tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61062088410699302992024-03-13T03:29:19.414-07:00DesignInsiderThis blog is one writer-turned-designer's perspective on the spaces and trends that surround and define us.StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-25060178679284195652013-08-27T23:13:00.000-07:002013-09-04T09:39:01.212-07:00Wait ... did I really just say I'm going to paint my kitchen cabinets?<br />
I did. I really did.<br />
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So, yeah, I tackled this project last fall knowing I was a little bit crazy to take it on. Life was busy, as life these days tends to be. But in October 2012, my family and I put all that craziness on hold to spend three days cleaning, sanding, painting and sealing.<br />
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Hold on, did I say three days? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.<br />
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We spent three <em>solid </em>days cleaning, sanding and painting. That finished the cabinet boxes, basically, and got us maybe halfway through the 20 doors and seven drawer fronts. That was the amount of time we'd set aside for the project. Over the next several weeks we spent every spare minute -- which in our house are few and far between -- finishing up the details. Let's just say our garage was out of commission for at least a couple months.<br />
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If you landed on this site from <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/aug/30/inside-design-thinking-about-painting-your-think/">the column that just ran in The Commercial Appeal</a>, that might mean you're contemplating a cabinet painting project of your own. And if that's the case, you've come to the right place. There was only so much info I could pack into 20 column inches of newspaper space. Here's the stuff I didn't get to say (and trust me when I tell you, the devil is in the details).<br />
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First off, let me show you a photo of my kitchen "before." There's no better way to explain why I felt the need to refinish my 20-year-old cabinetry.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vn-u-TBZefo/Uh2EZu_1xII/AAAAAAAAAbA/a3KId1IoUo0/s1600/2012-10-04+18.30.14+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vn-u-TBZefo/Uh2EZu_1xII/AAAAAAAAAbA/a3KId1IoUo0/s640/2012-10-04+18.30.14+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yep, that's a medium oak finish, white Formica countertops and a refrigerator straight out of the Sears catalog circa 1993. (No, seriously. It's a Lady Kenmore.) I inherited all of it when we bought the house, including the "wheat straw" paint on the walls. Luckily I inherited two good features, too <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span> wide-plank walnut hardwood floors and cabinet boxes and doors that were in excellent shape. Both a good starting point for a new kitchen.<br />
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Because the cabinets were in good shape and I liked the layout of the kitchen, I decided to keep the existing cabinetry. I explored all options, meaning I talked to friends, neighbors and fellow designers about the benefits of hiring a professional painter versus having the cabinets refaced. At the time I wasn't even <em>considering</em> the idea of painting the cabinets myself. I'd heard the stories, and I'm not particularly masochistic.<br />
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Then a friend asked me what I thought about this new cabinet refinishing kit called <a href="http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/">Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations</a>. I hadn't heard of it, so, you know, what could I do? I Googled it. I was intrigued. In my research, I came across a blog post by someone who'd tried the kit with good results. I went to my local Home Depot store and checked it out for myself, and then <em>I actually signed up for a class</em>. Serendipitously, I suppose, the store had a "ladies' night" in the works on Cabinet Transformations, and there I was able to see samples, watch the instructional DVD and basically determine the project was doable.<br />
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So, yeah, we did it.<br />
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Here are a couple photos of the work in progress. And yes, by the way, my husband <em>is </em>wearing an Elvis T-shirt. Did I mention we live in Memphis?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PsehdMMkEDY/Uh2FpcOcQvI/AAAAAAAAAbI/_A0iDgajmxc/s1600/2012-10-06+22.34.24+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PsehdMMkEDY/Uh2FpcOcQvI/AAAAAAAAAbI/_A0iDgajmxc/s640/2012-10-06+22.34.24+2.jpg" width="553" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4cYwnJSII8/Uh2FyvZUDDI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/X52a0X0e5kU/s1600/2012-10-06+22.34.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G4cYwnJSII8/Uh2FyvZUDDI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/X52a0X0e5kU/s640/2012-10-06+22.34.40.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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We used the refinishing kit on the outside of the cabinet boxes, the door fronts and the drawers. Inside the drawers and cabinets, I used a Sherwin Williams latex semi-gloss paint. At first, I bought the paint in white to match the cabinets' exterior, then I thought, "Whoa, wait a minute. This is a custom job." I could do whatever I wanted ... so I went back to the store and had the paint tinted to a gorgeous soft gray that makes me smile when I open my cabinet doors.<br />
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As for technique, I learned a LOT along the way, and I took great notes for use in this blog post. Unfortunately, I've since lost said notes. Awesome. (Not so awesome.) I remember the gist, though, so if you're thinking about painting your own cabinets, and especially if you're thinking about using the Rust-Oleum kit, here's my advice:<br />
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<ul>
<li><strong>Prepare your cabinets well.</strong> Take time to do a little sanding even if your paint kit says it isn't necessary. I scrubbed my cabinets inside and out, then I roughed them up with sandpaper, and then my husband used a deglosser that came in the kit to remove the remaining sheen.</li>
