Social Interiors + Circle Tweet Up

Before jumping into this post on the first official Boston tweet-up organized by Social Interiors and held at Circle Furniture in Boston, let’s just appreciate this beautiful peacock bedding and more importantly the never-go-to-bed-angry accent pillow. 

Julieann Covino, Social Interiors founder, with Sarah Cooney of Circle Furniture

There was a full house of designers, design bloggers and industry related design partners last week at the recently opened location of Circle Furniture on St. James Avenue in Boston. Lately I have been spending a lot of time at their Danvers location since they will be part of my decorated space for the North Shore Design Show at the Wenham Museum in May. This was the first time I have visited their Boston store and I really liked its urban vibe.

I met up with Ann Murdock and Linda Hentschel of Rennaissance Interiors in North Reading and headed in with them to the event. Linda, among other projects, is the interior designer of the Jules Verne Steampunk-outfitted room at Audio Concepts, also in Boston, which was just unveiled last night. You have to stop in to see it to believe it!

The point of these tweet-ups is to get to know other professionals in a related industry who can help with resources and recommendations and who can simply relate to being in the business of design. Kristine Kennedy from the online shopping mecca Wayfair (which used to be CSN stores) is seen here with Winchester-based interior designer Kristen Rivoli.

Rachel Reider, Kristen Rivoli, Greg Premru, Julieann Covino

We are very lucky to have these opportunities to get together socially when most of us work independently in our respective creative fields. Thank you, Julieann, for organizing this event!

Also seen at Circle ...

Erika Johnson of Radiant Republic, pictured here with her fiance, has been very busy: on  Joyous and Joss & Main.

I met designer Mally Skok for the first time at this event. Along with being an interior designer, she also has created a line of fabrics including this one that I just saw at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York. It is called Ikat Crazy Pink/Orange and I just love it! So whimsical yet sophisticated.

Of course the furnishings at Circle deserve some special attention, too! I loved the pairing of the verdant green carpet with the more subdued sofa. The two occasional tables are a cool coffee table alternative.

And how about this extra long tufted leather sofa? Very Mad Men looking to me, even in forest green. The fluid rug pattern below is a pretty counterpoint to the lines of the sofa and the trio of ceramic baby doll heads certainly caught my eye (these would last all of 3 minutes in my home!)

Thank you, Richard and Harold Tubman of Circle Furniture, for hosting the first Social Interiors tweet-up in your Boston location. If you are a Boston-area (or from the North Shore like me : ) design professional, be sure to follow Social Interiors on twitter to be notified of the next event, which hopefully will not be too far off in the future!

Make design decisions with confidence

People ask design professionals a lot of questions. What paint color would you recommend? How can I make this space work better? What type of tile/furniture/window treatments should I look for? The majority of my clients are looking for design direction. They are happy to do the running around themselves, but just want to be confident that they are making the right choices.




The above space used to be filled with toys and bright colors. The children in the home were growing up (pre-teens) so the space needed to do the same. My suggestions included painting over an existing under-the-sea mural with a more mature bluish-gray paint color, then accenting with crisp black and white pieces. Designating certain areas for down-time activities like x-box, foosball, and chess, transformed this “playroom” to “game room.” Time invested? About two hours of design consultation. Then the homeowners were able to take care of the details on their own time.






With just blueprints for reference, these clients wanted to be prepared with new furniture choices when their home renovation was complete. I provided sketches on possible room configurations that incorporated their existing pieces with some new ones. Using these sketches along with images of “what to look for” my clients were able to go out and choose their carpet, two matching sofas and also purchased a favorite piece that I recommended, the Triple Bel Air Bench by Daryll Carter seen below. I love how this traditional piece fits right in with the modern architecture and provides additional seating without blocking the view of the lake beyond.







For this client, just a little freshening up was in order. She brought home some fabric books in colors that matched her existing couch which just needed a new slip cover on the seat cushion. I helped her choose a few that looked good with her chosen colors and then handed the project over to my workroom to complete.



