A few of my recent projects have involved arched windows. One project was a residential condominium and the other two were custom homes. Arched windows are wonderful architectural features, but they can present challenges when it comes to light control and privacy.

 

Solutions should be based upon how much room there is for outside mount or inside mount treatments, whether the desired look is tailored or soft, whether total blackout or simple light filtering is required, and whether complete window coverage or partial window coverage is desired.

 

One option is to not add any window treatments. Let the light shine in! However, if you're in search of some privacy or need to block some of the light entering the room, there are several options. Here are just some of them:

 

 

This product has been available for a couple of years, but just recently caught my eye when I was researching fixtures for a bathroom renovation project that required a contemporary direction.

 

The Kohler "WaterTile" shower head and body spray line features a vertical wall installation that ties in quite nicely with tile, and also features a fully adjustable, pivoting spray face.

 

The "WaterTile" is available in a wide range of Kohler finishes, and works well with many of their fixtures, especially the more chunky or angular fixtures such as the Memoirs, Pinstripe or Margaux lines, thereby offering a terrific way to introduce a contemporary element to a bathroom project, whether in an entirely contemporary setting or a more traditional one.

 

The "WaterTile" line also features a round body spray option, which is installed virtually flush to the wall, is adjustable up and down to alter the spray angle, and coordinates well with some of the Kohler round fittings such as the Forte or Coralais lines.

 

I love how the WaterTile shower head and body sprays can be so easily integrated into shower wall tile, the clean lines of the products' designs, and the wide range of finish options that are available, making it a great solution for many bath renovation or new construction projects.

 

When working with clients to select art that is unique to their homes, I frequently suggest groupings of family photos. The beauty of this approach is that it can be built upon over the years and can create a very personal timeline and story reflecting memorable moments, growth, and change. It's truly personalized art that can be edited and adapted as much or as little as clients like.

 

I often recommend that clients organize photos into public and private groupings. Public groupings include photos that one wishes to share with everyone (extended family, visitors, and guests), and might be hung in an entry way, kitchen, stairway, or family room, and often remind visitors of fun holiday get togethers and special occasions such as birthdays or graduation celebrations. Historic family photos are often included in these arrangements, making great conversation pieces as well as nice remembrances of days gone by.

 

Private photo groupings feature cherished photos that remind one of a very special and personal family moment, possibly as part of the decor of a master bedroom, upstairs hallway, or home office. These often include wedding photos, baby photos, and vacation photos.

 

When it comes to color vs. black and white, both can result in very nice arrangements. I generally keep the grouping consistent, by using all color photos or all black and white photos in a single grouping. Frames can be varied to avoid giving the impression that the photos were all framed at the same time or that the frames came from the same place. Antiqued frames can be successfully mixed with more contemporary frames to keep the look a bit eclectic. In fact, collecting antique or vintage frames can become a fun and inexpensive hobby.

 

Another fun way to create personalized art is to frame kids' school projects - from preschool on up through high school. It's amazing how great a framed art project or craft can look, and it's a great way to create a permanent keepsake. Framing recent "works of art" or going back through old school projects can be a fun way to compliment kids' creativity and originality, and to encourage new works as well!

I came across the Genuine Stone website recently, a very nicely done website indeed - one that's owned by the Natural Stone Council, a collaboration between various business and trade associations that wish to promote natural stone for commercial and residential design and construction.

 

On its website, the council bills natural stone as an earth-friendly alternative to competing materials. But as with most everything when it comes to environmental sustainability, there are pros and cons to using natural stone products.

 

Let me first say that I absolutely LOVE granite and other natural stone surfaces!

 

While I marvel at the wonderful variety of options offered by all of the different types of natural stone and am amazed and inspired by the beauty of travertines and limestone, river bed granites, fossilized stone, and other natural stone products, I'm also greatly concerned about the environmental and local impact of granite mining around the world.

