An iconic design photo: one degree of separation

There are some pictures that just pull me in, and I revisit them from time to time just to enjoy the pure artistry of the space. Such is the case with this charming and iconic photo from House Beautiful’s top kitchens file, in a space designed by Ruthie Sommers. The room combines many elements that I love: a wall mounted sink, stainless steel sink and appliances, lots of natural light, and my favorite element in the space, original art.

When I first admired this photo, I had no idea that the artist who created the charming little crab painting is in fact an Atlanta artists whose children attend school with mine. Her name is Nancy B. Westfall, and her whimsical art and fresh approach to her subject matter make her one of the most popular artists with the top designers in Atlanta and around the country.

I am thrilled to be able to offer a selection of Nancy’s iconic crab paintings in the Quatrefoil Design store, for a limited time. All of the paintings are original, painted with great skill and artistry, and are full of vibrancy and beautiful texture and movement in the paint and brushstrokes. The crab painting in the picture above truly makes the space designed by Ruthie Sommers, just as one or a series of these beautiful paintings would define your own space.

‘Roger-Roger’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288.

Sold

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-roger-roger-10x12

‘Clearance Clarence’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288.

Sold

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-clearance-clarence-10x12

“Oscar’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288. Click here for store item and more photos.

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-oscar-10x12

“Otto’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288.

Sold

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-otto-10x12

‘Penelope’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288.

Sold

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-penelope

“Portia’ – 10”x12”, acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $288. Click here for store item and more photos.

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-portia-10x12

And finally, last but not least: ‘Rock Lobster’. This painting is absolutely magnificent in person, and I hope this translates to the picture seen above. It is so unique and full of character; this painting would absolutely make any space where it is hung.

‘Rock Lobster’ – 48”x60”, arcrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, $2,288. Click here for store item and more photos.

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/product/original-art-rock-lobster-48x60

To see all of the paintings in one place, under the art category of the store:

http://www.quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/category/art

I hope you are as impressed and delighted with the wonderful art of Nancy B. Westfall as I am! Custom creations and colors are possible, please email me at quatrefoildesign@gmail.com to inquire. These paintings are all one of a kind, once they are sold they are noted as ‘sold out’ in the store.

To see more of Nancy’s art, please visit her website at http://www.nancybw.com/.

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Serendipity

Given that all of our products are custom made to order at the Quatrefoil Design store (allowing for an infinite amount of customization), it is rare that we have three of the same design in different frame colors at any given time. However, we have several orders that were completed this week, and in a happy coincidence all of the orders included our popular ‘Charlotte’ design in all three of our frame colors -

Gold

‘Gilver’ – silver base with a warm gold glaze

Silver

All three, in a quick picture before they were packed up and sent to their new homes! Do you have a favorite frame color? I love all three!

Designers, stores, and architects - we have brand new trade and store pricing; please email for more information. To visit the store, please visit www.quatrefoildesign.com. For more information, please email me at quatrefoildesign@gmail.com.

Come see our new framed architectural renderings!

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Art and consoles

During the summer of 1997, I spent a month in England. Most of that time was spent exploring the countryside, and visiting many stately homes and castles that are open to the public. My favorite stop was Blenheim Palace, where I was able to see both the main house as well as the private quarters of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

My favorite vignette from Blenheim Palace was in the private quarters of the family. At the end of a long hall is this beautiful painting of Consuelo Vanderbilt, the wife of the 9th Duke of Marlborough. The story of Consuelo is an interesting one; she was part of the Vanderbilt dynasty, and her marriage to the Duke during the Gilded Age was engineered to give her family the status of a royal title, in exchange for an infusion of cash to support a land-rich but money poor nobleman. Consuelo was the inspirations for one Edith Wharton’s characters in The Buccaneers.

The blue in the dress of the subject, combined with the blue of the Chinese porcelain jars and vases, struck me as so beautiful. Perhaps because of the influence that this scene had on me, I have a great fondness for a console combined with a beautiful piece of art.

