Look Up!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Susan Falls

Elizabeth Gordon Studio

Will someone please tell us why walls and floors are the only surfaces that seem to get anyone’s attention?  Our homes have another surface – up above – that doesn’t get its fair share of the design action.  Say hello to the ceiling!   There are many wonderfully interesting ways to adorn this surface and add tons of interest to your room.   If you’re lying on the bed or sofa looking up at a plain flat white overhead view, you just might want to think about some of the following fantastic ideas.

Parlor Steak House/NYC

The ways to embellish a ceiling are actually quite varied.  There are classic structural elements such as coffers, paneling, beams, strapping, wood planks, tin tiles or shaped soffits.  These all are powerful additions because they are three dimensional.  Some, such as exposed beams, are in fact load bearing.  But they can also be added retroactively as a purely decorative element.

MacCaul Turner Design

If these hard treatments are painted white like the surrounding ceiling they will subtly bring depth and dimension to your room.   If they are made of wood – and are stained or left natural – they will provide contrast and texture. Both of which make for a unique space.  Painted in colors, these 3D elements can be boldly dramatic against the surrounding white ceiling.  Shimmer and pattern from tin tiles are also a welcome addition to the right space.

Tara Seawright

 

The other ways of enlivening your ceiling require less expense and commitment but can be no less stunning.  The materials primarily involve either paint or wallpaper.   A ceiling painted a color other than white is unexpected and interesting.  Your color choice will dictate how much impact it has.  Go with a soft shade in a bedroom and the effect is soothing.   A pop of bright color in the right room is whimsical and fun.  You can even go one step further – stripes anyone?   Choosing decorative paint finishes is another route to personality.  Trompe l’oeil is a paint technique giving the illusion of three dimension.  A fresco mural on the ceiling, alla Michelangelo, will catch the attention of anyone who enters – as long as it’s tastefully done and appropriate for the space.  Faux paint finishes are other possibilities that add visual depth and texture to an otherwise flat and mundane surface.

Elizabeth Sullivan Design

Finally, you’d be amazed at the transformation wallpaper can make to a room’s overhead view.  This is not a project we recommend tackling on your own.  A professional wallpaper installer is best suited to handle this tricky application.  But the results are WOW!

We hope we’ve encouraged you to consider upgrading at least one of your plain vanilla ceilings to something with more flavor.   As with most things in design, if you’re creative the possibilities are absolutely endless!

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Transformations

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Katharine Mast

After

Everyone loves a good before and after story.  Well, this week we’ve got two of our recent projects to share!  One is a bathroom renovation and the other is a kitchen/dining room remodel.  We all know that kitchens and baths are high traffic areas that contribute greatly to your daily happiness levels.  They’re places where you relax and rejuvenate.  And, keeping these two rooms updated and functional is worthwhile not for your own enjoyment but for your pocketbook as well.  Kitchens and baths nearly always bring a 100% return on your investment when it comes time to sell you house.  Even modest budgets can bring dramatic results!

Before

Take a look at the “before” bathroom photo.  We hardly need to tell you that this room hadn’t been touched since the 1960s.  The wall tiles were pink and the sink and toilet a “lovely” powder blue.  The entire space was cramped, dark, unattractive and functioned poorly for our clients.  Dated strip lights flanked the tiny medicine cabinet and storage was limited.  Our clients were desperate for a new bathroom.

After our renovation, the space is a well lit, attractive and functional room that our clients love.  We expanded their shower size, adding a frameless glass door and natural stone tiles.  New safety features also include a grab bar and a corner bench.  The classic white vanity provides additional storage.   And we designed a custom storage cabinet in the corner to help get the previous clutter under control.  Lighting is now modern and improved.  Classic choices like white and natural bring timeless elegance to this bath.

Next, we had a client who was having difficulty with their kitchen and dining areas.  The existing kitchen was very nice but it had an awkwardly positioned built-in dining peninsula dividing the room.

