Designing, Styling and Why – Finding Personal Style

Styling is a vague term used popularly now for many facets of artful design that come together to create a presentation (in this case) for interiors. Interior designers practice the artful tricks of “styling” while calling on their expertise with many other important professional elements regarding practical and functional design decisions, structural considerations, mechanical and electrical aspects, client collaboration, budgeting parameters, and more. Terminology can confuse the conversation because often the illusive thing that clients are seeking is finding their “style.”  This goes deeper than embracing a new trend or changing a style of furniture from Scandinavian to French. It goes deeper into the very personal places that are uniquely individual. It’s about lifestyle and personality, temperament, and taste.

Assembling elements in your home or workplace is about lifestyle and personality, temperament, and taste. This living room is taking shape for a single man wishing to update his furnishings and fixtures throughout his home.

I was told in school that there is no such thing as bad taste – just bad design. I love that. It takes an enormous percentage of the judgement out of it and leaves the important characteristics to be critiqued such as function, form, balance, color, texture, volume, lighting…

Styling and designing both require balance – designing being the more comprehensive of the two. Each consider many of the same elements, but designing digs deeper. I often converse with clients about the opposites in their spaces. Hard/soft, smooth/rough, light/dark, warm/cool, simple/complex…finding the effective, pleasing, balance in all the elements in a space is critical to the comfortable success of the design. I seek the positive, buoyant, uplifting effect that elicits good vibes.

The result should be more than satisfying, it should be joyful and personal. This chair and ottoman were vintage pieces handed down in this family and here we reupholstered them to give them new life in a new context.

As an interior designer my job is to extract and decipher the wishes of my clients – commercially or residentially. Not only what they want and need, but how to achieve it. It has to do with the art of design and the practicality or reality of executing the work. The result should be more than satisfying, it should be joyful and personal – designed for the specific needs and goals of the individual(s) with whom I am working.

Discovering your personal style might be like a lightbulb turning on – it’s been there all along but wasn’t recognizable. You have it but don’t realize it. Which begs the question, what is style? It is very representative.

From my experience, there is no such thing as no style. Not having style. The very concept of that is like a reverse condition of being without style (un-styled ) – like messing up a hairdo. Yet that disheveled do is a style unto itself – albeit not in the contrived sense of order and intent. That same hairdo in a fierce wind might become similarly disheveled – but without the intent – it might be considered an organic style.

Tidy to disheveled, style is limitless. The occupant of the space is surrounded by books that never quite get put away.
Fascinating to some – unnerving to others.

Interior design can be contrived with much intent, formalized with attention to detail or a more unselfconscious approach that always appears more casual, organic and lived-in. Of course, there are happy mediums too. However, the risk of the “unselfconscious” approach is that by the very nature of the approach to create that which does not LOOK contrived – can be very contrived!!! Hence the unfortunate, if not unintended, result!!

Tidy to disheveled, style is limitless – the permutations and opportunities are endless. But when styling a “scene”, do we keep books in the bookshelves with perhaps one on an end table or nightstand for practicality and interest or do we present piles of books as though the occupant of the space is surrounded by books that never quite get put away? Fascinating to some – unnerving to others.

Some categories of interior design allow a “stylist” to express themselves – rather than focusing on the specific design needs, desires, requirements, and ultimate joy of a client. Style for the sake of imagery. These categories include product representation and promotion/branding – ads and TV commercials, and vignettes that are not intended for real life but for effect. To create appeal and promote trending marketing efforts, assembling for model homes or staging for individual homes for sale and theatrical set design are also examples of the applicability of styling. This “styling” is a very marketable talent – different from designing for and about a client’s personal wants and needs – in a residential or commercial setting.

Commercial interiors combine the branding of the business as well as the personality of the occupants and the culture of the workplace. We completely redirected the focus of this insurance office by emphasizing their brand in color, imagery and graphics. Corporate marketing material was enlarged and used for artwork to further reinforce the brand and emphasize the mission for both employees and clients.

Style evolves. Styling can be an ongoing process – even daily. But that becomes a preoccupation that is not necessarily practical for everyone. Our tastes change with life experiences and with them new interests, accommodations and necessities all contribute to the evolution of personal style. But look at your own personal style and see what about it has remained constant even if your design direction has changed.

You have style. You need to try to articulate it, embrace it or change it. I often hear “I know what I like when I see it.” That’s true of all of us. But being a “creative,” a designer, we create and not merely discover, find, and assemble – through all parts of the process.  Helping clients distill the flood of inspiration, imagery and ideas presented, on the limitless platforms dedicated to interior design, new construction, remodeling, styling, and decorating, is the first stage of the job. With so many choices and directions from which to choose, navigating that circuitous path through the oh so many images and ideas is daunting, but essential to finding the right elements to combine and create the design – and set forth the style.

The stuff of life. This couple downsized and culled their belongings to their very favorite things. Their new interior, in their custom home, incorporated all of their treasures and added some new pieces for their next chapter.

Knowing what you like when you see it and collecting as you go is what results in what I fondly call the stuff of life. Your life is partially represented in the things you have discovered and saved – things that bring you joy that you want to see and have around you. They may change over time. Your fascination or appreciation for an object might wane…but the principle of having things collected over time and life experiences (or minimalist lack thereof) is a personal expression. Often the trick is to re-arrange what you have. The style is there, but the placement and orientation can make a significant difference. Arranging is very much a central part of effective styling and interior design. Styling is a fun way to play with options, trends, make statements, influence, and experiment. Have fun finding your style and incorporating all you love and enjoy into your interiors!

