Metanoia

Hitting the Books

2007-09-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

It’s back to school, which means stacks of books are starting to encroach on living space. In my house, we have a library, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t books piling up on top of kitchen counters or next to nightstands or, dare I say, on bathroom floors. So, it’s time for gorgeous ways to store all these beautiful books. I’m particularly fond of stacking books of similar sizes or topics on top of a side table and putting a finial or small sculpture or iron piece on top, but if you want something more permanent, try some of these...

I know I try to highlight things on this blog that most people can afford, but from time to time, I just want to go a little crazy. This bookcase will cost (at retail) about $4,300. Think of it this way, if you hire a decorator, maybe you’ll only have to pay $3,000. Does that help? You can get this as Dialogica.

While I’m at it, this one’s gorgeous, but not cheap.

It’s from Patina and will run you close to $12,000 retail, but no one pays retail for these things. Your local designer can sell it to you for at least 25% less. OK, forget the price, hand painting this bookcase has created a piece that’s both elegant and rustic. Gorgeous.

This is from Tucker Robbins. It’s handmade from sustainable wood. It’s high end, but I wasn’t able to get a price on this. If you want it, though, I can find one in your area and get a price for you that way.

The same goes for this Nicholas and Stone case. N&S is the oldest furniture maker in the country and has a quality rarely found anymore. Again, I couldn’t get a price on this, but this line is carried here in Northern Westchester by Country Willow if you want to purchase it retail.

If you like contemporary design, these free form shelves really make a statement. You can get them from merchantmanager.com.

Unlike these others, this is easily purchased. It’s from West Elm and only costs $400. It draws attention to itself, which, in this case, I appreciate. It has contemporary style with strong lines; it feels simultaneously substantial and light.

I love bookends. I have more pairs than I can count. Here are some great examples of what you can purchase today.

This is raw onyx and is available from tenthousandvillages.com which is a non-profit organization that supports artists all over the world. These only cost $40 and are raw and rustic and beautiful.

This is stone bookend is available wholesale from Barreveld for $10. You won’t be able to purchase it yourself (that price isn't retail), but a designer can get it for you easily.

These are from Pottery Barn for $70.

These are from the Metropolitan Museum store (www.metmuseum.com) for $55

I found these online at a site called justbookends.com. They’re selling these for $55.

Hot Trends and Cool Colors

2007-08-03T17:32:00.000-04:00

I took this from the Patina Newsletter. (www.Patina.com has gorgeous painted furniture.)

According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, environmental and earth colors will continue to be popular color choices for home decor and interior design in 2008. Popular color palettes will still include brown, green and blue. And neutrals will no longer be confined to simply creams and ivories, but also grays, mochas, sandstones, olive and ochre.Eiseman is a color specialist who has been called "America’s color guru." Her color expertise is recognized worldwide, especially as a prime consultant to Pantone, Inc. She heads the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training and is also executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Leatrice recently revealed her take on color trends for 2008, which include the colors brown and tan continuing to be widely used and the continued popularity of the color green in 2008 as well.
"The color green, " Leatrice says, "will continue to be symbolic of eco-consciousness and will only increase in usage in 2008. Because of the “green movement" the life of the color green will be prolonged—green is good.” With the color blue in 2008, she says, “you cannot go wrong. The whole environmental aspect is associated with the preservation of water. Blue emits clean and clear all around the world.” Variations on the color orange will continue, she predicts, while gray, black, and white, particularly with textures, will remain steadfast classics.Eiseman also forecasts a color palette that provides both a link to the past and, at the same time, recreates it as the collectible of the future. It includes tapestry blues, muted blue greens, elegant champagne and warm peachy tones. “This palette speaks to the past with new dimensions in texture that helps to reinvent what is traditional,” she says.
Patina has always been a leader in these types of looks whether through its use of brightly colored floral designs or remembrances of time spent in the exotic Orient in its chinoisserie decorations. Patina's own unique take on color and tradition positions it well to take advantage of the subtle changes taking place in interior design.
With the major color trends for 2008 beginning to take shape, trend forecasters say consumers will continue to embrace all things natural, but they will look to develop a higher level of refinement. The "Eco" and rustic looks now familiar to consumers are poised to take an upscale twist, as the palettes for both trends become more urbane and sophisticated.

