Interiors Hitting the Red Carpet

Standard

 Morning America!


Happy Fall! I am finally back to the blog world it’s been about time and what better way to come back then with the Emmy inspired interiors?! After having so much fun in the past finding interior inspiration from the Oscar fashions, I had my alarm set to watch the red carpet for the Emmys this year ready to seek out interiors fit for television!

The ladies of the red carpet made a bold entrance wearing cobalt blue making sure that they were a primary guest by color and stardom at Sunday evenings award ceremony. If you’re feeling bold, cobalt blue is a perfect color to bring your interior to it’s fullest energy in rooms such as an entry foyer, office and family room or den. This vibrant color demands attention and holds the meaning of strength, loyalty, and friendliness. By using powerful color in the suggested locations you portray the right image of strength and success in your work space and loyalty and friendly hospitality in your welcoming entrance as well as where you spend time with your guests.

Beth Behrs, star of the CBS sitcom “Two Broke Girls” didn’t look so “broke” on the red carpet as she sported the color of money! You too can give your space that feel of money without spending all of it by using drops of green or big splashes to liven up you room. Consider painting the hallway of your staircase a bright kelly green to lead the way to stable growth or have fun with colored tiles in your shower to make those early mornings a little brighter.

Just like the song says “I want to be next to you, black and gold” Eddie Falco made her presence magnetic in a stunning black, white and gold gown by Stella McCartney. Whether you decide to stick with black and gold or bold geometrics like  January Jones chose in her Zac Posen “crisscross” dress, black is a classic color and can be the star of any style that you are going for. Make your black furniture and or accessories stand out up against a metallic wall, check out Sherwin Williams metallic paints to get this effect. http://www.sherwin-williams.com/home-builders/services/paint-technology-and-application/faux-finishing/metallic-impressions/

HELLO YELLO! Jullianne Moore definitely looked like a ray of sunshine at this year’s Emmy’s wearing an all yellow Christian Diore Couture evening gown. Yellow is the perfect color to use for those interiors that don’t get much natural light and are gathering areas to encourage perky and cheerful emotions and actions. Yellow is also a good color to make a space feel cozy such as near a fireplace or in a library to make one want to cuddle up with a good book!

Goddesses of the sea seemed to be a popular look for these mermaids Sophia Vergara wearing Zuhair Murad and Heidi Klum in Alexandre Vauthier. No matter what part of the world you may live in you can bring those watery colors right into your living room with solid silks, striped pillows a fun coastal ikat print or sea-foam painted shutters for your porch.

Turn the heat up with the richness of orange tones throughout your interior and make its presence known in your room like these ladies did each in their own way! If you want to add spice to your room consider taking a tour of another culture by using native fabrics and architectural details. Remember that you can always use your favorite citrus colors even if you are afraid of using too much color. Orange, can get its point across gracefully with just a touch in accents such as frames or art and you don’t necessarily have to use the color in its most bold form, you can always add white or black to it for a less bold look.

As another award show passes I must leave you all with the best of the red carpet to inspire your own spaces; and keep living the lifestyles of the rich and famous until the next red carpet inspirations hit a room near you!

Building from the Ground Up 7

Standard

Bonus Room

Greetings from Pinehurst #6!

I am reporting to all of you as an official North Carolina resident as I just arrived on Sunday night and went apartment shopping yesterday! Good news is that I can now give more live updates on Project Dream Home, just today I made it to the site three times! So much progress has been made, the entire exterior has been “bricked” and each room has been painted!

Garage Arches

The garages now have arches and the third garage is actually smaller than the rest for no other reason than what every golf house needs… a golf cart!

TIP: There is no rule that says your garage has to be painted white! If you already have the paint for another room in the house why not paint the garage and use the leftover paint?

Kitchen Cabinets

 

 

Tip: If you are afraid to get spontaneous with your cabinet paints than why not experiment with your laundry room? If you can’t have fun in your laundry room where not every guest will see than where can you?

Laundry Room

Kitchen Booth Base

Where is the heart of your home? For this dream home the kitchen is right in the center of the house as it should be the core that entertains the owners and their guests; and with no better way to seat everyone than in a corner booth!

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for plenty more updates as we will be installing the rest of the kitchen cabinets, family room ceiling and bathroom tiles!

“A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body”
~Benjamin Franklin~

Building from the Ground Up 6

Standard

Greetings From Project Dream Home Pinehurst, North Carolina!

Since I have graduated time has flown and so much has happened with the progress of the house the brick has been laid, the walls have been plastered and textured and the fireplace has been placed. Here is an update on the exterior and central parts of the house. Check out the progress!

