Welcome Megan

2012 has been an incredibly busy year so I am pleased to announce I have a new Design Assistant. Megan Lichterman, a recent UW grad, will be assisting in the office and getting involved in current projects. For those of you who are clients you will probably be meeting her sometime soon.

Interview with Megan Lichterman

Welcome to the team!

Thank you, I’m very excited to be working with you.

So you are a fellow UW alumni…

Yes I am, go Badgers! I have Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the School of Human Ecology.

Do you miss Madison?

I miss State Street with all of the great shops and restaurants.

What was your favorite place to hang out?

The Ivory Room just off of the square is a fun place with a great atmosphere. I also like the Great Dane a lot.

So when I interviewed you we met at a coffee shop, and the first thing you told me is that you don’t drink coffee….I love coffee

A lot of people like coffee, it’s just not for me....

Hmmm....well, your skills and experience turned out to be more relevant than coffee drinking.

I’m glad I could overcome that!

Do you have a favorite designer? Any projects or public spaces you find especially inspiring?

I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite designer, but I really do love what Candace Olson designs in terms of lighting and her use of mirrors, but I also like Sarah Richardson and her ability to mix fabrics and patterns. Let’s just say, I’m an HGTV junkie! Who isn’t though?! It’s fabulous!

As for favorite places, I really enjoyed my trip to Taliesin in Spring Green, WI. I think that Wright’s integration of landscape and architecture is stimulating. Also, I love Milwaukee Public Art Museum designed by Calatrava. The clean, white lines are intriguing.

I’m really looking forward to introducing you to my clients and getting you involved in current projects....is there any particular aspect of this business you are most excited about?

I’m looking forward to learning more about window treatments and different furniture lines, and I’m excited to get involved in large scale design projects.

The Journal Sentinel Tours our Home

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured our home in this past Sunday's Entrée section. Walking through the house with writer Nancy Herrick gave me a chance to reflect on the many renovations and projects we've done since moving in seven years ago. It also gave me a new appreciation of Aaron's many talents - woodworking, finish carpentry, cabinet building....even photography. I couldn't have done it without him!

I hope you'll have a few minutes to check out the article and slideshow:

Riverfront Loft - Before:

I’m excited to share one of my favorite recent projects, a new entertainment center & bar in a beautiful modern townhouse along the Milwaukee River.

I already had the pleasure of working with Debie & Jim on the interior design for their home when they approached me about creating a design for their third floor loft. The loft already had plumbing roughed in for a bar and, although the space was regularly used for watching TV, it never felt to them like it was properly finished.

Neighborhood Architecture

Debie & Jim’s townhouse is a part of the Beerline Neighborhood, which was designed and developed by Vetter Denk Architects of Milwaukee.

Vetter Denk

Anyone familiar with this area of the city would immediately recognize the cluster of modern townhomes and condos along the Milwaukee River.

Vetter Denk

Project Design

For the design of the entertainment center I looked to the white stucco, gray brick, rich wood tones, and wide expanses of glass that are key elements of the surrounding buildings.

After...

Having the opportunity to act as the general contractor for this project meant I could provide a seamless transition from design to installation. I was able to work with the best tradesmen and guarantee the finished product was true to the original design. It was a dramatic transformation:

Construction Details - Key Elements of the Project

Hardwood Flooring: One of prettiest features of this project is the 3” Brazilian Cherry flooring covering the wall, which creates a stunning backdrop for the cabinets & faucet.

Trespa Countertop: We wanted a very thin, barely-there countertop and were excited to discover Trespa, a highly compressed laminate material. It’s most commonly used as exterior paneling on modern buildings and for wall surfaces in commercial spaces. It made the ideal countertop because of its low-profile 7/16” thickness. The only downside was the nearly 10 weeks it took for the material to arrive from its country of origin, the Netherlands.

Sleek Fixtures: I paired the Torq wall mount faucet from Kohler with a crisp & clean stainless steel under mount sink by Blanco.

