Coco Chanel in Black and White

How much more classic can you be than Coco Chanel. And how much more classic can an interior be in black and white? I had the pleasure of seeing the movie Coco and Igor recently. It is the story of the love affair between Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, a struggling composer at the time......and married with a family too.

Coco invited the Stravinsky family to stay in her French chateau. As she was showing them around the incredible home I could not help notice the amazing interior design. The setting was in the 1920s but the decorating was so contemporary and wonderful I was really taken by it.

Every room she showed the Stravinskys were done in black and white. Mrs. Stravinsky commented.....don't you like color? Of course replied Coco...as long as it is black or white.

As far as color schemes go there is nothing more failsafe than black and white. It can be contemporary or traditional but either way it is mostly a very dramatic result. Black lends formality and contrast lends drama. So if you are wondering how to decide on a color scheme, are looking to make a statement and want to keep it simple, nothing beats black and white.

Of course there are many components to a successful interior design. Color is just one. To pull it all together there needs to be a careful balance of line, form and texture. There can be pattern as in a fabric but pattern can ocurr in flooring such as carpets, rugs, or hard surfaces like wood, stone or tile. Wall treatment like wallpaper or a specialty finish can provide pattern as well. But don't forget the pattern that art and accessories can achieve, too. Sometimes just the interplay among the various elements of the room can be the pattern.

But for now I am just so inspired by the elegant and dramatic interiors of Coco Chanel. It is no surprise that such a cutting edge fashion designer also have a talent for interior design. Even today many fashion designers have expanded into home furnishings. Think, Ralph Lauren or Oscar de La Renta.

Has fashion ever been an inspiration for an interior decorating project for you? I would love to hear about your experience.

Granite, it's all natural

Choosing granite for a counter top can be very tricky. If your counter is small, like a vanity, a remnant is the way to go.

If you need more material then you will need to select full slabs. What? When you go to a showroom they will have small samples to show you but many times they are old and from slabs that are not available. Also many marbles and granites have a lot of variation and you need to see the whole slab. Some are very dramatic and have a lot of "movement" or large strong pattern. Some will have areas you do not like and many times the fabricator can work around that. Others may have flaws. It is really important to inspect every slab you are going to use.

Looking at slabs for me is great fun. It never ceases to amaze me that these slabs are cut out of the side of a mountain somewhere in the world. It is Mother Nature in her glory. When you go, bring anything that will help you make a good decision....they might even be an interior designer, a friend who has experience with choosing a counter top ....but also a drawer or door or sample of your cabinet finish, sample of your wallpaper or floor tile or even a photo from a magazine of your inspiration room. Can't bring samples? Take a photo.

Where to go? Ask your contractor or get a referral to a fabricator. Don't have one? Stop in several marble and granite showrooms and they will refer you to one. Go prepared not just with your samples but many times these granite yards are outside.....if you are wearing sunglasses....take them off when you look at the slabs so you can see the true colors. I like to bring water to drink...or sometimes they have bottled water for you to drink. Not only can it be hot but dusty.......and don't wear black, like I sometimes do, because the dust gets all over you!

Have fun! I would love to know your slab selecting stories and send photos of the end results.

Decorating with pets

I just finished vacuuming cat hair....floors, furniture, window blinds....it can be anywhere. Cats, more than dogs, hang out in the tiniest of spaces where I would never think to look for fur, like window sills and sliding glass door track. We had dogs for 30 years and have recently acquired a cat, a long haired cat at that. Living in Florida we have our air conditioning on all the time. My how her fur loves to fly. Even when I just pet her it floats through the air like it had little feather wings. And what does that mean? I must have cat fur on every surface of my home. Do I dare put on my glasses and see the truth?

So this brings me to bring up the subject of decorating with pets....that does not mean using fabrics and wall paper with little puppies and kittens. Of course I am referring to how having a pet or pets can influence your decorating. There are lots of things to consider, not the least of which is fur. What kind of fur? What color of fur? Have a white cat or dog? ...don't get a navy or black sofa, rug or floor. No polished black marble or black lacquer for you! The same could be said for black fur shedding creatures and white surfaces.

I have often had clients who caution.....don't forget my furniture needs to be pet friendly. That could mean practical and easy to clean or no loose weaves that might get caught in little claws. It could mean using window treatments that can be raised up so a curious pet can look out the window or door. Or using a vertical treatment so the sliding door can be drawn open slightly so the door can open slightly to let a furry friend go outside. And, watch out for the cord operating systems that could get tangled in a frisky pet.

