CLEAN CONTEMPORARY for Young Bachelor Apartment in San Francisco - Finished Photos and a Word About Budgets

 

Entrance to Apartment with View of Alta Plaza Park

You may recall my blog post from a year ago May, when I was working with my retired art collector client (see IKEA posts), and my son (twenty-something) in San Francisco.  Last year we were in the initial planning of my son's apartment, located just off Fillmore Street.  To view the planning process and vision boards, click here:   http://swestdesign.blogspot.com/2011/06/where-have-i-been.html

In this post, I'll show you the photos as the apartment stands right now - almost finished.  My son is currently in the founding stages of his own start-up in Silicon Valley, and when you found a start-up, everything else temporarily stops! 

When you enter the apartment, you are immediately drawn in to the spectacular view of the park.  In the photo above, we use his collection of small travel photos to draw your eye in to the view.  You get this view for the entire width of the apartment, as you can see in the 2 photos below: 

 

 

A Word About Budgets

Whether it's a home project, a wardrobe, or a vacation to Europe, it always helps to have your budget defined.  It serves as a guide.  You're not locked in to the numbers, but it gives you perspective. To see all the expected expenses helps you analyze where you want to allocate your primary dollars.

When my son first told me his budget, I quickly calculated in my head the number of items we were going to need, and saw that we would need to economize in some areas.  (Designers do this budget analysis all the time.  We're good at it!)

My advice was to spend the bulk of the budget on a really good quality sofa. (There is no point in designing a room around a cheap sofa - it invariably falls apart, looks and feels like junk, and you end up giving it away after a short period of time.)

Since we were working long distance at that time, I recommended Pottery Barn, because there was a store here in North Carolina, near Cary, and one near him.  He researched the look and feel of the sofa, and I checked the quality and the fabrics. We decided on the Pearce model below. http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/furniture-upholstery/sofas/pearce-sofas/?cm_type=lnav   I scaled it in to his floor plan, and we ordered it.  He loves it!  The chaise is especially nice for working on his laptop.  And the microfiber suede is extremely durable, practical, and comfortable:  

 

Pottery Barn Pearce Sectional, CB2 Coffee Table, Walmart End Table, Ikea Table Lamp

We saw some great tables from Restoration Hardware ($$$) and Crate and Barrel ($$), and we also looked at antique trunks in the Mission District on Valencia Street.  But we were able to achieve a satisfactory look by going to CB2 for this solid wood coffee table ($400), where he can put his laptop and have room for his legs underneath.  We finished up with Walmart online for the simple wood end table ($30), and the glass table lamp from Ikea ($50).

 

Above the sofa we hung an arrangement of his travel photos:  Machu Picchu (center and right), Tasmania - Hour Glass Bay (top center), Cinque Terre and Switzerland (left).  In the previous post on planning, you can see how my software enables me to plan exactly how far apart to hang a custom photo arrangement like this one.  The way this one is designed, we have room to add more photos on either side when he has the opportunity to travel again. (Or - he and my artist daughter have been experimenting with large canvases...we may move the photos to the bedroom and place original art over the sofa...)

Capel Rug, Ikea Entertainment Center, CB2 Coffee Table

There are lots of inexpensive rugs available today from places like Home Depot, but these did not appeal to us, so we settled on this beautiful braided wool rug from Capel.   http://www.capelrugs.com/hampton-denim-rugs    We saw some really cool artsy very-thick-stranded wool rugs that we loved, but they were twice the price of the Capel.  Since he wanted a large TV (his new start-up is about TV), we put that money into the media rather than onto the floor.  The color of the rug was selected to enhance the colors in his photo collection, and relate to the Mondrian in the dining area.

We shopped several stores in search of the entertainment center, and found this solid wood piece from Ikea to be the best value ($200):  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80176298/



 

As I mentioned in last year's blog post on the planning, we began our Design Concept around my son's Mondrian artwork, placing it above the dining table. I originally had selected a Pier One table base in the concept stages, but when I shopped around in San Francisco (Studio D), I found this curved wood base, which we liked better, because it gave a softer line to the room.  The matching chairs look great, and are comfortable.  They would not hold up to children or pets, but since he doesn't have either, these will do fine for now.

