Design Archives - Page 9 of 14

10/30/2017

Ultimate Guide to the Romantic Home

A long time ago in publishing turnover years I helmed a magazine that celebrated grown women who hosted tea parties, collected antique dolls, and cherished pieces with fat cabbage roses and chippy patinas. While some of the styles look like the remnants of a dried flower explosion there were designs that showed a restrained elegance, hallmarking the perservaitionist feel in a modern way, which the Europeans do so well. The woman who owns this style is Joanne Coletti of Vintage Rose Collection, her lifestyle enterprise that offers an edited selection of original artwork, shabby chic wares, and tips on achieving the ultimate romantic home.

The decor maven is an author, artist, photographer and writer for decorating magazines. “I absolutely love what I do!” she gushes. Coletti is so feminine she addresses you as “doll” and makes you feel pretty even if you haven’t washed your hair and ate a garlicy lunch. A stunning woman in that Charlie’s Angels knockout kind of way (she’d play the Farah Fawcett role), I don’t think she ever has a bad hair day or eats garlic.

: Joanne uses her dog as a styling prop.

: Joanne Colettis has written several books, with a new title coming out this spring.

: Even the stairs are given romantic flourishes.

: Vanity has that feminine Coletti treatment.

: Jessy assumes the romantic look.

: No corner is spared a soft decorating touch.

She speaks of her husband, Mark, with the same passion reserved to a new relationship. They have been married for 26 years and are the parents of “two amazing boys and our little special yorkie, Jessy.”

You can never have too many roses in a romantic home, the main theme in Joanne’s art and vignettes.

Men Can Live in a Romantic Home

You would think a household where Coletti is outnumbered by men would tone down all the poof and puff, but Coletti attests that her husband finds that soft tones “calm the bull in me.” Mark operates a landscape company and is in charge of the outdoors, contributing to his wife’s design with outdoor cuttings.

Their boys grew up with white sofas and feminine things, it’s what they know. “But, their own rooms, that’s a whole different story. I always allowed them freedom of their own creativity, after all it’s their personal space,” she says.

Joanne Coletti pictured with Jessy.

Feminine Outlook

Perhaps breathing in all that rose infused air has given Coletti a sensitive outlook toward her environment. “My surroundings are very important to me,” she says, “it’s like fresh air. For me my home is not only my visual art board but it alludes a feeling of goodness. And the ‘good life’ is not about riches but rather living lavishly modest, in-the-moment, and in a caring way. To care about your surroundings and to take pride in wherever you may hang your hat–that is the ‘good life.’”

Blushing pinks compose this unabashedly ladylike vignette.

5 Steps to the Romantic Look:

1. Honor your space’s natural light and do not obscure with dark furnishings or color.

2. If you love something you will find a space for it, a romantic home is about items with a story.

3. Look at vintage in new ways by pairing with like minded pieces or embellishing with flowers.

4. Keep the palette soft and light.

5. Texture, texture, texture. A surplus of textiles, pillows and accessories is both comfortable and pretty.

Pillows from the Vintage Rose Collection.

Resources:

Vintage Rose Collection of hand-painted items, note cards, bedding, fabric and vintage finds handpicked by Joanne Coletti: www.vintagerosecollection.com

Joanne Coletti’s blog: https://vintagerosecollection.com/wp/

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/23/2017

Chunky Knit Throw: Three Price Points

The mental prep work has begun for winter’s arrival. A process where I outline how each frosty month will be spent and the gear needed, which includes wares for the home. Make hibernation more comforting, and stylish, with a chunky wool blanket that recalls the days when mom dressed you in the Irish knit sweater she wore as a lass. We found three chic blankets at your price.

3 Chunky Wool Blankets – 3 Different Prices

Etsy, $45

The homemade feel of this blanket shows the construction of a fishing net that is both affordable and stylish.

2. Berkshire Blanket, $110

A true relation to the classic Irish knit.

3. Artizen, $275

A current, modern take on the chunky knit composition.

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/18/2017

Color Crush: Navy + Pink

Certain combinations, while unexpected, do not fail to entice. My current chocolate and peanut butter obsession is navy + pink. Sophisticated navy lightens up with pink, creating an almost unisex dynamic. In design, the colors are stylishly executed in an assortment of current pieces–I even created art based on the scheme. Add some accents in the color pairing and you have a designed space.

