Concept Drawing and Complete Reality

Concept Drawing

Modern Holiday Decor Inspiration

I struggle with and often avoid the creation of holiday decorations. Since my tastes run modern and most holiday decor does not, I think you can see where the struggle lies. It’s not that there isn’t an abundance of choices, there are. It is just that I don’t, well, like them. So, I went to the web to get inspired and I found a few that I really like. What do I like? 1. Non traditional color palettes 2. A little bit of glamour 3. Feathers 4. Simple organic materials
Please enjoy my super fancy collage of modern Thanksgiving inspiration…

Project-Executive Offices

When I first visited this office, I had already received a request from my client… a green sofa. (No problem!) The office itself was beautiful. Residing at the top of the tower provided stunning views of the mountains and plenty of daylight. I needed to devise a new seating area (for naps and client meetings) and improve client areas in the rest of the space. When I asked the young professional, my client, what he liked and what he wanted, I got a surprising list. He wanted to pull in themes of WWII and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. (No, um, problem?) As our first visit came to an end, he told me about a painting that was to be hung in his office and so I asked if I could see it. It was neither green, WWII or Dracula related and in fact added a whole new statement to the pot. It was a large Western painting done in gold tones with a big ornate gold frame that I referred to as “The Cowboy Painting”…As always, I am up for a challenge…(no problem, well, maybe a problem…)

The challenges

1. The walls, floors and most of the furnishings were staying and were the same color as the walls giving me a whole lot of wood to deal with.

2. The wish list… how do I pull together WWII, Dracula, “The Cowboy Painting” and the green sofa?

THEN, we added the neighboring office which needed to have its own personality.  The resident of this new project/office had different interests, such as the mountains and Monet…Great! Another challenge! The same issues with walls and furnishings in all the same wood applies here too… and the same beautiful views could be seen. I really couldn’t wait to get started..

The first images that came to mind were vague memories from The Godfather Part II, the house in Lake Tahoe. I thought 60′s Retro Nouvo Western Chic could just be the inspiration I needed and style I was going for… and perhaps something I just made up. Whatever it was, after the install, the clients and I were very happy!

Office Re-dress

I don’t get the chance to decorate an executive office very often, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance! The goal was to create a room where this exec. could work and relax, meet with clients, and be inspired. It was clear that we needed to make it a mix of cool, modern, masculine style and welcoming warmth. With this job, there were a few obstacles to work with, as there often is. The first, and biggest, was that the main wall is covered in oak paneling. Also, these clients are not planning to be in this office for ever. Mostly, I followed the client’s leads and tastes and pulled from what they liked to create the beautiful final outcome.
So, to summarize, here are the challenges…
1. temporary… the furnishings we choose need to be something that can travel to and translate to the next new space that has yet to be determined…
2. big oak wall… permanent, unattractive and prominent.
We went with classic black leather with chrome details. The sizing and style of the furniture is classic and transitional and should transfer easily to any new space. A large abstract picture breaks up the oak and creates a focal point. Reclaimed wood tables add rustic charm and cool metal lamps keep it sophisticated. All in all, I think it turned out just the way we intended! BEAUTIFUL!

Decorating for a Mystery Baby- Gender Neutral Nursery

My big sister is about to have a baby! I don’t know how they are doing it but they are waiting to be surprised as to the sex of the baby… the suspense is killing me! So of course, the question is, “how do you decorate for a mystery baby?”…

The first and most important decision you will have to make is about color. People often use bright and bold colors to decorate babies nurseries. Uh…yah. I don’t have kids but I have heard many times that getting a baby to sleep is one of the challenges of new babies. Bright, bold color is STIMULATING… that lime, hot pink and orange combo is fun but it is sure to counter the efforts of your rocking and sweet lullaby-ing. Do yourself and your baby a favor and create a soothing color palette to sleep by. Try using muted colors like baby blue or baby pink… they are named after babies for a reason. For a more gender neutral color scheme, try soft, muted neutrals such as tan, white, buttery yellows and soft green. This makes for a classic backdrop for the fun gender identifying accessories(such as Little Johnny’s fire truck collection or Little Jenny’s Barbie Dream whatever) and a palette that will last a few years until Baby starts having an opinion.

The next thing on the to do list will be layout. Try thinking in terms of what would be the safest, most peaceful, most insulated place in the room. That is where the crib should go. When you open the door, does light from the hallway pour onto Baby’s face? Does the breeze from the window keep that area colder or hotter than the rest of the room? Does that outside wall get toasty or cool from the weather? These are things to think about when placing your crib. Other pieces such as changing tables, toy and clothing storage etc. can be placed along walls and in closets. If you have the space, add a rocker that is comfortable and beautiful.

The next layer is all about personality. The fabrics you bring in with bedding and window treatments, artwork, mobiles, toys and pictures really create the personality. We don’t know yet what Baby is going to be like, so, these pieces are all for the parents and friends to enjoy. There are many ways to add style to a room and I will include some of my favorite photos at the end of this post.

Lastly, Don’t forget to think about lighting. If you can, put the overhead light on a dimmer. Lay down on the floor and look up to see what Junior is going to be seeing. If the light fixture you have has a blaring exposed light bulb, you may want to replace it with a fixture that has a diffuser or covered bulb. While you are down on the floor, this is a good time to think about what color/pattern you want to put on the ceiling… I know it is comfy lying down there. Just imagine Junior drifting off, dreaming of floating through those fluffy clouds, or joining up with that silly circus…

Summer Plans

I love to plan and create for my clients but sometimes I have to apply my professional prowess to my own home.

