November, 2009 - Browsing by month

Wow! This expert Seattle interior designer is celebrating #200 blog post.

Each time I author one of these I hope I add enjoyment, information and inspiration about interior design. If you have topics or a question or two, please send them to Ask Faith First.

Next week is Thanksgiving and the holiday cooking pace rapidly picks up speed. On Sunday, I talked to my daughter about the menu, favorite dishes, new ideas and who is coming. This conversation is taking place all around the country.

Here’s a Holiday Kitchen Project: organize for the holidays and make it a quick weekend project. Cooking, baking and entertaining are enhanced with an organized kitchen to work in. Clean, de-clutter and organize so you’re prepared and ready to enjoy. Here are some quick kitchen tips to get started:

• Sort through cupboards and pantry and toss stale and expired food.
• Keep a notepad handy and begin your grocery list as you work
• Review cooking magazines and tear out ones you want to keep
• Organize recipes by categories so meal planning is easy

Need a direction behind your purchase or idea? Wish 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, holiday kitchen preparation, kitchen project, kitchen tips
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As an expert Seattle interior designer, I enjoy reading the NY Times.. and this storycaptured my attention. Roman Rutkowski, a Polish architect, conceived his new home, as a simple, rectangular bunker with an unpainted all-wood exterior, and even plainer interior with concrete floors and particleboard walls.

He wanted to create “something different, which is cheaper and which uses completely different aesthetics.” The result was a two-story home, giving the couple 120 square meters of living space (about 1,300 square feet), with large western-exposure windows in the bedrooms, and a small balcony overlooking the backyard.

My struggle with this is seen in the photo above, the particle board ceiling and walls. This is not ‘warm and inviting’ however functional. What do you think? Here is a link to additional slides of the home Roland designed and built.

Wishing you had a friend in the design business right now? We can help. Ask Faith First or call us, 206.437.8000.

Tags: expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, particle board, Roland Rutkowski
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As an expert interior designer in Seattle, I seek Sunday inspiration in the NY Times.I chuckled today when I saw this image of the UP5 chair from B & B Italia in an ad. Here’s the description from the manufacturer, “The UP Series was designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce and has remained an iconic design piece for almost 40 years. The UP5 chair, known for the striking representation of feminine strength and struggle, continues to be meaningful and relevant. It reflects a world-sensibility with symbolism, irony and beauty and is truly the epitome of timeless design.”

In the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the label for the chair and ottoman reads:

Label

The chair that made Pesce famous in 1969, Up 5 is largely characteristic of the designer’s unique philosophy, imbuing personality into his designs through unconventional materials. Up 5 not only has an organic look and feel-the whole piece literally “grows” into form when unwrapped from its tight vacuum seal. It comes as no surprise, then, that Up 5evokes a mother’s womb and that opening its package becomes an event similar to birth. Pesce has cleverly applied polyurethane, a highly synthetic material, as a metaphor for one of the most precious moments in humanity.

Craving one simple, beautiful space? Wish you had a direction behind your purchase?

Ask Faith First or call 206.437.8000

Tags: Ask Faith First, B & B Italia, contemporary furniture, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, UP5 Chair
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Even though I’m an expert interior designer in Seattle, I’m also a ‘newbie’ having resided here since mid-2005. In this month’s Traditional Home magazine, I discovered a beautiful home and a talented hostess, chef, fundraiser and mother, Heather Christothoulou.

From her blog, “When Heather married several years ago, she hung up her chefs coat to start a family. She is dedicated to keeping the entertaining spirit alive in her own home and frequently cooks and entertains for family and friends. She can always find an excuse for a party!

No surprise her home is featured in the current issue and that her dining room is stunning. I immediately recognized the de Gournay wallpaper.

The hand-painted silk paper elegantly combines coral, pink, yellows and green with an outcome that speaks for itself. According to the magazine interview, Heather uses the wall paper to inspire her table settings. Ever mindful to the view, the chandelier is dimmed at dinner and candles sparkle so guests can enjoy the Seattle city lights. (Photo courtesy Traditional Home)

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, de gournay, Dining room designs, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, Heather Christo, Seattle interiors, Traditional Home November magazine
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The NYTimes says, “In 2008, the unemployment rate for men ages 20 to 34 in New York State was 7.4 percent.” Previously, with ample cash, they spent lavishly on their living spaces. In our current recession these young men find themselves one of the hardest hit demographic segments.

When this expert Seattle interior designer read the story, I saw themes emerging of creative adaptations to drastically different homes. With square footage cut to bare bones to afford rent, small closets are crammed. Roommates offer an opportunity to save money without drastically reducing an apartment size.

Shared 900 square foot loft

Aaron Seawood, a broker, says young men still desire apartments with the “sexy factor.” To afford these sexy-factor places, Mr. Seawood said, bachelors make concessions, either by sacrificing location or by “tag teaming,” as he calls subdividing a space.

Some bachelors find options to the party-filled lifestyle. In place of costly leather sofas, Joe Tandle fills kiddie pools with piles of pillows for guests to snuggle in on his monthly movie nights.

Photos courtesy of the New York Times.

Craving one simple, beautiful space? Wish you had a direction behind your purchases? We’re here to help. Ask Faith First or call 206.437.8000

Tags: creative adaptations to downsized spaces, expert Seattle interior designer, Faith Sheridan Interior Design, Faith Sheridan Seattle designer, living spaces, roommates
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