Kitchen Before

The family rarely used the adjacent dining room because it was boxy, dark and uncomfortable.  It felt too removed and formal for the way their family lived.  Our solution was to remove the wall between rooms, build a large functional center island and make the dining room a more welcoming place.  Now the rooms are one fluid, open, unified space.  Windows from both the front and back of the house fill the rooms with light.  There’s additional casual counter height seating at the island and a fantastic round dining table in the dining area.  Pendant lights and new sconces add drama in the evening and further unify the spaces.  We  hope you enjoyed these Cinderella stories!   They certainly make us love our job as designers!

Dining Room Before

Dining Room After

 

 

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T.v. or not t.v.?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Susan Falls

That is the question!  We admit it,  we have a love-hate relationship with our television.  Sometimes there’s nothing better than cuddling with the family indoors and watching a movie or our favorite show.   A t.v. in the kitchen is handy for catching the news or cooking along with Giada.   Having one in the bath is a luxury to most  – and a vital necessity for others.   There are certainly many reasons to love television.  Yet…..do we want to look at it all the time?  Do we want that black screen always present in our beautiful decors?  Do we want our children to have access at all times?  Nope.

Luckily, we are not alone.  As media technology has steadily advanced to flatter and flatter televisions, the design world has simultaneously invented numerous ways to camouflage the black panel.   There really is no need to look at your television unless you really want to.  So, what are your options?

The simple low tech route requires that you’re just clever with your design.  Hang the t.v. on a wall and surround it by artwork or mirrors in frames.  The t.v. blends away.  This works wonderfully in living rooms and bedrooms.   In the kitchen, treat your t.v. as just another appliance and create a recessed nook to sleekly accommodate it.  Stacked on top of double ovens or the microwave and voila!  The t.v. disappears until you hit the remote.  Sometimes even just creating custom recessed niche in your wall is enough to keep the t.v. from taking center stage.

Other ways to go undercover mostly involve discreetly hiding the television behind other (prettier) things.  Artwork, mirrors, raised panels and shutters all are fabulous coverups for an LCD.  Visit a specialized home media/electronics store and they will amaze you with the various mounting bracket and cover-up options.  Your contractor can even tuck it right into your ceiling with the help of special hardware!  Cabinet makers who do custom pieces can work wonders as well.  Built-ins are obvious ways to hide televisions and hinges, touch latches and sliding panels can all aid in keeping your t.v. out of slight yet easily accessible.

Finally, there’s the furniture route.  Innovative options are available from many high end furniture lines (and the price tags often reflect the level of ingenuity.)  Many media cabinets now appear as simple consoles – but inside they hide a sleek lift system that elevates the television for use by remote control.  The foot board at the end of your bed or the dresser across the room can also house the t.v. – again aided by a lift system. You’re no longer limited by the bulky t.v. armoire of the 90s and that helps televisions fit in the most unlikely of furniture pieces.

Of course, it takes research and planning to find the best solution for your space, but the results are well worth it.  No one will be the wiser.  And your elegant living room can do double duty as the venue of your annual Oscars party!

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Yippee, Jipijapa!

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Katharine Mast

Just back from an incredible April school vacation down in Placencia, Belize.  Suffice it to say, I highly recommend it!  The snorkeling and marine life in the barrier reef was truly spectacular.  As always, I also picked up a few local crafts that caught my eye.  Southern Belize is home to Mayan villages and there are many traditional handicrafts made by locals.  In particular, I took to the baskets woven by local women.

The baskets are appealing for many reasons.  Most importantly, a purchase supports the local economy -  in particular this is a business that allows women to contribute financially to their household.  Initially woven just as practical household items, baskets are proving to be a legitimate income source.

Producing a basket is a time consuming process.  Baskets are primarily made from the jipijapa – a palm-like plant that grows wild in the region.  Women pick young green jipijapa fronds and boil them for about thirty minutes.  Boiling does two things – softens the leaves and lightens their color.   (Darker details on the baskets are from fronds that have not been boiled.)  The fronds are then left in the sun for a few days and their color transforms from green to brown.   Actual weaving then takes anywhere from a few days for a small basket and to a couple weeks for a large one.  Women typically work on a basket throughout their regular day, often while running their household.  Once completed baskets once again spend some time in the sun before they’re ready for use.