After completing the space planning and product selection, we moved on to creating the right balance of art on the walls:

 

Mondrian, Josef Albers, Square in Milan

This Albers poster was one of the first pieces of art that I purchased when I started my own home years ago.  I still love it!  It symbolizes what I do:  create beauty, order and balance.  I was delighted to give it to my son, and thrilled to see how well it complemented his own photo of the square at the cathedral in Milan.  See closeups below:



 

 

My son shot this photo from the catwalk at the top of the cathedral. We had it custom-framed and matted.  As I mentioned about budget - it's a guide.  We spent more on the frame for this photo than the walmart table and ikea lamp combined.  But some things are worth the investment!

 

Leaving the living area, you again view the linear arrangement of the small travel photos.  These are framed in deep shadow box frames, which gives a nice dimension to the hallway.

 

So that's my interior design solution for this Project.  What we have is a simple, clean environment. This uncluttered design is restful for a young man who spends a lot of his time in algorithms and codes.  The shell is static by design, but the dynamic element is the park across the street, where there is always activity - trees rustling in the breeze, friends meeting in the park, and happy dogs bounding up the paths!  Activity is also experienced on the large TV screen.  And during the day, you can see the streets of San Francisco reflected in the screen.

As for the products we chose, the sofa will stay for years, and the other furnishings can be upgraded as the needs arise.  It's another "carefully edited space", in which "less is more"!!

TWO IMPORTANT TIPS for planning your Project:

1. PLAN IN ADVANCE.  Resist the urge to buy anything until you have a plan.  Interior Design is a complex, multi-faceted process, and you can waste thousands of dollars if you don't plan it properly.
2. CREATE A BUDGET, so you have some idea of what your costs are going to be.  Start by listing every item you are going to need to buy, as well as any construction costs like sheetrock repair and painting.  Then itemize the costs.  A Designer can help you figure out where to economize, and where to choose the best.

            It's good to have a customized budget worksheet.  I have several Excel sheets that I share with clients as we are working on their plans.  Contact me if you'd like to discuss it!  I can work by the hour, or on a project basis.

SIMPLICITY (AKA the IKEA RED KITCHEN)

For a lot of us, this is a life goal:  to achieve a balanced, simple, uncluttered existence.  It can be a challenge in today's society!  But you can accomplish this in your surroundings.  Whether your interior is contemporary or traditional, or anywhere in between, you can eliminate clutter, live with what means the most to you, and let go of the rest.

I have been very blessed to work with Doug to help him attain this harmony in his San Francisco apartment.  Stillness is sacred.  You feel that when you enter Doug's space. 

We are not quite finished yet, but I was out in San Francisco at Thanksgiving so I took these photos.  We'll update in a few more months, after our silk TAI PING rug arrives from China, and after we install our solar shades and dimmers.

But for now, here's an abbreviated tour of Doug's renovated apartment, with my comments on Interior Design as Art......

Doug and I share a passion for original art and 20th century furniture classics, and that has made this project one of my all-time favorites.  Doug's friend Susan Tibbles is the artist for this set of mixed media assemblages from her "Swank Box Series."  The shadow boxes were originally from the Swank Jewelry company, where they were used to store various components in the manufacture of their jewelry.  Each of the boxes is filled with a melange of fascinating miniature vintage finds, and each box has an individual title by the artist.  Once you begin exploring them, it's hard to tear yourself away!  (For a closer look, see the enlargement below - and to magnify it even further - increase the zoom level on your monitor.)

Tibbles' work embodies "a sense of wit and political consciousness," and she has "a unique ability for assigning dual meanings to commonplace objects" (quoted from Gallery Ocho, Santa Barbara).

Here's the closeup:

                                                             "SWANK BOX SERIES"   by Susan Tibbles

To learn more about Susan Tibbles and her unique work as an artist, as well as her extensive work as an illustrator for the L.A. Times Opinion Page, visit her website at

http://www.susantibbles.com/

Contemporary art is all about juxtaposition.  Elements of line, form, color and texture are combined by the artist to create a unique work.  Sometimes the artist has a particular objective in his work - a social or political statement.  Sometimes the intention is simply to engage or delight the viewer.

