Jun 04

Fe Fi Fo Finishes

By pattisays In design, design trends, faux flooring materials, flooring, natural integrity of the materials, practical design, trends, wood-grained porcelain tile /

I have resisted faux wood porcelain tile, without good reason, just for the sake of installing something new. I have believed that it is great for a Long John Silver’s fast-food place attempting to convey the look of a wharf, fish shack etc…it is also good for a grocery store produce department – again, trying to depict a grower’s market with barn-wood floors while all the time being easy to maintain and virtually indestructible. But for a home (unless it too needs to be indestructible), chic restaurant, office lobby – I find it way too cold and faux. wood grained porcelian tile generic

Furthering the disdain for the material is poor specification and poor installation. Having grout joints accentuate the tile making even less believable than it already is – is the worst.

But as usual, if you wait long enough the trend will either fizzle or bloom and bloom it has- check out these really fun porcelain pieces of plank in colors – yes colors on purpose to exaggerate the idea!!! Now this is a trend with which I could have a little fun!!! 20160604_075109_resized

The first generation of the faux wood porcelain planks took themselves too seriously and so did the designers who used them (except in the smart applications aforementioned and perhaps an ultra contemporary beach house desiring an ease of maintenance flooring material). Not to mention, they were not the finest examples. But with all embracing this trend and using it everywhere – walls, floors etc…I found myself in boxes of cold wood-like tile – fun? I think not. wood-grain-porcelain-tile-floor-wall-bathroom-atlas-concorde-etic

The evolution of the product has advanced its aesthetic and applications. Inserting shocking contrasts weathered-wood-look-porcelain-tile-kitchen-floor-abk of grain and color just for the sake of design. Yay!!

So yesterday we had an all-day continuing education marathon. It was comprised of several independent courses on a variety of interesting subjects well delivered by entertaining and informed speakers, a trade show of great design sources, a lovely lunch, and finishing with a festive cocktail hour. During the course of cruising the trade show along all the vendors’ displays, I stopped at a familiar one presenting tile of all manner – including wood-grained porcelains. I engaged in conversation with one of the reps and specifically about the tired over-use of this trend. We were in perfect harmony regarding our agreement on this subject. While there I did admit a straying from the natural integrity of the materials that I generally embrace when recently I specified a vinyl wood flooring material in a residential application. This particular installation was prompted by the desire to have the look of wood flooring but with the resilience, durability and soft cushion that this unusual product offered. We had wet area conditions right off the pool area where traffic patterns to the restroom and kitchen were constantly traveled by adults, kids and dogs. The pliable product installed with a tight tongue and groove detailing and the remarkably beautiful faux wood-grained finish had great color, texture and dimension. To further belie the true content of the material, we placed stunning hand-knotted wool rugs on top of it making it more believable to the eye of the beholder. We have successfully fooled everyone to date while offering a water and dog toenail impervious, super easy to maintain floor!!!

So there is a time and place for nearly everything…just don’t settle because the trend is set-forth. Take each material and make decisions for the right materials in the right places – and never shy away from having a little fun!!! modern-porcelain-floor-tile-uonuon-14-ora-italiana-1

Apr 16

E-design…Is It for YOU?

By pattisays In computer-aided drafting, context of interior design, DIY design, interior design, interior design trends, lifestyle, Millenial, practical design, trends /

An article from the Washington Post came across my desk a couple of weeks ago by Bonnie McCarthy “E-decorators” draw cost-conscious clients. In this article she identifies what she calls the “modern trappings of online interior designers – designers who by her estimation are “renovating the process of how style comes home.” 20160416_103139_resized

In this writing she interviews interior designers about their various methods of providing services to their clients and certainly the newer way is more virtual than hands-on in-person. But think about it – designers have always had to deal with virtual conditions. Working from plans is just that!

With the new generation of consumers – millennials and those to follow – computers are an appendage. Everything is referenced or accessed via a computer, tablet or smart phone. So it’s natural for them to utilize these tools for design inspiration or consultation. The article however is noting this new approach for everyone who expects a designer to be an expensive on-site investment.

