::Surroundings::

Thanks Modenus!

2012-02-04T15:14:00.001-05:00

I wanted to thanks Veronika, Tim and team at Modenus for featuring two of my projects in their popular Before & After feature on their website. It's always interesting to hear how others interpret my work and they were very generous in their appraisal - much appreciated. If you want to see more, click on each image below to be taken to the story.

What is Modenus, you may ask? Modenus is a networking platform and resourcing catalog for the interior design community. Designers, and really anyone passionate about interior design, can connect in forums and find design inspiration on a daily basis. Their catalog features some of the very best furniture, tile, lighting, and more from around the world. They also offer project management functionality for design trade professionals. Founder Veronika Miller, who has an extensive background in kitchen design, founded Modenus to serve needs of the designer she felt were unmet in the industry. They are an international outfit, with offices in the US and England, which provides a much more global coverage of design than many other sites offer. Click here to read more. They've also now started an über-exciting project called BlogTour where they bring together design bloggers from around the world in small groups to attend some of the biggest design shows around. This year they are doing tours in New York, Milan, Paris and London. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm hoping to be selected for either Paris or London next Fall, but I'll be sure to be following the tweets and posts from all the design/blogger groups as they tour the world.

And, yes, that was a total suck up moment.

What's up for your weekend? This is mine... that's quite and angry inbox, isn't it?? I think the card for my Sister-in-Law's birthday (which is today) is in there somewhere...

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Olioboard, Man Caves and Go, Patriots!

2012-02-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

This is likely to be the only sports related post I am probably going to do. (Unless I get hired to create the perfect man cave or media room.) So, last week I wrote an über long post on how I'm using Pinterest. This week, I've been working on my skills using Olioboard, which is an easy way to create 2D and 3D design boards. I've had an account for a while, but didn't do much with it. But there has been so much buzz that it got me more interested. Plus, they run contests and who doesn't love to win prizes? The current contest running requires entries to be 3-D man cave designs using sports themed art from Spirit of Sports.

This is my entry below, which I've called "The Brady Boy's Man Cave", in honor of Tom Brady and the New England Patriot's ~~playing~~ winning the Super Bowl this coming weekend. (<-- see what I did - thinking positively!) If you wish, you can vote for me here, although you do have to create a free account.

I thought I'd show a little of what I've learned this week. There have been references to 2D and 3D Boards. Of course, we all know the difference between 2D and 3D, however, when it came to Olioboard, I wasn't sure. I kept thinking there was some technology I wasn't aware of. In fact, it's simply this:

The above is basically a simple "board" with the elements you might use in a space laid out in 2D fashion. This is more the classic design presentation type board. And, it certainly illustrates the concepts for a design plan, or wish list, depending on how you're using it.

In Olioboard, there are many different ways of creating a design scheme. The 2D version above, or a more 3D version as shown directly below. As designers know, not all clients can "visualize" a space as we can. So, while a designer might look at the 2D board above and immediately know how it's all going to fit together, our client's may need a bit more help. But, there is no technological difference between the creation of these two boards, it's simply how they are laid out and the addition of a background to create context.

The image above was my "first draft" of a 3D man cave. All the same elements are included in the 2D version and my final version. This was done using only the items currently in the Olioboard libraries, which include flooring, wallpapers, lighting, etc. It's not bad, but still a little rough looking. It does tell more of a story, but I am bothered by the flat wall and floor onto which furnishings are layed in a room-like manner. Meanwhile, I was noticing some amazing boards that included perspective elements like receding horizons, hallways, windows outside, etc. Hmm.. I wanted to do that! One of the best parts of Olioboard is that you can upload your own images, and actually "pin" (cross reference, but oh well) items from the internet into your account - so you don't have to stick with the existing libraries. I haven't actually done that yet, but will try it at some point. I did, however, upload an image.

There are some room background images available on Olioboard, but I didn't love any of them. Meanwhile, I've been working on improving my skills at Live Interior 3D, which creates floor plans and 3D renderings, including lighting and shadows. So, instead of trolling the internet for a background I could use, I created my own design for Tom and the boy's man cave. Since I was using the large gray sectional in my design (see above), I did my best to orient the room angle to match the sofa, while still getting in the 3 walls. I laid in a dark stained floor, two dark orange walls and two gray walls. The ceiling is a glossy dove gray. I included sliding doors on the windows on the left to block out the sun when watching the tv on the right and I added the architectural columns because I suspect there are more than a few in Tom and Gisele's new California house...

I create a JPG image of the empty "room" and uploaded it to Olioboard onto which I laid all the furnishings and accessories.

For the final decorations in my Brady Boy's Man Cave - and yes, there's room for Gisele too - I have included big comfy teal tub chairs and orange pouf and side table. And there's even a play area for Tom's two sons complete with child size Knoll Womb chairs and Saarinen table. I wanted to create a comfortable space that has modern and traditional elements - a little New England stability mixed with California warmth, all topped with a star light fixture - because they are stars after all.

For me, the 2D and final 3D version with custom designed backgrounds are the best. The middle version in 3D isn't polished enough to be a good representation of a design concept, although I know from what I've seen on their site that some people get amazing results doing it this way.

So, if you're looking for yet another way to spend hours playing with digital design, check out Olioboard. There are many more features I didn't cover as I'm still learning myself. You can learn more in two different Blog Talk Radio recordings hosted by Leslie Carothers here.

Meanwhile, check out my board and all the amazing entries to the Olioboard Man Cave contest here.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Why a good upholsterer is your best friend in design

2012-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, my client owned these two different but still comfy arm chairs. Chair 1 on the left is an English Arm style with a box style back cushion and Chair 2 on the right had rolled arms with a knife edge back cushion. My clients wished to use both of these chairs in their new living room, reupholstered in the same fabric. Aside from a slight difference in width and the arm styles, they are basically the same chair.

This is the fabric we selected for the chairs, which is Thibaut's Island Coral in beige.

And voila - old chairs made new again. Now, look again at the old chairs and then again at the newly reupholstered pieces. Notice anything different? These are the same chairs in the same spots as above. The difference is obviously that the old roll arm chair was reconfigured by my upholster Heller Furniture in Norwell, MA and now sports a nice pair of English arms. The back cushion is now a box cushion and the skirting is now the same on both pieces. Aside from the fact that the chairs are still slightly different in width (hardly noticeable unless you're looking for it), they are now a stylish matched set.

And this is why I say that a good upholsterer is your best friend in design. Whether you're a homeowner, a beginning designer or seasoned pro - a good upholsterer is an invaluable tool in your bedazzled tool belt. Most experienced upholsterers are able to make these kinds of changes to an existing piece. I've seen the most used and awful pieces be literally reborn - made modern and fresh. For this project, which is still in process, I brought a sofa, these two chairs and an order for 10 custom seat cushions for various chairs around the house. Everything was made completely to order and fits like a glove. It's important to note, however, that this doesn't come cheap. My client's could have certainly purchased two new matching arm chairs for the same price at a decent store and in some stores they could have purchased two new chairs for the cost of getting just one of these chairs reupholstered. But the quality would never be the same and the chairs would never be as comfortable. These were good chairs to begin with; they were just old and well used. By reupholstering existing furniture, my clients got the exact fabric and details they wanted and kept the old chairs out of the landfill.

