If you’re looking for a way to up the look of your interior design and a fab weekend project, head for the stairs. Like fireplaces, moldings, trims, doors and windows, stairways are a fabulous architectural feature and demand attention. It’s okay to tread lightly, as I did in a recent project for clients in Minneapolis. I specified a faux runner to graphically define and open up the space. As you’ll see in the second snapshot below, LSI designer Mary introduced a tone-on-tone  geometric sisal. It’s nearly wall to wall and works beautifully, especially with an inspired paint palette on the walls. Kathryn, also on my team, took a bolder approach to the stairs to shake up her traditional bungalow: black ovals on a cream base repeat as one ascends (or descends). It’s perfect and practical – Kathryn has a toddler prone to dirty sneakers and the occasional spill.

And, more inspiration follows. It seems obvious, but stairs are great connectors. I mean more than just facilitating upstairs/downstairs transit. A smart staircase can connect a design plan and create synergy throughout the whole space. Start with the runner. Just a few examples here: flaunt a bold peacock pattern, introduce a striped rainbow of color, or keep it simple and geometric. Don’t forget the banister! And, be sure an inspired paint palette is part of the plan.

Elevating your stairway might just be the perfect weekend design project (with lots of planning in advance). Remember, getting there is half the fun. Sympathies to our readers living in single-level ranch homes. But no worries: stay tuned for a blog on the art of the loooong hallway coming soon!

Remember the Great Recession? Buzz kill, I know. Well, while it may not yet be a dim, distant memory, I think interior design is absolutely in recovery. When the economy went topsy-turvy, super-well-edited, sparse rooms with very neutral color palettes were comforting and beckoning. Safe. The crazier the outside world became, the more we craved interior order and simplicity. Well, let’s leave that to the scholars and psychoanalysts!

I love what I’m seeing now in the new world of interiors. And, I’m excited to be a part of it. Sometimes MORE is MORE. The eclectic mix is back with new energy and vitality … with layers and layers of appeal. Textile-wise it’s all about  texture, pattern and color. All together.  Style barriers are breaking down too. There’s new freedom to mix things up, so long as the end result pleases the eye. Oh, and these great over-the-top looks are not (necessarily) about spendthrift budgets. It’s more about style, creativity, the right eye and desire.  Some of my favorite snapshots follow.

If you’re a regular reader or a Facebook or Pinterest follower you know I’ve got a new personal work-in-progress. My new Dream House. My design passions tend to run to neutrals, but I am absolutely feeling the pull of the new post-recession, anti-recession eclectic mix. Stay tuned for more.

images via: vogue, AD, Apartment Therapy, nuevo, noteondesign

Have you heard about the white-out in Charlotte, North Carolina? Spring fever has taken our very own Michel Van Devender by storm. Michel is a color adventuress (did you see her home in a recent edition of Lonny). But her new best friend is Benjamin Moore Dove White. Snapshots follow. Isn’t it glorious? White IS light. Hope your weekend is just as refreshing!

Happy New Year! No, it’s not a late greeting. I’m right on time. Today is New Year’s Day for over a billion people. Living in China, that is.  Twenty-thirteen is the Year of the Snake according to the ancient Chinese zodiac. And, from a global fashion perspective, snakes are sizzling hot.

People born in the Year of the Snake are thought to be stylish, fashionable and mysterious. They are attentive to detail. They’re not one-shot wonders, but endure with slow steady progress. Snakeskin fashion, I think, is quite the same. While the snakeskin trend never went out of style, today I’m seeing snakes (of the faux variety) in so many design and fashion applications. Witness the snakeskin bootie. I love the play of taupe and gray. Snakes make easy inroads in the world of interior design — the tray and pillow are just two examples. The Pentax camera is one of my absolute favorites. What a surprise as a camera skin, especially paired with brass (another trend) fittings. The snakeskin-inspired bangle in hammered silver and gold is worthy of Cleopaetra — and we all know her history with the asp!

Happy New Year — and happy Monday too!

