Washington Post Blog Watch

"Barry Dixon's Look", and how to get it, is a great feature on one of my favorite interior designers... Check it out in the Home & Garden section of the Washington Post.
(click: art & living)

(Copyright, Edward Addeo, From "Farrow & Ball: The Art Of Color")

I look forward to the Washington Post "Blog Watch" every Thursday.

Congratulations to fellow design blog winners!!

Blog Watch

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Our picks to click this week:

Making It Lovely ( http://www.makingitlovely.com/) certainly does with a guest room redo that transforms a dark, oddly shaped space into a colorful, cozy and light-filled haven. Before-and-after pictures included.
Decor8 ( http://www.decor8.blogspot.com/) teams up with Turquoise ( http://www.turquoise-la.blogspot.com/) for some e-consulting on a Florida reader's cramped office space. The bloggers offer advice on paint, flooring, lighting, windows and furniture (specific links provided). One of our favorite suggestions: the blue resin accent lamp from Target.

Terri Sapienza

A Room of Her own

"A woman must have money and a room of one's own..." Virginia Woolf.

I was blogging over the weekend with a few ladies, I supposed PVE Design started it all. She has quite a few post on desk vignettes and after reading some of the comments I remembered an old Oprah show.
Chris Casson Madden was promoting her new book," A Room of Her Own". I, like her, and Virginia Woolf believe a woman needs to carve out a space to write and nurture her soul.
These rooms are the ideal. We don't all have the luxury of consuming an entire room of the house but until then... start with a space. Make it lovely. Make it comfortable. Make it a sanctuary...but, most of all make it your own.

image: Australia Vogue Living

Every woman can romance her soul in these surroundings. These rooms say you have permission to.... love you!


You needn't stay at home to romance your soul. In this peaceful Vietnam hideaway you're pampered, waited on....spoiled. How divine!

A garden room nestled amongst your favorite trees and plantings is a perfect hideaway. One can be enveloped in the foliage and the confines of a light filled space.

image: Southern Living If you're not ready to drift into the woods... claim the screened porch for yourself. Design and decorate it with a tropical feel then have the ladies over for lunch.

image: Southern Living

Job Style

I've worked in a lot of offices in the DC metro area and what disturbs me more than anything in the workplace is a poorly planned office and "ugly" office furniture. Who can work comfortably in some of these environments? Did anybody give forethought to how people work before they threw a bunch of gray cubicle panels up in a large white room and assign it as a work space? Did anybody think about adequate lighting and noise reduction? After many complaints by employees nothing changes. I would like to tell every facilities manager...get a consultant to help you! Make a few improvements if a full renovation isn't in the budget. A little paint... a few stylish chairs, do some space planning . I won't give any specific horror stories but if you work in one of those panelled cubicles unite and speak up and out for.... Job Style.

Red energizes...how stunning in this library

image: Traditional Home

I could work all day and night here and stay inspired and productive. Style is not cost prohibitive. But it is thought provoking.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with recycling an old government issue swivel chair.


Can someone please teach this girl the calender management feature in Outlook?
Is the biggest priority the purple or the hot pink Post-Its?

Is this inspiring anyone to productivity? How many shades of gray can you count?

Gratitude

Gratitude - The state of being grateful; thankfull

I was talking to my older sister on the phone last week. I can't really remember the day because we talk every day.., it's nothing for us to talk 3-4 times a day and that's on a week day. But since I've been blogging on design I was looking for ideas from her that particular day...I needed inspiration! She suggested I do a post on gratitude..."Gratitude?" I said. The first thought that popped into my mind was; What does that have to do with interior design? I didn't say that, but, I thought it. How ungrateful would that have sounded coming out of my mouth,as though it were some totally foreign concept. Yet, since then, I've been quietly contemplating and now I'm ready to talk.

