Oct 23

Finishing Touches FINISH the Job!

By pattisays In before and after, Color schemes, color trends, colors, Company C, Concealed lighting, context of interior design, creative process, cursive, custom design interior design, custom furniture, custom lighting, decorative accessories, decorative arts, decorative mirrors, design, design details, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, designer fabrics, DIY design, drama of color, fabrics, good design, hiring an interior designer, home, home improvements, indirect lighting, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, LED, lifestyle, lighting, mirrored walls, mirrors, paint colors, patterns, personal expression, personal taste, Refresh, remodeling, room arrangement, Subscribers, update design, upholstery, value of good design, wall treatments, window dressings /

Finishing touches are always the beast to tame at the end of the hunt. Yes, you’ve hunted, you’ve searched, you’ve gathered, you’ve assembled and stood back and observed your work. What’s needed? What’s missing? When is it finished?

Just the word finish sets up a mental block for many. It’s like decisions period. Once you make a decision, you’ve lost your choices. Losing choices can be a dilemma in itself! So, from Pinterest to HGTV and the internet at your fingertips the choices and options are endless, but what do YOU want to do, to call it “done? It’s all in the details…

Schumacher offers details right down to the trim on the draperies! This bold key design makes all the difference!

And inasmuch as you can’t seem to GET it done, you WANT it done – just can’t seem to get there from here. How do you decide what you need to add for those incomplete finishing touches – to be FINISHED? Know though, that to have the feeling that it is finished is a good thing. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t change it – sooner or later!

We interior designers have jobs because our clients need to do things, change things, finish things. It seems that with all the options presented on TV and the internet, people are jumping in with inspired ideas, making decisions, buying things and doing things – then coming to a screeching halt! “HELP!” is the cry when everything seems to be too much – or not enough – or too uncertain and overwhelming – or not just right.

As if your own self-imposed frustrations and pressures are not enough, your partner rants…”Just finish it – will you? Be DONE with it!!!” Not everyone loves a DIY project. Most people don’t even like the disruption of a professional team coming in and tackling the job. Alas, “you have to break an egg to make an omelet,” some wise person once said.

Whether you’re changing paint colors for the third time in a month or tossing throw pillows around the room, to no satisfactory avail, there’s something missing…something is not quite right…it’s not there yet.

Have you removed everything from the walls and lined them up waiting for inspiration as to how and where they should be placed and grouped – maybe re-framed?

What about a mirror to add depth? Is it an installed mirror – the illusion of space without calling attention to the mirror itself or should I hang a framed mirror that makes the statement in its entirety? Do I lean it against the wall or is that a trendy affectation?

Uttermost is one of our favorite sources!

Studied nonchalance is an art form. How to achieve that intentionally unpretentiously naturally relaxed look is a challenge. Just writing about it here is an effort in describing that which is supposed to be effortless!!!!

Perhaps it is a monotony of height. Do you need a tall piece among other lower elements in the room? Maybe a tree in the corner is the answer or a statue of some vertical art statement, to add interest and height. Perhaps you might consider hanging something, from the ceiling – a mobile or origami bird or even a light fixture, to draw the eye up from the otherwise low furniture pieces.

Robert Allen presents perfect fabrics for colorful pillow accents…and there’s that tall plant for height!

Speaking of light fixtures…how does your almost finished, but not quite there yet, room look at night? Are there dark pockets and corners that would benefit from some concealed up-lights – indirect lighting can be quite effective and enhance a spooky, dismal space.

LOVE this before & after! Check out John Cullen Lighting for some great ideas and inspiration!! https://www.johncullenlighting.com/

Spooky is the season and, with the holidays approaching, the need to get things finished before guests arrive or you leave to visit… or just the hectic nature of the baking, gift-buying and wrapping, shipping and other communications aspects of the season are upon you – pressure you to want to get things finished!

Brunschwig and Fils by Kravet offers an amazing collection of prints – mix and match!!!

Have you consulted with a friend? Do they rise to the invitation of critiquing your present state of affairs and offer design ideas that further serve to confuse you? Better yet, ask two friends and get two different options for finishing your space and then what? Pick one and the other’s feelings are hurt that you didn’t take their advice – even if they are not aware that your decisions moving forward were offered by another friend.

From the rug (thank you Company C for your “Colorful Living!” to the table accessories and all the things, pieces, fabrics, details in-between – finishing touches FINISH the job!!!

A designer is a problem solver, a tie-breaker, a marriage counselor, a creative who extracts your needs and – evaluating all options – offers the best solutions to get your job finished!

Oct 14

Seasonal Shifts in Design – When Do YOU Make the Transitions Between Seasons?

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Arizona, art and interior design, art as gift ideas, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, autumnal design, Centerpieces, ceramic, cocktails, Color schemes, creative process, creativity, decorative arts, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, drama of color, fanciful design, fashion and design, fashion design, figurines, floral arrangement, floral designs, flowers in design, folkart, functional art, handcraft, handmade, handmade tableware, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design trends, interior enhancements, kachina, kitchen, lifestyle, lighting, luminarias, luminaries, Manhattan, patio, personal expression, personal taste, pinks and greens, retail storefronts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, seasonal interior design, selecting colors, silk flowers, southwestern design, Subscribers, summer, sunflowers, table top, tableware, terracotta, trends /

I am often asked, “When should I make seasonal changes and how?” This can come from retailers debating their front window displays to individuals wondering when, to change the wreath on the front door and on into their interior decor, to reflect the seasons.

