Check out this page on OregonLive.com

http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2010/04/shifting_out_of_neutral_two_ho.html

The above article link is an article in today's Oregonian about a client project we have been working on for the last few months. The article is all about color - from none to lots! Thanks SO VERY MUCH to the darling Miss Bridget for allowing us to be part of her color story.....so exciting!!!

The very best part is that the first photo was actually the cover of the whole Home & Gardens section! YIPPEE!!!

This photo is of the dining room into the living room. Love the Hickory Chair Chinese fretwork dining chairs in a French Blue finish.. We used a Calvin Klein for Kravet Collections linen fabric with metallic peacock blue fibers running through it with a Kravet Couture multi-colored checkered silk for the welting. The killer chandelier is the Pagoda Chandelier by Currey and Co. Dear God, I love chinoiserie!!!!! Barbara Barry lamp on the buffet....

Again, from the dining room to the living room. We used Hickory Chair made to measure slipper chairs with a Kelly Wearstler herringbone patterned fabric. The small black table is by Mariette Hines-Gomez for Hickory chair. The sofa we had re-upholstered in a raspberry Metro Chenille - totally indestructible - by Duralee. The drapery fabric is a Laura Ashley ikat pattern for Kravet. You can't see it, but the fireplace to the right of the chair in the foreground we had re-tiled in a crema marfil marble in a 1 x 3 herringbone pattern to work with the chairs - lots of texture and pattern with a neutral color - just in case they change chair fabrics down the road...... The lamps on the altar table from Legend of Asia behind the sofa are black and gold metal tole painted chinoiserie by Currey and Co.

Upstairs guestroom....... The drapery fabric is Tea Blossom by Kravet - so beautiful. coral base with multi-color Asian inspired vases. Delightful! The wall color - which is truly amazing is Benjamin Moore Wasabi - part of the Affinity palette - it contrasts nicely with the curtains! It is a pity you can't see the dresser on the right - it is ivory lacquered in a slightly modern Chinese style with beautiful chow feet - by Bungalow 5.

all photos by Faith Cathcart / the Oregonian

This chair in the entry hall is an antique from the client's great grandmother - we covered it in a super colorful Jim Thomson linen-ish fabric which set the color palette for the whole ground floor of the house. This piece is really special! ...did I mention that I love Jim Thompson??

So thanks again to Miss Bridget - I am so happy!!!!!!

Look what I found!

I found these photos of a client project I did last year that I thought I had lost - or misplaced - but I FOUND them! YIPPEEEE! This was a SUPER fun whole house re-do that was actually photographed for The Oregonian. The homeowners were a delight and have become wonderful friends........ The before and afters were dramatic on this one - we had a blast doing it and everyone was super pleased with the result.....See what you think!

KITCHEN BEFORE.............

KITCHEN AFTER............

LIVING ROOM BEFORE...........................

LIVING ROOM AFTER...............................

LIVING ROOM # 2 BEFORE...............................

LIVING ROOM # 2 AFTER....................................

Big difference eh? LOVE IT! I was very proud of this project!.......Not to mention that we painted the outside of the house a beautiful glossy BLACK with big white columns and a Dutch orange front door! LOVELY!

Almost out of here......

We are going to have a crazy busy week starting tomorrow!

We are meeting the best tile guy in the world (Jeff) at a client home to get started on a fireplace tiling project. We have chosen a Crema Marfil 1 x 3 herringbone tile and boy oh boy is it going to change the fireplace. The herringbone pattern is going to bring out the same pattern in a Kelly Wearstler fabric / Hickory White chair sitting close by....I will take before pictures tomorrow.....

Then it is off to the flower market and a few other places to pick up some last minute details for a clients' birthday dinner party we are setting. Beautiful asian theme, black, red and green.......

Then we are seeing the finished product at a clients' home that Jeff, the amazing tile guy, completed Friday for one of our clients - we redid the kitchen counter top in a white Ecoterr with a simple white subway tile backsplash. With the dark gray cabinets, it is sure to look fab. Then we redid the bath/shower in a much more modern way with killer Yuta - Silk tile from Pratt & Larson and a great marmoleum floor - the vanity gets installed next week and will tie the whole project together! Photos later......

On Tuesday we are meeting with our electrician (Randy) and our floor guy (John) - both the absolute BEST at what they do, BTW, to evaluate the space at a new client's basement that we have been hired to re-d0. We need to redo the entire lighting and wiring as the ceiling is till open and still old post & knob wiring (yikes) and we need to do some leveling of the floor to be able to apply the cork we have chosen. I love the very beginning of a project when everything just starts to come together.....I will take some before pictures tomorrow.....

