Archive
for October, 2011
BOO!
Oct 30 2011 ·0Don’t you just love the color orange at this time of the year?
Maybe it’s subliminal but all shades of orange seem to welcome Halloween
And carved pumpkins in all designs
Dress yours using your imagination….
May you have no scary demons in your future only good spirits, friendly ghosts and lots of your favorite candy ~
Happy Halloween!
XO,
Pamela
Art for Interiors: Fort Point Open Studios
Oct 24 2011 ·0“Art and life are not separate domains”
~Piet Mondrian
Last weekend my friends, Ginny and Jen and I visited several art studios in the Fort Point Area of Boston.
Most of the art spaces in the buildings we visited are co-ops which means that the artist and their families (and often, pets) live in their studios as well as create there. It is simply ingenious the way they have arranged the living spaces: loft style beds to maximize floor space, camouflaged kitchens behind screens or curtains and loads of clever storage and display solutions for supplies and treasured possessions. Oh, and the painting, sculpting or print making studios take up most of the square footage! It was a delightful peek behind the scenes of some wonderful work environments and some unique floor plans for me~
These tubes are just waiting to burst with color
Believing the brush will convert your dream into a masterpiece~
Of all of the artists whom we met, here are 3 of my favorites~
Linda’s pottery is very organic. The designs are original shapes with interesting details, do you see the skyline nestled in the rhododendron shape leaves?
This vase is beautiful adorned with fleurs or not. Any one of her pieces would be a perfect addition on a bookcase, as a collection on a coffee table or of course could stand alone as a centerpiece vase on a table with a fresh bouquet.
Lisa is one of my favorite Fort Point artists. I’ve had the privilege of taking a portrait class with her and she is a detailed and profound teacher. I love her work and hope to add one of her masterpieces to my collection one day and I strongly urge you to do the same!
This is called Cupcake Dress, doesn’t the fabric look yummy?
3 Graces
One of the best parts of attending Open Studios is getting to know the artist and the story behind their work.
The 3 Graces is a drawing of Lisa’s aunt’s, mother’s and gandmother’s underpants. Lisa told me a touching story about the loveliness of these women and how they touched her life~ this work now means so much more to me. When you are deciding on adding a piece of art to your home and your life, I think it is important to have a personal connection to the piece whether it is the subject, the color or the emotion. You want it to move you, that being said…
Is Madonna missing her brassiere??
View of Lisa’s studio/home, love those dresses~
Bonnie’s prints are juicy in person, the colors jump off the paper and they are perfect for interior design~ I would love to suggest coupling 2 or 3 of these for impact on a wall~
Woodland Garden #2
The tiles are very unique and can be used in so many ways: backsplash for kitchen, studios, and bathrooms of course, but thinking outside the box how about tile table top of beautiful tiles or even just a beautiful accent highlighted at the center?
Wren
So many great choices for a wide frame for a mirror~
Leaves and Petals
Sunflower
There will be many Open Studios events with the upcoming Holidays. Why not consider giving a piece of original art as a hostess gift or a present to a family member or better yet yourself? I hope I have given you a few more ideas and inspiration for adding art to your interior!
xo,
Pamela
{Photos of studio spaces are courtesy of Jen Bowles, images of artists original work is from their respective websites}
Design Days 2011
Oct 12 2011 ·0“Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant.
There is a fire in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.”
~J. G. Von Herder
This past week the Boston Design Center hosted Design Boston 2011, a 3-day market for the professional design community. New collections, new products and upcoming trends were highlighted during this year’s version of the annual event. Taking in such a wide variety of inspiration is certainly the way to light a fire in my soul for the Fall season and the year ahead!
I attended several seminars and was treated to many wonderful speakers including: Design Trends 2012 with Julie Rokowski, Color Forecasts 2012 with Jackie Jordan, Taking Original Art to Final Product with Ken Wampler, Custom Tailored Spaces with Juan Montoya, Candice Olson on Design with none other than Candice Olson from HGTV and Martyn Lawrence Bullard of Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators, who introduced his new, delicious fabric line with Schumacher to name only a few.
I find this is the most exciting time of the year at the Boston Design Center. It is a time for inspiration, for renewal and to set new directions for my designs. My mind is overflowing with creativity and I am looking forward to translating new trends and ideas into finished spaces. If you are considering a project, this is the perfect time to contact me!
