My Blog

Getting Color and Light Right

04/04/2012 15:10:00

So, how do you choose paint colors that work with the lighting in your home?

Pairing the right paint color and lighting can have magical results; but, finding that perfect combination can be tricky.

Geography

The first thing I do when I visit a home is look at the way the windows are facing. If you have a south-facing room you’ll have sun a good portion of the day; if the room has a north facing view, the opposite is true. In rooms without direct sunlight, I recommend warmer colors to brighten the room. And, if you live in South Florida where there’s abundant sunshine, you’re going to want to look at cooler tones to balance the intense light from outside.

Utility

I always ask my clients what the room is for; I had a client who only used one of his rooms at night so he wanted it to look best then. This made all the difference in picking out the right color; a warm chocolate brown, it looks great with lamplight! What you need to remember is if the room is cool and dark, add warmth. If it’s bright and illuminated, go neutral or add cool colors with blue undertones.

Context

What else is in the room? The way light reflects from one color to the next has a strong impact, so the relationship between colors is important. Consider all the large elements in the room, and the light bulbs used in your lamps and overhead lighting. Sometimes a color becomes redder, other times a color becomes greener. Your best bet is to bring in samples of color and pick out what you think looks best under the lighting conditions.

Testing

For the best outcome, I encourage my clients to get a small sample to try out before committing. I recommend painting small areas of every wall in the room to ensure you will be happy with the color later on.

Trust

In the end, if you cannot trust your eyes, call a Color Expert like Pam DiTomaso, Allied ASID of RyanAlexander Interiors. Pam is trained to identify the exact hint and hue that works for you and your décor. She will ensure you enjoy your homes' interior for a long time!

Imagine the Possibilities...

02/21/2012 15:45:00

Recycled Glass

Recycled Glass invites a tremendous number of uses in design. Bits of broken glass bottles and porcelain transform floors, furniture and counter tops into beautiful works of art. Utilizing this sustainable component in design means that instead of mounting in a landfill for thousands of years, post-consumer glass and porcelain are turned into gorgeous fixtures by mixing crushed, recycled glass with an epoxy resin thereby creating an endless number of sparkling terrazzo designs! If you can’t find one that matches your home or office, you can design your own, based on color, size and finish.

The best part, terrazzo is virtually maintenance free, and lasts as long as your building or home stands.

Unlike marble, which has to be removed from the earth, recycled glass is made from some of the 30 billion bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills.

We invite you to imagine the possibilities of recycled glass as there is a myriad of Eco-friendly designs. Want to see a sample? Give us a call at 786.704.9370 or send us an email at askthedesigner@att.net to see how recycled glass countertops or recycled glass flooring will look in your home or office.

Working with ME, your designer!

01/24/2012 15:39:00

As a professional, I thought it to be important that I define who I am and what I do! Here is a sample of my business philosophy I use to be the best Designer I can be for my clients...

1. I am an artist!

What I do is creative work; designers need talent, skills and experience! Design is not easy; I am paid to make it look that way.

2. I am the expert!

As the expert, I only want to give you the best outcome for your project. I will explain the reasons behind major decisions. The way I do things is based upon my education and training!

3. Your Feedback is important!

With all the information available on the web, your feedback might just reveal a better idea that will improve the final results! However; not everyone is a designer because they can identify colors or new products! Be careful not to spew guidelines; after all, I am the expert and I am the one with the education and experience!

4. Communication is crucial

Your input is very important so that I have a clear understanding of your wants and needs; if you have invited me into your home, be prepared to answer my questions and most importantly to discuss money! Without a clear understanding of what you want and what your budget is to accomplish that, our relationship is doomed right from the start! For me, including my clients usually means they have a great appreciation for the work I do as they see it develop from a basic idea to the completed project.

5. Deadlines

We know all want what we want as fast as possible; understand that it takes time for even the simplest project to be completed. While I work with timelines, I do not directly manufacture the product that goes into a project. The materials that are available today may not be available tomorrow; especially when it comes to fabric. For example, the availability of a fabric being used on your project, could easily become unavailable if the manufacturer sells the bolt to another vendor!

