OC Interior Designs Blog

Things that inspired me from my recent trip to Paris

OC Interior Designs — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:10:42 +0000

While there were many things that inspired me on my recent trip to the City of Lights, I will focus on two and what two huge things they are! What they both have in common is the difference a plan and a designer can make on a project.
In the mid 1800’s, Paris was an unsanitary, dangerous and congested city with more than one million inhabitants. Epidemic after epidemic of cholera raged through the streets killing many thousands of people. Napoleon III was determined to change his city easing the destitution of his people and making the city easier in which to maintain his military rule. He chose Baron Hausmann as the city manager to take on this monumental task. Hausmann started with the water and sewer system for without clean water nothing would be sustainable. He then planned the widening of the streets and neighborhoods and established an inexpensive public transportation system. All of these things make Paris the world-class city that I found inspiring. The Champ de Elysee pulses until the wee hours of the morning with people out to see and be seen. The architecture is at a human scale with nothing being higher than six stories high except the Cathedrals of course! And getting around the city is a dream on the Metro. This is the difference a plan can make.

The other inspiration I took away from Paris was the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles designed by Charles Le Brun. What a fabulous space! Seventeen arched windows that look out to the outdoor gardens are reflected in mirrors on the opposite wall. This space is very grand with Louis IVX’s exploits depicted on the ceiling. But what I found interesting was the level at where the chandeliers were hung. They felt like they were hung at a normal level in an average home. It was a great study in symmetry and scale. Symmetry and scale are two important elements in good interior design and Le Brun knew how to make it all work.

Paris is a beautiful city. I wish I would have had more time to discover it’s beauty. I doubt that we will see again design on this scale. What an inspiration!

OC Interior Designs — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:51:52 +0000

The Best Seat In The House
What should you look for when purchasing a quality piece of upholstered furniture? The answers come from a respected tradition that has been passed down through the centuries from one craftsman to another.
Most historians believe that the craft of upholstery evolved from tentmakers. They brought their skills of working with fabric and structure into interiors starting with wall hangings and draperies. In the year A.D. 1626, The Upholsterers’ Company was granted a charter and remains today as the oldest of the City of London’s Guilds and Liveries. Its coat of arms is a shield with three tents emblazoned on it.
Up until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the only comfort one got while sitting on a chair was a cushion. That began to change and the stuffing of furniture began to evolve. The craftsmanship continued to increase in quality reaching its height during the Victorian era when there was a high demand for opulence and comfort.
So what should you look for? The first thing you should do is pick it up by the corner. It should have some heft to it and not torque. If it is light, then it is made from lower quality materials. Ask what frame made from. Is it a kiln-dried hardwood frame with joints that are double, corner blocked, glued and screwed for support?
Pull off the cushions and look at the inside of the back. Does the fabric go only half way down the back? Over time the staples can become loose and the fabric will fray. Is there welting or piping where the fabric meets the legs? This helps the fabric remain attached to the legs.
What types of springs are on the inside? Coil springs are the sturdiest and should be hand tied in eight ways to the frame to provide even support.
Check inside of one of the cushions. See what kind of padding is inside. Look for added material at the crown of the cushion and a bag surrounding the padded material.
Just like tailoring in a man’s suit or that little black dress is important to the overall fit, so is the tailoring of a piece of furniture. Do the patterns match up front to back? Check the seams on the fabric. Are they smooth and not puckered? Are they double stitched? Do they pull apart easily?
By looking for these things, you are insuring that your piece of furniture will be the best seat in the house giving you many years of comfort and beauty.

Back To School Decorating

OC Interior Designs — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:30:58 +0000

Back to school time is coming up real soon and time to think about how to decorate your space so that it is functional and a fun space to hang out. On a recent trip to a couple of big box stores, I came up with many ideas for maximizing your space. The trend this year is bright colors and fun graphics. Here are a few of the things I found.
How about a dorm space saver? It works like a headboard with two shelves, a beverage holder and a hook. It’s easy to assemble and gives you extra storage to place books and bins.

