Honing the counter top

It has been about 10 days since my last update.  We have been working at a couple of out of town markets, and honestly, the progress has been really slow. 

One good thing happening was that the kitchen island marble did get honed, and it looks amazing.  When we originally put the marble top on the island, I let the installer talk me out of honing the stone.  I knew it would perform better….but he didn’t want to do it because it wouldn’t have as much depth to the color….and I was tired of the building process and didn’t want to argue.  Lesson learned….we should have honed it.  It was highly susceptible to any sort of acidic substance, leaving un-polished rings everywhere.  Well, the honing did the trick, and the surface looks lovingly aged, and all the rings are gone.  It should have been like that 8 years ago when we moved in.

We got the duct work fixed so that it did not have to drop below ceiling level!

The new living room window is fantastic....and so much more classic than the "picture" window that was previously there.

Wood flooring for the kitchen and den are acclimating to the house, and will be installed next week

My favorite thing so far.....the new kitchen window. Elongated by one pane, it now opens up the view to the lawn and really adds a great amount of additional light.

At this point, almost all of the windows are in…..but nothing is trimmed.  Painters are starting to work on windows, and again, nothing is complete.  The ceiling has been removed in the basement, so we are ready for the new tongue and groove ceiling…..I hope.  The laundry room got this same treatment, and it is installed. 

The basement.....it keeps getting worse!

Over the weekend, only about half of the ceiling was out.  Today, it got progressively work.  Evidently, that is what happens when you try to straighten out 44 years of unevenness.  It will be level when we are done, and hopefully the effort will be worth it. 

We do have the final mantle design complete for the basement, and hopefully that will be installed within a week. 

A lot of electrical work has happened.  The recessed lights are totally installed in the basement…..other than the ones that had to be removed due to the ceiling being torn out.  We added spot lights over the beds in the two upstairs guest rooms.  There were no overhead lights in there, and this way, there will be at least one light that can come on and be effective with a flip of the switch inside the door.  We also added a couple of portrait lights in the den to help even out the light in that room.  It is probably the darkest room in our house, and this will be a greatly welcome addition.

Parquet.....gone

Lots of great progress today!  The first “layer” of parquet was pulled up in the den.  Evidently, the way this product was produced, there was a thin layer of wood over a plywood base……and this thick layer of black tar that joined the two together.  It went down in one piece, but it comes up in two!  Tonight, we have the black tar layer exposed, and tomorrow that should be gone.

We also discovered that part of the soffit in the basement can be removed without totally redoing all the duct work, so we will be able to get draperies in that room now and really add a great deal of softness to the space. 

Four windows were pulled out and replaced…..at least positioned in place and secured.  There is lots of trim work that has to be done at this point, but at least the new windows are in two of the bedrooms. 

Paint on the door details continues to move slowly, but the result is fantastic, and we are really pleased with the look. 

Marble fireplace covered for protection

January might not be the best month to change out windows

First stages for window removal.....take off the trim

Foyer chest all wrapped up for safe keeping

 Another great day today!  Schmid and Rhodes is doing a really great job, and they are being so careful with our house……even in its current state.  Every day when I come home, my desk is uncovered, and the floor swept. 

The floor came completely up in the den today, we got a real head start on wiring for house sound and for security cameras on the outside of the house, and the old tv cabinet in the office got removed.  The rain definitely slowed the window installation process, but they did a lot of prep work in taking off trim on the windows so more will be ready to change out tomorrow.

Down to the subfloor in the den

We will be able to move this duct up to get a flat ceiling in the new media room

TV cabinet.....gone

One of the new windows....notice there is no "crank" All you have to do is raise the lever and push the window open

Push out handle.....ready to open

Easy to open!

The start of wiring......

Finish samples for the new tv cabinet/bookcase. The body will be the antique black with wood stained trim, and the back will be the antique white v-groove

That's me with the incredible Jim Marvin from Nashville. We worked together on several projects this year in the White House. Here we are in the Green Room.

Again this year, I was notified by an email from Jeremy Bernard, the Social Secretary at The White House notifying me that I was again selected to be among the volunteers to decorate the house for Christmas.  My method for applying was the same as last year.  I wrote a letter to the Chief Floral Designer, Laura Dowling, and also to the Social Secretary.  I sent my letters in February, and did not hear anything until the first week in October.  Once I got to Washington, I discovered that the selection process was essentially the same as it had been before.  A few veteran designers were retained to keep some amount of familiarity with the process.  This time, there were about 160 total volunteers, most of which had not done it before, instead of the 100 who were there the previous year.  Some of the volunteers were selected on the basis of their skill, ability, and talent; while others were selected because of their want to do the work.  It was again an honor to work with all these volunteers to make the People’s House beautiful for this country. 