The answer is a combination of things. It’s personal – probably starting with where you live. And for me, it is more than just decorative accents, it’s food and drink and clothing for sure. Clothing though might have real, practical adjustments for temperature, but fashion design and seasonal changes are part of the fun!

So to kick-off fall, I shifted into my seasonal drinking modification – dark drinks – moving from citrus embellishments to the delightful, succulent, marinated cherry at the bottom of a well crafted Manhattan. The perceived warmth of darker drinks is real for me. I would never select a Manhattan in the summer. But I must admit, a vodka martini with a twist is a 365 fall-back beverage for any festive situation.

The rich warmth of a well crafted Manhattan…

Clothing and the opportunity to make design statements that reflect the seasonal shift are also fun to embrace! Along with the Manhattan last Friday night, I transitioned into a felted wool tunic with a local artist’s hand-woven black chenille over-sized scarf. Still sleeveless – as the shift is still a bit of a struggle to let go of summer, it was a decidedly seasonal reality nod!

Truth be known, the wide expanse of floor to ceiling folding glass panel doors were wide open right behind us as we sat at the bar allowing a direct connection with the crowds gathered on the patio beneath the high-hat heaters. Truly a straddling of the seasonal shift – not quite ready to let go of al fresco dining???!!!

Seasonal shifts in weather will be a sure way to respond to a want to change decorative elements. And even being a bit pro-active can be a good thing – but when is too early – too early?

Most of us cringe when we hear Christmas music in October or see the merchandise out that early – combining Halloween costumes and candy corn with Christmas trees and all the ornaments. Awful!!!!!!

Across the country, we have experienced a delay in the autumnal shift this year. Summer kept clinging. Warm weather belied the calendar. But when the weather shifts…and the temperature drops…we want to hunker down and cozy up. Perhaps in addition to the decorative items, you might simmer cinnamon sticks on the stove or light candles with spicy scents. How about a hearty beef stew for dinner?

Here we are in mid-October and summer was here yesterday and gone today with the incoming storms, cool drizzle and cloudy skies.

I just got off the phone with Victoria up and over in Fairfield and she bemoaned the fact that last week she was attending classes in shorts and today she is bundled up in a Patagonia fleece jacket not wanting to leave her bed! The seasons have shifted like a slap in the face!

Color is a key element in expressing the seasons. Between summer and fall, golden yellows bridge the gap. Leaves on our red bud tree change from brilliant lime green of summer to brilliant lemon yellow as fall sets in…lime to lemon – a brilliant color statement!

From late summer sunflowers to early autumn chrysanthemums, the brilliant golden yellow satisfies the transition between seasons.

As fall proceeds, the darker tones of rust and caramels suggest the waning season…crunchy, dried leaves and final wisps of foliage going dormant for the winter.

I’m hanging my Black-eyed Susan wreath today out on the front door! I might even leap to the addition of a funky black cat that I have to welcome Halloween. But it has not been a gradual expression of acknowledging the change in seasons, it has been summer…bam – fall.

DIY – I made this and one for Mom a few years ago – they last. Get a grapevine wreath, select your favorite leaves, fruit and flowers, grab your glue gun and wire clippers – Voila!

What spurred this subject for this week’s blog was seeing my neighbor’s witch’s legs a few days ago sticking out from the elegant planter by her front door. I first thought – what a riot! Then I realized, it’s mid-October and I have yet to accept that!

I am very reluctant to release summer. I’m a warm weather one for sure. I cling to the last vestiges of sunlight as it tracks around out house…less evident, less accessible…shorter days…darker mornings and evenings… NO!!!!!!! I resist, but must succumb. There’s no escaping it. The seasons change and time marches on….The happy fuchsia and pink vinca in our front yard might not make it another day with night temperatures threatening to drop.

The happy pinks and greens of vinca out by the mailbox are about to get nipped!!!

Decorative accessories punctuate the landscape of autumnal interior design. From real pumpkins and gourds, squashes and mums, to their artificial counterparts made from many media. Glass and pottery, papier-mâché and straw-like wraps, silk flowers and faux fall leaves, the possibilities are endless.

This year some outstanding hand-built pottery figurines caught my eye. Artist Robyn Chlad of Tucson, Arizona has designed and created a collection of wonderful statuary luminarias that are an extraordinary design decree for this and all seasons! Kachina-like, these art-pieces make a fabulously functional statement!

This proud raven holds a berry in his beak!

At first I was attracted to their vertical shape and fine detailing. The characters had personality – rigid in their cylindrical forms, yet very animated of expression and fine features.

Chlad has depicted regional animals with a bit of folkloric whimsy (in the jackalope – half jack rabbit/half horned antelope) to present a collection of irresistible characters to gather at your dining table, or greet you on your entry console, perk-up your powder room, collect on your cocktail table, grace your patio, or animate your kitchen!!! How fun are they?

