quiet – artist at work

a really good friend of mine, rosalia weiner owner of home art designs,  has told me several times that i don’t just design, i make magic. ( if she says it again, i’m going to start believing her.)

artist, muralist and color expert rosalia weiner. charlotte, nc

well she is the magician.  everything she touches is in living color and filled with love and a passion for art.  she is primarily self taught – art is in her blood.  when we work together on projects, i’m always confident that my clients will love, love, love the end result.  i never worry.

this is a project rosalia and i collaborated on for a client. the owners are big jazz fans

whenever i visit the weiner family, i feel like i’m in a place with no worries, a non stop party just celebrating life.  her color selection for her home is so exciting and energetic. everything works wonderfully well together. her native country is mexico and this is her way of bringing a little bit of mexico to charlotte.  recently,  i grabbed my camera and told her i’m coming over to take pictures because knowing her, she could change every wall within a weeks time.  she graciously agreed and i’m excited to share them with you.

the close up of her foyer entrance details the beauty of the colors. i've known rosalia and her family for at least 6 years now and the foyer has been recreated around three times, maybe four. i love it each and every time.

without a doubt a dining room filled with love.

close up of the walls reveals paint over a venetian plaster

view her dining room wall before this latest up date.  it reminded me of spring. check out additional images of dining room walls she has completed for her clients.

who would have thought to paint the kitchen area pink? rosalia! and i love it! this space too has been many other designs and she's telling me she may repaint it again. i'm tempted to throw myself in front of it and camp out if she tries too

she stores her treasures, created and found, in her think tank

a mix of goodies to inspire her

there's something calming about an artist studio. rosalia cleaned it up for the photos and i was so disappointed because i wanted to capture the process of how ideas go from imagination to canvas. oh well, i'll have to catch her in action another day when it's a beautiful mess!

close up of a friends portrait and a smaller replica of a painting she did for a church

not only does this area serve as a studio for rosalia but also as an office for her and her husband. personal completed projects, family photos and resource books find a home here.

currently, this wall serves as a place to view completed work, or work in progress

very effective use of color saturation. painting was done on a canvas approximately 18"x 24"

often she creates a piece in what seems like a matter of minutes. children's art is especially fun because you can let your imagination run wild

florals are not just florals anymore

i must confess, i am not inherently, nor have i ever been a floral kind of gal. i was not aware of this until years ago a really good friend of mine made a dress for my birthday.  i was so touched by her thoughtfulness and her talent; however, my first thought was…i never wear cloths with a floral pattern, how am i going to wear this?!  it just went against everything that i stood for (o-ka, a little over the top but blame it on my youth)

well, months pass and she finally asked me if i ever wore the dress.  i had to confess that i had not.  when i told her that i never wear floral patterns, she said that’s e-x-a-c-t-l-t-y why she made it for me.  we had to laugh.

now i find myself with several floral designs in my wardrobe.  most of them have a funky little twist to them but nevertheless they are floral.  i also find myself presenting versions of floral patterns to my interior design clients that ordinarily say don’t show me anything with flowers in it.  and more other than not, they surprise  themselves when they fall in love with the piece.

moral to this story – don’t knock it til you try it. embrace the girly side of you. take liberty to tweak the style to a modern fun version or go all out country style with flowers in full bloom color if you dare.

here are some new improved floral designs in area rugs from Company C. the designs are fabulous!  what a bold statement to be made in any room.

Oversized chrysanthemums

most of their rugs are 100% wool, tufted and natural.  if you want to play up the fun factor use these vibrant graphic designs.

A floral rug inspired by an early 20th century Mexican embroidery

i noticed the same fun off beat floral pattern targets  zinnia square dinner ware . i  love love love this design.  i so want to use the dinner plates as a decorative wall motif for a client. i’m just waiting for the right application.

it kind of has that vintage anthropology vibe going on, don’t you think?

anthropology cook ware

the colors are so vibrant, festive and energetic.  they remind me of  mexico.  by the way, my next post will feature Rosalia, a dear friend and local artist in the charlotte area.  i can’t wait to show you images of her home, which is a celebration of all the colors found in her home country, mexico.

wallpaper me

and the beat goes on for the design project i mentioned in an earlier post “bare naked walls” .

