LATEST WORKS

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: MASTER BEDROOM "BEFORE"

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: MASTER BEDROOM "AFTER"

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

My latest!

BRIARCLIFF MANOR DINING ROOM: BEFORE

BRIARCLIFF MANOR DINING: AFTER

BEDFORD CORNERS GUEST ROOM: BEFORE & AFTER

MT. KISCO BEFORE & AFTER

MT. KISCO BEFORE & AFTER

FAMILY ROOM in YORKTOWN HEIGHTS

SIMPLE VALANCE in BRIARCLIFF MANOR

The before picture featured above. The after photos featured below. This window treatment was a simple design to give the room a little "umph" without getting all nutty. This Nanny's bedroom was part of a complete basement renovation. We wanted a neutral palette so that we weren't forcing a look upon anyone. Crisp, clean & soft. We installed simple painted wood blinds for privacy & outfitted the window with a simple valance featuring a subtle paisley. Love it, love it, love it!

CUSTOM MUDROOM in BRIARCLIFF MANOR

Simply FABULOUS! This is another little ditty that my husband Jason worked on. Constructed from the highest grade of plywood, this custom cabinetry project was the perfect solution for this client's mudroom. It was measured & designed by yours truly, with some important input from hubby, but I had no idea it was going to look this awesome. The seat area was custom stained & french polished by Jason for an incredibly durable finish & an outsourced painter took care of the rest. It's organized storage at its best & beautiful to boot! We like that!

NORTH SALEM RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM "BEFORE"

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I met this client when I still had my boutique. She came in all excited about the possibilities of browsing through my collections to dress a table for a baby shower she was throwing. She exudes a happiness that is infectious. When she called me to help her ith her dining room, I was more than happy to help. She showed me a picture of a dining room from a Martha Stewart Catalog. It was sunny,golden & glowy. The room featured a striped grosgrain ribbon tacked with decorative nailheads in the chair rail as well as a warm grasscloth paper pasted below. We looked to the resources section of the magazine & ordered the supplies. Then the nightmare began!
The crown molding, chair rail & base moldings were all installed and made a huge improvement. The grass cloth paper was installed & I chose the perfect sunny yellow paint. I chose the window treatment & trim which was the perfect compliment to all the other components. BUUUUUTTTT...when the ribbon came in I gasped! What the? This couldn't possibly be the one featured in the magazine..but it was. Oh, and did I mention is was made in PORTUGAL?? I asked the company to send more swatches that were similar...all of them were wrong. THEEEEN, I was told I could send the drapery trim sample I chose so they could make a match. Months passed with shipping delays & then the package went M.I.A. C'MON! When the trim came in, it was uneventful. SOOOOO, I got out my colored pencils & literally illustrated the trim I wanted..thread by thread, but they didn't get it right. At this point I had torn out patches of my hair, but I attempted it one more time & BEHOLD!!!, a couple of months later, the perfect striped ribbon arrived. That only took a year!..literally.
Check out the after photos below!

NORTH SALEM RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM "AFTER"

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All the stress??...Worth it! The room looks twice as big & matches the size of this client's personality..sunny & bright! But I can not leave out this last crafty detail. When selecting the hardware the size pole & finish we selected could not be fitted with the finial we wanted. The finial belonged to another collection offered in other finishes, however, it did come in an unfinished resin as well. So guess what?? I painted the finial to look like the wood finish of the pole? Can you tell? Thank goodness for Color Theory Class 101. I don't often toot my own horn, but I gave myself extra points for that one. The dining room is my client's favorite room in the house now. :)

MOUNT KISCO RESIDENCE: BEFORE

MOUNT KISCO RESIDENCE: AFTER

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: EXISTING KITCHEN

When my client moved into her new home in Briarcliff Manor, the brand new kitchen wasn't exactly her style. It was more contemporary than her taste. When we first started picking paint colors for the house, the kitchen was a bit of a challenge. Just like white paint, which often gets a bad rap of being boring (not to me), beige can sometimes seem unimaginative to most. However, it was best to follow the original concept of the kitchen by balancing the almost stark contrast of beige and blackish brown, than trying to recreate the wheel & end up with a mess. (Make that a "hot mess"!) Those of you who are die hard Project Runway Fans will appreciate that term. :)

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: KITCHEN

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For this Briarcliff Manor resident's kitchen, the goal was to minimize the overall contemporary style of the previous owner. With pale almond cabinets & dark cocoa granite countertops, we decided to keep the stark contrasts in finishes but create a more modern country feel. All the brushed nickel hardware was swapped out for oil rubbed bronze, as were the lighting fixtures. We added a rustic farmhouse table from Crate & Barrel, Ebony side chairs & bar stools with rush seats from Pottery Barn, and created a window treatment that was simple in design & further exemplified the cream/cocoa/black color scheme. A soft creme fabric with a dark brown embroidered foral/vine motif was banded with a chocolate linen with embroidered chocolate polka dots. It is a favorite style treatment of mine, not too much fuss, but still keeps it a little fun.

The built-in desk unit happened to have sat very, VERY low. No one's legs could fit underneathe with a standard sized chair. Very odd indeed. So I search & searched...and searched..AND FOUND this awesome country stool. With many choices of stenciled words, my client chose "Grand Central Station" which was perfect for a myriad of paper, notes & the art work of two children. While we still are working on the accessories for the window sill, we have already found the perfect clock & are greatly anticpating the arrival an old fashioned dough bowl for the center of the table.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR LIVING ROOM: BEFORE

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BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: AFTER

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The inspiration for the living room redo for this Briarcliff Manor resident came from the little bit of kitchen tile behind the stove. It is a gorgeous blue with a little hint of periwinkle. The kitchen cabinets are a painted buttermilk color with a golden cast. Since the kitchen is open to the living room, we chose the gold & blue combination as our color scheme. Because of the openess of the floor plan & the amount of light that enters the room from every direction, it was important not to get too nutty with patterned fabrics. It was important that the pieces could hold their own, be simple, sophisticated, but warm & inviting. The biggest hurdle was to find a rug that we could use with our color scheme. I found one from Pottery Barn that could not have been more perfect. The golden upholstery was balanced with blue & chocolate pillows & a soft cocktail ottoman was used in place of a table since there are young children in the home. We are still waiting for a chair & ottoman to complete the room.
The windows were extraordinarily high but we only wanted to accent them, not cover them. So I created simple silk panels to dress the sides of the window frame & keep the view in tact. Also, instead of creating a dark line across the top of the window by using a long pole, I opted to use 2 smaller poles to accentuate the fabric, not the top of the window.

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE KITCHEN

What is the last word a designer wants to hear besides "BACKORDERED"?? How about "DISCONTINUED"??
A few years ago, I created a window treatment over the sink of this country cottage kitchen. At the time, my client was unsure if she wanted to address the sliding glass door. Recently she called me up & said that the sliding glass door needed a little somethin'- somethin'. Since the fabric used a few years ago was...say it isn't so...DISCONTINUED!!, I had to come up with something that would coordinate nicely. So I found the perfect fabric..HOORAY..okay maybe not..that too was discontinued, BUT, there was still some stock available. So we reserved it while we figured out what else we could add to it. I found a great pasiley that had all of the colors the original valance had, so I added it to the green panel for a little extra kick.
Then I designed a few custom chair cushions & would you believe that the contrast gingham check was discontinued also??!! OH C'MON!!! What is this a sabotage? Thankfully there was a wee bit of stock left, so I was safe. All in all it worked out perfectly as the style of the kitchen is a combination of stained wood tones, painted woods & different tiles. What I love about the whole design scheme including the fabrics is that nothing looks too planned or too "on-purpose"..a delightful cottage style!

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: WINDOWS" BEFORE"

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So I met this client as a referral from another (love those!) and right away she told me that she likes to find her own fabric. She is a bit of a stickler for the perfect one & knows it when she sees it. I explained that I was the same way, but would take a stab at it just in case she couldn't find what she was looking for. So of course the challenge was on. Bring it on baby...bring...it...on!

We were working around an exquisite rug with some serious color, so I brought her a pile of swatches...eh, nothing earth shattering. I went through all of my books. Determined not to give up, I thought, let me step away from the fabrics for a day & refocus. "Step awaaaay from the fabrics".

So a new day came & I thought I am going to go through all of my books again..there has got to be one that works. And so it happened...was it wishful thinking that for some crazy reason the absolute perfect fabric jumped out at me? I'll never know, but I brought a few other hopefuls, including this new one. When we laid them out on the rug, wouldn't you know, we had found it! My client, who happens to be very animated, gasped..I got my usual chills (which is my inner measure when I love something) & we spent a minute or two hitting eachother in the shoulder...we were both excited!

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: WINDOWS "AFTER"

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And here we have it...as per her request...a working London Shade...the incorporated paisley she wanted...and in the perfect color. A slightly masculine, yet feminine solution for this room. Exactly what she wanted! You can't really tell by these photographs, but trust me when I say that this fabric looks like it was made for this rug.

We are both very happy with the result.

YaY!!! :)

CROTON~ON~HUDSON LIVING ROOM WINDOWS "BEFORE"

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This was the 3rd room I was doing for this client. It is a very awkwardly designed space so we first started with a floor plan. This client knows what she likes & only needed me for final approval of her choices & ultimately the window treatments. I give credit where credit is due, & she is responsible for how awesome the room looks...below.

CROTON~ON~HUDSON LIVING ROOM WINDOWS "AFTER"

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Okay, not for nothin', but how flippin' cool is this room? I LOVE IT! I think it should be in a magazine, but hey, who am I? My favorite thing is the faux pony pelted cow print ottomans. FAB-U-LOUS! (sung in my overly flamboyant sing-songy voice). And again, I'll have to toot her horn, as she chose everything from the paint color, to the rug, & everything in between. but enough about her...heehee...

Originally my client thought about doing Restoration Hardware drapes, in their silk chocolate & aqua grey but it was way too over-exposed in my opinion & trust me, for the price, their quality is not anything to brag about. At any rate, despite the chocolate color in the room's accents, the rug's brown was not chocolate at all, but rather a bronze color with a khaki under-tone. Choclate would have been too strong. After spreading a bunch of swatches over the rug, there was one that stood out to both of us. Hooray!!! Consider it done I said!

The awesome part about this fabric is that it has a beautiful stitching design that runs throught the fabric that actually mimics the design in some of the pillows she had already chosen. Fate?? I think YES! And voila! Mission accomplished. Love it, Love it, Love it. :)

MARCH BOUTIQUE Briarcliff Manor, NY

"a bit of SoHo in Westchester"

If you have not experienced March Boutique located right in the heart of Briarcliff Manor, you are missing out on quite a gem. Owner Lynn Puro has the most incredible taste, the warmest of personalities & the unique ability to make everyone who walks into her shop look absolutely stunning! The boutique features an eclectic array of fashion forward clothing, jewelry & accessories and each piece is truly unique. Just walking into her boutique is an education on style.

To learn more about Lynn Puro & March Boutique, check out the website by clicking on the following link:

http://www.marchboutique.com/

Having said all that, I am incredibly happy to announce that I am working on an exclusive line of jewelry for Lynn. I will let you all know when the pieces will be available to purchase in her shop. I hope you all are as excited as I am!

:)

CORTLANDT MANOR BEDROOM "BEFORE"

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We see this happen often..with 2 children and all of their needs, how does one make make time for themselves? They don't. Often, parents are the last ones on the list. So with a master bedroom whose main function had been a catch all of temporary furnishings & inherited pieces, these clients finally turned the focus on themselves.

