Out and about in Charlotte

I have a great friend who lives in Greensboro and she loves to come to Charlotte to shop for interesting and unique furniture and home decor.  Everytime she has a trip planned, she asks for my advice on the 'must-see's' during her visit.   So in this post, i thought I would mention some of my favorites.

First the 'Marketplaces' - these are shops that are comprised of multiple vendor booths, many of whom are interior designers, wanna-be boutique owners, and/or artists.  The pieces are usually unique, one-of-a-kind 'finds' but sometimes there are stock pieces that can be re-ordered.  It can vary from one marketplace to the next.  These are my absolute favorite places to shop since the styles can vary so greatly from one vendor to the next.  Plus, the prices are usually very reasonable.

Here are some fantastic embroidered ottomans I found for a client at Interiors Marketplace:

And this Hickory Chair ottoman, that I purchased for another client:

Cotswold Marketplace is literally around the corner from my house, so I am constantly stopping by.  The inventory rotates pretty frequently, so I am always seeing new things.  Like these drop-dead gorgeous lamps that I bought to go with those cool ottomans:

This was one of the pricier pieces, a Turkish Tulu rug.  So interesting, and it would work in any decor:

These stools by Worlds Away are also so eye-catching:

Many of the vendors at Slate Interiors are treasure hunters who are on the lookout for one-of-a-kind, antique pieces.  But it was this fun, yellow painted console table that caught my eye:

Many of these marketplaces also sell remant fabrics, which can be perfect for throw pillows or re-upholstering small pieces.  I found 15 yards of this honeycomb fabric at Post & Gray, that I plan to use as draperies on one of my projects:

Another one of the stops on my rotation is at The Villa, on Providence Road.  There you can check out Decade, whose owners also own Darnell & Company, a to-the-trade showroom with amazing pieces.  I found that the artwork at Decade was the most striking.  My photo doesn't do this amazing painting justice:

While I'm at the Villa, I'll also stop in Isabella, which sells luxurious linens, some furniture, and accessories.  I am instantly relaxed when I walk in.  It has the most wonderful scents, and the owner Erin is always so welcoming.

Acquisitions, which also has stores in Atlanta and Charleston is another great stop.  When I was there recently, I found this blue linen chair.  I can't believe I am telling you about it, because I want to take it home!

This is the same store we found the butterscotch leather chairs for another client:

And this Hancock & Moore barstool, with it's wonderful 'Coastal' finish.  

Mrs. Howard & Max & Company is a relative newcomer to Charlotte, but what a great addition.  If you've never been, you've got to go.  They have completely transformed the old Charlotte Women's Club into a showroom that is utterly amazing.  Every room is full of inspiration and the staff there is very willing to help.

While you're over on that side of town, check out Boulevard Bazaar too.  It is a warehouse of market samples and discontinued pieces from high end manufacturers.  You will never know what you will find there, but if you aren't picky you may find a great sofa for a fraction of the retail price.

Over at Park Road Shopping Center, I love to stop into Traditions.  They have a showroom packed full of interesting furniture and accessories.  I recently bought this great velvet tuxedo sofa for a client:

Recycle Boutique is also worth a visit.  They have consignment furniture as well as new-pieces that can be re-ordered.  I thought this would make a great wall-hanging above a fireplace:

I feel like i could go on and on.  But I'll end with The Depot at Gibson Mill, an antique mall in downtown Concord, NC.  Plan to spend an whole day here.  You never know what you will find.  I loved this display of old beakers beside these red metal barstools were so charming:

And I could kick myself for not bringing this interesting white-washed chest home:

I didn't even make it through the whole place, so I will be back soon!

As an interior designer, you have got to love to shop.  I am lucky that there are so many great boutiques, furniture stores, galleries, antique stores, and marketplaces in Charlotte.   Let me know the next time you are looking for the perfect piece for your home and I'd love to help you shop for it!

