I graduated from Philadelphia Museum College of Art in 1953. A long time ago. Some of my professors were Paul McCobb, Jack Larson, and Raymond Louey. Which gave me much inspiration.
My first job out of college was with Gray and Associates in Philadelphia, Pa. Georgia Gray was a modernist. Her husband was Dean of Architecture at University of Pa. I was taught by them the use of color and design.
My adventure in color was bright. Shocking to most clients. Because, at the time Philadelphia was very, very traditional. But remember, I am adventurous.I remember doing a dining room in the 1960’s with deep crown moldings in a white- white paint and the walls in dark brown almost black. The bedroom with purple walls and ceiling. Yes Purple! That was adventurous for the times.( I believe in many cases the walls and ceiling should be the same color. This continues the eye upward. Makes the ceiling seem higher.)
When I came to Baltimore, I had two special clients. I also considered them friends. At the time I worked with this client. I asked her what color scheme she would like. She replied. Everyone is doing Beige. I thought this would be too dull for her . So I put together schemes with beiges and browns she would have never expected. Patterns mixed with other patterns. Quite the unexpected at the time. i put this all on furniture pieces you would have never had expected them to be on. It all was a great hit.
The next client was a couple that built a house in Baltimore. Completely decorated it and then sold it completely decorated. They would then go to Florida and do the same there. But when I met them and started to work for them they were in their 60’s. They wanted me to design something exciting for them.So, I designed their home very “modern”. I totally used all the brightest colors. Purple, Red. and Chartreuse. Remember Chartreuse? Plexiglass chairs and tables, etc,etc. And again they sold the house completely decorated and with all the furnishings.
Now, a couple of months ago, my wife and I had designed and furnished a show house in Washington, DC. (A past Blog) with soft grays and soft golds with accents of brown and orange. A more subtle color pallette with reminences of the 60″s. What comes around goes around again and again. Usually with a little different tweak. We have seen the bright colors of the past few years.Vibrant corals, Bright Yellows, and Citrus greens. But the return of the softer pallette is coming. Soft aquas, soft greys, soft browns and beiges. It all has a calming effect. And we could all use that at this time. By the way don’t you love these color names: Bella Dona, Vista, Rectory Red, Buff, Mustang, Humble Gold and Coconut Skin. (Sherwin Williams , Benjamin Moore, and Farrow and Ball)
Bill
Color! Now and Then
November 20th, 2009Highpoint Furniture Market
November 8th, 2009Two times a year is furniture market in Highpoint, NC. This is for all Interior Designers and Furniture Store Owners and their employees to preview what is new in our industry. Most of us look forward to this. This year I felt rejuvenated and refreshed! And with much anticipation and hope for the future.
The Interhall, which is in the main building of the now very large area of showrooms, introduced many products with new twists. In the past markets I could breeze through this Interhall area and not get too excited. This time I was exhilarated with what I saw. A lot of the furniture had that washed weathered look. Slightly “European Country”.But clean.It was a good look not heavy and more casual. One of the companies producing this is Tritter Feefer. And best of all is an environmentally conscious manufacturer using substainable resources.
Lighting! Lots of pendants. Many grouped together. Wow! what a statement.I loved it.Luna Bella which had fabulous pendants and a wall mounted one that looked like jewelry. “Barbara Cosgrove Lighting” had wonderful lamps.Big scale. Important.A pair of White Foo Dogs lamps on pedestal bases with chocolate silk shades.Great!.
Then we went to Hickory Chair Company. Here we saw a very spacious showroom with several galleries with collections by top designers. One featuring collections by Alexa Hampton.A truly vivacious lady and very talented like her father.Walking through the showroom we came upon the new furniture collection by Suzanne Kasler. Elegant, Light in color, very fresh. And we met with her as she was having a book signing with her new book ” Inspired Interiors”. She was delightful to talk to very down to earth.
Then we were off to Kincaid Furniture Showroom.This furniture is made in America,and reasonably priced with good design.
