The Tradition of The Gatehouse

Interior Design is not only about interiors, but about architecture and historical styles as well. The outside of a dwelling should have something to do with the interior (although this "rule" may be judiciously broken for a design statement). And like so many things in life, the more one understands, the more one enjoys...

"A gatehouse, in architectural terminology, is a building enclosing or accompanying a gateway for a castle, manor house, fort, town or similar buildings of importance."

Because they are smaller than castles and manor houses, these delightful structures were and still are often homes in their own right.

Top to bottom: Barbican gate of Glenarm Castle, Co. Antrim; Caerhays Gatehouse; Caerhays Gatehouse, Cornwall; Lanhydrock Gatehouse, Cornwall; Lough Key Gatehouse, Boyle, Ireland; The Anthony Salvin Gatehouse at Harlaxton College, Lincolnshire; Tregothnan Gatehouse, Cornwall; unknown gatehouse

Such buildings suggest lovely classic British interiors like these, with a wonderfully curated mix of Jacobean, Victorian, and Edwardian elements:

The photo above is of Lee Stanton's stately yet comfortable English-style drawing room in Laguna Beach, California.

And the following image is a cozy drawing room by Broosk Saib. Chintz wallcovering, passamenterie, ancestral portraiture, wainscoting, discreet floor lamps, and a tole table all add up to a classic, timeless style from the British Isles.

Happy designing!

Fiorito Interior Design Press Update, March 2015

I was interviewed by Good Housekeeping for an article entitled "7 Big Mistakes You Make Lighting Your Home." Although I spoke about many things--the need for layered lighting, the need for flexibility in lighting, and incandescent vs. LED lights--my comments about the usefulness of dimmers in the home became #2 on the list of 7 mistakes.

2. You dismiss dimmer switches.
Many of the designers we spoke to named this mistake as a major pet peeve. "Dimmers are the best kept secret of lighting design," says interior designer Jeff Fiorito. "They allow you to control your lighting from day to night, for various events, and depending on your mood." A quaint dinner party simply isn't so quaint if your dining room is lit up like a stadium.

Thanks to author Lauren Piro and Good Housekeeping. To see the original article on the Good Housekeeping website, click here.

And if you missed it, please read my past post about this topic, "Lighting Basics: How To Illuminate a Space."
Happy designing!

The Four Basic Types of Sofa Arms

There are almost as many sofa arms as there are sofas, but this primer on the four basic types of sofa arms will help you narrow down styles when sofa browsing. There are many variations on these four, but you'll be able to see the bones of each in whatever you see.

Roll Arm
This style is called a roll arm for obvious reasons. The arm literally rolls out from the body of the sofa. It is a very traditional arm and appears not only on most sofas, but also on different shapes like the Chesterfield, seen in the second photo below (I previously wrote an entire post about the Chesterfield sofa here).

English Roll Arm
A hallmark of the English roll arm is that it is typically much lower than the back, and much closer to the seat deck.

Scoop or Slope Arm
This arm features a gentle curve or slope downward to the seat deck, lending a sensuous, curvaceous appeal to a piece of furniture. In the first photo, the beautiful scoop arm sofa in a living room by Redmond Aldrich Design boasts extra elegance with chrome nailheads.

Track Arm
A track arm's linear quality is contemporary and can lend a Mid-Century Modern feeling, as seen in this sleek room below.

Despite being contemporary in nature, a track arm is neutral enough to exist alongside traditional elements like antique furnishings and a coffered ceiling.

A track arm does not have to be slim, either. Often times, especially in Italian design, track arms can be wide and substantial.

Even though we have seen a track arm in a variety of settings, some sofa arms go better with certain room styles than others. In the market for a new sofa but overwhelmed by choices? Give me a call!

Happy designing!

The Serpentine Chair

I have discovered Hancock & Moore's Serpentine chair and I am dying to use it in a design for a client. Look how sculptural, graceful, and sensuous the lines of this chair are.

And it looks even more special when upholstered in metallic leather, embossed snake skin, or cut velvet.

Or how about zebra and croc? YES PLEASE!

http://www.hancockandmoore.com/

Happy designing!

Wallpaper: Minakani Walls

Parisian-based Minakani Walls make some interesting, fun, and striking wallpaper. The founders Frédéric Bonnin and Cécile Figuette began offering wall décor a few short years ago and their products are imaginative and charming. Seen below are the patterns Cloudy, Cave, Foudre (lightning), Peacocks, and Carpathes (which looks like an Edward Gorey illustration!).

http://www.minakaniwalls.com/

I hope I have shown you, in this ongoing series of posts, that wallpaper is not the dreadful stuff on your mom's kitchen walls or your grandmother's guest bathroom. There is a wonderful world of wallpaper being created now, and waiting to be discovered.

Happy designing!