 

Once stone is in place, it's durability and permanent beauty is very evident. Just think of all of the enduring monuments and buildings throughout the world that are made of stone. With regard to permanence, stone is very sustainable. However, while the mining industry has made improvements in recent years, the mining and transportation of stone is generally not very environmentally friendly at all.

 

Issues include heavy water consumption, what happens to the mining site once the natural resources have been extracted from it, radon and other gaseous byproducts, and the use of heavy equipment for mining, processing and transportation.

 

One way to minimize the impact upon the environment when using natural stone is to use locally mined products. Not only does doing so minimize the impacts associated with transportation of the materials, but it also helps the local economy.

 

Another is to purchase products that come from mines where environmentally friendly practices are used. For example, refer to this Green Building Matters blog page for an interesting and thoughtful discussion regarding the Cold Spring Granite mine in Minnesota and some of things Cold Spring is doing to minimize the impact upon our planet.

 

A trend I've seen with many clients is a greater focus upon family time and family rooms. Perhaps its because of the down economy and the fact that homeowners are travelling less these days and eating in more, but no matter the reason, clients are looking for fantastic family rooms that provide plenty of comfortable seating and gathering and which allow a variety of activities such as TV viewing, reading, enjoying the fireplace, playing games, entertaining, and the like. An area for desktop computing is often a requirement as well.

 

If room permits, I'll typically work with clients to define different seating groups or activity areas within the family room space.

 

Depending on the stage that a family is at, we'll prioritize needs such as toy and game storage, homework and computer areas, video game areas, even areas for music rehearsal if needed.

 

A nice development over the past several years is the flat panel TV, for a couple of reasons. Even a large flat panel TV takes up less space than the huge, bulky big screen TVs of the past. Those sets could really dominate and dwarf a nice family room. If there isn't room for separate fireplace and TV areas, with some planning and hidden wiring it's possible to mount a flat panel TV immediately above the fireplace. Doing so makes it possible to use a sectional sofa with a focal point that includes both the fireplace and the TV. There is then often secondary space that can be used for a reading nook, a desk area, or a game table area.

 

When possible, I encourage the use of hardwood floors rather than wall-to-wall carpeting for family rooms. Hardwood offers a tailored and classic appearance, whether the decor is traditional or contemporary. It also allows the use of area rugs that can really enhance the personality of a family room. From oriental to contemporary to modular tiles, area rugs play a lead role in a room's finished appearance, and can define the different areas within the room.

 

Designers - Ever find yourself running around, spending huge amounts of time looking at tile, stone, plumbing fixtures, lighting, fabrics, and the like? The internet is a highly useful tool, but there's often no substitute for seeing and touching "the real thing" when it comes to material selection. Ever then wonder if you can justify all of that time when billing your client, if you're working on a hourly or consulting basis?

 

The answer is a big YES, given that you are researching and selecting items with the clients' best interests in mind, and providing information and specifications as they have hired you to do. Generally, designers and clients have established a budget framework to follow, and hours can be incurred in many different ways.

 

If working on a fixed-fee basis, designers need to be careful that they are fairly compensated for the all of the time they spend on a project, and that their compensation doesn't flatten out. Experienced designers are usually fairly well accomplished at estimating fixed fees, but it can sometimes take quite a bit of homework and thought about every possible detail of a project to arrive at a realistic and fair fixed fee.

 

Even minor details can consume a significant amount of a designer's time. Grout colors, cabinet hardware, switchplate and outlet cover colors, paint finish specs (eggshell vs. pearl?), and many other details must be kept track of and taken into account when estimating fair compensation.

 

At the same time, clients need to understand that the designer is typically highly invested in making sure that everything turns out great for the client, and that he or she will typically need to spend a significant amount of time pay attention to details, making potentially numerous trips to the design center, as well as phone calls and emails to ensure that all aspects of a project are covered, no matter how large or small. The intangibles that contribute to a project's success are sometimes difficult to measure. Whether you're working on an hourly basis, a fixed fee, or a mark-up basis, designers typically strive to produce wonderful results at realistic and fair rates.

