Everyone Needs a Little Country Sometime

I would like to share a treat of a house in a magical setting along a quiet waterway in the lush rural lake community of Edgerton, Wisconsin. A most talented friend has created a riverside home from a modest rambler. What was a dated structure with limited interior appointments, low ceilings, tiny high windows, and ordinary fixtures is now a soft, sophisticated, space outfitted with treasures gathered in the countryside, filled with history, character and antique charm.

Hands on and knowing exactly what she wanted to achieve, she began collecting interesting fixtures and hardware, furniture pieces and finishes. She hired a remodeling contractor, but worked closely with him and his architect to detail every facet of this home. Unwilling to compromise certain features, she enlarged all window openings, reconfigured the entry, gutted the kitchen, redesigned the bathrooms, ripped out the ceiling exposing structure – increasing volume exponentially – and added a garage.

Exposed beams, new white-washed tongue and groove boards applied to raised ceiling, a found wooden column used for structural support, new crown molding, bead-board wainscoting, re-designed fireplace surround, and creatively concealed storage closets, have re-shaped the entire character of this interior so dramatically that all who entered, not having yet seen this incredible transformation, were awed.

Hearing their comments as they passed through the spaces was amusing in their commonality. Everyone was amazed at the amount of work done, creative elements incorporated, fun finds she had collected to transform this modest house into this cozy cottage. Her two cats have wonderful vantage points to watch the activities in the rooms below as guests gathered to celebrate the weekend’s family wedding festivities.

Daylight streams through windows and floribunda gardens around the house are now communing beautifully with the interior.

Ever-so-soft blues, with whites of every shade, create a soft backdrop to collections of fine china to vintage scales and myriad eclectic antiques.

Outside a recently completed multi-tiered pond emits soft trickling background sound which wafts inside through the many open windows. Not to be reticent about being hands-on, this tenacious designer personally packed 23 loads of boulders and large stones into her truck, off-loaded and placed around the periphery of the pond. She planted tiny creeping vegetation among the stones, water plants, multiple trees and perennials to establish instant-gratification landscaping in her expansive backyard, which is a lush verdant botanical expression that grows abundantly right down to meet the river.

A great get-acquainted bonding of disparate family and friends occurred when we collected buckets of roadside flowers to make arrangements for the reception venue.

Wild bouquets punctuated with spectacular domestic flowers from the gardens surrounding the cottage provided fun activity and contributed to the charm of the scene.

Everyone needs a little country sometime.

Posted On July 8, 2017 By pattisays In architecture, artistic expression, beauty behold it, color trends, context of interior design, country living, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative arts, design, design tips, design trends, DIY design, exterior - outdoor design, fireplaces, floral arrangements, floral designs, furniture finds, Garden, handcraft, inspiration, interior design, interior design trends, landscape design, lifestyle, natural designs, nostalgia and design, party themes, personal expression, re-purpose, Refresh, remodeling, rural design, stone, summer, timeless colors, window dressings /

What is Custom and Why Do You Care?

A client and I had a discussion the other day about “custom” design. What is custom and why do you care? As we regarded her newly reupholstered furniture that had been delivered and placed in the living room, we began remarking about the “custom” nature of it all. A specifically designed audio/visual cabinet is currently being “custom” fabricated to add to this scene. Unique pieces of furniture with specifically selected fabrics to create an exclusive, personal scene. This “custom” collection/combination of existing pieces, recent “finds,” new pieces and designer fabrics doesn’t occur anywhere else on the planet. How personal can you get?

Here’s a peek…the beginning of the assembly of this “custom” scene. Crisp Scalamandre stripe on a fabulous find, paired with a rich navy and cream hounds tooth woven…rugs, lamps, pillows all still to come…

Creating a custom scene is like composing music or a painting. It is an art-form of balance. Balancing scale, color, texture, form…the many nuances…details….is the art of it all.

With all of the options on-line and in furniture stores, how do you begin to compose your scene? Where do you start? What do you keep and what do you replace? Why might you want to engage an interior designer?

Perhaps you need assistance getting started. A professional interior designer can help. So can several talented friends – but there is never only one way to do anything (too many chefs) and the right guidance can simplify the process and make the decisions much easier.

Too many chefs?

