Refurbishing Hardware

Often overlooked and typical to older homes; high quality, original door and cabinet hardware in seasoned homes is frequently marked by or completely covered with layers of paint.  Many homeowners are quick to replace the hardware with new pieces, creating a clean beautiful finished look in any space.  However, when renovating/restoring an old home it is easy to assess whether or not the hardware is worth refurbishing.  Ultimately, if the existing hardware is of good quality and you have the time, a little TLC will bring the pieces back to their luster of yesteryear.  

This held true during a recent renovation/restoration of a 92 year old Pennsylvania Colonial Revival house.  Using a magnet, the homeowner determined that the homes hardware was made of solid brass.  These items were original to the home and therefore the decision to refurbish was an easy one.  With the support of the general contractor, the time was spent removing, soaking, cleaning and buffing each piece before reinstall.  Great effort was put into this process, but the beautiful restored look throughout the house, undeniably, was worth it!

Forcing Paper-Whites

Often viewed as a time honored holiday tradition, forcing Paper-white Narcissus bulbs into bloom during the winter months is a simple way to introduce the fragrant elegance of spring into your home. 

This season I wanted to incorporate some family artifacts that often go unused during holiday entertaining, but are beautiful reminders of treasured family members.  I chose to use an inherited punch bowl set as containers for forcing this years Paper-whites.  The beautiful craftsmanship of the crystal set is complimented by the simply graceful Paper-whites.

For more information on how to force Paper-white bulbs, visit http://www.marthastewart.com/268221/forcing-paper-whites.  

Green Demolitions

As touched upon in a previous post, nothing is more important than finding talented, reliable, trustworthy, and skilled collaborators.  Since its innovative inception in 2005, Green Demolitions has worked to carve out a creative niche in the recycling goods market, becoming the premier luxury recycler for kitchens, high-end renovation items, showroom displays, and new-in-box overstocks.  Because of their ability to stand out in the area of creative cost effective solutions, for the last three years, I have been referring clients to their Fairfield, NJ showroom.

I take tremendous pride in the deepening partnership I've built with Green Demolitions, including the opportunity to collaborate in the renovation of their client showroom.

Looking to capitalize on the variety of items available, repurposing the Kohler Sink Showroom Displays into Client Kiosk Stations, as well as repurposing the Library Cabinet into a Coffee/Beverage Bar, produced about a certain sense of accomplishment.  Additionally, with the removal of the dated carpet being a necessity, the exposed, professionally polished concrete floor provided a fitting showroom foundation.  In the end, the entire picture encapsulates so much that is amazing about this business.  

Making A Statement

An aspect of interior design, an element interwoven into the art of home decor, is the incorporation of a statement piece.  A statement piece does just that, it makes a definite or clear expression, offers a perspective, that enhances a space.  In most cases, this occurs through the use of bold color, unique shape, and/or material.

The Gehry Cross Check Armchair (http://www.dwr.com/product/gehry-cross-check-armchair.do?gclid+CLLviZz_iL0CFaN9OgodUHEA4Q) featured was designed as part of the Gehry Collection by the critically acclaimed, award winning architect Frank Gehry and was commissioned by Knoll - a retail company committed to the philosophy of presenting customers with modern furniture that complements an architectural space, but does not compete with it (http://www.knoll.com/discover-knoll/our-story).  Bold in its form, color, and material this chair easily functions as a piece of art; making it a beautiful statement piece within any room.