Clients unfamiliar with Downtown Winchester often ask me what there is to do here so that they can make a day of their visit to my studio. Our historic community offer so much, but here is a short list of my personal happy places.
Read moreAbracadabra: 5 Magical Before & After Transformations
Spring is a season that reminds us that life carries on, that change is inevitable, and that no winter lasts forever. Here are some of my favorite transformations to highlight the power of design to breathe fresh life into spaces just waiting for a little magic.
Read moreWWDT: A Warm & Muted Palette
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreInspired By Green
Daffodils and forsythia are popping. Tender leaves are unfurling along the roadways. Longer, warmer days are whispering hopeful notes of spring. If you’re like me, you’re finding more time to get outdoors and take it all in. Here is a tour of some of my designs that celebrate the many versatile and beautiful shades of green.
Read moreWWDT: Unpacking A Puzzle
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreWhy We Did That: The Edwardian Office
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreWhy We Did That: The Friendly Foyer
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreWhy We Did That: Modern Regency Bedroom
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreWhy We Did That: Drapery For The Win
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreWhy We Did That: Hearth Makeover
Through millwork and masonry, furnishings and finishes, lighting and leaps of faith, we transform the perception of spaces with intentional choices. In our ‘Why We Did That’ series, we break down the thinking behind some of these choices…
Read moreUse Your Dining Room Again
Though they inspire romance, dining rooms gets very little use. For some people, the dining room represents an old-fashioned ideal, harkening back to an era of fancy dinner parties where aspic jiggled on fine china and women wore pearls.
Read moreDesign 101: Perfect Drapery
Every night as we prepare dinner, my husband and I move through the house and pull the drapery. It is a cherished ritual. While we live in a fairly secluded neighborhood, we both find that drawing the panels gives us a sense of coziness. Our stone house has thick walls and tall oak trees, features that we love, but which limit our natural light. Because of this, we do not like for the fabric to cover the glass during the day. Luckily, I am a seasoned designer and know the perfect scale to make the drapery hit all of our requirements. I also know that custom drapery is one of the most impactful changes a person can make in a room.
To help demystify these treatments, here are the factors I keep in mind as I design drapery for my projects.
Read moreWhen To Hire An Interior Designer
Ten years ago, a client of ours purchased a prize lot in a beautiful neighborhood along the river. She always imagined the great room in the home she was building to be filled with sunshine and views of the sparkling water.
If only her architect had known.
Read moreCreating A Joyful, Honest & Fearless Home
At a recent house call, my client handed me a photo of a room from her childhood home. When it was taken, the shelving concept was not the subject matter. Instead the grainy snapshot from the 1980s was focused on a group of happy, good-looking people, sitting together in a family room on what might have been a Sunday evening after dinner.
As she looked at the photo and talked about adaptations to the design, she was suddenly overcome with emotion and we were both a little surprised when tears came to her eyes.
Read moreDesign 101: Kitchens
Whether your are an accomplished gastronomer or someone who catches meals on the fly, a kitchen that functions smoothly and pleases the senses is probably at the top of your design wish list. What design tactics should you follow - beyond the ‘work triangle’?
Read moreDesign Solutions: Furnishing Small Spaces
After almost two decades in design, I have become an expert at intelligent space planning, but as the owner of a modest home, the tricks I've learned for making the most of tight spaces are particularly close to my heart.
Read moreUnsticking Your Home Transformation
We all have them, those unfinished projects that accumulate because we ran out of steam for one reason or another. Waning house projects, in particular, add to the figurative clutter in our lives.
Read moreCreating Your Zoom-Perfect Setting
The one role in your professional life that you may not have been prepared to take on is that of movie producer, but those skills are important now as we navigate new norms that have us opening up a virtual window into the private sanctity of our homes.
Read moreHow To Stay Put During A Renovation - If You Must
I have had more than a few clients who wanted to stay put during a big renovation and in every case, there was a minimum of ever-growing frustrations and, in one memorable instance, a complete meltdown that was damaging to the working relationship between the homeowner and contractor. I’ve never had a client say they were glad they stayed put, but I’ve heard many say they would never do it again.
Read moreThe Magic Of Beautiful Rooms? Pull Up A Chair.
Beginning in March, I was spending a lot more time at home. Zoom meetings with clients, colleagues, and collaborators helped normalize the new strangeness of working from home. It began to really sink in for me that another hard worker in my home was the upholstery I had invested in almost twenty years ago - as well as a few beloved pieces that had been in my husband’s family. The solidly built frames were more than able to serve us for decades to come, but the fabrics needed a change. My taste have shifted over the years, rugs have come and gone, and our art collection has only become more dense, offering new inspirations for texture, color, and pattern. Recovering just a few pieces this summer breathed new life into my home - and reminded me that a question client’s often have is about whether or not to reupholster their own pieces.
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