Left of center

Left of Center

No, this isn’t a post about politics! Rather, it is about dining rooms. Specifically, about making a dining room more functional and intimate for entertaining and everyday use. I have been working with a couple on remodeling an older condo lately and the dining room presented a challenge and opportunity.

This condo, built in the 1920’s, has a really generously sized dining room not found in modern condos. This room also is the central pass through room from the front entry, living room, and study to the back areas, kitchen and bedrooms. This makes it a busy place indeed! This room measures out at 17’6” X 13’6”. The east 13’6” wall features a large window, the north long wall has a 6’ opening to the living room and the south long wall, a door to the hall and kitchen located towards the west corner. Thus, the main thoroughfare would be across the western end of the room while the east end of the room remains more isolated. My solution was the split the room into two zones – eating and gathering. I had the electrician move the light fixture from the center of the room 35” towards the east window. Now the dining table is off center and when the table is turned crossways, creates a great dining are out of the traffic pattern. And, now I have a large open space in the west end of the room to travel through and a spot for larger groups of guests to gather around a buffet.

Speaking of buffet, this client has visions of entertaining in her new home larger groups than she has been able to so I wanted to provide a place for her to set out a large spread other than the galley kitchen. Along the west wall I plan on two 32” to 36” tall cabinets set 4’ to 5’ apart, depending on the cabinet size. These will then be topped with a custom cut ½” thick slab of glass to create a 10’ to 12’ long buffet. I had this set up in my previous loft and it was a godsend at parties! Anchored by a tall lamp at each end this surface can accommodate a large number of platters and plates. I know I served a buffet for up to 40 off mine! The glass keeps this huge surface form being too heavy and obtrusive and makes for an easy to clean and care for area. I like to tuck a couple of ottoman on casters under the center space for extra pull out seating. These can be moved from room to room as needed. The two cabinets provide storage for all the necessary items for entertaining – linens, platters, candles, vases, ect.

I can’t wait for this couple to begin using their new entertaining space and see what a great party they can have!

Soup, sandwich, friends!

A few weeks ago I received a message from our dear friends, Peg & Lisa, requesting dinner together since they were going to be traveling and not seeing us for a little while. They are some of our closest friends and we always have a wonderful time with them, talking & laughing, so I immediately responded with a yes! As we were heading into the holiday season and were watching our budget I took the opportunity to invite them to our home for dinner instead of going out. We included our mutual friend Cynthia as well so it was a great group.

Entertaining at home is a fantastic chance to have a relaxed evening with friends without breaking the bank. It also allows you to really linger and enjoy each others company without feeling rushed to “give up the table”. Keeping your menu simple is the key. Focus on foods you feel confident making, don’t require lots of prep or serving time and you will see what fun this can be. For our evening with “the girls” I heeded Pegs request for grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. A couple of years ago I had them over and made a roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and it must have made quite an impression on Peg, she asks for it repeatedly! This time around, I made a roasted Thai curry zucchini soup that was very easy and amazingly delicious considering zucchini has very little flavor on its own. The grilled cheese had gruyere, mild cheddar, thin slices of tomato and a hearty sourdough bread. The key is to use an herbed butter to do the grilling. Adds tons of flavor!

The best part of the evening (apart from time with friends!) was I put on a delicious, easy dinner for 5 all for under $20. And we had hours to sit at the table, linger over dessert and really spend quality time together. I can’t think of a better evening!

The blogger hath returned!!

Yes, I am back! After a 10 month hiatus I am back to blogging some of my thoughts, ideas and experiences in design. But I am expanding the scope to include some more "lifestyle" items as well. Namely - FOOD! Now, I'm no Martha Stewart or Ina Garten but I do enjoy some time spent over the stove, in the kitchen and around my home doing things to create a more comfortable environment for myself and my better half, Doug. We don't live in a wonderful townhouse or on a idyllic country estate, just a cozy city apartment overlooking Tower Grove Park in St. Louis. But that doesn't stop me from doing what I can with what I have where I am! That's a paraphrased quote from Theodore Roosevelt.

2010 has been a year full of challenges, professionally and personally, but I arrive here in the waning hours of the year whole and in a good place. As this recession wears on and we continue to keep our belts a little tighter working on ways to make our homes joyful and comforting is even more important. I will share some of the ways I do that for myself and help others do it too. I also want to hear from you how you make your life a better place. Recipes, tips, fun stories - I want to hear them!

I'll be posting later about a very small dinner party we had a few weeks ago that will show you how to stay connected with friends, relax, and stay on budget. But now I have to go attend to my big pot of split pea soup I have going. Check back..........

Tom

Ok, I admit it, I have a fetish. Or addiction. Whichever, I love chairs! I have a hard time passing up an interesting chair when I see it. I have quite an assortment of classic chairs I live with and use both at home and my office. I believe that good classic furniture will last forever and recommend passing up "trendy" or cheap,unusual chairs that might be dated looking very quickly.

