Current Projects, For the Kids

Current Projects: Goodbye Formal Dining Room, Hello Playroom!

When a favorite client told me that she wanted to convert her formal dining room at the entrance of her house into a playroom space that her three children could enjoy, I had my doubts. Of course, I subscribe to the belief that you should live in every room in your house, but I had my concerns about the potential mess being right near the front door.

I should always trust a mother’s intuition. I love the end result of this space we designed and that our client is only a glance away from her kids at play. We kept the draperies and wall sconces but said goodbye to the other formal dining room furnishings. I designed a custom cabinet for plenty of toy storage and a place for the tv to live. The finish on the cabinet is a sophicated black and the wall color changed from a deep red to turquoise.

This room provides versatility as the play table from Restoration Hardware can be wheeled out of the room and the room can host a dinner party or bookclub gathering for adults. The Souk Rug from West Elm brings a luxourious texture for little bare feet and imaginative play.

I’m obsessed with the constellation print from Minted in an oversized scale. This project begs the question: “what room are you not really using in your house?”

-Brittany

images by Design Lines

Current Projects, For the Kids

Current Projects: Babies, Bows, & Butterflies

When my clients went to Italy on their Honeymoon, they spotted this Murano glass chandielier and had to have it for their future daughter’s nursery. Two sons and 7 years later that dream came true.

Color inspiration came from the feminine Vervain printed linen fabric featuring butterflies and flowers which we used to create blackout traversing drapery panels. The wall color is a beautiful peach hue – ICI Sun Kiss –  rather than a traditional pale pink. We painted the exisiting crib antique white. The rocker (featured in a previous nursery blog post) got a girlish makeover with a new washable canvas slipcover from Four Seasons Furniture.  This room is a perfect mixture of glam (i.e. the black accents) and sweetness. My favorite element is the Euro Sham to dress the crib from Caitlin Wilson Textiles. Enjoy a few captures of the space.  

-Brittany

images by Design Lines

Current Projects, For the Kids

Current Projects: A Durham Playroom Goes Back To School In Style

My clients in Durham had the idea of turning their big blah bonus room (you know the kind)  into a library and playroom for their seven children.

 

 

 They wanted the space to function for all – with the kids ranging in ages from 3 – 14 years;  and serve many purposes: a library, a classroom, an arts and crafts center, a movie-watching room, for dance parties on the wii,  sleepovers, and creative play.

 

We first devoted time to making the room just the way we wanted- utilizing attic access space for built-in bookshelves, adding much needed lighting, painting the walls (they went from an off- white to a warm taupe color) and installing wallpaper to one long wall to add interest.

 

 

The color palette was inspired by a whimsical and colorful linen print from Clarence House in hues of orange, pink, yellow, and green.  The selection of the furniture pieces themselves- an orange loveseat (my personal favorite part of the space)  a sectional sofa, entertainment unit, play table and chairs (existing), came naturally as they were both fun and functional.

 

 

Last week we joined up with a few of the kids for the photo shoot- it was fun to see them enjoying and using the space.

 

Check back tomorrow as I give my “Top 5  Tips For Designing a Kid Friendly Space.”

Brittany

images by: Design Lines

Architecture, ASID

Designer Inspiration: Our Trip To Charleston

This weekend, Katerina, Rob and I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina where we attended the ASID Carolinas Chapter conference and award ceremony.  While there, we got a chance to explore the sparkling city and get inspired. Here’s what we saw:

 

 

Katerina’s friend and mentor, Jill Muti, gave us a tour of Ashley Hall, a historic all-girls school located in the heart of Charleston’s peninsula.  There, we discovered a preserved mansion from the antebellum era, currently in use as an administrative center.  But our favorite part of the school was a former aviary, a small outbuiling completely covered in local conch shells.  Delightful!

During the day, we explored Charleston’s extensive street markets and antique stores.  Among the treasures we discovered were ancient Italian artifacts and local artisan-made goods.

