Design Tip Tuesday - Artwork Arranging

When I'm styling a space and need some art to decorate with, I don't immediately turn to paintings or framed prints - I try to think outside the box as well as always keep in mind the client and what they're tastes are and what they enjoy doing (or have done).

Image Via abode love

Art can be a beautiful painting that speaks to you, a photo that takes you back to a certain place or an object that holds special meaning to you. Art is anything that makes you happy and stirs an emotion within. Keep an open mind about what art can be.

To me, a perfectly decorated room is one that tells the story about my client, and nothing does this better in a room than the accessories - artwork included. I often try to incorporate objects that are special to clients onto the wall ... perhaps I'll frame an object that has sentimental meaning to them or incorporate the object onto the wall even without being framed - a hat perhaps hanging on the wall. 

Whatever you decide to place on the wall, unless you have an entire wall dedicated as a gallery, you need to hang your art in relation to the room’s surroundings. You don't have to necessarily match art to your furnishings, but make sure they relate and create a connection - either by subject matter, style or colour to create a unity. 

Image via Brabourne

Match the shape of the art to the shape of a wall – hang vertical art and groupings on vertical wall spaces and horizontal art and groupings on horizontal wall spaces.

Image via Little Things

Art over the fireplace should be sized to fill from 2/3 to the full width of the mantel – do not extend mantel art beyond the mantel’s width and art less than 1/2 the width of the mantel will look too small proportionately.

Image via House and Home

Art should be no higher than 5″ to 9″ from the back of a sofa or chair or the top of a table in order for the furniture and art to read as a visual unit. A single piece of art or a grouping of art should ideally cover approximately 2/3 of the width of the furniture it hangs over. In order for the proportion of the art installation to work well with the furniture it should never be wider than the furniture and never less than half its width – aim for 2/3.

Hang art to increase the visual weight of a piece of furniture. If you have a bookshelf that is tall and a bit narrow, hang art on both sides to increase its visual width. If more height is needed on a wall, top a piece of furniture with a piece of art.

Image via decorpad

Create groupings in which the individual art pieces relate to one another in terms of subject, colour, material, or framing. For example, don’t mix colour and black and white photographs in the same grouping – stick with one or the other. If grouping floral images arrange them so the colour is balanced throughout the installation.

Image via time worn

When hanging multiple pieces make sure the frames are the same or complement each other well.

Image via ipo Pinterest

Hope these quick art tips inspire you to create some great 'art' walls in your homes!

Happy decorating!

Monday Muse - Grohe Ladylux Faucet

Being an interior design professional I'm constantly being asked about my favourite products, so I thought it would be a neat weekly feature - my weekly product muse if you will.

So, for my first Monday muse, I thought I would introduce you to my favourite faucet.

Meet LadyLux. 

Beautiful, yes. A work horse, yes.

Grohe as a name has been around for years - since 1911 as Berkenhoff & Paschedag and since 1936 as Grohe. And there is a reason this company has been around so long - quality. They put out a super product and a warranty that leaves you feeling confident in your purchase.

Made of professional quality stainless steel it looks and feels like a top of the line product - but to me the most impressive part of this faucet is the pullout hand spray that is weighty in hand and boasts a tension spring that allows the hose to glide smoothly and retract easily.

One of my pet peeves is a faucet that feels cheap - and the majority of the pull out sprays available at big box stores have a plastic hose pull out that is awkward to pull out and feed back. Who has time to fiddle with that?

The LadyLux is my personal favourite for kitchens. It's always at the top of my mind when I spec for a kitchen. The price tag may be a bit more than most are used to spending on a faucet - but its worth every penny. It always amazes me that clients will reno their kitchen to a cost of $50k plus and when it comes down to the faucets (usually at the end of a project when the budget has taken a bit of a beating) they try to cut corners. It's an instrument in your kitchen that will be used daily - many times a day - it needs to stand up to the wear and tear. If you cheap out, you'll be reminded of it every time you turn on that tap.