Throughout the article it references the “new” e-design approach as a now more cost-effective, affordable exchange with interior designers. I think that sounds like a gimmick. The time spent is the time spent – the ideas provided are just that and the fees are the fees. Now, if these e-designers or unlicensed decorators are lowering their fees – well then that’s part of the story. However, I do not get the feeling that they are. Rather, I get the feeling that they are merely marketing to a broader audience than those found in their immediate physical locations. Smart. There’s another part of the story. Selling the idea that this is cost-effective over having to meet live with a designer and thereby getting those customers and also broadening the reach to those potential clients is a gimmick that seems to be working.

The fact that the article suggests that this new “e-design” consultation is more cost-effective than live and in-person versions of the same is interesting. Maybe it is – maybe not. It would save transportation time for the designer and they might pass that savings on to their clients – or they might just have higher fees and more profit for their time involved. Difficult to know – hourly consultation rates vary according to location and market price.

For the designers or firms that have established a formula and template for their clients, this seems fairly efficient. On-line information forms quiz clients on their likes and dislikes, personality and requirements. However,this can also be can occur on a local level at the outset of an in-person consultation. The combination of digital communication and in-person, on-site design consults might just be the best process. A client’s form might even be filled out in advance of the first meeting via email to give the designer an intro to the project. Digital images of the space in question can be uploaded for the designer to review, evaluate, and critique. What once was the method of clients snipping magazine articles and photos for review and discussion, sites like Pinterest allow for a place where designer and client can “pin” their ideas for visual communication and discussion.

So is it the cost? Is it the seeming efficiency? Is it the working at your own convenience after hours? What makes the e-design attractive? Why is it better than having a designer come to your residence and discuss on-site with images and tangible samples what you want and the designer recommends?

Tangible samples…I don’t even like or trust what I see on-line regarding fabrics and carpets – anything textile for sure is impossible on a monitor. Tangible samples that you can touch and feel, press and fold, rub and caress are invaluable features of the selection process. Therefore, the sensory deprivation of e-design is one negative. Yes, samples can be mailed – but there is a lag-time there too.

The myriad choices made available online now for home decor shopping has opened up the entire world of possibilities for the consumer. But that same client exposed to these limitless wonders of the world cannot cull their finds with confidence to bring together a cohesive design. In this design process, some things have to be forfeited and others embraced and incorporated. It’s all about making the right decisions. The designer aids in and facilitates making those right decisions and bringing in even more ideas to the project with their expertise and experience.

With thorough websites, designers can present their work and potential clients can research until they find one that they think meets their expectations. Once that has been established, the client can even interview a few designers to make sure that the in-person chemistry is there between them. Or…there’s face-time!!

So back to the e-design. It’s not new – the methods are – but design across the miles has been going on for decades. Plans mailed, faxed and now digitally shot over the globe. Prior to a building being built – it is a virtual place designed diagrammatically, built in models, illustrated, and sketched – by hand or CAD it only exists in the mind’s eye of the designers and those to whom they are conveying these concepts. ILLUSTRATION RESI CROP P1030518 Selecting the interior furnishings and finishes for these edifices has always been similarly virtual. Until something is built and furnishing installed, the designs are all “virtual.”

So “e-design” is on another plane of communication with the client with new tools to facilitate and communicate. But the advantages or lack thereof are many and seem to be more applicable to a client in a remote location without benefit of good local designers.

I knew an incredibly creative and adventurous couple who, back in the 60s and 70s, established a private resort on an island where everything was selected and obtained via mail-order catalogs, shipped across the water, received in docks, transported to local delivery vessels and dropped on a beach weeks later. Not so different today for those located far from the modern conveniences but connected now to the world via the internet, fast jets of Federal Express, DHL, UPS and all the trucks, sea trains and land rails that move goods around the world. That’s when this instantaneous assistance for decision-making with a designer over the miles can be extremely advantageous – you have no other means of getting together and the framework is in place to do it all remotely.

So if you fancy the idea of having an LA designer consult for your condo in Dupont Circle or a Denver designer make their recommendations for you in Boston, so be it. Yet, I say investigate your local interior designers, visit their websites, contact their references, and see how their fees and talents compare between each other, and then compare to them to the e-offerings on-line and go with what works best for you!