I love these baskets because each one is uniquely handcrafted.  They are organic looking and their natural color and simple shapes look great in most decors.  They are also light and easy to transport – so an ideal souvenir or gift to take home to family.   If you aren’t headed to Belize any time soon, Art Box Belize is an online resource for the baskets and many other forms of Mayan crafts including wooden items, pottery and dolls.

While I’m happy to gaze at my three baskets and remember our wonderful trip, I also can’t get images of that reef out of my head.  Just have to share this aerial view with you.  Such incredible shades of blue!  Hoping it inspires you to explore Belize one day on your own!

 

 

 

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Buttons, Frogs & Rosettes

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Katharine Mast

Fabricut

We love our jobs because every design project is different.  Sometimes you want things clean, simple and minimalist.  And sometimes a little embellishment is in order.  One decorative detail we adore selecting is fabric trim.   A little cording here, a bullion fringe there, a rosette on a pillow or a patterned tape on drapery and we are in creative heaven!  These small touches pull together a design scheme and show that somebody was lovingly paying attention to absolutely – every – single – detail!  Trims are the definition of a “finishing touch.”

Kravet, Rosette Bordeaux

The fabrication of decorative trimming is certainly an art form.  The French call it “passementerie” and the world has become more beautiful one trim at a time.  Trims are generally sold by the yard, on bolts like fabric, and are applied separately to things like throw pillows, window treatments, bedding, and upholstery items.  Some of the many types of trim available are roping, cording, loop trim, tassel trim, bead trim, gimp, brush fringe and tapes.  Some trims are attached to a plain fabric tape – so that the tape can be sewn right into the seam (disappearing) and allowing only the decorative portion to show.  Other trims are entirely ornamental and sewn right onto the surface of the item you’re trimming.  Other trims don’t come in long lengths at all -  but are produced as individual little fabric jewels.  Buttons, frogs and rosettes – are examples of these and are all applied individually to elevate an item from ho-hum to spectacular.

So, what are some common trim uses?  A corded trim can edge the cushions of a custom sofa and give visual definition to the piece.   A brush fringe adds softness, color and texture to a throw pillow.  A beaded trim spices up the bottom edge of a valance – just as a flat embroidered wide tape enlivens the leading edge of a drapery panel.  Creatively applied to the surface, an inexpensive ready-made pillow becomes luxurious. We love being creative with trim and making all our client’s projects special and unique.

Samuel and Sons, Sabine

 

A few of our favorite sources for outstanding trims are Scalamandre, Samuel and Sons, Kravet, and Houles. Robert Allen, Duralee, Fabricut are some of the tried and true vendors.  Check them all out and you will be amazed by their vast offerings.  We hope that the next time you have a decorating project you’ll see it through to the end – and remember to add some trim -  a detail not to be missed!

 

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Custom Creations

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Katharine Mast

A. Rudin, Sofa 2725

You may wonder why upholstered furniture ordered with a designer can be more expensive than furniture purchased in a retail store.  Today we’re going to tell you why custom upholstery costs what it does and why it is well worth the investment.

When it comes to buying furniture, interior designers offer convenience, customization, top quality, personalized service and peace of mind.  We ensure that your furniture is uniquely yours and will be with you for the long term.  We know that the furniture we put in your home will be perfect in every way.  How?

Edward Ferrell, Worth Club Chair

Designers have the professional expertise and experience to select furniture best suited to your needs.  We begin by measuring your space for a perfect fit.  One of our many services is space planning.  We often draw your floor plan to scale to show how the piece works in the room.  There are no surprises and no worries about buying the wrong size or style.  We make suggestions you may not have considered because we do this every single day and we have relationships with the best furniture companies in the business.

