A wall will never be complete if it is left blank and stark. Not only will you hear yourself speak twice with the echoing emptiness but you’ll leave your home and yourself feeling like it’s been institutionalized. Of course you could go for the usual painting or picture frame but then you may as well be going with the same décor as every other house you have been in. instead you could try to find fun ways to put a spin on these everyday items and create something different. In this particular example I have chosen a number of shadow puppets that have been mounted in neat little frames and placed in rows on the wall. The combination of all the frames take up a large amount of space on the wall, and the repetition give them undeniable interest from onlookers.

The entire collection not only becomes a wonderful conversation piece, but it’s also becomes a piece of art. Find whimsy and inspiration in everyday items. Here, a grouping of framed shadow puppets add interest to the large wall as well as create a sense of whimsy in the space. The eye is drawn to the collection and not only is it art, it is a conversation piece as well.

Comfortable Fabric

When it comes to creating a more rustic look and feel to a room, I personally like to add a dash of
color to create a spark of interest somewhere in the room. In this particular case the orange wing
chairs combined with the natural light pouring in from the windows behind them tend to draw
interest to the back of the room and give it depth.

The large windows bring ample amounts of natural into the room and the fireplace adds a homely touch. Two attributes that shed light onto the conversation areas quite nicely. In response to the existing features of the room, like the Victorian plastering over the fireplace and the open ceilings I decided to go with more comfortable fabrics to compliment the rustic accents, the whole idea behind that is to create a sense of balance in the room.

All in all, the whole room almost gives you a step back in time while giving you that hint of
modernism. Just another contrast that help create enough interest to make the room pleasing to the eyes.

House Beautiful 500 Paint Colors

So my new favorite IPAD app is by Zinio, and for those of you who want to see the future of the publishing industry its there. This App allows me to read ENTIRE magazines, front to back, including ads, but not just a paltry few, a mind blowing array of titles from general interest to home decor. I can now safely go off to a restaurant to eat with 20 magazines safely downloaded to my IPAD and flip through them at my leisure, it's my guilty pleasure!

Anyway last night I bought on Zinio a bookazine from House Beautiful, featuring the favorite colors of some of my favorite designers. After skimming the pages I saw there was a quote there from my favorite designer of all....ME!

Her's the quote "I have one of those little green boxes from Laduree, the Paris pastry shop, on my desk. Turns out my client has one too, and we recreated that Laduree green on her Kitchen island. It's an incredibly complex color, a weird combination of yellow and gree with this red undertone. Beautiful"

In case you want to check out the color it is:

Fine Paints of Europe

P11130

Pretty in Pink

Like most things in your life, things fall in and out of favor, well its the same for me in my business life. I am not sure quite what it is, but lately I have wanted nothing more than to paint the world pink. 

I have a new project I am working on down by the beach in Los Angeles, sort of a rambling Mediterranean style home. It's still under construction, so it's still a ways away from a final decision, but my client asked me yesterday what color I was thinking for the outside, and after a brief pause, I decided...pink!

I think that in the right shade it can be such a flattering color, that is not necessarily too feminine. My dream of course is to do a library or a mans office in the color to prove my point, but so far the right client hasn't come along....yet!

If you are looking for the right color pink, take a look at Farrow and Ball paints, you almost can't go wrong with their classic choices.

Inspiration - Execution

Although California, and Los Angeles, in particular has a relatively short history, there are some great shining moments. One of those was the growth spurt that happened in the 1920's and 30's. There was a real interest in design at that time here and you saw the rise of some really terrific Mediteranean inspired architecture. To help feed that need a pottery opened in Malibu that created some of the most beautiful tile designs, most of which based on Spanish and Moorish inspiration. The top picture is an image from the Kitchen at the Adamson House. It was the house built by the owners of Malibu Potteries to showcase their work. It stands today as a great place to visit and an endless source of ideas.

The second picture is a small bathroom I was asked to design in a Spanish Revival home. So I used the Adamson House as my inspiration and used a bright color scheme and lots of patterned tile. I hope you like the outcome.

Something Just a Little Bit Different

Today I thought I would post an image that is just a little bit different. This is a Kitchen Hood that I designed for a family in Los Angeles. I had a fairly simple room, so I wanted something that was going to be a little bit more decorative than the normal plaster or stainless steel that you normally see.

This one is made from Tin and then painted, it gives the Kitchen a more old world kind of feeling I think, without getting too cutesy.

Other ways to introduce a little more style to a Kitchen could be:

• Try to find a liner tile with some great color and pattern to it, rather than a decorative field, sometimes just a liner is enough.
• Make the island an accent color, in this Kitchen we went with a steely blue.
• Keep the rest of the Kitchen as simple as possible, too many things of interest, become very distracting to the eye.
  