When I saw this picture yesterday, on the facebook page of designer Suzanne Tucker, it reminded me of my love for this particular combination of elements. The painting in this picture is very Rothko-esque.

One of my favorite Michael Smith scenes includes a stunning piece of art (by Brice Marden), and a simple console underneath.

Although this is technically not a console, the combination of the art and the furniture underneath has the same effect. This was from the Kips Bay Showhouse last year, with interiors by Kathryn Boyd.

Designer Mary Douglas Drysdale included a beautiful example of a console with art above it – showing that you don’t need a huge space to incorporate this look into your home. Image via Tobi Fairley’s blog.

The cover of a Washington DC magazine combines my favorite kind of console – an antique Italian piece – with a beautiful green abstract painting.

Another Rothko-esque painting above a console with ornately carved legs. Interior design by Caldwell-Beebe.

The size of this piece, and the height of the wall, would have made a traditionally sized console a bit difficult. Instead, a lucite side table is placed under the painting, and the arrangement is turned into a seating area. The composition of this scene appeals to me on so many levels. Interior design by Amanda Nisbet.

A scene from Phoebe Howard’s store Max & Company is one of my favorites, both because of the art and console combination, and also because of the colors used in the vignette.

Have you ever bought a book for one picture? I have, and I bought one particular book for the picture seen here. Although the console is not my style, the rest of this scene really speaks to me – the soft contemporary art in large scale, flanked by crystal lamps. Source.

Are you a fan of this look? Although I hadn’t really pinpointed it until today, I realize that several of these pictures are included in my ‘inspiration notebook’ that I gave to my designer. I wonder whether a console with a great piece of art will find its way into the design of my new house?

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Beautiful design element: cabochons

After my recent post on stone floors in entries, several of my readers commented that the floors I posted did not seem like ‘me’ – most of them the pictures contained floors that are large scale black and white, high contrast and graphic. Truthfully, I wasn’t really planning on including so many pictures of large scale black and white tiles in my post, but the inspirational picture of Windsor Smith’s entry caused me to go down that path.

So, what is more ‘me’? I love the look of a subtle tone on tone, or a stone floor made up of one material, and I also love the look of a floor with a small contrasting stone worked into the pattern here and there. When I heard my architect and designer mentioning the possibility of ‘cabochons’ in the floor of the entry, I immediately had the feeling that they were talking about those cut diamond or square shape tile insets that I like so much.

Several years ago, when I renovated my master bathroom, I knew that I wanted to use cabochons in the stone design (even though I did not know what they were called!). A friend who is a designer suggested that instead of putting the pattern on the floor, I put it on the walls of the shower. I renovated my bathroom over 6 years ago, and not a day goes by when I don’t admire the pattern in the shower.

A floor with cabochons (cabochon pattern?) is a timeless look, and strikes me as very French; the classic French design uses limestone inset with black marble cabochons. Image via Trouvais - Art and Decoration January ’10.

A stone floor with cabochons is more of a formal design, so it is often reserved for places that are elegant and special, like a foyer. I saved this image many years ago, from an old Atlanta real estate listing, with interiors by Henrietta Spencer Churchill. The beauty of the floor and the elegance of the railing really captured my eye.

In a space like this, the orientation of the cabochon really takes the eye to the distance in both directions. Image via Robert Stern.

The orientation of the cabochon is a specific design decision. In this foyer, with architecture by Steve Giannetti and interiors by Brooke Giannetti, the cabochon is placed to emphasize the square, and makes a nice contrast to the diamond shape of the larger tile.

In one of my favorite images of an entry with cabochons in the design, Mary Douglas Drysdale effectively breaks up this large expanse with the small dark tiles, which grounds the space and makes the dark accents repeated in the chairs and table even more effective. The cabochons are placed on every other intersection, which is a design that I prefer as it makes the cabochon element more subtle.

