Things That Inspire

Looking back, and looking forward

2009-11-10T08:45:00.002-05:00

Image via Veranda, photography by Tria Giovan

When I started my blog 2 1/2 years ago, I had no clue where it would take me. I saw it is a private scrap book, a place to organize my thoughts, a place to write. I remember very clearly registering for the blog, and trying to come up with a blog name; all of my top picks were taken. I looked around the room for inspiration, and my eye fell upon the latest issue of Veranda (June '07), which was open to an article called 'Fresh Palette' (picture above). I thought this was the perfect name for my new blog, as my intent was to write about art, architecture, and design. The palette reference was an obvious nod to art, as both the color selection that artists use, as well as the traditional board that artists use to place their paints. Fresh palette seemed an ideal way to describe the interiors I love as well; light, fresh, airy, serene.

Image via Veranda, photography by Tria Giovan, architecture by Norman Davenport Askins

In fact, the article from Veranda is one of my all time favorites, and the home in the article is on a cul-de-sac in Atlanta. I occasionally drive by the house just to appreciate its beauty.

When I actually started to write my blog, I chose 'Things That Inspire' for my blog header. It came to mind immediately, and it has turned into a better description of what I do on this blog; I like to write about the things that inspire me. I am usually very much on topic - after all, architecture, design, and art inspire me to no end - but occasionally I will slip in something else off topic that is a source of inspiration.

Now that I am venturing out a little bit more with my blog, I am finding that I no longer relate to the 'fresh palette' component of my blog url. When my blog was mentioned in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, it was identified as 'Fresh Palette' - an understandable assumption, given that it is in my blog url, however, in my mind the blog is 'Things That Inspire'.

Last week, when I attended the book launch party for Suzanne Kasler, I felt like I was 'coming out' as the person behind the blog. I finally met some of the other Atlanta bloggers; I met a lot of people in the Atlanta architecture and design community, many of whom I have written about at length; I met the president of Hickory Chair; I met Nancy Corzine's right hand man. After that party, and having to spell out the name of my blog url several times, I decided that it was time for me to register a web site for my blog.

And so, with this post, I am introducing my new blog address: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/

I registered for the web site through blogger, so everything should be linked and hooked up automatically. No need to change any of your links; in fact, freshpalette is still working in the background, it's still there, but everything gets redirected to the new address. One casualty has been my blog list - it was totally wiped out in the transition. I am slowly but surely trying to recreate it, but it has been a challenge as it was something that developed naturally over the past two years.

I am looking forward to many more observations on the the things that inspire me, and hope you will stick around for the next chapter in my blog.

One of my favorite things

2009-11-08T07:50:00.002-05:00

People are often surprised to find out that I do not enjoy shopping for fabric, given my love for all things interior design related. I am fully aware of the beauty that a lovely fabric adds to a room, and think that the selection of the right fabrics with the right patterns, textures, and/or colors are essential elements in the design of a room. However, to me, shopping for fabric is like shopping for clothes - there are so many options, so many styles, my heart sinks every time I walk into a fabric showroom. I am definitely more of a fan of furniture.

I could look at furniture all day long. Sometimes I go to the Atlanta Design Center or Americas Mart for the sheer joy of looking at the most exquisite furniture you can imagine, all different styles and shapes and colors. To me, a well made piece of furniture is like a sculpture - so much care and consideration must be put into the scale and proportion in order for the furniture to 'work'. Then there is the matter of the finish, which can give a piece of furniture an entirely different look if it is created in a light or dark finish, a painted finish or stain.

The Nantucket table by Rose Tarlow-Melrose House is, without a doubt, my one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I love the curves of the legs and finials counterbalanced with the straight beam in the midde, and the decorative elements carved into the top. After reading 'The Private House' by Rose Tarlow recently, I have an even greater appreciation for this beautiful piece of furniture. Quotes from Tarlow perfectly describes her approach towards the furniture in her line: "I don't reproduce furniture, I simply adapt designs until I find them pleasing". I highly recommend this charming book; it is a book that is mainly text, in some ways more of an autobiography. I loved reading Tarlow's observations on a life well led; she is keenly observant and has a sincere appreciation for quality over quantity, for slowly collecting, and for giving a room an emotional layer that goes a bit beyond just decorating.

The Nantucket table has gained a fair amount of press because of its placement on the set of 'Something's Gotta Give' - it was used in the main character's bedroom.

One of my all time favorite designers, Lars Bolander, used the Nantucket table in my favorite home from his portfolio.

On rare occasions, I spot this table in my favorite design magazines. When I first saw this picture (image via Southern Accents, photo credit Tria Giovan), I noticed nothing but the Nantucket table. Now I am also appreciating some of the other details in the room - the contrast of the light finish of the table with the darkness of the built in cabinets. As a side note, I have recently noticed quite a few cabinets that are actually built into the wall - they look like furniture, but a recess in the wall has been created.

Rose Tarlow is represented by Ainsworth-Noah in Atlanta (to the trade). I must admit that I purposely seek out this table every time I go into the showroom. Earlier this year, the showroom displayed the table next to a bed.

Recently, it was paired with a sofa in a living room scene. Same lamp, though!

If I were to buy this table, I am not sure where I would put it. And, I wonder whether my dog Ben would knock this table over with his huge enthusiastic tail? He has decimated an antique table that belonged to my husband's grandmother as it has been knocked over so many times. This table, however, looks quite sturdy with its base with four legs. I keep thinking about Rose Tarlow's own recommendation in 'The Private House'- she is emphatic about buying what you love, and you will find a place for it. Does this philosophy work for you?

Please visit Rose Tarlow's newly relaunched web site for more inspiration. Also, for an excellent write up of the new location of Rose Tarlow's showroom in Los Angeles, see Velvet & Linen's post.

A 'Things That Inspire' Interview

2009-11-04T07:12:00.001-05:00

A sneak peek of a vignette from the favorite room in my house

Recently, I found a wonderful new blog with a beautiful name: Verdigris Vie. The name was inspired by the rich green patina that forms on certain metals. As Vitania (the author) writes on her sidebar, "from new to old, the colour that represents beauty of change". Verdigris Vie is wonderful place to visit, and is full of inspiration for me.

I was thrilled when Vitania asked me to be a part of her 'Blog Anthology' series, in which she interviews the authors of her favorite blogs. Please visit Verdigris Grie to read the interview with me (email subscribers, click here to go to the interview). I tend to be a very private person, but the more I get to know my readers and the more I open myself up, the more I enjoy this blogging experience. I hope you enjoy the interview!

Nancy Corzine

2009-11-03T07:50:00.001-05:00

When I first moved to Atlanta twelve years ago, I hired an interior design firm and was assigned to a young designer. Although I can't remember her name, I am still grateful to her for pushing me to be more tailored, and convincing me to focus on using high quality fabrics that will last for many years. The designer had recommended a beautiful fabric for my living room curtains, a soft delicate green silk with an abstract subtle floral pattern silk screened onto the fabric, and the most luxurious silk velvet for my sofa. Both of these fabrics were made by Nancy Corzine. As someone just becoming exposed to fine design, this was a new name for me, but it is a name I did not forget. Alas, my budget ran out and I did not order these beautiful fabrics, and I can honestly tell you that not a month goes by when I do not feel a small pang of regret, especially for the silk that would have been used for the curtains. I have never seen another fabric that is that exact shade of green, a shade I still love just as much today. I sometimes go to the showroom at the design center that carries Nancy Corzine fabrics, just to marvel at their beauty and texture, and think about how they would have looked so lovely in my living room.

Since my experience 12 years ago, Nancy Corzine is a name that I am always looking for in the magazines. Although Nancy is primarily known for her beautiful furniture, fabric, and lighting lines, she also creates exquisite rooms. This dining room, in her own Hamptons home, is truly one of my all time favorite dining rooms. The chinoiserie wallpaper, combined with the antique Italian starburst mirror, the beautiful sconces, the slipcovered chairs mixed with the wood chairs, the turned wood chandelier - sheer perfection. Image via First Dibs, photo credit Peter Vitale.

This room was in the August 2007 Veranda, from a Veranda showhouse in Florida. Nancy designed the living room, and its feminine beauty is truly a feast for the eyes. Most of the beautiful fabrics and furniture in the room are from Nancy's furniture line; the sconce is so beautiful with its elegant proportions in the sconce and shade. I love the mora clock that gives the room just the right touch. Image from Veranda, photography by Tria Giovan.

When I heard that Nancy had just published a book, I was thrilled. As much as I admire her furniture and her design work, I feel as if I have not seen much of her body of work. Nancy's book has page after page of beautiful rooms that are designed by Nancy, many of which feature her refined furniture designs, and it was a pleasure to read. Nancy organized the book into rooms, and I learned so much about her approach and philosophy on rooms in a home, both interior rooms and outdoor rooms. Sprinkled throughout the book are Nancy's recommendations on key decisions in a home, such as choosing lighting; choosing fabrics; living with art; choosing a sofa; choosing a bed; and how to entertain outdoors. It is the words of wisdom and recommendations from Nancy that are the lasting impressions of this book; believe it or not, I have only just started to collect design books, and it is so gratifying to read the design philosophies of my favorite talents. For example, Nancy prefers clear glass in a mirror, because she thinks that it reflects the room and the person so much more beautifully.

Lest you think that Nancy's style is traditional based on the pictures above, nothing could be further from the truth. She is one of those rare designers whose taste and style seems to transcend description; the common denominator is elegant and luxurious simplicity, no matter what the style. In fact, on her web site, she has four different classifications, so broad is her range: contemporary, transitional, traditional, and casual. Her furniture, fabric, and her design represent all of these design aesthetics. What is fascinating is that she lives with all of these elements in her own life. Her Bridgehampton home is featured in the traditional section; the dining room I admire is from this house.

Her New York City apartment is very glamorous, and is quite contemporary in some areas, transitional in others (it was featured in the New York Social Diary). The master bedroom is featured in her book, and is lovely with the Nancy Corzine Prism bed (inspired by the Chrysler building) and exquisite Chagall hanging above the bed.

And her Los Angeles home, which is her base, is quite definitely contemporary. Nancy acknowledges that her taste generally leans towards contemporary design, although she is known for mixing the modern and the traditional.

One of my favorite images from the book is from a home that Nancy designed in the Hamptons.

A charming blue and white scene that contrasts antique porcelain with a contemporary chandelier, interior design by Nancy Corzine. Photo credit Ken Hayden.

A guest room from a Hamptons home, designed by Nancy. Photo credit Ken Hayden.

A glimpse into a more contemporary styled space from Nancy's portfolio.

In my first month of blogging, I did a post on Nancy Corzine's beautiful Balthazar chandelier. Image via Veranda, photo credit Peter Vitale and Peter Murdock.

Another one of my favorite designers, Suzanne Kasler, frequently uses Nancy Corzine furniture in her designs. I recall reading an article where Suzanne declared that Nancy Corzine benches are her favorites (in this picture, Suzanne used a Nancy Corzine Louis XVI headboard and Louis XVI bench in a beautiful bedroom).

Another home in which Kasler used the Nancy Corzine Louis XVI headboard in another beautiful bedroom.

Suzanne Kasler has the Nancy Corzine serpentine chests as her bedside tables in her own home.

Suzanne Kasler's famous pink dining room features the most elegant Nancy Corzine chairs, upholstered in a Manuel Canovas fabric.

Nancy Corzine's new book 'Glamour at Home', is available right now. This post has just been a tiny glimpse into the vast variety of images in the book, and the interesting story of Nancy's design philosophy as it pertains to her furniture, fabric, and lighting lines, as well as her interior design approach. It is a wonderful addition to any collection of fine design books, and a book with real heart; Nancy, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's Disease several years ago, believes that in order to live a fulfilling life, it is important to give back. To that end, she devotes much of her time and financial resources to organizations such as the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation.

Nancy will be in Atlanta on November 5th for a special appearance and book signing at the Atlanta Design Center, as part of Veranda Magazine's 'The Art of Design' series. The book signing will take place in the Ainsworth Noah showroom, which represents her line. Normally ADAC is open only to the trade, but it is open to the public on this day with advance RSVP. For more information, please see the events page of ADAC by clicking here.

Nancy will be in Washington, DC next week on November 12 at the Washington Design Center. At 11 am she is speaking in the conference center; reservations are required. From 12-2 pm she will be in the Niermann Weeks showroom for a book signing. The Niermann Weeks DC showroom represents Nancy's furniture and fabrics line, and is on the 7th floor. For more information, visit the Washington Design Center website, or call 202-646-6100.

Inspirational Design: an interview with Joe Niermann of Niermann Weeks

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have always had a love for furniture and lighting, and am very aware of the role that quality construction, scale, and proportion play in creating a piece of furniture that will last for generations. One of my favorite lines of furniture and lighting is Niermann Weeks. Look closely at any top design magazine, and in every issue you will find at least one, and more often several pieces of Niermann Weeks furniture or lighting used in the designs of the most beautiful homes in America and around the world. It is a favorite of the top designers; the designs are truly beautiful, often based on the most exquisite antique furniture, but interpreted for modern needs and requirements. The lighting is truly exceptional - the designs are unique and creative, and often define any room in which they are installed. Just this weekend, it was announced that Niermann Weeks won the Luxist Readers' Choice Award in the category of best lighting, a well deserved honor.

Through my blog, I have become friends with Eleanor McKay, the CEO and C0-Founder of Niermann Weeks. She will often email me directly after a post of mine has particularly struck her, and we have had some lively discussions about trends in furniture and design in the 21st century. Eleanor's husband Joe Niermann is the Chairman and Co-founder of Niermann Weeks, and is also the principal designer for the company. Joe agreed to answer some questions for me as part of my inspirational design series.

Joe Niermann of Niermann Weeks

How did you decide to pursue a career in furniture design?

A bank in Owatonna, Minnesota, designed by architect Louis Sullivan, was an inspiration for the young Joe Niermann. Image via Wikipedia.