6. Respect the contract

The contract is important; this is serious business and the contract we sign needs to be respected by both you and me. I am a serious professional and I want to be able to provide you what you want and to be paid at the appropriate times. I want to adhere to work schedules and timelines; but I can only do that if you respect the contract by making yourself available when needed, and honor the payment schedule.

Bottom line

Being a designer is not easy and I am not saying this only because of the amount of skills you need, but because I work with all types of clients with all types of expectations; trust me I’ve never had two clients or two projects that were the same. Challenges and difficulties arise all the time; I like to err on the side of resolution; you are a happy client and I am able to show off another distinctive design! (It is a win- win situation!)

Happy New Year! (2012)

01/13/2012 16:18:00

If you are anything like me, the hustle and bustle of the holidays leave you spent. I have been over-stimulated for months — too much food, too much drink, too many do-dads all around the house, just too much of everything. January has become one of my three "clean up my life" times of year. Second to April's spring cleaning, but somehow a little more involved than September's back-to-school organizing. January is my new "get-it-done" month. What needs to get done is for me to create a calm and serene surrounding in which I can relax and undo my Christmas season extravaganza!

Being immersed in the home fashion and interior decorating industry, naturally I look to Design for inspiration; a well put together room, an outrageous piece of furniture, or an utterly new and awe inspiring color! Here are some of my favorites…

I love that this room is city stylish, & sexy contemporary with the zealous artwork of Romero Britto and luxurious purple velvet club chairs that play off the ruffled sofa pillows!

Or this unique custom one of a kind corner chair; covered in a lively pattern that obscures the harsh triangular shape. Yet the soft and loud orange pillows offer a tantalizing embrace!

Or, perhaps your inspiration comes from a particular flower or landscape! This pretty pink rose warms my inner core and sends BLASTS of color images to my right brain!

Use images that speak to your right brain to jump start your creativity and “clean up your life”! It could be just what you needed to put the NEW back into the year!

Happy 2012!

Too True to pass up!

10/14/2011 11:04:00

I don't normally pass emails along to people en masse...but really this is just too true to pass up! For anyone who has ever owned property, take note:

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY

YOURSELF...

YOUR BUYER...

YOUR LENDER...

YOUR APPRAISER...

YOUR COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR...

True? Would love to hear your comments!

Simple Fall Home Projects...

10/13/2011 13:12:00

Welcome the arrival of fall and Thanksgiving guests with gorgeous decorations both indoors and out.

Create a Warm Welcome

Welcome guests to holiday gatherings with a beautifully decorated entry table. Create this autumnal display by placing golden gingko and bittersweet branches in a large sculptural vase. Pears piled in a rustic stoneware bowl, a ready bottle of wine and low dish of nuts are all reminders of the harvest. Don’t have the DIY savvy?

Then brighten up your home for the season like vases filled with fall flowers. Sunflowers and Alstromeria are great choices because they'll remain beautiful for up to a week. The trick to keeping blooms fresh is to remove all leaves below the water line and change out the water every few days.

Brighten Up Your Entry

Variegated croton in saturated shades of green, gold and red surrounded by vibrant mums and pumpkins give the front entry a colorful fall pick-me-up. Both plants are perennials and can either be brought indoors to weather the winter or, if you live in a warm climate, planted to add color to your landscape.

Or gather dried grass bunches in planters to flank the front door; use a painted basket filled with feathers and silk greenery as a stylish stand-in for the traditional wreath. Stack foam pumpkins to create an easy-to-assemble decoration that can be used year after year.

Earthy Elegance

You can create this chic table setting using all organic elements for a look that is both sophisticated and simple. A linen tablecloth and napkins, tied with humble garden string, paired beautifully with weathered terra cotta urns topped with moss and tiny ghost pumpkins. A single artichoke at each place setting is a charming addition and lets your guest know that they are free to enjoy time together by lingering over this well set table.

