight out of the pages of a catalog.

4) Style the Bookcase

Create balance- Start with heavy objects on the bottom and work your way up. If you’re styling two bookcases, work on the shelves at the same level on either side, making sure the items have the same weight.
Mix it up- Items usually look best in odd numbers such as 3′s and 5′s. However, they don’t have to be the same piece. In addition, vary the number of objects on each shelf to make it more interesting. Consider leaning artwork or hanging on the face of a shelf.
Consider the flow- Vary the height of objects creating movement on the shelves.
Leave breathing space- Don’t fill the shelves. Think about the negative space each object creates. For example, place books loosely in some spots and tight in others or stand some up and lay some horizontally. For a modern look, leave the shelves more sparse. Add layers for traditional.
Stand back and assess- It will take a while to get it just right. Play around with items until you’re happy with how it looks. Remember that in most cases, less is more.

 Voila! You have yourself a beautifully styled bookcase!