You need someone you trust, with whom to consult on the many design decisions. From floor finishes to ceiling treatments, window coverings to upholstery, furniture pieces and placement to decorative and functional accessories, lighting to audio/visual – a professional designer has the tools, colleagues and experience to assist you to realize your “custom” scene.

However, if you don’t have the desire or the patience with the creative process, you need not participate – you can go on an extended vacay while all is designed and completed. Voila! Or, you can expeditiously go on-line and buy what you like and hope it works well together and that it fits, that it wears well and results in the scene you want and need to bring you comfort and joy. Or not.

The same is true for commercial interiors. The scene should be an exclusive, custom design that reflects the unique culture, qualities, values, mission and brand, enhances productivity and satisfies the needs of the owner/occupants.

An accounting firm merged two existing, well-established firms. Old and new, grounded and progressive – the remodeled “custom” interior represents their newly defined culture.

A designer interviews the client in order to extract their desires. These many impressions of the desired design are often tough to identify and articulate by the client perhaps, but those illusive concepts, ideas, and desires are exactly what the designer gathers to cull the options, offer ideas and compose the “custom” scene.

For more on this, please visit a previous blog on the Creative Process https://patriciandesign.com/the-creative-process-of-interior-design/ and Custom Design Details https://patriciandesign.com/4680-2/and Custom Collection https://patriciandesign.com/2017/02/

Posted On June 18, 2017 By pattisays In commercial interior design, commercial remodel, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, custom furniture, design, design process, design tips, furniture finds, hiring an interior designer, interior design, joy, lifestyle, re-upholstery, recycle design, Refresh, remodeling, updating, upholstery /

Disruption Reaps Results

Merriam Webster defines to disrupt: to interrupt the normal course or unity…So think about it when you take on your DIY projects…like reupholstering a chair. Pick or find the chair, take a course, cut away at the fabric, pull out the staples, rip it down to the bones, (poor chair – you’ve really interfered with its unity), then put it back together. Voila!

To do something as seemingly simple as repaint, you will need to remove things from the walls and move things away from the walls, drape furniture, mask elements like molding, ceilings or other adjacent surfaces that will not be painted – or at least not with the same color. All of that is quite a disruption.

Expand that disruption when you remodel – open a wall, replace cabinets, change flooring – each on their own sounds simple, but be prepared for disruption. Your normal course of unity will be in disarray, displacement – maybe even chaos.

However, I often reference the phrase “You have to break an egg to make an omelet” right? That sums it up. To make something wonderful, you are going to have to interrupt the normal course of unity – hence break the unity of that beautifully in-tact orb of an egg.

So do not fear disruption – go ahead – disrupt your life a bit, to effect change, that will achieve refreshing results! It is THE hardest part of the Creative Process (see pattisays April 29, 2017). https://patriciandesign.com/the-creative-process-of-interior-design/

Posted On May 29, 2017 By pattisays In before and after, chairs, construction, creative process, creativity, custom furniture, design, design process, design tips, design trends, Disruption in design, DIY design, fireplaces, furniture finds, hiring an interior designer, interior design, interior design trends, personal expression, re-purpose, re-upholstery, Refresh, remodeling, stone, updating, upholstery, wall texture /

The CREATIVE PROCESS of Interior Design

At the outset of a design project, certain first steps are common. It is after those initial steps that things can take two very different directions. First you have the desire or need to make some changes/improvements. You decide with whom you want to work to design and implement.

If you take the time to plan every aspect of a project, make all the selections, get all the details down on paper—well notated and drawn so as to convey every intent, you may begin and proceed without hesitation. The project can be scheduled and run accordingly. Easy peasy—with that prior proper planning.

Whoa—is that real life? Well it works for many. It works for those too busy to delve into the many possibilities, to be open to the evolution of the process, to enjoy the adventure of creativity. I’m talking about the projects not requiring permits – fabrics, finishes and furniture. New cabinets in a kitchen, switch out the counter-tops, get new updated back-splash…rearrange, replace, recover furniture…paint walls, hang art, mostly cosmetic enhancements in this case. Clearly some just want it done—and have no interest in the creative process. However, do you ever have a second thought? Does one decision affect the next? As you experience the design and implementation process, might you change you mind…have another idea? It happens all the time. It is more realistic, fun and feels like a true artistic endeavor.

But is your intent to create an art piece? Is it to experience an artistic endeavor? Or do you just want some new pieces, finishes, an update? These are two very different situations that require different processes.