Conquering the Fear of Color – A Q&A Interview with Patti

The serenity of neutral color schemes has a significant place in interior design. However, it is more about the fear of color that I approach this article today. Committing to color arrests most people – they want it and admire it but are fearful about selecting and committing to bold colors.

Beautiful neutrals are a color all to themselves. Layers of whites, creams, grays offer sophisticated schemes.

However, that is not all that causes clients to reach out for assistance. Even if they have made a decision about taking the leap, it is how much, where and with what or to what the color is applied or occurs.

A white kitchen receives a patchwork of blue and white Talavera tile as a backdrop adding depth and interest.
In addition, upon closer inspection, we have incorporated a fine detail of an aqua glazed Spanish tile running horizontally and vertically through the patterned tiles.

I remember when architect Antoine Predock’s project for United Blood Services in Albuquerque https://bit.ly/3LBQbDv made a splash – a really RED splash when he stuccoed the entire exterior brazenly brilliant, bold, blood red! It was astonishing – astonishingly effective!!! https://bit.ly/3NNQihd If a picture speaks a thousand words, color is right there in conveying remarkable communications.

From branding to personal style, color is key.

The addition of our tongue and groove walnut wall established the theme for the rest of the furniture in this interior.


My staff recently investigated information from projects. They posed questions and gathered observations regarding my use of color. Photos, at the end illustrate some specific color decisions and why. The resulting questions and answers are as follows:

Patti Hoech‘s design practice has been and continues to be an exploration and emphasis of the subtleties and strengths of color. It is an integral part of her work. We wanted to know why and when she discovered this specialization in her design sensitivity and how it relates to her approach to effective design decisions.  We are asking clients and colleagues to pose questions to get the answers.

Why is color so important?

Patti Says: Color is power and peace. Color is important on so many levels – personal joy (or aversion), perceived temperature, brand identification, seasonal interactions, emphasis, and contrast. Color is everywhere. Understanding and harnessing it for specific purposes is key.

This new backsplash had a specific purpose, which was to acknowledge the existing rust-colored porcelain sink and the intensely green marble stone countertops. By pulling those two colors into the tile selection so strongly and interspersing other colors that complemented the palette, the result was an effectively unifying design detail.

How do you determine the color specifics for your projects?

Patti Says: What color brings you joy? What color tells your story? Interviewing clients about their color preferences – being an important question begins the dialog regarding what colors to incorporate and why. This can be personal preferences or aversions or specific colors relating to branding whether it is new or existing. Also, existing fixed design/architectural elements might also play a significant part in developing an effective color scheme.

Do you believe color affects the lives of your clients in their homes and workplaces?

Patti Says: Absolutely!! Color can insert many subliminal effects that impose on people’s perception of a space or graphic. Color can evoke emotion, instill comfort or agitation, rekindle memories, spur appetite, affect perceived temperature. It can embed recall for commercial brands. Color can be a clever tool.

In this interior for Boba Tea, we played with the colors of the flavors and the multi-colored tiles to correlate to the fun experience of sucking the tapioca pearls.  

How do you navigate color trends?

Patti Says: Trends are necessary to keep our market moving. Capitalism is based on consumer activity, and nothing generates purchasing frenzies like stimulating new trends in the market. However, basing design decisions on trends must take into consideration the intended longevity of the design.  Much of color trends are based upon pairings and combinations of color.  It is those combinations that can “date” a color scheme – not so much a specific color. It is how, where and with what it is used that pegs it.

A classic, well-balanced color combination of blue, white, and yellow is a comfortable warm and cool with a neutral that transcends trends. Fabrics and finishes contribute to how one updates a classic color scheme.

Do you feel you are a forecaster or influencer?

Patti Says: I believe that I have imparted and am still providing thoughtful, challenging color consultation to my commercial and residential clients.  Having prospective clients request designs based upon others that we have produced is telling and flattering. It means they have confidence in the decisions regarding long-lasting color schemes – if not timeless, in some cases. However, it must be said that design elements that present the color often determine – in many ways – how well a selected color or color scheme “holds up” over time. Considerations regrading patterns, materials, and elements can and might be either improved or modified over time while maintaining the same color scheme. Forecasting anticipates color trends. I have successfully influenced clients to make selections based upon an anticipation of future color directions in the market or merely go with classic combinations that have been proven over time. . .

What has influenced your appreciation for and interpretation of color in design?

Patti Says: It started at an early age. Observing the world around me. Nature, architecture, decorative arts (china, textiles, artwork), fashion, logos/brands, trends, regional colors, seasonal colors, cycles of color…Pinks, turquoises, yellows of buildings in the West Indies, bold color statements of Mexico…Color is profoundly important and signature in its application. From fish to birds, flowers to leaves – color captivates me and urges me to find words to express it and continue to have it a primary part of my descriptive vocabulary.  As an omnipresent element in the design process, color is unavoidable, but to enjoy it so fully and embrace the limitless range of options is an exciting artist’s pallet of possibilities which stimulates me at every turn.

