Barbara Barry for McQuire ~ Outdoor Furniture

I love Barbara Barry's style. Clean lined, elegant shapes. Her new line for McGuire is no different. Take a look...These pieces are from her Bowmont Collection.


Simply beautiful!

Fresh Air Heart to Heart

The other day I wrote about what I thought was a crime against nature. Nature defined two ways ~ nature meaning the great outdoors and nature as in as humans we have certain characteristics and needs such as the need to connect. The scene in that post inhibited nature any way it is defined. Today, I thought I'd show some wonderful fresh air spaces that promote nature.

I can see myself enjoying family and friends in any one of these beautiful spaces. Can you?

Gorgeous spaces compliments of House Beautiful

Peyton Home ~

I had the pleasure of visiting Peyton Home. These gals got it going on! Seriously, they are a designer's dream. Why? I'll tell you....

First there is Deborah Peyton Sottak (seated in chair) and Gabrielle Hart (standing) ~ the ladies behind the business. That's my friend Karen with the water bottle. One could feel the love almost instantaneously. Say what? What I mean is, the love for what they do and that goes a long way.

Deb is a former psychiatric social worker (as am I) so there was a natural fit. We spoke about the old times for a few minutes. It was great that we spoke the same language (sometimes I miss my psychobabble). What Deb's background brings to the table for me is the innate ability to listen and interpret one's needs and a commitment to fulfill them. She is also a very good business woman with a fabulous sense of style. Deb also possesses a competence to establish strong relationships with her suppliers (can somebody give me a Hallelujah!).

Gaby brings to the table her furniture knowledge ~ rather intimate knowledge. She is a finisher. What the heck is that? Her background is an artistic one of refinishing furniture. Not just stripping and simple staining procedures ~ oh nooooo! ~ I mean carefully creating a unique look to individualize your piece from another. We were looking at one of the pieces in the showroom. Gaby reviewed the multi-layers that she specified to achieve the look. There were at least five. Not just the materials used but the techniques used as well. Picky, picky. And that IS what a designer wants in a vendor.

Can they customize? Of course. Can they built my designs to spec? Sure! Is it at a good price point? Yup.

Whoa!

What do they have? Indoor and outdoor furniture. Here are a few shots I took at their current cramped location ~ they are moving as I type (see their new space below).

Contemporary and comfortable outdoor furniture.

I love this accent table with the two tone striae.

Lovely Asian influenced chests.

This chair is a beautiful leather weave.

Bedrooms for children and adults. The beds are very well made. The back of the headboards are finished so the bed can float in the room.

Great style. Black and white ~ a classic combination.

They have traditional, transitional, and contemporary styles.

And the finish selection is grand!


Are they well constructed? Yes. Do they have a long lead-time? Not if it is in stock. If it is a customized piece, then the lead-time can be 12-16 weeks (good things come to those that wait).

If you are a designer reading this, you need to look at and speak with them. If you are in the Baltimore, MD area, call them. They'll be happy to meet with you.

If you are an end user, tell your designer to look into them.

Peruse their site for better pictures than mine.

Here is a video of their new space.... Movin' on up!

The Outdoor Kitchen

Kohler has a full array of information to offer the interior design enthusiast. One email they sent that caught my eye was on outdoor kitchens. I know that it has been raining a lot in parts of the country, not here luckily. I wanted to help those affected see there is light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps considering an outdoor kitchen will be just the therapy needed.


I am not going to reprint the information here as you may read it directly from the source. Watch the video done by Brian Gluckstein at the end. It is short and good.

I also came across a blog I did not know before. Susan Serra does a blog devoted to kitchen design. It is very informational and fun.

There is much needed planning when completing an outdoor kitchen ~ location, weather, functioning and overall design. Kohler recommends that one receives professional help when undertaking this task. I agree. It will save money and heart ache in the long run and one will have exactly what is wanted and needed. Work with someone who specializes in outdoor kitchens or kitchens in general. Designers that specialize in kitchens are learning more and more about the outdoor ones due to their increasing popularity and products now available.



I must admit, almost anything tastes better to me when cooked on a grill so these pictures are actually making me hungry. Time for a snack!

Outdoor Wonderland in Detail

I am so sorry I did not post yesterday. I had to finish up an outdoor project for a Monday morning meeting. Speaking of outdoor projects, as promised here are three color palettes from projects. These are the fabrics I used. Most of them are from Robert Allen / Beacon Hill. The same principles and elements are applied to outdoor spaces - pattern, color, texture..... Let me know what you think.

Palette #1


Palette #2


Palette #3