A caped coyote – the masked bandit!

They each are pierced with designs, to allow the light to glow from inside, that depict the landscape or regional architecture in and around which these creatures roam. Illuminated by electrical lamps, battery bulbs, or candles, they are fantastic!

Functional art – these pottery luminarias are exciting art pieces to add a joyful glow to your shorter days and darker hours….

The raw terracotta clay contributes to their natural beauty and complimentary color with a fall palette. It is a strong statement, yet the surfaces are smoothly burnished and have a soft read. The touches of matte glazes add just enough adornment enhancing the statues with soft earthen color accents.

Embrace the seasons and have fun selecting your personal design statements as you transform between seasons!!!

Oct 07

Urban “Pieced Work” – an artistic narrative

By pattisays In Abstract Art, Albuquerque, New Mexico, art and food, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bars and restaurants, branding in interior design, brew pubs, breweries, commercial interior design, commercial remodel, context of interior design, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative arts, design, design and marketing, design process, design solutions, Design Team, design tips, dining and design, drama of color, eclectic design, element of surprise in design, fabrics, folkart, Food and art, food and interior design, glass art, good design, Graphic art, graphic arts, graphic designs in interiors, Greek mosaic, handcraft, handmade, Helen Atkins, hiring an interior designer, history, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, Modern Art, mosaic, mosaic tile, murals, nostalgia and design, patchwork, pieced work, quilting, quilts, re-purpose, recycle, recycle design, Regional design, remodeling, restaurant design, Santa Fe, New Mexico, southwestern design, Subscribers, textiles, textures, tile, Uncategorized, United States history, urban art, urban design, value of good design, wall texture, wall treatments, wallcovering / 1

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.

Oct 01

Trust and Custom Designs

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, artistic expression, before and after, blue and white, context of interior design, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, discovering artistic talent, element of surprise in design, engineered concrete counter tops, fireplaces, good design, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, home improvements, inspiration, interior design, interior design preferences, interior enhancements, joy, kitchen, kitchen design, kitchen remodeling, Mexico, mosaic, mosaic tile, natural stone, personal expression, personal taste, planning a remodel, practical design, remodeling, Santa Fe, New Mexico, slate floors, southwestern design, Spanish Colonial, Subscribers, Talavera Tile, tile, value of good design, wall treatments, wallcovering, white kitchens / 1 Comment

Trust. When asking any kind of advice, you generally ask those you trust. That’s not to say that you might not question the advice. There is never only one way to accomplish something, therefore, advice can be as different as the number of advisers you ask!

From a design standpoint, to offer and create custom elements, it’s often the case that the client will say, “Can you show me an example of that?” If something is new and different, created specifically in context and for this project, there IS no example. There might be similar things, or close approximations of the design – or not – but not the actual design. Trusting your designer to extract your wishes, taste, preferences and applicability to the space is key to creating something very special.

So, I can show examples of mixed pattern Talavera on a wall. I first did this in Tucson about 13 years ago to create a wallpaper-like full wall installation.

As I referenced this casita installation for my clients, while planning their kitchen remodel, I also came upon a restaurant in St. Louis this last spring that used a similar approach in an Italian theme…Talavera? Mexican? Italian? Oh well…another example I brought to the conversation.

For this new kitchen remodel project, we were working with existing conditions, the layout and the mottled green, rust, aqua, charcoal slate floor. All else was up for grabs. However, because I really feel strongly about context, I mentally gathered elements from other parts of the home and intentionally embraced the floor.

This fireplace was given a face lift last year to add the stone hearth and mantle with the decorative Talavera tile detailing.

I believe to abandon existing design themes reads like a designer show home – each room done by a different designer, without any cohesive design continuity. Pair the idea to make an effort to lace the rooms together, with the effort to adopt certain fixed materials and you have compelling diagram of creative remodeling guidelines.

When it is either not practical to replace an existing design element or when the existence of the that design element makes for an un-self conscious part of the composition, it can be priceless. The slate floor was of smaller 12″ format tiles than might be more popular today, but it’s unusual color and very organic feel was worth the challenge. Turning a questionable design element into an asset is success!

Once the flooring was determined to be key in the new design, extracting features (specifically colors) from it became the next task. We had already discussed bringing the blue and white Talavera in from the living room, but my client was not feeling the joy of pairing it with this wildly mottled slate floor.

To meld the design elements together, I selected a concrete-like engineered countertop (which came in two colors both of which were seen in the mottled slate – and provides fodder for a future story). This provided a solid anchor for the design between the mottled floor and the multi-patterned Talavera.

But what might be the one more thing to make this design be even more unique and more cohesive? I set forth to find the impossible, an aqua, handmade tile that would complement the Talavera in the light irregularity and “hecho a mano” feel.

The perfect handmade aqua tile from Spain (photo reads more blue) from DAL tile was the perfect accent.

The absolutely ideal accent appeared unexpectedly as I thought I would be searching farther and wider for this perfect piece. By cutting it into 1″ pieces we would have the artistic accent woven through the patchwork of Talavera, thereby inserting the aqua and adding interest and unexpected detail.

By not planning a symmetrical grid of the accent mosaics, but by creating random lines the unexpected quality of the installation continues.

