Bay windows are a designer favorite

The Raleigh News & Observer was so nice to ask me to write an article for their "Ask A Designer" series.  It appeared in today's Home section--here's the link: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/31/1964910/ask-a-designer-what-will-make.html.

The whole section was packed with lots of designer tips as well as gardening info, which I love to read while eating my Saturday morning blackberry pancakes.

However, the layout of my article was unfortunate, as they did not include a picture that I repeatedly referred to!  Readers must have been a bit puzzled.  So, taking matters into my own hands, I'm showing the correct picture in this post.  How handy to have a blog!

Here's the "before" picture that the reader provided, showing her design dilemma:

It's a bay window area in her master bedroom and she doesn't know how to finish it.  Nice problem to have, right?  It's a lovely space, looking out at a wooded area. The reader and her hub want a spot to sit with their coffee and newspaper.

This is the "after" picture that I created:

I used a neat design softeware to build the room right on top of her picture.  Clients love to have as much help as possible to visualize what their space could look like.  The drapes in this picture are based on one of the fabrics that DeCocco Design is using in our new line of semi-custom window treatments.  The chaise is from West Elm, but folks in the Raleigh area can get the same look and shop local at Dexter Furniture on Glenwood Ave.  They've got a great selection of fabrics, so customizing the chaise to the space would be easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Hub is painting a new wall color in the Library, in preparation for installation of lovely drapes (again, using one of our fabulous fabrics--I cannot wait to show them all to you!).   Stay tuned for how that turns out!

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

A Joyful Noise

I'm a lifelong Roman Catholic, although am sure I'm the kind that makes the Pope roll his eyes. Yes, I'm a pick-and-choose Catholic, believing and not believing in all kinds of things my church does not.  But I love the Mass, the music, the priests and the community here in my tiny part of the world.  This Sunday, during Mass at St. Francis, we had a guest speaker by the name of ValLimar Jansen. 

ValLimar doesn't just speak.  She also sings (what a voice!) and is a performer of the highest level. It was jaw dropping and fabulous. Catholics are generally a quiet bunch. ValLimar is a Catholic like I've never seen. She is on fire with her talent and love of life. It was joyful, uplifting, entertaining and just completely awesome! She will be performing for the next couple of days at St. Francis of Assisi and I hope to see her at least one more time.  ValLimar is the embodiment of a joyful noise!

Ciao,

Anne

Want a peek inside a trade only fabric showroom?

There are many reasons to hire a trained interior designer.  Oh, the things we can help you with!  We  have access to some really special places, and one of my favorites are the "trade only" fabric showrooms.  The selection is completely and totally awesome and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. There are thousands upon thousands of choices, so their help is important.  Otherwise I'd have to spend much more time (at an hourly rate to my clients mind you), tracking down that perfect pattern in just the right colorway.

Karen Saks is one of our showrooms and A. Hoke is the other.  And they're right across the street from each other, which is very helpful, except that the road is super busy and crossing it is life threatening, but I'll save that rant for another day.

Would you like to get a peek inside the Karen Saks showroom? I just happened to take a few pictures last week to show you!

Rows and rows of fabric manufacturers, organized by vendor, type and color.

 

Here's an example of one row.  Nicely organized.

Fabrics, trimmings, wallpapers, furnishings and rugs are scattered throughout.

Tables down the center aisle to hold our bags, notebooks, laptops, etc.  My table is always piled high with "stuff."   I'll bring my camera to A. Hoke this week.  Same business, super nice people, very different kind of floor plan.

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

The Southern Ideal Home Show is this weekend!

Just a heads up that the Southern Ideal Home Show will be at the NC State Fairgrounds this weekend, April 1-3.  This is the perfect time to get some great ideas for your home and yard and that's what this show will provide.  The  Triangle chapter of the Interior Design Society will have a booth at the show that features our Attic Sale.  Designers always seem to have a stash of things in their inventory that need to find new homes, so come on out and take a look at some fabulous finds.  I'll be manning the booth on Saturday night with my fun loving colleagues, so please stop by and say "hello!"

This is me, in Kindergarten.  I'll try to find that dress and wear it so you'll recognize me!

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

Expressions Furniture in Raleigh--I could move right in

I want to do a quick post about my visit to Expressions Furniture in Raleigh.  I melted into this store from the first step--it's a warm, inviting, well done environment.  This is not a place to find some cheap and cute stuff for your rooms.  This is a place to find those pieces that you're going to fall in love with, be proud to have and design the rest of your interiors around.  The prices are not palatial, they're not scary high and they're not ridiculous, but Expressions is where you go to spend a little money on some solid, well made, well designed, comfortable furnishings that have a classic sensibility (no matter what your preferred style, you need some anchoring pieces) with a modern twist.  Oh, that was a long sentence.

