Interior design includes doors!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/03/19/1060662/open-up-the-possibilities-with.html#storylink=misearch

Let's see if this link (above) works for you.  I'm busy, busy these days, but am thinking about you and trying to find time to post.  It will slow down in a couple of days, but in the meantime, my beloved Raleigh News & Observer had this great article in Saturday's Home Section about decorating doors.  I totally agree and have some great door projects coming along that I can't wait to show you.  Until then, read the N & O!

Ciao,
Anne

Great design is in the details

The following pictures show great example of the importance of attention to detail in design.  I love details.  They're the magic secret and who doesn't love magic secrets?

Kathryn Scott

What I'm lovin' about the above room is that there are a LOT of lines in the room, so the designer made sure that there's some curves to balance things out and make the space feel comfortable.  No curves would have made it stiff and overly formal.  And look at those accent pillows on the sofa to the right.  That little pop of blue really does it for me. 

Miles Redd

Oh, that blue lacquered wall!  Wow!  I could eat it with a spoon.  And I can see some lacquer on the bottom of the beam across the wall, too.  Details!

David Lawrence

The detail I want you to pay attention to in this blue room is at the top of the drapes.  That litle border of gray silk (or whatever it is) brings the eye up from sofa.  Nicely done.

Eric Cohler

This beige sofa (my favorite color for a sofa) is brought to life with those pillows, especially the bold introduction of primary colors right smack in the middle.  The green vase full of fat peonies on the coffee table is nice, too, although I'll bet that's just a staging accessory.  The peonies (is that spelled right?) are exactly the same color as the sheer drapes!

These photos come from House Beautiful, a lovely magazine.  Hope you have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Anne

Affordable design help

Sometimes a client needs to pull together a room quickly for all kinds of reasons.  This was a bachelor's condo that needed furniture fast--before law school began.  Shop, shop, shop, grab some pillows to color things up, make sure there's a place to put down a cold mug of something refreshing and...done!

I should have mixed up those pillows a bit more before taking the photo, but you get the picture.  Yes, the accent tables are matchy poo, but that was the client's choice.  Drapes would have really been a nice addition too, but design and decor choices are very personal.   Sometimes a person just needs a little of my time to make a comfy space that they can pursue life in.  It doesn't have to be complicated!

Ciao,

Anne

The zen of design

A great place to start

While very few, if any, rooms in this world could feel this peaceful, it's not a bad image to keep in mind when choosing colors, fabrics and furnishings.  Soft, quiet, tonal, restful.  A good place to start.  Even in rooms that need to be stimulating, efficient and productive (kitchens, offices and playrooms for example).  There should always be a place to rest the eye, to soothe the overstimulated mind, even if it's just an unadorned piece of wall or a wooden bench painted in a cloudy blue or piney green.  The working brain needs a moment here and there to pause before becoming creative again.

Recently I did a guest room where we painted the walls a very vibrant shade of chartreusy green--Sherwin's Impetuous, #6916.  The room was fairly dark, so it could handle the bright color, which was set off nicely by white moldings and a white bed.  I cannot for the life of me get a decent shot of this room, but the above picture shows the fabrics we used and hopefully illustrates some of what I said in the preceeding paragraph about starting with a soft, peaceful vibe.  There's a lot of color, but the white cuts it down and rests the eye.  It's hard to go wrong with blue and green as a combo since it's the color of the sky and the trees (or at the beach--the water and the seaweed)!

Ciao,

Anne

DeCocco Design, Back in the house!

Several years ago, I had a successful interior design business, based in Chapel Hill, NC.  A good time was had by all.  Wonderful clients, beautiful homes, booming economic times.  Then life intervened and my priorities had to turn in another direction. So the business was closed up, temporarily.  That was a over 4 years ago.

In the ensuing years, the economy ground to a screeching halt, the furniture business changed a whole heck of a lot, transportation costs skyrocketed, many businesses closed, etc.   It was a great time NOT to be looking for clients, that's for sure. But I've sat on the sidelines for long enough, so DeCocco Design is back in business.

I love being an interior designer and look forward to working again, although I know it's going to be different.  The economic boom times are, temporarily (remember that everything is temporary), over.  So I'm working on a new business concept that might be a better fit for clients right now.  Design Direction is a 2 hour consultation, in the client's home.  I will provide ideas and guidance and the benefit of many years of experience and formal training (B.S., interior design with a minor in art). 

Design Direction could make a huge difference in your DIY projects, but it can also be a big help if you're ready to work with a contractor on a remodel, renovation or new construction project.  I can advise on lighting plans, paint colors, possible resouces, floor plans, additions and on and on.  Working with a trained interior designer can save everyone time and money.  I'm betting that there's still a good amount of demand for design services out there, but people aren't comfortable paying a lot of money for it.  It's not that our talents aren't valued, it's just that we're all being more careful right now and that's just the way it is.  But feeling good in our homes is never more important than in tough times.  Design Direction is an affordable alternative, so here I am.

My new website is done and will be online today.  John, the web designer that I'm working with, is talented,  knowledgeable, creative and endlessly patient with me. Can you imagine what it's like to do this sort of thing with an interior designer? We're extremely visual and picky, picky, picky. He's a saintly man. He's putting the finishing touches on the launch as I type this.

The picture on the top of this post?  It's an illustration I did back in design school.  It's just a silly thing, I know--I drew it from a magazine picture.  But I cannot draw, so I'm proud of this little picture.  Must've taken me quite a few classes to do.  I still can't draw though.  I just thought I'd throw it in.  It's my blog.

Ciao,
Anne