Here is a re-cap of an outstanding week and photos of some amazingly talented people (who are great charmers as well).
Ken Wampler, from the Alpha Workshops, Toni Galeno and Maria Howe from the Ailanthus Showroom
Thibeault wallcoverings by the artists at Alpha Workshops
An original block used to print wallcovering
Me with Juan Montonya in the Century Showroom, surrounded by his custom furniture pieces
Candice Olson ~ does she need any introduction? Of HGTV fame, Candice has created an elegant fabric line with Kravet
The Secret to Artful Rooms by Mitchell Owens from Architectural Digest. He presented slides illustrating some new and creative ways to display art ~ notice the sunburst mirror positioned with the art?
This is Donny Duetsch’s home and his eclectic collection of graphic art that fills this large hallway. Note the fabulous curved viewing sofa.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard introduced his new book Live, Love and Decorate as well as his new fabric line with Schumacher
Some of Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s new fabrics
Martyn drew inspiration from the patterns in Turkish tile work
From the Martyn Lawrence Bullard Collection at Schumacher
I attended a panel discussion on The Restoration of the Royal Opera House of Versailles featuring Antoine and Catherine Tisserant of Tisserant Art & Style and Charles Spada. Recently re-opened after being closed for the last 20 years, Tisserant Art & Style was awarded the important contract of restoring the Opera House’s chandeliers, lanterns and wall lights. This was particularly fascinating to me after having visited Paris just last month.
A photo of a chandelier undergoing a renovation from the Royal Opera House of Versailles
Notice the height is matched to the men carrying it but the width is much more~
After much painstaking work, the installation
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of the wonders I was able to see at Design Boston. With such an incredible month of design inspiration under my belt I would love to share my experiences more intimately and extensively. If you are interested in a Design Presentation highlighting my experiences and photos of Paris and Design Days 2011, do contact me!
Finally, I would also like to acknowledge the loss of a very creative man last week, I can only ponder what else he may have given us had he had the gift of time~
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
~Steve Jobs
xo,
Pamela
Design is Everywhere: Paris Metro
Oct 04 2011 ·0“Beauty must appeal to the senses, must provide us with immediate enjoyment, must impress or insinuate itself into us without any effort on our part.”
~Claude Debussy, French composer
Bonjour mes amis! If you’ve hear that Paris is a romantic city, replete with beauty and inspiration, you’ve heard correctly! It seems everywhere you look and indeed, everywhere you go in Paris, it’s one breathtaking sight after another. Beautiful design details to delight all the senses surround you–even in the subway!
Do come take a peek at some of my favorite design moments from the Paris Metro…
My friend Debbie pointed out these chairs against the veritcal subway tiles at the Chatelet les Halles stop on our way to Montmartre. So striking!
At another Metro stop we walked through this tunnel with an amazing tree themed tile installation. I love how they've elevated the everyday to beautiful and interesting here!
A detail shot of the tree tile mosaic
Of course not all the good design in the Metro had to do with tile…
What a great, suit! Even the commuters in Paris are stylish!
Coming around the corner in one of the Metro stations, I heard music that reminded me of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I followed the music…
and came upon this ensemble of string musicians!
The acoustics the subway halls offer are comparable to a concert hall according to my pianist son.
The music was beautiful!
Here there is no ticket price, just a donation of your choosing.
Back to the business at hand, how many times did I look down the tracks for my train?!
There's even artistry in this colorful, approaching double decker train
I did encounter several more magnificent tile mosaics in the Metro, including this more abstract work:
Just look at the detail!
And yes, it’s signed!
From a totally different genre, another tile installation at the Bastille Metro station:
These tiles were both handpainted and dimensional!
It's always piques my interest when artwork tells a story
I hope you’ve enjoyed these glimpses into the Paris Metro! The designer and artist in me can’t help but notice and want to share some of the beauty that we encountered as we explored Paris. As I love to say, design is everywhere, even underground, you just have to stop and take notice of it!
A view of an iconic cast iron Metropolitain sign in Paris? The pigeon in my painting has an enviable view, wouldn't you agree?
xo,
Pamela