True design is centered around the unique requirements and desires of the client. It is responsive and reactive. It is also proactive and filled with anticipation. The design process is one of balance and equation. If…then…

This process is intuitive and educated. It is based upon expectation and perception. Like tipping back in a chair…back…back…until you might fall and then—you catch yourself and all is right with the world—exciting but measured.

Why do you hire an interior designer? With all the information available at your fingertips, why do you need to pay someone to do what you like? If you know what you like, you have the time and you have gathered a folder of ideas, why do you need a designer? Might it be to sort through options? Or to decide between choices of fabrics, groupings, arrangement, scale, style? Merely to hold your hand while you make those decisions? Do you have 5 photos of sofas? Do you have a million pictures of materials? Have you picked up or ordered clippings of fabrics? How do you decide among these many options? How do you know you are making the right/best decision given your options? What is timeless? What is trendy? What will last? What is practical? Which direction should it go? What goes with what? Ha—its funny if you start looking at your options and asking those questions…and there are a gazillion more during the process.

The idea behind hiring the right professional, is that they will help make the best decisions that will narrow your search and selections resulting in a distilled version of the gazillion ideas your have pinned, clipped, saved, collected and visualized. Not to mention they might and should bring other new ideas to the mix. The end result of responsible design consultation should provide a design you would not have had, that you like better than your efforts alone and eliminate costly mistakes saving both time and money.

The most difficult part is to recognize that not everyone receives information and processes it the same. One person’s mental image of a design concept might not be the same as another’s. Conveying ideas is an abstraction that can only be somewhat helped with illustrations and models. From quick sketches to well rendered illustrations, dimensional drawings to actual models, nothing will ever exactly convey what will be the finished product.

A sketch like this TV cabinet suggests a possible solution to an a/v issue…

Finished similarly to this piece of finely crafted knotty alder.

And this tired, yet fabulous contemporary sofa – can you visualize it in an elegant, classic navy stripe with new wooden feet? Watch for this transformation in a coming blog!!

It’s all conceptual. It’s not real—until its real. How’s that for a profound observation? Both designers and clients need to be very clear on this prior to committing to a design process. Visualization can be tricky. It effects expectations.

Communication is key. Choosing good, descriptive words…tangible samples of materials… illustrations…models…not all projects warrant the latter examples. The cost of the communication tools must be weighed against the value to the project.

So the creative process is fun and adventurous. The permutations are endless. So many choices, so little time. But if you make one decision, you narrow your steps. With each decision you build toward the finished product. And the beauty of giving yourself permission to “create” means that you can change your mind at any time, massaging the process as you proceed.

It takes patience and resilience. Art is creativity—opening the mind to possibilities.

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. (page 396) What is creativity? – California State University, Northridge https://www.csun.edu/~vcpsy00h/creativity/define.htm

The entertainment factor (above) is an interesting point—because it relates to the previously mentioned—fun! This creative process can be and should be FUN!!!

Being prepared to make alterations, fine-tune, add details and work toward that place that determines completion. Like a painter in front of a canvas…knowing when to stop. It can be over-worked. It can be compromised by going too far beyond that which is good. This does not merely refer to clutter or busy design…each is applicable and depending upon the definition and eye of the beholder (again perception) it can all constitute good design. One man’s clutter is another man’s complex design. But who makes those decisions? The critics for one—if the work is out there to be critiqued by the professionals, but the bottom line is the end user. If it solves the issues, serves the purpose, satisfies the desires—that is success. YOU (the end user) determine the success or failure of your design project.

But that determination of success or failure is a shared responsibility. It is a team effort of communication, contribution and patience with the process. The creative process has few limitations. Budget for one is important and physical restrictions—but other than those—designing is as though a living organism’s path. Designing is the abstract – to tangible way of navigating the fluidity, growth and development of the creative process.

So be free to explore and enjoy the possibilities. They are endless. Seeing the design materialize with the additions, and deletions, changes and modifications is part of the exhilaration of it all. It wants to be exciting and feed that thrill of anticipation and fulfillment of desire.

Create—and enjoy—it is good for your life.

