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All posts by hilairepickett
Current Projects, For the Kids

Current Projects: An Arts & Crafts Nursery

A young couple expecting their first child came to us for direction on the design of their baby girl’s nursery. The clients knew they wanted an Arts & Crafts inspired nursery because the rest of their house is true to the Arts & Craft movement. As a result, Brittany researched the Arts & Crafts color palette and motifs for the project.  Before, this space was an office which, featured a vaulted ceiling and an arch dormer window.

 

Design Lines Interior Design Nursery Project

Steering away from the typical little girl pink, Brittany used a pale peach on the walls and designed custom drapery treatments from a Brunschwig & Fils large botanical print in coffee brown. Stanley’s versatile built-to-grow crib can easily change into a toddler bed or even a twin bed as the little girl grows up. A swivel glider chair from Lee Industries also adds convenience for either parent.

After choosing the color palette, we wanted to create a composition with vaulted ceilings in mind. The bronze bird medallion, indicative of the Arts & Crafts period, overlooks the crib. The other details, include a tole decorative bird floor lamp and a coordinating jute shade as well as an oval framed mirror.

Design Lines Interior design Nursery Project 2

Check back on Thursday for another nursery project.

ASID, Design Lines Communications

Ashley Receives an ASID Carolinas Chapter Presidential Citation

 

Ashley Thompson, Allied Member ASID

 

 

Way to go Ashley! At the 2010 fall ASID Carolinas Chapter Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ashley won a presidential citation for all of her hard work as the 2008-2010 ASID Carolinas Chapter Website Chair. For two years, Ashley’s responsibilities included the re-design and launch of the ASID Carolinas Chapter website, daily updates, maintenance and postings. The rest of the Design Lines team is proud of all of your dedication, hard work, and service for ASID.

Design Lines Communications

Get Hooked: October Forecast

Potterybarn fall

 

I cannot believe it’s October! My has this year flown by.  As we hustle inside to get away from the cold and grab a cup of tea or coffee to keep us warm, let’s settle in for this months October Forecast.

Every October, we take a day trip to High Point Furniture Market. Twice a year all the manufacturers, who sell to the trade, open their showrooms to interior designers. We see  new products and the latest trends for the fall and winter seasons. Every time we return, we are rejuvenated and energized. We will give you full coverage leading up to the event on our blog, live coverage on our Twitter page, which will then be followed by a  recap blog post after the event.

Did you watch any nfl football yesterday? Did you see all the pink accessories  the football players were wearing? Have you seen the pink caps in the yogurt isle of your local grocery store? The reason for all this pink, is it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Design Lines will celebrate with a week of pink inspired entertaining, accessories, designs, and furniture. Have thoughts on what you want to see? Do you want your pink room or accessories to be on highlighted the blog email me at hpickett@designlinesltd.com

As always we will post several updates on some of our current projects and installations that we are working on, to give you an inside look into the design firm. We’ve got several updates so stay tuned!

 

image: 1. Potterybarn

Lee Industries

The Anticipation of Brittany & Lauren’s Review of the 27th Annual Lee Academy

Design Lines 2010 Lee Academy (1)

 

Lee Industries, one of North Carolina’s high-end furniture manufacturers, invited Lauren and Brittany to a two day Academy in Hickory, North Carolina.  By educating interior designers, they in turn are more knowledgeable when hand selecting furniture for their clients.

We are still going through all of our wonderful pictures from the 27th annual Lee Academy .

 Design Lines 2010 Lee Academy

 

We promise though Brittany and Lauren will give you, our readers, their personal perspectives on all the behind-the-scenes details of the factory tour and the academy, coming up next week!

One of the highlights from the Academy was watching this fabric below being woven on a jacquard loom. Watch the toile pattern appear as the weft yarns are inserted into the warp yarn.

 

Designer Inspiration/Trends, Selling/Buying A House

Looking at a Blank Canvas? Design Lines Top 5 Tips on Tackling Your Home Project

So you have just bought a house or a condo and you don’t know where to begin. It is a huge house or a really small space. How am I going to fit everything! Your stress is rising and you feel overwhelmed. AHH!

We got you covered.

 

Here are a couple of suggestions the designers at Design Lines recommend doing with your blank canvas (i.e. your house).

 

1. Make a list of what love and then all the challenges with the space. Think of everything good and bad. Every detail. If you are living with a significant other, have them do a list too, that way you both can offer suggestions and compare your list.

 chalkboardMeet the Ritchies copy

 

2.  Now from the list circle a few items that can be accomplished immediately or within a week or two. Tackle small items first.

 

One example might be painting a wall, changing out all the kitchen cabinet hardware, or going through a few boxes that are still in the hallway. Whatever it is just do it, don’t worry about time.

