The editors considered all items in the "art of making" which include architecture, interior décor, home furnishings and gadgets.

Back in January 2006, we wrote a post entitled Eight Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Designer. The eight questions were part of an article in Home magazine and we linked to the magazine.

We like to link to an article and highlight several questions in our post, rather
than list all the questions. That way people go to the linked site and we both benefit from the traffic. One of our frustrations looking back at some of our posts is that not all articles are archived. If you click on the link above, you land on the magazine’s website, but it’s the June 2008 issue and the “Eight Questions…are gone!

It’s been awhile, so, because of inflation, we’ve come up with our own eleven questions:

1. Do I like the designer? Can I spend a lot of time with him/her? Good communication is a must. Working with an interior designer involves some give and take. You will share ideas, and the designer will contribute insights and advice based on his or her talents, knowledge and experience. Depending on the scope of the project, you could be working with your designer a couple of weeks to many, many months.

2. Do I get that he/she is trying to understand me by asking a lot of questions? The key to success is really getting to know you in the early stages and how you and your family use your home and your interests.

3. Does the scale of my project really warrant an interior designer? Even if you think you could accomplish the redesign, do you have the time and inclination? You need to be realistic about how much money you are willing to spend. Include in this estimate the cost of all raw materials, new furniture, labor for installations, and possibly a designer.

4. How do you charge for your time? Designers may charge by the hour, which can be anywhere from $35 to $300, and these costs can quickly mount up. Others may offer a free first consultation, and then quote you a flat fee on the basis of your discussions. Some may charge for the first meeting in advance and then a fee for the whole project based on the estimated hours. Some may bill you for hours used each month. Some may bill each month a level amount. Some may get a designer discount and pass some or all the savings on to you. Whatever the basis on which your interior decorator is paid, make sure you both agree on the budget.

5. Can we accomplish the redesign and stay within my budget?

6. I can’t decide if I like the design. Do I still have to pay for it? “Yes! When you decide to hire an interior design firm, you have decided to trust the design recommendations of that firm.�

7. Are you available for conversation about changes and fine tuning? A good designer knowing you may present you with several options and give you the choice of one or the other. ASID recommends: “Minimize changes to your plan. Each part of the design will affect the whole. Changes or special requests can require any number of adjustments that will add time and expenses to your project.

8. My friend doesn’t like your ideas. Why shouldn’t I listen to her/him? If you have to ask this question you should probably have hired your friend.

9. Can I go to the local Design Center? With or without you? Of course, just let them know that you are working with a designer and his/her name.

10. What if a piece of furniture comes damaged? The furniture store should inspect the furniture when it arrives. The designer should also inspect the furniture before it goes to the client. If something is missed or it breaks when it is used, the designer and the furniture store will work together with the vendor to resolve any problem.

11. How long does it take to receive things, once they are ordered? Here’s a guideline (though individual vendors may vary):
Upholstered Furniture: 10-16 weeks depending on vendor.
Casegoods – Chests, bookcases, tables, hutches, etc.: 8-12 weeks depending on vendor.
Window Treatments: 6-8 weeks depending on size of job
Accessories, Lamps, Art Prints, Silk Flowers/Plants: 4-6 weeks or less.
Rugs: If machine made, 2-4 weeks. If hand knotted, 3-4 months
Wallpaper/Fabrics: 3-5 days.

Several websites contributed to this list of questions and their answers:

Apartment Therapy LA Good Questions: Hiring an Interior Designer
ASID Working with a Designer
Nancy Werneken Interior Design Frequently Asked Questions
Lynle Ellis Designs Before You Hire an Interior Designer
NWSID Why Hire an Interior Designer?
CCIDC Frequently Asked Questions About Certified Interior Designers
Directory M articles Interior Decorator

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery

I'm not sure how many of you read World of Interiors, but the May issue has a great but brief article on the bathrooms of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor at their Bois de Boulogne home. Photos of both bathrooms as well as the rooms' contents were included in the Sotheby's auction catalogue from 1997. But beyond what was included in the catalogue, I knew little about these rooms.