The magic of color on architectural exteriors can be amazing. Here in Burano, Italy my dear friend captured the colors! Similar to what we see in Guanajuato, Mexico and the sunny islands of the West Indies.

I attribute much of my color awareness to my mother. I remember being greatly influenced by her sense of color and design. Her sensitivity and talent were innate. She selected fabrics that had unusual color and pattern combinations. When orange, avocado, brown, and gold prevailed in the 60s and 70s, she selected the olives with chartreuse and gold for the less formal areas of our lives and leaned into Lily Pulitzer’s dynamic colors and patterns for her clothing and a pastel version of soft pinks and verdant greens for our more formal areas. The master suite was primarily yellow with beautiful bits of blues. Beach scenes always emphasized blues and greens. Nothing in our world was on common trend, but an artful interpretation of color combinations, eclecticism and comfort. Pairings of orange and brown were never her happy place nor was gold and brown.  But orange and PINK – YES! Pink and green especially! And browns were recognized in context with stone shades of greys and tans.  I believe that sense was greatly influenced by richly organic, textured stone walls of the West Indies – Danish architecture in the tropics where limitless colors of greens and blues punctuated with flowers were all around.

As a result of this of this early introduction to the value of color, my personal spaces reflected similar sensitivities. Beginning with pink in the early years I graduated into blues, turquoise and greens for my teen years. The final scheme, in my room in the home in which I grew up, was a dusty pink, clay, and mocha-rose. No one in my world had that color scheme in the late 70s and it was difficult to assemble. It helped that I worked part time in a design showroom in Georgetown where handling the amazing abundance of fabulous fabrics was a daily inspiration. Throughout my life experiences color has been a constant distraction. Not in a bad way, but rather a noticeable, unavoidable interruption that causes me to pause and take note. Ask anyone who knows me – I stop and remark about color at every turn.  For better or worse, I comment on color. It is a deep appreciation that I enjoy sharing. And the most rewarding is discovering color for clients who yearn for it but don’t quite know how to find and use that which would make them feel the joy of color!

A dear friend in Mexico recently took a leap in selecting an accent color for his seaside villa. Once an all white interior, which was lovely and fresh, he wanted a new look that provided contrast and strengthened his color theme. The yellow accents made me smile when he unveiled his new look!

Color plays a major role in discovering and expressing personal style.  Fear not – color is your friend. Find your style. Live your style. Love your Style.

Color Scheme Tips

Color schemes are limitless. The permutations are endless. Color is exciting and fun. It is personal. Colors evoke feelings, memories, emotions and are key to a comfortable interior.

How often have you been asked or pondered on your own…”What is your favorite color?” Some people hesitate to answer, while others blurt-out readily with their fav.  But what color you choose to wear versus what you enjoy in your interior surroundings and how much might be quite different.

Several weeks ago, I launched a weekly post on our PATRICIAN DESIGN Facebook page called “Color Schemes.”  The idea is to inspire design ideas by pairing artwork with designer fabrics. When planning an interior there is always a focal point complimented and surrounded by supporting elements.  Whether a key painting will command the space or an expansive window with a view will direct the focus to a scene of outside colors and textures – that key element will greatly influence a successful interior color scheme.

Annette Donald creates colorful cubes in her creative take on our beloved chile ristras. A serrano chile oil painting, on canvas, by Federico Leon de la Vega is quite representational. Paired here with Romo and Ralph Lauren fabrics, Sherwin Williams paints…fresh and festive!

Here is the example of a November Scheme and you can scroll back each Monday for the past few months to enjoy a variety of the Color Schemes! https://www.facebook.com/PatricianDesignABQ/photos/a.243005986618/10157154423221619/

We embrace the The Nature of November with its unique colors and textures. As the air becomes chilly and the leaves fade…warm, soft colors bring us indoors. Featured here an elegant fused glass ribbon wall piece by Lisa Checnoff.

There are four primary considerations that I discuss with my clients when determining which colors to choose, emphasize, avoid, use as accents and where. To establish these selections, we evaluate personal preferences, contextual implications, seasonal influences and even trends. 

PERSONAL:  In planning an interior, I always want to know what colors make our clients happy, comfortable, stimulated, vexed or relaxed. These personal insights reveal important information for selecting types of materials too.

By examining what might be one’s favorite color, the discussion will navigate the distinctions, if any, regarding preferences for clothes versus interior furnishings. Interestingly, they are not always the same – although, by mere comfort and familiarity, they often are.  Simply asking about a favorite color is not enough.

Brilliant golden yellows and blues – splash color! Featured here are fabulous photo-realistic acrylic paintings by Sheri Mays paired with amazing fabrics of the same exciting palette.

CONTEXT:  The context of the interior might dictate or at least steer the direction of the design. The luxury of having multiple personal environments offers the opportunity to have different color pleasures exercised in different places. The ski condo might be woodsy and textural with browns, greys, stone and wood punctuated with a pop of color versus the seaside retreat with its crisp whites and cool blues and greens punctuated with pastels or bold contrasts. Therefore, the location of an interior might direct the desired color palette.

Inspired by this spa-aqua pottery bowl by Penny Roberts and the custom glass tile mosaic we recently combined to face a newly remodeled kitchen wall – the cool seaside/spa feel balanced with ambers and warm dots of color – pink, fuchsia, orange and golden yellow. Durable brushed cotton solids come in myriad colors and are perfect for pillows or upholstery.