Doug's apartment is a wellspring of juxtaposition.  One might think that this would cause clutter, but when properly edited, it creates just the right amount of tension to keep you thoroughly engaged. 

                  

Take, for example, this classic TRAVE table, with its simple glass candle ornaments on top.  This is Doug's doing - his canvas.  I've loved working with him because he has such a wonderful sensitivity for balance.  Look at the angles in the table base - so beautifully and simply counterpoised by the 3 glass spheres.  And the one blue sphere picks up the blue light in the stainless LED wall switch nearby (see photo below). 

This composition of the dining table is Doug's self-expression.  My "artist role" as editor is to be sure it is in harmony with everything else in the space.  My "techician role" as interior designer is to be sure that everything in the space conforms to health, safety and building standards, and to provide sources for the products needed to accomplish this.

SWANK BOXES by Susan Tibbles,  Stainless/Blue LED Lutron Lighting Control, TECH LIGHTING round stainless transformer for track lights

From the dining area you peek through to the red Ikea kitchen.  The raised bar hides the cooktop on the other side.  The soapstone counters and Black Empress granite mosaic add elegance, while still maintaining our theme of SIMPLICITY:

Doug's apartment is all about detail.  To make sure that we controlled every detail within our power to control, we worked together for months prior to and during the installation.

To revisit the construction portion of this project and to see the BEFORE pictures, click here:
http://swestdesign.blogspot.com/search/label/san%20francisco%20ikea%20kitchen

The beautiful reflection we get off the polished granite mosaic is a perfect backdrop for Doug's antique Thai bamboo container.  Several hundred years old, and given to Doug by an archaeologist friend, this piece is carved out of a single piece of bamboo, hollowed out inside, and fitted with an interior bamboo tray.  (And the special order Lutron receptacle in black is almost invisible....)  The mosaic technique is 1000s of years old, and much of the earth's granite is PreCambrian - this is another miniature "canvas" of juxtaposition in the apartment.

Take a close look at the center of the above photograph.  Doug's skyline view of San Francisco from the 10th floor of his apartment is reflected in the glass fronts of his Ikea kitchen.  It's magical!!

Also in the dining area is Doug's copy of the iconic Mackintosh Hill House Chair, designed by scottish architect Charles Rennie Macintosh in 1902-1903.   The original still resides in the bedroom of the Hill house in Helensburgh, Scotland, 20 minutes from where Doug used to live when he was working out of Scotland.

Above the Hill House chair hangs a Susan Tibbles work:  "Unzipped"  ......another study in contrasts:  the geometry of the chair is perfectly balanced by the soft curves and wispy feathers in the artwork.

                                                                                 "UNZIPPED"   by  Susan Tibbles

There is also a Tibbles piece in the kitchen - a special gift to Doug - a single long-stemmed rose entitled "Valentine Love Monster":

The luxurious finishes in Doug's space provide worthy surroundings for his beautiful art collection.  Once inside the kitchen, the rich red and black furnishes an elegant backdrop for food preparation.  But it is completely practical.  Soapstone requires no maintenance.

The cabinets run all the way to the ceiling to provide generous storage for things out of sight.

The halogen lighting supplies ample task illumination, and Doug's Wusthof knives are hanging within easy reach of any kitchen task.   

Doug actually uses his kitchen!  He keeps his favorite items right on the counter, and the colors enhance the granite backsplash and the soapstone.

On the opposite side, the oven and cooktop are easily accessible, but out of view from the living/dining area.

*****

I believe that everyone is an artist in some way.  And I approach every project as an artist ready to collaborate with other artists, including (and especially!) you.  My job is to direct you in your self-expression through your interior space.

Collaborating with Doug has been one of the most personally rewarding projects in my career, because his appreciation and embodiment of art has guided every step we have taken.  Doug lives and breathes his art collection, and he loves to share it with visitors.  I am delighted with each phase of this project, as Doug continues to refine and add to his collection.  We'll post the rest of the art when we get the final photography later this year.

To read more about the juxtaposition of old and new in interior spaces, see my website page:

http://swestdesign.com/church1.html

To read more about letting your own individuality be the creative canvas on which you build your interior space, and also how to work with commissioned art, see my page on ava living:

http://avaliving.com/room.php?rid=5613  (When you get to this page, it's counter-intuitive:  DON"T press NEXT under the photo....that will take you to the next featured designer and away from my page.  Instead, scroll down to see all the photos and the story behind this design.)