At this stage, the grout could be grey or white – specifically off white (of which there are many). Opting for the white, to allow the tile to read in its patchwork pattern, without added confusion with a grid of grout competing for attention. We then made a last minute switch on the white grout to a creamier one after seeing the many colors of off-white Talavera up on the wall – leaning more creamy than merely off-white. Could I have shown an example of this design scheme? No, this was created specifically for this project, this client and the space that deserves such attention to detail.

We’re not finished yet. Watch for this transformation to be unveiled in coming weeks complete with before and afters!

Sep 24

Entrepreneurs! Getting Started with Design!

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, aluminum, bathroom remodel, before and after, branding in interior design, ceiling lighting, Color schemes, color trends, colors, commercial interior design, commercial remodel, concrete finishes, concrete floors, construction, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, design, design and marketing, design process, design solutions, Design Team, design tips, existing materials, flooring, good design, hiring an interior designer, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior enhancements, lighting, logos, metal finishes, paint colors, personal expression, planning a remodel, practical design, remodeling, retail remodeling, retail storefronts, selecting colors, Subscribers, tenant improvements, tile, value of good design, workplace design / 1

Starting out with your first brick and mortar business, the tasks are many. After homing in on your business specifics, selecting a name, designing a logo, deciding colors…you have your license and your business plan, you’ve found a place and then you need to present your business to the world!

A few weeks ago, we began a new project that is just what I have described…an exciting first-timer in the business world, having worked for others is now ready to do her own thing, be her own boss, make her own decisions and assume the risks necessary to take this leap into entrepreneurial adventure.

It’s exciting and scary, daunting at times and fun too. And it should be fun. Finding something that you enjoy, something you believe in and believe that you can do as well as, if not (hopefully) better than, anyone else in your market.

With inventory determined, name and logo designed the last task was to create the space to present her concept. We won’t divulge that today, the project is yet to be presented, but the framework is on what I want to comment.

We began compiling some finish options…paint, upholstery, privacy curtains, carpet and a little brushed aluminum bling!! We want to reinforce her brand with key colors and finishes.

Knowing the terms of the lease agreement – what is the landlord’s responsibility, what is grandfathered-in, what can be changed, any spending allowances amortized into the lease…these are all things that are necessary to determine how to go about designing the interior. It is necessary to establish costs within the over-all start-up budget. Having helpful, knowledgeable, creative people around you with whom to assemble your team is imperative.

We arrived at the site to find a very clean slate. Located in a retail strip center, it was a white box.

We instantly decided the flooring would be a combination of polished concrete and broadloom carpeting, some lights stay and some go, spots will be added, colors will reinforce her brand.

Toward the back, a break-room kitchen area needed demolition. This pocket would become fitting rooms.

There was existing ceramic tile on the floor that also needed to be removed. These were things that our client could attack herself – saving money and getting to know her space.

We learned that the restrooms were grandfathered in and did not require any additional improvements – other than cosmetic.

We learned that we could make changes and additions to the lights and only needed a permit for electrical portion of the work.

Many of these discoveries were of pleasant surprise to our client who had been miss-directed a bit and was in a state of frustration and near defeat. Gathering good information is imperative, in order to save time and money, make good decisions and know your options. Get out there and get busy!!!!!

Soon to bee completed, watch for this transformation in coming weeks.

Sep 16

Relocating – Making a new house a HOME

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, art and interior design, before and after, Boulder. Colorado, breakfast rooms, chairs, Color schemes, color trends, colors, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, dining rooms, exterior - outdoor design, fabrics, family rooms, fireplaces, good design, hiring an interior designer, home, home improvements, inspiration, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, lifestyle, nostalgia and design, paint colors, personal expression, personal taste, practical design, re-purpose, recycle design, sectional sofas, selecting colors, Subscribers, textiles, timeless colors, travel and design, update design, updating, value of good design / 2 Comments

Thirteen or so years ago we designed the interior of a home for a young family complete with a toddler. The desire was to bring color and modern accents while still selecting durable materials and hopefully timeless elements.

Fast forward these many years later and this same family now with two beautiful daughters is relocating to another city, another state and a new home. This home was well furnished and much, of what was shown, stayed with the house. The trick was, after having adopted so much from the previous owners, how would they make this house their home?

The point of arrival – the front door – was a tasteful charcoal grey, but by changing it to a bit lighter smoky green, it made a significant difference.

It’s tough to be up-rooted anytime in your school years…these girls missed the only home they had ever had, friends, activities, groups and familiar environs. This challenge was to help all four of them – parents and kids – get settled and assist in making this new house their true home.

As I flew to consult with them, I imagined the scene having seen photos to get somewhat oriented. I made the natural assumption that paint would make new statements to alter the previous owner’s selections and introduce the new family’s preferences. However, despite the change we made to the front door, it wasn’t all about paint once I arrived.

In the previous residence all those many years ago, we punctuated the interior with paint accents. Good design transcends trends and the years. Who would think that this interior was created thirteen years ago?

The dining room in the new home was painted entirely charcoal – trim and walls. Oppressive was an understatement and before I even got there they painted all the trim white to match the rest of the home. However, they left the fireplace charcoal – waiting for a discussion as to how to proceed.

