Designing on a Budget

Lets face it we all have budgets, some are just bigger than others. But the true value of using an Interior Designer, is that they know how to make your $1,000.00 budget look like $10,000.00. This thought reminded me of a project that I did a few years ago in Southern California, we were getting to the end of the project, money was starting to run out, and I still needed a drop dead fireplace surround for the Living Room. It was going to be the first thing you see when you walk into the house so I wanted it to be dramatic. Also, it was a big room, so it had to be able to deal with the scale of the space too.

I decided that a simple wall treatment would create enough drama and scale to create an illusion of a tall, grand fireplace. So I found some leather floor tiles and laid them up the wall. I used a sheet metal guy to do a very simple surround around the firebox opening and then had it coloured to look like bronze. So far, so good.

Now for the mirror, I wanted something simple, chic and slightly modern, so with a basic drapery rod, two leather belts from the gap, and a sheet of mirror, mitred with two slots cut into the top portion....and voila!

The point of this is to show that with a clear objective in mind, it can be not as daunting as you think to create something special, without blowing your budget.......

A Few Favorite Things

Few things can transform a room like a beautiful fireplace. I came across these images when I was cleaning out my hard drive the other day. I took them while on a shopping trip with a client in Paris. We didn't end up using any of these particular choices, but they remain some of my favorite pieces. I really love shopping in Europe, you get to see so much cool stuff. These came from a place just outside of Paris in Houdan, and it specialises antique fireplaces and architectural bits and pieces.

Resource Day: Exquisite Surfaces

Every week I find myself flipping through my Rolodex to try and decide which of the people I use on a regular basis to highlight as the Resource Day vendor. Sometimes it's someone I have just discovered and sometimes it's someone that has been a go to source for what seems like forever, and they almost get lost in the shuffle. Well today's resource is one of the latter. It is Exquisite Surfaces and it has taken me a while to feature them, because we use them so often, they almost feel like part of the office.

When they thought up the name for this place it must have been tough, since the stuff certainly is exquisite, but surfaces? Well they do do floors, whether its stone, terra cotta, wood, or ceramic, but they also do ceilings in reclaimed wood, fireplaces, fountains, and almost anything else you can imagine, its almost hard to know where to start.

Their specialty is rustic materials for the home, and they have an incredible collection both reclaimed and new floors. I especially like the old tiles that have been taken from old Villa's and Chateau's in Europe, the patina is authentic, but they do come at a premium. For others there are reproductions of these that are faithful to the point of looking dusty. This pattern is repeated throughout their store, Antique Fireplaces, or faithful reproductions, or reclaimed old floors or pre-finished new floors that have the feel of older floors.

With Locations in New York, Greenwich, San Francisco and Los Angeles they are a great place for almost anyone to visit. So go in, the staff is always friendly and enthusiastic to tell you about their inventory, or just browse the great web site. Say Hi for me!

Outdoor Fireplaces

With summer quickly becoming a memory, for many people trying to get those last few days and nights of outdoor entertaining it's getting down to the wire. One thing that will help to extend the season is an outdoor fire. The image above is a house that I did at the beach, which has a tendency to get a little cool, even on some nights in the summer. So, a big roaring fire is the perfect solution, but there are other ways to get this, if you aren't so lucky as to have space or budget for a full fireplace, here are some thoughts:

• Many of the big retailers, like Smith and Hawken still have some portable firepits still available (it's a seasonal item and now is not the season).
• If using a firepit, be sure to use it on a hard surface and have lots of comfortable chairs. As the nights get cooler, your friends are going to want to sit closer and closer.
• Another idea, if you are having a special party is dig a firepit in the ground, this will let you build an even bigger blaze, perhaps its not even too late to try this at the beach, now that the summer crowds have gone.
• When building these fires, don't forget that adding some scented woods, such as apple or pear can make it even more festive.
  

Fireplace: Keep it Simple

One of my biggest gripes I have when I look at the interiors of most homes is too much clutter. Sometimes more can mean better, but it is more the exception than the rule. This can be seen more often than not when it comes to fireplaces. I am as big a fan as anyone of making them the focal point of the room, I think that the warmth and visual weight that they add, can often only be done using a fireplace, however, this should not give license to create havoc!

So many times you will walk into a room and there will be a huge mantle, with art above, lighting, maybe a plant....enough already! sometimes, a more restrained approach will give a more sophisticated, elegant approach. For the fireplace shown above, I used a simple precast trim, around the inside edge to softly delineate from the plaster wall. I also inserted a wrought iron plaque to help the proportion of the opening, creating the illusion of a larger firebox. I think it was pretty successful in making a quiet statement. I deliberately under scaled the art to encourage people to approach, and then added old world sconces on either side for a flourish.