And while the whole room has not been transformed, we have made some major strides in the right direction. See after photos below.

CORTLANDT MANOR BEDROOM "AFTER"

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Of all the items that my client inherited, we decided to work the room around a plethora of custom pillows. And by plethora, I mean close to twenty. Okay, maybe not, but there was a LOT. Pictured top left are 2 of the pillows that guided us into a very French direction. With a myriad of colors including Mint, Celadon, Apricot, & Pink, our first task was to find a coordinating rug. And might I add, this was no easy task. Most of the rugs that worked were traditional French Aubusson style (delicate needlepoint) which were not practical.

Just when I thought my search was coming to an unfruitful end, upon catching just a small corner of one particular rug peeking out from a rather large pile at a local showroom, I caught my breath. Not even waiting for help to flip pounds of rugs, I muscled through, hoping that the unveiling of the entire rug would be my salvation. (Oh the drama)

And just as I had hoped, this was IT!!! (And the angels began to sing...ahh AHHH!) I pounced on it as if there were herds of onlookers just waiting to grab the rug out from underneathe me. Meanwhile, no one was around. (Just the sound of crickets) Laying on top of it like a face down version of DaVinci's "Vitruvian Man", I heard a salesman approach, "Was there something I could help you with Ma'am"?

And so we purchased the rug. Next was the window treatment design & the purchase of a wrought iron & fabric king sized bed. A minty-celadon silk was chosen for the drapes & a creamy velvet for the bed...a warmer paint color on the walls & a chandelier in place of the ceiling fan. And we're still not done. For now, we have positioned a desk in the room that was given to my client by her sister, but it is not known if that will stay. We need sizeable night tables, a flat screen console & a comfortable chair..so that is what I am working on now.

:)

Old Fashioned Silhouettes

Although Silhouettes have been popping up all over magazines & stationary, they are hardly a new concept. Being an old fashioned gal at heart, however, I have always been attracted to these works of sissor art. When I proposed making these silhouettes for my client, she was ecstatic about the idea. I had so much fun going to her home & having the kids "model" for me. "Look straight ahead, chin up, chin down, no laughing!" Each silhouette completely captures the essence of each child. This project was most rewarding to both myself & my client.

If you are interested in having your little ones silhouette portrait created, please let me know.

:)

BRONXVILLE RESIDENCE: LIVING ROOM BEFORE

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When I was first referred to this client, it was to help her design the interior of this charming town house in Bronxville. We went for a French garden inspired theme with a lot of uplifting colors. The window treatments were installed, pictures hung & accessories placed...

Then I received a call from her a couple of years later..."We're moving & I need help!!!". They were still staying in Bronxville, but instead of a charming townhouse, they moved into a grand, unbelievably gorgeous tudor home. The new living room was about twice the size of the previous one. Can I help?? You bet!

BRONXVILLE RESIDENCE: WINDOW SEAT BEFORE & AFTER

Click Image to Enlarge! The first step was to make a new window seat cushion. You can see from the initial before pictures, 2 posts above, that we took down the old window treatment & designed a new seat. We then hung temporary sheers in anticipation for a perfectly designed window treatment. My client was anxious to get some pillows on the new cushion & bought some yellow ones. Tsk Tsk Tsk! She gets an A for effort however. (just kiddin', Ei) The only color that made sense for the window treatment, based on the new layout & the new cushion was our creamy, buttery yellow. As I stated in the previous post, thankfully the plaid was available since it would be key in linking the valance to this new design. The new window treatment for the window seat is purely theatrical, much like drapes that pull away to expose a large movie screen. It is one of those spaces that isn't really functional, but required attention since it is a prominent aspect of the room.

BRONXVILLE RESIDENCE: LIVING ROOM "AFTER"

Click Image to Enlarge! And here we go... Thankfully we were able to salvage one valance from the townhouse for the main window & the only thing we really needed to add to this room was more seating. As per the husband's request, we added a large, comfy-cozy, television watchin', take a nap, 44" deep sofa. I chose a very soft chenille in the perfect grassy green shade & piped it with the same plaid we had used for the window treatments. All I can say is thank goodness that plaid wasn't discontinued, as it played an important role in the newly decorated space. Everything else from the townhouse living room was used & repurposed for the new layout. We were able to keep the French garden, Spring inspired, sherbert-y colored theme for her new home. Hooray! The only area that was in need of an overhaul, was the window seat. Check out the photos in the next post.

BRONXVILLE RESIDENCE: SUNROOM BEFORE

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This sunroom is located directly off the living room as featured in the few posts above. This room has a very dark slate floor with a myriad of colors. My client took down the old window treatments & put up some temporary sheers. THEN, she went out & purchased 2 floral chairs WITHOUT ME for which she got scolded! (HaHa..not really).

While beautiful, the fabric on the chairs have a periwinkle-ish floral pattern & remember that I said this room was directly linked to the living room...which already had an array of sherbert colors? Oh boy...now my work was cut out for me.

BRONXVILLE RESIDENCE: SUNROOM AFTER

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The solution? Let's keep this room light & bright, continue the sunny, garden room theme, but position the periwinkle floral chairs out of the direct view from the living room. I already knew that my client wanted a game table in this room as well...so this is what we did...

First, we had to lay down a sisal-type rug both for warmth & to cover up all those slate colors...which included a slatey-plum by the way. I then picked out a wrought iron outdoor style table & had it custom finished to a slate tone that worked perfectly to pick up the little bit of flooring that peeked out from the rug. I teamed the table up with 2 parson chairs with pale sage slipcovers so that they could either play games or have breakfast & tea in this room.

Then I designed a very large custom round ottoman from scratch & outfitted it with a slipcover in creamy white with a pale sage banding on the bottom edge. This is perfect for when my client's are sitting in those cute chairs, reading the paper & need something for their feet. It is also nice & large so if they wanted to set a tray with goodies on it, they could do that as well.

I chose wall decor to further the garden theme with some simple fern studies. Again the idea was to have a simple room that did not compete with the living room. And my favorite last touch, is the etched Hundi Lantern that has a fern pattern. I LOVE this little accent as it furthers the indoor/outdoor feel for this room. While probably the smallest room in this house, it is also my absolute favorite!

NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE BEFORE

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This was one of the last rooms in this New Rochelle residence that didn't have my hands in it. This project started with a renovation of both this petite family room & a massive kitchen blow out. The one family room wall that was adjacent to the kitchen was widened & the built ins around the double window were ripped out. While the little built in seating was cute, it didn't really provide adequate seating. It served more as a catch-all for a whole lotta pillows. :)

The client really wanted to maximize the seating for this room as well as introduce a flat screen television which would eliminate the need for the armoire. While most of the rooms I have done for this client are very traditional, we decided to go for a bit of a casual contemporary look.

Check out the after pictures featured in the next post.

NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE AFTER

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The best solution for this space once the built-ins were removed was to outfit the room with a sectional. It was the best way to maximize the seating while balancing out a double & triple window. A palette of warm colors was chosen to to present this petite media room as a cozy, "kick your shoes off", cocoon of sorts. Black accents & a geometric rug were chosen to add a bit of a contemporary twist to the overall feel of the room. Window treatments were kept very simple & accented with a simple banding of the paisley fabric we used for some of the throw pillows.

The other dressier silk terracotta fabric was used as just one toss pillow & served as the main inspiration for the adjacent kitchen windows. Who knew that this fabric would be an absolutely perfect coordinate to the cinnamon accents in the new granite counter top. See how things just have a way of working out!

Check out the before & after photos of the kitchen window treatments further down the page!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: GREAT ROOM BEFORE & AFTER

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The main focus for this client was to design the window treatments, however we started by going over the basic floor plan for a selection of new furnishings as well. My role was more of a hand holder & the "thumbs up - thumbs down" person for her selections. She wanted this room to be warmer & slightly more rustic than the other rooms in her home, but still remained a die-hard fan of toile fabric. She fell in love with a particular toile fabric & it was a must for the chair & 1/2 we were putting in the corner. After much searching for a coordinating fabric for the window treatments (as I am not one to match everything), she really wanted the toile fabric on the windows too. So I sat on it a bit & said, "Okay, let's do this".

OSSINING RESIDENCE: GREAT ROOM BEFORE & AFTER

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The trickiest part of the design was how to address the windows that flanked the fireplace (which were arched) and the standard single windows & sliding glass door.

There was no way to avoid a differentiation in the window treatment heights. Thankfully, the 2 arched windows were symetrically placed in the room flanking the fireplace & the single windows we directly opposite the slider. This allowed us to do 2 different types of treatments ... "London" valances on the arched windows & goblet topped drapery panels on the straight windows.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: GREAT ROOM BEFORE & AFTER

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While initially I was concerned with the whole room being shrouded in Toile fabric, in the end, I was quite pleased. The combination of the "feminine" toile against the more "masculine" leather, with the warmth of the new wood pieces provided that rustic feel my client wanted while not giving up on her favorite fabric. Again, it's all about balance...and making my client happy! ... which she is. (Hooray)

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM "BEFORE"

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This dining room bay window was already oufitted with ivory wood blinds, but we needed to frame out the bay & add some softness to the straight lines. The floor covering is a gorgeous French Aubusson needlepoint rug with a black backround & smokey grey/blue/sage accents. The center hallway was painted in Restoration Hardware's "Silver Sage", so a fabric was chosen to highlight the accent colors in the rug as well as the adjoining hallway's paint color.

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM "AFTER"

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A smokey sagey-blue silk was chosen as the main fabric, but to add a little "country cottage" flair that my client loves so much, a silk gingham check fabric was added as an accent. Not only does the needlepoint rug have black accents, but so does some of the furniture pieces like the shaker bench featured within the bay.

For the holdbacks, I chose a "maple leaf" since the home owner's address is Red Maple Leaf. I thought it was more personal. Not only does it work beautifully with the slight shimmer in both silk fabrics, it was the perfect compliment to the soft wood tones of the dining table & chairs.

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE: KITCHEN "BEFORE"

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The "before" picture left feaured the previous home owners flat roman shades. While very sweet, my client was taking the adjoining great room in another direction. My client brought me the fabric swatches (pictured right) for the new great room upholstery so that I could choose a coordinating fabric. She expressed that she wanted a big check pattern. "Rena to the rescue"! I found the fabric almost immediately & it was perfect! Normally I am a stickler for pouring over hundreds of fabrics, but when you find .."IT".. your gut tells you, or in my case, I get the chills. heehee

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE: KITCHEN "AFTER

Voila!
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NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE: KITCHEN WINDOWS "BEFORE"

NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE: KITCHEN WINDOWS "AFTER"

LOUIES ON THE AVENUE: BEFORE & AFTER

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Louie's on the Avenue is a charming restaurant in Rockland County's Pearl River. Set inside a Historic Victorian House, Louie's not only features a delicious American Cuisine, but an impressive collection of antique instruments. Thematically, Louie's is a Victorian, Jazzy, Bar & Grill type restaurant.

A few years back, an old colleaugue of mine introduced me to the restaurant owners & asked if I could create the window treatments & focus on some wall decor for 3 of the dining rooms. "Well of course I can", I said. These pictures are from the last dining room that I just completed. The wallpaper was picked out by my colleague & we struggled a bit trying to find the perfect shade of "Wine" for the window treatments, since we were working around a pre-existing carpet. Do you know how many shades of Wine fabric there are? Probably as many shades of actual Red Wine. Oh Boy. Too plum, too red, too burgundy...blah blah blah. We finally decided on a gorgeous silk with an embroidered vine accent. The vine's leaves are raised pieces of velvet...really really rich.

