COLOR – Be Brave – Take the Step!

A happy coconut face on a sunshine yellow wall surrounded by lipstick!

How many of you LOVE color when you see it, but shy away when it comes to your own Interior Design? Go ahead, raise your hands!! Now, I appreciate and even embrace the taupe/neutral colors that are some peoples’ version of bold as opposed to standard off-white walls…at least they “pop” off of the white trim creating a contrast for crying out loud!!! I have a few chartreuse accents. But what IF you painted a wall red??????????????
I hosted an Open House this past weekend where the walls were bright yellow accented with blue and white Talavera Mexican tile and punctuated with “lipstick” coral/pink walls all trimmed in white . Sounds daring – doesn’t it? Well, it is – but it works! EVERY single person who came through the house had positive comments. Most were exclamatory and startlingly complimentary. Perhaps the house was too small or they could not use the furniture (without giving up their entire life’s inventory), but over-all the comments were almost those of jealous envy – envy of the nerve it seemed to take to make such decisions to use such festive colors – wishing it were theirs and that they could move in right away.
I spoke to couples who punched at each other saying things like “we could do this,” or “why can’t WE do this?” Seeing the completed project and everything in context makes it all very good. The scary thing is making that first color choice and swishing it on the wall…it’s very scary. But, GET OVER IT!!!! Until you make the decision to take the step – to make the move – to begin to commence to start the process, you’re sunk.
But it IS all about CONTEXT. I’ve seen many “accent” walls disturb a space rather than compliment it. That’s scary – if not unfortunate. It’s a shame to waste the exercise. It’s worse to waste the exercise and not know why it doesn’t work. Color is interactive. Color is dynamic. Color can enhance or detract. Color is powerful.
So think about what you like when you see color. Think about what you have and how color can enhance what you have. Think about what colors make you happy and how (if applicable) those colors can participate in your color scheme.
Have fun. Call me…..:)

Warm Up and Chill Out – Outdoors!

The weather outside is shinin’,
And the warmth is so divine in
Backyards of everyone we know
Let it grow, let it grow, let it grow!
A seasonal twist to a familiar tune, something to hum while you’re gardening or sitting and admiring the work of others in your garden as you sip a refreshment from the comfort of your reclining lounge. I asked the other day about where is YOUR favorite outdoor living space and here is a shot of one of mine! Morning shadows, birds chirping, cool air warming with the rising sun…and tequila as shown here – ha! “Tequila Makes My clothes Fall Off,” which is good to be advised to drink it in a warmer climate – to avoid an unwanted chill!!! The back patio of the Casita de Colores is on the 14th fairway of the Oro Valley country club Golf Course – north Tucson. The Linear Park passes by to the west with easy access to miles of hiking and biking trails! It is quite an outdoor paradise!
Last night we gathered (chillaxin’ – thank you for this fun portmanteau, Shell) with friends and enjoyed the soft evening air…sipping margaritas, munching chips with chunky, freshly made salsa and luscious guacamole with a background of latin guitar wafting from the IPod – the Catalina mountains turned pink to lavender as night descended over the desert…it was magic.
The weather is still variable across most of the country – but certainly heading for a constant that we can count on to enjoy the outdoor living spaces! But I would like to pause to praise the strength of so many whom, in this time of devastation being experienced in the recent destructive path of the tornados, are re-building lives where all they see for miles are piles of outdoor debris where homes once stood. May they find comfort in the knowledge that perseverance will restore a new definition to their lives as they reconstruct what once was…and may it be safe and beautiful.
On my computer I have the gadgets posting the weather in some of our regular haunts from St. Thomas to Puerto Vallarta, Washington D.C. to Tucson – Albuquerque usually falls in the middle of the temperature reports which today range from – ooh, ABQ is the lowest right now at 46! St. Thomas is 83 and we here in the Sonora Desert are climbing up, currently at a mild 66 expecting low to mid 80s as the day progresses! The time difference plays a role though since St. Thomas is out there to the east of our east coast time zone – Atlantic as it’s called…well into their day as we are just greeting ours out here in the west coast time zone! So perhaps you didn’t expect a weather report – but it all centers around appreciating opening the doors, letting the air in and enjoying that spilling out from inside to live outdoors for a good part of the year to the extent that your climate will allow!

