Looking for inspiration on color? Visit Sherwin Williams www.colororinspiration.com and enjoy personalized journeys in the magic of color. At this site, you can select images that appeal to you and voila, a personalized analysis of a palette will emerge. Even if you may not see the colors on the walls of your space, you can use those colors in other applications such as furniture, flooring and artwork.
Please note! EA&I will be closed during the week of June 30 - July 5 for summer inventory. We are also getting ready to unveil some big new enhancements for you including a signature furniture resource, new artists loft for local artists and much more! Make sure you visit us in July and watch for more exciting news!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Stuff and more stuff
When you look at the Haas-Lilienthal House (www.sfheritage.org), you might not think about the basement as the most interesting part. But as Gallagher points out in Chapter 10 of "House Thinking" the basement of this house marks a fundamental shift in the way that the original owners thought about their home. It was, in effect, the first "rec" room where the owners entertained, played and celebrated their family. (p192). This room was created in renovation where the house was planned around the family, a concept that I wholeheartedly endorse.
Thinking about one's environment, especially one as personal as their home, requires a steady focus, I think, on what is important and what is necessary. Designing a space requires understanding what, and who, is important and how these two components will live, quite literally, together.
For many of us, including myself, the summer is a time to stop and reflect. This is a great time to go through your space and try the following simple tasks:
1 - Find a storage area where you can make 4 piles. Use boxes or plastic organizers. 1 for "keeping" , 1 for giving away, 1 for "throwing away" and 1 for "not sure". This exercise is one of the first lists I give clients at the beginning of a renovation because renovation means to "innovate again". The first goal in doing that is to see the things and the space in a new light. As mentioned in previous posts, this takes guts and courage.
2 - If your space and "stuff" are large and the task is intimidating, call in reinforcements. Ask a friend to stop by, play some music, make it fun. As you wade through the space ask yourself these questions:
a - what item is meaningful to me? Even if it isn't the latest trend, your mother's box of treasures is something that needs to be kept and perhaps celebrated in your new space.
b - what item(s) need to go? If it is broken, not useable or simply just something you no longer value, put it in either the "give away" pile or the "throw away" pile. Most important: make a deadline or date that you will take that pile to the charity of your choice or to the dump. And keep that date, it's important!!
As you make space from these questions, you will find the space enlarges and gives way to a new function or a new ideas. It is an exercise that while challenging, can produce freeing and fun results.
By the way, "stuffing" stuff in a garage or closet until you "get around to it" will only detain the process and keep you stuck. Our garages and utility rooms have become the place where we dumps stuff that we no longer really want but can't yet part with. They are the transition spaces that can signal to us that the use for these items may be gone but we may still be holding on.
Thinking about one's environment, especially one as personal as their home, requires a steady focus, I think, on what is important and what is necessary. Designing a space requires understanding what, and who, is important and how these two components will live, quite literally, together.
For many of us, including myself, the summer is a time to stop and reflect. This is a great time to go through your space and try the following simple tasks:
1 - Find a storage area where you can make 4 piles. Use boxes or plastic organizers. 1 for "keeping" , 1 for giving away, 1 for "throwing away" and 1 for "not sure". This exercise is one of the first lists I give clients at the beginning of a renovation because renovation means to "innovate again". The first goal in doing that is to see the things and the space in a new light. As mentioned in previous posts, this takes guts and courage.
2 - If your space and "stuff" are large and the task is intimidating, call in reinforcements. Ask a friend to stop by, play some music, make it fun. As you wade through the space ask yourself these questions:
a - what item is meaningful to me? Even if it isn't the latest trend, your mother's box of treasures is something that needs to be kept and perhaps celebrated in your new space.
b - what item(s) need to go? If it is broken, not useable or simply just something you no longer value, put it in either the "give away" pile or the "throw away" pile. Most important: make a deadline or date that you will take that pile to the charity of your choice or to the dump. And keep that date, it's important!!
As you make space from these questions, you will find the space enlarges and gives way to a new function or a new ideas. It is an exercise that while challenging, can produce freeing and fun results.
By the way, "stuffing" stuff in a garage or closet until you "get around to it" will only detain the process and keep you stuck. Our garages and utility rooms have become the place where we dumps stuff that we no longer really want but can't yet part with. They are the transition spaces that can signal to us that the use for these items may be gone but we may still be holding on.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
New Bathroom
The world's ugliest bathroom is now a beautiful oasis.
I can say that because the bathroom is my own. After years of thinking about it and planning it, I am now enjoying what I hope my clients enjoy -- a space that is uniquely their own and one that they look forward to inhabiting each day.
Although trendspotting is a part of a design, this bathroom is a good reason I recommend to avoid trends. I think fashion is one thing -- whereas style is quite another. At some point this "interesting" cultured marble was probably all the rage but it quickly became dated and after over 8 years was in dire need of an update.
In the photo at the left, there is still work to be done -- lighting needs installing and mirror needs hanging, but the progress is clear. Even cabinetry that needs a bit of color looks far better with a new counter top than the old.
I took the opportunity to do a complete clean out of closets and organizing and now a space that I dreaded to use is my favorite spot to visit.
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