Kristin Drohan Interior Design

Green Design Summit

I'm very excited to be attending Design Success University's Green Design Summit the next two days.  I look forward to sharing with you what I will have learned in future posts.  I also can't wait to tell you about my new eco-friendly custom designed upholstery line I'm launching in August.  I've collaborated with a company in Hickory, NC to produce my own Kristin Drohan Collection of durable, comfortable and sustainable upholstery pieces.  Most importantly, these pieces are no more expensive than their non green counterparts.  More to come soon......

Free Advice Friday...when Drapes are too short

A reader wrote:

I like to hang drapes about 4" below ceiling and hang a valance from a combination rod.
My problem though is I have 2 rooms that curtain panels only come in 74" lenth and I was using a decorative rod and no valance. If I bought a spare panel and added length and used matching piping like what's on the spread and throw pillows, would that be ok? I think I could add 2 rows and make it pick up a detail already on set.

Solution

Many times the stock drapes that come with bedding coordinates aren't long enough for ceilings 8ft or taller.  This is one of my favorite budget-friendly solutions when custom is not an option.  You can purchase an additional panel or even a bedskirt to add to the bottom.  I also love adding a stripe to the bottom as pictured below.  In fact, I'm having this done for a client right now.  I used the reader's preferred drapery location of 4 inches below the ceiling to illustrate the added length.

 

The Grapefruit Martini and the Rooms to Drink it in

Okay, many readers are asking for the martini recipes.  So here is my all time fav, the Pink Grapefruit Martini.

 

1 part Absolut Ruby Red Vodka

1 part X-Rated Pink Fusion

1/2 -1 part Rose's Lime Juice

Rim glass with yellow sugar and garnish with a grapefruit candy.  I sugared the edge of the pink candy to make it look like a grapefruit slice.  I used to be able to get the grapefruit slices that are pink inside and yellow on the outside.  You can usually find them at specialty candy stores.  I get the above pictured grapefruit candy at Wegmans. You can always use a real slice of grapefruit in a pinch.

So now I need to tie this in with interior design.  I've found a few amazing spaces I think would be the perfect spots to enjoy Grapefruitinis.   

 

Southern Accents Watersound Showhouse by Suzanne Kasler

 

by Jacobs Design

 

by Rafael Portuondo

Don't ya just want to be lounging in one of these spaces and sipping a Grapefruitini?  I wish I was. 

Free Advice Baby to Big Boy Room

This Mom sent in this picture of her sons' bedroom.  They are ready to change the baby room to a big boy room.  The two boys have bunkbeds and share the room.  They would like to keep the bunkbeds but are open to painting the light wood finish something different.  The boys are into pirates and they would like the color scheme to have Blues and/or Greens. 

Before

Solution

   

1.  Add a chair rail 4 1/2 ft from the floor (this is taller than normal) and crown molding at the 8 ft mark painted with semi gloss Deep Brown to increase the architectural interest. The closets doors could also be painted this color.

2.  Purchase vintage maps or map wallpaper and install below the chair rail.  If you don't want to commit to wallpaper, you can adhere the maps to foam core and add a frame to get the same effect as wainscoting. How to wallpaper with maps: http://www.ehow.com/how_3391014_wallpaper-maps.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

3.  Purchase the Wave Rug to simulate water http://www.rugs-direct.com/rugsdirectory/results.aspx?N=4294948738+4294924404&color_id=130669. 

4. Take the Blue Gray from the rug and paint above the chair rail and the slat ceiling (yes, the ceiling). How you paint popcorn ceilings: http://www.ehow.com/how_15093_paint-textured-ceiling.html

5.  Right now this room could be any style and should last a long time.  To bump up the fun pirate elements in the room add these too cool pillows from Vision Bedding. http://www.visionbedding.com/Fabric/Pirate.php. 

