On the Fringe. » interior design

Traditional Home – June 2010

toddrichesin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:41:02 +0000

Enjoy this project of ours from Key West. It is featured in the June/July 2010 issue of Traditional Home. This consummate conch cottage is one of the island’s oldest homes.

Kindel – Hot Off the Dock!

toddrichesin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:14:02 +0000

A favorite resource for custom products is Kindel Furniture Company. Their story is as interesting as their products. Started in St. Louis over 100 years ago, and still owned by part of the original founders, Kindel is considered one of the last great American furniture companies. Now located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they have a distinct ability to adapt to market trends while staying true to their values of quality and craftsmanship. They are delightful, friendly people, and their showroom is always one of my highlights at the High Point furniture market.

Kindel holds the license agreement to reproduce items from the world famous Winterthur Museum, as well as the license agreement to reproduce items from our founding president’s home, Mount Vernon. Recently, they have become famous for their work at the Greenbrier Hotel assisting in the restoration of the public and guest rooms. In order to do justice to the restoration of the Greenbrier, they have begun reproducing many pieces designed by the great Dorothy Draper, who set the standard for design in what the Greenbrier is today. A classic American decorator, her work was fresh and innovative at the time, and it still is today.

Kindel sends me regular examples of items they are preparing for shipment. It is interesting to see what they are doing and how other designers manipulate their products to become one of a kind items.

The trellis writing table is a great example of how Kindel can manipulate a product and change its look. This table was originally done in mahogany, but the white laquer makes it look totally fresh.

The two drawer console and curio is a fabulous Dorothy Draper piece. This can be done in any of their multitude of finishes, but imagine how “traditional” it would look in mahogany, how contemporary it would look in black, how Asian it would look in red. This is a great versatile piece with endless possibilities.

The Custom Mark round tables are fun and playful. Definitely not a design one would initially think of Kindel as producing.

The Townsend Tea Table is a classic Kindel piece, and harkens back to their roots as reproducing 18th century American antiques.

Knoxville News Sentinel – House Beautiful names Knox designer Richesin part of ‘next wave’

tori — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:23:53 +0000

Todd Richesin in the den at his home. The fireplace is an antique marble piece from Paris.

“The mark of a well-appointed interior is a feeling of comfort.”

—Todd Richesin

Source: The Knoxville News Sentinel

At the age of 7, Todd Richesin selected a rug for his first interior design clients, his mom and dad.

“When I was in the second grade, we went to meet with my parents’ interior designer. While they were walking around a showroom, I found a rug I thought they’d like because I knew the size and colors my mom wanted,” Richesin recalls. “When they saw it, they agreed the rug was perfect. It still sits in their home today, having survived three room conversions.” His parents, Bobby and Patricia Richesin, live in Sweetwater in the house where Todd grew up.

Richesin, 40, jokingly says that growing up he was reading Southern Accents magazine while his friends were reading Highlights. With such a passion for design, it comes as no surprise to his clients that he’s been named one of 20 designers to watch in House Beautiful magazine’s December/January issue. Richesin is listed in the “Next Wave” lineup which features designers from across the country.

“We are not one bit surprised he’s been chosen,” says Janice Tibbals, a client of Richesin. “I used to do design work and have worked with many designers over the years. To me, Todd is the best. He has exquisite design ability and good business sense, a unique combination.”

Allison Anders, another client of Richesin, recently relocated to Knoxville. “Todd transformed my house into a home simply by using existing antique furnishings and incorporating fabrics and color,” Anders says. “He’s extraordinary. Working with him has been a phenomenal experience.”

Richesin graduated from Sweetwater High School and received a business degree from Tennessee Wesleyan College and began working for a high-end furniture store following graduation. When the store shut its doors in 1999, Richesin decided to start his own business, Todd Richesin Interiors. The accolades received from House Beautiful timed perfectly with his 10th anniversary.

“I had submitted photographs and projects to the magazine in the past, but I had no idea this was coming,” says Richesin. “One day, a package arrived from New York City explaining I had been selected for the issue. I was thrilled, but at the same time, I felt like I grew up that day because it made me want to do even better work than what I’ve done in the past … so I can live up to the honor.”

Richesin works with homeowners and businesses across the United States. His style is what he dubs “classic timelessness,” although he works with clients of varying budgets and styles. Ultimately, he says no matter what the style, the goal for all homeowners should be comfort.

“The mark of a well-appointed interior is a feeling of comfort. Of course, the upholstery you sit on needs to be comfortable, but the overall feel of the room also has to be comfortable,” explains Richesin. “I achieve comfort with color, proper scale of furniture, a mixture of textures as well as old and new pieces, and the incorporation of a homeowner’s unique style.”

Richesin is an advocate for integrating personal collections into designs. “Your interests are a great way to inspire your interior, whether it’s the color scheme in your favorite porcelain or something tied to your hobby.”

Richesin believes every person deserves a beautiful place to live. “Start with what you love and go from there.”

Heather Peters is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

Photo credit: Heather Peters/Special to the News Sentinel.

Defining luxury and comfortable style

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:15:20 +0000

Todd Richesin Interiors is a full service Knoxville interior design studio that utilizes custom furniture, antiques and luxury fabrics to express each client’s unique individuality. By listening to each client’s goals and needs and by learning how they live in their homes, Todd Richesin Interiors is able to interpret a client’s dream and bring it to reality.

The services of the Knoxville interior design studio include:

Floor plan design
Pre-construction analysis of floor plans and furniture layouts
Lighting and electrical placement
Flooring, plumbing, tile and lighting selection
Selection of all interior finishes
Cabinetry consultation and design
Custom furniture, draperies, rugs and accessories
Artwork selection
Antiques

Window treatment fabrics

toddrichesin — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:58:44 +0000

Home in Highlands, NC

toddrichesin — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:50:41 +0000

Be sure to visit my portfolio at www.toddrichesininteriors.com to view four newly completed projects. One of these projects is a home I did in Highlands, N.C. The owners wanted to use turquoise and orange, an unusual color scheme for a home in the mountains. They brought me a photograph of a contemporary painting as the inspiration piece. Although they didn’t want to use the painting, they did want to use the colors. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to figure out how to create rustic sophistication with the use of fresh colors and was glad they didn’t opt to use the motifs of twigs, antlers and ferns so popular in mountain homes. We chose to use American antiques and let the color scheme dictate the choice of fabrics. I call the result the “New Highlands” look. It is fresh, comfortable and inviting.