Art in Public Spaces

Plexiglass panel print with brushed nickel standoffs

Eventi Hotel, NY

Large format printing and cut vinyl lettering

Ligne Roset at 2013 West Edge Design Fair, CA

Dimensional lettering and architectural signage on curved wall

Target House at St. Judes Children’s Hospital, TN

Large format printing with colorful paper install

Benjamin Moore Paints

2012 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, NY 

Cut vinyl lettering and custom image install

Karen Alweil Studio

2012 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, NY

Dye sublimation fabric printing

Domoore Designs // DIFFA: Dining by Design

2012 Architectural Digest Home Design Show, NY

Ever wonder just how this art gets created?

I always have and now I know ...

White Light Visual presents ...

DYNAMIC DESIGN + LARGE FORMAT VISUALS:

Transforming Corporate, Retail, Institutional and

Educational Environments // March 25, 2015

Lunch + Learn event from 11:30am until 2pm

at Harbor Place, 9 Rantoul St. Beverly MA

Visit me and the creative team at White Light Visual

studio in Beverly during #BostonDesignWeek and you

will learn design how-to’s behind public art installs.

RSVP by March 23rd to attend.

yvonne@whitelightvisual.com 

{More info here.}

Final pics from York Show House ...

“Syrena’s Bath” // 24th Annual York Decorator Show House

Yvonne Blacker for Trio Design // photo credit: Eric Roth

It’s hard to believe that the York Show House has been over for a month already! Time to post photos from my second bath in the show (first one here) and the rooms of my Trio Design partners, Katherine Hawkins and Rosanne Palazola.

– BATH BEFORE –

While my glamorous Petite Powder Room downstairs was influenced by the runway collections of fashion designer Jason Wu, my full bath upstairs was part of a teen girl’s bedroom suite, so it was a bit more whimsical in nature. Even so, I chose to incorporate elements of maturity that would allow this bath to age gracefully. Farrow + Ball Manor House Gray on the walls was the first step in transforming this originally powder pink room to a more sophisticated space. Farrow + Ball Pitch Blue on the cabinets and shelves (chosen to coordinate with the existing tile) added a youthful exuberance while still being on trend with current color palettes.

Since Katherine’s adjoining bedroom was mermaid-inspired, I had a custom shower curtain made out of a silver dance/swim fabric (something a teen girl might wear for a recital) that resembled shimmery mermaid skin, then had it trimmed with seaweed green ruffles. The pearl shaped sink with a custom sized glass counter  (a favorite showroom display piece of Katherine’s from Designer Bath) replaced the original formica counter. The built-in cabinet below, however, just received fresh paint and new knobs. An easy switch when renovating a bath. All new fixtures from Brizo’s RSVP collection (faucet and towel bars with Swarovski finials, robe hook, mirror, toilet tissue holder) added shapely sparkle. This bath suite collection added just the bit of designer glam that I was looking for ...

Brizo RSVP towel bar with Swarovski crystal finials

“Drawing on the influences of Art Nouveau, RSVP features a sensual design that follows the curves of a woman’s silhouette.  Adding a touch of ‘bling’ with genuine crystal accents, RSVP promises to be a conversation piece in the home.”

– Judd Lord, director of industrial design at Brizo

Below are a few photos from Katherine’s bedroom. I chose the colors for my bath to coordinate with the bedding she selected from Company C. The overall feeling of Katherine’s teen bedroom/hangout was one of being “under the sea.”

“Syrena’s Room” designed by Katherine Hawkins for Trio Design

bedding from Company C

Syrena’s closet styled by Katherine Hawkins // photo credit: Eric Roth
Benjamin Moore + Ralph Lauren paints from Home Decor Group

– TEEN BEDROOM BEFORE –

While Katherine felt challenged with a rather small bedroom to work with, my good sized bath was not without its own unique design dilemmas ...

BEFORE: An awkward location for a

mirror and medicine cabinet combination.

AFTER: since the medicine cabinet had to be reinstalled after the show per the homeowner’s request, I created a temporary diorama in its place.

