Casual Elegance - Master Bedroom

The master bedroom in the "almost fire victim" home is one of my favorite rooms of all time. I always say that after finishing a project, but seriously - this bedroom is really special. What makes it so wonderful to me? Maybe it's the blue on the walls (I stole it for my own master bathroom). Or it's the scrumptious leafy patterned carpet underfoot, that feels like you're walking on a cashmere sweater. No, it must be the over-scaled watercolor art that we splurged on. The custom bed from Jorge in Mexico? The beautifully sewn bedding made by Cathy, exactly to our specifications? Lamps? Accessories? Hmm. I think I just love it all. But, my secret treasure is the cat. I think I must have one on the wall in my bedroom as well!

Master bedroom...

Accessories...

Another angle, look at that carpet!!

Looking down the hall towards closet and bathroom...

Custom antique replica dresser, by Jorge in Mexico.

Uttermost wall decor, Palecek benches, Imax mirror, etc.

I especially adore the "hug" and "kiss" sculptures.

Sweet kitty...

I love the emotion in this custom framed watercolor reproduction.

So like a cat, aloof but love-able.

The master bedroom before...

Fire Rebuild - Moved In!!

It was so exciting to have our first furnishings walk-thru in a lived-in home! There were dishes in the sink, the pantry was full of food... TP in the bathrooms... clothes in the closet. What a feeling of accomplishment and relief. It has been a busy year!

I thought you might want to see how things are progressing. Most of the large furniture pieces are in, and we've added a few accessories for starters. There is still much accessorizing to do, but we have all agreed to slow down now that the homeowners have moved in. They need to live there a while, adding personality and love to the home piece by piece. This will be slower than usual for me as designer, but I totally agree - it has been a whirlwind of a year, who needs to hurry?

Entry...

Gorgeous glaze, beautiful furniture piece

Can you envision the tapestry that will hang above it?

View from entry into dining room...

Chandelier is still strapped up high from construction phase.

Draperies are in - and look fabulous!

Our Kravet rug is more beautiful than we dreamed it would be.

Dining room from another angle...

Hall at powder room...

Powder room is so beautiful...

The camera makes the copper sink look brighter than it does in person.

Will be doing hand-painted oriental wall detail in this room

The great room, looking into nook and kitchen...

The rug is a loaner and the brown colors aren't right.

But it sure feels good on the feet!

Nook looking towards great room...

Chandelier in here is also still strapped up high.

Love that nook valance!

Kitchen Island and barstools...

Great room as viewed from kitchen...

Accessories are preliminary, still need some dialing in.

Check out how the green color looks between the beams. Yum-my!

Nook valance close-up, so cuuuute!

(wait - I should say "elegant" right?)

Great room drapery, close-up of detailed banding...

Great room fireplace. Can't wait to accessorize!

Great room wing chairs.

These are everybody's favorites...

Master bedroom...

Gorgeous wall plastering in tones of blue.

Beautiful custom bed from Mexico.

(Thank you, Jorge!!)

Notice the fabric samples on the bed - we were discussing pillow ideas.

Master bedroom fireplace and drapery panel, as seen from bed.

Master bathroom...

Exercise room...

Sneak Preview

I thought you might enjoy a sneak preview of Mitch and Nancy's home. I haven't had a chance to go thru and take detailed photos but I will very soon. Meanwhile, here is a glimpse of the design. The look is a combination of modern and traditional furnishings which we blended seamlessly. The home has a touch of Tuscany in the family room, inspired by the couple's recent trip to Italy. I sometimes refer to their project as the "Almost Fire Victim" since last year's Ramona fire came right up to their front door. Thank you Ray, who saved the home by doing one last drive-by before evacuating, and putting out the AC units which were fully engulfed!

(living room)

(living room - before)

(dining room)

(dining room - before)

(master bedroom)

(master bedroom - before)

(master bedroom)

(breakfast nook)

(breakfast nook - before)

Warm Welcome II

I met Ken and his wife while designing the interior of their neighbor's home. Although I had primarily been doing residential design, when Ken and Tanya approached me to do a facelift for Ken's office I heartily accepted. Doing a commercial project was a nice change complete with a whole bunch of new rules. Did you know you can't use residential base boards in a commercial office? Neither did I. It was a blast working with Ken and his partner Jeff, and I left with a new respect for the sedation dentistry practice. These guys are in the business of changing lives for the better. Who doesn't love a beautiful smile?

(before)

This project was "facelift" at it's finest. We gave them an "extreme makeover" without making any structural changes. If you're a doctor and you're reading this blog - please consider a facelift for your lobby, it can be done for less than you think!

Ken and Jeff wanted the same feel of the residence I designed next door to Ken - warm and inviting - but they also wanted something that would speak to their level of professionalism. Since these guys are top-notch doctors, they needed a top-notch look for their lobby. I replaced the teal carpet with modern patterned commercial grade carpet that had lots of warm tones mixed with charcoal. Then I had the whole place re-painted in warm tones. The lobby has lots of sunlight so the colors look beautiful. Towards the back of the office it is mostly fluorescent lighting, which didn't enhance the paint colors as well as I would have liked, but "it's the law" ... we have to have fluorescent lighting in an office.

The furnishings and accessories topped off the look, with unexpected twists here and there such as alternating fabrics on the ganging chairs and residential furniture for the curio and side tables. Now their clients look forward to an appointment with the dentist!

I used laminate paneling and countertop for the welcome desk to cover up what was existing rather than build a whole new desk. I also covered the oak trim at the half-height wall with a modern laminate, and had grasses installed in the planter instead of the ivy that was there previously. A charcoal carpet border was used to highlight the entry and hallways, and acted as a transition from the lobby pattern to the rest of the carpet.

There's this really great wall that you see right when you walk in the door, it acts as a transition from the lobby. I decided to highlight this wall with a deep brownish green paint color. Ken and Jeff had recently been featured in San Diego Magazine so I had the magazine send me extra pages and we had the article showcased in 6 matching frames. It looks great above the sleek console table which is a dark stain with a textured black top.

The consultation room is the place where clients discuss their dental history as well as proposed work to be performed on their teeth. Since this can be an intimidating topic, the doctors wanted the consultation room to be as comfortable as possible. I went for upholstered arm chairs since we actually had enough room for them. It's nice to be able to rest your arms when sitting for a long time. The gals in the office bring in fresh flowers every week which is a nice touch for the center of the table. Before and after dental photo albums are always on display. It's a great room.


I wasn't planningon it but I started a trend with this office that I have continued with office projects I have done since: hard cover books rather than messy magazines. It seems that whenever I go to a doctors office the magazines are read by lots of people and they end up crumpled, ripped and funky looking. The hard cover books were a great idea for this office. We chose subjects that reflect the personalities and interests of the partners, as well as subjects that would be of interest to the general public. Books about sports, golf, cars, nature... and of course, interior design books.

(hard cover books in a tray)

(side chair at office manager - matches lobby cabinet)

(closeup of consultation room chairs)

(closeup of carpet, laminate, french doors)