<li><strong>Make some sketches.</strong> I sketched out rough drawings of my cabinet elevations and numbered every cabinet door and drawer. Then I used painters tape (because it's not too sticky) to number the doors and drawers BEFORE removing them according to the numbers on my drawings. I placed all hardware in plastic bags labeled with the corresponding numbers, and I even separated top hinges from bottom hinges so the doors would hang exactly the same way they did previously.</li>
<li><strong>Create an assembly line.</strong> While the project was going on, our garage became a makeshift shop. We set up as many folding tables as we could get our hands on, and my dad helped me create stands out of nails and plywood to serve as platforms for the doors, to make it easier to paint the edges. Here's what that looked like:</li>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10ax0kPmp6Q/Uh2Ngj3Yu8I/AAAAAAAAAbg/Lt2JEfIREYA/s1600/2012-10-15+13.06.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-10ax0kPmp6Q/Uh2Ngj3Yu8I/AAAAAAAAAbg/Lt2JEfIREYA/s640/2012-10-15+13.06.21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(I only had four stands, and they're under the doors on the table nearest the top of the photo. I rotated doors to those stands to paint the fronts. I wished many a time that I'd had more, but I was thankful for the four I had. I've used them since for other projects.)<br />
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<ul>
<li><strong>Be organized.</strong> Very, very organized. My cabinets required four coats of the "bond coat" product in the Rust-Oleum kit. I had to carefully keep track of how many coats the front and back of each door had received, taking into account drying times. With 20 doors and seven drawers to cover, that was no easy task. I kept running lists using the number system I'd created (note the blue painter's tape beside each door ... the number followed each door everywhere it went).</li>
<li><strong>Have all equipment on-hand.</strong> Buy everything you need, including tack cloth (very important), gloves, face mask (for sanding and deglossing, and keeping yourself from passing out while inhaling fumes for 72 hours), painter's tape, etc., <em>before</em> you get started. This project is time-consuming already — you don't want to have to run to the store four times in the midst of it. Also, make sure you have <strong>several high-quality synthetic brushes</strong> that are in excellent shape. I used 1.5" angled brushes for doors and drawers and 2" angled brushes for cabinet boxes.</li>
<li><strong>Finally, follow all instructions.</strong> Don't skip steps, whether you're using a kit or not. Prep rigorously, paint carefully and thoroughly, inspect your work often.</li>
</ul>
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Now for a word on paint. You can use basically any latex or alkyd paint for this type of project (oil or latex enamel works best, according to pro faux-finisher <a href="http://donnablackard.com/faux.htm">Donna Blackard</a>), but I really liked the bond coat included in the Rust-Oleum kit. The paint was really, really thin, and that was very important for workability, especially when painting the doors. It also allowed the grain of the wood to show through, and the finished product looks pretty professional, if I do say so myself. In fact, one of my proudest moments during the project was when my countertop installer walked in for our initial consultation and said, "Oh, I see you've already had your new cabinets installed."<br />
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And now a word on countertops. One reason I ultimately decided to paint my cabinetry myself and save on labor costs is so I could splurge on the countertops I really, really wanted. And I wanted quartz. Here's what it looked like when the crew "surveyed" my kitchen to measure for the new counters:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muDQr80BpCI/Uh2Qi0vVskI/AAAAAAAAAbs/7uIbgdtTYSE/s1600/2012-11-01+13.34.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muDQr80BpCI/Uh2Qi0vVskI/AAAAAAAAAbs/7uIbgdtTYSE/s640/2012-11-01+13.34.23.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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As you can see, the kitchen was back in partial use by that point. Now, here's a shot of my new "Fieldstone" Cambria quartz countertops just moments after they were installed:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01OViF4b7OA/Uh2Q5HazD-I/AAAAAAAAAb0/t9Phbzofkyc/s1600/2012-11-26+11.05.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-01OViF4b7OA/Uh2Q5HazD-I/AAAAAAAAAb0/t9Phbzofkyc/s640/2012-11-26+11.05.06.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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And, oh yeah, that broken monstrosity of a fluorescent light fixture dangling precariously overhead? It's gone. Gone the way of the Lady Kenmore fridge. I replaced the fixture with a farmhouse-style pendant track light and added recessed lighting above the sink. And we replaced the old fridge with a stainless steel, side-by-side, counter-depth Frigidaire.<br />
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Anybody still with me? If so, you definitely deserve a reward. All I've got for you is this, a picture of the results of my family's hard-fought effort to create a new, beautiful kitchen:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IcwbvOpXsag/Uh2SlUxvHGI/AAAAAAAAAcA/_OPjis9t2Pc/s1600/Kitchen+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IcwbvOpXsag/Uh2SlUxvHGI/AAAAAAAAAcA/_OPjis9t2Pc/s400/Kitchen+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Pretty big difference, huh? Here's one more image. This one shows the new fridge....<br />
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I've got to say, we all worked on it <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span> me, my husband and our 6-year-old son <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span> and we all pretty much love it. In fact, before writing this post I'd <em>almost </em>forgotten what the old kitchen looked like.<br />