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn

All photos property of BRONWYN Designs

2011 Kitchen and Bath Trends - Part II

Image from House Beautiful

This week I'll continue with my commentary on the 2011 National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen and Bath Trends, as featured in the May/June 2011 issue of Urban Home Charlotte:

Walls planked with pure white CeasarStone
(Image from MyHomeIdeas.com)

1) Quartz Countertops

Unlike marble or granite countertops, 'Quartz countertops' are actually a composite material made from quartz and resin.  There are great advantages to quartz which include low maintenance, durability, and uniformity of material.  Basically you get the look and feel of stone, without the worry about the red wine stains.

Image from House Beautiful

But authenticity of materials rates pretty high in my book.  If you really want marble, then use it.  There's a common misconception that an engineered countertop (e.g. Quartz) will be more economical than a natural stone (like marble or granite).  This isn't necessarily the case.  My advice is to consider the look you are trying to achieve and keep an open mind when it comes to countertops.

Image from House Beautiful

2) Green Bathrooms

What isn't going 'green' these days?  But in this case, they really mean the color green. Though "off-whites, beiges, and browns are still the most commonly used color palettes", green has increased as the preferred paint color used in the bathroom.  I would guess it has something to do with our increased environmental awareness, the universal appeal of green (i.e. men and women can agree on it), and the calming nature of green.   I will agree that blue-greens and taupey-greens are great choices for bathrooms, mainly because they look great with bright white sinks, tubs, and toilets.

Image via Southern Accents

However, it is possible to get too seafoamy-green in your quest to achieve the perfect 'bathroom-green'.  When we renovated our master bathroom a few years ago, my unfortunate first attempt ended up looking more 'medical scrubs' than 'soothing spa'.  You can never go wrong with Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware.  Now almost every paint manufacturer has their own version of it.  We ended up using Behr's 'Pewter Tray', which was perfect.

Bobby McAlpine designed bathroom, Image by House Beautiful

3) Vessel Sinks

Vessel sinks have become a very popular option in the bathroom.  Their roots are based upon the old washbasin / washstands that become popular in the early 19th century, which would sit on a stand and would be filled with a large pitcher of water nearby.

Image from House Beautiful

There's a number of great options available, in a wide range of prices.  I prefer those with a shallower bowl, with simple materials and profiles.  

Image from MyHomeIdeas.com

The main thing to remember if you want to use a vessel sink in your bathroom, is that the vessel sink sits above the countertop and therefore your cabinet base must be shorter so that the top of the sink doesn't get too tall.

Bathroom by BRONWYN Designs

4)  Satin Nickel Faucets

The survey noted that " . . .oil-rubbed bronze, polished chrome, and polished nickel are all popular finishes for faucets.  But satin nickel is the most preferred finish for faucets, rising from 41% last year to 63% in th ekitchen and from 45% to 57% in the bathroom".

This statistic really shocked me.  I agree that the popularity of oil-rubbed bronze has started to decline, but I would have guessed the same for satin nickel.  In my experience, polished nickel has been the most popular finish that I've specified in the past year.  Nickel is much warmer than chrome, and it has that same timeless appeal and works well in both contemporary and more traditional kitchens and baths.

Kitchen by BRONWYN Designs

Similar to the resurgence of gold in fashion, I've noticed that brass finishes, especially antiqued brass, is becoming extremely popular in home decor.  You'll notice it not only in faucets and cabinet hardware, but also as lamps, occasional tables, framing, etc.

Powder room by BRONWYN Designs

That wraps up my commentary on the NKBA 2011 Kitchen and Bath trends.  I'll be interested to see if I continue to notice these trends in the designs of the kitchens and baths in the year to come.

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn

2011 Kitchen and Bath Trends

Recently in the May/June 2011 issue of Urban Home Charlotte, there was an article about the 2011 top kitchen and bath trends based on a survey completed by members of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA).  Some of these trends I agreed with completely, though other trends were more of a surprise.  This week I'll comment on the kitchen trends, and I'll save the bath trends for my next post.

Kitchen by BRONWYN Designs

1) Shaker Style

I was never a fan of the 'Old World', heavily glazed, fussy, over-corbeled, overdone look that has been popular for the past decade or more.  The irony of the 'old world', 'tuscan', or 'french provincial' style is that truly authentic European kitchens are very simple, functional, and hardworking.  Kitchens were never intended to be the huge, showy, public entertaining spaces that they have become.  In this new age of 'non-conspicuous' consumption, I think people have realized that a clean, classic design is one that is also timeless.

