Division of Design

What can this possibly mean?

You’ve heard it before. Retold in so many ways. So why would I choose to bring up this age old adage again…because. Because it is probably is the single most important factor in your design life.

Design is in the Details deserves continuous mention.

Division of Design  means, if you divide all the small details that go into designing a home or a single room, all those small divided details become the whole design...’the essence of the entire design.’ 

THE NEW traditionalists. Cushion and seatback are upholstered with a scarlet saffron wool milled in one of the finest Scottish mills that remains today. Texture is added to the outer frame and welt with the use of a laser cut leather in Dolphin.  Exposed wood frame features a hand applied smoked grey finish on maple.

 

It’s not just the BIG things you see in a room, or in your life for that matter, that count. It’s all those little things that mean so much more than we give them credit for. One rose for no special occasion can mean more than 2 dozen on Valentine’s day.

It's not enough to finish the checklist, to hurriedly do the last three steps and declare victory.

Some have asked me, ‘Why do you obsess for hours over the perfect cabinet knob?  How on earth do you make a living doing that?’  I say, ‘How on earth can I not!’ 

THE NEW traditionalist: Side Table made from Maple sourced from New England and the Mid Atlantic. Shown in a hand applied Classic Glaze Chili with Black frame and Cerise Red upholstered drawer face with black nickel hardware.

 

As always, I continue to compare and reflect upon how facets of design are akin to our human existence. The world is full of billions of people…each with a division of details that make all of us unique in our own way. Even our bodies are not perfectly symmetrical; the left and right sides of the human body are not a mirror image of each feature, whether one ear is larger than the other, one brow raised slightly higher, or one leg is a quarter-inch longer than the other.

THE NEW traditionalist: Side Table made from Maple sourced from New England and the Mid Atlantic. Shown in ahand applied Worn Lacquer Silver and Onyx with Kelly Green Laser Cut Leatheraccent.

So why would I not approach interior design the same way? Each and every individual detail of the room or home is unique as its own feature. Yet when properly balanced by scale, color, and proportion, the design creates the perfect image as a greater part of the whole. Even the grout color works to emphasize the appearance of tile. How often I’ve heard; ‘We couldn’t have known how the wrong grout color would so dreadfully affect the result of our tile floor”.  

The Ovale Mosaic fromthe Musee collection features: Crema Marfil, Thassos, and ChinaBlack in handmade stone tessera.  Photo courtesy of: Artistic Tile

In fact, the last coat of polish and the unhurried delivery of worthwhile work is valued all out of proportion to the total amount of effort you put into the entire project. 

Creating the Ambra Collection. Truly an Art Form. Photo Courtesy of Artistic Tile

The details are not the details. They make the design.
                                                                                                        -Charles Eames

 Al fine!

 

the Sunday 'quote' - The Details are Details

'The details are details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections. It will in the end be these details that give the product its life.'

                                                                                                          - Charles Eames 

BDDW  Lake Credenza - Hand carved ebony handles, American Black Walnut, Blackened steel base with adjustable bronze feet.

because…it IS all about the  d e t a i l s.

BDDW - Hand Made American Furniture.

American Holly, White Lacquer, Hand Carved Ebony Handles

 

SPACE PLANNING - Does Form Follow Function?

I would like to impart the importance of the phrase “space planning.” It is a simple concept that states that a person should begin with a plan and identify exactly how they intend on using the space.

Most people’s focus immediately goes to the aesthetic and decor; “What colors should I use?” typically comes to mind. Often, that is the first question I’m asked upon walking through the door for a first time design consultation. Questions about the sofa, tables, chairs soon follow.

But, without a plan and a good idea of how you will use the space, you might end up with an overcrowded room full of furnishings, that is neither appealing nor functional.

       Form vs. function; is an age old debate amongst designers and architects. If you where to follow the example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater home, you could definitely say, form comes first. 

