Diary of a Show House Designer: It's Official

It's official.  The Design Committee of the 2012 Junior League of Boston Show House has asked me to design the third floor Studio, or as I like to call it, "Mommy Time-Out Room."  Honestly, I was disappointed not to get the Sitting Room.  But I like that the Studio is all about interior architecture -- with custom built-ins and a dropped ceiling for a shimmery indirect lighting effect -- so I'm telling myself, it's meant to be.  Now, on to what's next.

I met yesterday with a contractor who also builds cabinetry to go over the specifications for the built-ins and ceiling.  This aspect of the design is probably the most critical, and it has to be done right.  Many times, when designing custom pieces, I can give my contractors some sketches and let them run with it.  But to be sure that we're on the same page, I'm going to do some shop drawings and details.

Next week, all the designers invited to participate in Show House will meet at the house.  It's at this meeting that we receive the schedule, rules and regulations about participating; for example, what hours we have access to the house, when our "dirty" work (i.e., build-outs, painting, carpentry, etc.) must be complete, when move-in of furniture can be done.  Show House runs like a finely tuned machine.  It's down to a science.

Soon, I'll start contacting suppliers for materials -- when I start grovelling (not really, but almost) to get materials and finishes at deep discount or on loan in return for mentions.  Also, I'll be keeping my eye out for accents and accessories (the props) that style my room.  That's always fun for me.  I'll be filling in details as the project progresses so stay tuned.

Diary of a Show House Designer: Proposal #2

After setting my sights on the room for my zen retreat, I still needed to find that space in the upcoming Junior League of Boston Show House that would let me Go Big or Go Home.  With all the restrictions on the first floor (preserving the woodwork, fireplaces, tapestries, stained glass windows, etc.), I was left with one space: the Sitting Room--a room immediately off the entrance foyer; most likely the room that visitors would see first and that could really be a showstopper. 

The room has great bones, as we like to say.  Tall ceilings, bay window, French doors opening to the Living Room, imposing fireplace, great moldings and architectural details.  Here are some views, first of the entry from the foyer, and second, of the fireplace wall:

  

Obviously, this room was going to be in high demand.

I started formulating my design with furniture.  The bay window was perfect for a chaise.  Window niches flanking the fireplace called for a pair of consoles or chests.  The seating arrangement by the fireplace required chairs and a sofa whose silhouettes would be appealing from any view, even their backs.  Some pieces immediately came to mind.  I saw this chair at High Point and knew it was perfect.

         

Now to color scheme.  Again to the Boston Design Center for inspiration.  This velvet by Designers Guild became my springboard.  Vibrant shades of teal, olive, and mustard and some neutral taupes to temper the saturation.  Spot on!

                                   

This fabric would go on the inside of the chair frame and on the seat cushions with bright yellow pillows.

For the chaise, this piece by Donghia upholstered in a beautiful Donghia wool with teal pillows in ottoman cloth.

                     

                            

For a sofa to complete the seating arrangement with the chairs, the Charleston Button Sofa by Eric Cohler for Lee Jofa, upholstered in Rogers & Goffigon Shaker Linen in Kiwi with the seat cushion in GPJ Baker's Cosma Lime.

      

With additional occasional pieces from Oly Studio, an area carpet by Golran that I viewed at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in May, a chandelier by Ironies and drapery panels of off-white raw silk banded in teal and a hint of green, my design was complete.

Here is how my talented assistant, Kristin Kelly, so ably rendered the room:

So what do you think?  Which room would you want to see in the Show House?  I'll post which room the Design Committee has selected for me to do next.  Stay tuned.

Diary of a Show House Designer: Proposal #1

To participate in the 35th Junior League of Boston Show House, opening this October, I had to submit up to three proposals for the rooms I wanted to design.  The more proposals I submitted, the better my chances of being selected.  I intended to submit three proposals.  But as I said in my previous post, I wasn't feeling the love for the three-season porch in spite of its architectural charms.  So that left me with two possibilities.

Before going to the designer preview, I gave a lot of thought to what type of space I wanted to design.  Something that appeals to me--as a working mother of three, avid yogi and chronic over-achiever--is the concept of a "quiet room," a restorative space in the home where one can escape from household activity and noise, free of electronics and distractions.  Wouldn't it be great to have one?  Since a show house lets me indulge my design fantasies, at the preview, I scouted out this type of space.

Above the main rooms on the first floor of the house are two floors of bedrooms with connecting hallways, alcoves and bathrooms.  Built in 1867, the house has fireplaces in all but two bedrooms.  Also, perhaps because the house had been a convent, many of the bedrooms have stand-alone sinks.  Fireplaces and sinks didn't jive with my vision of the quiet room.  Ironically, I wanted a room with as little architectural details as possible.  And I found it.

