A few of my favorite things

A few of my favorite things . . .

Scalamandre damask . . .

Buccellati silver wine bucket . . .

18th century Swedish frame chair from Therion & Co

and a stack of my favorite books!

EXTREME MAKEOVER

Before makeover

After makeover (click on photo to enlarge)

Before

After

Our latest upholstery transformation for a client in Bend. The sofa was tired and dated, probably because it was going on 18 years in service. The frame was good quality with eight-way hand tied construction, it was just the wrong style for the rooms makeover. I wanted to give the new frame more height and resemble a daybed with clean lines, after a little grumbling from our upholsterer I managed to talk him into the transformation. Of course now he takes all the credit (and well deserved)! We chose this wonderful linen cotton blend from Castel fabrics woven in Europe, the throw pillows are a collection of mixed textiles, always changing and giving new personality to the room. Next time consider giving new life to that old sofa or chair you are thinking of tossing.

Reuse + Repurpose + Restyle!

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Recently we were very pleased when our latest project with Black Rock Construction won several awards including best interior detailing and architectural design. We worked closely with the client and Black Rock to create some wonderful architectural details for this Tuscan farmhouse design.

In the guest room we hung old weathered shutters at the window, in new construction I feel it is important to use some elements with age and patina. The wall sconce selection was a very economical one but works perfectly in the space.

We worked with the firm Stone Cutters to create this massive limestone mantel which is the focal point for this room. They were able to achieve the perfect patina we were looking for, each visit they would embellish the finish until we felt it meet its goal.

The original design for this room was for the second floor to be completely open with railing running the length of the room. I felt it lacked interest and was not practical for the upstairs space. The solution was to create these wonderful arched balconies which emphasize the iron railing and provide wonderful views over the great room.

The staircase leading up to the tower was my favorite detail. The first thing you see when entering, we used this wonderful mosaic tile alternating patterns at each step. The iron detail and open plaster work under the stairs was adapted from a beautiful home in Europe, I always look to references from classic architecture for inspiration.

Decorative light fixtures are so important to the overall design, the wrong choice can really mess up an interior. On this project we had to choose many of the fixtures at a very reasonable price point, and were able to splurge on a few others. There are good looking fixtures at lower price points like the one in the photo of the shutters, while the sconce above has beautiful detail and scale for the stair tower.

This pair of antique doors we found at a dealer in Los Angeles, they add the perfect focal point in this guest room.

The entry into the master bedroom we used this deep set arched door which leads you in anticipation of whats to come. The details are what makes a successful design.

IS THIS REALITY?

Recently I was asked to participate in a design challenge, Central Oregon's version of HGTV Design Star. While I think most of those reality competition shows are ridiculous, it did sound like fun. The challenge was to create a room setting in 24 hours with different resources and materials assigned to each designer. We were given paint and limited supplies and zero budget,

as they say "make it work"

The space was a small 10' X 10' box and needed some architectural interest, I chose to create a painted parchment wall treatment. Using white craft paper and spray paint I was able to hang the paper in 24" squares resembling stone blocks.

Each room had a small window on the back wall, I used a simple matchstick shade and dressed it up with these wonderful side panels made of jute. A simple play on textures and neutral colors helped disguise the small proportions of the room.

I continued with the theme of neutral texture and contrasting simple elements along with more refined accessories.

More textural elements included vintage weathered shutters for a room screen and a grouping of raku pottery crystal mineral and bronze table lamp.

It was actually a lot of fun to work on despite the stress of time limits, but I was not alone working along side two other talented designers from Central Oregon we put on a good show! Would I do it again? What do you think?

BEFORE AND AFTER REMODEL

We recently completed this whole house remodel. We felt the house had "good bones" when we first saw it, our client asked us to consult on the changes needed before they purchased it. Knowing there art collection and taste we were able to create a beautiful home in just six months. "A perfect fit"

Pictured below are before and after photos of each area (click on photo to enlarge)

This area upstairs lead to the master bedroom entrance and had these crazy arched openings looking down to the living room. My client thought they would never sit in the hall and hated the space (me too!). We were able to close the arches and relocate the master door so this is now part of the master suite, creating a wonderful private sitting alcove (they love it!)

In the main entry the stairs have beautiful shape, but the carpet had to go! We were able to match the original bleached walnut floors adding to the sculptural shape, in fact we replaced all the existing carpet with the same walnut floors throughout the main level.

In the family room area the wall with the fireplace and TV was a little confused. To much going on, the TV did not fit the niche and the equipment was a mess, even with the storage doors below. We were able to rework the niches to better show the clients collection of sculpture. We choose not to hang art over the fireplace but used an important sculpture on the hearth as A focal point.

At this side entry alcove the closet door was seen also from the main entry and was not a very good focal point. Because there is another guest coat closet around the corner we choose to eliminate the closet and create an art niche. Now there is a strong focal point from the main entry and also directly across from the powder room.

In this gallery hall our client wanted to feature a favorite sculpture, we removed the shallow arched niche so not to conflict with the strong vertical sculpture. The area was also visually enlarged by removing the french doors on the left and extending the wood floor.

The existing limestone mantel was not in the budget to replace, but felt heavy and not cohesive with the surrounding materials. We chose to repaint all the walls a soft muslin color which helped soften the area. Then we hung a large scale 40" sculpture over the mantel visually correcting the scale of the wall.

The view from the kitchen through this existing courtyard area was lack luster, and the client wanted to create better flow from room to room. We were able to enclose the courtyard which was a very unattractive exterior space, basically it was a leaf collector! The result is a wonderful view through to the living room.

The main living room had a very poor space plan and felt isolated from the rest of the home, the client asked for an intimate seating area to encourage conversation in front of the fireplace. This is the room you see from the kitchen pictured before. Besides replacing the french doors with deep set openings we were able to create art niches for some prized sculpture.

What a wonderful opportunity it is to help create a home.

Scott Louis Brown: What inspires you?

Scott Louis Brown: What inspires you?

What inspires you?

(click on photos to enlarge)

What inspired me was Old Master Dutch still life paintings. When a client asked me to create a floral arrangement for her breakfast room, she said her guests would appreciate "attention to detail" I was inspired! By the beautiful setting, the colorful embroidered table cloth and this wonderful cast iron garden urn. Mission accomplished!

Heirloom Dahlias

Dahlias are one of my favorite flowers available when summer winds down and cool fall days set in. This arrangement in a beautiful antique gilded container has the most stunning color! Combined with kale and agapanthus it becomes a study in still life.

Fall is blooming!

Click on photo to enlarge

This past weekend I had the pleasure of designing and arranging flowers for a clients party.

The colors of fall were in full bloom! and I was inspired by the collection of antique and vintage crystal china and fabulous containers all set on this beautiful embossed leather table. I love mixing patterns and textures to create an elegant table scape. With the Holidays approaching look to combining some of your favorite things when setting the table, dare to experiment!

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN

Photos - blackstone Edge Studios

Love this sunny guestroom we just designed in the Tuscan farmhouse. The walls are painted with Sydney Harbour's "lime wash" paint in a beautiful blue called Lucca. The fabric is a classic toile pattern in a mustard yellow mixed along with vintage linens and cotton slipcovers. The bedside table is antique country pine with a lamp made from a vintage painted baluster. For the closet we "found" space under a stairway adjoining the room and used this wonderful pair of antique doors to access the closet.