See you next time!

SAN FRANCISCO KITCHEN REMODEL - BEFORE Pictures

REMEMBER THIS VIEW?
We are finally nearing completion of this very fun apartment remodel in San Francisco.  To get a little background on the project and to see the first 2 posts on the bathroom remodel, go to the label column on the lower right and click on "Bachelor". 

When I first arrived in San Francisco to help my client with this project (2007!  ...There have been some delays, but those of you who know Doug know that it's not his fault!), this was what I saw:

A VERY small closed-off kitchen.  With the 10-story view to my back, this boxy cave to the front definitely didn't live up to its potential.

Inside the cave, the suspended microwave with exposed electrical connections for the microwave and frig made this apartment look like it was located in a different part of the city than Pacific Heights!  Also, all the finish materials were completely utilitarian - like a kitchen galley in an office building.

So we began to develop a design concept that would open up this space and add some luxurious finishes.  You can see in the photo above that we experimented with red for the kitchen color:  there is a red napkin taped to the frig, with a piece of aluminum foil, to give us an idea of the balance of red and stainless.  There is a paint color fan deck on the table opened to red colors.  (Click on any of the photos to enlarge.) 

Guess what!!!  We decided on RED.  Check out the next post to see how the design progressed, and to see the pictures from WEEK 1 of demolition. 

WHAT'S A NICE VACATION AFTER WORKING IN SAN FRANCISCO?

NORTH CAROLINA - OF COURSE !!

A few days after my return from the San Francisco projects, my husband and I headed over to the mountains of North Carolina, one of our most FAVORITE places to be. Our first stop was Asheville, to re-visit the Biltmore Estate, during their annual Festival of Flowers. If you haven't been to the Biltmore lately, it's worth a trip. They've added a whole new section called Antler Hill Village, with outdoor activities, and you can visit their farm and winery as well. Next time we go, we are going to make it a 2-day pass, since there is so much to see. The second day is really a bargain. Check it out on http://www.biltmore.com/

Also an enhancement to your next visit:  watch the new British Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey, a 2010 seven part series on aristocratic and servant life.  This made the Biltmore come alive for us!

The gardens were wonderful, as usual, and we hit this beautiful section just in time to take advantage of the dramatic lighting on these outdoor sculptures. After we had walked down to the lake and back, the light had totally changed, and I was so glad I had snapped these photos at the perfect time. It was a gorgeous cool day in mid-May, with Carolina Blue sky.

One of the most impressive things going on at the Biltmore, from the interior designer's perspective, is the current work in historic preservation. There is now a section on the second floor of the main house that details the process for restoring some of the previously closed off rooms. Some of these rooms are now open on the tour, and others are currently undergoing transformation , to be opened in the near future.

This educational area on the second floor is worth reading every line in each of the kiosks. They have written explanations, films showing the processes, and actual examples of the materials that you can see, and in some cases feel. For example: learn how they discover what the wallpaper looked like in the original room, and then how they track down the company in France that can re-create that original pattern. Watch how the French artists hand color the paper, and hand block the designs. Another example: learn the same information regarding the handmade velvet fabric that covers the walls in Mrs. Vanderbilt's room at the front of the house, where she bore her children; and feel the velvet. See how they restore the old furniture and porcelain. Allow at least a whole hour for this section of the house. It's fascinating to trace the magnificent work they are doing. Also be sure to watch the film by the descendants of the Vanderbilts. This is a family home that they are sharing with us all. It's a great privilege to visit!!

Also, if you are interested in high quality fabrics from different periods, be sure to check out this site:
http://www.rentmeister-manufaktur.de/       This family owned business produces exquisite fabrics to order, and his client list includes european nobility, movie stars, the latest Harry Potter film, and ordinary people like us!..........

After our wonderful visit to the Biltmore, and a few quiet days at Chetola in Blowing Rock, we returned to interior design in Cary, refreshed by the beauty of the North Carolina mountains!