So, as it warms up – chill out! Enjoy!

Casita de Colores – a favorite outdoor living space!

Posted On April 30, 2011 By pattisays In design, design trends, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design /

Build IT America

We’ve heard about streets paved with gold – and this is as close as I’ve seen. In Istanbul, we encountered streets paved with what we know it as Porphyry – a granite-like stone quarried in Mexico – billed as a European paving material – we saw it all over Greece and Turkey. Like brick from the standpoint that it is durable, conceals dirt and street soil, these square chunks of non-slip stone give a mottled coloration of reds, grays and dark charcoal tones resulting in a practical, timeless and extremely attractive surface. Not only the pavers, but great tiles of honed granite for sidewalks and shown here, drain channels along the curbs. And we primarily have asphalt and concrete!!!
Milestone in Santa Fe brings tons of it in from Mexico to create luxurious driveways, patios, pathways and anything that might require, deserve and be budgeted for this style and quality of material. It’s unfortunate that the cost inhibits many (including the public municipalities) from using it. Not only the material cost (which might be better valued with more competition) but the labor to install.
This comes back to the lost art of many of the trades and the lost interest of recent generations to continue the trades of the generations that preceded them. We have to import stone masons to restore our historic churches and other edifices fabricated from and adorned with the fine craftsmanship of generations past.
Let’s get the AGC (Association of General Contractors) for example to establish, fund, and promote summer camps for kids to pursue the trades. These 2 to 12 week camps could be located all across the country, supported by the many businesses connected to the construction industry – machine, tool, cable, wire, cement, stone, brick, lumber, adhesive, steel, electric, plumbing, and other companies related to the trades. We have cut so many programs in the public school systems that it’s time for the private sector to step-up and contribute to the betterment of our labor forces. To have a leader like the AGC orchestrate a nationwide program that gathers participation from all manner of associated businesses both national companies and local concerns in each region would be a tremendous asset to our students, labor force, and economy. Whether imported workers or home-grown we need the trades – the fine craftsmanship and the sense of pride and recognition that should be instilled and go along with such good work.
The construction industry has taken a large hit with this down-turn in the economy. Yet the unions and non-union alike could and should be more vocal about constructive measures to improve the morale, growth and development of our labor scene. Not everyone is cut-out for college and the intellectual pursuits of higher education. Yet their talent and aptitude is no less important and should be encouraged and honed – and who better than the industry leaders of this great nation? BUILD IT AMERICA!

Singing in the Rain in Istanbul on shimmering wet pavers!

Posted On April 12, 2011 By pattisays In architecture, design, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design, travel and design /

Less is Enough as Observed by Zorba’s Associate, Boss

When in Rome…or other places, I like to read in context with my travels. So last week while cruising the Greek isles and a couple of neighboring Turkish ports, I explored the timeless novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, none other than Zorba the Greek! What an engaging exploration of the human spirit seen from two distinctly different viewpoints. The detail and descriptions are fantastic. This observation on the part of the narrator, Boss, hit a chord so perfectly within me that it resonated a concept that we all must ponder…what are our needs, our comforts, and our pleasures when it comes to interior design?
“It is a great pleasure to enter a Cretan peasant’s home. Everything about you is patriarchal: the hearth, the oil lamp, the earthenware jars lining the wall, a few chairs, a table and, on the left as you enter, in a hole in the wall, a pitcher of fresh water. From the beams hang strings of quinces, pomegranates and aromatic plants: sage, mint, red peppers, rosemary and savory.
At the far end of the room a ladder for a few wooden steps lead up to the raised platform, where there is a trestle bed and, above it the holy icons with their lamps. The house appears empty, but it contains everything needful, so few in reality are the true necessities of man.”
It seems as we start out in life, that we want to gather things, express our interests, and decorate with the stuff that says who we are…then later, many people want to reduce the clutter, eliminate the maintenance and strive for a simpler life. This too can be said in light of catastrophes like the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The devastation that robbed so many of their things and even their loved ones certainly puts things in perspective.
But healthy consumerism and the capitalistic way of life that encourages, promotes and rewards the buying and selling to keep the machine in motion is a far cry from this simple scene. But for a moment, pause and re-read those two paragraphs and wonder if it doesn’t come back to architect, Mies Van der Rohe’s famous phrase that he adopted from painter Andrea del Sarto that “less is more”? Or in the case of the peasant’s house…less is enough.

