Whether a minimalist or an eclectic collector/gatherer, one’s details of home are important and personal. Like personality types, what is important to one person is not so much for another. However, it tells a story. The details of a home make it just that. Home.
This interior has a lot of personality and very much reflects the artist who lives here. Antique family side chairs take a near full century leap with this new, colorfully eclectic upholstery.
Residences, the dwellings in which we live, can take many forms – from short-term to decades of ensconced living. To “reside” regardless of the length of time – suggests a certain level of comfort to include some detail(s) to make it “home.”
Each home is an individually personal space filled with details that make it so.
What might YOU consider imperative elements of what you call “home?” Consider comfort, color, ambiance, familiarity, convenience, nostalgia and perhaps just pure joy.
A hotel room for the busy “road warrior” traveling for business, might reveal a photo of a loved one placed thoughtfully on the nightstand. Something as simple as this can make a temporary residence feel more like “home.”
Upon plopping the overnight bag on the hotel bed, one of the first things to unpack might be the framed photo of a loved one to place on the nightstand.
Dorm rooms will reflect personalities, pleasures, interests, colors and imagery for young people leaving home for the first time. They create their own sense of place and “home” while embarking on their new chapters of life.
While looking around your place of residence – this place you call “home,” consider what is important to you. It might be the actual architecture, quality of natural light, a collection, a piece of art, furniture, photographs, decorative accessories…
A little over a year ago during the throws of our introspective isolation, my cousin, a thoughtful artist of photography, commented from Connecticut about The Essence of Home. In it she shares intimate observations and encourages personal study of your significant space – memory or current abode. She also suggests an interesting little project in which she invites us to “take half an hour and create a photo essay of a place that has significance” to us. “Challenge yourself to capture a feeling. Wait for the right time of day and seek out the mystery of the place. (This is a great activity for kids, too. You’ll be amazed by what they choose to photograph – what “home” means to them.) See what thing you’re drawn to capturing; become aware of the everyday beauty in the space around you.” https://www.catebarryphotography.com/
As an interior designer, I am engaged in creating and illuminating details that are meaningful. Whether a view or an object, color or finish, access or privacy – inside or out of the interior these elements collectively contribute to create the overall design. I encourage my clients to identify things they do and things they own – things they have gathered and how they live. What of them is of greater importance and why. This process begins a dialog of preference, value, and interests. Establishing priorities to springboard a project is key to a firm platform for the design.
You know the old question…If your house were on fire, what would you want to get out? It might be a person or a pet certainly – but if it were a material possession(s), it is a question worth pondering. The same is true if you moved or remodeled, what elements would you want to retain or replicate and what would you eliminate or change?
Vintage family pieces reupholstered, new pieces repurposed, bookcases filled with personal treasures, and the precious pet in the center of the action. Home.
The details of your home are personal, identifying, comforting aspects of your interior design. Discovering these important details is significant in effectively planning your interiors.
The serene sound of a fountain can provide mesmerizing relaxation. Like white noise, but better. Close your eyes, in close proximity to a little fountain, and be lulled into a wonderful respite zone. Even indoors, this is an effective relaxation element…outside the birds and breeze contribute to the joy.
Pets reap benefits too! Kona gets a refreshing sip from the fountain!!!At night, that same fountain offers gentle water sounds and an interesting sculptural effect.
Social distancing and isolation – these two popular terms that have defined so much of our daily living in the last several months and imparted a negative connotation. They paint a picture of living more at home – alone and even “out-of-touch” – literally. All of my childhood I heard the phrase “ne touche pas!” My uncle’s favorite, for sure! And now I hear it in my mind all the time. Don’t touch the shopping cart, door handle, people’s hands, “ne touche pas!” and if you do – wash and sanitize to a fare-thee-well!
Yet, on a positive note, this stay safe – be safe – living at home has spawned creativity to maximize that environment and relieve stress. It means, more than ever, expanding your outdoor options from placing a pair of chairs and tiny table on a previously unused, diminutive urban balcony or adding a palatial pool in your backyard…there are many options in-between depending on your circumstances and means.
Our cousin in Tucson has created a lagoon effect with the dark bottom and mosaic trim. an oasis in the desert.
Water features are an amazingly therapeutic design element. Water suggests cleansing. It is refreshing and renewing. Water has promise. It can also suggest escape.
The Calgon add campaign of decades ago resonates today for those of us who remember…”Calgon, take me away…Lose yourself in luxury” The escape and indulgence of a relaxing soak in a tub. The gentle buoyancy relieves tension and encourages rest. It often suggests leisure. It is a luxurious, pampering exercise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yjGPgs0_S0 Here is a video from the 70s to take you back to “Take me away…” Come back Calgon!!! We miss your commercials now more than ever!!!