If gratitude is the state of being grateful then I confess I cognitively live in a grateful state of mind. At the core of my being is the certitude the hand of God wakes me each and every day I rise. For that I'm eternally grateful. When I contemplate the history that's come prior to my existence and the struggles I won't have to face; I'm grateful for the time and place I've entered the world. I'm grateful for the people in my life that have given to me, shaped me, and loved me. I'm grateful that I can do the same for others as well...Grateful for being confident, trusting, loving life and have a heart to love others and encourage them to their fullest potential and highest good. I'm grateful... that I can be grateful.

Drapes

Although I have a strong affinity for the use of natural elements in interior design and don't like rooms to look "made up" and stiff, I do have leanings toward a "proper"southern sensibility, that won't allow me to feel comfortable about a room unless the windows are properly dressed. I absolutely love drapes. It's the long flowing swooping fabric in lush silks, damask and heavy linens, always lined. Fringe it. Bead it. Embellish it the more. Then there are tie-backs, and decorative drapery rods, topped off with finials in an abundance of finishes. A well dressed window is like a well dressed woman of a certain age on her way down the red carpet. Glamorus, sophisticated, fabric flowing behind her as she strolls down the aisle....what a statement!

images: Traditional Home

Sources:
One
Drapery Fabric: Florio Collection,Butterfly Vine/Moss and Lady Slipper Vine
Cabinets: Chinoiserie
Two
Drapery Fabric: Translucent Muslin
Three
Drapes: Real Simple Design
Walls: Painted by Design Red
Interior Designer, Gail Plechaty, Real Simple Design
Four
Drapery Fabric: Red, Highland Court and Yellow JAB
Chandelier: AF Lighting, Candace Olson #6772-6H
Five
Silk Drapes: Florio Collection
Chair & Bench Fabric: Nomi Fabrics
Black Leather Chair: John Rosselli & Assoc
Six
Drapery Fabric: Raspberry Silk, Jim Thompson #3159104
Area Rug: Masland Carpet
Seven
Drapery Fabric: Robert Allen, "Hearts Journey/Shadow"
Daybed: Sutton Place
Chair: Baker, Thomas Pheasant #7841

Why is it Green?

Sunset Magazine's first urban Idea House project is in San Francisco's Mission District. It's built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) principles. LEED is the U.S. standards organization that measures sustainability. That's why this project is green. The interior scape is contemporary in feel but not the cool beige/taupe minimal contemporary seen in far too many shelter magazines. The interior design by John Lum Architecture is full of texture, color, and new ideas. The rich aubergine velvet seat cushions on the sofa are unexpected and work beautifully with the texture in the frieze area rug. That's just a start. With such surprises in the use of color throughout the house, pattern and color on flooring and tiles, and the digital fabric designed accent wall in the bedroom, this design project opens wide the door in contemporary design. It's a serious delight!

images: Sunset Magazine

Sources:

Living Room
Sofa: Propeller, Drop In
Coffee Table: Propeller, Munro
Area Rug: Room & Board, Oasis Shag
Chair: Design Public, Blu Dot
Floor Lamp: Room & Board, Spun, white
Bar Counter: Concreteworks

Master Bath
Counter: Concreteworks
Tile-Wall: Marin Designworks Glass Tile, Raindrop, Aqua
Vanity: Kohler, Purist wall mount vanity

Sycamore House

If there is one house that represents the style and environmental thoughtfulness of how I would like to live it would be the Los Angeles house by architect Russell K. Johnson known as Sycamore House. Nestled in a fire prone canyon of the Angeles National Forest the house is built to withstand the southern California natural disasters of earthquakes and seasonal wildfires. The interior is built to take advantage of passive solar heating as well as radiant heating in the floors. Mr Johnson incorporates stucco and tempered glass for the exterior. These materials provide excellent fire resistant and insulation. The floors are ground and polished concrete and the kitchen counters are Caesar Stone, a quartz product. This eco wonder is contemporary, stylish and environmentally sound.

the house skeleton is steel
double paned tempered glass-southwest facing

polished concrete floors

porcelain tile walls and floors -no need to paint

images: LA Times

Sources:
Light Fixture: Artemide
Countertop: Caesar Stone
Propane Fireplace: Heat N Glo