South Coast Bathroom Design Inspiration | White, Nickle and Taupe Colorway

I have found that my blogging is the most efficient way to put together a design board for a creative project. I spend many hours clipping digital images and sourcing the collection not only to present to my client, but to share with you as well. When it comes to a bathroom remodel it is quite a task to put together a collection of materials that will go into the finished design. I am not a huge fan of trying patterns with tile to create interest within a room. Instead, I prefer to use a range of materials in similar, or tonal color ways. In the end, I think that the finished designs have a higher level of both sophistication and visual interest.

I also like the idea of mixing old and new. In this bathroom project, you can see that there is a bit of "antique" in the rustic nature of the subway tile that will serve as the wainscoting to the room and the tile for the walls within the shower. I plan to use a modern and sleek glass door with nickel finish on the hardware. This will coordinate nicely with the nickel finish that will be on the shower heads and water controls. Instead of a tub, we are planning a larger, couples shower with dual heads and controls, in nickel from Kohler. As a special touch, the floor will be made from a collection of bleached sea stones that will add more tonal texture and wonderful feeling for the feet while my clients enjoy their new spa like master bedroom suite.

There is also a bit of antique in the use of a furniture style vanity. The floors in the room are currently oak and will remain so. I am not a huge fan of mixing a lot of different types of woods, so the use of an antique oak in the vanity will perfectly coordinate with the floor. I like the idea of a footed vanity instead of a baseboard of a toe kick to the design. I do think adding two bays of door style cabinets might both a better look and a much more functional design. I think that I may have to make a trip to Kitchen and Bath Details to discuss this design and adapting it to be both functional and beautiful.

I will finish the vanity with a clean, crisp, white carrera marble with an ogee edge. As another modern/antique juxtaposition, a polished nickel vessel sink and wall mounted faucet will provide visual balance and a sleek design flair to this exciting project.

Classic Interior Design | Creating a collection of lighting for the home

As I move along on a lovely first floor remodel and freshen up, the time has come to choose lighting fixtures which will be displayed through out the house. SO many people would choose the exact same finish for each light, or would be afraid to add a little patina and personality to this level of interior design. Given that this house is a classic Cape Cod style of home, I knew that I would not go the way of too antique or too glittery for the decorative and functional fixtures. It just would not work with the beautiful colors from lovely collection of fabrics that I have chosen to be displayed on the windows.

I think that adding these fixtures and removing the dated ones that are there now will be the finishing touch to the look and the palette that will receive all of the furniture an fabrics later on in the project. I am especially excited about using an easy transformation lighting fixture from Ballard Design that installs into an existing light fixture with out the need to hard wire it into place. While a bit limiting in the selections, the limitation is worth it to add a touch of flair to the kitchen on a design dimes instead of dollars. It is always important to consider where the hard wiring is in the ceiling before lighting fixtures are chosen. Running new lines, or drilling new holes can be expensive to patch up following the installation. I ran into this same problem in the foyer of this home. It is odd, but there is a small pendant light there, totally dated and hanging far too low. To replace with a modern and new fixture would still leave the fixture at an odd height. Instead I have chosen a very modern photographer's track lighting to run in the hall. I can see the family's portraits done by my friend Carinna Raznikov hanging there now, softly lit of course. Their bold black frames and crisp black and white images of a happy family will be the perfect pieces to highlight  the Nantucket red that I have painted the walls.

Natural Toned Interior Design Inspiration | Elizabeth Eakins Fabrics

 

I look at a ton of things on line. It seems that there is often a slight nuance of color that is missed. A shade can be the difference between dud and divine so I always like to get a first hand look when I am choosing fabrics and finishes for an interior design project. I love color when done right. I always take my cue from nature. If it does not appear naturally, then it never appears in my designs. One of my great sources of inspiration has come from the fantastic use of color at the design studio of the venerable house of Elizabeth Eakins. They have long been known for bringing the art of rug to a new level. The way that they mix colors along with their level of sophistication is an instant draw for me and my clients too!

I am lucky that I am a personal friend of one of the two principals of this firm. I have been lucky enough to have been invited not only to his sumptous family home in funky Yonkers, NY but I have also been lucky enough to stay at his families sea side "cottage" at tony Point O' Woods on Fire Island, NY. Everything that I have seen, I have of course loved. His family reeks of a natural good taste that totally appeals to me. Of course, there is a heavy use of his own fabircs and rugs through his spaces, but he and his wife, who also is a doyene of style, have chosen wonderful accents through out. Of course, once I see something it is forever embedded in my memory.