Got delicate porcelain figurines or personal treasures that are fragile? Best to keep them off the surfaces where kitties are prone to tip-toeing. I think the situations are as diverse as the personalities of our pets. One thing is certain, if we have pets they are part of our family and will definitely have an impact on how we design our home.

Designing for our pampered pets

Creating a fun environment for a beloved pet is a great "pet project".

I remember seeing a laundry room in a showcase house that was actually turned into a dog room. Dog dishes, dog beds, dog crate and places to store dog food and leashes, a place to give doggy baths or to groom your dog. I am going to assume that this was not a laundry room that saw much laundry being done but the idea was great.

Cat lovers might like to have a little kitty room too where they can hide the litter box or provide interesting climbing condos and scratching boards so they don't ruin your upholstered furniture. (See the "city scape" room above, or should I say "kitty scape".) Most of us don't have the luxury of having a space that can be totally dedicated to our pet but I have heard of people who have turned a spare bedroom into a haven for their pets.

The room in the photo was designed for a kitty play area for a San Diego designer showcase house.

Don't forget that dogs, in particular, may also spend time in their crates. These less than attractive items can also be large space invaders. I have been thinking of creative ways to incorporate them into a home's decor. My partner Ellie and I have come up with some great ideas. We were also selected by Pierre Deux to be in a design contest for a new pet product. We designed the most amazing convertible sofa bed....a recamier.... which is a fancy word to describe a type of French lounging sofa. There are many pet beds on the market. Some elegant canopied creations fit for a princess, a furry princess. Many are very basic cushions that come in the basic colors and fabrics. As a designer I think if a pet has a bed or a crate in a beautifully decorated home, then they should be part of the design too. I am wondering if there is a market for that? We could incorporate the fabrics and color schemes and make these items accent the decor instead of detracting from it. They would be customized to not only compliment the colors of the interior but also the style, formal, informal, contemporary or classic, coastal or country, urban or shabby chic. The possibilities are endless. This fun to think about.

I found some unique pet crates and cat beds on line...see above pics. Look how fun and attractive these pet accessories can be.

How have your pets influenced your decorating? What design challenges are you faced with as a result of having a furry friend in your family? Of course there are lots of kinds of animals besides the typical feline or canine and they can have an impact too. Suppose you have a pot bellied pig, monkey or ferret, or something a bit more creepy crawly? I hope you will share your solutions and challenges with me and my "bleaders" (blog-readers). Photos of cool pet beds and crates courtesy of http://www.digsdigs.com/

Powder Room Project.......Countertop Conumdrum

What material do we want to use for our charming custom vanity? How do we decide what will set off our lovely orchid sink (see photo in previous post)? It is one thing to have an idea in my head but another to find what I am looking for. When your counter top is for a small area it is best to find a remnant of marble, granite, quartz or whatever kind of stone you like because these materials usually come in large slabs. If you want to use corian or another surface that is manufactured to size then it does not matter.

For this project we wanted something beautiful, a natural stone product and something that would not only compliment our scheme but also cost efficient. We need a remnant. So how do we find that? First call our fabricator. This is the person who actually cuts the countertop, finishes the edges and installs it. Frequently they have usable pieces of larger slabs left over from other installations. He said there were several options that sounded like they might work for us so off I went.

He was right. He gave me samples of 4 slabs. I was looking for basically a pure white but that does not exist in granite....so what did I find? There was white quartz, white quartz with dots of green and beige, green granite, and, if you can believe it, fuchsia quartz! The fuchsia quartz was very close to the color of the orchids in our sink and flowers in our wallpaper. That color on the countertop would make a powerful statement for sure. The white quartz had a yellow cast and that would not work, the green granite was a bit muted while the other colors in our palette are more vibrant so that did not work. Hmmmm

As luck would have it I got an email from another supplier about a new product and a follow up phone call. During this call I asked about remnants. Yes, they did have a few and they would email me photos. There were good possibilities. Hopeful, I drove to their showroom and there I spotted a display with a fabulous granite that I had seen in the photo. It looks like stones cut in half. It is mostly whites but also has a bit of gray and a bit of golden brown. How pretty it looks with the wallpaper and faucet! After showing all the samples to our client this last one was it!

