designer spotlight #5 :: meet doug of tracery interiors
Where did you drink your morning coffee? Is that your favorite room in the house? In my living room. It’s where I sit in the morning to check in on our blog and to read all the others I keep up with. It probably is my favorite, although in my 530 square foot bungalow, there aren’t that many rooms to choose from!
What part of your job is the most enjoyable? I love the time spent really getting to know and understand a client and what they want. You can’t give someone what they are looking for until you do a lot of listening and until you understand how they live.
When did your design obsession begin? I always loved to draw, but in the 5th grade, I was at my aunt and uncle’s house and they were in the process of working with an architect to design a new lake house. I spent the entire weekend looking at the house plan books and magazines. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Who’s influencing your design these days? I’m really liking Steven Gambrel’s work lately–especially that house that was just in Elle Decor. I feel like he and I start from the same place with a lot of things but he takes it further and gets edgier with his designs and it makes me want to do the same. I’m also a big fan of Suzanne Kasler, Victoria Hagan, Windsor Smith and of course John Saladino.
What are your favorite trends in the “design world”? I still really love the bleached wood look, although I’m starting to wonder what finish is coming next. I think mixing industrial elements into a more traditional interior is such a great look and it’s exciting to see that concept is becoming more mainstream.
What should be the clients first BIG investment in a room?You know that “statement maker”. I think every room needs a good quality antique. Even a modern space benefits from the texture and authenticity that an antique adds. It could be anything from a chair to an amoire to a rug, but some antique of value is an investment worth making.
Fresh, bright, and beautiful OR warm, cozy, and rustic? Fresh, bright and beautiful
Go to paint color? Benjamin Moore ‘China White’ — it makes everything in a room look like sculpture.
What is a must-have recipe for every home? Ha, I’ll tell you when I start cooking.
Favorite splurge??Really good wine, you can definetely tell the difference.
What thing in your home do you use the most? Multiroom audio — I don’t know how I lived without speakers in my shower!
If you could be any ONE piece of furniture; what would you be and why? Seriously? [you're thinking the cheesy questions again, right? But we are creative people remember!] I don’t…something cool. Like an old chunk of a building or iron railing that somebody made into a console table or something. Definetely not part of a matching set of anything. [a recipe for design failure...agree!]
Leave us with one word: simplify (you probably have too much stuff and you don’t need all of it!)
*all images courtesy of Tracery Interiors
designer spotlight #4 :: meet meg of LeSueur Interiors
A little history….
I’m originally from Louisiana, but I’ve spent my whole life moving around! I married a guy from New Zealand and I’m now living in Houston. When we moved here a year ago, my plan was to import antiques and artifacts from around the world, but the recession has sort of put those dreams on hold. In the mean time I started my own business doing interior design work, which I had never planned on doing full time, but I’m having so much fun I’m starting to forget about filling containers and shopping third world markets! So…
Where did you drink your morning coffee? Is that your favorite room in the house? I drink my morning coffee wherever the laptop has been left from the night before. Could be left in my office, or on the sofa, or on my bedside table. Morning coffee and design inspiration through reading blogs are my favorite way to start the day!
If not, what is your favorite place to be? My favorite room in our house is our front porch, on the weekends I like to read magazines and relax on the swing. I try to take advantage of living in the south this way!
What part of your job is the most enjoyable? The most enjoyable part of my job is the freedom to express myself creatively. There are so many different looks, fabrics, styles in design; the sky is truly the limit! Every day for me is different, every client is different, every project is different. I really enjoy working closely with people to create something beautiful.
When did your design obsession begin? My design obsession began at an early age. When I was about 7, I remember being bored with my sister at my grandparents one summer. My mother’s solution was teaching us how to “play house” outside, creating floor plans out of pine needles and dirt. When I was 10 I was allowed to design my own room; yellow walls, blue, green and pink plaid draperies, a floral bed skirt and duvet. Complete with a mustard yellow rotary phone I found at a garage sale for .50, oh, and an aquarium! When I was in high school and college my mom and I spent hours on end shopping for antiques and Persian carpets when we lived in Singapore and during travels throughout Asia. Design has always been something I was passionate about, it just took me a few years to wake up and realize that was what I was going to do for a living.