Fallingwater

Yes, it is one of the most spectacular works of concrete cantilever design ever seen, and it is one of my all time favorite structures in architecture. However, an ongoing struggle continues to this day to save the home from “falling” into the water; Wright sacrificed the advised structural stability in lieu of the ideal picture perfect design form, ignoring the most basic imperative of a building: that it stands up.

Some functionalities to consider when planning your space.

Will this room get heavy daily use, or few times a year as a showroom for special occasions?  What type of lighting is required; ambient, task, general? Will the furnishings and hardscape materials be easy to maintain? Does the space require multipurpose use? What are the storage and organizational requirements for the room?

Of course, as an interior designer, I am strongly drawn to the aesthetic which is how most judge the final feel and look of the room. Our environment plays out our emotions.

Ultimately though, I find that when practicing interior design, one must consider both simultaneously to create the perfect balance between the aesthetic and the application. After all, it is balance we strive for in our day to day lives. Good interior design should follow the same principals we apply to our lives. Design reflects living.

the Sunday 'quote' - BEING ORGANIZED

"Being organized doesn't restrict your creativity; 
it enhances it."

                                                                                                         - Kathryn Bechen

                                                                                                      
                                

                                                                                                                                           

My friends, family, clients, and colleagues will confirm my obsession with and belief in organization; neat and tidy and in its place. Otherwise, you just can't find a thing! And that takes the ebb and flow away from creativity.

                                                                                        

The Business of Interior Design

Most people envision design industries as glamorous, exciting, and fun. Who doesn’t love to decorate and design? But the fact of the matter is that interior design, fashion design, graphic design,  architecture or any other design businesses are about are businesses first, design second. While that sounds bad, I would like to share my experiences and perspectives on a subject that I feel is often overlooked and misunderstood...and why putting business before design is not a bad thing.

I was recently contacted by a concerned mother whose daughter has a knack for decorating and is contemplating a career in interior design. She wanted my advice, and so we corresponded via emails. I provided her with the ins-and-outs of the business, shedding something of a harsh reality on the subject. I started my career in fashion design in Manhattan many years ago and have (for good or bad) talked many young, starry eyed students out of going into that field just because they like clothes!

What I explained to these students, and this concerned mother, is that you can make a career out of design if you really LOVE it. But you must be thick skinned and work long, hard hours with a variety of clients and attitudes. Design is a business. You have to sell your services design if you ever hope to make it in this business.

Her final reply to me was;

Kathleen,

The information you provided is the key of what I been trying to explain to her, as you may appreciate she is young and full of ideas which is great but not realistic in terms of the spending in education and all the licensing she must go through afterwards. I don’t want her to be discouraged, but I want her to understand and know that as you explain in the previous e-mail it is not all glamor. She is a fan of HGTV decorating shows and you see that they too glamorize the industry. I thank you again for your tips and information because it always good to learn from businesses who have been doing it for a while.

For most designers, the ‘creative’ process of the business—envisioning the perfect room, developing client relationships, and seeking out the perfect textiles, furnishings and hardscape materials—offers the greatest enjoyment. —a client pays for a designer’s style and sensibility, not a product that can be immediately seen or touched. 

           

      All too often though the client does not (and indeed, cannot) understand the amount of work and effort that goes into interior design. A designer must be very specific with clients about what they do; talk about access to vendors, how paint colors are selected, explain knowledge of renovations, electrical plans, and understanding of how a person moves through a space, all while staying up to date with the latest materials and styles.

Being a good designer requires being a good business person. It requires balancing the design you want with the budget you have. Given unlimited time and money, most people could eventually design for themselves an adequate look. But doing design as a business means working within the parameters the client sets. If you can’t meet the client’s desires and budget, it doesn’t matter if you’re the best designer in the world, you won’t be in business long.

Staying power in the design world requires a focus on honesty and pride in the product and service you provide over the long haul.

As the author, Keith Granet says in the title his book; 'The Business of Design' is to balance Creativity and Profitability.