Therese Interior Design - Design

Brooklyn! Hipster Heaven

tbbcwd — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 03:39:34 +0000

It’s a known fact. Designers travel for Inspiration.

Taking in new sites and sounds certainly gets the creative juices flowing.

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Design Cartel Gal Pal, Decorator and Biz Owner, Victoria, of The Clearinghouse Exchange (Greenport, www.tchx.net) when we set out to explore Brooklyn.

Summer is the perfect time to discover Brooklyn. Tip: Start in Williamsburg. This Indie enclave is all about Epicure, the Eclectic and the Experience.

Victoria and I started at what we first thought was an outdoor Flea Market only to happily discover was an outdoor Smorgasburg! We ate our way through the cleverly named venue. A personal delectable favorite was Bon Chovie whose tagline is Swim Fast. Fry Young.

Check out link http://www.smorgasburg.com/vendors/

Brooklyn Soda Works was Victoria’s Favorite. Tip: try the Raspberry and Mint. It’s slick, cool, and decidedly unexpected.

Next stop:

Let me share what visually captured our attention. Originality. New twists on the obvious. It’s amazing how many ways you can create a dress or jewelry or even hats…and hats are that much more expressive when they are hand crafted from newspaper!

Take a hard cover book and transform it into a clock (my fav was Nancy Drew)

When I came across antlers and crystals, I was giddy. Victoria reminded me that there are no ‘lights’ in this light fixture. That seemed like an odd placed after-thought because the lines are so lovingly original…who needs lighting?! (www.evolvinghabitat.com)

I came across a ‘jewelry box’ repurposed from Monopoly (my daughter’s favorite board game) and thought what a great keep box for her college dorm room! (www.anotherworkinprogress.com)

So yellow is out and gray is in. That’s the current trend in home fashion. Having said that, yellow is an amazing understudy to gray and it’s pop of exuberance is exactly what gray needs not to be ‘yawn’ boring. Tip: Use yellow in artwork, accessories, pillows and area rugs.

Architecture in Brooklyn captivates.

As Victoria and I wandered down a side street towards yet another outdoor fair (we literally ate our way through this borough) we happened upon a Church whose chandeliers spoke to us. So we ventured inside. Double whamy. Architecture and a Lebanese food festival fund raiser out back.

Victoria scored dinner and I reveled in the beauty of the Church.

Our last stop was what captivated me the most. As Victoria explained to me, Housing Works is all about Healing, Advocating and Shopping for a Cure. A cure for the twin crises of AIDS and Homelessness. This treasure has superb items for resale at unreal prices. Needless to say, we left with a trunk-full of treasures.

We visited the Shoppe at 122 Montague Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201

So how does all this translate to Design?

It’s about looking at everyday items and re-imagining them into their next life.

Take V’s trunks, for instance. Victoria, as I mentioned, is the owner of The Clearing House, a unique home consignment store in Greenport, NY,

She comes across some incredible pieces. The more “out of the box” the better! Recently, Victoria acquired an antique French steamer trunk.

As she tells it in her own words, “Yes, a gorgeous faded red paint graced the exterior much like lipstick after a sumptuous meal with clues to its place of origin stenciled on the front. The lettering, meticulously done by hand yet barely visible, revealed these words which gave me goosebumps… Champs-Elysees.

So Not long after, in walks one of the most unique women I have ever met and immediately she spies the trunk. “Oh my goodness” she remarks. “Tell my about this piece!” As we chatted and touched and walked around her to imagine the possibilities of a ‘restoration’ we both came to the conclusion that leaving her just as she was on the outside would tell the tale of her long and delicious life. However, we agreed that a facelift to her inner beauty would be just the trick. Being the diva that she is, my client asked for an opulent yet practical remake of the interior so she might store her feminine wiles away as before. “The more sparkle & bling the better” were her parting words.

Left to my imagination and true to my commitment to re-purpose & re-use, I began the creative fun.

Removing the old crumbling wallpaper as is sometimes the lining of these old trunks left a clean surface to attached the batting too.

