November, 2009 - Browsing by month

If you’re like this expert Seattle interior designer, lots of gatherings, formal and informal, fill the weeks from now through New Years. Since I live in a condo organizing a party is very easy. One party I look forward to is my neighbor’s tree trimming party which is an open house over four hours.

Here are ideas for something different and tips to start a new tradition. You’ll have friends eager to take part in your celebration.

• Neighborhood decorating party - Plan a simple brunch, ask everyone to contribute something to the feast, and celebrate getting the decorations put up.
• Holiday Lights - Plan a simple party and gather friends to put up holiday lights. Prepare some hearty soup or chili, offer crusty rolls and warm cider.
• Drop-In Fun - invite friends to drop in after work. Offer simple steaming soup, cheese and crackers, meatballs, cheese fondue, or small sandwiches. After a long day of work, no one will want to stay long, but it will be a nice opportunity to visit and relax.
• Give to Others - Plan a party to benefit the needy. Your job will be to get everything organized. You and your guests might make things, such as blankets, toys, or socks. Or collect things as admission to your party, like canned food items or toys to give to the needy or a food bank.

Want to brainstorm some ideas for holiday party themes and decorations? Ask Faith First or call us at 206.437.8000.

Tags: Ask Faith First, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, holiday gatherings, holiday party themes, organizing a party
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The Sunday Seattle Times includes Pacific NW feature stories which this Seattle interior designer never misses. The story within the story, “On Whidbey, a unified home from multiple recycled parts”, weaves the green design of an architect son and garden designer mother. The resulting design is clever, resourceful and a feast for a designer’s eyes.

According to Valerie Easton, Fran Abel can accommodate holiday feasts in her little house because the main living quarter opens up wide at one end to expand out into the landscape. The round “vaults,” or depressions in the concrete floor, hold the supports for the dining room table, which when fully assembled extends 36 feet, the entire length of the house and patio.

Though this home is small by most standards, 860 square feet, the innovative design provides multi-purpose use for each of the three rooms. From Easton, “Every space is multipurpose; the kitchen, dining and living rooms share a single space. The bedroom converts to a yoga room when the Murphy bed is folded into the wall, and its hallway is lined with books. The “barn” houses a workshop, guest room/study, laundry and plenty of storage for bikes and boats.”

Look carefully at the metal kitchen cabinets from Sears which are intended to store tools. This story and all the images are a good read and will have you reconsidering ‘discards’.

Wishing you had a friend in the design business right now? We’re here to help. Ask Faith First or call us 206.437.8000.

Tags: Ask Faith First, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, holiday feasts, innovative design, metal kitchen cabinets, recycled building materials
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This expert Seattle interior designer plans to spend Thanksgiving in La Jolla this year with her daughter, son-in-law and their friends. I am excited to assist with preparations for food and entertaining. Setting the mood for great food, friendship and conversation means bringing together all the senses — you know- smell, taste, sight, touch, sound

The smells naturally occur from the aromas on the stove and in the oven plus candles scattered around the room. I’m certain the sound part will be arranged by my son-in-law very handily. So that leaves the sight and tactile to my daughter and her Seattle based interior designer mother.

Floral designer Lynn Jawitz notes, “I think linens make a tremendous difference in how the table looks,” Ms. Jawitz commented. “It’s almost like the entire backdrop of the event is the tablecloth. If you have a white or cream tablecloth, bring in color with napkins, accent plates and flowers, she said. Likewise, if you have a colored tablecloth but only white napkins, simply tie them up with ribbon in a complementary hue.”

One of my favorite ways to appeal to sight and touch is to introduce a bountiful — and less expensive — displayby creating centerpieces using purple-hued foods like eggplants, cabbages, grapes and pomegranates. I like to carve out an area and insert a votive. Decorative gourds are plentiful at the grocery store these days and work well too.

From Seattle to La Jolla and all across the globe, my wish is for a holiday filled with memorable moments to treasure long after the leftovers.

