And What of Style?

It can define us.  Elude us.  Taunt us.  It can tempt us to capture it and make it our own.  Is personal style evident in our design style?  If we allow it, yes.  The result?  Brilliant.

Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself 

and yet identifiable for others.

Orson Wells

I am a fan of Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home.  If you are a design blogger or an avid blog reader, surely you know of her.  She recently did a room in The DC Design Showhouse.  Here's picture of Lauren from her blog, followed by the room she designed in a look that is truly her own.

Lauren's personal style is in every detail of this beautiful room.  I think she defines the room as much as  the room defines her.  She owns her own style.   I've never met Lauren, but I know who she is by that room.  It looks like the picture of her, don't you think? 

One man's style must not be the rule of another's.

Jane Austen

Kelley Wearstler.  Talk about personal style, design style, her own style.  She doesn't imitate.  If she is imitated,  the look is referred back to her.  No one can do Wearstler like the woman herself.

Oh, never mind the fashion. When one has a style of one's own, 

it is always twenty times better.

Margaret Oliphant (British novelist 1800's)

I believe true style is pure, individual confidence expressed.  It doesn't follow trends or fashion or crowds.  It is single and unique.  Much like this room I loved when I saw it in Canadian House and Home...

Do you think style is natural, or can it be learned?  Do tell....

Talk to you soon,
Carol

The Hollywood Half

The other half.  In Hollywood.  The ones with the means to decorate any way they want, to the nines, and with great style.  Here are a few of my favorite images from Architectural Digest.

Rob Lowe's home. Designer David Phoenix

Rob Lowe

Apparently, this spot, above, is where Lowe reads scripts.  Not bad....

The classic coziness, above, totally speaks my language.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's home isn't structurally my style, but oh that velvet sofa and the outside/inside merge is just spectacular.

Michael Douglas and Cathrine Zeta-Jones

Above and below are shots from the Bermuda home of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  So pretty.  So warm.  So elegantly homey.  The room below, which they call "the white room" is a guest room.  Hello, I'm on my way, bags packed. :)

Hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into the way the Hollywood half decorates.  Which one speaks most to you?

Talk to you soon,
Carol

Wanted: Instant Ideas

If you're a decorator, designer, or stylist, you've been in this situation --you walk into an eager client's house, you talk with the client about the space and then you get the question: "What do you see in here?"  Or, "How would you arrange the furniture, is this the right color on the wall, don't you think I need a bigger sofa," and the list goes on.  The client expects immediate answers.  You are, after all, the professional.  You do this every day.

If only we had that  instant magic.

No great thing is suddenly created.

Epictetus (Greek philosopher, 135 A.D)

I'm sure back in 135 A.D. Epictetus wasn't talking about interior design, but his wise words certainly resonate with those of us in the field.  Design, the art of decorating, truly is a creative art and it takes time to make the magic of a space happen.  Yes, I can walk into a room and know that the wall color is wrong with the current furnishings, or that the sofa would be better placed somewhere else, but for the most part, I need to ponder the space and let it speak to me.  Sometimes, when I find the perfect fabric for example, the rest of the room will unfold.  The point is, we need time (not weeks or even days, mind you), but time to catch our breath about a space, to know what the completed room looks like in our minds.

Bierly-Drake, Inc. Traditional Home

I can assure you that the design team on the room above (one of my all-time favorite images because it has my name written all over it), played with the floor plan of this space until they were satisfied with the layout.  Then they contemplated the right mix of finishes, etc.  I'm not saying they couldn't see the room in their mind's eye, because we in this field can do that.  But the detail, the magic, doesn't often come in an instant.  Days or hours, maybe, but not upon entering a space.

So, as much as you hope for the instant idea when your designer enters your space, give him or her a little leeway.  That's how you end up with the right thing, at the right time, and beautifully done.

Design is a process.  Enjoy it as it unfolds.

Talk to you soon,

Carol

Should Your Designer Know How to Make Stuff?

No.  But your designer should know how stuff is made.

Lee Jofa

I love beautifully made upholstery.  I admire the art of it.  Because of that, I taught myself to reupholster chairs and sofas with a skill that would fool the untrained eye into thinking it was done by a career upholsterer. Does  a designer need to have this skill?  Heck no, but he or she should know things like why some spring systems are more expensive than others, the difference between cushion types, and know the details that come with the price tag, whatever it is.  Lower-end pieces don't have meticulous pattern matching or perfectly placed welting, for example.  A designer should be able to speak with confidence about the way things are made, regardless if he or she has actually ever done it, and explain to you what to expect at certain price points.

Lee Jofa

There are as many price points for rugs as there are rugs themselves.  Hand knotted -- are more knots per inch better? (yes).   Are rug pads critical? (yes).  Do inexpensive rugs make sense?(Sometimes.  It just depends on what the end goal for covering the floor is). 

