Julie and Julia

I saw Julie and Julia this weekend. What a wonderful movie! A very powerful woman about a powerful woman and such a wonderful love story!

But as I often do I notice things about the decor. It is not uncommon for me to rewind a commercial or something on TV to look at a chair or a wallpaper or something....One thing you couldn't help but notice was that Julia's kitchen in France was way too short for her. She was a tall woman and most kitchens are built for someone shorter than her. "HER" kitchen, though, the one that she used for her TV show was built up to fit her. I have done several kitchens and it's very important that the kitchen height FITS the cook and what they like to cook. If you are short, having your counters lowered a few inches can make cooking way more fun. Did you see the remodel of the Roloff's kitchen on Little People Big world? It was dangerous for her to cook in the old kitchen at her height, having to use step stools all the time. They did a great compromise, there was an island that was built for mom and other parts were normal height to fit the taller people in the house. The kitchen is one of the most used parts of the home and it's important that it fits the people living in it. If you are rebuilding your kitchen, make it to fit you, unless you KNOW you won't be there long. You will have more fun and enjoy your kitchen more if you do.

Restoration hardware -antique and modern

I got my normal stack of mail yesterday, filled with catalogs and post cards all related to interior design. One of the pieces I received was from Restoration Hardware. I sat down to see what was new. I didn't get very far before I was really surprised. There in Restoration Hardware was a swan chair.

http://image.restorationhardware.com/is/image/rhis/prod1613201_av1?$av$

It is called a "swan" chair because it resembles a swan from the side.

The swan chair was originally the invention of Arne Jacobsen in 1958 and has a very modern feel to it.

http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-84813622970253_2070_3572430

We are now calling this style "retro". We have rediscovered the clean simple lines of previous decades and the punches of color that made them stand out. What is interesting about this restoration hardware translation is that they upholstered it in leather, thus "antiquing" it a bit.
It fits in well with the rest of the picture that they show. It just goes to show you how much far this "retro" look has come, if stores like Restoration Hardware are adapting it to fit their style, it's a "new" style that here's to stay.

keep what you love

This is an issue that has come up a lot lately. Many people are downsizing. The kids are gone, they don't want to keep up the big house anymore. A question I often have to deal with is "what do I keep?" Well there are several things I look at when I help a client choose what they want to keep.
First and foremost, do you LOVE the item? You gotta love it. We are often given gifts or inherit furniture that we don't really love but when it's time to downsize you have to take all that away and decide if you love it. The next thing to consider is what does the new place NEED? You need to ask how you are going to live in that space....are you finally going to have time to entertain? do you want to entertain formally or casually? inside or outside?
Many people find it hard to go through that stuff, even a receipt for aspirin may bring back a memory, old pictures, old clothes, they all hold memories. That is why it is often easier to bring someone in to help you with these decisions. They are not attached to your memories and can be a mirror for what is good and what isn't for you. Having an organizer is a big help, turn those files into piles. Create better systems for storing your stuff. A designer is helpful because they can help you to decide furniture plans and what pieces work best in the new environment and which of your accessories are going to enhance the place. They can help you make the best use of the space. Often when downsizing, it's hard to get used to having less space so it's imperative to have it space planned well.

So take a good hard look at how you live, what you use, how often do you entertain and make sure that your furniture, art and accessories reflect that and help to improve it.

Heritage Square Museum

Heritage Square Museum is having a designer showcase house to combine with their annual Christmas event. You may have driven by these houses on your way down the 110 to go to LA, I know I have driven by many times and always said "I must go there someday". Well, "someday" finally came about 3 months ago, I took my nephew to see them. He loves history and architecture, he's definitely been under my influence. ; ) They houses are amazing. They have 3 homes that are fully furnished and restored beautifully. The details are exquisite. Too bad we don't make homes like that anymore. They also have an Octagon house. There aren't very many of these left in the United States. The fact that they have one is quite a coux for them. They are still restoring that one but there's enough that you can imagine what it would be like to live in it. There are other buildings there as well, including a church and a train depot. Every year for Christmas, they do a special event and turn the homes into living museums with actors in period dress, and dancing and discussing important events of the day. This year they are adding something extra, they have a group of designers who have volunteered to add their special touch to these festivities. Yours truly is lucky enough to be one of them. We can't compromise the authenticity of the building but there's a lot we can do. Put it on your calendar....This is your "round tuit" It will be a great event. htttp://heritagesquare.org

redesign - make what you have better

Redesign is an industry term that you may or may not have heard of before. Basically what it means is that you are using what you already own.
Often times the furniture you already own can be reused or moved to create a better, more comfortable space. Accessories are very personal and we all have them. Accessories are the icing on the cake of your room design. The right accessories can make your room really shine. The right placement of accessories can bring a room from boring to beautiful just like that.
One of my clients hired me to do some redesign for her. She had been stuck with her living room and just didn’t know what to do. I walked in her house and knew immediately where the problem was. She had two sofas and a rocking chair in her living room. One of the sofas was right in front of the door and blocked the way into the room. We walked around the house so that I could get a feeling for it and “listen” to it a bit. We walked in her daughter’s room and there were two easy chairs. I was very excited to see those chairs because I knew it would solve the problem of her living room. After walking around the house, I asked her some questions about the sofas and which one they liked better. I suggested that they put the one that they didn’t like so much in the garage or give it away to someone. They take the two easy chairs and put them on either side of the sofa in the living room and bringing the rocking chair into the baby’s room where you needed it anyway. By making these simple changes, it made more room in the baby’s room to move and for her to play. The living room became more open and inviting. I suggested some storage cubes so there was now a place for the baby’s toys.
By using what she already had, we were able to make better use of the space, she was able to get a whole new look to her house without spending a ton of money.
They now are able to entertain more and their friends enjoy coming over often. They love coming home now as it welcomes them and makes them feel good when they walk in the door instead of feeling crowded and congested.