Then we are setting the tables and accessorizing the client's bday party as mentioned earlier and then it is off to the "fireplace" clients home for an interview with The Darling Miss Bridget of the Oregonian and the client for a story on color that she is working on!

WHEW!

Wednesday morning I am off to pick up my rental van for the drive to San Francisco by way of Napa Valley to buy plants, attend the SF Garden Show, eat at Chez Panisse, go to the Ruth Bancroft Garden, to to Flora Grubb and see the King Tut exhibit. My husband and our friends Sue and Eric are flying down on Thursday so we can all hang together.....take them back to the airport on Monday morning and then drive home....CRAZY!

But for now....it is out to the garden I go. Frenchy is installing our new front fence and I have a few things to plant!

Since I don't have any pictures yet to go with this specific post, here are a few gratuitous of the shop.......

Have a great Sunday!

The darling Miss Kym Pokorny at the YGP show.

I LOVE her! have you read her stuff in the Oregonian - she is the Queen of the Garden!!!!

YIPPEE!!!!! It's the Yard, Garden & Patio Show!

It's that time of year again - Thank God!!!!!! Today was the start of the Yard, Garden & Patio Show at the Oregon Convention Center. I was DYING to get over there to hear Dan Hinkley - DAN HINKLEY! - speak - but I had client appointments and could not make it...not so for tomorrow - I am heading over there bright and early to take a quick run about the place and then I am lucky enough to have been invited by my darling Mike Darcy to be on his radio show at 10:45 on KXL Radio - AM 750. YIPPEE!!! I love that man......and being on his show is a total blast.....so come down and get a seat during his show or show up at 12 to see Dan Hinkley speak about Tree, Vines and Shrubs - he is indeed the master - and then hang around to see Mike Darcy and Kym Pokorny o the Oregonian talk about " a few of their favorite plants" at 3! All in all, a delightful gardening day will be had - prepare to shop, look and listen!!!!!

Oh...and before I forget....I am hosting a seminar of my own called "Decorate the Outdoors" Sunday morning at 10:30 - don't forget - all seminars at this weekends show are FREE!!!!!...Free is a VERY good price! I would love to see you there!!!!

See you at the show!

Choose the right bulb to make light of dark days.....

I have been in such a fog lately, due to the "worst head-cold in the world" (seriously) that I totally forgot to thank Kay Balmer of The Oregonian for including me in her latest (last week) article about lighting.......I do love lighting!
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Choose the right bulb to make light of dark days
By Kay Balmer, Special to The Oregonian

January 20, 2010, 2:17PM

Oregon's winter darkness makes me so crazy that I could pull down the drapes and punch a hole in the ceiling. But adding a skylight or letting all the heat escape through uncovered windows is not an economical option, even if you are starving for a little sunshine. So I turned to the people with light-seeking expertise for more common-sense and budget-wise ideas. They've debunked some myths and provided simple how-to directions.

View full sizeJohn M. Vincent/The Oregonian

Common perception: All light bulbs are the same; for more light, just look for more wattage. Fact: Bulbs (both incandescent and fluorescent) labeled "daylight" or "full spectrum" will give you a more natural light to lift the winter gloom, says Camille Whitsom of Globe Lighting. But it's the bulb's lumens -- the amount of actual light produced -- that you need to know. For example, she says, a good 100-watt incandescent should have more than 1,200 lumens while a comparable 23-watt compact fluorescent will have 1,600-plus lumens. We energy-watchers prefer the compact fluorescent bulbs that use far less electricity. (Lighting for older eyes is somewhat different. If you're over 50, see more details in the accompanying story.) How you do it: It's a matter of looking beyond the big print to find the bulb you need. Whitsom also notes that the quality of the lamp will affect the quality of the light and the life of the bulb. Three-way bulbs give more lighting options, but you'll need an accommodating lamp. Or consider adding an inexpensive dimmer at the wall plug-in. (Caveat: Most CFL bulbs cannot be used with a dimmer, so check the packaging to see if the bulb is dimmer-compatible, or do without a dimmer.)

