Portfolio Profile: Interior Designer Marlaina Teich

Everyone loves a designer show house. I do. Fellow interior designer, Marliana Teich, sent me these “before and after” photos of her bed & bath combo in the Brookville Show House.

Pretty nifty, what? Marlaina teaches us a lesson in the importance of contrast. How did she do it? The silver armoire was her inspiration for the design. Marlaina highlighted the high ceilings with an elaborate Mother of Pearl fireplace wall, which was created using 12″x24″ tiles of capiz shells. That’s a cool idea, isn’t it?

The shimmer continues with the bed upholstered in pearlized “leather”. She framed the windows with silk. Using panels on either end frames the bed and removes any awkwardness of the bed in front of the windows.

The biggest design challenge – the bathroom – was completely outdated. The walls were painted cloth. Moisture on cloth? Eeewww.  To update the bathroom, Marlaina added an oversized trellis-patterned wall covering in charcoal gray and painted the trim a fresh white, and also built a custom wood surround for the tub.

To see the rest of the show house, follow this link. What do you think of the rooms? I think she did a great job and showed real creativity in the space planning and the shells on the fireplace wall. Designers pay for everything that goes in a show house room. We hope to sell enough of the furnishings to break even. Unless we own a furniture store, designers beg and borrow to create a room. Which is what I’ll begin doing in a few short weeks at the Junior League Show House here in Grosse Pointe.

DIY project: Covering an ugly brick fireplace surround with metal

Design Hole reader, Elisa, sent me photos of a terrific project she and her husband did themselves. They covered their brick fireplace with sheets of steel. I asked her how she did it. Here’s her story.

Creating a metal fireplace surround

We first got the idea to cover our brick fireplace from a design magazine years back. This was a stainless steel fireplace with a curved design. So we went to Supermarche du Metal, in Lachine, Quebec City, to see what they had. The bottom line was we couldn’t afford to copy the exact design. It was waaay too expensive.

Before: boring brick and a tired brass firescreen

Then, we saw they had sheets of the polished gridplate that was in our budget. We bought two sheets and the very nice man from Supermarche directed us to a place where a guy could bend the corners. Luckily, we had exact measurements. We had the two sheets bent and delivered to our home.

The two metal sheets meet in the middle

We screwed the metal sheets into the brick with small screws on the side and middle. You can barely see the screws. If we ever get bored with it, it can easy be removed. We also sprayed the brass fireplace doors using heat resistant black paint to give it a more modern look.

Elisa did an excellent job, don’t you think? The end result looks very professional. Having perfect measurements is the key to a job well done. Thanks for sharing this with us Elisa!

If you’re interested in ordering sheet metal online, try McNichols.

Do you have a DIY project you’re proud of? Send me the photos via the “contact” link.

Philip Nimmo Ironworks’ fire screens

It might sound silly to be writing about fire screens in the summer (here in the US). But these are too beautiful to pass up writing about now. And, hey, it’s winter somewhere in the world.

Philip Nimmo hails from Los Angeles, where the sun is always shining. His studio creates custom and hand made things for the fireplace, as well as some furniture and lighting. Let’s take a peek at some of my favorites.

Giro, is made with glass accents. All Philip’s screens come in a variety of finishes. Black is my favorite.

Primo reminds me of a circuit board – only pretty.

Goccia might look best in my living room. I love the spot of color.

Then again, Punto is awfully cute.

I love the hinges in the middle of some of these screens, like Forma. It’s fire screen love on a Monday morning. Let’s all sing and get another cup of coffee.

If you’re interested in ordering, contact Philip’s studio via this link.

My fire screen is from Target. It’s one of those things I ignore until my book club girlfriends come over every January. Suddenly, that fire screen has neon lights blinking all over it and sirens blaring. I’m always so busy redecorating the rest of my house that I’ve never managed get to changing it out. And, it’s one of the three times per year I actually use my living room.

Sigh… maybe this year.

So, my design neurosis kicks in when book club is held at my house. When do you get extra-weird about your house?

High – Low: Firescreens

Dahlings, a well-appointed fireplace is a must-have this holiday season. Check out my post on decorating the mantel. Then, make sure you’ve got the proper firescreen to complete your vision.

Do you want to spend a lot of money? Sometimes it’s worth it. Sometimes not. You decide.

High: La Forge Francaise $1,999

La Forge Francaise designs and builts beautiful, hand-wrought furnishings, including this Belier firescreen. It’s completely customizable. La Forge Francaise is available through the trade.

Low: Target $149.99

Target offers up the Catarine firescreen for a mere $149.99. It has a faux oxidized finish.

The looks are similar. The quality is lightyears apart. Which one would you prefer? Is it better to save for the higher quality product? Maybe we could add it to our wish lists.

The Balanced Mantel: 10 Ideas

Mantels aren’t just for hanging Christmas stockings. Doh. They’re often the focal point of the room they reside in. Decorating the mantel doesn’t require symmetry. And it really, doesn’t require photos of the family. Please stay away from that. What they do need is a little extra attention, and an open minded attitude.

Here are ten visual ideas to get those creative juices flowing.

image: Pieter Estersohn

We’re used to thinking that a mantel requires a mirror hanging above, or a painting. It requires a mantel loaded down with photos and figurines. There are no rules. Which is why I’m starting with the idea that you don’t have to hang anything over the fireplace. Here, the ferns and artwork on either side are enough to frame the fireplace. The decorative objects on either side are small. They’re also different. There’s no need for a pair of symmetrical objects.

image: John Dummer

Then again, there’s nothing wrong with a mirror. I like the way the mantel is dressed with a series of eclectic candlesticks that play with the bright colors in the room. It’s okay to block the mirror, too.

image: Joshua McHugh

Textile designer, Gretchen Bellinger, has taken a contemporary fireplace and given it a traditional spin. The painting, with its elaborate frame, is enough to make a statement. The yellow flowers, with the little pots, are the simplest of embellishment. Nothing else is needed. Traditional doesn’t have to mean frou-frou.

image: Deborah Whitelaw Llewellyn

As I said, symmetry isn’t a requirement. However, balance is something to keep in mind. And it can extend beyond the actual fireplace. Consider the hearth and walls that surround the space. Here, the mantel is weighted with objects toward the left. By itself, the look might appear lopsided. But the basket filled with logs balances the look. I’m dying to scooch that map over to the left a bit.

image: Henry Bourne

In the same vein, here is a classic, ornate fireplace with an asymmetrical decoration. Leave the silver picture frames for the table. A silver pitcher is just the right touch – balanced by the beauty of the flowers. The silver whispers “luxury”. There’s no need to scream, dahling.

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