Designer Inspiration/Trends

Trust us: Cozy Comfort

We always tell our clients to “trust us” when it comes to certain furniture pieces as it relates to comfort and coziness. It is hard to buy something you have not sat on or seen in person. As designers, we have researched products thoroughly before we recommend them. I recently suggested a sofa and two chairs to a client, on good faith she trusted me. After installing them she was impressed, mentioning that I could not have picked a more comfortable sofa. Not only was the sit perfect, but it looked fantastic, too. As a designer, I have found Pearson Furniture to be one of the best lines out there. I have sat on many of their frames and the following chair and sofa have got to be the best around. I don’t think you could go wrong with anything offered by this company. Please visit their website at http://www.pearsonco.com/ I know you’ll be impressed too.

This is the Pearson sofa that can be described by the following words: comfortable, cozy, firm, and perfect….

This is the chair from Pearson that I have to confidently say fits everyone. If you are a tall man or a short female, this chair will personally fit you, offering the highest level of comfort. It also has a curved front that is aesthetically appealing to the eye.
So the next time your designer says trust me, you might want to. I know that I have sat in everything I recommend and now I am glad that I can pass that confidence on to my clients.


Design Lines Communications

Happy New Year!


We have returned! We had a great holiday break with family & friends and are happy to be back to work, creating unique designs with our clients in mind for the year 2008. Be sure to read about our resolves and resolutions for the new year in blogs to follow. My numero uno goal? Keeping up with this blog!

Our Christmas Card Photo (we found ourselves suprisingly photogenic this year) comes from Blinson Photography.


Designer Inspiration/Trends

Aesthetic of the Weekend: Cozy

This weekend when the weather finally turned on us, and the rain decided to grace us with its presence, last minute Christmas gift shopping would have been impossible without my new green rainboots and cream gloves. Last winter, I was living in Idaho and experiencing the wrath of Jack Frost (see pictures below). Although by comparison Christmas in Dixie has turned out to be a much more milder experience than that of Idaho (mind you, though just as delightful), I couldn’t help craving some coziness in my season and thus my thoughts kept turning to this trio of simply beautiful fabrics inside the DLL studio.
From Top to Bottom: Schumacher’s Corsica Weave in Driftwood in Viscose and Linen (Italy) Nobilis of Paris’ Atout Maille in 100% Cotton (Italy) and Larsen’s Windfall in Dune in Wool (Scotland).Whatever their content, the luxurious hand of each makes them nothing but one-hundred percent cozy.


My Grandmother’s old house in Idaho, where I’ll be spending the holidays…

Winter 2006 (no joke)

Wikipedia defines cozy as an adjective “affording comfort and warmth.” However, this month’s House Beautiful is devoted to cozy, describing the aesthetic as:
timeless
quiet
personal

romantic
and
rustic

One can yet again dream of thier own state of cozy when laying their eyes upon this gorgeous ‘Maya’ Chest from Amy Howard Furniture that greets you upon entry of the Design Lines doors.


We think it’s antiquated finish and it’s bold scale at 56 3/4″ W x 27.5D x 44.5H would make a great statement in a mountain, lake, or beach house. The piece would be excellent for storing additional fresh linens and blankets, too.

And indulge us as we speak of the cozy aesthetic just one more time: we can’t wait for one of our clients to snatch up this beautiful Studio Collection floor lamp from Visual Comfort. We think the au natural Irish Pine wood adds a fresh element to a classic columnar shape. Why not warm up a space with wood and lighting?


To sum up my thoughts, I think Design Lines’ Designers Judy Pickett and Molly Simmons have become especially fluent in the language of cozy so far as it relates to interiors. Place your eyes on the coziest pictures I could round up from our Portfolio.

Living Room by Judy Pickett

Dining Room by Molly Simmons


Designer Inspiration/Trends

Inspiration, M & Ms, and Candy Shoppe Silks

Designer Molly Simmons and her daughter Anna recently returned from a weekend in New York City. While there, the pair ventured to M&M’s World and brought back some custom colored M&M’s for the Design Lines crew. My personal favorite colors in the mix were the light blue and lime green. Last week, at our fabric showroom, I was inspired by Schumacher’s Carnivale Silk Stripe in Chocolate. The colors were delectable, uplifting, and cheery—like a Belgian confectionary—and just like the vibrant custom-colored M&Ms (click here to make your own). Colors can enhance one’s mood, mindset, and experience. The end-of- the-day-moral-of-the-story is that inspiration can be found from a myriad of sources, even ones that melt in your hand, or um…mouth.

Anna Simmons in front of the Mrs. M & M Statue of Liberty
In photo above: Some gorgeous new Black Walnut flooring & the inspiring custom M&Ms


Uncategorized

How to Make Pictures: A Creative Juice Collaborative


Like Pola and her friend Roid, Judy and I assisted local photographer Ray Barbour as well as Master Photographer John Stanton on a photoshoot of our work at 1322 Queensferry Road in Cary. We’re anxious to see the results of the shoot, but thought that we’d share our “behind the scenes” experience…

Just a few pieces of equipment

John Stanton, perfecting the amount of light for the photograph

Ray sets the shot, while John perfects the lighting levels

Judy and Ray review the process


Ray finding an angle


John hangs a sheet of mylar scrim to diffuse the lighting

Ray and Judy decision making. The shoot was filmed digitally and reviewed via Mac

The photoshoot process is long and rewarding,furniture and accessories must be shifted again and again


Judy awaits to stage the next shot

The Subject: The Dining Room

Noontime Sun: Part 2 of the shoot. There’s a story behind that painting, as there are stories to be told about many of the objects we incorporated into the design. In the end our arrangement of the details, composed into a photograph, tries to capture a moment perhaps better left for one to experience in person.


Designer Inspiration/Trends

The New Blue

Say so long to the pale robin’s egg blue and soft sky blue. . . the new blues of the season are richer and more luxurious than ever. And here at Design Lines, we LOVE them! Traditional navy hues are being paired with fresh, contemporary patterns to bring blue back in a way that has never been done before. Not only are we seeing a resurgence of navy hues in fabrics, but in other aspects of design as well. This cool mediterranean color is popping up in porcelain, fine china, and, yes, even washing machines. LG has just introduced a front load washer and dryer in a delightful shade of blueberry. Who couldn’t look at this exquisite color and feel anything but blue?!


Uncategorized

The Olive Knuckle Hinge

All five DLL Designers (now that’s a number for the record books) enjoyed a class at one of our favorite showrooms Tuesday evening—Raleigh Decorative Hardware & Plumbing. While snacking on beautiful cupcakes, we perused the expansive showroom. We love being able to see and experience the variety of knob, after knob, after knob.

The Baldwin Hardware-sponsored class discussed the specification of door hardware. Though already fans of Baldwin’s offerings, we were informed and inspired, as the class generated even more enthusiasm (and multiple opportunities for us to drool over their product). Our favorite? The most memorable was the rarely-seen-in-this-market-due-to-the-required-amount-of-beforehand-thinking, olive knuckle hinge. They whispered unceasingly to each of us, “specify me on your next project!” and we can’t wait.

Above: The Olive Knuckle Hinge in a variety of sizes

From Left to Right, Stephanie, Ashley, Judy, long time Design Lines friend Rick Jacobs, Molly, & Brittany.