Step 1: medicine cabinet removed

Step 2: freshly painted walls and niche with

wallpaper covered panels being tucked in place

(wallpaper from Thibaut)

Step 3: Katherine found this vintage-style mermaid illustration on tin, which just happened to fit within the niche (hung on string). A white frame and beach stone finishes it off.

Detail shots of Syrena’s bath ...

Succulent arrangement by Laura Thomson Design

photo credit: Rosanne Palazola

shelves styled with items from Blue Peacock Home + my personal collections

black makeup towels from The Turkish Towel Company

photo credit: Eric Roth

framed canvas: “Meadow” modern art collage by artist Parvez Taj

accessories via Blue Peacock Home // tile work via Weaver Brothers of Lynnfield

sink, glass counter, faucet and mirror available via Designer Bath

window treatments and shower curtain via Acorn Interiors Design Center

I liked how this Duralee sheer so closely resembled the round sink bowl

flat fold roman shade in Molokini Natural from Thibaut

Farrow + Ball paints: Borrowed Light, Manor House Gray, Pitch Blue

ceiling painted in Farrow + Ball Borrowed Light, trim in Strong White

The Turkish Towel Company Zenith in Silver, Blue Ice, and White

my jewels and organic touches // other accessories via Blue Peacock Home

One of my favorite parts of designing a show house space is styling it. It comes very easily to me, setting up vignettes. I love taking on these types of projects for clients as well. Of course it helps when beautiful objects are donated to the cause. Thank you, Blue Peacock Home and The Turkish Towel Company!

generous sized storage basket and coral sculpture from Blue Peacock Home

Let’s take one last peek downstairs at the room Rosanne transformed for the York Show House. What used to be a dark mudroom is now a vibrant space with luxurious amenities to enjoy the salt water pool just outside the door ...

custom mesh window treatment by Rosanne Palazola

art via Tracy Finn // accessories via Blue Peacock Home

recycled coke bottle glass lighting via Lucia Lighting

console fabric: Duralee // design by Rosanne Palazola

photo credit: Eric Roth

photo credit: Rosanne Palazola

Poolside Portal shelves styled by Rosanne Palazola 

photo credit: Eric Roth

Benjamin Moore paint (shelves and walls) via Home Decor Group

art: Tracy Finn available via Lucia Lighting

Just as Rosanne helped me by fulfilling my framing requests for my two spaces and Katherine added art to my upstairs bath, I was able to leave a small mark in Rosanne’s Poolside Portal. I chose a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I felt spoke to Rosanne’s design, the seaside location and the salt water pool just outside her room. I had Charles Trainer of Artistic License output my typographic treatment and then he installed it right on the glass door. He has helped me with many retail display projects at Designer Bath, and I knew this typographic treatment would easily solve the aesthetic problem of an interior window without a view.

POOLSIDE PORTAL: BEFORE

A handful of snapshots from York ...

with Rosanne at my mom’s summer cottage in York, Maine

the fourth person in our Trio team: Katherine with her husband Dave

Meredith Bohn in her living room




Barbara Elza Hirsch in her screened porch

Frank Hodge with Michael Nest in the Study // art by Frank Hodge

ombre wool carpet via Landry and Arcari // lighting via Hudson Valley

photo credit: Dave Hawkins

To see more photos from the York Show House,

visit my facebook album and Trio Design site.

– related post on the Designer Bath blog –

Summer’s End by Tracy Finn

While this may be the end of my York Decorator Show House updates, I do have another show house project waiting in the wings ... The Danvers Historical Society Designers Holiday Show House at Glen Magna Farms scheduled for December 2013. How could I possibly say no?!

Brimfield: in real life

sytlist/editor Stacy Kunstel, photographer Laura Moss,

Michael J. Lee Photography, and me : )

After featuring the spring tweet-up at the Brimfield Antique Fair in the last issue of New England Finery, I knew I had to check it out for myself this time around. So I headed there last Friday, and with me, I brought a sneak peek of the newest Finery cover (which is scheduled to release late September/early October) and the talented photographer behind the shot, Michael J. Lee. Michael photographed this room by designer Frank D. Hodge at the Old York Decorator Show House with me this summer. There are a lot more great pics from the show that will be featured in the Autumn issue so stay tuned!