Jan 23

The Colors of an Exceptional Cooking Class Cocina

By pattisays In architecture, colors, decorative arts, design, dining and design, folkart, Garden, interior design, kitchen, Mexico, practical design, primitive design, seasonal interior design, table dressings, terracotta, tile, travel and design, tropical /

To experience this glorious morning, on the open patio of a tiny commercial kitchen, in an otherwise residential neighborhood paralleling the river Cuale, in the very foodie coastal city of Puerto Vallarta, is a treat beyond measure—but I will try to share. I will attempt to take you to this special place full of unselfconscious art and function.

The cobblestone streets are dusty and send fine particulates of powder into the atmosphere causing a fairy-dust-like twinkle in the bright morning light. We bump along in a taxi turning and curving along the circuitous route that surely would lead most to believe what they say—that “this place is so hard to find, it has to be good!!!”

The front is shut and obviously closed for business. The taxi driver brings this to our attention, “is closed” he says simply— assuming that he will be continuing along the bumpy calle along the rio back to the bustling scene of the awakening city and return us to our point of earlier departure. PA15821103517

“No,” we tell him “we’re taking a cooking class” “leciones en la cocina” we attempt to convey and with that he beams a broad smile and says “really?” and stops the cab along the wrong side against the opposing traffic on the little street in front of the café.

We notice Lola peeking through the door at us as she unlatches the locks motioning us through and welcoming us as we enter the quiet little checkerboard floored dining room. 20140125_204143 At night this place buzzes with animated conversations and is alive with color and funky memorabilia, art and posters, collages of collectibles all on brilliantly painted walls creating an eclectic artistic interior of fun and festivity. But on this morning, the room is dormant save the three other guests waiting to participate in the morning’s class.

After brief introductions we are escorted through a doorway to a narrow concrete staircase. PVR 2011 after girls 1 050 Red Cabbage stairs Daylight streams from above and we ascend past more brilliantly painted walls to a second floor open to the sky onto a patio rimmed with potted herbs and flowering plants. P1120475 To the right we realize that the rest of the space is undercover, yet always exposed to the elements from that one open east-facing orientation.

Inasmuch as I love cooking and eating and all things related to culinary pleasures, this is not the focus of this story, but rather, it is to describe this artfully inspired space and all the raw style and primitive grace we encounter in this wonderfully entertaining class of good and indigenous fresh foods and their fabulous flavors.

The space is charming and intimate and spotless. The colors are screaming from every direction including a whimsical pink door surround seen over the wall of the patio. P1120522 The surrounding area is quite run-down and depressed, yet this jewel of a creative kitchen space shines boldly amidst the impoverished surrounds. P1120524

The sky is perfect blue and sharply contrasts against the wavy pink paints dividing between pale and happy bubble gum of the stucco wall. A functioning drain-pipe of clean white PVC bisects the wall beneath which is a profusely blooming rose-colored azalea in a clay pot. P1120523

Panning into the covered portion of the space, the radiant coral color wall wraps to the back and transitions with gracefully wavy detail to a paint remarkably resembling the sky blue—of the actual sky—that we encountered out front which slams into a dazzling yellow-gold wall half painted and half tiled with the same luminous yellow color. And I have only described the backdrop!

Against these boldly painted and tiled walls are layers of other things that add even more dimension and interest to the kitchen. Blue and white tableware, glazed clay vessels, and a mysteriously faded poster of Frida Kahlo. More of the sky-like blue is hanging in the form of various sized and shaped enamel cooking pots on the coral wall.

The crisp white aprons of the two chefs pop against the background of multi-colors branded with the embroidered red and black logo of Frida with a red cabbage balanced atop her head. P1120487

It seems from the murmurs coming from the eager students that this enchanting environment represents the promise of a flavorful feast of color and texture. The food matches the interior. The stuffing for the dark rich green roasted poblano peppers is a colorful collection of shredded carrots, red cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts creating a seemingly woven fabric of colors and texture. P1120491

The finished product, Chiles en Nogada, represents the Mexican flag of red green and white. Plated here on red glass for an artful presentation. P1120518

Myriad handmade condiment dishes and traditional serving pieces contribute to the collection of color we are experiencing in this spectacular sensory bombardment. And I mean that in a really good way. The intensity of the colors and layering, the structure and accessories right down to the food and its presentation results in an artistic expression that goes way beyond the sterile experience often connected with the laboratory of a commercial cooking experience.

