Q. Would January be a good  month for a room makeover?

A.  Maybe. Everybody loves a "makeover",  but I have to admit, it's not my favorite word. It suggests you have nothing to contribute to your own reinvention - that  someone  with "real taste"  has to come in and do you over.  Most makeovers don't stick for just that reason.

Italy And Malta Through A Designer's Eyes

 

Inspiration may come while driving to church, in a dream or in what would otherwise be considered  mundane tasks in life.  A recent trip to Italy and Malta  for an art and architecture study tour for designers and architects provided inspiration at every turn.   The journey led us to discover the  treasures of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Medieval, Gothic, Renaissance and  Baroque (whew!) architecture. Here's just a few highlights:

Taormina's Greek Theater is a testament to the strength of the arch building system vs. post and beam

Magnificent arches are seen everywhere - cathedrals, amphitheaters, fortresses and temples. Why? Because the masonry arch is much stronger than the post-and-beam system that proceeded it. Vaulted arches were first widely used by the Romans.

Its construction depends on the unified compression of a series of wedge-shaped blocks (voussoirs) set side by side in a semicircular curve. You may recognize the more substantial central voussoir as the keystone.

Is this Sorrento home painted rustic red or is it the fall colors of the mountain maple vine?

Color Alchemy

There's hardly anything more breathtaking than the rich colors of Italy. Even the grey/black volcanic ash from Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius holds a certain beauty when contrasted with straw yellow stucco, ruby red pomegranates and the luminous blues of the Mediterranean.

God Is In The Details

Naturally we were taken with the intricate marble mosaics which artisans painstakingly created often telling stories of the times in which they lived.  Some of the most notable examples can be found in St. John's Co-Cathedral which was completed in 1577 in Valetta, the capital of Malta.

Leaf borders and scroll motifs were used extensively in the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. Scrolls in particular became an integral part of the ornamental repertoire of the Imperial Corinthian order dating to 305 A.D.

Inspired by both ram horns and acanthus leaves, this Corinthian column from the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, Sicily dates back to 1135.

If you love the acanthus leaf motif as much as we do, you may be interested to know that it first appeared on friezes and soffit panels. It was later added to the rather simple Doric column to up the flourish factor.

Romans Perfected Scale and Proportion
When drawing columns, Romans expressed the height as multiples of the diameter. So if a column was 5' in diameter and 6 diameters high, that would translate to 30' high. The formula was used to keep the proportions structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing as well.

  

True or False -Throughout most of its long history, the leaf ornament generally known as acanthus is in fact an imaginary leaf adapted for many uses. See answer below.

                                        The New Year In Rhyme

• We dare you. Ditch the loveseat.   Anybody can do a matching set of furniture.   Get the best look by replacing your loveseat with two comfy upholstered chairs.  Plus it opens up your room and creates friendlier access to come and go.    
• Be aware.  Great design is never static.  Fading becomes patina, passe becomes retro and fresh designs and colors relieve  us of the monotony of stale ones.  Staying on top of design trends and bringing them home to you is one of the best parts of our job!
• Go Bare.  Let go of that mat.  Instead, let your amazing wall color show through your fave framed photo or piece of art. This technique lends an airy, floating feeling especially when used in a wall grouping of five or more frames.   
• Time to Pare. In a perfect world, every room in your home would be warm, comfortable and  inviting as well as beautiful.  Toward that end, edit furniture and accessories that no longer bring you joy or resonate with you.  It's actually easier than you think to switch out tired pieces for  one or two exceptional accent pieces that provide practical solutions such as additional  storage space.  

  Ask us about Stanley's  sleek transitional console table  from their exclusive collection for Coastal Living Magazine.

• We  care. Are you or someone you know going through a change? Sometimes even happy life events can be a bit stressful. Like remodeling or moving to a new home. Or creating a special place for a new baby or grandbaby. We're specialists in realigning your existing space to meeting your changing needs.     

True or False Answer:

False.  Some say the acanthus, one of the oldest flowers in the Mediterranean area, represents long life. Here's a pic of the real deal. 

And if you love flowers, Italy is heaven.  Similar to Houston's Zone 9, plumbagos, begonias, oleanders, bougainvilleas and periwinkles provide a wonderful frame for Italy's intrinsic beauty. 

Even though it's common to think a chandelier only belongs in a dining room, now is a great time to consider other rooms that can benefit from their magical glow. 

 

Here's the basic rules to make the right choice. 

1. Add your room dimensions together to get the diameter your chandelier needs to be.  For example, if your room is 12' x 16', the proper size would be about 28" in diameter.   

2. When using a chandelier over a table, be sure to install it at least 30" above the table surface to avoid casting a glare in the eyes of those who are seated there. 

3.  If there are windows in the room, try centering the chandelier so that it can be seen from the outside. 

4. Choose a finish that works with other finishes in your room.  Let's say you're considering a chandelier in your master bath.  If your lavatory fixtures and cabinet hardware are oil rubbed bronze, then go with a similar old world finish.