Rosa Dest Interior Design, Charlotte, NC, Mecklenburg, Interior designer, Dental Office design, Dental Office remodel, Remodel, Renovate, Drapery, Window treatments, Upholstery, Furniture, Speaker

VISIONS, June '09-Inspirations

VISIONS "Designing Interiors with a Vision"

June 2009

Rosa Plaza Dest

www.rosadestinteriors.com

Dear Viewer,

This time of year, memories of summers spent with my family fill my heart with joy. Now that my children are no longer little, I hang on to every chance I can to continue making memories and spending as much time with them as possible. These long, hot days give us the opportunity to rediscover that it is the little things in life that bring us true happiness. Enjoy the peaches and the blueberries from the local farmers market while they last, but mostly enjoy life with your family.

With that being said, I've decided to find areas in my life where investing a little money will cause me minimal pain and a lot of satisfaction. I've made a list of a few of the things I've been wanting to do to my house and because restraint is appropriate, I'm focusing my discretionary spending on a little decorating and my garden. Even if I don't accomplish this, just thinking about it lifts my spirits and gives me a sense of hope.

In this issue of Visions, I will share a story of how "an inspiration" can trigger your senses and help create great spaces in your home. So get inspired, don't let the dog days of summer pass you by, and think about what your next project will be.

Rosa

Inspirations

"I know I need to do something, but I don't know where to begin."

I hear this statement quite often, so where do we begin?

If you've decided your home is were you will be living for sometime, you likely won't regret an investment in remodeling or redesigning.

Once you've decided that a change needs to occur, my favorite place to begin a project is with an Inspiration.

I like to say that I design interiors with a vision. What does that mean to you? Because design is not magic and I don't have a crystal ball to guide my design decisions, I have to formulate a plan taking your family and your families lifestyle into consideration. Once a plan is established it is time to get creative. Inspirations can come from style trends, your travels, family heirlooms, art or even a gift. You would be surprised to see how projects begin.

The following is the inspiration that initiated my latest Kitchen remodel

It all started with this artichoke, a gift to my client from one of her daughters. She absolutely loved the color. It made her feel comfortable and it was this feeling I wanted to transcend into her new kitchen. The green color of the artichoke gave us the starting point.

From this inspiration the key design features were selected. The key features are usually your largest investment or the largest item to be featured in a room. In this particular room, the countertop and cabinets are considered the key features. They give the room a sense of being grounded and set the tone for the transformation that needed to happen. You may be thinking, what about the appliances? Because the appliances are a given necessity in a kitchen, I will only focus on the design aspect of the project.

The focal point of the kitchen was to be the island and custom hood. Our focal point was achieved by selecting Jade Green granite for the island and countertops, and accenting them with a beaded board cabinet by Cabico in Spruce stained maple and glazed in honey. The remainder of the the cabinets are light painted Maple also glazed in honey, and are beautifully accented by the blend of cappuccino, vanilla and celadon 3 x 8" subway tiles as the backsplash.

Of course, there is so much more to a remodel but my point is you have to begin somewhere. Finding an inspiration will be the trigger to get the project underway.

The end result, a beautiful kitchen and most importantly a very happy client.

What is Mid-Century Modern?

Charlotte recently celebrated The Mid-Century Modern Home Tour sponsored by Historic Charlotte. Featured were 18 homes and gardens in the Charlotte area. If you did not get a chance to go, they were fabulous and hopefully will become part of a Charlotte tradition.

Mid-Century Modern is architectural, interior and product design roughly from 1933-1965. Mid-Century Modernism is organic in form and a further development of Frank Lloyd Wright's principles of open spaceless.

Many Mid-Century homes are open, favoring less wall or walls made of glass creating structures with open floor plans and ample windows and with the intention of bringing the outdoors in. Mid-Century Modernism was a reaction to the traditional home and an alternative to the Colonial style.

After the war, Americans were ready to transform themselves to a peacetime nation. Mid-Century Modernism was a reaction to the times. Nature became important, the lines between outside and inside became more natural, causing the garden to become an integral component.

I was surprised to learn of so many Mid-Century Homes in Charlotte and from my understanding there are many more.

I was allowed to photograph the home interiors, I hope you will enjoy their uniqueness and beauty.

FYI

A building permit is required by Mecklenburg County if you are planning on doing any construction, repairs, replacements or alterations to your home costing more than $5,00.00.

Be cautious of contractors who recommend not obtaining permits. They may tell you it is not necessary, will delay the job or increase your property taxes. This can be very risky to you. The truth is, you are the only person to lose when you fail to get a permit. Contractors who do not want to obtain a permit may not be licensed and may not have the knowledge to build in compliance with the building codes. Once the job is done and the contractor is paid and gone, you will be the one responsible for any problems.

This information was obtained from Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement.

Color 101

I have received several request to speak about color. Color affects every aspect of our lives. Color affects our personalities, how we feel and how we think. It helps to inspire us and to express ourselves. In each issue of VISIONS I will discuss different colors and how they can best be used in your homes.

I will begin with one of the basic colors, BLACK.

What does BLACK say about you?

BLACK gives you the courage to know your emotions.

The more you likeBLACK, the more you are in tune with your emotions. The less you like BLACK the more you will avoid your emotions.

Adding BLACK to your color palette gives your eye a place to rest. The neutralizing qualities of BLACK make a room seem more spacious as your eye takes in all of the other colors in a room. Incorporate BLACK into a room with accessories, use it as an accent on frames or an occasional table.

Combining WHITE and BLACK in Interior Design can create a stunning and dramatic decor giving a fresh, clean and very sophisticated and unquestionably elegant look.

Happy Father's Day

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of VISIONS and invite you to share this newsletter with your family and friends. Should you have any questions you would like answered or topics to discuss, please feel free to contact me.

VISIONS will not be published in July. I hope you have a wonderful summer and Happy Fathers Day to all of you special dads reading my newsletter.

Fondly,

Rosa Plaza Dest
Rosa Dest Interior Designs
704-362-1397
rosa@rosadestinteriors.com