YOUR DESIGNseries

Inspiration

2011-02-06T15:48:00.004-05:00

As a designer, I find inspiration in many different places. This music video from Adele got me thinking.

The trend towards open kitchen shelving is one that clients love to see in a magazine, but often have trouble implementing. The trick to getting right is employing a similiar technique that the set designer of this video uses throughout: "mass for impact". Displaying many smaller similar items tightly together can create visual interest and texture. I envision shelves lined with inexpensive white restaurant supply dishes, plain clear glasses, and tea cups.

Additionally, these items set on a table with a white cloth, white napkins, white candles -- simple, clean and striking. A grouping of plain clear cups with water and floating tea lights would finish the tableau.

Perhaps my favorite inspired idea from this video is the art behind the singer. Crumpled or artfully folded butcher paper either framed or hung rustically on a large blank wall would be a great option for renters, a college dorm, or anyone on a budget in need of filling a wall.

Love Your Mate, Love Their Stuff

2010-11-05T11:43:00.009-04:00

“Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor, but they couldn’t all possibly have good taste and a sense of humor.” -- When Harry Met Sally

Having designed rooms for couples and families for more than a decade, I can tell you my role as designer crosses over into marriage counselor more often than you’d imagine. A client will tug at my sleeve whilst their spouse steps away for a moment, handing me some offensive object, “Whatever you do. Get. Rid. Of. This. And remember, it was YOUR idea.”
The sports trophy, the fish mounted on a plaque, the ceramic figurine, the odd commemorative plate/spoon/challis--I’ve seen it all. Combining two lives into a home and keeping the peace is often one of the reasons my clients hire me. They want good design. They want functional spaces. And they want the beer can collection gone.
When I met my husband and saw his beer stein collection, lovingly arranged on a wood plank suspended by cinder blocks, interspersed with the bottles of beer he had drank using them, I will admit I took pause. Perhaps it was the Budweiser Girls Poster that completed the vignette, but I had the reaction many women do. “Yeah, that’s goin’ in the attic.”
Years pass, and my German mother is packing her things to downsize to a smaller place. I am offered no fewer than 5 authentic German beer steins that were my grandfathers. Maybe it was the family history, maybe it was their non-adjacency to cinder blocks, but they were beautiful; each one more colorful and intricate than the next. I lined them up in our butlers pantry combined with my husbands’ steins and get compliments on them from party guests often.
One technique I have seen many clients use is to corral the offensive objects into one confined area (typically a basement – I believe the current term for this is Man Cave). The barstools, the wagon wheel coffee table, the antler chandelier, the framed sports jersey at its side, wine corks in a vase….maybe a stack of Rush concert tickets nearby.
The problem with this is two fold. First of all, the owner of these prized possessions feels banished in their own home. Second, when you pull equally unattractive items together, it tends to have MORE of a visual impact than if they were dispersed and worked into a room. I have made grown men cry (in a good way) when they have seen their things incorporated into a design in a meaningful, beautiful way.

Just imagine – the antlers dismantled, whitewashed, and artfully stacked in an unused fireplace. The barstools reupholstered and refinished, placed at a stainless steel topped kitchen island. The wagon wheel suspended from cables holding large pillar candles above a vintage farmhouse table.

Love your mate, love their stuff. It’s part of who they are.

{photo credit: IMDb}

YDseries Special Edition: FALL FASHION FORECAST

2010-09-22T12:34:00.008-04:00

On this last day of summer we invite YOU on a guided tour of fall; from the basics to the hottest trends for YOU and YOUR HOME. {with lot's of help from our indie friends at Tory Janes}

when: Tuesday October 5th
early edition: 10am - 12pm
evening edition: 7pm - 9pm
where: ColorStoryHome
light refreshments will be served
reservations a must - just call 973.744.8338

LOOK FORWARD!

Back to School

2010-09-17T10:05:00.011-04:00

Pencils, paper, lunchboxes, school shoes...for many of us this time of year is a chance to renew and refresh. Perhaps a Three Quarter Year's Resolution, September and Back to School season inspires and gently nudges you back inside to see what you've been missing for the last three months. Maybe the kids are out from under foot for the first time in months, maybe it's your turn to host book club or supper club or Thanksgiving...whatever your reasons, Fall is the time to go inside and took a good, honest look around at your home. Never underestimate the power of a good purge. Edit, edit, edit your collections with a critical eye. Letting go of "so and so gave this to me so I have to have it on my mantle" is cost free way to allow the things you truly love to shine. And don't even get me started on putting away those seashell towels in the powder room.

