Sew Many Windows and interiors

Charlotte Moss - New Fabrics for Spring 2012

2012-02-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

New spring fabrics have been arriving, and the collection designed by Charlotte Moss is by far, my favorite! I'm loving the crisp, refreshing colors and can't wait to use them in my upcoming design projects.

The print fabric shown here on the sofa has different sized urns and is available in 5 colors. How much fun would it be to bring that pattern into a sunroom chaise or accent pillows with a fabulous trim detail. Take a look at Charlotte's look book (link below). Besides typical uses of fabrics on curtains and furniture, she has shown her collection in many other creative ways from wall coverings to seat covers in her Mercedes-Benz convertible. As you explore the look book, notice all the fabric layers and details. Enjoy!!

www.fabricut.com/press/charlotte_moss/index.html

Not So Big Showhouse

2012-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the month, I spent a weekend afternoon touring the Not So Big Showhouse in Libertyville. If you are itching to take a little winter road trip, you may want to visit this recently unveiled showcase home designed by Author/Architect Sarah Susanka. It's a newer "better", but not necessarily "bigger" concept for the residential home market.

Even if you are not familiar with the "Not So Big House" series of books that Sarah has written, you will get a feel for her philosophy as you enter the home from the side. Focusing on the quality of the space instead of the quantity of square footage, the house forgoes unused formal rooms by tailoring spaces to a more casual lifestyle similar to the way we live everyday.

Located in the same development and just down the street are new loft condominiums housed in the historic Central School building. And the adjacent downtown Libertyville area is worth the trip in itself with beautiful tree lined streets, restaurants and unique shops. My favorite? The organic burger at Mickey Finn's Brewery.

After walking through the home a couple of times, I was amazed at how all the nooks and cranny's could be utilized on a daily basis. Loved all the window seats and the kitchen banquette, but my favorite area was the roof terrace. It seems as if every detail was thought of... covered dining area, separate sun filled seating area, planting gardens, and closets to hide the air conditioning unit and house seat cushions, planters etc.

Here are a few links for more information about Sarah Susanka and the showcase home. Enjoy!

www.schoolstreetlibertyville.com

www.notsobigshowhouse.com/

New Home Office

2011-11-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

Thought it would be fun to share my newly redesigned office. Everything worked around my favorite color; green and my favorite mix of traditional, contemporary and vintage elements.

Traditional
Window seat that my dogs can't get enough of.

Traditional with a Contemporary twist
Love my sassy wing chair from C.R. Laine and it's so comfy!

Contemporary
The desk is a sawhorse style with open shelves.

I added the skirt to dress it up and to help hide the necessities.

Here's the vintage... One of my favorites from French Heritage.
Antique reproduction of a French Upholsterer's Trimmings cabinet.

Last but not least, the bulletin board.
I pin up everything that could be inspiration for future projects.

I'm still on the hunt for more treasures to hang on the walls, a couple more accessories to place in the cabinet and something fabulous for the top. Until then, this is it. Hope you enjoyed a look at my office redesign.Best,Colleen

Sunday Dessert - Apple Crisp

2011-10-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect Fall day for some delicious apple crisp! I don't remember where this recipe came from but it seems to jump out of my recipe box every fall season.

Ingredients:
6-8 Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 stick Butter
1/4 cup Brown Sugar - packed
Ice Cream

Butter 2 quart baking dish and fill with the sliced apples.

Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and sprinkle over apples.

Thoroughly combine flour, butter and brown sugar to make a crumbly topping.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

Cool on rack - will shrink when cooling.

Serve slightly warm with ice cream.

Serves 6-8 (if your lucky)

Enjoy!

Colleen

Reinvent Your Dining Room

2011-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

As we feel the crisp air and leaves crunching under our feet, there’s no doubt that Fall is here. This is the perfect time to reinvent your dining room for upcoming holiday dinners with family and friends. Here are some ideas to get started:

Plan --
Most people are accomplishing their decorating goals in stages these days. With that being said, it’s best to have a design plan from the beginning so you don’t loose focus of the overall look you want to achieve. With a plan in place, you can confidently chip away at each individual project while enjoying every step of the way as the room comes together. Keep in the mind the following as you are planning the space:

Hang Chandelier 30” - 36” above table
Allow a minimum of 32” from table to adjacent wall or furniture piece
Plan for each place setting to be 24” wide when setting your table

Edit --
If you would like to freshen up your dining room without completely starting over, you have the option to change individual room elements for an updated look. Consider the following:

Reupholster chairs or add chair covers
Replace chandelier
Soften table surfaces by adding fabric table runners or squares
Add a pair of buffet lamps to your sideboard
Install a lighting dimmer to soften the illuminated area
Select a new or contrasting paint colors
Change window treatments

Happy Entertaining!

