2020: Happier in Your Home - vol. 1

So it's been ages between posts - frankly, there was just so much noise out there I decided to bow out. But, recently I was thinking about what I do beyond the label of interior designer. My 'aha' moment was realizing what I really do is help you be happier in your home...and since I'm older than stone, I might have some insights to share.

So begins my monthly blog and I begin with functional design. I'm always saying to clients I can make the room look however they want, but first we need to make it work for the life they lead. Evolving life stages all have different requirements that need thoughtful fulfillment. Having what you need, where you need it, reduces small stressors that adds to general contentment.

Here's your assignment: review your typical day and make a list of 'pains' - and I mean from getting out of bed to turning in at night. As in, if you can't dust your nightstand for the clutter, you need drawers. If you have to visit three spaces to grab what you need to get out the door, you need a staging area; you get the idea.

My personal small victory was a charging station. I get twitchy with visible cords and wires, but my daughter is always charging some device while she uses it, sprawled on the sofa. A power strip on the rug is not a great accessory, so I bought a small cabinet and a keyhole saw bit. Now the strip is hidden, all devices can be charged behind doors and the cabinet anchors a painting; win-win.

If you're a young family, starting out in a small home or apartment, consider giving over the larger bedroom to the kid(s) - more space to store the stuff. Get in front of the toys that will end up in the public space with ample storage.

Ikea has tons of stylish storage ideas

If you have a busy household, anything that helps keep chaos at bay is worth it! Organization tops the list- again, what you need, where you need it. Hidden shelving is typically more useful than shallow drawers; maybe time to retire or re-purpose a piece here. If you review what you have to do to get ready for company, you'll know what will make your life easier on a daily basis.

From Bernhardt, a room ready for family game night or adult conversation. And yes, with the new performance fabrics you can have a light sofa

When downsizing, or for 1-2 person households, consider re-imagining your kitchen dining. So often I see a table for six and the homeowners eating at the counter - and who could blame them? There's nothing cozy about all those empty chairs. I like to incorporate a banquette and at least one dining wing chair around a 42" square table (with stored leaves) for everyday use. The other chairs can be at a desk and in bedrooms, sometimes I'll put an upholstered bench in the hall that will do double duty for dinner parties.

All the fabrics work in the public space and seating can expand and contract as needed for a proper dinner party or a holiday crowd in the public space.

A project of mine in Rittenhouse Square; the library and dining for four can turn into dining for ten at holidays

When downsizing, think long and hard about aging-in-place. If you never want to move again, you'll have to tweak a typical blueprint to accomodate any possible eventuality. You'll want your front door on-grade and 42" wide and all doors should have levers instead of knobs. The wall outlets need to be higher and the switches and windows lower. Kitchens should have dish drawers and a drawer dishwasher. Bathrooms should have a walk-in tub or showerstall with ample space for turning. All flooring should be non-slip without any transition strips. Luckily, it's never been easier to have a gracious home with beautiful finishes that can handle whatever the next chapter brings- the very definition of 'functional design'.

Need: Room in a Hurry

...but not look like it's out of a box. With the holidays looming- and the window for custom upholstery arriving in time closing - I cruised our website www.davidsfurniture.com and went shopping - you're welcome! These selections are for an open-concept plan and seating that needs to expand on weekends: a comfy sofa floats facing the fireplace/TV with the gathering island behind it- perfect for a Sunday football crowd. A distressed finish on the cocktail table is essential because you know the life it will lead. The mid-century leather chair acts like sculpture, grouped with an uncommon garden stool for drinks and a floor lamp for task lighting. A second chair should be fitted to the homeowner primarily using it and can be either a color or a pattern. The vibe is relaxed yet confident - rug, toss pillows, art and accessories is where we can amp it up or keep it a quiet texture story. Please let me know if I can be of any help.

slouchy comfort

love multi-purpose pieces

roomy and sturdy - you know someone will sit there

looks good, feels good

garden stool with unusual finish

mixing metals adds depth to a room

every room needs a little gleam

...tucked in a corner, just for fun

wall mirror adds dimension and echoes the garden stool

Love: Bernhardt Introductions at April Market

Rarely does a vendor do a wide range of styles, from traditional to uber-modern, equally well. Bernhardt has been blowing the style doors off for several years now and this market was no exception. Check out their website under New Products and find your favorites...Some interesting new offerings below and some ideas of how to use them...