Mostly it was serendipity. I had always been interested in design -- especially architecture. By age eight I was building models in my sandbox and reading everything I could find on architects and artists. I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, home of Frank Lloyd Wright, who became a real model for me. He had apprenticed under another renowned architect, Louis Sullivan, who designed a very famous bank in Owatonna, Minnesota where I grew up. Sullivan had also designed the building where my father worked and several local residences. By my middle teens I had read all of Wright's books and made pilgrimages to building by all the Prairie School architects in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

When I was twelve, I made drawing of a woman and child. It’s pencil-drawn, and I wanted to see if I could make a decent copy. When I was thirteen I was lucky enough to have my first one-man show at the Sullivan Bank in Owatonna, but I didn’t keep pen and ink drawings.

Sullivan's Auditorium in Chicago was also an early architectural inspiration for Joe (image via Wikipedia)

In my early twenties, I had to drop out of school to support myself. I moved to Chicago, America’s architectural capital, and ended up working in an insurance office only a few buildings away from Sullivan's Auditorium (pictured above). The staff there let me roam the building and really study its perfect construction. When I got married, Eleanor and I headed back to Madison, Wisconsin where she was completing her master's degree in history at the University of Wisconsin. I felt we had returned to the heartland of great architects.

In Wisconsin my furniture design work really had its beginning. Eleanor had been appointed as archival curator at the university’s history museum, where I was able to provide restoration services for some of the decorative arts in their collections. Restoration and conservation was then in its infancy. The museum curators and I pooled our skills and knowledge to develop this field. My secret fascination with famous forgers in history also helped explain some technical obstacles restoration must overcome. More importunately, studying original antiques with curators gave me an almost microscopic window into historical techniques of construction and finishing. When we moved to Memphis Tennessee with our two daughters, I planned to continue my restoration work.

However, my real profession began the moment I walked into the store of interior designer Rodgers Menzies to deliver a repair order. I felt like I was discovering another world. With the help of Rodgers, Jimmy Graham, and other generous designers, I quickly undertook a total immersion course into the history of interior design. Very quickly I was able to establish a designer clientele to restore and even recreate old finishes, and develop my own furniture designs. It didn't take long for me to realize that if I could restore something, I could make it. Memphis designers taught me so much and encouraged me to go full-time into the furniture design business. Their introductions opened the doors to our first showrooms in the Dallas and Atlanta Design Center. In 1978 Niermann Weeks, Inc. was born. NW moved to Annapolis, MD, in 1983, where Ann and Jim Lambeth welcomed us into their Washington, DC showroom. Then John Rosselli opened his New York showroom to Niermann Weeks, and soon we were represented in all the major design centers in North America.

What are your sources of inspiration?

The list is endless. It is impossible to list all the designers and styles that influence me, as my mind is like a sponge, storing visual images in a huge encyclopedia I can return to instantly I love Classical Greek and Roman art and architecture as much as Pre-Columbian If it is good design, it gets filed in my brain forever.

Once we spent a weekend at John Saladino's country house. At the end of the first day, John turned to me and said, " You have vacuum cleaner eyes". I think that says it all.

Do you have a particular style you favor?

I am particularly drawn to Continental European classical design from the late 17^th century to the early 19^th century.

What type of projects do you like to work on?

My favorite project is the next one! I never know what I will be called on to design. Primarily, Niermann Weeks makes residential furniture and lighting, although we are doing more and more work for hotels all over the world. The photo above shows our Iron and Crystal Ceiling Fixture hanging in the bridal suite of the newly renovated Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC. Ceiling fixtures create harmonious shadow patterns that add to the beauty of the light

I particularly enjoy working closely with interior designers, to read their minds and to design what they need. In many instances they have only a nebulous idea of what they want. By sharing ideas and sketches, we evolve totally new designs based on the room size, color scheme, use of the room. I am often able to figure out what they don’t yet know they need. A great example of this is my relationship with Rodgers Menzies. He called me in 1997, desperate to finish a showhouse room on schedule and wanted a light fixture no one had ever seen before. I faxed him a quick sketch but it didn't convey the concept, so I made a full-sized model out of manila file folders to overnight him. This model showed him we had developed exactly what he needed. I gave that design the name Biarritz Ceiling Fixture, which has become one of our most popular designs.

When I’m designing, I start with quick sketches and then make a small model from cardboard and manila folders. This sketch on the right and the model beneath show the development of our Capuchine Chandelier.

The model lets me view my idea in three dimensions: height, width, and depth - something that even the best CAD can't do I make my first model very quickly, in minutes, and then adjust and refine it. When that model is OK, I go on to a full-size model that provides the templates for the artisan who makes the first prototype. Funnily, one of my full-size cardboard chair models met its demise when a client sat on it.

We still have a full-sized section of a custom chandelier for the Mirage Hotel’s Danny Gans Theatre in Las Vegas. The chandelier had to be 15 ft high by 21 ft wide, and was a custom mix of several of my standard designs. The CADs (computer aided design) just couldn’t convey the complexity this fixture required, so we overnighted the model. When the designers could actually see into the depth of the chandelier, then we got the go-ahead on construction.

The sectional mockup.

The installation.

Sadly, Danny Gans died unexpectedly this summer, so I expect the entire theatre will be soon be re-decorated for the next star.

What projects are you working on right now?

For the last few months I have been concentrating on a new collection of chandeliers and sconces, coming up with designs that I think the market needs. Because right now I am working without direct designer interaction, it's been a real challenge to design in a vacuum. Judging from past experience, after a new design is launched, I have to wait months and sometimes years for the reaction from my clients. Over the last 30 years I have developed a good track record but the market is always the final judge. Sometimes a favorite design of mine meets a brick wall and quietly disappears only to be revived years later. My design in 1990 for our Italian Chandelier didn't sell for the first five years. Today it's our biggest selling item, available on our QuickShip program and ordered in many interesting custom variations.

What is something that you should not skimp on when designing a new piece?

Basic proportion is key, then as Chanel said "the glory is in the details". Niermann Weeks is well known for our details and finishes but they are only as good as the basic frame they lie on. When I make my initial model of a new design, I remake it again and again until the proportion is "right". Then I develop the finish and details, working them over and over until the whole design is right. The finishing details become the final exterior skin, and the whole piece is only as good as its weakest design.

In 1996 Palm Beach designer Allan Reyes showed me an antique Swedish chair in his store. Riffing on his original, I changed the proportions of the seat, the back, the height, the construction, and finish; the result was Niermann Weeks’s Gustavian Klismos Chair, one of our most popular chairs ever. Customers have ordered it in many different finishes, even in antiqued silver leaf.

Right now we’re doing an order of 24 in charcoal grey for a Mexican designer.

What trends are you seeing in your projects?

In my on-going seminars at design centers, I have been fortunate to talk with really enthusiastic designers. Their input has given me a whole new basis for my upcoming designs. Their clients’ number one request recently has been for ecologically friendly design. Because Niermann Weeks lives and manufactures in Maryland, one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the US, our techniques and materials must be as environmentally "state of the art" as possible A real challenge is to keeping our customers informed about our continuing success in limiting our carbon footprint. We’re using water-based materials, farmed woods, recycled and recyclable materials, local artisans and resources, and always looking to make the earth a cleaner place.

Significant changes stylistically include an end to the over scaled glitz required by McMansions, which a friend calls Bastille Moderne . We are also seeing a renewed interest in the simple painted pieces first introduced by NW almost 30 years ago like the faux marble top on our Cascata Console.

I have always designed furniture to work scale-wise in our small house in the country and in our NYC pied-a-terre. If the proportions are perfect, these pieces can easily be "blown up" for public places or scaled down for more intimate spaces like powder rooms and bedrooms .

Variations on the Mirabeau Dining Table (l); Our New York apartment (r)

Our youngest daughter and her partner are major devotees of the 1960s and are decorating their 1959 home in period pieces.

I guess I am too close to the 60's and have difficulty overcoming my basic prejudice about its designs, but to my surprise their project is developing into a beautiful home. I guess basic scale and proportion will always make the crucial difference, and I think we will see more interest in the 60's.

A fad you hope to never see again?

Pompous, overscaled glitz in any style is always the worst.

I would like to thank Joe for this wonderful interview, and Eleanor for making it happen. As I am such a fan of Niermann Weeks products (For the record - I am writing this post as a fan of Niermann Weeks products, and because of my admiration for Eleanor McKay and Joe Niermann. No gifts or services have been received in exchange for this post!), I couldn't resist including a few images of my favorite NW products in the context of rooms by some of my favorite designers.

NW Randolph Minor Bench, interior design by Jim Hawes of Caldwell-Beebe.

NW Mizner lantern, interior design by Liz Williams.

NW Lucien table, interior design by David Mitchell.

NW Gabrielle sofa. Architecture by William Hefner.

NW Italian chandelier, interior design by Anne Hepner

NW Circolo Bureauplat Major (to the right of fireplace). Interior design by Jim Hawes of Caldwell Beebe.

NW Swedish chandelier. Interior design by Jan Showers.

NW Baltic console. Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.

NW Baltic console, interior design by Eric Cohler.

NW Avignon chandelier. Interior design by Sally Steponkus.

NW Beaton mirror, my entry.

For more information on Niermann Weeks products, please visit their web page. Eleanor McKay also has a blog, and the latest entry is a particularly fascinating account of the launch of John Saladino's new fabric line at the Niermann Weeks New York showroom.

A follow up post to the 'Trends the scream 2000s'.

2009-10-29T07:45:00.000-04:00

Image via Style Chronicles -

an example of am entry in a home that is charming and cozy rather than large and cold

I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment on my post on 'Trends that scream 2000s'; there was a lively and interactive discussion about what is trendy, what is classic, and the emerging trends in the homes that we are liking these days . I would also like to thank the Washington Post for selecting this post on their weekly 'Blog Watch' in the Home & Garden section (click here to go to the Blog Watch post).

One of my readers, the author of Style Chronicle, wrote a fantastic follow up post about possible directions for what will be in houses in the 2010s. I encourage you to go over and read her post, and throw in your opinion about emerging trends in architecture and design.

One of Style Chronicles' predictions: the scale of homes that are built over the next decade will be smaller and more intimate. Given the current economic climate, and the difficulty in attaining financing, homes that are being built now and over the next few years will surely be more thoughtfully considered, as they are being built with 'real money' (or at least a hefty down payment), not zero percent down, endless credit lines, credit card debt, or 110% financing offers. In Atlanta (inside the perimeter), there are very, very few builder spec homes that are in process right now.

Also, there has been a definite movement away from excess, and there is a certain cache to living frugally, or at a minimum living within your means (or for those with comfortable means, living a 'normal' lifestyle). The New York Times had an article about this subject recently: 'A Reluctance to Spend May Be Legacy of Recession'.

My question is this: what is your idea of a 'smaller and more intimate' home? When answering, make sure to note your geographic area. What is smaller and more intimate in New York City will certainly be different than something considered small and intimate in Atlanta, for example.

This home, at just over 5000 square feet, is certainly not a cottage, but neither is it a 'McMansion' despite its size. This is an older home that was beautifully made with architectural integrity, on a lot that is the right size for the home, and it adds a beautiful dimension to the Atlanta architectural landscape.

Related to this, there was a heated discussion about McMansions in the comment section of my recent post. In the Buckhead section of Atlanta, where a house that is 3500 square feet is considered a cottage, the McMansion definition seems to be quite different than what it might be in another area of the country. In the end, many of the readers agreed that it is not just the size of a house that defines it as a McMansion, but the poor craftsmanship, the emphasis on size over architectural integrity, the use of classic architectural features that are exaggerated, executed poorly, combined with other disparate architectural genres, and turned into a caricature. Another component of a McMansion home is that it often takes up virtually all of the land on its lot, and is clustered in close proximity with other brand spanking new overscale homes.

A very large home with a mixture of architectural styles (if it looks like a duck...)

This is a home (pictured above) that is large, but was designed by one of the nation's top architects, with an awareness of historical correctness, scale, and proportion. This property sits on two acres of land, which is in proportion to its size. The front fascade is decidedly French Norman (even the color of the shutters was meticulously researched and given a chalky gray green that is so often seen on shutters in Normandy), whereas the back is looser and reflects the needs of a 21st century family. A McMansion? Definitely not. As one of my readers pleaded "Please people, can we stop misusing this word. Just because a home is large or has a lot of square feet does not make it a "McMansion". The definition of McMansion is a large, architecturally dull, low quality house often times on a small lot. Thus the "Mc" part of the word which alludes to the cheapness of McDonalds. Does anyone believe that a large beautiful well executed design by a top tier architect such as McAlpine, Summerour, William T. Baker, etc. etc is a McMansion? I certainly don't."

Great discussion - this is the reason why I love to blog so much, because it enables me to find people out there who are actually interested in these kind of topics!

Trendy elements that scream 2000s?

2009-10-27T08:05:00.001-04:00

Thank you to the Washington Post for including this post in your Blog Watch, October 29, 2009!

Before I started my blog, I was a frequent visitor on the Gardenweb home forums. When I discovered the world of design blogs, the magazine like format of blogs appealed to me and I stopped frequenting the Gardenweb forums. However, one of my readers pointed me back to Gardenweb recently, and I have been enjoying some of the posts.

My favorite forums are the decorating forum (no surprise there) and the building a house forum; I find the analysis of floorplans and the decision points that people make while building houses to be fascinating. More than anyone else, a person who is building a house watches the trends like a hawk, trying to make sure that they do not put something in their home that will be dated just a few years later. Recently, a reader on Gardenweb asked the question - what home elements will scream '2000s' when we look back at them in a few years. Not long before this thread was created, the New York Times had an article on 'Living in a Time Capsule', and the phenomenon of homes that were decorated at a certain point in time, and never updated. Reading both of these sources made me wonder - what are the things that people are doing now when they renovate or build that will be part of this decade's 'time capsule'? The New York Time argues that with credit tight, and 'mortgage strapped Americans bunkering down, there may be a new generation of time capsules in the making' given that people are not gutting and redoing homes as much these days, and the activity is not anticipated to resume anytime soon. The Times cites 'garage size family rooms and stainless steel appliances' as early 21st century equivalents of the conversation pit and the avocado colored refrigerator.

