Browse Month: September 2018

Tastemakers: Talents Shine in New Lighting Designs

What happens when a few — whose combined talents consist of graphic design, photography, advertising, hospitality, large ideas, revenue, woodworking and engineering — get together? If they’re Adam Policky and Dawn Hagin, of Portland, Maine, they wind up heritage a studio which makes unique and beautiful lighting.

The couple met in 1994 when operating to get the exact same graphic design business in San Francisco. They proceeded to begin Rare Brick, a firm that specializes in photographing, branding and advertising boutique hotels. While they excelled at this work, “I needed to work with my palms and I had had enough of sitting in front of my computer for eight hours,” Policky says. The hospitality sector inspired the new enterprise, as a few of their initial commissions were to design site-specific lighting fixtures for their boutique-hotel clients. Thus, Inspired Wire Studios was born.

The few today layouts fittings for many different clients, from their original hospitality clients to private owners and retail and gallery spaces. Combining Hagin’s tendency to say, “Would not it be cool if…” with Policky’s photographer’s knowledge of mild — and the capability to make just about any idea come to life — has resulted in a group of special and truly inspired bits.

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Launched Wire Studio

Launched Wire Studio

This playful fixture, also known as the Bübingarang, was made for Policky and Hagin’s dining area. The boomerang shape pays homage to mid-century contemporary design, and it is crafted from a beautiful African rosewood known as bubinga (thus the name of the fixture). The piece shows us a lot about the manner Policky and Hagin collaborate. They brainstorm together, come up with a sketch, and Policky builds the fixture while Hagin scouts fabrics and makes the lampshades.

A conversation I had with Policky and Hagin showed me much about the way that they design.

Policky: One of the fantastic things about this piece is the equilibrium. When designing the pole, I needed to balance the burden in order not to put pressure on the junction box…
Hagin: He studied physics.
Me: I wasjust thinking he must have a degree in engineering.
Hagin: He has that rare right brain/left brain equilibrium.
Me: I had been thinking that when he said “junction box.”

The point is, there’s a great deal more to every piece than one notices at first. The Bübingarang ($920) is a bit that Inspired Wire offers as part of their current product lineup, they want to develop along with the custom bits they craft.

Launched Wire Studio

Launched Wire Studio

This next bit, the Zero-C Floor Lamp, was designed for the owner of a eclectic studio. The area it was intended for functioned double-duty for a place to present to clients in addition to the proprietor’s own amusement area.

At 5′ 9″, the lamp includes a impressive presence. The lamp includes a distinct look when seen head-on; its curved shape is undetectable from this angle.

Launched Wire Studio

The Zero-C (beginning at $850) is a excellent example of one of Inspired Wire Studio’s signature moves, mixing metal and wood. In cases like this, it’s a mingling of oiled maple and stainless steel. Policky’s foray to metalcrafting is a recent development. “There’s something elemental about melting two pieces of metal together,” he says.

Though the Zero-C’s beginning was inspired by the site and the customer’s needs, it is now a regular yet customizable bit for them. If you purchase one, they’ll probably want to change something about the materials, lampshade or perhaps just the color of the cord for a nod into your space and style.

Launched Wire Studio

In terms of guidelines, the client had a cherry maple dining table and desired uniformity through the open space. “The client actually sent us a CAD file of the entire building, so I was able to put each light into a 3-D model to inspect the scale,” says Policky. Rectilinear shapes and warm forests carried through each of the light fixture layouts, providing continuity, in spite the fittings’ very different appearances.

Launched Wire Studio

This Washington D.C. condominium was a full job for the bunch. This client had admired their outsized drum pendants in a resort in the Poconos and hired them to design all of his light fixtures.

The JFG table lamp ($520), is a lesson in scale and site-specific design. In 39″, it’s taller than your normal table lamp, yet its own scale and proportions are fantastic for the space.

Launched Wire Studio

All these JFG Wall Sconces are just another wonderful blend of metal and steel and rectangles and curves. A metal frame surrounds a cherry wood plank using a delicate bird’s-eye maple inlay. Perforated steel cages curve round the bulbs. Policky and Hagin are enormous fans of Marconi lightbulbs, which exude a beautiful warm glow.

Launched Wire Studio

This two-drum JFG Chandellier ($1,260) over the dining table is a fantastic mixture of metal and wood. It also floats in an eye catching manner, reiterating Policky’s curiosity about the physics of suspension.