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So, am I happy I worked H-A-R-D to paint my own kitchen cabinets? Why yes, yes I am. I'd probably even do it again.StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-39079214124392082302010-09-23T09:13:00.000-07:002010-09-23T10:14:22.772-07:00Bye, Bye Baby<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJuKIUf8u2I/AAAAAAAAAOE/SPolAmb26MQ/s1600/Peter+Rabbit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520157643818974050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 269px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJuKIUf8u2I/AAAAAAAAAOE/SPolAmb26MQ/s320/Peter+Rabbit.jpg" border="0" /></a>So, my big boy definitely isn't a baby anymore.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div></div><div>*sniffles* </div><div><br /> </div><div>And apparently, Mommy is having a hard time moving on - because his bedroom still has baby written all over it. I don't know why I haven't been able to bring myself to transform his nursery into a big-boy bedroom yet, but it probably has something to do with the fact that I love that little baby room so much. I remember the week I hauled my very pregnant self all around the room, dragging a stool with me to sit on, and painted words in cursive on the flat chair rail my husband and father installed.</div><div></div><br /><div>"Once upon a time, there were four little rabbits, and their names were -- Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter...."</div><div></div><br /><div>I made a window treatment (I even sewed a little, which is a major undertaking for me) and painted three scenes from the storybook that I framed for the walls. I painted an old bookshelf and the old rocking chair my parents gave me. I mixed and matched bedding, found my own combination of items to create a theme without being too "themey."</div><div></div><br /><div>Poor grad student as I was, I did it on a shoestring budget, and I just loved it.</div><div></div><br /><div>So, OK, I guess that explains why I haven't moved on from it yet. All that, plus the fact that it's been a VERY busy almost-four years. But now that my not-so-little-guy is on the verge of his 4th birthday, I know it's time he gets a more grown-up space. I want his new room to reflect him, not me (nursery is all about Mommy, big-boy room all about Big Boy), so I've been paying attention to what he's into and asking him from time to time what he wants in his new room: cars & trucks or music.</div><div></div><br /><div>Since it's the answer nine times out of ten, music is the clear winner. So for a few months now, I've been keeping my eyes open for music-themed items to inspire me. I've found a lamp here, a rug there. But last weekend at the <a href="http://www.cooperyoungfestival.com/">Cooper-Young Festival</a>, I found what I've been waiting for. The piece de resistance. The thing that will inspire the design of the whole space.</div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJuG2KeFSXI/AAAAAAAAAN8/i8OtPRf0vyI/s1600/guitars.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520154033354262898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 309px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJuG2KeFSXI/AAAAAAAAAN8/i8OtPRf0vyI/s320/guitars.jpg" border="0" /></a>Again, it's a book.<br /><div></div><br /><div>But it's a grown-up book, a big-boy book, and it sets exactly the right tone (no pun intended) for what will hopefully be an awesome, stimulating, inspiring space for my Big Boy to grow up in.</div><div></div><br /><div>*sniffles again*<br /></div><div></div><br /><div>I'll get started on the transformation soon - because I know he doesn't need a changing table anymore. I know he's past the stage of being rocked to sleep in that old, painted rocking chair. He's moved on. So I'll move on, too.</div><div></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></div><br /><div>Really I will.<span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div></div></div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-82859599699271126012010-09-16T09:01:00.000-07:002010-09-16T09:34:29.012-07:00The Not-So-High Price of Custom<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJJF0ylJMcI/AAAAAAAAAM0/_KUbn569ARE/s1600/Jamie%27s+cabinet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517549266715357634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TJJF0ylJMcI/AAAAAAAAAM0/_KUbn569ARE/s320/Jamie%27s+cabinet.jpg" border="0" /></a>One of the things that's most fun about my job is the chance to create something all new and completely unique. That can happen in a lot of ways - blending an unexpected mix of colors or patterns, solving a problem with space planning, playing with scale - but the most obvious way it happens is designing something that's not already out there on the market to meet a specific need for a space. <div></div><div>In other words, creating a custom piece of furniture.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div>It's not something that happens every day for a designer, but I haven't been doing this all that long (two years), and I've already had the chance to see one piece through from conception to completion (pictured) and am about to start conceptualizing another one. Which is why the topic's on my mind.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div>In both instances, the reason the client and I pursued a custom piece was because we searched and searched and searched for an existing piece that met their needs - space-wise, function-wise, style-wise - and came up short. With the gazillions of home products out there for sale, you'd think that'd be an uncommon problem, but it happens <em>all</em> the time. The biggest surprise - for me <em>and</em> my clients - is that a custom-designed, custom-made piece of furniture isn't necessarily as unattainable, price-wise, as you might think. The china cabinet pictured above is the perfect height and width for the space, has the exact finish the client wanted (plus a metallic finish inside that literally makes it shine), and has shelves and drawers configured specifically for the items the client wanted it to hold. It doesn't get any better than that. And the price tag wasn't much higher - maybe 15-20% - than a comparable piece from a decent furniture manufacturer.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div>Worth it, because the piece is not only ideal for the space, but it's handcrafted from solid wood and made in our local community (a real anomaly these days, since nearly all furniture is made overseas). It's also <em>well-built - </em>something the family will hold onto and pass down for generations.<br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div>Now I'm about to pick up my drawing tools (yes, I draw by hand, also an anomaly these days but so much more fulfilling for me) and get to work sketching out ideas for my new piece.<span style="color:#ffffff;">. </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.<br /></span></div></span><div>So. Much. Fun.<br /></div><div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-30581507437230144552010-09-09T09:03:00.000-07:002010-09-09T09:40:19.998-07:00My Modern Friend Morgan<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TIkLdF4q4eI/AAAAAAAAAMk/1mmpyNcpOn4/s1600/Morgan%27s+bedroom.