I recently wrote 6 Tips for Working with an Upholsterer for Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace which I highly recommend.

Speaking of upholstery, I wanted to thank Modenus for featuring a before and after of my Boston Townhouse Living Room project on their website today. This was a project that included several upholstered pieces. The sofa was a Dapha for Baker Furniture with Stroheim & Romann fabric (both to the trade), the arm chairs were Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams (retail) with a Robert Allen washable velvet (COM to the trade) and the side chairs were Restoration Hardware in their own velvet (all retail). I point this out because I think it's a good lesson in using varied resources to achieve the best results on a project. Retail store furniture can often be covered in COM (Customer's Own Fabric) or COL (Customer's Own Leather), so never hesitate to ask. It may be more expensive, but to get exactly what you want, it's worth it.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Downton Abbey: The Dining Room, Olioboard style

2012-01-30T17:05:00.000-05:00

Am playing around with Olioboard and decided to go for a Downton Abbey inspired dining room for contemporary living.

Check out the board in Olioboard including links to all products shown.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Downton Abbey: Dining in Splendor

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, here in the States we've just finished episode 4 of Dowton Abbey, Season 2, on PBS. It's really quite remarkable how much they pack into each one hour episode. And this week's installment left me weak and weepy, to say the least. Season 1 was filled with the glamorous dinners and festivities of the noble Crawley family. Many scenes took place in the dining room, filmed in the State Dining Room at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, England. This gorgeous room is filled with BIG art as befitting a BIG room. The biggest of all is the prominent painting of King Charles 1 painted by Flemish master Anthony Van Dyck in 1633. Interestingly, The Royal Collection website lists this painting as part of Queen Elizabeth II's collection. It hung in Windsor Castle throughout much of the 19 Century. The website says paintings are loaned to galleries and "royal households and palaces", I'm not sure if this would include the nobility such as the Earl of Carnarvon, but here it is.

The dining room is filled with portraits of Carnarvon family ancestors and one very long table. It's clear from the various images that table has many leaves in it and is sized for whatever event is at hand. The above image shows a relatively few ten chair set up for what looks like a meeting.

The image above shows a more stately 18 or more chairs and a view of the windows, side boards and heavily fringed window treatments. It's interesting to note that not all the chairs are alike. While all are Hepplewhite in style, and possibly genuine Hepplewhite, they are not a fully matched set. The paintings are all hung from wires off of picture rails and the room features a gorgeous carved wainscot.

This image shows the "Crawley" family at dinner, as well as the camera crew in the background. Don't hit the Van Dyck with the boom mike!

This image shows the family dining en famille with footman at the ready. In the Edwardian era and even past the first world war, it was common for families of this status to dine formally every evening with gentlemen in white tie and the ladies in formal dinner gowns. Titled ladies, such as the Dowager Contess (above, left) might wear their tiara as well. Note, amongst the greenery, that each seat has its own salt celler and pepper shaker. There was no passing food or condiments from person to person at the table. Dining en famille was not the same as dining family style.

During the war, Robert, the Earl of Grantham was recommissioned into the Army. He spends much of the time in uniform, including the dress red coat for formal occasions. Very sharp.

And below we have an image of the undressed state dining table at Highclere Castle, aka Dowton Abbey. I count 5 or 6 leaves. Gorgeous, isn't it? We also get a better view of the ornately carved sideboard/buffet under the Van Dyck. I'm not sure if this is a real piece of Renaissance furniture or a 19th Century Victorian reproduction, but it certainly is a knock out.

And yes, you too can dine like an Earl and Countess:

Additional links for Downton Abbey:

Visit my Downton Abbey Dining Room Board on Pinterest for additional images, links and credits for all of the above above.
Heart to Home blog in the UK posits Is the Past part of your future? and why the "Heritage" look is taking hold in fashion and interiors.
Margo Austin @margotaustin senior design editor of Canada's House & Home magazine has a wonderful roundup of tea tables inspired by Downton Abbey.
Tom + Lorenzo maintain weekly recaps of the series, which are not to be missed, especially if you have missed any episodes! Their insights as well as those of their loyal readers is not to be missed.
Vic over at Jane Austen's World showcases the architectural history and a floor plan of the castle.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks!
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Missing my Daddy, the real DIY guy

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you may recall that my father, Bob Merrill, passed away a while ago. In fact, it was three years ago today. A hard day that time has most certainly softened, as is meant to happen. I don't cry every time I think of him any more, we can make jokes about him coming to haunt us and I enjoy mimicking him and some of the funnier expressions he used to use - it keeps him alive.

photo by Michael J. Lee

Four years ago for Father's Day I wrote this post called "Daddy's Girl" where I extolled his Daddy-like virtues, including how he was so good at woodworking and refinishing furniture - check the post for a couple of pieces of furniture that he worked on. He was the ultimate DIY guy - growing up we never met a contractor because he did literally everything from hanging window treatments and wallpaper to electrical wiring and swapping plumbing fixtures. In all honesty, I am today sometimes surprised (warning: stereotyping is about to happen!) how few straight men, who are not already in the business, care as much about their homes as my Father did and can just do things. The room above, which was the setting for my Holiday 2011 magazine cover features much of Dad's handiwork, including:

Found and hung the wallpaper and installed and painted all the woodwork
Refinished the floor
Shopped for the window treatment fabric. After month's of searching on both my parents parts for the exact shade of blue they wanted, he found it. He then measured and ordered the treatments, which did not come mounted to a board, he did the board mounting and hung them.
He also probably selected and hung chandelier.
And refinished the table top once or twice over the years and covered the slip seats.
This was one ugly room when they bought the house.

Here are some more examples of work my Dad did throughout his life:

This secretary desk dates to the 18th century and my Dad and his Dad found it in a barn sale somewhere in northern Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire probably in the 40s. The story goes that it was covered in pea soup colored paint and the original base was missing. They restored the entire piece, adding a new base and refinishing. Of course, antiques experts probably scream over that sort of thing - but this is much better than a pea soup green desk! This is the story I always heard. I asked my mother and she said this was the story she'd been told when they first met, but years later my Dad said no, they did buy it in a barn sale, but brought it somewhere to be stripped and restored. Somewhere in the middle is the truth because I am certain I talked with my dad about the ogee foot base and how it wasn't accurate to the desk, but that's what he did. So, it's a bit of a mystery. I prefer to stick to family legend that he and my grandfather did the refinishing themselves.

Normally the cubbies are filled with the usual stuff one hides away in a desk. I moved all for the photos - but the dust obviously.