Taking that refreshing water scene outdoors is one of the most popular design projects trending today. From DIY to major construction people are discovering ways to escape without leaving home. Water features provide virtual escapes and actual refreshment for many people seeking that added dimension, diversion and sought-after pleasure in their lives.
A friend in Phoenix has tricked out her pool with fabulous landscaping, spectacular iridescent glass tiles and LED lighting – the luminous colors an be changed with her mood!!!!
Swimming pools, a gorgeous grotto, lap lane, all afford the luxury of submersion and even exercise.
The sound of a small water feature to a creek-like landscape addition in your yard – the projects are many. This DIY guy created what he fondly calls “Covid Creek” – a project that took several weeks of focused creativity and back-breaking work all prompted by being stuck at home. The results are a magical mountain stream flowing beneath the trees in their modest-sized backyard. A creek-like water feature or pond can offer a respite to sit beside, dangle your toes and imagine scene far from the confines of our limited environs. You would be amazed at what beautiful illusions can be accomplished!!!
A babbling backyard book built as a therapeutic DIY project during the COVID confinement.
Such multi-sensory water features offering the touch and feel of water, gentle sound and visual beauty are powerful design elements to exercise the senses. Our senses suffer with redundant stimulation. The reclusive limitations of recent months have us stagnating with sameness. It’s the variety if stimuli we are so accustomed to experiencing that keeps things interesting and alive. Moving water is one of these exceptional sensory stimulations.
Organic garden sculptures – chiseled granite boulders with re-circulating water – meld with the landscaping.
Whether a tiny fountain or in-ground pool…even a galvanized livestock tub – investigate your options. Regard your environment and study your spaces to select the best design elements for your setting.
Last August 11, 2019, I left you hanging with a radical bathroom remodel that was in the throws of being transformed. The title of the blog was Everyone Loves Before and Afters. https://patriciandesign.com/everyone-loves-before-and-afters/ Here today, I am excited to present the finished product and a little more to the story…
Everyone DOES Love “before and afters.” The original blog identifies the material process of the project, but as important as the material applications are the emotional aspects of design and precede the material selections.
The home is a bungalow style home from the 1950s. Charming architectural elements and traditional details set the stage, sensitivity, and the emotions behind any design decisions we were to consider. See the first phase of this home’s updating design in the primary living space at this link: https://patriciandesign.com/project/classic-blue-white/ The kitchen was also re-finished. Maintaining the same design layout and appliances, the new finishes resulted in a startling transformation. https://patriciandesign.com/project/kitchen-transformation/
The challenge in this project was to retain the character and traditional charm that the couple so enjoyed about their home, while introducing new, modern design features and trends melding with traditional design elements. New custom cabinets for the vanity and linen storage/display unit along with the re-design of the shower – eliminating the tub and making a “doorless” access and a pocket door connecting to the adjacent guest room were the three key construction components.
Dated finishes done in the 80s, by previous owners, were common and bland. The tub and shower were enclosed with by-passing glass doors in aluminum tracks and frames. This bathroom was the dated and fussy room that we presented last August. The tired and dull finishes needed replacing and refreshing. It was to be a complete make-over to compliment other recent improvements in the home.
Once the general concept for the remodel is determined, the “what if” stage begins. The stage where ideas are tossed about and decisions lead to other decisions. The options are massaged giving way to different combinations and considerations.
After all the options are discussed the plan is adopted – a combination of everyone’s input. Hopefully not design by committee, but in this case the couple, in whose house we were working, and the me, the designer. After the design is determined, the input of the general contractor and/or the sub-contractors can come into play. They are generally given the opportunity to evaluate existing conditions and voice opinions and procedures or details that their expertise can bring to the project. Everything is considered until a cohesive plan is developed.
New cabinets were locally fabricated to not only insure excellent craftsmanship, but to customize the fit (left to right) and provide specific drawer configurations for the desired new height of the cabinets with an additional sink.The tub was removed, and the new shower enclosure was clear glass and given a wider footprint to allow for a jog which eliminated the need for a door. The shower valve was relocated from beneath the shower head to the opposite “pony” wall, making it easier to operate the temperature and flow without getting wet first!
Other than the shower reconfiguration, new cabinets, and pocket doorway into the guest room all else was superficial cosmetic design features. This is where the layers of embellishment come into play.
During the process, there were certainly hesitations about the combination of patterns and finishes being proposed…however, you know you’re on the right track when the happy homeowner has fun accessorizing and creates the perfect towel/robe hooks! DIY – finding these blue, wooden, open-work plaques, our creative homeowner bought polished chrome and glass doorknobs and attached them securely to the plaques – Voila!
In keeping with the traditional design direction previously adopted in updating the interior, the flooring was selected for its natural stone mosaic authenticity. With a warm grey selected for the custom cabinets and white herringbone patterned subway tile on the rear wall of the shower enclosure made for a fresh modern look.
A mix of patterns – a balancing act – the art of design. Do not be afraid.