Beds, Beds, Beds

2007-07-27T20:55:00.000-04:00

I’ve been searching for the perfect bedroom set for someone and in the process have seen some gorgeous pieces. I’m not listing prices here because they vary from store to store and a few aren’t even available to the public but have to be purchased through a decorator, but I should warn you: None of these are cheap.

This is one I seem to measure all the rest against:

I don’t know if a picture really captures the moment here, but this bed has grace.

This is the one that had my client hooked for a while.

What’s interesting about it is that it has a footboard, but since the wood wasn’t too thick, it didn’t feel overpowering the way so many of these beds can. This one is done by Henkel Harris.

Drexell Heritage has a new line. It’s a reproduction of Walt Disney’s furniture. It’s elegant, mid-century modern. This piece also has so much storage that you won’t need a dresser.

This is the one my client is going to buy.

Whoever took this picture should be fired, though. The footboard really isn’t larger than the headboard!

If you like sleigh beds, the best price is from Martha Stewart’s Skyland Collection

This one is pretty straight forward with a simple, classic design. Unlike some of the other beds I saw, this one doesn’t bump out too far on the side which would get old fast. No one wants to bang a foot first thing in the morning. On sale, this one is less than $1,000.

If you’d rather something simpler, try a platform bed like this one:

Now for a true confession: I don’t have a bed. OK, I don’t sleep on the couch. What I mean is that my husband and I sleep on the most fabulous matress money can buy settled comfortably on the metal frame the delivery guy had in the back of the truck.

Art and the Divine

2007-06-27T16:35:00.001-04:00

People often appear baffled when they hear that I have spent most of my life in the fields of ministry/theology and am now an interior decorator. They seem to think there’s a disconnect, that I changed paths mid-career which always seems funny to me. Is the connection between art and spirituality lost on so many?

This Sunday I’m preaching in Danbury, CT (www.uudanbury.org) on incarnation. Incarnation is a theological subject (the notion of the Sacred, embodied) but is also, for me, an artistic reality. We and all we create are the embodiment of the divine. Some would say we are made in the image of God in that we create or that our creative spirit is the divine spark. I might go further by suggesting that which we call god (or sacred life or whatever word you use) is that which makes us alive, that we are, in reality, the incarnation, the embodied divine. On Sunday I’m going to pose the possibility that traditional theologies that recognize Jesus as the incarnation of God alone, have frozen or fixed incarnation like a butterfly on a collector’s board, trying to hold grace still. By limiting the idea to one person (Jesus) we have created a cult of one (Christianity) rather than a cult of all which would recognize that god is alive in all people and, ultimately, in all the natural world.

Of course Jesus was God embodied. And so was Siddhartha Gautama and Lao Tzu, and so is my nine year old nephew and so is the cashier at Stop and Shop. This sounds trite and possibly obvious, but let me say it clearly nonetheless. Incarnation didn’t happen once and for all time in the person of Jesus, but happens with every birth and can be seen each time we break ourselves open and pour ourselves out in service to each other.

Art, in all its forms, is the celebration and manifestation of this reality.

Color Matters

2007-06-11T15:00:00.001-04:00

I went to a conference last week on color. What I was hoping for is for someone to confirm that a silvery lavender is the next hot thing. (They didn’t, but it is. Trust me.) What I got instead was a pretty interested report on some research done by Pittsburg Paint on the relationship between our current social order and design style.

They broke up our current society into five generational groups. They are:

The Digital Age: 4-13
Generation Y: 14-33
Generation X: 34-44
Baby Boomers: 45-64
Golden Age: 64+

Each group is identified by those things that define them and therefore the colors they most respond to. I’m not going to go into it all (it was a 2 hour lecture, after all) but the result of their research can be found on their web site. If you’ve got some time, try their color game. It might help you know what color you should paint that room you’ve been wanting to change:

http://www.voiceofcolor.com/en/colorsensegame/index.asp

Green Design

2007-04-23T15:08:00.000-04:00

People always want to know what’s hot, but in telling them I warn about making a house too trendy because of the inevitable feeling in 3-5 years that the whole thing has to be redone. Well, that’s not the case with sustainable design. Thanks to the recent recognition and (slow) acceptance of our looming environmental crisis, green design is hip and not likely to go out of style any time soon.

