THIS is what I call an interesting photo of an interior!

You've all heard me whine about my inability to take good photos.  As an interior designer, I know I've got the eye to see and compose good shots, but the technical knowledge is just not there.  Last week I bought the latest issue of Domino magazine.  My interest was piqued by the headline "334 Best Makeovers and Easy Decorating Tips" on the cover and the $10.99 price tag (what could be inside a magazine to make it worth 11 bucks?).  Ok, it was an impluse buy--I've done worse.

I'm enjoying reading it (have made it up to page 74 so far).  The layout inside is lovely.  Clean.  Attractive pictures. Product sourcing and pricing right on the page.  Best of all--and you're going to know what a nut I am here-- the paperstock used is fabulous.  Heavier than the norm.  Nice thick pages.  Great paper is a tactile pleasure.

Then I came  upon this photo on page 72.  My brain said "THERE IT IS!"  My idea of an interesting photo.Lovely  finishes and well used props.  See what you think:

Wow.  Is that a beautiful door or what?  Oh!  The cow!  I'm kidding, of course it's all about the cow. That's the well used prop.  Don't you want give give him a hug?  Be careful--I'm not sure cows like to be hugged. I LOVE this picture.  The photographer is Paul Costello.

Ciao,
Anne

Fabulous technology for your.....mirrors!

I'm sitting at the mechanic's shop, getting the oil changed and tires rotated.  Loving their Wifi.  I think I hear Kelly Ripa on the waiting room TV.  What's her show called now that Regis has retired?  She's got such a friendly, happy voice.

The article below is by Mike Elgan, and was sent to me from Houzz.com (you know I love that site).  Read it at your leisure and take the time to watch the various videos when you can.  You won't regret it.  Very exciting advances in mirrors that will be used in amazing ways around the house.  Some of it I don't want (no emails on the bathroom mirror, thank you), but others I can't wait for!

Let's see if I can successfully embed the article.  Every day, a new skill...

Magic Mirrors Emerge From Fairy Tales

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

I think I did it!  And the day is just beginning.   What will I tackle next?

Ciao,

Anne

Browse Furniture on Houzz- For Example:

Armchairs · Bar Carts · Buffets And Sideboards · Dining Chairs And Benches · Love Seats · Ottomans And Cubes · Rocking Chairs · Side Tables And Accent Tables ·

Flipping through this month's Traditional Home magazine

I've been reading Traditional Home for centuries and just about always find a room that I love within it's pages.  The April issue is no exception.  Here's the room:

Oops!  This is the "Before" shot.

Here's the "After."

And this.

The color on the walls is brave and perfect.  I looked for the name of that orange in the Resource pages, but it was a custom color.  However, Sherwin Williams' Robust Orange/6628, is a similar rich hue.  Benjamin Moore's Corlsbud Canyon/076 is another delicious, saturated orange.  Blue is the complementary color to orange, so the huge vase of delphiniums on the table was a brilliant stroke.  The chandelier, the window treatments, the clean lines on the upholstered pieces--so well done.  This room is filled with many details that add up to great design and a space that I'd feel very comfortable and downright happy in.  While this is a very traditional room, the use of color and fabric give it a gorgeous update.  Gerald Pomeroy of Boston did the interior design and the photographer is Francesco Lagnese.  

There was another good "before" and "after" in the magazine.

The bathroom before

Lots of good ideas in this photo, don't you think?  Also by Gerald Pomeroy Design Group.  

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Ciao,

Anne

Semi-custom window treatments BY DeCocco Design!

Small blast of the trumpet please.  Finally ready to make this exciting announcement about a new venture for DeCocco Design.  We're getting ready to launch our very own line of semi-custom window treatments, sold right on the website! And they're going to look amazing in your home!

I've long wished for a choice between the blah, low quality, ready-made options offered by the big catalog/stores and the high price point of truly custom products.  That choice has never appeared to my satisfaction, so I'm going to do what any pioneer woman would--do it myself.  Of course, that's with the help of Gail, my hard working partner in this project, and a cast of amazing suppliers, all found right here in the U.S.A.

Our launch date is sometime this Spring, so I'll tell you more as the days go by. There's SO much to do, including a full reswizzle of the website.   In the meantime, look at these photos from Houzz.com.  They all show how beautiful draperies can polish, warm and finish a space.

Ciao,
Anne

This is more a test than a post

Tough couple of weeks for the computer.  Good thing my brother in law is a genius.  I'm just making sure this post works and will be back with BIG news later in the week.  I know, you've heard that one before.  You'll see.  It's very exciting and I want to tell you about it properly.  Good things come to those who wait....

Jane--will there be computer problems in the future?