The fabric selections are abundant.  The knowledge of their product is fantastic.  I spoke with Chris Melcher, a design consultant in the store, who was brimming with good info, tips and help (and she has such a great hairstyle!).  Natural flooring products (sisal, sea grass, wool), fabulous leathers, the latest Sunbrella outdoor fabrics that SOFT to the touch (even velvet!). 

one side of the fabric sample room

Furniture, lighting fixtures, accent tables, artwork.  My favorite Holtkoetter floor lamps are sold there--there is no better lamp company for me. 

I'm going to do one or two posts giving you some solid direction when decorating your rooms in different styles and will use pictures from my visit to Expressions, so you'll get a chance to see more. 

Oh!  And my Find of the Week is from Expressions, so I'll (try) to post it by Friday.   Oh dear, that's tomorrow!

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

Find of the Week

I think I've mentioned that I'm originally from Maine.  I spent much of my youth in New Hampshire.  Two beautiful states, filled with gorgeous trees, wonderful people and my favorite coastlines.  But cold, cold,cold winters.  So this amazing NC weather will never get old for me.  Warm, sunny days that allow us to have big pots of pansies out on the porch all winter long (well, not our porch, we have deer, but let's not ruin the mood).  I soak it up and am ever grateful to be here.

Find of the Week-- I went to Ecko, over on Glenwood Ave., in Raleigh.  Neal is the top dog over there and he's very knowledgeable about his products and a dapper dresser.  I was looking at kitchen chairs in particular for a lovely client. You all know how hard it is to find great kitchen chairs.  They've got to take some abuse, but we want them to be stylish too.  And we don't want to spend a ton on them because it's nice to change them out every now and then.  Sorry, but I don't want the same chairs for a lifetime, I want to have a little fun with that part of the room.  Ecko has some great choices in metal finishes and leather.  These two are my favs from last week's visit:

This is the Violetta.  $200.  It comes in a myriad of finishes and seat fabrics.  Love it!  I wouldn't go with that fabric, just because of all the white, but there are plenty of other equally fun choices.  That metal color is a charcoal. Fabulous.

This is the Bennet in leather.  $150 each.  Comfy.  Nice clean lines.  So handsome.

Just about everything at Ecko comes in several finishes and fabrics.  And they carry a fair amount of market samples, so there are some real bargains to be found.  Every lover of contemporary style can find something to take home at Ecko.  My own kitchen chairs were Ecko clearance finds and everyone who walks into our kitchen says "where'd you get those chairs?" 

Life is short.  Have some fun chairs.

Ciao,

Anne

More fab finds

I stopped in to TJ Maxx today.  Haven't been there in such a long time!  I could have taken home many things and tucked them away for clients, but you know I just can't do that.  I don't have a storage unit (maybe I'll get one!) and my office would be crammed in no time.  See the chair above? (phone pictures don't do my finds justice)  Very Restoration Hardware (their new look).  Lovely weathered finish with a hint of gray, beautiful heavy linen upholstery.  $300.  Let's see what RH would charge for this...

This is what I found at Restorationhardware.com.  It's on special for $249! How embarrassing. At least you know I'm honest with you!  Of course, you'd have to pay for shipping  and I think the one I saw is a bit more generous in size.  But still....  Ok!  On to the next find!

This lamp is hefty, has a 3 way switch, a brushed nickel finish and a great shade--$50 (or $45.99, something like that--try not to pin me down when I'm in the thrall of the discount experience).  Too bad I can't rip off the plastic covering when I photograph lampshades (don't they know who I am?).  This one is brown with an ivory pin dot pattern.  Very nice.  You get a dark shade that will still give off some nice light (unlike black shades of olde).  I will not be looking up how much it would cost at Restoration Hardware.  I've learned my lesson. 

Then there was this artsy retro  beauty:

The shade isn't quite right, but the base has that lovely drippy fired pottery look. I like it.  No price tag, so it must be free.  I'd guess it to be in the $35-50 range, based on their other lamps.  Aging hippies will snap it up.

Ciao,

Anne

Find of the week!

Readers tell me they love the "Find of the Week" feature that I've done a couple of times, so of course  I completely let it slide.  It's a good thing I'm self-employed, that's all I can say.  But I've got something for you this week.