Once the slate is clean, you can begin to truly assess your home. In construction we use a Punch List to outline the to-do's in a renovation....it's a God's-honest, truth-or-bust list of even the tiniest of details. The punch list for my 100 year old home includes a room by room account of things from "bathroom renovation" to "replace lightbulbs above vanity". Truly, spanning "touch up baseboard trim" and "consider new bedding" is both liberating and daunting. The good, the bad, the expensive.

The thing about the master punch list is that it allows you to quickly and easily choose a project for when time and money allow, and the more that's on the list, the more you get to cross off!

Montclair Independent Retail Week

2010-09-13T09:22:00.007-04:00

YOUR DESIGNseries will be participating. Join us for the week long celebration of indie shops!
Just check out www.shoplocalmontclair.com for the latest and greatest...

YDs Special Edition: SAVE THE DATE

2010-08-12T22:09:00.004-04:00

The date - OCTOBER 5th, 2010 - SAVE IT! We'll tell you why later - but rest-assured...it'll be worth the wait.

YDs101: Entertain This

2010-07-15T10:28:00.013-04:00

Pencils sharp? Check. Fancy notepads ready? Check. YOUR DESIGNseries101 is now in session.

First up - let's entertain on the fly - something you'll be sure to do alot of this summer. Check out SPONTANEOUS ENTERTAINING and Gina's tips on how to throw an impromptu get together like a pro. Look forward!

YOUR DESIGN series101

2010-07-14T21:21:00.023-04:00

Your Design series. YOUR design series. YOUR DESIGN series. YOU get the picture. (please say you do!) It's yours and we have been self-indulgent long enough - now it really will be YOURS. YOUR DESIGNseries101 starts today. While the kids are away at summer camp or you're now remembering why it was you brought your iPad to see DESPICABLE ME for the 10th time! By all means - keep your pencils sharp - for YOU will have some notes to take while you're finding options, finding answers, finding home. (note to self: they get it already!)
Here's how YOUR DESIGNseries101 works - there are four basic topics:
1. art. 2. color. 3. design. 4. entertain.
YOU get our opinions and we'd appreciate YOURS. Sometimes...we'll have ALOT to say. Sometimes...not. Just remember...you'll be quizzed later (gladly).
Look forward!

Seashells by the Seashore

2010-05-17T09:23:00.003-04:00

Change is good. I have built a business on change, and I encourange clients and friends to change their decor seasonally. Change velvet drapes for linen, sure. A cashmere throw for cotton, absolutely. Oriental rug for sisal, why not. A pillow here and there, maybe even art on your walls can be swapped out to give summer scenes their time in your sun. My gripe is with the total seasonal makeover. If many mass retailers had their way, our living rooms would be dipped in seashells and sand art from May through September. Anchors, sea glass, fish nets (as in....actual FISH NETS, not the legwear), lighthouse cookie jars, old timey signs that say, "boat rentals here", that sort of thing. Even if you live at the beach, you dont live ON the beach, or in a motel. You live a year round existence, make sure to balance out your decor with some items from other aspects of your life. Likewise, you shouldn't walk into someone's home in the northeast and think, "TUSCANY!!!!!". Ok, so you love Italy and brought some tiles home from vacation to hang on the wall. Hang them lovingly, but add something decidedly NON Tuscan to allow them to shine. You dont want your guests asking for the unlimited salad and breadsticks. Think Decorating SCHEME, not Decorating THEME.