Many of the details of these days were similar if not identical to the previous year, so I am not including as many specifics about timing, descriptions of the warehouse, and even the preparations because it is so much the same.  If you want to just see pictures of the finished product, please just scroll on through.

My mom, Patricia Richesin, and I in The Blue Room at the Volunteer Recption

The first day of work was Black Friday.  I worked at The White House warehouse somewhere on the outskirts of DC.  There were sample “baskets” of ornaments for each room sitting in front of huge stacks of boxes marked with the same names as the basket.  A basket and box stack (or box row) for almost every room in the house.  From the West Wing, to the historic State Floor, to the Private Residence, every part of the house would be decked for the Holidays. 

The theme for this years decorations was “Shine, Give, Share” and was all about celebrating and finding ways to lift up those around us; to take time to reflect on the opportunities we have; and to shine, give, and share throughout the season.  Each of us has the power to make a difference in our world through service to one another while at the same time brightening our future.  The hope of the President and First Lady was that “the sparkling brilliance of the People’s House, and all it represents, remain with us throughout the year, and may it remind us to reflect the light and joy of this season each day in our service to each other.”  My personal hope is that I was able to “shine” at The White House and use my gift and talent to bring joy to others.  Over 80,000 people will see the house during the Holiday season. 

We unpacked ornaments, counted them, and sorted them into like containers for each room.  We removed any broken ones, repaired ones with missing tops, and added wire to ones with none.  Last year, about 75% of the decorations were recycled from previous years.  This year, I would say that outside of the greenery itself….which would all be fresh…..95% of the things that were used were recycled from previous years.  I have done holiday decorating professionally for many years.  It is really hard to re-use items in a different way, even in a small scale project, because what you have is designed to fit a certain way.  Ribbon is especially hard to re-use in a different way.  Somehow, the folks at Agency EA who organized the event had all that figured out.  Agency EA is the group who organized the entire production of decorating the house.  From coordinating volunteers, to deciding what goes where in the house, they were the team who supervised, planned, and ultimately were responsible for the magic that would happen.  I didn’t see all the personal ornaments this year that were sent in that I saw last year…..but they were there.  Many people were unpacking those, I just was working in a different place.  I can tell you that if it was sent in, it was used somewhere in the house.  They even read ALL of the letters of request for the volunteers!  Once counted and sorted, all of the boxes were re-sealed and labeled with a different color label….pink meant it was complete and ready to be put on a truck…..then inspected by the Secret Service, and put on a truck to be delivered to the house. 

Detail of the magnolia and fruit cluster garland for the State Dining Room

One of the things we started at the warehouse on Friday was figuring out the look for the State Dining Room.  I worked with Jim Marvin on this.  Jim has been a White House volunteer for 15 years, and consulted and designed many of the decorations for years before that.  A large percentage of the decorations used in the house were originally designed by him.  We decided to use magnolia garland as a garland on the two large trees flanking the fireplace and Lincoln portrait in the room.  We would create clusters of fruit made from tiny individual glass beaded apples, pears, and plums; incorporate fresh seeded eucalyptus into them; and tiny green velvet leaves.  This was a labor intensive process, and one that would ultimately start on Friday at the warehouse, and still be going until mid-day on Tuesday in the State Dining Room.  There were literally hundreds of these clusters made and used on these lavish garlands.  We also decided to use gold glass pinecones, and beautiful pink glass spiral ornaments to decorate the trees.  We added in gold shiny balls, and other decorations in brown and copper tones to add some depth.  The overall effect would be stunning once complete.  The items for the State Dining Room were not totally grouped together in the warehouse, so we made sure we got them all in one place before we finished for the day. 

On Saturday, I was assigned to work at the White House instead of the warehouse.  I reported early, and was escorted into the First Lady’s office suite by Ximena Gonzales, the asisstant to the Social Secretary.  We had a sneak tour of the First Lady’s office, which looked more like a comfortable living room than an office.  There was a large mahogany dining table and 10 chairs on one side of the room, and a sofa with a pair of “spool” chairs from Hickory Chair Company on the other side.  I was tickled to see the spool chairs, since it is one of my favorite frames.  We have one of them at home, and even have one in the shop right now.  The look was very tailored and neutral.  There are a lot of people who work in The White House….it truly functions as an office, a museum, and a home….so most of the offices are very small.  Even people who hold really important positions have relatively small offices. 

