Kristin Drohan Interior Design

Gearing Up for High Point Market

I can't believe it is time again for our semi-annual buying trip to High Point, NC in a couple of weeks.   I received my buyers pass and catalogs in the mail the other day and the planning has begun.  After last Spring's market, (click here to view that post) I told you I'd show the process my designer friends and I embark on for our trip.  This year I have to fly to Northern Va and meet me colleagues Karen, and Paula Grace.  Then we will drive the 5 and 1/2 hours to NC.   As part of the pre-planning, we put together our Excel spread sheet that list the showrooms we individually need to attend.  Then we cross reference our requirements.  There is usually a lot of duplication.  Paula (last time I had the honor) puts together a final game plan that is color-coded and has our schedule by location.  This is very important because there are over 2000 show rooms spread over the entire town of High Point.  You need to be strategic to maximize your time. Okay, and maybe we are all a little type A.  I will be attending the Sustainable Furnishings Council, Certified Sustainability Training Program for one entire day.  That will reduce my shopping time.  I recently joined the SFC to further my commitment of running an eco-friendly business.  This class will allow me to be certified in sustainable design.  I'm really looking forward to that.  High Point is always an opportunity to meet shelter magazine editors and other well known designer at the parties.  We will be hitting Elle Decor's book signing party with Margaret Russell this year.  Last Spring, we went to Savifieh's Designer Rug Launch Party and met Thom Filica , Suzanne Kasler, David Easton, and Thomas O'Brien.  Thom was very sweet and David Easton was an absolute trip. 

Thom and I (kept my eyes open, that's a first)

As I've said before, I love this trip.  We always learn so much and find unique companies to open accounts with.  We gain resources that allow us to provide our clients with individual and stunning items for their homes.  I'll keep you posted as the planning progresses.

On another unrelated design note.  Here's praying for a full and speedy recovery for Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators quarterback who was injured in this weekend's game.  What makes this young man so special is not only is he an unbelievable athlete, but he is an even more amazing human being.  My husband did his undergrad and ROTC at the University of FL and we bleed Orange and Blue in the Drohan household.  Our schedules revolve around the Gator game on Saturdays (heaven forbid if one our child's soccer game conflicts) in the Fall.  I've always been a Football fan (maybe that's why I like doing "Man Caves" so much) but I've become as passionate about the Gators as my husband.  It was horrifically disturbing to watch Tim lie motionless after a hit Saturday night.  It looks as if it was a concussion and thankfully not a serious spinal injury .  As a fan, I hope to see him back on the field soon.  As a Mom, I will worry every time I see him out on the field in a football uniform.  Go Gators!!

 

Free Advice Updating Chests and Chairs

These days I have a hard time keeping up with all the blogs I enjoy reading.  I really like it when other designers have enough confidence to ask their reader's opinions on a project.  The other day at coco + kelley, she did a post on some bedside chests she had for an ongoing bedroom project.  Here is the dilemma:

First of all, how awesome are these chests?  I love the deco look to them.  She has painted her walls Gray and is going to do either Coral or Tangerine accents.  So this is my advice to her.  I love the idea of going high gloss Gray (one step lighter than the walls) where the light wood tone exists currently.  I'd do the Tangerine (over Coral) in high gloss where the darker wood tone is.  It would pop off the walls, but wouldn't be too in your face. I love the hardware that's on the chests and would do that in the Tangerine as well.  Anywho, that's my two cents on that one.  I recently just did some bedroom chests for myself.  This is how they turned out.

  

Abbey K also had a bit of a dilemma with some fabulous chairs she inherited from her Grandma.  Y'all know I love that since I just recently did a post on all the things I have of my Grandma's in my home.  Especially her chairs. 

Great chairs.  This is what I would do.  I would probably do a solid welt that matches the Darker Green in the fabric.  If her upholsterer is good, they can center the smallest diamond in the buttons.  Lastly, because I'm a nail head freak (plus it is a classic detail that is really "in" right now) I'd outline the sides and do a row around the bottom.  This is what I did to my Grandma's chair.

As always I'll be participating in the hooked party at Hooked on Houses today and The Inspired Room.  Make sure you check them out.  What would y'all do to the chests are chairs?