This beautiful entry treats the section with cabochons like its own rug, with a dark tile border to define the space. Image via Cote de Texas.

Another beautiful entry with a similar treatment, seen recently on Belgian Pearls.

One of my favorite dining room pictures has a stone floor with cabochons.

Here is a striking dining room, with an interesting twist on the classic black and white pattern – this time, the cabochons are white. I like how the scale of the cabochons are larger, showing that it is possible to shake up this classic pattern with interesting plays of scale and form. Image via Belgian Pearls.

Another play on scale with larger cabochons. This floor looks particularly beautiful in combination with the stone stairs.

It’s interesting how many of my favorite entry images have cabochons in their floor design. This floor also appears to have the area with the cabochons defined with a border of tile, creating a rug like space.

This home, with its stone floor with cabochons, mellow oak floors upstairs, iron railing, and beautiful lantern, combines many design elements that I appreciate. I think the reflection of the floor in the mirror above the mantle is beautiful.

This picture, from an Atlanta real estate listing a few years ago, has a beautiful stone entry with cabochons as the predominant design feature. The darkness of the cabochons look great with the dark stain of the floor and door.

Here is a close up of the floor, which I was able to see before the house sold. What appeared to be larger tiles are actually small, and the cabochons alternate between dark and light. It is quite a striking pattern! I am also realizing that I am a fan of the cabochon set to emphasize the diamond shape.

Although I love the look of contrast in a stone floor with cabochons, I also appreciate the more subtle tone on tone look that is often achieved using limestone and a slightly darker (but not black) stone. The scale and proportion of the large and small tiles in the floor pictured above are perfect – and I really like this particular pattern – every other axis has cabochons, which provides visual interest but prevents the pattern from overwhelming.

Another great tone on tone example of a cabochon design in a stone floor, from a house that was in the final stages of construction. I love the scale of the cabochon – it provides just the right delicate touch. Architecture by Rodolfo Castro.

Upon first glance, this floor appears to be solid stone. However, when you look closely, you will see that there are cabochons in the same material as the stone of the floor, which creates a beautiful and subtle pattern.

Here is a close up of the floor. This is one of the prettiest guest bathroom floors I have ever seen, and the subtlety of the pattern has great appeal to me.

So, what do you think - are you a fan of cabochons, or are they too traditional for you? Do you like them to emphasize the square or the diamond? There is no question that floors with cabochons are more of a formal design element, and would not go in every decor scheme. However, they have great appeal to the side of me that likes the more elegant feel in a home.

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Inspirational Architects: Bates Corkern Studio

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Last year, I posted a picture of one of my favorite inspiration houses – a beautiful Baton Rouge, Louisiana gem designed by legendary architect A. Hays Town (seen above). There is something about this house that really appeals to me; the combination of the style, the lines, the proportions,and the materials is perfect. In my post, I asked if there were any readers who knew more about the house. Within a few days I had a lovely email from architect Jeremy Corkern; A. Hays Town was Jeremy’s dear friend and mentor.

It was fascinating to learn more about this charming house from Jeremy. He told me that the slate roof was reclaimed from an old building in the French Quarter, and that the house is brick but with a ‘mortar wash’ – the bricks were laid loose and the mortar was allowed to ooze out, then it was rubbed into the brick surface with a burlap bag. It is labor intensive, but as you can see the effect is quite beautiful.

Jeremy and I have developed an easy email dialogue over the past year, yet despite this I had no idea of Jeremy’s stature in the architectural community until I read not one but several articles on the work of his firm – homes that he and his business partner, Thomas Paul Bates, designed have been prominently featured in Southern Accents, Cottage Living, House Beautiful, and Veranda (click on any of the magazine names to see the associated article). In fact, one of the feature homes in the June/July 2010 Veranda was a house designed by the Bates Corkern Studio.