Here is a run down of the top elements that the Gardenweb readers said might very well be 'trendy elements that will scream 2000s'. All of these elements are architectural or a part of the house, which is more of a commitment than a trendy pillow or lamp. I thought I would present a few of the recurring items to my readers to see whether you concur with the opinions of the Gardenweb readers. For the record: I love most of these elements, but of course part of the appeal is that they are a sign of the times, times in which we are still living!

Oil rubbed bronze

Just as brass fixtures seem to date a house to the 80s, some people wonder whether oil rubbed bronze will date a house to the early 2000s. I personally love the look of oil rubbed bronze, particularly in doorknobs, for the nice contrast it provides to light colored walls and decor.

White kitchens

I love white kitchens, and consider them to be a classic. In my mind, you can never go wrong with a white kitchen! However, I wonder if there is an all white kitchen backlash brewing...it seems like there are more colors being introduced to kitchens, whether it be black or gray or even blue. (Commercial style ranges is another one that a few readers predicted would be a dated look - I love this look too, though - doesn't the range look great in this kitchen?)

Stainless appliances

Stainless is another style that has had real staying power; people keep trying to look for the next big thing, but nothing else seems to have the look that works as well in a variety of kitchens. One Gardenweb reader declared that stainless has surpassed the trend, and is now the new standard. Image via House Beautiful, photo credit: John M. Hall.

Maple kitchens with granite

My thoughts: I will admit, this is a look that seems to be a bit dated, but I also admit that this is not my style at all (I had to dig around to even find this image, as I seem to only have white or gray kitchens saved on my computer!). Image via Cote de Texas.

Interior columns

Joni of Cote de Texas did a post on the transformation of her friend's living room. The friend used interior columns to keep the room open, but define the space between the hall and the living room - there is certainly a time and a place for interior columns. I really don't consider these to be a 'trend'.

Arched faucets

Who knows, they seem pretty functional to me, but maybe the industrial look is something that will date this decade. I love that farmhouse style sink...which leads us to the next item...

Farmhouse style sink

Again, since this is an element that I love, I see it as a classic, and can't imagine how this would be considered a trend of the decade. Image via Cote de Texas.

Full body spray showers

There certainly seems to be a trend to make master bathrooms as spa-like as possible. I am not sure if this will 'date' a house to the 2000s, though. I have not given this area much thought! I have a friend who recently built a house, and she got a full body spray shower because she was not able to fit a large bathtub into the master (and the bathtub would never be used), so she opted to get a luxurious shower instead. Image via contractortalk.com.

Two story rooms

This is an extreme example of the two story phenomenon (I spy some interior columns too), which has never been my favorite look, but I would not necessarily associate it with the 2000s - more the 80s and 90s.

Granite

It seems like designers have been trying to move away from granite for a while now - always searching for the next best thing. Here in Atlanta, a lot of people are now doing marble, and have been for the past few years. I have never been a fan of the busyness of many granites, but I like how durable it is.

Open floor plans

When I think about an open floor plan, it doesn't get any more open than this! Ina Garten created this barn as a kitchen and guest house. In today's homes, the combination of kitchen and family room in a very open floor plan is very popular, as life and entertaining get even more casual. Image via House Beautiful, photo credit Simon Upton.

Metal staircase balusters

This is from an old real estate listing - the home was remodeled in the early 2000s. I really like the look of iron balusters, and will probably do them in my next house - but I also think that this style suits some of the houses being built today. Who knows, maybe this is a design feature that will look dated in a few years.

Arched doorways

I always love a good arch, but I must admit that some houses overdo them. I like the shape of the arch in this picture.

Minimal overhead cabinets

This is a look that I love - very few overhead cabinets. Although it has been a lot more common in kitchens this decade, it is really much more of a European kitchen look that is also classic. This beautiful kitchen belongs to blogger Katiedid. My guess: if you look at this kitchen many years from now, it will still look fresh and timeless.

Vessel sinks

I can see how vessel sinks might be a trend that can be defined as a style of the '00s, but then I see a picture of the powder room of the great designer John Saladino, and it is exquisitely beautiful and timeless.

Subway tile

Maybe this will be consider a phenomenon of the 2000s, but this seems like such a classic, non-intrusive style that I don't see how it can be considered something that will date to this decade. I went to a house in Newport, Rhodes Island that was built at the turn of the century, and all of the bathrooms and the kitchen had subway tile. This bathroom image, interior design by Brooke Giannetti, shows how the classic subway tile does not have to be white - and I think this is one of the prettiest bathrooms I have seen this year.

Multiple cabinet finishes in the kitchen

This was another one I struggled with, as I could not find a great picture. I wonder if the Gardenweb readers mean the style where the island is painted a contrasting color, as shown in this picture? It does seem as if this is a style that started to come into vogue early in the 2000s. Another thing I notice in this picture is the wood paneling on the walls, which is very popular in newly built homes in Atlanta. I wonder if this is something that will define the architectural detail of this decade.

Readers, I would love for you to weigh in. To you, what defines this decade in architecture and decor? Many of the examples above seem to be related to kitchens and bathrooms, which are rooms that are often redone every 20 years or so. In general, I believe that good, functional architecture, decor, and design will always have a place and be considered classic. In the end it is important to pick what you love, with materials you like (and, if it suits you, the expert eye and guidance of a design professional), and you will think it is beautiful for years to come. I am not a fan of 'disposable decorating', so this kind of approach resonates with me.

A Kitchen Post

2009-10-19T07:30:00.001-04:00

Although I have certainly posted my fair share of kitchen pictures on the blog, I have never devoted a post to my favorite kitchens. Yet, it is one of the most popular search terms on my blog. Perhaps I have not focused extensively on kitchens because I have been relatively satisfied with my own kitchen; despite the fact that my home was designed in the late 80s and my kitchen bears many of the hallmarks of that time, the appliances were top of the line at the time, and the layout is quite good.

However, now that some of the appliances are getting old and I am thinking more and more of my 'dream home', I have started to pay close attention to kitchens. This post is a compilation of the kitchens I love, and a recent kitchen post at one of my favorite blogs - the Material Girls - inspired me to go ahead and post on the room where I spend the most amount of time in my own house. When compiling this post, I found it interesting that the kitchen pictures I like the most are the ones that I have saved over the past 9 months. Kitchens become dated much faster than any other room in the house, and seem to be susceptible to the latest and greatest in trends. Although I like to think of myself as classic, traditional with a twist, I wonder whether I am influenced by the trends of the day? Take a look at these pictures, and let me know what you think.

This is my current favorite kitchen - a departure from my usual love of white cabinets, but there is something about it that really speaks to me.

This kitchen was in an Atlanta showhouse a few years ago, and it is incredibly beautiful. Kitchen design was by Matthew Quinn of Design Galleria, one of the lead kitchen designers in the Southeast. The beautiful stone range hood is by Francois & Company. I really love the layout and design of this kitchen - it has a moody elegance due to its color scheme, and has beautiful details. Image via Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen and Bath Ideas, photography by Michael Partenio. (Check out the Design Galleria blog - it is very clever. A word is selected for each post, and a design element is selected that reflects the word.)

The people who bought the showhouse hired designer Suzanne Kasler when they moved in; Suzanne put her own touch on the space with a zinc table and antique chairs with original leather upholstery. I love those fridges - two subzeros with a custom cabinet face to match the rest of the kitchen. It makes the fridge look like a piece of furniture, an impression further enhanced because of the height. This image is in Suzanne's new book, just released last week; the book can be purchased wherever books are sold, and a signed copy can be purchased on her website (click here).

This kitchen is a recent addition to my picture files; there is something about it that has great appeal to me. It has a very elegant French feel. One side of the kitchen is windows, an unusual arrangement in a kitchen where wall space for appliances and storage is usually at a premium. Design by Beverly Ellesley, via Decorati blog, a great design blog worth checking out.

I immediately noticed the Niermann Weeks Avignon chandelier, however, my favorite feature is the antique French flooring used on the island. As the designer said, flooring is strong enough for foot traffic, so it is definitely strong enough to take the wear and tear of a kitchen counter.

This is a Victoria Hagan designed kitchen, and there is so much to love in this space: the beautiful quality of the light that flows through the windows, the streamlined and simple lines of the counters and cabinetry, the crisp white contrasted with the dark countertops, the sophisticated lighting.

This kitchen was one of the winners of the 2008 Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles kitchen design contest, and was designed by Mary Kathryn Timoney of Design Galleria, one of the top kitchen studios in Atlanta. Image via AH&L. I can see a theme emerging - the light and dark contrast really appeals to me in a kitchen. I love the herringbone pattern of the tile behind the range - simple, but elegant.

I promised myself not to post this kitchen on my blog again - but how can I do a kitchen post without one of the most charming kitchens I have seen this year? It is the winner of the Southern Accents Kitchen Award 2009. What appeals to me about this kitchen? I love the colors of the walls and cabinets, the vent hood (one of the prettiest I have seen), the decorative medallion, the furniture-like look of the cabinets and the storage, the fact that there it is a happy medium between the desire to have very few overhead cabinets, but the practical need to have a few well placed cabinets. Generally, I prefer to have the casual dining area in its own nook, but I love how designer Gwyn Duggan has integrated the seating into the island; instead of bar stools, the table is placed quite close to the island so it does not disrupt the flow between the kitchen and the adjoining family room.

There is something so appealing about this relatively compact kitchen. Perhaps it is the soothing tones, the sheen of the tiles and the ceiling. It has many of the elements I admire - a nice big window over the sink, a range with pretty architectural vent hood. The floors look beautiful too - it looks like a chevron or herringbone pattern using bleached wood.

Another view of this kitchen. It looks like the counters are made of polished marble.

A kitchen designed by Jim Howard. I had the pleasure of seeing this house in person with Jim as the tour guide, and it was amazing to hear about the design decisions behind each room. I love the clean lines in this space, and the elegant clear pendant lights over the island. In Atlanta, most custom kitchens these days have marble countertops. When I asked Jim about this, he said that European kitchens have used marble for decades (even centuries), and part of the beauty is in the patina that they acquire over time.

Earlier this year, I declared this to be my 'dream kitchen'. I love how it looks - with its soft cream and brown palette, the random pattern on the stone floors, the enormous window. In reality, this kitchen is a bit big for me (it is in a house that is almost 14,000 square feet, so it is in scale for the house), but its size is part of the drama. The large window that lets the light stream into the room is simply breathtaking. I also like the color scheme - cream with dark accents - and the random pattern of the floor. Of course, the Barbara Barry script chairs are one of my all time favorite bar stool designs. Kitchen design by Christy Dillard.

Lighting seems to be something that can make or break a kitchen. Elegant and simple globe lighting like this allows the kitchen to be the star of the show, with a little sparkle. This kitchen meets all of the criteria: nice big window, beautiful range and vent, large island (although, I am too practical to have an open island like this - I want to maximize storage). Image via Brooks & Falotico Associates.

Brooke of Velvet & Linen did a post on vent hoods recently - and it was eye opening to me. I think this post made me realize how much I like a decorative vent hood that is the focal point of the kitchen.

My Aunt in Scotland has an Aga range like this - she swears by it. I have only seen an Aga once in an Atlanta home. I didn't save this picture for the range, though; I liked the light and dark contrast, the farmhouse sink, and the huge window. To me, a bright and sunny kitchen is of utmost importance.

I love the colors in this kitchen - the cream and black (or is it dark, dark brown) theme is cleverly done, with black counters, oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware, then a cream counter over a dark island base, and finally the combination of the two colors in the tile behind the range. The range hood is large and very dramatic. Via the Jack Arnold, architect web site.

A reader of Cote de Texas sent in pictures of her kitchen, and the simple beauty and soft color scheme really appealed to me. Look at those beautiful marble countertops - the colors in the marble veins are picked up in the variation of colors in the subway tile backsplash. I think that marble is the most beautiful countertop out there - but I am trying to talk myself out of using marble in my next house because I cook every day, and I am a very messy cook. I just don't think I can handle a high maintenance countertop. Anyone with marble counters want to weigh in on this?

Another white kitchen - these really seem to speak to me - and I love the sparkle of the chandelier in this space. Design by Heidi Friedler.

When looking at these pictures, it is clear what elements appeal to me in a kitchen: lots of natural light, either a combination of light and dark contrasts, or a tone on tone with creams or whites. Many of the pictures seem to have a wood surface on the island, although marble is also prevalent in all of these kitchens. Given how my taste in kitchens has shifted over the past year, it makes me nervous about the choices that I will be making in designing my next kitchen. I guess the important thing is to keep the design simple and streamlined, with an emphasis on function first (I love a good work triangle), as well as color (not pattern - I always tire of a pattern) - this always seems to serve me well.

Architectural Digest Kitchen Contest

2009-10-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

Did you know that Architectural Digest has a kitchen contest going on? Apparently there was already a preliminary round, which consisted of kitchens sent in by Architectural Digest (AD) readers. Based on the preliminary round of voting, six kitchens have made it into the finals. I was particularly thrilled to see that a kitchen I had featured on my blog was in the finals - it is an Atlanta home designed by Melanie Turner of Turner Davis Interiors. I had the pleasure of seeing this kitchen in person, and it is one of the most beautiful kitchens I have ever seen.

Here are the finalists:

Kitchen by Turner Davis Interiors. I love this kitchen - it is both modern and classic at the same time. This is one of my all time favorite kitchens, and it is well deserving of this honor!

I love the lanterns - large scale and beautiful. Seeing this kitchen makes me want to see the rest of the home. Kitchen by Phil Kean Designs.

It seems to be the lighting that catches my eye in all of these kitchen designs! I love the delicate globe lanterns used in this kitchen, and the smart use of space. Kitchen by Amy Meckfessel of Orinda, California.

The combination of the chevron floors and the sleek contemporary design is striking in this kitchen by Traci Taylor of Design Studio West.

The light fron the wall of windows in this kitchen really appeals to me. The kitchen itself is contemporary and beautifully suited to the space. Kitchen by Brittany Drennen of Kansas City, Missouri.