Organize your closet. Sweater organizers have multiple cubbies in which to place your clothes and over the door shoe organizers make great use of closet spaces. Storage bins for the floor with slide out drawers make getting dressed a snap!

Give your bed a lift. Bed risers increase the height of your bed by 7 inches giving you space under the bed for storage bins.

It’s a nightstand. No, it’s a place to put your feet up. No, it a place to store your things! Storage ottomans are a great multi-functional piece to add to your space.

Light your way. A dual functioning desk lamp with places to put your desk supplies keeps things up and out of the way.

Last but not least, I came across some really great removable wall art that is very fun and removable. It’s called My Life, My Wall. This is a way to put your personal stamp on your space.

Have a great year in school and Happy Decorating!

Are You Ready For Summer?

OC Interior Designs — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:33:58 +0000

Summer is on its way and it is time to update our outdoor living spaces. One of the biggest trends in outdoor living spaces is that people want to feel comfortable just like they feel indoors. This is getting easier to accomplish with the addition of many products that allow you to make your space feel like your own.
Let’s start from the top down. Start with a colorful umbrella with bright colors and patterns. These are available in many places including Pier 1.

Next string lights are a fabulous way to bring sparkle to your living area. Torches placed around the perimeter keeps the bugs away and provide lighting as well. Look at your seat cushions. Are they dirty, torn or moldy? Nobody wants to sit on something that looks dirty. Update your cushions at a reasonable price at places like Pottery Barn and Pier 1. Don’t be afraid to mix plains with patterns or coordinate patterns and color.

Finally, to define your space, look for an outdoor rug. Yes, I said an outdoor rug! These are made specifically for outdoor spaces and really make it look custom. Cindy Crawford has a great line at JC Penny.

Other custom touches can include, outdoor metal art, sculptures and fountains.
I hope I have inspired you to make your outdoor space as comfortable as your indoor space. Happy Decorating!

The Beauty Is In The Details

OC Interior Designs — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:25:15 +0000

Ok, you have decided to remodel your kitchen and have spent hours pouring over magazine photos and choosing your cabinets, countertops and appliances. But you are not yet because a beautiful designer kitchen is all in the details. Just like a great pair of shoes or a handbag pulls an outfit together, details make the difference. Here are some to consider.
Lighting
I like to tell my clients that lighting is the jewelry of any space and this is especially true in the kitchen. You have three kinds of light in a kitchen; ambient, task and decorative. Where is the focal point in your kitchen? The island or the glass front cabinet doors? Focus your pendants on the island and make sure your cabinets are lit from within, lighting the entire cabinet. LED strip lights are great for this application.

Hardware
Knobs and pulls are how you interact with your cabinetry. Pay attention to how they feel in your hand because you will use them many times throughout the day. There is no rule that states that you must use all handles or all knobs. Don’t be afraid to mix it up just make sure that it functions for how you use the kitchen.

Faucets and Sinks
Faucets and Sinks can define the style of your kitchen. For example, a farmhouse sink defines the kitchen as more traditional and a stainless steel sink can be more contemporary. Don’t be afraid to spend money on a quality sink because they are difficult to change out should there be an issue. The same goes with faucets. While the $150 faucet at Home Depot looks tempting, a more expensive faucet should last longer and provide an sculptural design element to your space.

Backsplashes
Your choices are endless. Glass tile, liners, metallic tile are some of your options. Some of the trends in tile I saw at a show in Las Vegas recently are mother of pearl tile, metallic tile, tile with extreme reflective qualities and very textured tile with relief. Make sure you sample and see it in your kitchen before committing.

Artwork
Personalize your kitchen by displaying the things you love. In our home, we love Bauer pottery. We made a special cabinet to display these colorful dishes and they bring us joy each day to see them. Think about what makes you and your family special and bring some element of that into your space.

So as you can see, the beauty is in the details! I hope I have sparked your imagination. Happy Decorating!