I have stated many times, out loud and to myself,  that I cannot do exteriors. Mental blocks impede any inspiration when I step outside. I excuse it away because it is not my specialty and I am not as familiar with the material-but I always know that I am full of it. I am just afraid that I will suck at it and look bad.

I don’t know what happened, but I finally got the nerve and the inspiration to design for the exterior of my own home. I have experienced what I have been preaching about for so long. I have a plan! Having a plan means I can shop to the plan and work toward the specific outcome. All of a sudden, it is not so daunting a thought to make it happen for real. The stress of not knowing what to do is gone. I love the drawings so much that I look at them and I WANT TO LIVE THERE! This is exactly the response that I strive to elicit with my clients. Success! Now, if I can only work up the energy and funds to make it real…

Apartment Sweet Home Part 2

After cleaning up and paring down, what’s next? Have a PLAN! I can’t stress this enough. This important step will save you time, money and the agony of making costly mistakes. All plans are changeable. Details often change along the way, but, having a basic floor plan will definitely help. 

Are you creatively challenged in the arena of design? That is where an interior designer can really help. If you want to DIY, there are many online tools that make space planning easy and fun, such as the room planner on www.sanfrandesign.com.

Here is the plan I made for my friend, Tandalaya…

Basic Floor Plan

Complete Board

Glam Rock and 80′s Style Return to Decor… yes, really!

I am OLD enough to have seen the rise and the fall of 80′s glam rock. Big hair, big makeup, the birth of spandex… oh yah, baby. I saw it all! In recent years I have been pretending not to notice the re-emergence of 80′s style. Most of it should have been left back there for good, but there have been a few familiar trends in design that I can embrace.

First, METAL! My favorite of which are the gorgeous lights from Hudson Lighting. They remind me of the layers of metal chains we all wore around our necks, waists, wrists and the many, many earrings that we lined up our ears…The more shine the better! Obscene body socks in Animal, snake, croc… all metalics, mostly in lame(pronounced la-may), spandex and leather adorned our favorite bad boys. Thank the Gods of Rock that those styles are only back in small accessories… at least so far…

Next, DAY GLOW. We wore it with pride, the brighter your shirt, the more popular you were, you know, like in Saved By the Bell. I have chosen just a few pieces from the showroom I work in to demonstrate day glow’s return to decor.

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Apartment Sweet Home! Part 1

One of the most important things to do to conserve space in a tight apartment is edit…

edit  (dt)tr.. ed·it·ed, ed·it·ing, edits To eliminate; delete: edited the best out.

Here are some simple questions to ask yourself when editing your stash of treasures.

Do I love it?

Do I use it?

Do I need it?

If you are on the fence about anything, put a date on your calendar to complete, need or use these things and if you haven’t finished, used or needed it by then, toss it. Be real with yourself. Give up unnecessary attachment.You can do it like they do on TV and set up three bins or bags. Mark one Trash, one Keep and one Donate. Set up and tear through it! Are you intimidated by your clutter? Ask for help. Chances are you have a friend who is DYING to help you…

 

ref-uge

ref·uge  (rfyj)

n. 

1. Protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship.

2. A place providing protection or shelter.

3. A source of help, relief, or comfort in times of trouble.

Simple Ways To Create a Refuge in Your Home

1. Clear the clutter. For me, a cluttered room screams out a “to do” list full of what needs to be done. If I dig in and do it, the list goes away and I can have quiet in my head, then my heart. Depending on the state of the room, this can take anywhere from 1/2 hour to 4 hours and costs $0.

2. Make good food. Once the kitchen is clean, I get inspired to create. I like to google a new recipe based on what I already have in the kitchen and make it for my me and my man. I love to try a new dinner  or cake recipe from scratch. Using ingredients that I already have, this costs $0

3. Have a good place to sit. A sofa or chair, a pillow or pouf. I like to have a quiet comfy place where I can watch TV, read or nap(If I am lucky). The basement, a.k.a. “The Cave”, is our ultimate human charging station. Fully equipped with TV, music, sofa, plush carpet and darkened quiet when wanted, the hours spent here are never wasted.

4. Take a hot bath. Fill the tub, lock the door and let the family fend for themselves. 15 minutes in a hot tub can be the luxury that fills your tanks.

 

What I do to further unplug…

 

5. Don’t answer the phone. *use discretion* This practice has a fine line of over indulgence that I may have crossed from time to time, so, practice wisely. If you do this step too much, the phone may stop ringing.

6. Be with people or pets you love, who lift you up, who love you back.

7. If I have tried the above and it hasn’t worked, or, if I don’t have much time, I do a force close which is preformed as follows: a sniff of lavender essential oil, a good stare at pictures of the beach while slowly breathing deep and imagining the smell and sound of the beach. Repeat process until it seems real and all tension is released from neck and shoulders. Go about your business.

8. Gratitude. It is easy to be consumed by thoughts of what I need or what I want or what I don’t have. Thinking, saying, or writing a list of things I do have that I am grateful for turns my focus and lifts my spirits. I am grateful for a warm home, good health, great dogs, a great cat, and the best husband! I am grateful for my friends and family who love and support me. I am grateful that the Holidays are over and were filled with magic. I love my life!

9. Comedy. There are a few videos that will make me laugh no matter how many times I see them.