Posted On April 29, 2017 By pattisays In before and after, breweries, clutter, creative process, creativity, design, design process, Design Team, design tips, design trends, DIY design, education, furniture finds, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior design trends, personal expression, practical design, re-purpose, re-upholstery, Refresh, trends, updating / 1

Refresh Renew Replace – Custom Design Details

We LOVE custom challenges. When you have the right team, with the right talent – anything is possible. Part is luck the other is cultivation, but in my case – most was luck!!! They/we didn’t need cultivation – it was a perfect fit from the start! Thank you!

Your team is your strength – whatever your profession. Think about it. From aerobatics to orchestra conductor – those who count on others to make them look good – with or despite their efforts – the end result is what counts. – right?

I, and most people, LOVE before and after photos – it’s fun, it’s instantly comparative, it satisfies our desire to achieve that which we can’t have…except in a facsimile thereof. It’s proof and validation that we can have it – a version of “it.”

We often miss opportunities of taking the before shot – rearranging a room is a prime example – because it happens on the spur of the moment and happens within minutes – the results are startling and instantly proving of “better” design.

We often replace existing with new. New something…whether re-upholstery or new cabinets, no job too small – the results change lives. Of course, entire remodels are the bomb!

Respect any existing thing. Evaluate it for its merits. Consider its history and construction. Fragile or invincible – the history is of value. AND its replacement cost.

Then go about making it a better versions of its original self. Paint it, refinish it, cut it, re-cover it…NOTE – anything with genuine historic value must NOT be changed – must not be modified in any way in order to preserve its original condition and relative value. Here, we are talking about tired pieces that do not have any other historic value. Just time to refresh. Know the difference.

Photos to follow are from one project that is currently underway. Re-upholstery – who said you have to do it all with the same fabric? From blah to brilliant, the before versus after is awesome!

Other times it is about replacing for a better piece. Better for changing aesthetics, better or different function. Here we had existing dressers that served their purpose for several years. They did not go with the other furniture that the owners had collected over the years and the style of the home in a broader sense. It was time to replace them, and finding the right pieces was a challenge. Size and style were the two specific features and therefore a custom design/build was in order. The plain espresso stained veneer pieces were replaced with hand-crafted pieces using hardwood solids and fine veneers of character-filled knotty alder, custom trim details and hand rubbed glazing over many layers of stain and finish resulted in two exquisite pieces to complement their interior. Handsome, heavy solid pulls added to the rich, warm and substantial feel of these exceptional pieces. Note – this was built by one person in a small one-room shop. It is not a multi-employee assembly-line woodworking company. Thank you Enrique, for once again making my dreams come true!!

This was delivery day – media and wire management are still underway – but this was the instant removal of one and replacement with the new! I love the “happy dancer knot!” Like other designs in nature, granite geology, wood…so much beauty in the hidden details – wonderful! Take notice!

As designers, we solve problems, make improvements and assist with the ideas and the means by which to accomplish the mission. Custom fabrication is a unique way to create your signature design. The permutations are endless and an effective designer will make recommendations exclusively for you.

Posted On April 22, 2017 By pattisays In beauty behold it, before and after, custom furniture, design, Design Team, design trends, furniture finds, handcraft, handmade, inspiration from nature, interior design, interior design trends, natural integrity of the materials, re-upholstery, Refresh, signature, updating, upholstery /

Design Dreams Come True – Custom Collection

Designing is great fun. But the key to completing the circle that starts with an idea in response to a need (or not) is having that design come to fruition. I am grateful for having a great team of detailed design fabricators who make my dreams come true. And they spoil me. I think many designers will say the same thing. What starts on a cocktail napkin, torn piece of flimsy trace off a roll, a sheet of graph paper or more formally, working drawings, takes shape with the collaboration of designer and fabricators who are not just fabricators, but invaluable contributors to the finished products’ construction and design details. These are the seamstresses, upholsterers, carpenters, iron-workers and all manner of construction trades who bring these creations to fruition!

Several years ago we had a client who was daring in her desire to have a super modern loft. Her history of traditional furnishings and up-bringing was well in place in Washington state, but this opportunity to have a second home, an urban loft, made way for her exercising the juices that offered a new alternative lifestyle and a new “look.”

One of the many key pieces in this fabulous space turned out to be the cornerstone of a new custom collection that we fondly call PATRICIAN DESIGN’S “Hammered Home.”

