Water-jet technology cuts precise shapes with a single blade, twice the thickness of a human hair. We can use it for floor design, mural design, and backsplashes–shapes and patterns that would be unthinkable with a traditional cutting tool. Yet it is cost competitive with other cutting techniques, and often able to cut designs not otherwise economically achievable.

Like most computer-generated design, you get a representative drawing before creating the real thing. Is it for your next project? If you think you may be relocating in 5-7 years, create a general enough pattern that other’s can live with the design as well. (Vs. your family crest!)

Remember, your home needs to fit YOU and YOUR living style, like your favorite shoe fits. Ask yourself, “Does the Shoe …..FIT?” If not, contact us. We help you create the environment that says who you are, not what magazines currently feature that may NOT be your living style!

        ***Sorry I missed you the end of December; I unexpectantly had to go back in the hospital, but am now looking toward a GREAT 2012 for us all!!–Sharon

Do they work? You bet! And many are sleek and modern looking. There are accessible tubs for compact spaces, as well as full lie-down bathtubs. Some models for wheelchair users allow the user to slide in. Doors can swing outward, inward, or slide up and down. Features can include a power lift seat, jets (my mom loves this), a seat, grab bars, and rails. The compact models are sit in, and fit a smaller space than a traditional tub. Others fit the standard tub opening.

The drawbacks? Very few. The biggest hurdle is that you need to empty the tub before you can get out–but even that has been worked out with tubs that empy in less than 30 seconds.  Please send in your comments for others to read & share as this is something many of us haven’t considered before.

Remember, our homes need to fit us like our favorite shoe. Ask yourself…..Does the Shoe  FIT? Is it both attractive to YOU (regardless of magazine photos) and functional to YOUR lifestyle? If you need help, give us a call. We’ve been helping people just like you with their homes for over 20 years.

Recently, a client asked for some type of meditational garden space in their back landscaping. It was to be its own entity, but blend into the yard. We didn’t have hundreds of feet to devote on the labyrith. But we had enough to create a small version in approximately 30- 35 sq. ft. .

The whole idea is a bit like Zen, as you travel the paths of a labyrinth, walking in circles, or in this case, curved, organically shaped paths, you are to appreciate the beauty along the paths that take you to the center. By the time you reach the center, you are refreshed of mind and body.

In this narrow-pathed personal labyrinth, we still  had space to create along the way a shady garden strip, a hummingbird garden strip, a trellis garden strip, a water feature, a butterfly garden strip, a zen stone garden, and a small sculpture.  Both client and I loved creating it.

The labyrinth idea would not need to be circular in nature, but by doing so, it adds to the feeling of “getting away,” as you walk within the circle.  To be really effective, give it some low level night lighting.

Remember, your surroundings need to fit you like a favorite shoe fits you. Ask yourself, “Does the shoe….FIT?” If you need some help; contact us, Breay Design, the Space Specialists.

How many times homeowners move into this lovely home, but become more aggrevated with time because an architectural detail doesn’t align with other things! Here’s an example, and some solutions. The shallow niche in this dining room wall did not align with the center of the room. The chandelier and the bay window were aligned. So as you sat at the dining room table,  the niche seemed oddly placed & disturbing.

Typically, the table would be centered along the axis of the room, but this emphasized the misalignment. So I suggested some alternatives. The first was to break up the niche by adding both a high boy cabinet as well as a lower small serving table or buffet, or even an easy chair or rocker.

The second suggestion was to move the table perpendicular to the window and niche, to somewhat camoflauge the line of axis by the strong table line going in the opposite direction.

The third solution, our preference, was to put the table on a diagonal in the room. A strong diagonal line will always take attention from other things, in this case visually obliterating the axis line of the architectural elements. The accent paint was taken off the niche wall, as we didn’t want to call attention to it; accent paint was put on the large wall across from the entry so upon entering the home, one’s attention would be drawn across the room, with the diagonal table pointing in the same direction. This accent wall would be a good place for artwork.

Good space arrangement will always improve a problem. Remember your interiors need to fit YOU like your favorite shoe. Ask yourself, “Does the Shoe….FIT?  If you need some help, contact us. We are the interior and exterior space specialists that have helped hundreds of homeowners, and given hundreds of workshops and programs on design.