Sheets of poly batting were cut to size once the interior surfaces were measured and these measurements can be used again to cut the fabric. I used a spray adhesive to attach the batting. Do this outdoors if possible due to the fumes. Then, as I learned by trial & error, wash your hands before starting on the fabric…sticky fingers become a winning video for ‘America’s Funniest’ when working with fabric.

Then the thick, glamorous gold velvet is cut to size and hot glued to the corners. You need to pull back or leave a teeny space at the corners were the batting meets so the hot glue for the fabric attaches to the wood & not the batting. This is a “soft” upholstery style and not to be confused with nailing and a tight fit. I wanted a soft almost cuddly interior for Madame Diva’s sweaters & girlie things.

Once the velvet was secure, I used scraps of teal & pink satin cording at the corners and around the bottom to hide any gaps and to finish the joined edges. I guess if you’re really good at maneuvering a large piece of fabric into place you don’t’ have to cut each individual piece. Not so for me, I handle smaller things with greater confidence. Next, I had just enough dazzling pink/gold/teal crystal bead trim to finish all along the top edge. This gave me that “OMG” response when opening the lid to peek inside. Lastly, I used a teal brushy trim, very ‘kitty-cat tail’ to trim out the recessed sides of the top.

VOILA!!!!! In all her glory as I had imagined! The wonderful thing about any of this is that whatever you can imagine…you can do! The colors you love… the textures that thrill… the objects transformed… are only limited by your vision. Think beyond.”

Victoria taught me that Design is all about surrendering to the inevitable. It’s there were you find your inner Inspiration.

It’s called Brooklyn….

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Design

Design Cartel

Crazy for Chairs

tbbcwd — Fri, 31 May 2013 02:18:02 +0000

My guilty obsession.

Find one with ‘good bones’ and it is amazing how many ways you can reinvent seating and for a lot less than you think!

Be it a Desk, Wing, Club, Chaise, Occasional, Slipper or Dining Room seating. If you are on the hunt for one with good bones, think outside the box…ahem, frame.

Where to shop: Antique Stores, Attics, Flea Markets, Consignment Shoppes, Grandma’s house or Manhattan Upper East Side curbside before trash day.

Albert Hadley once noted, ‘Nothing comes cheap, though the educated eye will always spot very nice things for the least money.’”

Rule of Thumb: Chair must have good bones.
What does this mean? Well made. Built to last.

The following insight made me chuckle – and it is so true. “Older is better,” says upholsterer George Spicer. “If it was going to fall apart, it would have by now.”

Tips on how to select a Chair with Good Bones:

Pick chair up. If it is light and flies out of your hand, walk away. Well-made furniture is substantial.

Sit on it. How does it feel? Are you rocking to and fro? Fine if it is a rocking chair, not so if it is a desk chair.

Turn chair over and inspect the joints. Seat frames at each corner should be reinforced with wooden blocks.

Look for dowels and not glue.

Beware staples and gauze on the bottom of chairs as this is not some odd art project.

Check out the legs. Run your hand over length of any exposed wood. Knots, although lovely for design, will lead to cracking. Check for smoothness and look for even finishes. Roughness and changes in color indicate inferior craftsmanship.

Signs of higher quality chairs include counter-sunk screws and good bracing in the bottom.

Is it a harder solid wood like cherry, maple, walnut and mahogany? You might want to avoid pine as it is a soft wood. Soft woods ‘shift’ over time and they scratch easily.

Avoid veneers.

Over the years, we have had fun reinventing seating for our Clients. If you are on a tight budget, you might want to try spending $149 on a Ballard Parsons Chair and then ‘dress it up’ seasonally with slipcovers.

OR visit your local Estate Sale and invest in a Shabby Chic Vintage look

I picked up one such item for $2, left its frame spattered with white chipped paint and added purple crystal beading and a purple/white polka dot seat – it rocked the room!

Want to have some fun? Compliments of Wild Chairy. Always think outside the frame…

So what are the new textile trends? Well Home Fashion follows Couture. So take a look at the runways. Pattern on Pattern.

Dare to layer. Why not reupholster your dining room chairs with the Model’s ‘skirt’ and outfit your dining room table with cloth in Model’s ‘blouse’ utilizing tableware in the hues of fashion for Spring 2013?

Recommended Upholsterers. I have a few.