A quiet morning on the isle of Crete

Posted On April 11, 2011 By pattisays In context of interior design, design, interior design, travel and design /

A Happy Scene on the Island of Mykonos Inspires Exterior Designs.

At first glance, this looked like a sacrilege. After encountering so much graffiti in Athens , (see the photo album on PATRICIAN DESIGN’s face book page) anything remotely related in appearance took on that “read.” To see the colors applied to, what was actually large local stone embedded in a plastered wall – which we often found painted all white in the Greeks isles, sometimes with white plaster leaving the natural stone exposed and then this – I was startled. But upon viewing this wall the other day in context on the beautiful island of Mykonos, I appreciated it as a happy scene.
When planning your exterior design it can be fun to release some of the norms associated with restraint. The beauty of the conventional use of materials in the built environment is not to be discounted – but neither is the bold expression of other possibilities.
Garden art can take on many forms. When you punctuate your exterior design with a bold red metal sculpture, dangle a glazed ceramic or glass wind chime or add a painted wooden door or furniture, you are making a colorful statement within the context of your exterior design. More on this later…
For now, know that there are many possibilities – and have a little fun creating a happy scene in your exterior design.

A Happy Scene

Posted On April 9, 2011 By pattisays In architecture, context of interior design, design, DIY design, exterior - outdoor design, landscape design, travel and design /

Bartenders Answer Lifestyle Conundrums – Get a Sock Monkey

Where people live, how they live, what they see, how they interact…the “design” of their lives might be more intentional/self-conscious than others. We find ourselves in a place and time…then, we ask, are we comfortable? Could we find the same or better comfort elsewhere? Simple lives, versus lives in the fast lane…Ask the bartenders, the un-certified psychologists around the planet. Ask them about their lives – where they live and why…how they got there and what works and does not. Peter, originally from Philadelphia, now lives in a three bedroom apartment in Manhattan with two other guys with one and a half baths…walking distance from the quiet but regular bar and intimate restaurant in which this bartender pours his creations – and listens to his patrons. That apartment is a median-priced abode in a multi-level building a midst the towers and surrounded by every single piece of home décor for sale imaginable. The sensory overload is unbelievable, the offerings are infinite, and so how does one find themselves and their interior design?
The seasonal trends presented in the flamboyant storefronts – each decorator trying to make the outrageous statement that will surpass the last…scissors, orchids, ostriches – Versace, Armani, William Sonoma, they all compete for the consumer’s attention. If you invest in a decision, the next season will have you second-guessing that decision.
It’s an incredibly fast-paced extravaganza. That’s why when I came upon these sock monkeys at New York City’s Time Warner’s multi-level shopping Mecca – I took their photo. The comfort derived from these familiar faces, textures and colors immediately soothed my energized and exhausted designer’s overload.
Be comfortable and EXPRESS YOURSELF!!!

So in NYC where sensory overload is the primary experience…I found these very familiar little friends.

Posted On March 27, 2011 By pattisays In design, nostalgia and design, travel and design, Uncategorized /

The Color Purple is Outrageous and Elegant, Whimsical and Fun!