 

3. No matter what the items you have decided to tackle on the list, you are bound to throw something out, right? Before you do though ask yourself can this be donated? Create 3 piles –throw out, donate and keep. This will help in your organizing efforts. Keep what means the most to you!

 

Design Lines Interior Design

 

4. Remember start with one room at a time. If it helps, purchase some crafty organizer boxes, the Container Store  has some fabulous ones. My favorites are the natural linen looking boxes.

 

Design Lines Interior Design Firm Raleigh NC Organizing

 

5. Find a starter piece that will inspire you to decorate and finish the room. This might be a piece of art, vibrant throw pillows or even an heirloom piece of furniture. For example, the picture below is a fine art photograph from artist Marc Montocchio.  This photograph works great as inspiration for a man’s room or even a screened porch area. The masculine chair is also another piece that could work in a man’s study or sun-room.

Design Lines Interior Design Room Inspiration

Community Involvement, Current Projects

Current Project: An Update on Creedmoor Elementary School

Originally, when we were approached by Chris Elliott, the principal of Creedmoor Elementary School, we knew he needed some help with giving the elementary school a face-lift; however, little did we know the school would be transformed in nearly two months!  

The main building had a smorgasbord of different colors on the walls and a stale red stripe running through the entryway and cafeteria, a chipped stage floor where you could see the endless layers of paint over the hardwoods, and poor lighting throughout the school. It felt like an institution rather than a school.

Brittany and I jumped at this opportunity. The Design Lines team believes the kids at Creedmoor Elementary deserve a stimulating learning environment!

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover (7)

The exterior doors to the school got a fresh coat of paint.

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover (6)

Brittany recommended Tony Taupe and Aesthetic White from Sherwin Williams  for the main entrance hallways. Changing the color delineation to a 2/3rd proportion was more appealing than cutting the hallway in half as the stripe did in the before pictures.

Creedmoor’s stage is in the cafeteria and was in dire need of a refinishing job.

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover 2010 (5)

 

Dedicated principal, Chris Elliott, refinishes the stage himself.

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover 2010 (4)

Before the hallways were uninspiring, now the hallways bring creativity to the space as well as way-finding for those lost kindergartners, i.e. the art hallway is located in the mango orange hallway.

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary Schoo Makeover 2010 (3)

 

The administration of the school had been staring at white walls for far too long. Now the taupe walls feel warmer and the white trim brightens up the space.

 

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover 2010 (2)

 

 The cafeteria and auditorium is Brittany’s favorite transformation. The Sherwin Williams Billiard Green trim reminds us of an old schoolhouse chalkboard.

Design Lines & Creedmoor Elementary School Makeover 2010

Thank you Chris for this opportunity to improve Creedmoor Elementary School. We hope the kids enjoy the makeover!

Previous Post: July 12, 2010.

Design Lines Communications

Everest Agency Has Won Two American Graphic Design Awards for Design Lines Ltd. Work

Hot off the press! 

The Design Lines website and our new client brochure (shown below) has won two American Graphic Design Awards. We work with Everest Agency on all our branding, marketing, and advertising collateral. We are extremely proud to be a part of  this winning team.

 Design Lines New Client Brochure

 

For over five decades Graphic Design USA has presented national awards and honors outstanding work for anyone in the community. The 2010 American Graphic Design Awards had over 8,000 entries and roughly 1,200 were recognized.

Current Projects

Current Projects: Torah Mantles Exhibit at the North Carolina Art Museum

We are extremely honored to share with you a very special project that we have been working on for the last year with the North Carolina Art Museum and Ruth Cox.

 

NCAM Torah Exhibit 2010 Ruth Cox & Design Lines, Ltd 2

 

This project began with John Coffey’s request to display three ensembles of silver Torah ornaments, called klei Kodesh – the crowns or finials, pointers and shields-in a realistic, contextual manner. The presentation as you see it today, was a joint creation between the Museum’s curatorial, design and conservation departments. The fabrics were selected from textiles presented by Judy Pickett and the staff at Design Lines, Ltd. of Raleigh and the project researched, fabricated and conceptualized by Ruth Cox.

The design of the mantles as well as the fabrics and trims were selected to reproduce a plausible facsimile of Torah mantles appropriate to the date, location and style of each of the three sets of ornaments.

Through discussion with John Coffey and the Friends of Judaic Art Gallery leadership it was decided to represent both Ashkenazi (Jews of Central or Eastern European descent) and Sephardi (Jews of Spanish or Portuguese descent) style mantles in the display.

NCAM Torah Exhibit 2010 Ruth Cox & Design Lines, Ltd

The color palettes selected were cream to golds, for the fall High Holidays, burgundy and wines (still in the designing process) for the winter months and blues for the spring and summer. The color balance between all three covers in any one hue had to be distinctive to each ornament ensemble.

 

Once the burgundy torahs are finished we will be glad show you, so stay tuned.

Text provided by: Ruth Cox