A couple of weeks ago I spent some time checking out local thrift shops.  Oh, what fun I had!  First stop was the Habitat ReStore in Durham/Chapel Hill (on 15/501).  SUCH a great place.  You never know what you're going to find, but there's plenty of great salvaged building materials there to feed your creative spirit.  This is what I bought:

It's a lovely luan, hollow core door, untouched by human hands.  No hinges, no doorknob holes, no paint.  Measures 24 x 80, your typical inside door measurement.  It cost $2.00.  $2.00 (bears repeating).  What am I going to do with it?  You'll just have to wait and see.  But when it's done, you'll agree that it's easily the Find of the Week.  Until that time, here's another little find from the Habitat ReStore in Pittsboro (there's one in Raleigh, too--they're all over the place);

The lamp base is a very creamy ivory and it cost $12.50.  It is the kind of lamp that can be used many places in a home.  I would put a shorter harp in it (the piece that holds the shade), but that's just me. The shade (which still has the plastic wrap on it but you can tell how cute it is) was also priced at $12.50.  It's a lined lampshade in brown, cream, palest yellow and soft gray.  They had all kind of shades that day--drums, solids, patterns.  Christine put the shade on the base. She cannot stop herself from staging an area, it's a compulsion of hers and it makes me laugh so hard I often make a scene.  The ReStore people weren't that amused--they put the shade back in the pile, which made me laugh even harder. 

So the lamp and shade are my finds of the week, pictorially speaking.  But the real find is the Habitat ReStore.  It's just an amazing place with loads of creative potential in every aisle.  And it supports Habitat, what more could you want?  More?  Ok, it's very "green" design--recycle, reuse, restore.

Ciao

Anne

Something new for the kitchen

Just wanted to share a few pictures that HomePortfolio.com sent me today about some new kitchen products we can drool over ponder.

Here's a splashy little number--a glass countertop.  Oh, that blue is divine.  Comes in other colors and you can even put LED lighting in it (don't ask me how, it's by ThinkGlass, ask them).  What will happen when I drop a bowl on it?  The same thing that will happen when I drop a french fry on my Dior Couture silk skirt silly.

Another cool sink.  This one is called The Entertainer and it's by Lenova.  It has inserts that transform it from a regular working sink to a wine cooler, chopping block or condiment bar.  I'm assuming that your talented kitchen designer will be sure to have a cabinet nearby to hold the inserts when not in use.

And lastly, here's the Farmhouse sink by Herbeau Creations.  They say that in Provence, those old farmhouse sinks aren't all white or stainless steel.  They say that the color will transport you to the lavendar fields.  Oky doky. This is a very pretty, rich color, that's for sure.  Look at that graphite wall behind the sink.  Oh baby, that's a nice look.

Ciao,

Anne

Kitchen and Bath Galleries Remodeling Expo

Thanks to the fabulous Regina Tobin of Wallscapers, I went to the Remodeling Expo at Kitchen and Bath Galleries on Glenwood in Raleigh today (because she told me about it on FB).  So many wonderful ideas and products!  I think I touched every kind of backsplash  they sell.  I love the selection of finishes--glass, marble, granite, stainless, etc.  They also have beautiful flooring products, appliances, tv and audio systems--and just everything you need for your kitchen and bathroom updates.  Loads of pulls and knobs too, which can really add a personal touch, even if your budget isn't ready for the big time.

wouldn't this be a wonderful butler's pantry?

Kitchen and Bath Galleries

Even more importantly, I met some really nice people who can design and install all of the amazing products that I saw today.  We all know how hard it is to find the right people to do the job when we're ready to roll.  Let me give you a few names (if you click on them, it will bring you to their sites or emails--I'm very technologically advanced--ha!).

The Marengi's of California Closets are a delightful couple who obviously enjoy helping people organize their spaces.  Gotta love that!

clean lines, a place for everything

California Closets

Scott Frey of Freys Building & Remodeling put on a seminar entitled "remodeling your bath" and really connected with the crowd because of his easy manner and experience in the subject.

love the colors and finishes

Frey

Jay Beaman is a home builder and remodeling specialist with a large and varied portfolio and he's easy to talk to.  Beautiful details.

This may not be your personal style, but the workmanship tells you that this guy can do anything!

Beaman

Mark Masters of "neuwave" can help you pull together your technology in every room of your house, right down to the remote control blinds in your Home Theatre space (but also in your kitchen, bedroom, etc.)  He has an office at Kitchen and Bath Galleries, so it's super easy to incorporate his services right into your project.

Mark showed me the Sonos wireless music system--the sound is SO good!



And just one more plug for Wallscapers, because Regina is so much fun to be around. You would not believe what they can do with your old cabinets, your dingy walls and your dated bookshelves!

Ciao,

Anne