TRANSFORM A KID'S ROOM

A couple of years ago, one of my favorite clients called me and said "It's time to do my son's room. This young man was beginning to express his individuality, and like many of his peers, he did a fair amount of "gaming" in his free time. He entertained his friends in his room, and his room was devoid of personality. Here it was:






The bed was to the right of the door,
and a large media bookcase
was right in front of the door.


The first thing I suggested was a
change in floor plan. Let's put the bed
in the window alcove, and let's increase
the bed size from the existing twin to a
double. Done!


The young man loved the items in the
current Pottery Barn for Teens
catalog, so I interviewed him and his
mother to find out what functions we
needed to provide for.




Here's what we came up with. Where the bed used to be, we installed a media wall, with colorful storage bins, and a new flat screen TV.











The new bed went into the alcove,
with a Pottery Barn bedspread
and decorative pillows.

A reclining gaming chair went into the
corner, with a mini-frig to keep soft drinks
for his friends.

A colorful contemporary rug
brightened up the space,
coordinating all the Pottery Barn items.





But the "Piece de Resistance" was this:

His mom provided me with some photos taken on a family ski trip, and asked me to design his room around one of them. I chose this one, and she had it blown up to wallpaper. When you walked into the room, this photo filled the wall to the left. His bed is to the right in this photo:

GREEN LIGHTING

CFL - LED - What's a girl to do?

It's a pretty confusing world out there with the rapidly changing techonology in lighting.

We've just begun to get used to the idea of CFL's and now LED's are making the news. See this article and some of the newest LED designs:http://www.dwell.com/articles/shine-on-you-crazy-diode.html

You'll notice that all of the designs shown on the Dwell site are VERY contemporary. Right now that is all that seems to be available. (As soon as Frederick Cooper and Chapman show LED designs in a traditional lamp, I will be sure to post it on this blog!) But even if you are not a contemporary lighting fan, it doesn't hurt to be learning about the new technology.

Two years ago, the choices in CFL's were very limited, and the results in residential applications left a lot to be desired. But now there are numerous options in the CFL camp, including bulb shapes, color temperature, and dimmable CFL's. The quality of the bulb is very important. (CFL's manufactured in the USA are usually superior to offshore sources.)

Last fall I attended an ASID Continuing Education course on Energy Efficient Residential Lighting, and I am still studying and absorbing all the facts. The bottom line is that you can save money by using CFL's in almost every place that you use an old technology lamp, AND MOST IMPORTANT, you can probably find a CFL that is just as pleasing to you as your old type A bulb. But it takes a little research, experimenting, and maybe even some math!!

Regarding the LED's - at the time I took the Continuing Ed course, the word on LED was that even though there is information being printed on the new Dept of Energy Label (http://www.ledinside.com/DOE_announces_Lighting_Facts_Label_2010), when you get to the color temperature (degrees Kelvin), it is not easy to completely pin this down, since the RGB deteriorates differently over time, so the color of the light WILL CHANGE. This means that you can pay a huge amount for a long lasting LED, but that the color of that LED may change over the life of the bulb. So today, PROCEED WITH CAUTION. (But that could be different tomorrow!!)

A FAVORITE LINK!

Every week, I get this blog in my inbox. It's one of my favorites, because the quality of the designers and their photos is so outstanding. Each week a different designer is interviewed. There is such a wide range of styles featured, and anything from kitchens to airplane interiors can show up!These 2 pictures are in the Sept 8, 2009 post on work by Janie Hirsch. If you love interior design, check out this site, and add it to your favorites, or sign up for the weekly email.
The url is: http://access.decorati.com

NEW YORK! NEW YORK!!!

WHAT A WONDERFUL TOWN!!!

I attended an ASID CEU last spring by Liesbet Trappenburg, entitled "You Are Not Your Job". An outstanding speaker, she counselled us "artists" to do something that replenishes your "creative well". So when the opportunity came up for me to spend a few days in NYC while my son was there on business, I grabbed it!!

