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Posts Tagged ‘Interior Decorating Albany NY’

 

In honour of mothers on their special day, I asked myself what decorating secrets did I learn from my Mom…

mom carol and I

She made our home beautiful, chic and inspiring while juggling both a full-time job and being a mother. I learned about fabrics and sewing from my mom. She was an extraordinary seamstress. When I was little, I loved going to the fabric store with her — it was a world of imagination and creativity. She taught me to appreciate quality, natural fibers like wools, silks and fine cotton. Now working with fabrics is one of my favorite parts of decorating.

Another important lesson she taught me,  never to buy what I don’t need: a bargain is only a bargain if it’s something important. I also learned all about color selection and furniture arranging from her. We lived in Brooklyn NY in a 6 room apartment, she always kept it fresh, ever changing.. and I firmly believe that had this wonderful woman been any less interested in our family home as I grew up, I might not be where I am today.

My mother taught me that it’s important to develop personal style,  buy the best quality you can afford and mix family pieces, antiques and comfortable upholstered furniture– eat in the dining room, use your china or better dishes on Sundays.. I learned to respect our home and everything within it, including my mother.

My mom used to rearrange the furniture a lot — it’s surprising how furnishings can look completely new when viewed from a different angle or in a different room. She also taught me that every window looks empty and cold unless softened by a window treatment, she changed hers often.

She was never afraid of bold patterns, I remember her sewing room or the SPARE ROOM, we had large orange and yellow wall paper, and smaller floral wall paper on the ceiling.. It was cutting edge at the time..

When I was little, my mother always dressed — she was glammed up even when cleaning the house. From her, I learned to dress and decorate with the intent to be gorgeous, having no fear of color.

I will end here with a couple of ideas for what to do for your mom..

Source and pay for a house cleaning service for a few months. A house cleaning every two weeks, I’m sure all moms would appreciate the break. That being said, do not buy her a vacuum, cleaning supplies, or tools unless she specifically asks for them. I’m looking at you Dad.

Brunch was always a favorite of mine.. I loved to go to a special Italian place locally that served cured meats..fresh fruits..baked delights and my family would all laugh and enjoy the meal together…

table scape

Spend time, yes…time… take the day and pull out pictures, family vacations reminisce with her, make cookies sit and have a cup of coffee.. Love her and let her know that she is the most important women in your life.

Mom and Dad

 

Miss you Mother Theresa…All my love

 

XOXO

 

M

 

 

 

 

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Kravet: Ted Fall

Kravet: Ted Fall

Yesterday was my day at Denise Maurer Interiors. We met with Ted Fall our Kravet consultant, he was excited to talk about some new fabrics, carpets and wall coverings from Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils. Here are some highlights from our meeting! Here is Ted  Fall holding up one of our favorite fabrics of the day!!!!

Ted Fall Kravet

Ted Fall Kravet

Brunschwig & Fils Le Jardin

Chinoiserie Le Jardin

Chinoiserie Le Jardin

Le Jardin Chinois Collection celebrates the fantasy and timelessness of chinoiserie. This as you know from past posts is a design that intrigues me! It takes me to an elegant faraway place and holds my imagination. European trade with China brought about a passion for chinoiserie, a style that captured fantasies of Chinese life ~ephemeral pagodas, long-tailed birds, men in coolie hats, flower laden vines. During the 18th century, French artist Jean Baptiste Pillement combined Chinese themes in a particular and stylish manner which proved to be very popular. Jean Baptiste Pillement  was a painter and designer, known for his exquisite and delicate landscapes, but whose importance lies primarily in the engravings done after his drawings, and their influence in spreading the Rococo style and particularly the taste for chinoiserie throughout Europe.

Brunschwig & Fils

Brunschwig & Fils

In 1941, Brunschwig & Fils founder Roger Brunschwig went off to war and his wife, Zelina, took over the family business. Mrs. B, as she was affectionately called, was a woman of great style, sophistication and inventiveness. Mrs. B is credited with developing the brand and aesthetic of Brunschwig & Fils as we know it today and for introducing scheming into its marketing efforts. Her motto “Good Design Is Forever” still holds true today.

These new collections bring a colorful approach to design with linen embroidery and crewel. Featuring bright colors, bold graphic patterns, geometric, abstract and comtemporay linear patterns that range in both vivid colors and neutrals. We were all inspired by the colorful animal prints, paisley, and Ikat fabrics that are the trend this season!

Some other fabrics Ted Fall shared with us…

Mulberry Fabric

Mulberry Fabric

Johnathan Adler

Johnathan Adler

Here are some Cheveron patterns that again have made a comeback with Johnathan Adler for kravet!

Cheveron earth tones

Cheveron earth tones

Thanks to Ted Fall for his time and sharing Kravet, Lee Jofa and Brunschwig & Fils designs in new carpets, wall coverings and fabrics. I’m looking forward to going to New York City  May 20-21, 2013 and visiting Blogfest 2013, hope to see you all there!