After this sneak peek, we had to unload one of the delivery trucks that had arrived with the decorations for the West Wing.  The President was getting ready to leave the house with his family, and there were at least 10 vehicles in the driveway on the South Lawn.  We had only a few minutes to completely unload the truck because it had to be off the property before the President could leave.  We staged items on the terrace of the Rose Garden, and would ultimately carry them through the Palm Room, down the collonade to the West Wing. 

I worked on the mantle in the Roosevelt Room, directly across the hall from the Oval Office, with Jordan Calgaro…..one of my veteran friends from last year.  Sherri and Cate, new friends from this year, worked on the tree in the Oval Office.  We used thick noble fir garland and draped it across the mantle letting it drape onto the floor on the ends.  We wrapped the garland with wide gold satin ribbon, and a brown and gold woven ribbon with wired edges.  This ribbon would ultimately be used in many rooms of the house.  We did large clusters of natural pinecones painted gold in the corners and center of the garland, and then added some glass pine cones, and glittery copper balls in.  We tucked in some gold leaves…..the same ones we used last year in the State Dining Room and East Room.  After lunch, we worked on the garland in the Cabinet Room.  We used the same thick noble fir garland, and laid it straight across the mantle and let it drape onto the floor.  This look is apparently a White House standard, and is something I always try to do in my own work.  The extra length on the floor really adds a lush look.  The ribbons for the Cabinet Room were a gold satin ribbon, mixed with an orange and green stripe with gold sequins.  We tied large bows for the corners of the mantle, and let the tails cascade into bishop’s sleeves down the sides.  Everywhere the ribbon tucked up, we put a cluster of gold pinecones, satin orange balls, and bronze glass acorns.  We then did a similar cluster in the center of the mantle and at the corners.  Add in a few gold leaves for sparkle, and it was really beautiful. 

The top of the tree in the Oval Office was out of Sherri and Cate’s reach, so I finished off the top for them.  Security was super tight.  There was a guard inside the colonnade doors, and to get into the Oval Office itself, you had to show your identification….where it was recorded in ink in a book.  No white out or deletions that way!  Once recorded, you could move freely about the office, but only for the time period you were allotted. 

The Oval Office was a beautiful space.  Very neutral, with beige shadow stripe walls, and sofas upholstered in a rich brown velvet fabric.  There was a modern cocktail table with a simple wooden dough bowl on it filled with honey crisp apples.  There was definitely a lack of decoration, but it still looked Presidential.  The draperies were in a wool crepe shadow stripe fabric in a deep red tone, and by the fireplace were a pair of tan leather chairs.  A beautiful antique table on each side of the fireplace held a bronze bust of Lincoln on one, and of Martin Luther King on the other.  The rug was noticebly not plush, but was a beautiful neutral texture, having the eagle symbol in the center also in neutral tones.  The border was deep blue with inscriptions that were meaningful and inspirational to The President.  Of course, there was the legendary desk.  It was a little smaller than I had imagined, but the detail carvings on it were amazing.  The ceiling in the office was slightly domed, creating perfect acoustics.  You could literally hear a pin drop. 

I also got a peek at the Vice President’s office.  No Rose Garden view here, and considerably smaller; it was painted a navy blue, and was accented with reds and golds. 

Finished trees and garland in the State Dining Room

Beautiful sconce decorations in the State Dining Room, created by Jim Marvin, and using laurel and bay leaf swags, pink spiral glass ornaments, and clusters of beaded fruit

A little about the house……my clients love the mountains, and wanted a cozy retreat there.  We worked with a favorite color scheme of hers….blues and oranges.  The result is a beautiful interior that feels fresh.  This is an unexpected color scheme in an area where most people choose browns, greens, and neutrals.  Most of the rugs in the house were custom braided rugs I designed.  Antiques are a favorite source of inspiration for my client, so we used old pieces wherever we could.  The colors are happy, the upholstery is comfortable, and the space is relaxing.  I love it, and hope you enjoy.  More photos of this project are located in the portfolio section of my website under the heading “Old Highland Park.”  www.toddrichesininteriors.com/index.php?page=old-highland-park  

My mom, Patricia Richesin, in the Fortuny showroom studying the fabrics

While in Venice we had an invitation from Fortuny to visit their facility on the island of Giudecca.  A vaporetta ride, and we were there.  The factory is housed in an old brick building, right on the Giudecca canal.  The only hint at what awaits inside are the letters spelling the family name across the top of the building.  The showroom is located on the property of the factory, and has recently been completely re-designed by Barry Dixon.  We were met by Giuseppe Ianno, the manager of the facility.

