Sleepless in Seatle

Hi Christine.

Like everyone else, I've been pouring over your archives and love your design and direct approach...we are adding a garage with an upstairs master suite so we can hide from teenagers. :-) The architecture is Pacific NW contemporary--we have natural fir trim and windows, natural cherry cabinets, cork floors. It should be done in the next 6 weeks so I need to order some furniture. Your ideas are incredible and thought you would be able to help me overcome my disjointed, un-unified, multi-focal pointed ideas...perhaps make some decisions and finally get a good night's sleep?

Floor plan with some preliminary furniture placement ideas.


Re: master bedroom
We  have a shaker style cherry bedroom bureau and bed that i need to use for now. Any ideas for nightstands to alleviate matchy-matchy.. Our bed is actually queen size.Was thinking of grasscloth behind bed under soffit. You had featured some thibault hakka grass "aqua" that seemed nice. Chair, rug, window coverings? Was thinking of aquas/blues to key off tv room rug but not sure what kind of rug.




Looking into bedroom (pendant isn't fully installed)


Looking into tv room. I really need some ideas for sectional in terms of style and color, considering rug. This room is just for lounging and more of a personal space. Even though the foto doesn't show it, the room gets a lot of light as it has western and southern exposure.


Existing  6x9 rug I would like to use in tv room.





Flower pendant is in bedroom. Tile is in bar nook in tv room. Lower pendant is in bathroom. Fabrics are some I'm drawn to although no amber tones in them, which seems important but I'm not sure.


What do you think of this bedding? Not enough blue?


Thank you in advance for any advice!
-Marlene

Hi Marlene,

Let's start with selecting a night stand.  I applaud you for not wanting to match.  Since you have a wood finish, perhaps you could add a painted finish on the end table, ($560)

with a great set of lamps ($217 ea)  (I'm not so sure about your pendants...)

and an upholstered headboard.

(bed from Restoration hardware- available in a lot of different colors so you can find a good one)

I also wanted to mention that you did a great job on your furniture placement.  I wouldn't change a thing.  (FYI- I ALMOST NEVER TELL PEOPLE THAT- YOU DID A REALLY GOOD JOB!)

I like your idea of grasscloth.  I would even consider it throughout the room.  I found a good one for you from Phillip Jeffries:

The grasscloth would pair beautifully with some Belgian Linen drapes from Restoration Hardware:  (Why can I not see, type or say the word Belgian without wanting chocolate...) 

When I see your architecture, I think "Room and Board."- so that is where I looked for furniture:

 I love your rug, it is a terrific rug, and makes a great unifier.  It should be your source for your color pallet.  I can tell that the colors in the fabrics you found might technically, "match" the rug, but they don't go.  There is a definite disconnect.  This is common, that people will match without coordinating.  For example- look at your materials board altogether:

 Now, look at mine: 

The bedding is from Anthropologie, and the furnishings are form Room and Board.  The pillows are a combination of both sources.  You are on the right track.  I like the stone you selected, and love your rug.  Just change all of the other selections.  ;-)  Your place will look beautiful!  It makes me want a sectional in my master bedroom... 

Interior Design Skype Consulting

I now offer skype consultations.  I had a couple of skype consults in the last few weeks, received some good feedback, and thought I would start offering it as a regular service.  For details, see my e-design page.

Thanks,

Christine

A Craftsman Palette Part III

Hi Christine,

 

I recently found your blog and LOVED it.  You have great taste, give sound advice and sound so likeable!

 

I live in the Berkeley, CA area in a craftsman-type home and am about to embark on a paint job.  I love the grey-greens and want to do a monochromatic look with darker trim and lighter body.  Please advise on possible color combinations.

 

Chat Room is mentioned a lot in your blog on craftsman color choices but it feels very grey to me.

 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

- Melissa

Hi Melissa,

You are not so far from me- I drive past Berkeley every time I go to the design center.  It is a beautiful area. 