With the leftover fabric, we had a couple of pillows made to update additional seating areas in the room.


If you need a “design coach” to steer you in the right direction, give me a call. I really enjoy teaching others how to make their design decisions with confidence!

Y knot!

Y knot pattern designed by Yvonne Blacker
available exclusively at Alluminare.com

A while back I mentioned wanting to try my hand at creating patterns for fabrics, etc. What designer hasn’t searched for the perfect pattern in just the right color combination and wished they could just design what they were looking for?

With a background in illustration, graphic design, and print production, creating a pattern for fabrics (or other surface designs) seemed like a fun extension of the same creative process to me. After day dreaming about it for some time, I have finally given it a shot!

Y knot in White/Chocolate Milk, Small Scale
on an Alluminare 20 inch drum pendant light

This week my pattern “Y knot” was introduced exclusively on Alluminare.com! Now anyone can order a throw pillow, lamp shade, fabric or wallpaper in this modern-geometric typography inspired pattern (see the chain of capital letter Ys?)

What I love about Alluminare is that each pattern they offer can be custom designed with a variety of colors and pattern sizes. See how easy it is to transform Y knot into completely different looks from subtle to bold ...

Y knot in White/Silver, Tiny Scale

Y knot in White/Spring Grass, Large Scale

Y knot in Black/Cantaloupe, Largest Scale

This last pattern, when blown up to its largest scale, reminds me of a monarch butterfly! This was not intentional, just a pleasant surprise as butterflies happen to be one of my favorite graphic design icons.

Look for them in the following design show spaces:

North Shore Design Show, 2010
(can you find 3 in this post?)

North Shore Design Show, 2009
(can you see 5 in one photo?)

Danvers Historical Society Design Show, 2010
(can you find one?)

I plan on creating more patterns and hopefully a collection or two in the future. Thanks to the creative minds at Alluminare.com, custom pattern design is now a dream come true for me : )

Click here to see how you, too, can utilize the custom design features available at Alluminare.com!

Fabric event this weekend

50% off these pillows at New England Fine Living!

I have been collecting fabric for a long time. If I see something that I like, I usually pick it up and save it for future design projects. The collection above was created by combining a water-resistant seashell print with a couple of remnants from what used to be one of my favorite places to go to get my “fabric fix,” the now long-gone Fabric Place.




This weekend at the retail location for New England Fine Living, I will be having a 50% off sale on all the pillows from the design collections that have resulted from my fabric addiction! Prices have already been reduced on each tagged item. Just look for the price tag with a key on it.

If you are a fellow fabric collector, I have also brought in a selection of fabrics that you can take home for your own home decor projects for just $10 per piece. Some of the designer fabrics are well over a yard, and many are in even more generous amounts. Below is a sample of what you will find (lots more colors and patterns are now available in the store). Come early for best selection!

New England Fine Living
106 South Main Street, Middleton, MA
Phone 978-539-8270

Open Wed. – Fri. 11am to 5pm
Saturday 11am to 4pm

Refreshing a Master Bedroom

AFTER: soft spring green combines with plum, yellow, white
and gray to create a fresh color palette for a master bedroom.

Recently I made it back to check on the end result of a
decorating project that I planned for one of my clients.

Her decorating goal was to freshen up her master
bedroom by painting the walls, adding fabrics in cheerful colors, and at the same time improve the layout while reusing the existing furniture.
I was happy to help!

Here is the before shot of the room: lots of traditional fabrics in neutral colors – black and white toile combined with a tan plaid and medium sized check – nice enough, but she was tired of the look. Accessories seemed to be all in the same color resulting in little to no contrast. The gray walls seemed drab next to the warm color of the furnishings, and the decorative painting over the arched window and doorways did not help to create a sense of calm in this area of rest.