6.  Keep the rest of the bedding solid and neutral.

7. Add a woven shade to the windows and neutral grommet panels

New Home Decor Magazine

With the demise of many shelter magazines in recent times, Fresh Home is a new quarterly whose second issue lands on the stands tomorrow. This magazine is geared towards do-it-your-selfers for today's conservative spending.  This issue focuses on providing affordable shopping guides, redecorating a bathroom for $500, and advising homeowners on creating a lush lawn on a budget.  I'll probably check it out even though I'm a pay-somebody-to-do-it-selfer.  I still look for inspiration everywhere.  I'm pretty sure this doesn't replace Domino but it is nice to see a new face in a diminishing crowd. 

 

Free Advice Friday

I often get asked where to hang drapes and how long should they be.  Personally, I like drapes to be hung as high as possible.  They should start just below the ceiling or right under the crown molding.  This helps make a short ceiling feel taller and tall ceilings to be softened acoustically.  It works regardless of  ceiling height.  If you asked 20 designers how long drapes should be you may not get a majority consensus.  I like to just have them just "kiss the floor".  I think for those who like them to puddle, you should save that for a more formal setting.  The one thing they shouldn't be is floods.  Trim or a band can always be added to the bottom of drapery if they are too short.  Here is an example of hanging them just below the crown and "kissing the floor".

 

Back to High Point Highlights

Okay, so I’ve digressed the last couples of posts. The last installment from High Point highlights will be covering the eco-friendly movement.  Over the past couple of years, the eco-friendly or green movement gets more and more play at each market.  This Spring was no exception.  In fact, not only did we see that trend increasing, but related to that was the increase of more traditional, vintage, and comfortable furnishings and accessories.  Items that were repurposed or used recycled materials were also popular.  There was a lot less glitz, glam, and Hollywood Regency.  My colleagues and I were on the contemporary furniture floor in the largest building called IHFC (International Home Furnishings Center), where they have most of the contemporary furniture showrooms and the whole floor was dead.  You can have 20-30 buyers in one showroom at a time and this entire floor was empty.  It was shocking.  In the past, the hallways would have dozens of people in them on this floor. So here is my theory on that.  With the economy in its current state, I think people are less likely to take a chance on something that feels like a trend and are sticking with classic timeless traditional purchases that feel safe.  I felt a more casual vibe too. I'm seeing it in the catalogs too.  Restoration Hardware has the new vintage trunks collection and Wisteria has a lot of linen "grain sack" upholstery.  So here are some pictures to illustrate.

 

 

Petticoat Floor Lamp, Organic Uphostery and Fabrics

 

Penshell Lamps and  Wood Console

 

Swoon! You'll be seeing more of this fabric

"Vintage" Trunks make great cocktail tables

So, what do you think of the look?

 

 

Presentation is Everything

The design of food and interior decor are very similar.  Presentation of both delight many senses.  Recently, my husband and I had a lovely dining experience at Mini Bar http://cafeatlantico.com/miniBar/miniBar.htm in D.C.'s Penn Quarter.  Mini Bar is a six seat restaurant in the back corner of Cafe Atlantico's upstairs  dining room. The restaurant is Jose Andres' homage to avant garde scientific gastronomy. I've wanted to go for two years. With our time here running short I was determined to get the reservations (which are a big pain to get).  Armed with four phones, we started dialing  at 10 am, 30 days prior to the reservation date as per the Mini Bar requirements.  After being put on hold and then dropped repeatedly we finally got through.  Yeah!!!  So what is the big deal you ask?  This was a meal unlike any I've ever had.  If you're not into food and aren't adventurous this is going to bore the snot out of you. You may find the pictures entertaining though and the story at the end funny.  So stay with me.  The night we were there we had 28 2-3 bite courses.  Yes, 28!!  Some of them were the strangest things I've ever eaten.  Here are the highlights and a couple not so "high"lights.  Even though  a couple of the items were not my faves, the presentation was amazing.  You actually sit at a bar as each course is prepared in front of you and then served.  It was like a circus.  At the end of the meal your check comes inside an eggshell that the chefs dramatically smash to bits. 

Olive Oil Bon-Bon

Beet Tumbleweed

Cotton Candy Eel - Not my Fave!