LOUIES ON THE AVENUE: BEFORE & AFTER

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The existing drapes were a white ready made lace curtain & on three of the 5 windows, & a burgundy scarf of some sort draped over a cafe rod. There are lovely molding details on these windows, so it was important not to cover them. Additionally, in this picture, it was important to showcase the leaded glass window that existed on the top half of these windows.

I chose a plain sheer fabric in a tone that matched the wallpaper. The vine accent in the silk is also of the same color. The end result is a softer ( since we 86ed the white lace) & yet bolder composition. The new drapes also add to the overall height of the windows whereas the old ones looked not only unfinished, but also looked bottom heavy.

LOUIES ON THE AVENUE: DETAILS

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In this details photo collection, you can really see the beauty in the fabric we used as well as some of the wall decor that was chosen for this room. All wall decor features a musical, jazz, or wine theme. It is a much more inviting place to be as you enjoy great food & the company of friends.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR POWDER ROOM: BEFORE & AFTER

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This client was in the midst of selling her Briarcliff Manor residence while moving into a new Briarcliff Manor residence. While we are doing a lot of work in the whole house, this was our first completed project.

The powder room started as a contemporary 1.5 bath with what I considered "dated" modern fixtures. While the architect was responsible for the new layout of the powder room which meant ripping out the shower stall & changing the doorway, I was responsible for beautifying it, for lack of a better word.

Even though this was a small powder room, we didn't want to sacrifice character. The floors were changed out for a rich tumbled stone with an added onyx mosaic border, picture molding was added along with a shallow chair rail, & new fixtures were installed. The paint was kept very soft for an overall sofisticated look. It is the smallest, but most special room in the house!

PORTCHESTER: PHOTOGRAPHER'S STUDIO

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This succesful still life photographer & Ossining resident hired me to redesign her studio located in The Historic Willet House Industrial Building of Portchester. http://18-20willett.com/HISTORY.HTM It is a very cool space & I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! So where to begin? While my client has an incredible creative eye, she needed to focus on her photography & thinking of a new concept for her studio was the last thing she felt like doing. Enter, Rena Ann. :) Pictured above left, you will see a gorgeous Robin's Egg color painted on the corregated steel reception divider. Stop the presses!...you must all know by now that is one of my favorite colors! And so the starting point to our redesign was announced. "We are totally working around this color", I exclaimed. (Are we Rena..totally?) heehee And what better team mate to Robin's Egg blue than...HELLO, Chocolate! And of course my other favorite color, pale pear green...wait, whose studio is this anyway? Don't I always say that design isn't about me? Hmmm. Well it didn't take long to pull it all together, especially when I found this funky pattern of the blue & green I needed. We were going for a modern-industrial-country flavor. Does that even exist? Well it does now. :)

PHOTOGRAPHER STUDIO BEFORE & AFTER

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One of the most important aspects of redesigning this space was to allow for maximum accommodations for the various clients that come in & out of the studio. Some days, there can be as many as 10 executives as well as the photographer's crew running about. We needed a proper workstation for laptop computers, a large round table for extra long work days with catered lunches, as well as a larger seating area.
The current seating area consisted of a wicker loveseat & chair, cocktail table with many reading materials, a wine bar & flat screen television. Not only was everything in close proximity of each other, it was difficult to enter the seating arrangement. This area then became the new workstation. With a brushed nickel & glass top work surface & reupholstered Crate & Barrel desk chairs, this little workstation now accommodates 2 laptop computers & often a third.

PHOTOGRAPHER STUDIO BEFORE & AFTER

Click Image to Enlarge. The next area to work on was the dining area. With the workstation free of clutter & improved access, the dining area was then able to receive its due attention. The 60" round dining table accommodates 8 chairs comfortably. These chairs are made of forged steel & have that industrial flair we were craving. Custom round seat cushions were designed for added comfort. I call them the Milano Cookie cushions...after all, one of her clients is Pepperidge Farm. Currently I am in search of the perfect lighting fixture to suspend over this area...something spacey & starbursty is my gut instinct.

PHOTOGRAPHER STUDIO BEFORE & AFTER

Click image to enlarge. The other side of the space was home to a myriad of I'm not sure what, but held the biggest promise for the larger seating area. It is comfy & inviting & allows clients to use their laptops on the expansive cocktail table as well. Furniture selections for this area include hammered steel & glass end tables, a slate top console table with industrial rivoted accents, and upholstery showcasing the whole color scheme. All person's work spaces should be so lovely right? Cheers!

PHOTOGRAPHER STUDIO:CUSTOM TABLETOP

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When I chose the dining table for the studio, I was so incredibly psyched about the style since it was exactly the size & look we wanted. Wouldn't you know however, the table's top had been dicontinued. What the? Enter panic mode, but not for long...my husband Jason works as one of the furniture restorers for a well known furniture engineer, builder & restorer in Bedford Hills. http://www.rdcarone.com/

So I asked Jason to make it. I can now say how impressed & educated I am with the art of hand-crafted furniture. It took some time, but was so worth the wait. Each plank of ASH wood was milled from the same tree & was carefully aligned for structural & asthetic integrity. The circle was then routed by hand & sanded meticulously. It was then scrub planed for added texture & for the worn "Modern Country" look I wanted. The finishing process was an education in itself, but let's just say that there were more steps in the finishing process than in the whole construction of the table. Jason combined 2 different stains for a new finish that represented the depth of color I had intended. Hand waxing & polishing gives this table top a most durable surface that is scratch resistant & safe enough for hot coffee.

All I can say is that the education of hand-craftsmanship in today's furniture market is priceless. With such few true artisans available, I am thrilled my husband is learning this special trade. We make a fine team. :)

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE PICTURES

Click Image to Enlarge ! My goal for this Ossining Resident's living room was to provide more seating, dress the windows with custom treatments & work in the right fabric choices to coordinate with her area rug. There was a little lack of balance regarding the positioning of the furniture which was remedied with a few small adjustments to the overall floor plan.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: AFTER PICTURES

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It was important for this Ossining living room to utilize all the available space to maximize the seating. But since this was an "L" shaped living/dining room, we had to make sure there was an adequate path to the dining area. When I first suggested 2 chairs in front of the window, she was unsure...afraid it would crowd the room. "Definately not", I said...she needed more cross conversation seating & the little french chair in front of a massive picture window wasn't featuring the room in the best light. We decided to reupholster the french chair in a more compatible fabric & position it near the sofa. So anyway, once I convinced her to trust me on the idea of 2 chairs, I had to present a fabric choice. "I think you need to address the aqua color from the rug", I said. She already had burgundy dining chairs & the husband was sort of "over" the idea of more burgundy. "But I am a beige person", she replied. "Do the Blue", I urged. The Bronzey drapes we were designing would make the perfect backdrop to the Blue & the over all balance of colors within the rug. Everyone loves the chairs as does her dutiful dog "Darby". "Darby", by the way has sort of become my personal assistant in choosing fabrics for this client. Every time I lay out a bunch of swatches, he makes his way into the circle of fabrics & lays down. He's a good boy. :)

OSSINING RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENT AFTER PHOTOS

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This window treatment project was a little tricky. I knew that I wanted to design silk panels for the large window in the living room. But since the living room opened into the dining room, all the windows had to coordinate. One problem however...she had a beautiful corner cabinet that didn't leave us much room to do any panels in the dining room. Plus, we were also working with a sliding glass door off the back of that room that didn't leave us much clearance. So how could I do a valance that resembled a drape?

I decided to design the drape with some pleat details at the top. I designed those pleats at the same length that was appropriate for her valances. So when you look from one window to another, all the lengths are the same.

The only factor that doesn't make this drapery perfect (and yes i am a perfectionist...as is she) is the fact that my client is tall & the top of her hair touches the bottom of the valance on the sliding door. Oops! I told her to get a haircut...heehee. The problem is that if the valances were any shorter they would've looked liked what my client describes as "choppy bangs". So some things we just have to live with. :)

OSSINING RESIDENCE: MASTER BATH BEFORE & AFTER

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For this Ossining resident's Master Bath window treatment, the idea was to keep everything pretty monochromatic. She had seen a picture of a similar treatment I had designed for another client & wanted something similar, but not as structured. She had purchased 3 finials that we screwed right into the wall (you don't always have to mount window treatments on a pole) and I selected a very raw, slubby silk fabric that matched her tiles perfectly! We also added just a bit of rope trim in a darker walnut color along the bottom edge. The picture on the bottom features a few accessories placed by the client. It is such a perfect arrangement that I had to photograph it. Couldn't have done it better myself. :)

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BATHROOM UPDATE

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You may have seen my before & after pictures further down the page of this Ossining guest bath. The original before & afters focussed on the window treatments, however, the bathroom was not fully completed until recently, when I was finally able to focus on some details. Busy girl I am. :)
This client happened to be at an Ossining Benefit Auction where I had donated a basket of goodies that included Black & White Apothecary Accessories. Well my client had her eye on that basket the second they brought it in & when it was time...she pounced. No one getting away with that basket but her. Of course the theme was perfect for her guest bath!
So began the search for some shelving to feature her newly acquired goodies & some other finishing touches. Ballard Designs features a terrific ensemble of bathroom accessories. We purchased a monogrammed shower curtain & towels that really brought the whole look together. I ordered some cast iron shelving brackets & outfitted them with glass, (I never go anywhere but Al's glass in Ossining!) & finished the decor with a Sepia Photograph of a European stone basin with a black frame.
As my client's youngest son exclaimed, "Awesome!" when i was finished, I thought to myself...exactly. The whole family loves it, as do the guests, and of course little ol' me. :)

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: BEFORE

When called upon to help this resident pull her living room together, there were only a few things to solve to make the most of her space. One was paint color, a bit of direction regarding some new selections & the other more important need was to find a way to utilize all of her "Chachkies" for lack of a better word. Lots of picture frames, candle sticks, & pieces of pottery. Almost every home has a chunk of these items, but how you organize them can make all of the difference in freshening up a room.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: PAINT COLOR

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If you are like most people, you tend to gravitate towards the same things. So, even if you are not sure how to pull everything together, chances are they somehow relate to eachother & someone like myself can come in & just sharpen the look.

Paint Selection: After seeing the rug, the dining chair fabric, & the large chair fabric, I knew we were either looking at a "Beige" or a "Sage". But since the paint color had to carry into the dining area & up the hallways, I didn't think that Beige was going to have enough "Umph" & yet Sage could've been overkill. So which color did we pick? Benjamin Moore's "Richmond Gray" pictured right. It is the perfect balance of Beige & Sage, so subtle & absolutely perfect for this room.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: AFTER

Click Image to Enlarge! So the only work I did for this room besides pick the paint color, was to stage all of her items & make sense of those "Chachkies". Carefully distributing color throughout the room also adds to the overall balance. If you have a bold section of red, make sure you toss a little of that red around the room to even it out. The picture on the bottom is an example of how I staged this client's Raku pottery collection. Every piece was purposefully placed to create a more pleasing arrangement.