So we say—why be status quo when you can be individually fabulous, cooking and creating in an unconventional environment that reflects the animation and joy of the flavors that comprise the artful meals?! Thank you Lola for imagining and realizing the Red Cabbage and bringing so many artful, entertaining years and delicious meals to the community of fortunate residents and happy visitors—happy that they were able to find the place! P1120530

Jan 16

Table Dressings From Nature – Inspirational Fun!

By pattisays In art and interior design, beach, beauty behold it, context of interior design, decorative arts, design, designs in nature, dining and design, DIY design, environmental, exterior - outdoor design, green design, handmade, inspiration from nature, interior design, kitchen, Mexico, naturalist, nature, nostalgia and design, practical design, recycle, recycle design, seasonal interior design, stone, summer, table dressings, travel and design, tropical /

It could have been a sculptural piece of drift wood or a gnarly tree branch from the woods or a twisted piece of metal from a salvage yard…but the idea is to see things in a different way and once again—as I have done this before— to make something from nothing. And in this case, with no effort or manipulation—just the natural beauty of the found object.

The tide was out making the beach so wide it was like a great runway of wet sand. Scattered on the surface were the leavings of the waves – pieces of shell and polished stones. There amidst the beautiful debris was what looked like the suggestion of an abandoned boat hull—a dried, darkened palm sheath. I instantly knew, this would be another beginning of the tropical table-scape that I am so fond of creating when we are at the beach. P1110860

“Creating something from nothing,” my father would often say. He was a great believer in that idea that one man’s trash was another man’s treasure. We loved to beach comb together whenever we found ourselves at the tide’s edge. Sometimes it was tropical and the coral was bleached white and pocked with texture. Fine mesh pieces of purple sea fan and perfect little green “hat” shells would be nestled among the dense collections of heavier piles of white coral.

Then other scenes would find us on northern beaches of the Maryland coast where there was no coral but the ocean would wash multi-colored surf-polished stones onto the shore blanketing the sand particularly at the very edge where the water would curl between the beach and the ocean’s depths. Tiny purple and pink clam shells would peek, being abruptly exposed and quickly bury themselves back into the wet sand moistened with each incoming wave.

On this day, the warm breeze is tropical and the beach is expansive offering rare treasures scattered broadly but sparingly on the pristine surface of sand. It is here that I encountered my centerpiece.

Don of course is saying—”what are you going to do with that? It’s too big. Leave it here.” And I assure him that it is in fact a treasure and that it will be magnificent in the center of our dinner table where we are entertaining 11 for festivities this coming weekend. He, as always, acquiesces knowing that it is futile to stand in the way of my wildly enthusiastic creativity. P1110861 P1110871

Over the next couple of days, he and I both collect white stones and shells on our daily beach walks. At my instruction, we only collect white unless it is a particularly interesting shell. The idea is to have the stark contrast with the dark hull of the palm sheath. P1120142

Our dining table is a handsome slab of travertine marble. Laminated to a double thickness and finely finished with a smooth full bull-nose edge, it is the perfect organic surface to build this also very organic centerpiece.

It needs something…the neutral tones are lovely. Yet, the dark espresso brown of the palm sheath with the white of the stones, against the creamy surface of the travertine invites something more. I realize that it can only be enhanced with another layer of organic material – here in the form of the fresh verdant green palm fronds – the perfect punctuation! P1120102

Oh would that I had collected more flat oyster shell halves…they work so well for votive candle bases…but alas, parrot green cocktail napkins will have to do for this last minute detail.

Our woven palm place mats, in their natural dried flaxen color, compliment the rest of the organics on our table. And as night falls, the sun drops beneath the sea’s horizon and twinkle of scattered candles finish our scene. Salud!