I’ve got some resources here and things for you to know, but I want to issue a warning. As much as magazines want to herald “affordable yet sustainable” in reality, prices are higher when you’re looking at ecologically sound decorating choices. It’s also true that not every design need can be met with sustainable resources. For instance, I haven’t yet found a single adhesive for tile that I would recommend to a client and while cork looks great and has plenty of advantages, as it gets older it looses its color and becomes easily damaged.

If you’re in the market, or are just curious about what’s out there to decorate your home in a way that’s responsible to our planet, here are some things to consider:

Purchase furniture that uses reclaimed fabric. ABC Home & Carpet is one of the best retail options for concerned consumers. Not only do they lean towards green design, they are committed to fair trade, a critical part of planetary sustainability. Here they’ve used fabric found on discarded items to upholster furniture.

www.abchome.com

Q Collection is committed to creating high-end, stylish pieces with environmentally friendly materials. They’ve eliminated toxic chemicals and carcinogens to improve air quality including the ever-popular formaldehyde which turns to a gas at room temperature. Here’s my favorite from their collection.

www.qcollection.com

J Goode Design creates hand-blown glass light fixtures using recycled and recyclable glass and sustainable wood like bamboo. Using the ancient art of glass blowing, each pieces is unique and quite stunning.

Peter Loh builds state of the art furniture using reclaimed wood.

Instead of vinyl flooring in your laundry room, consider marmoleum. It’s all natural made of linseed oil, rosins and wood flour and is as strong as vinyl in high traffic areas. Look for it in your local green building supply store.

Another great resource is the Building Materials Reuse Association (www.buildingreuse.org) for materials you can recycle or repurpose in your own home.

...And a Little Drop of Paint

2007-02-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

I’m sure you know the easiest and cheapest design fix is paint. In that spirit, I indulged myself in a little holiday spruce up. I started with four chairs I found at a local tag sale. I paid $18 for the four of them and used leftover paint from past projects.

Here’s what they looked like when I purchased them.

The good news is that the frame is solid and very heavy. They’re mid 20th century (my guess is late 1960s, but I could be off by as much as a decade) and built to last. The first thing I did was strip the vinyl seat covers. The padding was in good shape, so I kept it and simply reupholstered the seat with a remnant I picked up locally. Then I added a little paint and here’s the result…

Once that was done, I got started on my grandmother’s china cabinet. The piece itself was sentimental only insofar as she owned it, but she’d only had it for about 15 or 20 years; I think it came with the condo she bought when moved to Delray Beach. No one wanted to sell it, so I inherited largely by default; I was the only one with enough room in my dining room to hold it. For two years it’s been sitting against a wall, filled with my mother and grandmother’s things.

One of the things to consider when painting anything, walls, floors, furniture, is using paint that’s environmentally friendly. Paint has traditionally had chemicals (VOC, volitile organic chemicals) that affect air quality both in and outside the house. People concerned about sustainable design look for paints with no or low VOC. Fortunately, those of us in New York State have been protected by some very tight environmental laws; any can of paint sold in the state is already low VOC.

If you’re looking for the most earth-friendly paints, try natural paints, which are even better than no VOC. Milk paints are my favorite choices. http://www.milkpaint.com/

Other very good choices:

AFM (American Formulating and Manufacturing) www.afmsafecoat.com
Benjamin Moore & Co. (Pristine® Eco-Spec® ) www.benjaminmoore.com
BioShield Paints www.bioshieldpaint.com
Devoe Paint www.devoe.com
Duron Paints and Wallcoverings (Genesis Odor-Free products) www.duron.com
Home Depot www.homedepot.com
ICI Dulux Paints www.iciduluxpaints.com
Kelly Moore www.kellymoore.com
Sherwin-Williams (HealthSpec® paints) www.sherwin.com

Bedding in Blue

2007-01-24T17:43:00.000-05:00

A woman in Virginia wrote asking me what pieces I’d suggest from the Eileen Fischer bedding line or how I’d put together a new set from a variety of lines.

The most important thing when it comes to making a bed is comfort. I’ve tested sheets of every thread count and I can tell you the softest sheets are jersey t-sheets. They aren’t as durable as others, but for the price, buy extra. The Company Store advertises them in every size but I’ve always bought my from Bed Bath and Beyond. Design tip: buy white.

In making the perfect bed, next I add a luxurious blanket. This is where cashmere, fleece or alpaca come in. Fleece is the least expensive of the bunch and, again, I’d go neutral. Aside from the options archived below, here are some other ideas:

This one’s from Scandia Down (http://www.scandiadown.com/) (If you’re working with a blue palette, get the beige.)