Front Door with Scroll Work

Brick Laying for the Family Room

Master Suite Patio

Master Suite Windows

Side of Master Suite

Master Bath

Backyard Patio, Pool Space and Kitchen Windows

Door to patio from kitchen

Looking towards the family room from the inside of the kitchen

Back of Kitchen

Looking towards entry foyer from kitchen

Butler’s Pantry

Family Room Windows

Home is a starting place of love and dreams.

Stay tuned for much more to be updated on Project Dream Home!

 

A Designer’s First Project

Standard

Hey Everyone! After just posting my feelings on Graduation I am more than excited to share my very first OFFICIAL project with all of you! During the last semester of my college career at High Point University I was asked to design the “Collabortatory” Writing Lounge at High Point University’s very own North College Court.

Writing Lounge Before 

 

 

Collaboratory After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Lounge Before

Collaboratory After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Lounge Before

Collaboratory After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Lounge Before

Collaboratory After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboratory After

Collaboratory After

 

 

Collaboratory After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Collaboratory

 

 

Dream Big Be Extraordinary Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My concept behind the “Collaboratory” was to create a space where students can develop their creative writing skills with inspirational quotes, maps to inspire their imagination as well as different forms of media art. By incorporating the elements of water and fire I hope that students can not only feel at home in the “Collaboratoy” but, can also reach their deepest side of creativity.

Roots Before Branches

Standard

First off, I am so sorry to everyone for not posting in over a month! Life has been crazy… as I have turned the page to the next chapter in my life, and have put the  book of college and classroom life onto the shelf to only reflect upon in my memory.

I can’t believe how time has flown by. It seems that I was just sitting in my Fundamentals of Design class as a freshman from Chicago new to the east coast. Now, I have found myself back in the midwest for the moment with the full knowledge of all of the elements and principles of design, the ins and outs of building codes, the building blocks to how the interiors in which I design were constructed and the realization that life is dancing around me and all that I can do is take the twirls and dips with it.

From the very beginning of my college design career sophomore year I designed an art deco hotel corridor.

To the end of my design education with a 9 story New School of Art and Design for High Point University.

As I sit here this morning writing to you all, I have the anticipation and anxious feelings of what the future has to hold for me and which direction my path will lead to. After watching the Graduation episode of GLEE…I know that sounds silly but, the song “Roots Before Branches” has really played an impact on me.

Whatever comes

Leaving the building where VLV Designs was created.

I know how to take it
Learn to be strong
I won’t have to fake it
Oh, you’re understandin’
Oh, but when you come
And do it best
There ain’t nothin’
To stoppin’ east to west     Who knows in what part of the country I will land
But I’ll still
Be standing
I’ll be standing


I gotta have
Roots before branches      I need to take the stepping stones to get to my dream job
To know who I am (To know who I am)
Before I know
Who I wanna be               Don’t let fear of the unknown get in the way of chances 
And faith
To take chances
To live like I see
A place in this world        Everything happens for a reason.

Building From The Ground Up 5

Standard

Greetings from Mom and the Girls!

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend! I just got back from my visit to Pinehurst and the dream house and…WOW has progress been made!  We started out our weekend by going to a granite yard where we picked out all of the countertops. Check out the progress of Project Dream Home unfolding!

Granite Yard

This particular granite yard was unlike any I had been to in the fact that we could see all of the granite at a large scale as opposed to just  a small square sample. This is crucial when it comes to picking out the best products by being able to see them at the appropriate scale in natural light. Being in the granite yard we also had the opportunity to move different samples to compare next to and up against other pieces.

Kitchen Island Counter

This is the granite that was chosen for the kitchen which I am obsessed with! The dreamers of Project Dream Home dreamt up a tuscan home which the kitchen is at the heart of and this granite couldn’t say tuscan better with such a fluid and abstract natural line.

My bathroom counter top

My bathroom counter top it's black with specs of gold!

The Front Door

My Bedroom

Front Door and Dining Room Exterior

Lexi's Bedroom Suite and Garage Exterior

The Study surrounded by Lexi and I's bathrooms

Tonight I will leave you with the words of Philip Johnson, “All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space” Stay tuned as I have many more pictures to be posted very soon!

Designer Challenge Tip Of The Day

Standard

Good Afternoon Everyone!

It’s the middle of the day, the middle of the week, and I’m in the middle of working on my senior seminar project for contract design. As I find myself about 20hrs from my last deadline before the final due date I have come to realize that I need to trust myself and gut,which is my advice for all of you. Design can be intimidating because there are so many paths that can lead you in different creative directions. However, with so many options one can find one’s self spinning instead of moving forward. Just wanted to give an update on my selection process to show the most organized and clean version of my finish specifications for a 9-story contract building project:

ImageImage

Image

With that being said don’t be afraid of your own creativity; you are your worst critic; and when it comes to crunch time… the best you can do is make a confident decision and move on!