Jan 02

Resolutions and Getting Tidy in the New Year

By pattisays In cleaning, clutter, design trends, DIY design, interior design, Marie Kondo, Oprah, organization, practical design, resolutions, Uncategorized /

With a New Year comes the best intentions for making resolutions that promise to make positive changes to improve the quality of the upcoming chapters of one’s life. We all have them. Some are repeat performers – have been tried in the past, but perhaps not so successfully accomplished.

Take Oprah – that gal with the Midas touch – she looks at something and smiles and it is an instant hit – she endorses it and WOW – gotta have it- good as gold! Right now Oprah is blitzing the TV with her ads for Weight Watchers. She has a major investment with that brand that has only increased in value with her endorsement and fractional ownership. Yet the angle is that she plainly and unabashedly states along with photos and videos that she too has known failure and difficulty accomplishing certain goals. She is right there in front of the camera speaking frankly to the viewers about the trials of her ongoing, struggling, journey to master her own weight control and the invitation for viewers to join her and start now. What an honest and effective approach to starting a new resolution or an old one failed and revisited.

Another popular resolution, and one the pertains directly to interior design, is cleaning house – figuratively as well as literally. In fact much of these resolutions seem to be about eliminating excesses. Excess weight, excess obligations, excessive habits…but let’s just address the literal act of culling clutter and eliminating excesses of things as pertains to your interior spaces.

Surrounding yourself with items that bring happiness, memories and stimulate in a positive manner is the root of pleasing interior design for your personal spaces. Decorating with favorite color combinations and decorative accessories is a very personal statement for each individual. Sharing your space brings compromise and creativity to this process melding different life experiences and the items that represent them. But as life stages come and go so might the true attachment to these things acquired and collected over time. But the root of it all is to surround yourself with things that make you happy – that please you.

That’s when the resolution to de-clutter becomes desirable, if not necessary. Which brings this blog to the focus of paring away until you are only living with things that bring you joy. As stated in the best-selling book the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Kondo as she continually reminds her reader that they should “be surrounded by things that spark joy ” and that the result will make them “happy.” It’s a Japanese art as is so true of so many simple, spare, precious things Japanese. It is restraint that we all should perhaps strive to emulate. The result being freeing, refreshing and simple. 20160101_181135_resized

Who doesn’t want to achieve happiness? If tidying up can have so many benefits, then doing so would be the magic that Kondo promises will result. If we follow her cleansing steps – changing our lives for the better, we will find happiness.

I love this intriguing little book. It touches on so many realities and oh so truisms. I love the promise and the helpful manner in which it outlines the order to proceed. It seems so simple and yet it appears to be a better process for those with small spaces, few things and a fairly manageable inventory to attack. It became obvious to me that inasmuch as I wanted to dive into this new program right away and reap the results – it was going to be a bigger, longer process than promised. This is a primer to begin to think about commencing to get started with this daunting albeit needed task.

Yet, I do love the book and will embrace many of its instructions and principles in a month or so after a long anticipated vacay to the southern climes of warmth and inspiration and another opportunity to collect and bring home a little more cool stuff!!!

Thank you Tricia!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dec 12

National Poinsettia Day and Cuttings to Carry into the Future

By pattisays In aging in place design, Christmas, colors, designs in nature, historical interior design, interior design, Mexico, naturalist, nature, nostalgia and design, poinsettias, practical design, red, seasonal interior design, table dressings, travel and design, tropical /

Thank you Joel Roberts Poinsett for bringing this brilliant red and green explosion of color and such a perfect plant to represent the colors of the Christmas season to our northern climes! Upon learning that today was National Poinsettia Day, I set forth to learn a bit about why… P1110598

You too can Google it, but in a nutshell, back in the early 1800s, this observant amateur botanist was our first Ambassador to the new Republic of Mexico! Not to mention, his day job was that of a doctor and a soldier! Busy well-rounded guy it seems!