 

As the sun set, Charleston became even more majestic.  With gourment restaurants and world-class bars, there were endless opportunities for entertainment.  Among our favorite eateries were Husk and Magnolia’s, where we indulged in local fare.

But the main purpose of our trip was to recieve an award on behalf of Design Lines for our work on the Chancellor’s Residence at NC State University.  We were honored to be chosen as winners among our talented peers from the ASID Carolinas Chapter.

We look forward to visiting this gem of the South sometime soon!

-Brittany

Community Involvement, Designer Inspiration/Trends

Current Trend: Farm to Table

These days the trend is to buy local. It seems farmer’s markets, backyard fruit and vegetable gardens and even chicken coops are popping up everywhere. For us this has translated into clients requesting us to use local resources, American made products, and even using reclaimed material.

 

This lifestyle not only enriches everyday life but also simplifies it by knowing where and products are made.

Raleigh has even embraced this localization with a Chicken Coop Tour that showcases all the coops in their glory!

Katerina’s family receives a box every Thursday with fresh seasonal produce from local farmers. This is perfect for the working family who doesn’t always have time to stop by the supermarket. This box is left on the front porch; it is always a surprise to see what produce is inside.

Can’t get enough produce? Surrounding area farmer’s markets provide endless options for your culinary desires.

Downtown Raleigh Farmers Market , Western Wake Farmers Market, Midtown Raleigh Farmers Market, Carborro Farmers Market , Durham Farmers Market

 

Local restaurants in and around the surrounding Triangle area even promote that their ingredients come from local resources. Rob and Judy recently ate lunch at the Umstead and Herons has a menu devoted to everything local.

Brittany’s farmers market is in Carborro. She particularly loves the Chapel Hill Creamery Cheese Products and their Fall flowers – Dahlias and celosias are her favorites.

The crew at Design Lines doesn’t think this trend will end anytime soon, if anything we predict this trend will grow. How do you buy local?

 

images: 1-4: Carolyn Scott Photography-for Downtown Raleigh Market 5. Pinterest 6-10: Personal 11: The Umstead Pinterest 12: Personal

Current Projects, Kravet/Lee Jofa, Lee Industries

Current Projects: From Italy to North Carolina

Our clients recently relocated from Italy to a  home located in North Raleigh’s Bedford community.  It took six months for a hole in the ground to become a 3 story home , fully furnished and accessorized for an active family of four. A six hour time change and our client’s location an ocean away brought Judy and me (Brittany)  the opportunity to use technology like Sykpe and Basecamp, an online project management site, to communicate and present design concepts  to our clients.From selecting fixtures and finishes, to furniture presentation and procurement, to move-in, our client’s gave us  full creative license to design every detail of their new home in the United States.  The client’s international roots give the home a distinctive aesthetic, with a European sensibility and we’re excited to share with you the project photos!

Photo above: the Dining Room with aqua leather chairs, a sisal rug, and metallic silver wallpaper is a study of textures- both casual and formal.    Below: sun pours into the guest suite that accomodates family members who come to stay frequently.

 

 

Photo above: The eat in kitchen area with walls painted in Glidden’s Onionskin Tan. Below:  The Media Room- with it’s blackout roller shades serves as a hangout space for the two teenage boys who live in the home. 

 

Above: The swivel chairs  upholstered in a Rock & Roll black patent leather sit in the music room for all of the family to become musical.   Below: A teen boy’s bedroom

Check out some furnishings and fabrics used in the project and the final outcome of a teen boy’s bedroom, the Master Suite, and the patio (one of my favorite spaces) !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 -Brittany

Holidays

Summer Show and Tell: Where We Went and What We Did There

Hey Readers,

As your kids and those new backpacks head back to school this week, we’ll be back to blogging with frequency. We’ve been busy enjoying the summer, and thought we’d share with you what we’ve been up to:  

Ashley enjoyed a wonderful week long vacation at Wrightsville Beach with her husband and adorable daughter, Sophia.

