Exploring Neighborhood Art

I was thrilled to be a participant in ASID New England's Art Walk a few weeks ago. It was an outing open to the interior design community, and members of local chapters of  IIDA, IFDA, and of course, ASID were invited. The walk led us down Boston's Newbury Street and into 10 of it's most delightful galleries. Prior to this event, I admit to being a little intimidated by the thought of going into a gallery just to look, if I didn't have an actual project - and expense account - in mind.   Now that I have met the friendly and knowledgeable gallery owners, toured their lovely spaces, and got a feel for each one's target clientele, I feel ready to introduce these galleries to my clients and will visit frequently to see what is on display.

Three galleries that I felt resonated most with my tastes are below. Which galleries do you connect with?  I'm interested to hear.

Luc Leestemaker: Beyond the Horizon

 Galerie d'Orsay

33 Newbury Street

617.266.8001

Galerie d'Orsay has a well rounded collection that spans 6 centuries of world renowned master painters, sculptors, and printmakers.

Mary Kocol: Ice Garden

Naga Gallery

67 Newbury Street

617.267.9060

Naga Gallery showcases mostly contemporary art created by skilled local artists in Boston and New England. They bring us photography, printmaking, and sculpture in addition to paintings. Limited edition studio furniture is also regularly exhibited.

Marc Chagall: Romeo and Juliet

Martin Lawrence Gallery

77 Newbury Street

617.369.4800 

Martin Lawrence Gallery prides itself on their expertise in original paintings, sculpture and limited edition graphics, and are dedicating to presenting collectors with the world's best established and emerging artists.

How to Arrange a Mantle

It's the million dollar question, and I thought a quick blog post would help refresh even myself on this decorating 101 topic. After all of the holiday decorations have outstayed there welcome, I tend to leave my mantle completely bare, maybe it's some sort of subconscious cleansing after the overload of garlands and wreaths. It's around this time of year where I am ready to see something up there again that reflects the personality of our home.

As with the design and decoration of any space, be sure to keep these buzzwords in mind:

Proportion

Balance

Focal point

Contrast

Here are three of my go-to mantle decorating concepts:

1. Make a statement with a large piece of art. Choose a piece that commands attention and has the right proportion of width and height.

2. Use a collection of smaller art pieces to create a theme motif. The key to making this work is to have varied sizes. It's OK to lean things against the wall and allow them to overlap. It creates interest. Maybe add some blooms or smaller collectibles to soften up the hard edges. You still need something large to ground the mantle, as well as a contrast of shapes, sizes, and colors. Think of it as the launch pad for your personality.

 

all via pinterest

3.  Create a symmetrical, or balanced arrangement. This is a more classic, or traditional approach, and hard to get wrong. Again, anchor the space with something larger, or visually heavier, and flank it with smaller objects. For example, a mirror with two vases of buds on either side.


There are so many wonderful directions you can take it. Which do you perfer?

Before & After: Bathroom Renovation ~ An exercise on Aging in Place

Whether we choose to embrace it or not, it's inevitable: we will all age. There are countless products out there that promise to take wrinkles from your face, or give our metabolisms a jump start, but how often do you think about how interior design can influence the way we age.  Good design can support the aging process by making it easier to carry out the day to day. Thinking ahead isn't being pessimistic, it's being smart.

The bathroom renovation pictured below that I recently completed put to use many key elements of 
design for Aging In Place to address the client's current concerns. 

~BEFORE~

Concern #1-Lack of a design concept

My clients were the type who love to be surrounded by their treasures and mementos. As much as I believe in personalization, a bathroom should be a place of calmness and serenity, so creating a design concept that evokes relaxation is a necessity.

Concern #2- Low countertops.

One of the clients is 6' - 4" tall, so leaning over a countertop with a typical height of 29-30" is not  comfortable on his back. I knew we had to raise the height to make it easier for him to use the sink.

Concern #3- Supplemental Heat

The electric space heater on the floor of the bathroom was an element that I knew had to be upgraded. The cord hovering above the sink was a safety hazard. Like many people, my clients enjoy sleeping in cooler air, so this upstairs bath always has cold floors and air temp.  Giving them a warm and cozy bathroom was a must.

Concern #4-Adjustable shower head and skid proof shower floor

  

Our mobility becomes more and more limited as we age, and bathing can be restricted. Having both a hand held and stationary shower head helps to make this activity easier.

~AFTER~

Solution- Concern #1

Once I saw what the client was visually gravitating towards, the organic concept took shape, and we strove to incorporate natural materials.  Can you see the twig-shape drawer pulls we added?

 

A natural granite was selected for the vanity top. You can see a hint of the twig pull in the lower right of the above image. 

Deco tiles with organic motif embossing were completely unique. No two tiles are the same.

Solution- Concern #2 and 3

Going custom height with a vanity is very simple, and in this case, imperative. We decided to install radiant floor heating, as well as baseboard heat to keep the floor and air toasty. A heat lamp was also a perfect addition for keeping shivers after a shower at bay. My clients commented that the floor and wall tiles felt like and reminded them of sunshine. Using warm earth tones is one way to warm up a space, especially a bathroom where there are many hard surfaces. Tumbled flooring gave an otherwise sterile surface some character.

Solution- Concern #4

Taking the height of my tall client into consideration, we had to have a custom rain shower stem made in order to lift the rain shower head closer to ceiling. The adjustable shower head was updated. River rock flooring in the shower uses more grout, so risk of slipping is eliminated. We also opted to have a step in shower rather than a tub.

What design-concern solution is your favorite?