Inspired by...

  Have you seen the work of Betsy Brown, a designer from Alabama?

 Oh my.

"Modernist sensibilities form the foundation while antiquities inform and balance, providing a delicate tension and subtle energy."  Betsy Brown

Done and Done.

Journal entry: lessons learned

powellbrowerinteriors

Our blog is where we journal about our design business, what inspires us, our own homes and our lives.  Now that I have some time to breathe after a busy summer with design clients, I want to reflect on lessons learned and experiences that reinforce my love for what I do.

powellbrowerinteriors

Most importantly for me, is the wonderful people I have had the pleasure to design for.  I am a people person and that, along with my passion for interiors and art, is why I am an interior designer.

These past few months brought me some new friends and deeper respect for my craft.  From the lovely older woman who owns horses on 55 acres that she cares for herself, whose dining room is nearly complete, taught me that she is all about the process along with me and wants to put her personal stamp on the room.  When presented the design contract she had one objection, and that was our clause that says she is to leave the house for the several hours while we put together the room for the big reveal.  She said no, she can't do that, and is not into a 'reveal'.  I have never run into that before- who doesn't want a reveal? She wants to assist me in putting the art on the walls and adding the final touches, and wants them to be her own.  (Of course I brought a car load of goodies to aid in 'icing that cake'.)

powellbrowerinteriors

We are waiting for her custom roman shades to be finished, then we will photograph that room.  It is warm and handsome, with a bit of spunk on the floor with a hugely bold and colorful antique kilim rug on the floor.

The office clients that you have seen glimpses of on my IG account were 100% on board with anything I did from the initial consultation...it was a dream.  This was a referral from our photographer, Jen Dowell, who is an amazing part of our team.  We met with the client and learned the opening date was only a few months away.  So we quickly secured the approved plans, then flew through the procuring process, while meeting with contractors to configure walls and offices within this 700 sq. foot shell of a charming old townhouse in Warrenton, Va.  I couldn't buy things fast enough, and though there was a desk debacle and over 1000 miles on my car, it was so much fun, and rewarding.  This was just photographed so those pictures will be up soon, but the ultimate compliment came from my client:

"Thank you for everything—I do think that the décor has landed us several clients since we don’t look unprepared.  We look professional, classy, calm.  Thank you!"

Thank you Sarah and Nathan at Meridian Financial Partners.  Gretchen, their office manager, helped me immensely with shipments and meeting deliveries.  She is an integral part of that dream team.

powellbrowerinteriors

I am so proud that my husband made so many things for this office project; truly a family effort.

This next client was definitely a learning experience.  We love this couple and their family, who we know personally, and we were thrilled to design a living room and kitchen for them. After alot of work up front to knock their socks off, we presented the plans and clearly the husband was very enthusiastic and the wife not so much.  After delving deeper, we did a few edits and still no buy-in. Turns out we discovered the sticking points: she wanted to do it herself and on her own time, and she wanted to control the process. The exciting thing is that it ignited the fire under them to start renovating their home, they ordered some furniture and are going to redo the entire first floor hardwoods to a darker color and possibly include the kitchen floor. 

powellbrowerinteriors

powellbrowerinteriors

I got more practice in on my hand renderings and we did some fantastic textile combinations (if we do say so ourselves), and got more up to speed on some product research.

Lessons learned: do more qualifying of the client up front, as well as  find out their decorating problems and their decision making capabilities.  Also don't put in too many hours until you know you have the job!  We did alot of background research, estimating with painters and cabinetmakers, etc.- all great experience, for sure, but we didn't get the job.  You can't win them all!

Our next client asked for living and adjoining room plans to incorporate turquoise and orange in with her existing furnishings, and thats what I did.  

After I presented the plans, she decided she wanted to pack up all her turquoise and orange and shift to neutrals, so that's where we are with editing her plans.

  Sales is an interesting thing: how people buy, their ability to pull the trigger, their budget in relation to expectations of hiring a designer, and selling the value of our services are all a part of this process and a continual learning experience! I have been in sales for 40 years and am still learning.  I absolutely love it though, and the fun thing about all of this activity is that I am super jazzed (again) about working on my own home and finishing painting my kitchen cabinets!

Life is good.  

