Tricia's Blog

The Weather is Turning....

For all of those in the Northwest, we have seen some dramatic climate change in the last week. It was 95 last  Sunday and now it registers to 57 and raining!  If you are like me, you are starting to focus your attention indoors. I'm starting to organize my cabinets and hang long overdo art on the walls.  I'm thinking more about what colors I want to surround myself indoors. I don't want anything drab, I'll have enough gray skies this winter time, but I can't do anything too bright either. This is not sunny Florida I live in.  I'll be going to the Benjamin Moore color seminar next week and let you all know what colors are the trend for 2009.  In the mean time, I recommend enjoying this 'nesting' period a little. Think about tossing out old objects that you haven't used in a year (or more). Re-hang art in a new setting to entertain the eye and organize the areas indoors you'll be spending a lot of time at (desk, kitchen, living room).  This will clear your thoughts and give you a positive perspective in the hibernation we are about to encounter.

Happy Autumn!

~Tricia

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What to expect from an Interior Designer

1.   Someone who can translate your dreams into a reality.
2.   Give the client 100% experience in holding their vision, using wise judgment, investing the clients'     money, purchasing the most suitable materials and working with the best vendors.
3.   Someone to partner with in order to make the best choices for the project.
4.   On the clients behalf, seamlessly manage manufacturers, contractors and other building relationships.
5.   Someone who is not a trained counselor if conversations move away from design.
6.   Explain how decision are made.
7.   Review the process for handling mistakes.
8.   Discuss how difficult situations will be handled.
9.   Budget revisions if the original strategy changes.
10.  Use other experts or resources for any reasons (art experts, etc.)
11.  Manage the clients' time efficiently
12.  Making the client a priority in their life.
13.  Taking before and after photos, but keeping them confidential to the public. 
14.  A written design proposal for the project.

Portland Street of Disappoints (I mean Dreams)

I went to the Portland Street of Dreams on Friday.  I had not been for five years and I was feeling guilty as an interior designer in the city.  I had remembered it as not being very good, so I was not too motivated to go.  Once again I was disappointed.  I was not disappointed with the quality of workmanship, or the Mt. Scott setting, or the finishes chosen, but was disappointed in the creativity.  All 6 homes were executed well and very livable (even with the huge theaters and indoor pools), but not much was new.  It seemed that the builders were so concerned that these homes would even sell in the first place that the design was restrained. Maybe I'm spoiled with the architecture and design elements I've seen and studied, but why can't the event get some ingenious architects to design THEIR dream homes.  I want to see something well, shall I say... innovative

Here are a couple of interesting interior pieces I came across.