Found in Translation

The UAE is a culturally diverse and stunningly beautiful country. My husband and I moved to its capital, Abu Dhabi, three years ago and proceeded to set up house.  I was inspired by Islamic architecture and motifs and wanted to bring a similar feeling to the interiors of our home. I set out on a journey to take as many photos as I could of images that resonated with me.

With so many pattern, style and color options available to me, it would've been easy to turn our place into a caricature of the surroundings. The solution was to mix old and new, to highlight traditional motifs against a backdrop of contemporary larger pieces.

A slightly modern interpretation

East/West harmony, old and new sensibilities

The contrast of these two styles translated perfectly and created a restful, yet luxe home. It also exemplified the essence of what the UAE is, a country proud of its past while embracing the future.

Quick and Affordable Redo

After - A paired down, inviting guest room that the clients can continue to embellish as time permits

Sometimes you can get big returns with little effort. If you have been wanting to redo a dated space in your home, all it takes is a little planning,  some focused shopping and a weekend to pull it all together.

After an extensive bathroom remodel adjacent to this client's guest bedroom, there was little time or money left to update the room and give the entire ensuite a cohesive theme, but we were up to the challenge. First, we chose a carpet remnant to replace the dated flooring. Remnants are a very cost effective way to provide big impact. We scheduled installation for the following weekend and set our sights on the rest of the room. By keeping the clients' artwork and side tables, we stayed in budget by focusing on bedding that evoked a spa-like luxury without breaking the bank. Shop at big box retailers first, especially those who focus on home goods and accessories. They stock designer brands at discounted prices.

We simply needed to use the color palette of the connecting guest bath as our guide. That way both rooms would feel like a true ensuite any guest would love to use. The following weekend we had the carpet installed and pulled it all together.  Since the furniture needed to be removed to install the carpeting, we decluttered and only brought back pieces that worked. The client can replace lamps and night tables in the future when the budget permits, but for now the transformation was easy, affordable and impressive.

Before - Nice, but not restful

Mise en place

Mise en place is a French culinary phrase which means "everything in its place." It refers to the set up required before in a kitchen, all ingredients ready and prepared, in order to properly cook. It can be applied to any situation really, in that, any task is easier if organized.

A jewelry designer's work beautifully showcased in her new studio

This was never more true than for a jewelry designer who found herself at an impasse in both productivity and creativity.  She was using a bedroom as her workshop that was filled with furniture intended for other purposes. An old dining table served as her work table and the surrounding chairs housed the materials she used to create her beautiful pieces of jewelry. While she needed everything within reach, she also needed space to work and a clutter free environment where creative ideas could be born. Plus, she wanted a showroom where she could bring clients and display her work.

Before

There was no room to be creative or productive in this cramped guest room that was being used as a design studio

We removed everything  and installed custom white cabinetry that could be used for both storage and displays. The center work table functions as her primary work area, but has storage cubbies underneath and seating for three additional people for when she chooses to hold jewelry making classes. We refinished the old honey oak floors with a grey wash stain that complements the crisp white cabinetry, and keeps the room from feeling cold. Finally, we stained the large window area the same, so that her jewelry designs can take center stage.

After

With room to design, room to showcase and room to do office work, there is still enough room to grow
as her business expands

Now everything has a place for it, whether it be the components in making a piece of jewelry or the finished product itself. And there is ample space for work, creativity and growth in the future. Perfect mise en place!

Making the most of things

As a complement to my previous post, I wanted to illustrate how the correct scale and proportion of an area can greatly enhance its usefulness.  The front patio of this condo is the only outside space for the home, so every square inch of it is precious real estate.

Before

The oversized table, chairs and umbrella take up the entire area, provide only seating for four and leave no room for traffic flow. If you open the sliding doors from the living room, you walk straight into a chair, not ideal for indoor/outdoor living.

At the opposite end of the patio are two trellises, assumably for privacy, but they add no value to the outside and the privacy issue can be addressed more efficiently.

The first step is to have a plan of action. Determine how you want to use the space. How many people do you want to accommodate? Next measure the entire area. If there are doors, windows or gates, measure these and the space between them as well. Next go shopping with your measurements in hand and find 2 or 3 potential furniture candidates..but don't purchase anything yet. Get spec sheets on your candidates or measure them in store. Now come home and see how each of your selections would fit in your space. If you need more of a visual aid, cut out butcher paper or tape out on the floor where each piece will fit to see if there is enough room. You extra effort will be greatly rewarded!

After

As you can see, with properly scaled furniture we were able to create a comfortable seating area that includes a loveseat, two chairs and a coffee table. Accessories, planters and a larger bbq grill complete this side.. all while enabling good traffic flow around the furniture and into the living room, when the sliding doors are open.

On the opposite side, there was ample room for a bistro set and planter.  The table and chairs offer flexibility depending on the occasion.  They can be pulled around the seating area, used as a serving table for parties or simply a great place to enjoy a morning coffee. As the Bird of Paradise grows, its'  lushness will enhance the oasis feeling of the now very useful, albeit modest, space.

Not-so Interior Design

Redesigned outdoor living space in Valencia, CA

Often I'm asked to help out a client who is stumped at what to do with their back yard.  In this particular case, the interior of the house was beautiful but the outside spaces were unusable. When building their almost-zero lot line house, they opted to install large planting beds along the entire perimeter of their spartan yard. This left little to no space to enjoy the fabulous Southern California weather without feeling cramped.

Before

Oversized planting beds take up pricey real estate in a Valencia back yard

My plan was radical, but my clients were up to the challenge. I proposed ripping out everything...planting beds, plants and all hardscape.  The hardscape planters took up way too much precious real estate and they wanted an easy care back yard, so their removal would help conserve water as well.

 Once the yard was cleared of debris, you could see that there really was a decent amount of usable space. I designed areas for seating, gas lines for a fire pit, water lines for a fountain and free standing planters for dwarf fruit trees. Next, we poured dark stamped concrete in a cobblestone pattern that complemented the Tudor architecture of the home. Finally we painted the grey concrete walls a neutral creme color to elicit a feeling of space and light, the perfect backdrop for what was to come.

All that was left was to furnish the areas, utilizing the yard's full potential. Now the family has a spacious and comfortable seating area with a fire pit for those cooler nights, a beautiful fountain to drown out any neighborhood noise and clean lined urns housing dwarf fruit trees that will supply them with lemons and oranges next season. Also, by leaving some of the side yard open, it gives a feeling of spaciousness and allows for crowd flow if they decide on having a large party. And when you live in Southern California, isn't every day a reason for a party?

After

Less is more. The backyard now feels spacious with just a few key pieces that allow traffic flow for entertaining