I jumped at the chance to work on this project. The client wanted a cabin that reminded her of her childhood visits to her Godfather’s Colorado cabin with a large loft space. We tried to design it to look as if it could have been built 75 years ago, and was recently remodeled to feel lighter and more modern.
I learned so much on this project about log construction, log siding, and how to design interiors using log interior window trims and door bucks.
The Carolinas Chapter of ASID is the professional organization for interior designers in North and South Carolina, with over 890 members.
My Florida project won First Place for the Vacation / Second Home category in their 2019 ASID Excellence in Design Awards!
The Banyan Tree table won a Second place award in the Furniture category, as did the TV cabinet, which opens silently with a system of counter/balanced weights.
See details and image galleries for these projects at the ASID Winners’ Galleries linked above.
As a designer I’m always sketching to convey a design concept to a Client, a Contractor or a workroom. When I see the “lights go on” in their eyes I know we are on the same page.
A well designed stairway becomes the visual heart of the home and can convey images of majesty, or tailored elegance, or even fond memories of youthful summers in the Colorado mountains.
This custom stair rail was inspired by the Biltmore Estate stair. The Biltmore House, designed by Richard Morris Hunt has always been an inspiration for me.
The Inspiration. (Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC)
Sometimes an unexpected project challenge causes a Designer to have to go back to the drawing board. When the Foyer door sill was installed lower than planned, there was no room for the door to clear even a thin entry hall rug. So to give the room the color and interest it was missing, I designed a stone floor in a rug pattern. This feature turned out to be one of the client’s favorite features in the project.
The best projects are art-driven. Key pieces will ideally “ tell a story” about the homeowners, their passions, or their history or their aspirations. And that helps set the Vision for the project.
When I’m designing, I’m walking through the floor plan in my mind, carefully thinking through the “visual experience” that I “see”. That experience tells me which elements need to be brought forth for emphasis, and which ones need to be minimized- or left out entirely. The most stunning interiors really don’t have anything in them that doesn’t support the Vision that the client and designer are trying to create- sophisticated elegance or comfy coziness or something in between.
It’s like creating an interactive “stage set” for the homeowner’s life.
An inviting outdoor space, from sketch to reality.
Art for a winter porch in Florida was problematic because of the rain and humidity. So a glass mosaic was designed to withstand the elements
Good design can actually lead people through a space by using the tools of light (natural or created) and color.
Early in my career I toured the Temple of Abu Simbel in Egypt, I was fascinated to learn that the architecture was precisely oriented so that the face of the ruler, enthroned 100 yards away from the entry, was precisely lit by the sun’s rays coming through the entry opening twice per year. So, I asked myself, what am I doing to use lighting to enhance my clients’ experience in the spaces I design. That started a personal quest for me to become a great lighting designer.
I have a friend who contends that experiencing good design is like falling in love.
I agree. When it happens you can’t explain it, but you know you’re smitten. It grabs your very soul. Then you realize how much you have in common because it reflects your own hopes and dreams. It is both comforting and exciting at the same time!