As I planned the pieces for this fun and hip urban interior, I designed painted pieces, modern tonsus, a Nelson inspired coffee table, red and raw steel glass-topped dining table base, a new take on a drop-leaf desk and colorful mixed media end-table/chests all custom fabricated by my team, but I wanted something more, something that gave rich, detail and dimension, interest and art and this new line of custom furniture was born. The first piece, a nightstand/end table for a dual-purposed guest room/study combined clean-lined wood with steel. So with a quick sketch of the dimensions and form, my desire to have metal legs suspending it off the floor, metal accents but not severe – I thought, hammered?

The wood tone was to be a more milk chocolate than mahogany but tight-grained and true medium brown. The floors were an existing light engineered material and this brown contrasted nicely.

The next opportunity to introduce this combo theme of our “Hammered Home” design came with a young family’s need for a media armoire in the “family” room. Several years ago when “espresso” hit the design scene for the new trend for modern furniture, everyone from Target to Pottery Barn to Robb & Stuckey filled their inventory with the dark coffee bean wood finish. As a designer, I recognized the value of the trend and wanted to accept it, but take it a step further for these very smart and successful, yuppy clients.

In previous blogs, I have clearly stated that all trends are not created equal. some are passing fancies of color combinations that soon become dated or design elements that don’t leave a significant mark to pass the test of time. But the dark chocolate/coffee color enriched that which had so often been blond, light woods and cherry/cinnamon tones of recent popularity and contributed a valid alternate stain theme for wood furniture. The media armoire for a young family’s “family” room, was clean-lined and new. The bling was industrial enough not to be glitzy, but just enough silver-grey metallic to contrast against the dark wood.

The next version of this “Hammered Home” collection came in front of a stacked sandstone wall of bone white, creamy cream, a hint of gold and a tinge of iron rust. We picked the darker rust tone to contrast against the otherwise soft light stone wall colors – the rusty hue suggested a cinnamon colored alder – stain magic! This pair of low profile media cabinets housed all the components and an incredible bundle of wires streaming into the back of the cabinet from all points of the house – and it’s called wi-fi? Really? Due to the color scheme, we decided that a copper metal panel would really meld with the cinnamon-stain of the alder. So we took it a step further to enhance the copper, knock it down a bit and highlight the texture with a blackened rub that nestles into the hollows and allows the bas relief to shine. It is a warm, rich, dimensional textural wonderfulness.

So when a very fun client called last fall wanting a surprise for his wife – nightstands perhaps? I laughed because my husband often says that he’s getting me storm windows for a Valentine’s Day gift…funny – every girl’s dream!! But nightstands are at least in the realm of dreamland!!! So knowing the room and its existing color scheme, I decided upon a satin black with the same hammered blackened copper panels. The combination of the black and blackened copper was sensational. The style was more transitional than the previous clean-lined pieces – but it goes to show that this hammered metal design theme can transcend the styles…

We LOVE working with this client as he knows that he either has an idea (a new nightstand) that we can create or he calls and asks – what can we create for the next event? Whether birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day – we have provided locally hand-loomed textiles wraps, wild embroidery throws, magnificent oil paintings, locally hand-crafted jewelry and more! How fun for him to know that each present is custom and unique, supports local artists and will be a treasure forever. Plus he doesn’t have to shop!!!!!

So we delivered our surprise cabinet last week on Valentine’s Tuesday, I stopped at a quickie store and bought some simple heart stickers – not much larger than a postage stamp, I stuck one in the drawer and one on the shelf of the lower cabinet and thought that whenever she opened this cabinet she will remember that it was her Valentine’s surprise!!! We had a key, took the cabinet to their bedroom, removed the old nightstand, replaced it with the new one…Voila! She came home to a really neat surprise!!! And might there be a matching one in the works?? We can’t say.

Custom fun – support local artists and make your dreams come true!!!!!

Posted On February 19, 2017 By pattisays In artists, custom furniture, decorative arts, furniture finds, hammered metal, handcraft, handmade, metal and wood furniture design, modern cabinets, painted furniture, Uncategorized /

Buying the Bones…Re-upholstering

Re-upholstery is good. If you like a piece of existing furniture and it has “good bones” it is fun to give it an instant face-lift with new upholstery. I find myself salvaging clients’ pieces often when they had every intention of complete replacement. The satisfaction of transforming a tired or dated piece is quite gratifying.