When we simply plant things that appeal to us, where ever there is room, we often lack harmony, which is defined as all objects having a common trait. When a space has harmony, it gives us humans a sense of order and peace. After a full day we long to come into our garden for some relaxation, recouping some peace in our lives.  A variety of textures, colors, heights, shapes, etc.,etc. may be robbing us of this peaceful feeling.

Yet, if here isn’t some contrast in our garden, it may look boring. If an entire yard has nothing but white tulips, all the same height, all in neat rows, we don’t appreciate it as much as a sprinkling of groups of white tulips in various areas of the yard in groups (not rows) of 3, 5, 7, or 9 plants per group. These groups of pure white tend to harmonize the entire space. The varying number of plants per group gives a little interesting contrast to them.

Contrast provides a little spark to our garden. However, if we plant 1 shrub with a purple flower, one medium sized plant with tiny foliage, one small plant with large yellow flowers, one large leaved plant; as lovely as each of these are, there is no harmony to the group. There is no element that carries through.  Bjut what if we planted several of the large leaved plant around the shrub, with some tiny foliaged plants encircling or bordering the entire group? Or perhaps we have shrub, with large leaved plants, and tiny leaved plants intersperced through the space, but they all had flowers in the same color?

To help you achieve a beautiful yard or garden, give some thought to planning the harmony and contrast of the space before planting. 

And if you need a little help, contact us. We are the interior-exterior space specialists, and can make your yard fit you like your favorite shoe. Ask yourself…..Does the Shoe FIT?

Light, cool colors visually recede, creating a feeling of spaciousness in our smaller rooms. Warm Colors visually advance, helping those long and narrow rooms to seem in better proportion.

People have a feeling of intimacy in darker colors–good for our dining room, bathroom, bedrooms. It goes back to our prehistoric cave-dwelling days of dark interiors where we felt safe. In light cool colored spaces, we work more efficiently.The cooler colors, blues, greens, and purples, are great for un-stressing and quiet activities like sewing or sleeping or reading. Warm colors such as reds, yellows, and oranges put us in a social mood, and the warmer or more intense the color combination, the more the party atmosphere. Warm colors make us feel hotter in a room with western exposure.

So what is the function, shape, and sun exposure of your room? They are not all the same, nor do all people have the same functions, shapes, and sun exposure to the same rooms of their home. So how can color trends fit your individual needs? They can’t. They are groupings of pretty, compatible colors–but totally impersonable to YOUR needs.

Then how do you pick and choose from so many colors? Actually, there are 5 successful color formulas or templates that help you choose the best color combination for each of your spaces, once you determine the areas main function, shape, and sun exposure.

We will talk about these 5 formulas or templates in the next blog. Remember, your spaces need to fit you like your favorite shoe. Ask yourself, “Does the shoe…..fit?”  If not, contact us, Breay Design. We are the interior and exterior space specialists.

HOWEVER, we have a special treat for apartment and small-space dwellers today and also in our next blog of November 30th.  This fall “Rachel” called me for an in-home interior design consultation, and expained she lived in a tiny apartment. She said she really needed help to enhance it on a budget. She hated the all white walls and wanted to give some mood and style to the place. She also thought it appeared too cluttered. The apartment consisted of a living area, dining nook, and kitchenette all open and flowing into each other (plus a private bedroom & bath.)

First, we looked at the scale and amount of the furniture. The sofa was the main piece;  there was a coffee table in front of it, a side table on either side of it, and a console table directly across from it that held Rachel’s entertainment components. A  trunk sat under the side window that could also be used for seating. I asked Rachel if she really needed all 4 tables. She loved the coffee table with it’s convenient shelf underneath, and one table was near the entry door, where she could put things on as she entered. So we removed the opposite end table, found a floor lamp to put in it’s place, and created a more spacious corner. The taller floor lamp also better illuminated the room.

A larger sized piece of modern art on the wall, hung off center to create asymmetrical balance with the lamp, completed the wall. The openness of the artwork allows the viewer to see through sections of it, rather than having an overpowering solid piece in this small space. Taking out the area rug would have visually expanded the area, also; but the soft color and it’s large size gave definition to the “living” space. We decided to keep it. Notice how the accessories are mainly tall and thin, with vertical emphasis, rather than horizontal, which takes room space.

Next blog, we’ll tie in wall color (in a rented apartment!!) for Rachel. See you then! 