Making the Kitchen, the Heart of the House

I REALLY love to cook, and for me one of the best things about cooking is the gathering together of friends and sharing the experience. The image above is one of the favorite kitchens I have ever designed. The owner was a retired chef and he would through the most terrific parties, where he would invite tons of friends over and we would all sit around the island (it sat 12) and he would cook and talk, and we would all eat and drink, it really was a magical place. Now, not all of us have a place where we can sit 12 people and cook at the same time, but I think there are some lessons that can be learned none the less. Here are some of my thoughts on how you might go about making the Kitchen feel more like the heart of the home:

• 
  
  Start with the backgrounds, paint the kitchen a warm, inviting color. Try to stay away from colors that are too cool, like blues and use earth tones, it will give the room an inviting feeling that will encourage people to linger.


• 
  
  It doesn't matter if its a modern or traditional Kitchen, the idea about colors apply to both.


• 
  
  Make a spot to sit for your visitors, it doesn't matter if its a chair or a stool, just make sure that they can sit comfortably and not feel that they are constantly in your way. So maybe put them on the other side of the island , but just be sure you can go from refrigerator, to sink to stove without asking them to move.


• 
  
  I am not a big fan of TV's in the Kitchen. They generate a huge amount of noise in an already hectic spot, at most some background music would be nice.


• 
  
  Try keeping either fresh flowers or living herbs in the Kitchen, its amazing what a difference this small gesture will do. Its a way of showing people that you care about the details.
  

Monday is Answer Day: Color

Today's question comes from a reader in Miami, who, ironically has an all white apartment. The reader tells me that while the apartment is a modest size, that the all white scheme feels too antiseptic. Originally he thought that it would make the space feel cleaner and more spacious, but now feels like it is dull and lacks any punch, what should he do? He had the idea of buying some new furniture or repainting his whole home, I think this might be a little drastic.

It is my feeling when working on a place, to try and bring out the personality of the people who live there. If your concern is light and cleanliness then maybe an all white scheme will work for you. The thing to remember though, is that an all white scheme does not necessarily mean that EVERYTHING has to be all white. I suggest that you take a look at one of the major walls in each room and give it a shot of color. Often one concentrated injection of color will make the white brighter and give a lot more depth to the scheme that you have going on.

As far as what kind of colors to use, as a rule of thumb, I think that stronger colors would work in the main living space, maybe a deep bronze color, that way the scheme can still stay pretty neutral, or if you want something a bit more daring try paprika or a pepper red. I would suggest staying away from sage and other muted tones, you run the risk of it getting to look like a bad office scheme.

In the bedroom, try something that is soothing, what about a very soft pale blue, or even a very very light camel could be pretty too. I think that a warm dusty pink, could also be great, but some guys may be a bit shy about using that. The point is, in the bedroom, use a quiet, soothing color that will encourage quietness and romance.

I hope that this was helpful, let me know how it works out. Remember, each Monday is answer day, so if you have any questions about your decor, write and let me know.

Voices of Design: Scott Flax

Today is a fascinating interview with someone who normally flies under the Radar of the design community and that person is Scott Flax. Scott came to my attention a few years ago when I was visiting a Show house. In the Kitchen the designer had done one of the most inspiring wall treatments that I had ever seen, it was a stencil pattern (well at least i think it was a stencil) of chicken wire, it created the most delightful country yet modern motif it was beautiful. Scott was responsible for this. I later learned that his primary business is as an Architectural Colorist, a career I never even knew exist, but made perfect sense. Since then I have used Scott for color consultations to huge success, I hope you enjoy what he has to say, i think he's fascinating!

MC: You have developed an incredible reputation as a colorist, which to a lot of people is a somewhat mysterious field, can you explain a little how you got into this field, and give a brief description of what it is you do?

SF: Specifically, I am an architectural colorist (as opposed to a hair colorist). I came to this rather specific design field because of a number of circumstances. One, I wanted to begin consulting as a way of getting off of the scaffold (I'd been a decorative/mural painter for twenty five years and beginning to ache) and create more time for painting in my studio. I also had met and worked with Donald Kaufman and Taffy Dahl (leading architectural colorist in the United States) and when I began to consider this path , they were very helpful in talking with me on how to approach my vision. Fortunately and unfortunately, the business of consulting came much quicker and grew much bigger than I had imagined. After seven years, I can say, "I found my niche." My scope of work involves creating color palettes, decorative finishes (both in studio and with various artisans and artists), and design work in regards to flooring (tile and wood). In bringing me on board to collaborate with decorators, architects, and clients, it is my job to create a context that has a beautiful, cohesive quality and a point of view.

MC: When you are brought into a project, how do you start?