When it comes to the upholstery fabric, what’s wonderful about doing a custom piece with us is that you’re not bound to a limited selection of fabrics as you are in a retail store.  We can take virtually any appropriate weight fabric and have it applied to your sofa or chair.  This is called using COM to cover the frame.  (COM stands for Customer’s Own Material.)  You will get exactly the texture, durability, color and weight fabric you desire.  No compromises.  We hand select fabric samples and bring them to you for consideration right in your home.  You can feel, touch and live with these large sized samples before committing.  We source 0nly the finest fabrics from the best textile companies.  Trust us – we have access to the most gorgeous fabrics around!

Schumacher

In addition to choosing your own fabric, furniture manufacturers who work with designers offer many areas for customization.  We can choose the type of fill for the seat and back cushions  – whether it be all down or springs wrapped with down, etc.   We are able to specify the arm style, the leg shape and finish, and the cushion design (boxed, knife edge, welted, etc…)  We have the option to do a skirt on the base – or skip that for a more modern look.  Very often we are able to adjust the dimensions of a piece for an exact fit.    We can specify a contrasting welt fabric for the cushions.  We can have the piece tufted – or not.  We can add nail head trim – and decide what finish we’d like it to be!  We can even select a separately applied decorative trim detail for the welting, so that your piece stands apart. The throw pillows will also be uniquely yours – luxuriously plump and covered in absolutely whatever fabric you’d like.

Once we make all those personal choices…then the process of making your masterpiece begins.   We order the needed COM fabric yardage from the fabric vendor and receive a cutting sample which we verify for color accuracy. Once the fabric is approved, it ships to the furniture manufacturer who applies it to their frame, along with all our specifications.  Your finished piece is then transported by truck to our local receiver where it is inspected and then white glove delivered to your home.

Kravet, Adair Sofa

As you can see this process differs from the typical furniture buying experience you’d have in a retail store.   Working with a designer is a costlier approach – but you will end up with the perfect piece, eliminating any possibility of dissatisfaction or compromise.  The furniture is higher quality and more durable.  So, in the long run, your investment saves you both time and money.  Trust us – custom furniture is worth every penny!  The difference is clear from the moment you first sit down.

 

 

 

 

 

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Staging Savvy

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Jen

One of the many services Mast & Falls enjoys providing is home staging.  If you haven’t sold a home in a while, staging is a vital tool realtors use to quickly sell a house at the best possible price.  Staging takes a listed home and makes it more appealing to prospective buyers.  We work home design magic every day -  so we’re just the ones to call for such an undertaking!  Yet, a successful staging job is a bit different from a traditional interior design job  – because staging tweaks a home specifically to appeal to a wide variety of buyers, not to meet a homeowner’s personal desires.  So, we adjust our methods just a bit for staging while still utilizing all our design expertise.

Staging is setting a scene – the same way a stage designer sets the scene for a theatrical production.  We use a touch of suggestion, a dose of understatement, and plenty of common sense – leaving room for the buyer’s imagination to step in.  After we’re done, buyers should be picturing themselves comfortably living in the home.  Negative qualities of the home should be neutralized or maybe even diminished.  Staging removes many personal touches of the current owner and generalizes the decor.  This can be as small a step as removing family photos or as big as changing very personal paint colors and editing furniture choices.  We may remove furnishings that don’t have broad appeal or that don’t fit the space well.  Staging includes reducing clutter, clearing counter tops, and moving furniture so that spaces appear larger.  These steps – part organization and part design -  are not very difficult but they really let buyers see a home as a blank canvas they can make their own.

We recently staged a lovely Victorian home in Newton, Mass.  (Photos here are from this job.)  We were hired by the realtor because the house sat for four months without generating  much interest even though it was in a very desirable neighborhood.  The owners had moved out and the house was empty.  It was hard for people to envision this place as theirs.  Getting the house sold required a two pronged attack – lowering the listing price to a more reasonable number and making the home feel welcoming. For this job, we didn’t need to repaint any walls or make any changes in materials or fixtures.  But those tasks are often a part of staging – a fresh coat of paint, a new faucet, light fixture, carpeting or counter tops…..all are easy updates.  Some minor carpentry works wonders too.  You’d be surprised how many nominal expenditures can help a home feel well maintained and therefore desirable and worthy of top dollar.