Blogfest 2013

Blogfest 2013

                                                                                              Blogfest 2013!!!!

Kravet is once again hosting for Interior Design Bloggers a two-day event.  Featured designers and design collaborations: Candice Olson, Thom Filicia and Sara Peterson. Also sponsors include Kravet, Lee Jofa, Brunschwig and Fils, Newel (whose showroom I’ve visited on many occasions and actually met Mr. Newel on one of my visits!) New York Spaces, HGTV Interiors, Wilsonart, Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse and ICFF.

Here is some information you’ll need:

This event is: Private

Admission Fee: $100.00
On Twitter: @blogfest2013

Please click on the widget on my sidebar for a link to the site and register!!

As always stay tuned for more adventures in Styleland!!

XOXO

M

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The art of Gift Wrapping!!

The art of Gift Wrapping!!

Holiday Gifts: How to make yours stand out

November 21, 2012 at 9:31 am by TU Magazines

The Art of Wrap

By Janet Reynolds/Life@Home

Sure, you can cover a box with some holiday paper, stick on a bow, maybe some ribbon and call it a day. Or with just a little extra time and ingenuity you can create something that has recipients feeling special before the box is even open.

We asked interior designer Denise Maurer, of Maurer Interiors in Troy, aided by interior designer Michele Conti, of Designs by Michele in Niskayuna, along with a secret elf who wants to remain nameless, for their best wrapping tips. Here are just a few of their wonderful ideas.

Bright Idea!  Save wallpaper scraps and you’ve always got gift wrap on hand.

Just about anything can take on a second life as a gift decoration.

Bright Idea!  Use a mini picture-frame instead of  a card.

Who says red and green are the only holiday gift wrapping colors?

Among the goodies Maurer and Conti used for these natural-looking wraps are wallpaper, brown paper bags, retired drapery tassels, older Christmas tree ornaments and, of course, pine cones.

Maurer’s top tip: Wrap first; embellish later. “You can focus on how it all goes together that way,” she says. Maurer saves bits of everything. “I’m always looking at something and thinking what could I do with this?”

Who says red and green are the only holiday gift wrapping colors? Both Maurer and Conti try to color-coordinate their wrapping. Here, peacock feathers and bits of former ornaments help make these packages pop.

Why take the time? “It’s a lot of fun putting it together,” Maurer says. “And it’s nice to unwrap something you don’t want to unwrap.”

Adds Conti, “It’s part of the gift.”

What every wrapper should have on-hand

  • glue gun
  • glue stick
  • double-sided clear tape
  • floral wire
  • regular clear tape

Photos by Colleen Ingerto/Life@Home

Great ideas for gift wrapping, holiday or any occasion!! Enjoy!!

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Autumn, a season of timeless elegance, let mother natures seduce you with her charm. The month of October, crisp morning air and colors so alive with change, familiar surroundings don a rustic palate of jewel tones that dazzle you with their beauty. It’s time for long walks and late night talks with our children by the fire. This is truly my favorite season, here is a quote from Anne Mary Lawler:

The fields are harvested and bare,

and Winter whistles through the square.

October dresses in Flame and gold

Like a woman afraid of growing old.

Here, in my home are some signs of the season I’d like to share..

Our front door is always open welcoming our family and friends.  Many people celebrate the autumn season by decorating their front porch. Pumpkins, cornstalks, pilgrims and other traditional autumn décor start making their appearance, welcoming guests into the home and delighting those who pass by.

Inside my humble abode I was undecided this year whether I wanted to paint pumpkins go au naturel or spray paint them in metallic silvers and golds. I decided to stay true to the harvest season and use the different varieties and colors that nature offered. Here are two different groupings:

Love the Cinderella pumpkin in the urn!! The orange gourds are surprisingly versatile decorative items, especially when  displayed in groups. Before you put away the urns and pots that held your summer  flowers on the front porch, use them as a base for your larger pumpkins,  and add elegance to your display.

Just loving the pumpkins and mum, the lovely yellows and reds together are great, but I’m leaning more towards the horse and urn above rather than the grouping of various pumpkins below. Which arrangement would you use?? Post your comments for me, I’d love to hear from you!

                                                                                                                     Although this grouping of pumpkins in sizes and colors is appealing!! Above our entry, I used some fall garland and floral arrangements, gourds and a beautiful blue Hubbard squash (that will be eaten after the holiday!!), this array of color will great me in the morning as I descend from my bedroom to discover yet another glorious fall day!

Let us then, be up and doing

with a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

learn to labor and to wait..

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Inspiration!! This was written more than a hundred years ago, this wisdom is as relevant today as when it was penned, Longfellow’s advice if you’ll receive it, is an emotional and spiritual boost  “let us then be up and doing” he is telling celebrate each day!