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

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Accessory Makeover: We've all been out shopping before when you are struck by something & you have to bring it home. But what happens when all those little things start to multiply? Some careful editing & rules about balance & proportion can certainly showcase your favorite things instead of losing them in the crowd. Don't know the rules of balance & proportion? You don't need to...just call me! :)

By pulling together similar items, whether by color or theme, you can create a collection that warrants attention. And just think, she didn't have to buy anything new...just a little switch-a-roo by yours truly!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE PICTURES

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For this Ossining residence, the current home owner was living with the custom roman shades that came with the house. While certainly not her favorite choice, they at least provided the necessary privacy & sun protection. The walls were white & she had just purchased 2 large leather sofas in a plum-brown. She was clear that she wanted the room to feel warm & cozy, but was afraid of the room looking too dark since the ceiling was designed with dark exposed beams.
Have no fear I said. :)

OSSINING RESIDENCE: FEATURED RUG

This was the rug featured in the living room. It had great colors to work with, but let me explain the one obstacle we encountered. We were also working with this amazing folding screen covered in a beautiful tapestry pattern. Somehow, I had to find a fabric that didn't compete with the tapestry, complimented the rug, & showed up nicely against the dark sofas. So which color right? The client & I both agreed that a silk fabric would bring a sense of formality to the room, but still work with the warm-casual-eclectic look she loved.

First I selected a paint color from one of the rug colors, "Chestertown Buff". When she painted the sample on the wall, I thought it was too gold. We went through several other trials of samples & you know what?...That original gold was looking pretty good. Then I brought a bunch of silk books to her home & looked at various swatches next to the rug, folding screen, & sofa. Oh Boy...this was not going to be easy. They were either too "this" or too "that" & nothing grabbed me until I found a silk that depending on which way you looked at it, changed from taupey-copper to copper to plum copper! HELLO! That's the one! We also added bamboo shades that had a combination of golden & greenish-brown slats. This picked up the other colors from the rug. Not only that, but the thread that ran through the slats was a deep copper color. Perfect right?

Now, it is important to note that using white paint does not mean that the room will look bigger. It is most important that the walls, fabrics & wood tones all work together in harmony so that you will never have to worry about whether a room looks "too big" or "too small"...it will look "just right".

OSSINING RESIDENCE: AFTER PICTURES

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These drapery panels & shades really make a statement for the room. Combined with new paint color, the windows don't even look like they were in the same room.

Now scroll up to the before pics...see what I mean? I love it, she loves it & I am off to complete the finishing touches in additional lighting & wall decor.

SCARSDALE RESIDENCE: INFLUENCE FOR WINDOW TREATMENTS

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The home owners of this Scarsdale Residence have a unique style they subscribe to for their home furnishings. While it is quite eclectic in its collection, the main influences come from a New Mexico...meets Morrocco...meets Early American place. What is incredible about this style is that it is all theirs & therefore makes for some great combinations.

While I am often asked what style I specialize in, it is important to know that I specialize in every style. My own personal style has nothing to do with my work & my ultimate goal, always, is to make sure it is a sound design that reflects the desires of my clients.

SCARSDALE RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENT BEFORE & AFTER

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In order to play off the whole New Mexico influence, I chose hand forged hooks that had a bit of a Texan flair. When I saw the rustic trunk in the room, I knew right away that I wanted something that looked similar to trunk hardware. The main fabric is a drapable suede that was chosen to accentuate the Terracotta leather chairs & not detract from the intensity of the colors in the rug. We also added the warm texture of woven roman shades to finish off the look as well as provide a sun blocking solution for their flat screen television.

Custom kitchen seat cushions in a coordinating fabric were also created to further enhance the Tex-Mex mix.

SCARSDALE RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENT BEFORE & AFTER

One realization I had after being behind the camera taking these after photos, was how much this room needs some paint. The contrast is too much between the white-ish walls & the warmth of the fabric.

Since this client likes things with a bit of a twist, she wasn't thrilled about the idea of plain white trim even with a warmer color on the walls. So, when i thought of the possibility of what color would work, blue came to mind since it is the compliment of orange. Since we have varying degrees of Terracotta throughout, a smokey blue will look amazing. Now, just to pick the right one. My guess is that I will bring in an Early American influenced paint color. Stay tuned.

IRVINGTON RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENTS BEFORE/AFTER PHOTO

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I have been working with the owner of this Irvington Residence for over 6 years. She is a funny bunny. Not only is she a Pulminary Doctor, but she could have a great future as a contemporary interior designer. She knows what she wants & is responsible for all the selections in her home. I have learned to kinda sit back, let her do her thing, & tell her if it can work or not. When we tackled the dining room window treatments, she was clear that she did not want any traditional pleating on drapery panels & she wanted the ability to open & close the drapes. Therefore, shades were not neccessary & although she will probably close the drapes once or twice a year, I told her I would come over to dress them again since every fold was hand placed by yours truly. That's the difference between installing drapes yourself or having us do it for you. It is not just about hanging them...it is about dressing them, steaming if neccessary & doing a lot of tweeking.

IRVINGTON RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENTS AFTER PHOTO

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The top left picture is part of the 10' Granite dining table my client ordered for her home. You can see that it has varying tones of a Mushroom-Taupe & a Golden Taupe. It was important to maintain this predominantly Monochromatic Color Scheme by selecting a fabric that would enhance what the client had already chosen. So I knew I wanted to work with a solid silk, but one that had enough dimension to pick up on all the different shades of the granite. After narrowing our choices down to 4 contenders, the final fabric selected was a Doupioni Silk that presented degrees of Gold, Taupe, & Bronze. That's what I call a great silk! The hardware (bottom right) was picked to mimick the chrome cylindrical components in her sideboard (top right). As a side note, the bottom left picture illustrates what we call a "break" when refering to how long the drapes should be designed. Drapery lengths range from "to the floor", "breaking" (which can be described as a "slight bend in the knees"), or puddling (which as the name suggests, resembles a puddle of water). "Breaking" adds a bit more sofistication without getting into the drama of a puddle. Just food for thought. :)

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: FOYER BEFORE

***CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE*** The best compliment a designer can receive is a referral. This is one of the home owners within the Santucci Family (Premiere Athletic Club / Tramonto Restaurant). Between their extended family, I should be working for some time to come. (Thank you dears) In new construction we often see very high ceilings featured in the foyers. While beautiful in the overall house plan, the idea of decorating a 2-story entrance can be a harrowing experience. What am I going to do with all these walls? Now I have to admit, although the idea of watching HGTV sometimes nauseates me, what with all the "let's paper-mache a lampshade" & what not, (Candance Olsen not included), I did watch this show that tackled the double story foyer dilemma. They very ingeniously did a faux recessed paneling job by picture framing plywood. It gives you the same look as recessed paneling without the hefty price tag. Since the owner is the builder of the house, we shot ideas back & forth for pulling this off. Each of us were tearing out sheets of scrap paper & chucking them at each other, "what do you think of this"..."how 'bout this"? We finally arrived at the finished product featured below.

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: FOYER AFTER

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I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the outcome of the foyer. My client stands by the front door looking up with sheer amazement. It is much more stunning in person. It is really simple, quite sofisticated & takes on a much grander presence. The Jerusalem Gold flooring was the clients' choice, but she was sort of over the whole "gold wall" look. At first I suggested a very soft creamy gold & we were going to do an even softer tone in the center of the panels & then white trim. They went and got the samples & started to paint some of the paneling. I woke up that night at 2:00am thinking that the gold wasn't right. (Clearly I take my work home with me) When I called my clients to tell them I was unsure of the color concept, she agreed that it was still too gold for her. I ran over, (in my pajamas...just kidding) the next morning & worked up a different plan. Sometimes when we think of paint color, we often dismiss the beauty of white for being boring when in fact it can be quite stunning in its simpleness.

And here we go with the final choice: Ancient Ivory on all of the paneling, Super White on the crown moldings, & Elephant Tusk on the walls above the 1st crown molding. We just need a few accessories & then a phone call from a magazine wanting to feature it right?

BRIARCLIFF MANOR RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM BEFORE

While the red wall color in the dining room was rich & dynamic, it felt like a little "red overkill" since the area rug was predominently red as well. I suggested lightening up the bottom wall & the home owner & I both decided to do an applied molding treatment to add a little more detail to the overall concept.

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: DINING ROOM AFTER

In order to break up the some of the red in the dining room, we decided to apply a picture molding treatment below the chair rail which mimicked the rug design. We chose "Lenox Tan" for the wall color & "Grand Teton White" for all the trim, since plain white would have been too stark.

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: LIVING ROOM BEFORE

We can kind of assume what's wrong with this picture. Pictured right is the rug already in the room. The gold painted walls pictured left were all wrong, but the client knew this. It was too strong & there wasn't an ounce of it in the rug. Since the sofa was already featured in a deep sprucey-olive, I had to choose a color that enhanced the colors already present in the rug & not compete with the sofa color. Since the sofa was going to pop off the color chosen for below the chair rail, it was totally okay to go for a chocolate top color. The owners were totally up for it. I love when people are not afraid to take risks...when risks are appropriate that is.

* Note to self: can you stop using the word totally? You are not 15

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: LIVING ROOM AFTER

The correct paint can make all the difference in how your room is showcased. Benjamin Moore's

"Raisin" brought a new

sofisti-cation to this living room. We decided to treat the area below the chair rail the same way we treated the dining room for continuity. The fireplace received a facelift with new tile chosen by the client, based on the "Cafe au Lait sprinkled with Chocolate" description I gave him. Absolutely gorgeous! (said in my sing-songy, I'm really happy voice)

BRIARCLIFF RESIDENCE: BOYS BATH

The boys' bathroom also needed a paint color, but posed a problem when I saw the dark green tiled floor. The cabinetry & granite was beautiful but didn't stand out as anything special since the flooring was weighing it down. Luckily the home owner started to suggest that he would be open to changing the floor & before he could finish his sentence, I blew him back with a boisterous "GREAT"!!! I suggested a bone colored tile & tossed out the possibility of Creme Marfil. When the home owner brought back the sample, I exclaimed, "that's it"! I wanted the boys' bathroom to have a boy-ish color on the walls which would be narrowed down to a "blue", but not just any blue. While I love the combo of Blue & Brown, many blues did not click at all, until I looked at Benjamin Moore's "Kentucky Haze". PERFECT...I'm lovin' the boys' bathroom now & so are my clients.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: PAINT COLOR CONSULTATION: 1ST FLOOR

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This Ossining residence recently underwent a major renovation that expanded the kitchen, added a family/music room on the first floor & a new master bath & office on the second floor. So what happens when you remodel? Your contractor says, "So have you picked a paint color?" Oh the horror, right? Not really, just call me.

The first floor was tricky...really tricky! Every room opened into another & in certain parts of the first floor, you could see 2 or 3 paint colors at once. The client already picked the foyer color, Martha Stewart's "Camel Coat". This was great since it was a neutral & it needed to cover a double story hallway. We started in the dining room since she already had chairs that were fully upholstered. She had many cayenne-chili pepper red swatches on the wall, but the upholstery did not have an ounce of it. If she really wanted to pick out a red tone from the chairs, it would have been a pinky salmon & she was definately not into that. Then she threw me a curve ball by showing me a swatch for the sofa that was going in the living room. It was in the Robin's Egg family. Oh Boy...now what. "Okay Rena think", I heard myself say more than a few times...and then it clicked.

Well Red is out I explained...why don't we get a little nutty & go for a rich dark chocolate, daring I know, but highly sophisticated. If you've been to my store, you know how much I love the combination of Robin's Egg & Dark Brown. "Okay, we're gettin' there". "Roasted Coffee Beans" was the perfect dark brown, so we're good on that. Now for the kitchen. Knowing that the sofa across the hall from the dining room was going to be in a Robin's egg color, we opted to try variations of that color for the kitchen. But wait, we also had to take into consideration the buttercream cabinets. After a few samples, we finally decided on "Catalina Blue". This color is gorgeous!

