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Show House FAIL
Well, the word came in over the weekend that Sandra and I did not get a room in the show house. So my little girl’s room will have to wait for another day.Sigh.
I’ll be interested to see what the committee decided to go for. More traditional looks? We’ll all find out in May. Stay tuned.
Chair of the Day: Demacker Bar Stool
Bar stools have come a long way in the past few years. Maybe I’m just better and finding good ones. Demacker just added this to his seating collection.
The HM58 Bar Stool is elegant in its simplicity. It looks comfortable, too. Plus, there’s a spark of color. This is currently in my top 3.
I’m Quoted in Stir – Thanks Rachel!
My blog buddy and color expert, Rachel Perls, wrote an article for Sherwin Williams’ Stir Magazine, quoting yours truly. Thanks Rachel!
The subject was online decorating as a profession. I think you’ll find the article interesting. You can link to it here.
For those of you who know me, you know I like to run Design Dilemmas where I redecorate spaces completely from photos. I wish I could do more of them and plan to in the future. It’s a time consuming thing and right now my time is crunched! I would only do these as a freebie and always underscore the importance of checking color options in real life. The reason? Because, as you’ll read in Rachel’s article, computer monitors do not reflect real life. Never assume that colors will match in real life because they do in Internet Land.
That doesn’t mean we can’t run a business long distance. But it has to involve the US mail.
Would you hire an online designer? I’m really interested to know if you have ever considered it.
Interior Design Teen Room Presentation
I spent last week putting together my proposals for the Junior League’s Show House coming up this spring. And I thought I’d share them with you. If you missed Monday’s post, you can read it here. Along with the little girl’s room, I presented a design for a bohemian teen-aged girl’s room.
I must admit this is my favorite of the two rooms. Here’s what’s going on. First, I wanted to show how to a room could be “redesigned” to eliminate, in this instance, a French style and find a new one. The windows in the home are a decidedly leaded glass French style. What if your teen is rolling her eyes at your antiquated sense of style?
Naturally, the place to start was the windows. One wide window has a covered radiator sitting below it that’s even wider. To disguise it, I’m placing a wood panel on top of the radiator. It’s the same width as the radiator and will have squares and circles cut to let in the light. Back-lighting will accentuate the circular shapes.
The other window hides behind a curtain panel made with iron-on photographs and cut into ribbons.
For color, I’m using gray on the walls and, hot pink on the radiators, and yellow-green on the wood window panel. That’s my base. The rest of the room is going to be a mix of textures, colors and prints. Decoupage and fabric-covered furnishings and accessories round out the look.
I’ll hear if I got a room on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Jr League of Detroit Show House Presentation
In between bouts of coughing attacks last week, I spend my time feverishly (pun!) putting together my presentations for this year’s Jr. League of Detroit Show House. The house is a beautiful, French provincial stone home set right on Lake St Clair. That’s the large lake seen at the end of Grosse Pointe Blank and Gran Torino.
I put together two proposals. My partner in this venture, Sandra Olave, did another. We needed at least three. I thought I’d share my presentations with you.
I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while, hoping to work on a little girl’s room one day. My favorite feature of this garden wonderland are the painted screen doors at the entrance to the room and the bath. Painted screen doors is an urban art form from my hometown of Baltimore. My screens depict trees. The doors feature window boxes (filled with handmade felt flowers and critters) along with a birdhouse.
The rest of the room continues that floral theme. The window boxes sit atop radiators. Café curtains and a canopy on the antique spindle bed are dressed with flowers and floral fabrics. A floral wallpaper continues the flowery fun. I’m painting the ceiling, trim and fireplace in a coordinating color. A desk, similar to the one in the picture will be painted one color on the outside – another on the inside.
I find that this type of presentation is well received. I put it together on Photoshop and have it printed in tabloid size on good paper. It’s visually appealing, neat and clean. I don’t have to have actual fabric samples if I can find what I’ll use on a website. I scan things as well.
I’ll share my Bohemian Teen room tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’d love to know what you think of this room. Would your little girl like a room like this? Can I make a million felt flowers by May 1st, and how much should I sell them for? I’ve got to pay for this room somehow! :-) I can take the criticism. I don’t even know if I’m getting a room. I find out Friday.
6 Weeks Of Giveaways! Domino’s Decorating Book
We’ve got only six weeks before Christmas and just five before the first night of Hanukkah arrives on December 11th. Better get those lists started! Make your first stop Design Hole. I’ve rustled up a pile of fantastic gifts and I’m giving them away – starting today.
First up is Domino’s Book of Decorating. This giveaway runs all week through Friday. I’ll announce the winner, chosen at random, on Saturday.
We were all so sad to see such a great magazine shut its doors. This book offers the best of their decorating how-to’s.
To enter, simply leave a comment under any of the Domino giveaway posts. I’d like to know what interior design subject you’d like to know more about. Is it color palettes? How to choose different fabric patterns that work together? More DIY projects? I’d love to know what you’re interested in.
Let me know your thoughts – long or short. The giveaway is open to anyone living in the contiguous United States and Canada. To avoid paying duty, I’ll ship it as a gift, because that’s what it is!
Kitchen Renovation Under $1,000 – In 2 Weekends
I’m so happy with my newly organized kitchen, thanks to Apartment Therapy’s Kitchen Cure. I thought I’d pitch in and share a kitchen renovation I did for less than a thousand dollars. Ready?
The photo, above, is the completed project. Unfortunately, it doesn’t show the right-hand counter or the tiny range. But you get the idea.
This was my first show house. The Junior League gave me a tiny kitchen that had been part of a mother-in-law’s apartment. It was so depressing, I think I may have been the only designer who bid on it.