Jeremy recently let me know that website for his Birmingham based firm, Bates Corkern Studio, was recently launched. It is quite an important task to create a web site for an architectural or design firm; the site must represent the core of the aesthetic and philosophy of the firm. The site for Bates Corkern Studio is one of my favorites, because it gives a lovely hint of the houses in the portfolio – the ‘soul’ of the houses – without fully revealing every detail of the houses. Each featured house has a title (the one above is called ‘Shade of Pale’), which to me is like establishing the narrative of the house, and letting the reader make their own impressions based on the striking images. The web site is also very easy to navigate, and is tailored and elegant.

This beautiful 1920s home (seen above), renovated by Jeremy Corkern and Thomas Paul Bates, was featured in House Beautiful last year (click here to see the article). The house really resonated with me, and captures the essence of what I love in architecture and design: formal without being imposing, elegant without being ostentatious.

A picture from the interior of the house. I am going to show this picture to my designer – the floors are exactly the color I hope to achieve in my new house. The interiors of this house were by Betsy Brown.

A stunning exterior picture from the Bates Corkern Studio porfolio. When looking through their portfolio, I immediately noticed the number of cedar shingle roofs in their designs. When I inquired, Jeremy noted that cedar immediately sets a house at ease, and gives it that relaxed elegant look that seems to be a signature of his firm’s style.

I could look at this picture for hours, just to take in all of the exquisite details. The architectural details of the room are so pure – with the ample light from the windows, the stone floors, the uniquely designed window, and the huge hearth. Working in concert with the architecture is the beautiful interior design. Note the floor lamps on either side of the sofa…love the translucent shades.

Same room, different angle. I love the simple beams over the doors, and that painting in between the doors is exquisite. The title of this home is ‘suspended in light’ – what could be more appealing than a home designed around the light?

In the introductory page of the firm’s web site, they say

‘We dwell in our homes and our homes dwell in us. It lingers with us when we leave. Beckons when we are weary. It is the place that gives us comfort and ease. Home is the one place where we can simply be. Where we can find our way in the dark. Where we can identify the sounds of our children’s feet on the floorboards, trace the same patch of sunlight across the dining room wall – from spring through the coming winter”.

I remembered this quote when I saw the picture above (from the ‘Shade of Pale’ house). I had never quite thought of it that way, but don’t we all have that patch of sunlight in our homes that becomes like a familiar friend through the seasons?

When you have a moment, take some time to look through the portfolio of Bates Corkern Studio. It is a feast for the eyes, and full of inspirational images, and lyrical architecture and design.

I love this view through the rooms to the vantage point out to the garden. It is particularly gratifying when the view has a lantern at the end! Architecture by Bates Corkern Studio, interiors by Liz Hand Woods.

Any house that designs a space specifically for a piano really speaks to me. And to think this is a vacation home (this is the home that was featured in the recent Veranda; image via Veranda). Architecture by Bates Corkern Studio, interiors by Liz Hand Woods.

This is a beautiful, beautiful kitchen. I really like how the countertop material wraps around to the side of the island. I wonder what material this is? Image via Veranda, architecture by Bates Corkern Studio, interiors by Liz Hand Woods.

A freestanding tub in an alcove surrounded by light on three sides, from the Bates Corkern Studio portfolio. Image via Southern Accents.

My favorite lantern, the Nierman Weeks Mitzner lantern, in another space that perfectly captures the light. Architecture by Bates Corkern Studio. Image via Southern Accents.

Brick on the interior walls reminds me so much of A. Hays Town’s work. An interior window and a floating staircase complete the feeling of lightness and sculptural beauty in this space.

A detail example of architectural design in a house designed by Bates Corkern Studio. I love the sculptural take on paneling in this space.

To learn more about Bates Corkern Studio’s architectural services and portfolio, please visit their website at http://www.batescorkern.com/. I am sure that my readers will find it as inspiring as me – the perfect combination of architecture, environment, and interiors. Enjoy!

All images, except where noted, are from the Bates Corkern website.

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