Too Much Stuff

OC Interior Designs — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:12:45 +0000

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
-William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Does the mere idea of cleaning out the clutter in your home freeze you into inaction? If the answer is yes, then read on.
Having too much stuff does not make you a bad person but it does drain your energy. Many people hold on to things that don’t serve them well. Your things either contribute to your energy or drain your energy.
Here is a useful tip to help you decide if it is time to let go of some of your stuff.
Chose a room in your home. Just one room not the whole house! Look at what is in that room and ask the following questions:
-Is it beautiful?
-Is it useful?
-Does anyone truly love it?
If the answer is no, then get rid of it or donate it. If the answer is yes, then decide to enjoy it and feature it in a special way.
If the thought of taking on a whole room is overwhelming, then start with a drawer or one shelf. I promise that once you get started it is like rolling a ball downhill. It just takes a little nudge! Happy Decorating!

Playing With Texture

OC Interior Designs — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:12:55 +0000

Just like a good party has a mix of interesting people, rooms need a good mix of textures to have that designer look. Without texture a room falls flat on it’s face and feels boring just like many parties I have been to!

To begin, close your eyes and imagine how you want your space to really feel. What message do you want it to communicate to your family and guests? Try to come up with two to three words that describe what you are seeing. Is it “warm, comfortable and cozy?” How about “chic, upscale and urbane?” Or “simple, happy and unique?” You can see how these words would describe totally different rooms.

To use texture like a professional, always use the principal of contrast. Mix it up using shiny with matte, vintage with new, rough with smooth, and large-scale with small-scale patterns. To insure balance, use a similar color palette and graphic patterns. Otherwise your room will look like an inebriated person had their way with your home. Pull swatches to see the mix and live with them for a few days before making your decision.

Look for items that introduce texture in interesting ways in your room such as woven textured shades combined with a sparkling table lamp on an organic console table. Nail head trim combined with rich fabric adds a “tough guy meets starlet appeal” to a side chair. Or how about stacked stone on a fireplace surround with a smooth marble hearth?

Don’t be afraid to introduce texture in your rooms. Just like nobody wants to throw a boring party, nobody enjoys being in a boring room! Enjoy!

5 Tips for Dorm Room Design

OC Interior Designs — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:13:48 +0000

Going off to college is a thrilling and challenging experience. There are new friends to be made, new classes to attend, and newfound freedom for the first time. How can you transform your area of your dorm room into a space that reflects who you are and functions for how you will live? Check out these five tips for chic dorm room design.

1. Make your bed. The bed is the largest piece of furniture in your new space so dress it in your personal style. Do you like bold color or do you like muted colors? Look in your closet for design inspiration. The color and style of your clothes express what you like the most.

2. Flexible Furniture. Look for pieces that can do double duty like nesting tables that can be pulled out for multi-tasking and can be stored away when you are done.

3. Floor it. Your floor will be used as a table, study area and extra seating. Make it comfortable with a plush area rug. Don’t be afraid to mix textures. It is a design secret that makes rooms chic.

4. Inspiration Piece. Bring something into your space that gives you purpose and inspiration like a photo of somewhere you want to go or somewhere you have been. It will help you through those challenging times.

5. Mirror Mirror on the wall. Mirrors are a great way to expand space. Group multiple mirror hung on adhesive hooks to reflect light and give your space an artistic flair.

Top Eleven Mistakes to Avoid with Interior Design

OC Interior Designs — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:08:41 +0000

A chandelier needs to be scaled to the size of the room.

1. Failing to Plan. If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail! Even if you decide on redesigning one room at a time, having an established plan for the entire home ensures that everything will ultimately be cohesive. Too often, people who fail to plan lose sight of their initial vision midway into the process, and consequently their home suffers from disorganized and inconsistent design. By having an initial and clear understanding of every aspect like color scheme, concept, furniture placement, and location of light, you will successfully steer the direction of the design to where you want it to be.

2. Builder-White Walls. White walls do not expand spaces (unless it is used intentionally à la a Vincent Wolf design)! Instead of leaving your walls bare, try painting them with a soft neutral tone, which will immediately remove the sterile hospital feeling and add warmth to your space.

3. Too much clutter. Design in moderation! By editing your accessories, it gives the eye opportunities to rest and focus on the beauty and simplicity that is there. If you can’t part with certain objects, store them away in the attic and then rotate them in and out of your displayed collection.

