It’s a rainy kind of gloomy afternoon here in NYC. I don’t really feel like taking Boo out for a walk, so I am throwing a toy around the apartment instead. This is certainly not the most effective form of exercise, since my apartment is literally only 25 feet long, but short sprints seemed to have worked—he’s panting and now lying down to rest. I’m sure the downstairs neighbors are relieved that this game is over.
Watching “Bad Cuz”* bounce off the walls in my “foyer”—a bit grand of a term for the 4’x6’ space around the front door—I am convinced that I want to repaint this space. About two ago, I decided to paint my whole apartment. I just couldn’t take another year of the institutional white that is ubiquitous in rental apartments. I read many of the British decorating mags (Homes & Gardens, House & Garden, World of Interiors) and I had long ago been introduced to Farrow & Ball, a traditional paint and wallpaper company based in Britain. They have been supplying sample “pots” of their paints for years—I had pots of “Shaded White” (living room) and “Skylight” (bedroom) long before Benjamin Moore rolled out their Color Samples.
I love the Farrow & Ball colors. They are old-fashioned, yet they always seem to have the perfect shade for whatever project I have in mind. The colors are rich, even when they are pale or muted. Maybe dense is a better description. They have great names—“Mouse’s Back,” “Dead Salmon,” “Elephant’s Breath,” and “Pale Hound” are a few of my favorites. The selection is comprehensive—the paint card I have shows 132 colors—a small offering compared with many US manufacturers, but much more manageable. I find sometimes that the larger companies are overwhelming; there are too many colors to choose from, too many chances to get a clunker.
When I painted my apartment, I choose F&B’s “Skylight” for the bedroom. It is from their “Blues” range, but it has gray and green tones in it as well. Depending on the light and time of day, the color changes slightly leaning towards sky blue, pale gray, or aqua. It’s a unique color, so I splurged on it. That is one of a few negatives to the F&B paint—it’s more expensive than your average paint. A gallon can run from $60-70, depending on the finish--but I think it's worth it. I have also been told that you can’t “touch-up” the color, that repainting just a small area will result in a change in the density of the color compared to the rest of the room. I haven’t needed to touch-up yet—but I will have to soon, so I’ll let you know what I find. Additionally, Farrow & Ball is not widely distributed—check their website for local specialty retailers, or you can order it direct. There is a retail store in Greenwich, CT if you live in the NY area.
For the living room, I had my local paint distributor mix a match to F&B’s “Shaded White.” It is not exact, but it was close enough and more on the budget. In the foyer, I went with Benjamin Moore—a dusty, grayish green called “Hidden Ravine.” But now I am ready for a change. I always gravitate toward browns, and I have fallen in love with F&B’s, “London Stone,” a warm cocoa brown. Paint is the fastest, and usually cheapest, way to change the look and feel of a room. I’m going to splurge again, and in just a weekend I can have a brand new look to the foyer. If you need to paint a room, take a look at F&B. I bet you’ll get hooked too.
Boo is getting restless—time to face the rain.
* “Bad Cuz” is the greatest dog toy. It’s a hard rubber ball with feet, and it has a squeaker inside. Cuz comes in many colors, but Bad Cuz is red with devil ears. Boo and Simon LOVE it, but it causes a ruckus at dog run—every dog wants to play with it. You can find Bad Cuz and Good Cuz (in white) at Petco. Go fetch one for your dog today.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
Geek that I am...