Image from Belgian Pearls blog

2) Dark Cabinetry & Painted Cabinets

I'll be the first one to tell you that I love white kitchen cabinets.  They are just so simple and clean and you can add color and texture with tile, flooring, lighting, and countertops.  Plus the beautiful colors of your FOOD look great against the white backdrop.

Kitchen by Barrie Benson, Charlotte Home & Garden Magazine

But alas, the NBKA indicates this trend is on it's way out.  I'm not disappointed though, because my mouth is watering when i see some of the fabulous new grey, taupe, and cream painted cabinets.  I love the way an antiqued brass pull looks against these colors, and how they really draw out the grey and taupe veining in a beautiful Calcutta gold marble countertop.  I'm not quite prepared for dark stained cabinets yet.....I still remember the dark red cherry stained cabinets of the 80's and early 90's too vividly.

Kitchen by Kay Douglass, South of Market

3) Wine Storage

Based on the article, wine refrigerators are on the decline and storage of wine at room temperature is becoming more popular.  Maybe that's because our wine fridges are being filled up with juice boxes?  Oh, sorry....that's just my wine refrigerator.

Image source unknown

4) French Door Refrigerators

A french door refrigerator is one with a freezer door at the bottom.  Yes, I can attest that these are becoming very popular, though they do take some getting used to.

Kitchen by BRONWYN Designs

5) Induction Cooktops

As far as cooking methods, I really love gas.  I love the look of a commercial gas stove, and I love how I can control the heat.  However, induction cooktops are gaining popularity and the price of a household induction cooktop has started to come down.  Basically an induction cooktop uses an electromagnet to transfer energy into your metal cooking vessel.  The advantages are that the amount of heat is extremely powerful and can be adjusted precisely and instantaneously, and that the cooking surface will not be hot after you remove the pan.  The disadvantage is that you must use a pot made of a magnetic material (like stainless steel or cast iron).  Unfortunately your beautiful antique French copper pots won't work with induction cooking.

Source unknown

6) LED Lighting

LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs are perfect for undercabinet lighting since they are cooler and more energy efficient.  But they are more expensive.   Xenon bulbs is another option you'll hear about, that is less expensive but not nearly as cool (temperature-wise) than LED.

Image from Elle Decor

7)  Pull out trash

Yes, yes, yes, absoutely.  In every single kitchen project I've worked on in the past year, my clients have requested at least one pull out trash bin, if not 2 (one for trash and one for recycling).  On the farmhouse project there will be four!  And I predict that in the year to come, there will be more and more requests for pull-out (or otherwise concealed, but accessible) food waste bins for composting.

Image source unknown

Consumers are becoming more and more educated and environmentally concious.  These trends all seem to be going in the same direction.  I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on these trends - are you a trendsetter or a trend-breaker?

Thanks for reading.  Have a great week!

Bronwyn

A Creek-front, coastal family retreat

Well over a year ago, some close friends asked me to help them with the interior design of the home they were building in Wilmington, NC.  They were ideal clients because they were open to new ideas and very trusting in my design sense.  It helped that they have a beautiful piece of land on one of the intracoastal inlets, a talented architect, and a great builder who could make it all happen!

My clients were very clear on their misson: to create a home with the smallest foot print that would still be functional and comfortable for an active family of five.  They carefully considered the environment as they planned, sited, and built the home.  Wherever feasible (and in budget) the materials were to be sourced locally, the appliances and plumbing fixtures were to be Energy Star and/or 'water sense' certified, and the finishes were to be no or low-VOC.   They cut as few trees as possible to allow for the foundation, and milled those fallen trees for the hardwood flooring.  

I became involved in the process after they had started working with the architect and developed a solid plan.   I acted as another 'set of eyes' to help ensure the plan was perfect and that all of the details had been thought through.   Since I usually work on renovation projects where you must work with many fixed parameters, it was a luxury to be able to affect the outcome of the floorplan from the beginning.

Next I designed the cabinetry for the home, which included the kitchen, mudroom, and bathrooms.  My clients had initially selected semi-custom cabinets from a local shop in town, but after they realized that custom-cabinetry could fit in their budget, they decided that was the route they preferred since they could specify and get exactly what they wanted. 