Launched Wire Studio

The significant fixture at the entryway was one of Hagin’s “Would not it be cool if…” ideas called The S-Curve. She initially sketched out the plan on a napkin. While her original layout had a metallic curve wrapped around two drum colors, an alteration was made to fit this site.

“Because it was to get a hallway which leads down to a common area, we needed it for a dramatic piece,” Hagin describes. Inside this entryway, the six pendants supply more play and lend a rhythm into a space meant to be moved through.

In 68″ long, the S-Curve ($3,480) is rather hefty, but Policky’s knack for physics lets it hang from the center of the piece without wobbling. Two additional hanging points eliminate spinning.

Launched Wire Studio

Here’s a closer look in the S-Curve. They chose acrylic to encircle the bulbs since it’s lighter than glass, and because of its very contemporary uniformity. “Glass has beautiful stripes, but they can be distracting,” clarifies Policky. Again, Marconi bulbs are utilized to provide off a calm light.

Launched Wire Studio

A finishing touch for the condo was the Monogram Shadowbox ($620). “The area away from the customer’s condo has two doors; one which extends into to the living space and another that leads into a utility area,” says Hagin. “He desired us to help direct people to the ideal door.” The pair looked for their expertise with hotels for the response, gleaning inspiration to the way hotel door numbers are marked.

“That is a highly customizable bit,” says Hagin. “The insert slides into grooves, so there can be multiple inserts created for every fixture.” It can exhibit initials, a house number or office name. The combination of the birch wood framework with rippled plexiglass and perforated steel provides visitors a hint at what awaits behind the front door.

Launched Wire Studio

Moving on to a different home, we spy the Bulbs at a Cage Drum ($640) from the entryway. It holds a half dozen Marconi lightbulbs at a perforated drum. They can transform the room based on the sum of other light and the good time of day. “The O-shapes from the steel produce short vertical lines all around the walls and the ceiling,” says Hagin.

“I added the timber veneers (in the top of the cylinder) since I needed to do something different than what was expected,” says Policky. This size functions as a dramatic lighting in an entryway. They’ve a smaller version in their own house.

Launched Wire Studio

These His & Hers Floor Lamps ($650) were inspired by “a chair the client had that has been Eames-ish,” clarifies Hagin. “It had a square seat and glancing at an angle.”

“We utilized the same-sized structural crossbar on the mild which the chair had,” says Policky. He crafted the initial lamp out of stainless steel (abandoned). “The client saw the lamp and loved it so much he wanted another lamp,” says Policky. “I made the exact same lamp but mimicked it in wood instead of steel.”

While these lamps have identical silhouettes, one is made of hard stainless steel, the other from delicate curly maple. The same structure was achieved using very different materials.

So, what will the future hold for Inspired Wire Studio? “Building our own studio has been a labor of love,” says Hagin. The company is growing and the few are looking to make this their fulltime gig.

Hagin and Policky appreciate the advantages of living in Portland, which, as well as its beauty, include a community of people and city support for small companies. They aspire to expand and use additional craftspeople to help them produce their work. I look forward to seeing what they do.

More:
Sculptor Susan Wallace Turns Screen Doors Into Art
Design Tastemaker: Jared Rusten
Tastemaker: Asaf Weinbroom, Lighting Designer

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Houzz Tour: 19th-Century Farmhouse Becomes Home for 5

When she was growing up in her small hometown in Western New York, Susan Duane would push with a beautiful farmhouse just minutes from her home and daydream about what it’d be like to reside. “There was something about it,” she says. “I couldn’t ever really go by without looking at it. I probably said’I love that house’ countless times to anyone who’d listen.” Not long after she got married, the home went up for sale for the very first time in almost 30 decades. Duane and her husband jumped on it, and was able to seal the deal with the owner the very day that they went to go see it.

Now, Duane — who chronicles her home adventures on the site Enjoy of Home — has lived in this home with her husband and 3 children for 12 decades. The home was constructed in 1890, therefore there was a lot of work. But after several big renovations, she’s managed to make her dream house the perfect home.

Susan Duane

The house is very much a traditional farmhouse, therefore Duane stuck with this frame when decorating. As an older home, it consistently has some task that needs a little extra attention. Since Duane and her family have lived here, they’ve replaced the roof, the majority of the windows, the heating, and renovated the kitchen and the fantastic room.

A classic dining table, chairs and armoire painted in a retro-friendly turquoise brightens the backyard. The chalk-painted flowerpots hold fresh herbs for family meals.

Duane loves to visit estate sales and small local stores to locate furniture for her home. A number of the pieces in her house are refinished, such as several beautiful hand-me-downs from her grandparents.