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514951813115863522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TIkLdF4q4eI/AAAAAAAAAMk/1mmpyNcpOn4/s320/Morgan%27s+bedroom.jpg" border="0" /></a>A friend of mine, Morgan Armstrong, just jumped out there and launched a website for her new interior design business, <a href="http://www.memphismodern.blogspot.com/">Memphis Modern</a>. The site looks awesome, and I'm so proud of her! She, like me, has a contemporary aesthetic. That's not to say she won't design traditional rooms and traditional homes - that's par for the course when you live and work in uber-trad Memphis - but she loves modern design and contemporary style, and I love that about her!<br /><br /><div><div>I just wanted to put up a couple of pics from her portfolio. I especially love the trash-to-treasure white lacquer chest of drawers and mirror. I also love her color palette - silvers and grays and whites and soft blues.</div><div></div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TIkKw3xHlII/AAAAAAAAAMU/guV7SA3a-ps/s1600/Morgan+white+vignette.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514951053411849346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TIkKw3xHlII/AAAAAAAAAMU/guV7SA3a-ps/s320/Morgan+white+vignette.jpg" border="0" /></a>Morgan and I crossed paths in school and she worked as an intern at my firm. We've been to Market together, attended IDS meetings together and sat through product presentations together. We've also had a lot of conversations about design - what we like and why, what styles appeal to us and don't, what types of things we'd have in our dream houses. And we've discovered that our tastes are really similar. </div><div><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Anybody reading this, what about you? What styles are you most drawn to? What colors soothe you and say "home" to you? Does your house reflect those things?<br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TIkK7leI35I/AAAAAAAAAMc/nMEIfT4L1jc/s1600/Morgan%27s+bedroom.jpg"></a></div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-87657039415809332552010-07-09T12:54:00.000-07:002010-07-09T13:34:36.293-07:00Fun with Merchandising<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491998409866214754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TDd_dLcV_WI/AAAAAAAAAJw/kZoBkszo_xw/s320/Mkt+Ctrl+vignette.jpg" border="0" />I recently was offered a cool opportunity to be the featured designer for July at <a href="http://www.thepalladiogroup.com/marketcentral.htm">Market Central</a>, a fab antiques store in Midtown Memphis.<br /><br />In a nutshell, that means I got to design a vignette in the space just inside the store's front door using Market Central merchandise - basically a super-fun exercise in visual merchandising.<br /><br />My first step was choosing a paint color, and I went with a personal favorite, Sherwin Williams' halcyon green. Then I wandered around the store for a while (which is huge - a nifty old loft-like place) getting a feel for what I had to choose from. I did a few quick sketches of ideas for the space, then walked around with the manager pointing out items I wanted to use.<br /><br />Apart from my paint color, which I chose a couple of weeks ago without knowing how I wanted to use it, I had no constraints on the design. I didn't have any pre-conceived notions of what I wanted to do. Didn't even have a particular style in mind.<br /><br />When I got in there, I saw that white antique chest, which is distressed not from some contrived factory finish but from years of actual wear. I love, love, love it, and my plan for the space was instantly born around it. I went for a serene color palette of whites, golds and spa blues, and I just couldn't pick up enough mercury glass. (In general, I can't get enough mercury glass.) And I could stare at the all-glass chandelier all day.<br /><br />It's girly and French-y and soft and sweet. I could live in a room like this.<br /><br />Not sure how my husband would feel about that....StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-90207224250749843142010-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:002010-06-16T09:44:23.156-07:00Warm and Lovely<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TBj_TdaLHuI/AAAAAAAAAJo/cMLg5fyoTiU/s1600/Oldham+living+room.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483413256100585186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TBj_TdaLHuI/AAAAAAAAAJo/cMLg5fyoTiU/s400/Oldham+living+room.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TBj6gKm5XrI/AAAAAAAAAJg/jIAfzPiE-TY/s1600/Oldham+living+room.jpg"></a>On the heels of last week's post about a fantastically curated Midtown townhouse, I thought I'd post another great house I was privileged to get a look into for <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jun/13/my-new-home-in-the-nick-of-time/">My New Home</a>, a feature I write weekly for <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/">The Commercial Appeal</a>.<br /><br />This family was so gracious, so gorgeous, and their house is warm, inviting, beautiful and highly reflective of <em>them</em>, which is always my favorite thing about a house.<br /><br />One of the very best features of this home's design was the bold decision the homeowners made to put a deep, rich, foresty brown on the dining room walls. The key to pulling that off successfully, in my opinion, is to punch it up with dramatic, colorful artwork, and they did this with the bright abstract cityscape visible through the open doorway from the living room. You can't see it in the photo (which ran with the article and was taken by freelance photographer Justin Shaw), but the draperies framing the window in this room are an eye-popping apple green. Trust me when I say the effect is not shocking, but lovely. (Yes, I just said "lovely." It's my English heritage coming out.)<br /><br />Another thing the homeowners got right was the overall color palette. Wall colors throughout the house flow seamlessly, with a soft taupe in the hall that flows to a deeper taupe in the living room, then to the deep brown of the dining room, then to a soft blue in the kitchen that makes a stylish transition from the browns.<br /><br />I enjoyed being in this house very much.</div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-50627023247759997412010-06-07T11:07:00.001-07:002010-06-07T13:28:09.285-07:00Midtown Chic<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TA04ZECl4BI/AAAAAAAAAJY/iwQj4gvxeIc/s1600/Shariett+condo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480098324812259346" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TA04ZECl4BI/AAAAAAAAAJY/iwQj4gvxeIc/s400/Shariett+condo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />OK, I said a while back I was going to start posting stories and stuff related to my writing. Have I done it? No, not at all. Sooooo, better late than never, right?