Victoria of The Clearinghouse Exchange in Greenport. Her workmanship is spot on and she has an enormous warehouse filled to the brim with one of a kind finds from the Hamptons, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, Connecticut….

Victoria even has specials where the chair frames are free and you only pay for upholstering which she does on site. Victoria also showcases reams upon reams of fabric to play with. Check her out: www.tchx.net

I also like Lou of Rocky Point Upholsterers. For over 50 years he has perfected his craft and his workmanship is second to none. Lou is solid. www.rockypointupholsterers.com

So let’s talk Chairs.

My favorite chair of all time ….

Klismos. The Egyptians knew what they were doing. The lines are surreal. The beauty transcends time.

So what is your favorite chair? You’ll be amazed how much of your TRUE Design Style and Sensibility is defined by the type of chair you gravitate towards.

Are you Traditional?

How about Transitional?

Maybe Modern speaks to you?

Eclectic a.k.a. Crazy Fun Loving?

Rock on and think outside the Frame.

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Design

Closet Magic

tbbcwd — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:58:21 +0000

Closets – One of the single most under-utilized spaces in our homes.

Metaphorically speaking, to clean out your closet is to gain control of your life.

To design your closet so it suits your lifestyle is to achieve Nirvana!

Are you aware of the Pareto Principle? It’s commonly referred to as the 80/20 Rule. It goes something like this: 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your clients. Or 80% of the time, your kids will gravitate towards the same 20% of their toys.

Apply this concept to your closet and 80% of the time you are wearing the same 20% of your clothes. Really? So I’m wasting 80% of my closet space?

Test it out. Hang each hanger “the wrong way”.

Then, every time you wear item on hanger, turn that hanger around. After a short time, you’ll see what clothes you are consistently wearing and what ones are taking up valuable closet real estate.

Let’s Design our way to a Dream Closet.

Step One: Purge

I asked Professional Organizer Gal Pal and Design Cartel member Jackie Mastropolo of SPACES Organizing Solutions for some of her tried and true Tips:

“Before you even think of designing a closet or having a professional design one for you, go through and ditch all the clothing and shoes that you no longer want or need. Be courageous and go for it! There are plenty of worthy causes to donate to and this will help you get a realistic idea of what you actually own and how much space you need.”

Step 2: Organize

Make Groupings of the clothing you think you are going to keep. Place items either on your bed or floor.

Then…
Arrange items by purpose. Is it formal wear? Is it professional? Is it casual?
Arrange by color
Arrange by size: short hang vs. long hang

Step 3: Stand back and survey the landscape. Look what is left.

You may find you have an over-abundance of dresses which require rods for long hang section. Alternatively, you may find you are a sweater fanatic and would benefit from shelving.

Tip: go with solid shelving over wire as your clothes will ‘wear’ better on a solid surface.

Jackie remarks, “Make sure your closet is designed to fit your needs. If you are a person that likes to see all of your clothing at a glance, opt for plenty of hanging space. If your lifestyle is busy and ease of access is your main priority, incorporate shelving and pull-out drawers or baskets to store items.

Store larger, bulkier items (think luggage and blankets) on higher shelves and keep a small step-stool nearby to access these items, especially if they are not frequently used. Avoid putting smaller items on the higher shelves, since it’s easy for them to get lost up there.

Step Four: Measure your Closet

Take note of length, depth, height and returns

This is where it gets fun!

Our Firm took a 6’ wide Master bedroom closet and designed it no less than six unique ways for our Client.

Some of the stylings were subtle but they all hit the mark. Maximize finite space in organized fashion for Client’s preferences with systems she could purchase at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

As Jackie reminds us, “Remember that you are the expert when it comes to knowing what will meet your needs. The perfect closet system is one that is easy to use and maintain!”

Today’s closet systems have some fun specialty components.

Pull Out Mirrors
Jewelry Boxes
Accessory Organizers – If you can see it, you will use it.
Pull outs are brilliant!

When it comes to shoe storage, you have to think outside the box and get creative. Latest estimates have women owing on average 27 pairs of shoes. Really? We only have two feet. Well, ok, then we have to get creative with how we are going to store these puppies.

Seeing as most of us probably don’t have this expanse of space, we may have to resort to clear acrylic boxes strategically placed on closet shelving

Florence shoe storage has a workable solution.