A wildly inexpensive option would be, believe it or not, from Target. They have a “super-soft fleece” for under $25. It’s not heavy, which might be just what you want.

The top layer is obviously most visible and therefore of the biggest design concern. For looks, I head straight to Restoration Hardware. Their silver sage is stunning and once it’s paired with chocolate what you have is rich and spectacular. Also, not cheap.

I’ve checked out some alternatives. Although I love Martha Stewart’s furniture line, her bedding looks cheap and undistinguished. Domestications, the popular catalog, has the same problem. Anthroplogie, one of my favorite stores on the planet, has unique choices, but nothing they sell is well priced and it tends to be quite feminine. Feminine is better in the bedroom than most any other room in the house, but if a man lives in the room, it’s still more appropriate to be a little more gender neutral.

This is one last idea from Pottery Barn, which isn’t my favorite store, but they do well with color.

A few rules for creating your new bed:
1. Keep the colors neutral. Bedrooms should be a place of refuge.
2. Comfort is more important than appearance.
3. Be careful with online purchases since texture is key here. You’d be best off going to a store where you can feel the product, or to buy from trusted sources.

Art for Art's Sake

2007-01-04T13:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas this year, my mother and husband bought me the dining room set of my dreams. OK, I bought it, but once they heard what it cost, they agreed to pay for it and call it a gift. The table is hand-crafted by a master artist in upstate NY who, in a matter of weeks, created an 8 foot Harvest Table with two company boards. The legs are 5.5 inches wide, tapered and painted and the top is a heavy 1.5 inch dark-stained pine. The reason it’s taken me so long to purchase the table I’ve wanted is that I had a French Country Farm Table, which is similar enough to what I wanted to make it seem ridiculous to replace. But, I’m picky (bordering on OCD) and I wanted an American Harvest Table for my American country home. What inspired me was both finding this artisan and a thorough researching of prices on black Windsor chairs that I’d done for someone else. Windsor chairs can cost a fortune and I wanted ten or twelve of them, but after visiting every retailer in the tri-state area, I found a price that made the whole thing possible. (Some of you might wish I’d tell you where to get such a deal or who this master craftsman is, but I have to keep some secrets to myself so you’ll, you know, hire me.)

I tell you this story because it’s inspired me to want to surround myself with gorgeous hand-crafted things. True American art. So, today's blog is filled with examples of artists with whom I've worked or whose work I’ve seen at crafts fairs. They are at the top of their game, but several have kept their prices reasonable enough to make their work accessible. I give you here a sampling of some of our local artists. Upon meeting them I’m always grateful for their willingness to create and offer to the world their craft even while we live in a society that doesn’t truly value or support our artists.

Hand Blown by Boar Glass. It's simultaneously light and heavy, a true study in balance.

http://www.boarglass.com/index.htm

Nicole Chazaud Telaar’s work is some of the most fun I’ve seen.
A whole room can (and should) be designed around her pieces.

http://www.festivefibers.com/

Peter Harrison creates contemporary furniture using exposed steel and wood giving a room the feeling of being a gallery as well as a part or your home.
http://www.lavassa.com

Custom furniture made from domestic hardwoods and exotics.
http://www.nojodesign.com

Pottery is an ancient human art form, always satisfying to make and enriching to own. Having a few good examples in a room silently connects the space with all those who have gone before us.

This spectacular example is from Greenbaum Studios.

http://greenbaumstudios.com

Damian Velasquz's work is museum quality, which is reflected in his prices, but the work is too spectacular not to recognize in this list of artisans. This piece is just one example of how his work is a true re-imagining of standard pieces.

http://www.modernhandcrafted.com/

Christmas Decorating Gone Natural

2006-11-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

I've been in stores looking for great Christmas decorations, but, as usual, it takes a long time to sort through a lot of tacky stuff. This Christmas, I'm going to use a lot of natural elements rather than things I buy in a store. Consider doing the same in your home. Here are some tips:

(BTW, I'm having trouble with the spacing on this blog. Sorry if it looks messy.)

Try decking your halls with poinsettias.

They're inexpensive, make a significant holiday statement and belong in every room of your house. Go to your local Home Depot and pick up a dozen or two in varying sizes.

