"Meanwhile, Back in San Francisco . . . "

SMW Design, San Francisco

Greetings,

Well, I'm safely returned to San Francisco after an amazing weekend in Los Angeles at the 2011 Design Bloggers Conference.  I'm downloading images from the weekend - including a magical afternoon at Dawnridge - and will have tales to share later in the week.

But before any 'new' news - some good news.  There is nothing quite as exciting as working with clients that I've worked with before.  I always love repeat business.  I already know their homes.  And the way that they want to live within those homes.  And even better, I already know the dogs names - and what their favourite treats are!  lol.

So, images my delight when I had an email a few days back that I have a chance to return to this beautiful property on the San Francisco peninsula.  We completed the 'public spaces' a while back - and now we have the opportunity to craft new 'private spaces' in the house.  A master bedroom suite.  And assorted guest rooms and a family room/office.

When we originally began work on the house - as with most all clients - there is a lengthy discussion about favourite colours and inspirations.  I often even look through client's closets to see what colours they are most drawn to.  And after chatting for a good while one of the last things they said was, "and please, no green.  I've never liked green."

I furrowed my brow a tiny bit.

So at our first serious design meeting - the one with tons of fabric swatches and with my initial concepts for the project - frankly, I brought a good deal of green textiles.  And we sat out in the gardens on clear, glorious afternoon - looking at textiles.  Seeing the interplay of the living room with the colours of the gardens just beyond them through the french doors.   Dark, musky browns.  The clear ivory of white roses.  And the quiet green of stems and foliage.  French toiles.  Over-sized linen ginghams.  Mini green checks.  And some perfect imported green silk stripes.

And when all was said and done - we used a good deal of green.  And it looks great.  And they love it.  As much fun as the project was, the fact that they let me lead them out of their comfort zone - and create something really wonderful - is one of the main reasons I'm excited to work with them again.

So besides sharing some good news about a new project - this just a simple reminder to keep your eyes open. And your mind open.  Maybe you need some stem-green silk velvet?

Is there a colour you're afraid to use?  Or think you could never have in your home?

Cheers,
Scot

(all photography by Eric Tagan Hooten for SMW Design)

"More Cream than Coffee . . . "

Greetings,

It's a new year (well, it's been a new year for several weeks now, but as previously mentioned in this same space, I've been kinda busy - as in totally busy.)  And one of my favourite aspects of the new year is the new business that always seems to greet me as January begins.  Something fresh.  Something bright and clean.  Something like coffee - but, with a lot of cream.  Heavy cream.

Barbara Barry, for Metropolitan Home

So most of my days are filled with combing through new tile samples, carpet samples, and (my favourite) tons of textile swatches.   Searching through lighting catalogs.  Shopping for bathroom fixtures.   Always focused on my task.  Always on the look-out for something unexpected.

Polished Chrome.

Ivory.

Cream.

Tan.   

Linen Velvet.

Wool Gaberdine.

Grasscloth.

Marble.

Ralph Lauren, 72nd Ave at Madison Ave, New York

Oscar de la Renta, Spring 2011

Robert Passal Interior Design

Katharine Pooley Interior Design, London

Chris Pine, from GQ

Scot Meacham Wood Design, San Francisco

Michael Smith Design

Ralph Lauren, 72nd Ave at Madison Ave, New York

Katharine Pooley Interior Design, London

And the beat goes on . . .
Scot

"Design, in Flight . . . "

Greetings,

My sweet friend, and amazing designer, Benjamin Dhong just sent the most exquisite images of his room at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase - and I just HAD to share them. His space was in this marvelously tiny room up on the third floor, with beautiful views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge . . . and a wonderfully intricate roof line of slopping eaves and dormer windows. He was "inspired a chic Parisian garret," and the idea of "flight."

Let me introduce you to . . .

"The Aerie"

- a meditation on winged flight -

by Benjamin Dhong

Beauty, by reflection.

"What could be more wing like than winged victory?

She’s perfectly placed in the dormer window and looks

like she just flew into to room. It’s quite dramatic and

it takes the room to another level."

I'll have to admit, I actually missed one of the best aspects of the room the first time I visited - and frankly, I was on the press tour, and the room was incredibly busy. But on my next visit, during a quiet weekday, I saw it - and it's truly breathtaking. First click on the image above. Then slightly *blur* your eyes.

"To make the room cozy and nest like, we commissioned

decorative painter Linda Horning to paint the most subtle chalky

mural all around the walls and ceiling. You’re sitting under a

canopy of trees…. in the fog. The effect is totally serene

and hypnotic. Restrained and subtle. People’s jaws

drop when they enter the room."

-Benjamin Dhong

And I so love the addition of the Arne Jacobsen egg chair to the room, covered

in a cut velvet from Manuel Canovas. Adding a strong, iconic piece of modern

furniture gives the classic space a great energy. And, for me, it also recalls that image of

being enclosed within wings.

and in what might be the most perfect piece of music to accompany this 'room in flight' . . .

"Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine" by Eric Whitacre.

(seriously, @5:50 second - it's actually flight set to music . . . chilling)

Cheers,

tartanscot

for more information on Benjamin's amazing work, click here.

"Twilight . . . "

SMW Design, San Francisco

Greetings,

I'm often asked from where my inspiration comes. And frankly, there's never an easy answer. I always schedule a series of meetings with all new clients - we talk about the space, review aspects of their home that they love, identify the specific challenges we need to solve, and deal with the nitty gritty issues like budget and schedules . . . but, my favourite discussion revolves around "tell me how you use your home . . ."