Notice the dining room furniture having moved from one home into the next. We decided to paint all the wood trim surrounding the fireplace area white to match the rest. But it produced a startling brightness that will be absorbed once a new painting is selected for above the mantle.

They inherited the chandalier with the home and although it is quite different from their previous dining room fixtures, they are making it their own by mixing their chairs, table, rug and sideboard.

The framed lounge chair found a home in the new living room alongside the large sectional that they acquired from the previous owners of the house.

Here in the previous home, the painting over the fireplace has a prominent position, yet also has a place of prominence in the new home along with the chair and a half and the arm chair in the foreground.

Checking out a sample of a rug to add further color to the otherwise neutral scene.

The simple placement of custom throw pillows initially designed for the banco in the kitchen are now colorful accents in the living room, on the newly acquired sectional left by the previous owners, are a remarkable save.

These pillows had seen their share of spilled milk and ground-in cereal over the years. But with periodic cleaning, they maintained their appearance perfectly.

Here the pillows are the perfect accent on the camel-colored sectional that came with the new house. The painting has been a family favorite for years.

The rest of the collection of throw pillows from that original breakfast nook are being re-purposed on the sectional in the lower level media room/office. They add the necessary splash of color in this neutral scene.

The fully upholstered chair-and-a-half also transferred from old to new. Previously in the family room, now in the music room/office. The master bedroom transferred completely. The girls’ rooms have a mix of their things and some new features. All in all it is beginning to take shape.

It pays to buy good materials that maintain well and take proper care of them. Not only will they offer years of enjoyment, in this case they bring the familiarity, to the new house, that is beginning to make it feel like “home.”

Sure, some might like the opportunity to start new without remnants of the previous life – but in this case, they cling to that which was comforting, familiar and theirs. Moving to a new home and being able to mix existing pieces so well with new ones to make this new house a home is a design success story!

Sep 14

Paper Airplanes – Happy Joy

By pattisays In airports, art and interior design, artistic talent, artists, calligraphy, commercial interior design, Contemporary Art, context of interior design, decorative arts, Denver International Airport Art, design, design competition, design solutions, DIY design, education, fanciful design, Gershwin, handcraft, handmade, handwriting, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, interior enhancements, Japanese design, joy, kids' art, Leon de la Vega, love, Modern Art, music scores, nostalgia and design, origami, paper airplanes, Patty Ortiz, public design, public spaces, sculpture, site sculpture, Subscribers, travel and design, urban art / 1

This week, upon arrival at the Denver airport, as I navigate this architecturally dramatic facility, I’m funneled with the masses making our way, from the gate area, to the trains, to the terminal. When suddenly, gracefully overhead as we ascend the escalator, large versions of paper airplanes hover above. Probably steel, but with the familiar fold and form of the simple paper origami originals, they were a whimsical attention divergence.

When I arrived at the top of the escalator, I realized that they were also above the escalator across the way so I walked over there (to the surprise of the masses with whom I had been funneling along). A couple in the crowd even called out “hey” or “ma’am” …I turned to see some were concerned that I had lost my way and expressed concern that I follow the pack. I waved to these helpful strangers indicating with my phone in hand that I was stopping to take a photo of these wonderful suspended planes.

This ignited a curiosity that led me to investigate a bit more. I have since learned that they are part of the Denver International Airport’s Arts & Venues Denver: Public Art Program 1994. There are 140 of these suspended would-be-paper (steel alloy) planes and they are the work of artist Patty Ortiz titled Experimental Aviation. A well-recognized artist and curator of contemporary art with decades of art management experience she “believes that art intrinsically is a social object and when placed as an action in relationship with the viewer ad participant that art carries a profound interconnectedness within real experience.” And there I was experiencing the simple loveliness and joy that these airplane sculptures conveyed, in context with the often monotonous air travel experience.

Kids who love paper airplanes never seem to grow up. I’ve written about this before, in the blog about Federico Leon de la Vega’s TEDx Talks a couple of years ago. Watch his Talk and see the final scene as the planes fly through the audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9j_pLgCr1U

Paper airplanes are timeless tools of communication set flying from one person to another often with a secret note inside. Unfold and discover the message. Like passenger pigeons of days gone by…but unlike their obsolete and ultimately extinct message-delivering cousins, paper airplanes are timeless.

Would A Love Letter Be The Same Without Handwriting?

Never taking up the art, it has fascinated me forever. Origami seems to be originated from the Japanese word for folding – ori – and paper – kami = Orikami. Japanese art is so fine in all of its forms. And back to the paper airplanes, San Francisco hosted a competition Origami-Palooza complete with education and presentation of many facets of origami work including the Paper Airplane Challenge. Last month “The Paper Airplane Guy,” John Collins, the world record holder for paper airplane distance was there to assist in honing your paper airplane folding skills to insure greater success with your paper airplane flying! https://japancentersf.com/events/origami-palooza-great-paper-airplane-contest/

My happy observation of this past week and my advice with it – grab a piece of paper and try your hand at folding and flying a paper airplane!!!!!