A corner takes a bold, colorful direction with navy + pink guiding the scheme, as seen in the art and pillows.

Pink is becoming today’s neutral, which is so accepted in a color palette even men are embracing the feminine hue. When balanced with navy it’s perfectly at home in a room of men yelling at football plays.

Accent pillow by Therese Marie Designs is a simple, subtle and transitional way to bring in navy + pink.

You don’t have to paint your walls or add furniture in the colors to create the look, accessorize with pillows, textiles and art.

Color block pillow with a softer shade of pink by Jillian Rene Decor connects the colors.

Resources:

Navy + Pink color block art: ducks goose

Color block pillow cover: Jillian Rene Decor

Navy pillow with pink accents: Therese Marie Designs

Covetable Navy + Pink Accessories

: 1. Mr. and Mrs. Italy fur trimmed sneaker

: 2. Crab and Creek whale sweater

: 3. Paul Smith Bobble hat

: 4. Pom poms and paper lanterns

: 5. Roberta Roller Rabbit Priya quilt

: 6. Floral ties

: 7. Verloop Borders throw

: 8. Sophie Anderson Jonas tote

: 9. Paul Smith socks

: 10. Parker Hatch tray

Sneakers 2. Sailor shirt 3. Hat 4. Pom poms, lanterns 5. Quilt 6. Ties 7. Throw 8. Tote 9. Socks 10. Valet tray

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/10/2017

The Charms of an Older Home

While the Jetsons may be amusingly space aged I am comfortable living in this year, even a few centuries back. It’s the customs that engage. You can’t have an elegant pheasant meal served by footmen when a robot beeps by.

Our parlor room brought into the modern day.

An attention to craftsmanship and history is seen in every detail, like how our 1915 farmhouse was built around the fireplace as it was the main source of warmth. We have not fallen into your typical suburban model, which shares the same style imprint as every other home in this community. The marble baths, rugs that capture the same motif as the valences, lucite coffee table bought from cb2 and stacked with coffee table books in ruler edged precision–it’s the same concept as the Benetton sweater every girl wore back in high school. While it’s a very nice sweater it made overplayed appearances in the classroom. I am more inspired by the student who broke from the norm and wore something a bit alternative, found from a vintage shop, or styled the basic uniform in a personalized way.

Detailing of our original bannister.

My favorite homes are from my childhood, notably in the Hamptons. We lived In a house unique to the other’s with a pink tiled bathroom and floorboards with holes that led to enchanting places. This was all that we knew. Finding beauty from imperfection was revered, the decor composed with pieces that had stories behind them, or a kitchen designed with materials sourced from salvage yards.

An antique cupboard displaying motley pieces linked through color, scale or style.

Another trend that baffles me is new constructions. Everyone appears to want the same home. When I grew up the older homes were considered more authentic. You can’t replicate their clusters of rooms with thick walls and artisanal bannisters. Now it’s common to extract these architectural gems from the space.

The girls’ bedroom has a mix of old and new.

Our home is like fashion, I am constantly tweaking by bringing in my latest paintings and editing vignettes. While sometimes it looks like a child with a box of crayons who had a color meltdown, I try to maintain a merchandiser’s eye. The decor has a mix of pieces from all time periods but they typically share a theme through color, pattern or scale. It’s a constant process but the result reflects a singular style.

Resources:

Belle Bloom Robert Allen fabric for customized pillows, seat cushions and valances: Robert Allen

Lemon painting: Ducks Goose

A True Love Story Never Ends picture: Tuvalu Home

Dipper ceramic blue bowls: Wagoo

Pink pedestal plates, striped dishes: Rosanna Inc.

Mosser Jadeite Cake Stand: Sur la Table

Kate Spade bow tiled pink comforter: Bed Bath & Beyond

Standard pillow cases: Stamattina

Bicycle throw pile: Art Goodies

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/06/2017

The Jetsons – Ultimate Design Guide to the Future

I am starting to think about the future and not in the investment and derivatives sort of way. With the release of Blade Runner 2049 and watching “The Jetsons” with my son after a thirty years hiatus, we discovered what imagined trends have become reality.