Miami Home Design & Remodeling Show

09/20/2011 11:55:00

Designer, Pam DiTomaso, Allied ASID created this stunning Living Room in honor of Shannon Hori , Newsanchor - CBS 4! The sleek leather sofa is HABITUS, the knockout twin purple chairs are BALTUS, as are the Metallic Grey Sideboard, and Metal & Wood Cocktail Table. The walls are painted Sherwin-Williams "Fashionable Grey" in Flat and Pearl Finish. The artwork, may or may not be recognizable since it features "a typical" work by internationally acclaimed artist Romero Britto; In which "Vintage 1987" and modern "Night Stars" are classically paired!

The digital Kurzweil piano plays off the LVT flooring by Karndean Flooring, LLC; and the Tripod Lamp by Tango Lighting sets the mood.

Flooring installation by Miller Flooring, Inc .and painting by JY International Painting.

Color Predictions: 2011-2012

09/09/2011 14:39:00

You know what they say about opinions; everybody has one. So lets take a gander at Sherwin Williams predictions for 2012. Sherwin-Williams' colormix 2012 forecast highlights 40 hues, in four earth-inspired, color-family groups: reds, blues, greens and neutrals.

Colors that are analogous, or adjacent on the color wheel, are a dominant trend," said Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams. "We discover a fresh array of combinations within color families be it fiery reds, watery blues, grassy greens or organic neutrals."

The company says reds will be seen in many shades, specifically flowery tones like fuchsias, red-oranges, violets and delicate pinks. Two shades of blue that are expected to be popular are denim and water.

"As we seek economic blue skies, we're rediscovering denim, the rugged fabric of the American worker," Jordan said. "Clean water is another essential commodity, from oceans to tap. Our serene blue palette pays homage to both of these treasured resources."

Greens with a more yellow-tint will be seen less, in 2012 than previous years, as lush shades of green are paired with rustic tones and organic elements like algae, moss and seaweed. Raw materials continue to influence color trends, which will be seen in golden tones and subtle neutral shades inspired by linens, wood and unfired porcelain.

Pam DiTomaso selected as area's TOP Designer!

08/26/2011 15:37:00

The South East's largest home improvement event returns to the Miami Beach Convention Center Labor Day weekend. The Home Design & Remodeling Show is a unique marketplace that enables homeowners to experience the products and services first hand, talk one-on-one with the experts and get personalized advice to plan individual home improvement and design projects.

One of those experts you can speak with is Pam DiTomaso, Allied ASID who was Invited to create a special design for celebrity hostess Shannon Hori of CBS channel 4!

Pam won't answer any requests for the room design she will unveil; but, we did manage to find out that a world famous artist is working with Pam and will incorporate his artwork in her Room Vignette.

...The Miami Home Design & Remodeling Show opens Friday, September 2, 2011 and ends on Tuesday September 6, 2011 at the Miami Beach Convention Center 1901 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach, FL 33139.

Stop by Booth C to be delighted by Pam's design. Click on Home Design to see show hours and ticket information.

Outdoor Bar

06/29/2011 12:43:00

You can take the ease of having an indoor party outside by having your ingredients and tools in order at your outdoor bar.

You might even want to consider stocking your bar with its own outdoor glassware for cocktails, wine and beer. Keep a separate set of bar tools outside to avoid multiple trips indoors. Be sure to utilize plastics whenever possible...Have you ever had to empty the pool to search for glass pieces? Or had to pull glass shards from the feet of little children?

Pier One, Pottery Barn, and many department stores offer stylish and decorative plastic dinnerware, glassware and cutlery for stylish settings!

You'll need the basics in this outdoor setup – bottle openers, napkins and stirrers. And be sure to place pouring spouts on all liquor and mixer bottles to keep spills to a minimum.

Choose a bar console that's big on storage below with plenty of prepping space above. If you wish, add an outdoor fridge or wine chiller nearby.

If that's not an option, try a galvanized metal tub or a new wheelbarrow filled with ice to keep beverages cool. A coordinating ottoman doubles as a casual coffee table for trays of drinks.

Need help setting up your outdoor space? Call us at RyanAlexander Interiors and our design consultant will create an entertaining experience for you and your guests!

786.704.9370