Aug 19

Decorative Wallcovering – Fun with Tile

By pattisays In Abstract Art, Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bathroom remodel, before and after, blue and white, breakfast rooms, commercial interior design, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative mirrors, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, DIY design, eclectic design, exterior - outdoor design, fireplaces, functional art, good design, graphic designs in interiors, handcraft, handmade, hiring an interior designer, home improvements, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, kitchen, kitchen design, kitchen remodeling, lifestyle, master bathrooms, mirrors, mosaic, mosaic tile, murals, natural stone, personal expression, personal taste, planning a remodel, powder rooms, public restrooms, recycle, recycle design, remodeling, residential restrooms, restaurant restrooms, stone, stone countertops, Subscribers, Talavera Tile, tile, update design, updating, urban art, wall texture, wall treatments, wallcovering / 2 Comments

When you think about finishing a wall, you probably think about paint colors…you might think about a wallcovering – wallpaper, or even a mirror – I’ve previously noted how mirroring an entire wall can exponentially expand a room – a dimensional effect/illusion that suggests the room extends well beyond its actual size. But another wall treatment, with which I LOVE to play, is tile!

All over the world, the art of designing and creating decorative finishes with tile has been evolving for centuries. All cultures have utilized mud and clay, glazes and fire to bake beautiful patterns and colors onto geometric slabs. Shapes of rectangular, square, octagonal, dots or diamonds – the geometric shapes are many and the designs are limitless.

As is true with other wall treatments, I prefer not to stop on an outside corner. I believe that the color or material should suggest a built mass – part of the architecture. To stop on an outside corner suggests a veneer. It proves that the finish on the element is not a structural/integral part of a built mass. When you paint into an inside corner and stop, it allows the mass the read as though solid and not merely superficially treated. The same is true with tile. Don’t stop it until you get to an inside corner – if possible. There are situations that force a finished edge on the flat plain of a wall – but avoid outside corners at all cost!!

This entire shower is tiled floor to ceiling, around the pony wall, bench…no door…it reads like a built environment of stone tile.

Think of the surface as an architectural element. Tile from floor to ceiling, inside corner to inside corner – wrapping corners, if needed, along the way.

Take a backsplash…customarily used to do just that – catch splashes at the back wall of a wet area (sink) countertop…bathrooms and kitchens, behind sinks and between upper and lower cabinets – but why stop there?

The entire back wall of this kitchen is mosaic marble tiles in a herringbone pattern.

Think of it as a true wallcovering – wallpaper. Commit to the entire surface. Here are more effective examples…

The backsplash and entire adjacent wall were covered in glass mosaic tiles. It “reads” like wallpaper.

here again, the classic blue and white Talavera tile backsplash is continued along the entire wall from floor to ceiling.

We are currently working on a couple of kitchen projects that will soon be completed. They both use tile liberally. Each quite different from the other. Stay tuned for the finished products!

In bathrooms, the area around a mirror can be more than merely the backsplash. Embed the mirror into the tile surround or tile the entire wall and hang a mirror on top of the tile surface.

This mirror is flush with the surrounding tile, suggesting that it is embedded into a tile wall.

Planning this transformation, the mosaic vase was the inspiration. Then loose tiles were scattered on the countertop and the concept began. Note, the existing mirror was attached to wall with light fixture mounted above it and a medicine cabinet off to the side.

The transformation involved removing the medicine cabinet, taking the floor tile up the wall and wrapping it floor to ceiling. It was also cut into smaller squares to use behind the sink as a “full-wall backsplash.” Then punctuated with glass and glazed tiles to create an updated design. Relocating electrical to flanking the mirror for a pair of new sconces and a new countertop, faucet and sink with existing cabinets painted resulted in a cost-effective design.

Here a mirror is mounted on top of the fully tiled wall. Inside and outside of the shower enclosure the tile is a true wall treatment.

I recently received this advertisement in my email. It was such a spectacular collection that it caught my eye and I share here one of the patterns and context shots as the backdrop to a range.

Mosaic assemblages can be fun! Here is a fireplace surround.

The addition of three-dimensional pieces adds interest.

This exterior fireplace surround tolerates the elements – an all-season installation.

Here is a mosaic mural of a dynamic geometric abstraction discovered in New Zealand. We are using this inspiration to establish a theme in a current restaurant project. An interpretation of this in the form of geometric tiles of various sizes, colors and patterns will be used to create a cohesive repeated design element through various areas of the restaurant – both inside and out. Watch for this completed project in coming months.

Commercial restrooms can benefit from full-wall tile treatments too. Not only does it look complete, but it is an ease of maintenance consideration.

Three dimensional tiles add interest to this cactus motif!

Fun with color and texture, tile are also easy too keep clean – terrific for public restrooms.

Murals are also terrific ways to use tile as art in your interior/exterior designs!

This is embedded into the stucco for an integral installation.

When using outside though, remember to consider the range of temperature and moisture to which it will be exposed. Porcelain is the most durable in areas where the temperatures get to and below freezing. Freezing and thawing can destroy tile. Many murals are made from clay that is not suitable in cold climates!

Inset into the tile wall treatment is this stunning glass mosaic abstract mural.