And I tend to hear the most fascinating stories. Stories of friends gathered around a piano during the holidays. Stories of quiet nights at home - toasting the end of a busy day with a glass of champagne. The desire for a retreat from the hectic bustle of the day.

And one evening, we were having a late meeting, as they both had long days at their offices . . and we all noticed the beautiful twilight stretching across the night sky. Of the brilliant hues on the horizon. And the lights of the city dancing across the view from the 22nd floor. And in an instant, I saw their new home. Saturated royal and navy. The warmth of camel silk-velvet and mohair. Silk. Leather. With the gleam of polished chrome.

Rich mahogany. Nubby silk. Candlelight. And intimate dinners overlooking the city.

On a table - all ready for entertaining.

Cheers,

tartanscot

all photography, Nicolas Smith, for SMW Design

"Pick a Colour, Any Colour . . . "

Greetings,

When I first start working with new clients, after the 'budget talk,' and the 'schedule talk' - we have to get down to the nitty gritty and have the 'colour talk.' I love seeing how people respond to different colours! And on this cool, gray San Francisco morning - I'm yearning for something bright. Something cheerful. Maybe something fuchsia.

Hackett of London

Sometimes I find inspiration on the fashion runways . . .

Me at the Stark Showroom in SF

Quite often when we're touring thought the house with a new client, I'll ask to see the master closet - firstly (from a business point of view), we might need to re-design them - but, it's also a great opportunity to see what colours they respond to.

Charley's dressing room, from A Single Man

Maybe there's a scene from a favourite film that speaks to your sense of colour . . .

But, how should we use it?

Maybe we could just add the shock of bright pink to the entryway . . .

Melissa Warner, from House Beautiful

Or it can be as subtle as using masses of pink flowers in the room . . .

Mary McDonald

Maybe we could use the impact of artwork -

I've always loved this image. The colour is SO delicious.

Jamie Drake Design

Or we could just lavishly use multiple shades of pink to make the room magical . . .

I hope everyone has great plans for the weekend. For myself, I'm participating in the "ING Bay to Breakers Race" in the morning - Can't wait!

Cheers,

tartanscot

"The Colours of the Ocean . . . "

Michael Smith

Greetings one and all,   

My ongoing personal challenge - whenever I'm posting about a project from Michael Smith - is to attempt to keep my obsequious fawning down to a dull roar.  But, I should also state, I believe he's an absolute genius.  

This particular project (from a recent Elle Decor), in Malibu on the Southern California coast opens directly onto the Pacific Ocean.  I'm truly in awe  the wonderful colours in the house.  The great variety of blues, from a musky slate blue to the clear, bright blue of the ocean sky.  The ivories that feel almost like alabaster or afternoon clouds.  The contrast with the rich corals.

- the design is much more of a melting pot. “The floors are 

simple, and the walls are monochromatic, but we 

have an eclectic mix of furnishings without 

any studied emphasis or period."

Wonderfully cozy.  Beautiful detailed.  Practically perfect.

More of the luxurious palette of blues reigns in one of the guest rooms.  And I love that there are always masses of books in almost every room.  The warm, evening glow from the antique lanterns and the feel of the Tabriz rug under foot.

“Everything has its own story and its own strength, but 

when you put them all together, the effect is quite 

soft,” Smith explains. “The place has a lot of very 

rare objects in it, but it also has a looseness.  People feel really 

comfortable here. The sweep of the land is extraordinary, 

but the house itself manages to retain a human scale and sensibility.”

- Michael Smith

Back to the 'to-do-list,'

tartanscot

" Simply beautiful . . . "

Good morning all,

I'm taking an intentional break from the workload this morning.  Flipping through design magazines (yay, for the new House Beautiful!), scanning through some of my favourite designer's websites, and planning some window shopping this afternoon after lunch - are all on the calendar for today.  For me, it's such an important part of the design process.  It's never about re-creating something that you've seen, but, more importantly, it's about being inspired by beauty.  

And when you're looking for wonderful spaces, Alessandra Branca is always a great place to start - these images from House Beautiful have always been favourites of mine.  

"It's like the Mona Lisa. Would she be as beautiful if the 

scene behind her wasn't interesting? The paisley in the 

library, the chinoiserie in the dining room, even the 

damask in the master bedroom, all have curvy patterns 

that create drama, the kind of tension I love against 

the straight lines of the furniture."

                                       - Alessandra Branca

Such a lovely room.  so light. so gracious.  

"I adore the styles of the 16th, 17th, and 18th 

centuries in Europe — I even love Baroque — but I like 

to take the shapes and patterns and find a new point of view for them."

- Alessandra Branca

There's still a busy day ahead of me, but I'm feeling like my engines are starting to re-charge.

Hope everyone's having a great week,

tartanscot

for the complete House Beautiful article.

"Please stand . . . "

and repeat after John Saladino . .

" . . . We need space the liberates us from terra firma, allowing our spirits to soar and our imaginations to take flight."

"Things that make you say . . . "

" . . . ahhhhhh "

Phoebe Howard

Good morning all,

Today is going to be another slightly over-booked day with client meetings, lunch dates, and some budget crunching on a new project. But, I know I need inspiration each and every day.

So today, let us take a short break from our hectic schedules - and feel the great calm and gracious spirit of the beautiful rooms designed by Phoebe Howard.

We now return you to your regularly over-scheduled Wednesday,

tartanscot

for more information on Phoebe Howard.

ps. and a huge 'thank you' to Ivan over at Meade Design Group for my cool new header. Yay!