The details in this kitchen are what immediately catch my eye - the bookcase in the island, the combination of countertops, the artful arrangement of sinks. Kitchen by William Noval of Hopewell, New Jersey.

Please visit the Architectural Digest website to cast your vote (for my email readers, please click here)! You can vote once per day (if you feel particularly passionate about one of these kitchens), and voting continues through October 26. The winner will be announced on October 27! Good luck to all of the designers behind these beautiful kitchens. My vote is for local talent Melanie Turner!

New on the market: a Summerour designed home

2009-10-09T07:54:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite areas to walk the dog is in the Haynes Manor neighborhood of Atlanta, and as I walk I often wonder what the homes look like on the inside. Thanks to the wonder of online real estate listings, I sometimes get to have a peek into some of my favorite homes. Such was the case recently when I saw a sign on the yard of a home I have long admired.

The architect of the home is Keith Summerour, one of Atlanta's most well respected names in architecture. As soon as I saw the pictures in the listing, I knew that great care had been taken in both the architectural and interior design of the home.

I am not sure how this architectural style would be described, but the overall result is beautiful, classic, and streamlined, with a distinct European flair.

The entry and its metal overhang (there must be a name for this) are the focal point of the front fascade of the house.

In the entry, on the left is the dining room, through an arched doorway.

The real estate listing includes a picture of the dining room table all set for entertaining. White tulips - my favorite!

One of my favorite rooms in this house is the music room/library. This picture is taken with a wide angle lens, which works well for real estate photos because it enables more of the room to be seen. I like how the door is off center to allow for room for the piano. Sometimes it makes more sense not to have a door centered on a wall.

This picture of the room probably gives a better idea of the true size of the room (the previous picture was probably taken with a special lens in order to get a full view of the space). I really love the arrangement in this room; there is a grand piano, but also a seating area and bookshelves. All of the walls, molding, and built-ins are painted out in taupe, with a contrasting black trim on the windows, which gives the space a cohesive and cozy feel.

The foyer can be seen from this angle, and it opens into a stair hall. Great sconces on either side of the opening.

The stair hall opens to the living room. I love houses that have a living room that can be seen when looking to the back of the house from the front door. A backless settee is effective in this space, as it provides seating, but does not block the view of the fireplace. I am unclear what the living room opens to on the left; I suspect it is a wall (with the kitchen on the other side), and the family room on the right. Some architects do not like for the living room to have any kind of view into the kitchen.

A view of the living room from the side; I assume that the hall to the right goes to the master bedroom. The doors on either side of the fireplace open to the loggia, which also has a fireplace.

The family room is a nice space, and on the right (not seen) opens to the loggia which is behind the living room.

This picture shows how the family room and the kitchen are open to each other, yet separate. I am very curious what is behind the wall on the left - the one with the vertically oriented piece of art. Perhaps it is kitchen storage or the kitchen pantry.

Here is a good view of the kitchen and the casual dining space, which are in one big room and seem to have a well thought out design. I really like the painted black trim that is consistent in the public rooms of this house, and it is particularly striking in this kitchen that is predominantly white. I wonder what is inside that corner door to left of the windows? Perhaps it is the pantry. If this is the case, I suspect that the appliances are against the wall on the left, not seen, because I do not see a refrigerator.

The master bedroom is a great space, done in a rich chocolate palate with a touch of robin's egg blue in the window treatments.

A view of the loggia off the family room and living room. This space feels like a real room with its beautiful rug and clock above the fireplace.

The loggia opens to the back yard, which has a pretty creek view.

I hope you enjoyed this tour! This is one of those homes that I immediately felt as if I could very happily live with its floorplan, a sense I often get when I see homes designed by Keith Summerour. His architectural style has great European flair, with flowing floorplans that really make sense for 21st century life. For more information on this home, please see the real estate listing, by Harry Norman Realtors. For more information on the architect, please see the Summerour and Associates website. If you have been in this home, please email me and let me know what you see through the opening in the living room, and where the fridge is located!

All images are via the real estate listing.

French Barometers

2009-10-06T13:55:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, I did a post on beautiful clocks, and included all sorts of examples from my inspiration files. The clocks that seemed to catch my eye were the ones with large round faces that resemble train station clocks, as well as mora clocks, with their feminine curves and pale tones. At the end of the post, I mentioned a 'clock' that I had seen on the 'Cote de Texas' blog; it was one of my favorite clocks with its small shape, beautiful green and gold colors, and lovely French style. Joni, author of Cote de Texas, quickly corrected me after I posted and let me know that the item on her blog was a barometer (seen above), not a clock.

At the same time, Southern Accents featured the home of a New Orleans gentleman, and prominently featured on the cover was my new obsession: a French style gilded barometer. I love how this barometer is displayed, hung by a wire in front of a mirror.

Barometers are instruments used to measure atmospheric pressure. It is clear that craftsmen of the 17th -19th century were devoted to making barometers of the time in beautiful and intricate cases, as can be seen when searching the internet for French barometers, and when visiting museums with a speciality in antique furniture. I had the pleasure of visiting the Getty Museum last summer, and was mesmerized by the section that contained priceless French antiques. In my newfound awareness of French style barometers, I noticed several ornate examples in the Getty collection (pictured above, photos taken with my iphone - just noticed that the vermilion barometer is both a clock and barometer!).

Now my antenna are up, and I notice French barometers every time I see them in a magazine spread. This room, in the home of designer Betty Burgess, features a lovely ornate French barometer.

Betty has a fondness for French barometers; another one is seen in the home that she designed in California. Barometers seem to be the perfect shape to anchor a sliver of wall, and have the presence to become the focal point. Image via Veranda.

Atlanta designer Patricia McLean used a French barometer as the focal point above the fireplace in this room from a recent show house. The fireplace is 'faux' as this is a condominium, but I wonder whether a real fireplace would be a good place for a delicate instrument like a barometer? It looks wonderful in this room, though. Image via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles.

Atlanta designer Carole Weaks uses a large French barometer in her own home. I love the combination that Weaks is known for - antiques, textured fabrics, and contemporary art. It is a beautiful combination.

One of my favorite antique stores in Atlanta, Jacqueline Adams, has a lovely octagonal French barometer in a striking shade of blue.

I featured this room in my last post, and although the intaglios were what initially caught my eye, I also love the barometer unassumingly tucked onto a side wall.

Somehow, somewhere, I learned about designer P. Joe Shaffer. Take a look at his portfolio, it is wonderful. The well composed living room caught my eye, with its magnificent gilded French barometer.

A charming small scale barometer immediately caught my eye in this picture. Image via Southern Chateau.

A French barometer looks perfectly at home in this dining room; the shape of the barometer is repeated in the shapes on the rug.

Designer Suzanne Kasler always likes to add an antique to the mix, and in this room the French barometer lends the dimension of age to the room.

When Ronda from All the Best visited New Orleans, she had the great privilege of going to Gerrie Bremermann's store. In Ronda's pictures, I immediately spied a French barometer on the wall.

Bremmerman is known for her use of incredible French antiques, and in this room uses a French barometers in her design (seen in a hall off the living room).

I found this picture to be striking - a pair of French barometers. It is highly unusual to find a pair of barometers, as they are designed to work alone. Image via Brooks & Falotico.

Brooke from Velvet & Linen purchased a gilded French barometer from the barometer man at Scott's Antique market. He is there every month, in the North Building. Last month he had a few great examples of French barometers, but not quite the right thing for me. I told Brooke that if I weren't on the West Coast in July, this would be hanging in my house instead of hers! My favorite style of French barometer is banjo shaped (like this one), with a bow ornamentation on the top

And finally, the barometer that inspired this post, in the beautiful room that Joni Webb designed for her client. Joni warned me not to become too enamored with French barometers - they tend to be quite expensive - but I can't help it. I am now on the search for the perfect French barometer. Much of the fun for me is in the search - but please let me know if you come across a particularly beautiful example!

Favorite Design Element: Framed Intaglios

2009-10-02T05:29:00.000-04:00

Image via Quatrefoil Design

From the first time I saw a framed intaglio, I thought is was the perfect combination of sculpture and art.

An intaglio is a figure or design carved into stone or a hard material. "Intaglios, cameos, and medals were popular among collectors in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Skilled engravers copied such artefacts from the classical world, reproductions were made in paste and glass, and collectors bought them not only for display, but to study classical Greece and Rome. Additionally new medals and intaglios were as popular with collectors, who bought them to commemorate, and to show an affinity with the contemporary events and personalities depicted in them: battles, parliamentary acts, political campaigns, and philosophers, statesmen, soldiers, sailors, poets, writers."(from the UCL Bentham Project)

Framed intaglios are incredibly versatile, and can be used in just about every room of the house (a friend of mine even has some in her bathroom, and they are gorgeous in there). They look just as good hung in small groups as they do in large groups, but I am always a fan of a large, dramatic group!

In this streamlined design, designer Jim Hawes of Caldwell-Beebe uses large scale frames with a single intaglio to great effect (there are two frames over the chest). Love that lamp - it costs a small fortune, but it is truly like a little sculpture.

Betty Burgess makes a big statement with these framed intaglios mounted on lilac colored silk. The sheer number of the framed intaglios makes this room exceptional!

A lovely display of framed intaglios above twin beds at the Mrs. Howard store. (a quick snapshot with my iphone).

I am not sure where this photo comes from - (edit: a readers tells me it is the Shabby Slips store in Austin) - it was the framed intaglios above the beds that caught my eye.

A stunning arrangement of framed intaglios arranged around a Louis Phillipe mirror. I think that intaglios work so well to expand a scene - this room would not be as beautiful with just a mirror on the wall. It is the arrangement of the intaglios, with the cases and the mirror, that makes this vignette work. Design by Womack Interiors.

This room, also by Womack Interiors, was my favorite room from a recent showhouse in Atlanta - mainly because of the framed intaglios on the wall.

In my own dining room, I used two sets of four framed intaglios (for a total of eight) to widen the scene. Adding the framed intaglios to my dining room really elevated the space to a new level; everyone who comes to my house comments on them.

This living room, from a real estate listing, caught my eye because of the framed intaglios mounted on the horizontal over the sofa.

My neighbor hung four sets of framed intaglios above her bed.

I love everything about this room, but it was the arrangement of framed intaglios that made the biggest impression on me. Design by Amy Morris.

A room by Suzanne Kasler has a series of six framed single intaglios mounted on an aqua color silk (a color repeated in the pillows).

Another Suzanne Kasler vignette - she was one of the very first to use intaglios as a decorative accessory. The edges of these intaglios are painted black for maximum contrast.

Although no photography was allowed at a recent showhouse in Atlanta, I snuck a picture of the beautiful wall of intaglios in the room designed by Suzanne Kasler. What a dramatic statement!

Here is a clearer picture from Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, where a glimpse of the framed intaglios can be seen.

Last year, I did a post on intaglios, and I still receive emails from readers asking where I found my intaglios. This inspired the creation of 'Quatrefoil Design' (click here to visit the store), an online store that a friend and I recently started. I have always dreamed of having a store, so this little virtual store has been a labor of love. It has been so much fun to see the store start to come alive! Please stop by and see the beautiful framed intaglios that we have designed for the store.

We are working with the most talented framer in the Southeast, and have created 22 designs available in two sizes: small (11"x14" - outer dimension 12 3/4" x 16") and large (16"x20" - outer dimension 17 5/8" x 21 5/8"). A top Atlanta designer, Judy Long of Tillman Long Interiors, was consulted to create suggested groupings for sets of 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16, or 20. I have found that they all work together quite well, and there is no right or wrong configuration, but sometimes it helps to have suggestions!

The designs can either be ordered in a hand rubbed gold frame with cream matt, or a hand rubbed silver frame with medium gray inner matt, and light gray outer matt. This silvery tone goes beautifully with the grays that are being seen more and more in interior design, and has a cool tone to it; the gold is a richer warmer option.

There are several single intaglio designs which work well with each other, or can mix with the other designs. If they are going to be used individually or in a small set, the matt can be sized smaller to frame the intaglio more closely. Although it is hard to see in this picture, the face of the intaglio on the left is facing center, and the face of the intaglio on the right is also facing center. Little details like this make all the difference!

Best of all, the price is wholesale, but available to everyone. For the small size (outer dimension 12 3/4" x 16") : $225 each. Volume discounts are available too: $195 each for 4-9 sets; $175 each for 10-19 sets; and $165 each for 20+ sets; for the large size (outer dimension 17 5/8" x 21 5/8") $285 each for 1-3 sets; $260 each for 4-9 sets; $240 each for 10-19 sets; and $230 each for 20+ sets. Quatrefoil Design offers a courtesy discount to the trade and special stocking store price (email quatrefoildesign@gmail.com for more information). I have seen framed intaglios around town that are not nearly as well done, priced at $495 each -Quatrefoil Design framed intaglios are exceptionally beautiful, the framed are all custom crafted, sanded, and hand-rubbed in gold or silver; and less than half the price! Please visit the Quatrefoil Design store for more information (click here), and the companion Quatrefoil Design blog.

Inspiring Architect: Steve Giannetti

2009-09-28T08:20:00.002-04:00

Last year, a new blogger burst onto the scene, and from the moment her blog started I was a fan. The blogger is Brooke Giannetti from Velvet & Linen, and one of the things that immediately endeared me to her blog was its unique focus on both design and architecture - two of my passions. In fact, in Brooke's very first month of blogging, she created a post called 'A Wonderful Collaboration' - and I learned that Brooke's husband Steve Giannetti is an architect. Could it get any better - a blog written by a designer whose husband is an architect? Brooke recently celebrated her one year blogging anniversary, and her blog continues to amaze me with every post. My favorite posts, though, are the ones where she shows the houses that Steve designed, and I particularly love the ones where Brooke did the interiors.

Steve Giannetti graciously agreed to answer a few questions for me as part of my 'Inspiring Architects' series. I loved learning more about Steve's background and the inspiration for his work.

Steve Giannetti

Q: How did you decide to pursue a career in architecture?