In the article, writer Hugo Vickers (who has written a book on the famous couple) touches briefly on the Duke's bathroom, which was elegant but rather plain (Vickers writes that the Duke, who preferred showers to baths, had a "Psycho" like shower in his bathroom). But fortunately for us, Vickers focuses on the Duchess' charming bathroom.

I learned that Dmitri Bouchene, a Russian painter and set designer, painted the ceiling of the bathroom to give it a tent-like effect. If you look closely in one of the photos, you will see an oculus painted in the ceiling which reveals a cloudy blue sky beyond the tent. Bouchene also painted garlands of flowers on the walls, and even painted scenes on the walls of the loo (see the photo below of the figure who is blind-folded, giving the Duchess her privacy!). I was always curious about the gilt-framed small paintings that were hung around the bathtub. According to Vickers, these paintings are actually New Year's cards that Bouchene sent to the Windsors every year. Lucky for Vickers that he successfully bid on many of these cards at the 1997 auction.

Of course, we're all familiar with the Cecil Beaton painting of the Duchess, hung on the mirrored wall above the bathtub. And those purple towels? They're by Porthault and are monogrammed with Wallis' cypher "WW" (Wallis Windsor) as well as the royal ducal coronet. I remember seeing the towels, or at least the bath mat, in the auction catalogue; I wonder who the lucky bidder was?

But I think that the most amusing anecdote from the article was Vickers' reminiscence about his shock upon seeing that Wallis' toilet had a plastic seat! And Wallis evidently was not alone- Vickers claims that Diana Vreeland had one too. Quelle horreur!







(All images from World of Interiors, May 2008; photographer Fritz von der Schulenburg)

Isn't it amazing how people who were once celebrities can fade into obscurity? The same thing can be said for celebrity decorators, especially William Pahlmann. Okay, so perhaps he's not an obscure designer, but he does not have the name recognition of Dorothy Draper or Elsie de Wolfe. If this were 1950, we would all be talking about Pahlmann. After all, he was one of the most famous decorators of the 1940s through the 1960s.

Pahlmann, who was educated at Parsons in the late 1920s, first gained notoriety after designing a mirrored bed for the first Mrs. William Paley (this according to Legendary Decorators of the Twentieth Century by Mark Hampton). Getting her seal of approval was the impetus he needed to go onward and upward, eventually landing him the job of head of the decorating and antiques department at Lord and Taylor. Pahlmann became known for his model rooms for the department store- rooms which garnered attention by the press and brought flocks of customers to the store. After a brief hiatus during World War II (serving in the Air Force), Pahlmann returned to New York where he set up his own decorating firm. He even had his own syndicated newspaper column titled "A Matter of Taste".

Pahlmann's interiors after WWII are quite evocative of the post-war era. While Pahlmann was quite capable of designing in the traditional style, much of his work celebrates mid-century modernism. Pahlmann was a champion of modern materials, including rubber flooring and rayon and other synthetic fabrics. The exotic also played a role in his interiors. Artifacts and objects of various cultures and countries mixed freely, lending his rooms a sort of well-traveled look. And let's not overlook Pahlmann's love of color. There was nothing primary about his chosen color schemes. In fact, in his book The Pahlmann Book of Interior Design, he wrote about various color combinations that he had used thus far in his career. These included cerulean, lime, magenta pink and white as well as deep sage, ripe persimmon and French blue.

Pahlmann was so well-regarded in the design world that when a young Albert Hadley first ventured to New York seeking a job as a designer, he sought out a meeting with his design idol. Hadley describes Pahlmann as "a man of great charm with a flamboyant personality and certainly he was not shy about anything."* Pahlmann encouraged Hadley to enroll at Parsons School of Design, just as he had.

While many of Pahlmann's room may seem a bit dated today, don't you think it's worth revisiting the career of this late, great decorator?