The retail portion of the Fortunty with the walls upholstered in their fabrics

The showroom is truly breathtaking.  To see the beautiful Fortuny fabrics used so lavishly was a real treat.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the product; Fortuny is a hand printed cotton fabric, typically with a soft metallic design in either gold or silver applied over the printed cotton.  Sounds a little glitzy for most folks, but the reality is that it is not.  The fabrics are beautiful and can be as subtle or as powerful as you want, depending on the combination of colors.  Oh, forgot to mention that they can also be customized, so it is possible to get the exact design that you want, in exactly the color combination that you want.  They only use the finest cotton, and at first glance, you would think the fabrics were printed on silk because of the luminous sheen. 

Wings of luxurious fabrics, and bolts in the background

Detail of the lavish drapery. The border was quilted.

A blue and green color scheme was used in the showroom to reinforce the “water” theme of the Venice location.  Many folds were in the drapery panels to compliment the “waves” in the water beyond.  The draperies were one of my favorite things.  The border was quilted, and the draperies had Fortuny lining fabric “tied” to the face fabric.  It was a beautiful detail.  Also in the showroom were the new range of Fortuny Murano glass lamps, as well as address and note books bound with their stunning fabrics.

The new range of Fortuny lamps, which have illuminated bases

The lavish draperies facing the Giudecca canal and a Venetian mirror with Fortuny fabric behind the glass

We had the opportunity to tour the garden on the property after we were finished in the showroom.  I’ve been to lots of factories over the years, and never have seen a beautiful garden associated with one.  The garden was lovely, and covered in roses in full bloom.  There is also a swimming pool on the party where the Countess who formerly owned the company entertained.  It is one of only a handful of swimming pools in Venice, where they are currently banned since they do not fit in with the historic accuracy of the city.

The garden with rose covered trellises

Another garden view

The factory pool, complete with changing rooms. The rooms have fully mirrored back walls which make the pavillion seem open to the space beyond.

As we walked back toward the Vaporetta to return us to Venice, we passed the bookbinding studio where the address books covered in Fortunty fabrics were made.  The gentleman producing these was so proud of his craft, and really did an incredible job.  It was an awesome experience and made for a memorable day in Venice.

Binding books with Fortuny fabrics

Applying the glue that binds the books

Click here to see video

A Roomy 178 Square Feet

By: Penelope Green

Published: February 10, 2010

Robert Wright for The New York Times

But Mr. Motl, 25, has made the most of this studio apartment in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, which he rents for $944 a month, and has outfitted for about $2,500 in the three years since he moved to New York City. He has hewed to the old decorating dictum that says the more stuff you put in a room (albeit artfully arranged stuff), the bigger it seems. More really is more.

Mr. Motl, a theater major who also studied sculpture at the State University of New York at Geneseo, had planned to pursue a career in acting after graduating in 2007. Like so many before him, he had been testing the waters in New York City during his summers off from school, cobbling together a living and a career path by doing two or three jobs at a time, along with a handful of internships: waiting tables in Bellport, N.Y., his hometown, and in Brooklyn; teaching sailing at yacht clubs up and down Long Island; interning at P.S. 122 in New York, and for Miles Redd, the maximalist designer.

Pretty quickly, Mr. Motl began to realize he would much rather work in interior design than the theater. “Not that I knew anything about it,” he said. “I thought ikat” — a trendy textile — “was a piece of furniture.”

Still, he is an innately stylish guy. “I always knew what I liked and what I didn’t like,” he said.

And he has a sailor’s sense of thrift and handiness that has served him well in his new profession, and at home. When he moved into this apartment, a grubby white box, he removed all the window panes, scraped them clean and reattached each one so they wouldn’t bang or let the cold in (he keeps them sparkling clean).

He also chipped the mirrored tiles off the bathroom walls — “That’s when the love affair with my downstairs neighbor began,” he said dryly — and painted the room midnight blue. He built task lights with a steampunk aesthetic out of components he found at Canal Lighting for less than $200; he also put together a milk-glass shade ($12 on eBay), an Edison bulb ($18 at Canal Lighting) and an electric cord to make the fixture that hangs atmospherically over the beadboard breakfast counter/front hall table/cabinet he built himself.