Tile – it’s a nearly limitless medium. So consider the possibilities for your next project! As a piece of art, an accent wall or an entire installation – full-wall treatments make a statement! Have fun with tile!

Aug 13

Southwest Style – What is it?

By pattisays In Albuquerque, New Mexico, architecture, art and food, art and interior design, artistic expression, artistic talent, artists, bathroom remodel, beauty behold it, blue and white, civilization, color forecasting, Color schemes, color trends, colors, context of interior design, cowhides, creative process, creativity, custom design interior design, decorative arts, decorative mirrors, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, designs in nature, dining and design, drama of color, eclectic design, eclecticism, functional art, hammered metal, handcraft, handmade tableware, hiring an interior designer, historic properties, historical interior design, home improvements, houses, inspiration, inspiration from nature, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, joy, kitchen, kitchen design, Leon de la Vega, lifestyle, Mexico, natural designs, nature, nostalgia and design, organic design, paint colors, personal expression, personal taste, powder rooms, Pueblo pottery, quilting, Regional design, residential restrooms, Santa Fe, New Mexico, selecting colors, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Spanish Colonial, stone countertops, Subscribers, table dressings, table top, tableware, Talavera Tile, terracotta, textiles, tile, timeless colors, travel and design, trends, value of good design, weavings / 1 2 Comments

Arriving for the first time in our American Southwest, one might feel like they have entered a different country, if not a different world!! To fly from anywhere else where there are rolling green hills, or green fields or dense green wooded landscapes, not to mention tropical environs and cruise over America’s Southwest, it looks like the moon – or some barren planet. Everyone remembers their first impression. Whether exotic or scary, lonely or seemingly uninhabitable, once you get on the ground and explore the beauty and variety of what’s here, you’re bitten – even smitten.

In all fairness, this is a completely defoliated winter shot!! Many now know how lush this magnificent Sandia Mountain can be at the top, in the summer. Yes, I said lush.

No other region has the distinct architecture and tri-cultural identity of what has become the elemental design style and flavor of this magical place. From “sea to shining sea” New England to Southern California you will find nuances of regional distinction – but not to the degree that the American southwest is set apart. Architectural influences from colonization have been the standard guiding style nationwide. Yet the ancient, practical elements, of civilization that long preceded the Europeans discovering the New World, is at the roots of this enchanting design style.

Tri-cultural architecture and interior design results from the remarkable history combining Native Americans carving out of stone walls, building with mud (adobe) bricks, devising simple, practical designs to capture heat and insulate in cold while minimizing solar gain in the warm weather months, with the conquering Spaniards and their colonial influences, and finally the pioneers from the east with their colonial English influences. Now more often replicated, with frame construction and stucco facades, this unique melding is the core of Southwestern architectural design.

When one hears the term “earth tones” setting a design trend in the 70s, it suggests the brown, tan, orange palette that was terribly limiting. Certainly to label it earth tones, it became a curse of a color scheme. Sadly to link it to a representation of southwestern design was misplaced and unfortunate. And how sad to think that it was so broadly accepted – like lemmings following blindly – everyone adopted this as a truism. So often the case with trends. The 70’s also spawned a diametrically opposite color scheme of blues and greens to refresh that which had been so mired in the “earth-tone” movement.

However, real earth tones are limitless. Earth tones are all colors…look down…look around. Even if you confine your interpretation to the dirt beneath your feet – the colors are vastly more than the brown, tan, rust, orange that became the rage. Soft pinks and grays, pale blue and whites…look at dirt. It might be more clay, might be more peat – from soft terracotta to dark espresso – dirt is earth and the colors and tones are limitless.

Tom Glover captured the beauty of the natural landscape through his artistic photographic medium that Georgia O’Keeffe and others have depicted through their artistic media.

Georgia O’Keeffe saw it and captured it in her own enduring style.

Nature offers color. Natural dyes have riddled that art world through time. Synthetic dyes took it a level further. But nature is at the core of all we have in this world.

http://www.quilthistory.com/dye.htm

Turquoise being a natural mineral in the American Southwest became a signature accent color punctuating the soft earthen tones of the adobe design palette.

Artist Victoria Martinez Rodgers paints a valley apple orchard and the turquoise wall is the perfect backdrop.

Color was always there for those who cared to notice. The great painters of this region presented it well. Their recordings of everything from the many colors of the rugged windswept landscapes to lush green mountain forests with shimmering golden aspen groves – and bosque cottonwoods screaming with yellow brilliance capture and convey so much more.

In autumn, bosque cottonwoods explode with color sending a streak of brilliant yellow all along the Rio Grande. Federico Leon de la Vega create this commissioned oil painting from a photo provided by his clients.

There are the natural and also synthetic dyes that were woven through the magnificent textiles of the Native Americans – blankets and articles of clothing were not limited to buckskin animal hides.

Ernest Blumenschein was the founder of the Taos Society of Artists capturing the color and textures of the realities that he encountered in this Land of Enchantment.

Sunsets everywhere play a part in the imagery of the landscape – here we see vast landscapes with brilliant fiery skies and those exciting corals and lavenders, soft pink and blue wisps provide inspiration for wall colors and backdrops to our richly embellished interior designs.

Yet spare, understated neutral interpretations also offer elegant representations of southwestern style.