First of all, you need to select at least three colors,

1.  You need one color that is the "field color."  You put this color on the shake siding.  DO NOT use this color anywhere else.  Except the garage doors- your garage trim should be trim color- and doors should be the field color. 

2.  A second color will be used on the trim, lattice shade, eaves, everything else.  If you wanted to break this into more colors- this trim could be broken up.  I am saying to overall use a MINIMUM of three colors.

3.  A third color will be used on the front door.  The trim around the door should be the trim color, not the door color. The door is the focal point of the exterior of a home with your architecture.  (Not the case with all architecture.  Frank Lloyd Wright tried to practically hide the front door of a home.)  The journey your eye should take should start with the front door.  Your landscaping and paint colors can helop to facilitate this.  Look at the Victorian home below- this is a perfect example.  (Also a great example of your green on green palette, with the same black windows that you have.)

Grayish greens would be beautiful on your property.  Please send me an "after" picture.  Here are some good ones to try:  (all Sherwin Williams)

body: 7543 Avenue Tan, with trim: 7544 Fenland

body: 7533 Khaki Shade, with trim: 7535 Sandy Ridge

body: 7738 Cargo Pants, with Trim: 7739 Herbal Wash- or use Herbal Wash as the body, and 7740 Messenger Bag as the trim.

Go get some sample quarts and play with them.  You can combine these colors above to make your own combinations as well.  I have them in combinations that would be more similar to each other, but for more contrast, mix and match.

For your door, I would use a shade of red like 7598 Sierra Redwood, or 7701 Cavern Clay, or you could do black.  What would look really great with your greenish grays are some new wood doors.  They would be an instant update for your home.

A fresh paint job COMBINED with new wood doors at your entry, and on your garage, and your house would look amazing.

Then again, if you'd like to spend a LOT of money- and who doesn't- you could get wood windows too- like the house on the show Numbers:

Look at that- do they have the trim color the same as the field color?  It doesn't have to be drastically darker or lighter- but it should be different.  Kiefer Sutherland really should call me in for some consulting- wait,  he's in Touch- huh?

Good luck with your paint job!  

For my previous posts on Craftsman Color palletes, see here and here.

Powder Bath Pickiness

Hello Christine,

Thank you so much for your wonderful blog!  I eat it up like chocolate.
My last email got lost last year so I have finished that remodel and
started on a new one : )

I am a first time home buyer and I have gutted out my kitchen, full
bath and now I have redone my powder room but I am not sure how to
complete it.  I have included the items I would like to put in there
but thought I would run it by you first.  I won't bog you down on how
it looked and how I changed it already but I am trying to go bold with
wallpaper (which I am scared of) but I am taking your advice on the
powder room.  Now, should I do the whole wall, half way down, put a
chair molding, just use gray or white paint on the bottom below the
chair molding, help! : )

I only put a temporary vessel sink which you can see in the mirror
until I install the attached vessel sink because I was missing the
drain stopper on that one.  I would like it to have a Victorian feel,
I think.  I want to put a oval mirror with a silivery/gray ribbon at
the top to coincide with the color scheme.   Lastly, I am looking for a complimentary piece of granite to replace the top of the sink.  As
you can see, it was damaged and I got hundreds off of it, (yaah).  How
should the shape of the granite be to compliemnt the vessel sink?  The
faucet is a nickel finish and so are the sconces (I'm not really
loving the sconces though).  I just had my contractor put them in and
tear out the one vanity light over the mirror temporarily.

Thank you so much,
Liz

Hi Liz,

Thank you for comparing my blog to chocolate- surely one of the highest compliments a girl could receive! 