The secretary was always in my parents living rooms in our various homes and usually just held photo albums, playing card, etc. The real working desk of the house was this massive 19th century oak roll top desk below.

Sometime in the late 1960's, my Mom came home to find a pile of gnarly-looking oak drawers and various other pieces and parts in the middle of the garage. He must have been poking around an antiques shop or junk yard, who knows. My dad completely rebuilt and painted the whole thing - replacing all the brasses and porcelain drawer pulls. The original desk top was missing, so he used a "wood look" formica top which was a popular choice in the 1960's. While it may not be today's choice, it worked and has held up beautifully. A little story about the beautiful carved drawer pulls. Apparently, these were also missing, or perhaps one remained. He brought the single pull - or maybe it was a photo - to a local wood carver and ordered 10 large and 2 small hand carved wood pulls. When he went back to pick them up, he asked how much was owed and the man said "no charge, you can't afford it". How nice was that? A true craftsman who took so much pride in his work that he was willing to do them for free because he didn't want to lower the cost by cutting corners.

This desks holds everything. My eldest brother is making plans to move the beast to his house. Dad would be very proud and possibly surprised how much we value his handiwork. And, yes, that's him in the pic when he volunteered at the Rehab Hospital of the Cape & Islands (now Spaulding) after he had his stroke and they helped get him back on his feet - literally.

Dad made this grandfather clock in an adult education woodworking class in the 1970's. He had found plans for the clock somewhere - perhaps from an ad in Woodworker's Digest or even their bible Colonial Homes. Truth be told - there are no works - the hands are attached to a small battery pack and the case is empty - shhh.

The clock face was painted by Dad's sister Better Merrill Wasserboehr and her husband Paul Wasserboehr. Bette was a fine art painter and Paul was a graphic illustrator. She did the background and decorative motifs and he did the numbers - by hand. Dad must have cut out the face to fit the clock and built it and they did the painting. There are actually two faces - the one in the clock and an all off-white one which I've had for several years. Since it was built, the clock has been in an open space kitchen/family (in two different houses) and has gotten grimy (not to mention both my parents used to smoke). So, between kitchen grease and cigarette smoke - yuck. I spent some time today cleaning off the clock face with simple paper towel and water. It could probably use a soft brush and water with a very mild detergent, but since I can't easily get it out of the clock, I did it in situ. The above pic shows half the clock face cleaned - amazing and gross, huh?

And how it looks now. At some point I'll pull the bonnet off and really have a go at cleaning it up a bit more. Although it looks great with some age showing, it could stand to look a little better.

Every year that I've done a post on this day, I include a piece of music. My Dad loved music. This year's selection is Frank Sinatra's "That's Life" My Dad played this album all the time when we were little and it's very much part of the sound track of my childhood. So, raise a martini and tip of the hat - this one's for you Daddy!

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Pretty linens and baubles - a big thank you!

2012-01-27T10:44:00.000-05:00

I wanted to send a big thank you out to Andrea Drexelius from French Basketeer and Metis Linens for sending me this beautiful package of vintage linens and vintage French brass curtain rings that can be used as napkin rings. I won these lovely items in a giveaway on Karen Albert's blog Art By Karena. The brass rings are incredibly gorgeous and the two linens towels have the most beautiful texture to them, owing to their age and use. Something that cannot be replicated. They are also huge and could nearly be used as small table cloths!

The French Basketeer, in business since 2008, sells authentic French baskets and totes. Their chic totes come in many amazing colors and styles:

They also carry the classic rolling market carts as well, seen in French markets and US Design Centers everywhere. (A side note, a past client of mine sent me one as a gift as I'd mentioned in passing that I wanted one - wasn't that nice?!?)

Metis Linens Boutique, aka Le Magasin de Metis, is a partnership between Andrea of The French Basketeer and the lovely Laura Ingalls Gunn, interior designer and writer of the blog Decor to Adore. Le Magasin offers French textiles and they "sprinkle in a few fun and flavorful antiques"

If you've not yet heard about blogger Karen Albert of Art by Karena, head on over there now. Karen is one of the blogosphere's most supportive bloggers - supportive of artists and artisans, small business and other bloggers. Her blog offers some of the best giveaways around, which in turn introduces large audiences to artists and small business vendors that we might not otherwise hear of. An artist in her own right, Karen manages to read and comment on about a million blogs a day and always has a kind word for everyone.

Again, thank you to all the ladies above - I love my prize!

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

How I'm Using Pinterest for Work and a word for designers and pinners

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ah, the red P for Pinterest. Are you using it? As the use of this relatively new photo pinboard website started growing, there were more and more tweets in my Twitter stream extolling the virtues of the site, with comments like "I'm addicted to..." and lamentations on the hours spent "pinning" away. I was skeptical. Were people just mindlessly gathering photographic images and for what purpose besides just looking at them? Hmm. Sometimes I'm an early adopter and at other times I decide something is a cult and I don't want to just run along with the herd. Eventually, there was so much chatter and I'd received a fair share of emails about it from various SM connections that I figured it was time to check it out. I tried to create an account, only to be told I would be placed on a waiting list or would need to be invited. What??? How is it everyone was doing it, but it was invite only??? Irritation ensued, followed by an indignant tweet, which of course brought me several invitations. I still don't understand the need to be invited and waiting lists, other than to create buzz, which is probably all that is.

Anyway, I got in and started following people I knew there. And suddenly my inbox was flooded with notifications about who was following me, who pinned what, etc. I did not sign up for more mail, I get enough as it is! I didn't realize the social media nature of the beast, but luckily found that all notifications can be turned off (whew). I played around with it a bit, saw what others were pinning and basically didn't get too excited over it. Until I figured how to make it work for me.

For the return of Downton Abbey on PBS, I decided to resurrect my long time series of "Get that Look" posts. Historically, these involved a lot of searching and saving images and links to resources. With Pinterest, I can simply create a specific pin "board" for the post I am working on and throughout the week as I ran across items that were right for the post, I could pin them to the board and forget about them. The pins link back to the source, which is the first time I've been easily able to track sources outside of copy them into the post directly. What a time saver!

From the Pinterest board, I can easily drag the images off the screen into a document (Apple's Pages program) to create a simple design board on the topic, which I put in my post as seen here. Since all the Pinterest images link back to their sources, I can simply direct readers to the pins and from there the sources and photo credits. Please note that I do watermark my board with my website (bottom right) so it always comes back to me in some way.

I write several articles a month freelance for the website www.Networx.com. Many of my pieces are called "Designer's Picks" where I select a bunch of products within a theme and describe them. Pinterest has revolutionized this process for me. An article published today illustrates this well. The above image is my board specific to the recent assignment of "Discreet, foldaway desks for small spaces". I first searched within Pinterest for products, following links back to the seller or manufacturer and repinned to my board. I then, over the course of several days, searched the web and pinned items I liked. Since all pins go back to the page where the item was pinned from, I can easily transfer the links to the Word doc I write the article in. I may end up pinning more items than make the article, but I end up with a selection to choose the best from. You can click the image below to see the article in full.