In Newton, we rented high quality designer furniture for a three month period.   We focused on the most important rooms:  the living room, master bedroom, kitchen and entry.  Bringing in artwork, lighting, accessories and some key furniture pieces did the trick.  Staging gave buyers a vision of how a room could work and how it might look.  It made the home feel alive again.   Now that it’s Spring, a bit of exterior curb appeal  (a pot of flowers by the door, edged garden beds, sparkling clean windows and a freshly painted front door) will be the finishing touches.

If you’re selling a home sometime soon, please give us a call.  We’re very happy to help!

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Welcoming Wash Day

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Susan Falls

Draza Stamenich

Quiz. What space NEEDS to be uplifting and functional more than any other in the house?

We haven’t conducted a scientific poll, but we’re pretty confident that the laundry room comes out on top!  Yes, the kitchen is strong competition.  But kitchen activity  – cooking, eating, socializing – is nearly always enjoyable on its own.  The laundry room activities: not so much.  (Unless you are the very rare person who finds constant sorting and folding of fabric therapeutic in some way!)   Whenever you become responsible for doing your own laundry, that’s when the pleasure of doing laundry pretty much ends.  Which is why we think you should LOVE your laundry room!  It’s the only real chance you have to make the chore enjoyable!

House & Home

So, what constitutes a stellar laundry room? A room where you’re actually happy to throw in a load, treat some stains and maybe even stay to iron a shirt?
It’s easy.  An amazing laundry room needs:

-  Ample Storage.  Whether it be cabinets to hide supplies, shelving to artfully display detergent, or a cart to sort colors from whites, the best laundry rooms have storage space galore.  Look around and see where you can add it.   Baskets, bins, a hanging rod, a drying rack, ironing board hanger….all those Container Store accoutrements also help organize your tools!

- Horizontal folding space.  One thing we love about the newer front loading machines is that the door location lets you place a counter on top.  Perfect for resting the laundry basket or folding laundry or whatever else you need to set down. Counter space is always good.

Katie Rosenfeld Design

- Color & Pattern.  Take that utilitarian space and make it sing through ample use of color and pattern.  Adding style gives chore-time an unexpected jolt of pleasure.  Paint the walls a lively color or wallpaper the room a fun pattern.  Hang some art.  Put something pretty on the windows.  Buy the red washer & dryer set. We know many purists want a room focused on cleaning to be white, spare, classic – almost antiseptic feeling.  That colorless route works too – but we’d ask you to consider some luxurious materials (marble?) or texture (woven shades? wood floor?) worked into the design to elevate the room’s visual interest.  Basically try to trick yourself into loving this room despite its mundane function.

- Functional & Stylish Lighting.   Late night laundry anyone?  It happens to the best of us.  And what better way to see what you’re doing and give the space style than with an eye catching overhead fixture?  Pass on the expected flush mount and go for a pendant!

- Machines that Look Cool.  This isn’t a necessity.  But it helps!  If the washer and dryer have high tech features, are energy efficient and get clothes cleaner – then its a win-win.

Beyond these things, it would also be nice if the room had a utility sink for soaking items.  Heck, it would be nice if you actually had a dedicated laundry room – and not just a corner of your unfinished basement!  But even if you’re stuck toiling in the depths, you can still give your laundry area an upgrade.  Any little bit helps.  When you catch yourself whistling a happy tune while you throw in a load, you’ll thank us.

Ken Gemes Interiors

 

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Gather Round

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Jen

One of our favorite furniture forms is the round pedestal table.  It’s a simple, classic shape that brings elegance wherever it appears.  Just as a piece of sculpture displayed upon a pedestal is elevated both literally and figuratively, so is anything placed on your tabletop.  Set a vase of flowers upon a pedestal table and you understand what we’re talking about.  Somehow the standard four legged table just can’t compete with the grace of a table with a sole central support.  Luckily, circular tables on a single base can be found in virtually every style of design whether it be traditional or ultra modern.  So there’s a table or two out there for you if you’re in the market!

