Design Dilemmas

Everywhere I turn, a friend or co-worker is starting a kitchen reno. (Good sign — the economy must be getting better if so many people are willing to update their homes!)

One of most common questions asked of me is: “Should I do an island?” And it is asked in such a way that tells me they don’t want to put one in, but somehow feel obliged. To which I say, despite seeing some pretty beautiful islands, that it seems the harvest table is back.

This is a lovely kitchen by French architect Joseph Dirand. And you must admit, this is a pretty spectacular island. It isn’t too big (some islands are so oversized they make actually working on them ridiculous). The almost Shaker-like trim fashioned out of marble is a clever design detail, too. You can really imagine this put to good use.

But compare it with this kitchen by designer Steven Gambrel. The palette is similar; the marble is similar; sheesh, even the floor is similar. But the difference lies in the use of the old farmhouse table instead of an island. And I think it is used to great effect. The worn wood warms up the space — it is a nice counterpoint to all that grey/white marble. It could be used for anything from a prep station (as seen above) to a casual dining table with a mix of chairs pulled around, or even a place for kids to do homework comfortably, while mom or pop are cooking. Double or triple duty — always a bonus! And there is just something about it that begs you to linger in this kitchen.

I often think that while we try to reinvent the wheel, the old ideas have so much heart — this is about a family or friends gathered in the farmhouse kitchen, actually spending time together. And whether you have a big farmhouse kitchen or not, isn’t that the vibe you want in your life?

Still deciding? Get inspired by even more kitchen island photos.

Photo credits:
1. Remodelista
2. Steven Gambrel

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Don’t get me wrong, I do love an art wall — I think. Who wouldn’t love the one seen above, captured by Cape Town photographer Jac de Villiers, for instance? I started one in my little basement reno —with about six framed pieces so far— and another one in my dining room. That one is coming together slowly, with only two pieces so far. So, hardly a wall’s worth. But as I sift through ideas on what to hang, what to frame, how to frame it, and what I should buy from Etsy.com, I realized: maybe I am a little over it.

Then I saw this little idea in a shot by Philadelphia-based photographer Trevor Dixon. Basically, it shows the combination of two ideas: the casual “art on the floor” concept with something more planned out. I thought this was a brilliant marriage of arranged and loose.

By creating shelves on brackets just above the baseboard, you can get art off of the floor, while still having a place to arrange it in an interesting way. Gone is the ubiquitous floating shelf we are all so accustomed to. Also, gone is the art wall that really only looks good once you are finished (if my half-finished art walls are any indicator).

Further, this challenges the idea that every frame has to frame something. This type of arrangement gives you the opportunity to just put a beautiful frame into the mix as a background objet until you have something to fill it, and slowly build your collection until you have enough to fill a wall. Perfect for someone like me who doesn’t just want to buy for the sake of filling a space. What I have bought myself is some time to slowly collect.

For more tips on buying and displaying art, as well as DIY decorative project ideas, see our Art Advice Guide.

Photo credits:
1. Photography by Jac de Villiers
2. Trevor Dixon Homes & Interiors

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I was recently interviewed by a journalist in the city asking about bringing a specific trend into a room (for her it was the idea of global influence, in particular African art, textiles, what have you). She seemed to quite like it when I said you have to do it sparingly, unless it is grouped as a collection, or you would end up with a “theme park” instead of a room (Epcot Center anyone?). But it made me think about how to strike that balance and how to explain it to someone.

Take, for instance, the Union Jack flag. I love it. I love how graphic it is. I love the colours. I love it when it looks old and worn. But it is something that has to be done properly. The shots below, for example, are of two beautiful rooms by Dan Marty Designs, but one has too many Union Jacks. Suddenly it isn’t special. Or as my moms would say, “that is too much of a muchness.” The other, from Apartment Therapy, has just a subtle Union Jack motif on a chair. That’ll do.

The next room has the ubiquitous Union Jack as a dog bed but it doesn’t really fit with the vibe of the room. Again, this doesn’t seem like a special motif the homeowner just has to add in, but in fact, more like an after-thought.

I think designer Tommy Smythe hit the right note in his living room below. I was on this shoot of his last apartment and was crazily coveting his Union Jack pillow (anyone know for sure what colony this flag is from, not a typical British flag so I suspect something colonial?). I may have even offered him some cash for it, when he is over it. Here is the thing, he only did it once in the room (he found an old vintage flag and had it sewn into a pillow) but the rest of the room also works with the look — a little masculine, a little trad, even a little colonial when you think of the brass, wood and the black, white, red. So I guess I am saying, keep it spare but also keep it in keeping — with the rest of the room that is.

For more inspiring photos from Apartment Therapy, view our Apartment Therapy Design Lessons gallery.

Photo credits:
1. Dan Marty Design
2. Apartment Therapy blog
3. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?
4. From House & Home December 2009 issue, photography by Michael Graydon

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Call me a throwback, but I like rooms. I like moving from one room to another. I like things feeling compartmentalized (does that say something about me which should be addressed in chats with a professional...?). A friend of mine is about to embark on a major reno and will be tearing out lots of walls to create a big open space. Another friend has a big open studio space and is looking for ways to create separation in the space. Do we all want what we don’t have?

Anyway, it got me thinking about rooms. Not just why so many of us are ready to get rid of them, but what are some ways to create the feeling of rooms — of separation — without having some big honking wall stopping your sightline.