SEASONAL:  This one is tricky because it plays on the perceived climate outside – even if the interior is maintained at a constant temperature. It takes a concerted effort to plan a color scheme – including textures and finishes in anticipation of changing seasons and relative temperatures. I previously mentioned that a window with a view might be the focal point of a room…imagine the effect the changing seasons might have on the selection of interior colors and textures versus a consistent tropical scene, for example?  

Perhaps you love purple – ever pair it with golden yellow? Here, functional, fantasy pottery designed and crafted with the most precise attention to detail by Jen DePaolo inspires our boldly brilliant scheme.

TRENDS:  Inasmuch as I avoid being steered by trends, it is impossible and not advisable – in design – to avoid them. Clients are influenced by them and bring that would-be preference to the table.  It is essential to continue to have “colors-of-the-year” and other market-driven colors change to stimulate the economy with buying and selling, replacement and updating.  It’s our socio/economic norm.  It also serves as an encouragement to re-fresh. But to limit that influence, in favor of long-term personal pleasures, is best.  The pressure of this marketing color influence contributes to our being a disposable culture. Not time here for a lecture on such things – but rather to instill an appreciation for and confidence in personal selections an decisions – in this case,  color.

Patinaed pearls and stunning glasswork by Margaret Hidalgo Vanderheyden inspire the soft, greyed lavenders and blues of this cool scheme.

An interesting and on-going test for evaluating a successful interior is when designing in one season – it has to work in all others. For example, when I meet with clients in the heat of July with lush foliage and color, warm temperatures and long days, that same interior has to succeed when it is frigid outside, barren, and with darker, shorter days. What might the challenges be in creating a successful scheme and what might be the solutions to make it work?

Having noted all of this and knowing the different reactions people have to color, isn’t it interesting when an interior is so successful that it appeals to many, if not the majority, of those who experience it?  This is more applicable to commercial or public spaces – from doctors’ offices to hotels.  However, the challenge and success is in knowing the many things to be considered and implementing a balance of them throughout all aspects of the interior.

Anne Marie Werner-Smith’s brilliantly glazed pottery here with Margaret Hidalgo-Vanderheyden’s lovely fused glass crosses along with coral and dyed stone necklace and woven table runner from Chiapas reflect the changing colors of fall leaves…

Appreciating color is a gift to designers. It truly is an imperative to appreciate all colors and have the sensitivity to discern the nuances between various values and the effects of selections and combinations from the infinite choices.

I hope this has given you ideas and inspiration to move forward with YOUR color schemes! Sign-up for our weekly email of Color Schemes with classic blue and white and stunning neutral greys coming!! And follow the posts on Facebook every Monday.

CONVERSATIONS ON DESIGN – SPECIFICALLY, PRO TIPS ABOUT COLOR

This past week alone I have consulted with a commercial client about reception seating and color, a home-owner, in a mountain setting, about durable floor finishes, bathroom remodels and color, a couple in a new home downsizing from one of 20 plus years about furniture arrangement and color, a couple from Las Vegas buying a second home by their daughter and grandkids about color, and a woman stopped in the shop yesterday visiting from Santa Fe and said that she didn’t know we were also a design firm -picked up a brochure and told me inasmuch as she had “a pretty good handle on design – she always struggled with color.”

See a common thread here? The comments were from that where she admitted to always struggling with color to another wanting her seemingly tract home to feel like a woodsy cabin with color, others wanted their spaces  lighter while others wanted to make a corporate statement that would support their brand and not go out of style in the coming few years. They all had steered toward neutrals – but not in a good way – because they were uncertain about committing to COLOR.

The whites and greys are their own beautifully valid color scheme. https://patriciandesign.com/project/modern-make-over/   I have written before about when white is a color or when it is the absence of color.  https://patriciandesign.com/white-by-design/

I also continually stress that all design decisions are based upon context. Many of you reading this, with whom I have consulted, will recognize much of these observations and tips. I stress select color to compliment your context!

Interestingly, the mountain home has existing painted doors and trim. To change those elements would be costly. How can we woodsy-up this interior without those seemingly necessary key elements?

I asked her for her priorities and “comfort colors.” As a result, we will change the flooring for look and durability, building from that add color and various textures to enrich the space – stacked pebbles at the fireplace, a slab hearth, a wooden mantle and a light neutral will be the main backdrop splashed with strong elements of color (notice them on the mantle). The very vertical fireplace will be a bold golden yellow color to intentionally work with the honey tones of the pine architectural elements.

By contrast, a magnificent home (also in the mountains with great wooden details), had too much of a good thing for the owners’ other interior furnishings. In this case, the seeming sacrilege of painting the solid wood doors and trim was in order.