The Color Purple is rich, garish, and outrageous when worn by ladies sporting red hats. Purple is royalty, has liturgical significance and makes tongues brand the color after sucking down a cold glass of grape juice or room temperature bouquet of good – or not-so-good red wine (what a waste).
Alice Walker expressed great symbolism of pain and beauty when writing her novel. It is certainly a complex color which for our purposes of interior design would want to focus on the positive attributes and not the less attractive. Purple continually surfaces in interior design and it’s probably due to be an upcoming trend. Whether eggplant or lavender, it is a wonderful, classic, good color (aren’t they all in some context?), – yes, purple can be quite fun!
In nature, our Sandias at sunset – although said to be “watermelon” red, by their very Spanish name, transition from many shades of pastel colors including pinks, blues, lavenders and rosy reds. Lavender fields, lavender bouquets, periwinkle blossoms, red bud trees…the list goes on… Currently, I am designing a purple scheme in a home that will be all of fun and stunning, whimsical and elegant. It seems that the brighter colors of purple often bring a smile. Extracted from a charming oil painting, of a northern New Mexico calle with brilliant white and purple lilac bushes blooming along a dirt road accented by a royal blue picket fence, that we have selected as a focal point – the colors are enchanting. These will be more robust than pastels but softer than the royals – delineated with crisp white against a neutral backdrop of sage/stone.
I often reference colors in nature influencing interiors – and here captured in the artist’s painting is a scene from nature setting the stage as the focal element of the space.
Meanwhile, take a look around. See the earth and sky, new blossoms and colors in the built environment – and consider the possibilities for building a color scheme or punctuating with accents in your interiors.

Posted On March 20, 2011 By pattisays In color and temperature re: interior design, context of interior design, design, environment, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design, interior design, travel and design /

Spring’s Bevy of Bountiful Floribunda – Prune It and Bring It Inside!

What’s the first sign? We had purple leaf plum trees at the entrance of the parking lot across the street from our shop for years. They always “popped” on a chosen, surprise day in late February/early March with an explosion of pink flowers. Then the trees died due to a change in the irrigation system – it was cut off! We missed our cheerful “first sign” of Spring.
But thankfully, a couple of years ago, the Mayor answered our request to re-plant the areas with new trees and Voila! Yes, it’s that time again – Spring is springing and it’s time to go out and prune those flowering trees and bring them inside for spectacular sprays!
Now, we don’t prune these City trees – and they’re still too small to prune anyway – but look around…in all regions of the country when the time comes that those early buds can be cut away from mature trees without harm to the tree and brought inside for incredibly brilliant displays – do it!
So Purple Leaf Plums are early as are Bradford Pears…apples, peaches – forsythia come along…there are so many wonderful colors and blossoms that at urban floral shops they are sought-after treasures of the season! The idea is to cut them early so that they are not yet opened and bring them inside where the warmth and natural progress of the water wicking will force the buds to bloom and bring Spring inside a bit early – connecting your interior design with nature’s renewing seasonal change.
So Edward Scissorhands – get out there with your pruning shears and have at it – in a good way – go attack those trees and bring in a bounty of bouquets! Share with friends and take an armful for a hostess gift (making sure that you bring a bucket so as NOT to impose upon your hosts at their moment of receiving guests to tackle this beastly beautiful bevy of floribunda!).
The photo here is from one of my favorite furniture companies – Pearson – celebrating their 70th anniversary!!! They brought these incredible pink flowering branches inside for their celebratory photograph!
So we’ve sprung forward…the days are getting longer…Happy Almost Spring!!

Posted On March 15, 2011 By pattisays In design, design trends, DIY design, exterior - outdoor design, interior design, seasonal interior design /

