A clip about what LaFore Art and Design has been up to lately…
“The Guggenheim Museum has digitized a ton of its out-of-print publications and is offering them free. This is a treasure of art literature as well as great book cover design. Congrats Guggenheim! Resources Recomme”
5 tips for designing on a budget
You don’t need to spend a fortune to have your home look like the pages of a magazine. Overall, the design of your home should possess balance, harmony and proportion. Focus on simple inexpensive techniques to get the look for less.
1. Paint is one of the least expensive and most striking way to change a space. The illusion of space is affected by the colors you use. Color, tone and shine all play a part when choosing your paint. If you don’t want to hire a professional to do the job just make sure you buy high quality paints and excellent brushes/rollers. Also make sure you know what condition of the wall before you start.
2. Furniture and Rugs- Re-arrange your current furniture or swap rooms. Shop at estate sales or vintage shops. Mix and match styles within reason. DON’T try to match everything. It will look boring and contrived. Area rugs are a great way to update a space without re-decorating the entire room. Rugs don’t have to “match” your space, but rather compliment it. Think of it as artwork for the floor.
3. Lamps – Lighting can change the entire look of a room. Table lamps and floor lamps are the easiest and least expensive. They versatile and can be moved from room to room. Installed lighting is trickier and you should get the help of a professional to determine placement as well as an electrician for install
4. Get organized – Advantages of getting organized are reduced stress and being able to find things quicker. Get rid of clutter by having a garage sale or donating to a local re-sale shop or church. Put keepsakes and “dust-collectors” that you can’t stand parting with in storage. Shred and toss old paperwork, bills etc. Go through kitchen cupboards and get rid of items you don’t use.
5. Keep it simple – Simple is beautiful. Avoid clutter and don’t over-do-it. Use what you have first and add new items only as needed.
Simple beauty
Ibiza Storico
LOVE this Spanish light fixture!
Le Lanterne
The Wedding - Sept 10, 2011
Congratulations Marica and Marco!
Firenze
Sunday night, out with the ragazzi for aperitivo under the portico of city hall. Obsessed with interiors as I am, I couldn’t help but notice the striking contrast of modern fixtures against the antique structure of the building itself. Looking out from the bar across the large piazza the city’s castle is within walking distance. This is the place where the younger crowd gathers for a quick drink before heading off for a pizza with friends or an evening in the discoteca.
We arrived in San Possidonio Friday midday and by early afternoon I was whisked away alla “pretty women” to find the ideal dress for Marica’s wedding. 7 boutiques and 20 dresses later we found just the right look; a gorgeous piece by designer Penny Black in fine silk, soft black with “sfumature” of antique rose and subtle green. It’s di moda, yet classy and a perfect fit. Then off to Modena and the market at Cavezzo for purse, earrings, and shoes with just enough sparkle.
Leaving for my 15th international trip tomorrow and I still face the age old shoe dilemma… But really, how many pairs do I actually need to bring to Italy… I know I’ll buy at least twice that many while I’m there!
A view from Manolo’s family home in Italy. Partenza…just TWO DAYS!!
Besides visiting galleries, design showrooms, and wandering the streets of famous cities such as Firenze and Bologna, ”the Italian” (my hubby, Manolo) and I will be visiting family in rural San Possidonio. Seventeen kilometers from the nearest “big” city, Modena, San Possidonio is a tiny village of 3,500 inhabitants. Aside from farming, textiles is the main industry. Emilia Romagna produces many of the fabrics, clothing and even labels for high end design firms in northern Italy. In fact Manolo’s mom, a former seamstress herself, has a sewing room in their charming country villa.
San Possidonio will be our home base as we travel this coming month. A highlight of our trip will be the wedding of Manolo’s sister, Marica to her dolce amore, Marco. We’re both in the wedding and I’ve been informed that direct from the airport we’ll be off to shop for wedding attire! From there we have a few days of wedding preparations and side trips to catch up on the latest design trends in Northern Italy.
Directly after the wedding an 8 day visit to an Island or coastal town; location TBD. Then another 10 days or so of more traveling, sightseeing, design research and of course shopping!
Stay tuned for more details. Internet access will be intermittent, but I’ll do my best to update often!
Country life here I come!
PANTONE’s new colors
How PANTONE creates new colors →
What is a QUALIFIED interior designer? →
Professional Interior Designers are qualified by education, experience and examination to enhance the safety, function, and quality of interior spaces.
“Inspiring and insightful definition of a DESIGNER,
“We are people who change the lives of others.We affect behavior, we affect performance, and we affect productivity.
And just because that affect happens to intersect with aesthetics, it should not diminish the value to the human condition of an optimal environment.”
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“We’ve seen how in these past few months that we’re all connected in a real way, in a really big way and design is not just interiors. Every problem in the world is a design problem. The economy; it’s a design problem. Everything is design. Design is everything.”
Vicki VanStavern, IIDA VanStavern Design Group Inc. 2011