Poinsett sent cuttings of this spectacular and exotic flowering plant from where he was visiting in the Taxco region of Mexico, to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. Once he returned to Charleston, he spread the joy and sent other clippings of his magnificent discovery to friends including a Mr. Buist in Philadelphia who gave a piece to Mr. James McNab who took it to the Botanical Garden of Edinburgh, Scotland founded in 1670. (From “Paxton’s Magazine of Botany” 1837)

The initial botanical name Euphorbia pulcherrima was actually assigned by a German botanist, Wilenow, in 1833, but within 4 years it was renamed Poinsettia Pucherrima by William Hickling Prescott a historian and gardener who had been asked, by someone in authority, to rename it. He did so by selecting to honor Joel Poinsett for his numerous achievements in both government and horticulture.

This dramatic flowering plant comes in many colors – the familiar and original red to creamy off-whites, chartreuse, pinks and various variegated versions such as this fabulous marbled specimen called strawberries and cream. strawberries n cream poinsettia

Poinsett retired from his career in public service as Secretary of War in 1841. He became one of the founders of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science and the Useful – which later became the Smithsonian Institute. I was born in D.C. and raised inside the Beltway and never knew that the Smithsonian which was a memorably mandatory field trip nearly every year of my childhood, was originally named the wordy National Institute for the Promotion of Science and the Useful – but it certainly describes it all in one fell swoop!!

There are many legends and folk stories centering around this “flor de Nochebuena” in Mexico but the thread of this story that has personal interest to me is that the same poinsettia cutting taken to Edinburgh by James McNab is still producing and flowering annually in the Royal Botanical Garden in Scotland to this day.

As I read this history, I was excited about this remarkable tracing of the original cuttings. In our family we have what my grandmother , Dee Dee, always referred to as “the family cactus.” This rounded, smooth leafed variation (some have pointy, spiked leaves)with its hot pink blooms is our cactus. P1110601

Dee Dee, Anna Ives Wagner, was born in 1892 in Youngstown, New York. She arrived at our house to live with us in the late 1950s. She brought with her a very special plant. It was a cutting off of the original plant that was in her ancestral home – the Root Home, Twin Pines – 830 River Road – then Main Street, Youngstown.

Dee Dee remembered that plant from her childhood and had heard from her mother and aunts that it was there in theirs as well – which without complicated math puts it in the house since the mid 1800s. Unfortunately we don’t know when it started…but the house dates back to our great, great, great grandfather, Dr. Benjamin Root c.1840. The house stayed in our family, passing finally to my grandmother’s aunt Helen Root who lived there with an original cutting of the plant until the 1950s when she moved to Elmira with her niece and her husband, Edith and Ray Hulbert.

We grew-up with the family cactus bursting forth with wild fuscia blooms every fall into winter. It was always an exciting and exotic flowering extravaganza in the colder dark months of the season. It brought a sense of life, growth, and color that was a spectacular contrast to the otherwise drab, dull, dormancy of winter. P1110609

I guard my plants, given to me as a cutting by Dee Dee when I first moved to New Mexico, with great responsibility and appreciation.

Last year my Mother’s large family cactus withered before our very eyes…she was so protective of it that she perhaps neglected to give it new soil and nutrients instead favoring watering a bit too much which resulted in its demise. As she witnessed and worried about the failing plant, we carefully cultivated clippings and as weak and depleted as they were – nurtured them in water losing a couple but saving a few so that they now are flourishing in a clay pot in a window with the soft daylight of northern exposure displaying a resiliency, hope, and celebration of life that continues to greet each day. Perhaps metaphors for procreation, family traditions, aging in place…

My mother is 93 and her mother, Dee Dee, lived to be three weeks shy of her 101st birthday.

Joel Poinsett died on December 12, 1851 at the age of 72 – one hundred and sixty four years ago today! Happy Poinsettia Day!! Merry Christmas Joel Poinsett!

Nov 28

Holiday Tablescapes KISS Theory!

By pattisays In Christmas, colors, context of interior design, design, design trends, designs in nature, dining and design, DIY design, environment, food and interior design, Garden, green design, inspiration from nature, interior design, nature, practical design, recycle design, seasonal interior design, table dressings, Thanksgiving, Trees /

For the fast switch , KISS is the name of the game – keep it simple and sensational! The Thanksgiving weekend creates a great opportunity to get a jump on Christmas. Yesterday neighbors were out precariously placing lights along their rooflines, lining walkways and blanketing shrubs. We noticed this as we were out walking, observing, not quite ready to dive in to the next holiday ourselves.