The Jetsons is you typical 2062 family as imagined in the Hana-Barbera cartoon.

“The Jetsons” is a futuristic family but the sitcom American profile abound. There’s George, the bumbling patriarch who is always trying to work his way out of some snafu with the boss, supported by a sensible wife, attractive teenage daughter, and young son who never ages since this is a cartoon.

While everything seemed unimaginable in the Jetson’s account of 2062, in some ways we have surpassed the Jetsons aside from sky high traffic jams. (Though read below, as that may happen by decade’s end).

High Fashion Home

The Bea Sofa by High Fashion Home is a modern classic that endures.

Everything is technicolor in the Jetson’s world, which hits today’s designs as bright colored sofas add futuristic drama to a room.

Etsy

Abstract art gives a boots to your desk vignette no matter what year it is.

Delpozo Fashions

Delpozo’s winter “Serenity” collection has theatrical composition. Perhaps for The Jetsons the movie?

Ditch the ripped jeans and wool sweaters, fashionable cuts and innovative materials from Delpozo is where Jane and Judy Jetson would shop.

Galaxy S8 Phone

The Galaxy S8 helps make us smarter.

Expansive display screen, iris scanning for security, and multiple image camera processing are some of the Galaxy S8‘s features that have catapulted us into a futuristic world.

Waveforms Lighting

The Sonneman Waveform pendant would be a natural addition to the Jetson’s home.

Sonneman’s dome shaped pieces are more than contemporary gems, its LED lighting uses 90% less energy and lasts longer than regular bulbs.

Aeromobil Flying Car

The Aeromobil flying car gives the driver a choice of road or air, how’s that for tackling road rage?

You can literally take off with the Aeromobil flying car, which is looking to launch in 2020–regulations permitting.

Robot NAO V5 Standard Edition

A robot programmed with software, sensors and customizable operating system.

Friend or foe? The Robot NAO V5 is capable of experiencing seven senses, it’s up to the owner to customize his/hers/its functions.

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Posted By jdemontravel

10/04/2017

Creating a Crafted Home

Keep reading, crafts are not exclusive to macrame pot holders and cutesy wares sold at a church bizarre. There are handmade items with a finished look to add design and function, setting apart a space as personalized over a home decorated with brand identifiable fixtures. We have welcomed an age where we customize everything from dogs to thousand dollar jeans. The trend is catching on, with two books that celebrate the crafted home.

The handmade fabric dyed ottoman blends with the other pieces in the room and offers a signature touch.

A Well-Crafted Home by Janet Crowther is a departure from craft books that feature home’s jammed with Sunday art crafts. The projects are specifically created to add function and style.

Find the handmade crafts by Janet Crowther. Answer: wooden herb planter, quilted cushions, cutting board, tea towels.

When Crowther moved to New York City with her husband on a limited design budget, they discovered that handmade pieces was an affordable way to decorate their home without denting the budget. From a dyed fabric ottoman to a knotted rope ladder, the book offers a variety of projects that look like home store highlights you’d pay a premium for.

An acrylic side table adds a modern, styled touch to an entry. Yes, you can make this.

Artist Tamara Maynes spills her crafty secrets in the gorgeously produced book The Maker. Maynes is an established artist who is known for her modern graphic interiors but in her book she features a variety of projects, categorized by such mediums as wall art, ceramics and furniture.

: Wheel-thrown ceramics give a timeless, earthy look to a space.

: Textiles, shown here with the rug and swan pillow, layer and add warmth to a space.

: A vignette with a hand, as a symbol to create.

Maynes takes a historic and psychological approach to the art of making things, and how the basis of a simple craft can evolve into a modern form. Her projects are expressive and original, like the beaded light fixture that recalls her days as making jewelry as a little girl. The countless projects, not to mention the artistically presented book with covers that mimic slabs of wood, will add intrigue to your home.