This would make a great tete-a-tete bridging two seating areas in a long room

Nice mix of organic and glam in the upholstered stool; four bunched would make a great cocktail...and 'yay' for more drink tables to park by an accent chair.

This is just a handsome room! It needs the chrome legs and occasional pieces to throw some light around. And I would probably add one piece of canary yellow glass in the shard mandala picture...just for dissonance...

While the hair-on-hide chest is a nice addition, I'm intrigued by this hammered bench...would use as sculpture (and oh, yeah - an occasional seat) under long windows or to hold some rolled bath towels in a zen bathroom...or flip it over and add a tray for another drink table...

Another drink table as sculpture; unless you run with scissors, pair simple silhouettes and textures with arresting pieces like this

101: A Brief History of Home

...so this post is inspired by a commercial for the PA Renaissance Faire - I flashed through the changing utility of a household, leading to the concepts of comfort, privacy and a sense of home. Here, in the works of (mostly Dutch) masters, I give you reason to be thankful for electricity...

A household comingled work/ family and consisted of immediate family, assorted relatives, employees and apprentices plus servants. Furnishings were chests, tables, cupboards and stools...the term "make a bed" literally meant piling up some straw...

...needless to say, secrets were hard to keep



...and it took a lot of effort to feed everyone

Furnishings our Pilgrim forebears may have used in Holland prior to sailing to the New World -chimneys led to usable second storeys and some private space.  With the advent of upholstery, dedicated rooms for eating became a neccesity to save the precious textiles from greasy fingers...huh; still true...

Private space for the master and mistress went from this...

...to this...hmmm...no distraction from an argument anymore...

So while one room living for peasants didn't change much over the centuries...

...for the growing middle class, going off to work in a place of business, there was now a sense of private family life with creature comforts...

...and blessed domestic tranquility.

Need: Stylish Pet Beds



They're our best friends as well as family - why not give them a special spot so they will feel loved, even when you're not in the room?

cuteness overload...



inspired by Corbusier....

practical addition to the mudroom



who wouldn't love a chaise longue?



a Mission-style crate...



why did it take so long for someone to come up with this?



puppy condo



my favorite design; looks like my Stressless chair



double duty as an ottoman, too



fits right in with an Industrial vibe

Images: Google search

Love: Mixed Metals in the Kitchen

If you want to color outside the lines in baby steps, consider mixing metals in your kitchen - it's also a quick way to elevate builder-grade choices to add your personality in the space. I particularly love how brass contrasts with matte bronze; they were just meant to be together!

Nice mix of rustic and sleek

Minimalist space incorporating a shot of 3 metals

Black pendants and sink add the needed drama here

Copper a great contrast to the dark counters

This has it all; shouldn't work but does...unapologetically!

Without these gorgeous pendants...almost boring

The gold interiors of the pendants picks up the faucet for a subtle shot of glam

The warmth of the brass keeps this from being dreary; check out the brass-trimmed stainless doors

Copper, stainless and iron combine for a personal look

Bronze hardware balances the dark window muntins in this sweet space

Photos: google search

Series: Color and Mood - Orange "Nails/Fails"

Orange acts on both our physical and emotional levels (see aspects of red and yellow in prior posts). Positive aspects focus on issues of physical comfort - food, shelter, warmth and sensuality. Negative aspects veer to deprivation and scarcity. It's a fun color, but too much can tip towards the frivolous and immature.

Positive aspects: Physical comforts, food, warmth, security, abundance, sensuality, fun

Negative aspects: Deprivation, intellectual indifference

 Relaxed and confident; no wolf at the door

...gets stranger the longer you look

Nails fun

 Aiming for sensual...

This would look lots better if the lamps were on; that 'light to make color' thing...

The dreaded accent wall...

Great use for orange- a little goes a long way

Images: google search