Jazzing Up a Kitchen Backsplash

Boring backsplash, right? Would that beige tile make you want to cook at that cooktop? I don't think I'd want to spend much time there.

The homeowner loved glass tile and wanted to reuse the existing countertops, white cabinets, etc. with a minimal update in the kitchen.

Jazzed!

Beautiful, handmade glass tiles are expensive, so I didn't go all the way up the side walls. I used a larger solid green glass tile at the base all around the cooktop to protect the walls and make it easy to clean. I bordered that with the same glass listelle to end that tile and then did the mosaic above on the back wall only as a feature. The dark green at the base marries the granite and tile together visually and sets off the mosaic. It really added some life to this kitchen and made it an inspiring place to cook.

Tile from Walker Zanger, http://www.walkerzanger.com/

Decorative Air Grilles

How many of you have one these unsightly air grilles in your home? Just about everyone I imagine. These are always an issue in interiors because they are so visually intrusive in a space, especially when a dark color or finish is used on a wall. In new homes, architects and builders can locate supply and return air grilles in less conspicuous places as the home is designed (if they are sensitive to that), but in remodeling there's not much you can do with existing locations.

I'm so excited to be using these wonderful air grilles on a project now. From Patterncut, they come in a multitude of sizes and patterns. You can get them in oak, maple, or cherry, sanded ready to paint or stain, complete with screws. The patterns are laser cut and start at $30 a grille. They have louvers in a separate plate behind the grille, so you can adjust the direction of your air flow.

There are many more patterns to choose from, even round ones. Here's the adjustable louver plate that fits behind the grille.

The product below is from Worth Home Products. They make these lovely wood return air louvered grilles that are paintable so that they just disappear into the wall.

The typical ugly return air grille as seen in many of our homes.

Viola!

Here's how the filter fits behind the return air grille in the Patterncut product. Worth also has a place for a standard filter behind their louvers.

I love finding unique ways to solve problems on a job. I think these products are wonderful. No one wants to see an ugly plastic air grille right above a beautiful piece of art hanging on the wall.

patterncut.com

worthhomeproducts.com

If you have a design related question or need some advice on any aspect of interior design, e-mail me HERE. I might feature your question in a special Q and A blog post!

Sculpture in the Bath

The epitome of luxury in a bathroom is a fabulous tub. Even if you're not a bath taker, just the visual effect of a tub in a gorgeous setting creates a calm, restful feeling. Tubs are taking new shapes in baths today. They are moving away from the utilitarian, built-in look and are now used as sculptural elements that really dictate a style direction. The Kohler tub above is a wonderful modern, angular shape that has just enough curve to be really comfy. Wouldn't you feel pampered in that tub?

This is the Aquatic Serenity tub....very traditional and sculptural, available in a two tone color scheme.

The Waterworks Empire tub is always a classic.

Here's a modern, curvy soaker from MTI. It has a beautiful, sculptural quality.

This boxy, masculine tub is very architectural in style, from Porcher.

This is a transitional soaking tub from MTI. It is very well priced and a great option for a sculptural look without a big price tag.

Okay, look past all the wild colors....isn't this tub cute? It has a crescent shaped seat inside. It's a Japanese style soaker tub also from MTI.

I've been working on lots of master bath remodels lately and I'm finding the best way to make a big aesthetic change and update a bathroom is to take out the built-in tub and install a free-standing one. It makes the bathroom seem larger and makes a real statement of style.

Here's a before shot of one of my remodels. Lots of cultured marble and steps to nowhere.

Here's the after photo. We laid the travertine floor underneath and did the Serenity tub from Aquatic. The blower is in a cabinet nearby and you operate it with a remote control.

Another before photo of a built-in tub. This tub was actually around 4'-6" long. It looked child sized and squashed into the space between the cabinets.

The homeowner wanted a more traditional look, so we chose a footed tub from Victoria and Albert and turned the tub to fit appropriately in the space.

I love affecting a big change in my remodels. Free standing tubs are a sure way to get a new look and add some sculpture to the bath.

My New Office

My New Office!