Resources:

The Maker: Crafting a Unique Space by Tamara Maynes with Tracy Lines. Published by Abrams. Photography by Eve Wilson.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/18/2017

Living in a Modern Day Teepee

The teepee will always fascinate from its lore, tribal romance, and having the habitable efficiency of a portable umbrella. It has grown in popularity, designed in trendy fabrics as a decorative novelty for children to retreat and reboot. On a grander scale tepees are associated with Ralph Lauren’s Telluride and shelter on glamping trips.

Teepees are more than just novelties but unique, eco-efficient homes.

While commonly associated with American Indians, teepees have also populated parts of Europe and Asia. The structure not only has benefits for a nomadic existence but in the current day they are eco-friendly.

The “pointy-hat” cantilevers are erected slightly above ground, which prevents insects, humidity and fallen snow from entering the house.

In this home in Nasu, Tochigi, a resort area in Japan, the homeowners are a young couple who enjoy an environmentally-aware existence with organic gardening and limiting their carbon footprint in this natural environs. They enlisted architect Hiroshi Nakamura &NAP with the task of preserving the surrounding woods where they plotted the home. “We avoided large-scale construction to build the rooms on the few remaining flat surfaces of the sloping ground, as if sewing them together,” says Nakamura.

: The framework of a modern day teepee.

: Family gatherings is central to this open space.

: Light is a natural occurrence through the top windows.

The high ceiling allows the structure to receive direct sunlight, which is especially needed in the dense woods. To offset the expense of air-conditioning they eliminated unnecessary space.

The teepee’s form matches the neighboring tree branches.

Nakamura’s design process:

+ They began by cutting down the upper space diagonally to make the ceiling lower based on the way people move.

+ The new form matches the tree branches that spread out radially. This resulted in a tent-shaped house with only one-third of the volumes. Although the highest ceiling is 26 feet, the average ceiling height is 16 feet. Dwellers cannot stand upright close to the walls, so Nakamura simply turned the spaces into sleeping and sitting areas. The ceiling descends like a tent and enables the creation of a warm living space that mingles with the trees. “You will feel the warmhearted embrace of the house around you,” he says.

+ Other eco-conscious design tricks include the “pointy-hat” building cantilevers, which are slightly above ground in order to prevent insects, humidity and fallen snow from entering the house.

+ The windows are all double glazed in order to ensure that the tall spaces are airtight and well insulated. The fireplace and the air-conditioning underfloor capitalize on the floor heating and pit.

+ During summer, warm air gathers at the top and escapes through the upper window. In winter, warm air at the upper part will be drawn in and blown out at floor level, creating a comfortable air flow.

A constant surprise with light and, in this instance, sheds an intriguing profile.

The design fosters family gatherings and connecting naturally. “It is similar to primitive spaces seen in the houses of the Jomon People (Ancient Japanese) and Native Americans. The structure of the house initiated a lifestyle with close interaction, because the family sat along the low wall facing each other. A fire, a light or a table was set in the middle to initiate conversation as the family gathered around the center. The architecture has had an influence on people’s habits and it strengthened the connection and bond of the family,” Nakamura says.

Built in tables detailed with wooden poles capture the outdoors into indoors theme.

“Design touches include light wood, natural tones and artisanal additions like the pressed flower glass door. “Akebi, viola, anemone, geranium, larkspur – the wild flowers found in the pressed flower glass all came from the surrounding woods,” says Nakamura. “Our idea was to find a new way to reflect the blessings of nature, not just in the context of samples or picture books. We manufactured the glass by sandwiching the pressed flowers in resin films between two thick glasses and firing them in vacuum.”

Flower cuttings from the surrounding area are immortalized within indoor glass windows.

Pressed flowers sealed between two panes of glass protect the flowers from decolorization.

An almost space age feel happens at night.

The home takes on a new direction once night falls. Moonlight naturally illuminates the exterior, wild animals circulate freely around the home, which has a presence that is as natural as its neighboring trees. “In the darkness of the night, you will find a house filled with warm and gentle looks,” Nakamura says. It’s like living on a camp ground with all the efficiencies.

There is an alluring quality from the lit teepee, like a jack-o-lantern at night.

