It’s Not Quite Right. How Do I Fix It?

You know things are not quite right…at a glance, it all looks good – but something is not quite right… too loud, too quiet, bland, boring, just not interesting, not working, not quite right – but you can’t put your finger on what is bothering you or why. I could be talking about blind dates – or the significant other that everyone thinks is terrific, but you know that it’s not what you want or need right now. Can you fix this? The similarities are astonishingly comparable to observations you might make, or discomfort you might feel, in your interior environment. Replay that list of disappointing observations you might find, in a would-be he or she, and apply it to you interior. See how funny/similar it can be!!

Fixing people is not quite as easy as making changes in your property. But the similarities, in evaluating, being uncomfortable and not being able to put your finger on the exact problem and making the decision(s) necessary to rectify things, are. Identifying the problem is often the roadblock.

Maybe you’re just tired of it and you want it refreshed. Do you want something new? Do you want to change it around – rearrange? Can you do that? Do you need to start over or can you salvage the best parts and improve others?

Having scrambled all of these people-personality traits and interior features, let’s focus on the subject at hand – interiors. This conversation occurs often. Someone will bring to my attention something that either bothers them, or an idea that they think will improve their space. More times than not, I realize that the objective view will notice that the items identified or ideas offered are not at all what is wrong or, by changing, will improve the space.

Case in point, an appointment scheduled to discuss large windows in a great room. The client thought that the room needed draperies. It would have been an expensive installation regardless of the cost of the fabric – just due to the area to cover. I have used this example before, because it is so prime. My first questions were: Is this for sun-control? To which she answered that no, she faced east and had a generous overhang on her patio. Is it for privacy? No, she assured me that nobody lived east of her and that was not a concern. Is it as a decorative element? Her answer was cautiously enthusiastic that yes, she thought that a decorative drapery treatment was just what she needed to improve the look and feel of the space.

I scanned the room seeing the tired, stained carpet, poorly arranged furniture, toys strewn about and piles of papers on every surface…and I knew that draperies were not going to improve this scene. Because it was their primary living space and they were obviously hard on it, I suggested that she trade her carpet for tile and a large area rug, I helped her rearrange her furniture, suggested toy bins, and advised against the draperies. She had the good fortune of a relative in the flooring business and so I helped her select the tile and carpet to be cut into a rug and her installation was quickly completed, at far less cost to her than window treatments would have been. With paint to refresh, the end result was so successful that she could not stop talking about how the transformation made her feel so good and that she just couldn’t see it – hadn’t bee able to decide what needed to be done.

Feeling good about your interior spaces. Your private space needs to make you feel good for so many reasons…security, comfort, relaxation, motivation, joy, inspiration, identification…Times change and styles change, some things are classic and some are fleeting and trendy. Your interior responds to your place in time. Refreshing it is a natural response to changing times and life stages.

Recently I was asked to look at the walls in a kitchen. They were a medium sage against a natural blond wood ceiling. We had just lightened the walls of an adjacent room. She said “I think I want to change my wall color – don’t you think it’s too dark?” So I looked around and pondered…it’s a cozy room, the color is neutral and contrasts well with the wood ceiling…I wondered, is it too dark? How will it change if we select a new color – specifically a lighter color? I knew that they enjoyed spending time in this space, more-so in the winter as they had many wonderful outdoor areas to spend time in the warmer months.

So I thought about the room in winter…the dark walls gave it a close, soft, comfortable, cozy feel. But upon gazing around the room, I noticed that the cabinets had a modern, flat, radius design, worn in several places, were blond wood (when the rest of the doors and trim throughout the house were raised panel and all white), and in no way seemed to reflect the interior design theme of the rest of the home.

I offered that maybe the cabinet doors and drawers should be replaced with new raised panel versions. The boxes and hardware were in fine condition, the replacing of the doors and drawers would be less costly and intrusive than replacing all of the cabinetry. She expressed shock at this observation. I was suggesting keeping the wall color, refreshing the cabinets, painting them white and voila – a new, brighter kitchen without lightening the walls. It would retain the cozy feel, but with a fresh look! And I have since considered that the island might be another color – yet to be determined.

We have recently done a similar fix to existing cabinets – and the result was amazing.

Salvage what makes sense and spruce up/replace what needs it. Need help deciding how to know what to do and what not to do? Call your favorite interior designer!

Posted On July 1, 2017 By pattisays In creativity, custom design interior design, design, design tips, flooring, hiring an interior designer, interior design, joy, kitchen, lifestyle, practical design, re-purpose, remodeling, window dressings /

Touch IT – Feel IT – Tangible Textures!

I am so all appreciative of texture and color and sheen and lack thereof…that I KNOW that it is impossible to make any decision about fabrics or any other textile for that matter, rugs, weavings…via a monitor or screen. We are all becoming so dependent upon the instantaneous access of information through the internet – finding sources on-line and virtually ALL of our purchases – that we are forgetting the tactile necessity of determining value, applicability, and certainly true visual appeal with tangible samples.