But I did think that this was a great opportunity to illustrate a continuation of my favorite seasonal design practices and that is going outside to nature to get inspiration and actual elements for my creations. And the most remarkable aspect of this exercise is that it is all in our own yard. Look around and you will be amazed at what is out there!

For Thanksgiving I had been inspired by the blazing colors of the Bradford Pear that was – is still – screaming with color at the front of our house. 20151126_093537 The rich maroons transitioning to corals and rosy tones into brilliant golds and even bright yellows were irresistible. It’s similar to a maple tree with its magnificent range of fall colors but with precious little round heart-shaped leaves. 20151126_093558

20151126_095436 - Copy I created a tablescape using short-cut branches in a pair of squatty square glass vessels flanking a large square hand-blown glass platter. In the center on the platter, I gathered acorn squash which we will be enjoying baked with brown sugar and butter later this week, and added some ornamental gourds for their interesting shapes and colors. 20151126_093945 After scattering some of the leaves around the arrangement on the neutral linen table runner, the result was boldly colorful, organic and spicy scene bursting with autumnal warmth. P1110503 So as I pondered this setting this morning, two days later…the leaves on the table were getting crunchy, the branches were dropping leaves and the water in the containers was a bit cloudy…time to clean it up! Since it seems that everyone is already transitioning to Christmas themes, I thought why not do the same?! The alternative of merely cleaning it up and leaving it barren was a bit anticlimactic after enjoying the spectacular beauty of this recent holiday table. So here again nature was calling to venture forth and scour the yard for the next seasonal statement.

Now remember, this is just a quick transition…I can take it leagues and layers further as the weeks progress by adding holiday runners, ornaments, some bling and other accoutrements. But for today, the switch is quick. I ventured out into the yard and cut some bushy mugo pine and smoky blue spruce branches, P1110558 a few holly sprigs from the bushes in front and jammed them into the same freshly refilled square glass vases. In the center, the neutral linen runner remained and on the glass platter I kept the acorn squash, traded the gourds for electric green granny smith apples and a couple of pomegranates ( I had bought three last week and had already picked my way through the many juicy morsels of one – leaving two to do the red thing in my centerpiece today). P1110556

I scattered a few pine cones and Voila – my instantly transitioned tablescape said “Christmas is on its way!”

Jul 21

Save the Craftsmen from Extinction (Lest we be reliant on other countries to fabricate our dreams.)

By pattisays In architecture, construction, design trends, education, multi-media design, practical design / 1 Comment

While innovative highways channel thinkers racing in an infinite world of hi-tech competition and dizzying speed – who will build these innovations? Just read an interesting article and it spurred thoughts around an old subject about which I have passionately expressed urgency in the past. A subject addressing our preoccupation and emphasis on hi-tech advancements at the expense of, rather than in concert with, the trades. Let’s examine why the following might be applicable in every community where intellectual design creatively and successfully melds with tangible old-style craftsmanship. INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASH from Istanbul – Kerem Alper – whose brain works on both sides of the fence holds dual Masters from Stanford in both design and business. Alper obvserves, “We’re seeing a hybrid world where digital and physical design collide, which could be called “physical computing” or “embodied systems” or, as we say, “sensitive products” (because “smart” implies only the left side of the brain) but it all hints at: If you’re doing an app or a website, what is the physical counterpart of this? Partner with dual degrees also from Stanford in architectural design and structural engineering, Paired with a degree from NYU in media arts Engin Ayaz, address why Istanbul is ripe for collaboration between the high tech intellectual design and hands-on design fabrication: “One factor is convenience. We can work closely with craftsmen and makers here; they still reside in central areas of city and they have a lot of know-how in the techniques of making. They are the last generation of their kind, so we treat them as precious collaborators for our projects. IMPORTANT lesson for all listening: to nurture a partnership between the trades and the fast-pace of the innovations of our technological world with all productive members of our society – emphasizing each ones strengths and contributions and cultivate expertise and pride in all work. Lest we be reliant on other countries to fabricate our dreams.