Cover the floor around the staircase or tuck them in threes in a corner of

your family room or living room.

Keep a small one in the guest bathroom in a simple basket.

As cliche as it might be, strings of cranberries are festive, easy and inexpensive.

Consider starting a new tradition in your family by spending an hour with your kids making your own garlands.

Cranberries are better than popcorn, which will wilt in under a week. Popcorn looks great, but only if you string it a few days before the holiday.

This web site has tips on how to do make these garlands:

http://www.ehow.com/how_9546_string-popcorn-cranberries.html

Another inexpensive idea is to take an autumn hike in a local park or around your neighborhood for sticks, pinecones and evergreen branches. Carry a basket or bag with you for your collection and when you get home, decorate your mantle or nestle your findings in baskets or around candles. Use your cranberry garlands to add color.

I'm not suggesting you make your own ornaments or even a wreath; very few people have the time and inclination for that. Rather, I'm suggesting bringing in some natural elements which will allow Christmas decorating to be both simple and elegant.

If you love the way a room in your home looks, send me a picture.
Maybe I'll post some of them! (peg@openingthegate.com)

Thanksgiving Table

2006-11-15T20:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry these posts have taken me so long. 3 posts in one day has to make up for it right?

I'd love to pile this posting with great family recipes, but, really, who cares how things taste if the place doesn't look great.

I'm particularly interested in black and white this year. One of my favorites is this pattern available at Berdorf Goodman.

These Kate Spade plates are just what I'd want on an elegant, sophisticated and contemporary table.

These plates are interesting and a little bit feminine, which is typical of Anthropologie (the retailer). The design is unusual, which is difficult to come by these days.

This piece is a decoupage by John Derian available at www.thisisauto.com which is a great site to visit if you've never been there.

This classic bird pattern is also available with a white background, which is less dramatic, but might work better with your decor. The pattern is done by Jasper Conran.

This blue plate has a lot going for it. It would look wonderful on top of a white charger (see Tiffany for some gorgeous ones) and a white tablecloth. It will make a statement when your guests first see your table.

I don't like clocks in the dining room, but these don't tell time, so I'm letting it slide. Pattern by Ralph Lauren.

Useful, Helpful and Different

2006-11-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

There are some fabulous things on the market today that make life easier and with online shopping, getting them is just as simple. Check these out:

This new Microwave Drawer (in 30 and 24 inch sizes made by Sharp) solves some space problems.

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/FunctionLanding/0,1050,49,00.html

Barbara K is single working mother how seeks empowerment through authentic independence. She's founded a company that creates and sells tools for women.

http://www.barbarak.com/

Spray Painter that actually works for under $100

http://www.amazon.com/Sharpe-Finex-HVLP-Spray-1-3mm/dp/B00063VVTA/sr=8-5/qid=1163617864/ref=sr_1_5/104-7460909-5521509?ie=UTF8&s=automotive

Sustainable Design

2006-11-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

Few things are as important today in the field of interior design than sustainability. It is the role of the artist to comment on culture, but the true artist can also offer solutions. Sustainable design is our response to our current ecological crisis and our need to walk gently on the earth.

Hardwood is one of the most sustainable products we have today, which is wonderful since there are few products that inspire such universally positive, even visceral, responses. Hardwood comes from trees that have leaves, not needles. The produce fruit or nuts in the summer, loose leaves in the fall and are dormant in the winter. American forests grow by 10.2 billion cubic feet a year, but we currently use only 6 billion cubic feet, thereby allowing us to safely use this natural resource. (Numbers come from the US Forest Service.)

Over the last 50 years, our forests have grown by nearly 90%. (This is due in part to the loss of farm land and open space.) US Hardwood forests cover 269 million acres of property. Of that land, 73% is privately owned by a total of 7 million families, each owning an average of 50 acres. 11% is held by the forest industry and the rest by federal, state and local governments.

In other words, feel good about adding hardwood floors to your new house, hardwood cabinets to your new kitchen or contracting a new bedroom set made of Sycamore or Ash. It’s gorgeous, affordable and sustainable.

Here’s the list of American hardwoods:
Alder, Ash, Aspen, Basswood, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Cottonwood, Cypress, Elm, Gum, Hackberry, Hard Maple, Hickory, Pecan, Pacific, Red Oak, Poplar, Sassafras, Soft Maple, Sycamore, Maple, Walnut, White Oak, Willow

More resources if you’re interested:
http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/

What About the Walls?

