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! 

Windows - Make it Elegant!

I recently presented my clients with sketch ideas for 3 rooms in their home. I did this after visiting their home, interviewing them and taking some cues from their existing design style and personal taste.
Wow! They are wordly, open minded and they LOVE non-representational art- aka- contemporary, free form, strong. We decided together that their tastes in art and furnishings should carry over to their windows in all 3 rooms- Dining, Den and Family.
Back at my drawing board, I always begin with an inspirational sketch and then fine tune it. I let the concept come freely without overthinking the design. My pen and I are simply the vehicles for the creative energy which fuels the design.

I'm posting the "messy" first sketch as well as the final sketch. As I've always said, just be yourself and the room will follow.

COLOR!

I'm asked all the time 'What color should this room be?' The answer to this question can be found in your closet. Yes I said closet!! We all tend to wear colors that we are comfortable surrounding ourselves in. If you are like me, I wear a lot of black, and we all know an entire room cannot be painted black unless you want to live in a cave. Taking a closer look, I actually can find solid, textures with a pizzaz of color in my accessories. See how this transfers to Interior Design:

A Work in Progress

Every home is a work in progress. Our tastes may change, and our travels may take us places which influence our perspective.

This room I have designed for my client and friend Anne is almost complete. A window treatment and additional lighting will make this space feel like home for her and her family.

To reach this level of completion, I "interviewed" Anne to find out how she and her family use this space and how they wanted to feel as well as look. They "tried on" the furniture to ensure a comfortable fit, and Anne asked that we use coastal palette as the inspiration for the theme, without being overly "beachy". If I could transform Ann into a home space, this room would be her- young, sophisticated, dressy casual. I know that this family is very happy with this room and my inspiration came directly from them. It's important for me to know that this space reflects them and their tastes!

Now You See It!

I created this quick sketch for my new friend Susan so she can picture how her favorite room will look when I add window treatments, and a few pieces of furniture. She just moved to Cincinnati and lives in a fairly empty house. My job is to make this house feel like home for her.

Sketches convey what I see in my head when I look at a space. I also drew a floor plan, but Susan is not a bird or a spider so she cannot appreciate the "big picture" by looking down at the room from overhead. I sketch because I can and now she and I are on the same page!