But wait! These traditional elements and modern trends were further embellished with a second layer of curvy turquoise mirrors installed over the full-wall mirror – suspended between is a polished chrome sphere of open bands providing ambient light and additional task light for the vanity area.
Layer upon layer until the composition is complete!
Classic blue and white screen-print on paper with an overall pattern of vines and leaves fills in the voids creating a not-too-busy backdrop – adding further dimensions to the design.
Natural stone slab of a white crystal-like granite – looks like a stone quartz crystal.
Drapery fabric in a traditional floral on linen with whimsical, modern “martini glass” sheers soften the window and diffuse the incoming light.
The resulting completed interior is a radical transformation from the dull beige and peach of the previous scheme. Fresh and crisp – with just enough busy to be playful – the new owners claim that they smile every time they enter or even walk by.
Remember the first photo? The BEFORE & AFTER transformation is extraordinary.
Where are you finding comfort, peace and a reprieve from the crazy of it all? I’ve been checking in with people from around the country asking where they are finding peace and tranquility during these unusual times. Sharing their peaceful places has been fun and thoughtful.
Isabel sends greetings from “The Beach” – Standley Lake in Westminster, Colorado.
Discovering comfort in familiar and new places is the name of the game during this time of uncertainty and isolation. Some are more isolated than others. Some are surrounded by real or virtual workmates, others family, some have the companionship of a pet while others find themselves living alone and feeling a different kind of isolating solitude.
Several sunsets submitted…seems that is a restful time for most. Jan finds peace, at the end of the day, from her backyard. Nice.
Snuggling up with music or a good book, watching movies, playing games and exercise are all a part of our daily lives, but in this current situation they are magnified with importance. Technology has certainly broadened our reach. The information we can access is nearly limitless and connecting platforms to video chats have facilitated the way we communicate over the miles. Activities and focus on our senses heightens our physical and sensory benefit and enjoyment .
Whether a tablet, paperback or hardcover – nothing says escape like a good book.Solitaire or a battle of gin…with a little gin.
Interiors are our haven. Finding peaceful places within your realm is a new adventure of discovery that is occurring as a result of a resourcefulness to stay comfortable and balanced. It’s a great time to pamper yourself. Who doesn’t like to take a bath? I don’t. But these days, that tub and inviting bubbles and fresh scents are intriguing. If you don’t have any bath salts or bubbles…find some fresh rosemary sprigs or pine needles…lemon juice or grated rind…perhaps a little ginger powder or grated fresh…put it a cloth pouch so as not to clog your plumbing.
Light a scented candle, make your own fragrances, play a little music and escape for a bit.
I usually feel too rushed – and that’s ironic because taking a restful soaker is supposed to be a perfect stress-reliever. How awful is it not to have time to decompress? Well…we all have a lot of time on our hands – albeit time being utilized differently.
Roll-up a few towels to set the stage – make it like a vacation spa – if only for an hour until the world catches up again!!!
Curling up with a good book. We know that getting up and getting dressed in the morning provides a normalcy and participation that keeps us from feeling less reclusive. Preparing for the day! And inasmuch as it is a rarity for most of us to stop in the middle of the day and read a book – it is a luxury we should allow ourselves. It is an escape, a reprieve. Discovering new places and positions to enjoy a good read is another way to find peace. Places where daylight filters in is restorative.
Tracking daylight through your interior…you might notice the orientation, time of day and penetration of light with more time spent at home.
Outside, weather plays a big part in how we can expand our isolation beyond or interior walls. From quiet garden spaces to hiking and exploring nature’s playground – the ability to enjoy exterior spaces is prime. Having warm weather on the way broadens that area of our safe shelters.
Hi Zoe in Northern Virginia!!!!! Families are having lots of outdoor time. “What a GREAT backyard you have!!!!!!!” “The better to stay isolated and still have lots of adventures,” says she!!!!!Wowee from Maui – thanks Linda for this shot from your window- some people have it rough!!!! Isolation in paradise!!A quiet corner of a garden can be a new discovery now that we have the time to pause and focus on the details around us.
Biking and walking trails are being explored, in these new times, and revealing great resources within our reach. One of the positive outcomes of this “down time” is a desire to get out and move – the restlessness is prompting a newfound need and satisfaction gained from exercise.
New growth brings new promise as spring peeks through….taking walks is great for both body and mind in the high desert of Albuquerque.Hello Heather over there in Arlington, Virginia – running over the Rt 66 trail!! Not much traffic!!!!! Shelley sends this scene from their lovely Lake Keowee neighborhood in the secluded woods of northwestern South Carolina. My friend Jeannie, who usually works at the now very enormously lonely Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, writes that her Peaceful Place is “on one of these benches in this jewel of an oasis called Carl Shultz Park here on the Upper East Side overlooking the East River. Nice breezes to enjoy and usually lots of pleasure boats. Been doing a lot of reading here and a fine place to get a whiff of fresh air.”