Here's their 'inspiration' photo.  They loved the dark hardwood floors, white cabinets, and thick concrete countertops:

Photo courtesy of Wrightsville Beach Magazine

And here is how their kitchen turned out:

They opted for grey concrete countertops with white cabinetry on the perimeter of the kitchen, with the reverse color scheme on the island.  The builder, who specializes in the fabrication of concrete countertops, created a 3" thick white countertop for the island, with oystershells imbedded into the concrete.  The color is beautiful with the soft greys and taupes, and the texture is amazing, with a very soft honed finish.  They are unique and perfect for this home.

The picture above shows a good view of the pine flooring, milled from the trees fomerly on their lot. 

I also helped my clients make the myriad of choices associated with building a home, including selecting appliances, plumbing fixtures, decorative hardware, tile, lighting, paint colors, and flooring.   However I will admit that the most striking element of her home are these 'Nelson Bubbles' that she discovered to hang above the dining room table:

The bubbles are the first thing that you notice when you enter the home, and certainly the most memorable!  My clients are very adventurous, fun, outgoing people and these lights reflect their personalities well.

She hung these great sephia-toned photos on the wall directly behind the bubbles.

After they had moved in, my client/friend paid me the most wonderful compliment:  'Now that I have worked with a designer, I could not imagine doing this again without one - I would have made so many mistakes!  I truly understand the value that a designer brings to the table'.    That made my day!

I had a great time working with my friends on this project, and I'm sad that it's over.   However I love visiting and enjoying the beautiful, comfortable home that I helped them to create.

Thanks for reading,

Bronwyn

Creative Figure

For my birthday this year, my gift from my husband was Creative Figure lessons at Andy Braitman Studio.  I had very little previous experience in figure drawing, having only attending a few open sessions while i was interning with Emily.  She had advised me that if you learn how to accurately draw the human body, then you will have a sound foundation to draw almost anything.  The proportions of the body repeat themselves everywhere in nature, and the most beautiful classically designed buildings reflect those same proportions.  Likewise, since the body has so many curves and contours there is so much opportunity for an aritst to hone their eye to really 'see' (and hence interpret on paper) the shadows and highlights and learn how to add fullness to a two dimensional rendering.

I was very nervous at the first class, especially since I was joining the class mid-session.  However Andy graciously welcomed me in and quickly gave me an overview of the materials we would be using.  I had seen his work before and I was so intimidated, but he turned out to be the most encouraging, outgoing, thoughtful, organized, friendly artist I have ever learned from.   He certainly has found his calling in teaching, since I feel that many artists may be incredibly talented in the studio, but not nearly gregarious or organized enough to teach a room full of students.

We started each session with quick 1 minute sketches with charcoal to warm up.  Yes, 1 minute.  Meaning you had to work fast before the model changed position.  Here's some of my quick sketches:

Then we increased the poses to 2, 3, 5, 10 minute poses.  You were still working quickly, but you could focus a bit more on the details:

He taught us that we don't have to draw every line we see, and in fact it will make the piece more interesting if you leave out the unimportant lines.  Your eye will connect the meaningful marks that are there, and in a sense 'fill-in' the missing lines.

The models' bodies and poses were so beautiful.  I credit so much of the beauty in these sketches simply to their interesting, thoughtful poses.

Someone recently told me that doctors and nurses are great at figure drawing, since they are so knowledgeable about the human body.  I can see how knowing what's underneath the skin would prove helpful!

We ended each session (which was 2 1/2 hours long) with a long pose, generally 45 minutes or so.  These we did in oil paint, which I had never used before.  Boy, it is different from what I am used to.  I have so much to learn!  I am not going to share the painting from my first class (it was not worth sharing), but I will share the others in chronological order.  Hopefully you can tell I am getting a little better each week:

The class has ended until the fall, and I already miss it.  Andy said that if we don't have any willing models, that in the meantime we can use pears since they are round, and contoured like the human body. I know we have been compared to many things . . . but pears???  I had to laugh about that.


Thanks for reading.  Have a great week!

Bronwyn