Fireplace Weather

It's that time of year again when the chill air prompts us to clean out our fireplaces and ready them for the coming winter months. Fireplaces are a marvelous focal point for a living room or family room, or even a dining room or master bedroom. If you are lucky enough to have one (or several) in your home, this is certainly the time to build a roaring fire and curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book.

But often people buy a home with a tired old brick fireplace (whether raw or painted), or with a chimney breast that bears the mark of a previous owner's well-intentioned but clumsy attempt to add more "rustic charm." So I often have clients come to me for a remodel or re-build of their fireplaces; this fun and functional element of a room should be special. Take a look at the before and after transformations below and see what I mean...

I had clients who were very unhappy with their fireplace wall. They desperately wanted to be rid of some 1970s wood paneling, and who can blame them. The fireplace itself was faced with an odd material of rather sharp stones that had never been grouted. And the bench hearth only accentuated the whole mess.

I designed a total remodel for the wall that included new bookcases and storage flanking the fireplace. The clunky bench hearth was removed and the firebox was built out flush with the bookcases to accommodate a new gas-flame insert. English walnut marble and specialty tiles bring a classic sense to the fascia while a new wall color and ceiling spots add a warm glow to this rejuvenated family space.

Brick fireplaces were once popular but when they fell out of favor, homeowners painted them white, hoping to fade them into the wall color. While that may have removed the sight of the undesirable brick, it also removed the focus from what should be the focal point of a room.

In this case, my client wanted me to completely redesign and refurnish his living room and make his his fireplace once again the special element in the room. To start, I clad the existing brick fireplace breast in a stacked stone veneer. Properly placed recessed ceiling lights reveal the rich texture of the stone as well as my client's art collection in adjoining areas. The far wall received a grasscloth wallpaper treatment that echoes the horizontal lines of the fireplace. An area rug in a quartet of green shades anchors all new furniture, featuring strong lines and cube-like shapes, and arranged to take advantage of the fireplace focal point. Custom cocktail cubes of beechwood and ivory chiffon marble sit in front of the slate grey sofa, and an Asian-inspired bamboo console table stands behind it. Accessories and art placement complete this sleek, modern living room with a slight nod to the mid-century past.

This client had purchased a lovely home in a neighborhood surrounded by gorgeous redwood trees. While the beautiful location feels like a state park, the contemporary home was not the right venue for a rough quarry rock fireplace. The previous owners built the fireplace breast (which canted in on all sides, like a pyramid) out of scale with the wall and room which features a spacious ten foot ceiling height.

After demolishing the existing flagstone facing, we rebuilt the box to extend up to the ceiling line and faced the entire creation with a stacked stone in beautiful warm grey and taupe tones. The previous fireplace had no mantel so I created a raw edge mantel from a piece of reclaimed timber with a unique copper sheet detail which wraps around one end in an unexpected stripe, adding a bit of gleam and shine in an otherwise organic palette.

 

So if you have a fireplace you don't like, there are so many options to update or transform it into something new and attractive.

Stay warm and happy designing!

Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year for 2014

Venerable paint manufacturer Benjamin Moore have revealed their Color of the Year for 2014 and it is... drum roll please...

Breath of Fresh Air 806! While I do not believe in following "color trends" (I prefer instead to work with color on an instinctive level), this hue is light, and indeed fresh. I can imagine using this color in many different ways: for a powder room, a full bath, perhaps a ceiling in a master suite, or, as in the second photo below from Benjamin Moore, in a hallway as a way to blur the line between in and out...

But as with any color, remember that how it looks on your wall will depend on how much and what type of light your wall receives, what colors will be bounced onto it from either furnishings in the room or by greenery (or the lack of it) from the outside. I will be discussing how to pick paint colors in an upcoming post for 2014. Stay tuned and...

...Happy designing!

Four Easy Steps For Autumn Décor

This is the time of year when the air chills, days grow shorter, and we turn to our indoor lives. Since the temperature is dropping, we desire warmth and comfort, we desire insulation from the elements, and we desire to cocoon ourselves in special places that allow for beauty and contemplation of the season. Below are four very simple--and inexpensive!--ways to bring a touch of autumn into your home.

