Hollywood Glam – Sparkle and Mirrors

Add some drama:  Today,  three photos – one chest!

Here I am at work shooting a mirrored chest . . .

To continue the exploration of, and the implementation of the popular Hollywood Regency Revival style, this week I roamed through the store with my camera.

 Over the next few weeks I will show effective ways to add drama with a few simple, but utterly beautiful, accessories we have on our floor.

 

 The reflective panache of this  chest screams Hollywood!

Use it in a foyer, in a dining room or a bedroom. 

This is the one.

Place this piece wherever you want a flash of serendipity.

 

 Even though it looks rather plain-Jane, I wanted to include the manufacturer’s photo below.  The entire piece can be seen without our added Hollywood embellishments.

 

Next week I’ll reveal some design secrets concerning what can be done without color – i.e. black and white art. This is at the very heart of glamorous interiors.

If you have been struggling with how to accessorize, especially using a “no color palette”  please drop me a note with your dilemma.  

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer/Phelan’s Interiors

363-9634

 

 

 

More on GREEN (smoke and mirrors)

 

 GREEN SMOKE

                                                                                 Gage Photography 

 

 VOCABULARY WORDS – 2009

  Sustainable:   Wikipedia says:  Sustainable product development and design is concerned with balancing economic, environmental, and social aspects in the creation of products and services.

I say: Many products have a fabulous, common sense story to tell which is not a new idea. For example, wood floors have a longevity that outlasts nearly every other floor product. And, most suppliers know they must replenish the trees as they harvest. Like I said, it’s not a new idea for wood producers. Because they are as proud of their forests as they are of their products, most wood flooring companies love to educate the consumer about what they have been doing for the environment.

Recycled:According to Wikipedia: Recycling involves processing used materials into new products in order to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for “conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. 

I say: Some of this stuff gets boring. How about spray painting(!) an old end table? Does that count?

 Wonder if I spray it lime green?

Environmentally friendly: One more time from Wikipedia:(eco-friendly and nature friendly) are synonyms used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.^[1] To make consumers aware, environmentally friendly goods and services often are marked with eco-labels. But because there is no single international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization considers such labels too vague to be meaningful.^[2]

I say: I concur. Keep your eyes and ears open. Look at yourself in the mirror. Refuse to smoke sardines.  Ask questions. Research.

Rotting, smelly garbage is called eco-friendly when one is discussing a compost pile!

Ever Upward photo 

Buyer beware of green smoke and mirrors!

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer / Phelan’s Interiors

363-9634

GREEN Smoke and Mirrors!?!

 

Does it seem to you like suddenly everything is organic, recylced,  and/or eco-friendly? So, can anyone acurately say what GREEN really is?

Smoke and mirrors. 

 

                                                                                  Lolita Ginoski photo

Green smoke, that is, maybe green mirrors. You pick.

Let’s talk just a little bit about what that means in the furniture and design world. There are all kinds of variations on a theme available to the consumer, but I’ve come across one that I like. It’s simple  – not too smokey or too much glare. Believe it or not the words come to us from J.C. Penney through their “Simply Green” campaign.

1  Organic products must be made from 70% raw materials such as organic cotton or linen, grow without chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

2  Renewable products are made from at least 25% renewable materials such as bamboo, sorona, ingeo, soy, capiz shells, or wood that comes from managed forests.

3  Recycled products contain a mix of at least 25% previously used materials such as cotton, glass, or polyester made from soda bottles.

I am thinking , “Good for Penney’s” – at least they put their thoughts into words. They gave themselves, as well as their customers, guidelines and expectations.

Kermit should be proud because green is here to stay. I’ll continue this variation on a green-theme next time when we look at trends verses realities.

I remember back in my college  (hippy) days we were told to eat greens. But that was long ago. Long before we could imagine sitting on  them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dianne Ross

Interior Designer / Phelans Interiors

363-9634

HOLLYWOOD REGENCY DESIGN

 

Told you so.

This is it  – 100 percent over the top – Hollywood Regency design revival in full bloom. Always opulent and ever eclectic, always theatrical and expectedly daring, this style is not for the faint of heart. Captain Milktoast does not get a ticket to this show. Sometimes this style is brushed with whimsy and fantasy , like in the abundant use of light fixtures as seen in the photo. But you have to admit, it is dazzling.

From the 1930’s and continuing through the 50’s (now referred to as Mid-century) Regency styling epitomized glamor, wealth, and lavish collections that identified the early Hollywood era. Elements of Lucite, lacquer, chinoiserie, bamboo – painted or natural, mercury glass, wild color schemes, flamboyant feathers, and …

Well, name something glamorous and it was in!

Clean architectual lines were paired with the frill of rocco. And, of course MIRRORS MIRRORS everywhere. Global Views is a company favored by Phelan’s for their wonderful selection of mirrors. At High Point market they introduced an elegant montage of 7 octagaonal mirrors, finished in black lacquer and edged in silver, AKA: Regency revival. 

Today the revival is just as bold and as fresh as ever, not to mention terribly interesting! Scroll down to the previous post and you’ll see another interpretation from the swank unrestrained era called Hollywood Regency. 

 

Dianne Ross / Interior Designer

Phelan’s Interiors

363-9634

PS  Readers, take a look at my blog “Towel bars suck.”