Why I Design

"The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation."  

Mark Twain

 

I will never be a scientist, create a new democracy, find a cure for illness, or discover a new universe.  My mind is not made for discoveries that will change the world or alter the course of history.  I am no politician (though a lover of public speaking), no pastor (though spiritual), nor great explorer (though adventurous). 

For a time, I thought I ought to strive for more than making things look good.  But you know what?

"Logic will get you from A to B. 

Imagination will take you everywhere." Albert Einstein

That is why I decorate for a living.  My imagination never stops, my mind is always sorting colors and fabrics and shapes.  And making a person happy by creating surroundings that resonate with that person -- well, that is my contribution to world peace.  I simply love it.

Why do you do what you do?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

How Lucky Do I Feel?

Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me.  When I started voraciously reading design blogs less than a year ago, I had no idea how hooked I would get, or how many great people I would meet.  And now, thanks to Abby at A Delightful Design, I'm a Stylish Blogger, too! :)

A few days have gone by since I found out about this, and it's taken this long to come up with the 7 things I'm supposed to tell you that you don't already know about me.  That's how this Award works.  You get the honor of it, share some stuff about yourself, and then pass it on to other bloggers you'd like to recognize.

So, here goes, 7 things about me...

1.  Last week, I celebrated 17 years of marriage to a man I love and admire and who's my best friend.

2.  I absolutely cannot eat cake and ice cream with a spoon, it must be a fork, and I won't drink juice out of
     a tall glass.  Weird and OCD, I know, lol!

3.  I've been totally afraid of heights for years,  but 2 years ago I went zip lining in Alaska to prove to my girls  that it's good to face your fears.  I did it with my stomach in my mouth and this summer, because of that, I was able to get on a two story ladder to paint my house.

4.  My favorite color to wear is orange.

5.  When I drive, I tend to hug too close to the right curb when I go around corners or back out of places and inevitably wind up hitting the curb with my back right tire.

6.   I ruined my knee skiing in college, had 3 surgeries, and didn't ski again for 15 years, until my husband took me to Austria to ski the Alps.  That's a whole 'nother story, lol.

7.  In my college years, I thought I'd be a writer, and then life laid a very different road.  Well, I guess that's sort of happened with this blog, and I love it :)


So there's all that about me.  Now, I look forward to reading things I don't know from these Stylish Bloggers!  Check them out...

An Urban Cottage

Colour Me Happy

Design in the Woods

Pink and Polka Dot 

Inside Out Design

Vermont Cottage

Love Where You Live

So, there you have it.  Check out these blogs, you may find something new!  And, it's very late as I write this, and I can't get my list to look all the same, so I'm leaving it!  Enjoy!

Talk to you soon,

Carol

What of Other Colors?

Hard to believe, given all the hubbub about it's star, but Pantone has more predictions for this year beyond the 'it" color.  I can't bear to talk of that splashy shade once more, I'm so saturated with it (funny, I know), and there are some other luscious shades that deserve some serious attention.

I found this chart in the January/February 2011 issue of  Home Furnishings Retailer magazine today.  These colors are so incredibly gorgeous I had to share them.  And, it helps take away the winter gray outside that I cannot take for one more minute!

The bottom colors are Russet and Silver Cloud.  Not so great a scan from the magazine, and the colors are not exact, but you get the idea.  Fun, clean, happy!  Makes me cheery just looking at them (even though I remain an earthy, muted-color girl).

Sherwin Williams has also come out with its new color mix for 2011.  Quoting from the magazine,

"Status is no longer about consumption, it is about personal identity and colormix 2011 evokes that sense of uniqueness," so says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin Williams.

Isn't that a great statement?  Hmm, same kind of individual style I was talking about here.  Anyway, Sherwin Williams has come out with four distinct palettes in their 2011 colormix: Purely Refined, Bold Invention, Restless Nomad, and Gentle Medley.  Here's an image from Purely Refined...

The article says this palette "whispers 'upscale' in an effortless manner and looks chic when paired with layers of chunky organic textiles."  Doesn't it?  I can't breathe because I love this room and this would be me, ocean side.  Yes, I am dreaming.  There's a couple of feet of snow in my yard, okay?   To read more about SW's new palettes, click here to connect to their website display.

Are you influenced by these new, clearer, brighter colors coming into favor?  Will you use them in the near future?  Or are you more muted than all this?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

A Designer's Look

Take this little quiz, will you?  I've got a few questions at the end...

See if you can identify each of these designer's by their work.

Okay, so David Easton in this last photo is a bit of a give-away, but did you know the top three?  Jonathan Adler, Barclay Butera, and Charles Faudree.  We all know Adler and his bold graphic lines, and Butera, well, he's the current king of blue and white.  Faudree, be still my heart, reigns supreme on quintessential Country French.  And, a classic room with a large, round table to separate spaces -- it must be David Easton.

