Sneak Peek

My designer friend Karen asked me to sketch HER project so she could sell it to her client. Without rendering specific fabrics and colors too much, I did a quick sketch so she could show her homeowner what the new Family Room would do for their lifestyle. She selected wonderful leathers, rich colors and interesting textiles and sold it all. She is very talented and I'm happy

to sketch for her.

Have a Seat!

QUICK SKETCH FOR A LIFESTYLE CHANGE: My clients Liz and Fred are going ahead with a built in banquette seating area in their kitchen. This will be comfortable and generous seating for the whole family. Had I not produced a sketch, they would not have had the courage to move ahead with this project. It will change how they spend time in this kitchen and encourage their grandparents and grandkids to spend more time around the table.

Holiday table

Instead of the traditional red & green, why not celebrate winter and the holidays? The table setting Elisia and I have designed for this weekend's Holiday Open House at Ethan Allen celebrates water and fire and the beauty of natural elements found on the Earth and in the Sea.
Our supply list included beautiful curly branches from the yard, seashells, glass, a candle, and a variety of shells.

Without presenting a literal interpretation of a particular holiday, we chose cool colors  to create a centerpiece water vignette of silver, blue, white and coral tones on a very rugged and sturdy "California style" Gilchrist Table.

Dream, imagine, enjoy.

Starting with Paper...

Starting with a scaled sketch cements the "fixed" elements of a space and lets me know exactly how much real estate the new pieces take up. The layout is determined not just by the architectural features of this room, but by the lifestyle of its owners. The textures, colors and patterns if any are also determined by the client's wants and needs. Adding sketches of the furniture, fabric swatches and photos helps tell a story and makes the transformation more "real" for the client. My job is to help them "see it" in their lifestyle!

A New Leaf

BEFORE & AFTER:
My clients Mary & Mike gave me a vision (and a visual on paper- that helps!) of the new lifestyle they wanted. I am thankful they placed their trust in my ability to listen, interpret and to stand back and let me make it happen without presenting objections to where this could take us. We emptied the room and our minds and opened up to the lifestyle change. This room is quiet now. The arwork sings.

They are thrilled. I knocked their socks off and gave them a little more than they had hoped for. I found the cigar box in their office, crammed between paperbacks. Putting it together and getting the hug- This makes the smoking brain and blistered feet feel a little better!

Keep on Sketching

Like Taylor Swift says,
"Eyes Wide Open." Look for the inspiration all around you. Whatever it is that you do, make sure you stay passionate about it. If you lose steam, get inspired! I hope I never lose the ability to sketch, paint, create. 
Anyone can draw with a computer, insert coordinates, make toolbar choices. Not everyone can sketch. Thank you God for my talent. I will use it, not waste it. 

Impulsive Sketching

Sometimes before I meet with a client, I have an inspirational moment which requires a quick sketch . You can say alot with a sketch- like this one- in spite of the fact that I've pasted the image backwards, it conveys a casual room arrangement. If the client imagines another possibility, I can quickly sketch it. This is the collaboration I enjoy the most. You talk, I sketch. Together we revise and get to the best solution for your lifestyle. I'm not sure how I could get through an entire week without sketching. It's relaxing, and it's useful. Sometimes I see a potential problem that I didn't consider in the floorplan. Think in 3D- it's how we experience the world around us!