6 Things That Make Me Happy

I was tagged by my friend Paula Grace, of Paula Grace Designs to write a post about six things that make me happy.  I have to tell you that narrowing the list to just six was hard.  So here we go.

1. My Family

 

The Kids

The four most important guys in my life, Dad, Hubby (doing his part to spread the height  throughout the gene pool) Brother, and Son.

SIL, Brother, Daughter, Mom, Son, and Me.  Clearly these pics are from the 4th of July. We don't always match. My Mom bought everyone new gear to wear for the occasion.  She didn't want anyone to miss our patriotism.  Well, I'm pretty sure they didn't.  We all still laugh about the guys shirts (what can I say, my Mom is enthusiastic). 

2.  Fall

I love everything about this time of year.  The crisp air, college football, wearing jeans and boots, and nature's canvas.

Walden Pond is about a mile away from my new house.  I can't wait to see this in person.

3. Traveling to Europe

  Monet's Garden Giverney, France

This is shooting from the door of the Pantheon Rome, Italy

4. My new eco friendly furniture line (should be launching in the next two weeks)

Kathryn Bar stool

5. Making a client's space work better for them, thus making them happy

Before

After 

6. Being on the water

 

 

 

Free Advice Friday - Arranging Artwork and Pictures

I had a reader email with a question on how to arrange her artwork and pictures.  She had recently moved (can totally relate) and had a pile of pictures laying on the floor. She was overwhelmed with how to hang them or to even get started.  

 Solution:

1. I begin by laying the arrangement out on the floor. I like to have consistent, not exact, frames on all the pieces.
2. I start by putting the biggest piece in the middle.
3. I prefer symmetry, so I find frames that are similar in scale and group them.
4. If you have architectural pieces to mix in or a sconce, it gives it dimension and character.
5. As you put the arrangement together, keep the spacing consistent.
6. Once you have it on the floor the way you like it, you can cut the sizes out of paper and attach them to the wall for guidance.

Here is an example from my portfolio:

Yes, the dog is real.  She thought she was debuting for her career in doggy modeling.  I'm joining the Hooked on Houses, what you're hooked on blog party, and The Inspired Room's Beautiful Life party be sure to check them out.

 

Design Star- Winging it Gets the Win

 

I know I predicted that Antonio would win but that wasn't because I thought he should.  I think HGTV needs to stop calling the show, Design Star.  It should be called HGTV Host Star.  After watching the show last night I think Dan got robbed (unless he gets the show being voted on by the public).  Am I crazy? The only misstep for him was the kitchen back splash.  I thought Dan's house overall functioned much better, solved every client concern, and looked  great.  The space plan in Antonio's living room wasn't executed well.  I wasn't feeling that fireplace either.  That, however is a personal decor preference. Providing a proper space plan is fundamental in design.  If you fail at that, how do you win something called Design Star? I thought the furniture placement in the master wasn't that great and the scale of the toddler bed in the little boy's bedroom was pretty awful.  What the heck was that?  A dog bed? The issue isn't that  Antonio is without talent. The problem is,  he would fail Interior Design 101. Calling him a "Design Star" is a gigantic stretch.  He really struggles with scale and that isn't something you can always learn.  It is intuitive and in good designers, inherent.  I did like the color palette in the master (my guest bedroom is almost the same) and I loved the red chairs.  Taking down the walls and changing the entrance to the bathroom was smart. I liked how they styled him all up.  He looked nice.   I'm just simply baffled.  Maybe I'm just struggling with semantics.  What did y'all think? Will you watch the Antonio Project, his new show?  HGTV thinks you will.

Sneak Peak - Before and Afters

Today I'm participating in Blue Monday at Smiling Sally since the pics contain one of my colors, Blue and Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.  I know everyone is waiting for some house pics.  I'm going to post a couple little ones.  The first one I'm posting is a little cranny on the second floor in the front of the house. With storage being an issue in this house, I didn't want any space to go to waste.  It originally contained nothing.  I had a custom bench fabricated and made the space into a window seat.  The bench is a separate piece of furniture and contains storage.  I wanted the bench to be flexible and able to be reused in many different ways.  I'm so happy with it, I'm going to include it in my new eco-upholstery line. (launching really soon)

 

The window seat is the right hand second story window

 

This is the space before.  It isn't a very good pic.  We all know my picture taking skills need some improvement.  I stink.