*1 boots

*2 tray

*3 camera

*4 pillow

*5 bracelet

Interior design is a lot like life: results matter. Here at LSI, I am always eager and delighted to share our interior creations. But, today I’d like to take a moment and back up. That is, start with the original room, pre- transformation. As you can see, often times the basic “bones” of a room remain intact. Our job is to reinvent with paint, color, fabric, furniture and accessories. Other times it’s a major renovation.

We love inherent architectural features, which are often ripe with untapped potential. Isn’t the kid’s bedroom a great example?

Sometimes LSI before and after makeovers are extreme, sometimes they’re delicate and subtle, but they always result in an inspired living space. Enjoy these before and afters. ahhhh!

I think (hope) it’s a well-known fact that I’m a bit of rule breaker. It was troubling to my grade school teachers, but actually serves me quite well now. So, here at LSI, rather than confining rules, we have “Principes.” They are true-things, ideas and creative dalliances that light the way for us. Today, I’m elevating my love affair with fur (of the faux variety) to a Principe. A fur throw, pillow or rug imbues a room with presto, instant luxe. Likewise a fur muff, pillbox hat or vest equals chic. Best of all, furry fashions — for the home or ready-to-wear — are most fun when paired with the casual, the everyday. Luxury isn’t just for special occasions. It’s for life!

Pile on the plaid. Left to their own devices, solo plaids are too stern, too serious, too uniform, too humorless. Too bad!  But, a riot of plaids  - different textures, colors, sizes  -  creates a quirky harmony. I love it. Bring it on!

Lighting is like music. It sets the tone. If the analogy holds, let me say that Lindsey Adelman is a rock star or an impressario. Adelman designs have a wonderful Calder-esque mobile feel about them. It was no surprise to learn that all the lighting designs evolve through a model-making process. The team plays with shape and movement. Form and materials are fluid and sculptural. Hand-blown glass and brass have been favored materials, but more recently designs include more mixed media. Imagine: jewelry, tiles, porcelain and precious metals. Oh my!  Here at LSI, it’s music to our eyes!

visit Lindsay Adelman.

I love it when form and function collide. Beautifully, that is, and especially when a fireplace is involved. I’ll begin by stating the obvious. First, fireplaces are an important and dominating architectural element in any room. A bad one begs for a redesign. A great one can define a room. And secondly, fireplaces generate heat (one of my favorite things), fundamental to a livable room for at least six months out of the year.

So form + function = fireplace. This is the stuff of a designer’s dreams. Can you feel the heat of my excitement? With the change of seasons and a well-timed call from a client, here at LSI fireplaces are a hot topic. We went to our design archives to revisit some favorite fireplace executions we’ve collected over time. We hopped online (naturally) and discovered new ideas and looks. Here’s what we’re loving. Hope this blog ignites your imagination as it has ours!

photos via.

Only antisocial misanthropes don’t need guest rooms. Every home needs one. I would further suggest that even studio apartments do too (more on that later). Most of us don’t have ever-present overnight guests (A.K.A. children or interlopers). For most modern lifestyles this means guest rooms need to be warm, inviting, quickly guest-ready AND available for other day-in and day-out activity. Who knew? Creating the perfect “guest room” is a wonderful design challenge.

*Consider what other activities are “roomless” in your home. Exercise room, wrapping room, adult time-out room.

*Then think about what furniture and accouterments are needed to trick this out properly.

*Never, ever ever sacrifice the comfort of the anticipated guest. Who wants to crawl over your treadmill and yoga noodles to sleep cramped in a twin bed?

*This room will have a split-personality functionality, but must be designed with a single vision.

*Finally, as promised, for those of you who are spaced-challenged where any sort of a “bonus” room is a fantasy, you too can comfortably host the overnight guest. Think futon with fabulous sheets, a bottle of bedside Pellegrino and French roast in the morning.

Inspiration for the ultimate guest room abounds. Here are some of our favorite picks….

photos clockwise: one, two, unknown, four, unknown, six.