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DELIGHTING THE SENSES

I frequently receive calls from new clients to help them combine two households.  Marrying at a later stage in your life can be a real challenge especially for an Interior Designer.  In the summer of 2005 I married for the first time in my late forties.  I was lucky though, the moving van pulled into my new husband’s driveway and they loaded a grandfather clock, an antique Stickley bookcase and his television.

Ellen Griffin, a New York based Interior Designer married later in life as well and her husband was moving from a 400-square-foot bachelor pad with no furniture.  “The perfect husband for a decorator,” she jokes.  My thoughts exactly!

 

My husband Rick, will tell you, it’s an everyday adventure being married to me.  I replaced an antique table in a room located off, what I call, the heart of the house.  The room has a beautiful bay window with a view of the lake.  This room,  I have deemed my husband’s man cave.  It has his favorite worn leather chair and ottoman and his television.  A quote by Mary Sarton states, “A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.”

Somerset Bay

A table that added storage for my husband’s books and paperwork in the den also worked in my clients kitchen giving her additional storage and a place to place a lamp.

Needing a place to store his paperwork and books,  I replaced the antique table with a piece from one of my companies, Somerset Bay.  It has a small drawer for pens and chargers and two doors for storage.  It made him very happy.

Ok…so here’s the downfall to being married to an Interior Designer.  I was at a client’s home and saw a glass plant stand against one of her kitchen walls.  I thought wow, wouldn’t that piece from Somerset Bay look fantastic there!

Yes, you guessed it… The next day, I said to my husband, “Can you help me load your new table in my car?”  I got the “look” from him.  “Don’t worry honey,” I said, “I’ll order you another one.” The piece worked beautifully in my client’s kitchen and she loved it.  A table that added storage for my husband’s books and paperwork in the den also worked in my client’s kitchen giving her additional storage and a place to place a lamp.

I’ve always felt that rooms should be welcoming spaces that delight the eye and put you at ease.  Whether they are a blend of neutrals or vibrant colors, minimalistic or organized clutter, you want rooms that invite you in revealing their beauty slowly.

Dina Kitchen

A refreshing space soothes, surprises and delights.

Jonathan Pond

My garden pond soothes and delight’s your senses.

The most refreshing spaces, whether a bright kitchen or a classic garden, soothe, surprise and delight.

Properly placed furniture leads you into a room without creating walls.   Properly placed, it should invite conversation.  A beautiful home that’s loved and cared for immediately puts you in a good mood.

Lexington Ivory Key

Lexington Home Brands Ivory Key invites conversation.

One of my favorite things to do is helping clients rearrange their furnishings.  I love visualizing where pieces could be moved to create this feeling of surprise and delight.  With my vision,  I see moving an extra table with two chairs away from the dining room table and chairs to a location in front of a window that’s across the room and has a beautiful view of your garden.  The table now has its own space and in the winter on Sunday’s you could enjoy your newspaper and coffee at the table.  Yes, we will have to move your baby grand piano but, I have a great spot for that too!

Lexington Twilight Bay

Lexington Home Brands/Twilight Bay table and chairs invites your senses to sit and enjoy the view.

Delight your senses.  Have me come and take a look at your room.  I’ll leave you with a quote by Samuel Johnson.  “To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition.”  I second that emotion.

 

 

Somerset Bay

Don’t you just love this!  This article is in the February/March 2013 issue of Traditional Home Magazine.  The furniture featured is a line I sell called Somerset Bay.  I just ordered three new pieces for stock.  Everytime I place the new pieces in my studio/home, they go right out the door. 

One piece I ordered is the Augusta Box on stand.  It’s a wonder piece for next to a chair or sofa if you don’t have a lot of room.  The other piece I ordered was the Sarasota Nightstand (see picture below).  I’m going to put it next to my sofa in the den.  I’ve had an antique table that originally started out being red with turned legs there and I painted it a rich cream color from Benjamin Moore called Cloud Nine.  Time to change!!  This piece will look fantastic there.  I ordered it in the finish it’s featured in – Vanilla Bean.  That’s one of the wonderful things this company offers is they have a lot of different finishes to choose from.

 I originally became familiar with the line when my husband and I journeyed to The Traditional Home Ocean 3 Showhouse:  Beauty on the Beach in Montauk, New York.  One of the Showhouse sponsors was Somerset Bay.

 

 View one of the Showhouses here:   http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/showhouses/oceans-showhouse-beauty-on-the-beach_ss1.html  or visit Somerset Bay’s site you will love it;  www.somersetbayhome.com