AbbeyK — On Interior Design

House Plants for Northern Exposure

A day doesn't go by without getting a question whose answer I either don't know or only partially know. It's the fun of this business -- Constant learning. I am perfectly comfortable with saying: "I don't know but I can find out." I also like learning new fun facts. Today I learned that the figure in wood that makes an arched/pointy shape is called a "cathedral." You can see an example below. 

 PS. More terms about wood veneer can be found at Joewoodworker.com. That's where I found the image, too.

Same week, different question. Yesterday, a client asked me for suggestions for houseplants for low light. A few came to mind, but I called my sister, the lawyer, (who is in the middle of a big case) to ask her. Right out of college, she worked at a garden shop so she really knows her plants! I never call her at work unless it's important, but I needed to call in a  life line, just like on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

Back at the office, Carey did some research because the client wanted pictures of our suggestions. I am a plant person. I don't like spikey plants though-- in my house or in my garden -- so my favorites from the list are the Peace Lilly above right, Dieffenbachia above left. I also really, really like a Schefflera. The one below is varigated. There's one in front of my fire place. (Reminds me time to re-pot.)

More to consider for low light are the ever easy to grow, nearly impossible to kill, Pathos, below.

We didn't send him ivy or palms because he said he didn't like palms, so we instead sent him Dracaena (left) and Corn Plant (center), and Cast Iron Plant (right) because not everyone is like me. Some people like the spikey ones. What do you like for house plants? Or are you a non-plant person? 

   

 
 
 

Antique Persian Rugs, What's Not to Like?

Working with Landry & Arcari on a rug project. We are focusing on Antique Persian Rugs of the stunning variety.

We brought many rugs to the house for the first viewing. We need rugs for the study, living room, dining room, entry, hall, office, and maybe master bedroom. These rugs are great in real life, but for some reason, the more beautiful the rug, the worse it looks on screen. Some of the subtly of color and pattern is lost for some reason.

   

 

Once you identify what you like in the shop, then you have to identify what looks good in the space. The dining room rug we loved on site turned out to be a hair short, so we are trying to find longer ones in the same style. We're Goldilocks-ing it and looking for rugs that are just right. Round 2, next week hopefully.

We want the colors to flow but have different styles from room to room. You can see how these rugs go together but are the different. That's our goal.

It's not uncommon for one room to be more challenging to solve. For the living room, the client thought he wanted a rug with a giant center medallion, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that an all over pattern is better for that room. So we are onto that.

Oooh, I love doing rugs. In an ideal world, you pick the rugs and then build the whole color palette around it. Also lucky for me, this client happens to have good taste and I love all his selections so far.

Art by Amy Ross avail at Urban Outfitters

Who said art cannot be affordable? My friend and former client, Amy Ross, has a great piece of art at Urban.

Unfortunately, there's no picture to link to, so you'll just have to click here.

Congrats, Amy for this wonderful business opportunity. I hope you sell tons!

So Sad about Haiti

What does your home mean to you? Are you a decorator? An aspiring designer? Someone who just likes design and beautiful homes? As a professional designer what I do for clients and what I do for myself are different things. There's always that schism. Part has to do with budget, another with personal taste and still another with my challenge making decisions for my self. A recent first-time home owner, It's been stressful for me to make decisions and I know, I know -- I have been whiny about my inability to pick a fabric for a new sofa bed I plan to purchase.

But tonight, with the tragedy that is going on in Haiti, house envy and indecision seem so petty and frivolous. 

I am thankful -- more than that -- grateful to have a warm and safe roof over my head. I just donated  to the American Red Cross and I urge you, if you have a safe place to sleep tonight to donate to the charity of your choice or volunteer in support of those who do not have a home. Whether local, national, or international, let's all reach out in support of people who need shelter, the most basic of human needs.

Tonight I cry not only for the children, but for the mothers, the fathers, the sisters and brothers of Haiti. 