<br /><br />I write these weekly features for <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/">The Commercial Appeal </a>called My New Home, and although it's not always easy to find willing and able homebuyers every single week to profile....<br /><br /><span style="color:#6600cc;">(If anybody reading this knows anybody who's bought a Memphis-area home in the past 12 months and might want to be featured, please post a comment or send me a facebook message!)</span><br /><br />....I love writing these stories. One, just about every buyer has an interesting story lurking under the surface, and two, poking around people's houses and getting a peek into their lives is so much fun. Last week, I wrote about a really nifty, quirky Midtown condo. The owner collects, well, pretty much EVERYTHING, but instead of looking junky, his place looks what I would call "curated." It doesn't hurt that he's the visual manager for the East Memphis Macy's store. He knows what he's doing. At any rate, here's a link to the story:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jun/06/vintage-midtown/">http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jun/06/vintage-midtown/</a><br /><br />And here's one of the pics that ran with it. This is his master bedroom, and the main items to note are the afghan folded over the end of the bed (its significance is mentioned in the story) and the original art on every wall. A lot to learn here for anybody who calls him/herself a collector.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/TA04ZECl4BI/AAAAAAAAAJY/iwQj4gvxeIc/s1600/Shariett+condo.jpg"></a>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-5111151821263999372010-05-27T11:34:00.001-07:002010-05-27T12:32:01.629-07:00Hot & Cool Master Bedroom<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7EMLP9ODI/AAAAAAAAAJA/Ex7Yh75Yu8k/s1600/Jamie+master+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476029910386292786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7EMLP9ODI/AAAAAAAAAJA/Ex7Yh75Yu8k/s400/Jamie+master+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div>So I went to a client-friend's house earlier this week, in part for the installation of a custom-designed, custom-built china cabinet (I'll post pics of it soon) and in part to take some pictures of her master bedroom, which I also designed.</div><div></div><br /><div>Here's how the bedroom design process went: I started with the floor plan. The big challenge there was convincing my client's husband that it'd be OK to place the bed in front of two of the room's four windows. Once he agreed that was the best spot for it, completing the space plan was simple.</div><div></div><br /><div>We'd already discussed using a yellow-and-gray color palette - stylish but not too trendy - so next up was finding just the right shade of gray for the walls: not too blue, not too brown. Once that was accomplished, I went on a long search for the perfect yellow-and-white graphic fabric for the windows. We tried out several, almost going for a <a href="http://www.duralee.com/fabrics/collection.php?Collection_id=207">Thomas Paul print by Duralee</a>, which did look great in the room, but wasn't <em>just exactly </em>right. Finally, the right fabric happened to walk into my office, courtesy of a rep for <a href="http://www.pindler.com/">Pindler & Pindler</a>. In the meantime, I found fabrics for the bedding, and I'm not kidding, the design of the bed came to me <em>in </em>bed. I sat up late at night in bed, switched on my lamp and jotted off this super-quick sketch of the bed area:</div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7EZRPXVPI/AAAAAAAAAJI/qoaBq35Ru-8/s1600/bedding+drawing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476030135332721906" style="WIDTH: 313px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7EZRPXVPI/AAAAAAAAAJI/qoaBq35Ru-8/s400/bedding+drawing.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's by no means a great sketch - it <em>looks </em>like I jotted it off in three minutes at 1 in the morning - but it did the trick and we wound up sticking pretty close to it. My client's mother is a wonderful seamstress, and once we'd ordered all the fabrics, she did all the sewing. Then all that was left were the details. I found the quirky, black-lacquered mirror at a source through my shop, and my client already owned the nifty Japanese bird print that's hanging above the bed - I just helped her figure out how to place it along with the two small plates to achieve the right scale.</div><div></div><br /><div>And that, my friends, is a bedroom!</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7HtnRBC_I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/0_8N21Pc9Pk/s1600/Jamie+bedroom+vignette.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476033783377497074" style="WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S_7HtnRBC_I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/0_8N21Pc9Pk/s400/Jamie+bedroom+vignette.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-2510315161650726312010-04-29T12:34:00.000-07:002010-04-29T12:55:15.622-07:00Other Side of the Story<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S9njeD6W99I/AAAAAAAAAI4/DYGLqbzHkyU/s1600/music+area.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465649728376469458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S9njeD6W99I/AAAAAAAAAI4/DYGLqbzHkyU/s400/music+area.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I'm a little late on this, but this is kind of, sort of a milestone for me, so I thought I'd post it. The showhouse my firm was involved in earlier this month got a writeup in <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/">The Commercial Appeal</a>, and even though it wasn't me who was interviewed, my name was in the story as one of the designers who did the room.</div><div><br /> </div><div>Just kind of weird to be mentioned <em>in</em> a story instead of in the byline.</div><div><br /> </div><div>So here is the story, and in it are a couple pics of the room we did that ran with the article. I'll paste one of them with the post. Doing the showhouse was fun, by the way. Lots of work, but a great experience. Here's a link to the article:</div><div><br /> </div><div><a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/09/restored-to-glory/">http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/09/restored-to-glory/</a></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-8494242159222716552010-04-11T13:58:00.001-07:002010-04-11T14:02:26.433-07:00Split FocusWow, is that ever the truth. These days, I don't really know what my job title is - I have so many. Four days a week, I'm a designer. That fifth day, thanks to the awesome flexibility granted me by my day-job employer, I'm a journalist. Then every day, I'm a mommy. And a wife. And a terribly un-domestic goddess. On the side, I'm a writer. Yes, that's different from a journalist.