If you have an interior or exterior design problem, feel free to contact us. We are the Space Specialists that make YOUR space fit YOUR way of life like a favorite shoe. Look around your space  and ask yourself, “Does the Shoe…..FIT?”

Space for circulation is often overlooked in our involvement with styles, colors, room focus, etc. We forget to really analyze how much space we need in order to get around in an area. Oh, we leave “some” space–maybe a foot or so.

In kitchen areas, we can generally expect more than one person to be moving about, at least some of the time. Cabinet and appliance doors open to narrow a passageway. Stools are pulled out into the passageway. Likewise dining room chairs must be pushed from the table to allow us to get into them and up from them.

A standard rule with designers is to leave a minimum of 3.5 feet space in a kitchen aisle or around a dining table for circulation. Coffee tables and sofa’s need about 2 feet of space between them for leg room. To enter a conversational furniture arrangement, again use the 3.5 feet rule as minimum. Of course, one “can” get through in a smaller space–however, it is awkward and appears cramped. People are more comfortable with the extra space.

Your existing hallways  or corridors may not be 5′, but if someone in the household is walking down the hall with a laundry basket, and someone else is approaching  from the opposite end with something at his side, they will wish the hallway WAS 5 feet wide. (Even wheelchairs can turn around in a 5′ space–a definite consideration should there be an accident or an elderly in the home.) Typically, we say a minimum 3 feet of width for a passage that only one person will walk through, and a minimum of 3′-6″ where there may be two people passing from opposite directions. (Odd?? yes! How does that second person fit into a 6′ space?–Both people have to slide a bit sideways!)  If you are building, just make the halls 5′ wide. You will be very glad you did–as will every owner of the home thereafter. 

Remember, your spaces need to fit you like your favorite shoe. Ask yourself, “Does the Shoe….FIT? If not, feel free to contact us, Breay Design Associates, for help……You’ll be glad you did!

A traditional area rug defines – just that, an area within a room. These can be just a few feet in width & length up to approximately 10’ x 12’. When the rugs measure 12’ x 18’ and larger, they are considered room-sized rugs or certainly covering a wide expanse. Many go almost wall-to-wall, but with many advantages not available from standard carpeting.

Art rugs are artistic woven pieces usually smaller than functional area rugs, and can be used in conjunction with any other type of floor covering. Typical size might be 4’ x 6’ to 7’ x 9’.

Scatter rugs or throw rugs are as smallas 2’x3’; these add accent or color to a small area, or protect a part of the floor that receives really hard wear. Depending upon the material, if it is to be placed outdoors or in a bathroom, it is referred to as a bathmat or a doormat.

Now, we all can be more specific to our needs! Remember, your home needs to fit you like a favorite shoe. When thinking about your interior and exterior spaces, ask yourself, “Does the Shoe……FIT?” And give us a call if you need some help.  –Sharon

Asymmetrical balance

Last posting we discussed symmetrical furniture, and/or accessory arrangement as being great for a formal style of space, having a mirror image or 50/50 balance. But what if you don’t care for formal, and it’s somewhat predictability?  You still need balance in the arrangement of elements to have a feeling of assurance to the  space.

Aysmmetrical balance is for the more casual style. Instead of a 50/50 mirror image, as symmetrical balance of elements, aysmmetrical is more like 65/35. It balances, but not as a mirror image. It’s a little like many of our lives in this day and age. We may work extra long hours for awhile; then take off time to be with family to balance our life. 

An example of an aysmmetrical furniture arrangement would be the sofa having a chair or two perpendicular to it, with  a table and lamp in the corner, between the sofa and chair(s). Think of an “L” as an example of symmetrical balance.   

Accessories look great arranged aysmmetrically; perhaps one item taller, with one or two small items on one side, and three or four small items on the other side. For interest, we wouldn’t align the objects in a straight row. We’d put some forward, some back, something a bit in front of the larger item.

Aysmmetrical arrangement is particularly pleasing in architecture that is also non-traditional, non symmetrical.  It often works well with the architecture of western homes. If in doubt, walk outside and look at the front of your home. Are windows and other features  the same on the right as on the left? Is the door centered in the front view? If so, you have symmetrically balanced architecture, as opposed to aysmmetrical.

And remember–if your surroundings don’t fit “you”  like a favorite shoe, you need a little redesign!  –Sharon Breay,    Does the Shoe….FIT?   design programs & workshops