Great Reasons to Hire Licensed Contractors

At a New Year's Party, a friend told me that he was working with someone to renovate his Victorian. She wasn't a professional, just did it as a hobby...had a crew she worked with. The prices were good. I had a feeling he wasn't planning on pulling permits and that the workers were either undocumented or un-insured. I guessed right and then kind of lost my mind over it.

(Here's a picture from the renovations in progress at This Old House.)

He's looking at a 100K + renovation for his kitchen and bath. Probably more like 150K if he decides to do 2 baths. Victorians are tricky. There's horsehair plaster, old old wiring and plumbing, and bringing it up to code is expensive. The only way to do it right is to pull permits, not to mention that it's the law in MA that past a certain percentage of changes, permits must be pulled. It protects the homeowner, and offers recourse against damage.

Un-insured labor?

• What if someone falls down the stairs and gets (God forbid) a head injury. In the absence of a workman's comp policy -- which is also the law in MA -- that contractor sues the homeowner to cover medical expenses. Home owners insurance won't cover that since it's labor w/o a permit. That's a 1M suit, easy.
• What if a neighbor or someone sees work being done without a permit in the window?  Not sure you can hide a dumpster in an urban neighborhood. Neighbors will see it, not to mention anyone else who happens to be on the street. If you get caught, not only do you get fined, but then you have to pull a permit and now the building inspector is mad.
• What if the house has a fire because the wiring isn't done right? What if your house burns to the ground or someone dies or is injured in a fire because you decided to save some cash by having your cousin do the work?
• What if a pipe bursts and the plumber has no insurance and it floods 3 floors of a condo below? (This actually happened to a client. Thankfully we had  pulled a permit and the plumber's insurance paid for ALL repairs on ALL 3 floors below!)
• What if the next home owners decide to go to the building inspector's to make sure that permitting was done? I know of more than one real estate deal to fall through when there was no permit or when the final sign off never happened.

Point of fact: I won't work on a job without permits. Maybe people who do this type of work as "a hobby" feel comfortable with out a permit, but I know of not one professionals who would. 

If that's not enough, here's one more reason why you shouldn't attempt wiring on your own -- from th Boston Globe, Do-it-yourself books recalled over risk, an interesting article about recalling DIY books with faulty instructions for electrical wiring.

If you have more reasons why you should pull a permit, or a horror story from unlicensed labor, please do share.

Happy 2010 -- Let's Get Greener

It's that time again. Resolution time. I invite you all to think about ways to be greener in 2010. New Decade. Fresh Start.

Need some ideas?

Here are a few quickies:

• Turn a light off. 
• Use no- and low-VOC paints in your house.
• Recycle what you can. 
• Use less paper -- go for e-billing where possible and save records electronically.
• Consider indoor air quality so avoid formaldehyde and oil based paints.
• Buy energy star appliances.

(See it's not that hard.)

Need more ideas? Want to learn more? Click below.

25 New Year's Resolutions for Going Green in 2010

10 Green Home Improvement Resolutions You Must Make Now

PS I am fairly obsessed these days about indoor air quality. Look for products that do not release harmful toxins into your home. Biggest offenders? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in many traditional paints as well as flame retardants, glues, and adhesives.

If you are in the market for a new bed, consider natural latex products and avoid all petroleum based fills. Formaldehyde is found in most press board, particle board, and plywood. It's used in most products at IKEA!!! Many kitchen cabinet lines and lower priced furniture lines use it for shelving, not to mention the backs of furniture. Particle board and press board off-gasses for the entire life cycle of the product. That means in the factory, in transport, in your home, in the land fill.  Most of the time, press board is covered with laminate, which keeps the formaldehyde on the inside. Once nicked it's out in the open though! So try to stay away from formaldehyde at all costs (some does appear naturally in hardwoods). Formaldehyde is toxic and have been linked to birth defects, endocrine disruption, and cancer. 

Everyone's green goals are different. Everyone's concerns are unique.... perhaps you do not share my obsession with indoor air quality.

What is important to you? Interested to know!