Steve: When I was a child, I really enjoyed drawing and building. As I got older, I found that I also really liked solving problems.

Growing up I worked for my father doing ornamental plaster work. I would come in contact with a lot of architects. So, when I was in high school I started hanging out at the Architecture department at the University of Maryland. In my free time I would do the projects that were assigned to the architecture students. I enjoyed it so much that I applied to the architecture program and got accepted.

Steve grew up surrounded by the beauty of an ornamental plaster studio, which developed a love for attention to detail that makes Steve such an exceptional architect.

Q: From where do you draw your inspiration? Particular architects, things, places?

Steve: I like Classical architects like Thomas Jefferson and John Soane. They always came up with clever solutions to problems. Soane's house in London, now a museum, is amazing with all sorts of ornaments that remind me of my dad's shop.

Sir John Soane's house is considered one of the most magnificent house museums in the world. Here is a picture from the museum.

The breakfast room from Sir John Soane's house - no wonder Steve cites this as an inspirational place for him.

The ceiling of the breakfast room - amazing architectural and design detail.

Steve: Pierre Chareau did a great house in Paris in 1930 called Maison de Verre. It looks like it could have been done last week.

The exterior of Maison de Verre (House of Glass). Chareau's patron purchased the first three floors of the building, but the person who owned the top level would not sell. Undeterred, Chareau simply worked with the space his patron owned, without disturbing the the original top floor, in order to create this masterpiece of architecture (source: Wikipedia).

The wall of books in Maison de Verre.

Another view - I love the concert grand piano in front of the wall of glass.

Q: Do you have a particular style of architecture that you favor?

Steve: I work in all kinds of styles. Classical architecture is always fun, but I tend to open it up more with glass when I can.

A home that Steve designed.

The light filled interior of the home pictured above; note the architectural details in the transom of the doors. Special details like this are what make homes unique and exceptional.

Steve: I am working on combining the open space and flow of Modernism with the proportions and humanity of Classicism. I try to simply things a bit more these days. This is the style I favor right now, unfortunately I don't know what to call it yet. We are doing a couple of projects right now with this in mind.

I am also just finishing work on another home in Malibu that combines some traditional Mediterranean details with a modern feeling.

A home (designed by Steve) that is in the finishing stages.

A house and barn in Maine is nearly complete and is a design that blends traditional shingle style with a more modern interior.

Q: What is your favorite exposure for quality of light (North, South, East, or West), and why?

Steve: South. This exposure allows a quality of light into the room in a way that energizes the space. North light is very static and doesn't move around, so the room always feels the same. I'll work pretty hard to get south light into a room with dormers or sidelights.

A recent project of Steve's, in collaboration with Brooke, was a pool house/artist studio that had a beautiful quality of light.

Q: What types of projects do you work on (i.e., size of home, renovation vs. new contruction)?

Steve: There is no real average size. They range from 4000 sf to 10,000 sf. I do both new construction and renovation, although I prefer new construction.

A charming French style home designed by Steve.

Q: What is something you should not skimp on what building a home?

Steve: A detailed set of plans. Nothing is more expensive than indecision when you are building a house. It holds up the building process. The more detailed the drawings, the less questions a builder will have and the quicker it will all go.

One of my favorite pictures from Steve's portfolio - there is something so beautiful about this little arch under the stairs, and every time I look at the photo I notice another architectural detail.

Q: What trends are you seeing in your projects? Smaller, larger, green? Classical, modern, a blending of the two?

Steve: I see people asking for smaller houses with cleaner, minimal details that still have warmth of traditional architecture. Also, my clients really prefer an open floor plan, so the rooms feel bigger. Living rooms are also going away and being replaced by bigger libraries that also act like intimate living rooms.

A beautiful library in a home recently designed by Steve.

Q: What is a fad you hope to never see again?

Steve: Lava rock. We had a huge wall of it in our place in Oxnard that we just had to plaster over.

The lava rock wall: before.

The wall after Steve plastered over it. This space continues to evolve - Brooke has been documenting the renovation of the house on her blog.

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Steve Giannetti. Although I have admired his work many times over the past year, I really did not know much about Steve other than the small tidbits I read on Brooke's blog. As you can see in this post, Steve's inspirations are from the Classical tradition in architecture, yet he is putting an exciting new modern framework on these Classical designs, which makes them so suitable for life in the 21st Century. Steve truly said it best when he wrote of wanting to retain the proportion and humanity of the Classical tradition, with the space and flow of modernism. For more information about Steve, Giannetti Architects, Giannetti Home (Brooke and Steve's store that sells Steve's original furniture designs), and Brooke's blog, please visit the Giannetti website.

Come see what everyone is posting about on BNOTP Metamorphosis Monday!

Inspirational Design Talent: Amy Morris

2009-09-25T09:15:00.000-04:00

I was first introduced to Amy Morris through the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles bathroom design contest:

This is such an exquisite vignette, with the freestanding tub, the beautiful French style mirror behind the tub (reminds me a bit of the work of Kerry Joyce, with an Atlanta twist), the petite French chair, and the side table with my favorite flower - tulips. The bathroom has wood floors, a bathroom trend I am seeing more and more. What's not to like about this picture? Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles has a particular strength at identifying and promoting the best new emerging talent in the Southeast design scene; based on this picture, I decided to check out the designer's web site. Be prepared for some beautiful never before seen images!

Designer Amy Morris clearly she has an incredible eye and a great talent for creating beautiful spaces. This is the image that greeted me at the front page of Amy's website, and it was a wonderful introduction to Amy's work - overall neutral, with texture and interest. I love the lines of the bookshelf, the mixture of seagrass baskets with parchment books, glass paperweights, and architectural fragments. The amazing photography of Emily Followill makes the vignette even more beautiful (all images by Emily Followill, used with permission from the designer).

Another vignette from the front page of Amy's site, with a combination of some of my favorite elements: the symmetry of two lamps, flowing silk curtains, a lyre back chair (a musical shape that I love), and the 'x' motif in a beautiful desk.

Amy likes to mix it up in her designs, and often uses great abstract art with treasured family pieces and wonderful finds at local haunts like Scott's antique market.

Another space where Amy made a charming and completely unique vignette that defines the entry to the home. I love it when a home has a long wall like this in an entry - it makes for so many possibilities on the decor side of things!

Amy worked with Atlanta design star Barbara Westbrook for five years before starting her own firm in 2005. From Barbara, she gained an appreciation for traditional and French modern design, although she describes her current direction as transitional design with a clean, fresh, and eclectic style.

I absolutely love the style of this room, as seen from different angles. It is richly colored and very sophisticated; although I usually gravitate to a lighter palate, there is something about this room that makes me want to pick a room in my house and make it cozy and gray. The dash of teal in the antique chair is a perfect balance.

Another bathroom where Amy uses a full length mirror leaning against a wall, also set behind a free standing tub. I love how the color of the tub is a perfect match for the color of the fabric in the shade.

I originally thought that this was part of the same bathroom, but the floor is much darker. The same color in the fabric of the window treatment is used, which is carried through to the charming chair at the vanity.

This is a great casual dining area, with its slipcovered chairs, grass planter on the table, and glass lights hanging from ropes.

Here is a kitchen designed by Amy. There are so many interesting elements going on here - the beams on the ceiling (adding that great third dimension to the space), the layout on the far wall, with no cabinets, two windows on a wall done entirely in tile, a giant clock, the two lanterns above the island.

Based on the beams, I am guessing that the previous three pictures are part of the same house. I love the contrast of the trim color on the doors.

A powder room, which is so rarely seen in magazines and portfolios. This one is charming.

A sophisticated bathroom designed by Amy.

What a great use for a small wall in a stairway. The four ebony medallion reliefs look like giant intaglios. Does anyone know what these are called? I love the settee along the stair wall too; the pillows provide a little dash of color.

This is my favorite picture from Amy's website. I am not sure if it is the bed - one of my favorite styles, by Lewis Mittman - or the intaglios hanging above the bed - or the combination of all the elements, but it is definitely a design that speaks to me.

For more information on Amy Morris' work, please visit her website. Amy is one of the featured designers in the upcoming Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Christmas House; she will be designing a bedroom. Based on everything I have seen on her website, it will be spectacular!

Come visit Hooked on Houses to see what everyone else is posting about this week!

Glee

2009-09-23T07:25:00.000-04:00

I am going a little off topic to spread the word about my new favorite show: Glee. Have you seen it? It is a wonderful mixture of adult soap opera, high school drama (which, despite being in my late 30s, I have an unreasonable love for high school shows), comedy, and musical. I love it, and look forward to Wednesdays when it airs on Fox. I even watch it live - virtually unheard of for me in the age of 'on demand' tv and TiVo.

Here is the trailer:

And a great clip:

http://www.fox.com/fod/play.php?sh=glee&ep=1251342903382

All previous episodes (there are just a few) can be seen on the Fox website, just click here. Watch the pilot first to get the background of the show (although I didn't do that - I watched the second episode first and had no trouble). Welcome to the Glee club - once you watch you will be addicted!

The Third Dimension in Architecture and Design

2009-09-22T07:35:00.000-04:00

Recently, I profiled Massachusetts architect Katie Hutchison. When I first learned of her online articles, I was particularly smitten with Katie's discussion of the third dimension in design and architecture. In her article, Katie wrote:

"You would think it would be obvious, but sometimes it needs to be said: attention to the third dimension is critical to shaping space. All too often in a rush to plan room-to-room adjacencies and sequencing on a particular floor level, treatment of the third dimension becomes an afterthought".

After reading Katie's article, I went through the pictures in my own inspiration files to see where the 'third dimension' adds to, and even defines, a space. Many of the examples I found were in the beautiful ceiling treatments that the designers and architects used, but there are so many possibilities for adding the third dimension to a space. Here are some of my favorite examples.

This picture has circulated around the blogosphere, and it seems as if the ladder is the feature that captures everyone's attention. The ladder and the opening at the top is the third dimension that gives definition to this large two story space. The mystery of what is at the top of the ladder is part of the intrigue of the room. Interior design by Christopher Maya.

Katie says that an area often neglected is the ceiling, and many designers see it as the perfect canvas for a beautiful design feature. This ceiling, in Marble House, Newport, was one of the most memorable features of the home. The intricacy of the ceiling and the fretwork all around the room was breathtaking to see in person.

My favorite stately home in England, Blenheim Palace, has a beautiful library that is my favorite room in the house. The eye is naturally taken up to appreciate the detail on the ceiling, and the shape of the space makes it feel like you are passing through an amazing portal. At the end of the space: a magnificent organ.

John Saladino is perhaps the master at making every space full of subtle dimension; every surface is an opportunity for a statement, whether it be subtle or bold. The walls are textured and appear to be carved out of stone, an impression solidified by the columns that flank the door. The leather door with the detail in nails is so original and adds so much to this space - it simply would not be the same with just plain painted wood doors.

I love the look of this entry to designer Frank Babb Randolph's townhouse; he added the door surround, which is quite sculptural and defines the style of the house. I am a big fan of beautifully defined front doors as the perfect introduction to a home, and a great extra dimension to a house.

This is an amazing interpretation of a staircase, in an entry designed by Bunny Williams. There are so many elements in this space that add the 'third dimension' - the texture of the walls, the columns in the window above the stair, the wave pattern on the floor, the curve of the wall, and of course the magnificent stairs.

The groined ceiling and detailed columns are the the third dimension of this space that makes it extraordinary. Would a flat ceiling and walls have the same impact?

This unusual room has a recessed ceiling and a curve built into the wall, a third dimension to the room that makes it very powerful from an architecture and design perspective. The shape of the dining chairs reflects the shape of the room, in a nice use of a repeating design element. Interiors by J. Randall Powers.

Do you notice that the area for the console is recessed in this room? A unique architectural feature that gives this room extra dimension. Architecture by Steve Giannetti.

A richly detailed room with beautiful moldings on the ceiling and an ornate mantel give this room an extra dimension of elegance. Interior design by Suzanne Kasler, architecture by Bill Baker.

I went to a party at this house many years ago, and was struck by the hand painted ceiling and the trestle beams in the ceiling. It is hard to see the painting on the ceiling, but the trestle really made a large room with high ceilings much more intimate. This room would not have the same impact if it did not have the detail on the ceiling - an example where the third dimension in the ceiling treatment really defines the room. Architecture by Jack Arnold.

I love the look of this room - the walls have beams, similar to what I have seen in Tudor style homes in England that are authentic to the time. Again - it is the third dimension of the wall and ceiling treatment that defines this room. Interior design by Tom Scheerer.

This Hermes box inspired room has lovely walls, a third dimension in design that really defines the room. I have seen those more and more often in Atlanta - a paneled wood room with wood that is bleached, waxed, or glazed to lighten the feel of the wood. The Pottery Barn rug also adds a great look to the room. Interiors by Melanie Turner.

I can't tell if this is a groined ceiling, but the effect of all of the curves in the ceilings is dramatic and beautiful - a beautiful dimension to the space. Design by Katherine Newman.

I did not notice the ceiling when I first saw this picture, but upon further examination, I see that the ceiling is painted to give it a coffered look. Simply painting a ceiling or giving it an interesting treatment is an easy way to add dimension to a space.

I saved this picture because of the beautiful painting by Mira Hecht, but also love the look of the curved arch that separates the two seating areas, varying the ceiling for additional interest and space definition. These are elements that give an extra dimension to the space.

I love this arched passageway in a home with architecture by Steve Giannetti. What a great way to transition from one room to another - and a good use of the dead zone under the stairs. Katie says that 'spatial variety in the form of interludes with lower ceilings in which to pause or take personal shelter can relieve otherwise tall, open spaces'. I thought about this picture when reading Katie's words.

This picture, from an ad for oak flooring, has both a massive fireplace and beams on the ceiling, as well as thickly framed bookshelves to the side of the fireplace. There is a lot of texture and dimension to this room.

Yet another space with architecture by Steve Giannetti (who adds such outstanding architectural details to the houses he designs). I love this ceiling, which has beams but they are laid in a pattern that gives a coffer effect.