First we addressed the layout. By rotating the bed to the left-hand wall in front of the smallest window, we were able to open up the room considerably. The pair of chairs with ottomans were moved over to the corner making a more intimate seating area positioned by the window for natural light. We moved the television onto a corner unit stand that could now be viewed both from the chairs or from the bed. Two dressers and a favorite curio cabinet also were repositioned along walls more suited to their sizes.



BEFORE: This corner was under-utilized
and the view outside the window was not
as good as the blocked view outside the
palladian window behind the bed.

AFTER: Switching the bed to this side opens
up the space while being much cozier.

In the end, only a handful of new pieces were added to the room including a shapely pair of lamps with the perfect colored shade that I found at HomeGoods, a white ceramic garden stool was brought in to add shine and contrast to the warm woods, and the TV stand is also new (sorry, I did not get a shot of it). Items that were taken out included a basket collection, a small painted table, and the candlestick lamps with toile shades. We also incorporated some larger more graphic works of art on the walls to replace the many small framed prints that we edited out.

During the process, I gave my client a few different options on fabric choices and I was glad she chose this modern twist on traditional. By using a confident mix of bold patterns with predominantly solid fabric choices the end result still has personality, but in a more subdued way. I was also happy to see her “go green” by re-dressing her existing furnishings instead of completely starting over, creating a new look
while honoring pieces collected over time.

The Summer Nursery: Design in Detail

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

When I design a space, my goal is to weave together fine details to create a grand picture that is both beautiful and engaging. For The Summer Nursery at Tapley Hall, I chose details that reflect a story book theme, the spirit of adventure, and the tender touch of mother nature. It is an imaginative space that honors the classic relationship between parent and child.

Natural textures played an important role in telling this
story by-the-sea. Linen. Wicker. Rattan. Grass. Seashells.

I picture this nursery in a grand Victorian, somewhere along the ocean’s edge. A true respite from the city.
A quiet place to relax and enjoy the natural rhythms
of the ocean while celebrating the ebb
and flow of motherhood.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

This is a story of juxtapositions where visual
contrasts create symbolic interest ...

Traditional styling paired with modern fabrics.
Fine art sharing space with story book illustrations.
Tailored pieces with a hint of youthful exuberance.



Bright pops of color and playful patterns infuse
this vintage space with modern freshness.

Favorite characters add visual entertainment while
preserving cherished memories from “story time.”

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Little Bear by Elise Holmelund Minarik
A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson
Zen Shorts by Jon Muth
Anything by Eric Carle





A story to ponder is woven in wool.

Zebra and leopard prints pay homage to
the wild adventure that is parenthood.

Expectations, a collection of candid photographs
and reflective stories from new mothers,
reads very much like a blog. It was published
in 1998, the year I had my first.

A little boy charms.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

A charming little boy, illustrated by my
all-time childhood favorite, Eloise Wilkin.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

A wildly adorable visitor finds a perfect place to sit.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

Simple dressing of a palladian window
includes a summery sheer that
captures light and softens the view.




Dragonflies, tassels, and garlands of pearl add
a touch of whimsy to the traditional valance.



More tassels are repeated on
a vintage reading lamp.



And one more tassel
decorates a doorknob.

A crown because every child is royalty and
every mom should be treated like a queen.

Stars from the sea as a reminder
of a child’s limitless potential.

A mother’s pearls add natural sparkle.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz


A sequined pillow shines brightly.
Truly, a baby is a blessing.

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wertz

Sweet dreams ...




Special thanks goes to:

Bassinet: Danvers Historical Society Collection
“Summer Sky” oil painting: Mary Taggart, Wakefield
Valance: RDR for Yvonne Blacker Interiors, Lynnfield
Upholstery and Sheer: Acorn Interiors, Andover
Persian Tabriz: First Oriental Rugs, Danvers
Flowers: Fiddlehead Flowers, Salem
Elizabeth Wertz Photography



And of course, I can’t forget ...

My husband, John, and the stars in our sky:
Zachary, Dylan, Owen and Ben



xoxo
Thanks for all your love,
support, and inspiration!