Hobbies and projects have flourished. Weather permitting, outside gardens need tending and indoor projects/hobbies have truly been re-vitalized with renewed appreciation and interest.
A recently added potting table on Cathy’s deck provides a perfect area to focus on preparing patio pots and new growth!!Adjacent to her potting area, Cathy has a perfect place for repose. Reading or playing cards, enjoying a morning coffee, evening cocktail or a quiet meal – this area provides a perfect retreat. More fun and games as Bonnie attacks her 5th jigsaw puzzle since the quarantine started just a few weeks ago…with a little refreshment and plenty of early evening sunshine! Love that the days are getting longer!!!!
Plump your pillows and prop up your feet – inside or out – a healthy combination of rest and meditation, healthy eating, brain work and physical exercise is the recipe for success during our surreal pause. Find your peaceful place – find your joy.
After experiencing and pondering the value of incorporating nature’s elements into architectural planning in the previous blog, I find myself winding into the countryside from sea level to a mile high into jungles and ultimately pine forests, across vast expanses of rivers and towering bridges spanning grand abysses…and stopping at a modest panaderia (bakery) on the side of the road.
You can’t tell a book by its cover as this simple little rural structure – standing alone – looked curiously intriguing and quaint enough, with an unpaved parking area transitioning to well-tended pea-gravel. Traffic cruised by, on the way across the bridge.
Those that knew, turned in. We pulled off the road and were told that this couple had a wonderful bakery and were promised an exceptional treat! Fresh empanadas that would bring remarkably satisfying mid-morning joy.
Very tidy and thoughtfully eclectic, this little destination bakery is a precious find.
Oh, were we in for a surprise! At the entry, I stopped to shoot the whimsical cup of coffee mosaic set in a field of stone and concrete. I thought – what a fun design element to greet arrivals and set the stage. But I had no idea to what extent I was about to be elated. What unfolded so exceeded my expectations that I wanted to stay all day!!!
Happy stone and tile-work adorned the pathways. From the textures of stone and brick, tile and wood – it was an organic fantasy – an unexpected design experience.
Simple, yet spectacular – simply spectacular!!!!!
Ceilings of colorful floral blooms – perhaps wisteria – suspended from their vines and other plantings intertwined with the structure.
Spotless and meticulous the eclectic elements were a harmonious creation.Stone walls, wooden slats, vines and adobe all worked together to define the spaces.
The wafting aroma of fresh baked goods – it was more than delightful. From warm savory clouds with mushroom filling and another with chile-laced sausages – and an array of sweet strawberry, cream and pineapple empanadas to corn muffins, banana muffins and more! All nestled beneath colorfully woven cotton tablecloths.
Light and delicious – the best empanadas ever!! With a tiny sprinkles of granulated sugar, for a sweet crunch, before sinking into the fabulous fillings! Muffins challenged any others and savory treats were so satisfyingly delectable. Little buttons of banana slices on top denoted which were the banana muffins!!
Rich Mexican coffee with a touch of freshly ground cinnamon and luscious hot chocolate were served in custom-glazed “barro ware” complimenting the fresh-from-the-oven confections.
The exhibition baking kitchen overlooked the serving line. The buffet of pastries thoughtfully explained by our gracious and welcoming host, Jesus!
Carmen presents fresh strawberry tarts just from the oven!!! A combination of old and new – tradition and technology meet in this cozy kitchen.
Fragmented spaces open, yet enclosed, offered intimate pockets in which to pause and enjoy.
Color-pops insert themselves effectively around the interior and exterior spaces.Inviting seating areas semi-concealed offer private repose. Tucked away – more areas to enjoy…
Clever use of clean blond wood shavings on the floor of the main covered patio created a wall-to-wall carpet of fresh aromatics complimenting the inviting aromas emitted from the ovens. Rocking chairs and rigid sturdy versions, with a fun little rope swing, all surrounded by tropical plantings made a cozy area to gather.
Soft underfoot and subtly fragrant – the wood chips make a great shag carpet!!!
As I meandered around exploring all the interesting spaces, textures, colors and plantings, I marveled at the sensitivity with which this had all been crafted and assembled. It was artful interior design with an exterior feel – open air and charming, with a decidedly handcrafted, Mexican sense of place.
Slices of handsome tree trunks make perfect stepping “stones” with graduated heights.
It was an eclectic collage of furniture, structure and organics – living and static – that was welcoming and artful, delightful and so pleasing, that it was a treat for all the senses.
The cool morning air of the mountains mingled, with the comforting fragrances, creating an atmosphere inviting gentle conversations of people gathered around good food and artfully relaxed surroundings.
Peek in places and through doorways to find worlds of design
waiting to be discovered!!!