(Pahlmann's work is featured in the upcoming Acanthus Press release New York Interior Design, 1935-1985. Another "lost" designer whose work I greatly admire is George Stacey. I'll be writing about him soon!)



A great example of Pahlmann's fearless use of color. This bedroom's colors were inspired by a vineyard.


The mod floor in this living room was rubber! The mix is a bit unexpected: modern furniture with a Victorian sofa and Spanish altar candlesticks mixed with French candle sconces.


This was Pahlmann's own living room. I love the gunmetal gray walls and the robin's egg blue leather chair. According to Mark Hampton, the cabinet is actually a snakeskin Victrola.


I couldn't resist this image of an Empire-style tented room. Pahlmann admired Napoleon and Malmaison- might this have influenced the design scheme of this room?


Pahlmann designed this living room for Mrs. Walter Hoving in 1948. In my opinion, this room is one of Pahlmann's more elegant designs. Much of his later work seemed to be more casual, much in keeping with the times.

(*Hadley quote from Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer)

Visiting Jennifer and Justin Leonard’s garden in Portland yesterday, it occurred to me that this renovated garden is so inviting partly because it offers so many delightful places to sit.

Namba Parks is a really amazing piece of architecture, a place where you’ll spend half your time shopping and the other half admiring the design. It stands where Osaka’s baseball stadium used to be until 2003, and consists of a 30-floor skyscraper, Parks Tower, and 120-tenant shopping mall which includes many restaurants and a cinema. The eight floors of terraced gardens, boutique stores, big brands and trendy dining have been an instant hit in shopping-mad Osaka. In addition to providing a highly visible green component in a city where nature is sparse, the sloping park connects to the street, welcoming passers-by to enjoy its groves of trees, clusters of rocks, cliffs, lawn, streams, waterfalls, ponds and outdoor terraces.

Beneath the park, a canyon carves an experiential path through specialty retail, entertainment and dining venues. Namba Parks creates a new natural experience for Osaka that celebrates the interaction of people, culture and recreation. The project was so successful that Namba Parks construction is already underway for an extension - almost doubling the facility and due for completion in the middle of 2007. Finally this project is so amazing, that personally I would include it as the 8th wonder of the world. - Namba Parks on Wikipedia & Namba Parks website + Images at higher resolution - 1, 2

Post from: Interior Design, Home & House Design, Furniture

The George3 console table is designed by Gareth Neal, and is a piece of furniture that is quite unique, and can very easily catch your eye. In the same style we presented last year another interesting table by Gareth Neal. The only problem I can see is there will be dust to collect in those small spaces, and it could be difficult to take it away.

Post from: Interior Design, Home & House Design, Furniture

Have you ever noticed how Chinese ancestral portraits seem to grace many stylish interiors? Once I spotted them in one interior, it seemed that I started to see them everywhere. Of course, the paintings found in the interiors below were used strictly for decorative purposes, and I can certainly see why. There is something very dignified and regal about these portraits, and they also seem to add a little touch of Eastern exoticism to their surroundings. But what we shouldn't forget is that the purpose of these paintings was anything but decorative.

Ancestral portraits were long an important part of a Chinese culture which revered and worshipped family ancestry. From what I've read, it seems that these paintings were commissioned by family members not just out of respect for their forebears, but also out of fear. A disgruntled ancestor might be tempted to become a ghost and make life difficult for the living. In order to prevent this from happening, and to elicit good will and fortune, the portraits were worshipped by family members either in their homes or at family temples. Ceremonies, which at times included offerings to the ancestors as well as kowtowing, were often performed before these portraits.

So with this in mind, here are a few of the interiors that I have found which display these ancestral portraits. In a way, it seems that even today these portraits still command respect and awe, much as they did centuries ago.

(If any of you are experts on Asian art and wish to add to this, please do so by commenting- I would love to learn more about these portraits.)