The first twitter friends we ran into were Stacy Kunstel of New England Home Magazine and Dunes and Duchess along with her friend, photographer Laura Moss. We were off to a great start! The weather was perfect - 70’s and sunny - and we were able to find more dry ground to cover than there had been all week at the show as it had rained non-stop for the first few days of the event. Thanks to the advice of some twitter peeps, I left my flip flops in the car and wore sneakers (I just could not bring myself to put on boots in early September!)

When we arrived at the #brimfield VIP tent, we were welcomed with a bright and cheerful space adorned with Company C fabrics on the ceiling and tables, fresh flowers arranged in Benjamin Moore paint cans, plus a well-tended bar. Snacks and drinks were complimentary including a Gimlet-style signature cocktail which was very refreshing even at 1:00 in the afternoon : )

Twitter friends gathered to chat and tweet between shopping excursions. In this photo: designer Gloria Battista-Collins of GBC Style, social media expert marketer Leslie Carothers of The Kaleidoscope Partnership and Deidre Drewes, another social media talent, of Dragon Search Marketing. I loved how the tent “walls” were painted with samples of Benjamin Moore colors. A nice touch!




I finally got to meet #brimfield tweet-up organizer/designer Gretchen Aubuchon and lifestyle designer Kelley L. Moore who were more than happy to pose for me on the luxurious linens displayed by event sponsor Pandora de Balthazar.

Custom monogramming by Pandora de Balthazar

Pandora de Balthazar also had a table with their naturally fragrant lavendar collection of products in the adjoining tent.




Kelsonthehouse (as he is known on twitter) carpenter-extraordinaire Brian Kelsey of Martha Stewart Radio, was there along with graphic designer/art director Stacey of the style blog Quintessence. Stacey recently redesigned the Pandora website so check it out – it is lovely!

photo credit: Stacey of Quintessence Blog

I was happy to meet Brian in person to thank him for providing me with his video clip and quote for the spring issue of New England Finery. He was also kind enough to encourage me via a home decorating chat on twitter that it was easy to change out a door knob (a small project that had been on my to-do-list for too long). My secret strategy to getting the job done was to get all the tools out, start the project and look just confused enough to convince my husband to take over and finish. In the end it got crossed off the list which is all that matters : )

photo credit: Michael J. Lee

Along with socializing, we did do some shopping. This is the great find that I wanted to bring home with me from Brimfield. How cool would this look in our barn? My boys would have loved it, but the price was a bit out of my range by oh, about $1,000 or so.




Instead I brought home this charming pair of wooden shoe forms. I have seen a lot of adult size ones, but this miniature pair reminded me of the little shoes my boys used to wear. They are a bit smaller than the shoes my youngest wears today ...





As I was walking around the grounds, I was collecting ideas for an upcoming design event that I am participating in, The Boston Antiques & Design Show & Sale. It will be held on the weekend of October 15th and 16th at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, MA (just off of I-93).




New England Finery Magazine will be hosting a 20 x 20 foot space to promote interior design that incorporates antiques. When the show producer, Marvin Getman, asked me to coordinate this project I was so honored! He loved the coverage that his last show, Elm Bank, got in our summer issue in a feature titled Looking for Antiques so he asked me if New England Finery would like to be a part of his next event. Of course I said yes! I had just watched Million Dollar Decorators on Bravo and loved what LA designer Mary McDonald did with her space at the Los Angeles Antique show (see snapshots of it in this post by Kelley Moore) so I was completely inspired to design a space for this event that will celebrate antiques in a modern way.

So if you missed your chance to shop Brimfield this year, mark your calendar to attend this fabulous INDOOR antique shopping venue (no need to worry about rain, heat or cold and you can wear whatever shoes you’d like ; ) We will even have a special area set up in the New England Finery “room” to take photos of visitors with their favorite finds (similar to what they did at the Brimfield tweet up, which I thought was a great idea!) So please come to shop, and then stop by and show us your acquired treasures. You just may find yourself in an upcoming issue of the magazine!