Fireplaces
November 21, 2008
Nothing more comforting than snuggling up to a cozy fire on a cold winter’s night. And it is not just the heat that appeals-the ambiance of the flickering flames also appeals to many clients. However, as we get busier with our daily lives the assumed high maintenance of a fireplace deters most buyers away. But thanks to modern technology, those days are long gone. Modern systems can be either gas or wood-burning. Most new systems are much more efficient that traditional systems of the past. Specially designed systems actually require no fans and are designed with convection and radiant heating components.
Fall into a backyard makeover…
November 18, 2008
Your everyday backyard can have a higher appeal for future summer “staycations” with these simple ideas.
- Use grass as your framework - a healthy, even lawn is a great backdrop to add other types of planting. Make sure to have drainage and irrigation in place to ensure proper water maintenance.
- When planting a bed, start in the back first and strive for a natural arrangement. Not all plants have to line up directly with each other.
- Keep maintenance in mine, you do not want all your “free time” or weekends to be spent working in the yard. Mix in low-maintenance shrubs and plants with annuals and perrenials.
- Make sure to always start all projects whether indoor or outdoor with a plan. Don’t try to do it all at one time. Stagger plantings throughout the year. This approach helps make your project to appear more natural and lived-in.
**Source: Charlotte Home and Garden Magazine - Fall 2007 **
Easily update a room with these few steps:
September 15, 2008
- Color - Paint entire space or just one accent wall.
- Lighting - Add new lamps or work in recessed lighting within the space.
- Furniture - Try adding slipcovers to existing pieces that have great shapes or what we like to call “good bones”.
- Accent Pieces - Create a presence or impact a space by placing items that are alike or small collections together on a wall.
- Minimize Clutter - Less is really more-your eye should not jump quickly from one place in a room to another. De-clutter and let all the pieces within a space have their own time in the spotlight.
House Plants
September 11, 2008
Succulants thrive in climates with high temperatures and low precipitation; going long periods of time with no water. Succulants are year-round, indoor/outdoor plants-they can be left on the front porch in the heat of summer and then brought inside during our cooler months of fall and winter where they will continue to thrive. The following are four selections that make great houseplants according to Lisa Thompkins, landscape designer and horticulturalist at Charlotte’s Pike Family Nursery in Ballantyne.
- Aloe Vera - Spiky-yet-decorative perennials have medicinal qualities.
- Sedums (Stonecrops) and Sempervivums (Hen & Chicks) - Semps carry round or rosette shapes while the fine tecture of sedums’ five petals can fill in any area in a flower bed.
- Yucca and Agave - Yucca have variegated greens-and-whites and greens-and-yellows. Agave has aloelike greyish or green sword-shaped leaves. It only flowers once in its lifetime.
- Christmas cactus - Blooms at the holiday season with a gorgeous flower, either red, pink, white or purple. These cacti thrive in bright, indirect sunlight and create buds when exposed to six- to eight-weeks’ worth of cooler temperatures.
**Source: Charlotte Home and Garden Magazine-Fall 2007 Home Elements. Pgs. 31-35**
Color in Design
September 9, 2008
“Colour trends develop, and are largely due to fashion trends and historical and social reasons. Recently, the trend has been to use neutrals and accent with colour,” says Harley Anstee, managing director of long-established Australian design firm Nexus Designs. But as we all travel the world and move around the globe more easily, changes in the use of color in our personal spaces are eminent. People are traveling to other countries that use color inherently within their homes and places of business and bringing back with them some of those influences and using them as inspiration within their own homes. When chosing color there are no right or wrong combinations; it all just comes down to individual tastes and about expressing yourself within your own home. When working with clients to create the interior palette of the home, I talk with them about collections, travel experiences and current positions in life. I have found that once the “interview” process of color is complete both myself, as the designer, and the client have a much better understanding of the usage and need for color within the interiors of the home. This becomes the basis or “start’ point for the design plan; I have found with having the plan and visuals to help guide both myself and the client the plan becomes easier to execute and complete in a more timely manner.
Sources: TrendsIdeas.com September 2008-Australia
Value of Interior Designers
August 28, 2008
Hiring a professional Interior Designer can bring unsurpassed value to any project large or small. Clients rely on designers for their creativity, technical knowledge and project management skills. In addition to their breath of knowledge of products, materials and finishes, professional designers have the expertise to plan, schedule, execute and manage your project from start to finish. The relationships designers foster with vendors, contractors and other service providers helps them to better coordinate with and orchestrate the entire design team throughout the course of the project. Designers can also provide specification and purchasing services to procure materials, furniture, accessories and art which you may not be able to locate on your own.
“When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced priofessional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create and attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.” ASID Icon July/August08
Sustainable Flooring
August 25, 2008
New ideas for products that have been around and used a while now in design. I have personally used Bamboo flooring in several projects now in the past two years. It is ideal for installing just as hardwood but the advantage is that most brands can be installed over concrete floors as well. Most hardwoods can not be used in this way. Another sustainable flooring choice is cork. I love this product. I have used cork in several projects including using it as a texture on the walls. I have access to a company that can provide rolled sheets for flooring or walls as well as beveled pieces to be used as stair treads. The colors are magnificent and can punch up any floor or wall in any space. Lower-density cork has insulation properties as well as no dust absorption. My favorite feature of cork is the fact that it will not rot when exposed to water.