The Silk Trading Company.com

I've seen a lot of "custom" window treatments that cost the client custom pricing, but were anything but custom.  If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know I'm passionate about window treatments, and that I had a custom business for a while.  I have a thing about custom -- it should never look homemade.  Hems on drapes should be 4 inches and weighted (most of the time, with actual little weights) on the bottom of side hems.  Sometimes trim should be applied with stitching, sometimes not.  Your designer should know what you are paying for.  She should know when ready-made makes sense, and when custom is the only way to go, and tell you why.

Murray Feiss for Bellini

What brings this up today?  I recently overheard a conversation between a decorator and a client, and the decorator had very little knowledge.  She could convey why she believed something looked good, and why some fabrics looked great together (she was totally talented in that department), but she couldn't answer the client's questions about quality and construction.  It bugged me.  So therefore this post.  Am I perfect?  Uh,  that would be a resounding no! :).  But I do know how a lot of things are made, and so should any designer or decorator you hire.

Any thoughts?  Do share...

Talk to you soon,
Carol

My Cleint's Media Room

I had the pleasure of working with a family a few months back on the new  media room in their gracious New England home.  It was part of an entire basement re-do. They took delivery of the furniture a week or so ago, and when I dropped off their custom pillows, I took a few photos.

I thought I'd share them with you, along with the rest of my vision for the space, as just the "bones" are currently in place.

This is what I see to help complete the space.  See the arched panel in the door?  I want to cover it with a mirror, then in the built-ins I would put on the length of that wall, I would mimic that arch panel as the back of the top of the bookcases.  I would then add down lighting inside the tops of the built-ins to add dimension.  I would have the bookcases constructed in such a way as to make it appear that the door is a natural part of that wall.  On the opposing wall, a sunburst mirror and graphic black and white family photographs.

As usual, the colors I've used, other than the red, aren't really what I'd choose, it's just to give you the idea.

By the way, visit here and vote for Rashon's living room, of the fantastic blog, Mr. Goodwill Hunting.  I did!A And then, go enjoy his blog.

Talk to you soon,
Carol

How To: Knife-Edge Pillow with Mitered Trim, Part II

In Part I, here, I showed you how to make a knife-edge pillow.  Knife-edge corners take the homemade look out of your pillows, by taking away the "dog ears" that happen when you sew a pillow in a perfect square.  Amazingly, sewing a perfect square does not give you a square pillow. 

Moving on to more fun stuff -- learning the skill of making mitered corners on trim.  Once you learn how to do this, you can use it in a hundred applications, from pillows to banding on drapes, and more. I figured this out myself as I am a bit obsessive when it comes to teaching myself how to make things, and I don't quit until I've figured out the best way for me to do something.  I hope you benefit from it.. If you are a novice sewer, try this with non-slippery trims and fabrics; it will save you a lot of aggravation (in other words, don't use velvet or silk).

On my 19" pillow, I wanted the box I was creating with the trim to be very visible on the front, so I attached it 3" in from the straight edge, which, with a 1/2" seam all around when the front is sewn to the back, makes the finished trim 2 1/2" in on all four sides.  There is no rule to how close to the edge you put your trim, or how close to the center you choose to put it -- that's the creative fun part!

Remember, before you start, attaching the trim comes before sewing the front to the back :).  Once the trim is applied, that's when you can assemble the pillow itself.



Supplies Needed:

Pillow front and back
Scissors
Long pins
Small ruler
Needle
Trim

1.  Lay your trim out from left to right.  Work with all your trim in one long strip  Do not cut it.  Place the trim 3" in along the straight section of  one side of the pillow front (remember, the entire length of the sides are not straight since we trimmed them in Part I).  As you lay it out, put a few pins in as I have, in that direction.  The beginning edge of the first section should be 3 1/2" inches in  from the corners when you measure with a ruler at a 45 degree angle.

2.   End the first strip by pinning the top of the trim to the fabric at the 3 1/2" point from the corner.  Now,  to make sure your mitered trim will be placed correctly and make a nice miter, fold the trim back on itself,  going left back towards the start of the trim.  This is how you are going to double check that you have the correct length of trim for the first strip and that your second strip will be 3" in down the next side.  Gently finger-press a vertical fold.

3.  Take the trim and bring it back on itself to the right and bring it down the next side,  forming the corner crease at a 45 degree angle.

4.  Double check your measurements, 3" in on the next side and 3 1/2" at the corner.  You have to do this to the second strip before you sew down the first strip so that you can achieve as perfect a square as possible.  When you are confident that your corner is placed properly, insert a pin on the bottom edge of the trim at the miter (where I put the yellow pin in the second image below).

5. With the pins in place on the first strip, start sewing on the top (the edge closest to the side of the pillow) about  a 1/2" in from the beginning edge (to allow for some adjustments, if necessary, when that raw edge becomes the final corner).  Sew the trim down close to it's edge, in a place that makes sense with the pattern of the trim.  Stop about 1/4" or less from the top pin and back stitch to secure.

6.  Do the same again on the bottom of the trim (the edge closest to the middle of the pillow).  Stitch right up to the yellow pin. Back stitch to secure.

