Starr Miller Interior Design, Inc.

Lake Norman Woman Article - April 2010 - The Scoop on Home Makeovers!

Running behind on my blogs...so it is time to catch up!  Here was my article from April 2010.  HGTV the inside scoop. (Click on article for larger version...)

 

Lake Norman Currents - Wow! Thanks for the lovely article!

What a way to kick off the New Year!  Sharon Simpson and her gang at Lake Norman Currents featured one of my projects in their beautiful January 2010 magazine!  Sam Boykin was the fabulous writer who interviewed my client, Deanna Lindquist.  Deborah Young was the photographer. 

Here is a small excerpt...

According to Deanna, the three month renovation, which they finished in August came off without a hitch, thanks in large part to Miller's cooperative style. "I've used designers in the past that, when they finished, it ended up reflecting their style and not mine," Deanna says.  "With Starr, it was great to have someone take my ideas and create a unique vision and look that matched exactly what I wanted."

Can you see me beaming from here in Lake Norman?

Read more below by clicking on the pages of the article.  Thanks to everyone involved, especially the Lindquist family for opening up their home!

Also, included in the article are my 5 Things to Consider When Renovating!

 

 

 

 
 
 

BeWare Psychedelic Splash of Tile

This blog is not just about things I love.  Sometimes it is about a subject, such as tile, and what I have seen that may stretch the imagination.  It may not be my taste, but in the end I can walk away and say I learned something.  So here it is - the home of designer Apryl Miller. 

 

Now I love color as much if not more than most, but when I walked into this space at first my mouth dropped open, then I looked at my husband to see his horrified reaction, then I laughed and then I enjoyed one person’s love of chaos.  Again – not me, but in the end if you slow down and note how she uses materials in a different way you will learn something.  Whether you choose to use it in your own life or file it away as a wild adventure will be a decision made best with a cocktail (or 2) in hand. Now sunglasses on this ride is leaving the station!

 

 

 

 

And while I have mainly devoted this month to tile, it is also interesting to see what other things she has done with her design.  (Don't try this at home, this is done under extreme conditions and could cause blindness!)

 

And at last a spot for the eye to rest. I often tell clients that it is important to have space to rest the eyes, a relief if you will - white space between the art.

And here I leave you with one last thought.  Embrace color, learn from art, and remember that each person's home means something different to them.  You may take your sunglasses off now!

http://www.aprylmillerstudios.com/

My Favorite Tile Project

In the last post I wrote about connections.  This time I want to show you one project that I found a few years back that made me fall in love with the beautiful way tile can make a bathroom feel current and timeless at the same time.  I found the project in a magazine, but researched further and realized that it was from the television series "This Old House".  It is called the Cambridge Project and I encourage you to look at the connections once again as they are magnificent! 

 

First, I want to show you what I love the most....  Look at how the architecture of the home and the interior design of the bath compliment one another! 

 

The organic nature of the house plan are beautifully paid tribute by the planes of tile, stone and wood in this master bath. I love the connection between the shower and bath tub shown here.

 

 

The other baths are just as lovely on a smaller scale.

This one is quiet and serene.

 

This powder room is anything but frills.   Love the simplicity!

 

 

 

 

Dive on in.....

Since we have been talking about tile this month I started reminiscing about NYC and my studies at Parsons.  In one of my classes on materials the professor kept stressing the need to look at connections.  How one material meets the next truly determines the success of a design.  That was a light bulb moment.  When we see things that seem awkward or have gaps we focus on the gaps not on the beauty.  That’s why a good presenter doesn’t have stains on their blouse or spinach in their teeth.  They want us to focus on their face, inflection and the information not the gaps!

When working with tile we need to focus on the connection it has with other materials.Look at this wall from the restaurant Rosa Mexicana, designed by The Rockwell Group.  It is majestic. 

 

Now look at the connection of the tile to the wavy surface that has the water fall and divers.  It is a very clean line. 

If it was wavy and uneven it would draw your eye away from the attraction of the divers and the theater of the room and force you to the distraction of a poorly connected or finished material.

 

Remember, just as in life, the connections we make and how we handle them defines us.

I Can't Get Enough of These Tile Vendors....

Remember when tile was simply a ceramic square?  And then remember when everyone got excited about subway tiles?  Well tile ain't what it used to be!  Here are two of my favorite tile vendors...

Ann Sacks - Always cutting edge and makes me dream of exciting new spaces. 

 

 

 

Walker Zanger - Can you stand it?  Mix it up and make it special!

 

Yummy!

Jump Off The Grid!

I love tile – I was working with it today in a kitchen we are currently renovating. The possibilities are endless!  As a designer, I relish the opportunity to show clients the versatility of any material and tile is no exception.  Tile-be it ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone-is not as rigid as one might think. Jump off the grid, pattern that is, and take a look at the many moods of a not so flat substance….

 

Designer Sarah Richardson uses tile to create an area rug pattern in a Powder Room

 

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These Walker Zanger tiles become ceramic mouldings that do the same job as their wood counterparts but hold up to the damp environments of our kitchens and baths.

 

Speaking of wood, another Walker Zanger product shows it can hold its own with any Parisian herringbone patterned salon floor.

 

 

Opposites do attract-mixing wood flooring and tile seems to just bring out the best in both.

  

 

Mother Nature is always the best teacher in design and tile can become an excellent student with a deft use of pattern or substance.

 

 

Remember, I said we were jumping off the grid so I thought we would circle back around and finish with both the elegance and the whimsy of this many faceted material.