UNinspirationally Inspired

2010-04-26T18:46:00.006-04:00

BLAH! There - I said it - BLAH, BLAH, BLAH (enough for affect without being presumptuous - no?)! If you are anywhere east of Nevada today - you're feeling rain and cloudy skies. Usually - I am an enormous fan of the moody, broody, woe-is-me rain that makes my straight hair curl (after all - the best punk rock was born of it) - but today...I really am feeling the love of melancholy. And melancholy - seriously - you really do need a new gig.
Makes me want to paint all my walls the darkest charcoal gray (with a splash of red lipstick) and draw the heavily-burdened velvet drapes...sans light.
I do wonder - how we possibly design around our moods? Do we choose Tuesdays' choices OR Wednesdays' choices? If it is a question then indeed it deserves an answer. And for the answer - I'll oblige myself on this sulken day to have absolutely no commitment - none whatsoever! After all - your mistakes may be your fortune...or not (gorgeously gloomy).
Now is when I think perhaps I need an opinion.
Gina?

OUT SHOPPING: Liberty of London

2010-04-16T15:28:00.009-04:00

They call it High-Low. Or Masstige. Big box superstores have courted high-end designers and celebrities to create diffusion product lines for their stores which are available for a (hurry up!) limited time only. TARGET, in particular, has owned this industry trend with great success (Michael Graves, Isaac Mizrahi, Anna Sui) and great failure (Jean Paul Gaultier, for one). For the most part, it appears that the Masstige concept is here to stay. Target's latest venture is with the venerable LIBERTY OF LONDON. Known for their classic floral prints in bright colors (think somewhere between Pucci and Lily Pulizter), Liberty of London has emblazoned every product category imaginable in their signature prints. Apparel (kids and adults), Chairs, Dishes, Shoes, Wallets, Watering Cans, Bedding and even a retro style Bicycle.
The line was heavily marketed, and well merchandised in its stores with overhead displays easily identifying each of the various departments where the product could be found. Having shopped the line in two of my local Targets (because if you drive more than 2 miles and don't hit a Target, worlds will collide), I have to say it is brilliant. The cheery florals are a breath of fresh air perfectly launched just as the winter weather turned to spring. The cushions made you want to re-do your patio, the pitchers made you want to pour lemonade, the bedding made you want to sleep on a summer porch. And that bicycle....if that didn't inspire you to buy a baguette and a bunch of daisies for the basket, then the terrorists have won.
This fresh "pretty in pink hues" tray found its' way into my shopping cart.
An iconic print that translates into cheery, beautifully designed (and well priced) products for your closet and your home is a great example of how high can meet low without losing the integrity of the original design houses' vision. Good design is good design, after all.

Internet Intoxication

2010-03-15T00:31:00.027-04:00

There I was searching the information superhighway wishing I had bought that GPS off EBay. Sadly, my bid was too low. You see I was trying to add TWITTER access to the YOURDESIGNseries FACEBOOK page without enabling the RSS feed. YIKES! Remember when we didn't have such easy access to information (or as our parents said - when I was your age, I had to walk 25 miles in the snow barefoot hopping on one leg to get to school without a coat and had to go back home twice because I forgot my lunch and than my homework) - understand my misery? And here we are blogging. WHAT?!?!

In an effort to reach all audiences - I've discovered that there are really only TWO: those who weren't using computers in kindergarten and those who will never know what it is like not to have such easy access.
Gina and I are the prior (sorry Gina) - and so, the abundance of design information (and more) we can gather on the internet is like, well like, well...exhilarating, clarifying, intoxicating. We LIVE for information on what to buy, where to buy, how to buy and who to buy for. Absolute intoxication.
And so - in the spirit of YOUR DESIGNseries I invite you to find something that you didn't know the answer to. There are a wealth of websites out there on Internet Island (Richard Chamberlain starred in the miniseries) - we'll continually update our "recommends" as we recommend them. Your tour guides for sure - but if you find something interesting - do share. After all - it's YOUR DESIGNseries.

Signs of Spring

2010-03-08T12:22:00.016-05:00

Much has been made of the link between Fashion & Interior Design. Fashion designers sell plates and sheets, while home stores hire trend analysts that attend fashion week in Paris & Milan trolling for inspiration. Having had a 15 year career in the fashion industry before launching my Interior Decorating business, I do see some correlation. The elements of design - balance, symmetry, rhythm, proportion, color, harmony - apply equally in both what we wear and how we 'dress' our homes.

