Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A quiet place

Our lives are so busy these days and we all forget to slow down and enjoy the simple things around us. For instance, I was running a quick errand to the post office and what would I see on the sidewalk, but a lone petunia growing between the cracks. I deffinately cheered up!

Those little things and quiet moments are so wonderful and we should all have a place where we can go to enjoy the peace of listening to our favorite music, read a good book, or just enjoy the quiet.




I found this wonderful old bed at an auction and placed it in front of a window. Just great for watching an afternoon rain or a quiet snowfall. Maybe listening to the spring birds. Ah, I have a good book I have been dying to read....

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The shadow of His smile

As a decorator, I am asked to make things look very nice, if not beautiful. I try to do just that, but last evening I felt as though what I can do is so limited and forgetable.

I was taking the dog out for the last time and looked up at the sky. It was, as writters often say, " a cool, crisp night, the stars shining brightly and a full moon looking down on her". Actually the moon was shining so brightly that I could see my shadow quite well. As a matter of fact there were three shadows around me. Now that's something you don't see every day.

You look at a scene and you know exactly where the sun is coming from and in this case the moon. However, man has added street lights and the two closest to where I was caused the others shadows, but the moon's was so much more disticnt. God sure does good work. I love shadows and the extra demension they add to the scene. Don't you?


Monday, April 19, 2010

play like you mean it!

Every once in awhile, you get to do a job that is just for fun. It's not to necessarily make the room look fabulous, even though that is a plus. Sometimes it is to do something practical. A recent client had as recreation room that is very definitely geared to recreation. Play is of the utmost!There's a pool table, ping pong table, foose ball thing, pin ball thing, basket ball hoop, huge kitchen area with bar, and the latest addition of a 60" screen TV. Of course, with all the ball games going on in the room (did I mention practicing bouncing a tennis ball on a racket?) the screen will need some protection as well as the projector. A wire cage has been built around the projector and we put theater drapes around the screen.



"Big deal," you say! Quite right. The rod had to be custom built with the right curve that brings the center out 36 inches from the screen, just in case a ball hits it and to protect all the other equipment that the client has on a base below it. (hope they decide to build a nice cabinet for that stuff) It also needs to be able to hold all 55 pounds of drapery! That's right, 55 pounds. It's made out of upholstery weight fabric to give maximum weight and resisitence to, once again, keep the basketball away from the screen!


It actually worked out very nicely and reminded me of our "play theater" when I was a kid. Grab the mike in front of the draperies kids! It's karaoke time!"

Monday, March 22, 2010

I LOVE A GREAT CHAIR

If I think back to my childhood, I have many wonderful memories, and an awarness of furnishings that to some may seem unnatural, but is probably what led to do what I do today.

I would love to spend time at my Grandparent's home, decorated in comfortable Danish Modern, and go on errands for my Grandmother when she needed eggs and other food items that required a "specialist". There was the egg lady and the one I recall with amusement is the berry lady. Mrs. Henrietta Laucke, wife of Elmer, was the lady that you purchased all freshest berries from.

She loved for you to visit awhile before you went on your way with your treasured berries, and I didn't mind so much, if I could sit on the floor. She had fairly new furniture, with the scratchiest fabric ever invented. In the summer I was usually in shorts and that was not good if you had to sit on her sofa or chair. A glimpse of what I'm talking about. It was also the same approximate color 2 shades darker.


This must have been the beginning of my searching for wonderful, comfy chairs. The chairs below were made for a client of mine and are a dream to sit in. Down cushions really add the feeling of luxury.






There's nothing like a great chair!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Down sizing isn't so bad !

There's nothing like down sizing! Only million things and room for only half of them, and none of it goes with the new place! On top of that, the new space is so much smaller that feeling cramped and claustrophobic might be a problem. Thinking ahead is deffinately something to do.

Use to a lot of space? Then the new space needs to feel big, even if it isn't. An open floor plan really is a help in that department. However, that open space can have defined areas. The dining room may really be a part of the living area, yet set apart.




As you can see from this view, this home is open from the foyer, through the Living room and dining areas, and if you look closely to the right, you will see it is open into the Kitchen area.


This view from the foyer shows how it is open into the "sun room", casual area, yet doesn't impose on the formal area. Good furniture placement sure helps!

This house feels huge, yet the amount of space is a mere fraction of the old place, and isn't it lovely?

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Cozy space

WOW! Where have I been? Oh, I remember! Life got in the way of my life! If you have an elderly parent, you understand. Thanks to her now recovering and a brother comming to pitch in, I can get on with many of the things I love to do. For instance, working on fun projects without too much distraction.

I have Clients that I have done work with over a long number of years that recently moved into a new home. There is a wonderful bay window in a bed room that just calls for a cozy area to read, so we draped around the whole thing, rather than inside it and around the windows. We used a soft green faux silk and it handled just beautifully.


As you can see, the area makes it's own statement and even the Santa on the table likes it! Just wait to see the rest of the house! Every room has it's own charm and style. Stay tuned!