Inspiration for centerpieces – here – a neutral color scheme – white on white on white…Often limited to weddings, take a tip from a social phenomenon – Diner en Blanc for dramatic centerpieces! Any of which could be ablaze with seasonal color – depending upon your desired theme. And with the advancements in LED lighting, the colors are limitless and instantly changeable.
The Diner en Blanc is an international event that began in Paris, 1988. An amazing concept that began with an invitation among friends to an elegant al fresco affair. This unique gathering was prestigious and decadent.
The remarkable event spread around the world and Albuquerque has celebrated this creative event for several years. This is my second experience with this white fantasy. Every year the venue is kept secret only to be revealed at the last moment when attendees are assembled and usually transported on buses to the destination. This surprise location was right across from the designated gathering places downtown. And instead of boarding a bus each group, expecting just that, cued up as though to go aboard – only to be led single file across the street to the expansive Civic Plaza!
One big patio party!
This year with the Hyatt Regency team screaming with creativity from the table dressings…to the phenomenal food…to the fabulous frivolity – it was magic!
Would you believe luscious, chunky lobster salad served in a half tail, sliced beef filet and many artfully decadent extras…
Asked to wear white, bring your own tables, chairs, table
dressings, centerpieces – all in white – the evening unfolds with exciting
flurries of fabric, flowers, statuary, lights – all intended to make a
spectacular statement for each group’s table.
Imagine all of this theatrical staging with 2,000 performers (we) in one enormous space – outside in the perfection of a last ditch of summer evening. It is a remarkable event.
Pretty parasols…mysterious masks…
As I strolled through the tables capturing photos of the various “tablescapes”, I realized that the creativity was applicable to so many possibilities of table dressings – with color added!
LED lighting set the scene aglow with myriad magical colors! It changes the perceived temperature of a scene.
So enjoy seeing these creations and imagine them in seasonal splendor – fall now…winter coming…spring bursting forth and summer ablaze with color – for your upcoming parties throughout the year!
The scene changed and darkness fell..
With magnificent mariachis to flowing flamenco dancers the entertainment was dazzling and morphed into an enthusiastic DJ who rocked the stage for dancing into the night… It was an exterior nightclub – an excellent setting for a many faceted affair! https://www.facebook.com/DinerEnBlanc.Albuquerque/
An elegant table for Dion’s Pizza and water bottles!!!
Collecting art, investing in art, loving art, designing with
art…one aspect or all of the above, art in interior design has many facets. I
have written previously about and presented a workshop about “I want a
piece of art to go with my red sofa,” a kind of raspberry in the face of curators,
collectors, critics and appraisers who would never take or condone that
approach. But the desire and need exists and as a interior designer it is
wonderful to work with artists who can and want to respond to cues, take on
commissions and create for specific parameters.
Contrary to opinions from the high-brows, this is not to say that these artists lack artistic integrity or meaningful self-expression. Their value is as any other – determined by what the market will bear. The basis for this writing is that we work with many artists who love their work. And creating it (even under direction) brings them and their patrons joy.
Featured here is the up-lifting, colorful and texturally abstract
work of Patricia Forbes. We have enjoyed commissioning her for specific
interiors over the years and are never disappointed in the quality and creativity
of her pieces.
For scale, diminutive Forbes poses by her Vertical Stick series.
With so many mass-produced art offerings at the trendy home
decor stores, it is refreshing to encounter new clients who are at the start of
their nesting years, establishing their own domains, selecting things that
bring them comfort and identity and who’s appreciation lies in acquiring original art.
Designing an interior is about comfort and personal identity. It is about surrounding oneself with things that work – both functionally and aesthetically. Individual’s requirements, in either of those departments, can vary greatly – but suffice it to say, each person or couple or family unit creates a home environment based upon their likes and needs (and budget).
Enter the interior designer. When calling on the assistance
of someone outside the intimacy of the home, the client is hoping for and
expecting a successful custom-tailoring of their requests based upon the
experience of the professional.
When designing an interior, it is exciting to use existing
pieces already owned by the client. It is gratifying to arrange and place those
items in ways not yet imagined – thereby justifying the investment in design
consultation. After an intense session of rearranging furniture, artwork and
decorative accessories the “ta-da” moment is one of near instant
gratification and satisfaction.
When an interior needs a little something to pull it
together, fill a gap, create an accent or establish a focal point, it is great
fun to engage the creativity of an artist to custom design a piece to fit the
need. Approaching an artist for the express purpose of acquiring a piece of their
work to enhance a space is an exciting
venture. It is a personal connection between artist and patron that creates a
communion, a bond.
Here I took inspiration from a single panel that Forbes had constructed and requested a series of 9 panels grouped in a grid to make a larger statement on the wall. The interest created from a grid of images adds movement and dimension to this series already complex with sculpted texture and applied layers.
Color, texture, size, style, subject (or not) all are aspects of art that are to be considered for the personal interests of both artist and patron. If the patron has selected an artist to approach about a commission it is as a result of experiencing their work and appreciating it. The artist, in response, is to accept the parameters of the request and enjoy the challenge and process of creating the intended/desired finished product.