<br /><br />And I'm a terribly intermittent blogger.<br /><br />Is anybody out there actually reading this? If so, I'm very sorry about that terribly intermittent part. Anyway, there is a point to this. I've decided that since I am, in fact, a writer as well as a designer, I'm going to split the focus of my blog. I'll write a new tagline soon, but from now on, DesignInsider is going to be as much about writing - particularly writing about design - as it is about design itself. I'll post links to all my stories and ramble on here about the writing I'm doing. I'll still post cool new products and stuff whenever inspiration hits. I'll even, once in a while, post pics that I actually took or acquired legitimately.<br /><br />Starting now. Here's a pic taken by a source I met a few months back during an interview about the house it was taken in. Me with a reporter's notebook in hand. Kind of sums it up perfectly, right?<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S8I4RJdE7qI/AAAAAAAAAIw/aed8bd37lIk/s1600/me+with+a+notebook.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458987565573271202" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S8I4RJdE7qI/AAAAAAAAAIw/aed8bd37lIk/s400/me+with+a+notebook.bmp" border="0" /></a>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-4000618602607560742010-03-17T12:05:00.000-07:002010-03-17T13:05:19.043-07:00Gearing Up for a Showhouse<a href="http://virginiarippee.com/">Our firm </a>recently signed on as one of several designers/design teams transforming rooms in Carrier Hall in the <a href="http://www.centralgardens.org/">Central Gardens Neighborhood </a>for the 2010 Decorators' Show House benefitting the Brooks Museum League.<br /><br />The house is, well, WOW. It's basically an English Tudor mansion, built in the 1920s. It's one of many, many structures in Memphis on the National Register of Historic Places. The period details are incredible, as are the tastefully accomplished updates that make the house functional for the 21st century.<br /><br />And therein lies our challenge. Because what room did we choose to tackle in this monstrous, gorgeous house? The <em>ballroom</em>. Yes, ballroom. It's enormous. Cavernous. Beautiful. Scary.<br /><br />Scary because modern-day houses don't <em>have</em> ballrooms. Modern-day families don't host balls. We host gatherings, sure. We host parties. In fact, we love to entertain. So our task in approaching this roughly 30' x 40' space was to bring this antiquated space into the current millennium. We wanted the room to reflect the diverse entertainment needs of a family in 2010. That means making the most of its wide open spaces by creating distinct areas designed for different activities.<br /><br />The ornate, original fireplace topped by elaborately carved wood panels will be the backdrop for a cozy conversation grouping. A pretty little nook surrounded by spectacular leaded glass windows will house another seating area and also serve as a conservatory of sorts, urns filled with greenery topping the benches that surround it.<br /><br />Another nook provides a great spot for a beautiful antique table and four contrastingly modern upholstered chairs. This area could just as easily be used for game-playing or puzzle constructing as for a casual dinner. Yet another nook, this one containing a built-in platform we instantly saw as a "stage" is the ideal setting for a mahogany grand piano generously loaned to us for the project by <a href="http://www.amromusic.com/">Amro Music</a>. A small seating area offers a perch for impromptu concerts. There's even a spot for homework or household paperwork - an antique desk provided by <a href="http://www.thepalladiogroup.com/">Palladio</a>, our partner on the project, that backs up to one of three sofas.<br /><br />The room, when we're finished with it, will be a "family room" on a grand scale. A space that will accommodate a party of 50 as easily and comfortably as an intimate conversation between two people or a casual night at home for the family. The key word here, and our goal, is to make it "livable."<br /><br />And, seriously - whoever gets to live here is soooooo lucky.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449693395833670914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/S6EzRRF1TQI/AAAAAAAAAIg/jhMefajVZY0/s320/Showhouse+Plan.jpg" border="0" />StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-91902084785330402852009-11-17T09:25:00.000-08:002009-11-17T11:31:06.293-08:00Kitchens on a Budget???<div>OK, so I was tasked recently with a story for <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/">The Commercial Appeal </a>on kitchen design, and in these days of economic hardship, people don't want to read about jillion-dollar fancy cabinets, higher than high-end natural stone countertops, etc., etc. So the story subject was "5 Things You Can Do to Update Your Kitchen Without Breaking the Bank."<br /><br />Not an easy topic, for sure. <strong>Even INexpensive kitchen renovations are expensive, and the best way to update your kitchen on a budget is to PLAN properly. </strong>If you have an outdated kitchen (like mine), the worst thing you can do is take a piecemeal approach. The article digs into this by way of my fantastic, expert sources (thanks <a href="http://www.kitchensunlimited.net/">Karen Kassen</a>, <a href="http://www.kitchens-baths.com/">Mike Donovan</a>, Leah Fors) who pointed out things the rest of us aren't likely to think of. A few bits of their insight:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>Cabinet refacing seems like a great idea on the surface because it's cheaper than replacing. BUT it's still expensive, and if you aren't 100% happy with the configuration and storage space of your current cabinets, you will spend a lot of money to STILL not be 100% happy.</li><br /><li>Newer appliances don't necessarily fit into spaces left by older cabinetry, and retrofitting can be expensive and a real pain.</li><br /><li>Seemingly small, innocent projects like replacing flooring can be troublesome later on if you "tile in" your old appliances or cabinetry - you'll just have to rip that new floor right out to make way for the other new stuff. Same goes with replacing countertops. If you later decide to replace cabinetry, sink or appliances, you'll be ripping those new counterops back out. Basically, starting a kitchen renovation is like opening Pandora's Box. <strong>Better to go into it with a plan and save up to do everything at once.