What’s influencing your design these days? Travel has always been my biggest inspiration and all of my most recent trips have been right here in my backyard. A year ago I moved back to the south after living in Singapore, Colorado and New Zealand over the past 13 years. My husband and I have been taking little trips visiting family and friends in Louisiana for weddings, holidays and long weekends. I’ve been inspired by the architecture of Hays Town and Ken Tate from Louisiana. High ceilings, French antiques, old brick, gigantic oak trees, Spanish moss and the lifestyle of spending a sleepy afternoon on a front porch. I’m using all of this inspiration on my own project, our little 100+ year old bungalow in Houston!
What are your favorite trends in the “design world”? My favorite trends in the design world right now are graphic prints, any and every wallpaper, ethnic textiles like ikat, and rustic furniture. I recently recovered some mid century chairs I rescued from a dumpster in a great colorful Ikat cotton print. In between them sits a big chunky wooden stump used as a side table.
What should be the clients’ first BIG investment in a room? You know that “statement maker”. I think the two most important things a client should invest in to make the largest impact are rugs and lighting. They are not necessarily focal points or dramatic pieces, but they create ambiance, warmth and a feeling of comfort in a room. Ambiance simply is properly placed lighting. Lamps are very important, particularly at night where they can create the most perfect soft glow. Rugs define space, and eliminate echoing. Acoustics is not something people think about very much when designing a room, but in my opinion should be considered as much as lighting. Rugs make a home feel and sound ‘homey’.
Fresh, bright, and beautiful OR warm, cozy, and rustic? Fresh, bright and beautiful is probably where I’m heading with my own house right now, but I certainly have an appreciation for warm, cozy and rustic in the appropriate house. Which leads me to my…
Go to paint color? …go to paint color: Benjamin Moore White Dove, I’m painting my whole house that color right now. I just like the fresh, bright, clean feel of a white space. My house is pretty teeny, so I’m trying to make it feel bigger by using only one wall color throughout.
What is the best gift you’ve ever received from anyone? The best gift I’ve ever received would probably be my education from my parents. They gave us a chance to live overseas, the gift of travel, the opportunity to go to college. I wouldn’t be where I am now without those experiences.
What is a must-have recipe for ever home? I think a must have recipe for every home is a good biscuit recipe. My grandmother’s buttermilk biscuits taste like home. They are nothing fancy, easy to make and on a Sunday morning, nothing tastes better for breakfast. She always bakes them in a beat up old tin pan that she received as a wedding gift 57 years ago. For my wedding she gave me a similar dish, and wrote that she hoped Tim and I used it to make biscuits our whole marriage!
Favorite splurge?? A favorite splurge of mine would be on nice sheets. When you spend 1/3 of your life in your bed, you might as well be sleeping on beautiful linens!
Best place to getaway? My favorite getaway is to Queenstown, New Zealand. My in laws have a holiday home there; it is one of the quietest and peaceful places I’ve ever been. Their home has such a clean aesthetic. It is spacious, uncluttered and the ultimate place to relax with 360 degrees of mountain views. We go on long hikes, tour vineyards, taste wine, play golf, drink copious amounts of cappuccinos and laugh a lot.
What thing in your home do you use the most? One thing in my home I use the most is our electric kettle! Every night Tim and I drink multiple cups of tea; mint, chamomile and sleepy time are among our faves!
If you could be any ONE piece of furniture; what would you be and why? If I could be one piece of furniture I’d be a Persian rug, Heritz style. I love the culture and tradition that hand-woven rugs represent, they are truly art. They are the perfect heirloom to be passed down through generations. I’d want to be a rug because in my family everyone always hangs out in the family room around one, you wouldn’t miss a lick!
Leave us with one word: GIVE. I feel so blessed to have good health, a happy marriage, a loving family, a fulfilling job, clean water, food and a rooftop over my head. I think it’s so important to give back and help others in suffering and in need. Right now I think we can all help the Haitians by giving to the Red Cross or UNICEF in this terrible time of need.