...I was very excited to learn that House Beautiful has a new editor--Stephen Drucker. Many years ago, House Beautiful was the first magazine that truly got me excited about interior design. Under editor Louis Oliver Gropp, HB was full of informative articles that taught me and many others about interior design, architecture, furniture styles, and landscape architecture. I always felt that HB was the most intelligent of the popular shelter magazines. When I recently began to cull my collection of back-issues--almost 20 years worth--I found it hard to bring myself to get rid of these magazines. Some issues I will never be able to part with, as they are chock full of information that I still find valuable; they are great design references for me. However, after Lou Gropp retired from the magazine, I was disappointed when successive editors either tried to copy the formula of competitors, or just got downright bland. I felt that the magazine lost what had made it distinct. While I enjoyed the features, I no longer felt that I was learning something every time I opened a new issue. Apparently I'm not the only one sensing the decline--judging by the extremely thin recent issues, it seems ad pages are down too. So I am happy to see Stephen Drucker at the helm now. I remember him for his great work at Martha Stewart Living. I hope he can bring back House Beautiful. Geeks like me want brains as well as beauty.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Dog Friendly Design
I hate getting trumped. One of the reasons why I wanted to start this blog was to get my ideas out there before I saw them in a magazine. It drives me crazy when I have an idea, and then a year later, it's in every publication I open. One of my major interests is dog-friendly design. I wasn't going to give this one to you first, in my list of design interests, but the other day I opened the March issue of Traditional Home (not a fave, but I needed a fix) and there it was--an article called "Animal Kingdom." And it described two things I was going to tell you all about here: Julia Szabo and Crypton Fabric. Trumped again! So let me get to my stuff now, and you'll see the connection.
I'll start with an illustrative tale (tail?). Tonight was rainy and muddy, but the dog needed go out anyway. When we got home, before I could grab the "dog towel" to dry him off, Boo gave himself a good shake in the living room, sending gray mud spatters all over an un-covered-by-a-dog-throw portion of the dub linen sofa I purchased in my pre-dog years. And so we see my interest in dog-friendly design.
I have a big, dirty dog. Boo is an 80-lb. chocolate labrador retriever. He sheds—a lot; he rolls on his back in the dog run, grinding dirt and crushed bluestone deep into his coat, which then slowly makes its way out onto my furniture and into my carpets. I don't mind that Boo sleeps on my bed and on the couch. It’s why I got a dog—I like the company. I also like a well-decorated house; I want better and nicer furnishings. I don’t want the upholstery to smell like wet dog. I wish I didn’t have old sheets thrown over the sofa and armchair. I’ve long ago given up on the idea of light-colored rugs or carpets, or sisal and other hard to clean floor coverings, but I definitely want more than bare floors. I’m inspired by Julia Szabo’s book, Animal House Style, which profiles lots of ways people successfully merge good design and living with pets. This topic could of course be expanded to include child-friendly design. I don’t have kids, but if I did, judging by the dog I have, I'm sure there would still be an abundance of mud on the sofa, barf on the rugs, and snack foods on everything. My brain is constantly working at the puzzle of how to decorate well when living with a lot of pet.
My latest dog-friendly design idea has been dog-proof throw pillows. Boo spend a large part of his day sleeping on the couch(despite his comfy dog-bed in the same room). Boo's best friend, a Dalmatian named Simon, often comes to visit and loves to sleep curled up at one end of the sofa. Clearly, I need throw pillows that can withstand the two dogs. [Kicking the dogs off the couch is not really an option.] I want to find stylish, sturdy, yet machine washable, fabrics to make pillow covers with, and I want to coordinate this with my inspiration for the room (a George Smith fabric called Grayswood). A company called Crypton makes fabric that is stain, water & bacteria resistant. After much success in the contract business (hospitality and healthcare mainly) they branched out to residential uses and are now marketing their Super Fabric to the individual consumer. One of their lines features designs by William Wegman, of Weimeraner photo fame--fun dog prints. So lets see--no stains, no bacteria, no smelly odors?? Sounds like the perfect dog-friendly fabric. I ordered some of their Smart Suede and one of the Wegman designs ("Material Dog") to try out--to "Lab" test them. Ha ha--I crack myself up. Check out the website--they've got lots of interesting styles and colors, and if you order a sample of their fabric cleaning system, they will send you some swatches!
If you are interested in this topic, Traditional Home did a nice job and they have good pictures of some dog-friendly living products. I'll let you know how the pillows come out, and if the fabric resists the wet dog smell. And I'll have more on this topic in days to come...stay tuned.