To paint all the solid wood doors and trim in this home was a leap of faith. But the goal was to add back stacked stone to carry a theme from the now naked fireplace to the kitchen bar and over to the entry door wall. Having it in three places will commit to an architectural theme for this finish selection. New colorful rug and fabrics for throw pillow will enliven the space and bring focus to individual accents throughout the interior.
The grey hand woven grey rug was not providing the needed backdrop for this new scheme so we gathered rug and fabric samples to “punch-up” the scene.
After the new rug arrived, we assembled the fabrics for another study of our options to detail the design.
Before, this little powder room was a bit bland. The quality, solid wood, raised panel, pine doors were too rustic for the owner’s preference – but painting was not an option – until we discussed it. What was a possible sacrilege became a beautiful solution to changing the design direction of this interior. Mirror and sconces remained while vanity, sink and colors were transformed!
The AFTER of the little powder room is still in the process, but it is clear that the transformation is startling with the newly painted doors and trim and the fresh POP of turquoise on the walls. Layers of color and emphasis changed. It is not about painting wood, it’s about creating balance. The massive, solid wood front door and antique and art pieces throughout will be emphasized as key features

Another such interior was over-burdened with stained wood and to paint it all out white was a major commitment yet, the results will make for a lighter backdrop still revealing the bones and their texture, but freeing the owners to showcase their other pieces of fine woodwork, art and furnishings.

PRO TIPS

  • The trick with design decisions is to determine and understand the primary purpose and intended “read” of the space. What is most important and where do you want your focus?
  • Once you have evaluated the space, identified its primary purpose and selected what you want to emphasize; see what is either in the way of, or competing with that emphasis, and clear all else away. Add back the things that you consider most important either for function or joy (form).
  • If the architecture is most important, determine what about it and work from there to complete the space. If a piece of art is most important – place it to its best advantage and build around it so as not to compete, but compliment. If a view is most important – the same is true – clear away and frame with the most important and/or effective pieces.  Pick your priority, yet take everything into consideration.
  • With regard to color…it can emphasize the architecture or be inserted for a bold statement(s) of art or fabric on furniture, rugs…When using color, the idea is still to have balance in the context of where you are placing it. It can be a backdrop or a foreground accent.
  • Consider existing conditions that will not be changed – such as flooring. Select colors that include the compliment to that material. Whether in direct opposition for contrast or to meld in   a way that creates a subtle transition – the consideration of existing materials is important.
  • The effect of considering existing materials can result in their appearing as though part of the plan rather than being inherited unintended.  This is generally a desirable result. Therefore, if you have a material that will not go away – make it intentionally part of the plan.

The corporate color issue was about updating their image and connecting with their clients in an intimate and comfortable manner- an environment that carried the trust of years of experience and embracing a new generation of financial management. They developed a marketing plan moving forward to identify a theme, feel of confidence and carry it through the entire experience. In a recent Facebook post you will see this project in the process and notice that the carpet was an existing condition and that it was used deliberately to make the new materials appear to all have been coordinated from the start. Long time clients and new are comfortable with the changes!   https://www.facebook.com/PatricianDesignABQ/

It’s OK to play it safe with neutrals – but in this case, it was time for a updated “brand” for this business. The unusual eggplant and chartreuse carpets inherited in the move to a different suite required some deliberate coordination, to have it all “read” as though designed afresh!

The want-to-be woodsy cabin project will have new, durable porcelain tile floors imitating variegated slate and from that palette of colors pull paint colors to add whimsy and visual impact along with other new additions of stacked pebbles at the fireplace and wood encasing the now sheet-rock mantle.

The stacked pebble stone, engineered stone, new wood mantle and splash of colors against the neutral will make a dynamic statement. Notice new color chips leaning on the mantle.

The couple downsizing and wanting more light and a less heavy southwestern feel panted their entire ceiling of beams and tongue and groove including support columns in white. The wood still “reads,” in all its hand-hewn texture and knots. The white is no less natural than the dark chocolate that had been their previous faux finish. Albeit the tongue and groove had a clear lacquer that we concealed behind the new cloak of white for a uniform backdrop.

The dark chocolate opaque stain of the pine members was no more valid than painting them an other color. We selected a white to open and refresh with a neutral backdrop to allow other elements to be more focal.
Painting currently underway!! Watch for before and afters of this refreshed interior.

The couple with the second home had history in Hawaii and wanted a beachy, fresh theme for their new desert home. The flooring was a mottled light brown glazed tile and we selected a noticeably light, subtle sand colored wall paint to contrast and POP the existing off-white doors and trim throughout the home. Accents in recessed niches and doorways will become a soft turquoise while an interior laundry room gets a splash of citrusy yellow. The layers of color will be visible from different angles and vantage points. With the golden oak kitchen cabinets being painted out to match the existing off-white trim – the scheme will be fresh and beachy! Their artwork presents these colors and will being their personal touch to the arrangements. Watch for this project in coming weeks.

Do you have ideas about certain features in your interior that do not quite seem to come together? Do you feel the need to refresh? Are you looking for a new color scheme? Please do not be afraid of color and do not be confused about current trends. White and grey is a soothing combination. Trimmed with black, you get a defined contrast. Insert organic greens and the combination is sharp and now – and yet potentially timeless. HOWEVER – colors too have their place and selecting those and their combination that will speak to today and not be out-of-style tomorrow, as certain trending combinations might – select colors to compliment your context.

Here are a few other Patti Says blogs and PATRICIAN DESIGN projects about color selection:

KEMP BEFORES  https://patriciandesign.com/rejuvenate-and-expand-your-interior-spaces-by-opening-walls/

Friends Don’t let friends pick paint colors  https://patriciandesign.com/5677-2/

Johnson’s PHX https://patriciandesign.com/spanish-style-brings-interior-spice/

Color forcasting  https://patriciandesign.com/color-schemes-and-the-complex-simplicity-of-it-all/

Bay area bungalow https://patriciandesign.com/project/bay-area-bungalow/

Celebrate the LOVE of COLOR!!!!!!!!!!

