ASID Allied Designer
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| Beverly Ferguson
PO Box 66
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-655-3033
Convenient
Shop-at-Home
Service for
Metro West Boston and Beyond!
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Ask the Decorator
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your decorating questions, solved!
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A Personal Note
Many of my clients are surprised at the solutions I arrive at; they typically say "wow, I never would have thought of that but it sure does work!" Design principles can be taught but it is the inspiration, the talent, the vision...call it what you will, the artistic quotient of the design process which defines the caliber of work which comes from the studio. My artist friend Rob Howard refers to it as "the gift". He and I have often discussed its nature. There is one point we agree on and that is that the source of inspiration is certainly greater than we are. We do not own the gift, we are conduits for its use. I choose to believe it is a powerful force capable of improving the quality of peoples' lives and I put that belief into practice every day. After 50 plus years, I've finally figured out why I am here. Now I have the next 50 to practice and get it right. |
Greetings!
Having this newsletter is turning out to be theraputic! It's a wonderful way for me to gather my thoughts and to share ideas on design and decorating.
This month's feature article speaks about my approach to Managed Chaos Decorating, an oxymoron, or so you might think,...read on below.
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"The real questions are: Does it solve a problem? Is it serviceable? How is it going to look in ten years?"
Charles Eames
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3 Things to do with Your "Bad Paint" Collection, or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hire A Decorator
The famous pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock was famous for
saying that "there are no bad children, just bad behaviors". I am fond of
taking a page from Dr. Spock in saying that there are no bad paint colors, just
colors used badly.
All of us have in our basements or garages, unused cans of
paint from a "what was I thinking" purchase! Some of us have enough to open our
own paint store (j/k), but there is usually at least a quart of a color
purchased which did not meet expectations...
What to do with all those unwanted paints? Before they
become totally unusable because of rust or spoilage here's a short list of
alternatives.
1) donate
to a woman's shelter
2) donate
to a local theater group or school
3) dry
up the paints either by adding a siccative or by leaving the lids off and send
to the landfill (latex only)
Spring cleaning is liberating. If the color(s) aren't
working for you, they just aren't working for you. Chalk it up to experience
gained and pass the stuff along to someone who can use it. Even a rose is a
weed if it's in a place where it's unwanted. It's the same with paint color.
There's no glory in living with something which gives you no pleasure or worse
yet, gives you indigestion.
Choosing the right color(s) is very complicated. Even if
you've matched your furnishings to your wall color it's still easy to come up
with paint that just isn't right. Far more than matching, professional color specification
uses the science of optics and the knowledge of human perception along with your
personal preferences and furnishings to come up with a palette uniquely yours.
Maybe you think that a professional color consultation will
be expensive but I would ask what the cost is of unwanted paint or in living in
a space you don't like. Everyone deserves to feel good; it's a basic human
need. Allow yourself the permission to live in a space you truly love to be in,
one which has been tailored specifically for you.
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Managed Chaos Decorating
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The quiet colors and spare character
of decorating today reflects our knee-jerk reaction to a world of "too much".
All is good you might think as this reaction is stemming from our need to
protect ourselves...except for one thing, we have thrown the baby out with the
bath water. This desire for simplicity at the hands of a generic approach still
does not satisfy the needs of the individual. Many of my clients have followed
the recipe to a "T" but still feel that "something is missing", or that it's
"just not quite right".
(click to read more about managed chaos decorating)
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Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature (Natural Home & Garden)
by Carol Venolia by Lark Books
Paperback
List Price:
$24.95
Our Price:
$13.25
Universal Principles of Design
by William Lidwell by Rockport Publishers
Hardcover
List Price:
$40.00
Our Price:
$24.80
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I would be remiss in not mentioning the expiration (soon) of Hunter Douglas' current generous rebate program. If you place your order with me before April 30 there is still time to save hundreds if not thousands of $$$ on some of Hunter's best loved shades and shadings...check out the deals and call me today!
508-655-3033
Colorfully yours,
Beverly Ferguson
The Reflective Designer |
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