There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
- Author Unknown

If you have a question about setting your holiday table, Ask Faith First.

Tags: Ask Faith First, engage all your senses on the tabletop, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, holiday table
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As an expert Seattle interior designer, I love to share resources with my clients and readers. Jill Vegas is the author of a number of helpful books but I thought this one especially timely.

In her new book, “Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager’s Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less” (The Taunton Press, 2009), Jill Vegas offers ideas and tricks that will leave your guests in awe of more than your cooking. “It’s really about living in the home that you have and making improvements quickly so it looks great,” Ms. Vegas said from her Manhattan home during a recent phone interview. Her main tip when it comes to speed decorating is “pick a project, set a goal, stay focused and get it done.”

When it comes to color and texture, she suggests looking for inspiration from the vibrant hues of nature — greens, blues, reds, etc. Applying this principle when choosing accessories like pillows and throws can help make old furnishings look like new, Ms. Vegas said.

Finally, don’t neglect the details; utilize art, floral arrangements and accessories to give a home personality. They’re quick and easy to change and can be coordinated with your mood, the season or theme of the occasion, the stager writes in her book.

This designer loved her summary statement for speed decorating at any time of the year, Ms. Vegas said: “In order to have a home you love, you have to love what’s in your home.”

Wish you had a friend in the design business right now? We’re here to help. Remember to Ask Faith First or call us 206.437.8000.

Tags: Ask Faith First, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, helpful books, Jill Vegas, jumpstart decorating, trade secrets
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This expert Seattle interior designer knows what was recently reported in this article in the NYTimes. The headline, “Interior Designers Help Homeowners Discover Styles”.

As a winning designer on HGTV Designer’s Challenge, I frequently visit a client’s home to find numerous paint samples as tests on the wall. Most often the color remains undecided or the selected color is perceived as a mistake.

”A really good designer or decorator will help you restructure, rethink and reorganize or create from scratch rooms that echo how you want to live your life,” says Susanna Salk, author and design contributor to NBC’s ”Today Show.”

According to Tamara Tennant, an interior designer based in Fort Lauderdale, Fl, “Cost and the fear of paying high fees are the main reasons why consumers shy away from designers, but professionals say not hiring them can also be expensive. We save money because we know what works and what doesn’t work. Typically a designer doesn’t make mistakes. A good designer can work with a reasonable budget and will be able to tell you approximately how much a project is going to cost.”

The article shares further, “Virtual or online design is another low-cost alternative. Consumers e-mail photos of their room, measurements and their goals. Each virtual designer works a little differently. Most will answer a specific decorating question, usually for a $50 fee.” See Fast Solutions.

Here are some tips from the article for working with a designer or decorator:

• Take some time to discover your own style. Assemble a dream file of pictures of rooms, furniture, colors, and window treatments that catch your eye. Equally helpful for designers are images of what you don’t like. Some retailers such as Ethan Allen and Decorating Den have online style quizzes.
• The most important part of the design process is the relationship between designer and client. So once you’ve whittled the list of potentials down, schedule a meeting with your top choices. Notice how well they listen to you and how well they understand what you want to achieve. Most traditional decorators don’t charge for the initial meeting with clients. Budgets, fees and the scope of the project are usually discussed at this time.
• For large projects, get a written proposal describing the project in detail including an explanation of what is or isn’t included and an estimate of overall cost and the timeline.
• Remember that any changes you make to your plan will add to the time and final cost. Stay flexible but decide beforehand where you will compromise and where you will not.
• Trust your instincts. Don’t be pressured into agreeing to a decision that doesn’t feel right no matter how urgent.
• Avoid open-ended requests. Consider your requests carefully and take notes of your conservations with the decorator.

Wishing you had a friend in the design business right now? We’re here to help, and fast.

Ask Faith First or call us 206.437.8000.

Tags: Ask Faith First, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, interior designers, virtual designer, your unique home
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