    

Molly: “Our 2012 summer was not very relaxing or restful – but I did manage to grab a few “aaahhhhh” moments here at our beach place on the sound in Morehead city, NC. The banks of the property are lined with old oak trees – they provide a beautiful setting that welcomes our family whenever we can get away. I treasure and feel very blessed to have this in our lives.”

 

Lauren: “After moving into our new house, my husband and I spent the beginning of the summer unpacking and getting settled.  We flew to Denver, CO for a friend’s wedding, took several trips to the beach, and celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!  After all that traveling, I finally found the perfect rug for my living room.”

 

Katerina’s collection of snaps from her Coney Island Adventure, complete with the unique people watching experience.

 

 

Hilaire and Judy went to Texas and spent the 4th of July with family. The incredible view from the dock.

 

Rob spent some time in Chicago and enjoyed a game of shuffleboard at the Jersey Shore in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. 

 

 

Ever the hostess, Judy was surprised by a birthday party at her own house- planned secretly by Hilaire.  Below, Judy blows out the candle on her gorgeous and delicious Lemon cake from the Cupcake Shoppe.

Brittany:  “I went on a roadtrip to my central Illinois hometown and watched the beautiful Scandinavian designed windmills at a local windfarm. I also got the chance to spend a lot of quality time with my goofy little brother.”

 

Around the studio, we’ve enjoyed ice cream sandwich breaks, installations at the beach, dressing in bright summer colors, and fresh roses from Katerina’s rose garden…

 

What have you been up to this summer? 

-Design Lines

Design Lines Special Events, Favorite Destinations, Resources

West Elm Opening Celebration

Rob, Katerina, Lauren and I attended an exciting preview party at the new West Elm store in Durham last night. We, along with numerous other excited party goers had a marvelous time experiencing their products L-I-V-E rather than just drooling over the catalog. A DJ was spinning tunes and we noshed on food and local drinks while selecting our must have home items!

Above- their living green wall we’re obsessing over, and the gorgeous invitation to the event printed on wood veneer.

 



Above- A few favorite items from the store.

Go check out the new Bull City store for yourself!

 

 

What West Elm products can you not live without?

I’m a huge fan of their Parsons desks and consoles- I have one in my room and the lacquered finish still looks new! -Brittany

 

American Made Products, Century Furniture, Hickory Chair, High Point Furniture Market

Recap from Spring 2012 High Point Furniture Market

Each season we gather trends from High Point Furniture Market- this year we were uplifted by a trend with staying power- one that we don’t see going anywhere anytime soon: bold geometric patterns. There is something energizing about the rhythm of these patterns. We saw this trend from walls, to floors to pillows, to upholstered furniture covered entirely in it Below, some images for you to drool over….  

While our coolest market find this trip was the Lucy Smith Collection,  here are 5 other Market favorites from our trip to High Point!

1-      Mid Century Modern Recliner from Thayer Coggin

We love how this chair is an undercover recliner, rather than screaming aloud “Watch Football here!”  With it’s hidden reclining mechanism and foot rest, it provides sleek comfort. Something Don Draper might come home and have a cocktail in.  It’s Mid Century Modern aesthetic is something available from Thayer Coggin. 

2-      Serge Ottoman from Hickory Chair

With it’s angular hourglass figure, the Serge is a made to measure ottoman whose presence in a room is sure to make you smile.

3-      Chin Hua Collection from Century Furniture– the whole thing. From the gorgeous Zircote veneers, to the malachite and Sapphire finishes, to the bold shapes of the bar cabinet, we loved Century’s re-imagined Asian collection. 

4-      Walnut Counter Stools from Nuevo

Simple & Beautiful. We see these in a modern kitchen, paired with stainless steel…

5-      Golden Feathers piece from Natural Curiosities–

I fell in love with how unique these pieces and love that gold as a metallic was a theme throughout Natural Curiosities collection.

Brittany