The next best thing is finding a piece that is value-priced for the aforementioned reasons of looking tired or dated and recognizing that is has “good bones.” This is like a treasure hunt. Whether on Craig’s List or in a Thrift Shop, searching for a piece is exciting. You have to see beyond it – you can’t tell a book by its cover – right?

Many of my clients are believers in this practice, but often did not start out that way. In fact for this blog’s example, I have the perfect scenario. It began as I remodeled and designed a spectacular renovation for a single man who wanted a sleek, modern interior. We started from scratch with all new finishes throughout, custom cabinets, enhanced lighting, and then the search for a piece of furniture that had eluded us. It was the primary focal point that I envisioned – a large orange ultra-suede sectional. I stood beside my illustrator render the room based upon photos of the space and a very loose sketch that I prepared. A picture truly does speak a thousand words and is a fantastic aid in communicating design ideas that might otherwise be misconstrued or just plain missed by the client.

We began pricing custom fabric on a number of options, but everything was over budget. So I asked if he minded if I looked locally for a used piece that we could transform. Luckily, he was busy and trusting and told me to have at it – so I did. It looked like it was made from marshmallows, but the key detail was the curved corner piece. I did not want an “L” with right angles – I wanted that rounded, welcoming, beckoning corner piece. This crazy, puffy, formal, dated piece was in perfect condition and the woman, original owner, was moving and could not take it with her. In step I and paid this grateful woman her requested few hundred dollars, called my upholsterer and scheduled the pick-up for the next day.

When I saw it for the second time in the back of the upholstery shop, I was psyched. It’s always fun- but this transformation was going to be amazing! Inasmuch as my wonderful client trusted me, I didn’t dare let him see it in its original form. I didn’t want to risk the probable fear and foreboding. I didn’t want to give him a permanent unsettling visual, of this puffy, white, marshmallow sectional, every time he saw his gorgeous, sleek, modern, orange masterpiece.

Therefore, the process began as I had already found the perfect orange ultra-suede and the guys at the shop stripped the layers of white damask, foam and fuzzy dacron from the solid wood bones of this beautiful frame. They slicked it clean as a whistle.

With a bit of work to lengthen on side to an imposing 10′ and shortening the other side by a few inches, the new sectional began taking shape. The arms were modified and the cushions squared and the lines simplified. In this case, the concealed feet were fine. Although we often replace feet, or replace skirts with feet, or feet for skirts – those options were not necessary in this case.

The finished product was the perfect piece. Our client was blown away with seeing it delivered and looking like the original illustration that we used to convey the design concept. The biggest response was that of the cost which was a fraction of the cost of buying this over-sized piece new. Because of the unusual size, it would have had to be custom all the way or we would have had to settle for a size less than perfect. Not to mention this was accomplished in less than 2 weeks rather than waiting a couple of months or more for a custom order.

Ready-made, down-filled, Ralph Lauren throw pillows were a great find to add a splash of color. The rug is temporary as a larger, lighter one is intended along with the custom cocktail table. Once again my team makes my dreams come true and the client has a unique piece perfect for his needs.

Posted On November 12, 2016 By pattisays In before and after, colors, Craig's List, design, design tips, design trends, furniture finds, inspiration, interior design trends, personal expression, practical design, re-purpose, re-upholstery, recycle, recycle design, sectional sofas, Thrift Shops, upholstery / 2 Comments

Sgourakis’ NOOK Chair Catches Dreams

Australian designer Henry Sgourakis has created the NOOK chair and I couldn’t help but recognize the woven elements of our Native American dream-catchers! It is believed that dreams that people have while sleeping, are sent by sacred spirits as special messages. According to their Legend, the hole in the center of the Dream Catcher is the pathway through which good dreams are permitted to reach the sleeper. As for the bad dreams, the web “catches” them and they disappear with the first light of dawn. Some believers try to determine what messages are being passed onto them and what the messages represent. Perhaps unknowingly, Sgourakis dreamed of this message and has captured an ancient web of comfort for the design of his chair – as he says of his design “In a world where technology seems to almost dictate our existence and when our childhood feels like a different lifetime, it is important to me to remember the past and carry those memories into the future, the beauty of this hand-crafted piece does just that.”

Native American dream-catcher

Detail of the NOOK chair

Posted On April 3, 2012 By pattisays In art and interior design, design, furniture finds /

Plastic Infringing on Tradition – and The Lorax!