The back porch looks out over the house’s expansive backyard, perfect for Duane’s kids. Since it is enclosed, the distance could be used year round. Duane designated multiple seating areas for optimal after-dinner entertaining.

A porch swing rests with a small dining table and chairs on front porch, inviting visitors to the front entry. A large jute rug is excellent for this transitional space between the indoors and the outdoors.

Traditional Ralph Lauren wallpaper in the dining room suits the house’s 19th-century origins. A crocheted tablecloth out of Duane’s grandmother matches the walllpaper’s tan hue. Duane completed the look of the room using a traditional chandelier and classic art on the walls.

Background: Ralph Lauren
dining table and chairs: Ethan Allen

Susan Duane

Once they moved in, Duane and her husband decided to fully re-do the kitchen. Off-white cabinets with gas have been selected for their classic, farmhouse feel. A personalized hood was designed to blend in with all the cabinets’ design; white beadboard tile was set up on the counter tops, and simple iron lighting fixtures were picked out of a local light shop.

Countertops: Granite
Cabinetry: Kahle’s Kitchen
Backsplash: The Tile Shoppe
Barstools: Ballard Designs

The kitchen space extends into a large living room, which includes this eat-in space. This is where Duane’s family spends most of their time, and where guests often congregate.

The kitchen table and seats have a much more relaxed feel compared to more formal dining room, due in part to Duane’s decision to set a bench on one side of the dining table. The seats are a mix — 2 are new purchases, and 2 are refinished hand-me-downs out of Duane’s grandparents.

Table: Henry & Co..
Bench: Ballard Designs

Susan Duane

The simple, casual living room is more of a sitting area for guests than a place where the family hangs out. A mixture of Pottery Barn furniture and an armchair out of her grandmother gives it a personalized look. A beautiful wool runner around the staircase keeps feet warm and adds a subtle piece of layout.

Chair: Pottery Barn
Chairs: Pottery Barn
Rug: Pottery Barn
Table lamps: Pottery Barn, Target
Chest of drawers: Pottery Barn

Susan Duane

This beautiful wallpaper in the bathroom was already in this room when Duane and her husband purchased the home. A friend found virtually identical fabric at Calico Corners and sewed curtains with gingham trim to provide a little solitude.

Susan Duane

Duane’s son’s bedroom was designed with an increasing boy in mind — it is a room that could easily last him throughout his teens. A subtle blue hue is boyish and flexible, and the vinyl decal can easily be taken down if desired. The bedframe was Duane’s grandfather.

Decal: Etsy

Susan Duane

Like the rest of the home, the master bedroom is a soft mixture of superbly worn pieces and a mild and soothing color palette. A couple dark accents include contrast to the almost all-white space. The bedframe is wooden, but Duane recently made it white to mix with the rest of her bedroom .

Bedframe: Ethan Allen
Bedding: Martha Stewart,Target self-made throw pillows
Armoire: Ethan Allen
Cabinets: Target

A mudroom within the home’s entrance collects your children’s daily odds and ends until they wind up in a pile on the ground. Assigned cubbies and baskets from Target help keep things neat and clean. A window seat provides a place to pull dirty shoes before walking to the house. Duane coated the cushion herself and made the pleated skirt.

Baskets and cushions: Target

Susan Duane

“I love being home more than anywhere else, so I needed it to feel relaxed, cozy and comfortable,” says Duane.

It’s been over a decade because she and her husband first saw the”For Sale” sign on the house, and it’s truly evolved into a home. “I can not imagine being anywhere else. I think it was just meant to be,” she says.

More Houzz Tours:
A Sweet Southern Makeover

Light and Lovely Home with a Distinctive History

Mobile, Modern Farmhouse

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The Faux Fireplace: A Year-Round Home Accessory

Because I reside in a tropical island, I don’t have any need for a fireplace, but I really like. A fireplace serves as an ideal point within a place because it can be decorated in many ways.

Determined to have the impression of a fireplace during the holidays in my house, I chose to bring a make-believe mantle to my family room. Below are strategies and some examples for implementing a faux fireplace of your own.

The Painted Room

Think about leaving it sporadically, when you find that enviable mantle. This faux fireplace wasn’t painted. Rather, its normal texture of stripped pine brings a rustic aura and patina style into the living room.

Dreamy Whites

For people who wish to put in a faux fireplace which doesn’t catch all the attention, a coat of new paint is going to do just fine. In an all-white scheme like this one, the snowy ring stays silent, employed as a gorgeous base for mementos and ranges.