Let me give you a few tips for a beautiful powder bath:

First of all, attention to detail:

(designer Samantha Friedman)

Notice the crystal in the little knobs?  The embroidered towels?  The tiny pleats in the cafe curtain?  If you want to bring a real atmosphere into the room, you can't only have a Victorian feel in 50% of the elements of the room.  Your gut was right on the sconces.  Personally, I would not try to go toward "Victorian" unless you actually have a Victorian home.  Your flooring is not Victorian, your wood trim is not Victorian, it's just too far of a stretch.  How about we just try to dress it up, so the bathroom is more consistent with the console sink you purchased?

The sconce above is from Lamps Plus, the Kathy Ireland Collection.

You might not want to hear this, but I would also say that your scones are installed too high.  The light bulb on a bathroom sconce should hit level with your face.  (an average person's height)  The idea with the light is to not cast shadows on faces.  Shadows are not attractive.  They make us look like characters in Tim Burton movies. 

Ideally, you will have some light coming from above as well as your sconces.  You might consider a small chandelier. The lantern below is from Shades of Light: 

Look closely at the reflection in the room below, and you can see a third source of light.  Without that, the room is simply inadequately lit.

2.  I know that I mention the word "scale" just about every day, but I'll stop when it stops being an issue.  I want you to remember scale in selecting your mirror.

The mirror in the bathroom above is too small for the room.  I'm sure it's some special antique or something, but that doesn't make it a good vanity mirror.  What has happened above is that you end up with such separated areas.  You have the sink.  Then separate from that you have the faucet.  Then separate from that you have the mirror.  (the lights are also too  high)  Compare that to the powder below:

Can you see how the mirror is larger, and the faucet comes up and bridges the gap, creating overlap that marries the sink with the mirror?

In the same way, readers of my blog have read me saying that wall decor hung above a piece of furniture should be hung close to the furniture, creating a relationship with the two elements.  It is no different with a sink and mirror.  When you have all this wall space in-between, it's like a guy whose shirt is too short and you can see his gut.  The shirt should meet the pants.  That's what I'm say'in!

(photo from houzz)

This sink mirror combo above is great- the mirror is hung very close to the sink, and then you have some overlap, with the vase of flowers, bringing it all together like one happy family.  Here are a few more examples of both unified and disjointed combinations:

(photo from houzz)

UNIFIED

(Photo from Do you think they want me to say when I am using it specifically as a bad example?)

DISJOINTED

(photo from houzz)

UNIFIED

DISJOINTED

I also wanted to mention your commode.  It doesn't go with your sink or wallpaper either.  It is a very contemporary style, and you are trying to go so much more traditional.  The contrast is glaring to me.  (Sure- the average person might not notice- and you probably just purchased it- so this advice is for all of those readers who haven't purchased theirs yet- don't just pick one up at Costco- go to a real plumbing source and select one consistent with your architecture!)

You need a more traditional one like the Kholer model above.

Your wallpaper selection is terrific.  Do the entire room, all walls- baseboard to ceiling- be sure to add crown molding.

I hope by "granite" you actually mean marble.  I would do a Carrera marble, or something similar.  Granite is way too "kitcheny."  Your marble should mimic the shape of the sink, just like your damaged piece.  Make sure you have an ogee or other style decorative edge on it.

Amtico vs. Vein Cut Travertine

Christine,

I have been engaged in your blog for the past two weeks and have made my way through your archives in an attempt to learn as much as possible abut good design. THANK YOU! I have many questions, but one in particular concerns a product you mentioned: Amtico. I think this blog entry was from YEARS ago, but I found the company and some corresponding product pictures on Houzz.com and I am really interested in their line. The thing is, friends and family have thought I was crazy for thinking of vinyl tiles, but the product looks good and I think, if done right, it would be amazing. Interested in your thoughts and how I can make it work.