I've also found Pinterest incredibly useful when working with clients. I am currently working with a woman who is planning the opening of a yarn shop. She came to me to help create a space that is not the typical old musty yarn shop that is common in our area. I gathered ideas for her to view and comment on in two different boards. One was on an Industrial Chic theme and the other a softer more White Washed look that will still clean and simple. Both can be achieved on a tight budget with some elbow grease, which is what she was looking for. As we emailed back and forth, I pinned new images and rearranged things until we came settled on the Industrial Chic/Natural look with splashes of a warm orange. I then created a new board, seen above, that pulled in all the ideas into this one design inspiration board. It includes images of other offices or stores, plus products. I also uploaded my digital renderings of her space so she had one place to go to see everything. This has really fast tracked the design process - both on the inspiration end and on the communications end. Of course, since she's still not "announced" the shop opening, I am not sharing names or locations, but it begins the pre-publicity for her as well as promotes my work as a designer. I was able to do both by including this in my recent newsletter to my mailing list as well.

I created a branded digital design board which went to the client and also showcased in my recent newsletter. Since many on my mailing list are local, this sets the stage for her store opening announcement. Cross promotion is the name of the game here. Of course, all of this was done with permission from my client and I would never have shared so much of the concept without that permission. I'd love for Pinterest to offer the option of a "private" board, even if this were a pay feature. I've been creating these on my own website for clients for several years, but it's time consuming to create and update. I'd pay to have the ease of Pinterest in a private setting. As of yet, this is not a feature, but I would bet that it will happen in the future.

As a designer, I want to get my name and work out in front of as many people as I can - after all, why else do we as business professionals put so much time and effort into social media? I wondered if other designers pinned their own portfolio images into their boards on Pinterest and tweeted the question out. I received only one response (hello, I have nearly 3,800 followers and 1 response?) from someone who said they were not a designer, but would certainly do it if they were. I decided that it made sense to post my own images and get them out in the viral world. But of course, they need to come back to me as well by virtue of viewers knowing whose work is in the image. I decided to re-upload the images in my portfolio with my website watermarked in the bottom corner and then pinned the images into a board called "Linda Merrill Portfolio".

A nice feature of Pinterest is that the source website with a direct link is attached to each pin and travels with the image as long as it's repinned within Pinterest. You will see in the image above the link near the top: www.chameleon-interiors.com (my original business name that sticks to me like glue!) and will go directly to my website page featuring the image. You will also see my URL in the bottom right hand corner of the image. If this image ends up on a blog or some other site outside of Pinterest and the user doesn't properly link or credit the image, it's still branded as mine. Although it's not shown above, I also list my photographer Michael J. Lee with a link to his website in the description field. These links become live automatically which is a nice feature.

You will notice that the two images above are of the same kitchen, but staged differently. The color rendering is a bit different too. (On a side note, this is a good lesson about viewing colors on a computer - same kitchen, same photographer, slightly different color result). The second image was shot for a feature story in Country Living Magazine, which you will notice is the link listed in the above. I went back and forth about watermarking this image as well, but since it's not mine, it's technically the magazine's (where I pinned it from) and Michael's, I decided not to. You will also notice where I credit Michael in the notes section. In less than a day, all but two of my images have been pinned onto other boards. I've also seen a significant upswing in hits to my website from Pinterest. Pretty good early results I'd say.

I know this has been a long post, but I do want to say something about the nature of photo rights and the attribution of work shown in interiors photos. Once upon a time, a photographer was hired to shoot a designer's work. Photographers retained the rights to the images and licensed them to the designer or publication for their use. These image licenses could be simple or complex, involve cash payments, or not. But it was fairly straight forward. With the advent and growth of the internet, the ability for any of us to swipe an image to use in any way we want to is made easy. But just because it's easy doesn't make it right. Designer's work hard and would like to receive proper credit for work well done. Photographer's work hard and would also like to be credited, if not paid a license fee, for their work. But for the most part, neither party has much power over the swipe and distribute nature of websites, blogs, Tumblr and yes, even Pinterest. It's too prolific. But that said, law suits, especially in the form of a class action suit, is not out of the question and large websites such as Pinterest and others will need to be working on how to limit the uncredited distribution of images.

This was apparently an issue that came up at the recent Alt Summit that I picked on up in a tweet from Grace Bonney.

In the meantime, if you're a blogger and use images that are not your own, please make sure to credit the image as best as you can WITH A LINK back to your source. It's being noted that many bloggers are merely saying "Via Pinterest" with or without a link and if there is a link, it's to Pinterest's main page, not the source page of the image. This is wrong and unfair to the person responsible for the work you must admire enough to use on your site. This holds true if you use images from a magazine or other online source. It's not enough to say "House Beautiful", you should be linking directly to the page on the HB site where the image came from. You should also be listing the designer and photographer where you can. But at minimum, a link should be made to the page, because that information will be there for anyone who wants to find it. And if you're pinning to Pinterest, try to drill down to find the source of the image and pin the image from its source. This means if you see a beautiful image on a blog and it references Traditional Home or Architectural Digest with a link, then click on that link and pin the image from the original source. It usually only takes a few extra seconds, but that simple act shows your support of the people behind the image.

If you're a designer or architect, you should absolutely be watermarking your portfolio images. Why let your work float around the internet without attribution? It may happen anyway, but there is no need to help the matter along. Watermarking an image simply means that you add type to the image with your name, or URL or some identifying information. It can be discreet so as not to interfere with the image, but it's important nonetheless. You can do this using Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or the latest version of Preview on Macintosh computers. You can also use Picnik which is currently a free web based program. You upload your image, add the text and save back to your computer. Picnik is part of Google and will become part of their account based family of offerings within a few months. But for now it's free. My photographer Michael just wrote an excellent post about the subject of pinning and watermarking as well, which you can read here.

And finally (I know, finally!) here is a link to an article on Likeable.com which lists the brands who are very adept at harnessing the power of Pinterest to further their marketing goals, including High Point Market, Matchbook Magazine and Mod Cloth.

A final word about using Pinterest. If you're on a diet, do not go on after 9PM in the evenings. More often than not, your screen will be flooded with delicious looking images of sweet and savory delights. Torture.

Sorry for the long post!

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Get That Look: Downton Abbey and the Outdoor Life

2012-01-23T01:01:00.002-05:00

One of the loveliest parts of all the period British dramas is the depiction of the outdoor life of the British noble and gentry classes. Certainly, the Brits are known for their love and expertise at gardening, riding and hunting and the exquisite lawn parties filled with ladies and gentlemen dressed in white enjoying simpler pursuits. I thought in this weeks post on Downton Abbey, I'd focus on the outdoor pursuits of the Crawley's and their friends.