For more information please visit http://www.nakam.info/en/

Photography by Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners Inc.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/10/2017

5 Steps to an Inviting Fall Front Porch

The switch over from daisies to mums is happening, and porches are starting to take note. In designing the front entrance, rather than go the Halloween route with crawling spiders and loud ghoulish ornaments that transform your yard into a Dollar Store graveyard, I’ve always preferred the harvest theme. Here, in our former Laguna Beach cottage, we let color and whatever looked good at the the nursery guide the exterior’s design.

A fall porch is as simple as selecting a few well edited pieces.

5 steps to a fall front porch:

Browse your local nursery, market and farmstead for gourds and fall fruits that can add style to your tableau.
Choose a secondary theme, as we did with burlap and straw, and find pieces that connect. We found the burlap garland on Etsy and mini stack of hay from Michael’s, which we tied to the front door and used as filler to the vignette.
Place fake leaves here and there, also bought at Michael’s, if you live in a climate that does not shed its leaves in abundance.
Survey your own pieces to use as decoration. A vintage wire basket is a great container for apples while a straw market bag is the perfect vessel for mums.
Use your dog as a prop and, if you don’t have one, borrow a friend or neighbor’s like Baxter in this image.

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Posted By jdemontravel

09/04/2017

Celebrate Indian Summer

For those who are not part of the warm-weathered privilege who either live in a mild climate or chase the sun year round, September is a crucial time to take in summer’s last hurrah. As a four-season dweller, customs like squirrels gathering nuts early and the thickness of a spider’s web are noted and feared. (All signs in the Farmer’s Almanac of a cold winter).

Beach Tent by Lovin’ Summer creates an instant campground.

The exchange between summer to fall may be the most spectacular period of the year. In our neighborhood you won’t see a countdown sign till summer ends but in spring they are prevalent. This is why being outdoors is a necessity.

: Chair time due to off duty lifeguards.

: Last jump of the season.

Beaches are less crowded. Deals on summer necessities abound. You can still feel the rays of the sun before she relinquishes her power to another hemisphere and go home to an evening by the fire. Engage in a seashore outing simply but with verve and style by erecting a beach tent with nibbles and games. Just because the month may switch over doesn’t mean you have to.

Boat’s experiencing their own end of summer moment.

Create an end of summer celebration:

Postpone stowing away beach gear and make a trip to the beach for a more private experience than jostling for sand space.
Take advantage of end of season specials and stock up on those great beach pieces you had your eye on.

: Pollywood chair is made with durable materials.

: Less gear to pack in the off season.

: Instant shelter.

: Taking a break.

: Lifeguard’s are back to school, a sign of summer’s end.

: Perfect season for kayaking.

Pack snacks, games, plan a kayak expedition or just go on one of those endless, meditative walks. Make an effort to get in beach time before days become cooler and shorter.

Indulge on the last stock of summer fruit.

Resources:

Beach Tent: https://lovinsummer.com/shop/beach-tent/santorini-beach-tent/

Wategos Round Beach Towel: http://thebeachpeopleco.com/thttp://thebeachpeopleco.com/the-wategos.htmlhe-native-petite.html

Fair Trade Basket Bag: http://basketsofafrica.com

Colored bowls: http://www.boboandboo.com.au/

Adirondack chair: https://www.polywoodoutdoor.com

Lovin’ Summer sums it up.

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Posted By jdemontravel

08/18/2017

Before & After – Adding a Dining Room Pendant

A single wall construction home in Laguna Beach follows the charm of this surf culture town. Central air is an extravagance when you can simply open the doors for that canned coastal breeze.

A neutral yet modern double cylinder pendant seals the look of this small dining area.

Temperatures rarely venture into extreme highs or lows and if they do residents revel in having a quaint taste of another season. The climate translates to the home, where interiors follow the laid back “shoe optional” approach. Lighting, however, fits a more basic need. Moving into my Laguna home and the previous dweller, one of those earthy types who kept wild animals as pets, did not have a dining room lamp among other necessities. While I am a follower of organic style and going braless at Coachella, I do find lighting necessary in terms of effectively seeing your food and adding an easy stylistic element.

: The Oilo double pendant is a modern classic.

: Lighting up a space through fixtures.

Choosing a pendant was a combination of statement piece yet neutral since the dining area is part of the overall common room. This double cylinder pendant by Oilo Studio works with its scale, simplicity, modernity and neutral color.