The bathroom in this charming cottage is original, and the impetus for this renovation.
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Kathy Appel, ASID presented with Design Award
Kathy Appel, ASID was presented with a 2018 IDA (Interior Design Award). The IDA’s are a biennial interior design competition open to all commercial and residential interior designers and architects in the greater Philadelphia region. The design industry sometimes focuses on New York or Los Angeles. There is world class interior design talent in the Philadelphia region and the IDA’s were created to recognize that talent in our own community.
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Deck the Halls – Part II
‘Tis the season to share a few more tips from some of our holiday decorating projects…….
Decorate Deep Window Sills
This extra deep window sill is a focal point in the small library at the Pearl Buck home. Pearl Buck spent most of her childhood in China. We chose to do a cross cultural design, blending elements from both the Christmas holiday and the Chinese New Year.
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Deck the Halls – Tree Optional
If you don’t have the space or time for a trimmed tree, here are five alternative decorating ideas. Love trimming your Christmas tree or trees? These five ideas can be used to correlate with the décor of your holiday tree.
Create a Casual Tablescape
This 12’ long table displays a grove of trees. Each tree is created from a rustic material; driftwood, rusty jingle bells, cornhusks, and grapevines. DIY candleholders made from split firewood are the perfect accent. Traditionally table runners are placed running the length of the table. With a table this large a single runner would be lost. Four runners were used across the width of the table.
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Designer Secrets & Sources: J C Woodworking and Reclaimed Relics
The J C Woodworking showroom is like an amazing candy store for architects, interior designers, and property owners. These exceptional materials and some imagination can be combined to create rustic furniture, quirky accessories or to design a truly unique space!
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Poised to Revisit the Victorian Era
Interior Design and Fashion Design often take cues from history. Interior Design and Decoration have been quickly cycling through the design periods of the 20th Century. We’ve celebrated Art & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Mid Century Modern. Currently with the popularity of Bohemian Chic we are embracing the Hippie era. You can even buy Macrame wall art on Etsy!
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Color Theory for Interior Design: Munsell’s Color Notation – What are Hue, Value, and Chroma?
Albert H. Munsell (1858–1918) was an artist and a professor who recognized the need for a clear consistent method of communicating color. A group of people look at the same shade of blue, one might call it sapphire, another deep blue, the third person might say navy, etc. Instead of names for color Munsell developed his Color Notation system in 1905. The Atlas of the Munsell Color Order System was published in 1915 and is still used today.
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The Color Wheel: Important Tool for Interior Design
In 1660, Sir Isaac Newtown directed a beam of light through a prism which created a rainbow effect – the light was split into a spectrum of colors which was linear with red tones at one end and violets at the other. By joining the two ends of the spectrum Newton formed the idea of the color wheel.
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Understanding Color Temperature for Interior Design
Color is the keystone to successful interior design. A quality space is attractive, functional and comforting. Color has emotional and physiological effects which play a part in how productive and comfortable we are within our interior environments.
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Holiday book includes design by Kathy Appel
I love historic homes and holiday decor, so naturally I was captivated by the cover of this new book. Christmas at America’s Landmark Houses (Schiffer Publishing $45.00), written by designer Patricia Hart McMillan and architect David Strahan. Browsing through the pages, it was a pleasant surprise to find a tree that I designed (page 67). I immediately procured a copy from the gift shop at Fonthill Castle. Architectural Digest has featured the book and provides a link for purchase.
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