The art mounted on the bookshelf, a signature design feature in libraries by Jan Showers, adds a great dimension to the room.

One of my new favorite pictures - I think the double doors is a beautiful third dimension' design element that adds so much to this space, a thoughtful approach to balancing privacy and light.

Even something as seemingly simple as painting a door in a color other than white is a great way to add that extra third dimension to a room (although, of course, this room has so many other wonderful dimensional design features too). Interiors by S. Gambrel.

Windows can be a powerful design element in a room that gives a great dimension to the space. The beautiful windows (not to mention the gorgeous chevron floors) add to the architectural strength of this room. This is from Ina Garten's pied a terre in New York City.

An example where unique windows add a great dimension to the room; the 'x' motif is one of my favorites. Note the beams used as the window frame - unusual and beautiful.

Another dimension that is often seen in French architecture is an enfilade style design, where one room opens to another, without the use of halls. This design gives a wonderful axial view from one room through to the room on the end, often with a beautiful vignette at the end. The walls are also done in an interesting treatment that adds dimension to the room.

Another home with the enfilade design, as well as a unique and beautiful treatment on the ceiling and door surrounds.

Look at the detail in this stairwell, in a home by architect William Hefner. The curve of the stair, the design of the rail and window, and even the design of the ceiling are details that certainly add many layers and that 'third dimension' to the architecture.

The depth of the window was what first caught my eye in this beautiful room designed by Betty Burgess. This room is full of the kind of architectural details that make a room exceptional, from the ceiling to the fireplace to the windows and flooring. Image via Veranda.

A kitchen from a renovated 1930s home in Atlanta. The kitchen was added on, and the vaulted ceiling and lack of upper cabinets emphasizes the airiness of the space. The home is Tudor in style, with relatively low ceilings and a cozy, intimate feel that are typical of the time when it was built, so entering the kitchen wing is a great way to balance differing ceiling heights. This is another way that a third dimension in architecture is utilized - varying the heights of the ceilings.

The shiplap style ceiling is so popular these days, and adds a noticeable third dimension to this beautiful kitchen by Victoria Hagan.

There is something about this room that is so unique and appealing. It has light on two sides - both sides of the room are glass. The columns make a seamless transition between the inside and the outside, giving this indoor room the feeling of a loggia. The ceiling adds texture and dimension to the room. Interiors by Lars Bolander.

Readers have emailed me and asked how they can make a house have more of a unique feel, as most of us do not live in custom homes where there is a lot of architectural detail. Although many of the homes in this post are very customized, I have seen home design shows, particularly ones focusing on getting a home ready for sale, install interesting architectural elements into fairly bland homes - like crown molding purchased from Home Depot, wall molding that frames spaces on a wall, detail on stair treads, and interesting ceiling treatments. Even painting a ceiling or a door in a color, instead of builder's white, is a great way to add another dimension to a room.

The House Beautiful Color Institute Event

2009-09-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I received a special 'press' invitation to attend the House Beautiful Color Institute Event at the Atlanta Design Center. The big event was yesterday; when I arrived, I had a name tag that identified me as the author of the 'Things That Inspire' blog, and it was great to meet some of the designers, fellow bloggers, and magazine editors whom I have featured over the past two years!

Image via House Beautiful

The keynote speaker was Stephen Drucker, editor of House Beautiful Magazine, and on the panel were design luminaries Suzanne Kasler and Eric Cohler. The topic: color! Stephen's presentation was wonderful, and he illustrated color use through the decades with a representative picture for each decade from the House Beautiful archives (there were two pictures selected for the 90s, which Stephen noted was all across the board from a design perspective - as are the 2000s!). The 80s had a richly decorated room by Mario Buatta - I thought about Joni from Cote de Texas when appreciating the complexity of his look, and Stephen gave a nod to the true artisty that went into creating such a multi-layered room. It was interesting to hear Stephen's take on the color trends of the 2000s - from the juicy and youthful colors that he called the 'Sex and the City' look, to the complex textured neutrals accented with metallics (particularly in the gilded furniture and mirrors) so often seen in Atlanta decorating, and my favorite, the subtle neutrals that often pick up the colors of nature, particularly greens. There were some striking rooms from recent years done so beautifully in colors like purple, and Stephen identified an emerging trend: dark, bold rooms done in black and rich, deep blues. He commented that doing a black room is about as bold as one can get with color! I did not take notes, so this is all from memory, but it was great to get a perspective from a magazine editor who is so clearly passionate about his work and about color.

Eric Cohler Design, photo by Francis Smith

Next in the line up was Eric Cohler, who has a wonderful sense of humor and also a passion for design and color, especially the color blue! I always love to see work from NYC designers, because their challenges and the architecture they are dealing with is so different than the architecture and design style of Atlanta. I particularly appreciated the stunning museum quality contemporary artwork that many of Eric's clients own, and that he incorporates into his design schemes. Eric's humor and humanity made him the ideal panelist for this event, and from what I understand, he had to make quite a journey to get to Atlanta; we had terrible thunderstorms the night before the event, and Eric had to land in Alabama and take a taxi to Atlanta to make it on time.

Eric said that he feels like an artist when composing a room, with the balance of form, scale, and color. I loved this analogy, because I when I see a beautifully put together room, I truly feel as if I am looking at a unique three dimensional piece of art.

Finally, Suzanne Kasler revealed her color approach on projects, and specifically discussed her thought process behind several rooms that are well known on the blogosphere - the one that stands out in my mind is the richly colored dining room that she created in an Atlanta home (I posted on this home last year when it was on the market). Suzanne often paints an entire room in the same color - walls, trim, and ceiling - but in different finishes, glossy and satin (upon examing this picture, it looks like the ceiling was not painted in the same color as the walls, but the trim and walls are painted out in the same color, as are the windows). She introduced another color in this dining room - the green on the back of several of the dining room chairs - and the rug has the green tone that is on the back of the chairs.

The lacquered look on a wall came up quite a few times in Suzanne's presentation; she often uses three layers of glossy paint to achieve this look, and said that in the bathroom in her newly renovated home in Buckhead, she intended to do Venetian plaster walls but ended up loving the look of three layers of glossy paint so much that she went this route instead. Suzanne was a great speaker and presenter, and it was amazing to hear her design approach on some of my favorite rooms from her portfolio. It was noted that Suzanne has a book coming out in October: I was able to have a sneak peek earlier this week, and it is stunning (there is a kitchen in there that is the most beautiful kitchen I have ever seen). You can pre-order it on Amazon.

I had the opportunity to meet designer Melanie Turner Benecki, Southeast designer of the year, whose home I featured in a post last month; blogger Jennifer Boles of the Peak of Chic; and Clint Smith, editor of Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles. All around, it was a great day for design in Atlanta! Thank you to House Beautiful for hosting this event, and for the special invitation.

A new book by one of my favorite designers: Jan Showers

2009-09-16T12:15:00.001-04:00

When I reflect upon the evolution of my own personal design style over the past 10 years, I cite Jan Showers as one of the most pivotal influences. I first started to notice her work in my favorite magazines several years ago, and the discovery was a revelation; until I saw the work of design luminaries like Jan Showers, I tended to stick to a fairly traditional mode of decorating. The work of Jan Showers was something new for me - her style definitely has a 'French Moderne' influence, which is a different kind of French - a more modern, sculptural kind, highly influenced by the designers of he 1940s. Yet Jan's work can not be easily classified, as it also has a uniquely American style, with many glamorous Hollywood influences from the 1940s and 1950s. I love the palette that she uses in her projects, the sophistication of the art, the sparkle of the mirrors and the lighting, the light color of the wood in many of her furniture items, the gilded finishes. She likes to call her rooms 'the art of the mix'; the result is truly timeless, stylish, and elegant.

Jan Showers, seated on one of my favorite items from her furniture collection: the Daniele Tete a Tete. If you look closely, you will see that they are two pieces that work together to form a beautiful set.

Jan just released a new book, 'Glamorous Rooms'; it contains over 170 images from projects over the past 20 years, including 75 pictures never before published. 'Glamorous Rooms' is full of charming insights into both Jan Showers and her design process, and as the title would suggest, 'Glamorous Rooms' is organized by room. Each chapter begins with a discussion Jan's design approach and philosophy for the the room being featured (entry halls, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, private spaces, and outdoor spaces), which is a dream for a reader who loves design and would like to create beautiful rooms, but needs a bit of inspiration and direction. In an interesting and sweet anecdote, as a child Jan Showers created her own personal scrapbook of inspiration rooms that, like this book, was organized by room. Seeds of the great designer were present even at a very young age! (Photography by Brian McWeeney).

I love the front cover of the book - the image captures the essence of Jan's design, but it also frames the words of the book perfectly. Jan says that even the most formal rooms of a home should be welcoming and comfortable, and the room in this picture looks very elegant but approachable. Just as Jan pays attention to every detail when designing a room, she paid attention to every detail when designing this book. It is truly a sophisticated and beautiful compilation of her work.

My admiration for Jan Showers can be seen from the very beginning of this blog; on my very first day of blogging, 7/19/07, I noted my admiration for the Jan Showers 'Plaza' desk, with its beautiful curved 'X' motif (seen above). Photography by Jeff McNamara.

This is one of my favorite Jan Showers rooms, as it combines so many of my favorite elements: gilded furniture, beautiful lighting (the Niermann Weeks Swedish chandelier and the blue murano glass lamps), interesting side chairs, and a mirror combined with framed gestural ink sketches. They all come together to perfection. The coffee table, one of my favorites, comes from Jan's furniture collection. I love what Jan says about living rooms in her book: "Make the living room into a place where people want to spend time. Imagine ways to seduce and lure family and friends into using these typically neglected spaces, such as books stacked high on tabletops along with filled magazine racks, which never fail to make rooms appear more layered and welcoming". Photography by Brian McWeeney.

A wider view of the same room shows that there is both another seating area and a grand piano in the room. Upon further analysis, I see that this is the room used on the cover of Jan's book. Image via Veranda Magazine, October 2007, photography by Brian McWeeney.

Another of my favorite rooms from Jan Showers' designs. I have collected so many pictures of Jan Showers' work here and there, it is wonderful to see so much of her work in one volume. Yellow is certainly a favorite color, and appears in many of the beautiful pictures in her book. I read on that when doing the final editing for 'Glamorous Rooms', there were over 100 pictures that did not even make it into the book!

The chapter on bedrooms was particularly interesting. Jan loves using canopies for a bedroom (which create a room within a room), and believes that bedrooms should not be too large - she thinks the feeling of intimacy can be lost in a bedroom that is too large. Photography by Jeff McNamara.

Entries are one the most important spaces to make a statement and be bold, according to Jan. Some of my favorite entry pictures in my personal 'inspiration files' come from Jan's portfolio of designs. Her new book contains even more examples of this important space, a space that defines the first impression of a home. Photography by Bill Bolin.

This is one of my favorite entry pictures in my files, designed by Jan Showers. Although I usually prefer to have an entry with a view to the back, I would make an exception for this entry! The walls are delicately covered with silver leaf tea paper with gold undertones. The sunburst mirror, chest, and lamp are a beautiful combination. In reading Jan's book, I have learned that the star (seen in the floor) is one of Jan's signature shapes. Even the vent covers are perfectly designed in this space! Photography by Bill Bolin.

This is one of my favorite dining room pictures, and again Jan uses the Niermann Weeks Swedish chandelier to great effect (the living room across the hall - pictured earlier in this post - also has the NW Swedish chandelier for an effective repetition of a beautiful design element). Photography by Steven Karlisch.

This bedroom, featured in Western Interiors magazine, was one of the inspiration pictures for my own bedroom redesign. Again, the use of a cheerful yellow seems to be another Jan Showers signature element in a room. Photography by Dominique Vorillon.

Quite a few of Jan's rooms feature gestural ink sketches by Don Bodine. It takes a steady hand and many years of experience to create art that is so sure, so pure, and so elegant. The bench at the end of the bed is from Jan's furniture collection. Photography by Steve Karlisch.

A chair covered with Hinson snow leopard fabric, another one of Jan's signature design elements. Most of her rooms have some element of sophisticated animal print or skin. Photography by Jeff McNamara.

I remember when this magazine spread came out (again with the influence of yellow in the design). The combination of the chairs, sofa, pillows, and window treatments made an already architecturally stunning house even more beautiful. The use of yellow and gray has been so popular lately; Jan was using this combination years ago, and likes to design with elements that are timeless and classic, yet somewhat unexpected. Photography by Steven Karlisch

For private spaces like libraries, a dark rich color can be used and achieve a stunning effect. Photography by Jeff McNamara.

Although I have been reading Jan's book over the past few days, only today did I catch a glimpse of the inside cover of the book, which was peeking out underneath the jacket. I should not have been surprised that a designer who pays attention to every detail in a room should pay so much attention to every detail of her book: the cover looks like Hinson's 'snow leopard' pattern.

For more information on Jan Showers, and to see her portfolio and furniture line, please check her website (click here). For an interesting 1st Dibs article on Jan Showers, please click here. To purchase Jan's new book 'Glamorous Rooms', you can go to any book seller, or buy it online here. I highly recommend it! The forward is written by Michael Kors, and it is a touching tribute to his good friend Jan and to the timeless quality of her designs.

Check out what the bloggers are posting about this week in the Hooked on Houses Friday blog party!

New on the market: the home from my favorite magazine article

2009-09-12T10:30:00.001-04:00

One of my all time favorite articles from Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles featured a charming home in the Ansley Park area of Atlanta. I have not written much about Ansley Park, because it is not on my beaten path, but it is a lovely area of Atlanta. Ansley Park was developed in the early 20th century, and features beautiful homes of a variety of styles appropriate to the time when they were built (1913-1930) and several of the city's best parks. Ansley Park is located North of downtown Atlanta, and west of Piedmont Park, between Piedmont Avenue and Peachtree Street; as there are several parks and a golf course in this area, the neighborhood has a charming look and feel that balances proximity to the amenities of the city with the beauty of manicured lots and a park-like setting.

