A Beautiful Armoire

Browsing through the emails this morning and this lovely armoire caught my eye. From Redford House (http://www.redfordhouse.com/) this is a elegant transitional piece for your bedroom or living room. The circles are definitely more modern, but the motif is framed with more traditional details, making this easily used in almost any home.

How do you use it? This is a piece that, with the proper visual support, really could carry your room. It would be perfect in a room with similar dark wood tones, but simple lined furniture. If you are just begining to create your interior, but you are on a budget, this is a piece well worth the investment!

A Work In Progress

By Leslie Hassler, Allied ASID, AKBD

I haven't been very chatty with you lately, so I thought I'd share with you where my time has been going. We have been working on an update of a home in Bellaire, built in the 90's - when polished brass fixtures were king. As part of the update, we were updating the carpet throughout, updating the paint on the second and third floors, doing near complete change out of door hardware and plumbing hardware, updating of the master bath and the powder bath.

One of our new tools this year has been a 3D modeling software, that we have been using to help show our clients how the end product may appear. For this project, it was extremely helpful as we were able to play with modifications to the master tub surround and the floor in the master bath. We will be wrapping up the project this week and should be able to share the after photos soon. But for now, you can see the before pictures and the final version of the 3D model.

Stay tuned to find out how it looks!

Random Thoughts

After being out of the office with project work and travel, I have found my email in box to be busting at the seams. Here are some of the interesting things that have been filling it up!

A Cure For the Clogged Drain

Every once in a while, there is a product invention that just fits the bill and leaves you saying, "Why didn't I think of that?" The Permaflow by PF Waterworks (http://www.pfwaterworks.net/index.html) is one such product. The pea trap which is available in clear and other colors offers the homeowner a way to clear a clog with out having to take apart the plumbing. By turning a knob, a internal paddle clears the clog. It seems that there is also an easy access to retrieve any jewelry or other items.

A Illuminating Fixture

There are several aspects to this fixture that I love. The overall design is simple and sophisticated. The metal work is detailed and refined. And I love the Art Deco - Golden Age of Hollywood feel to it. This is one of those fixtures that will really shine with simple surroundings. I tried to locate its name, but it is manufactured by Eurofase (http://www.eurofase.com/).

Exotic Stone

I think this actually was sent to me by mistake. There wasn't any text in the email, but the name of the granite, Red Dragon, intrigued me. This granite is more exotic than most people would venture to put in their homes, but it is beautiful. Imagine it with dark wood, almost black cabinets - perfect for a media room, or bar area. Individual elements like this have the ability to make your home stand out from others.

A Great Sign of the Times

As summer hits full swing here in Houston, so is the real estate market. As I drive around our neighborhood, "SOLD" signs are popping up like wild fires. Being in the Interior Design Market, our business is very similar to the real estate business and by monitoring it, we can get a glimpse of what our business may do. My neighbor has 4 active buyers, another friend has two closings this week - all good news. While the economist are predicting September for the rebound, I can see it on its way. Thank goodness for good news! What good news are you seeing?

Architectural Detail - The missing treasure

Some where around the middle of the 20th century, "modern homes" began being built without the same attention to detail that homes had received in the past. I think there was a concept that developed that in order for a home to be modern, it needed to be spartan and devoid of moulding ornamentation at all. So the white box construction began. Some times it came in the form of a ranch, Tudor, cape cod or colonial - but it all lacked the personality of the former styles.

When we talk about architectural detailing, we really are talking about so many subjects; including moulding, doors, windows, how the walls are transitioned. Several of these subjects overlap with past topics and even future topics. So you'll have to forgive me if I simplify somethings for this discussion. I've talked about moulding and trim in relation to the ceilings, and I whole heartedly believe in its use for both modern and traditional interiors. But I think one item I would like to focus on is built-ins. Don't really know why, but I love them. And the functional and visual impact on the interior is amazing. Let's look at this room, which is very typically of today's construction. Builders offer "Great Rooms" but really I think more often than not, they are not so great and create so many problems to balance. Let's look at this example.

Ok, I have to say it - Who in their right mind designs a wall with 5 openings, 4 of which are basically the same size and leaves this dinky space above the fireplace? Really! The opening at the top is 7' x 9'. Really? What exactly did the designer think people where going to do with that space? (Eye Roll)

Now we designed built-ins that utilized the trim detail around the fireplace to create weight on the bottom portion of the wall. Realize that the bottom openings are just as large and about 30" deep. You could hide a body in these things. What we are able to give the clients was a cohesive unit that gave them tons of storage for books, mementos and toys on one side and created a entertainment center on the other side. All the equipment is hidden behind speak cloth doors and the small center section hides the center channel speaker. We installed a basic CPU fan to circulate air in the speaker cloth and out a channel behind the TV. We also moved electrical to the countertops for any accent lamps that might be desired. Then end result...