The house is a rental in California's wine country. I am doing wood (or laminate) throughout, but don't want to do it in the one-room kitchen/dining because it is connected to a pool outside and because I am (really) scared about trusting weekly renters. I am interested in doing the Amtico Linear Chalk Vinyl Tile, probably in the one that has "sage" accents. There is a nice picture on Houzz and also on This Old House.   The kitchen would be modern in design, mostly white with stainless steel appliances. Pictures of the room- which has been completely gutted by my dad- are attached. The room- which is a 30 by 11 rectangle- will include the dining area and an L-shaped kitchen with a vertical island.

Looking for tips on how to make this kitchen seem high-end- given that some people think Vinyl tile is not!

My regards,

Tessa

Hi Tessa,

First of all, I want to say how much I love Amtico.  I have NEVER had a client NOT be thrilled with it.  It truly is a fabulous product.  It is not only incredibly durable, but also very good-looking.  I like to describe it as a high end resin material, I would never use the word "vinyl" in describing Amtico.  It really isn't correct, and it's sort of a slap in the face.

I especially love their wood planks.

I think it's hard for some people to accept manufactured products.  For example, there are some amazing counter materials out there that are far more practical than natural stone, and equally as beautiful, (and equally as expensive) and yet, there will be many people who only want natural stone. 

Personally, I think there are lots of places for lots of different surfaces- depending on the home, the style, the needs of the client, the budget, etc. If you have an open mind, you are more likely to have an end result that is perfect for your place. 

(photo from the Pleated Poppy- counters are Ceasarstone)

I have a concern.  First of all, you mentioned that you were doing a wood or laminate throughout the house.  I want to say that Amtico is far more high end than any laminate floor.  I think you might have hurt Amtico's feelings by saying that you are willing to put in a laminate, but question the status level of Amtico. 

I personally really dislike height changes, and there is a big one between wood or a laminate, and Amtico. There would be a pretty significant step down to the level of the Amtico.  If this is just in 3 foot doorways, that's no big deal, but if you have larger transition areas, I don't think it would look good.  You could overcome that by using a wood look Amtico- which I think is fabulous, or if you were doing real wood, I would lean toward a travertine or limestone floor. There is not only a change in flooring height, but then you also have the difference in baseboard height.  Again, some floorplans would not have this problem, like if your kitchen were really separated, (which your's looks like maybe it is...) but more open floorplans could have some awkward changes.

There are times when awkward transitions are a necessary evil, but when you are replacing all of the flooring, it can be avoided.  How?  You simply have the wood floors installed first, and then you tell the tile installer to have the stone the exact same height, so the transition can be grouted instead of using a "transition strip" which is really just another word for "trip hazard".  (as a landlord it might even be a liability.  ) I once did a job on a raised foundation, where I was putting in Amtico, meeting up to real wood floors, and we added a layer of plywood under the Amtico to bring the height up to the wood floor height.  However- doing things like that can cause more issues, like now your dishwasher- does it have the height it needs to go in and out- etc.?  (we had a brand new kitchen going in, so it wasn't a problem, but if there are already existing cabinets, 1/2 inch can definitely be an issue.  )

I just had my travertine floors professionally cleaned a few weeks ago and was amazed at how perfect they looked.  I thought to myself, these would make a good floor for a rental, as they would clean up perfectly in-between renters.  If it were me, I would consider the travertine throughout.  A careless renter could really hurt your hardwood or laminate with water, but travertine is pretty indestructible, and yet has enough of of a "high end" perception to attract good renters.  You could also avoid changes in flooring altogether, carrying it through your bathrooms and laundry.  For a more modern look, I would stay away from chiseled edges and use a nice square edge product.  A vein cut travertine in a long shape (like a 12 x 24), brick set, would be very cool.  I used that on the walls of a modern bathroom before and fell in love with it.  You can get it in very light colors, like the Amtico that you like.  It comes matte or shiny, warm or cool, light or dark.

Here it is on a fireplace:

(design: Frank Roop)

Here it is (my favorite) in more of a gray tone:

(photo from houzz)

In short, I would combine Amtico with other Amtico, or real wood with travertine, or all travertine, or all wood plank Amtico.