the painting is complete.  still a very neutral  color by pratt and lambert that warms the room, adds a hint of color and satisfies the husbands love of neutral tones.  the wife conceded.  her affinity to color will be realized in the furnishings and art.

also in the image below, the wallpaper within the custom molding has been installed.  it’s a textural combination of green, gray and blue. again neutral but warm.  drapes to follow shortly will pick up the grayish blue tones.

as with all grass cloth papers, the seam is apparent.  the lighter color in the middle is also a natural variation you will find in this material. shopping for the wallpaper on line gave the client a better price break.  although a shade off in color it still works with the design plan.

i’m shopping for accessories and furniture this week. so i should have a post  in about two weeks for ya.  as my two and a half year old niece says, “i love it” when a plan comes together!  it’s going to be fabulous!

faux textured brick

want to know how to create a faux textured brink pattern on your walls.  go to  Garden Stew and check out my post:

Disasterous home project saved! Create faux textured brick

in their  interior design forum.  i list before and after pictures of my home project.  It turned out fabulous; however, it did take a while for me to get it right!

it’s also a great site if you are into gardening and decorating in general.  the forum is a cool way to expresso your ideas, seek feedback on current projects and get ideas on future projects.

i have a horrible green thumb so i stay away from that section; however i do participate in the interior design forum.  i especially enjoy answering some of the decorating questions that come up.

bare naked walls – oh my

this is a quick fix, architectural detail, that resolves the problem of bare naked expansive walls, common in 2 story family rooms.

it’s common in new homes (at least in the southeast) to have an open floor plan where the kitchen and the family room open as one unit.  it’s also common to have the foyer, dining room and study/living room spill into this same area. this type of floor plan is a big selling point for buyers; however, once they are living in the space they are floored (tee-hee! get it?).  they have no idea how to dress, uh-hum, address those bare walls. (don’t worry, i won’t quit my day job)

case in point. my clients, the Robinsons (names have been changed to protect the innocent), needed to fill up two massive walls at 17′ high and make it flow with the rest of the house. our focus in this writing is on the fireplace wall.

as you see for the sketch below, i decide to extend the existing trim (or molding if you prefer) features of the bookcases up 5′ and over the fireplace; thus creating one complete unit. the idea is too make it look like it was built-in with the original plan and not an add on.

what a beautiful, uncomplicated, simple, no frills idea!  and my clients loved it!

if you are handy with wood working or basic carpentry skills and you have the right tools then you can easily cut and install the trim yourself (i know, easy for me to say).  the client hired Shy’s  Design and Construction company to do this job.  primed wood was spec’d since the trim will be painted white to match the existing trim.

inside the trim and on the back of the bookcase walls we will hang a beautiful neutral tone grass cloth with a hint of blue to give it that wow factor and it will also tie in similar colors that we’ll put in the dining room.

there’s lots more going on with this client so i’ll share pics as the projects progresses. so, don’t be shy (oops, i did it again) about adding molding and trim features in your home to solve your interior design dilemmas.

Shy’s Construction Erik Scheidegger 704-502-1191

designing on a budget – all for a good cause

even when saving money is the objective, great and mighty things can be achieved. Housing Works hosted the fifth annual Design On A Dime. ticket and furniture sales from 46 designer vignettes raised big money at the benefit’s opening night at new york’s metropolitan pavilion.

can’t you just imaging sipping a glass of wine in this space with your very best friends before hitting the club scene?  i don’t care what they say on bravo tv’s the fashion show…black is the new black as evidenced in this space. tee-hee!

black on black on natural with just a touch of red

you have to visit the original article in the interior design magazine for images of some of the other spaces in this gala.  the event was held from may 7-9, bringing in $600,000!  beautiful!  even images of the president became part of the design. read  more here.

no one should have to abandon good design just to look wonderful.

fresh furniture – got paint?

the console i used for this project was fine in its original condition.  it was just all wrong for my purpose.  the space needed an injection of color and i wanted an old weathered looking piece.

console in its original condition

i spotted it at a local consignment shop.  i didn’t really notice it until the second time around.  the dimensions and price were perfect.  it just needed a makeover which resulted in a fabulous very custom looking piece of painted furniture.