The Cora, Countess of Grantham (played by Elizabeth McGovern) takes tea on the lawn of the estate with her mother-in-law mother-in-law, the Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith)

From this view, we can see just how far away from the big house their little tea time is. Which was likely a fair burden on the serving staff who had to shlep all the furniture out side (no Sunbrella then!) as well as the full tea service, including still hot tea. One has to assume, however, that these were some of the few times the ladies could chat in complete privacy.

Outdoor sports such as riding and hunting have historically been very important aspects of British country life. This is one of the iconic images from the series featuring Lady Mary Crawley (played by Michele Dockery) getting ready to ride out. Although riding in full dress, with corset, and side-saddle to boot must have been incredibly uncomfortable, it sure looked pretty!

The Crawley family, and friends, go shooting on a chilly autumn day. The dress is decidedly less formal than Mary's riding habit above, but dashing in its own way.

Of course, thrashing about in the bramble after the dogs must give one a hearty appetite. And once again, the servants are tasked with serving a meal in an out of the way location such as the barn. Romantic looking, though, isn't it?

Countess Cora, recovering after losing her baby in the last episode of Season 1, stays warm and out of the way at their annual garden party.

Middle daughter Lady Edith Crawley (played by Laura Carmichael) watches her suitor as he leaves without proposing (oh that scheming Lady Mary!) in front of the picnic tent that is filled with skirted tables, folding chairs and flowers. An interesting note is that the dress Lady Edith is wearing is purportedly a rented costume that was previously worn in Merchant & Ivory's Room With A View starring Helena Bonham-Carter. I actually scrolled through Room to see if I could spot it, but could not. The time periods and thus the dress styles were so different between the turn of the century Room and late-Edwardian era Downton (in this scene). Possibly it was used as an under dress or its scene was edited out. Or I could have missed it.

Here we have a sky shot of the grounds at Highclere Castle, setting for Downton Abbey. Interestingly, the current Lady Carnavon of Highclere has been re-building these gardens from scratch and the cast and crew have not been allowed to go in them. One wonders if this is a bonus of the funds earned from the rental on the property to the production. If so, it's a great use of the money!

Additional links for Downton Abbey:

Visit my Downton Abbey Country Living Board on Pinterest for additional images, links and credits for all of the above above.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times relates to Carson the Butler.
Claudia Juestel from The Adeeni Blog is inspired by Downton Abbey and has a great post about the show, including beautiful large photos from the show and other similar manor homes.
Styleture blog offers a great collection of Downton inspired bathroom fixtures.
WNET Channel 13 in New York offers their Downton Dish - which is truly hysterical.
The "fabulous and opinionated" Tom + Lorenzo maintain weekly recaps of the series, which are not to be missed, especially if you have missed any episodes!
Vic over at Jane Austen's World has a fantastic recap of the newly aired "Secrets of the Manor House" which goes into the societal changes leading up to and influenced by the first world war. For some reason, this hasn't aired on WGBH/Boston (hello @masterpiecepbs - care to respond to my tweet??) but I did see a ten minute portion of it, and it looks like a perfect companion piece to the series. Can't wait to see it. (WGBH - are you listening? Don't make me come up there!)

If you've seen a great post on Downton Abbey, or are covering the show yourself, please be sure to leave a link in the comments, or email me, so I can add it to next week's post.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Dear Guggenheim Museum, Can you tell me what that color is?

2012-01-20T16:59:00.004-05:00

The Guggenheim Museum in New York has partnered with Fine Paints of Europe on two unique collections of paint colors. Apparently, it's not only Pottery Barn who gets calls of "What color is that?" After years of fielding that type of inquiry, the folks at the museum decided to do something about it.

Each time the Guggenheim mounts an exhibition it embarks on an elaborate design process to plan the gallery ambiance. Wall color is often used to convey a particular time, place, or culture, and must highlight the works of art without competing with them. The choice of wall color can influence how a museum visitor experiences the artworks, so this process is crucial to the presentation. Guggenheim Gallery Colors includes the original colors chosen for the museum by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as colors preferred by generations of curators and living artists. [source]

The Classical Colors Collection is a collection of 150 paint colors that recreate the color palettes of artists such as Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Vasily Kandinsky. Each color was carefully chosen from paintings in the Guggenheim collection and matched by Fine Paints of Europe.

The Gallery Colors Collection includes 50 original colors chosen for the museum by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as gallery colors preferred by curators and living artists for decades. The choice of wall color in a gallery can influence how we experience works of art. Learn more about the Gallery Color Collection here.

Installation view from Villhem Hammershøi, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, June 19-September 7, 1998. Photograph by David Heald©The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.

Installation view from Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, October 12, 2007- January 13, 2008. Photograph by David Heald©The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.

Installation view from The Aztec Empire, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, October 15, 2004-February 13, 2005. Photograph by David Heald©The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.

I have the fan deck for the Classic Colors collection and the colors are really beautiful. They have an earthy muted look that is both modern and classic. I look forward to using one of these paints soon!
Check out the websites listed above as there are some very interesting videos about the use of paints, how they are chose to display art and how the paint colors can affect our experience of art.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

The Alpha Workshops for Thibaut

2012-01-19T16:49:00.000-05:00

I've been organizing my home office and sewing room and came across a packet of wallpaper samples from Thibaut that I picked up at last fall's Market Week at the Boston Design Center. Oy, sometimes, things do get buried, don't they?

Anyway, the wallpaper samples are from Thibaut's newly released papers made in conjunction with The Alpha Workshops called Artisan. The papers, and the story behind them, are pretty fantastic.

[via Thibaut's website] Founded in 1995, The Alpha Workshops is the only not-for-profit organization in the country that trains and employs people who are living with HIV/AIDS in the decorative arts. The Alpha Workshops has been an industy pioneer, developing a unique training curriculum within a flexible setting and providing a supportive workplace that is responsive to the medical, financial and emotional needs of people living with chronic illness.

Decorative arts classes are taught at The Alpha Workshops studio School, which is licensed by the New York State Department of Education. The Alpha Workshops also runs a highly regarded design studio, staffed completely by artisans who have graduated from the school's advanced program. The studios are well-known for hand-painted wallpapers, on-site custom painting and venetian plaster, decorative finishes, gilding, hand-cast lamps and site-specific artwork.

The collaboration between Thibaut and Alpha utilizes the best talents of both companies to create Artisan, a bold and inspiring new wallpaper collection. For Thibaut, the license with Alpha presented an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the creators of Alpha's designs to shape their new interpretation. The artisans of Alpha recognized that in Thibaut, they had a partner who could skillfuly capture the handmade quality of their designs and translate them into a widely available product. The result is a beautiful group of papers that reflects the best of both The Alpha Workshops and Thibaut.

For more information about The Alpha Workshops, please visti www.alphaworkshops.org
Their website is currently under construction, however, you can still view more info at their About Us page here.