1. Nature
This is the easiest, fastest way to achieve a rich, fall texture in your home. And there are a few ways to work with nature.

A trip to the produce section of your local supermarket will yield a bounty of decorative objects. Think of buying a bag or crisp red apples to put in a basket or on a wooden platter as a centerpiece for a table. Pick up a selection of pumpkins (large, medium and baby pumpkins) and gourds to arrange on an end or hall table. Red or purple grapes and fresh cranberries can be put into decorative glass bowls or vases. Even things like stalks of Brussels sprouts, artichokes, or deep hued purple eggplants can be effective in centerpieces or tableaux. Another wonderful element to use in autumn décor are nuts: walnuts, Filberts, hazelnuts, pecans... just pile them up in an amber colored glass dish or scatter around a table setting.

A trip to the florist or nursery can provide you with some beautiful autumn color in the form of cut flowers like autumn colored chrysanthemums or potted orange marigolds. You can also find dried flowers and greenery like hydrangeas or eucalyptus to use in vases or other containers (I have a lovely antique ceramic German beer stein that gets some dried hydrangeas around this time of year.) Many places sell colorful Indian corn as well to add to the mix.

Finally, the most accessible way of obtaining natural elements to use is to forage! Autumn leaves, twigs to bundle or gather into bouquets, pine cones, sheaves of wheat or grasses can be found almost anywhere. Keep your eyes peeled and if you see a pretty fallen branch with a bit of moss on the sidewalk, snap it up!

2. Candles
Candles add a wonderful ambiance any time of the year but they seem especially appropriate in the colder autumn and winter months. Display pillar candles on a platter surrounded by nuts and pine cones, put them in lanterns, arrange a bunch of candles of varying heights with apples and mini ceramic pumpkins on a dining table. If you have a non-operational fireplace, candles look wonderful grouped in the firebox, giving the same visual cue as a log-burning fire.

3. Texture
For added interest, turn to earthy or rich textures:
* woods like oak and birch (candle holders, branches, bowls)
* burlap (a rustic table runner or cloth)
* velvet (pillows, drapery)
* blankets or throws in thick woven materials or faux fur
* rich patterns like paisley (pillows, throws, rugs, tablecloths or runners)

4. Color
At this time of the year, we are naturally surrounded by a rich palette: rust, crimson, purple, russet, mustard, forest green, umber, sienna...Use these hues as inspiration for objects in your own home.

It is easy to change out pillows, add some earthenware vases, and display some autumn colored fruit.

The addition of a throw and some white mini-pumpkins along with branches and dried vines in rustic jugs on the mantel above a warming fire sets the stage for fall.

Warm autumnal tones and a large scale paisley print look cozy and inviting.

Branches with brilliant rust and brown leaves placed inside honor the crisp days of the season. Notice the blanket of leaves, apples, and a gnarled piece of wood at the foot of the arrangement.

Gourds, decorative mercury glass pumpkins, an antler, and lanterns with glowing candles make a textural, interesting grouping. Image from Pottery Barn.

Branches and a selection of pumpkins in various hues are displayed with antique rakes in an almost minimalist tableau.

This casual table setting includes cinnamon sticks on forest green glass mugs (a lovely touch), apples, pine cones, leaves, and a coarsely woven cloth in natural hues of linen and taupe.

I set my Thanksgiving table every year with some gourds, red leaves, and a dried floral arrangement studded with eucalyptus, dried lotus pods (I love their shape) and pheasant feathers. I also use my grandmother's pressed glass turkey candy dish filled with an assortment of nuts (although some years, it holds cranberry relish!). Photo by Jeff Fiorito.

Bare twigs in simple glass cylinders (available at any craft store or florist) are anchored by what looks like a mix of wild rices. Berries, moss and lichen covered branches, pine cones and mini pumpkins complete the festive look.

Hazelnuts act as vase fillers for copper mums. Brilliant.

The simplicity of a single leaf on a white plate still expresses the richness and bounty of the season.

Now that you are acquainted with some simple, available ingredients, I hope you are inspired to gather some of these elements and honor the textures, smells, and sights of the season. And remember my helpful guidelines for creating a tableau, previously here: think about the shape your grouping makes; include tall, medium, and low objects for a variety of levels; odd numbers work best; and most importantly, contrast brings interest (rough next to smooth, light next to dark, large next to small).