2006-10-20T14:51:00.000-04:00

Try not to fill wall space with cheap (albeit not necessarily inexpensive) paintings. Walls are often the last piece of the house to get our attention, and go neglected for years. Let go of traditional ideas like hanging a mirror over the mantle or rectangular print over the couch. Try making your walls as fascinating as you are. Here are some ideas..

This is a hand painted silver on canvas piece at Pier 1 for $350.
Great for a contemporary home.

This handcrafted copper mirror is really a fabulous price at $70.
Available at www.goodhandarts.com

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade market that seeks to sell wares from small villages globally.
This Coiled Bamboo Wall Hanging was made by Vietnamese street children
and is only $28 nearly all of which goes back to the artists.

I’m not a fan of candles as home decoration, but this sconce is interesting.
It’s an antique roof tile formed over the artisans thigh. Available for $30 from Wisteria.

These shift key prints from Graninroad aren’t cheap, but they create an interesting focal point. They're between $120 and $160 each.

There are some inexpensive things you can do on your walls. Unfortunately, I don’t have great pictures, but try some of these things:

1. Pick a few leaves from a green plant- or one that’s changing colors- and spray it with a plant preserver that can be found in any craft store and frame it.
2. Pick up some antique tin ceiling squares. Using chair rail molding, create a square on the wall, paint it inside and hang the tiles.
3. Frame and hang your children’s paintings.
4. Purchase a piece of vintage fabric or a remnant from a good upholstery store and frame it.

A Few Secrets

2006-10-06T18:48:00.000-04:00

I often see on the covers of shelter magazines things like "learn designer secrets" as if there's a class every designer has to take right before graduation where we're given the 5 things we can never reveal to anyone outside the field. The truth is, whenever I read these "secrets" I think either that 1) most people already know that or 2) I disagree altogether. I recently read one of these "secrets"; it was that this designer never buys sheets with less than 750 thread count. My first thought is that most people know that the higher the thread count the softer the sheet (ie, this isn't a secret) and my second thought is that this designer hasn't discovered the joy of jersey t-sheets.

Regardless of my little "there are no secrets" tirade, I actually know some of the key reasons designer rooms look better than rooms not done by a designer. Today I'm going to tell you what those things are.

A. If you want your room to look "designer finished" do the entire room at once. Most people create a room piece by piece which gives the room a disjointed feeling. Often people find a piece they like- a sofa or rug, for instance- and buy it. A few months (or years- you know who you are) later they find another piece they like. The pieces don't necessarily relate well to each other, and even if they do, it can take a long time to finish the room. There's good reason to do things this way, but ultimately people find themselves unhappy with the room. If you have a room you want to change, may I suggest you make all your decisions at once- how many pieces will there be, what are you doing with the windows, etc.- and then purchase those things at whatever pace you'd like. In other words, have a plan.

B. Speaking of plans, one of the best things a designer does is draws a floor plan. It's not hard to do, and makes a real difference in the finished product. Grab yourself a piece of graph paper, take a tape measure and measure the room. Figure out a scale (standard would be 1'=1/4") and translate that to paper. Then, as you look for furniture, get the measurements and draw them on your floor plan. This will help you know in advance how much space a piece will take and how it relates to the rest of the room. Just to help, let me tell you that you want between 18 and 24 inches between the coffee table and couch.

C. Don't fight the design of your house. If you've bought a home built in the Arts and Crafts style, don't purchase contemporary furniture. It's not going to work and you'll wonder for years why you can't make the space feel right. Let the house dictate your style.

D. The last reason a designer house looks finished and falls together better than one not done by a designer is that...Designers don't take pictures of houses that don't work. In fact, one of the things every designer learns in design school is not to take a job that won't reflect well on you. (This isn't advice I follow, but it's fairly standard in the design world. I've had clients rejected by designers who simply didn't think the finished product would look good enough for them to associate themselves with the project.) But even if they take the job, they don't lay claim to any room of which they aren't completely proud. (I have less shame than that of course. You want a pool table in the middle of the living room? Fine. You want to paint the dining room hunter green? OK. Will I take pictures. Yup. Will I show them? Maybe not.)

Now go; get started on your fabulous designer quality rooms!