So what do you visualize when you think of Southwestern Design? Please don’t say a turquoise wooden cutout of a howling coyote! Death by Southwestern Style – the overdose resulting from overdone clichés and trends that have spoiled the real art and beauty.

It doesn’t have to be all about cow skulls and pelts…but these cow hide butterfly chairs are pretty cool!!!

Perhaps you see a Mexican influence which is also part of the melding of the regional style – like food, we have a fine line sometimes with certain traditional dishes that when adopted and adapted by American Southwest kitchens took on a unique identity all its own – differing between Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We all enjoy bringing art and craft from our southern neighbors into our designs.

Borrowing, sharing, combining so many design elements such as adobe architecture, colonial wood trim detailing, fired brick technology, Mexican Talavera tile and pottery,

Native American textiles and so many other handcrafts

The owners of this interior have an intimate relationship with each of the artists that they have collected down to this magnificent mount of a buffalo. They knew him and his name and why he was put down.

from punched and tooled tin, paintings and pottery – southwestern interior design is rich with color, texture, artistic detailing and true soul. The connection to the earth is undeniable and nature always plays a key role.

So how might you introduce southwestern influences into YOUR design scheme? You could tile the wall(s) of a powder room in Talavera Tile. Maybe just a mirror surround?

You might paint an accent wall – or all walls in a room or some other bold color inspired by a regional image

Mango watercolor by Susan Weeks splashes coral against the golden yellow wall with a lime green lighted cabinet showcasing old, traditional, low-fire Talavera tableware. classic Talavera blue and white tile frame the bar opening and on through out the kitchen.

and collect art pieces such a punched tin crosses, wood and straw,

landscape or still life painting, hang a blanket or drape a bed with a beautiful woven textile…introducing different styles speaks to last week’s story about eclecticism. Don’t be afraid to mix things that you like. What brings you joy?

Jul 22

Living Room Transformation

By pattisays In ambiance, bar, before and after, blue and white, breakfast rooms, cats, Color schemes, color trends, colors, contrasts for balance in design, creative process, custom design interior design, design, design process, design solutions, design tips, design trends, dining and design, dining rooms, entertaining, family rooms, faux finishes, fireplaces, flooring, furniture finds, good design, hardwood floors, hiring an interior designer, home improvements, inspiration, interior atmosphere, interior design, interior design preferences, interior design trends, interior enhancements, kitchen, kitchen cabinets, kitchen design, kitchen lighting, kitchen remodeling, lifestyle, lighting, Millenial, modern cabinets, mosaic, mosaic tile, natural stone, open floorplans, paint colors, patterns, personal expression, personal taste, planning a remodel, practical design, re-upholstery, remodeling, sectional sofas, selecting colors, stone, Subscribers, tile, trends, update design, updating, upholstery, value of good design, wall-to-wall carpeting, white kitchens / 1 Comment

As an adjunct to last week’s story about the progressive young couple and their dramatic kitchen remodel, I thought I should finish the subject and tell about the adjacent living room transformation and comfortable family room on the lower level.

When the kitchen grew to become the focal point upon entering and the bar counter expanded into the living area, it reduced that space to now become a comfortable sitting room for guests to gather or the family to relax while activities are brewing in the kitchen.

Looking through to the dining room where a built-in storage bench was added along the window wall, offers additional seating. A new fabric-shade chandelier softens the light levels. All lighting in this remodel are on dimmers.

The former white brick wall had gently rubbed edges to suggest a distressed condition exposing the red brick beneath. The fireplace had an unrelated golden oak mantle and surround with insipid tile inset also used to cover the hearth. The tile was a glazed faux marble with a Victorian design accent feature.

By simply painting the oak white to match the rest of the wood trim throughout the home and also painting the brick a soft taupe/grey tone, the look was instantly transformed. But they still had that awful tile…so here’s a design tip: to buy time either while you decide or until you save-up for the next phase, paint the tile away!!! To accommodate a new TV that is to go over the mantle, the wood surround was shortened. Notice the extra piece of wood trim that was removed to lower the mantle.

The hearth was removed and rebuilt (without the cut-off corners) with brick and painted to match the wall. Lucky for them the hardwood floor went beneath the hearth – so when they modified the size, they didn’t have to patch the floor! Tile was removed and replaced with 2×2 mosaic Carrara marble to coordinate with the herringbone mosaic of the same marble in the new kitchen backsplash/wall (see last week’s blog).

A sofa found, for nearly free, was in good shape and reupholstered beautifully in this plush, durable navy solid.

The classic blue and white motif was punctuated with organic yellow.

The newly refinished original hardwood floors – taken from a golden oak finish to a rich espresso/walnut stain…

…with the blue and white wool hook rug creates a handsome contrast. The rug actually “reads” blue and white, but upon closer inspection has warm khaki tones, soft turquoise detailing and is quite complex.

This revitalized cozy ambiance of this new sitting area/living room is perfect for this growing young family!

And for a more expansive gathering space, the lower level family room received a new sectional sofa in a durable charcoal fabric and a low-pile small diamond patterned wall to wall carpeting to conceal what had been cold tile floors and make a comfortable room for all seasons!