Ciao,
Anne

Find of the Week!

To be truthful, the Find of the Week for this past week was found in the cold and flu aisle. Totally unfair to get both!  But I'm going to shake it all off and move on because I did come across 2 finds to share with you.

We're doing a photo shoot this weekend on an interior project that's not quite finished.  Design projects can take a very long time to really be  photo ready because these are people's homes and there's no rush to be "finished."  We all need to take our time and keep our eyes peeled for those pieces that truly personalize our spaces.  We find some things while travelling while other items reveal themselves when we least expect it and in places we would never have thought to look.  That's a long way of saying that when I'm ready to shoot some pictures, it's not unusual to have to run out and get a few things to fill a nook here, a cranny there.  In that spirit, I found this table at Target:

I love it!  Nice size, made of metal, very, very useful.  Could be an end table or an extra seat in the room.  And it would work indoors or out.  $70!  I tried to find a picture online, but could not.  Target often carries these "global bazaar"items for a short period of time.  If the client doesn't decide to keep it, I may not be able to bring myself to return it because it's just too good.

Here's my other Find for this week.  The Naturalizer Granola sneaker.  A girl should never be too sick to order a pair of shoes.  I love this Converse/Chuck Taylor look, but cannot wear those super-flat sneaks.  These may look flat, but they're not.  AND they have those "gellin" pads inside.  I've never tried those pads and now know that they're awesome!  My feet weren't just fine by mid-day, they were happy feet.

So a good end to the week.  Wash your hands a lot.  Get your rest, take your vitamins and watch what you eat.  Don't get sick.  My Hub took great care of me, but he can't take care of everyone and now he needs a rest.

Ciao,

Anne

Make your bed!

The Raleigh News & Observer's Home Section did a nice article on bedding 2 weeks ago and included me in it.  I love that paper and have been a subscriber for a long, long time.  It's unthinkable to me to start the day without at least skimming through the local paper.  After this article came out, I received so many nice comments, but almost everyone especially liked my admonition at the end of the article to make your bed!

"Cutsom" pillowcases, aka homemade, DIY, handmade. Whatever you call them, they're fabulous on your bed!

Here's the link to the article " Linens In Winter" by Mary Beth Breckenridge (click on the title).  Enjoy!  And I hope you've made your bed.

Ciao,

Anne

DeCocco Design is growing!

Things are really hopping in the office and I've got a couple of announcements to make.  The most important one is that Gail Healy has joined DeCocco Design as a Design Associate.  Sound the trumpets please. I am so glad she's here!

Gail has run my workroom for many years--that means she makes the beautiful custom window treatments that I design for my clients.  She's super talented and a lot of fun to be around.   Her company, "It's Curtains" is well known in our area (and beyond) for creating the best of the best. Gail trained as an  interior designer, specializing in kitchen design, but just liked sewing better. I've convinced her to come on board to help me launch a related product (next announcement, coming very soon). 

I know she would want me to post a very professional photo.  But this one shows you the true Gail:

Her passion is water skiing.  Doesn't that look like fun?

Welcome Gail!

Ciao,

Anne

Making a beautiful space takes....TIME!

Whoo baby, I have been busy!   One project is starting to wind down, which means that installation time is upon us.  Cabinetry is being finished, walls painted, lighting installed, furnishings delivered (slowly, slowly).  Still many layers to come, but I thought I'd show you a tiny peek of the progress.  Here's a "before" picture in one of the rooms:

And here's a shot of the sofa with it's new slipcover and the fabulous stacked travertine wall:

This is  not the final layout--wait till you see what's next.  But for now, look at that lovely stone wall!  That was completely my client's idea.  She and her hub are very creative and a joy to work with (and they're my friends--what could be better?).   If you were in the room, you would see that the stone sparkles!  Makes me swoon it's so beautiful.  Swoon is such an old word, but it's apt so I work to keep it alive.

Will show you more when I can.  I've got pics from some other projects that I keep meaning to post.  It's been a wonderful year for DeCocco Design, despite this awful economy.  Clients have wanted some serious creativity and have really let me soar.   To see designs coming to reality and becoming warm, inviting, liveable and beautiful homes is gratifying.  It's a lot of work, and worth every minute of it, because there's no place like home. 

So I've got lots going on.  Fall in NC is gorgeous.  Temps in the 70's and 80's with the humidity (finally) gone.  Soccer games with Grandboy, still training the goofy dog.  Hub is enjoying his job.  Oh, we had our first tiny bonfire in the backyard last week.  Let me find that picture for you.