As a designer, do you strive to establish a look of your own?  Or, do you fall on the side of the fence where you design for the client's look?

If you're the client, will you hire a designer for their look, or will you choose a designer who can design a space that looks uniquely your own?

Lastly, can a designer, in today's world, make it big without an identifying look?  Is it enough to create beautiful spaces that reflect the client?

No wrong answers, here, my friends.  I'm just curious to hear what you think.  Please share your thoughts in the comments.  I think it would be interesting!

Talk to you soon,
Carol

PS Posing these questions for the sake of interesting conversation and thought.  It's not about me :)

Window Wednesday: What a Corner!

I was about to throw my hands up on this one.   Marlis at Creative Journeys sent in this picture, and here's her story.

The mini blinds came with the house and they've never known what to do with the windows.  The television is going up on the wall, and they want to be able to continue to enjoy the view, but they'd also like something with an insulating factor.  The long windows face east, the single one, south.  Marlis tells me that the south window has trees behind it, so the sun is not an issue.  (Being conscious of where the sunniest window is will always help you in your window treatment choices.)

Drapery panels, in my opinion, are not an option because there simply isn't enough wall space to accommodate any stacking, and hanging  panels would take up too much of the glass and the view.  What's really lacking here is continuous dimension to the window.  So, I've come up with the solution below, based on the more traditional furnishings I'm seeing in the photo...

I'd like to see valances on boards with some softness to them, adding some much-needed movement into the space.  I drew them kind of skimpy here (and a little too short, but my printer was running out of ink, and well, I couldn't keep re-drawing :)   but what I'm after is what is commonly called a London Shade.  Or, Marlis could use a stationary relaxed Roman shade.  Underneath,  ideal for light control wood be wood blinds, inside mounted just as the current blinds are.  Insulated bamboo shades, however, would take care of the need for insulation, and be stylish, too.  (I'd do the wood blinds the color of the woodwork).

Put pleats where the dots are, you have a London Shade.  This, as is, is a Relaxed Roman.

You'll see that under the windows, to cut some of their length, I placed identical upholstered benches.  These will help with needed dimension, bring additional softness to the space through the fabric, and give the illusion of symmetry.

I hope this gives you some ideas for yet another type of window challenge.  If you have questions, please comment and I'll respond.

Thanks, Marlis, and keep those dilemmas coming, peeps!

Talk to you soon,
Carol

If you would like me to solve a window issue, suggest a treatment,  critique what you have, or anything window related, please send me an email and picture to SofasandSage@gmail.com.  The only requirement is that you 1.  Become a Follower in the right hand column, or let me know that you already are, and 2.  Leave a comment on a Window Wednesday post.

A Guest Post Today From A Delightful Design

Hi! My name is Abby from A Delightful Design. I am so honored to be a guest on Sofas and Sage! I always learn so much from Carol's blog and I'm thrilled she would ask for this post. Thanks Carol!!

Last night was my last evening spent at Kendall School of Design.

I am SO GLAD I decided to take the class.  If there is a subject you have always wanted to learn more about I would highly recommend taking a continuing education class at a school near you!  The connections I made were priceless. 

A few highlights--

I learned

**how to draw a floor plan to scale

**how to draw a front elevation

**how to create a presentation board that is not on the computer

**that I was naturally doing what was correct without knowing exactly why

**that I sometimes like to break "the rules"

Our assignment was to select one room in our house and transform it into what we would love.  We then had to draw a floor plan, elevation of one wall, and create a presentation board.

  I chose our living room because it has the most placeholders (furniture that was given to us or furniture that I dislike) and is the largest room in the house.

 Here are a few pictures of the room as it looks now. 

The list of changes is huge so take a break from this post and go get more coffee.

Bonus points for those of you who read to the end!

Our window wall

Paint the whole room In Your Eyes by Benjamin Moore (which has more green than your screen view) 

with white glossy trim.

ceiling painted in Polar Ice by Benjamin Moore which is actually lighter and more blue than the wall color.

 remove carpet

and cover them with this FANTASTIC wool and silk rug

Replace the couch--kids can't ruin it.

with this side table

one of these lamps on either side

with theses textured pillows

and two of these  crocodile ottomans in front of the sofa

Now this fireplace wall

replace the TV and stand with this chair

art above the fireplace

flanked by these sconces

Now, onto the "corner with the basement loveseat"...

would have this chandelier

and this loveseat

with a few red velvet pillows

Is anyone still reading?  Anyone?  

Here is how our "vintage glam" living room looks all together.

What do you think?

I had trouble deciding if I wanted a calm, subtle room, or a space that was bold. 

 I went bold.  I couldn't help it.  

This just suits our family.

Thanks for spending time with me today! Be sure to check back Saturday for the giveaway!  