Urban “Pieced Work” – an artistic narrative

We are excited to have the opportunity to bring a design installation(s) into a new project that will serve to support the brand with a twist. A nearly completed new smokehouse is coming to Albuquerque. This home-grown eatery blends family history and southern roots with southwestern barbecue flavors including indigenous  wood and iconic chile blends. But this is not about their cooking profile. It is about how we have arrived at a design theme that will define and further the identity in this new, specialized smokehouse department of this larger local brand.

To accomplish this task, we examined the concept the owner had  to remodel an existing facility that had been a popular gathering post serving this community for decades. The fringe barrio location was of a demographic primarily comprised of Mexican/Americans. Decades past it was home to a heavily black community. The fabric of these cultural combinations suggested a mosaic of color and vibrant heritages.

The spark of cultural references lead to discussion of the popular artistic expression of urban mural painting.

 

When we began the dialogue, the decision to have a mural painted by local neighborhood kids, with a mentor to design and supervise the work,  seemed to be the direction we were headed. After subject matter debate and development, I veered off on another tangent that might take a less subjective approach, be weather-proof and more durable for a patio location – mosaic.

This new more impervious and durable medium still offered the opportunity to engage the community, but with less focus on a specific subject and more about geometric color and texture. We discussed the details of installation so as to keep it simple for kids to participate using whole tiles – minimize cutting, if any, for starters.

Inspiration came from several other installations such as the Albuquerque Convention Center’s on-going mosaic mural project wrapping many sections of the buildings with intricate scenes of New Mexican lifestyle and cultural diversity. The colorful mosaic is an elegant and sophisticated contribution to our city’s cultural aesthetic.

Helen Atkins, manager of consignment art at PATRICIAN DESIGN’s downtown boutique gallery and the lead on their current restaurant mural project, has worked on several phases of the Convention Center’s mural project.

We have incorporated mosaic into several of our own design projects such as last week’s blog https://patriciandesign.com/trust-and-custom-designs/about a residential kitchen installation.

Here, in another installation, a fireplace surround of mosaic adds movement, color and textural interest to the room.

Ultimately, one of Helen Atkin’s personal photographs cemented the approach. It was decided that a geometry of different sizes and disparate glazes and designs of tiles pieced together in a colorful, textural  panel would be our design theme.

Helen Atkins, a recognized artist in many media, captured this in passing while visiting New Zealand. It’s crisp, yet irregular composition was intriguing and pleasing. It became the springboard for the concept for a geometric mosaic panel to anchor the theme of this new New Mexico eating establishment.

The idea became more exciting as we began gathering material from local tile distributors and our own personal inventories of favorite treasures saved for a special project. Here it was.  It seemed such a strong design element and therefore offered a new direction for the actual brand of this establishment. We embraced the idea and brought it into the interior and distributed murals throughout the space.

Still under construction, we will not divulge the identity or locations of this project just yet. But suffice it to say, the murals are an exciting part of this interior design scheme.

As we further discussed the plans to implement this project, school started and the ease of coordinating the assistance of neighborhood kids became more difficult. Helen lead the project as primary installer, coordinator and supervisor. She enlisted the assistance of a couple of people – one experienced and the other not at all.

We have named this series, Urban Pieced Work – an artistic narrative. Here we are interpreting generations old sewing patchwork using ceramic, glass and pottery pieces rather than the traditional fabric patches. The original folk art needlework has been in the American vernacular for ages.  In these installations, this up-cycled  use of discarded or discontinued tiles is similar to patchwork fabrics, re-purposed to make clothing, wall decor, window treatments and bed dressing when times were tough – often referred to as “pieced work.”

My paternal grandmother in New Mexico made this twin quilt for my bed when I was a child in Virginia.

 

My same grandmother made this and was given to me by my cousin, her only other granddaughter.

Mosaic is often, like fabric patchwork, a practical art form that puts scrap, shards and fragments to good use in an artistic fashion. Note though that more sophisticated mosaics have been designed more intentionally for centuries not merely as salvaged material. These masterpieces both in contemporary work and antiquities represent many periods in history and movements in artistic expression.

 

This mosaic version connects with the history of the restaurant’s roots and southern heritage. The panels’ mural nature speaks to the urban murals found throughout the community.

Located strategically throughout the interior, these murals have become a strong design element and anchor for this facet of the brand.

 

Another shot of the spectacular cultural story murals at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

We have woven a meaningful artistic statement throughout the interior and also on the exterior of the building. In addition, we will be inserting a graphic version into the signage and logo design.

 

Urban Pieced Work – an artistic narrative, of a New Mexican Smokehouse, will provide pleasing design visuals throughout this new interior, provoke conversation and interaction, weave an element of history and context with the southern roots of this exciting new eatery!

Join the conversation and watch for the first succulent flavors to come out of the smokers later this year.

 

 

 

 

10 Tips for Spring Refreshers

Like bears coming out of hibernation, people start to stretch and yawn and look around and ask me “What can I do to refresh my interior for spring?” It’s similar to the fall preparation for hunkering down for the winter…”What can I do to cozy-up my house?” as the leaves drop and a chill wafts through the air.

