Friday, August 31, 2007

Libby’s Inside Track to Sag Harbor

Blooming Shells: Great way to dress up your house for the summer with gorgeous shells/ starfish and coral…not to mention cool sari tops and casual white cotton skirts that are the perfect segway from the beach to a beach party!

Friday, August 24, 2007

Libby’s Insider Secrets –Interior Designers Tricks of the Trade

- Think Contrast rather than “Matchy-Matchy” – Designers combine contrasting colors in a room where most other people say “will that go with everything else in the room” or “is it going to match?”. Sometimes when everything “matches” or is in the same color tone the room can look a little blah but if you bring in a hit of a lighter tone or a darker tone it can add depth and dimension to a space, as well as a little personality! (Faxon Living Room afters – HC&G Bedroom afters) 

Friday, August 17, 2007

Ask the Expert: Convert Bedroom into Office

I want to convert our front bedroom into my home office. It measures 8’x12’ and it has three doors! One door leads to my bedroom, the other to the family room and the third to the veranda. There is one window facing north. How do I place the furniture? My husband and I would be the only ones using the space.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Ask the Expert: How to use Wicker wisely!

Wicker has not only made the leap from outdoor to indoor but the new updated styles can have a fresh, sleek, modern look… we are definitely not talking your Grandma’s old time wicker. 

There are now pieces in woven banana leaf, twisted sea grass, and all sorts of other interesting versions that can work with all different design schemes.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Insider Secrets: Interior Designers Tricks of the Trade

Summer 2007 VOX magazine article

It seems that almost everyone loves good “Before” and “After” pictures of someone’s home. It’s satisfying to see the transformation from an atrocious unfeeling space (and let’s face it in the makeover world they start with the worst of the worst) into a gorgeous, warm, inviting room that you could see yourself living in and loving. I’ve learned along the way that there are a few tried and true secret tricks that Interior Designers use when designing a space to overcome a rooms shortcomings or simply to breathe some new life into a tired dwelling. Some of these ideas are based on rules discovered by trial and error and what simply works well in a given space. Some of these tips are just based on confidence to trust your instincts and surround yourself with colors, furniture and objects that you love. The number one rule is that there are no rules, what one person adores the next may hate, (I guess that’s why they make chocolate and vanilla) but there are a few things you can glean from the pros to help you to create your own perfect look.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Ask the Expert: How to use Wicker wisely!

My home is an “open space plan” house. The living room, dining and kitchen are all seen immediately when you walk into it. I have a good direction with the color scheme in all three rooms so that they all relate to one another. However, the problem is that the foyer and living room ceiling is 18 ft. with a catwalk separating the two spaces.