I'll start with an illustrative tale (tail?). Tonight was rainy and muddy, but the dog needed go out anyway. When we got home, before I could grab the "dog towel" to dry him off, Boo gave himself a good shake in the living room, sending gray mud spatters all over an un-covered-by-a-dog-throw portion of the dub linen sofa I purchased in my pre-dog years. And so we see my interest in dog-friendly design.
I have a big, dirty dog. Boo is an 80-lb. chocolate labrador retriever. He sheds—a lot; he rolls on his back in the dog run, grinding dirt and crushed bluestone deep into his coat, which then slowly makes its way out onto my furniture and into my carpets. I don't mind that Boo sleeps on my bed and on the couch. It’s why I got a dog—I like the company. I also like a well-decorated house; I want better and nicer furnishings. I don’t want the upholstery to smell like wet dog. I wish I didn’t have old sheets thrown over the sofa and armchair. I’ve long ago given up on the idea of light-colored rugs or carpets, or sisal and other hard to clean floor coverings, but I definitely want more than bare floors. I’m inspired by Julia Szabo’s book, Animal House Style, which profiles lots of ways people successfully merge good design and living with pets. This topic could of course be expanded to include child-friendly design. I don’t have kids, but if I did, judging by the dog I have, I'm sure there would still be an abundance of mud on the sofa, barf on the rugs, and snack foods on everything. My brain is constantly working at the puzzle of how to decorate well when living with a lot of pet.
My latest dog-friendly design idea has been dog-proof throw pillows. Boo spend a large part of his day sleeping on the couch(despite his comfy dog-bed in the same room). Boo's best friend, a Dalmatian named Simon, often comes to visit and loves to sleep curled up at one end of the sofa. Clearly, I need throw pillows that can withstand the two dogs. [Kicking the dogs off the couch is not really an option.] I want to find stylish, sturdy, yet machine washable, fabrics to make pillow covers with, and I want to coordinate this with my inspiration for the room (a George Smith fabric called Grayswood). A company called Crypton makes fabric that is stain, water & bacteria resistant. After much success in the contract business (hospitality and healthcare mainly) they branched out to residential uses and are now marketing their Super Fabric to the individual consumer. One of their lines features designs by William Wegman, of Weimeraner photo fame--fun dog prints. So lets see--no stains, no bacteria, no smelly odors?? Sounds like the perfect dog-friendly fabric. I ordered some of their Smart Suede and one of the Wegman designs ("Material Dog") to try out--to "Lab" test them. Ha ha--I crack myself up. Check out the website--they've got lots of interesting styles and colors, and if you order a sample of their fabric cleaning system, they will send you some swatches!
If you are interested in this topic, Traditional Home did a nice job and they have good pictures of some dog-friendly living products. I'll let you know how the pillows come out, and if the fabric resists the wet dog smell. And I'll have more on this topic in days to come...stay tuned.
First Walk
This is my 4th winter with my dog, and I have to say, its been the mildest January of them all. I haven’t checked that officially, but most of the local dog-run regulars concur. It was 52 degrees yesterday afternoon when Boo and I went out for an early afternoon walk. One of the things I have enjoyed the most while being unemployed has been taking Boo for longs walks around the neighborhood. I’ve been back in NYC, and on the Upper West Side, for about six years now, but I find it amazing how little I’ve ventured out of my own section of the ‘hood. So now I take Boo and we go out to check beyond our local borders. Part of this is my quest to find a gorgeous block, full of brownstones that haven’t yet been renovated, on the cusp of change, apartments still affordable. It’s the dream of many New Yorkers, the holy grail of real estate, finding the last bargain in a neighborhood on the verge. I think it’s the grown-up version of a dream I used to have as a kid—that I found a door in the back of my bedroom closet that led to a secret room that was only for me to inhabit. Anyway, being unemployed, it would be hard to snatch up that bargain floor-through should I stumble upon it, but I plan on memorizing the neighborhoods, block by block, so that I’ll be prepared for reading the real estate listings. And Boo needs exercise.
