Art and Artist Kerry Steele

I have been an artist all of my life....

My Mother put an art brush in my hand as early as I can remember....


Everything I read and touch becomes visual......

 it was natural for me to go into designing interiors...

I  can see pictures in my mind of what things will look like before it becomes reality....

CLICK, CLICK!

 My mind takes a picture like a camera.... 

are you visual and do you do that?




 

Art makes such a statement...

especially the real MC Coy....

every room needs art and if you can afford the real deal... 

by George.. buy it!


 I love Kerry Steele s art work....

she has her own style and palette...
 it is fresh, pretty and original....

(Gary Riggs)


Wouldn't the piece above look great in this room...

This too...








 

(Candice Cavenaugh) 




 I don't know who the artist is in this image..but it does make a statement..

 Kerry s art would look great in a space like this also....





 

(Kenneth Brown)



A home with tall ceilings needs a large piece of art to balance the height of the wall...


If you have high ceilings and walls.....
don't be afraid to put a statement piece on them..

take advantage of it....


by the way....


I love the chandelier that Kenneth Brown used in the picture above.....

 There's something about original art that is so special... 


The artist pours their heart and soul into every piece......


I love that...


it becomes something they have created and birthed..... yes, birthed....


it is a part of them and a gift to you.


If you would like to see more of Kerry s art.. 
go here...and her web-site here...

and Jennifer at the Pink Pagoda Blog has a post on Kerry's art...the post shows some great pieces
go here. 

I hope you visit them and see more of this talented artist!


Thanks for stopping by,
Julie 



 

Classic Black and white Decor.

I've had black and white on the brain lately.....
I've been buying black and white clothes, shoes and designing a living room for a client using some beautiful black and white fabric.....
I find it a classic color combo...... 
It looks wonderful in clothing and decor.

  

(Mimi Brown)

It doesn't go out of style... 






 

Color looks great with black and white, or  simply go with an absent of color.........but I love when an  animal print is added.........like this belt!

(Daryl Carter)







 

(Briggs Edward Solomon)

AAAAHHHH 

(Designer Jimmy Stanton)
(Lori May Interiors blog)



 The art is going to be the focal point in the living room that I'm designing.....

Designed by Bob Brown

 The art is the focal point in this room....
 the eye isn't distracted by color but it simply gazes at the gallery wall...
it looks classic and sophisticated....
and well balanced...

 A good designer has a natural eye for balance...

I'm not sure that can be taught...
I believe it is instinctual...

you either got it or you don't!



 

(Glamour Magazine)

(Tom Scheerer)

The details and the fabrics create the interest in your room... 
I always suggest to my clients.......
buy great fabric for the pillows it will add interest and it will help your home look unique...
don't skimp on the details....
other wise your home looks like everybody
 else s..
 it should  represent you and your family.
 


 

(Janet Rice)

Try to find accessories that add a little surprise...
it doesn't always have to be expensive... 
I like going to flea markets or antique stores to find vintage lamps and those one of a kind items...

(Joy Tribout) 


Ok... this could be dark brown and white, but it looks so great that I had to add it to the mix...

This is our fabric for the pillows...the leopard might be an ottoman...
or 
I might suggest a black lacquer coffee table or a marble and gold table......

Which table idea do you think you would like?

I like the detail in the drapery that Toby Fairly added and the wallpaper in the wainscoting.

This is the drapery fabric on the right....


 

(Atmosphere interior design)


There will be a little mustard added to the room....but our walls will be dark and our furniture will be ivory....

 

This is the sofa we will be using but in an ivory Linen....the wood will be in an ebony.

 

and this is the chair we will be using....but also in ivory.

Like I said....classic!

(Toni Chi)

I missed all of you....the wedding was wonderful..and I got a lot of work done but missed visiting some of your blogs.......
I think this is the longest break I've had from blogging. 
Next week I will be going to San Diego to look at my sons new brewery...his beer is called Saint Archer and the brewery will be open soon..

It's available in the San Diego California area....
you will have to try it...
you can find it at Trader Joe's and other stores.
 It will be available in other areas soon......I will keep you posted about it and I will take pictures for you of the brewery....

Thanks for stopping by, 
Julie


 
 

The Pacific Design Center....

I took a client down to the L.A. Design center to shop for a dinning room table. 

We saw some fabulous things.....but we came home empty handed.  

This showroom, Ebanista had a lot of interesting and beautiful furniture that I loved...




 

It was so quiet at the P.D.C. you could hear a pin drop.... 
I remember when I first went to the design center around 20 years ago, there were so many showrooms to choose from.
 

This was the Paul Ferrante showroom..... 
which we overheard the sales woman talking about an order from Jeffery Allen Marks from Million Dollar Decorator. 
We were dying to see what he had ordered....

I love Gregorius Pineo furniture and style. This showroom was one of my favorites which I just did a post on a style called Simple Elegance... click here.

 Soft grays, whitewashed woods mixed with dark woods and Grass-cloth walls....love!







 

The style reminds me of a pair of jeans....you could dress it up or dress it down...Casual but sophisticated 

I loved this lantern....
To tell you the truth...I love most of thier things...do you? 


Sorry this is a short post....
I'm exhausted!
 I have been running around with my head cut off! Hopefully I will get some R&R this weekend...
 I'm going to clean my house and rest....
what a combo, huh! 
What are you doing this weekend?  
Julie

Coral Inspirations.

Sometimes when I need to gather ideas and I'm stuck creatively speaking..... 
I go to some of my favorite shops where the displays are inspiring.. .