Currently, at my office I have two chairs in a sitting area. One is the ultimate classic by Mies van de Rohe designed by the architect in 1929 to furnish the German Pavilion at the World Expo in Barcelona, Spain. This is a chair that everyone knows and has seen even if you aren't aware of exactly the history. The other chair I have paired it with is a classic armless slipper chair made famous and popular by the Baltimore, MD designer Billy Baldwin. Often called the Dean of American Interior Design, he had a prolific and profound influence on design through the middle of the 2oth century. His slipper chair is a form that has been copied by almost every furniture company and used by every designer at some point. I love these two chairs together paying homage to two giants of architecture and design. My Barcelona chair is in classic black leather and the slipper chair is in equally classic camel linen velvet. I use a black lacquer console in between and a small square Paul McCobb designed ottoman in front with a top cushion in classic leopard velvet from Brunschwig & fils, a great fabric house.
Around the small round conference table I use three more classic chairs mixed together for an eclectic sense of style. First, a vintage 1950's Paul McCobb side chair in walnut with original fabric. Paul McCobb was a very important American designer who had some of the best selling and well known furniture in the 1950's. He really established the mass market look of furniture in that era. I also use a classic wicker tub chair at the table. That's right, wicker. I love mixing in something unexpected and this does the trick. This chair is a simple tub shape that can be found in variation in almost every furniture period from the 1700's on. I had this chair painted a glossy charcoal gray and then had the cushion done in camel linen velvet with charcoal cording. The third chair is a reproduction Louis XV french arm chair in walnut. Quite a mix, mid century, wicker and formal french! The Louis XV chair is another great, timeless piece that will always be in style. Mine is upholstered in black leather and I had the old brass nailhead trim removed and replaced with polished nickel modern nailheads to give it an edge. That is a great trick, take something old and classic and give it a modern twist without going cliche or weird.

At home, we have a real mix as well. Our dining table, which is polished nickel and glass, is surrounded by a 5' camel back Chippendale love seat in cream linen velvet on one end, 4 classic Chippendale faux bamboo fretwork side chairs on the two long sides and another Louis XV black leather armchair at the other end. The bamboo fretwork chairs are lacquered a deep aquamarine blue with graphic black and white chevron fabric on the seats. I love this arrangement of traditional seating around a modern table. I have another Paul McCobb lounge chair in the library and a fantastic Milo Braugham lounge chair in the living room. Milo Braugham, yet another influential American designer in the mid century, did some fantastic chairs using chrome and fabric with a real sculptural feel.

Anyway, as you can see, a chair is not just a chair. I love things with a history and a story to tell and good, classic designs will never go out of style. Trends may come and go, certain things may be more in vogue from time to time but these pieces will always have a place in the American home.

This will be the last of the Designer Showhouse history tour! This was a room I did in 1999, again for the St. Louis Symphony. I asked to do this small office on the second floor because it had wonderful symmetry and windows. I played with the symmetry by using two skirted desks facing each other flanking a window and then added a bookshelf on one side and a radiator cover to match on the other side. These were both custom designs. The room had wonderfully tall ceilings and windows which allowed me to create the elegant, slightly over the top Turkish cornices covered in a rich wool damask with trims and tassels. I loved the effect these had of giving the room some vibrant, dramatic color but kept it up and out of the way.

I chose a light bronze green paint for the walls and finished with 3 coats of clear gloss lacquer for depth. The existing picture molding was finished in a faux tortioseshell lacquer to add dimension. A reading chair and fine Oriental rug completed the furnishings.

The prints on the walls were a set of 24 antique engravings from London, circa 1820, depicting the antique pottery collection of Sir Henry Englefield, engraved by Henry Moses. I had them matted in wide linen mats and then framed in simple burlwood frames. Very chic.

This room represents a favorite look of mine, traditional but with a simple, almost contemporary feel. Symmetry, elegance, fine materials, all of these elements go into a good room.

Here is another blast from the past! This is a sun room I did for the St. Louis Symphony Designer Show House in 1998. I loved this room and had fun doing it. I chose a calm tan for the walls and then had the ceiling lacquered a fresh, spring green. Sometimes when a room has odd wall exposures, such as lots of doors and windows, it is nice to put the color on the ceiling and keep the walls neutral. This also brings the eye up. The custom candle light fixture is one I had made out of a decorative plant box. Looked great at night with the candles light! I chose white linen for the slipcovers and upholstery to keep the light and airy theme going and then finished with antique pieces form my own collections. A chinoiserie desk and table added sophistication and the Chinese wedding basket kept things global. But the most important elements in the room were the fabrics! Yards and yards of creamy white sheer draped the windows and created a welcoming, soft atmosphere while the crewel fabric in greens with black and brown brought nature inside.