And now the living room. I knew how much this client loved that Red Hot Chili pepper color...and although really risky, I told her to go for it. The Robin's Egg sofa would look striking against it. We decided on "Tucson Red".

The hardest part? The sun room. This room is almost all windows, narrow & doesn't have much exposed wall. It is located right past the living room & needed to balance the volume of the red. To do a pale neutral would almost make the room disappear, in my opinion. I was feeling a green color, but it had to be something happy. To do something toned down just looked muddy & slightly depressing. Although the customer is not into pastels, we did try a few swatches of a more sagey color, but to me, they all fell flat. Then she showed me a picture out of a magazine that featured this beautiful apple green color. This is what I envisioned, so we went with "Warren Acres". She is still not convinced on the color, but it is in fact growing on her. Of course it is only paint, but I told her I had to take a picture of it before she changed her mind.

Stay tuned for how we will tackle fabric & furniture selections for a teal, chili pepper, chocolate & apple green ensemble. Can't wait!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: PAINT CONSULTATION 2ND FLOOR

So on to the 2nd floor. Before the remodel, this client already had started with "Stratton Blue" in the Master Bedroom. It is an absolute favorite of hers, so that was our starting point. We needed a neutral segue into the hallway that led to the Master Bath & rear office. This would be the same color in the master bathroom so it was important that it worked both with the tile in a sunny bathroom & the hallway right outside. This took a few tries before we collectively agreed on my client's pick of the litter, "Monterey White". If you were to look at the swatch, it was almost colorless, but why not try the sample. We did & it was perfect! For the back office I wanted a color that was masculine, but that also worked in the whole scheme of things. I looked at the bathroom tile & low & behold, there was the color I was looking for...a raisin-ish accent color speckled throughout the golden base color. HELLO!! PERFECT! And so "Beaujolais" became the office color. Ironically, once the client put her paisley duvet cover on the bed, wouldn't you know it, there were all our colors...Teal, Camel, & Plum. I guess it was meant to be!

FAVORITE FLOWER SERIES: PAPERWHITES

Got the winter blues? Let the fragrance of Paperwhites energize your senses & chase away those blah days. Watching something grow is really watching a miracle happen. I think that is why I like gardening so much...it is just amazing to see something sprout, multiply & transform.

Paper whites don’t require a chilling period, so forcing them is as easy as putting the bulbs in water and waiting. The fragrant flowers bloom within about 3 weeks of planting, for almost instant gratification. I'm lovin' that!

Paper whites are the original “Just Add Water” plant. While paperwhite bulbs can be planted in soil, more commonly they are grown in pots or dishes with some stones or marbles to anchor them in place and a little water.

Your Paperwhite forcing how to:

Select a container that is about 3 - 4 inches deep (8 - 10 cm) and that has no drainage holes. Spread an inch or 2 of stones, marbles or even gravel, along the bottom of the container. Position your paper white bulbs, pointed end up, on top of the stone layer. Go ahead and squeeze them in. They not only look better in a large group, the tight fit will help keep them from toppling over. Add water so that the level just reaches the base of the bulbs. Allowing the bottom of the bulb to sit in water will stimulate growth. Covering the entire bulb with water could cause it to rot. The bulbs don’t need light at this point and they prefer to be kept on the cool side, at about 65 degrees F. Check your bulbs daily to see if they need more water. When you see roots developing, move the container to a sunny window. The sunnier the better, but try not to let them get too warm or they’ll grow leggy. Once the plants flower, they will last longer if moved out of direct sunlight, to a cool spot with indirect or diffused light.

You can start pots of paper whites every couple of weeks, for a continuous display throughout the winter! I am all over that!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: STARTING POINT

For the master bedroom & bath project for this Ossining residence, we based the entire design inspiration off of the bathroom floor tile. It was there, it is beautiful, so we're working with it! When I see this color, I think of fresh air & clean laundry (not sure why on that last one). I therefore thought is was important that everything gave off that sense of, for lack of a better word, freshness. So I was thinkin' grass & sky...the rest just started to unfold.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER MASTER BATH

Since the floor color was so beautiful, it was important to let it stand alone to appreciate it. So the first thing we chose was a complimentary color for the bathroom walls & 86-ed the matching blue wall color. I love the combination of periwinkle & pear green. They are the colors of my two birds in the shop, Peri (get it, Periwinkle? heehee) & Chloe. So pear green went on the walls in the bathroom & periwinkle was brought into the master bedroom.

OSSINING RESIDENCE BEFORE & AFTER WINDOW TREATMENT

Periwinkle replaced the yellow walls to bring in the bathroom tile color. The bedroom window treatments were designed exactly as the bathroom treatment to keep the look simple & cohesive. Flat roman shades are simple & functional. The pear green fabric was added as a banding to give the shade a little kick & of course keep the color scheme in tact.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

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The custom fabric headboard was fabricated in a neutral beige to stand off from the periwinkle paint color. We further layered in the green from the window treatments, took a breath with the cream layered in between & then added a shot of the periwinkle in the toss pillows. When layering in colors it is always important to keep in mind what color or pattern will lay on top of another. The green euro shams stand off from the beige headboard...the cream king shams stand off the green...the patterned pillows stand off the cream...the periwinkle stands off the pattern & finally ties in the wall color. When decorating an entire room, it is equally important that the colors & patterns are evenly distributed for balance. Then there is always texture to consider...but that is another lesson.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEDDING

The bedding for this bedroom is all from Bella Notte Fine Linens except for the 2 floral pillows. I wanted to break up the solidness with a bit of pattern to balance out the two main colors. We had those pillows custom made. The beauty of Bella Notte linens is its casual elegance & the fact that they are machine washable. The fabrics are slightly rumpled which makes this bedding very practical while having vintage appeal.

TRAMONTO RESTAURANT: BEFORE

The owners of Tramonto's Restaurant are extended family of a residence I designed a couple of years ago in Briarcliff Manor. When it came time to update the restaurant's main dining room, they gave me a call. Aren't referral's wonderful?Maria, Delia, & Micki, 3 Italian sisters, were like a comedy routine when I met them. They were very excited about the possibilities. However, it didn't take long to decide on the fabric once I presented it to them. Each time I came to the restaurant I was offered fresh coffee, biscotti, & Tiramisu (one of my favorites). "Rena, would you like some Tiramisu?" "Would I?, I barked back...I've got that kind of class." Their hospitality is immeasureable & you will surely enjoy your authentic italian meal when you patron their restaurant!

TRAMONTO RESTAURANT: AFTER

Click photo to enlarge! The new window treatments are simple yet sophisticated in a coppery embroidered silk. Hunter Douglas Jubilance Roman shades were mounted inside the window frame for their warmth, texture, & added privacy. The walls get a great makeover by adding a rich warm gold paint & below the chair rail, a burnt rusty color adds depth & balance. I love it! Not a major overhaul, just a simple update with paint & fabric changes the whole look & feel of the main dining room.

LADIES LOCKER ROOM: BEFORE

Click photo to enlarge! Premier Athletic Club located in Montrose, NY is owned by Valerio Santucci, whose family also owns Tramonto's Italian Restaurant on Route 9A south of the Saw Mill Multiplex in Hawthorne. Valerio is a large Westchester developer & one incredible home builder. His attention to quality & detail is by far one of his greatest assets. After redesigning the windows & selecting new paint colors for Tramonto's, daughter Valerie Schemmer hired me to select paint colors for the health club's locker rooms.
So, the ladies locker room has mint green lockers, tile, & countertops. Instead of adding more green, I decided to go with Lavender since I think it is a lovely compliment. The rubber floor mats will eventually be swapped out for light colors ones. The original paint color was a peachy-beige, but what a difference the Lavender makes. One of Valerio's specialties is his trimwork detail. Want to add value to your home?...get some architectural detail going on! This guy is a master at it. See after pics below.

LADIES LOCKER ROOM: AFTER

Click photo to enlarge! Keeping the room fresh with Lavender & Bone White paint, the ladies bathroom, in my humble opinion, looks... FANTASTIC! (hee hee, humble) To me, it makes you feel refreshed even before getting into the shower. Incredible architectural detail, not to my credit, improves the overall look & quality to the entire job.

MEN'S LOCKER ROOM:BEFORE

Click Image to Enlarge! The Men's Locker Room already had existing tile for me to work around. A combination of Plum-red accent tiles, Grey tiles, & some sections of Blue-Grey tiles gave me enough of a starting point. Thankfully Valerio Santucci had intended for a chair rail which made a 2-tone paint scheme very plausible.

MEN'S LOCKER ROOM: AFTER

Click image to enlarge! So given the tile design, I believe I achieved the balance of color & updated design. The result is a dramatic but sporty mix of a coordinating plumish-red paint on top & a greyish-slate blue paint below. It kind of reminds me of a Rugby shirt which is how I envisioned it in the first place. I wish I could show you the amazing architectural details that Valerio Santucci designed on the Men's Sauna side, but somehow I don't think those men taking a steam would have liked broadcasted pictures of them in the buff.

OSSINING BANK FOR SAVINGS

This is my latest creation. Long story short...if I can...Village Trustee Sue Donnelly & I have been chattin' it up about downtown Ossining & its revitalization. I have been on a personal quest to get involved in my home town & its future. This eventually led to being commissioned by Sue to create a drawing for the current Mayor of Ossining, Miguel Hernandez. Apparently it is one of his favorite historic buildings. Anywho, it was a terrific opportunity, I am quite pleased with the end result & who knows where else this may lead.

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: BEFORE

Very challenging room indeed! Tons of floor space, but with 2 entrances to the room, a very large window seat & an uncentered fireplace , creating a floor plan that allowed maximum seating without blocking the flow of traffic was a little tricky.

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: FLOOR PLAN

This is the floor plan for the living room. The dotted line represents the flow of traffic. The top of the plan illustrates the large 3~section window seat & the bottom of the plan shows where the fireplace is located. The first thing we did was purchase a rug that was conducive to the size of the room. This allowed us to spread the furniture out & not have it all bunched up next to the fireplace. We maintained full access to the window seat & placed the seating pieces to allow for cross~conversation. Since there are two main access doors to this room, it was important for a seating piece to be in view upon entering from either door. We angled the settee out from the corner to face the center of the room & so that you could enter from the left without banging into the back of it.

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: FABRIC SELECTION

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: SEMI~AFTER PICS

PLEASANTVILLE RESIDENCE: AFTER

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE

Master Bedroom before pictures:
This bedroom "spruce up" included Custom Bedding & Window Treatments. She also decided to keep all of her existing furniture but ordered a wrought iron headboard from Wesley Allen to bring in a different material. The client favored the whole salmon-y, rust-y, gold-y type color scheme & gave me a salmon pashmina scarf & a golden silk flower from her home to illustrate that color preference. We were looking to bring in a nice warm glow to the room.

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE

The fabric selection proved to be somewhat of a challenge. I was finding things that were either too "this" or too "that" & nothing was blowing the socks off of my client or myself. Then I found a great fabric, client approved it & I decided to order the swatch so she could see it in her house. The colorway was seemingly perfect, with rusts, golds, & a bit of olive. When placing the order for the swatch however, I noticed there was another colorway that was not represented in my book. "What the heck?", I said, & for the goof I ordered the other colorway as well. Well who would have known that it was the new swatch that became the front runner for the main fabric. Instead of olive, it had a beautiful plum~raisin background. "THAT'S IT!!!", I proclaimed & off I went to explore companion fabrics.