I have not grown weary from looking at the incredbile selection of fabrics that Elizabeth Eakins also offers along with their extensive and artful rug collection. The Fed Ex-Man just got here with a box of samples for me to peruse over for my lastest interior design project. I am drooling trying to narrow down the perfect choices for drapery, blinds and pillows that will fill the home that I am working on.

You know that I am going to show you the photos when I am done the project. Which fabrics do you think that you will see?

 

Interior Design | A gentleman's bath

 

Many people don't believe me when I say that for the good part of my early life I lived deep in the woods, with no phone, no lights and a small yellow T.V. that ran off of a car battery. Basically a Thoreau like existence The small cottage that we all lived in was homey and simple and was warmed in the winter with the heat from the stone fireplace. We of course had a bathroom in the house ....small, with gas burning camp lanterns and cold water only. With five of us in the house, one of us was often jetting across the yard to make our way to the outhouse, which served as our second loo. We bathed in the evening in a tin tub that was given privacy by a towel draped over the chairs. My mother would heat clam kettles filled with water on the gas stove and fill the tub for us to play and bathe in. Our time in would be based on how long it took the tea kettle to warm, so it could be poured over our heads to rinse the shampoo.

My mother would haul the tub out of the back of the house, dump it and start the whole process again. She is a hell of a woman and I give her immense credit for the Laura Ingalls Wilder life that I am sure that she never imagined or dreamed of. Like the rest of us, she too, made the best of it and learned to cherish and hold dear of those early years of our family.

As I have gotten older, of course I have gotten used to the creature comforts of life. Last night, after three years of work, I finally got the bathroom of my dreams finished. I am happy that I can use my creativity and good taste to cull and pick for my own interior design. I don't have the budgets of my clients, yet I want like anyone else to have beautiful things. I am willing to stop at road sides, barter, save, beg or borrow to find just the perfect things for my own home.....and yes, I too go to the likes of Target for accessories. I can hardly believe that I found the exact shower curtains that I had in my head done in a beautiful linen. The cost of two of them was a fraction of what a clear glass door would have cost. I always use two, drawn like drapes for a more sumptuous feel.

When I sit in my oversized tub, I am 6ft5 after all, I think and then I think some more. More often than not is about how lucky I am to have such consistency in the cast of charachters that have become the story of my life. My tin tub hangs outside my office and I think of my days growing up in the woods of Rochester every time I see it, or hear it banging against the wall in stormy weather, as it is doing now.

I want to take a minute to thank my best friends Tena and Jill at Kitchen and Bath Details for their help in this bathroom design. The cabinets, the loo and the accessories and hardware in shiny nickel are just perfect. I could certainly not ask for anything more. You both are like sisters to me, always there in your own special ways ready to share a laugh, I just love you both.

And of course, to my hysterical best friend David Mikina for artisan craftiness and meticulous attention to detail. You are always there when I need you ready with a glass of wine and a good laugh. I told you the first time that I met you, that you and I would be best friends for life. Doesn't it just kill you that I was right?

 

Interior Design Fresh Fall Flowers

 

In my world there is no difference between parties, weddings, interiors and even digital design. It is all about finding functional shapes in varying colors and putting it together in a stylish way that is in good taste. I have never thought that trends are cool, I like their influence, but in the end I like pretty classicism with a twist. My feeling is that no matter how dull a room, there is nothing that can be done to bring a room to life than with fresh flowers, it should bring all the color and forms together to one comprehensive and cohesive palette.

It is a great perk of the business that sometimes we have flowers left over from an order or after a wedding. I always try to take the time to take this benefit and have them in my own house for my family's enjoyment. I know that Kevin likes them but I am not sure about Daisy and Duncan, our adorable pugs. Today I took the time to finally get my foyer in order. One of my best friends, David was kind enough to trade me some glass vases for this amazing antique cabinet that now is the show stopper of the foyer. The chairs that flank the hutch have gone through a chain of friends as hand me downs. They have now made it to my house by way of my to die for friend, Sally Hunsdorfer. They usually have a little skirt on them in stripped yellow linen. Today for the heck of it I thought that I would see how they look with the new red bead board cabinet. Two words, loving it.  I hope that you enjoy it too!

