AbbeyK — On Interior Design

How high is too high?

There is no set rule for how high to hang the chandelier.

So how do you remove out the guess work and worry? Take out your tape measure and eye ball where the light should go. Then measure from the ceiling to the base of the light fixture get your overall height. When in doubt, make a life-sized mock-up, take a step back and see how it looks.

Not concrete enough? Here are some starting places.

• 36-39" above the table is a good beginning point. Lower than this and you may hit your head on the light as you get up from your chair.
• Sometimes it looks best if the bottom of the piece is at eye level.
• Rooms have really high ceilings? Try a bit higher above the table.

The good news: most lights can be adjusted on-site, but before you order, check with your lighting vendor. On occasion, you'll need to specify overall height and it cannot be altered on site.

Safari theme room

What can be more fun than a safari theme room? Dreams of wild animals abound.

I typically do not suggest wall paper boarders when doing a theme, but this client loved wall paper so we went for it! If you are looking for a safer bet with longer life span, keep the themed items on easily changed items such as pillows, towels and bedding.

Don't you just love the animal prints?

(Click to see a larger image.)

Drama in the powder room

Small room = light color. It will make the room look larger, right?

The sad truth is that no amount of light-colored paint will make a 5 x 5 foot powder room look bigger. Instead, go for drama and interest. Dark and deep can be fabulous. Here we did charcoal grey walls with a painted floor to look like tile. We changed out the sink and spruced up the vanity. Wood frames add warmth and echoed the wood tones in the furniture-like vanity.

Oh, and the painting of the zeebra? It was in the client's collection. Divine.

(The "before" picture follows.)

When fabrics coordinate

How do you tell if your fabrics work together? I don't typically prescribe to the tradition of use a solid, use  a stripe, a check, a floral, etc. I look for synergy between patterns, texture and color. If you lay your fabrics on your rug, you know if you have it.

You'll often hear artists, designers and architects say that the right answer presents itself. All you have to do is listen. (It's not about hearing voices).

In the photo below, look at the patterns and colors as they sit on the rug. It feels right. Nothing jumps out at you. All the colors work, and there's harmony. The whole becomes greater than that parts. Each element enhances the whole.

What can I say? You just know it when you see it. After a while, my clients are also able to see what I see and feel what I feel, even if it sounds silly in the beginning.                                                                                                                                    

(Click to see larger image.)

The cost of good design

Here's a key misconception: interior design is cost-prohibitive. And what I say to that is: if you want things to look beautiful and be of lasting quality, there’s a price tag associated. If you are making all your decisions based on price, you will be replacing your furniture in five years, because you get what you pay for.

   

If you want things to look beautiful and to fit your space and to make you happy every single day, there's value to that. Plus, working with a designer helps to ensure that you wont make an expensive mistake, like purchasing a sofa that's too large.

    

Before I was in the biz I bought a very expensive hand-knotted rug, and when I bought it I thought it was outrageously expensive. It has made me happy for every single day of the 10 yrs that I’ve owned it. Every time I walk by it, it makes me happy. There is a value added to my life that you can’t put a price tag on.

   

So many pictures, so little time

Family photos stuck in boxes? Picture frames cluttering your space?

Don't know what to do? Here are some tips.

• A custom frame that suits your style will allow you to view many photos at once and do your family photos justice.
• Group similar photos together. These photos are of loved ones from past generations.
• Mounted on the wall, you'll free up space on furniture and counters

Make it beautiful and durable

Most of my clients want something that’s beautiful, but livable. A client with small children does not want to invest in a sofa whose fabric is easily ruined with one "jelly hand". It's about matching the product with the taste and lifestyle of the client. For families, a performance fabric is very important.

I like microfibers and ultrasuedes or or other fabrics that will hide staining and live up to wear and tear. Designers can get detailed information on wearability of fabric from the vendors so we can make sure we are choosing wisely. (This information is not readily available at retail outposts). Often we even professionally stain treat which treat the actual fibers, not the surface, as in the case of sprays you can buy retail.

A sexy bedroom color

I absolutely love Kauffman DKC- 36. Sometimes pale purple, sometimes grey, sometimes blue, but always fabulous, I love this color just about anywhere. I have put it in living rooms and halls, but my favorite place is the bedroom, where it is at the same time relaxing, and uplifting and sexy. Who knew purple could be so popular!

What's great about Kaufmann paints is that they are full spectrum paints. So instead of having 2 or 3 colors that make up the tint, they have all the colors of the spectrum. The effect is a shimmering paint that changes in light and has depth.

They are available only by mail order or in a few retail places. They are worth the extra cost for shipping. Contact: The Color Factory, 114 West Palisade Avenue, Englewood NJ, 07631-2692.  Telephone:  201-568-2226.

For the love of glass

Glass tiles. What's so great about them?

Is it the color? The sizes and shapes available? The irridescent quality shown here? The clean and open feeling?

Yes. Yes. Yes. These are by Sicis.

Why this color is called "Grapefruit" is one of the great design mysteries.

All about 3's

Maybe you have a group of objects. They are beautiful, interesting, but you don't know what to do with them.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as grouping in 3's.

Odd numbers work best for accessories. Floral designers will tell you the same thing. 3 roses in a mixed boquet is better than 4.

Here we simply placed 3 varied baskets on a table.

They speak for themselves.