TheDesignFile

Elle Decor: A world of "superchic" style

2010-03-12T08:00:00-05:00

Elle Decor's new issue will hit the newsstands next Tuesday with super chic style from across the world.

The magazine's Travel Issue features designer Olivier Gagnere’s Left Bank home (shown at right) and on the issue's cover (shown at left).

But of course that's not all.

The issue has an amazing tour of Tokyo, the Buenos Aires home of polo player Nacho Figueras, and the London home of Christine d’Ornano (of the family who founded Lancôme, Orlane, and Sisley).

You can also see and read about the stunning Fiji home (shown below) of Fiji Water’s David Gilmour.

As always, Elle Decor also tells you what's hot:

The latest DwellStudio for Target line of housewares and linens includes cotton bedding in a
kicky interpretation of suzani patterns.
Kathryn M. Ireland’s vivid fabrics have a new home in Los Angeles’s Almont Yard. The charming second-story space carries linens, lighting, upholstery, art, and pillows.
Tucked in to the new wing of Paris’s Hôtel Le Bristol, 114 Faubourg features a contemporary French menu from Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon.
The Wooden Inlay bench by Matter (shown at right).
Designer Patricia Urquiola combined modern decor with classic Asian touches at the luxe Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, where guest rooms are outfitted with bespoke furnishings.

Designer Suzanne Kasler visits Indy for talk

2010-03-11T14:30:00-05:00

I'm so sad that my day job will prevent me from attending a luncheon tomorrow featuring interior designer Suzanne Kasler, who is an Indiana native now working in Atlanta.

The event is part of the Indianapolis Art & Antiques Show, which kicks off tomorrow and runs through Sunday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Suzanne is one of the country's hot designers, with a newly published book (see at right) and a deal with Ballard Designs where she's created rooms using the retailer's furnishings (see the bedroom below right).

House Beautiful named her one of the top 100 designers of 2008 and she's also been featured in Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, Southern Accents, and Veranda.

We featured one of her rooms here at The Design File in a post about geometric patterns.

Suzanne's luncheon and lecture will be at 11 a.m. Friday. Tickets are $60 per person, which includes a reserved seat and unlimited admission to the show. She'll do a book signing after lunch.

You can learn more about Suzanne, see more of her designs and read reporter T.J. Banes' interview with her at The Indianapolis Star's home site here.

Here's what the Art & Antiques Show folks say about Suzanne:

Interior designer Suzanne Kasler is coming home! For the last 15 years her design business has been based in Atlanta, but the Arlington High School graduate started her career in Indianapolis. After receiving her design degree from the University of Cincinnati, she worked for Rowland Design before starting her namesake firm here. Her move to Atlanta was prompted by her husband’s transfer and proved to be providential, as her work began to be lauded regionally and nationally.

Suzanne’s designs have been photographed by many of the leading design publications including Elle Décor, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, Southern Accents, Veranda and House Beautiful -- who named her one of the 100 Top Designers in 2008. Her furniture collection for Hickory Chair was introduced two years ago and she is designing lighting and fabric collections that will be released soon.

Suzanne’s new book, Inspired Interiors, has just been published to wonderful reviews and Suzanne’s appearance at our show will be the first opportunity for Indianapolis to welcome her home and celebrate her success. Join us and plan to “be inspired!”

Tips to make your home more appealing to a buyer

2010-03-11T08:00:00-05:00

It's one thing to decorate your home to suit your style and tastes -- complete with all the accessories, photos and colors you love. But what about when it's time to sell?

Diane Brooks, an Indianapolis real estate agent who writes the blog Realty Insights, was kind enough to provide this guest post to help you get your place ready to sell -- without wholesale renovations.

So you want to sell your home -- what's next?

So you are ready for your next home -- something bigger for the new baby or something smaller to make life simpler. What do you do to get your home in top notch shape?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Take a walk around the outside of your home . Look for any peeling paint, mortar chipping between bricks, leaks, cobwebs, hornet's nests, foggy or dirty windows. Pay special attention to the front door. Is the hardware in good shape (check out the pretty red door in the HGTV-featured house above)? Does it work properly? Could the front door use a fresh coat of paint? The front door will be one of the first focal points that the buyer will see. While the Realtor unlocks the home, the buyer will have a few minutes to study the care your entry has received.

2. Next walk through the interior of your home looking at it through fresh eyes as if you have never seen it before. Does it look spacious? Uncluttered? Organized? Luxurious? Now walk through it again with pen and paper in hand. Room by room note what is not essential. What items can be removed to create more space. In areas like the laundry room where detergent, softener sheets, spray cleanser, etc need to be close at hand, add decorative baskets where you can store these items in an attractive way. (Check out the build-it-yourself laundry station from BHG shown at left.) Are children's rooms neat and organized? Pack up as many things as possible that are not currently being used, or rotate toys every few weeks. Children will have renewed interest in their things if they are not always in sight.

3. Add some luxury to your home . Put out new towels in the bathrooms. (Or keep them close at hand just for showings.) Roll additional towels spa style and stack them close to your tub or place in a basket next to the shower. See how Restoration Hardware has used a seagrass basket and Turkish towels at right to create that spa feeling. Add fresh flowers in a pretty vase in your kitchen. Can't afford new bedding? Consider adding new accent pillows to your existing bedspread. Three or four rows of pillows create a luxurious look.

4. Update where you can. Some less expensive updates include new lighting and replacing older mirrors in baths with framed mirrors. Those small touches can make a huge difference in a buyer's eyes causing your home to receive the offer over another.