Colleen

New Design Software

2011-09-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Often it can be difficult for our clients to envision the final look of a project... whether it be an entire floor plan or a single window treatment design. Our genius new computer software program enables us to create drawings to scale and then apply the actual material selections directly onto it. This is such a wonderful tool for our clients as it helps them see the finished look during the design stage.

We chose this classic Queen Ann valance style for our client’s kitchen and then added her preferred fabric and hardware finishes. Here’s the design concept.

Before

As planned... here's the photograph of the valance installed.

After

We are having so much fun designing with this software! Stay tuned as we post more of these great before and after designs!

Best,

Colleen

The Biltmore Estate

2011-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

After sharing details of my summer vacation to Asheville, North Carolina with several clients, I thought this would be the perfect post to kickoff my new blog.

It wasn’t until my trip home from the International Home Furnishings Market last April that I really started to pay attention to The Biltmore Estate in Asheville. It was difficult not to notice the unbelievable wooded land that surrounded the Interstate exits to the Biltmore Estate while traveling along I-40. As I learned more about the Estate and George Vanderbilt, the bachelor owner who built it back in the 1890‘s, I knew I would love it because it involved French design and architecture, beautiful scenery, antiques, art and excellent food.

This is the estate, as shown from the center front lawn. The home boasts four acres of floor space, with 250 rooms including 33 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens and an indoor swimming pool. Quite the place for the time...or even now!

Touring the home was quite the adventure, sometimes climbing tight and winding staircases, but every journey was rewarded with a great view. Here is one from the fourth floor looking out to the amazing front lawn....

Here are some pictures of the exterior details... way up at the top. The first is a side view of one of the many peaks. Each of the copper tiles were embossed with Mr. Vanderbilt's initials.

Here’s a tile closeup...

Fun little dormer... lots of details....

View up from a corner of the slate roof line... they say no one had been injured while the roof was being installed. Hard not to think about the painstaking construction process to construct this home.

This is the copper and glass-roof in the garden court off of the entrance hall. Quite the welcoming area!

Original light fixtures that are on either side of the front door entry had to since be rewired to conform with today’s “modern” wiring system....

This is the 12,000 square foot stable complex that is located adjacent to the home. In the pre-automotive age of the late 19th century, horses and horse drawn vehicles were the primary sources of transportation. Guests were dropped off at the main entry, and the horse drawn carriages made their way to the stable for safe keeping, and required repairs. Today it has been converted into an avenue of shops.

Interior photos’s were not allowed of the Estate, but it did not disappoint. Lots of rich velvet and damask fabrics along with ornate furniture frames were mixed in with timeless classic pieces. It was so much fun to see the extra trim details on the furniture, decorative rope cord outlining the frames and cushions, small tassels hanging at the front corners of the dining room chairs and tufting galore! Many of the guest rooms had fabric wall coverings with braid and cord edging along the wall edges and corners finishing "the look".

The drapery styles were timeless. Many of the looks can be seen in our homes today... goblet and pinch pleated drapery styles with beautiful hardware and tassel tiebacks. The top treatment styles ranged from swags, inverted box pleats and many flat shaped pelmet styles. Similar to the furniture... decorative trim details were on everything.

Back outside, the gardens are serene and filled with many winding trails containing various "zigs" and "zags". The miles of scenic walking paths, lakes and ponds were all surrounded by thousands of acres of managed forest.

This cottage was built for the genius landscape designer... Frederick Olmsted.

Here is a "zig"...(or a "zag")....

This boat house was used by guests for fishing and rowing on Bass Lake way back when....

Also provided a great view out to the lake....

Just loved all the organic railings, made by the groundskeepers from tree trimmings........

An ongoing summer "Tiffany" exhibit included a garden “living wall” with some fantastic details of our garden creature friends...

Here’s the conservatory... love the doors!

Exploring the gardens and trails was my favorite part of the trip as can be seen from all the photos.

One can really appreciate the vision that the owner had for the estate. It was built to be self-sufficient, equipped with cutting-edge technology (no i-pads yet) and stood in the center of a carefully designed working farm, beautiful park and woods.

There’s probably never a bad time to take a trip to Biltmore. All seasons abound with colors from the spring blooming wisteria to the fall foliage, to the seasonal holiday decorations, including the 40' interior decorated Tree! Now that I think about it, my trip was probably taken during one of the more “boring” times. Oh well it won’t break my heart to take a second visit!

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall weather!

Best,

Colleen