Recent “Colors of the year” by major paint companies were terracotta-based and so suited to the Southwest. This beautiful tile represents the inspiration one looks for to begin the process of pulling together enough samples of floor coverings, fabrics, tiles and accessories for an entire area or home to have continuity. The search for inspiration is the most critical step in the design process. Neutral floors will give the continuity needed and the adjoining spaces may have the darker color tones, the lighter, blue added or not. We don’t change our homes yearly so color preferences usually emerge as we age. With this consistency of choice you can surround yourself with your collection, change it up with smaller accents, seasonal and holiday additions and move with your favorites making it home!
Black and white just gets better and better!
These gorgeous black and white marble slabs can be used for flooring, stairs, counter-tops and back-splash to give the WOW! factor everyone wants. And unlike other colors black is black so combining other fabrics is simple. The additional tiles can be added to the mix or used to continue the look in an adjoining area. Seasonal accents? Not a problem with this versatile backdrop. A neutral has never been more exciting!
Correct Ceiling Height for Bathrooms
It happens all the time! The ceilings are high in the main part of the home and the bathroom ceilings are left at the same height! This is a design flaw that reflects on your architect!! Ceilings in smaller spaces need to be lower to maintain proportion. Either with a new build or a remodel, corrections can be made. The ceiling can be framed out, drywall added and the scale of the room is back to a more comfortable height. In the two baths pictured, we elected to add details to avoid the feeling of too much overhead space. Often air conditioning ducts need to be considered. Lighting fixtures can extend down and fill the space.
In the bath with the arches, we welded together pre-made squares to fit the space and the lighting is above, creating interesting designs within the powder room.
The other bath had an atypical flow as the homeowner added a urinal after the fact. To fill the space, medallions that are typically at the ceiling around the top of a chandelier were extended with custom poles enclosing a LED lamp. The design adds interest, corrects the space issue and creates a path to give the bath flow.
Developing Your Space
The client owned this custom rug so we made it the focal point of the living area. It definitely has the WOW! factor! We ordered custom Marge Carson chairs to coordinate, painted the adjoining dining room wall (right side of photo), purchased the metal art sculpture (left side of photo) custom designed metal reversed C’s to fill a big space over the windows and hand painted squares to finish the repetition of color (right side of photo). Of course, we threw a few pillows as well!
Fabric Inspirations
Now that we have been home for a while perhaps we are looking around and realizing we need to upgrade or improve some areas. These beautiful fabrics and carpets inspire innovation! Shown here with two different carpet samples, these fabrics could become draperies, a coverlet or big accent pillows. With wood floors, either of the carpets could become an area rug or wall to wall carpeting. Let one of them inspire you to enjoy your space more with an update!
Just the Right Tile Pattern
After many searches for a client’s remodeling project, I finally saw this tile with a color combination I liked more than anything else I had seen. It could be used indoors or out and was inexpensive! Felix, my tile contractor, fabricated a top for my outdoor table eliminating the glass top that was labor intensive to maintain. Six months later it was also perfect for a client’s laundry and certainty added interest to an otherwise plain space and hall.
Pandemic Silver Lining
So we are all home more with time on our hands. Designers, Contractors and Suppliers are open. Let’s make improvements! Replace worn, dated and boring with a refreshed look! Start the process with “I’ve won the lottery!” and think about how good can it get! In reality, redecorating usually doesn’t take the lottery. It does take editing. One wow factor in each space. Recently while on a search for counter-top material and other items for a client, I came across some exciting materials to build around. It just requires proper placement, distribution and repetition to create flow. Let’s give your space a lift!
Consider these options for creating a beautiful black and white design scheme!
We have a team to help you with the process. Contact Sherry at Hauser Design/LuxeSpecs. I’ll bring in Karen at Brandt’s Interiors and Linda at Galleria of Floors. We have a total of 100 years of experience! Our experience will be of value to you. Our design concepts are up to date because we are all working in the field every day to bring you the latest with a lot of knowledge behind our advice. We’re into beautiful interiors!
Simply celebrate the 4th
Simply celebrate the 4th! It’s a wine glass half-full day to recognize ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to be upbeat about! Construction has been open in AZ throughout the pandemic. With social distancing, scheduling appointments for entry and masks, projects are progressing – not as usual but in whatever manner everyone is comfortable with. We do have so many options for connecting without meeting face-to-face. Gather up your decorations, put together some simple finger foods and enjoy a neighbor, friend, relative or your pet for a day to take note of what independence is all about!