If you are dealing with an existing fireplace, here are some thoughts about how to create a simpler presentation:

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  Try removing the mantle all together, it will really open up the wall. If considering this, make sure you have a firebox opening that is in proportion to your space, or else you may just create more problems for yourself.


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  If removing the mantle is not an option, you can paint it the same color as the wall, it will then become much less dominant in the room.


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  Try not to clutter up the space, use only one or two accessories, or try using an art piece that is a little under scaled.

Before and After: Fireplace

I don't do a lot of Before and After posts, and I am thinking that I will try and do more. I like them because a lot of what I do as a designer is really pretty simple, it just relies on a good idea that is well implemented, and I think today's posting is a prime example of that.

This is a house that I worked on in Montecito, in Southern California. It had been renovated once before, only a few years ago, but the fireplace in the Family Room, still felt a little bland to me. It's a big room that required something of this scale, but all the plain drywall felt like a missed opportunity. I suggested that we case the top part in a nice stained wood and revisit all the bleached wood that was there already. Ultimately we stained the travertine a little as well, so that it would look a bit richer, but that's just me being a little obsessive. But I think the overall effect was terrific, and I am very happy with the results.

Here are some things to consider when starting a renovation of a room:

• Look around and try to determine the things that you like about the room. Whether it's the scale of the windows, the fireplace or even just the shape of the room.
• Once you have determined what you like, you need to find ways of accentuating that, whether its covering it in wood, painting it a color, facing the furniture arrangement to see it etc.
• On the other hand, determine what you do not like about the room, then do what you can to disguise it. Poorly proportioned windows can be helped by window treatments, color on the walls can really change the way you feel about a space. The same can be said about lighting.
• Do not go overboard, a few simple changes is often all you need to bring a space to life.
• Take your time, if at all possible do not rush in and start pulling things out. It took a couple of weeks to really work out what to do with this place, the first few ideas got presented then changed, and i think the design is better for it.

The important thing, is have fun with your room, and remember to play up the strengths, you will be amazed the changes you can make.

Modern Fireplaces

I have always been a big fan of contrast. Playing light against dark, old against new and most of all modern against traditional. Some of my favorite designers are masters at this, and in my mind, the tension you create can make a room much more interesting, than if you had stuck with just one style.

Today's post is about modern fireplaces. A fireplace represents a unique opportunity in a room, because almost without effort it draws the eye and anchors the space. Because of this inherent property, I like to keep the fireplaces fairly simple. So for me, this is the perfect opportunity to interject a modern element. Here are some thoughts about Modern Fireplaces:

• Think carefully about the material you decide to use. You can see in the fireplace above i used brushed stainless steel, but because of the softness around it in the upholstery, carpet etc, it actually looks very warm. So when deciding on material, be aware of its context, even the most industrial materials can show a softer side if handled correctly.
• When doing a modern fireplace, scale is crucial, you may want to make a mock-up first, to avoid a costly mistake.
• Just because its modern, doesn't mean you can't show the hand of the maker. I prefer modern elements where you can see the craftsman hand, such as elements that include, venetian plaster, or hand worked metal. So while the shape and form are modern, you get the sense it is still within a tradition of craftsmanship. This is an important idea when working the modern against traditional pieces.
• Some of the best modern feeling fireplaces I have seen, are made with old world material. Elements such as rough hewn stone, or hand worked metal, when massed in a simple way can feel more modern than some things made from steel or concrete. So do not feel limited by materials, seek your inspiration from the context of the room.
• Have a fireplace already and want to make it feel more modern? How about a sandblasted glass firescreen, or paint the mantle a vibrant color (lime green would do it), or even as something as simple as chrome fireplace accessories would do the trick.

..... and don't forget the bear rug :)

Fireplaces

Fireplaces have an incredible ability to anchor any room that they are in. I have even been known to add a mantle to a room without a fireplace, to create a visual anchor that would otherwise be missing. In the same way the perfect pair of shoes begs the question, what purse? The perfect fireplace calls out for something on the mantle. Too many times I see over done, over scaled and all together just too much on top.

Here are some guidelines to make the perfect mantle:

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  In some circles, too much is just enough, this is not one of them. Remember that a lot will go a long way, don't be afraid to put too little, you may just find that it's just right!


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  A Fireplace will always appear to be important, so you can add a little whimsy in this spot without looking foolish, like the seahorse in this beach house I recently did.


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  I am all about creating a home that speaks about you, this is the chance to make that statement, find one of your favorite things there, like this sunburst I found at a yard sale.


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  You don't always need a mantle shelf, sometimes just the texture of a beautiful wall is all you need.

Keep the home fires burning!