It started as a BIG pile of sticks from the yard.  Burned down quickly while we ate our dinner of gorditas on the picnic table close by.  Then we roasted marshmallows--I think those were Grandboy's first.  He wasn't thrilled with the taste, which made me laugh.  I don't think it's the actual taste of burnt marshmallow that we all love.  It's the setting and the experience and the memories of it all.  We'll have to do it again!

Ciao,

Anne

Will there be paparazzi?

I've been contacted by 2 reporters for different print media in the last 24 hours.  They want a designer's perspective on light bulbs and color.  The word is out--I talk a lot!  Did you know that when a reporter calls you and says "do you have a minute?" they don't mean they want to schedule a time to talk about their subject matter?  Oh no.  They ask a question, and as you answer you can hear furious typing on the other end!  No time to formulate something wise or witty.  You are ON.

This picture has nothing to do with anything, it's just from the yard last year and I thought you'd like to see it--kind of a break from me blabbing about my (non existent) rapport with the media.

 I've had this happen several times now and should be better prepared.  Couldn't I at least ask what the topic is and then say I'll call them right back?  Nope.  Not me.  So I spout off and then wonder what the heck I'm going to sound like when it's in the paper.  Luckily (I think), they don't really quote you exactly.  So if I said something dumb, I have the comfort of knowing that it's not exactly what I said.  Ok, small help.

If I sound wise in the article, I'll let you know about it.  Otherwise, this will be our last discussion on this topic.

Ciao,
Anne

Let's Catch Up!

I am determined to have some balance in my life, but it would really help if there were a couple more hours in the day.  Or perhaps there are plenty of hours, but if I could stay awake for more of them--maybe that would help?  That's not going to happen.

Lots of interior design work lately.  The Design Direction option  offered by DeCocco Design works well for many people.  Sometimes it morphs into more, so then I'm on a bigger job.  Sometimes clients don't need that much help and it shrinks into an hourly job.  All are good by me.  I continue to meet the nicest people, who love their homes and families and want their spaces to work well for them.  So I've been choosing colors, cabinets, tiles, light fixtures, etc. all over town, as well as sourcing online and writing endless reports.   Oh!  And now DeCocco Design takes credit cards and Paypal.  Very handy!

Should I be showing you this?  When I've collected all kinds of samples for a job and am ready to make decisions, I lay it out on the floor in my office, in front of a big window.  What a mess!  But that way I can see how everything relates and, in the end, it all comes together nicely.  But it has to start out looking like this!  I'm not even showing you all of it.  Personally, I love this part.  The pieces all meet each other and definitely start to form cliques.  Sometimes I have to step in to make everyone behave and introduce new possibilites. 

I haven't done a Find of the Week lately, so here's one I found weeks ago.  It's in Ecko on Glenwood Ave., here in Raleigh.  See those 3D flowers?  They're made of some sort of plasticy material, with a matte finish (looks good).  You get all the flowers you see here for $30 and what a FUN idea for so many spots in a house!  Kids room, for sure.  High on the wall and onto the ceiling in a powder room.  Behind a chair with a lamp shining up on them, as you see here, etc.  I'll bet you could embellish them if you wanted to, but I like the simple color.  They could look rather sophisticated or they can just be fun.  Love them!  I also like that lamp, but that's another topic for another day.

One more little piece of catch-up.  A couple of weeks ago, on a cloudy morning, I was sitting in a club chair in our living room, being very quiet, starting my day with some silence as life was feeling stressful and I wanted to let go of useless anxiety.  I looked out a front window and saw this:

The sun had broken through and was just shining down in one spot in our yard--on this bench.  My mom gave us this bench as a housewarming gift for our very first house, over 25 years ago and it has followed us to every subsequent house (and there have been quite a few).  The bench is now very fragile and covered with great, crusty, growing stuff and Mom has been gone for over 7 years.  Seeing the sun shine on that bench felt like a message from her that all was well.  It felt great. 

Oh my gosh, I have been rambling!  Will try to get back to more regular, shorter posts.  I hope you know that in your life, too, all is well.

Ciao,

Anne

This House is Beatiful!

I started flicking through the June issue of House Beautiful last night--it's a good one!  Page after page of great ideas and sources and some really nice examples of stellar interior design.  The resource theme of this month is the hardware store.  Places like Ace, Lowe's Home Depot, etc.  I am a lover of hardware stores--much more comfortable there than at the mall.  The imagination can really soar in a hardware store and all kinds of wonderful solutions can be found.

So I went on the HB website to grab a few pix to show you.  Please remember that you don't have to be a fan of the particular style of an interior to get great ideas out of it.   Designer Ann Wolf  is featured for a home she worked on in Houston. She did a spectacular job and here are some ideas for you to enjoy:

It's the ceiling I want you to notice.  Love that blue!