A room on the third floor, slated by the Design Committee as a studio, was perfect.  It has a bump-out from a chimney, but that creates a perfect niche for a built-in.  On the opposite wall is a niche with two windows overlooking the back lawn.  A perfect spot for a writing table.

To find inspiration for my color palette and materials, I went browsing at the Boston Design Center.  I knew I wanted the room to feel completely different than the home environment.  I also wanted to bring in natural elements and create a zen-like vibe.  Finding the right materials always fuels my creative juices, and I next set about tackling the furniture plan.  Although the room gave me more of a blank canvas than most other rooms in the house, it also posed some big challenges.  Critical are the room's knee walls created by the dormer windows and odd angles created by the mansard roof.  More built-ins is my solution. Here's the initial sketch I drew for the window wall pictured above:

And here are some of the materials:

               

                                 

What pleases me about this proposal is that the design is all about interior architecture, not decorating.  What does your "time-out" space look like?

Next up: the Go Big or Go Home room proposal.

Diary of a Show House Designer: The Preview

I've been itching to write a follow-up to my post on the upcoming Junior League of Boston Show House, debuting in October.  I previewed the site, a stately Mansard Roof Victorian, in the beginning of June, submitted room proposals on June 27th, and have been anxiously awaiting word on which room, if any, I'll be chosen to design.  I now know which room I'll be doing.  BUT I can't reveal it until all of the participating designers have been notified.  You'll just have to tune in later to find out.  Today, I'll start to clue you in on which rooms tempted me.

When I previewed the site, I was overwhelmed.  There were 42 potential spaces up for grabs.  Some as grand as the Living Room and Dining Room; others as diminutive as a closet.  As I said earlier, my mantra for participating in the Show House is Go Big or Go Home, so I was unprepared for the design challenges some of the big rooms posed.  For example, the Dining Room has original dark wood wainscoting and tapestry to the ceiling.  All of which has to be preserved.  The Living Room is a chapel owing to the site's former life as a convent.  I have to say, it was hard for me to see past the altar.  Certain restrictions on what we could do to the site--like having to preserve the natural woodwork, stained glass windows, fireplaces, and tile floors--limited my options and vision.  I continued my walk-through, waiting for the right space to speak to me.

Then I saw it.  It was a three-season porch at the rear of the house.  Wall-to-wall 8-over-12 windows.  Original glazing on the ceiling that slid open to the sky.  Radiating ceiling beams.  Gorgeous vintage pendants.  I was smitten.

But dollar signs clouded my view.  The woodwork was not in great shape.  Refinishing would be a fortune; a sunk cost that would only showcase the original architecture, not my design.  My vision: tent the ceiling.  If I shrouded the room in fabric, I wouldn't have to refinish the wood.  Now the fabric.  I had a preppy palette in mind.  The tiled floors and outdoor views had me thinking primaries--red, yellow, blue--and kelly green for that touch of prep.  For the ceiling, I had to find a fabric with an airy, open pattern.  A concentrated repeat wouldn't work. I found the perfect fabric: Schumacher's Khantau Tree.  All of my primaries and a huge repeat.

                        

As I started working on the design, my enthusiasm waned.  All that fabric ($$$$$).  And how could I cover that ceiling?  Also, not a lot of options for furniture plans.  And the furniture I was leaning to just didn't reflect my style.  I realized I was drawn to the room for its architecture, and that would dwarf any design I imposed.  I needed more of a blank canvas and this just wasn't the right choice.

Next up: My Proposals.

My Stars and Stripes Curated Collection for Joss and Main

Where will you be tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST?  That's when my curated collection for Joss and Main goes live.  The theme of the collection is Stars and Stripes, a nod to our Independence Day celebration here in the states.  But you don't have to be American to find something you'll love.

When the folks at Joss and Main asked me to curate a sales event, the first possible date coincided with July 4th.  Hence the theme.  I am somewhat of a classicist in my design style.  So stars and stripes and things that evoke Americana fit my aesthetic.  Up until a point.  So Joss and Main is right on target when they describe my collection as pairing "classic poise with chic design."

I pulled together items that punch up the color quotient in patriotic red, white and blue, but also suit other color palettes that rely on earth tones.  Metallics add elegance and sparkle--which work their magic in every interior space.  Whether you like contemporary or traditional, straight lines or curvy, the collection is, as Joss and Main puts it, "melting pot chic."

So click on this Joss and Main logo to get exclusive access to my curated sale and start shopping!  For the best selection, click now, but the event runs through July 5th.