Nov 20

Gather ‘round and Give Thanks – It’s All Relative!

By pattisays In context of interior design, dining and design, food and interior design, interior design, kitchen, practical design /

A community table… in a place, like the “stand-in-line for days until your table is announced – but WELL worth the wait,” Pasqual’s in Santa Fe, is a stimulating and spontaneous experience. You elect to be seated at the “Community Table” where, in the center of the space, you are seated with total strangers to commune over your meal. Not unlike speed dating – because you are placed between people that you don’t know and conversing about whatever comes to mind and connects from there…however, not fast like “speed dating’ nor as engaging because you are not searching for a mate…
So, where does this place us in this blog? Tonight, we gathered at a friend’s for dinner. The hors d’ oeuvres were many and they were placed on the kitchen island where people usually gather for a party. But the hostess had different ideas. She had a perfectly comfortable farm table nestled into a banco filled with grand, over-stuffed down pillows WHICH that very day she had taken out back and vacuumed to a fare-thee-well.
With encouragement and the talents of a herding dog to steer us, we migrated to the table, where the hors d’oeuvres were transferred in the middle for central reach, and where began an animated collective of multiple conversations – simultaneous and energizing. The drinks were generous and the hors d’oeuvres were plenty. Complex and purely traditional cheeses and crackers, toasts with blue and walnuts, Shitake spread and veggies for the crunch and relief from the decadent and cheesy – yet elegant – proteins of it all!
As it becomes that cozy time of year…we gather with friends and make good conversation…durable, moisture resistant Crypton fabrics have made these kitchen banco pillows/cushions, in the aforementioned very real scene, easy to maintain over the years. Now, in an incredible variety of types, styles and colors, Crypton can be YOUR new best friend. Please don’t abuse it with oils…all other liquids will race off the surface – wine, water, coffee and tea – all other than oils – and even with oils, ACT FAST – and you will mitigate the problem.
Nearing Thanksgiving –we give thanks –gather round and know that others have it much more stressful than we – and if you are stressed – put it in perspective and KNOW that there are others less fortunate. Happy almost Thanksgiving! Think About It!!!!!!

Nov 19

For the LOVE of Life – Bring the Plants Inside!

By pattisays In exterior - outdoor design, interior design, practical design, seasonal interior design, summer /

It’s here…perhaps a week ago- but soon, if not right now –if you haven’t done so already – it’s time to Bring the Plants Inside!!! There is a fine line between being a slave to your geraniums which seem to rejuvenate and thrive with bountiful clusters of flowers just when the air is the coolest, right before the first frost and the person who can ignore the pending doom. HOW can you possibly let them just die in the cold after such a profuse growth spurt and promise of beautiful blooms to come? That’s the irony of seasonal plants – yet, you can successfully bring them inside to weather out the winter months and return to your patio in the spring!
The problem is – where to put them??? It messes with our Interior Design to impose this wild collection of plants into the interior setting that is so precisely organized. You might even consider bringing an étagère from the patio to the inside of your home for the express purpose of placing/saving these many plants in a consolidated vertical footprint. You might place them on the floor if they are large enough to do so – that means occupying a space probably big enough for a lounge chair!!
But it is a season dilemma –very real and continuously challenging. Then there are those brave souls who make that ultimate decision – to “heck” with them – this year I am vindicated – let the frost take them – I’ll watch them shrivel into little clumps of what looks like cooked spinach!! I’ll just buy more next year! Hmmm, an economical decision – maybe…
Versus those who nurture these babies year after year and watch them change, evolve, and grow who could no more leave them to the sure death in the cruel cold of the seasonal change than stay out there themselves to freeze to death in that quiet way that “they say” that particular type of death overcomes one. No – that would NOT be an option!!
So plan ahead and eek out the space needed to house your precious plants for the cold winter months so as to enjoy releasing them to the warmth of spring on your patios bringing their new growth and joy to your outdoor living spaces!