SF: When I begin a project, I do two things. Look and listen. I study the architecture, after all it all begins there. Taking cues from it. Seeing where color can support and sometimes, correct, a situation. I look at how the light (both natural and artificial) relates to the space. I look at the sighting. I see how it relates to the elements around them (whether urban, suburban, or rural). I listen to the intention of the decorator, architect, and in the case of residential, the home owner. What is the mood, the style, the feeling they are trying to evoke. Often there are furnishings and art to take into account. When I have the opportunity to work with museum exhibitions, I have to understand the curatorial intention and themes. Of course, that is always a great pleasure as I get to be up close and personal with painting and sculpture and dialog with experts on art and art history.

MC: What color is your home? How did you get to that decision?

SF: Although I would have been very happy in an all white (custom, of my own creation, naturally)house, I was over-ruled by my partner who insisted when our new house was built, " you do it for everyone else, I want color!" So I thought about our location (a few blocks from the beach) and began creating cool, calm, refreshing colors. So when you come in from the glaring light, you would immediately be transported and relaxed and hopefully breathe a deep sigh of relief. I created a exterior stucco color that was the interior palettes' counter-point . The stucco is a warm, creamy, deep off-white gray color. Always changing. How I imagine Roman "white" to be.

MC: Do you see any big trends in color? Do you pay those any mind?

SF: I think the big point on color trends is that "color" is a trend. "Swiss coffee" in all its permutations has been rendered obsolete. As far as trends, I work site specifically, so all color is fair game.

MC: Are there any colors that you keep coming back to? I guess what I am asking is, do you have a favorite color?

SF: I will tell you I have love affairs with specific colors, but I don't force them on anyone or anything. Its all about what works best in any given situation. As you know, a specific color is only as "right" as the other colors its asked to relate to.

MC: I know that you are a fan of Farrow and Ball, as well as Benjamin Moore’s Aura paints, what is it that draws you to these particular manufacturers?

SF: Farrow & Ball color system is a beautiful language of color. Very flexible in both traditional and modern applications. The actual paint has a great visual quality. The Estate Emulsion has a sheen/hide that is rich and subtly reflects the light. The oils are outstanding. Benjamin Moore has approximated this high quality in their Aura paint line (water based). The actual group of Aura colors are interesting and good looking. The nice thing about the Aura paint line is that you can have any Benjamin Moore color from any series made in this high quality paint.

MC: What do you think has been your greatest success story?

SF: It sounds cheesy, but doing what I love and getting paid for it is success in itself.

MC: How do you deal with clients who might be color blind, or at least see colors different from you?

SF: Its funny, my approach and my color presentations give clients a relaxed forum to speak openly about what they are seeing and sometimes feeling about the colors suggested. Their relationship to color is so complex and personal. It is often interesting and comical in their associations. But my bottom line, if they react negatively to a color suggested (with or without explaining), I put that color board away. That knee-jerk reaction says it all. Too many other options to force them to see it a certain way. Color blindness is a different matter. They will usually ask me to help understand the color and why I'm proposing it. I can't think of too many times where color blindness has been an issue. Clients who hire me usually have heightened color senses and strong opinions about color.

MC: Where do you see yourself and your career heading five years from now?

SF: In five years down the road I'd like to have had the opportunity to develop some fabrics and wall coverings, using some of the color and motifs I have developed over the years. I am always thinking about writing a book on color, not a "how-to book", but more personal and hopefully artful.

Thrilled to Announce

Look for my quote in Christine Pittel's Color Column in the May issue of House Beautiful. This month has to do with Color in the Kitchen. My color suggestion was Fine Paints of Europe #11130. It is as close as I can find to that beautiful green of the Laduree box. For those who are unfamiliar, Laduree is a pastry shop in Paris that is as renown for its little green boxes as Tiffany is for its blue ones in this country.

More Kids than Room?

So many times people see things in magazines that are way more than they can afford or can achieve. Often it's just a matter of space. So my post today concentrates on a home that I did, where space was a real issue. The homeowner had three girls that needed to sleep in the same room, quite a design challenge, because they made it very clear that they did not want to make it feel like a dorm room. So I designed this pair of canopy bunk beds. The kids love them, it allows the room to feel "girly" and still gets a lot of them into a relatively small space.

Here are some tips on kids rooms where space is a big issue:

• Think vertical! Bunk beds are great, or raise the bed and put a study area underneath
• Baskets. baskets and more baskets. Try to use baskets for storage, you can see inside without taking it all out, and its easier than drawers to allocate to each child, so they are not inclined to just rummage through everything.
• Use flexible options as much as possible. For instance bean bag seating can be pushed aside when not needed, giving floor space as required.
• When space is limited, go with lots of color, it will help make the inevitable chaos, look like it was meant that way :)

Good Luck, and Happy Friday!