Happy Fall and Catching Up

Just back from a weekend at Bethany Beach, DE, it has hit me hard that fall is here.  It was 52 this morning when I got up!  The end of summer is beautiful at the beach and I was happy to get a break from our workload this summer. The bonus was that I went with Bethany, as the two of us don't get to go out of town together very often to just play!

Here are some peeks of projects going on, starting with a lovely dining room client, a traditonalist, art collector and horse lover, who took a leap with a bold vintage Kilim as a jumping off point for her room.

As you all know, it all begins with a plan....

The window treatments will be in early October after which we'll get some professional photos.

The Phillip Jeffries ( Grey on Blue) grass cloth is so beautiful and the perfect compliment to the newly painted millwork in the room.

Next is a whole office that is being installed this week.  It has been so fun to build the design from a blank space. Here are some shots of it shaping up:

This week we install the marble on the reception beverage center, hang the barn door in the bathroom,  install some custom wood features, lay more rugs, hang art, style and accessorize...so fun!

A really fun project we both are over the moon about the textiles with, is a wonderful couple who needs a total living room makeover and partial kitchen makeover.

We presented kitchen options...

and love the flow from the living room to the eat-in kitchen.  [We're waiting on their decision.]

Another prospective project is couple who wants to meld their existing things with newly acquired pieces inherited from her mother.  With a mix of his, hers and moms, we are neutralizing the basics and adding layers of rugs and accents to pull it altogether.

[Neutral drapes are waiting a selection of trim banding.]

The exciting thing about this busy summer of projects is how we are honing our brand, business model and skills.  

Have you heard of a "Hobson's Choice"? It is basically when you [more specifically a client] think there are unlimited options and are overwhelmed, the more you define your likes and dislikes and delve deep into the problems and solutions, the result boils down to just one or two ideal solutions.  This is a great way to handle the customers dilemma and insight in working with them. 

Have a great week!

"It's just paint" we always say.

I've been a color-aholic all my life. I have to admit that looking at tons of  crisp white or dark, moody rooms constantly are somewhat intriguing and they photograph so beautifully.

In looking at my dining room, I was never really happy over the last 5 years with the turquoise paint below the chair rail.  I tried new stuff on the walls, a recent new rug, a new light, but it wasn't doing anything for me.  I love what Emily Henderson said about sticking with a room when it's time to move on:

"Like a mediocre relationship, you can only stay in denial that it’s not really working for so long. You pretend you don’t need to move on, that you can make it work, that everyone is happyenough. But, all the signs point to ‘GET OUT AND TRY TO BE HAPPIER’. It’s just hard because its such a risk. You keep telling yourself, ‘It’s not frustrating enough, it’s not terrible enough,’ to make you jump out … but now and again you start looking. Your eye wanders. Your thoughts drift …"

BEFORE

My husband said our dining room was his favorite room in the house because it was finished and it all matched. That about sealed the deal for me knowing how 'opposite' we are- time to change! I don't like matchy-matchy.  Love you honey, but I know you don't read our blog anyway!

AFTER

I went for a fresh, clean, organic and neutral vibe knowing that I can always load it with color as my whim occurs, which is a given!  

I used Benjamin Moore Dove Wing and BM Ancient Ivory for the trim.

Nothing like a fresh coat of paint!

Brower Dining Room 4.0

Bethany's dining room is the most redecorated space between our two houses.  She is always experimenting, tweaking and zhushing... I wonder where she gets that trait?  Back in her house tour post in December 2012 you see the first version of this corner of her cottage.

I snuck a few iphone shots the other day when I went to let her pups out while she was at a meeting.  I am loving the layers and the changes.  My son made her this table top for Christmas since the glass kept tipping every time they laid their elbows on it while eating.  This is a chalkboard painted solid wood top with nailhead accents.

The new settee, vintage Arhaus leather chairs (they are sold out), turkish rug from our favorite J&D Orientals over a fiber rug from Overstock, complete the current look.  The bolster pillow is made from a scarf of mine I had in the 70's (I guess I'm vintage).  You can read about her 'found' Lochness table from Luckett's here.  It is a gem.

I'm sure this isn't the last of her dining room upgrade, but I sure do love this look.  