But let's get real for a moment here. No one loves the change of seasons/change of hemlines as much as I do, but when purchasing a $5000 sofa, I find that trend may be better left on the runway. That said, when looking for throw pillows for that investment piece, I say go for it. Purple sequins -- absolutely!

Last night watching the Oscars, I saw lots of purple sequin pillows that will inspire my designs in the coming months. Well, maybe one. Zoe Saldana in Givenchy was breathtaking to my eye. As was Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Penelope Cruz, and the list goes on.
Color is one of the easiest trends to translate into the home, and gold was EVERYWHERE on the red carpet. One of the simplest and quickest ways to update a room is to look for every inch of metal -- lamp bases, picture frames, door knobs, & chandeliers -- and make sure they match. A nickel plated floor lamp next to brass switch plates looks off & can create chaos in a room. Sure, there are times when you can deliberately mix silver and gold, but I find that most clients approach this "room jewelry" as more of an afterthought. Its all the details, my friends.
Most of the stars walking the red carpet were wearing fashions from Spring 2010 -- nothing makes me crave the warmth of spring like a gorgeous pale strapless gown, and there was no shortage of them last night. So open the windows, send your area rugs out for a cleaning, put away your cashmere throws and consider a crisp pale slipcover for that investment piece of a sofa. Perhaps even a red carpet for the foyer.

Happy Accident

2010-02-26T16:34:00.069-05:00

THE SHOPOWNER: Minding my own business - quite literally - "minding my own business". You see, I have a small shop, in a not so small town, in a very small (geographically yes but big on attitude) state - that is what I was minding. I was minding my shop, ColorStoryHome. I digress. In walks a gal in very cool boots (I wonder if she notices that "yippee, a customer!" twinkle in my eyes or "what a cool ensemble!" comment bouncing about in my head). NOT (customer part only). Rather she's an "agenda-lady" (and by that I mean a gal with a purpose).
AGENDA: let's do an event. Hmmm. Curious...that's like asking a dog if they want a bone! (oh please - get used to the bad analogies - they'll be plenty more that are far worse in the future). Does this gal know what she is in for? I'm not a designer - just a gal with a dog who happens to have a shop that she hopes folks find as fabulous as she loves finding fabulous things.. And - I love planning parties.

Fast-forward (and a lengthy background check later) I discovered - the stars (interesting souls - not celebrities!) have aligned. Gina (that's the agenda-lady) speaks the same language I do - just in another language. Huh? I got it - you will too. Her words are straight-forward, cut-to-the-chase, direct. Mine are like driving around the block a few times taking in all the scenery. Yep - same language. Indeed this was a Happy Accident.

THE DESIGNER: I pulled on the door of the shop to find that no one was home. "We're home Tuesday through Sundays...." the sign read. It was Monday. I did, however, press my nose against the glass and spied among the displays, way up high on the wall a large decal that read "there are no strangers here; only friends you haven't yet met". Oh, I like her already. Good energy this woman will have. This will work. My 11 year old design business, By Design interiors was on the brink of...a whole lot of nothing. Humming along with my regular clients, yes. Nothing to shake a stick at in the economic downturn, but it felt stagnant to me. I was bored.
No one, I repeat no one, loves a party like I do and no one, I repeat no one, HATES running traditional advertisements for her business like I do. So in an effort to drum up some excitement in and around my non-traditional design business, I thought...let's throw a party! You see, the aforementioned economic downturn had left people panicked, sad, and weary. I just kept thinking that people needed to get out of their heads. And no better way to do that then to get people out of their homes. Shake things up, have a glass of wine, maybe learn something new, look at pretty things...all good for the soul. Looking for a co-host with a cool space, I put on my designer-y finest and went to see a shopkeeper about a party. "Why would she throw a party promoting your business and garnering YOU prospective clients?" my husband asked. "Well," I said, and I told him about the quote I saw in the store on the day it was closed..."she's fabulous, I'm fabulous...I mean come on. Why wouldn't she?". The writing was on the wall.

So - Happy Accident or not - By Design interiors and ColorStoryHome collaborated to create YOUR DESIGNseries - a series of classes that helped YOU find options, find answers, find home. And so - the series continues - pledging to help YOU continue to find options, find answers, find home. After all - we like it there too! YOUR participation is always welcome and very much appreciated.

Look forward!