I recently completed a project with design challenges I have not faced to date.  The biggest challenge…. I never met with my client as he resides in Indonesia and my budget was 30K to completely furnish a 1600 square foot condo in the heart of Seattle.

Challenge: The owner resides in Indonesia and provided a 30K budget to completely furnish the entire condo this included kitchen, dinner and flatware.   Also part of the challenge was to take a modern built condo and create an interior that provides a welcoming, warm home for my client.

Solution: I provided my client inspirational photos so we would be speaking the same language with regards to style, color and texture.  The space is dramatic with large windows, high ceilings and dark wood finishes throughout.  Rather than choosing something that would fight with the boldness of the space and architecture, I have unified the elements with a neutral palette and accents of my client’s favorite colors.   To keep on budget, I divided the space into zones creating a design plan before any purchases were made.  I mixed products from the Seattle Design Center, local consignment shop as well as a few items overstock.com.

A special thank you to Carolyn Machetanz for her hours of assistance, she truly made this project FUN!

Traditional: Design preferences are influenced from 18^th, 19^th and early 20^th century European and American furnishings, colors and textures.

Contemporary: Styles range from the later half of the 20^th century.  Defined by softened lines, neutral elements and a focus on line shape and form.

Modern: Features clean, streamlined furniture and an architectural style that is characterized by polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry.

Transitional: Marries traditional and contemporary furniture, finishes, materials and fabrics.

When working with my clients, I always want to know “what’s your style”. This seems to be difficult for many to articulate and here is where the detective work begins.   I provide my clients with what I call “inspiration books” to assist in defining their style.  Basically they are a collection of images grouped by style that create a visional impression according to the category e.g. Transitional, Contemporary, Modern, Transitional.    It is a fun exercise that enables me to determine what my clients are drawn to… which is their style.

You can do this at home by looking at images in books, magazines and the Internet, tag what your eye is attracted.  A pattern will develop in the images that have been tagged, there will be your style.  It’s that easy!  Have fun, be bold, explore color and live in your style.

Style Should Be Fun!

• When mixing patterns, it is always a good idea to pay attention to pattern scale. For example:  small, medium and large prints work better than mixing several small patterns together.  Simply put,  a large dot print mixed with a small pinstripe works better than small dots and small pinstripes.
• Textures can be paired together quite easily but keep in mind it works best if there is a variety of smooth to course fabrics.  An example might be leather, velvet and chenille paired within the same space.
• Mixing vintage and new together is a personal choice.  Since vintage items have  a history, they can add soul to a room that a new piece can’t match.  I encourage you to keep your eyes open, you never know when a great piece will present itself.

I hope that each time you open your front door you feel inspired!

As an artist, I strive to create environments that inspire the eye and the soul.  A home should reflect the owners personality, desires and hopes.  It is my pleasure to help put the person in the space, otherwise it’s just a space.

• Complimentary colors are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red/green, blue/orange, purple/yellow. Complimentary color schemes have a more energetic feel, more “pop”.  The high contrast between the colors creates a vibrant look.
• Analogous colors are colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.  Some examples are green, yellow green, and yellow.  Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are pleasing to the eye.
• Monochromatic color schemes consist of different values (tints and shades) of one single color.  These color schemes are soothing and authoritative.

Instead of looking at the thousands of color swatches in the paint store, it works best to select your palette first. I always begin with fabrics as there are infinite choices in paint colors and they can be custom made to coordinate with the fabrics selected.  This process narrows the selections and confusion that come from too many choices.  Remember to observe nature and her endless color combinations. Have fun, and be creative!

Test your colors:  be sure to take a look at fabric and paint swatches in the environment in which they will be placed.  View the colors at different times of day, paying close attention to the colors during the time you are most in the space.

What if you could use what you already have to create a great space?  Finding beauty in what you have means looking at things differently. Sometimes it means a fresh set of eyes; perhaps a friend.

Often when I meet with my clients I find that they have treasures just waiting to be discovered. In my design work, part of being environmentally responsible is re-designing things my client’s already own.   For the DIY’s, it can be incredibly rewarding taking the dresser you received from your grandmother that currently seats in the basement, refinishing it, adding interesting pulls and discovering it is worthy of the master bedroom.

For those that prefer someone else handling the stripping, finishing and upholstering there are resources available.  My studio is located in Seattle, here are some of my favorites locally:

• Wood stripping of furniture and cabinets: The furniture Spa in Ballard   – www.furniturespa.com – every job is handled with care and the finished quality of work is of the utmost importance
• Wood staining and finishing:   Ballard Refinishers – www.ballardrefinishers.com – refinishing all wood surfaces for over 50 years
• Upholstery:  Queen Anne Upholstery –  www.queenanneupholstery.com – can restore your furniture to it’s original beauty

Tammara and daughter, Alexandra - "inspired"

Please let me know if there is a topic or idea you would like to see covered.  I will do my best to supply information to get your project up and running!