Autumn Redesign

2006-09-28T17:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I woke up feeling the need for a change. If my interior life is feeling stale, one of the best ways I know to shake things up is to transform something in my exterior world. I live in a contemporary house in the country and since interior design is most effective when it's in harmony with both the style of the house and its setting, modern country is the best style for my home. Most rooms in the house have been finished, but the living room and dining room as the least used, are also the least finished. So yesterday morning I was inspired and started on the living room.

Country design in some ways is really easy in that it’s all about things that are time worn or hand made, and all interior design, regardless of the style employed, is most effective when it’s personal. So, I moved all the furniture in my living room, removed some pieces that were too formal, covered some pillows, and filled tables and empty spaces with plants and pieces from my travels that were located around the house. Then I brought in some pinecones and a few branches for the mantle to reflect the season. I think I’ll do a little painting or cover a wall in beadboard over the next few weeks. The whole thing cost less than $200 for a few pillow covers. Here’s a picture of the finished room.

While you’re rethinking a stale room in your house, may I suggest you also do a little extra cooking? One of the most wonderful things about fall is the scent of the season and the most authentic way to get that is cooking. (Some people like candles but it feels a little forced to me. I prefer a more natural approach.) My husband’s favorite breakfast during the work week is granola, which when bought in a store can be deceptively high in fat and often a little tasteless. Try this simple recipe to usher in the season. It’s my own, but change whatever you like to make it yours.

2 TB butter
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup honey
1 TB vanilla
½ cup flaked unsweetened coconut
¼ cup ground nuts- whatever type or types you have in the house
1 TB cinnamon
6-8 cups rolled oats
2 or 3 cups dried fruit- whatever you like most

Preheat oven to 325. Melt the butter, sugar honey and vanilla in a saucepan. Pour it over the rolled oats in a baking pan. Mix it up so most of the oats are sticky. (Add honey if needed.) Add the coconut, cinnamon and nuts and mix well. Put it in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, mix well and put it back in for another 20 minutes. You’ll repeat this several times until it’s a golden brown. This could take anywhere from one to two hours depending on the size of the pan you’re using and how good your oven is. When it’s done, mix in the dried fruit.

I use pecans and walnuts and sometimes I throw in a handful of vanilla pumpkin seeds. Grinding the nuts gives plenty of nutty flavor without all the fat. I use a good assortment of fruit that I keep in the house all the time. Usually I have sour cherries, currants, figs, apricots, whole cranberries (not “craisons”) and sometimes raisons. The best place for granola ingredients is Whole Foods. Once it's made, it can keep for up to 2 weeks in a sealed glass jar.

Not only is this a fabulous snack to have on hand, it makes your house smell delicious for the rest of the day.

If you’re interested in country decorating, may I suggest attending a tag sale this weekend? Tag sale/flea market/crafts fair finds are perfect for the country home. This weekend the Somers Women’s Club is sponsoring a sale at Reis Park, St. Luke’s in Somers is having a tag sale/harvest fair, there’s a crafts fair in the village of Pawling, there’s a Home Show at Westchester County Center and a Colonial Festival at the Redding Congregational Church in Redding, CT.

Favorite Sale Item This Week:

This quilt was $315 and is now between $85 & $99, which is a great price for a quilt. It’s available at Sundance
(http://www.sundancecatalog.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=6484&amp;amp;amp;itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=21&iSubCat=81&iProductID=6484)

Kitchen Renovation on the Cheap

2006-09-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

People often ask me about how to cut corners on major renovation projects. As a general rule, I don't believe in cutting corners, but I do believe in saving money. The difference is in the connotation, but I think it's important. The most asked about room is the kitchen, so here are some tips about things you can do in your kitchen to update without spending a fortune.

The most expensive item to replace is your cabinets. To avoid ripping them out and spending tens of thousands of dollars for new ones, consider some of these options.

Take the doors off some or even all the cabinets and paint the boxes to give it a fresh clean look.

If you don't want to remove the doors, you can replace them, or cut out the centers and add fabric for a country cottage look.

Cabinet hardware can be easily and inexpensivly changed and it really adds character to the room. Consider something a little different.

Adding storage can also be simple. Try cutting a space between two studs out and adding a shelf. Or add hooks beneath a cabinet to hang mugs, or install a metal strip on a wall for your knives rather than using countertop space.

Backsplash can be easily replaced, but if you're looking to save money, consider stripping off whatever you have, and just painting the wall. It can give the room a clean fresh look for about $25.