The intensity of this rich red wall was decided early in the design process. As we built layers of existing elements and introduced new pieces, the desire for a custom installation became apparent. This Urban Elements series was a collaborative effort between Forbes and me to provide a bit of an edgy, industrial vibe to this eclectic urban loft. Note too that the end table and coffee table were locally crafted for the project by Kirt Kirkpatrick
Forbes’ creativity is rooted in pattern, color and texture.
Primarily non-objective, her pieces are compositions of movement and dimension.
Working with a layering technique, she builds her action with a collage of
papers and fibers, paint and stain. Action is key when describing Forbes’ artwork.
She creates for herself, but when called upon to collaborate
on a project, her eager curiosity for what might result is enthusiastic and
ever-promising. About her style and self-expression she states “When I
have created a joyfulness and vibrancy in the work, I know I ahve created an
experience I wish to share.”
When asked…
1. How/when/why did you start your abstract technique of
layering colors and textures?
Forbes has always been drawn to color as a means of her personal expression, once she “experimented with acrylic materials that would hold a texture and started playing with those using combs and rubber spatulas and sticks to mark in the materials” she was hooked. “Metallic and interference paints call to me — so I began to combine the over the textured backgrounds, and then discovered that with acrylic one could imbed paper. It was really experimentation and discovery of what these amazing materials could do…”
2. What is the most satisfying aspect of your art for you personally?
The
element of surprise is what gets Forbes excited! “When something comes
together almost unexpectedly and I wonder how I did that — it’s always a search
for the right combination of elements, colors, textures, feelings.”
When they all come together she experiences great satisfaction. “It’s
like turning over pieces to see what fits. Sometimes I have to turn over a lot
of pieces to get the right combination — sometimes wondering whether to
continue. Seems like it is always worth continuing the work to a happy
conclusion.”
3. Why do you enjoy commissions to create specific pieces
for interiors/patrons?
Forbes
expresses genuine gratitude for her patrons. “I feel honored and
appreciated when someone likes and appreciates my work and invites me to do
something special for their home or office space.”
4. What pleases/satisfies you about this custom commission process?
The
process of working together with her
patrons is positive creative challenge. “I enjoy the collaborative aspect
and going through the process with a client or designer and receiving their
feedback as the work progresses.”
The
satisfaction for a designer in partnering with an artist is designing and realizing
a vision to complete a space. Bringing visions to reality. I often say that my team provides tremendous
support in making my dreams come true. From artists and craftspeople to seamstresses
and all manner of contractors, it is truly a team effort to achieve great
results!
Colors for fashion, interiors or a composing a bouquet are like the many ingredients, spices and herbs selected for great food. Creating dishes with fine flavors and visual appeal, by selecting the right combination, is good culinary design. So we see the spices and ingredients of design everywhere!
Assembling the colors, textures and shapes in a bouquet…
The art is in gathering the right combinations, textures, colors, flavors,…ok – maybe edible bouquets…Well, we’re not tasting the interiors – but some are scrumptious! Ooh – good enough to eat! And the fashion – yes, we’ve seen edible fabrics…generally not attempted in draperies – but who knows? The sky is the limit in design!!!
A few years ago, Kingston University Fashion Student, Emily Crane began pioneering a new strain of edible couture created from gelatin and seaweed! Brilliant and beautiful!!
Inasmuch as edible couture and creating fabrics from edible materials is fascinating, I digress…the actual point of my story is to recognize the common denominators between gathering materials for all forms of art – the assemblages result in the creative finished products. In this instance, interiors and their color schemes which bear likenesses to beautiful foods!
Color is the most apparent ingredient of most artistic design endeavors. It is the most obvious and first to catch your eye. Assembling an interior is usually grounded by a desired color. The foundation of a room begins with deciding a direction with color. This might seem to be contrary to the concept that form follows function – but I believe that the designing for the two are often concurrent events. The vision occurs while the function is simultaneously examined. Most people visualize in color.
I often write about color. It is an ongoing fascination to discover who prefers what color(s) and why. It offers the beginning of the visualization of a concept. As the framework is discussed – such as programming a kitchen. Inevitably, in the early stages, colors and materials are discussed. They might change. They might not end up as first imagined, but color aids in the visualization and process of design.
Look around your world and consider color. Why did you choose your interior colors? When selecting a color for the surfaces, fabrics and finish materials what would you do differently and why. Taking care not to merely react to trends, what colors will bring you joy? Trends often tempt. They are enticing and new, but they move along…It takes thorough examination to determine if a trend is truly applicable or merely a passing temptation. The validation of design is the approval of the occupants or function for whom/which it serves. Not just the feature of a new trend.
So have a little fun seeing these interiors
paired with edible color schemes as dishes are correlated to interior schemes.