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE

This window treatment is called an "open" Empire Valance. It is a treatment that I do often because it is dressy without going overboard. The client already had Hunter Douglas Silhouette Blinds installed so I know I wanted to cover the headrail of those. We didn't want drapes to the floor in addition to a valance because that would have closed the room up a bit too much. If we had board mounted the treatment, it may have looked top heavy...sooo...we created the valance to be "open", which means there is no board mount, therefore the valance is hung either from a pole or individual hooks. It is lighter & airier...and more, well...open. This doupioni (doo-pee-o-nee) silk (sometimes called "slubby" silk) had an awesome slight iridescent quality that revealed the plum accent color depending at which angle you were looking. It's very subtle & absolutely perfect if you ask me. :)

CROTON~ON~HUDSON RESIDENCE

Semi~After Pictures: So we are still waiting for the iron headboard & the painter to apply the color , but for now I decided to add some pictures of my work. Even without the wall color, the new bedding & window treatments give the room that "glow" we were after. Once the paint color goes up, everything will resignate better & I'll take a few more pics.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: POWDER ROOM

Don't overlook those little spaces that you & your guests frequent. This beautiful powder room just needed a little kick. And what was I working with?...black & white tile. Okay, so what do we do here? You know, rather than trying to add color to a black & white color scheme, just go with it! Don't try to overcompensate its simplicity. First thing we did was add just a hint of color to the walls. I at least wanted a slight contrast to the white wall tile & window frame. We went with Benjamin Moore's "Grand Teton White". Lovely color! I chose a simple, but adorable, window treatment & accented the whole "black & white" thing by adding a little gingham check on the edges & in the pleats. We kept the treatment light & airy by mounting it on a pole from Pottery Barn (customer supplied) & also kept it whimsical by fastening it to the pole with little ties. The main fabric is a crisp white linen & the black & white check is actually not quite white, but rather a bone that picks up the paint color just a wee bit. The bathroom will also feature the french inspired black & white collection of powder room canisters from my shop to bring it all together. Cute, cute, cute!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

The Window Treatments: HOOO-WEEE was this a tough call! Okay, let me break this down for you. The main request from the client was to keep as much of the window visible. She didn't want to obstruct the view & privacy was not an issue. But let me point out a few "issues" I encountered from the before picture. The biggest obstacle was the built in seating cabinets that butted right up against the bottom molding. This ruled out anything draping to the floor. I also couldn't design anything going straight across the top because it would have sandwiched the window & visually squished the height of the window. AND,what was I going to do with all of that space above the window? It was important to work with the entire space to find some balance & proportion. Although the client generally leans towards contemporary influences, she is also inspired by some ethnic characteristics. Additionally, we were dealing with an existing rug that was very traditional. Now what? Hmmm! The main challenge was to create some height to accentuate the length of the window. A repeated image of the Taj Mahal kept creeping into my mind. It was the "peak" that led me to the idea of raising the center of the valance. This elongated the window, used the space above the window & also brought in that sense of ethnicity. We furthered that concept by creating coordinating Turkish style seat pillows for the built-ins. Keeping with the style of the rug, the lines of the window treatment are more traditional in nature, but by using the monochromatic color scheme we attained a more "transitional" (traditional/contemporary) design. Also, by adding a coordinating paint color, it softened the overall look of the area, so that no individual element stood out as being more powerful than the other. You can see in the before picture how much the built-ins stood out. Problem solved & it's pretty to boot!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

The only wall for the sofa was between two windows where a modern glass shelving unit stood. In order for the living room to actually be a living room, we had to remove that shelf. Okay, now another little tricky part. The client loves ultrasuede, but we didn't want a typical contemporary sofa. #1, It would not have worked with the rug. #2, A contemporary black sofa was already situated in the opposite room facing this one. So, I started to scout around for something "different". The client's husband said he wanted something that looked like the sides of the sofa folded down. Whaa? I had know idea what he was talking about, but started to browse for what I thought he meant. To my surprise, I did find a few sofas with this concept. It wasn't hard to decide which one we liked. This one, pictured right, had caning on the sides which again brought in that ethnic element & it was certainly "different" enough in style. I love it! The ultrasuede looks awesome & I pulled in 2 accent colors from the rug to keep it from being slightly "blah". Magnifique!

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

Although the client wanted to keep all the fabrics neutral, there was one color in the rug, a gray-ish blue, that I couldn't ignore. The client was up for it & ultimately 2 contemporary club chairs were covered in it. It is the same accent fabric that appears on the bolster pillows of the sofa. We didn't want a myriad of fabrics in this room, so we stuck to a few basics. We also chose tables that were of a stone top & iron base. The stone reinforced the sandy-bone color that the clients likes so much & the black iron worked with the rug.

CARMEL RESIDENCE: EXISTING WINDOW TREATMENTS

Sometimes when designing a room you get the opportunity to work with a blank canvas, other times you are working around an existing piece of furniture or rug. Believe it or not, a blank canvas is not always easier. In this case, we were working with existing window treatments. The color palette was therefore already chosen for me. With the predominant color being red, it was the secondary colors of navy & gold that I chose to feature in the upholstery. The client also removed a wall-to-wall carpet to expose a beautiful hardwood floor. This made life much easier!

CARMEL RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

In the before picture (left) you can see how a sofa & loveseat were positioned in an L-Formation. The problem this arrangement posed for me was how much it cut the room in half. One of the main windows was positioned close to the corner of the room & this presented the biggest issue regarding the seating arrangement. The armoire & bookcases were staying in the room, which also made for a complicated layout...however...enter in the "AXIS" floor plan. We were able to float the furniture layout on the diagonal & still maintain the balance of the room. Instead of a loveseat, we opted for a chair & ottoman, however we were still able to provide seating for 6.

CARMEL RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

This is another example of placing your furniture arrangement on an axis. This allowed us to open up the amount of usable space in the room, maintain a better flow of traffic, keep the fireplace as a focal point, & still maximize the amount of seating in the room.

CARMEL RESIDENCE: BEFORE & AFTER

We swapped out the somewhat dated club chair (pictured left) for a more stately & distressed leather chair (pictured right) to give the room a sort of semi-formal library feel. Leather was also chosen to provide a different texture to the overall fabric scheme.

CARMEL RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENT BEFORE & AFTER

In the den of this Carmel residence, a most impressive collection of wooden decoy ducks led to the inspiration of this window treatment. This unusual fabric was supplied by the client & the treatment itself was designed & implemented by myself. Wrought iron hardware was supplied by the client from Restoration Hardware.

CARMEL RESIDENCE: WINDOW TREATMENT BEFORE & AFTER

To compliment the wrought iron pole from the other valance, wrought iron hooks were fastened to a wooden beam that surrounded the casing of this window.

DOCUMENTARY: DIY REUPHOLSTERY

I decided to call this DIY (Do It Yourself) Reupholstery Project a documentary as a bit of a goof, but soon realized that it would illustrate just what goes into a reupholstery job. Now mind you, this is just an ottoman, we're not gettin' all crazy with a chair or anything. Also, I have absolutely no experience! No you heard right, no experience.

A very dear customer of mine asked me to spruce up this little ol' ottoman for her. She taglined her request by stating, "I know you can do something great with it". So at first I was thinking, sure, I'll make a little slip cover, nothing fancy. But her words kept echoing in my head, "do something great, do something great". Don't give a creative person with A.D.D. that kind of challenge! So, as my personality would have it, I started to think...too much..."maybe I could reupholster it"? As if I had said the most absurd thing in the world, I could just hear Jason gasping, "WHAATTT, are you crazy"? Well that's already been determined, so why not, right? And so began the obsessive compulsive desire to do something I've never done before.

I will say that I do have the ability to figure things out without instructions...as a matter of fact, for me, reading instructions is like plucking your own eyebrows, painful & very tedious. However, I do that, so bad example...anywho...

I figured I could learn how to put something back together by taking it apart...very carefully. "yeah, okay". The top picture shows the removal of the first part of the base fabric...50-thousand staples! This took an hour. The middle picture shows the removal of the tack strip (which holds the welting in place) & removal of the welt itself...uncountable amount of staples. This took another hour. So now I am bleeding & blistering...can you say "man hands"? The bottom picture is the top fabric being removed with an obscene amount of staples. Another hour goes by...my hands are numb. "do something great, do something great" ! "i'm an idiot"! But I'm lovin' it...I love to learn!

DOCUMENTARY: DIY REUPHOLSTERY

Okay, so this is the underneathe of the ottoman. Here is where we see the "webbing" or jute straps which are stretched across the top of frame & nailed. This webbing supports the foam. If the webbing is overstretched or torn, this would be another step & charge for your upholstery professional. Thank goodness this was intact!...since I have no clue how to do that myself.

Note to self: Do not wear open-toe sandals when ripping out thousands of sharp staples.

DOCUMENTARY: DIY REUPHOLSTERY

Hmmm...so what do we have here?:

The picture on the left illustrates a break in one of the side supports & the photo on the right shows the misalignment of that same piece due to the absence of corner blocks.

These are very important pictures for various reasons:

#1. Sometimes you don't know the quality of a piece until you take it apart. In this case, there was no way to know that there were cracks in the ottoman until we uncovered it. A full reupholstery job by a professional would include such repairs, but in our case, we were just giving this ottoman a face-lift so we spared this expense.

#2. I also detected only 2 of the four legs had corner block supports. These missing parts is the reason the side support caved & ultimately cracked. Additionally, the side supports only have one dowel that is joined to the leg. For a side support of 4.5" tall, one dowel at the top ain't gonna do ya much good.

#3. These pictures are excellent examples of how to determine good quality when purchasing new furniture. Does the company cut corners in its basic construction? Does the construction include dowels or is it just nailed together. Are the drawer fronts & backs dovetailed or just nailed...or worse...just stapled? These are things to consider when comparing prices of furniture. If it is a very inexpensive piece, you can bet that the construction isn't expected to be solid. Which is fine by the way...sometimes we purchase things knowing they are not keepers & sometimes we are just buying a "look". The same way we dispose of inexpensive clothes, but would have a hard time letting go of a suit. Just know what you are getting for your money.

DOCUMENTARY: DIY REUPHOLSTERY

Fabric selection: The client had already reupholstered a wing chair in this red floral botanical that I chose for her a year or so ago. She also had a cover made for her sofa in the cocoa textured fabric. Knowing that the client has a country cottage flavor to her living room, I decided to choose a red & cream check pattern as the main fabric on the ottoman & a smaller taupe & cream check for the contrast welting.

DOCUMENTARY: DIY REUPHOLSTERY

An here is the recovering process to finished product. Total cost of fabric: $85.00 Total amount of hours in literal blood, sweat & tears: 8 hours The notion that I will not be taking on a project like this anytime soon: "priceless"! Nah, I enjoyed it & learned a lot.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: BEFORE

The challenge for this living room was to remedy the boxy-ness that an L-shape living/dining room predicts. It is very natural for a home owner to place furniture in accordance with the room layout. However, if space allows, try rotating the furniture arrangement on an axis to bring a new perspective to the room. Once you have selected the components for the room, then you can move onto fabric selection. In this case, the fabric selections were based on an existing rug.