If you're looking to replace appliances, here's a head's up: stainless steel is moving out and stark white is moving in. I'm not a huge fan, but it's my job to keep you in the loop!

If you have a question or want to share an idea, drop a note in the "comments" section!

Hearth and Home

2006-09-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

The seasons are changing and warmth and comfort are on the menu! My Grandmother told me that when she was a young wife and mother, every fall and spring she (and everyone she knew) would transform their homes to greet the new season. September would be spent unrolling the wool rugs and hanging the velvet curtains and covering beds with comforters to get ready for the cold weather. Here are some tips to help you get ready too.

While the weather is still good, put this copper cauldron firepit in the backyard or on a stone patio. (Smith and Hawken, www.smithandhawken.com) Wrap the kids up in blankets and roast marshmallows.

While there, enjoy some handcrafted s'mores from Laura's Candy (http://www.lcandy.com/). They have some delicious treats for yourself or they make great hostess gifts.

Wrap yourself up in one of these.

Cashmere blanket from Land's End (www.landsend.com) which, at $125, is a pretty good bargain.

Or try this alpaca blanket from Eileen Fisher
sold at Garnet Hill (www.garnethill.com) for $300.

This cashmere throw would look great on the back of any sofa. It's $200 sold at Levengers (www.levengers.com).

If you have a fireplace inside, consider filling a basket with logs and keeping it filled all season long. This one's available from Plow and Hearth (www.plowandhearth.com) for $70.

Natural elements are always the best way to move your house from season to season. For autumn, pick up some mums from your local supermarket or Home Depot, put the pots into some nice baskets and place them outside your front door. If you’re really motivated, buy a whole lot of them and place them on the deck, in the front hall, on your kitchen table…all high traffic areas in your home.

Welcome!

2006-09-12T18:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Metanoia, the blog for Peggy Clarke Designs. Here you'll find fabulous things you can buy online, the newest trends, color ideas, gorgeous fabrics, solutions for problem rooms, information and answers to your design questions. Have you been looking for the perfect sofa? Do you want to update a room on a very small budget? Want to know where to buy the least expensive light fixtures? Post a comment, ask a question...this blog is meant to be practical, specific and helpful. Just click beneath any posting on "comments" to get started. (And...no, I don't make a penny on any item I feature or suggest here.) So go ahead, don't be shy. Dig right in!

Fabulous Things to Buy

2006-09-05T19:13:00.000-04:00

Every week I'll add a little section of fabulous things. This week, I've searched for great sales. Everything featured in this section can be bought online.

These cubes are on sale at West Elm (www.westelm.com) for $59 each.

Shades of Light (www.shadesoflight.com) tends to be overpriced, but some of their pieces are worth waiting for a sale. This is the Blue Chevron Vase Table Lamp being offered for $195.

Peach Duvet, Sham and Bedskirt are on sale at Anthropologie (www.anthropologie.com). The duvet is $60 and the shams and bedskirt are between $20 & $30.

These Savannah chairs are (finally) on sale at Restoration Hardware (www.restorationhardware.com) for about $1500.

This cocktail table is on sale at Sturbridge Yankee Workshop(www.sturbridgeyankee.com) for $199.

If there's something you've been looking for, don't be afraid to ask; there's a good chance I know just where to find it.

Metanoia & Interior Design

2006-09-02T20:41:00.000-04:00

Metanoia a Greek word meaning “conversion” or "to know in a new way". Interior design is a practical, even utilitarian, art form that creates spaces in our homes that transform the way we live, thereby creating a metanoia or changing of the mind.

I believe that life is forever in flux, always changing and shifting, but most people rarely change their homes to reflect their new realities. Children get older, move out (and in and out again), partners move in (or out), we work more or fewer hours, learn how to cook, bring home a pet, get sick or start to heal; each new year brings new ways of being alive.

Our homes are the articulations of who we are, illustrations of what we value and expressions of who and how we love. Dynamic self-portraits, they’re most “ours” when they reflect us authentically.

This blog might be a starting place for the revisions and transformations you need to make your home a mirror of yourself and your life. I plan to offer ideas on how to transform a room inexpensively, how to determine what style works best in your house, specific color palettes, creating floorplans that work, specific pieces that can be purchased easily and other interior design solutions for people who are looking for a metanoia or changing of the mind.