Artful Inspiration

On a cold January weekend I decided I needed some inspiration.  I took myself to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston to view the Degas and The Nude exhibit.  I was fascinated by seeing the same subject, the female nude, portrayed in image after image.  The rooms changed, the light changed, and the media changed, but the subject was consistent.  One feels as though you were inside the mind of Edgar Degas.

The Tub is an example of Degas’ great chromatic range and facility of touch.  Notice how the curve of the woman’s body reflects the curves of the pitchers on the table.

As an interior designer, I am always intrigued by the use of color and how interior spaces are portrayed in the background by the artist.

As I was on my way to leave the museum, I walked through the cafe hall and was awed again by the magnificent Lime Green Icicle Tower by Chihuly, recently purchased by the MFA.  I love the color and the way the branches pick up the sparkle of the spot lights above.  This piece never fails to delight.

Dinner with Candice Olson

I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite HGTV design celebrities, Candice Olson.  Sponsored by Kravet Fabrics, Candice came to Boston to speak at the Boston Design Center about her work and her fabric collection held by Kravet.  Candice is as beautiful, funny,  nice and approachable as she appears on TV.  In her presentation, she showed many before and after photos of the amazing transformation she makes on a space.   Candice always has an element of sparkle, some kind of bling in her designs, regardless of the style.  And she also always includes something organic, like a polished tree trunk table or woven rattan lounge chairs.  I try to incorporate these elements as well in my own designs.  She has been very inspirational to me and my work.

I want to especially thank Bill Elinoff of Kravet Fabrics and FDO Group, Inc. for giving me VIP seating at Candice’s presentation and for inviting me to dinner with Candice at Sel de la Terre on the Boston waterfront.  It was a very special night and I was thrilled to have been able to meet Candice and been a part of the evening. 

Italian Inspiration

I have just returned from a two week trip to Italy.  Having studied the art and architecture of the Renaissance in Florence during my interior design studies, I was compelled to visit there to see first hand the exquisite works of Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Raphael, to name a few.

View of Florence

The culture of art and design is palpable as you walk the streets of Florence.  The exterior of the cathedral was so detailed, so colorful, so grand one can’t help but feel emotional and moved.  One of my favorite places was the Bargello museum where I could view original sculpture by Michelangelo such as the Bacchus and the Pitti Tondo, and my favorite, the bronze sculpture of David by Donatello.

Donatello's David

This unusual representation of David, as a youth, with such a flamboyant hat just captures my imagination.  How was it that the artist envisioned David in this way?

My passion for color was rewarded in seeing the beautiful colors in which the homes of Florence were painted.  I love the ochre and terra cotta colors accented by the deep colors of shutters and the large carved doors.  Here is an image of the courtyard of the Hotel Monna Lisa that illustrates this well.

I love Deruta pottery, so I couldn’t resist taking this photo of a wonderful store that sold all the authentic patterns and colors.   I love using platters and plates as decorative accents in my client’s homes.

ASID Gala 2011

As President of the American Society of Interior Designers  New England chapter, I was thrilled to host the ASID 2011 Awards Gala on March 24 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Boston.  We celebrated Excellence in Design by honoring four outstanding professionals in the design industry:  Jerry Arcari of Landry and Arcari Oriental Rugs, Stacy Garcia of Stacy Garcia Inc., Dennis Duffy of Duffy Design Group, and Taniya Nayak of HGTV.

Barbara as Master of Ceremonies

The Mandarin Oriental is a beautifully designed hotel and we selected it for its ambiance and functional flow for a large event.  Our members, industry partners, and guests enjoyed socializing and networking over cocktails and dinner prior to the awards ceremony.

Stacy Garci (in red) with Barbara

Taniya Nayak receiving her award

Mandarin Oriental ballroom

Renovated Andover Inn

I just had dinner with my dear friend at the newly renovated Andover Inn.  I was intrigued to see the dining room and the lobby.  I had heard that the former interior design had long, heavy draperies and felt very dated.

When I walked into the lobby, I was immediately drawn to the warm fire.  Admittedly it was only 2 degrees outdoors.   But in truth, the lobby was very welcoming.  The sofas had high arms and were upholstered in a warm, caramel chenille fabric.  The blue ottoman matched the blue carpet beautifully.  I just wanted to plant myself on the sofa and enjoy the fire while I waited for my friend.

I particularly liked the window treatments.  I would like to copy this design for a project  I am working on.  I liked the stationary treatments.  Light filtering, but it softens the space.

The dining room and bar was beautifully redone.  Although I thought the space would be enhanced by some lighting sconces on the wall between the large windows.  But the food was very good, and artfully presented.  The leather chairs were very comfortable.     My friend and I stayed for over three hours, so overall a great success on the ambiance.

I liked the renovations and would recommend the restaurant if you are in the Andover area.