Here are the sample papers we were given. The papers in the images (via Thibaut) are not all the same colorway as the samples I have on hand, so I'm showing both.

Maryse

Each of the papers has a unique texture and feel to them. The Maryse, for example, is a smooth paper with a stried ground and overlaid block print metallic pattern. The Ginkgo is a thick pressed paper with a block print. The Verre Eglomisé, mimics the look of real eglomisé, which is glass that has been painted on the reverse side. The Reverie has the look of a rand, hand stamped pattern and La Gioconda has a soft, romantic quality to the print.

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Get That Look: Downton Abbey - Servants Quarters

2012-01-16T09:02:00.000-05:00

The English period soap opera known as Downton Abbey is now in full swing and as with Season 1, Season 2 is filled with characters and lots of exposition of the story line. Season 1 just won the Golden Globe for best mini-series tonight, as a matter of fact. They sure know how to pack it all in and if you're not paying attention, you might miss an important bit of story. Luckily, they seem to be running the episodes twice in a row, which gives me a chance to fill in any blanks I missed while tweeting, or blinking for that matter. Downton Abbey is presented by Masterpiece (formerly and forever Masterpiece Theater) which is produced by WGBH, Boston's PBS station. I worked there for many years and if I was there now, I'd have been able to see advance screeners of the whole season by now. I'd also be preparing for an onslaught of work around the sales reporting on all those dvd's as well - and I do not miss that in the least! I am much happier doing what I'm doing now and watching the show with a decorator's eye.

Last week, I wrote about the Kitchen of Downton Abbey and this week I am focusing on the rest of the servants quarters - both the basement workrooms and the bedrooms. These utilitarian spaces were certainly not "decorated" per se. They were functional and practical and there was little room or attention to fripperies like color. Yet, these spaces have a certain vintage charm to that is worth taking a look at. The color palette is a mix of grays and taupes, along with stained oak or walnut, darkened with age.

Carson, the butler ruminates in the servants dining and work hall. Note the room bells on the wall behind. The furniture is heavy and has put up with a lot of wear and tear.

Anna, the maid sitting in the servants hall (pining for Mr. Bates). In the first season, it was noted the electric lighting was upstairs, but not downstairs. Season 2 marks the addition of electricity to the work areas of the house, but the set still shows a mix of gas and electric lighting.

The generally evil Miss O'Brien and Thomas, the once valet and now soldier. This image really shows the wear and tear on the table, along with the simple cups and saucers on the cabinet in the background.

The servants bedrooms continue the muted color palette. The furnishings are simple, often time painted. Servants shared rooms, based on their ranking in the household. The men and women slept in separate hall ways with a locked door (locked to the men's side) between. Generally, there were no locks on the actual bedroom doors and there was very little privacy for the servants. The beds are iron or painted woods. Rooms also had small tables and chairs, clothing cupboards and small side tables.

Additional links for Downton Abbey:

Blogger friend Vic has this amazing post about The Servant's Quarter's in homes such as this as well as a post on the use of stately English homes as hospitals during WW1 and how these events propelled the breaking down of the divide between social classes, the emancipation of women and the rise of the servant classes.
"Downton's Dirty Secret" the seamier side of service on the Daily Mail Online.
The Oxford Dictionaries has an interesting post about some of the language and phraseology used in the series.
As a fundraiser, the BBC produced two video spoofs called "Uptown Downstairs Abbey" starring Kim Cattrall as Cora, the Countess of Grantham. Filmed on location at Highclere Castle (upstairs) and Ealing Studios (downstairs scenes) these two videos are hysterical and also explain the continuity issues related to have the sets in two locations.
Visit my Downton Abbey Board on Pinterest for additional images, links and credits for all of the above above.

One of the downsides of doing all the photo research for these posts is that I've managed to actually spoil much of the season for myself, including a fall from grace from a most unlikely character. I'll say no more, but writer Julian Fellowes will have had to really pull something out of his hat to make it all make sense!

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks!
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Salt Cathedral

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

I was watching an old Rick Steeves Travel show on PBS this evening and he was visiting an amazing site in Poland and a place I'd never heard of. A salt-cathedral. I was amazed by the work done in these underground mines, which are around a mile underground. So, I thought I would check it out.

Built in the 13th century, the Wieliczka Mine in Poland, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, produced table salt continuously until 2007. Throughout its history as an active mine, miners were creating works of art and entire rooms hewn out of the salt rock, including the Chapel of Saint Kinga, 13th century daughter of a Hungarian king and patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.

An entire Catholic Cathedral as been carved out of the salt rock. Note the floors and illuminated salt rock chandeliers.

Over time, artists were brought in to create more elaborate works, such as this re-creation of DaVinci's Last Supper in salt-relief.

Busy salt miners in St. Kinga's Shaft Bottom of the mine (photo by Adam Kumiszcza)

This rock salt chandelier at St. Kinga's Chapel rivals anything in crystal. Photo by DimitriB

Above photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Apparently, to make the "crystal" chandelier, the rock salt was melted down and impurities were removed. The salt was then reconstituted into glassy "crystals" and then electrified.

St. Kinga herself, holding a block of salt and behind glass for her protection.

Above photos by TeachandLearn on Flickr.

Have you ever seen anything like this in your travels? Would love to hear about it!

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Get That Look: Downton Abbey - The Kitchen

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

I thought the return of Downton Abbey on PBS was a good opportunity to resurrect the long running Get That Look series on my blog. I thought we'd start with the most important room in the house (both then and now) - the kitchen.

The entire series was shot on location at Highclere Castle in England, with the exception of the kitchens and below-stairs rooms as they are no longer in service. These spaces were re-created on a sound stage and I do think they did a great job of capturing these bustling work spaces.

Kitchen Maid Daisy, Cook Mrs. Patmore teach youngest daughter Lady Sybil how to cook in preparation for nurses training to support the WW1 war effort. Note the clean white and black tile on the rear wall of the stove with gleaming copper pots keeping warm.

Electric lighting only comes below stairs in Season 2, so the show lighting is naturally quite dim. Between that and the fact that the kitchen was often bustling with activity, there aren't too many good shots of the kitchen set. These pictures above and below were shot on set by two BBC "reporters" who dressed up in period garb to interview some of the cast. These are actually the best, most well lit photos I've seen of the kitchen. Above is hot chauffeur Branson, BBC reporter, head lady's maid Miss O'Brien (looking much nicer here than when in character!) and kitchen maid Daisy.

This is a great shot of the work table and cabinetry behind. Note the new electric lighting suspended above the work area. Prior to the electrification of downstairs, they would have made do with gas light and natural light from large kitchen windows.

Great detail shot of period appropriate products and the ever necessary Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management.

Note the large window in the above and below photos, not to mention the depth of the walls. These shots show lots of kitchen utensils and the gorgeous copper!

