Hello! So nice to finally meet you! We are GEORGE Interior Design, a boutique interior design firm with a lifetime's worth of design all bottled up and ready to hit the blogosphere!
Why blog you may ask? Well the truth is that we have met so many of you out there who need HELP in the design department but yes, we know, design help is EXPENSIVE! And trust me, it has to be because it is a lot of work to come into someone else's life, make sense of it, and then help them to make it incredible! But even if you can't afford to hire a designer and buy fancy things, you deserve to get an education in design because let me tell you a little secret... good design is about good living! And everyone deserves a piece of that.
So if you'd like help figuring out your own sense of style, help identifying when and why design works and help incorporating it into your own life then you've found the right place. Welcome to GEORGE Interior Design.
Born and raised in New York City, David Jimenez now has homes in Kansas City, San Francisco and Palm Springs. His visual touch in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware has affected the styles of homes in the United States. Currently David is vice president of visual merchandising and store design for Hallmark Cards, Inc. I love his home in Palm Springs and the “fresh twist on timeless style in the desert." Davids mid-century modern meets Hollywood Regency is so much fun. Click here to view more of his interiors.
This is the time of the year, summer, glorious summer to spend time outdoors. Renew, refresh, get inspired. Visit your favorite garden or park, or dream about making your garden a little more special. I love gardens with pathways that invite exploration. Gardens that make you want to meander, to spend time and to contemplate the finer things of life. I love all the different colors of green in gardens. You don't necessarily have to have color in flowers to make a garden pop. Try different textures, shapes, and colors of greens. A well placed statue or urn gives the eye a place to focus and center on. A water feature can add a cooling element, and a splashing fountain can be a calming and soothing to the soul. Well designed gardens with meandering pathways with well placed plantings and focal points are truly works of art using nature as the canvas.
Garden Pathways
Lavender Garden Pathway Smell the lavender as you walk down the gravel path to the fountain with lily pads awaiting you. I imagine that this pool is filled with Koi and that there is a bench or comfortable seating on the other side to sit and contemplate.
Garden Pathway What a feat of design this elliptical planting between the slate pavers is. A well placed statue draws you to the end of this pathway.
Garden Pathway Still there are moments when the shadows fall And the low sea of flowers, wave on wave, spreads to the pathway from the rosy wall Saying in coloured silence, "Take our all; You gave to us, and back to you we gave. Vita Sackville-West
This beautiful arbor (above)is supported by a brick wall. It reminds me of the gardens that English poet and novelist, Vita Sackville-West created at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. In April 1930 Vita Sackville-West and her son, Nigel, were looking for an old house where she could make a new garden. Vita fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and bought it, along with 400 acres of farmland. She spent the next 30 years planting and designing the layout of the garden using the walls & buildings already in place. She was also the first to plant an "all-white garden" because she wanted the color of the flowers and foliage to act as an illuminating factor to prolong the daylight hours and hence to be able to extend the time she could spend in the garden. I spent a delightful summer, several years ago, reading her book: Garden. The gardens at Sissinghurst that Vita so lovingly created, are now part of the National trust and are open for public viewing.
Garden Pathway Villa San Michele, Capri The house was small, the rooms were few but there were loggias, terraces, and pergolas all around it to watch the sun, the sea and the clouds -- the soul needs more space than the body.
Reading this poem just makes me sigh and relax. It is so true that "the soul needs more space than the body" and how wonderful to recharge by spending time strolling under this pergola and hearing the soft crunch of the pea gravel under your feet - A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Excerpt by Axel Munthe from La Strada della Dolce Vita
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway Photograph David Duncan Livingston
Garden Pathway
Garden Pathway The best garden pathways can be the simplest, like this cut grass pathway above.
Garden Courtyard Pathway Pea Gravel Pathway Bulgari Hotel Milan I love the use of old brick for garden pathways. Old brick has a character and charm that is hard to duplicate with new materials.
Garden Pathway Garden on Turtle Creek, Dallas TX, (above and below) was designed by renowned Landscape Architects, Michael van Valkenburgh. The backbone of the garden is a continuous path of varied walking surfaces and garden pathways that flow from the house down the slope. The meandering stainless steel planks are hollow underfoot altering the pace of the walk through the garden. A brilliant juxtaposition of materials!
Garden Pathway Garden Pathway Versailles And who is not in love with the beautiful gardens at Versailles. The French really take their strolling in garden pathways seriously! Some of my most memorable and refreshing times have been spent in gardens walking their beautiful pathways while taking in the sights and smells around me.
What makes a perfect garden pathway for you? Please leave a comment and let me know.
Adding color to a room is one of the simplest ways to make a change to the space. Color can add energy to a room or be calm and tranquil.
In one of my most recent posts, Dark Colors Work, I spoke about resistance to painting dark colors. Remember, paint is not permanent, you can always cover a color that may not have turned out quite right and it’s not very expensive.
You will notice a few of the colors on my list are dark. Choose colors that really suit you. You and your family are the ones who have to live with and enjoy the colors you choose.
Why is well designed outdoor furniture so hard to come by????????? Everywhere I look I am visually assaulted by poorly designed and equally stinky, (as in smell) off-gassing furniture manufactured in China. I have through diligent searching found some truly amazing, beautiful to look at, and environmentally friendly outdoor furniture that is not manufactured in China. FYI Knoll practices Sustainable Design. All Knoll Space seating is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low-emitting products.
First the UGLY........
Okay that's enough of that, now for the sublime...................
These chairs are so beautiful and sculptural and are appropriately call "The Clover Chair"
A truly classic and timeless design by Knoll - the Bertoria Chair and the appropriately named Paperclip Table
I am partial to the Bertoria chair in white powder coated finish with a white vinyl chair pad. It also works equally well indoors.
This is a design by the prolific Philippe Starck called One Cafe
The One Cafe also comes in black/ivory and a bar stool is available with slip cover options in white cotton.
Another design by Philippe Starck called Dr No by Kartell is stackable. The Dr Na aluminum table is practical, simple and a perfect companion piece.
The Lord Yo Chair (above) designed by Philippe Starck, is a take-off on the classic Lloyd Loom chair. I like the cotton slipcover. They also come with Leather Slipcovers so you can take them indoors in the winter for an attractive addition to your kitchen or dining room.
Knoll Noguchi Cyclone Table Kissi-Kissi Table One Cafe Table
Bo Chair Miss Lacy Chair Toy Chair
Now for a few divine settings to get you in the mood for those lazy, hazy days of summer
Sigh
What makes a perfect outdoor setting for you? Please leave a comment and let me know.
