Custom Furniture – Dog Days Inspiration
We are less than a week away from one of the best neighborhood-wide sales this city sees during the year, the MidCity Dog Days Sale!
As you may have heard, Vastu is offering 15% off all new upholstered furniture orders from Steven Anthony. And while our Dog Days sale includes sofas, sectionals, chairs, ottomans and beds, you may find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the personalization options we offer. So before you head to our showroom this weekend, why not take a look at some custom client pieces from interior design projects past?
The Knoll Sale: Inspiration
Frank Gehry Cross Check Chair
The Annual Knoll Space Sale started last Friday and the weekend kicked it off just right! If you didn’t have time to make it in Saturday or Sunday, don’t fret because it runs until the end of this coming weekend (the 2nd). To give you some inspiration, Knoll has this great website filled with images of classic Knoll pieces and beautifully designed spaces. Be warned, however, that you can get lost and lose track of time as there are a lot of pictures and they’re all equally interesting and beautiful.
Or as Knoll describes them:
“Classic. In the modern sense.
Modern. In the classic sense.”
Click here for the Knoll Space Inspiration website.
Get inspired!
If you’re ready to make some changes in your home or you’ve moving into a new space and you need some inspiration, these tips will help you get started on your design journey.
5 places to find design inspiration…
1. Track down photos of your favorite hotel or spa. What did you love about it? What made it unique and special? Look for the details that made a difference, including color, texture and finishes.
2. Think of a destination you’ve always longed to visit. Paris? Bali? Marrakesh? Seek out imagery from those places. Maybe you can use wrought iron sconces. Or incorporate tropical woods and golden-orange textiles. You could even lavish the floor with a tile mosaic.
3. Shop your closet or the latest designer clothing collections. What colors do you like to wear? Is your style classic or bohemian chic? A favorite belt could inspire trim work. A tweed jacket could sway you towards a terrific tile color.
4. Visit a museum and take notes on what you see. Or pick up an art book at your local bookstore (you might even have a few on your coffee table) and browse through the pages until inspiration hits you.
5. The great outdoors can be an easy and ever-changing source of inspiration. From the color of fall leaves to the first blooms of spring, to various terrains and waterways, mother nature provides plenty of ideas that translate to the bath perfectly.
Flickr finds: Black and yellow
Flickr finds: Red is rad
This Flickr find post was inspired by a recent post on Apartment Therapy DC about using red to rev up a room.
5 degrees of inspiration…pt. 5
Interview with designer and Vastu co-owner Eric Kole…
Is there someone or something (architect, piece of art work, painter) who/that inspires your creativity?
I truly admire Russel Wright. He was the original design lifestyle guru. He felt that your whole life should be created as part of a design plan and paved the way for Ralph Lauren, Martha Stewart and everyone else. He did it all: architecture, clothing, books, dishes (for which he is most widely known), and landscaping.
What are your favorite elements/colors to use in a design proposal and what elements/colors do you think are necessary to have a successful proposal?
Lately I’m big on American walnut with grey, white and olive. I’ve finally kicked my cordovan and tan habit! I love using steel as a secondary element in designs (or chrome) and I’ve never been a blue or yellow person. Too traditional and country. What makes a design plan ultimately successful is if the client is happy. And would hire you again.
5 degrees of inspiration…pt. 2
Interview with interior designer Sarita…
Is there someone or something (architect, piece of art work, painter) who/that inspires your creativity?
I am inspired by many things. Anything that is beautiful or interesting to me can inspire my creativity. It could be a piece of art (I love modern abstract), a fabric, pretty wrapping or craft paper, or photos of beautiful spaces (I love Metropolitan Home magazine). When I’m designing for other people I like to find something owned by or loved by my client to inspire design ideas for their spaces that really reflect their personality and style.
What are your favorite elements/colors to use in a design proposal and what elements/colors do you think are necessary to make a successful proposal?
Lately, I am loving gray as a neutral base for rooms. It looks amazing with purples, blues, creams, dark charcoal or black. It’s the new beige. Also, I love white…especially white furniture. It’s so fresh and modern and looks great with anything. These days I’m really into pieces that have a combination of wood and white lacquer.
I think VARIETY is the most important element for a successful design. Every space needs variety to avoid being boring. Variety can be achieved with different textures, wood finishes, or wall treatments to name just a few ideas. The second most important element is SCALE & PROPORTION. Furniture should be scaled to the size of the space it is in as well as proportionate to the other pieces of furniture in the space.
When was it that you became interest in the design field and how has your career evolved?
I’ve always had an interest in design, I would say since I was old enough to ask for paint and craft supplies. As a little girl, I was the only child in the neighborhood that rearranged her bedroom furniture every other month. My mother remembers me giving her suggestions for the living room furniture too, I guess it is just something I have always had in me.
5 degrees of inspiration…pt. 1
Interview with designer and Vastu co-owner Jason Claire…
Is there someone or something (architect, piece of art work, painter) who/that inspires your creativity?
Growing up in the 1970s, my house was dark and earthy to say the least. My bedroom was red, white, and blue despite my disinterest in politics, my brother’s room was rust and camel, my parents’ room was celery green, our kitchen was rust, gold, and brown, and our family room walls were covered in rust colored suede! In the 1980s we moved to a house that was entirely gray and white and much more minimal. Minimalism stuck with me – I like it in food, cinema, art, architecture, and design. Traveling around the world has also inspired my creativity. Local interpretations of modernism and minimalism are fascinating to see.
What are your favorite elements/colors to use in a design proposal and what elements/colors do you think are necessary to have a successful proposal?
I like using a warm, neutral palettes and layering neutrals on top of one another. Color typically enters my projects in original art and accessories. It is necessary for clients to personalize their spaces too – so I encourage books, photos, and objects collected while traveling to be used as accessories as well. The result is a warm, modern aesthetic.
When was it that you became interested in the design field and how has your career evolved?
I have been interested in modernism and design since I was a little kid and my family and I used to go into New York to exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney, and The Guggenheim. I loved the furniture and object design floor at MOMA. I didn’t think of design as a vocation until after 4 years of college, 7 years of healthcare consulting, 2 years of business school, and then another year of consulting. Then I [finally] saw the light. I did study art and architecture in college which was fortuitous.
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