The architecture of the windows enhances the natural lighting, which was all important in the kitchens of the day.

From Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, 1915 edition. I'd say the set decorator's of Downton Abbey have got it right.

I've always had a fondness for "scullery" looking kitchens with big work surfaces, natural lighting and a used look. This image above is one of my all time favorites which I pulled from a magazine many years ago but have lost the source information.

My love of copper in kitchens goes back to a trip to France and a visit to the Chateau de Chenonceau - the kitchens were amazing. (note the curved ceiling!)

These were my main inspirations when I did this condo kitchen makeover a couple of years ago.

(Photo by Michael J. Lee, courtesy of Country Woman magazine)

[click image above for all links]

Additional links for Downton Abbey: Kitchen

Blogger friend Vic has this amazing post about The Servant's Quarter's in homes such as this.
The blog My Favorite and My Best offers a wonderful post about the interiors of Downton Abbey, along with her "Get that look" picks called living inSIDE™
The Washington Post has an extended article about Highclere Castle and the movie sets.
Design*Sponge has created one of their signature Living In posts that worth clicking over to
Visit my Downton Abbey Board on Pinterest for additional images, links and credits for all of the above above.

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

It's my 7th Blog Anniversary

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

The month of January marks my 7th anniversary as a blogger. My first few blog posts were re-prints of articles I'd written for a now defunct website called Respond.com. You can view all my first year posts here, but there's a lot of dead links and missing photos. My very first post has gone missing, because I think I literally wrote something like - here's my new blog, ta-da! I deleted it at some point, maybe when I realized people had begun to find me and it seemed pretty lame.

Here is the evolution of my blog headers over the years. I can't find my original 2005 header, but it was much like the 2006 one, without the reference to ::Surroundings::

2006

2008

2010

2012

Printed below is a post I wrote on June 5th, 2005 in response to a June 2nd, 2005 article in the Boston Globe by Linda Matchan with the headline: Shoppers Are Increasingly Finding Guidance In Magazines About What to Buy. The article's first sentence was: "Remember simplicity?" and it went on to remind us how in our post 9/11/2001 mood, we were all really thinking about the basics. By 2005, we were back to spending, spending, spending which lead to the rise of consumer magazines that helped part us with our money. As a matter of fact, the article was published just a month after the launch of Domino magazine and was, in essence, a response to the type of publication Domino was. Ms. Matchan quoted Domino's self-description: ''The Shopping Magazine For Your Home". Funny, I never liked Domino and wondered what all the fuss was about. I realize now that my opinion of the magazine was formed based on this article and while the magazine did mature editorially over time, I never took notice.

Of course, 2007/2008 proceeded to hit us all like a ton of bricks and many of the very publications mentioned in the article are now but distant memories. Funny how style, moods and what's important in life seems to come and go.

Anyway, I wanted to reprint my thoughts on the subject posed by the Boston Globe Article as I think it was one of my best posts out of the 1540 posts I've published on ::Surroundings:: since my "Ta-Da" moment. I'd love to know your thoughts.

-------------

Consumer Culture Wars

Are we in the throes of rampant consumerism? Seems an odd thing for an interior designer to ponder. One would think that would be good for business. But is what's good for business always the right thing? Yes, if you want to stay in business. No, if that's all one is concerned about.

In the June 2nd BOSTON GLOBE, they ran a pair of articles on the boom of consumer magazines - Lucky and Dominoe to name two - which showcase products and how to get them. This isn't your Dad's "Consumer Reports" - which is about how to select the best dishwasher or microwave. These are about what's new and trendy - not about what's best or needed. The companion article is about the growth market in the storage facility industry - to house all the stuff we've bought but have no room for. Yikes...

It's about quantity, not quality, obviously.

Are we using shopping as a drug? Probably. And, given the market glut of off-price stores such as Target, Homegoods and Marshalls - we're not necessarily always looking to spend top-dollar. It's part of the thrill of the hunt - something pretty for a good price. Hence the DSW Shoes commercial which compares women shopping for off-price shoes to animals in the wilderness seeking their prey. I'm always slightly offeneded by the commercial - but probably because the truth stings.

We have to get back to a mind-set that quality trumps (no, not you-know-who) quantity. A single beautiful exotic flower is much more beautiful than dozens of mums and carnations. This quantity driven mind-set does nothing to help local businesses, artisans and craftsman, that's for sure. We hear in the news every day about the glut of Chinese textile imports - clothing, home textiles, etc. We worry about the trade imbalance. Yet we continue to shop at Walmart and Target. We cluck over jobs sent overseas - yet continue to purchase goods made "over there".

So, getting back to my business - yes, the "quantity consumer" mentality is bad for business. GIve me a client who wants quality and is willing to have less stuff to achieve it. Or who is willing to wait to save their money for it. These are people who will value the work of local seamstresses and decorative painters, sculpters and cabinet makers. They will value creativity and quality - timelessness and true beauty. And, they spend their money locally - with people who will then re-spend that money locally, and so on...

Something to ponder.

©2005 Linda Merrill, Chameleon Interiors

see original post here

Downton Redux: Decorative Recap of Season 1

2012-01-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

Series Production Designer: Donal Woods

Series Set Decorator: Gina Cromwell

Tonight starts the beginning on the long awaited return to Downton Abbey, on PBS/WGBH's Masterpiece Classic. If you were among the legions of devoted fans on both sides of the Atlantic who watched Season 1 you are undoubtedly excited about Season 2. (Those in the UK have already seen it). If not, you missed a fantastic series filled with lush sets and costumes, romance, drama, the sinking of the Titanic and the beginning of WW1. All in 4 x 1.5hr episodes. You can download it from iTunes or stream from Netflix, but you better get going, you only have 6 hours till tonights premier! Meanwhile, here is a visual recap of season 1 to help set the stage for the next chapter.

Downton Abbey is played by Highclere Castle

The Lady Mary Crawley, first born daughter and savior or ruination of the family - which will it be?

Robert, Earl of Grantham (l) and cousin Matthew Crawley (r), the unwilling distant relative set to inherit all. Will he and Mary find true love, or their senses?

Violet, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (seated left), played by the inestimable Dame Maggie Smith, and (r) Cora, the Countess of Grantham (seated right, played by Elizabeth McGovern), the American born heiress wife whose riches saved the estate, but have been entailed away to a male relative

The Grand Interior Hall

The image above and below are from Highclere Castle's website.

The grand staircase. You can see the main floor set up for a concert. From Highclere Castle website.

The ladies: Mrs. Crawley (Penelope Wilton), Cora, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern) and Violet, the Dowage Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith). A meeting of some very strong feminine minds in the "observatory" which is set in the main hall.

The Library

The Library is set with many items from the actual castle, including the carpet and some furnishings.

From Highclere Castle's website. The library is often used for wedding dinners.

The Drawing Room

The drawing room is a sumptuous collection of pastel fabrics and textiles, gilded French Louis bergere chairs, English and Italian casegoods.