If you know me you know that I'm a form girl - but function is never far from my mind. In some cases form takes the lead over function, but in the case of a faucet, function trumps form. It's much more important for this type of item to be functional rather than beautiful. But, luckily in this case, the form is quite appealing too!

Grohe sales offices can be found in throughout the world and production plants in Germany, Canada, 
Thailand and Portugal.

Do you have a favourite kitchen faucet?

Happy decorating!

Interior Design - A Designers Tool Bag

Every interior professional has their own set of trade tools and today I thought I'd do a fun post and show you some of the things I use on a daily basis - hope you enjoy!

Big Work Surface

My desk, while big, never seems large enough. Although I consider myself to be an extremely organized and tidy individual, my desk never seems to convey this. Once I'm into a project - it completely takes over my work surface - it's no wonder I'm always losing my phone beneath the piles of papers, samples and books!

Coffee

To stay and to go! Especially needed when budgeting and trying to stay on top of the daily paperwork that unfortunately goes along with what I do - I much prefer the creative side. 

View

A good view is essential to inspiration - this is mine daily (Toronto looking South/East) from my desk and on the road too!

Computer

My trusty Apple computers have been my business partners since I began designing (a long time ago). Today it's my 27" iMac - great for multitasking on screen. When I'm on the go, my iPad fills in. 

Paper

Notebooks filled with project notes and inspiration are always in my hand, no matter where I am. Projects are kept in files - white of course, and in office on clipboards hanging on the wall for easy access by anyone to quickly jump in and take over. 

Music

I just couldn't possibly work without music in the background - selection changes daily depending on my mood. Lately there's been a mixture of Daughtry, Ricky Martin and Kenny Chesney - I know, eclectic right?

Writing Instruments

Pens, markers and highlighters are constantly strewn across my desk - as most of you know, the G-Tec is my absolute favourite pen - there's nothing like it in my opinion. For quick/rough sketches and drawings I reach for a .3 or .5 black ink marker - highlighters are used in my notes as reminders.

 

CAD Tools

Floor Plans and Elevation Drawings are completed mostly with CAD tools. I love it because its an add on to Adobe Illustrator which I've been using since school (about 20 years). Makes dimensioning and scaling a breeze with the added drawing features of Illustrator.

Number Tools

A measuring tape is always at my side when planning, sourcing and on site. Stanley tends to be my favourite but I have a few 'prettier' ones that I use from time to time. A calculator is always useful for budgeting and converting.

Reference Materials

I'm a major book lover. I have dozens of books - on design mainly - I never tire of looking at them and am always eager to get my hands on the latest one. And I can very often be found at my local library researching and signing out more. (Love that I can manage holds and requests on-line these days.)

Photographic Equipment

My large Canon is great for capturing finished rooms and finished custom furniture. My smaller Canon is handy to have in my purse to snap a photo of something I'm sourcing. And my iPhone is used when I want to send a snap of something that could be perfect for a project to an assistant or client for quick approval. Also always handy to capture inspiration and the canvas being worked on.

Phone

Ahhh ... my iPhone. Don't get me started on this - there is no better phone - I'll stop here. Keeps me connected in every way and backing up to my iMac and iPad is a breeze thanks to iCloud!

Glasses

What can I say, I need them daily.

Markers

They make my CAD drawings come to life and help to pull a colour concept together - I'm a fan of Prismacolor - guess it's due to the fact that it's what I was trained with.

 Templates

I have a template for everything - it's the compulsive organizer in me. My budget template keeps things on budget and ensures nothing gets forgotten when procuring.

  

Swatches

Fabric swatches and  paint chips help to pull a colour scheme together and create the direction and mood for a space. I get lost in paint chips and even more so in fabric samples. Right now I'm loving all the traditional patterns done in modern and contemporary ways. And as for paint colours - any grey with a mauve undertone is working for me.