*all images courtesy of LeSeaur Interiors
designer spotlight #3 :: meet erika of urban grace interiors
I am so glad that Erika in the midst of a way to busy to do a q&a schedule gave us her time today. She is OVERflowing with lots of creative inspiration. Her blog is great, but she is even MORE amazing when you get to know her in person! Thanks e!
Why start out with this questions again…because this is how most of us start our day. So here we go…
Where did you drink your morning coffee? During the colder months I drink it in the den. (that’s the room with the green striped sofa) In the warmer months I drink it in my garden!
Is that your favorite room in the house? Yes, it is. It is a random (catch-all) room, but definitely my favorite!
How do your balance being a mommy, and your growing design empire? “Empire”!? Very funny Julie! [ha!! really...it is! erika is an AWESOME person inside and out; and her design skill is out of this world..seriously check out her blog. she was even published in SL] I don’t know that I handle it well… when I’m at home I feel like I need to be at work, and when I’m at work I feel like I need to be at home. We are slowly getting into a routine and I am learning how to balance it all. I have Paula and Allison in the office everyday and without them (and Joan!) I wouldn’t be alive. They are truly a blessing and I try to tell them everyday how much I appreciate them… I hope they know they are very loved!
What part of your job is the most enjoyable? Bringing to fruition what my clients can’t visualize. Receiving emails and phone calls that they are thrilled with their design.
When did your design obsession begin? Very early. I was the daughter who rearranged her bedroom and repainted every year. I had a homemade Barbie dream house made out of an old refrigerator box and I wallpapered the walls with decorative paper (this was pre-scrapbook paper… I can’t imagine the possibilities today)! I was often drug (against my will) to antique shows and flea markets. It took a few years, but I eventually came around and enjoyed the same things I had earlier loathed.
What’s influencing your design these days? I think reading blogs keeps me on my toes. There are some very creative souls out there who blog and share their knowledge and wisdom daily.. for free! No travel required. No library books needed. Just an internet connection.
What are your favorite trends in the “design world”? I try to avoid trends… we all fall victim on occasion though, as they are almost unavoidable. As long as you don’t make expensive trendy purchases you are okay, and likely won’t regret it later. I can’t answer your question about my favorite trend because I am afraid in 2 years I’ll look back and cringe. And I don’t want to do that! 
What should be the clients first BIG investment in a room? You know that “statement maker” Good upholstery and art! I appreciate quality and believe you get what you pay for when it comes to home furnishings and art. There are great resources for custom art at reasonable prices these days – etsy and artists who offer giclee prints make good art available for any budget!
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What’s the biggest mistake you often see people make when decorating their home? I think the biggest mistake people make is buying “accessories”. A well designed home will have things that have been collected over time, things the homeowner bought in traveling or that have sentimental value. Or are interesting and conversation starters. I would avoid buying new mass-produced “accessories” for the sake of having something on your table. A stack of books is far more interesting than a trendy set of foo dogs. [Antique foo dogs are one thing, but the ones from Zgallerie are another.]
Fresh, bright, and beautiful OR warm, cozy, and rustic? Depends on the client. For me… warm, cozy, and occasionally rustic!
Go to paint color? White Dove (Benjamin Moore OC-17) and Grant Beige (Benjamin Moore HC-83)
What is the best gift you’ve ever received from anyone? My ‘77 Ford Bronco that my husband gave to me, along with an engagement ring on the key ring.
What is a must-have recipe for every home? Sour Cream Pork Chops
Favorite splurge?? Fresh Cosmetics
Best place to getaway? Apalachicola
What thing in your home do you use the most? Honestly, my Washer and Dryer. Second most frequently used item – heated mattress pad.
If you could be any ONE piece of furniture; what would you be and why? The velvet tufted ice blue sofa that my grandmother has had for many years… it would be great to see and hear the past of my family.
Leave us with one word: compassion
*all images courtesy of erika