Benjamin Dhong

Round tables fit everywhere with ease.   Small circular pedestal tables tuck comfortably next to upholstery pieces as a place to set a glass.  Slightly larger rounds make wonderful bedside tables.  A bit larger diameter and you’ve got a stunning entry table that brings drama to a foyer.   Finally, the largest size of all, the round dining table, is the absolute ideal way to furnish a dining room.

By now you’ve figured out that we love decorating with elements that are functional, practical AND lovely to look at.  The round pedestal dining table meets these requirements easily!  Circles are a naturally intimate shape, perfect for both everyday meals with your family or for special entertaining.  We love that you can see everybody and interact with them all effortlessly.  Everyone faces inward toward a central point, providing a welcome sense of  balance and togetherness.   In our opinion, this balance makes everything at a round table just flow better – whether it be a formal dinner party with intimate conversation or a lively, raucous game of poker.   There’s a reason our kindergarten teachers sat us all in circles – it keeps us engaged!  And, unlike a long rectangular table, there’s no far end of the table with the food (or a dinner companion) out of reach!  Circular dining tables fit best in a square shaped room – again because of the balance factor.  But you can also use one in a rectangular room if you size it correctly.  Make sure the table is small enough that those seated on the narrowest part of the room can still pull their chair out fully and maneuver comfortably around the table.  If you have an open concept space, then by all means – go for the big round table!

The pedestal base itself can be fluted, bulbous, curvaceous, straight lined, or even a complex series of crossed supports forming a single structure.  Bring one of these circular beauties into your home to help counter all the hard corners and sharp edges.  We guarantee you’ll find yourself smiling at how things suddenly feel more inviting!

 

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Spring on your Step!

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Katharine Mast

Today it really feels like Spring!  We may even set some temperature records in the Boston area.  Needless to say, we are thrilled!  The sun and warmth puts us in the mood to sweep the sand off our doorsteps, set out some cheerful pots of flowers, paint the front door a new color and find a welcoming bench to grace our entrance.   Small changes like these can really spruce up the front of your house for the new year!

Giving your entrance a makeover every so often makes sense for many reasons.  Adding curb appeal and charm to your property is good for the community at large and your home’s value.  And, honestly, it’s good for your personal spirit too! Containers of bright flowers and a welcoming entrance give you a little shot of happiness every time you come home.  Trust us. We can all use a daily dose of that!   You can’t stop and smell the roses if you don’t have any, right?

Containers filled with Spring bulbs are the easiest way to inject some color and vitality at your entry right now.  Find pre-planted pots of bulbs at your local garden center (even Home Depot or Lowes) or if you’re ambitious like Martha, buy the materials and plant your own.  If you do, try to add some green foliage elements like ivy, or moss to balance out your floral elements.  Pansies – with their friendly little faces – are wonderful early spring flowers because they can take some cold – should it dare reappear! Other classics are the bulbs – daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, tulips, paper whites.   Invest in a high quality cast iron urn or compile a set of pots of varying sizes and heights for a pretty display.  If you really want to be inspired, be sure to visit the Boston Flower & Garden Show.  It’s next week at the Seaport World Trade Center!

Next take a good honest look at what else is happening around your entry.  Has your doormat seen better days?  Is your exterior light fixture dirty and in need of some Windex?  Do you have a welcoming place to linger – like a bench or seat?  Is the door knocker rusty or boring? (Do you even have a door knocker?)  What about the door bell? If you’ve got a generic doorbell cover, it’s a quick turn of the screwdriver to switch it out to something with style.  Yes, even those small details matter!

Finally, consider painting your front door.  If it’s been a while since it was last painted, putting a new hue on your door is like changing shades of lipstick.  We tend to like upbeat colors, but these are by no means the only options.   Sometimes a dramatic color on the door will give the house a whole new, more sophisticated mood.  See that black front door above if you need proof.  We love the yellow trim detailing!  As always, take the time to consider your home’s style, your personality, the look you want to project to the world and Spring forward from there!

 

 

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