Here is a picture from the home - I am sure all of you recognize it - I have featured this beautiful vignette at least a dozen times on my blog! The interior design for the home was done by Liz Williams, one of my favorite designers. Image via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, photography by Erica George Dines.

Here is another picture from the home, via the Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles article - this picture has also been on my blog more times than I can count. I love the lines of the bed, the lamp, the curtains. The whole arrangement is incredibly pleasing to the eye.

The living room of the home. This is my kind of room, with its soft oushak rug and gentle color scheme. The Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles article noted that the owners of the home were engaged to be married when they purchased the home, and needed to combine her beachy, feminine style with his darker toned, more contemporary style. They called on designer Liz Williams to help them bring their styles together, with a calm and elegant result.

Here is the foyer of the home, and designer Liz Williams (posing for the article in AH&L). Recently, when chatting with Liz, I learned that the beautiful home of her clients is on the market. I love it when a 'magazine featured' home goes on the market, because then I get to see the rest of the home! And here it is, a charming Ansley Park gem (in the words of AH&L). ALl images below via the real estate listing.

So few homes featured in magazines show the exterior, so it is gratifying to see how the home looks on the outside. I have a fondness for homes that have a door on the side, so reminiscent of the homes in Charleston. This home was built in 1930, and has recently undergone a full renovation to make the home fresh, young, and equipped with all of the modern amenities that families of the 21st century would expect.

The entry, which features a round table and an open lantern.

The living room, which looks surprisingly true to the picture from the magazine. Often a room is styled for a magazine shoot, and ends up looking quite different from the 'real life' version. Although the magazine pictures were exceptional, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the owners and realtor did not use the magazine pictures in this listing. Often magazine pictures are geared towards vignettes, and closely cropped shots, but when people are looking at real estate, they need to see the flow of the house. The realtor did an excellent job showing the open, light and airy feel of this room, and its flow to the front hall.

I loved seeing this picture, because it has the settee and botanical prints that I have long admired! I read that they were in the dining room, but I could not picture it. Now I can! This room is open to the living room, yet defined. Again, these real estate pictures really show the flow of the rooms.

The gourmet kitchen.

The family room, which is great to see as it was not pictured in the magazine.

I loved seeing a full view of the bedroom, with its sculptural Lewis Mittman bed (one of my favorites), the beautiful lamps on the bedside table, and the chaise lounge in front of the window. I dream of having a chaise lounge in my bedroom - wouldn't it be a great place to read a book? I can't quite tell what is above the bed - perhaps framed intaglios? This room is also filled with light, such a wonderful attribute in a bedroom.

A lovely nursery with custom valances.

The home has a secret garden style swimming pool area, with the pool surrounded by plants and shrubs that make it feel like a room outside.

This is one of my favorite features of the property: a pool house with columns, and an elephant fountain that flows into the pool.

The pool house looks like the retreat of the man of the house, with its hunting decor - and interestingly enough, what looks like a beautiful contemporary Dusty Griffith painting displayed among the taxidermy.

The pool house also has a pool table and a kitchen - truly the perfect retreat.

For more information on this home, please click here to see the real estate web site. For more information on Liz Williams Interior Design, please call (404) 816-9868 (she does not have a website yet, but you can see more of her work on Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles). I hope you enjoyed this tour of another wonderful home on the market in Atlanta!

Please visit Hooked on Houses to see what everyone else is posting about this week!

An Artistic Doctor

2009-09-09T06:46:00.004-04:00

Recently I admired a beautiful painting of a pear in my neighbor's dining room (seen below), set off perfectly by a rich chocolate colored wall. My neighbor purchased the painting over 10 years ago at the first solo show of Dr. Gary Bodner, one of Atlanta's foremost obstetrician/gynegologists. Gary has had a lifelong love of art, but it wasn't until 13 years ago that he began to explore his artistic side through painting classes. Although he is still practicing medicine (and has been in practice for 30 years), he paints every day and has a beautiful abstract impressionistic style that improves and deepens every year.

Pear, by Gary Bodner - sold

This Friday, September 11th, Gary Bodner will have his third solo show at one of the my favorite art galleries in Atlanta, Anne Irwin Fine Art. I was invited to a sneak preview of Gary's recent work at his home, and we spent an enjoyable hour talking about painting, design, color, and the love of art that we both share. Gary is taking his art and the exploration of his medium into totally new directions, and the latest collection of paintings is one of his best ever. In a recent article in a local paper, gallery owner Anne Irwin said that his style truly cannot be categorized; it is more about color and the vibrant application of paint to canvas than any one particular genre. For this reason, I think Gary's paintings are incredibly versatile and would work well in so many different kinds of environments and contexts. The following pictures are just a few of the paintings that will be part of Gary's show this Friday.

Birds are a new theme that Gary has introduced into his paintings this year.

A clever mixed media piece that highlights one of the new directions of Gary's work.

A colorful floral, but in Gary's unique style makes this an impressionistic piece with a touch of the abstract. In my experience, paintings that have aspects of both impressionism and contemporary are very successful for people who want to start buying more contemporary style pieces, but still like traditional subject matter.

I love this painting, and it is interesting to see how it has evolved since I saw it at Gary's house last month. The vibrant colors in this painting really sing, and the composition of the chair in the background, and the tablescape in the foreground, makes this a wonderful piece.

If you are in the Atlanta area, the opening reception for Gary Bodner's show takes place at Anne Irwin Fine Art this Friday, September 11 from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm; the show runs through the end of September. The address is 25-D Bennett Street NW Atlanta, GA 30309; the phone number is 404.352.1855. Please visit the Anne Irwin web site for more information and for directions.

Inspirational Architect: Katie Hutchison

2009-09-08T07:20:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, Terry from Architecture Tourist forwarded a wonderful online magazine to me, called 'House Enthusiast'. It is written by an architect from Massachusetts, the state where I was born and where I returned for a few years when my husband was attending graduate school. As much as I love living in the South, there is a part of me that is drawn to New England, and I was thrilled to learn about Katie and her inspirational work. On Katie's site, she writes 'Inspired by the simplicity of New England vernacular buildings and landscapes, Katie Hutchison Studio composes, promotes, and photographs meaningful architecture and design'. What a creative life, and what a wonderful subject for my 'Inspirational Architecture' series.

Katie Hutchison - architect, writer, and photographer

How did you decide to pursue a career in architecture?

I’m not one of those people who discovered while playing blocks as a child that I wanted to become an architect, and only an architect. I have at different times wanted to be any number of things. Three interests have persisted more, though, than the others, so it’s those three that I pursue today. They are architecture, writing, and photography. In fact, I have three bachelor degrees: a B.A., B. Arch., and B.F.A. I’m a licensed architect in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; a writer for shelter magazines: both those produced by others and the online magazine House Enthusiast (http://www.katiehutchison.com/house-enthusiast/) which I produce; and I’m a fine art photographer. I practice all three disciplines via Katie Hutchison Studio (www.katiehutchison.com) in Salem, Mass. Each discipline allows me to explore the physical world in a different way: designing it, commenting on it, and reframing it. I believe each contributes to the other, a philosophy I first considered while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design. I enjoy the variety, overlap, and synergy of the three. It’s a creative life that suits me.

A beautiful new home in Martha's Vineyard, with architectural design by Katie Hutchison and her colleagues. The shingle style is so quintessentially New England to me.

What type of projects do you work on?

As a residential architect, I enjoy placemaking. I seek projects, whether they involve new construction, renovations, adaptive reuse, or additions, which allow me to shape unique environments, rooted to their sites and context, where everyday living is embraced indoors and out. In general, my preference is to design smaller homes, rather than large. For one, it’s a matter of sustainability, and for another; I actually find it a more satisfying design challenge to accomplish more with less.

A garage/garden room designed by Katie epitomizes an incredible use of space: in the winter, it is a garage, but in the spring through fall the 12'x18' space serves as an outdoor living space. On the side facing the driveway are a pair of garage style doors that swing open.

Another view of the living space; on the side that faces the garden are sliding doors that slide open for easy access to the yard.

From where do you draw inspiration?

It sounds banal, but beautiful things and places inspire me.

I have an old, wooden, hand-made, 36-inch measuring stick with a flush, brass pivot hinge and two inset butt hinges that fold the stick into four. I found it at an antique store. I picked it up the moment I saw it and ran my fingers across the carved measuring lines, worn more smoothly on the outside face then the inside. It’s beautiful. It’s practical, while elegant. Exquisitely crafted, but not fussy. It invites touch and wonder. It’s a tool made for a person by a person who clearly loves tools. These are the same qualities and realities I aspire to convey in the homes, outbuildings, additions, and renovations I design.

Katie's cherished antique measuring stick.

I grew up mostly in New England and live here today. I’m endlessly fascinated by its historic fabric, rustic farmlands, and weathered seascapes. I take great pleasure in day trips to explore small villages, urban pocket neighborhoods, remote barns, and coastal constructs: boats, sheds, and cottages. The language of New England is second nature to me. Many say that you’re fluent in a foreign language, when you begin to dream in it; I dream in the language of New England, when I’m daydreaming about a project. It infuses and informs my design.

New England beach house, photography by Katie Hutchison.

A photo from a house addition that Katie designed. Photography by Katie. I love this scene - it is here that you can see the wonderful eye of the fine art photographer.

Do you have a particular style you favor?

I talk about architectural style in a letter on my website. To quote myself:

I steer clear of reproducing formulaic styles such as “Georgian,” “Arts and Crafts,” “Modern”, etc. Such styles were developed in specific time periods in response to a specific set of circumstances, be they cultural, material, or political.

Instead, I believe in determining what it is about a certain style that a client would like to express in a project. Is it the delicate proportion, the craftsmanship, the massing, the materiality, the openness? The answers to such questions then inform my design which is further driven by the nature of the site and client program.

Of course, I have my own aesthetic proclivities too. I enjoy reinterpreting the regional vernacular for today's lifestyles. I’m particularly inspired by the charm and simplicity of New England vernacular folk and work buildings: like fisherman cottages, farm houses, barns, sheds, and boat houses. I delight in the way that traditional Japanese architecture engages the landscape and modulates levels of enclosure. I appreciate lush, sustainable materials: warm woods, dry-laid stone, glass tiles, natural fiber rugs, tactile fabrics. I have a fondness for colors found in nature. I’m influenced by the creative arts. I bring these preferences with me to the drawing board. It’s part of who I am.

New England village, photography by Katie Hutchison.

What are your favorite exposures for quality of light?

Effectively harnessing natural daylight is an architect’s great joy. I believe in orienting a house to capture low morning light, while shielding harsher afternoon sun with overhangs, pergolas, or even deciduous trees. Where possible, I invite indirect daylight, reflected off surfaces, too. Unless seeking to light an artist studio, I usually limit windows on the north side in order to keep the chill out in the winter. I’ve lived in and visited homes in the northeast that are oriented toward the north, and found them dark and uninviting. Instead, I generally try to orient a house to the south, so its long axis runs northeast/southwest, if the site allows.

A kitchen renovation by Katie Hutchison Studio; I thought the quality of light in this room was beautiful.

A view of the newly renovated space, a place created with family life in mind.

A Katie Hutchison Studio renovation of a condo within an old house that used to belong to a sea captain. I love the location of the breakfast nook, in a corner with light on two sides.

What projects are you working on now?

I’m currently brainstorming the design of three or more homes to sell as design and/or construction sets available to any and all who might wish to purchase them. They will be small, ranging from approximately 1000, to 1400, to 1800 square feet. I envision each design springing from a vernacular type, reimagined for today. Since only a fraction of the population can afford to retain an architect for a custom design, I hope that my drawings will enable a larger audience to own an architect-designed home. Since no site or homeowner is alike, I plan to include a range of extra services to assist with customizing the drawings to suit a specific situation. Since it’s still early in the planning stage for the three designs, I’d be interested to learn from your readers what attributes they might like to see in the three homes.

Katie and her colleagues designed a new two car garage with studio and full bath above it, built to work with the slope of the site. The location is Martha's Vineyard.

What’s something you shouldn’t skimp on when designing your home?

Architectural services. Really. Time invested in planning, designing, and implementing the design of your home to suit your specific site and program is invaluable. Far too often, in the interest in forging ahead quickly, before resolving or thoroughly investigating options, design opportunities are regrettably lost. A home built today should last generations; it should reflect and enhance your lifestyle; it may be your single largest investment. Making the right and best decisions for your home prior to construction are imperative. You know the expression: “Measure twice; cut once.” It’s good advice. Plan. Plan. Build.

A renovation project on Martha's Vineyard, in which a new dormer was added to increase the room and quality of light in a bedroom, and add space for a new bathroom and closet.

Inside the house, in the space expanded by the dormer. I love the unique character of rooms created out of dormers.

A fad you hope to never see again?

I’m not a big fan of fads in general. I believe in timeless design. Fads are by definition short-lived. I prefer spaces and environments that adapt over time to the lifestyles of those inhabiting them. To me, a good home design speaks to many folks, across time, like a work of fine art or book might. If it’s a meaningful design, through the years, it will reflect something elemental about human nature and our capacity for home.

I encourage anyone with a love for architecture, homes, and gardens to visit Katie's online magazine 'House Enthusiast', and her website, www.katiehutchison.com. On the sidebar are helpful links to recommended 'House Enthusiast' posts. If you have any questions for Katie, please leave them in the comments. In particular, Katie is interested in hearing about features that my readers might like to see in the small home plans that she is working on.

A Touch of Tuscan

2009-09-03T07:45:00.001-04:00

Although I have a special place in my heart for Georgian and French style architecture, I admire and appreciate all sorts of architectural styles. I recently came across a spread from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles March '08 that featured a 'Tuscan' style home that was the AH&L 2008 spring showhouse, and I thought it was quite beautiful - it was Tuscan done with a soft palette and a light touch. More and more I gravitate to a style that is casually elegant, simple but crafted and designed with care. This home really fit the bill. The home is located in a 400 acre community called Montaluce that is one hour north of Atlanta; the planned community was built around a working winery. The architecture was by Harrison Design Associates, one of the top architectural firms in Georgia; the interior design was by Jillian Pritchard Cooke of DES-SYN. All photography by Erica George Dines.