When the vanity base is installed the fabricator will measure or make a template for the top. He will fabricate the top and backsplash and finish the exposed edges in the style we select. Some styles are standard and others are an upgrade....which is code for ...more expensive. So when planning for countertops there is alot to take into consideration. Future posts will have more tips and info on granite/marble selecting.

Cabana Bath.....Asian garden inspired

Inspired by a bowl of goldfish? This delightful cabana bath was a collaboration between myself and my client. In this project we found the wallpaper first. Since the bathroom leads out to the pool we wanted a it to have a touch of whimsy but also sophistication. This is also a guest bathroom so it must be totally functional as well as beautiful.

The first thing that draws your attention is the fabulous coral paper. If you look carefully you will see glass jars with goldfish. We were debating between this paper and another but when we walked into a showroom and spied the glass goldfish vessel sink....we were charmed.

The custom vanity has a simple Asian design. We removed a corner linen closet and had a linen cabinet made to compliment the vanity. A white corian top is lovely and practical too.

When you use vessel sinks there are a few things to keep in mind. Your vanity top needs to be a bit lower and the faucet a bit taller or as we have done....wall mounted. When we found the river rock tile we new it would be a terrific back splash. By wall mounting the faucet it seems like the water is flowing out of the rocks. The floor tile was another great find. The 24 x24 tiles look like grass cloth and we installed them like in an alternating basket weave pattern....like a grass mat. Fun! Speaking of grass cloth, look at the ceiling. Yes, it is grass cloth but a printed grass cloth rather than real woven grass in a vibrant green. Don't forget the ceilings, even in bathrooms.

The tile in the shower is another Asian inspired touch. We found narrow rectangular white tiles, stacked them to look like a shojii screen and accented the walls with green glass tile bordered by a wonderful tile that resembled bamboo. To complete the feel we used the river rock on the shower floor, which we found out when the guests were showering, feels like a foot massage!

One of our goals was to make the shower bigger, so we took down the wall next to the vanity and built a new "knee" wall a few inches further out. This made the shower door larger and with the wall down it opened up the shower tremendously. Our plumber moved the plumbing to the adjacent wall. It was also cost efficient to use an all inclusive shower panel that opens to reveal body sprays! More fun.

Since the back splash was high, we needed mirrors that tilted down. We discovered these, after scouring the Internet, at a local store and took them home with us. The pendant lights resembling coolie hats, the simple hardware and bamboo towel ring and accessories added more detail to enhance our Asian garden theme. My client found a wonderful table/bench to place in front of the white wainscoting that we designed to balance the large vanity. It is so pretty when guests walk in to the room and look right out to the pool through the French door.

Yes it was alot of work and quite a messy job. Don't let anyone tell you that renovation is all laughs. However it does help to keep a sense of humor, too. It was fun to work so closely with my client. We were always on the same creative page resulting in a delightful, beautiful and, if I do say so myself, stunning cabana bath, or as my client would say, "ab fab" (absolutely fabulous)!

What kind of fun have you had renovating or redesigning a guest bath?

Powder Room Project.....The perfect papers

Wallpaper can set the design theme and color scheme. It is a great design element to use on walls, ceilings and in other creative ways. Do you like to use wallpaper when you decorate?...or for your clients' projects?

We decorators are relentless sometimes or should I say obsessed? Not being satisfied with the wallpapers we found at first, I went to a local showroom that carries many lines. There were several great options. We chose this whimsical but sophisticated botanical that has a nod towards tropical. There are orchids somewhere in there.

The brown background gives it alot of drama. The whites will tie in with the sink and toilet. The beiges will work with the marble floor. The fuscia will blend with the color of the orchids on the sink. This is exciting.

Even in this small room I don't want to ignor the ceiling. We picked a little green fretwork design. Since it is on a white back ground it will not lower the ceiling which is important in this room since the ceiling height is only 7 feet.

The original "bamboo" faucet set will work perfectly except for the chrome finish we saw when we first discovered it. So back to the showroom we go to see what other finishes it comes it.

I suggested we design a vanity in a Chippendale or Chinese Chippendale style. Our client loved the idea. So now I have to figure out how to accomplish this. There is also a closet in this room with large bifold doors and we will tie in the Chippendale look on the doors as well.

There is so much to do and decisions to make. Let's see, lighting, mirror, hardware, countertop, towel bar, accessories. When working with a client all this has to be approved and priced. We bettter get back to work.

I would love to hear from anyone who is doing or has done a project like this. Stay tuned.