OSSINING RESIDENCE: AFTER

OSSINING RESIDENCE: SPECIAL AREA RUG

In this home, the featured rug was originally placed in the dining room, however, the rug was just slightly shy of the proper size & was mostly covered by the dining table. Being that the rug was a special gift from the home owner's daughter while stationed overseas, we all felt it was important to showcase it.

As in most cases with a patterned floorcovering, the fabric & color scheme was derived from the principle colors within the rug. This is the hard part for most people, but my favorite part. It is not just about color, but the best selection includes the right texture, the right pattern, & how each is distributed in the room for balance. Sound difficult?...then call me! :)

We also chose a variety of tables to compliment, but not match each other. A pewter toned glass table was chosen as the cocktail table, warmed up with a wood demi-lune chest between the sofa & loveseat. The third table of pewter base & wood top rounded out the selection .

OSSINING RESIDENCE

If you happen to have a small area rug that doesn't quite fit the layout of your room, simply put down a large sisal-type rug to the room's proportion as an underlayment. A glass top cocktail table was selected for over the small rug to allow for maximum visibility of its pattern.

DRAWING: SNOW OWL

This is a drawing I did for a dear friend for his birthday last August. Since he worked for Audubon tagging & tracking snow owls, I decided to whip up this little number for him. (yeah whip...it did take me some time, who am I kidding?).

FAVORITE FLOWER SERIES: PARROT TULIP

Parrot Tulips differ from regular tulips in that their petals are open & ruffley. To me, they are one of the most romantic flowers available. It is no wonder that this flower makes my Favorite Flower Series with its breezy, plumage-like petals...it is after all named after a bird. :)

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE

NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE: FLOOR PLAN & EXECUTION

Before (Top Plan) After (Bottom Plan) Every great room must start with a plan. It is not enough to look at a room & assume you can eyeball a proper furniture layout. That is why it is so important that a floor plan be drafted.
Upon entering, a room should suggest how it is to be used. In this case, we were designing a living room. However, in the before plan (top), the focal point was the fireplace & piano. Since this was not a music room, it was important to have some seating in view.
Another important factor to keep in mind when designing a room is the traffic pattern. The far left of the plan included a doorway to the backyard, so it was important that it was accessible.
Execution:
The first step for me was to find another location for the piano. It is important accoustically that your piano's curved side points towards the center of the room. Since there was only one wall that the sofa fit comfortably, I decided to skootch a sofa as directly across from the fireplace as I could for better balance. Next, incorporating another seating element, such as a loveseat. Positioning the loveseat directly under the windows (located on right of plan), would distance the seating from one another, which I felt looked awkward. It would also not allow us to position a comfortable chair properly. So we caddy-cornered the loveseat & added a club chair. Proportionately the client's existing oval glass cocktail table worked with the new loveseat & a larger one was positioned in front of the main sofa. A round lamp table was added to join the loveseat & club chair and an end table was positioned next to the sofa. To bridge the gap between the two largest seating pieces, a round ottoman was added & the client's existing accent chair was then reupholstered & positioned on the left side of the fireplace for balance.
Below you will find before & after photos illustrating some of the changes.

NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BEFORE/AFTER: NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BEFORE/AFTER: NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BEFORE/AFTER: NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BEFORE/AFTER: NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BEFORE/AFTER: NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENCE

BLUEBIRD DRAWING

This is my latest drawing. Can't get away from those birds, I'll tell ya. This one just makes me want to hold him. I am beginning to feature my drawings in the shop, so please stop by to purchase your favorite one. Maybe one day it will be worth something.

TRASH TO TREASURE

For those of us on a budget, myself included, turning your favorite piece of trash into a charming treasure can save you mucho dolores. We've heard those buzz phrases before: "Decorate with Junk", "Flea Market Finds", "Trash to Treasure", and my favorite, "Dumpster Diving"! You never know what you'll find if you just keep you eyes peeled. This little footstool was a trash find; poor little thing was left out on the side of the road & it's no wonder...what a mess! I should've taken a before photo, but trust me, it would have come with a warning label. Jason stripped it, added new foam & batting and painted it white. Then I covered it once with a snug cotton duck fitting & then made a loose fitting cotton duck slip cover with ruffled skirt. Now look at this Cutie-Pie! Growing up in my grandma's sewing room, I learned a few tricks of the trade...so I dabble in a little sewing. Rest assured, your upholstery, slip covers & window treatments are sewn by a professional workroom, not myself. But if you are a bit crafty, you can certainly add charm to your home without breaking the bank. What is nice about the Shabby-Chic style is that nothing is too perfect looking, so if your cover is a little loose or a little off, it's absolutely okay. I'm lovin' that!

MY OTHER PASSION: DRAWING

We should all be lucky enough to have the time in our lives to pursue our passions. It is my opinion that just as eating healthy & exercising are recipes for good health, so is taking the time to do the things that allow us to relax. Whether it be gardening, reading, sewing, taking pictures, or simply resting in a hammock, it is important to celebrate that time for yourself. In addition to those activities listed above, (except for the hammock...I wish) finding the time to draw always relaxes me.
I have been drawing since a very young age, starting with cards for my parents & of course my grandma, who saved every single one from all of her grandchildren. I was lucky that my highschool (The Ursuline Academy of New Rochelle) offered an incredible amount of Fine Art education. I continued taking art classes throughout college & although Interior Design is my profession, Fine Art will always remain close to my heart.

FAVORITE GREENERY SERIES: HENS & CHICKS

Hens and chicks—also affectionately known as semps—are delightful plants. These low-growing perennials range from less than one centimetre in diameter to more than 10 centimetres, and clumps can spread up to 76 centimetres wide, making them ideal groundcovers. There are well over 60 species, some with white hairs covering their leaves, resembling a dense spider’s web. Semps form compact clumps of rosettes in shades of green, red, purple, pink, yellow or grey. They are usually available in the alpine section of your local garden centre from spring until autumn.
Hens and chicks can be grown singly or in mixed groups of different colours and will thrive in rockeries, raised beds and even narrow beds beside the house. They can also flourish when planted in terra-cotta pots, troughs, old logs, bricks or even the hollow pockets of concrete building blocks. Another good place to grow them is on a low roof, such as a shed.
Hens and chicks are so named because of the way they reproduce vegetatively. The “mother hen” (the main rosette) is surrounded by small replicas of herself, “chicks,” which are often borne on the ends of long, trailing stems (stolons). The chicks can either be left to root around the main plant, where they will form a cushion of rosettes, or detached and grown separately. (canadiangardening.com)

DESIGN PROJECT: TEENAGER

This project was for the bedroom of a teenage girl named Lucy with very sofisticated taste. The one element that was staying in the room was this bebe poster pictured above. Additionally, in order to execute the project to her liking, I began to ask Lucy about her likes & dislikes. Two words popped out: "PARIS HILTON". Okay, I can do Paris Hilton; it doesn't matter that I am 37 & completely out of the loop when it comes to today's teenagers. I know about the O.C. & text messaging!Did I also mention that Lucy dreamed of having a 4-poster bed? With a dormered ceiling? Oh boy. She really was interested in the posts so that they could be swathed in fabric. "Okay, I get it", I said to myself...and so began the research.

DESIGN PROJECT: RESEARCH

And so I began to research Paris Hilton. Not who she was; I at least knew that...but I wanted to research her clothing & see how I could bridge my bedding project with her fashion. So this is what I found: #1. Don't ever search for Paris Hilton on your computer...it will render it useless. Holy cow, did I get every virus, spam, scam, no thank you ma'am bologna on my computer! But I got great inspirational photos.#2. There was a definite consistency in Ms. Hilton's attire: Pink, lace, taffeta & embroidery. Although the photos served as the inspiration, I still had to coordinate the colors with the poster. The colors in the poster were much more muted in tone with accents of soft gold, beige, & a peachy-pink.

DESIGN PROJECT: FABRIC SELECTION

So we're movin' -n- groovin'...One of the bedding companies that I use is Bella Notte (love their stuff) & it just so happened that they had the perfect fabric, color, & texture that I needed for Lucy's room.The chip in the center is the swatch for the wrought iron bed we were putting into the room. Gold leaf base with a textured cream overlay...HELLO!...GORGEOUS! Both Lucy & her mom absolutely loved this ideaR.However, we still have the issue with the nixed poster bed. I had the idea to do a crown over the bed & have the fabric draping down around her like a canopy of sorts. But how to you do that when the ceiling is on an angle? "Genius" here says, "Oh, Jason can make that!" & with that my husband looked at me like I was crazy. See I am the dreamer, & Jason is here on the planet earth. However, as you can see by the photo below, I won that argument. Heehee

DESIGN PROJECT: RESULT

And here is the result! I made sure I took a picture not only for my own portfolio, but because this bed will probably never look like this again. I did mention she was a teenager right?

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: FOYER LANDING

Design Dilemna: What to do with a double story foyer that has an empty landing serving absolutely no purpose? Good question! This landing is a major focus in this homeowner's foyer, but there is absolutely no access to it short of a fork-lift. Additionally, the depth of the landing is 5 feet, so it definately needed something to dress it up. A friend of the homeowner suggested a piano & I thought to myself, "I'll get the wax dummy of Liberace to position next to it"(I wish my brother George was here). It was a head scratcher alright. "Give me some time to think it through & I'll come up with something", I told her. And so after taking photos & measurements, I went back to my shop to research a concept.

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: CONCEPT

So the challenge remained with how to create a function for a function-less space? It was clear that the large window had to be dressed, but the space would still look unfinished. I couldn't address the space with any kind of furniture, what sense would that make? "Oh I have extra linens in this beautiful chest, but I just have to break out my ladder, climb 15 feet & retrieve them, it won't be but a moment..." So then I got this grand idea to treat the landing as an outdoor balcony of sorts. I found a company that created a reproduction of a French Hotel balcony & voila, the concept was coming together. The idea was to create an indoor/outdoor vignette rich with 100% silk drapes, juxtaposed with a heavy wrought iron outdoor chunk of a piece, & a few topiaries. A simple task, no?

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: FOYER RESULT

The results are in!...but let me tell you what the execution was like: Jason, my husband, is my window treatment installer, my brawn, & my voice of reason. Funny, I don't listen to that voice of reason often enough. He kept asking me how we were going to get that bitch of a piece up there? "Eh, we'll deal with it when it comes", I responded. "Do you at least know how much this thing weighs?", he added. "How much could it possibly weigh & besides, it's beautiful!" I commanded. Well let me tell you something about the weight. It was a couple hundred pounds. Not only did we have to get it on the landing, we had to get it in her house...ahem...up her stone stairs & through the front door. We managed to get it into her house without being admitted into the hospital. However, we would have to come back another day with a solution to get it up to its final destination. Hoist it? Get a piano mover? Make a wish? A few days later I get a call from my client telling me that her husband's friends were over & feeling adventurous. By some miracle they chipped in, each getting on a ladder, & carried that thing up there! Holy Hercules!!! X 2 no less! "Better them than me", I said. Phew! Mission accomplished. Meanwhile, did I mention that I am scared of heights & was helping my husband to hang the drapes? I didn't dare peek over the edge of the landing for fear that my body would throw itself over in some sort of freak vertigo accident. Anyway, I made it out in one piece & my client was very pleased, as was I. I looked at my husband & simply said, "I told you it would look beautiful!" He just shook his head. :)

EASTCHESTER RESIDENCE: ADDITIONAL PHOTO

REUPHOLSTERY

Many customers ask me if their piece of furniture is worth recovering. To this, I usually ask if it is an antique or whether it has sentimental value. If the answer is yes, then I absolutely recommend reupholstery. It is important to note however that reupholstery is not an inexpensive alternative. Re-upholstering is custom-made, labor intensive work done by one person. Unlike new furniture, it is not produced on an assembly line. The amount of work it takes just to strip the piece down & remove the hundreds of staples & tack nails can be quite tedious...nevermind acquiring aching, cut & blistering hands. (Speaking from personal experience.) After stripping the piece of furniture, you basically have to build it back up & repair any structural wear & tear. If the piece of furniture was not of good quality to begin with, you may want to opt for a slip cover, which is less labor intensive & therefore less expensive.