View full sizeRALPH LAUREN PAINT

Common perception: White and lighter-colored paints make a room brighter. Fact: Color is not the issue; it's the gloss of the paint, says JJ De Sousa of Digs Inside & Out. High-gloss paint causes light to bounce around the room, she says, while flat paint sucks up light. The effect is magnified when high-gloss paint is used on the ceiling, spreading light from a ceiling fixture throughout the room. She goes so far as to suggest a glossy black for the ceiling. How you do it: De Sousa recommends using the walls like an additional source of light by painting them with a glossy finish and then aiming lights at them. Sconces, floor lamps and track lighting can all be used in this way. For a look that really pops, make the paint metallic. You'll still want to do your usual sampling of paints before committing to a specific color and sheen.

View full sizeIvan Stevanovic/iStock International

Common perception: It's best to just flood the room with light. Fact: It's true that a lack of light will make you feel more tired, but flooding a room with light only makes it look like a shopping mall. Instead, says Globe's Whitsom, light should be layered to make some areas brighter and other areas darker. How you do it: Whitsom suggests a white or light-colored ceiling to reflect ceiling light throughout the room. Task lighting should then be added at strategic points. A reading light, for example, should be to one side of the chair and back slightly (so your head does not block the light). If it's directly overhead, it will create glare on the reading material.

View full sizeAlex Nikada/iStock International

Common perception: Mirrors help magnify the available light. Fact: Place a mirror adjacent to a window or lamp and you'll get twice the light, says Wendy Vaughn, an interior designer with Bolliger Window Fashions and Interiors. You will increase a room's light by putting a mirror or mirrored surface anywhere it can reflect light. How you do it: Vaughn loves using mirrors and says walls of mirrors are a classic, working well in traditional and contemporary homes. She also suggests using mirrors in other ways, such as topping a coffee table, in the back of dining room built-ins, and as a backsplash for a wet bar or butler's pantry. Mirrors do double duty, she reminds us, by making your space look larger. But remember, you'll want to like what you see in the reflection, so put mirrors where they'll reflect a nice view or piece of art. --

Freelance writer Kay Balmer

Thanks Kay!!!!!!

Day 2 at the Maison et Objet show......

First off.....I have been a slacker, after the second day at the show I got tired and could not commit to a blog entry. Truth be told, I was submitting information to Bridget Otto at the Oregonian about what I was seeing at the show and that kept me busy. Then, I had to get ready to head off to Amsterdam with the lovely Miss Cindy. It was a blast - she took me out for bday drinks at the College Hotel - so swank - such great Dutch design.

Before I forget, on our last night in Paris, we had the loveliest evening - the weather was perfectly mild - we had dinner at the place "to be seen" Cafe Marly - overlooking the Louvre - so damn cool - sitting outside - the Louvre in front of you, Napoleon's apartments above you - the sunset.......

Anyhoo........ I am now back in Portland and getting ready for the DIGS "please make it go away" sale from the 12-20 at my shop. Everything is 50% off. Seriously.

All right then......here is what I had from the show...I will add photos later, when I actually get around to taking them off my hone and camera. Ok...so we are out of the outdoor section and have moved to the indoor stuff. Dear God! There is just so much stuff! There is an ethnic section, home textiles, table top, furniture, home accessories, holiday and kids. YIKES! As we wandered in and out of different showrooms in different sections, there were a few commonalities that stuck out. It seems that there are three distinct style directions going on at the moment. The first one is a very organic look. Lots of wood in natural tones as well as natural fibers, wool, cashmere, leather. There was also alot of wicker in modern shapes and very organic cane colors. The look is very rustic, but still very fine. Kind of Gustavian, kind of Dutch/Belgian beach house, kind of Ralph Lauren-ish. For example, a louis 15th dining chair in a cerused and greyed out wood with a chunky linen seat and a huge distressed leather chesterfield sofa ala Ralph Lauren. Did I mention that chesterfields are huge trend?

Then is the modern slick and smooth....lots of lacquered surfaces. Black, white and reds. Acrylic chairs, chrome , Italian modern.

Third is my personal favorite which is more in the steampunk style. Lots of metal. tables, chairs, beds. Lots, of rivets. Wheels on tables. Semi-Gothic, semi-Victorian, industrial revolution-ish. Looks great with the Belgian beach-house style. Actually, if done well, all of these styles can look great together.

Before, I forget....my color predictions for interiors next year are navy blue and taupe (mushroom-ish). Let's just wait and see what happens....

Ok....gotta run, more later~ must take the Stella to doggy daycare. All hail doggy daycare.