As you can see, the floor was Ick! The cabinets and counters were a snore. The hardware was cheesy “brass”. This was one ugly kitchen. I love a challenge and could see the potential just waiting to be brought out.
If you have an ugly kitchen, you can transform it too. I overhauled this one in two weekends for under $1,000. Here’s how I did it.
MORE!
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.
Balance: Benjamin Moore’s Color Forecast for 2011
Will we return to hearth and home and while we seek order in our lives? Will we dream secret dreams? Will community life become the focus of our lives? Benjamin Moore thinks so. They presented these ideas at Wednesday’s Color Pulse for 2012. Their forecast is directed at Designers and Architects. But I thought everyone would be interested in reading about their thoughts.
Their overall theme was Balance, translated into four distinctive influencers: Farm, Order, Escape and Tribes. Benjamin Moore’s forecaster, Andrea Magno painted the picture for us.
Farmville
No doubt, last year’s economic crisis has affected all of us. While not stating this overtly, the link is obvious. Benjamin Moore believes our fears will translate into greater importance being placed on hearth and home with both at least one foot planted firmly in reality.
Earthy browns form the backdrop for milky whites and pale, buttery yellows. Hay and terra cotta mix with “varietals” such as aubergine, pumpkin, tomato and, of course, green. Tints are baked in the warm sunshine.
Beyond pure color, life on the farm includes fabrics suggesting the handmade. We’ll see macramé, irregular knits, and burlap. Tea-stained effects, tie-dyes and hand-stenciled patterns all suggest a desire to appreciate the simple things in life. Luxury is out.
Order
From the chaos of last year, comes a desire for a sense of order. Benjamin Moore interprets this as a return to basic primary colors applied to a monochromatic scale of blacks, grays and whites. That means lots of red with black. Blue, yellow, green – even pink are paired with grays. No more neon.
Patterns are geometric. Rectilinear shapes, circles and triangles are stacked and molded into larger shapes. Clean lines are the order of the day.
Escape comes after the jump.
(more…)
6 Decorating Ideas For Stylish Living In A Single Room
How do you live in one room and maintain a sense of style? Having once lived in one myself, I can give you a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Jennifer’s Tips
1. Buy a few bold pieces instead of lots of little things.
Lots of tiny things may seem like the way to go, but they’ll actually make the room look smaller. Your eye won’t know what to rest on and will be buzzing around. The large, graphic artwork in this room works really well. Also, notice the careful selection of furniture. Not too much!
2. Define “rooms” with translucent fabrics and/or area rugs.
You might want a bit of privacy in the bedroom. Even if you’re alone, being able to close off the bedroom will create a cozy feeling that’s easier to sleep in. IKEA makes a great system that suspends from the ceiling.
3. A vibrant paint can define a separate space with-in-a-space.
A large block of vibrant color can visually separate a space. If you’re living in a rental, painting only one section makes it easier to return it to “Decorator White” before you move out.
4. Buy furniture that does double duty.
A dining table can be a desk. An ottoman can be a coffee table. A coffee table could also hold some storage.
5. Light colors will make the space appear larger.
If you want to go with color on the walls, remember that cool colors recede and will make the room larger. A pastel will also reflect more light and work to that effect even more.
6. Finally, mirrors are an old stand-by for tricking the eye.
One-foot square mirrors are sold at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Why not create a mirror wall? Your room will double in size in an instant.
Do you have a tip? Sharing is caring.
images: visiondecor, 200 Water St, Venturska
Become a Design Hole Facebook Fan!
I finally got around to starting my own fan page on Facebook. Phew!
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I created this logo myself. Like it?
If you’re on Facebook, why not become a fan? I’ve got an interesting (I hope) discussion started. I’ll also be posting deals I find from retailers I especialy like, links from articles, the odd photo, etc…
Become a fan today!
Interior Designer, Fiona Davies, Fixes a Bedroom Design Gone Wrong
British interior designer, Fiona Davies is my guest blogger today. Fiona trained as an Interior Spatial Designer, and set up her own interior design business, Flame Interiors, 2 years ago. Like me, she’s passionate about all things Interior Design. She works in both residential and commercial projects – especially hospitality (hotel, etc.) design. She’s an approachable designer who creates detailed, bespoke and colorful concepts, designed with enthusiasm and likes a quirky twist. In other words, Fiona is my kind of designer.
Take it away Fiona!
I love to design bedrooms! People really want to get involved in the design and are much more open to expressing their personality in the bedroom. As a designer I love the challenge of meeting the design brief as well as getting the mood and ambience right.
For example, a couple who needed my help approached me. They’d spent a lot of money on built-ins. Their beautiful Victorian, double aspect bedroom was packed to the brim with wooden furniture and looked like a room in Travel Lodge. They hated it and were devastated. We decided to keep the wood. They couldn’t justify the cost, and I couldn’t justify ripping out brand new furniture. My plan was to work with the existing space by softening the rest of the room so that the wood would blend in and look less harsh.
It was a pretty simple fix. I created a feature wall out of the chimneybreast, fireplace and the two new fitted wardrobes either side using bold wallpaper we chose together. My clients went for a hot pink color. We added gold to the color mix and chose new fabrics for a bed throw, cushions, a window seat and curtains. The warm tones complemented the wood tones, which softened the look of the built-ins.
To finish off, we choose a beautiful chandelier, bedside lamps and mirror to create the right kind of lighting within the room. I also wanted to add something feminine to counteract the masculine feel of all the built-ins. 
It was amazing how different their room felt when it was done. Best of all, the clients were incredibly happy with the result – and so was I!
Thanks Fiona! The end result does look amazing. To hire Fiona, visit her website. Or follow her on Twitter.