A view of the gorgeous Aubusson carpet.

The images below are as the room appears today. Note that much of the furniture is the same, but the carpets are different.

The Dining Room

The dining room (from Highclere Castle's website) as it is today (below). It features an enormous Van Dyke painting.

Matthew and Mrs. Crawley's London house

In the series, distant cousin Mathew Crawley, a solicitor, (shown here with his widowed mother) becomes the heir apparent of all of Downton Abbey when the closer cousins go down on the Titanic. The Crawley's are a middle class family living in a Townhouse in Manchester. (middle class by Edwardian standards included household help).

The wallpaper in this dining room is a beautiful William Morris paper, perfect for an early 20th century home.

Highclere Castle

The Highclere Castle, located in Newbury England, has been home to the Carnarvon family since the 17th century. The current castle which was used for Downton Abbey, was designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1842. Barry also designed the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. The Castle is classic Gothic Revival which had its zenith in popularity in the mid-19th century.

Beautiful shots of a wedding that took place at the Castle: copyright Studio Rouge

Last year, I did a fun post about "getting the look" of the Downton Drawing room, which you can see here.

Here are links to some amazing posts around the web on the fashions, decor and servants quarters of Downton Abbey:

- The Servant's Quarters via Jane Austen's World
- The Costume's of Downton Abbey via Tom & Lorenzo
- Detailed recaps via Tom & Lorenzo

- Highclere Castle official website
- A wedding takes place at the Castle - via Studio Rouge

- PBS/WGBH Masterpiece Classic Website

Will you be watching with me?

Images courtesy of: Masterpiece/WGBH/PBS; Jane Austen's World; Project Rungay; Shining as Stars; Highclere Castle;

Home organization: Mudrooms

2012-01-05T23:13:00.001-05:00

January is home organizing month and certainly many of us include getting organized in our New Year's resolutions. Well, I didn't, exactly, but I did write an article for Networx.com on the subject, which is linked below.

I do love a pretty mudroom - so practical with so many decorative possibilities, even in the tiniest of spaces. I just saw this very pretty and useful looking Hall Tree that is new at Wisteria.

This is a mudroom image than I pinned on Pinterest quite a while ago that was the inspiration for the mudroom space I recommended to the clients referenced in the article above.

And I did love the mudroom designed by Linda Woodrum for HGTV's 2010 Green Home in Plymouth, MA. A combination laundry room/mudroom, the small space packed a big punch. It was located just inside the garage door entrance to the home, which made it perfect for mudroom use. (Photos by me. )

It's amazing how the simplest of spaces can have such impact. This mudroom space by Miles Redd.

And whose rainy day wouldn't be brightened by this lovely little space? BHG via Centsational Girl.

So, did you make any resolutions to be more organized in your life? I started by saying that I didn't make a resolution to be more organized at my home, but I am working to get more organized in my business processes. I'm currently trying to get my contacts databases all in one place and will be outsourcing that job (once I'm, err, more organized..) and I am testing Design Manager software to see if it's worth the work to have it replace my current Quick Books. If you're a designer or architect - what do you use to keep your books and client project details organized?

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

Sparkling Wine and Dog Chairs - what could be better

2012-01-02T23:18:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!

I discovered a new (to me) French sparkling wine that I highly recommend:

This is a very light, fruity yet dry sparkling wine from the Languedoc Roussillon region of France. For under $20, it's a total keeper.

Before the holiday madness set in, my Skirted Roundtable partners and I chatted with author Carol Sheehan whose new book is The Birding Life, published by Clarkson Potter. If you're a birder, or you know someone who is, this is the book you've been looking for as it's filled with beautiful images of birds in interiors and in nature. Click here to listen.

Have a dog you love to spoil?

While writing the dog chairs article, I was reminded of this cuteness. Photo by Philip Rowe

Finally, I'd like to send out a huge shout out to my designer friends and fellow bloggers John Kelsey and Sally Wilson. Their blog, which is filled with a mix of design and architecture related items, sneak peaks into their own beautiful work and some fun random things (like Sally's amazing hat collection and John's love of cars), has been gaining much momentum recently. They were awarded a Blog on Fire award. Click here to check them out and find out for yourself why they are, indeed, a blog on fire.

Sally Wilson & John Kelsey

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::

My New Year's Wish For You

2011-12-31T15:18:00.000-05:00

Designer Perspective: How to Give Your Clients What They Really Want

2011-12-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks!

::Surroundings::

Thanks Modenus!

Olioboard, Man Caves and Go, Patriots!

Why a good upholsterer is your best friend in design

Downton Abbey: The Dining Room, Olioboard style

Downton Abbey: Dining in Splendor

Missing my Daddy, the real DIY guy

Pretty linens and baubles - a big thank you!

How I'm Using Pinterest for Work and a word for designers and pinners

Get That Look: Downton Abbey and the Outdoor Life

Dear Guggenheim Museum, Can you tell me what that color is?

The Alpha Workshops for Thibaut

Get That Look: Downton Abbey - Servants Quarters

Salt Cathedral

Get That Look: Downton Abbey - The Kitchen

It's my 7th Blog Anniversary

Downton Redux: Decorative Recap of Season 1

Home organization: Mudrooms

Sparkling Wine and Dog Chairs - what could be better

My New Year's Wish For You

Designer Perspective: How to Give Your Clients What They Really Want

Designer Perspective: How to Prep Your Clients for the Design Process

Designer Picks: Hi/Low New Year's Eve Swag

Designer Picks: Useful Home Stuff to Exchange Your Holiday Gifts For

Designer Tablescapes: 6 Alternatives to the Classic Christmas Table

Wedgewood Ceilings and other finds

Archives: Pride & Prejudice, My Christmas Day marathon

12 Days, Vintage Style

Recycling Floral Arrangements

And the stockings were hung...

Sandwich House Tour: Decorating an antique

Flights of fancy

Holly Days House Tour - Sneak Peek #2

Holly Days House Tour Sneak Peak

Kicking off the Christmas Season - a tour and a concert

Preppy Style at Home

The Skirted Roundtable: Chatting with Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Happy Thanksgiving Wishes!

Green and Easy Thanksgiving Centerpieces

::Surroundings:: Holiday Style Issue is Now Available!

Boston Interntional Fine Art Show & Design New England

Make your mark

2011 New York Fall Tabletop Show

New England Design Hall of Fame 2011

Is "Good Enough" really good enough?

Thanks Faberuna!

My favorite things at The Ellis Boston Antiques Show

Bathroom Light fixtures: From Sleek to Shabby Chic

Knock, Knock

Modern Glow

Out and About: Upcoming events of note

The Skirted Roundtable: Weighty thoughts on Restoration Hardware

For Sale: Amanda Nisbet's Kips Bay Room

Thank you, Steve Jobs

NEW ISSUE! ::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living