E+O’s step by step from blah to beautiful:

1- lightly sand the entire console

2- primed it randomly so the crackle texture and original finish peeped through

3- 3 colors of  paint were applied using equal parts of acrylic paint, water and glaze.  it was important for all the colors to show. the darker color,  indigo blue  was applied first.  random fluid strokes were used. the creamy color was second and the  prominent color, periwinkle was applied last.

4- highlighted areas of excessive wear and tear (in edges, near the drawer pulls) received a concentration of  dark umber antiquing glaze while all other areas received a very light coat. after it was applied i used a soft white rag to wipe it off.  make sure the rag does not release loose fibers that  will remain on the furniture.

5- in some areas i used a badger brush to distribute and remove the glaze. (to do this i dabbed a foam brush with glaze in certain areas and used the the badger brush to spread it over the area. after a few strokes i removed excess glaze from the brush with a rag.  i repeated this process until the glaze was uniformed)

6- along the edges of the table top i used my fingertips to rub on metallic antigue gold rub and buff i purchased on-line from dickblick.com.  (these are handy to keep around for toning down bright metals and to add a depth of richness to almost any home decor item) .  using your fingertip gives you more control.

7- i switched out drawer pulls to coordinate with the new look

8- the last step was to apply 3 coats of varnish

Distressed console after the makeover using acrylic and metallic paints

chalk anyone?

chalk anyone

in an earlier post i showed you a simple, fun and abbreviated way to use black chalkboard paint in a room.  well, i found this room on the project nursery blog and loved how daring they were to use black on all the walls.  way cool!

renew, reclaim, reuse

i enjoy dressing  foyers with distinctive, unexpected and dramatic pieces.  the entrance sets the tone for things to come by creating anticipation with fluidity.  i am such a lover of old things reclaimed and used in fun and exciting ways.

the root chair in my foyer was rescued from a disparaging life in a field on the side of a highway.  at first glance the herd seemed like nothing special since there were so many pieces (100+).  but as i approached the area, i was amazed at the gracefulness of each piece.  the owner of the store (the mahogany man) said the pieces come from Indonesian plantations which promote the preservation of the life of the plantations.

i’ve seen root chairs used outdoors but increasingly they are used indoors as shown on the cover of veranda magazine.  where ever you put it, plan on it staying there – these pieces weigh a ton!

root coffee table used indoors

each piece is unique and one of a kind.  the roots and stumps are removed so new replacement trees can be planted. they are left outside to dry for approximately one year, depending on the thickness of the root.  after drying, craftsmen examine the shape of the root and determine whether to design a root chair, root table, bench or other unique furniture to accentuate it’s natural beauty to a functional show piece.

my chair serves double duty as a work of art and support for my coffe table books.  i placed it on an old tattered prayer rug I found while shopping at an antique store in hilton head. even with the frayed edges i loved the colors and pattern.

the leaning shutters i found in high point, nc at blue ocean traders.  i had planned to replace my pantry door with these shutters but it was off by a couple of inches so i found a new home for them.

the pedestal in front of the shutters was found at a local vintage store that has since gone out of business.  it’s a little gaudy but that’s what i like about it.  i paid $90 bucks for it.  stealer deal!  it has an over the top look, like it may have been designed by a custom prop company.  (by the way – use prop companies to source out unique custom items that you may otherwise have a difficult time finding on regular buying trips.)

organize your bling

i found the perfect little jewelry box for your vanity or dressing area ladies.   it cleverly expands to offer more storage for your goodies and it’s lined wit felt to soften the interior.  i’ve been asked more than once by clients have i seen any cute little jewelry boxes during my shopping trips so now i have the answer for them.  this espresso stained and lacquered wood box at vital wares has 4 separate compartments to keep you organized.

repose storage box by umbra

the umbra repose storage box measures 24″ x 18″ with plenty of room for fine jewelry.

my E+O: protect it from splashing H20 by cutting a piece of 1/4″ glass 25″ x 18″,  with a 1″ bevel.  raise the glass off the vanity approximately 1″ and place the box on top.  have the glass company fashion a stand for you in glass.  most companies are extremely creative and can work with you on a design.  I use carolina bevels on south blvd, charlotte.  they always come through for me.  try your local custom iron company for design ideas too.

Open storage box

sure you could just buy the box and place it on the counter; but I say why not go the extra distance and make it a featured item in your bathroom.