An artist rendering of the home.

The home has one dining area, so it is dressier than a casual dining area, but more relaxed than a formal dining room. I love the dress maker details on the slipcovers for the chairs - the buttons, the contrast welting, the band across the bottom, the pleats. The beams on the ceiling add a great architectural element to the room.

From this angle, the shape of the wood chairs can be seen. The slipcovers are a great design solution for a house that has one dining area - the look of the room can be changed easily with the addition or subtraction of the slips.

I love this room, which is noted as the living room in the house. As is the trend in so many new homes these days, there is no formal living room - this is the more of a 'great room' concept. The room has light on two sides - the French doors that lead off the back, as well as a sidelight window to the left of the fireplace. Note the back of the French bergere - it is a solid that picks up on the stripe of on the seat. Fresh combinations of fabric do so much to update the look of a classic chair. The chandelier and beams on the ceiling set more of a casual tone, which is perfect for a home like this - casually elegant, not formal. I can actually imagine spending time in this room - although I do wonder where the TV would go!

Here is the front side of the chair - the solid is used on the chair back, along with nailhead trim. This picture really appeals to me - the traditional but updated chair, with a great square contemporary art piece in a soft tone and style. I also appreciate when a magazine spread shows different angles of a room. Recently, I have been looking at pictures in a whole new light, and appreciating the floor plans and flow of the rooms I see. Initially I thought that there might be a hall to the right of the fireplace that leads to the master, but I was able to find the floorplan online, and the windows on either side of the fireplace are actually recessed due to the depth of the fireplace, and lead to the back yard.

A beautiful master bedroom designed in sophisticated dark and light tones. The intent was that the room would not compete with the views of nature outside the windows.

To see the website for the Tuscan style community that this home is part of, please see the website for Montaluce Winery and Estates. For those of you looking to ease the pain of the loss of Southern Accents, consider subscribing to Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles; every month two wonderful homes are featured (it used to be three - I keep hoping they will go back to three....).

Come see what everyone is hooked on this Friday at Hooked on Houses!

Inspirational Design: an Interview with James Michael Howard

2009-08-31T08:15:00.000-04:00

My favorite stores in Atlanta are Mrs. Howard and Max & Company. The Atlanta stores are situated in a high end retail area designed to have the look and feel of classic city townhouses; both Mrs. Howard and Max & Company are three levels, finished to feel like luxurious homes. Of course I love the furniture and accessories in the store, but truthfully I get just as much inspiration from the beautiful architectural details in both spaces. I have never seen a store before with such exquisite attention to architectural detail, and the design of architectural detail in the stores were the sole domain of the talented designer James Michael Howard.

Jim graciously agreed to answer some questions for me, as part of my inspirational architecture and design series. Interspersed with the questions are examples of Jim's work in both architectural and interior design.

Designer Jim Howard chats with a guest at the opening of the Charlotte 'Mrs. Howard' store. Image via Charlotte Observer, photo by Photo by Olivia Fortson.

Q: How did you decide to pursue a career in architectural and interior design?

A: Actually, I fell into it by accident. In high school I worked after school for a furniture store doing deliveries and odd jobs. My only goal after high school was to move to New York and see the big city. I heard about Parsons School of Design and enrolled in what I thought that 'furniture school'.

The foyer of Atlanta's Max & Company store. Customers enter through an octagonal shaped space, with a beautiful patterned wood floor. This really sets the tone for the experience at Max& Company. Jim is responsible for the architectural design of all of the Mrs. Howard and Max&Co stores.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from? Particular architects, designers, things, places?

A: Good design is everywhere! My office makes fun of me because I'm always saying that good things can be found in carefully concealed places called...books! I travel a good bit and always carry a sketchbook. It helps me record information about a useful detail, or resource.

The hexagon floor tiles, carefully chosen by Jim Howard, at Max & Company Atlanta. They truly take the space from good to great. There are so many variations in color in the tiles, making it the perfect grounding for the ever changing furniture scenes in this room.

Q: Do you have a particular style you favor (French, English, Belgian, etc)?

A: I am easily satisfied with the best of anything! Being an American, I like the mixture. Americans want it all. When planning any house, however, I usually take design references from the architectural language established by the architect. The most exciting houses have done have a mixture of design references including Irish, Belgian, Dutch, etc. The clients set our the agenda, but recognizing the styles, knowing the guidelines, the do's and the don'ts and managing them is my job.

This room, designed by Jim Howard, is so balanced and pleasing to me. Nothing seems heavy in here, and the curtains are beautiful - they provide a softening effect for the room, yet they also let a lot of light into the room.

Q: What are your favorite exposures for quality of light (N, E, S, W, or any variation)?

A: I inherit the house, its location on the site, and work from there. Light is your friend, but it is not the exposure. It is managing that exposure and the view that comes with it. I care more about what you see with that exposure. Sometimes the windows are beautifully placed in a room with wonderful light and views and sometimes they are not. Windows are a design element and one of the backdrops for your room. I am fortunate enough to work on some projects with pretty good views, but that is not always the case. Never let the window treatment compete with the view, and ALWAYS let the light in!

I love this detail around a round window on the third floor the Max & Company Atlanta store. It is sculptural and adds a nice third dimension to the window.

Q: What type of projects do you work on (i.e. size of home, renovations, new construction)?

A: Size does not matter; I do both residential new construction and renovations. Projects vary widely from a house we just completed on the island of Bermuda, a recent house in the mountains of Montana, a Cape Cod renovation, to a hybrid in Jacksonville Beach. When I am hired by the client I immerse myself in books and design resources to develop the best design features for that particular style. I begin with the interior architecture and fold the client's existing things into that envelope and fill in the blanks. I will take any project where the client is open-minded, and kind never hurts.

Here is a room that was a recent Jim Howard project; he was responsible for both the decor and the architectural details. There is a richness and layered effect to this room that I love. There is symmetry, but also individual elements that keep the eye moving around the space.

This picture, of the same room, shows the beauty of the wood floors.

A detail shot highlighting the intricate carvings on the mantle.

Q: What projects are you working on now?

A: Fortunately in this economy we have quite a few projects! Our newest Mrs. Howard/Max & Company is complete and opened in Charlotte, North Carolina on August 5th. It is a two story Regency building built in 1925 and is a treasure trove of design experiences. Max & Company is getting a more modern perspective, but still maintains a relaxed and casual look. My design influences were more Frank, Giacometti, and Eileen Gray. That look is timeless and edgy at the same time. Mrs. Howard (in Charlotte) has 12 to 15 foot ceilings and huge windows. The building was formerly the Charlotte Women's Club, but one of the rooms is a huge paneled room that Phoebe (Jim's wife) dubbed 'Men's Club'. There is a sepia and grisaille mural in one of the bedrooms, an Etruscan room, a free floating stone staincase with a skylight as big as Texas. If you have been in one of our stores the message is the same, but bigger. It is by far our biggest store to date.

I am also working on a stone house in Little Rock, Arkansas in a beautiful setting designed by P. Allen Smith. The house is lovely and folded perfectly into the neighborhood. Sveral beach houses, of course, one of them in Sea Island and a pseudo modern Greek house in Atlanta. We just wrapped up a house in East Hampton, New York, with six bedrooms. The house was designed and completed in nine months! Whew!

The entry of Max & Company Charlotte creates another spectacular first impression. I love the shape of this room, but I think it is the floor that steals the show.

I have not yet visited the newly opened Max & Company Charlotte store, but it looks like the architectural details designed by Jim for this space are just as spectacular. The floor is is like a piece of art, definitely the star of this space.

A room on the second floor of Max & Company Atlanta. The composition of this scene has always been very pleasing to me, but look beyond to the architectural details in the room - the dentil molding and the square panels are spectacular.

A detail shot of the mantle on the second floor of Max & Company Atlanta. Have you ever seen a store with such magnificent architectural details?

Q: What is something you should not skimp on when designing your home?

A: Enthusiasm, dreams, passion, and of course...me! Don't be afraid to take chances and don't be lazy! Every angle must be considered, reconsidered, and considered some more. Think of yourself as a designer in an upcoming showhouse. You only get one shot to make that room the best. Take it piece by piece, one room at a time.

This is perhaps my favorite image from Jim Howard's design portfolio. Every touch is just right, from the shape and lines of the furnishings to the little touches like the height of the painting - the eye travels from one side of the room to the other, taking in every single component.

Q: What trends are you seeing in your projects? Smaller, larger, green? Classical, modern, the blending of the two?

A: I am working on my first green house. The client is from Houston and formerly in the energy business, so he knows all of the tricks. It will be LEED certified. The industry is catching on and more and more products and green.

Obviously people are embracing a more modern aesthetic lately, and it is exciting! We are seeing some really talented artisans that are emerging with fresh new perspectives on existing ideas. We have worked very closely with our design partners to develop new products that are extraordinary and affordable. After all, it is not just what you know but who you know. The trends now are that good design has become far more affordable.

One of my favorite pictures of the beautiful architectural details that Jim designed in Mrs. Howard, Atlanta. The pattern in the marble floor is a great balance for the gently curbe of the stairs. These are details that are not seen in many new homes these days, so to find them in a store is remarkable.

Q: Is there a fad you hope to never seen again?

A: I wouldn't call it a fad, but can we PLEASE get past mid-century!

I hope you enjoyed this interview with designer Jim Howard. For more information on Jim, (as well as dozens of inspiring pictures from his portfolio) please visit his web site.

A Bungalow Transformation

2009-08-24T07:55:00.000-04:00

One of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the Buckhead area of Atlanta is called 'Haynes Manor'. The neighborhood was developed between the late 1920s and the 1940s; most of the homes are charming bungalows, cottages, and small manor style homes influenced by French and English style. I have shown quite a few pictures of homes from Haynes Manor on my blog through the years, and this is the area that design luminaries Dan Carithers and Suzanne Kasler call home.

When walking through the area, it is remarkable to see how few homes have been torn down and replaced with new homes. The majority of homeowners instead choose to carefully renovate the original homes, and love the quirky charm and unique features characteristic to older homes. I pass by one such home on one of my favorite dog walking routes, and was amazed to see pictures of its transformation on the Land Plus facebook page. This home, which is owned by the founders of Land Plus Associates, one of the premiere land planning and landscape architecture firms in Atlanta, was featured in Southern Living in 2007.

Here is a picture of the Buckhead bungalow as it looks today. This looks exactly like the storybook style house I used to draw as a child, complete with a welcoming path from the sidewalk, a big bay window, and an American flag waving by an arched entry covered with vines.

A close-up of the front door. I love the shutters on the door - it looks like they can actually be closed should the owners decide that they want a bit more privacy. My favorite doors have windows in them, but sometimes it can be a bit much to have so much of a view into a home. The shutters are the perfect solution!

Off the driveway, there is an arbor gate entry into the rear yard.

A view of the back yard and the rear elevation of the home. If I had a back yard like this, I'm not sure I would ever want to go on vacation - what a beautiful oasis in the middle of a busy city.

A grouping of container gardens bring some color into the backyard.

This is one of my favorite features - a charming guest house over the two car garage. I love the entrance to the house, which is focused on the backyard. The owners say that their guests love the privacy and beauty of the guest house.

The owners call this area 'the morning courtyard' - a perfect place to drink a cup of coffee and read the paper.

The kitchen was transformed when the owners moved into the home 10 years ago.

My favorite feature in a kitchen - an expanse of windows over the sink.

The dining room in the renovated home; I have the same dining room chairs, and I like how the owners have slipcovered them and use a different chair at the head of the table.

The renovated family room. I love the sidelights on the doors that lead outside to the back.

Now - here are the before and after pictures side by side! This is where the full transformation of the bungalow can really be appreciated.

On the left, the bungalow before the transformation. The home had been 'updated', but the original charm and character of the 1930s bungalow had been stripped out of the home. The owners' realtor had seen the house and knew that they could do a stunning transformation and restore the home back to its original charm. On the right, the home as it is today. It is fascinating to see the changes - the basic shape of the home is the same, but the details have been improved with a stunning result. All of the windows have been changed, and are much more in line with the feel of the neighborhood and the original age of the home (built in 1930). The front entrance is much more beautiful now with its arch and greenery. I love the dormer window added to the roofline on the right, and the charming gas lamp by the front walk.

On the left, the back of the home before the renovation - a series of small windows with very little relation between the inside and the outside, the house and the yard. On the right, the backyard as it is today - the addition of an arbor and the stone wall softens and beautifies the back, and makes more of a connection between the hardscape and the home.

On the left, the back yard before. It looks like the owners kept the same pool, but refurbished the decking and clearly transformed the hardscape and landscape of the back yard.

On the left, the kitchen as it was before the transformation. On the right, the kitchen, after. It looks like there were quite a few structural changes to the space, based on this picture.

It is always inspirational to see an older home that is given a new life with an expert renovation by owners with vision and talent. Given that far fewer people are tearing down and building right now, due to the downturn in the economy and the greater awareness of the 'green' aspect of preserving and reusing what is already there, I found this example of a beautifully renovated home to be particularly interesting.

For more information on Land Plus Associates, and examples from their magnificent portfolio, please visit their web page or their newly created Facebook page.

For more transformation projects, please come visit the 'Metamorphosis Monday' over at Between Naps on the Porch. There are lots of great ones this week!

NYT Article on Interior Design in the Recession

2009-08-22T07:50:00.006-04:00

Armando Bellmas for The New York Times

While checking out the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Facebook page, I found a link to this fascinating article in the home section of the New York Times. The subject: interior design during the recession, and how the industry is getting a 'renovation' given the tough times and the changing needs and expectations of consumers. Phoebe Howard (pictured above), a personal favorite as well as the darling of the design blogs, is prominently featured, as is the Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper blog. The Mrs. Howard blog is used as an example of how designers are doing new and different things to adapt to the changes in the profession and the economy.

Click here to read the article. I would love to hear your thoughts - for those of you who are designers or in a design related industry, how has the recession impacted your work? For those of you who are consumers, have you noticed a difference in the design industry over the past year? Email subscribers, click here to comment.