All the dining room tips in one place

There are always exceptions to every rule, but what are the rules? For dining rooms the question is often about the lighting, which I think is the main event in the dining room. You may want to make a major statement with more than one fixture, or you may want  to downplay the fixture. The mood is set with the lighting and since I am on the hunt for a new dining chandelier, let's talk about basic guidelines.

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Height of the chandelier:

For 8' ceilings generally 30-34 " centered above the table. For higher ceilings, add 3" per foot. 

Size of the chandelier:

1/2 - 2/3 the width of the table, or 12" narrower than the sides of the table. There are plenty of formulas available, but its best to also stick with the shape of the table, i.e, a rectangular table might look best with 2 fixtures or a rectangular chandelier.  I always say larger is better, personally. 

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Don't use high wattage bulbs. They increase heat and cause table glare. You want a soft glow.

The Dining Room Rug

 Carpets are a warm artistic addition to a room. As I always say, they are like "pictures for floors". They can provide color, texture, warmth, function or accent.

Size of the rug under the table: add 24-30" around all sides of table to accommodate chairs. It's best to arrange your furniture prior to buying a rug, then measure the distance from the table to determine the size you need.

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Some other tips to a well designed dining room include:

Add sparkle and shine (glass, mirrors, cleaning silver, Nancy's BRAGG concept)
Use your good china
Add fresh flowers, greenery
Plan for extra seating (pull benches, ottomans, garden seats from other parts of the house)
Have an extra serving area (bar carts, consoles, buffets)
Want a proper table settings guide?
Have fun with your tablescapes and make your dining experience memorable!

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I can't wait for spring, and pictures like this are helping me to get in the mood! Hope you're having a good week and are safe and sound from the storms this week!

a really square peg

Remember how I wanted to pair a settee with my round table? And how I found [what I thought was] the perfect one?  Well.... let's just say it's not so perfect.

My settee is a little too low for my table, so when you sit down, you sink too low and really have to lean on the table top to eat.  I was thinking I could add some antique casters to the front to raise it up.  Have you had an experience with that?

Secondly, the glass table top on my round table ends up being a 'support', so it tips off of the base when you apply too much pressure on it.  OY.  Was thinking I'd try to install large suction cups on the base, pointed up, and see if the glass table top would be any more stable once they attach to it.  Anyone had any experience with THAT?

My vision is this set-up.

via

Suggestions on securing my glass table top to the base and raising the settee height very very WELCOME!

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices. 

Nancy and Bethany

Craigslist to the Rescue!

I've been dreaming of expensive settees with custom upholstery for my dining room forever!  I wanted a small settee or dining bench to rest against the back wall of my small dining space to make it more cozy.  I love the look of a straight bench with a round table so I created an eBoard to help me visualize. 
This is my current dining room set-up, minus the chic white glass cabinets and pendant lighting in the background.  I added my dream settee and painting to see what they'd look like in the space.  Works for me!

So I couldn't believe it when I found the perfect wingback settee, barely worn, with  perfect classic bones on Craigslist this weekend and it was 10 minutes down the road!  We called and grabbed the deal within a few hours of posting, and honestly felt like we robbed the poor folks by only paying $50.  They were thrilled to get rid of it so fast.

The whole 'good things come to those who wait' thing definitely proved true.  I was saving up for what I thought was an inexpensive compromise: the Parker settee at Ballard for $1300. A real deal as compared to my inspiration piece, the Lincoln settee at Zinc Door.

Parker

Lincoln

So, another project is on our docket!  Reupholstering it with something neutral, rich and glorious.  We were reeling the whole way home, thrilled with our find and trying desperately to beat the impending raindrops.  It tends to bring us so much more joy when we create a beauty out of a thrifty deal versus buying something new!  

Now to decide on what to reupholster it in! The choices (as of today... they are subject to change like the wind) are:

Duralee for John Robshaw

Or this

Or stick to the original plan, Primative Stripe like Mom used in her kitchen.

Or a simpler stripe

Or everyone's favorite and mine, La Fiorentina!

Lastly, the wildcard option may be a good ol' dropcloth! Certainly is the cheapest route!

Choices, choices.

Happy Monday.  What did you guys and gals get into over the weekend?

-Bethany

If you are looking for help with your home, we'd love to work with you! Contact us for a listing of our services and prices.

Nancy and Bethany