Yes, we can order memo samples and those of us in practice for the past few decades KNOW that we have to order samples every now and again – that is IF we have our own source library or a number of showrooms close at hand to do the instant gratification portion of the search.

Most clients LOVE to come to the library and see the many options, play with the samples and participate in the design of their project. It is a one-stop experience that sets the stage. We then have all the many distributors and showrooms, mills and factories from which we can order additional materials. But the resource library of tactile samples of fabrics, flooring, wall-coverings, flooring, rugs is exciting.

There are those who prefer fewer choices – just show me a couple of options and I’ll be fine. Quite the opposite of the one who wants you to prepare a dozen scenarios for their consideration. Yes, they pay for that luxury, but the ones who appreciate the hunt -who appreciate the searching through samples to compile their favorites – THEY are the ones who really get into the Creative Process ( see recent post on this very subject).

Living on an island – as we often feel we are – we HAVE to compile a significant source library in order to have the samples available for on-sight instant compilation for a project. Yet having all the resources close at hand, as in the showrooms of larger cities, we still have to drive there to do the work. I must say, I am spoiled with such a comprehensive source library at my studio where I go any time of day and do research to gather myriad samples to satisfy a project’s needs.

It’s taken decades to evolve. It takes a lot of concentration to keep it in order and up-to-date. That is invaluable. This isn’t to say that after spending several hours searching, culling, sorting and weighing possibilities against for-sure options, that I don’t have to occasionally call the many mills and distributors and ask for special pieces that have eluded me on my search. I might have gathered several coordinating/contrasting and fabulous samples, but lack that one blue and white striped pattern that I have visualized since the inception. It is then that I reach out and say – “I can’t find the right blue and white stripe – please send me what you have for upholstery weight.” And the samples begin to arrive and usually the missing link in the design puzzle will be found – sooner or later. IT is out there.

But the value of the well-organized and well stocked library is an invaluable tool. Yes, it is a tool – THE primary tool for a designer after their own imagination’s creativity. It fills the blanks of that creativity with actual materials that complete the design. And having a resource library on-site in our own studio saves much time and offers a plethora of options, materials, finishes, inspiration and those priceless tangible sample at our fingertips that MAKE an interior design.

Posted On June 10, 2017 By pattisays In artistic expression, creative process, creativity, decorative arts, design, design process, design tips, hiring an interior designer, inspiration, interior design, organization, re-upholstery, upholstery, wall texture, weavings, window dressings /

Bonetti Designs Like a Party with Dr. Seuss, Willy Wonka and Dali

This month’s Architectural Digest August 2016 sports Anderson Cooper lounging on the cover in a backdrop of lush tropical vegetation and a glistening pool. But it was what I discovered inside about which I blog today. Paris-based designer Mattia Bonetti and his love of color and wacky style caught my eye. How could it help but do so? His creativity gone wild with little restraint is like Dr. Seuss parties with Willy Wonk and Dali!! Fanciful forms and incredible colors are the signatures of his psychedelic scenes.

Whether you like his designs or are a bit overwhelmed by them, he made a profound quote that I think bears some discussion. Evidently the author of the article, Mitchell Owens thought so too as he isolated it as a leading statement. Bonetti predicts “If people who can afford incredible decors keep commissioning bland minimalist interiors, it’s the end of decoration.”

I loved that statement. Yet inasmuch as I appreciate the bland minimalists for their value in their own context, I just liked the premise that decoration is what puts things out there. It’s what sets things apart. It is what stirs new creativity, commentary and explosions of art and design decadence.

Decoration – boldly going where no designer has gone before, Bonetti creates many of his pieces from tables to lamps, rugs to headboards and all with a fanciful animation that nearly comes alive. Like it or not, you can’t help but react. It catches the eye and forces response.

Fine scribbles on the wall in a graphite grey contrasting with loud geometrics all with splashes if not washes of color – maybe better said drowning in color in some instances – Bonetti is not afraid. Embracing the extraordinary he mixes and crashes his forms and colors in screaming crescendos that excite and disturb. His tables look as though they could walk – or slither – or in some way motate themselves across the room.

As a designer we should (my opinion) be designing for the client. To find a client who would want such creative experimentation is rare. Either in cases of wild abandon, second or third homes, freaky fanaticism over art and decoration – they are not the rule, but could be fun if given the license to proceed.

Hula hoops…Iridescent life-savers…fun with circles and stripes of color!!!

I play with color. As evidenced in my portfolio www.patriciandesign.com but never with such unfettered, unleashed audacity. Yet I believe that color is the best way to punctuate a design.

An overall view of Bonetti’s work will unveil these fanciful forms for sure but not always accompanied by the intense colors displayed in this featured article of the Hong Kong apartment. But Dr. Seuss’s design influence is nearly always present in his creations which are inspired and freeing. So let’s unleash decoration today!!!