 

Many construction and renovation projects include fireplace surrounds, hearths and mantels. There are a tremendous number of wonderful options out there to dress up and finish the fireplace, including stone, tile, glass, concrete, and wood. During numerous home renovation projects, I've proposed revamping the fireplace area, and when I've done so, clients who thought that their current set-up was fixed or permanent usually get pretty excited about making a change or improvement.

 

Some great options for surrounds and hearths include marble, granite, limestone, slate, soapstone, brick, tile, concrete, and recycled glass. One of my current favorites is a stacked stone surround with a coordinating slate hearth, especially in casual settings. The stacked stone is reminiscent of exterior stone walls and provides a nice connection to the outdoors. It also relates well to earth tone color palettes. Stacked stone color options tie in with slate tile or slab options for hearths:

 

 

Glass or recycled glass used as a surround is heat resistant and creates a softly colored, translucent look that works well in seaside homes or contemporary settings where stone might look a bit heavy. Glass surrounds can be combined with tile or stone hearths, or glass can be used on the hearth as well. Studio G3 features glass as fireplace surrounds in several applications:

 

Mantels run from traditional to rustic to minimalist/modern and can be purchased pre-fabricated or custom-built to fit a specific application if desired. Wood mantels are generally traditional but can also be contemporary.

 

 

Limestone, marble, or cast stone mantels can create an old world, classic look, or can be streamlined for a more contemporary appearance.

 

 

Shelves above a fireplace and surround fit the bill if there is limited width and if a minimalistic or rustic look is desired. Custom cabinetry around a fireplace can also finish the look.

 

Choosing interior paint colors can often be quite daunting and time consuming, especially for large jobs where several colors need to complement one another both within a given space and from room to room. Color selection is a design skill that grows with experience, but here are a few tips for clients and designers alike that can help make the color selection process more enjoyable and rewarding:

To Illustrate the concept of "color families", I've provided some fabric sample photos from the Greenhouse Fabrics website. From left to right, we have earth tones, neutrals, sunny citrusy colors, and cool blues and greens.

 

New construction projects and home renovation projects frequently include hardwood floors, and it seems that there are so many more wood flooring options out there now compared to 10 or 20 years ago! Traditionally, "site finished" projects would involve the selection of a wood species, a stain color, and a finish (typically, high gloss vs. satin).

 

It was fun to go to a job site, meet the old school flooring master, and mix up different colors of Minwax stains to arrive at a special, custom finish for a client's home. (Minwax features a great range of stain colors to choose from and is a prominent industry standard for wood stains.) Between wood installation, sanding, staining and finishing, the whole process for site finished wood flooring can take several days.

 

Site finished floors are still a popular and reliable way to go, especially in traditional settings. Today, however, there are numerous selections available for designers and clients to consider. In addition to site finished hardwood flooring, options include:

Depending upon the setting, desired durability, and budget, terrific solutions can be found with each of the above flooring options.

 

Helpful resources for hardwood, laminate, and bamboo include:

Lumber Liquidators

Wood Floors Online

The Laminate Flooring Company

Bamboo Hardwoods Website

Billed as the definitive reference guide to the major design trends for the coming year, the very popular Trends 2011 presentation has now been posted on the Boston Design Center website. Organized and presented by BDC's Alexis Contant, the slide show presentation predicts the hottest colors, patterns, materials, and styles for 2011.

 

Featured colors include soft reds, Mediterranean blues, "wicked" greens, and sophisticated neutrals. A number of different collections are featured, including many that are on display at the Martin Group, Osborne & Little, and Webster & Company showrooms at the BDC. I particularly like Zimmer + Rohde's Residence Collection which BDC is predicting will be hot in 2011.

 

To view the full presentation, click here.