4. Lack of accessories. On the other hand, having too little accessories can also ruin the design of a room. I am always surprised when I walk into a home with no accessories. To me, this is the equivalent of a woman wearing a fabulous black dress, but with no earrings or necklaces or shoes! Accessories provide a home with flair and personality. For beginners, start slow by grouping your accessories in odd numbers of threes or fives.

5. Ignoring windows. Don’t leave your windows bare! Window coverings are the jewelry of the space that completes the room and frames the final view. Curtains, shades, blinds and shutters not only enliven your windows, but also provide you with control over the lighting in your room.

6. Inadequate lighting. You would be surprised at how lighting can affect a room. Lighting plays a key role in design, and its versatility allows you to change the mood of a room with a simple flick of a switch or opening of a curtain.

7. Not understanding the home’s architectural character. Knowing and understanding your home’s structural design allows you to maintain consistency throughout your home. While having one or two contemporary pieces in your Mediterranean home is perfectly acceptable, there needs to be an overall underlying consistency that speaks to the character of the architecture.

8. Hanging art too low or too high. Hanging Art 101: If hanging art on a wall without furniture, the middle of the artwork should be at 5’6”. If the artwork is hanging over a piece of furniture, it should be 6-8” above the piece.

9. Floating rugs are not only a distraction to the eye, but are also tripping hazards! A rug should always touch all pieces of furniture in the space.

10. Everything matches. Purchasing an all-in-one, complete and matching set of furniture is not good design—it’s a bachelor pad! Good design means eclecticism. Don’t be afraid to mix it up by throwing in an interesting piece like an antique chair or a contemporary coffee table.

11. Wrongly Sized Chandeliers. People often purchase chandeliers that are either too small or too large or a room. If you are not sure what size chandelier is appropriate for your home, here is a good rule of thumb: Determine the width of the room in feet and multiply that number by two. The result is the diameter (in inches) of the chandelier you should purchase. Here is an example: If the width of a room is 10 feet (10 x 2 = 20), then your chandelier should be 20” in diameter.

Five Tips for Successful Tile Design and Installation

OC Interior Designs — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:30:22 +0000

Bathroom tile example from Arizona Tile

Taking on a home project can be daunting, and tile may be one at the top of your difficulty list. But with my expert advice, you’ll find that it’s not as challenging as you think! Just be sure to put in the time to plan out your project before you start to achieve the best results.
•Tip 1
Consider the architectural style of your home. The Italian ceramic tile might look beautiful in the villa, but not so much in your mid-century modern home; a Craftsman-style bungalow would call for clean lines and muted colors. It is important to keep a consistency of colors and style throughout your home. Adding an unexpected design element to a room can produce beautiful results, but generally not many people are well-versed enough in design to be able to execute this correctly. To be safe, it is best to use with no more than three colors and their shades throughout the home.

•Tip 2
Consider the appropriate material for your space. Different materials have different installation procedures and maintenance concerns. If your space is likely to be a busy area that will have high volumes of traffic, then a porcelain tile might be more appropriate than the stone flooring you had been eyeing. Stone is beautiful, but it requires much more maintenance than porcelain tile in order to prolong its beauty.

•Tip 3
Size matters, and with tile, bigger might not necessarily mean better! Remember, it all depends on your space. For example, if you are tiling your powder room, go with a smaller sized tile so that everything will look in proportion. Also, smaller tiles can visually expand your space. Laying tiles diagonally in small spaces draws the eye to the area’s edges, making it appear larger.

•Tip 4
Mix it up. Adding in accents of natural elements such as stone and wood when using synthetic materials like porcelain tile can add an organic element to your space.

•Tip 5
Take advantage of samples! If you are unsure about something, take some samples home for a test drive before ordering. It is better to be safe than sorry, and you want to make sure that every little detail, from size to style, will appropriately complement your space. Make sure to do some research and don’t be afraid to stretch yourself a bit. But, if you find yourself over your head, it’s best to consult a professional.