As for being unemployed: I worked 8 ½ years for my last company, in an unfulfilling job (selling bonds), in an industry that never excited me (Wall St.), until months of prayers were answered and I was laid off with a severance package. It’s not that I wasn’t successful (I did okay), but that my interest level in the financial markets diminished with each year on the job. My brokerage-house job followed an MBA program, which had been preceded by two stints in retail banking (i.e. in a branch). I hated those jobs too. It took way too many years to realize that financial services were not for me--or at least to get out! The problem, however, is that I’ve never really been able to put my finger on exactly what IS for me. I’ve got a bunch of ideas, all focused on or relating to interior design, but I’m trying to sift them all together, and find the best combination of skills and interests that would propel me towards a fulfilling career. And, a job that might actually pay me enough to continue to live on the Upper West Side and someday realize my dream of owning a brownstone apartment--preferable a duplex with a garden. A girl can dream.
Basically, I love interior design. I am a shelter magazine junkie. I take continuing education classes in interior design at Parsons, I go to lectures and exhibitions on design all around the city. I have taught myself a ton about design and designers over the last 15 years. I have an excellent memory for design (proven during independent, non-biased aptitude testing), and I have great taste (not-proven, but I am confident in this--what budding designer isn't?!). I don’t know for sure that I want to be an interior designer, but I do know that I want to put all this knowledge and interest to good use.
My next post will highlight my favorite design topics.
As for being unemployed: I worked 8 ½ years for my last company, in an unfulfilling job (selling bonds), in an industry that never excited me (Wall St.), until months of prayers were answered and I was laid off with a severance package. It’s not that I wasn’t successful (I did okay), but that my interest level in the financial markets diminished with each year on the job. My brokerage-house job followed an MBA program, which had been preceded by two stints in retail banking (i.e. in a branch). I hated those jobs too. It took way too many years to realize that financial services were not for me--or at least to get out! The problem, however, is that I’ve never really been able to put my finger on exactly what IS for me. I’ve got a bunch of ideas, all focused on or relating to interior design, but I’m trying to sift them all together, and find the best combination of skills and interests that would propel me towards a fulfilling career. And, a job that might actually pay me enough to continue to live on the Upper West Side and someday realize my dream of owning a brownstone apartment--preferable a duplex with a garden. A girl can dream.
Basically, I love interior design. I am a shelter magazine junkie. I take continuing education classes in interior design at Parsons, I go to lectures and exhibitions on design all around the city. I have taught myself a ton about design and designers over the last 15 years. I have an excellent memory for design (proven during independent, non-biased aptitude testing), and I have great taste (not-proven, but I am confident in this--what budding designer isn't?!). I don’t know for sure that I want to be an interior designer, but I do know that I want to put all this knowledge and interest to good use.
My next post will highlight my favorite design topics.
Putting together Nest
I like finding birds' nests. It's amazing to me how nests are tightly woven with twigs, bits of string, each nest different, representative of its builder, most strong enough to survive even a long fall from the tree onto hard ground. Sometimes nests of ordinary, local, easy-to-find twigs are interlaced with a shiny piece of ribbon or a silky bit of floss. We make our homes in similar ways, putting together bits and pieces that we find useful and pretty, creating our places of refuge.
I have a bunch of ideas on how to create our own home-nests--probably none wildly original or innovative. But I like to think about interior design, weave together some ideas, sometimes add a bit of shiny ribbon. I enjoy sharing my ideas and fun things I've discovered. I'm trying to make my interest in interior design into a career.
I plan on posting my thoughts, theories, pet peeves, and favorites regarding interior design. I'll journal my job search. I'll probably tell you about my walks with my dog--generally that's when I do my best thinking. Let's see how it all goes. Maybe we'll find some good twings and string and silky floss along the walk.
I have a bunch of ideas on how to create our own home-nests--probably none wildly original or innovative. But I like to think about interior design, weave together some ideas, sometimes add a bit of shiny ribbon. I enjoy sharing my ideas and fun things I've discovered. I'm trying to make my interest in interior design into a career.
I plan on posting my thoughts, theories, pet peeves, and favorites regarding interior design. I'll journal my job search. I'll probably tell you about my walks with my dog--generally that's when I do my best thinking. Let's see how it all goes. Maybe we'll find some good twings and string and silky floss along the walk.
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