Country Club of Cape Cod

 I was so pleased to have been chosen as the interior designer to The Golf Club of Cape Cod. It was also a thrill to work alongside famed course designer, Reese Jones in the development of the last great country club of Cape Cod. The golf course opened to rave reviews from members and golf critics. Sculpted from the natural lay of the land, the course unfolds itself over some of the most stunning vistas.

I designed the club room as a showcase of furniture, fabrics and materials to be used in the construction of the main clubhouse to be built at a later date.

 

Concord Colonial Kitchen Design

 

I have known Tena and Jill of Kitchen and Bath Details my entire life. As kids, Tena and I would play designer and Jill would be hard at work on fake accounting, ringing the register and keeping Tena and I in tow. It is no surprise that today we are all pursuing our passions in the world of design and doing the same things that we did while we were kids.

I brought the girls into a design project that I recently completed in Concord, Massachusetts. I knew that they were the perfect candidates to work with on this historically inspired kitchen remodel in Concord, Massachusetts.

The home is a six bedroom grand colonial on over four acres of meticulously maintained grounds. I have had the amazing privilege to have done much of the work that I do for the family that lives in this home. I often look out the window of the kitchen and think to myself, "would I rather be playing tennis on the sprawling court or swimming laps in the heated pool?"  Neither-- I would rather be cutting flowers and polishing the silver, making sure that everything is perfect for the family. Ah, the life of the designer.

It is beautifully and gracefully appointed in every detail and really only had one major design flaw, the kitchen. The previous owners had installed cheap, white Formica cabinets and mid-grade appliances. My client and I decided that the heart of the home is the kitchen. And this kitchen needed help bad. It was important to me to pay attention to the period of the home. I wanted the kitchen to be new, but not to necessarily look as if it just came out the box. While it is modern in its appliances and convenience, the kitchen certainly pays tribute to the homes colonial roots.

I worked with Tena to come up with cabinetry and trim design that would play up the understated luxury of natural cherry cabinetry in a hand finished matte. We chose Plain and Fancy Cabinets as the perfect  choice to execute such an elegant cabinetry design. We chose to use soft white cabinetry on the island which houses the warming oven and is finished in a custom honed and antiqued granite counter top. Tena's eye to detail is amazing. I just love each and every detail that she incorporated into the finished cabinetry design. As a kid she was the princess of tap dancing, as an adult she is the queen of toe kicks.

I am sure that I drove Jill nuts, pouring through hardware catalogue after catalogue to ultimately end up using the same style that I have used on previous design project with the girls. In the end, the nickel of the handles and drawer pulls and the fabulous Kohler faucet adds that elegant, historic finishing touch that I was looking for in the design.

For me, a period look is all about lighting. Of course you want to do it in a way that accents and showcases the amazing details and work spaces of the kitchen. I also want to do it in a way that is conducive and complimentary to the overall look of the project. Nothing would have looked worse here than overdone crystal chandeliers. Instead, I had period inspired pendant lighting custom done in nickel to compliment the rest of the kitchen.

Many thanks to one of the best electricians that I have worked with, Mike Muldoon. His advice on lighting and wiring was so greatly appreciated on this project and the many other projects that we have worked on together. He is fully licensed and insured and can be reached at 774.930.6102 for all your residential and commercial electrical needs.

I love all of the finishing details that make a room come to life. In this kitchen, I chose to use an antique subway tile in soft white. I brought in my hysterically fun friend, David Mikina to execute and install the back splash and surround behind the stove. I used a signature beaded detail to make the quilted pattern behind the stove a true tile showcase.

In the end it was an amazing interior design project filled with lots of work, lots of coordination and many decisions. I am happy and lucky to have such an amazing team of friends to work with and I am so proud of the results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving back to the community

 

In the past two years, I have used my home and talents to give back to the communities that have supported my various creative endeavours. I have hosted 15 charity dinners for organizations such as The Whaling Museum, The Southcoast Hospitals Group, Tobey Hospital, The Nativity Prep School, The New Bedford Symphony, among others.

At these dinner parties, my decisions with decor have left guests speechless.  Such events have helped raise close to eighteen thousand dollars for local charities.. Take a moment to read the story of the dinner party or to peruse through photos from the latest party. These events have been some of my favorites because they combine two of my greatest passions: party planning and charity. 