That stone fireplace on the screened porch, with the super simple mantel is fabulous.  It's the artwork of the room.

Looky here.  She made a children's reading nook out of an unused space in the house.  Love how the grommet curtains are hung from the ceiling.  Kids space, but grown up fabric on those curtains--that's how we all coexist with each other.  And don't kids just love cozy spaces where they can hide away from us?

This picture really looks better in the magazine.  Look at the ceiling--isn't it a beauty?  Why do we ignore ceilings?  And this is a great use of gray, my least favorite color, unless you get it really right, which she did.  Not cold, not depressing.  Soothing, neutral and providing a great backdrop for the daffodils on the nightstands (which, you notice, do NOT MATCH).

One more.  Nice office space. Roman shade on the window is gorgeous to gaze upon, cobalt blue lamp reminds me of the water, hardware on the built-in cabinetry is just lovely. And the peacock wallpaper lining the back of the bookshelves is a wonderful, deluxe look, but, if it's the wallpaper I think it is, then it's just for show and won't really stand up to books being shoved back and forth.  But I love it all!

Ciao,
Anne

Really?

Just saw this ad from Restoration Hardware.  I'm speechless. Confused.  Maybe I should just back away slowly...

We've got lots of catching up to do.  This week for sure. 

Ciao,

Anne

Interior design vs. "stuff"

You may not remember this post I did on my secret desire for a clothesline.  I still don't have one, but it's on my agenda.  Here's another somewhat embarrassing secret of mine--I don't like Stuff. It can be difficult to be in the field of interior design and not like Stuff.  There's so darn much of it!  So many cute, interesting, special, antique, modernist, fluffy, meaningful, artistic, useful things in the world.  Stuff!

New York Times Style Magazine, 4/3/11

Above is the photo that might have started this little rant of mine. Everyone gets to have their own Stuff and opinions, but this is my blog and, when my beloved New York Times proclaimed that this is Style, my head just popped right off and rolled to the door.

Again, NY Times Stye Magazine

Really?

While admitting that, as a human being in the U.S.A., I enjoy the occasonal foray into Home Goods to pick up and  admire the shiny new objects, even taking some of them home with me.  It's good to have a new lamp, an updated rug, some fresh, soft sheets and pillows.  I'm not saying don't furnish your home with lovely things.  It's what I do for a living!  A beautifully made table makes my heart beat faster, a comfy leather club chair is a BFF at the end of the day.   But I think we go overboard.  Look in your closets, crawl spaces, basements and garages. We're drowning in Stuff and it's making it hard to breathe (or is that the yellow slime outside?).

As an interior designer, my goal is to help you furnish and decorate your home in a way that makes you smile when you walk through your own door.  I want you to have things that are easy to maintain, a place to put down your keys and the mail, lighting that's used thoughtfully, colors chosen to calm and inspire you, furnishings selected to serve you well--that's the kind of "stuff" that I think really is important.  But not a lot of it.  As Margaret Roach says in her new book, bask "in the quality of just enough."

Ciao,
Anne

Find of the Week has been found! At Suzanna's Antiques

I popped into Suzanna's Antiques this afternoon and found this fabulous little table just for you:

It's sitting in front of the shop that says "Ye Old Trading Post."  There are so many vendors at Suzanna's that I have to really pay attention to where I see things.  This table is wood, very  nice lines and just needs a bit of sanding to make it ready for your next project.

What could you do with this?  Well, first of all, it's a perfect coffee table.  It could also be a craft table for kids.  It could be a console in front of a low window, holding plants or family photos.  It could sit on the front porch or the screened-in back porch.  It could be painted a snappy shade like lime.  Marine blue.  Coral.  Panetone's-color-of-the-year honeysuckle (pink). It could just be stained or even given a clear coat(or 3) of satin poly that lets the wood grain shine. Or how about having a stainless top fitted over it?  Better, yet, a copper one.  I'm looking for a local source to do that very thing on another old piece.

Need a creative interior designer to help you come up with ideas like this?  Well, check out my website and give me a call!

Oh!  Didn't I tell you the price on this? $15.00.  Yes indeedy, $15.  I had to take myself by the hand and walk away from it so that I could give you a fair shot at it.  I was at Suzanna's for about 10 minutes when I spotted this and had already found a couple of other "finds" to show you.  This one won out because it has the combination of decent quality to work with, nice versatile shape AND a price that can't be beat. 

 You are welcome.  Enjoy the weekend.

Ciao,

Anne

Transitional interior design, Part 3, Coffee Tables and Accent Tables!