Frances Elkins used them in a few of her projects, including one of her most famous: the library of Mr. and Mrs. Kersey Coates Reed. I think the portrait looks smashing against the Hermes goatskin paneled wall.


Jean-Michel Frank tried his hand at stage design in this set from "Les Fleurs des pois". The Chinese portrait rather dominates the set.


Yves Saint Laurent was obviously a fan.


Here are a pair of Chinese ancestral portraits in a contemporary setting- the living room of Liz and Steve Weinstein, decorated by Miles Redd (photo from Elle Decor; photographer Simon Upton)

Image at top: A pair of ancestor portraits, c. 1700-1800. From the collection of the Victoria and Albert

Unfortunately, he says, the execution of the design was not very good. Take the relationship -- or lack of it -- between the living room and adjoining TV/office space, which was accessed from a hall around the corner from the living room.

Trish Beaudet - Owner and Designer of Finishing Touches Interiors by Design, Inc.

D. Paul DeRouen - Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Profession: Architectural Designer

Matt Locke - Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. Current Job: Designer

Michael Stribling - Interior design major from Wade College. Current Job: Interior Designer/Business Owner

Jennifer Bertrand - Bachelor of Arts in education with an emphasis in ceramics; master's degree in teaching and leadership from University of Kansas. Current Job: Interior Decorator/Owner of Bertrand Designs

Tracee Dore - Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Kentucky. Current Job: Residential and Commercial Interior Designer and Builder/Renovator, Tracee Dore and Company

Jerome Scottie Miller - Master of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. Current Job: Regional Property Manager at Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools.

Mikey Verdugo - High school diploma from Hialeah High School. Current Job: Police Officer

For example there was a pair of traditional drum tables flanking the sofa in the Living Room that he topped with organic tree trunk lamps. Very unexpected, but it gives the space a humorous edge. Instead of the expected Oriental area rug, he uses a goatskin rug to change things up a bit.

In the Family Room, he uses soothing light colors with just one punch of color in the art to expand the smallish space into something that seems much larger. Gorgeous!

For many more photos from the Wick Design Group's portfolio, be sure to check out this post from Desire to Inspire.

I believe I have a new crush!

JBL just launched a new set of speakers that are uniquely shaped to provide multiple installation options depending upon your space. They are called the Control Now speakers and they are priced at around $250 each ($280 for an outdoor version). The Control NOW speakers feature a quarter-round shape which means the speakers can be mounted between a ceiling and a wall or between two walls, or horizontally/vertically on the bookshelf, a few examples of how these speakers can be used you can see in the image below. The 8-Ohm speakers offer a frequency response from 80 Hz to 30 KHz, and can handle up to 300 Watts at peak, although 150 Watts is a more realistic maximum power. The speakers offer an integrated 2000 Hz crossover that divides the work between the main drivers and the 3/4-inch high-frequency horn, and they feature removable push terminals for connecting speaker cabling. You can buy them from here. - Via - Gearcrave & 71grandos

Post from: Interior Design, Home & House Design, Furniture

These pieces of furniture which aren’t practical shelving space, are called Dust Furniture and are designed by craft artist Vincent Thomas Leman. Vincent’s work has been described as ‘abstract traditional furniture.’ Each piece is essentially a traditional piece of furniture that is stretched, curved, stacked and stepped to fit his design intentions. While wood is the material employed to make his furniture, Vincent considers his actual medium to be ‘traditional furniture.’ The classical root of each piece helps maintain its identity as furniture and keeps the work familiar and approachable despite the unusual shapes. Environmental integrity is also very important to Dust Furniture.

They take care to use biodegradable packing peanuts during the packaging process, to avoid adding to the landfills. They also use waterborne urethane to coat the furniture, which is a gentle, high quality alternative to some very strong chemicals. One of their mottos is “We like to think that we’re changing the world… one piece of fun, American handcrafted furniture at a time.” Finnaly I don’t think that to many people would buy a piece of furniture like this, but at least you saw an interesting piece of furniture today. If you would like to buy a piece of furniture like this you can visit Dustfurniture or Vincent Etsy Shop - Via

Post from: Interior Design, Home & House Design, Furniture

Photo by Scott Francis

Michael Schaible's stunning retreat on the North Shore of Mexico's Lake Chapala. Amazing.