 

This is at the Agoura Antique store....
If you have been following my blog for sometime.......
 you might have remembered me writing about this fabulous store..

This is a store in Orange county in the SoHo shopping center.... 

I'm always using corals in my displays for my own home and clients. 
They are perfect....
They don't have to be watered and they don't die.



 

 
Here is another great way to bring in color....
display beautiful rocks...



 

This is a lamp I found at an estate sale....
actually there are two of them....
 I did have to take them to be rewired.

 I love using vintage lighting......
 It's one way to add unique items to your home.

They look fantastic.....

 

I'm still looking for a new shade but this one is fine for now.

This is the entryway piece I found at an antique store... 
The doors had carvings of flowers on them and I didn't like them so I filled it in with wood filler and repainted them. 

They are still wet and that's why the doors are slightly open.
 I still need to put a coat of wax on.

 
 

 Notice my vintage lamps....
I'm still looking for something to go on the right to replace the purple coral.
 I found these binoculars in my closet.... 
but there not quite right....the coral might be better.

I'll keep my eyes open for something else.
It needs something that has a natural color to balance the basket. 

Also....
Our little dog, Fe Fe is doing better. 
Were not sure what the deal is but she is eating  better.  
We did find out that my son had given her a chicken drumstick to chew on....
He didn't have a clue that was a no no..... 
Were not sure that is what did it, but time will tell.
That's all for now, 
Julie 

 

A Day with Penelope Bianchi....

Have you ever spent time with someone you just met and felt like you have known them forever......

Well, I have....

Interior designer Penelope Bianchi is a free spirit that oozes creativity. 
She is the first one to admit that she can't draw a chair, but an artist she is.......
She creates visual portraits with her interiors. Everything about her is artistic, from how she dresses to how she expresses herself.  

 

As I drove up her driveway I knew why her home was voted one of the top 10 most romantic homes. Her and her husband had it built to look like a chateau in Europe.  

Penelope was surrounded by beautiful things as a child.
 Her early education of design was encouraged by her Mother. 
 Her Mother had black tie dinner parties every Friday night for twelve.
 Penny's Mother's home was an Italian Villa in Pasadena and at 6 years old Penny would rearrange her mothers living room. 

 

Penelope was an English major and started designing homes for her friends which blossomed into a lifetime design career. 

 

 As she was sharing her life with me.. I couldn't help noticing how I was surrounded by the most beautiful gardens and everywhere I turned there was something else to see.....oh my gosh....her home is even more beautiful in person than in these pictures.

I asked Penny if she could share with you some recommendations  on how to get started in design.... 

Here are some tips that Penny suggested...

  

Penny believes your born with an eye for design and and you can't learn it..... that its something your born with.....  She doesn't believe in going to design school...and feels it could stifle the creative process......

 

She recommends working for a designer who's work you like. 

Train your eye.....get your hands on as many design books as you can and study them.
 

Don't follow trends.....

 

A home needs to look collected.

Penelope's mother gave her one great tip.....
Don't ever give discounts.....
keep it professional!
 

As Penelope was showing me her house I couldn't help to notice how unique everything in her home was.
 It was a collected home...

 

I took this picture as I entered through the front door.....
It was a table in the middle of the room which had several different conversation areas..
Penny has slip covers for her furniture for every season...
 Which makes so much sense to me...
A lot of people and clients don't understand how color and seasons effect us....
Shoot, look how the moon effects the tide....
Our surroundings effects us emotionally.
The color of our home can effect our moods, how hungry we are...... it can effect our well being. Color has a psychological effect on us.

 

My favorite room was her bedroom.. 

 

I loved the sitting room that was connected to her bedroom. 
You could see her pond from the window.

She also showed me her closet....
I love this picture of all her shoes. 

This is her husbands closet....every mans dream. Everything right in front of their nose.

 

This is her how her dinning room looks most of the time......

 

But....when I was there she had all her decorating books out as if she had been looking through all of them, which I loved.....
 Her husband said that Penny owns every design book that was ever published and still collecting. 

Penny is a dog lover..this is one of her little pups.

I loved this bowl in her living room....
it was as though it was saying.....sit down make your self comfortable and have something to eat....
There's something about sitting together and breaking bread that forms a covenant between friends...

 

This is her kitchen photo from her web site.

This cart replaced the table that use to be in front of the window.
 I loved this cart...the color was wonderful and I loved her silverware in the baskets....

It looked like an art piece all on its own..

Remember these.....they were for candles, but look how Penny used it.....Great idea!
 

The Lanterns are copies of a lantern belonging to "Sister Parish"; (it was in her estate auction) and copied by John Rosseli. 
 Bunny Williams worked for "Sister Parish" for 20 plus years, and is married to John Rosseli!

  

 

These wonderful images were in her husbands office.....they told the story of Adam and Eve. They are antique copper etchings by the artist, Ridinger. They also were purchased through John Rosseli.
 

Here is a close up of Adam and Eve in the garden..

This is the little guest cottage....it was so quaint and charming. 

I had a wonderful day with Penny...
We went to lunch at the Coral Casino and she drove me around Montecito and showed me all the homes she loved.
 It was fun to talk about design and our goals as designers.
 I just was so mad at myself...I forgot to get a picture of myself with Penny! 
Oh well, next time....

 Penny has a blog and a website.....She has a great post about here slipcovers.. go here...
Hope you enjoyed learning more about Penny and seeing her home. 
Thanks for stopping by...


  

Source....some pictures were taken from Penelope's web site and myself.