BLOG - November 1, 2010 - November 30, 2010

Let me begin by introducing myself.  I play the role of Caroline and Georgia’s dutiful design assistant.  For my first blog post, I thought I’d give everyone out in the blogosphere a chance to see more of our design projects!  As interior designers, we always seem to run into an old friend or family member who could use a helping hand (or discerning eye) relating to the interior design of their apartment or home.  I find that, whenever anyone asks for help, I jump at the chance to exercise my aesthetic.  The CG team is collectively working on at least 4 informal side projects at the moment.

Today, I am going to talk about one of my little projects.  Let’s call the friend in question "Client X."  Client X recently moved into a small one-bedroom located in a prime part of the East Village.  As you can see from the pictures provided, you enter the apartment into the living room, which leads into the kitchen (and shower… don’t ask), and then into the bedroom.  The kitchen and bedroom are on the back burner for now.  The primary goal is to furnish the living room so that Client X can begin entertaining.

The living area is quaint in terms of square feet – probably eleven feet long by about nine feet wide.  The arched window to the street is dominated by a rather unsightly grate (the apartment is situated on the raised first floor of the building, and in Manhattan, safety precautions are safety precautions).  How the grate will be dealt with is yet to be determined.

The beauty of the space is two-fold.  First, the ceilings are quite high – about eleven feet.  The walls are just begging for some large-scale artwork to draw the eye up.  Additionally, the eastern wall protrudes in the center and is flanked by two recessed areas.  Perhaps a perfect spot for some fun, lacquered shelving??  I think so!  I hope that these two charming factors will allow the apartment to have a sort of Old World charm about it when everything is said and done.

Now on to what Client X is looking for.  I had hoped that he’d lean toward something that skewed traditional, but with a bit of quirk.  Our first design meeting ended, however, with him asserting his desire to replicate an environment he had seen elsewhere in the city.  Imagine French Rococco meets Technicolor meets Goth.  Here is where any side project can become a bit tricky.  Interior designers have to sometimes steer a client (or in this case, a friend) in a different direction.  You never want to insult the client , but you try to intimate that what they’re asking for simply may not work.  As I figured that Client X would easily tire of said Rococco-Techinicolor-Goth, I asked him to spend some time on his own searching for inspirational images to show me.

At design meeting number two, he (to my surprise) showed me a collection of room watercolors by the famous interiors watercolorist Jeremiah Goodman (full disclosure:  I absolutely love JG’s work.  One day, one of said watercolors will adorn my walls).  The rooms were all similarly classic and absolutely gorgeous.  Eureka!  This I could work with!  The client came around all on his own, without me having to exert any sort of aggression.

The mood board I gave to the client can be seen below.  I like to think that I am aiming for a sort of modernized, sexy Gentelmen’s club with a pop of color and a touch of sass.  I am counting on the inclusion of some big-ticket items (chandelier, screen, gilded mirror) to achieve an environment that is traditional in scope, but cogniscent of the surrounding area (remember we are in the East Village) and the client's age (late twenties).  My biggest push so far has been for charcoal-colored walls.  There is something I find to be very chic about dark walls in a place that you might not expect them (like a living room).  I know, I know - dark colors in a small space - how daring!  Sometimes rules are made to be broken.  Remember that the interior design of your home is supposed to be fun, above all else!

The project is off and running.  Check back soon for photos of the apartment as it progresses!!

One of our recent jobs was for a condo developer who wanted to decorate and furnish a model apartment as part of their sales efforts.  We like working on all types of projects and for this one the objectives were clear: stay on budget, get it done quickly, and keep the design sensibility as neutral as possible.  The building itself was beautifully constructed and our hope was to highlight the positive aspects of the space rather than overshadow it with heavy handed decorating decisions.  For these types of assignments, the palette should be subdued, refined, and have as broad of an appeal as possible.   We were able to add a pop of color in the scheme for the "child's bedroom" and here we chose orange (one of my favorite colors and gender neutral!).  On account of the budget and tight schedule, we were forced to explore many stock items from big box retailers.  By mixing these well-known pieces with custom window treatments and pillows, we were able keep the apartment schemes from appearing overly generic.  Below are the inspiration boards for the project. Enjoy!!!

While out and about Sunday I found this chandelier at Lobel Modern on Bond Street and I can't stop thinking about it.  It is an 8 arm glass chandelier, but what I'm nuts for is the Scavo finish by Seguso.  I have been on the hunt for a perfect chandelier for some clients and this is far and away the best thing I have seen.  Sadly I don't think the size is right.  Hopefully it finds a good home somewhere.  They also have a beautiful pair of candle sticks in the same finish.