Spring is the season for re-birth and starting fresh. Fresh – what does that suggest? This year we are very fortunate that Pantone set forth the color direction for the entire year – greenery. I have great enthusiasm for incorporating this bright verdant living color throughout the seasons – yes, a color for all seasons – but we are not limited to green in its various forms. I give you permission to add color that makes you feel good. Pick your favorite color…any color!

Now let’s get to that question about “What can I do to refresh my interior for spring?.” Here are 10 tips to change your world and bring joy as spring approaches.

  1. Color POP: Speaking of your favorite color…”paint magic” as its often referred is the practically instantaneous positive reinforcement that you need to make a quick, effective change in your interior! Pick an accent wall – preferably one that is framed by inside corners (rather than stopping a color on an outside corner) and take the leap of painting it an entirely different color than your norm.  Bear in mind other color cues in the room so as not to create a discord of color or completion between your design elements – but don’t be afraid either. The idea is a pleasing POP! and an extra pointer, if your room is already painted a decisive color, white can be the accent. Yes, white can be an intentional color accent and not the lack of color that it can often seem to be.
  2. Live Plants and Flowers: Spring suggests flowers and greenery – to watch them grow toward the warm weather, bulbs inside can be fun, bouquets of your favorite flowers, sprigs of greenery in a small vase can even be enough. A bud vase on your bathroom sink counter, a statement piece at your entry or coffee table, a flowering plant with young buds to last a few weeks, a fern to add feathery freshness. – any and all of these can add life to your interior spaces.  If you have flowering trees or bushes outside, this is the time to cut a few branches and bring them inside, place in a vase with water and the warmth of your interior will “force” the buds to bloom – Voila!
  3. Reupholster to Refresh: Do you have a tired piece of furniture that might deserve a new fabric? A favorite comfy chair, a hand-me-down of sentimental value, a good frame (bones) that can be salvaged to new with a change of printed fabric, leather, or woven textile. This furniture facelift is just the trick to give new life to older pieces.
  4. Change It Up: When you move things around and rearrange your furniture, artwork and accessories you will be surprised how you can refresh without adding anything new. Take a look at your furniture arrange. Can the same pieces be rearranged in the same room and create a new look?? Might you move one piece out to another room or bring in a different piece from some other room?
  5. Pillows to Toss: Throw pillows…throw them out! Well, I exaggerate a bit, but cycle them into a bag in the closet for another time or place or “recovery” and find some fun new pillows to brighten and refresh your interior. What an effective change a few colorful pillows can make in a room!
  6. Add Art: DIY or find something to cheer you! Dressing your walls with new work can lift your  spirits!
  7. Fresh Fragrances: Like Votive’s Pink Mimosa or Skeem’s Current Mangosteen scented candles, or Vance Kittera incense will add a dimension of sensory appreciation to refresh the stale, stagnant air of winter.
  8. Wipe and Dry: New dishtowels are a great and simple boost to change seasons! Find some fresh and uplifting colors to brighten your kitchen and make wiping up more fun! They make a great gift too!
  9. Stash Your Throw: What’s that afghan on your sofa or that blanket on your bed? Switch out the dark colors of winter with fresh new accents to add color and cuddle in too!
  10. Get Tidy: Marie Kondo has written books about it- she knows the “life-changing magic” that getting organized and tidy can do for you! Spring cleaning is a great therapy and introspective look at the things you own, how much you have and what is clutter beyond your ability to enjoy it all.

 

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…

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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.

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

Hearts Are At The Heart Of It All

Su mundo es corazones. Artist Paola Alonso Rangel is at the heart of Vallarta and literally that is the name of her shop, Corazon Vallarta, where she thrives amidst the bustling activity in the old town, on a busy street corner, with much traffic flowing by both in vehicles and on foot.

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A man carrying a frightening large pane of glass about 6 feet long by 3 feet wide effortlessly and without intimidation marches down the street with taxis and buses bouncing by him. I cringe at the site and the young shop attendant, Nidia, shrugs with a smile and says “It’s Mexico.”

With Valentine’s Day nearing, this exciting little shop offers a wealth of opportunities to find just the right gift to say “be mine!”

Paola’s little Chihuahua, Pecas (Freckles), suns on the front step seemingly oblivious to all the activity swirling by. She is front and center of all that is happening in Corazon Vallarta.

A designer and hands-on artist of nearly everything she sells in her shop, Alonso Rangel is a model of organization and time utilization. She has her machine fine-tuned and knows just what it takes to create, prepare, produce and market her work.

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In the well-lit back room of her little tienda, she has all of her art supplies neatly organized on sturdy shelving sparing not one square inch of available space. Her computer plays soft Spanish songs that, with the fan blowing gently, creates a pleasing atmosphere where she designs and paints with a couple of assistants to assemble and package her work to sell.

As is true of most urban storefronts, the fine grit that is continuously accumulating from the dusty streets and vehicles in passing contributes to the concerns of successful retail presentation. Hers and others in this type of scene perhaps suffer more due to the cobblestones which collect and distribute ongoing layers of the sooty, dusty, fines.  So everything is kept painstakingly clean and wrapped in cellophane  – just another stage of the process that makes her conscientious practices so impressive.