</strong></li><br /><li>Working with a professional can save you money, not necessarily cost you more. When you hire a pro, check her credentials. Look for certifications (i.e., NKBA) and ask to see references or a portfolio. And remember: It's easy to screw up a kitchen renovation on your own. Seriously.</li></ul><br /><p>And on the topic of refinishing. I didn't delve into this in the story because opinions are so widely diverse. Some people say you should never refinish or paint an existing set of cabinets. Others say as long as you take the right approach (which generally means hiring a pro), you can get a good look. Personally, I think it depends on your house and your needs whether refinishing will work for you. Again, refinishing isn't a good option if you're not happy with the layout or storage space of your cabinetry. And DIY refinishing isn't a good option unless you're willing to put in the research, time and effort to do it right. It's a LONG, COMPLICATED process to do it right, meaning to get a professional-quality finish that looks good and wears well. If you don't know what you're doing - <em>trust me</em> - it will show. Don't mean to be rude, but it's true.</p><br /><p>OK, 'nuff said. Here's a link to the full story: <a href="http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/13/kitchen-do-over/">http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/nov/13/kitchen-do-over/</a></p></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-27316340586187009132009-10-26T14:14:00.000-07:002009-10-26T14:35:17.044-07:00In-House ArtistNote to self: Never post a blog entry promising you're going to blog more often. For some reason, it seems to put an opposing force in motion....<br /><div></div><br /><div>At any rate, I'm here now. And I'm so proud of my co-worker <a href="http://virginiarippee.com/biokh.htm">Kim Hamric</a>, who's spending her spare time (when she's not at the gym or playing in the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106044651097">Memphis Kickball League</a>) slaving over canvases in her kitchen. Her abstract works are experiments in color and texture, and she's producing them at an impressive rate. I love the palette she's working with: bright lime greens, robin's egg blues and orangey-reds.</div><div></div><br /><div>It's hard to convey the texture and dimension of the paintings in a photo, but I asked her to send me a pic so I could share. This is a series she did on three 8" X 10" box canvases. Anybody? Anybody? Let me know what you think.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397023238872998594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SuYUCoWNosI/AAAAAAAAAIA/DePSEWUHVS8/s400/Kim%27s+Art.jpg" border="0" /></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-41995799167854006792009-08-24T10:14:00.001-07:002009-08-24T10:38:36.100-07:00Back in Blogging Mode<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SpLNQeSwZjI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/F6gPP3XRuCw/s1600-h/serendipity+3.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373582988299757106" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SpLNQeSwZjI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/F6gPP3XRuCw/s320/serendipity+3.jpg" /></a>Man, it has been too long since I've done a blog post. I need a feature like the "nudge" button on twitter to light a fire under my behind to get me to blog, apparently. Truth is, I've just been really, really busy in all facets of my life - work, freelance writing, home, church, travel (the pic at left offers an example of what I've been up to - it's at Serendipity 3 in NYC). So I haven't had time for anything extra.<br /><div></div><br /><div>However, this morning has been inspiring. One of my co-workers brought in a pamphlet for the 2009 ASID Design Conference in Nashville, and the CEU session topics spawned interesting discussions about how to better market our business in this economic climate. Taking advantage of the Internet is a crucial in today's world - hence the importance of blogging. I will definitely do better with maintaining this site on a weekly, if not daily, basis. I also started a twitter account for my firm - follow us at <a href="http://twitter.com/vrippee">http://twitter.com/vrippee</a>, username vrippee!</div><div><br /> </div><div></div><div>I'll be taking similar advantage of facebook soon. I use these sites personally - our firm should be using them, as well. It makes good business sense to take advantage of these great (and free!) resources to get our brand out there in these days of strained pocketbooks and intense online competition.</div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-71957242628296975592009-07-13T11:44:00.000-07:002009-07-13T12:00:40.903-07:00To Market<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SluESUlls_I/AAAAAAAAAGI/jQiNQSJ9s-w/s1600-h/W_Midtown+Atlanta.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358021631986217970" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SluESUlls_I/AAAAAAAAAGI/jQiNQSJ9s-w/s320/W_Midtown+Atlanta.jpg" /></a>It has been a crazy, busy couple of weeks. Over the weekend, I went with a small crew of co-workers to Atlanta for the AmericasMart home, rug and gift market that's going on right now. More than 7 million square feet of showroom space, and man, did we have a blast! We found some new sources and spent time touring some of the sources we already use to see new products and to generally touch, sit on, handle and otherwise ogle the products we specify for clients. There is nothing like a high-rise building filled with showroom after showroom of gorgeous, high-style furniture and accessories!<br /><div></div><br /><div>While there, we stayed at the W Midtown hotel, and all I can say is W-O-W! So chic that I recommend that if you're going to check into one, dress up before you arrive. The lobby is like stepping into a party with an exclusive guest list - music pumping, lights flashing, guests stepping out of niiice cars and drinks flowing at the bar. The rooms are as chic as the lobby, and the whole place has this high-tech, very NOW kind of feel. It was phenomenal. Good times!</div><br /><div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-10875087767167224292009-06-23T14:42:00.001-07:002009-06-24T12:37:08.181-07:00The New World of Design<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SkFTDJ5WPJI/AAAAAAAAAF4/gNoEmzNd1MQ/s1600-h/Vesta+house.