The only thing I don't care for in these shots is the styling. I was out of town when the national magazine came to photograph for publication and they did the styling without me. It is way overloaded with plants and "stuff" giving it a messy look. The room as finished by me was cleaned and simpler with a classical edge. I learned from this experience to always be there for photo shoots!

I was doing some cleaning and reorganizing at my office yesterday and came across some photos of old work that had been published in various magazines. I'll share some of them in the next few days, I enjoy taking a trip down memory lane!

This room was one I did for the St. Louis Realtors Designer Showhouse in 2000. Interesting story, I had done many Designer Showhouses in the preceding years and always but a lot of time, planning and thought (and money!) into creating a room but this time I wasn't planning on participating but received a call from one of the organizers saying someone had dropped out and they had this big empty room, could I please do SOMETHING last minute. I quickly got into the room, painted the horizontal stripes on the wall exactly to match my living room banded linen curtains from home and then loaded up a truck of my personal furniture, artwork, accessories and put this room together!

Everything in the room was from my own home, just rearranged and mixed up! I loved the end result and it was published 4 times on both local and national publications. What is especially fun for me today is looking at the photos and seeing what is still with me and what has moved on to new homes. the gorgeous Fornisetti sun prints are now in a dramatic dining room in North Carolina, the 19th century Wedgwood black basalt bowl on the low table was added to a clients collection here in St. Louis, the curved inside leg low table is in a grouping in another home as night stands. But for the most part, what you see is still with me. Actually, the three tier Art Deco table I did sell to a dealer when I moved, regretted selling and when I saw it again 5 years later in a gallery, bought it back!

I feel this room is still very current and chic a decade later and that is the goal of all my design work. Timeless, elegant, simple. Being "current" and "on trend" has it's merit but the trick is to do it without being a cliche that will be dull and dated in 5 to 10 years. I feel I got it right here!

I meet with a young couple in the chic Central West End last night. I've been advising them for a few months on taking their townhouse from young college student to grown up. We are rearranging a long, narrow family room that leads to the kitchen. I flipped around some furniture and freed up a wall that is perfect now for floor to ceiling bookshelves. Every home needs floor to ceiling bookshelves somewhere. First, it encourages reading! But well designed and placed shelves give a room weight and substance and can really add a lot of storage. Besides books, they can hold magazines, baskets for storage of DVDs and CDs, wedding gifts that otherwise might sit in a cabinet or closet waiting for a special occasion. Bookshelves really don't need to be an deeper than 10" and if space is an issue, 8" will hold most books just fine. One of my favorite architects, Hugh Newell Jacobsen, does bookshelves better than anyone. His work almost always features what we refer to as "egg crate" shelves. Very simple, square shelves with no detail. Very simple, elegant and practical. Here is a picture of one of his rooms with bookcases. Look for a space in your home for some!

Here is another offering from my recent project in the Caribbean. This is one of the bedrooms facing the beach and ocean. The pecky cypress headboard was a custom designed and fabricated piece from my firm. I love the warm look of this wood! Instead of traditional nightstands I used a small black lacquer table from Ralph Lauren and a John Rosselli designed faux bamboo desk. I like having a desk in a guest room, everyone seems to travel with laptoops! The gorgeous fabric is a printed linen that has also been embroidered over with multi colored threads. It has amazing color and dimension! The shell pink walls really let the bolder fabrics and art stand out while providing a soothing setting. The four watercolors are by an English artist, John Matthew Moore. I used a lot of his work in this project. the client loves it and had been collecting peices for a while, I just added to the collection! the two wonderful spindle arm chairs and ottoman provide the perfect spot to watch the sunset!

Hi everyone and Happy New Year! It's been very busy over the holidays and into January playing catch up after finishing my project in the Caribbean. It turned out fantastic! I am very happy with the final result after almost 2 years of planning and work. Here is a photo of one end of the living room featuring a seating area. The vintage French travel poster is one that was purchased for the owners previous condo and one of the few items we brought over. It gave me the color palette to work with but i turned up the volume a bit and added some brighter versions of the colors in the poster. This was essential for the bright tropical sunlight. If I had matched the color exactly it would have fallen dull and flat. All of the upholstery is covered with fabrics suitable for the outdoors so bring in the wet swimsuits! I mixed in some antique pieces like the bow front chest with some contemporary pieces like the faux shagreen cocktail table. I love this sort of mix! Hands down, my favorite part of this room are the wonderful blown glass pieces on the wall brackets by MO artist Sam Stang. I love Sam's work and I was thrilled to use these in this room. All in all, I feel this is a warm, relaxed condo that reflects the tropical setting but doesn't fall into any of the cliches one finds in the islands.