Furniture & Accessories

We furnished the space with a new sofa & pillows from Room & Board:

The rest of the condo....

Kudos from the client....

"We really wanted to thank you again for everything that you’ve done for us. We absolutely love our new space! The design is so elegant and modern - It’s just what we wanted. It has been so great working with you on the project. I’m sad that it is over now!"             

                                                                                                           --  Debie

                                                                               

The Tiffany Room

My inspiration for this year's Showhouse room is the iconic Tiffany Box. Most of us know the famous color as Tiffany Blue. It actually turns out to be a very saturated and bright Aqua, though somehow "Tiffany Aqua" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

It is a stunning color for packaging, but for a room color it can be awfully loud. I wanted a fun, spring color, not radioactive South Beach teal. I matched the color as closely as possible, then dialed it back slightly to a lighter shade. Here's the room in progress:

Here are a few inspiration pictures I've held on to since starting the project (thanks to the blog Rain City Style, the Greystone Mansion Showhouse and Make Room for Living).

Showhouse Before & After

Before:

    

After:

Thank you Crate & Barrel!

I couldn't have done this year's Showhouse without the help of the Milwaukee Crate & Barrel. They generously loaned two beautiful pieces - their classic upholstered Colette bed and the Avery Bombe Chest in black. I also borrowed their super plush Jenna wool rug in Ivory.

The black & white patterned lining inside the drawer, which comes with the Avery chest, couldn't be more perfect! By the way, those are original Tiffany & Co. boxes on the dresser. They were lent by friends who had been the lucky recipients of Tiffany & Co. gifts.

Interview with Aaron Carman, Showhouse Support Staff (and dedicated husband)

How did you first become involved in this year’s Showhouse?

You made me…..I mean, graciously invited me to participate.

What was your favorite part of working on the project?

Going to Zaffiro’s afterward for a thin crust pizza and a beer.

Hmmm, sounds like we drew our inspiration from different sources….I really love how the paint color turned out, how about you? 

You know, I don’t have your vision for these sorts of things. It was definitely a brighter color than you normally work with, so I was a little unsure. But it really does look nice. The black ribbon made a big impact.

Yes, the black ribbon, that really clinched the room….

That was another idea that I didn’t totally get until it was up, but it looks really sharp. I appreciate it more now that I am no longer installing it.

Does the room inspire you to buy me some Tiffany Jewelry?

Umm, no. But I’ll buy you a Mocha at Starbucks.

That will work for me. Thanks again for supporting such a worthy cause….

I’ll always support you. 

And raising money for cancer research?

That’s a good cause too.

Fabulous Photos

While they aren't easy to capture in a snapshot, the framed photographs that hang along the west wall are essential to the room design. Although it is a Tiffany inspired room, the last thing I wanted to do was fill the space with cliche photos of Audrey Hepburn. I spent a lot of time combing the web looking for artwork that would be the right fit, and ended up settling on a group of original photographs that perfectly capture the elegance and fun spirit of the space.

Here are a couple of examples of the pictures I chose. I hope you'll have a chance to visit the Showhouse to appreciate the beauty of the framed photos in person.

Please be sure to contact me if you are interested in purchasing one of the framed prints at the Show!

Assistant Designer...

  

(apparently she got the Tiffany Blue memo...)

Finished Pics...

Visit the Showhouse!

I hope you'll come out to tour this truly spectacular home and help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. There are three floors of professionally designed spaces and an amazing lower level. It's not to be missed!

Click the link below to purchase tickets at the official Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse Website. The Showhouse opens on June 4th - hope to see you there!

 2011 Showhouse: 3026 Marietta Avenue, Milwaukee

Wind Point - Before

We started with a great space that has tall ceilings, wood beams and beautiful windows. The walls are finished in a Venetian plaster. The large fireplace is trimmed in gray & slate blue tile, and the ceilings feature large walnut-stained wooden beams. 

Wind Point - Color Inspiration

With the beige walls and light Maple floors the space needed some richness and color. We settled on a palette of deep browns and turquoise.