Have a wonderful autumn and happy designing!

The Luxury Bathroom by Fiorito Interior Design

A while back, I had the good fortune to work on a complete home renovation. My clients bought a property that was in the right neighborhood with the right school and right distance from work and culture, and while the house was nice, it was not the dream home my clients had hoped for. Since turnover in this particular, highly desirable neighborhood is rare, they decided to turn this house into their dream home. And thus a nearly two-year rebuild project was born. Both the front and back of the house got extended and rebuilt, making way not only for a much more spacious formal living room, but also for a glorious master suite: the bedroom square footage grew and so did the area for the master bath.

The old master bathroom was quite unfortunate, looking like something from a motel with a single, lonely sink and vanity open to the bedroom, outside of a much smaller room that held an unremarkable single-person shower and toilet. Needless to say, this uninspiring arrangement did not look anything at all like a master bath, as you can see below.

My plan was to create an entire master suite that would give my clients the feeling of staying in a luxury hotel. And the most effective way to achieve that goal was to fit the larger, new bath space with clean-lined yet stately elegant fixtures and materials that seemed to come from a sumptuous, Old World London hotel such as The Savoy. Below you can see the new floor plan and my rendering for the new bath.

A color palette of soft greys, whites, chrome, and rich woods grew naturally from the design concept. The floor and tub are clad in grey and white Turkish Letoon marble. A matching basketweave marble border was placed as an accent in the shower and in a “rug” on the floor. A concentric circular patterned wallpaper brings an Art Deco touch as it plays behind chrome picture-framed cabinets. Classic sconces with fabric shades by Hudson Valley bring softness while the petite chandelier over the whirlpool tub adds sparkle and glamour. And the rich wood of the custom vanity grounds the sophisticated grey and white palette.

You needn't rebuild a bathroom in order to introduce some Old World luxury into your life. If you are considering a bathroom remodel, it is possible to introduce into your plans many of the elements you see here. Give me a call and let's work on creating a little slice of The Savoy for you.

Happy designing!

Know Your Chairs: Chinese Yoke and Horseshoe

An Asian aesthetic can be incorporated into many different periods and styles of furniture because of its relative simplicity and elegant design. Two chairs to look for are the Yoke Back Chair and the Horseshoe Back Chair. Their names are quite descriptive and give you an idea of what each looks like.

Originally, Chinese furniture consisted of sitting either on mats or on low level platforms with arm rests. But the introduction of Buddhism to China in 202 BCE-220 CE brought with it the idea of The Buddha sitting on a raised platform as a form of veneration and a show of spiritual grace. The idea of elevation as a symbol of power caught on and chairs and settees were born.

Both the Yoke Back and Horseshoe Back Chairs originated during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE) and are characterized by simple, elegant structures with fluid lines, balanced proportions, and concealed joints using the new-to-China method of mortise and tenon construction.

The Yoke Back Chair has a back whose design is based on the shape of an oxen yoke, which is a wooden harness put over the shoulders and around the head of oxen or other strong farm animals to pull a plow through dirt.

The Horseshoe Back Chair is of course a riff on the same idea, but using a slightly different shape, that of a horseshoe. The second set of chairs actually fold!

Because of their simple yet dramatic sculptural shapes, these chairs work well in modern settings, or as a contrast with more ornate chairs such as a Louis XV or a plush wing back.

Yoke Back Chairs look great in this pared down dining room by Sara Story.

A sleek minimalist setting is perfect for these sculptural chairs. Photo by Simon Upton.

Designer Kay Douglass designed a Belgian-style home for herself and put Chinese Yoke Back Chairs in an otherwise European country kitchen... it works beautifully. Photo by Simon Upton.

And here is one more helpful tip: when you see a chair that you think is based on an Asian design like these, they are generally Chinese and not Japanese. The traditional (ancient) Japanese aesthetic never included elevated seating.

Happy designing!

Lighting Basics: How To Illuminate A Space

Each space I am hired to work on is individual, unique, and has its own personality. But there is one element that is consistent in every single space I design and that element is: light. It is the invisible element in the room since many people only consider furniture or furnishings, or finish materials such as tile, wood, or paint when thinking of a room. Yet lighting is such a vital part of each and every space.