Mr. Motl knows how to arrange furniture in groupings — an office “area,” sitting “room,” “bedroom” and so forth are clearly defined (though only a few inches apart). And he knows how to hit the sweet spot that turns a bunch of objects — like stacks of National Geographic magazines — into a collection, and how to array those objects so they look sculptural, instead of like a sign that he might be a candidate for A&E’s “Hoarders.”

Mr. Motl has been “collecting” since the age of 5 or 6, picking things up from the curb for his room, visiting yard sales when he had his own money. He recalled being kicked out of an antiques store at age 10, because the proprietor thought he was in there to steal something. “I remember, after running to my mother in tears from the confrontation,” Mr. Motl said, that the store owner defended herself “by saying, ‘What interest would a 10-year-old have in antiques?’ ”

When a professor at school culled his library of ’40s and ’50s Penguin paperbacks — mostly theater titles — Mr. Motl scooped them up. They’re jammed together on the shelf above his bed, books being one of the many multiples Mr. Motl has filled this tiny space with.

Wooden tennis rackets hang on the walls. “I bought one at an antiques store,” he said, “and then felt like an idiot because I kept finding them on the street.”

The blue Marc Jacobs Wellington boots were purchased on sale for $10.

Does he ever wear them?

“No, they’re just there.”

By November of 2008, Mr. Motl wanted just one (full-time) job. He was still waiting tables to support himself while he worked part time for Mr. Redd. A friend showed him a posting on Craigslist by Robert Couturier & Associates, the upscale architecture and design firm.

The ad was for a junior designer, with three years’ experience and knowledge of AutoCAD, the computer drafting program. Mr. Motl didn’t meet either of those requirements, but he did have pictures of this apartment. He got the job

Robert Wright for The New York Times

Thanks to Traditional Home for including me in their list of “20 Young Designers to Watch”, in their March 2010 issue.  It is an honor to be included in this group of incredibly talented individuals, and great to be recognized by a favorite publication.  I had the privildege of getting to know one of the editors, Candace Manroe, this year on the photo shoot for a home in Key West that will be featured in the June issue.  Working with one of their great photographers, Werner Straub, was also amazing.  After having owned my own firm for just over 10 years, this has become one of the highlights.  I am most appreciative.

The feature is very clever.  The editors have taken this honor one step further to get their readers involved and are offering a fantastic prize to both the winning reader and winning designer.  As a reader of Traditional Home, you have an opportunity to vote  for your favorite young designer, and in the process win $5000 worth of Duralee fabrics!  As one of the featured designers, I have the opportunity to win more recognition in their publication.  The winners will be revealed in the October 2010 issue.  Voting is easy, and your vote for me will be greatly appreciated. 

Go to http://www.traditionalhome.com/duralee and click “Join Now” to register with Traditional Home.  You have to be registered to vote.  After that, click “Vote Now” in the Reader’s Choice section.  Scroll down to view the designer portfolios, and then cast your vote.  You will be asked to confirm a security code, and once you have entered that, press “ENTER” to cast your vote.  There will be a notice saying you were successful if everything was done correctly.  You can vote every day until March 23 and increase your chances of winning!  Thanks for your support, and thanks again to the team at Traditional Home for your vote of confidence in my ability.

Lobby of the Oriental Theatre

A trip to the big city isn’t complete without a visit to one of it’s great movie palaces.  1920’s movie palace architecture is an amazing part of the fabric of design.  It is hard to think of another type of architecture where fantasty and a theme can be carried out so successfully and so appropriately.  The 1920’s were the boom time for this type of building, and two of Chicago’s best are featured here.

The Oriental Theatre was built in 1926 using every possible motif the architects could find from buildings in India.  It was restored to its present splendor in the late 1990’s.  Marble covers the walls in the lobby, ceilings are plastered with grotesque designs in deep detail, and fantastic Indianesque chandeliers sparkle.  No photos were allowed inside the theatre, but it was even more spectacular. 

Oriental Theatre Lobby

Cadillac Palace Stairs

The Cadillac Palace was built in 1926.  Its inspiration came directly from the palaces of Fontainbleau and Versailles.  Breche violet and white marbles cover the walls.  Ceilings are intricately painted, and crystal is dripping from every chandelier.  The lobby features a complex series of arches.  Detailed brass ornamentation is everywhere.  Most theatres were stripped of their brass work during World War II when the government confiscated it to be melted down for ammunition.  The management at the Cadillac painted all the brasswork white, which camouflaged it as being iron, and it was spared.  This was forgotten until the theatre was restored in 1999.  It is a beautiful movie palace.

Cadillac Palace Lobby