News from Metropolitan Interiors

December 2011

Happy Holidays!

This season is a time for joy, celebration, re-kindling friendships, and enjoying the warmth of your home. This newsletter features an article on ways your home can nurture you and your family, highlights of a treasured bathroom remodel, and another Art Review by Julie Ann.

As I begin to bring in this new season, I can not help but reflect on the rich memories of the past year. Both personally and professionally, it has been a productive year! It has been very busy at Metropolitan Interiors and I am grateful that 2011 has been filled with not only new relationships, but also the renewal of previous work relationships back into my life. On a personal note, I celebrated my son's Bar Mitzvah and have been traveling more, which I will continue into the New Year. Looking forward to 2012, I am excited to work on a new home in Laguna Beach, California. I am proud to announce that Metropolitan Interiors is celebrating 20 years in business! Please look for special sales for customer appreciation and an open house celebration party. Keep an eye out for more updates on the 20-year celebration in 2012.

This fall I am also pleased to announce that Victoria Mott, our design associate, became certified in Feng Shui. She will also be available for Feng Shui consultations, as well as full service interior design work. Read more about her biography.

Warmest Regards,

Julie Ann

Click on image to see additional details.Treasured Bathroom

"Ordinary to Extraordinary"

Concept

Before Image

The client's desire was a fancy bathroom for her daughter, which expressed her daughter's personality and interests. The daughter (16) has sophisticated tastes, loves art and is an artist herself, taking life drawing courses. She enjoys French design and delights in beautiful materials. The client also wanted it to flow with the rest of the lower level suite, including the guest room and her daughter's recently remodeled bedroom. These areas are decorated with grey tones, soft accent colors, wall textures, and feminine touches. Other objectives discussed were creating a more open and uplifting feel, using modern fixtures and adding storage.

Solution

To start the project, we opened up the space by taking out the door separating the two areas, and adding an archway over the doorway. This made it feel larger. The entire shower was redesigned with new tile, and a new bench and shelf. New grey porcelain floor tile was laid out with a half drop repeat pattern. The same tile in a smaller size is incorporated onto the shower wall in an angled pattern. Beautiful glass tile, used as a dominant accent in the vanity area, was also repeated in the shower ceiling and accented on the shower wall, tying together two separate spaces.

After Image

Click to see larger images.

To bring in the daughter's personality, we added original artwork she helped select, including two life drawings done by a well-known artist Gary Welton, specifically known for this genre. The designer handpicked the accent pieces for the vanity, while in Paris. We brightened and dressed it up by adding the shimmery crystal vanity fixture. Tiny crystals were added onto the wall over the faux finish (see counter- close up photo) and tastefully placed throughout, to pull the room together.

After Image

Click to see larger images.

The daughter's personality is also brought in through use of feng shui elements. Of the five elements each individual has in her personality, the daughter's two dominant elements were strong water (inward, deep thinking energy) and metal (detail-oriented energy). Water is expressed in the space by the movement in the faux finish, the crystals, and the water features: fish in the artwork, the shell on top of the cabinet, the mermaid, coral and betta fish dolls. Metal is represented in the metal accents throughout and the white painted cabinets.

After Image
Click to see larger images.

Featured Details

*The exquisite counter top is made out of semi-precious quartz stones with a translucent quality. This helps to uplift the whole space.

*Extra storage was added by building in a new vanity with more drawers and adding a corner cabinet where there was dead space before. The shaped detail on the bottom of the cabinet brought in a more feminine feature.

*The dolls that float over the corner cabinet were commissioned to a local artist, highlighting the corner and balancing the space.

Nesting Phenomenon

There is no place like home. Most of us, animals included, desire our home to be one of comfort and security. I call this the "nesting phenomenon". Granted, I have yet to receive a call from a penguin looking to incorporate more warmth and color in her living space; however, many clients do inquire about making changes to create a place in which they long to be. NestingArticle

One thing I look forward to as we nestle in for the winter is the opportunity to re-evaluate my home and its belongings. In other words, "nesting". It's at an all-time high this time of year as I de-clutter, rearrange, and re-express myself through my home interior.

We all aspire to fill our spaces with beauty and things we love. Ultimately, we work to create spaces filled with positive energy. The outcome: A home that nurtures us. When we care for our spaces consciously, we give the biggest gift to loved ones and ourselves. That gift is the sacred place we call home. A place we guard from destructive negative energy.

When we remove clutter, we welcome a positive energy flow. When we take time to care for a room otherwise neglected, we welcome new opportunities. By paying attention to these details, we create a home that nurtures well-being and relationships.

Tips for "Feathering Your Nest":

Hang artwork that reflects your personality. If it doesn't speak to you, reconsider displaying it.

Change the hardware on cabinetry-something small that can drastically change a room.

Add candles. They're enchanting and can subtly affect mood and ambiance. From a feng shui standpoint, adding candles (fire element), brings you more enthusiasm and passion. Placed intentionally, they can also improve your fame, or positive reputation.

Carefully choose colors for walls, throw pillows, candles and accessories. Doing so can enhance personal success, prosperity, and balance.

For more ways to create a home that nurtures YOU, call for an appointment. With my knowledge and passion for feng shui, partnered with my love for design, we can make your home into the sacred "nesting" space you deserve!

Art Reviews by Julie Ann

I would like to share with you a recent review I did on Marcia Soderman's artwork Bayfield as published in Tosca Magazine. The article is below. Enjoy!

Julie Ann Segal, President of Metropolitan Interiors in Minneapolis, comments on the art piece Bayfield by Midwest artist Marcia Soderman. Bayfield is acrylic on unstretched canvas mounted on birchboard measuring at 43" by 60". Marcia painted Bayfield because she goes to Bayfield, WI every summer and paints Lake Superior.

I love how Marcia paints water and nature as subjects. I could feel the emotion in each piece, and as I talked to her about the art it was intensified. Each piece of art that she makes is a story about what is going on in the world and in her own life. This artwork in particular is a feel good piece to show her love of water. Looking at the original artwork Bayfield in real life, there are undertones of olive and purple. I could see this piece on a soft olive wall to really make it pop and exemplify the feeling of the art. I also love Bayfield because it is so refreshing and evokes a feeling of limitless freedom and boundlessness that the artwork portrays. It truly relaxes ones senses and helps you to breathe more easily, almost like when you declutter and clean out a space to where everything is in its place, which is a feng shui concept. I would use this piece in a home or office space to help one to remember that there are lots of opportunities in life and to create a positive outlook.

A collection of all art reviews done by Julie Ann:

Metropolitan Interiors' Press Room