The spices and ingredients selected to create the flavor bursts might be hot green jalapenos, serranos, tart limes, dried red chiles balanced by the soft and warm yellow of corn tortillas.
What interior might look like a spicy platter of festivity?
Perhaps bold wall colors sprinkled with myriad decorative accessories and
functional art.
Spicy colors in this festive kitchen.
Imagine creating a creamy white-sauce mushroom pasta with
velvety texture and soft finish. The ingredients you would reach for would be
the cream, pasta, white pepper and perhaps a touch a sherry. Sautéing the
mushrooms in butter for a luscious golden brown.
Invitingly divine.
An interior that captures a similar feel derived from the same palette of colors…
Mimicking the creamy mushroom palette, rich wood, copper and steel tones contrast against the creamy whites in this interior featuring one of our favorite furniture and fabric lines – Duralee/Robert Allen! Duralee/Robert Allen has many collections providing the perfect fabrics and furnishings for so many deliciously diverse interior projects!
From creamy, soft and warm to cool and refreshing…
Cool sushi plates featuring the pink and orange tones of tender fresh fish, cilantro sprig greens, and so white rice!
An interior possessing similar colors – the perfect ingredients to create a stunning design!
Durlaee encompasses many fine collections. Here the Clarke & Clarke Oriental Garden fabrics are gathered together to present a fresh scene reminiscent of our colorfully fresh sushi plate!
Ready for reds?
A berry lovely dish with creamy whites…Our delectable raspberry tart presented on a lace-embossed white pottery piece accented with finely sliced toasted almonds sets the stage for the next interior color scheme… Once again we are featuring Duralee’s Clarke & Clarke statement called Zanzibar a brilliant raspberry and red ethnic statement inspired by the exotic and vibrant world of Tanzania, Africa. Discovering the creativity of colors and fabrics in distant places offers a mélange of ingredients with which to create an exciting interior design!
Mix it up. Gather the
ingredients that will bring you joy and result in a deliciously creative
interior!!! Come see and feel these fabulous fabrics and furnishings from
Duralee/Robert Allen in our comprehensive design resource library at PATRICIAN
DESIGN! Call us and we will send samples!
The total sum of an interior…comprised of the shape and volume of a space, the colors and textures, architectural details…then layer the lighting, furnishings and decorative accessories and ta-da! But is that all there is?
The beauty and intrigue of interiors is what keeps us
discovering and creating. Yes, finding intimate pockets or grand expanses that
please and dazzle.
The romance of this setting caught my eye…the far table by the window – set for two seemed a likely scene for a tete e tete to take place!
While traveling in the tropics these last few weeks, I
discovered many interesting places. Oddly, while experiencing all the sights
and sounds flavors and colors of this paradise, I immersed myself in the
unlikely and completely opposite world of early 20th century Russia with A
Gentleman in Moscow.
Just for fun, I sat with Federico Leon de la Vega today as he did 4 – minute sketches of some of my photos…needless to say, proper illustrations would have proved more telling of my romanticizing the talents of artists conveying imaginary activities in interiors…but it was fun to play with this today!
The beautifully and artistically articulate writing style of
Amor Towles held me captive. And what a dichotomy to play ping-pong with my
brain as I digest the restricted realm of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov while
basking in the warm sunshine with fresh sea air and palms rustling overhead…It
seems that the extremes of this pairing suited me well as it was a dual escape
– a vacation getaway while taking me further into fantasy with another dimensional
experience of this incredibly great read!
Although there were many fascinating observations made by
the author, it was this passage regarding the Count encountering a young
artist/architect that prompted this subject for this week’s blog. The
architect, finding himself in Moscow in the post Czar age of socialistic
experimentation and implementation, bemoans the lack of work “The way things
stand, I’d be happy to design a birdhouse.”
“The way things stand, I would be happy to design a birdhouse!” Sketch by PH
The mayor of Moscow has made an observation espousing the birth of “the golden age of the prefabrication, cement-walled, five-story apartment building” – with the very practical “four-hundred-square-foot living spaces with ready access to communal bathrooms boasting four-foot tubs (after all. who has time to lie down in a bath when your neighbors are knocking at the door).” The mayor further emphasizes and rationalizes “So let us not get bogged down with elaborate designs or bow to aesthetic vanities. Let us apply ourselves instead to a universal ideal that is fitting for our times.” A horribly inhuman decree in my opinion, rather than a should-be, truly magnanimous spirit. Humans are designed to design!!
The sentiments of the new regime left the architect with having to find avenues to utilize his talents – specifically sketching as he set forth to illustrate a brochure of the city’s finest hotels as retained by the Intourist department. How sad to possess the talent and passion and be reduced to capturing the grandeur without having the opportunity to design??!!