Luminous Margolin Sculpture Dances Above Anatole Atrium

Look…up in the sky, it’s a bird…it’s a plane, – no, it’s a magnificently suspended sculpture, the Nebula, by artist Reuben Margolin. Last week, on a recent trip to the Dallas Design District to research interior design elements with clients, we stayed at my favorite local environment, the Anatole. Oh, there are many options when visiting Market, but not only location, this magnificent facility has always been my favorite. A favorite because, after spending hours inside the showrooms, often without windows to the outside, the circadian rhythm of dedicated designers and their seemingly tireless clients is confused and way out of whack. Returning to the Anatole after a long day presents an interior environment that is open, spacious, interesting, airy, and at once welcoming. There are multiple venues in which to relax and review the work of the day. Large spaces with expansive atrium volume and other spaces more intimate and private – it’s all there under towering roofs, connecting passages with comfortable seating areas, shops, bars, cafes, and exquisite restaurants.
After decades of excellent and reliable service, the Anatole – under new management by Hilton – underwent extraordinary renovation. Yes, for years the Lowe’s Anatole and more recently the Wyhdham Anatole, is now a Hilton signature property. With this exciting series of improvements new water features and seating areas, bars and eateries appear – and above it all in the main atrium is Reuben Margolin’s startling aerial display – a dance of sorts – a wave-like motion of 4,500 amber crystals – are they petals, butterflies, or fragments…? Spectacularly suspended from a complex amalgamation of cables – 10 miles of them – and a staggering number of pulleys, this sensual motorized art piece undulates with luminous shimmering facets high above the scene.
Mobiles – art suspended – add magic to an interior. The penetrating of the space, the pleasant intrusion paired with beauty and grace, movement and fantasy – the perfect contribution, by design.

The Nebula Undulates in Interior Space

Posted On March 6, 2011 By pattisays In architecture, art and interior design, design, design trends, interior design, multi-media design /

Set Design – Oscars – Shabby Chic Gets the Nod!

“And the Oscar goes to… The King’s Speech” and albeit the acting was superb, I was captivated by the details in the set design. Maybe not the pure magic that goes into such sets as Alice in Wonderland or the sci-fi thrillers that demand a creative fantasy where we are challenged and stimulated to participate in another world order – but from a historic perspective and reality-based imagination, we have seen, talked about, been there and done that with shabby chic – but nothing can compare with the environs of Lionel’s office when Bertie was invited to take a seat on the thread-bare, yet once elegant, gilded settee placed effectively in front of the layers/years of peeling paint and possibly paper being conveyed in the backdrop of depth of character that was the wall treatment. Surely in this case conveying years of previous use and current limited means and not an intentional design statement – except to the extent that the design statement from the standpoint of movie texture, sense of place and imagination was to create that sense of lesser means to that of a King – it is all about design!
When does design convey a sense of place and not an artifice? Well, the movies, of course -perhaps a museum re-creation of an event…The intent is to create a scene, transport the viewer and validate the expression through design. Here a commoner and royalty share a space that has stark contrast between the royals’ living environments and that of a middle class speech therapist. The set emphasizes the class distinction while still capturing a hold on refinements (well worn and decayed over time) rather than a distinction of style differences – Lionel’s office was not one of basic oak desk and chairs, conventional practical elements of the time…it spoke of refinements and elegance since worn.
By stark contrast, Lionel’s home is animated with Art Deco wall coverings – crisp and graphic, geometric, metallic, and colorful, one wonders why the shabby office is maintained as such compared to the seemingly small yet well adorned – exceptionally well adorned – wall covered walls of his home. IF the wall coverings were from a slightly earlier vintage from that of the times, it still begs questioning as to why they were celebrated in the movie as seemingly new and intentionally contrasting to the shabby, tired yet refined furnishings and finishes of his office. If this is striking you as “what did I miss, ?” David Kelps of L.A. Home suggests that if you get a copy of the film “you’ll be pausing your DVD players to get a better look.”
The royals’ environments had a timeless, historical validity of elegance while the home of the therapist had that of new rich expressions of the fashion of the times – or near past times nonetheless. This goes back to the question of when are trends, trends? See the blog… http://pattisays.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/the-magical-mystery-tour-between-trends-and-trendy-%e2%80%93-retail/ and prior blogs referencing trends’ distinctions.
So, “Hoo-ray for Hollywood” thank you tonight for another star-studded event of art, design, fine craft and recognition. Did your Picks win? Who do you think was over-looked or was better suited for an Oscar tonight?
Goodnight, and remember, Lionel asks…”Why should I waste my time listening to you (me)?
King George VI: “Because I have a voice!” Pattisays!!!

Posted On February 27, 2011 By pattisays In art and interior design, context of interior design, design, interior design, multi-media design, nostalgia and design, theatrical design /

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