Photo by Durston Saylor

The very glamorous New York apartment of the very glamorous Geoffrey Bradfield. It is worth a look just to see Mr. Bradfield in his pastel pink suit!

Photo by Mario Ciampi

The flat in Venetian Palazzo owned by Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt. There is so much in this article, I can't even begin! It is a breathtaking masterpiece, and this piece alone is worth the full cover price.

Photo by Scott Francis

The Mid century Yacht design of Mitchell Turnbough. This is a nice break from the unreachable over the top luxury yachts you typically might see. It is so well done in a more understated way, and something that takes me back to my "sailing" days. There is something reminiscent here of the yachting days of the early 20th.

Photo by Derry Moore

The Spanish country house of Jaime Parlade at Alcuzcuz in Andalusia. There were so many beautiful photos here, it was very difficult to just choose one "teaser". I thought this bedroom was a very personal space that let Mr. Parlade's personality shine through. It is a smile producer.

Photo by Leigh Brown

The Sonoma County Craftsman Hillside Farmhouse of Jacques Saint Dizier. The interiors keep to the Craftsman roots without becoming expected. Loved it!

Photo by Durston Saylor

The Manhattan apartment Of Francine Coffey. A decidedly different look from the other choices for this issue, it is a very boldly colored Neoclassical design she refers to as "nouveau Federal". Hmm. There is alot of plaid. In this particular photo I could be sold. I would love your thoughts on the rest of the apartment!

Photo by Mary E. Nichols

The Pacific Heights home of Banana Republic President, Jack Calhoun. I thought many of you would be very curious to see this home!

And if this weren't enough, there are several captivating hotels from around the world...each very different and unique:

Photo by Tim Beddow

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. The Ceiling!

Photo by Scott Francis

Huntley Santa Monica Beach. So very cool.

Photo by Erhard Pfeiffer

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa. Ready to go?

There are, of course, all of the extras that you would normally expect from AD.

On top of that you can see the first four homes of the Open Auditions which AD began in October of 2007. Over the next seven months, the AD panelists saw over 1000 projects and have narrowed the field to 50 that have been chosen for publication.

I may be taken in by the quantity of very good stuff in this issue, but it also seems that the photography is fresher, brighter. Scott Francis, I have been informed, has been shooting for AD for many years and has a number of projects photographed for this issue. Very beautiful photos all around.

I just know I was very pleasantly swept off my feet by this issue. I think you will be too. Let me know what you think!

Hall: starburst pendant from Vaughan, area rug from The Rug Company, barstools from McGuire

So when I was flipping through the latest California Homes magazine, I had one of those very moments. The funny thing is, I was just thinking about finding some photos by this very person to put in a post. And there she was, in print, right in front of me!

Kitchen: lava stone table from Sue Fisher King, chairs from McGuire, pendants from Vaughan

Master Bedroom: lamp from Visual Comfort, nightstand from De Sousa Hughes, pillow fabric from Fortuny.

As you can see from these photos by the oh-so-talented David Duncan Livingston, Eugenia has quite a knack for putting it all together. From the Master Bedroom window of this Belvedere, CA house, there is a spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay. Kind of a nice location for a whole house remodel I think!

Guest Bedroom: Headboard fabric from Waverly, side table from Ironies, Plaid fabric from Osborne and Little, Italian Etching from Coup d'Etat in San Francisco

Do you ever happen upon people you once knew in the media? And if so, do you get a bit of a thrill when learning about their accomplishments? I usually end up having a private smile and thinking: "that's so cool!". I am thinking perhaps a note is in order!

Congratulations Eugenia! I am always happy to see you in print!