I have always loved NY. I actually lived there from the age of 1-6 months, but of course I don't remember anything. We lived not far from Central Park, when my dad was studying voice. He had a Pavorotti style voice, and his lessons were in Carnegie Hall. Before I was born, he and my mom travelled all over the US doing a road show for the musical "Allegro." But he decided that NYC was no place to raise a family, so we moved to Dallas when I was an infant, and then later we moved back to Louisiana to be near all our wonderful Cajun family. That's where we opened our family store, Pieces of Eight. (see August 09 post)

So back to NY: My first visit was when I was 15 years old, to attend the opening of a Broadway play that my parents had invested in. (My dad had a successful producer friend from his NY musical days.) Being raised in Louisiana (I actually lived on a bayou!), I was in awe when I hit the streets of NYC. Such creativity everywhere you looked! We were staying in the St. Regis Hotel, and I met my first artist in the elevator. A thin man with a moustache and an ocelot on a leash entered the elevator, and the attendant addressed him as "El Capitan." I learned afterward that his name was Salvador Dali, and he lived in the hotel. It wasn't until I went to college and became a member of the Art Institute in Chicago, that I began to fully comprehend the place that Dali holds in modern art.

When I was 18, I visited again for another play opening. This time it was Eugene O'Neill's "More Stately Mansions", and starred Ingrid Bergman in her comeback role in the US. Again I was smitten with the creativity of NYC. I was into my first year of Northwestern University's Interior Architecture and Design curriculum, and my eyes had been opened to the wonders of my field. And NYC is a magnet for creativity.

I didn't get back to NY for many years after that, but in the 1990s we took our children up to see "Annie Get Your Gun," with Bernadette Peters. Then in the late 1990s, I went twice with my mom. We visited her old friends, who took us to dinner at Windows on the World (at the top of the WTC, destroyed in 9/11), and also to Tavern on the Green, a restaurant located in Central Park. We visited the Metropolitan Museum, and the Cloisters Museum; she had a portrait done of me by a street artist in Central Park. That was an artsy visit!

So I jumped at the chance to go back this August, and spend some time museum-hopping and visiting with my son! And it was perfect from start to finish....

Monday I spent the afternoon at MoMA. There is a spectacular exhibit of works of Ron Arad through Oct 19. See it now before it moves to Paris! If you can't get to NY, check it out on line at http://www.moma.org/ And here are my favorites from his work:

This wonderful thing is a model for the Zion Square outdoor sculpture that Ron Arad designed in 2006 in Jerusalem. It is a study in light and shadow, and the exhibit features a light arm travelling across the piece from side to side, showing the different patterns that the sunlight produces as it crosses the sky from morning to night. I am a huge fan of sunlight patterns in interior design. I will do another blog on that later, with some examples from my work, and other places. Use nature whenever you can!!

This is one of Ron's unique lighting designs. There were several in the exhibit, but I especially loved the simplicity and contrast of this one. It hangs about 8' long.

After viewing the Arad exhibit, I showed my son the painting and sculpture galleries of the permanent collection, with all my favorites, including Pollack, Picasso, Mondrian, Klimt, Rauschenberg, Matisse, Monet, Stella, Brancusi, Kline, DeKooning, Rothko - too many to count!! It was overwhelming and wonderful!! You can view much of the permanent collection on line also, if you can't get to NY.

I had recently watched a netflix movie - "The Impressionists", a BBC production about the lives of all those courageous artists that broke from tradition and set the stage for the acceptance of modern art. This really enriched my experience at the museums here in NY. I recommend the movie to anyone looking for a deeper historical view.

We also visited the Architecture and Design floor at MoMA. It was especially meaningful to me to find in the "What Was Good Design?" exhibit, objects that I had purchased in the 70s to sell at Pieces of Eight. Here are a few of them:

PLIA FOLDING CHAIR

AND PLATONE FOLDING

DESK (Castelli-Italy)

WASSILY CHAIR -

Classic mid-century modern

by Marcel Breuer

CLASSIC VIGNELLI DESIGN 1964 - STACKING MELAMINE DINNERWARE by Heller, now available again for purchase in the MoMA gift store.

DEDALO UMBRELLA STAND

And finally, with only a few minutes before closing, we dashed into the Architecture Room, with breathtaking models of contemporary architectural masterpieces, including FLW's "Falling Water." I have always been drawn to models. Perhaps it's from my childhood days as a doll house designer!!

That's Day 1 of my trip to New York!

Check back later for posts on Day 2 and Day 3!