Dreamy Whites

In a different shot of the identical mantle, we can observe every detail of this item. Itworks with the shabby and rustic.

Cke interior design llc

If the idea of a make-believe fireplace leaves you overlooking the warmth and allure of fire, place candles inside. Add some lighting for a room that is romantic and cozy.

Here is another take on the candlelight thought, where candles are positioned on different levels to add drama.

Hann Builders

Get creative by adding touches of style. Blue tiles adorn an archway within this “hacienda kitchen”

Two Story Cottage

You can fill your chimney with whatever else. A mirror placed inside this tiled fireplace adds measurement and also an unexpected reflection of this room.

SFGIRLBYBAY

A faux fireplace can also frame an interesting accessory, like this seat with books piled onto it. With so many ways to utilize them, I can not wait to have my own faux fireplace. Wish me luck!

Can you get a faux fireplace? Please discuss a picture of it below. I would love to see it!

More:
Ensure Your Fireplace the Focal Point

Design Details: Tiled Fireplace Surrounds

Surround Your Fireplace With Brick, Tile or Stone

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Organizing Trick: Hooks for Hanging Clothes

Years ago, I seen a trendy organizing idea in a buddy’s apartment. She owned a massive collection of jeans, which can be bulky to keep in a dresser drawer. So instead, she chose to hang them metal hooks in her bedroom. The hooks maintained her jeans neatly from the ground, and the row of jeans lining the wall actually looked pretty rad. The chances for hooks are really limitless. Below are some suggestions about the best way best to use a few hooks to help organize your wardrobe.

ZeroEnergy Design

This Shaker-style hook rack generates an orderly place to hang jackets and some sporting gear, while the cubbies give extra storage.

Janice Peters, Distinctive Decor

Some of my baby girl’s clothing are so adorable that I have considered this idea: hang up a couple of favorite dresses. It keeps everything nice and lovely — and the clothes double as wall decor.

Erich Ginder Ghost Antlers – $309

Ghost antler hooks mounted on the wall create a modern spot to hang up your coat.

TIP: Hooks is both functional and decorative. Consider how you need to utilize your hooks until you mount them that will allow you to decide the spacing for a pair of hooks. If you plan to use all of the hooks in a functional fashion, consider the length of time the clothes will hang down so that which doesn’t look jumbled together.

Gast Architects

Mount a lineup of hooks beneath a floating shelf, and you have an instant hook platform for hanging up your clothes and towel as you shower.

LDa Interiors & Architecture

If you do not have a separate mudroom, the best spot to hang a couple hooks is right next to the front door. That way you have a place to drop off your luggage, shoes, and jacket — and also you won’t track dirt via your residence.

Cosmetic Outburst

This colorful iconic Eames hook rack will never go out of style. The hooks display a enjoyable, mod soul whether you’re decorating a child’s room or your front entryway.

Tim Cuppett Architects

Every home doesn’t come complete with a full size Martha-style mudroom. However, you still need a place to hang your hat and coat at the end of a day. Hooks up high and a little bench below create a functional mudroom space from the corner of an entryway.

A system of hooks on your entryway makes it effortless to keep track of hats, hats, and winter accessories.

TIP: Hanging up your gear isn’t just about looking organized. Wet winter hats and scarves will dry out faster if they’re hung up.

This idea works for the kiddos and the grownups: hang up the outfit that you wish to use tomorrow so getting ready in the morning is that much simpler (and faster.) And hanging up your day’s outfit on a pretty hook makes your clothes feel a bit more special.

TIP: For floral hooks similar to the one shown here, have a look at Pier1 Imports.

Cosmetic Outburst

Following is a way to provide your kiddos the organizing bug from the start. Hang the hook rack at their level so that they are easily able to hang up their jackets and hats at the close of the day (all by themselves.)

Anthropologie

Bract Hook – Anthropologie.com – $24

This brass hook has a vintage style and would look right at home in a bath, bedroom, or entryway. I like how this pretty hook appears strong — I do not wish to have to be delicate with hanging up my things.

Anthropologie

Schoolroom Hook Rack – $88

This really is that wooden rack with the just-right metallic hooks that I’ve seen in so many design books and always adore. Sure, the hook rack isn’t vintage — but who’ll ever know?