So three things struck me about this situation…one – that the artist was practicing only a portion of his talents and not the true, complete creativity that beckoned him to pursue his career…two – that renderings not only offer the opportunity to preview the proposed design of a space, but they can use artistic license to animate the space for its intended function and three – that spaces are not truly realized until they are filled with the people that are intended to occupy them.
So much so is a room not really finished until it is occupied by the inhabitants for whom it was intended to function, but Towles observes through the renewed appreciation by his architect, “I suppose a room is the summation of all that has happened inside it.” And that is what I enjoyed being revealed as a result of this simple exchange in this one of many experiences in this remarkable storyline .
Humans are designed to design. Rooms are intended to perform a function. They cannot function until they are animated with whatever they were intended to serve. Sketches allow the preview. Sketches are more spontaneous and artfully creative than computer generated versions of the same. Celebrate beauty, creativity and artists!
The world is full of detail. From the wonders of nature and the perfection of a flower, to the man-made creations that come from inspiration of all sorts. The combined influences that result, in interesting and good design, are limitless and we now have layers of platforms upon which ideas are presented. The access to creativity is staggering.
Take Etsy and Pinterest. There the ideas abound. Everyone has access to creative ideas unlike ever before in our world. In the past, a keen eye observed and discerned. The clever managed to find inspiration in the most obscure places, analyze observations and interpret them for their own purposes. Creativity was spawned from observation paired with original thought. Yet, that observation was generally first-hand. Therefore, those that got about more, saw more and had greater exposure to more (and there you have it) were creatively stimulated more!
We (perhaps I should say I since it is from my own vantage point and experiences, from whence I speak/write), often are so busy observing that we don’t take the time to dissect and catalog the information we discover. I am so very guilty of that as I am so captivated by design and creativity that I forget to remember!!! Ha – yes – forget to remember or record!!!!
I constantly find myself regretting to have taken a photo of something (some who know how many photos I take might want to take exception with this point), but it’s true. I regret not taking a photo or studying something which, retrospectively, I recognize as something quite special. In the rush to experience the entire scene, I fail to notice or retain the details. Have you ever felt that you were so caught-up in a new experience that afterward you feel you should have paid closer attention? I forget to remember to store the observations or I forget to take a photo – regretting it afterward.
The breakfast room aat Hillwood Mansion where Marjorie Post rarely entertained, but was always set to do so. Pink poinsettias are the seasonal choice.
This can be from a class lecture to a theatrical production. I wish I had focused more closely rather than getting distracted by my own imagination which often runs rampant with the encounter. However, the stimulation can be so great that the imagination kicks in and causes diversions, in the attention, resulting in a deficit of detail gathering. Hence a clear case of un-diagnosed ADD!!!
With all of this having been the prelude to my thoughts for the day, I have elected to pick out a few details from a recent tour of the Hillwood Estate and Gardens nestled on magnificent wooded grounds in the heart of northeast Washington, DC. And how wonderful to have had the opportunity this week to stroll through the mansion, now museum, of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post during the Christmas season.
As previously mentioned, I would have, could have, should have taken more photos, but was so enchanted at every turn by the beauty and gracious luxury that unfolded, I was too busy darting from one magnificent scene to the next to capture more than I share here. I apologize.
Her favorite color was pink and this tree greeting visitors upon arrival is a precious jewel among many beautiful Christmas trees and decorations displayed in the mansion.
From the reflection on the polished floors of the little white lights to the shimmering crystal punctuated with pink blossoms bedecking the tree was undeniably elegant.
The railings ascending the staircase at the reception desk were draped with garland and strung with simple gold painted discs which were repeated in the coordinating tree which also featured a collection of blue reproduction Faberge eggs.
Marjorie Post was a discerning collector of all manner of artistic beauty including exceptional Russian decorative art. The actual exhibit of Faberge currently available for view on the property is nearing its end. Many dazzlingly detailed pieces from her own collection and others on loan for the exhibit are being shown.
If you are in Washington this month, please treat yourself. This exhibit of Faberge pieces is outstanding.
The gold leaves on this magnificent tree in the dining room would be fun to replicate. Could have easily been dipped in gold leaf. Like lime leaves – or from your garden perhaps photinia or laurel even rhododendron – maybe go faux with silk from the craft store – spray ’em gold!!! Paint magic!
And if you have ever installed a dangle of mistletoe…check this out! This elegant bundle suspended, from the towering heights of the entry hall, puts all other sprigs to shame!!! In the opulent foyer, this grand ball of gilded ribbon-clad mistletoe invites those to tempt the fates of love and superstition, with but a kiss!
Whether it is a theme of gold or a snowy season of white, find details and enjoy the creative opportunities that present themselves to you in passing or from the depths of your imagination and create your own holiday magic!!!
Creating fantasy, festivity or seasonal celebration, gather the details every day from observing all the particulars around you. It is amazing from where you can collect ideas and be inspired to create your own festive fantasy!!!!!! Then be sure to take some photos!!!!!!!