Of course if you are concerned about the environment, reupholstery is a wonderful choice since you are reusing the original frame. Consider it a form of recycling!

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Sustainable, or "green," interior design is that which goes beyond being efficient, attractive, on time, and on budget. It is design that considers how such goals are achieved, their effects on people, and on the environment in which we live. It also makes good business sense: sustainable design is the fastest growing segment of the industry, largely due to the growing number of consumers who are concerned about indoor health, and their impact on the environment. Much like the organic food movement, sustainable interiors offer alternatives to conventional products that are both healthier and easier on the planet's limited natural resources--from low- or no-VOC paints, bamboo flooring and recycled glass tiles to natural fabrics and furniture made from salvaged wood.

CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS

The thought of Custom Window Treatments can make many of us apprehensive. Why?...because they are such an investment. However, if you understand what you are paying for, you can make an educated decision as to whether Custom Window Treatments are right for you. Firstly, before we talk about the construction of the actual treatments, what thoughts go into the planning of dressing your windows? Do you need privacy? Is the sun damaging your interior furnishings? Or are your windows just bare & in need of a little attire? A professional interior designer will not only assess the function window treatments will hold, but the overall design concept & how it relates to the entire room. It is not only important to design the best overall treatment for the room, but the right choice in fabric also plays a major role. Will the fabric drape properly? Will your fabric need an interliner for added body? Is the texture appropriate for the room style? What about the hardware? Does the style of hardware work in the room? Is it offered in the appropriate finish? Can it be mounted properly or does the positioning of the windows pose an installation dilemna? These are just a few aspects your designer is contemplating when designing your window treatments. As for the overall construction of your window treatments, a professional workroom provides the kind of tailoring that no ready-made curtain can match. Not only are your window treatments constructed to fit the dimensions of your specific windows, there are such details the average customer never thinks about: The type & strength of the thread used. The number of stitches per inch. The quality of the liner. The craftsmanship of the pleats & hems. These are just a few of the differences you will find in Custom Window Treatments vs. Ready-Made or store bought brands. Like a finely tailored suit, this is not an item that you run out & replace, but rather a smart investment in your overall decor.

FAVORITE GREENERY SERIES: "BABY TEARS"

"Baby Tears" (Soleirolia soleirolii) A massive mound of teeny tiny leaves gone wild... "Baby Tears" are one of my favorite types of greenery. It looks beautiful planted in the smallest of containers, or climbing out of a large pot. It is great for terrariums, shallow containers, or planted inside a seashell. Keep soil slightly damp by frequently misting your plant. Baby Tears do quite well with elevated humidity so why not plant a little container & cover it with a Cloche from Rena Ann's. Love it, love it love it!

TRUMEAU MIRROR

Trumeau: A classic French style of wood paneling with gilded molding and ornamentation that was developed during the 17th century and used throughout Versailles, the elaborate home of King Louis XIV. Trumeau Mirror: A French term that has come to be known as a frame with a painting or decorative element within the historic panel frame design over a mirror. Trumeau mirrors inherently exude a sense of nobility & sofistication, however, teamed up with a rustic & crude, "fell of the back of a truck" piece of furniture shows that you have discerning taste & just the right amount of class. At least in my opinion of course, and we all know I've got that kind of class. (private joke...sort of) If you've ever heard my boisterous laugh whose intensity can blow your hair back or clear off your head, you'll know what I mean.

MILK PAINT FINISH

By using Milk Paints, you can achieve an all-natural weathered patina for your wood furnishings. It is economical, eco-friendly, & HELLO!...STUNNING! (in my opinion of course)

MILK PAINT

With traces of it found in King Tutankhamen's tomb, Milk Paint is the oldest form of paint known. Until as recent as the 1930's, many craftsmen still painted furniture with it - one such famous example being Shaker furniture. Antique lovers, and people who have tried to strip old furnishings painted with Milk Paint, know this vibrantly coloured, flint-hard surface well. Milk Paint is totally natural and non-toxic. For more information on MILK PAINT, please visit: http://www.milkpaint.co.za/

SWEDISH COUNTRY

So I mentioned that I love the Swedish Country Style...is it any wonder? It is very reminiscent of the French Neoclassical Style, and we all know I love anything French. Anyway, here's a spot of history: In the late-18th century, Gustav III returned to Sweden from his grand tour of Europe with an ardor for all things French, English, and Italian. He hired English, Dutch, Italian, and French cabinetmakers, painters, and plasterers to redo his royal palace in the neoclassical fashion favored by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and Sweden then embraced international decorative arts and culture. His formal yet refined interpretation of the neoclassical style continues to influence the furnishing of Swedish interiors. Three hallmarks of period Gustavian pieces: graceful symmetry; reeding and/or naturalistic or neoclassical relief carvings; and pale-gray, buttercream, and white finishes. At home in rooms both formal and plain, Gustavian side chairs make perfect partners for American country antiques -- especially when upholstered in classic Swedish ticking stripes in blue/white, gray/white, or red/white. Gustavian-style furnishings enjoyed a remarkably long reign in Swedish interiors, remaining in production from 1790 through the 1860's. Pale furniture finishes, well-placed mirrors, unadorned windows, crystal, and gilt all capitalize on available light. Framed English botanicals indicate the fascination with nature that surged in the 18th century. (ivillage.com)

FAVORITE FLOWERS SERIES: THE SWEET PEA

The Sweet Pea is the perfect name for this flowering vine. Its fragrance is absolutely lovely. Although the Sweet Pea looks like a delicate flower, its vine is quite the opposite. With its tendrils grasping at every little thing to anchor itself to, the Sweet Pea grows incredibly fast & can take over your whole garden if you let it. This vine is perfect for cuttings, especially when the flowers are displayed in bud vases. Although available in white & lilac, the pink Sweet Pea is my favorite.

FOR THE BIRDS

I can't remember when I developed my love for birds, but I am sure it had something to do with my love for garden elements. Those little feathered friends are always so joyous; chirping & singing all the time. Many of the gifts & accessories in my shop have bird related themes, from cages and baths, to platters and...well...birds! They make me happy & why not surround yourself with the things that make you happy?

FAVORITE FLOWER SERIES: HYDRANGEA

History---The Hydrangeas are marsh or aquatic plants, and hence the name is derived from a Greek compound signifying water-vessel. Four of the known species are natives of America; one, the garden Hydrangea (Hydrangea hortensis), is widely cultivated in the gardens of China and Japan. Many methods are employed in this country for imparting the blue tinge to its petals. The oak-leaved Hydrangea (H. quercifolia), a native of Florida, is also cultivated for its beauty. (www.botanical.com)

Hydrangeas have such large plump heads & their color is brilliant. Depending on the level of Aluminum in your soil, your Hydrangeas will bloom in either pink or blue hues. They are perfect for a cutting garden & look absolutely lovely in arrangements. What is special for me about the Hydrangea is the ability to enjoy them throughout the year. Hydrangeas dry beautifully, retaining most of their color & make wonderful ingredients for dried floral arrangements & wreaths. The best time to pick hydrangeas for drying is at the season's end, when they start to turn burgundy. Absolutely beautiful!!!

MATELASSE

Matelasse, pronounced Mat-laz-say, also known as "double cloth" is a historically known fabric used mostly in the bedding industry. It's surface appears puffy or cushioned & possesses a "quilt-like" quality. I love, love, LOVE this fabric! Did I mention that I love this fabric?! It is beautiful on anything it adorns, from bedspreads to french chairs. It is a timeless classic & a must for any french room.

COTTON DUCK

Cotton Duck, a plain cotton weave fabric, known for its canvas quality, gained much popularity in the early 1800's. Mainly used for manufacturing ship sails & tents, the cotton duck industry expanded into clothing markets for military uniforms, as well as stretched canvases for fine artists. Today, cotton duck is still an incredibly popular fabric & has made quite a statement when considering slipcovers.

STATUARY

Garden statuary is one of my favorite elements of decor, both inside & out. It symbolizes a time of classical architecture & the celebration of life, the earth & all of its offerings. Garden accents remind us of our relationship with nature & the endorsement of a rural lifestyle. A lifestyle that allows us to have a personal retreat from public life. Surrounding yourself with such elements is at least an effort to balance our busy lifestyles with a bit of serenity. "Serenity now, serenity now!"

FAVORITE FLOWER SERIES; THE PEONY

The beauty of the peony flower has long inspired artists in both the eastern and western parts of the world. Prior to the seventeenth century however it was the artists of China and Japan who incorporated images of the peony into their work. The peony is practically the national flower of China and is often referred to in poetry and literature. Peonies are one of the main motifs of Chinese decorative arts and can be found on porcelains, in woodblock and screen paintings as well as embroidered onto tapestries and clothing. (www.paeonia.com) For me, the PEONY (peo-nee) is one of the most lucious & fragrant perrenial flowers. Peonies make gorgeous cuttings & can brighten up any room as well as your day!

THE TOPIARY

Topiary, the pruning and training of living plants into shapes, is very popular - especially "portable" topiaries grown in pots that may be moved from room to room or from indoors to outdoors with the change of seasons. Particularly when grown in clay pots, they give a "European garden" look to a room and compliment many decorating schemes.

SHABBY CHIC

Creator of the "Shabby Chic" trademarked look, Rachel Ashwell's designs are inspired by "flea market finds and the appeal of living sensibly". This care-free, kid-friendly, vintage, & unique style has inspired many of us to create rooms that are both comfortable & lived in. Whether you are loyal to romantic classical details or prefer simple contemporary lines, the Shabby Chic look can work for anyone! Just grab a bucket of white paint, infuse a bunch of crystal accents, toss in some fresh flowers & voila, you are well on your way to recreating the Shabby Chic look for your home. Just a reminder, if you are going to have slip covers made, make sure your fabrics are prewashed to avoid shrinking. Also, washing fabrics that are typically dry cleanable, gives them a more casual & vintage texture. To learn more about Rachel Ashwell's style, look for any one of her books to help inspire you. I am a huge fan of the Shabby Chic philosophy & one step inside my shop will give that away. I have painted many flea market finds & turned them into charming vintage treasures. If the paint is chipped?...GREAT! If there is a little flaw?...PERFECT! After all, who wants to be a prisoner in their own home?

The Morning Glory Bed & Breakfast

www.TheMorningGlory.com The Morning Glory is a family owned & operated Bed & Breakfast in Greenport, New York. Please log onto their website to see how I decorated & furnished the Dining Room & 3 Bedrooms. The goal was to create a sense of serenity by keeping a soft ivory color scheme throughout all of the bedrooms. The Dining Room was designed to have a very warm & welcoming atmosphere. Teamed with the innkeepers' (my inlaws) incredible hospitality, superb breakfast & attention to detail, you will surely feel like you spoiled yourself. Please enjoy 10% off your room rate when you mention Rena Ann's BLOG.