Bag and File Case

I spend a big part of my week on the road meeting with suppliers, sourcing and seeing clients. And there is a lot I need with me - so, my oversized leather bag is big enough to throw everything into and chic enough to not look like a 'work bag'. My travel file case is always in my truck - it's the template thing again.

Flowers

And last but not least, something pretty. There is nothing better than getting to your desk to start a day with some pretty flowers next to you. Always makes me smile!

So, I hope you enjoyed my post on my daily tools - there are more, but these are the most used ones!

Happy decorating everyone!

Lenore

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Eva Zeisel - 105 and going strong!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a fan of pottery - more specifically white pottery. I's timeless, classic and never goes out of style. The works of Eva Zeisel have always appealed to me. So, today I thought I would devote my blog entry to her.

Eva started her studies at the young age of 17 in Budapest, where she studied fine art and soon after entered an apprenticeship as a potter. She moved around Europe to experience new movements all the while designing beautiful pieces of pottery. Her work was displayed in many Museums, including MoMA in New York.

She has had an incredible career that is still going strong. Many of her designs are still being produced today - my favourite is her Classic Century table setting line. In the early 40’s Eva was approached by the Museum of Modern Art to design the first ‘all white china service’ in the States. Working with Castleton China and delayed due to World War II, it wasn't until 1946 that MoMA exhibited the collection and the reaction left no question of Eva Zeisels importance as one of the leaders in modern ceramic design. Many commissions followed for famous department stores and Eva worked with a number of important manufacturers. It was her work at Hall China in the early 50’s which attracted the attention of Royal Stafford and discovering that Eva still retained the original block moulds led them to recreate items from the Classic and Century shapes for a new generation, 5 decades and the next millennium from the original concept. This line is still being produced today - which is a testament to her talent and popularity - I've said it so many times ... classic design never goes out of style ... and here is the proof ...

Why have any old teapot when you can have a one that is functional, beautiful and a work of art!

Gravy boat - probably the most iconic piece.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Happy decorating!

Lenore

Images: Crate and Barrel, Royal Stafford)

A Pillow Story - Wellington Project

Designing pillows for a client project is one of my favourite things to do. I love gathering fabrics and tying an entire scheme together. These accent pieces are what usually brings a room to completion ... you know that room you've been fawning over in that magazine? Well, I'm willing to bet that it includes these accents as a wrap up to the whole room!

When I'm creating a pillow story, I take into account all of the upholstered components in a room - a bed, a sofa, a chair ... and add coloured and patterned fabrics that relate to and enhance them. These pieces usually add the punch of colour needed in a more neutral scheme. Most people tend to shy away from large elements of colour so it's a great way to add colour without a huge commitment.

Accent pillows often get forgotten in the designing process - it's crucial to any well designed scheme. Yes, these jewels may seem expensive - but, when designed by a professional, you'll get pillows that have longevity built in by creating two schemes - a front and a back colour/pattern. This way you can change up the look of your room just by flipping over your pillows. Want a glam look - add sparkly button accents to the front and go simpler on the back so that when your glam mood is over, you can go back to a classic look.

Here's where we started ...

Here's what it turned into!

And here's a sneak peek of how they looked in the finished space ... we'll be posting snaps from this project in the next couple of days!

Visit again soon to see more photos from this project!

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

Colour of the Year - Tangerine Tango

Every December Pantone announces the colour of the year ... and every year at this time I wait in anticipation for this announcement ... will it be a blue, a green, a violet ... well, here it is, just announced, this years colour of the year ...

Tangerine Tango!

Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, provides the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

Energize interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned home accessories. Pillows, bedspreads and tabletop accessories in this high-impact hue add spice to any room. Or incorporate Tangerine Tango appliances and personal electronics for an unexpected pop of color. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Tangerine Tango for a dynamic burst of energy in the kitchen, entryway or hallway.

Are you bold enough to use this colour in your home? I'm not one to go big with trends ... a small accent vase or pillow I can live with ... a room painted in this bold colour, not so much - but hey, it might grow on me!

Happy Decorating!

Lenore

(Images: pantone)