Or you can get creative with a Ferris wheel for your pumps….

Perhaps mount shoes on the wall or under the stairs!

When displaying jewelry, my favorite source is Robert H. Ham.

Finally, remember to personalize your closet – inject a little “you” into your space. You want to smile every time you step inside.

Artwork, whimsy and color works wonders!

Don’t forget what’s tucked inside those closed doors – it’s a wondrous space to explore and Design as your own!

Tags:

Design

Organization

Lighting is magical

tbbcwd — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 01:41:47 +0000

“Light is the magical ingredient that makes or breaks a space; it’s one of the most important elements in all my interiors.”— Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, Interior Designer.

With that in mind, here are some Basic Lighting Tips to consider in your Design Plans.

Every room should have balanced lighting which falls into three categories:

Ambient
Task
Sparkle

Walk into your kitchen. Look around. The overhead lights are ambient. If you have windows in your kitchen, the natural light filtering through is ambient. Ambient lighting refers to the general light that is necessary to function in a space.

If you have under-cabinet kitchen lighting, that is Task. Table lamps, recessed lights, track lighting systems, pendants, puck lights and LED strip lighting are working examples of task lighting.

Sparkle is that extra wow factor. Sparkle is sensational! It sets the mood and enhances architectural features. Chandeliers, MR16s, sconces, Christmas lights, candles (including battery powered votives) are examples of Sparkle lighting.

Now take a walk into that uninspired room in your home Look around. Do you have ambient, task and sparkle and is it balanced throughout the space or focused all in one corner?

Layer your light sources and place them at different heights throughout the room.

Have fun with all your surfaces. Don’t forget your ceiling. For example, you can trick the eye into making a room look larger than it is by incorporating cove lighting to illuminate a tray ceiling which has been painted with a high gloss finish.

To make an unexpected design statement, hang a chandelier directly under a skylight

To triple the overall lighting effect in your space, always add dimmers.

Try your hand at the inside of your lampshade. By applying a gold or silver reflective liner, you are helping reflect light away from the shade and up top/out bottom of fixture. This keeps outer appearance of shade the same color whether light is on/off and increases overall light output.

Totally experiment with light bulbs.

I asked Interior Designer gal pal Theresa Seabaugh (Seabaugh Interiors.com – and member of The Design Cartel) her Illuminating Tips:

“It is important to know that light bulbs are different colors. Do not mix colors in your room!”

“My all time favorite bulb is GE Reveal. If you can find it, buy the box! GE Reveal comes in both Edison bulb shape & flood.

It casts a warm light with a slightly pink color. It lights up your skin, while lighting up your room.

By contrast, CFL’s cast a harsh light, which makes skin look sickly green….”

If by now you realize your lighting plan is a bit dismal, then it is time to go Shopping!

Here’s what I do.

First, start sourcing online prior to purchase. Some of my favorite sites:

Lamps Plus
Crystorama
WAC Lighting
Luna Bella
Lutron
Rejuvenation
Shades of Light

Once you have sourced a fixture, test drive it at your local showroom. It is critical that you see the fixture in person – and lit! You will be amazed at how completely and utterly different a fixture looks online or in a catalogue versus in person. It is simply two different animals.

Some Showrooms will work with you and actually order a sample for you to view prior to purchase. Personally, I like AC Electric in Smithtown. Tell Mike that Therese sent you!

So what are Today’s Lighting Hot Trends?

Sustainable materials woven into the overall design – example: bamboo and natural stone .

We are also seeing Traditional elements overlaid with a Modern edge.

Energy efficiency – LED lights take the lead. Lower utility bills and long-lasting luminescence. LED tape strips that are supremely thin and about an inch wide are hot. They can be used for cove lighting, niche areas, back lighting mirrors and under cabinets.

Finishes – Brushed nickel is passe! Polished and shiny nickel and chrome are taking the lead.

Finally, find yourself in your space. Have fun and be sure to inject your personality. Take a page from Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, Interior Designer, whose signature ‘feathers’ find a home in his beautifully sculpted spaces.

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Lighting

Design

Color

tbbcwd — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:52:25 +0000

Color is subjective.

