How can you not love these two??
Category Archives: Interior Design
An interior-lover’s dream – Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio
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I just went to the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox, MA and, as I’m someone who loves anything to do with interior spaces and art, it was simply a dream. The house is situated on a big wooded lot and it’s a ten-minute walk through a little forest from the parking lot to get to the house. A fairly nondescript building from the outside (as is typical of that modern international style), it is boxy, white, and has old metal frame windows. George Morris and Suzy Frelinghuysen, the couple that built the house and studio, were both abstract artists inspired by Braque, Leger, Gris, and Picasso. The house is full of their own works, along with works by artists they looked up to.
The entrance to the house includes a beautiful small circular staircase with an abstract black metal railing. On the curved wall behind the staircase is an abstract fresco painted by George Morris in vibrant colors. The dining room, off to the left of the entrance, was designed by Suzy Frelinghuysen and it is rather dark. There are only two small light sources, the idea being to use candles and the fireplace for light. On the way to the living, which is to the right of the entrance, is a little bar with very cool shelving along the curved wall for the liquor bottles. The living room has a leather-tiled floor, a spacious 12-foot ceiling, zebra print sofas, two frescos by Morris on the main wall, one on each side of the fireplace, and an abstract stone carving above the fireplace, also designed by Morris. Upstairs are three bedrooms and a small gallery space displaying works of art. The narrow hallway is also lined with abstract works of art. I can’t forget to mention Morris’s studio, which is a large space at the end of the hallway with lots of light. Now a gallery space that only displays works of art, it was once Morris’s studio where he, and probably his wife Suzy, spent a considerable amount of time working on their art.
Because the couple was very affluent and of a certain social class, descendants of our nation’s founding fathers, they didn’t have to worry about holding traditional jobs and were able to focus their lives on painting and introducing modern art to the United States in the 1940s and 50s.
The house is a spectacular example of modern architecture and design and it was simply a feast for my eyes. Every turn and every room contain surprising and interesting details to gawk at. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the house, but you can see a nice gallery of the interior on the house & studio’s website. It’s definitely worth the visit if you ever find yourself in western Massachusetts!
NeoCon 2016
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I just got back from NeoCon, an annual Interior Design conference held at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and I’m still unwinding from the madness/excitement/whirlwind that is NeoCon. I’ve had an interest in Interior Design since I was little, and it started with countless afternoons spent rearranging the furniture in my room. And someday I might wonder why I develop back problems…anyway, this was my first Interior Design conference and it definitely gave me some good insight into what the industry is really like at the highest level. While I love aesthetics, especially when related to interior spaces, I felt like the conference was eye-opening, and not necessarily in the best way. The conference included hundreds of booths showing off their products, designers dressed to the T, seminars about various design topics, and all the showrooms were open for people to meander in and out of.
The Interior Design industry, and practicing Interior Design, is fun, but there is a certain level of superficiality about it that I’m struggling with. While picking out paint colors and tiles and fabrics is fun, sometimes I ask myself, “What are we really doing here besides making things look pretty?” Again, while this is very fun, I worry how much it’s actually contributing to society and what good it’s really doing. Another thing is, that it is only an affluent clientele that can afford to hire an Interior Designer, therefore resulting in providing a service that caters only to the rich. Furthermore, as a designer, you might have a certain style, but the client for whom you are working might have a very different style, and you have to cater to that style, even if you happen to hate it.
All of these components of Interior Design have started to weigh on my mind as I’ve gained more exposure to the industry, and I find myself questioning if it’s really the industry for me, despite the fact that I love looking at and putting together beautiful spaces. It’s a complex and competitive business, akin to the fashion industry, which makes it difficult to make one’s way in.
On the flip side, what is inspiring about Interior Design is creating spaces that will inspire those for whom you are creating them. Helping clients see their space in a new way and teaching them how to coordinate certain things, or bringing in pieces they would not have thought of on their own, arranging things to make a space more functional, or completely redefining a space, and giving them the luxury to enjoy and feel comfortable in the space they call home are all aspects of Interior Design that can be rewarding (and fun)!
Kitchen backslashes
0I recently saw the movie, Mother’s Day, and while not a great movie, it was at least entertaining. What did hold my attention though were the kitchens! As a lover of all things related to Interiors, I was so distracted during the scenes that took place in kitchens because all I could focus on was the backsplash or the light fixtures. What also sparked my interest was the fact that one of the characters is an Interior Designer and lands an awesome project, pictured below (interior designer on the right and awesome client on the left). If only it was that easy! Unfortunately I can’t find any pictures of the kitchens, but I guess you’ll just have to see the movie to know what I’m talking about!
Interiors
0Ever since I was little I can remember spending afternoons with friends after school rearranging the furniture in our bedrooms. I suppose I should have known then to pursue a career in Interior Design, but alas, I studied other things in college when I thought I wanted a life in academia. Now, after going to grad school for the humanities, I am finally realizing that I do indeed want to follow my dream of working with interior spaces in some way. Without having a degree in Interior Design, I am looking for other ways to gain experience in the field to start, namely the retail side of design, and then maybe eventually become certified in design. Meanwhile, I am teaching myself on how to use the popular Google modeling program, SketchUp, which is a lot of fun!
Several years ago when I was in college, I set out to photographically capture the way that I had decorated my childhood bedroom at the time. Here are some snippets from that time in my life, which I think only reinforce my love of interior spaces and what one can do to crete them, fill them, decorate them, and enjoy them.
Christmas 2015
0Not unlike others, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays – not because of all the presents, but because of the opportunity to decorate the house with cherished decorations – both ones that have been in the family for generations, as well as new ones picked up every year to add to the collection. Let’s not forget the scent of fir trees that permeates the house, from the actual tree and candles prominently placed in every room. These are just some of my favorite decorations from this year, because Christmas doesn’t have to be over quite yet!
Some more renovation projects
0A couple more renovation projects in my grandparents’ house for which I only have after pictures.
Dining Room
Master bathroom
Some renovation projects
0My grandparents’ house in the Berkshires, where I lived for one year while working before I went to graduate school, was completely redone – if not fully gutted, at least redecorated. Two bathrooms were gutted, everything but cabinets were renovated in the kitchen, and the rest of the house was removed of wallpaper, painted, re-carpeted, re-floored, re-roofed, and landscaped. I had so much fun picking out all the materials, colors, and rearranging furniture to make the rooms more functional. Some of the renovations were very long processes, but seeing the way the spaces transformed over time was very rewarding. It goes beyond a simple aesthetic pleasure for me. My surroundings heavily influence my mood, productivity, and overall well-being. So not only were these projects fun to work on, they also made me feel like I was creating something – constructing a life.
Here are some before and after pictures of some of the rooms.
My Bedroom Before
My Bedroom After
The Study Before
The Study After
Guest Bedroom #1 Before
Guest Bedroom #1 After
Guest Bedroom #2 Before
Guest Bedroom #2 After
Basement Before
Basement After
Kitchen renovation
1While living in my grandparents’ home last year, I had a lot of fun working on some renovation projects. The kitchen was by far the biggest (and most expensive) of the projects, but also the one that has been the most rewarding. It’s definitely a pleasure to cook in this kitchen now!
Before
During the renovation process
After
Apartment living on a student budget
0Who said you can’t have a cute apartment while living on a student budget? As I’m very interested in Interiors, I care about creating cute, inspiring spaces for myself. However, I have also been a student this past year and knew that I couldn’t spend a lot of money decorating my first apartment. But, by combining vintage family pieces and buying low-cost pieces, I was able to create a comfortable, uplifting space.
gooollysandra 