 

Welcome CMP to facebook

I have found that my greatest creative moments have come with the integration of technology into my business. I have had a blast designing weddings, events and peoples homes, and love sharing my work with the world by displaying it on-line through my web site, blog and my newest addiction, Facebook. Become a fan and take a peek at literally hundreds of photos from my creative projects over the years. Share your thoughts with a comment or wallpost. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Designer follows his passion

Many thanks to Laura McLean of the Standard Times for interviewing me for this article. It was great to see it locally and in the national paper, USA today.

As a floral designer and wedding planner, Chad Michael Peters has to be concerned with details. The same applies to his home. Whether it's a flashy affair for hundreds of guests, or a small corner of his living room, his strength is capturing emotion in the settings he creates.

I visited him earlier this week in his period Fairhaven home, which is soon to become the base of his business, finding myself wrapped in seasonally inspired surroundings with many personal touches. "Green" — a catch phrase for ecologically sound practices — is an ongoing theme of my column, so I asked Chad how to define it in the context of Christmastime. His response is not surprisingly something that hearkens back to his early boyhood.

"Being green means to use what we have around the home. Having the wonderful scent in the house (of natural greens) stirs memories. It's so much better than a flashy blow-up ornament for the front yard," he said.

"From the time I was six years old — growing up in a Rochester cottage with the bare minimum of conveniences — I remember going into the woods for a half hour's walk and coming to a holly tree laden with berries you dream about. My father and I would prune a few branches, being careful to keep the tree's shape, and would use the branches for planters, garlands and wreaths."

The following year, Chad set up his own stand at Lloyd's Market, selling homemade wreaths, garlands and yule logs made from materials gathered in the woods, and completely sold out on his first day of business, something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This veneration of nature comes through in his home, shared with his mate Kevin Beaulieu. The living room is a place to unwind amid treasures collected in his travels near and far. It isn't overdone, as you might expect a decorator's domain would be. As in a well-designed garden, there are places for the eyes to rest and pleasant little "ditties" as he calls them, adding to the luscious overall picture.

"As decadent a world that I exist in for a half a year (weddings namely) "¦ there really is a humble aesthetic here. It conjures memories of family and friends." These are visually referenced in some way — through books, objects, heirlooms and in the colors and scents that nourished his early craving for the field of design.

Tea berry (gaultheria), a native plant whose berries he recalls chewing as a youngster, sits on a side table — a subtle touch of Christmas. And there are other lovely floral details set in amongst the furnishings — cut amaryllis blossoms; a bunch of "Star of Bethlehem" flowers; white and chartreuse roses; tuberoses — woven with the ubiquitous white pine of our local woods. Balsam in the form of a tree and a swag add fragrance and holiday patina, and candles and white lights give it glimmer.

He tells me that the candles are something he is developing for his own brand and this one is supposed to convey the smell of a walk through the woods, combining frankincense and patchouli, among other ingredients. The tree is tall and slender and adorned in earthy tones, bejeweled with antiques and dried pomegranates and orange slices. Family cards are displayed and lovely golden ribbons are an improved version of tinsel, adding gleam. The tree topper is a Nepalese temple finial — one of a number found in his travels. It's obvious all that he does is a labor of love.

"My heart tells me that I have to embrace my love of flowers and design. So many people go through life and ask the question, 'Why am I here?' My heart has spoken to me. I am fortunate that I get to live my dream," Chad said.


Chad is now preparing to move his business here from a Mattapoisett location opened three years ago. Despite the economy, his business has done well. In 2008 he planned 40 weddings and two major interior design projects, including a major period-inspired kitchen renovation project in Concord. Flowers are 35 percent of the business, used for floral productions for weddings, events and for day-to-day customers.

But he is venturing into associated areas, too. A transportation company resulted from the wedding work (getting people from one place to another). He devotes the same attention to detail in this realm as any other custom service. "There is a difference between a bunch of customers and a group of clients," he stated.

Another feather in his cap resulted from his contributions to charity this year. He used his multiple talents (he is also a wonderful photographer and chef) as a featured silent auction gift to host several themed dinner parties at his home. This raised $15,000 for local concerns including the New Bedford Art Museum, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, and Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford. As one might expect, his involvement is total.

"Creating is a complicated thing. It's hard to put your finger on it "¦ There are times when I'm in the midst of a project and I'm so completely over-stimulated by it that I wonder if I'm even human," he said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, another facet of his work is bringing him into television. He was chosen as the featured florist in WJAR Channel 10's Wedding Giveaway, a group of 12 vendors who give their expertise to a lucky bride and groom.

My last question seems superfluous:

"What is your appeal?"

"The end results certainly, but the passion in getting there," says Chad.