AbbeyK — On Interior Design

Beginning the Design Process with an Interior Designer

Architectural Digest asked some of the most influential designers and architects a series of questions in the January '08 issue. I thought I'd answer the same questions for my readers. Each question is its own entry and will appear Mondays through May.

When I begin with a new client I always…
Prior to committing to a project, I like to meet potential new clients in their home free of charge. This hour long meeting is a great time to see their space, get to know them a bit and see if there's a match. Then once we begin, we can get down to the nitty gritty of their needs, dreams and desires. I like to see any photos they've collected from magazines. That's a huge help.

This Old House Newton -- Kitchen

Here are my snap shots of the finished kitchen for This Old House Newton. I'll post other rooms a few each day.

It was a great experience all around.

Many, many people worked on the project from producers and the film crew, fine carpenters, plumbers, electricians, architects, painters and more.

I had the project professionally shot so as soon as those are ready, I'll post them on my web site and you can see things staged, lit properly and all that.

Happy viewing.

Here are the before shots. These are indeed the same vantage points as the shots above.
Wow, huh?

Start '08 with Some Fresh Decorating Ideas

Say good bye to the winter blues. To get rid of the decorating blahs, try a few easy tricks of the trade to add some life into your interior.

A touch of black –A hint of crisp black goes a long way, try black candle sticks, a black bowl or black finish on legs. One of my favorites? Black wrought iron hardware for your drapes.

A little bit of yellow – always add a touch of sunshine

Something unexpected – for a modern room, add one small fussy antique. Like George on Seinfeld once tried, doing the opposite of the expected opens up a whole world of possibilities.

An opposite color – to create drama, add a shot of the opposite color. If your room is red, add something green.

Mixed materials – wood, metal, glass/mirror, fabric, ceramic. Do you have all of those in the room?

A hint of the exotic – animal prints bring out the wild side. Can never go wrong with a bit of the exotic.