**If you would like to be delighted with your home contact me at adelightfuldesign@gmail.com for services.**

This post is joining the party at 

and

My Romantic Home.

Hi all, you may have guessed by this guest post that I am a big fan of Abby and her blog, A Delightful Design. Check it out, you'll love it, too!

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Feeling Like I'm in Slow Motion

"As you stand at the starting line of this new year, I hope for you a slow and steady race, 

one with a manageable pace, one with joys and blessings, one with love and lessons."

This is what I wrote in my new year's post.  High hopes for a slow and steady pace, with more balance in my life.  Family, work, blogging, projects, everything in moderation.  How's it going? I feel more like this...

from breadonthewaters.com

I did 20 minutes on the elliptical in the basement tonight to start getting more exercise.  Torture, I tell you.  Now mind you, this past fall, this was me (okay, minus the exercise)...

neimanlab.org

I was going at a ridiculous pace.  I should be stick skinny for the energy expended.  No such luck.  But when the holidays were passed and the new year begun, I thought I'd get right back on the wheel, albeit at a slower and steadier pace.  Not so much.  Except for work.  Sometimes, life just demands slowing down.  That's where I'm at right now, and I like it, I think.  So what have I been up to?

Obviously, not blogging every night, but I will pick up that pace shortly.  Instead, I've been doing more cooking, my twin passion to design.  Here are a couple of things that I've served up around here lately...

roasted boneless turkey breast stuffed and wrapped with proscutto and sage

kale and bean soup, with carrots, orzo, tomatoes and onions

Oh, and this box of fabric was served up to me by my friend Glen...

This is the drapery fabric for the dining room I've been working on for him.  Can I tell you this?...Never, if you value your life, hand a box of rumpled, crumpled fabric for drapery to your fabricator, unless you are sure beyond a doubt that she will not kill you on the spot for such a mess!  He is lucky.  I tell you, he is lucky.  So, I have been pressing 13 yards of fabric as I begin work on this soon-to-be installed window treatment project.  For the love of friends, the things we do!!

So, that's what I've been up to.  A slow and mellow start to 2011, for sure.  I know a faster pace is coming.  I'll be in the basement exercising and getting ready to take it on.  Hmm.  Maybe.  How about you?  Did you race out of the gate?

Talk to you soon,

Carol

Window Wednesday: A View Outside

Since there were no reader submissions this week, here's a look outside my windows this morning, southwest of Boston...

 

This, above, is what I was looking at as I sipped my morning coffee in the kitchen.  And below, a view of our front lawn.  In the front yard, it's hard to get an accurate look at how much snow there really is, but the patio table above should give you a pretty good idea!

I'm now off to have lunch with my man, as the girls are off with their friends on the frozen tundra.  I made a chicken soup and a kale and white bean soup this morning after helping with some shoveling.  Yum.  The bread is in the oven.  The kitchen is calling, gotta run...

Oh, but first...

If you would like me to solve a window issue, suggest a treatment,  critique what you have, or anything window related, please send me an email and picture to SofasandSage@gmail.com.  The only requirement is that you 1.  Become a Follower in the right hand column, or let me know that you already are, and 2.  Leave a comment on a Window Wednesday post.

Stay safe wherever you are today and,

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Before and After: My Chair Gets a Facelift

To know me is to know that nothing ever stays the same.  The fact that my family lives with this reality on a daily basis is proof that they all have a special spot reserved for them in heaven (where no one is allowed to repaint or reupholster or sew anything).

I knew the fabric for this chair wasn't right when I ordered it, but I had a look in my head, and well, that leads to a search and more ordering.   So, when my new fabric came in the week before Christmas, when everyone needs a good reupholstery project to add to the chaos, I took my four-legged friend to the basement and started on a face lift.  I thought you might like to see the process...

First up, stripping off all the welting, and this little tool is the only thing to use for removing nails and staples.  It saves you from making healthy divots in your fingers (don't ever use a screwdriver -- way dangerous -- trust me, I know this too well).

Here is my girl ready to go.  The color, which doesn't show well here, is a pretty bluegreen, just not the right one, and far too boring.

I decided to use two fabrics for more interest.  I've mentioned before that my personal style is Traditional meets English meets French (tossed with a splash of contemporary).  I wanted the foreigners to sit together comfortably on this chair, so I combined a check and an English floral on a European frame.  Without narrative, let me take you through the steps...

When it comes to reupholstery, I'm a bit anal (okay, I'm anal about this and sewing -- I can't help it.  Can you say OCD?)  See how the welt "stripes" line up with the seat cushion?  Seriously, that's what you should look for in a quality piece of upholstery.  That's one of the differences in the price tags on furniture.

.

And here she is, finished and back home in the living room.  All she needs now is a contemporary pillow plopped on her seat and she will be totally me.  Until I decide to change her.
 
If you like to work with your hands, what's your favorite kind of project?

Talk to you soon,
Carol