7.  To make the first mitered corner, again fold the tape back on itself.  You will unfold it back to the right and down, just as you did in step 4 to make the corner. (I left the threads long from the stitches to show you where the stitching is, and on the lower left, the thread shows you where the inside edge of the new mitered corner will be.)

8.  Take a warm iron and press that corner down.  Make sure that the outer right side of the corner is parallel to the edge of the fabric.

9.  Once again, fold the trim back on itself, and you will see that the pressed crease is now the seam line guide for the miter.  (Fun, huh?)

 10.  If it's easier for you to see, draw over that crease with a colored pencil (be careful not to use something that will bleed through).  Stitch along the line, back stitching at the start and the end to secure.

11.  Pull the trim back and trim along the seam within 1/4".  This will help your corner lie flat.

12.  Press down the new mitered corner.  Congratulations!  Your first corner is done!

13.  Line up this new trim side 3" in from the side and pin down.  Repeat steps 2 - 4.

14.  After you have pinned down the second strip and you are ready to stitch it down, begin the stitching on the top of the trim before the first corner and continue down to the pins you've placed at the end of the second strip.  This is how you secure that corner.  Do the same on the bottom side of the trim.

15.  Repeat steps 2-4 again, and then complete the third strip.  When you get to the point where you have pressed down the third corner and you are ready to make the fourth strip to complete the square, lay the fourth  trim strip down along the last side, letting the trim overlap the beginning strip.  Cut the trim about 3 inches past that overlap.  This will leave you enough trim to complete the last corner.  Stitch the top and the bottom edges of the trim, ending both of them at the same points right to the edge of the original strip (I think you can see this pretty well in image 16).

16.  To make the fourth corner, take the remaining loose trim in your right hand, and fold the end of the fourth strip as below, making a 45 degree angle, and having the wrong side of the trim facing up at you hanging out to the right of the corner.  Press in place.  Trim the excess that's hanging off  to the right about 1/2" from the pressed edge as you did in step 11.  Machine stich around the top and the bottom of the corner.

As there is no mitered seam on this one, after you have machine stitched around the corner as in step 14, use a hand slip-stitch to sew down the seam of that miter.

17.  After a bit of work and a job well done, you are finished!  All you have to do is sew your pillow together and sit back and admire your work!

 

 I hope you can follow these directions!  While fabricating things is a strong point for me, teaching by written description is not.  Hopefully, you can make enough sense out of these steps to make it work for you.  Making mitered corners like this is not easy, so give it some patience and practice.  You'll be so happy that you did.

If you give this a go and get stuck, please send me an email at SofasandSage@gmail.com and I'll do my best to help.  If you have a question that you think others will benefit from, please post it in the comments and I will respond.

Good luck and happy sewing.

Talk to you soon,

Carol

PS  Carla at Design in the Woods has a fantastic post on pillows today.  Check it out!  And thanks, Carla, for mentioning Sofas & Sage :)

How To: Knife Edge Pillow with Trim Part I

Wanting to "spring up" my living room while it is in transition, I decided to make some new, bright pillows for the sofa.  So, here's my tutorial on making knife-edge pillows (I have a thing about dog-eared pillows, where the corners are very exaggerated -- don't like them!).  Here's the finished pillow...

I haven't sewn the bottom seam yet, so that's why it's a bit rumply.  I only have so much time in my house for good lighting without using a flash, and the clock was ticking. :)

Supplies Needed:

Pillow insert (I always use down-blend)
Two fabric squares, cut the same size as the pillow insert
pencil
ruler
fabric scissors



1.  Always trim off the selvage edge to avoid any chance of puckering, especially if you have your covers dry cleaned in the future.

2.  My inserts are 20", so to get a plump pillow in the end, I cut my front and back exactly 20", to give me a 19" finished product.  Always decide what you want the finished size to be, then purchase larger inserts.
(The angle of this shot is weird -- it really is a square).

3.  To eliminate dog ears, first, carefully fold the front in fours.

4.  Now, fold your square in four, to make another square.  Mark the halfway point on the two sides that are not part of the fold.

5.  At the corner between the two marked points, measure in and mark the 1/2" point.

6.  Using a ruler, connect the dots.

7.  Cut along the lines.  When you open up the square, you'll see that the corners now angle down.  This is what helps to soften the corners of your pillow.

8.  To sew the front and back together, put right sides together, and pin along the edges.  Leave an opening on one side, set in from the corners, so that all corners are machine-sewn.  Your seams should be a consistent 1/2".

9.  After sewing the side seams, clip across each corner and turn right-side out.  Stuff with the insert, and slip stitch the opening closed. (I normally insert a zipper, but time was of the essence today!)

So,  there it sits, waiting for its mate...

Truth be told, I don't ever mark my pillows like this anymore, as I've been making them for years.  I just eyeball it, and actually come further in from the edge than 1/2", I think.  I memorized these instructions from a Singer sewing book years ago.  It's a place for you to start and tweak to find what works best for you.

Part II of this tutorial will be the mitered-edge box trim on the face of the pillow.  Once you know how to do this, you can create great things!

Hope you find this useful.  If you try it, let me know!

Talk to you soon,
Carol