Its beauty lies in the eye of its beholder.

When choosing a color for your space, rely on a few Tried and True Designer Tips.

Cool colors make a space appear larger.

Warm colors make a space appear smaller.

Consider exposure of room. North? South? East? West?

Each exposure has a different effect on color which will change how the color appears over different times of the same day and whether it is a sunny or rainy day.

Take out your color wheel.

Remember that complementary colors (those opposite on the color wheel) work well when you want to create a statement. Red and green. Orange and blue. Be sure to edit their use so they don’t visually overwhelm.

Analogous colors (those next to one another on the color wheel) create naturalistic, harmonious serene pairings. They also require contrast so as not to be boring. Black, white or gray works well.

Consider that Color has psychological components which enhance emotional impact.

Red is an appetite stimulant. It is a passionate color for bedrooms as it is emotionally intense.

Orange aids digestion and engages the brain. Great for children play areas and hallways. If it is too much for you, then use a pop of orange instead.

Yellow enhances concentration and speeds metabolism. Use sparingly in nurseries. Great for kitchens and home offices.

Green improves vision and alleviates anxiety. Great for libraries and bathrooms.

Blue is soothing and calming. It suppresses appetite and stimulates thought. Obvious choice for bedrooms … and your kitchen if you are on a diet!

Pink is proven calming for children with ADHD. Try in bedrooms for a great night’s sleep.

Purple is dramatic, versatile and has a definite modern edge.

Cream is warmer than stark white and is Universal in its appeal and use.

Now let’s talk Budget.

If your budget is tight and you don’t plan on repainting your space within the next three years, pick a neutral palette for your largest surface: the Walls. Cast your walls as Supporting Actors in your overall design.

You can economically ‘change it up’ by seasonally introducing brilliantly colored pillows, slipcovers, lampshades, window treatments, area rugs, and ottomans.

Finally, test drive your color. Take it out for a spin. (color wheel pun!)

Designers know that the color which appears on a paint chip in a store is not necessarily the same ‘color’ when applied to the walls in your home. All the aforementioned factors play a role. So we take white poster board and hold it up to the wall. Then place our color sample on top of white poster board so we are looking at the color sample and NOT the wall behind it.

Then we live with it. Keep the white poster board with your color samples affixed on your wall for at least three days… making sure that you can view the boards during different times of the day. If you work full time and are only home at night, then do this over the weekend. You want to see how your color changes from morning to night and on sunny vs. cloudy days.

Don’t drive yourself crazy. Keep choices to three samples – max. Otherwise you will second guess yourself and not be able to make a decision.

By the end of the three days, you will know which color(s) you prefer.

Then invest in that can of paint and have fun!

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Design

Color

Elsie de Wolfe

tbbcwd — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:50:48 +0000

We all have Idols.
Maybe it’s Frank Gehry.
Or Ryan Seacrest (I’m joking)
Or Freddie Mercury (I’m not joking)

Mine – Lady Mendl, Elsie de Wolfe

Gotta love a chick that comes up with the brilliant idea to put her name on a business card, pass it around to her eclectic circle of friends and do what she was built by birth to do: Paint a beautiful indoor landscape. She is the first Interior Decorator. Let’s learn from her.

American Decades opines that Elsie “was probably the first woman to dye her hair blue, to perform handstands to impress her friends, and to cover eighteenth-century footstools in leopard-skin chintzes.”

Quite poetic coming from someone so over the top – but what was Elsie’s real message?

Elsie was all about harmony, balance, scale, and proportion. She did it with mirrors, plush animal skin textiles, color and balance… and the knowledge that less is more.

“The cardinal virtue of all beauty is restraint.”

Less truly is more. If you find something you love, that’s great… but use it sparingly in your design. Don’t bludgeon it to death. Its power is in its Simplicity. So many times I am invited into a home and find every wall, every surface, every dimension occupied with ‘stuff’.

Remember there is a balance between positive and negative space. Less is more. That which is not decorated finds its voice. The essence of ‘space’ is in its substance of non conformity.

Take it from a brilliant blue haired artist who single handedly transformed some of the most prestigious spaces in NYC – Elsie knew when to stop… and so should we.

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Design