One of the smartest upgrades in a house is a kitchen renovation. And one of the most common kitchen renovation projects is replacing the countertops - and when you do, the sink and faucet as well. WHAT to change your countertops TO is a subject for another day, but today we're talking about faucet choices.
Read MoreHigh Style, Low Maintenance
Low maintenance…we appreciate it in our relationships, but we adore it in our interiors! As long as we can get great style, low maintenance versions of natural materials are an enticing alternative.
I love natural materials but they require extra care – they are susceptible to staining, fading, scratching, and wear. Sometimes we just don’t have the time or patience or lifestyle (or house denizens!) to accommodate the care often required by natural products.
Luckily, technology is keeping pace and there are now products available that imitate nature well, but are MUCH easier to keep looking good.
Here are 3 of our favorites:
Read MoreTrade Secrets: Do's and Don'ts for Hanging Draperies
Trade Secrets: the do’s and don’ts of hanging draperies
It has come to my attention that in the wonderful world of decorators, most have jumped on the bandwagon of "hang ‘em high". I refer to, of course, the trend to hang the curtain rod for drapery panels well above the window to elongate the proportions in a room. And this does, in fact, work. BUT… like most things, this cannot be applied universally willy-nilly.
The advice is grounded in the notion that a longer line creates an unbroken vertical that makes the perceived height of the room taller. And while this is absolutely true, there are caveats.
Read MoreSeen Around Town: Maison de Mer
Wandering about the seaside town of Swampscott on the North Shore on a beautiful summer afternoon recently, we happened upon the charming Maison de Mer shop a stones throw from the ocean!
Vintage and new tableware, furnishings and accent pieces are interspersed with imported French lotions, creams, and soaps. Alongside a few Swampscott stamped tote bags and pillows are a smattering of miscellaneous other treats from French-themed books, to paper goods and baby bibs .
Several rooms reveal treasures around every corner...
Read MoreIs a chaise sofa the best solution?
Whenever we start a project, one of the first things we need to determine is how the room will be used, how many people will be using it at a time, and what are the possible needs we should consider when selecting and arranging the pieces for the room. And with the multipurpose spaces like the “great rooms” that are breeding in new construction and rehabs like rabbits, many rooms need to have the flexibility to serve a lot of functions. After all, if a room doesn’t function comfortably and well, what good is it? We WANT you to love your room and that means it needs to work perfectly as well as look good doing it!
Read MoreWhat exactly DO interior designers do all day?
“This is SUCH a glamorous job!” I quipped to my colleague yesterday as I headed up the front walk to a clients house with an area rug balanced on one shoulder…
Glamorous? Not really.
I know everyone who isn’t a designer imagines we sit around all day playing with pretty fabrics and paint swatches, and maybe occasionally sketching with colored pencils while sipping tea. And while we DO get to do a bit of that, it’s not all sunshine and roses! We also
Read MoreWill a great sofa change my life?
We love our clients and we REALLY love to see how enthusiastic they are when they get a new, wonderful piece of upholstery! This sofa was delivered this morning and we just received this text:
"This couch is SOOOOOOO great. I have been sitting on it all day. I love it! Bury me on this couch. : )"
Read MoreShould I hire an interior designer?
Should I hire an interior designer?
The short answer is YES. If you want to ...
Save time
A designer should have the experience and know-how to diagnose what is bugging you about your house and come up with several possible solutions tailored exactly to your situation. OR you can spend your precious free time scouring websites and magazine articles looking for someone with your exact design dilemma who found a viable solution you like and then assessing all the options for implementing it and trying to figure out which is the best real value. The choice is yours, of course.
Read MoreDesigner Spam
Designer SPAM…
So, I know everyone gets spam emails, but designers get very specific spam email! This one has been circulating amongst designers for a while and I was just beginning to feel left out when, lo and behold, THIS appeared in my inbox…
I feel it is my duty as a designer to point out some glaring problems with Mary and her design sense – not to mention her spamming IQ…
Read MoreSeen Around Town: sexy chair legs ...
It's almost summer, which seems like the right time of year to show a little leg...
In the world of design, I am in favor of a mix of leggy and skirted pieces in any room. Legs give pieces a lighter, less bulky feel. That said, the choice of styles available is vast! So, without further ado, here is a round up of some of the options spotted recently at the Boston Design Center.
Read MoreSeen Around Town: Ballard Designs New Retail Store
FINALLY! After years of poring over the Ballard Designs catalog and absorbing the pretty vignettes, the catalog has come to life right here in New England! A new Ballard Designs retail store has opened at the Natick Mall. It is a breath of fresh design air after years of proliferating Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware stores. While the quality level and prices are all similar, the ingredients are a bit more classical than Pottery Barn and a bit more varied than Restoration Hardware.
Read MoreFour Key Ingredients for Outdoor Living Spaces
As the spring weather slowly warms up and freezing rain and snow appear to be left behind for the next few months, it is time to turn our attention to the upcoming season of road construction outdoor living. Designing spaces to live outside and revel in the warmer weather is even more important here in the northeast where we celebrate that we survived another winter and the gray, pre-spring months!
On my “must have” list for anyplace I live, is a slice of outdoor space. Whether you have a pocket sized balcony, a patio, a covered or screened porch, or a deck, make the most of it so you can enjoy the beauty of nature for a few months.
Arranging an outdoor space uses the same principals as arranging an indoor space – scale, color, and balance all apply. Here are a few key ingredients to keep in mind:
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