 

This is the after.  I just couldn't let this little cranny go to waste.  So now we have function, and an inviting vignette at the top of the stairs. 

Okay, one more.

 

This is the before.  I'm going to show you the space where the cardboard boxes are leaning against the wall.

 

Here is the after.  You don't see the stairs in the first pic.  They are to the right.  This is a transition between the nook and family room.  You gotta love the character of older homes.  Hope you like the pics.

Free Advice - Difficult Drapery

This reader wrote:

	Pictures for you! Hi! We emailed last week. Thank you so much for agreeing to help me with my "problem" window. We have been working on remodeling our 13 year old house that we bought last year. We just don't know what to do with our big sliding glass door in our family. We have a new sofa that is neutral (we are still awaiting our throw pillows that have turquoise elements). Our window is near our kitchen window, which we like but have RED curtains. So we are at a loss. Any advice you can give about height (I think probably 127" to be at the same height as the kitchen) and ESPECIALLY fabric, will be greatly appreciated! We love your site and are so grateful for your help!

Solution:

 

What makes this situation difficult, is not only the Red kitchen valance and new Turquoise Blue, but the different adjoining room elevations and the built-in bookcases.  To try and keep a nice linear balance, I would hang the drapery hardware at the same height as the top of the bookcases.  Since the new sectional, carpet and paint are all neutral, I would start with a pretty color for the drapery.  They have a floral in the the kitchen and the new pillow fabric also has a pattern, so I would begin with a solid.  I chose the new Turquoise Blue because there is a pool outside those sliding glass doors and it would blur the line between the two spaces.  The Red window treatment in the kitchen is pretty dominate and right next to the sliders, so  I suggest adding a contrast fabric leading edge to the drapery that incorporates the Red.  I would then probably have a pillow made for the sofa, using the same fabrics. To complete the space,  I would then add a few red accessories to the living room.  Any fabric incorporating both colors would also be a very nice alternative for the leading edge.  I know that finding Red and Turquoise in one fabric is difficult.  Trust me, I have those colors (plus black and cream) in my house and I have scoured the fabric companies looking for that combo.  Every time I come across one, I order the sample.  I tried to show in the illustration, how a reader who doesn't have a fabric library at their disposal can combine any color combination to customize their personal palette.  The last element to mention is the style of drapery.  In the rendering, I've shown a double width pinch pleat drapery hung on 2 1/2 - 3 inch (in diameter) hardware in the wood tone of the built in bookcase (which they have since stained darker than the picture shown).  When you have a large expanse of window or door that doesn't require privacy, it is nice to do the panels in a double width.  It is important to note that the hardware needs to be substantial enough to hold the weight of the panels.  Otherwise, it will bow in the middle.  This also looks nicer when you have long drapes.  Hope this helps.  I'll be joining the Hooked party on Hooked on Houses today.  Check it out.

Design Star... Didn't see that coming

My family and I have just returned from a much needed vacay to Cape Cod.  We were finally able to catch our breaths and get some R & R.  It was my first time to the Cape and it was wonderful.  We were fortunate to be visting some friends who have a lovely home on  the water, and our weather was perfection.  I had my first whole lobster on the beach and my son caught his first fish.  Pure elation. 