Obviously the drape idea is a perfect solution (see in the image above). I’ve seen it used successfully to make bedrooms in loft spaces many times, but how about making a dining room with the sheerest of sheers:

I love this idea. The dining room seems separate from the living room, and no doubt a little sexy and special when you are seated at the table, but full of light during most of the day, I would imagine, when it is not likely in use. So you don’t have that wall stopping your sightline or blocking your light.

But this next idea is not so obvious and I love it:

Here, the NYC designer John Douglas Eason hung an oversized mirror from the ceiling by chains to create separation in a large bedroom between the sleeping area and the lounging area. This is so smart. Eason’s project is in a Greenwich, NYC house so it is probably a large upper floor of a brownstone, reno’d to make one big loft-like bedroom. Thing is, I have been in a lot of new builds lately where principal bedrooms are huge and therefore, difficult to decorate. This is an idea I would use. One big frame, encasing either a mirror, artwork or fabric on a stretcher, hung from your joists (because they can hold the weight). Brilliant.

For more tips on separating an open-concept space, see Bachelor Apartment Ideas.

Photo credits:
1. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?
2. Metropolitan Home
3. John Douglas Eason, Greenwich Showhouse

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So I noticed that many readers are confused as to whether or not to paint the backs of their doors (obviously I just discovered how much you folks chat in the forums — where have I been?). I say yes, do it. Of course, a classic semi-gloss black is always a good choice — it’s the little black dress for this sort of thing. And I would encourage you to do the black option when you have several doors to paint in a small area (an upper hallway) or when there are many doors leading from one room (dining room to hall to kitchen to wherever). Always a great choice.

But take it from me, this is also a great place for colour. I have woken up thinking about yellow doors after seeing this image.

And back in the fall some design editors painted a front door’s backside red for a shoot, and I loved it. Home I went with the leftover paint and dedicated myself to coats and coats of red — and at first I thought, wow, that is weird. But months have now passed and I love my red door, it just took some getting used to is all. That whole white door thing now seems so boring.

Whaddya think of my wonderful red door? Any colours you are thinking of trying? (I say pale blue, or, of course, butter yellow). And is it crazy to think about painting over the Christmas hols?

For more on using paint to freshen up a space, read Painting Hardwood Floors or Paint Above Wainscotting.

Photo credits:
1. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?
2. Anna Kern, from Daisy Pink Cupcake blog, July 7, 2009
3. Meg Crossley

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As one of my co-workers, Stacey Smithers, contemplates a kitchen redo, much discussion about open shelving has ensued. Of course, when you see shots like these, no wonder people want open shelves.

Both images have been beautifully propped and styled by London-based stylist Sally Conran. What you don’t see in the first one are any actual dishes — beautiful objets, yes; dishes, no. The second shot has loads of Mason jars — again no dishes — and also loads of the casual country charm that makes the styling on these shelves appropriate to the image. But really, who lives like this? Know this: When we shoot your kitchen, we make sure the shelves are gorgeous. So unless you are the kind of person who edits, styles and cleans your shelves daily, open shelves may leave you disappointed. Obviously, I am a fan of doors as I know how much time I want to devote to cleaning up my stuff — almost none.

So if you truly want open shelves, here are two options:

1. Make sure you have plenty of space for a wall of closed cupboards to hide all your gack, which means you need a decent-sized kitchen. (Due to walls getting in our way, we rarely get a chance to photograph a kitchen in this way, showing both sides at once, so that's one reason you seldom see what is on the other side of the open shelves.)

2. Or try this trick: Just remove two doors and style in some lovely props, which will read like open shelving (makes you on-trend) but without the constant clean-up.

So how do people feel about open shelves? Do you have them in your kitchen? Have any tricks that make them easier to live with?

For more shelving tips, read our Smart Storage Solutions article.

Photo credits:
1. Sally Conran, Interiors 2
2. Sally Conran, Interiors 1
3. From La Dolce Vita blog, room designed by Angie Hranowsky
4. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?

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I’m back! After months off from both renovating my basement and blogging about it, I am well-rested and ready for more blog posts. Thing is, in the time off so many friends, colleagues and readers have commented or emailed me with questions, and almost always about some odd little fakery I used to solve a problem — and there were many in that basement redo. This made me think that design problem solving would be a good topic for a blog.

So here we go: What do you do when your house has no foyer but you hate sitting in your living room and staring at a hallway of shoes, or feeling the cold draft when your front door opens?

Check this out:

Despite that fact that a co-worker I shared this shot with thought it resembled a British phone booth, I love this idea. Whodathunk. Obviously this is for the open-concept dweller and would work well in spaces like lofts or a house with a good size front room, but what a great solution. Don’t you love how the bottom of the box is solid which means shoes, bags and dirty mats are hidden from view? And with the uppers made from windows, you get all the natural light from the front door sidelights. It also makes the idea of using stone or tile in the front hallway easy to coordinate, as it answers the oft-asked question, where do I stop the tile and start the hardwood?

Of course, for a less complicated solution we only have to look to neighbourhood bistros on windy wintery nights, when they have their thick velvet drapes hanging to keep back the cold for those patrons sitting close to the door.

Here House & Home published their own take on that idea with a tapestry hung in the arch from entry hall to living room. Easily done by hanging a drapery rod on the hallway side of the arch, hanging the tapestry with clip rings and using a tie-back to give it some shape when sitting open. Close it and you block cold and mess.

Anyone else frustrated by not having a foyer? What do you do about it?

For more ideas on how to create an entryway or mudroom in a front living room, see Living Room As Entryway.

Photo credits:
1. Unknown source: Help! Does anyone know where this shot comes from?
2. Shot for the February 2007 issue of House & Home, photography by Tracy Shumate

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