 You definitely know what season it is when you walk into my dining room, I think decorating for the season is far from a trend — it’s tradition.

It’s something that people have been doing for years, and they are going to keep doing it because they want to feel the seasons and they enjoy celebrating the holidays using seasonal items for fall, from several pumpkin variations to represent harvest, to seasonally colored throws, pillows and mantle pieces,  — it’s all about the color. Colors are identified for the seasons. In the fall you start to see more blacks, browns, reds, oranges and onyx. And decorating doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming, you want to accessorize for the season and then build it up — it can become a layered process. You can easily and effortlessly update your home without breaking the bank,  get a new throw, add a couple of pillows, and then start adding your holiday decorations as they come.

Some welcoming front doors and holiday arrangements that I wanted to share with you:

I’ll end with this photo of my entry, I really like the urn, I think… hope this was a fun-filled fall adventure!!!

Happy Holidays!! Stay tuned…..

XOXO

M

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Bedroom Verona

Dressing up windows has never been easier. Anything goes. Home centers have a multitude of rods and poles designed to achieve a custom look for any style window!

Windows come in all sizes, and there’s a drapery or shade for every situation. Long draperies generally create a formal effect, while short curtains or shades look more casual. Curtains can create an illusion, altering the look of the window dimensions.

Before

To create an illusion there are a couple of things we can do, widen the window and make the window taller. With this layered treatment we did just that! Creating a sleek and sophisticated layered treatment!

Romans and Panels hung close to the ceiling and at the sides

of the window.

The features and functions of window treatments are many! The create a sense of style, visual interest, softness and warmth. They also are used for light control, privacy, exterior noise control and interior noise reduction. As I mentioned above, illusion create balance between windows or add height to low windows. Another use for window treatments is to camouflage to hide architectural flaws, or oscure a bad view.

I love layered treatments such as custom Flag valance panels,

Flag Valance Panels

I love the options you have, whether it be romans or roller shades, cornices or pelmets layering is in!!

Jackie Von Toble has a blog that I love, she has written one of the best design directories for window treatments, here is a link to her blog Jackie Blue Home. Window Treatments are a great addition to your home, my facination with fabric and design has just begun, so…

As always stay tuned for more adventures in styleland!!!

XOXO

M

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Design legend Elsie de Wolfe

Elsie de Wolf was an american actress and interior decorator, in 1913 she wrote an influential book “The House in Good Taste”according to some the interior design profession was invented by Elsie de Wolfe. Among her clients were, Anne Vanderbilt, Anne Morgan, The Duke and Duchess of Windsor to name few. Though dead for half a century, Elsie de Wolfe remains an  icon to this day, revered as America’s first decorator. The key elements of her  style are as fresh as ever, and the aura of celebrity she brought to her  profession has been passed on from one to another of her successors.

Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/legends/archive/dewolfe_article_012000

Bunny Williams

This is dedicated to the Great Ladies of decorating. Two years ago I had the great privilege of hearing Bunny Williams speak at the D&D building in New York City. It was Market Week, October 6, 2010. My friend Mary Korzinski (another incredible Design Diva) and I took the ride down to spend a couple of days scoping out what was new on the design scene. Up on the fifteenth floor in the Vaughn Lighting hear Bunny . Her book Bunny’s Scrapbook for Living was on sale and being signed.

We enjoyed the event, I have always admired her, she truly is one of the current pioneers of the Interior Design world.

Dorothy Draper

A quote from the late Dorothy Draper “It is just as disastrous to have the wrong accessories in your room as it is to wear sport shoes with an evening dress.” her designs were filled with upper crust refinement. She was truly and iconic designer.

Dorothy Draper was to decorating,” says interior designer Carleton Varney, “what  Chanel was to fashion. The woman was a genius; there’d be no professional  decorating business without her.
Read more: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architects/legends/archive/draper_article_052006#ixzz1pepInrvZ

Eleanor Brown

Design legend Eleanor Brown, the founder of McMillen Inc.

Eleanor's Oval Dining Room

The famed New York design firm that was established in 1924 and is still in business today. Brown achieved recognition by designing the most prestigious homes in the country. She operated out of her townhouse at 148 East 55th Street in New York City, selling 18th century furniture sent to her from Europe by William Odom, who was then the head of the Paris Atelier of the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts.

Forever in Vogue is the neoclassical oval diningroom that brightens Eleanor’s Manhattan apartment.

I would like to just mention a few other pioneers that have made our industry what it is today, Ruby Ross Wood (Atlanta’s Swan House), Madeleine Castaing, Sister Parish, Rose Cumming, Marian Hall and Nancy Lancaster. I know, I know there are so many others worth mentioning!!!
I am so grateful to all these great women who have inspired the interior design world and given me an insider’s  perspective. As we continue to navigate thru these economic dog days, relaxing moments for me are created in the interiors of homes we continue to create!! As always stay tuned……
XOXO
M

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