 

TZATZIKI Salad - Yum!

Steamed Brioche Bun With Caviar

Philly Cheese-steak - Sinfully Delicious

Prettiest Dish Award - Kumquats & Pumpkin Seed Oil

Check Please

 

FUNNY STORY

Okay, so here is the funny part of our evening.  As we were being seated at the bar, there was a table of two men right behind us.  The guy looked so familiar to me but after living in so many different places, everyone looks like someone I know.   He looked at me with familiarity too.  After listening to his voice I realized it was Hung, winner of Top Chef's Season Three from Bravo TV.  I turned around to tell him that I recognized him and he said, "I know you too".  I'm thinking, Ummmm no you don't but let's see where this goes.  He then says, "You're one of those Housewives" (as in Bravo's, The Real Housewives series).  I told him that yes, I'm a housewife amongst others things, but not one on TV.  My husband I laughed all night and as we tried to figure out which one I am (I'm thinking it's not Gretchen from the OC, bummer).   So which one am I?  Here is the story in  the Washington Post's Reliable Source.   http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/06/hey_isnt_that_110.html  I love how I'm referred to as a "lady".  I guess the days of deluding myself about my age are over.  Note, the guys were called youngish and there was no young in front of the lady.  Nice.  

PS Bravo TV is a shameless self indulgence for me and I love so many of the shows ( especially Top Chef and the Housewives).  So this is all a bit ironic.

One of our dining companions that night covered the evening in his blog.  Check it out.

http://www.thetravelingrichters.com/2009/06/03/dining-around-minibar-in-dc

 

Free Advice Friday

This reader recently purchased this chandelier for their 12 ft tall entryway.  They want to know how high to hang it.  I get asked this question a lot.  The "rule of thumb" is to hang it so that the bottom of the chandelier is 6' 8" from the floor.  This works for the majority of cases except mine.  If you have a member of the household that is 6' 8" or taller you need to hang it so it is a bit taller than that person.  As I've mentioned earlier my hubby is 6" 8" so I hang ours 6' 9" (if my ceilings are that tall). 

 

 

SOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

House Hunting in Boston

Who knew that house hunting in Boston would have challenges we'd never encountered before?  Bostonians, that's who.  We thought our goals were simple. Short commute for my husband, a great area for my business, great schools for the kids (the one thing that wasn't an issue) and a house a landlord would let me have some decorating flexibility with.  Being a landlord myself, I've learned to be flexible with paint and decor?  What we didn't know we should have on our list is central air, a garage (absolutely shocking how many houses don't have garages, it is the flipping tundra 7 months of the year for crying out loud), and ceilings tall enough for my 6'8" husband not to crack his skull on.  Anywhere else in the US these would be givens.  On the first attempt my husband, Jack flew up to look at several promising possibilities.  When he came home empty handed the panic button in our household was pushed.  The sirens went off and even Jack was looking for the martini IV.  He is normally my very calm, undramatic, even keeled better half. With our move date bearing down on us, and me teetering on insanity, we decided to take matters into our own hands.  Two days later, we loaded up the car and kids (Beverly Hillbillies style) and left at 5 am.  We had a couple new leads by owners and new MLS listings to check out and we were stressed.  So here are the results of our house hunting adventures.

Hmmmm where should I put the sofa?

 

Adorable Historic Fox Benoni House Circa 1705.  Totally renovated with tons of character. 

Ceiling Ht: 6'6"

 

This was the only closet in the master bedroom in this house.  In its defense,  the rest of it was lovely. It was again, a very old home that had been gutted. Apparently nobody thought a master closet was important enough to be considered part of the renovation.  Such a shame.

 

You can't see the pet rodent (they weren't no cute guinea pigs) in this pic that made the entire house smell like shrimp diapers.

 

 

This story does have a happy ending...

 

This is our new home in Concord, Ma.  Isn't it wicked awesome?

 

I can't wait to show you the Before and Afters on this house.  We move in mid July.