Thanksgiving table setting

This Thanksgiving holiday I had the pleasure of hosting twelve people for dinner.  The challenge was how to fit twelve people into my petite 12′ x 12′ dining room.  As an interior designer who is very spatially oriented, I first drew a floor plan of the room.  I then played with how to place the table, perpendicular or on the diagonal.  I explored whether to use one leaf and add a folding table, or to use two leaves.  If I used two leaves, I could fit everyone if I used folding chairs, my own chairs to the dining room set would be too large.

holiday table plan

Now that I knew how the room was going to be arranged, I could now enjoy the fun part of decorating.  My oldest daughter has turned out to be very crafty and enjoys accumulating accessories and tchotchkes for every season.  She found a set of beaded pumpkins that I thought added the right amount of color and would be low enough for everyone to see over.  I ordered bronze colored candles from Colonial Candle online.  I purchased orange Gerber daisies and green chrysanthemums, which I cut just below the blossom and put them in small bud vases that were actually votive candle holders.

To set the table, I polished up the silverware that was given to me by my mother-in-law.  I rented amber colored glassware for water glasses and multi-purpose 12 oz wine glasses.  The napkins I chose were mushroom colored and coordinated well with the Thanksgiving color palette as well as the color of the folding chairs.

The effect was very pleasing, warm and inviting.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you did as well.

the table before the feast

Farmhouse kitchen remodel

Today I have been working on drafting elevation drawings of a kitchen.  This is a very unusual project because the house is an antique farmhouse, built in 1840.  In the original house, cooking was done on a huge, cast iron cook stove which was still sitting in the room called the “summer kitchen”.  Additions had been added to the house over the centuries.  Three separate spaces will be combined to make room for the new kitchen.  But this poses the problem because each of these three areas have a different floor and ceiling height.  Blending them and reframing the old post and beam architecture is quite a challenge.

The client would like to leave the beams exposed in the ceiling.  This poses another challenge with how to light this new kitchen.  No room for recessed fixtures, I will be incorporating mono point low voltage and track lighting.

I am enjoying designing a modern kitchen while keeping the character and integrity of the old architecture.

ASID and NeoCon trip to Chicago

I just returned from a fabulous trip to Chicago.  ASID sent me for training at our Chapter Leadership Conference with the other Presidents and President-Elects from all over the country.   Workshops were on how to run a successful Board meeting, gain and sustain volunteers, how to resolve conflicts, and of course, on all the regulatory and business practices we need to know to run a solvent and successful chapter.

After the work was done, my colleague Jane Hassan and I toured Chicago.  We walked through Millenium Park and got our photo taken under The Bean.  We loved the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.  We toured the aquarium, walked the Magnificent Mile, and spent much time in the Merchandise Mart.

For me, the best part of the trip and the most moving experience was my tours of Oak Park and Hyde Park and Frank Lloyd Wright’s work there.  I was so moved by the Robie House and by being inside FL Wright’s own home and studio in Oak Park.  It was a dream come true.  A very inspiring and rejuvenating trip.

Amy’s house

I am visiting my friend Amy.  We are talking about whether she should add on to her cottage on the beach or gut it and rebuild from scratch.  There is so much to consider.  She loves the location, right on a pond a street away from the beach.  But the house is a cottage and she and her husband are thinking of retiring here in a couple of years.

I’ll keep you posted as we develop the plans.

So busy with ASID

I am getting very busy with my commitments and involvement in ASID, the American Society of Interior Designers.  I am President-elect of the New England chapter until October, when I will become President.   I am loving the position, the recognition, the networking, the sense of connection to the design industry and my colleagues.   But things are getting very busy, there is so much going on and so many events I am coordinating and attending.

Room To Dream was a big success for us on April 1.  The ASID Board of Directors is partnering with the Room To Dream Foundation which designs and creates fantasy bedrooms for chronically ill children to offer them a more supportive, healing environment.  Together, we designed a room for the fundraiser kick-off event at the Cyclorama in Boston.  Our room was designed for a teenage girl.  All the Board members contributed to the project in different ways and it was a fabulous experience for us as a Board to have eight of us design one space together.

The Annual Awards Gala planning has resumed.  We visited four hotels to choose our venue.  We went to the Intercontinental, the W, the Mandarin, and the Renaissance.  We will have a wonderful event at any of  those hotels.  The planning continues.

This week, the Residential Design and Construction trade show and conference happens at the World Trade Center in Boston.  I organized three workshops that look like they have a good attendance sign up.  It will be great to have that be a success.

My big project now is organizing the Strategic Planning committee.  As President-Elect, it is my responsibility to create the next year’s Strategic Plan and submit a budget to our national organization by August.  Everyone’s been invited and now I know we will meet on Saturday, June 5 .  Newbury College is sponsoring us by providing us with a beautiful meeting room in the Mitten Library.  I have a facilitator lined up.  Next is planning the agenda and the food.

Lots to do.  But I’m loving it.

the ASID Board in our Room To Dream