Posted On August 6, 2016 By pattisays In art and interior design, artistic expression, Bonetti, colors, context of interior design, decorative arts, design, design trends, Dr. Seuss, drama of color, fanciful design, interior design, interior design trends, painted furniture, personal expression, window dressings /

All’s Well That Ends Well

The last leaves are about to drop and the intensity of these red ones was smack dab on the mark of an elegant drapery design/installation that we recently completed. And what a trial it was…
After so many years in practice …need I count? I have had the genuine pleasure of working with so very many people on a broad variety of projects and none to date have rivaled the Murphy’s Law series of events of this one.
Wonderful people, smart, thoughtful and creative – a follow-up consultation to a successful one of a year or two past, and an interesting combination of new design opportunities presented a creative challenge. The first item was concern for privacy and possible dressing of dining room windows. At the same time, two adjacent windows – long skinny and operable – begged for some attention.
The solution, (in this Asian-themed fairly formal dining room)was a fully lined, embroidered rich crimson red fabric of side panels backed by lightly textured but translucent full- width sheers – hung by rings on an iron rod with hand-forged hammered ball finals.
The fabric was in stock. It was put on reserve while we received approval to proceed with the order. The urgency of securing the fabric was the first order of business. Once done, the schedule to fabricate could be pursued. The order was placed and the fabric arrived within a week. That was the first phase. Without the fabric, nothing else can happen. You can select a fabric – fall in love with it – and then find that it is not in stock or even if you have reserved it, the stock has been sold out from under you. So in this case, securing the fabric was a coup.
The seamstress – our favorite – was pressed with many other orders and her daughter’s wedding. We said we could wait. She thought that she could have the order out in 6 weeks. And just about that time, maybe seven weeks, she finished the draperies. The client was anxious (not due to any date that we had previously been advised about) and indicated that she had waited “so long” for the draperies. We scheduled the installation and arrived on the scene. The installer proceeded to assemble the iron hardware that had been delivered to the site.
He elected to use his own counter-sinks instead of the ones include by the iron fabricator. The installer’s sinks were larger than the hand-painted screws provided by the installer so that when he put his in the wall and proceeded to install the screws – they spun around in the sinks – oops. At that point, the holes by his sinks were larger than the sinks proved by the fabricator – so an alternative was not at hand. He decided that they would hold for now and that he would come back and adjust the pieces later.
Then we carefully unwrapped the finely pressed to perfection draperies – only to find that they were a couple of inches too short – YES! At which point we could only re-wrap them with great care so as not to ruin the perfectly pressed folds and return them to the seamstress.
As it turned out, the communication about the placement of the double rods and their rings and relative length of the draperies was in error – oops! So the rods remained and draperies were returned to the seamstress with instructions to lengthen them accordingly.
Unbeknownst to us, the seamstress had enlisted the aid of a friend with a larger table as she didn’t want to work on such fine material at such a length on her smaller table. Unfortunately, the friend left town without leaving access to her home so we were 8 days waiting for her return in order to access her house and the draperies left on her table. The client was beside herself.
Inasmuch as we had never determined a date for completion, it was becoming an unusually protracted exercise in time to fabricate and install a drapery treatment – especially in light of the fact that the fabric had been immediately available. It was more about the delay in starting on the part of the seamstress – which at first was not perceived as a problem – but when they were the wrong length, the client was perturbed and more than disappointed and then to have them inaccessible in another’s house was strange – but true – and seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. So that’s where we stood. The client was in tears.
The seamstress came to the site to verify the dimensions, learned that the client was hosting a luncheon in a week and was unable to commit to having them finished due to the fact that they were stuck in a friend’s inaccessible house.
The seamstress hovered over the phone of the absent friend to insure that she would have access immediately upon her return. And as soon as she did returned, the process to modify the draperies began. Within 24 hours the changes were made and the draperies were scheduled to install. The client’s luncheon was the following day. The install went without a hitch. The draperies and their installation were perfection. Except for one other thing, (remember, Murphy’s Law?). The center bracket was too long and projected down an inch into the window. NOT apparent to anyone in passing but the owners knew and it certainly was not the right detail. So it sat in their craw for a couple more days until we could get the iron fabricator out there and with the help of the client, cut, paint and re-install it.
There are many cruel and frightening things happening in the world every day. Inconveniences like this in a privileged world – not intentional – and among many caring and responsible people –who for unknown reasons of coincidence, human error, or some fantastic confluence of energy is a Murphy’s Law that is to be recognized as such, understood – if not laughed about – and moved beyond. However, this particular series of events (and a couple of equally innocent others that occurred for this one couple on their four month design project) unnerved them.
The end product was beautiful. They have expressed their pleasure with the final outcome and we hope that they will appreciate all the effort that went into the compensating accommodations despite and/for the freaky series of Murphy’s Law events that riddled their project. All’s well that ends well.