More than just 50 shades of Gray....

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The Big D

 

I was commissioned to do a high end condo model that would appeal to a recently divorced man in his fifties looking to start over…we shall call him Steve.  After a divorce, a lot of men are left adrift as far as starting over.

My ultimate goal in any project is to create a relationship with my clients based on trust and to make a positive difference in how my clients live, so here is what I did for “Steve”.

I wanted the room to feel both peaceful and rugged, so I chose different shades of butterscotch for the walls and fabrics, mixed in some cobalt blue and federal red accents, and selected cabinetry in a rich, dark grayed wood. I went to Atlanta and bought this incredible deep Persian Rug that captured most of my space with drama.

 

 Well, with guys, it’s about earthy, primal materials. So with decorating his bachelor pad, I wanted to think about fabrics and materials that are masculine as being the cornerstone of his new abode. Think brick, stone, wood, leather, granite, cast iron and steel. These materials will be at the core of Steve’s decorating style.

Once the theme for the room was set, it was time to get busy installing the male necessities. We created a whole wall of custom-built cabinetry in which to house the stereo components and the equipment for a 60-inch television, which was hung over the fireplace…a male staple.  A leather sofa with cushy but masculine pillows for movie watching features an almost “industrial” iron and glass coffee table in front of it. The table has a huge crystal vase of red roses that never need watering and with the top being glass… No coasters needed fellas!

 

On the opposite wall I also installed a snack center consisting of a beverage refrigerator and built-in bar area.  We used an exotic granite top and natural grass cloth on the walls to show off those custom Gun Metal Gray cabinets featuring silver handles that look like a gentleman’s suit buttons. Snack bar when his kids come over and Scotch Bar when the guys visit.

 

The dining room table is reclaimed wood with over-scaled Navy chairs done in a cobalt and white linen men’s wear fabric with nail heads all over….the surprise here is that it turns into a Poker table when needed. An over-sized English Lantern hangs above the table to anchor the space. To give the bay window the illusion of size, I created long navy velvet panels with Ralph Lauren tassel trim skimming the edges.

 

The kitchen is amazing with a large center island for morning java and the quick bowl of cereal, but has every gourmet detail available…just to impress the occasional female guest. There are some beautiful vintage blue and white porcelain dishes sprinkled around the walls instead of your typical guy art.

 

I know all too well, there’s much more involved in leaving the matrimonial home than packing a suitcase and signing a lease. I enjoy giving life back to my divorced clients.

Generally speaking, men are less design-savvy than women. They may know what they like and what they don’t like, but there are two things men can’t do: They can’t pull it all together and they have no idea where to go to buy the stuff…. But on the flip side, men make up their minds quickly and projects get completed much faster. They don’t send me back looking for the perfect fabric samples five times.

I love all my clients…male or female…single or married…young and old. They keep me energized and passionate about my work and make each day start with a new story.

 

 

Goth Design...really????

Do you like to walk on the dark side? Do you have a taste for the mystical and the dramatic? If so, Goth Design could be the look for you. After seeing “Interview with a Vampire” my perplexing fascination began. I acquired a love for actually anything romantic that dealt with the middle ages, these softly macarbe elements intrigued me so.


In creating a Goth Interior Design Style, you might feel as though you are being transported back to an age of mystery without ever really leaving the twenty-first century.

 Although Gothic architecture has its roots in the grand religious structures of Europe, it can also be seen in universities, castles and private residences but now we designers add a theatrical twist not seen before.This edgy style is  intended to startle and  boldly flaunt old wealth.

So, go on… vamp it up, go back to black, and enjoy living your life on the dark side, for a little while, in these photos.

Where do we go for inspiration

 

In a creative field like design, we face an undeniable truth: our wells of inspiration are bound to run dry from time to time.

That thought leads me to wonder how I'll continue to be inspired to do my work and what are the influences that affect my senses? Where do you go when your soul is tired?  I wait for that unconscious burst of creativity and continually  realize that I must search for it. It becomes my mystical journey through Architectural Digests,Veranda, soap opera sets, window shopping, elegant store displays and old movies. It is dreaming about the Red Carpet fashions, on line shopping for jewelry and the travel channel. Sometimes it is cocktails with the girl's in an elegant art deco hotel while people watching and creating stories about their sordid lives. That creative tingle starts to emerge and I have to bend my will towards it or it will pass in a fleeting moment of distraction. Don't get me wrong, it is a very seductive process and just the excitement of waiting is in itself  extremely alluring.

As designers we are hell-bent on delivering the best in art, fashion, culture and lifestyles so we continue to educate ourselves in many varied ways to stay on top of our game. Maybe it was best said by Henry Brooke Adams "Everyone carries his own inch-rule of taste and amuses himself by applying it, triumphantly, wherever he travels".

The Art of Bathing

After a long day of work and of clients, all I want to do is sink into a hot soothing tub filled with  Aveda's Lavender Mint bubbles! I stared at my computer wondering what to write about  but…. it kept calling me, seducing me. I sought solace in the warm water.

It was bound to happen sooner or later…I couldn’t go on with out dedicating a post to some of my most favorite images of “The Bathroom”.