From colorful wooden puzzles, picture frames, key hangers, boxes and magnets, the expansive home decor and gift collection, on which she collaborates with her brother in Guadalajara, is a treasure of her designs and creativity. All manner of colorful animals with whimsical expressions are the subjects of her puzzles with a bit of flowers and fruit in the mix for a generous variety of choices. Alonso Rangel designs all of the pieces while her brother and his crew with a manufacturing studio in Guadalajara do all the mill-work, brilliantly colorful painting and glossy lacquer finish.

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Other of her work is comprised of original one-of-a-kind creations on canvas and wood, heart-themed all in keeping with her heart-felt passion for  corazones.

She efficiently sets-up her own assembly line of stages of production, with Pecas supervising closely, so that her by-hand (hecho a mano) originals are always filling the walls and shelves and being lovingly selected by customers to take home.

Steel heart sculptures, wooden cut-outs, carvings, and more are the multi-media of her continually, seemingly endless creative concepts and body of work!

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Thank you Paola for all of your inspiration – by design!

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The Art & Architecture of Gingerbread Houses

Art and architecture meet all the time. Sculptural forms, building models, buildings themselves, sketches…but at this time of year, the fanciful world of gingerbread houses takes the spotlight and, in this recent scene we encountered, offered a beautiful fund-raiser while at it!!!

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As we pulled away in the pre-dawn hours of the  morning…we felt the chill in the air and the glow over the mountain sending us on our way.

We traversed across the terminal and before cutting over left to the escalator, we spied—at the same time—a wondrously tall Christmas tree adorned with airplanes and ribbon…and surrounded by an amazing collection of ginger bread houses on display in some sort of fund-raiser fashion.

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Upon closer inspection, the fantasy became tangible. The individual structures took on a form of expressive life in their individual attention-getting style. Each one was quite unique incorporating rivers and ponds, vehicles and foliage of all manner.

It is a Christmas tradition to create a gingerbread house full of fantasy and fear, hope and salvation. From the simple joy of baking traditions for Christmas, to the many versions of fairy tales that save children from the wicked ones in the woods creating and story-telling surrounding these magical edifices makes gingerbread houses a staple of the winter holidays – all the while offering architectural design and  construction projects for all ages. Below, see the Hanukkah version of this adorable house.

I just read a great piece by Tori Avey in which she summarized the history of gingerbread. http://toriavey.com/?s=gingerbread

She references architectural design with the fact that: Elaborately decorated gingerbread became synonymous with all things fancy and elegant in England. The gold leaf that was often used to decorate gingerbread cookies led to the popular expression ‘to take the gilt off of gingerbread.’ The carved, white architectural details found on many colonial American seaside homes is sometimes referred to as ‘gingerbread work’.

Having been raised on the east coast, describing houses with ornate “gingerbread” detailing was part of our vocabulary. I now see it in Rocky Mountain Victorians and California seaside cottages. It always conveys a quaint, welcoming feeling.

Avey further states: Gingerbread houses originated in Germany during the 16th century. The elaborate cookie-walled houses, decorated with foil in addition to gold leaf, became associated with Christmas tradition. Their popularity rose when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel, in which the main characters stumble upon a house made entirely of treats deep in the forest. It is unclear whether or not gingerbread houses were a result of the popular fairy tale, or vice versa.

Recently the record for world’s largest gingerbread house was broken. The previous record was set by the Mall of America in 2006. The new winning gingerbread house, spanning nearly 40,000 cubic feet, was erected at Traditions Golf Club in Bryan, Texas.

Everything is bigger in Texas!!!

The house required a building permit and was built much like a traditional house. 4,000 gingerbread bricks were used during its construction. To put that in perspective, a recipe for a house this size would include 1,800 pounds of butter and 1,080 ounces of ground ginger. Sounds more like a gingerbread resort!

So as we walked around this wonderful display at the ABQ Sunport and marveled at the colorful creativity, I knew this was the story for today.

The cartoon in the paper that morning also found  humor in the subject.

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And to further galvanize that thought, we arrived in San Diego to find Keira proudly presenting their half-eaten, already picked apart gingerbread project in the center of the kitchen table. T’was the joy of gingerbread houses—post construction, eating them!!!

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ART on the Curb

Silly little doodles in unlikely places. In some cases they might be considered undesirable graffiti, but I stepped over this beautiful little statement the other day and was compelled to take a photo as it made me smile.20160924_112705

Brush strokes now weathered and faded, chipped and primitive in their simplicity the colors were so pleasing and the floral motif quite nice.

It’s as though a child with a beginner’s eye took a single brush with bold steaks capturing the essence of a daisy. But then it looked like wind-swept clouds dancing in the suggestion of daisies floating across the sky above the sea.

Upon closer inspection, the aggregate stained blue is grounded by a collage of straw and leaf particles suggesting the beach’s detritus. This little composition has so much detail, so much suggestion, so much to offer if you take the time to look down…look closely…

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We often see things in clouds…they move slowly morphing from the identifiable image into others or nothing. This miniature fantasy freezes the floating image on the texture of the concrete to create the composition of this most amazing piece.

Inspiration comes from many avenues. It is sparked by a suggestion, ignited in a flash by something in passing – a word, a phrase, an image, a cloud…

I now will start a folder of art in unlikely places…little details…a future tapestry of observations. Take a moment to see these little studies as you step through the world.