More: Produce a Makeshift Mudroom
DIY: Create a Cool Modern Coat Hook

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Design Approaches: Fabric With Tea and Finishing Furniture

Nightwood has been one of my beloved Brooklyn designers for years. Their furniture blurs the line between rustic and contemporary in a means that appears so harmonious in the home. Recently Nightwood designers Nadia and Myriah are experimenting with the art of moms dying. I’m such a lover — the tea gives the wood and the cloths such a distinctive end. Nightwood recently opened a store in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn to home their designs. Here is a peek at a few of their tea-dyed pieces.

Would you believe you are able to dye timber with tea? This cupboard showcases the subtle colour effect of tea-dying. Additionally, it is a excellent alternate to paints and stains.

Here are the results of tea-dying fabrics for furniture reupholstery. The effect reminds me of a modern take on tie-dye. I’d really like to embrace this chair!

From afar, you can tell that tea-dyed wood furniture has a unique quieter colorway than other timber furniture. The subtle difference is that it is a little more grey in tone than many unpainted woods.

Up close, you can see that dyeing timber with tea highlights the beauty of the patterns in the timber. This end adds a lovely natural decorative to a room.

Many of the textiles that Nightwood functions with the tea dye treatment today, including these pillows.The tea-dyeing adds a simple wash of colour to the textiles.

More:
Immediate Fix: Refresh Your Furniture with Some Punchy Paint
Thought of the Week: Give Old Furniture a Beautiful Dip
Style Dilemma: How Do I Modernize Your Own Cedar Walls?

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Street Smarts: Create Wall Art

At the Brooklyn gourmet provisions shop, Radish, there is an art board for each of the four seasons. Each board features examples of the vegetables and fruits in season today. The growing movement to consume local and eat in-season veggies and fruits has crossed into art in more ways than one. Here, a Couple of favorite examples of art to inspire us to consume what is available at the farmers’ market:

At the Brooklyn gourmet shop, Radish, you are going to find that this huge art board with examples of all the in-season vegetables and fruits.

Here’s a closer shot of this produce wall art. I adore the bright pops of color against the dark background of this board.

Click ahead for more ways to deliver a create theme to your kitchen.

Etsy

Farmers’ Market 2011 Nasturtium Flower, Hand Printed by YeeHaw – $30

Celebrate the stunning fruits and veggies you may find at the farmers’ market with this retro design print by Yee-Haw.

Etsy

Summer Fruit Print – $50

Artist Claire Nereim creates amazing prints along with her whimsical drawings of vegetables and fruits. My favorite is her summer print — love the splash of summer colors for all the fruits.

Etsy

You Pick 5 Single Cards by YeeHaw on Etsy – $20

These farmer’s market cards could easily be framed as wall art. The letterpress examples of fruit and veggies in the farmers’ market would make a wonderful series of mini prints to hang in the kitchen.

Etsy

Seasonal Vegetables of California by Claire Nereim – $50

Claire Nereim’s calendar takes you through the entire year with seasonal veggies from California featured on each month. What a perfect present for any Californian at heart.

Etsy

Place of 4 Seasons Tea Towels – $52

Tea towels often have such cool layouts, you could say the towel are usable art to dress up your kitchen. These four seasons tea towels are made by Brooklyn artist Claudia Peterson.

Etsy

Seasonal Prints by juliaspoppies on Etsy – $35

Here is another artist’s take on prints featuring the fresh produce available. Each print has a different color palette which taps into the vibe of this season.

Etsy

Winter Fruit Print – $50

Claire Nereim’s Winter art print is too amazing not to discuss, too. (Such as the seasons, it is difficult to select a favorite.) This print includes hand-drawn winter-harvested fruits. So many interesting ones for winter — believe pomegranates, blood oranges, and grapefruits.

Rifle Paper Co..

2012 Fruit Calendar – $16

Artist Anna Bond created this stunning hand-drawn calendar which includes another fruit for every month of this year in her iconic painterly style. I love the rustic jute twine which is included with the calender for hanging it up.

Etsy

Buy Local Coloring Book – $8

What a novel idea — a coloring book that gives children clues regarding what veggies and fruits are in season and available at your farmer’s market. Children can have fun with it and color a pink eggplant. A webpage out of this coloring book is guaranteed to make the cut art to hang on the refrigerator.

Etsy

Tomato Poster Hurricane Irene Fundraiser – $25

I wish I’d wall space in my own kitchen for this cool print of all the various greenmarket tomatoes. And the poster really helps a good cause — for each poster purchased, $5 will be donated to Greenmarket’s Hurricane Relief Fund. An estimated 80 percent of Greenmarket farmers have been impacted by the storm, with roughly 10 percent reporting a severe loss of their crop.

More: Easy art setup ideas

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