After we returned home, unpacked, threw the laundry in, we all sat down to watch DS.  At last, individual challenges.  At last, a decent budget. They still weren't given enough time, but it was a much better measure of their abilities.  I wish they would have been provided a seamtress or workroom but a couple carpenters was certainly better than nothing.  So, thoughts... I did think the judges had a difficult decision.  We all gasped when they said, Lonni. I honestly didn't see that coming.  I'm asssuming it was due to the headboard not getting installed or the repetition of the graphic focal wall. So, if she backed the bookshelves with that printed grass cloth (which I loved) instead of doing one focal wall, again, would she still be here?  If she was able to get the headboard up would she still be here? Vern, commented that he's never had a case where the headboard wasn't installed.  There were elements in everyone's room that were really good.   I liked the boat mobile and art in Dan's room.  I didn't love the furniture, the drapes (he got love for those too), or any of the bedding.  Don't we already have, a "Dan"?  His name is, David Bromstad.   Then we have, Antonio.  I thought that laser cut dry erase board was beyond cool.  The space plan was really functional and pretty at the same time.  That rug was really under scale and the space looked a bit too austere.  A big flokati rug in front of the fireplace would have been a better choice.  It is easy to play Tuesday night quarterback. Especially, after having the time to really think about the space.   Overall, I thought this was a great challege.  My son said, " I think Lonni should go".  "Why"? I asked.  He answered, "Because, someone is going get killed when that headboard falls on their head."  From the mouth of a 10 yr old boy. 

Free Advice Friday - Kitchen advice

I recently received this request

I had a flood in my home and now have zero time to make decisions on my kitchen. I am getting new kitchen cabinets and a new wood floor. I love Brazilian Cherry hard wood floors(which harden over time)  but think that having Cherry cabinets with my Uba Tuba granite would be too formal and too dark. Do you have any suggestions on what type of cabinets would work with a Brazilian Cherry floor ... or what floor would go good with light cherry cabinets. As you see I like cherry.

Sorry about the flood, but getting a new kitchen doesn't entirely suck.  If you are sold on Cherry floors, than I definitely would not do cherry cabinets.  That would be entirely too much of a good thing.  Kitchen design, like everything else, is about creating interest with different materials and textures.  I would suggest doing a lighter paint along the cabinet perimeter and on the island, something in a wood finish that is different than the floors.  Depending on how adventurous you are, a brighter colored island would also be an option.  The most important aspect is to incorporate various elements.

   

I'm linking to Hooked on Houses for the Friday Hooked party. Check it out.

Design Star... Now they're landscapers?

Caught up with my DVR'd Design Star last night.  Okay, I have a bit stronger opinion about this episode.  First, are you kidding me with the landscape challenge?  Not only do they give them a back yard to do.  It is flipping huge and completely barren.  They did get a fairly decent budget (which I'll get back to). Time allotment was also a bit better.  At this point in the competition though, I'm thinking individual challenges would be more appropriate, or at least a division of two groups.  It is clear to me that they were all unfamiliar with pools.  Putting that giant expanse of concrete around the pool was not only ugly but also completely not functional.  Concrete gets hideously hot and with small children and their sensitive feet, not a very good choice for this family.   Pavers or cool crete would have been a much better choice.  The judges were pretty generous with praise  for this project ( I think they felt bad about the amount of physical labor these people had to do).  Vern, only mentioned that there wasn't any interest around the pool but said nothing about the use of concrete.  So, lets talk about the gazebo.  They paid almost 11K for 160 sq ft of gazebo.  It wasn't esthetically that great and lacked any sort of Zen element.  I think Dan, should have gone home for that decision alone.  He's is cute and he did better in his hosting, so I understand why he didn't get the boot.  He did have some redemption. If that gazebo guy would have given me that price, I would have laughed in his face.  Part of having a design business is negotiating the best deals.  I know they are competing for a show but it comes in handy when you're trying to stretch a budget on TV too.  He just rolled over for that ridiculous price.  I thought $4300 for the playground was high too. Just saying.  Then there was the furniture.  The placement lacked function, it wasn't very attractive and I wasn't feeling the pillows either.  That's just me.  Nothing like having a bar 1/2 mile from the house.  That would be fun to truck stuff back and forth (ice, beverages, etc).  I wonder if that will ever get used?  I thought one of the best elements besides the grass and plantings was the water feature.  Antonio, got no love for that at all.  What gives?  Okay, back to the budget.  If you didn't see the show, the team was given 25K.  Due to some miscommunication they overspent by 5K.  So the consequences were that Clive, gave them the extra 5 thou.  What?  Great precedence for the next season.  I think the writers need to rethink that challenge.  An outdoor space would be awesome.  I think it would have been more interesting to see 4 individual small courtyards in an individual challenge.  So what did y'all think?