We've been moving in since the end of February and are really settled in now and feeling quite at home in our new office space. We're located at 26202 Oak Ridge Drive in The Woodlands, one block west of the southbound feeder of I-45N, south of Woodlands Parkway and north of Sawdust Drive. It is convenient to the freeway and for running down to Houston and still very accessible to The Woodlands.

The exterior of our building! It's brand new and there are businesses still moving in. It's a nice group of people and we all love it here. I'm down on the first floor with all those nice windows running down the length of my space. It's very accessible for us, being on the first floor. We have ample, close parking and can zip in and out easily with samples and shopping bags all day long.

Here is the view looking down to the back of my space. I wanted a loft type look, nice and open, with lots of lay out surface and open storage. I got to design my space and they built it to suit, so it's a designer's dream.

Here you are looking up to the front of the space with the conference table in the front room. I have no closed offices, which is a nice way to let all the light in through the whole space.

This is my front reception/conference area. I used all creamy white to have a nice light backdrop for all our work. I love my floors, a special concrete finish that lets me roll my desk chair around my work space and is easy to keep clean.

Here's my sample area and a coffee bar. We have all the major fabric lines and are well stocked with all kinds of products and catalogs. Our clients love visiting us here for meetings and to work with us on their projects.

We love it here and know this was a great move for us!

Call us to stop by and have a look! 281-364-6633

Brennan's for Mother's Day

Brennan's is always a special treat, especially on Mother's Day! Here's my daughter about to enjoy one of their delicious desserts!

Brennan's opened back up recently after their remodel from the fire that happened during Hurricane Ike. I had been to Brennan's a few times before and thought it had delicious food, but frankly felt it needed a bit of sprucing up. What a wonderful remodel and refurbishment! It is such a nice blend of it's traditional New Orleans flair with some updated, modern touches. It felt very fresh and yet very true to it's reputation. I think it's just fabulous!

The upstairs dining room with Fine Art chandeliers. Those are handmade crystals and although I've seen their catalogs and samples in showrooms, I'd never seen these installed. Beautiful!

A close up of the Fine Art wall sconces in the same dining room. A modern twist for a traditional sconce.

We sat in the upstairs rooms that I called the garden room. Painted wood floors and a lovely green upholstery. Very fresh and crisp!
I love these open weave draperies, sheers behind. A modern look on the windows.
And right across from the window, the traditional staircase.

Dining room downstairs, excuse the blurry picture, but I love the fabric and the chairs! A very modern damask.

The main dining room, with those wonderful clubbish wing backs at the windows. Wouldn't you feel special seated there? I love the carpets used throughout also. Large, overscaled, traditional patterns with modern colors.

What a lovely day! I can't wait to go back. Next time, I'm hoping for the wing backs.

Barry Dixon in Houston

Barry Dixon in Houston

Spring Market at the Houston Decorative Center was interesting, particularly because one of my favorite designers spoke in one of the showrooms. His book is shown in the photo above. He was introducing his new fabric collection for Vervain...beautiful!

This is the second time I've heard one of his talks on design and the inspiration for his work. There wasn't even standing room left. I guess many of the designers there knew what I did, that Barry Dixon is a verbose, passionate, talent who can make even the most jaded designer love their work again and remember why they went into this field. By the end of the talk, we were all nodding our heads and felt encouraged and excited about design. Just hearing him speak about the thought process behind some of his work and the way he marries the client's personality and taste with a site location and a structure made all of us identify with our passion for this business and drool with the possibility of having a client trust us the way Barry's clients obviously trust him. We all left feeling hopeful and optimistic again that good design is important and somewhere out there are people who appreciate that.

Check out Barry Dixon's fabric line at http://www.vervain.com/

Back to the Powder Bath

Back to the Powder Bath

"After" shots are first, the "before" shot is below. Here is another powder bath remodel that shows the personality of the homeowner. This client loves blue and has many shades of it throughout her home, however one was missing, this deep, rich indigo. Of course, the star here is the vessel sink. It was definitely the inspiration behind this design.

The white marble countertop and curved splash frame the sink and really set it off. The indigo walls are rich and bold and the faucet is unique and interesting. This bathroom is a lovely surprise.