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 277px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350649145954024594" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SkFTDJ5WPJI/AAAAAAAAAF4/gNoEmzNd1MQ/s400/Vesta+house.jpg" /></a>I've been thinking a lot about the changing nature of the interior design profession. So many forces have been acting upon the field of design in recent years that are completely changing the way designers do business. I've read, for example, that interior design is increasingly moving away from a product- and sales-based business model to more of a service-based business model. When someone hires a designer, she's hiring an expert, and what she's paying for is that expertise. Traditionally, that expertise also comes with follow-through, meaning the designer not only tells the client how to accomplish her design goals, but also carries them out. This involves the sale of goods along with services.<br /><div></div><div></div><div>I don't think that will ever completely change - I hope not - but the myriad of well-designed, reasonably priced objects out there available for public purchase (meaning not just "to the trade") means that designers have to become more flexible about the types of products we source, the places we get them and the price tags that accompany them.</div><div></div><br /><div>Until the Internet became the axis our lives revolve around, it was pretty difficult for the average homeowner to find and buy high-style furnishings and fabrics outside the realm of what was offered at local retailers - without a designer, at least. But whoa, is it a different world now. Through online shopping, consumers can find everything from European wallcoverings to Turkish rugs to Italian leather sofas at retailers from across the country and around the world who are willing to ship to any destination. Not to mention the fact that comparison pricing has never been easier. So how do designers compete in a marketplace like that? It's a difficult question to answer.</div><div></div><br /><div>There are still plenty of sources that sell furnishings and home products through the trade only, and there are plenty of homeowners who appreciate and expect the level of service and innovation in design these sources offer. But to be able to offer clients a great service at a reasonable value, designers must also be able to compete within the greater marketplace when it comes to offering a mix of higher- and lower-end products. Figuring out the best ways to approach that situation is a major concern for me now as I'm establishing my own career in design.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6106208841069930299.post-85534205865860858482009-06-02T08:50:00.000-07:002009-06-15T14:03:31.154-07:00Why Hire a Designer? (Part One)<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SiVaFiMRLhI/AAAAAAAAAEg/JsH1rhUT-G0/s1600-h/Jane%27s+room.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 212px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342775584069070354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5cfUA95aYoo/SiVaFiMRLhI/AAAAAAAAAEg/JsH1rhUT-G0/s320/Jane%27s+room.jpg" /></a>OK, this is a topic I've wanted to write about since before this blog ever came to fruition. There are so many misconceptions out there about what it means to work with a designer, and I'm going to attempt - in a multipart series that I'll revisit time and again - to clear them up. So here is entry No. 1 of many.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>Misconception #1: A designer is not in my budget.</strong></div><div></div><br /><div>Maybe so. But if you're planning to spend money on your space - in other words, plotting a renovation/redecorating/home improvement project of any type - consulting a professional designer could actually save you money rather than cost you more. How? For one, a designer can help you avoid expensive mistakes. I've seen so many people - including myself pre-design school - make purchases for their homes that didn't work out the way they envisioned them. They bought a sofa that was a few inches too long for the room, leaving no space for a side table. Or they bought that luscious purple velvet chaise they thought was sooooo cute in the store and found that it looked garish in their family room. Or they painted their bedroom wall what they <em>thought</em> was the perfect shade of gold, only to find that the cool light of the north-facing room turned it canary. You see my point? In all these scenarios, a designer's guidance could have saved the day - and saved the client money or time or both.</div><div></div><br /><div>But designers can help in more ways than preventing costly mistakes. One of the biggest benefits of consulting a designer - even if you simply pay for a few hours of advice - is that a designer will look at the big picture and help you design your space according to a <em>plan</em>. It's amazing how much buyer's remorse can be prevented when each purchase made for your home - even if there's a year between purchases - fills in one piece of the preconceived larger puzzle. There's no switching gears in the middle of the unfinished project. No buying furniture in the wrong color/size/style.</div><div></div><br /><div>Your best bet when starting a design project is to look at the space/room/house as a whole, plan it out according to your personal taste and style, and fill in the puzzle pieces one by one as time and money allows. What a designer brings to the table in this scenario is specialized knowledge about how the elements and principles of design work together to create a harmonious whole. A designer will help you find pieces that work with the scale of your space in styles/shapes/colors that work with each other. A designer will <em>plan</em> your space by creating a scale drawing and furniture plan that will ensure that the space will <em>function</em> - and this word is key - in a way that fits your lifestyle and makes your life easier rather than more stressful and frustrating. A designer will ensure that rooms and spaces in your home flow easily from one to the other by use of line, rhythm, color, texture, scale and so on.</div><div></div><br /><div>And last but not least, a designer opens you up to a whole new world of resources to help you make your space the best it can be. You know all those products in your favorite magazines followed by the words "to the trade?" Hello? Trade! Right here! Designers can help you get exactly what you want. And if it doesn't exist, we can design it and have it made for you. Yes, you get what you pay for, and yes, a lot of what designers do can get expensive. But, at my firm (<a href="http://virginiarippee.com/index.html">Virginia Rippee & Associates</a>) at least, we work with clients whose budgets fall into every range - and we treat them all the same, whether they hire us to do a top-to-bottom design of a 5,000-square-foot house or to space plan a one-bedroom condo.</div><br /><div></div>StaceyWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12230362072587995336noreply@blogger.com0