If you've read Part 1 and Part 2, you know what to look for in furniture to get that "transitional" look (reminder--a little traditional, a little modern, a little eclectic) and what direction to take in fabric choices.  Let's move on to the tables, both coffee and accent.  Don't know why this is so daunting to so many.  Maybe it's partly because there seem to be so many choices out there, yet few of them feel right (or they're cheap and cheesey and you know in your heart that they're going to look that way in your home, AND you're right!).  Sorry for all the parentheses, I'll try to stop.

If you want a coffee table that can take a lot of abuse, please buy one with a stone top or maybe a woven rattan or at least put something protective on top, like glass or plexiglass or whatever.  I have nothing against a nice wood surface from Pottery Barn, but that thing is going to scratch up in no time!  Here are some other choices:

Ethan Allen

This one has a travertine top and if you look closely, you'll see that there are 2 nesting tables tucked underneath.  Brilliant.  I do love nesting tables.

Expressions Furniture, Artistica

Oh, this one (above) is SO good.  The top comes in a few choices, but the marble makes me drool (sorry about the drooling).

Expressions

I call this one the Lobster Trap.  Just my own interpretation of the look.  Love the glass, love the wood, love the clean lines and the size.  Guess I love it.

Ethan Allen

The copper top gives a glow to this piece.

Ethan Allen

Expressions

This one is a favorite.  It gives you natural elements and combines texture with a smooth top.  Oh baby.

So by now you get the picture; clean lines, simple design, natural materials = transitional design in the best possible sense. It's useful, beautiful and low maintenance. Buying better quality will pay off in this area. The same goes for end and accent tables. Here's a few:

all end tables found at Expressions

Did you notice that the accent tables were not all clean lines or modern leaning?  Good for you!  Please don't forget to mix in some other shapes. We don't want flat, one-note rooms!  That table right above this paragraph would look fabulous in a more modern room because it brings such warmth to the table (get it? warmth to the table?).  Have some fun with your accent tables.  Don't go overboard, but you've got to have some circles, curves and swirls in a room full of straight lines.  It makes it human, inviting, comfortable. 

While I want you to always look for and choose really good quality in these important pieces for your room, please remember that I also LOVE it when you find a crusty old piece at the Goodwill or any thrift store, yard sale and flea market, take it home and rework it to use in your home.  Many times those old pieces are in those stores because they were good quality in the first place and now just need some updating.

Oh my gosh, the next post is lighting.  Lighting is the MOST important element to finishing a room, so don't skip that one!

And I haven't found a "Find of the Week" yet.  But the day isn't over and I'll try to find one for you today.

Ciao,

Anne



Add some sparkle to your interiors with my Find of the Week!

Expression's Furniture on Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh had 2 of these sconces on sale and they are fabulous.  I'd describe the disc as hammered chrome, about 14 inches across. The candle holder is a dark metal (but I didn't touch it, so who knows?)  It's a smart look that could flank a piece of furniture, add light and reflection to a dark corner, make an urban statment in a powder room, spiff up a small dining area, etc. 

Here they both are, in all their glory.  $59.00 each.  $59!  A LOT of bang for the buck.  But there's just two of them, so get on over there and scoop them up! 

Ciao,
Anne

Find of the week--an artist across the street

Diana Porter lives directly across the street from our house in Raleigh.  I know her--she's a great neighbor and the loving mother of two tiny, adorable children.  I knew that she was employed as a teacher before having children, so in my head her label read "teacher."

Then I discovered another label for Diana--artist. She has beautiful paintings scattered about her house; many of them lovely landscapes (my favorite paintings always seem to be landscapes), some with water views (even better). I almost fell on the floor when I learned that she had done them all. It's so much fun when you learn about another layer of a person you thought you knew.  Diana Porter is an artist!  Here's one of her landscapes:

Diana Porter

This landscape is 9x12 inches. It is a painting of the view from West Lake Road in Skaneateles New York.  Pastel on pastel paper. Oh, this would be so pretty in a frame on your wall.  Every time you pass by and glance at it, your blood pressure will drop a bit.  Paintings begin at $200, depending on whether it's framed.  Diana also works in acrylics.

And another

Diana Porter

Diana also makes jewelry, like this beaded cuff in gorgeous colors:

Diana Porter

One more--she makes wonderful door signs.  This one is for a child and only costs $25:

Diana Porter

Something for everyone.  If you click on her name, Diana Porter, it will take you to her website.  Very bare bones, but it gives you contact info.  It's exciting to know that she's an artist.  Now when I look across the street at night and see the light on in one of the rooms upstairs, I know that she's painting yet another beautiful scene while her children sleep.

Ciao,

Anne