If you happen to go to the area.I highly recommend to go to the Proxminity Hotel in Greensboro. We ate a wonderful dinner there at the Print Works Bistro. Enjoyed ourselves so much we went back a second time.
Next week - Lets talk Color.
Bill
Washington DC Design House - Capital Hill
November 3rd, 2009If you love your home environment and are looking for design ideas and inspiration visit the Washington DC Fall Design House located at the Washington Design Center. The eight rooms, based on neighborhoods in Washington DC, are filled with great design ideas.Look at the colors, fabrics, and room arrangements. Open to the public, at no charge now through December 12th.
A room we designed, Katherine and Bill Tarleton, is based on a congressional library and office suite located in the Capital Hill area, we feel it is a must see. The room is a mixture of traditional and modern styles. This is a signature look for us. We like to mix periods of furniture. We wanted the room to feel comfortable, yet luxurious, to either woman or men. The color pallet selection for the room started with the area rug. A handwoven rug in wool and silk, in pewter and gold.The walls have a beautiful Farrow and Ball wallpaper with leaves and vines in metallic silver and gold finish on an off white ground. The ceiling and walls below the chair rail are painted with Farrow and Ball paint. The sofa is a luxurious gray velvet and very comfortable.
All the furniture pieces selected for this room are from showrooms in the design center, and for sale. The artwork is also for sale. The painting over the sofa is from the 50’s, by a noted interior designer and artist. The sky scape pastel in the room is by Maryland artist, Mary Cover. And the acrylic on the desk is by me!
My wife and I enjoyed doing this room very much and hope you will enjoy it too! Oh, on a personal note notice the photos on the desk. One is of my father. Whom in the 50’s was the pioneer of cable TV. But more about that subject at a later time.
Keep posted for my next blog on the Highpoint Market. Whats new!
Bill
Mirror Images - Part 2
February 17th, 2009I was recently reading an old Martha Stewart living magazine # 171 page 53 ” Upon Reflection”. It was a really good article.It brought back my uses of mirrors in my interiors through time.I was working with a client whose family owned a home in which Billy Baldwin ( famous decorator) had decorated a room in the late 1920’s.I found an antique Irish oval mirror , the center of the mirror was convex ,and all around the frame was tiny mirrors inserted. The illusion was remarkable! So much sparkle and reflection.I have never come across another mirror like that.And the famous room had a wonderful new complement. In the past I have taken full walls and mirrored them floor to ceiling and end to end. But now I have been trying something a little more creative. That is I have now been framing out the mirror with decorative moldings . Painting it a complimentary paint color to coordinate with the rest of the room and the furniture.
This brings back a memory of a client that I had been working for and he had an indoor pool. We had decided to put mirrors around the walls of the pool. Then the client seems to had gained some weight and called me , and said he wanted all the mirrors removed. Of course I said OK. A couple of days had passed , I had not removed the mirrors yet and the client called and said , Don’t remove the mirrors! Forget it. It seems that the client was dating a very young new girlfriend and whenever she came over to the house she would say “Lets go to the pool - with all those mirrors. Need I say more!
Till the next time. Bill
mirror visions ?????
February 3rd, 2009My career as an interior designer has made me aware of how mirrors are so important . From the great hall of mirrors in Versailles to the use in Feng shui or looking at a book by Billy Baldwin ,where he used mirrors to expand space.
I remember discussing with a client wanting to use a mirror in her bath, and I reminded her its use had its good and bad reflections…
Now comes a new idea —television mirror. Imagine while you are brushing your teeth,washing your face you can watch TV, not a TV set on a counter
or hanging from the ceiling but in the mirror! Yes I said in the mirror! From a small size to 65″. I am currently using this for a sports client so that while he is exercising he can keep tabs on his golf game. Check out Blue Vision. We can tell you of more uses tomorrow , I have to run to an appointment. Regards, Bill T.