Stacked in colorful layers on the sidewalk – an inviting statement of approaching spring – I came upon a brilliant inventory of plastic stacking Adirondack’s chairs! These classic designs in plastic rather than the traditional wood – although often painted brightly – will withstand the elements without decay and due to their light-weight, can be moved about for changes in placement around the yard and stacked for convenient storage! Sizes for children and adults – fun for all ages!

This display happened to be at an ACE hardware store in Goodyear, Arizona – but they’re out there all over the market for anyone inspired enough to want them! Funny how some plastic renditions of the real thing are quite acceptable – in a certain setting. Then today we watched the newly released movie, Lorax – the Dr. Seuss story about a place without trees – all the would-be growing things were artificial – inflatable plastic, metal, or other materials and yet, there was one young person (Taylor Swift) who wanted the real thing, and one older person (Betty White) who remembered the real thing. Lorax – nature’s protector, Dannie DeVito is defeated by progress but revitalized by peoples’ appreciation for what they have lost and stand to regain by restoring the natural world. Then Zac Efron is the kid who saves the day for all! And I thought about the colorful plastic Adirondack’s chairs and I pondered…

We dash and dart between the allegiance to natural, organic, and original things in our world and then celebrate the man-made polyester, acrylic and modern versions of so many. And so it shall be – in balance. We are destined to invent experiment and explore new things – while maintaining an awareness of what impact change might have. Yes, destined – because it is incumbent upon us to be aware – but not manipulative.

Global warming – maybe, maybe not…maybe for reasons not popularly explained – maybe for reasons of cyclical patterns of nature – maybe man-made…but we all must be sensitive to our impact on the state of our immediate environment (“toss no mas” and pick –up litter even if it is not your own) and cumulative effect on our planet over-all. There is a humorous but poignant “green” commentary circulating on the internet about how “back-in-the-day” they didn’t know about “green” but they received milk delivered by a milkman in a glass bottle which was returned for refills, drank from water fountains, taps and wells without using individual plastic bottles…it goes on…and the point is that we are embracing this GREEN initiative and rightly so – but are too self-important to recognize that much of what we are doing is just plain wasteful and NOT necessary and that the things that we romance as better are often not. Try sitting in a room with “green” linoleum surfaces and keep from passing out from the off-gasses – seriously.

But I liked the colorful plastic stacking Adirondack chairs – but would LOVE a wabi-sabi wooden version of that chair with or without layers of paint that had withstood the elements and brought joy, absorbed character and communicated silently the history that it had shared from years of affectionate use…

Oh progress! – when to embrace it with its colorful whimsy and ease of maintenance and when to sit back in a well-worn comfy chair and reflect…

Posted On March 5, 2012 By pattisays In environmental, exterior - outdoor design, furniture finds, green design, recycle design, seasonal interior design / 1 Comment

Fragmenting a Well Choreographed Interior Due to a Relocation

Moving is a chore. The future might be exciting, the move might be upwardly mobile – or not. Disbanding a home is not fun. We have a client who had no sooner settled into a fabulous loft condominium in the hip urban architecture of her new digs when a fantastic job transfer forced a move.

She transferred into this new environment from another climate – another world. This was exciting, new, challenging and riddled with opportunity to go outside the box for the design choices to feather her nest. She enthused about everything that she encountered that was different, well-crafted, unique, artistically functional, colorful, and textural – all things beautifully combined to create an art piece of an interior.

Moving might not always mean what it does in this instance. She already had a primary place of residence filled with family pieces, nostalgic treasures and gatherings of a lifetime, and this new urban scene was a departure from her norm. This had been an opportunity to experiment with contemporary design, bold colors, abstract and expressionistic art and sadly there is no place to incorporate it in the tiny new interior where she has placed herself practically and with a purpose – where she now finds herself – in yet another world.

The new place is straddling the design direction of her primary abode filled with lovely traditional furnishings and will be punctuated with her contemporary artwork and a couple of the special pieces that she had crafted for the loft – but after photographing, recording dimensions, laying out the furniture in the new floor plan, agonizing over limitations and choices, the decisions were made. And after all the thorough deliberation it was apparent that many of the recently custom designed and fabricated elements must go. Fragmenting this well-balanced and choreographed interior has been heartrending.

Among the outstanding functional art pieces that I and my team designed for her – here are a few of the unique items made by local artists and craftsmen that are available for purchase.