Lighting greatly effects mood. I am sure we have all had the frustrating experience of being in a room with insufficient light when we are trying to read or work on a task which requires us to see well. And by the same token, I am sure we have all been in a room that was simply too bright when we wanted to relax. Too much light or not enough can create a subliminal annoyance that manifests in a dislike of the room itself. But don't hate your kitchen or living room for bad lighting. There are easy ways to fix this problem.

Whether you are building from scratch, starting a down-to-the-studs remodel, or just planning on furnishing an existing space, below are some tips and thoughts for working with lighting.

First, we want to think of lighting as being flexible. We want to be able to choose bright light for any task we might want to work on, but we also want to be able to control that light for when we wish to watch a movie on a nice new flat screen or spend a nice, intimate evening visiting with friends. In order to achieve this, we can layer our lighting.

There are three main types of lighting:

1) Ambient
This is light that completely illuminates a room. Think of this as the base coat of paint on a wall--you want good coverage, to spread the light out as much as you can. Well placed recessed ceiling lights do a good job with this layer. In the photo below, you can that the recessed trough lights create an even blanket of light for the center of the living room.

2) Task
This is lighting that allows us, as the name implies, to complete a certain task. Sconce lights on either side of a bathroom mirror cast light ONTO our faces, allowing us to shave or put on make-up without any annoying shadows. A table lamp or reading lamp next to a chair allows us to read without eye strain. Under cabinet lighting in a kitchen allows us to use sharp knives safely.

3) Accent
As I wrote at the beginning of this post, each room has its own unique personality and accent lighting allows certain traits to be highlighted. The swing arm lamps in the Robert Couturier-designed library below are a lovely element to limn the shelves of books. Strategically placed spot lights can illuminate art, whether it is two or three dimensional. And lighting under a bathroom vanity toe kick or hidden in a soffit can define the edges of a room. Accent lighting can also bring some sparkle and drama to a space.

Accent lighting can also highlight architectural details such as cove or tray ceilings. Wall washers (recessed lighting positioned to send a beam of light cascading down a wall) can call out the texture of stone or wood wall details.

Successful spaces incorporate all three layers of light. In the living room, and the Candice Olsen-designed kitchen below, see if you can identify the three layers at work in each room.

If you are remodeling or simply refurnishing a space, remember to include multiple sources of light in your layering. Ambient layer: If you have the opportunity to add recessed ceiling lights, by all means do so. If you can't recess into the ceiling, unobtrusive surface mounted spots can be just as effective. Task layer: Use several table lamps instead of one torchiere in the corner. Accent layer: Include a decorative light here and there for some interest. And remember that small up-lights can be positioned behind furniture to brighten dark corners.

Happy designing!

Know Your Sofas: Knole Sofa

One of the earliest examples of a sofa, the Knole Sofa was originally an upholstered, more casual throne on which the monarch sat to receive visitors. It is associated with and named after one of the great houses of England, Knole House, located in Kent and owned by the Sackville-West family since 1605.

Below is the original Knole sofa in Knole House, which is part of the National Trust. The design is marked by a hinged back and sides which can fold down. The tops of the back and sides have finials and when the back and sides are in an upright position, they are held in place by braided cord, often with tassels, wrapped around the finials.

For fans of "Downton Abbey," here is a screen cap from the series of a Knole House sofa in the library; behind it we can see Mr. Carson (played by Jim Carter). We have seen Lord and Lady Grantham sit here often. The next photo shows a view of the antique Knole sofa in the library of Highclere Castle, the real life castle which serves as the setting for "Downton Abbey."

Although the Knole sofa originated in the early part of the 1600s and was traditionally upholstered with tapestry material...

...it can be used successfully in contemporary rooms. Here is a Knole sofa upholstered in a modern fabric. It works quite well with the lime green bolster pillows!

And here is a beautiful example of how to reference a period without copying it. Designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy places two Knole sofas by a fireplace. In spite of the ancient origins of this sofa, the simplicity of the room and the white linen upholstery makes the scene feel contemporary and clean-lined. This reminds me of Design Mantra #1, previously here: Contrast brings interest!

Happy designing!