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.

Adaptive Re-Use, the Ultimate in Recycling

So much is made these days about "Green Design", and I think that there is a lot to it. I totally believe in trying not to squander resources and shopping smart from companies that do not damage the environment. Having said that, we are in a very glamorous industry that, almost by definition is preoccupied with visuals. One way that I have found that serves both purposes is the idea of adaptive reuse, finding things that were made for one purpose, but no longer are useful, and reusing for a whole separate idea. In the image above you can see the yellow lamp on the right. I found this in an old flea market, being sold with a lot of other old glass containers. It used to be used for some industrial purpose, but with a little imagination it makes a great lamp. Also, for the shade I found, at a different market and old silk sari from India, that was totally worn out and useless, but it was perfect for the lining of the shade. Even the coffee table is made from reclaimed wood.

This kind of imaginative use will go a long way to making the world a better place, and a prettier one too. Here are some thoughts for your own projects:

• Almost any old, interesting object makes for a great lamp, I have used, old toys, pulleys as well as all sorts of old industrial glass ware.
• If you are at a loss how to adopt your idea into an illuminating project, take your pieces down to your local lighting store, you might be surprised how quickly your idea is embraced by the people there
• Old recycled materials, such as wood, old tiles etc make terrific additions to tables, and give them an instant patina.
• When shopping at flea markets etc, be creative, an old classic hub cap, makes a great fruit bowl, with an industrial edge. An old sari or antique textile can be quickly reserviced into a table runner, napkins or a terrific wall hanging.

Scout out all the flea markets and sales in your area, they can be a wealth of opportunity,,,,, remember shop to save the planet!

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.
  

TV or No TV That is the Question!

There seems in every project an eternal struggle over TV or no TV (after watching Britney on TV last night I am beginning to think that no TV is a good idea!). But seriously, it can be a big challenge when space is a problem, and you are trying to create a room that serves as both Living Room and Family Room. The issue is getting simpler with the development of the flat screen TV, but if you still have a regular TV the problem can be acute.

In the home above, I built a cabinet to house the TV, that when it is closed looks shallow, but when open, you can see that it goes way back into the wall. This sort of imaginative use of space can really help. Often when you try and use an Armoire to house the TV it ends up over scale for the room, whereas something like this can be quite slim and works in a multitude of spaces.

So here are some other ideas that you may want to consider, so that the TV, does not always end up at the center of attention:

• If you have a flat screen TV you can use a good size picture frame around it to make it fit in more with your decor. Try using a CD of family photo's running while you are not watching TV, it's a simple way to turn it into art work.
• If you have a bigger budget a hydraulic lift can work wonders, but it can get expensive, and watch out for those fingers!
• Don't fall in to the trap of getting a huge, over sized TV, a smaller one can work just as well, and offer as much viewing pleasure, without taking over your room.
• Try to avoid putting the TV in the middle of the room. If it is a bit off to the side you may be able to "zone" the space so that it can function multiple ways.

Not a Pretty Chair?

Even on the scale of projects that I am used to working on, budget is always an issue. One way to make your budget go further is reusing some of the clients old pieces of furniture. This sometimes takes some creativity on the part of the designer. You can see above a perfect example of this. The top picture shows the clients existing Dining Room chair (the blue/green rinse over the wood really adds something don't you think?). Well, in the new Dining Room, that really wasn't going to work, so I re imagined the chair in a deep wood stain with this vibrant cut velvet seat, and all of a sudden it looks pretty cool. One other thing I did.... We needed more chairs that we had existing, so I simply created some very simple dark brown leather chairs, in the same silhouette as the existing ones.....they mix really well.

Here are some tips for reusing your old pieces in a new way:

• Be creative with the color, often all it takes is a coat of paint or stain and you will have a whole new piece.
• If it is a cased piece, such as a set of drawers etc, change out the hardware too, that can give a whole new direction.
• Another idea is to upholster the panels on your drawers etc, this can give a very custom loo9k, and is something you can do easily at home.
• The less important the piece the more vivid a color it can take, make it look a little frivolous and fun.

Some More Blogs to Check Out

It seems that everyday there are more and more new Blogs to check out. A few weeks ago, I did a post of some that I thought might be of interest. The list was starting to get a bit overwhelming, so I just posted a few, here are a few more:

• Bueller Designs
• Blink Decor
• Blue Ant Studio
• Design Addict
• Style Files
• Turquoise
• Design Boner

Have fun, checking these new, and some not so new Blogs out.

I am back! ....and Thank You!

So, I am finally back in town after a great mini-vacation. What started as a trip to Mexico, ended up as a trip to Las Vegas and some of the National Parks of southern Utah. It was a terrific trip, but I am glad to be home and fresh, and gearing up for the end of the summer.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Jo and Kim, from Desire to Inspire for their amazing contributions. I had a chance to log on quickly while I was gone and checked it out, I have to admit, their posts really raised the bar! So Thank you!

Thanks also to Ashleigh, from my office who contributed an article. It has helped me realize what a huge pool of talent I have right under my nose, so expect to see more from her, and perhaps a few others from the office too, they are an opinionated bunch!