Resource Day: Wisteria

I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is catalogues. For me, there is nothing better than the end of the day, sitting at my desk, flipping through the latest retail delights that are available to me. Whether it is cookies, clothing or candles, I will look at them all. Thank goodness, I don't buy a whole lot of this stuff, but I do love to look. An exception to this, is one catalogue that I think stands out from the rest, and that is Wisteria. I think that this company really has it going on. With a mixture of new and vintage stuff, it presents just the right amount of unusual things to set it apart from the norm.

Because I get inundated with these things, I start to notice that certain items can show up in 3 or 4 different catalogues. I don't find that with Wisteria, the stuff is always fresh, well presented, and most importantly to me well-priced. So if you have a moment, check them out and see what they have to offer, you will be pleasantly surprised I think.

Just as a general note, Resource Day, is a day a week that I dedicate to a different resource that I like. I don't write about resources that I don't like, my experience may not be yours and I don't think this is the venue for me to vent. I also do not get paid or asked to write about these companies, I write because I genuinely want them to succeed because I think that they offer something worthwhile.

Thursday is Resource Day:Accessories

As usual Thursday is Resource Day, and on these days I try to highlight a particular resource that I really enjoy using. I have tried to use places that anyone can use, regardless of what part of the United States, or for that matter, the world you may be reading this blog in. Today is a little bit of an exception to that rule. Today's posting is a store in Los Angeles, and while they have a growing web presence, nothing can compare to a visit to their store. The store is Colburn/Sassaman (www.colburnsassaman.com). It has been in Los Angeles now, in one form or another for about 11 years, always in the same location, and is a great resource for accessories for the home. Founded by Shannon Colburn and recently joined with Interior Designer, Nicole Sassaman, the store is a teeming melange of product that varies so much in style, scale and price point, that no matter what project I am working on, I can always find something here.

This week I have been putting together a great house that we have been working on in Northern California, and sure enough, a trip to their store was in order, I found some great bath accessories, artwork and some terrific primitive African pieces. Even after my client called and told me that they needed 8 magazine holders for different rooms (they are avid readers), Shannon didn't disappoint, and I had my choice of modern, transitional and traditional.

So, if you are in Los Angeles, stop by, if nothing else it's always a joy to meet people who are so passionate about their interests and you never know what you will come across. If not in Southern California, check out the website, or if you are after something specific, drop them an email, they would love to hear from you.

Colburn/Sassaman

540 North La Cienega Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(310) 358- 9025

Thursday is Resource Day

I was out shopping for a client the other day and I went to one of my favorite stores and was reminded again what I liked so much about it. Often, people equate cost to quality or taste, I beg to differ. Today's resource could not be more the opposite of that idea. It is Cost Plus World Market. I love these stores, they are a treasure trove of well priced ideas. I have included a few images of some of the things I especially liked.

The first one is this great dinner set. It is sold by the piece, and while I am not convinced that a whole set is for me, I am using one or two pieces as bathroom accessories for a major celebrity client right now. I think that the pattern has such great coloration that it goes so well in a bathroom, and is a welcome relief from crystal or plain ceramic, that you see so much of. They would also make a great addition to a desk as well. The key is to find what you like, then ask the question "what else could this be?".



The next thing is this stunning folding screen. It has a woven rope pattern attached to the face, that gives it a cool hip look, but I think that for someone on a budget it would make a terrific headboard. If you want something with a bit more drama, take it all the way across the bed wall, and place your bedside tables in front. It will give your room a very chic, modern primitive feel.



Lastly, I am thrilled to announce the death of the Tiki Torch as the default backyard light. These fabulous little string lights are festive without making your garden look like a year round Cinco de Mayo party. String a bunch together and loop them back and forth over the area you want to light and sit back, and listen to the praise of your friends.



So I hope you enjoy this resource, remember the question to keep asking yourself is "what else can I use this for"?

Mixing Antiques with Modern Pieces

There is a new posting over at DesignTalk today, where I discuss techniques of mixing Antiques with more modern pieces. Drop by and take a look.

http://designtalk.homevisions.com/

Have a great day!

Answer Day: Accessories

Today is answer day, and I have had several requests by people for me to talk about how to use accessories in a room. Accessories are basically the bits and pieces that you use around a room that add texture and color to a space, whether they be frames, or lamps or collectibles. I think that they play a very important part in design, because you can use them to tell a story; maybe its a group of souvenirs from your dream vacation, or series of family photographs that tell your family story, they all come together to tell the story of your choosing. The images above are from a show house that I did several years ago, and the problem for a designer in a lot of these cases is that since there is no client, there is no story to tell. So I used more items than I normally would to create a fictitious history full of drama and intrigue.

Here are some ideas for displaying accessories for maximum impact:

• Try creating groups, that have some relationship to each other, for instance, all the pictures of your grandparents together in one area, your children's pictures in another.
• I like groups of odd numbers, three, five or seven, seems to work well.
• When creating groupings, try to vary the height a little bit, it will make it much more interesting to the eye, you can see that I used books in some places to create a lift.
• Don't be afraid of the floor, you will notice that I have used stacks of books on the floor, or other heavier accessories, it grounds the work and gives a more substantial feeling.
• Don't be afraid to layer, I had an old tapestry that was pretty worn, not great on the floor or as a hanging by itself, but looked terrific with a mirror in front of it, creating a very luxurious look.
• Don't be afraid to mix periods, I like to juxtapose elements, such as a modern lamp against an old relic, I feel that the tension you create, makes each of the pieces more interesting in their own right.
• Only use elements that have some meaning to you, don't buy things just because you want to fill the space, the end result will be hollow and non personal. Take your time and let your collection grow slowly and over time.
• Just because you own it, you don't have to use it. If you have a lot of things that you want to display, why not create a rotating collection? A summer and a winter!

Happy Displaying!

Answer Day: Lighting

I received a question during the week, asking me to share some thoughts about how best to light a room, and what kind of fixtures were best to use. I like this question because I have very definite feelings on the subject, and I hope you will find this illuminating (sorry I couldn't resist).

Fundamentally, there are two types of light, one that falls on vertical surfaces (walls, artwork etc) that provides depth to a room, and light that falls on horizontal surfaces (floors, tables etc) that provides drama to a room. You can use different types of fixtures to provide the different types of light. For instance, a recessed ceiling light will provide almost exclusively light on horizontals, while a wall sconce almost all the light falls on vertical surfaces (remember that when people are in the room, you are usually vertical, so this kind of lighting is good for rooms where you entertain, and is considered flattering).

So the short answer to the question, is that you want to create a mix of different light sources, so that the room has a good dynamic feel.

Here are some tips you might find helpful:

• 
  
  Start with the light on horizontal surfaces, use it to create a visual path through the room, it will stop the space from feeling too chaotic.


• 
  
  Fixtures that provide this kind of light include recessed lights, ceiling lights that are very close to the ceiling, not hanging low, and table or standing lamps with opaque shades.


• 
  
  Remember that the ceiling is usually part of the horizontal surfaces in the room, make sure you place some lamps in a way that will get lighting up there too, it will make a huge difference.


• 
  
  When adding lighting onto vertical surfaces, pay attention to where people are going to be sitting and standing, you don't want light falling directly in your eyes.


• 
  
  Try and create one or two focal points on the walls around the room, that can be lit a little brighter, this will make the space feel larger and provide some depth.


• 
  
  When there are other spaces leading off your room, be sure to pay attention to their light, you don't want black holes!


• 
  
  Lastly experiment with bulbs of different wattage and color, it can make a big difference too and enable you to create warmer and cooler spots more easily.

I hope this brightens your day :)