5. Consider hiring a professional stager. In Indy, a 2 -2.5 hour staging consultation runs $100-150. It is well worth the money. The stager will go through the home and make suggestions, many using the furniture and accessories that you already own. Creating a stage for your home is important to help the buyer envision themselves in it.

These ideas are just a start. If you are able to get these five things done, you are well on your way to creating a strong first impression and speeding your way to a favorable offer.

Thanks to Diane for all the great tips. We really appreciate them! Make sure to check out her Realty Insights blog.

Etsy pick: Fun accessories to bright your home

2010-03-10T13:00:00-05:00

I'll soon be previewing the Decorators' Show House and Gardens in Indianapolis and in particular Amy Peltier of Peltier Interiors who is redecorating the home's family entryway.

But today, I'm featuring Amy's House of Peltier as this week's Etsy pick.

At the House of Peltier shop, Amy sells a number of her handmade home creations, including pillows, napkin rings and coasters. She also some beautiful jewelry.

You can see some of her items across the top of the post. At top left is the set of four ABC 123 coasters, which sell for $13. In the middle is a set of four Green Tease napkin rings for $16. And at right is the Perfect Plaid accent pillow for $59.

"When I see a fabric I love, I make a pillow out of it, hoping that someone else will love it too," Amy says on her Etsy site. "My favorite thing to do is change my pillows with the seasons. I freshen up the room and never get tired!"

At right, are more of Amy's beautiful creations. From left to right, top to bottom: Funky Flowers set of four coasters, $13; Let's Meet in the Middle 22-inch square pillow, $35; Friendly Find accent pillow cover, $45; Rise in Shine set of four napkin rings, $23.

Check out all of Amy's items at House of Peltier. And tune in here next week when you see the "before" photos of the entry way Amy is redecorating for Decorators' Show House and Gardens.

Collect art cards before the Broad Ripple fair

2010-03-10T08:00:00-05:00

Indianapolis has an amazing number of fantastic art events and one is the Broad Ripple Art Fair, which is scheduled for May 15 & 16.

This summer will be the fair's 40th anniversary and so the event's sponsor, the Indianapolis Art Center, has created a fun "collectible card" promotion.

These are much like trading cards except that they feature works from artists who have been part of the fair in the past.

“It’s been great because people just love them," said Iris Dillon, director of the fair. "And we’re getting the opportunity to meet individuals face-to-face and talk about the art fair. It’s nice to be reminded how really excited people are about the art fair."

The collectible card promotion launched in late January, but if you're like me, you missed it! So there's a make-up event at the Art Center this Thursday at 6 p.m. to help get us caught up. The Art Center hands out two collectible cards at other arts organizations’ events and at local restaurants that are at the Art Fair.

For those participating in the promotion, there are four ways to win:

Collect all 40 designs and redeem for a free ticket to the Art Fair
Each card is a scratch off (1 in 10 chance of winning an Art Center prize)
Receive special deals participating organizations offer to card followers only
Receive special deals and promotions at the Art Fair itself

Card followers learn about upcoming events by subscribing to the Art Center’s weekly eBlast, becoming a friend on the Art Center’s Facebook page, following the Art Center on Twitter or checking the program's website.

Wouldn't each of these look great framed and made into a collage on your wall. It would be such a nice representation of Indianapolis art! So start collecting...

Design Translation: A dresser for our virtual room

2010-03-09T08:00:00-05:00

We're just a few weeks into our virtual budget remake of our inspiration room -- a guest bedroom from the 2009 HGTV Dream Home -- and we've already spent roughly $1,000 from our $7,750 budget. You can see the room at right.

Fortunately, though, some of the big purchases -- the bed, the rug, the bedding -- are out of the way. Today, we'll take care of another one of the more expensive purchases: the dresser.

Here are your five options, with more details below.

But first, check out what readers already have picked.

At right, you can see the Mohawk Home Prismatic Rug for $499 from Target, the Kristin Bed from Overstock for $199 and the American Living Savannah Quilt with shams and throw pillows from JCPenney for $274.

Click the collage for a better look.

That leaves us with $1,778 to spend from our $2,750 budget. That seems like a lot. But we still have to purchase the chair, ottoman, cabinet, lamps, wall art -- and of course the dresser!

So back to that dresser... You'll vote for your favorite in the poll below.

Here are the details:

1. The Sea Island White Dresser & Mirror is $700 from Value City Furniture. It has the right look and color and comes with a mirror, which might be nice in the room even though there isn't one in the inspiration space. It's one of the more expensive options but surprising the drawers are cedar-lined and have dovetail joinery.

2. The HEMNES eight-drawer dresser from IKEA is just $279. I've looked at this dresser a number of times at IKEA and it seems like it's of surprisingly good quality for the price. It offers a ton of storage and I love the simplicity. It works with the room.

3. This is another HEMNES dresser -- this time the three-drawer option from IKEA for $199. I thought it might be fun to consider a red option for the room. And although this is the smallest option, it's also be far the cheapest. It would be great for the budget!

4. The Stratton Extra-Wide Dresser for $1,199 at Pottery Barn is absolutely gorgeous! It's the largest option and by far the most expensive. It wouldn't leave us very much money to finish out the room, but it would look fantastic!

5. The Sand Through Nantucket Dresser in black is $600 from Target. I didn't want to offer you yet another white options so I found this pretty black dresser. Plus, I have a personal preference for painted black furniture. I think the distressed finish make it a nice fit for the room.

So what do you think?

It's time for you to vote. Pick the dresser you think is best for our room. Remember, we're not after a replica. We're after the dresser that works best with our other choices. And of course...keep the budget in mind!

You can vote through 5 p.m. Sunday.