September, 2009 - Browsing by month

An interior design colleague alerted me to this video on Hulu. From the press release, ”Northwest interior designer Faith Sheridan was chosen over two Seattle-based designers to create a new bathroom on “Designers’ Challenge” TV Show which appears weekly on the Home & Garden Television channel. ”

I“competed” to win the contract of a Seattle couple who were looking for a new design for their master bathroom. The couple, Chris and Sharon Lockwood, told me that they loved my design, and that is the reason why they chose Faith Sheridan Interior Design during a two-day shoot.

“The inspiration for Chris and Sharon is a calm oasis, a serene spa-like setting so they will love to come home,” Sheridan said. “This bath features an innovative shower system, luxurious natural materials and a partnership with respected Northwest artisans in glass and specialty finishes. The view of Lake Washington is the focal point.”

The couple heard pitches from Sheridan and the others, and chose Faith Sheridan to re-do the bathroom. Over three months, the TV show videotaped Sheridan working with the couple on the specifics of the re-design, and showed Sheridan’s chosen contractors rebuilding the bathroom. Sheridan maintains offices in Portland and Seattle.

Don’t miss my weekly enewsletter every Thursday.

Get a Fast Solution and start your project NOW!

Tags: fast solutions for interior dilemmas, HGTV Designer's Challenge, seattle designer Faith Sheridan, tranquil master bathroom in Seattle
Posted in Before and After | 3 Comments »

Interior designers know about planning in advance and especially for holiday entertaining. All right, I know it’s mid-September but I am still sending an alert. If you are the designated family member to host this season, it’s time to consider all options and get started. Our sad economy isn’t a quick resource anymore. Deliveries are worse than ever due partly to the fact that factories have laid off employees and stopped stocking extra goods. As a result, lead times and delivery cycles are stretching out.

Yet, in these times a connection seems even more important. We look forward to eagerly welcoming family and friends into our homes. In today’s economy with many folks working from home, dining rooms serve a dual function as home offices too. There are practical considerations occuring in our dining rooms other than eating.

Narrow tables such as the one shown in the photo are perfect for dual function. Pushed against a wall, this table offers generous work surface area during the week. On a weekend or for a holiday, it serves another purpose entirely as a dining table. Think of a table less than 42 inches wide as an optimal size.

Tags: dual function dining room, holiday entertaining plans, Seattle interior designer
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »

Recently my interior design eyes spotted Tabrasa and I wrote about it….No surprise that this company continues to receive raves most recently at HD Boutique. Tabrasa garnered a Best of Boutique award at the Hospitality Design conference.

Available in white as well as four new neutral colors, tabrasa^TM complements any interior design while transforming working environments into collaborative spaces - increasing functionality, and evoking creativity and impromptu teamwork. It is a more functional and operationally superior alternative to traditional white boards and dry-erase wallcoverings, as it: Learn more here.

Aesthetics & Style

tabrasa^TM can create various shapes for dry-erase writing surfaces including: a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall writing surface; a strip in a hallway or around an entire room; a rectangle or variety of shapes scattered across a large wall; or a design element placed over a colored surface. No other dry-erase surface offers the aesthetic options of tabrasa.^TM

Environmental Sustainability

Tabrasa has the lowest environmental footprint of any dry-erase product.

• No wood, steel, aluminum, vinyl or resin typically used with other dry-erase products-just paint.
• It doesn’t require the baking or curing process that other dry-erase products use. We use less material and fuel to ship since our box is small weighs far less than a similarly sized whiteboard.
• You simply paint over tabrasa^TM when you’re done with it. We’re happy to not contribute to the millions of pounds of whiteboard materials being dumped in landfills every year.
• tabrasa^TM conforms to all U.S. EPA regulations (including California) and is formaldehyde-free and, once dry, produces no off-gassing.

Tags: architecture and interior design, dry erase paint, hospitality design, Seattle interior designer, Tabrasa by Idea Paint, working environments
Posted in Green Design, Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »

As a Seattle interior designer ever on the lookout for inspiration, it’s pleasing to see such activity less than a mile from my neighborhood, Capitol Hill. (more on my hood soon). When my daughter visited last month we roamed around Madison Valley. Some highlights of great resources for eye candy and sustenance. When you need ideas and inspirations read my newsletter.

Veritables for accessories, gifts, lighting

These design and home furnishings shops and restaurants now infuse once quiet Madison Valley with an energy all its own. Enjoy a stretch of shops filled with gifts, home accents, and garden gear, near Washington Park Arboretum. Contact me for more design assistance today!

GETTING THERE

Madison Valley is east of Seattle’s downtown and the Capitol Hill neighborhood. The business district runs along E. Madison St. from about 23rd Ave. E. to 32nd Ave. E.

Tags: designer retail therapy in Seattle, great resources in Seattle, home furnishings, seattle designer Faith Sheridan
Posted in Ideas and Inspirations | No Comments »

As a designer who loves the creative outlet of cooking as well as designing kitchens for clients, I found this top ten list to share. What does it take to create a dream kitchen? One that’s beautifully designed, high functioning and best of all, accessible for every home cook and every budget?

The Art Institutes recently posed this scenario to several of its top interior design faculty and chef instructors, challenging each group of experts to come up with a top-ten list of “must haves,” either for a new or renovated kitchen. It turns out that chefs and interior designers share priorities about kitchen design essentials. To end up with a great kitchen on any budget, the experts encourage consulting a professional.

According to Chef Chris Lauderdale of The Art Institute of California-Orange County, “It’s not the money a homeowner spends on a renovation, or a brand new kitchen. It’s the thought and planning that goes on before.”

From The Art Institutes Interior Design faculty:

10. Walls and ceiling finish
9. Quality and craft of floor finish
8. Quality plumbing
7. Proper circuit isolation for electrical
6. Configuration of room
5. Natural light
4. Indirect light
3. Task light
2. Quality countertop material
1. Triangulation of work area (cook surface, refrigerator, sink)

From The Art Institutes Culinary Arts Program faculty:

10. Adequate storage for cooking equipment
9. Adequate number of electrical outlets
8. Height of counters
7. Amount of counter space
6. Countertop material
5. Quality cabinetry
4. Ventilation
3. Waste container placement
2. Work surface lighting
1. Triangulation of stove, refrigerator and sink.

Tags: designer and chefs kitchen essentials, dream kitchen, top ten kitchen must haves
Posted in Kitchen | 2 Comments »