Moxie by Proxy Project Profile

June 8, 2010

I recently completed a Moxie by Proxy Master Bathroom design for a married couple living on the Treasure Coast of Florida.  Their personal life is centered on family gatherings, boating and fishing.  The Master Bathroom sorely needed updating.  It’s dark, the countertops are too low, the cabinetry and fixtures outdated, storage inadequate; you get the picture.  Here’s the picture:

  

Along with describing the colors and styles they were most drawn to, the wife also presented me with this favorite object, and expressed how she wanted to feel in her most private of spaces: serene, welcome, and calm.

Plus, they had the additional practical consideration of sharing the bathroom with their cat, which meant they needed to accommodate the litter box in the space (Stinky and messy certainly don’t contribute to the goals of serene and welcome!).

After multiple conversations discussing the room function, the budget, favorite colors and materials, measurements and details, I created a package for them to renovate their bathroom.

 

Some of the highlights: water-saving faucets, a low-consumption toilet, energy-efficient lighting, a reclaimed teak makeup stool, low VOC paint, a natural shell mirror, natural quartz countertops, porcelain tiles and glass mosaic tiles for the floors, a built-in makeup vanity, and a storage cabinet in place of an obsolete door.  And, not to be forgotten, a really cool, modern, and enclosed litter box for the Queen Cat herself. 

ModKat Litter box  (This is someone else’s cat.)

They now have a complete road map, with instructions, drawings, and selections, to remodel their bathroom.  Here are some of the couple’s comments:

“When I received the final package and looked through all the different elements, I was truly amazed by so many things.  The color was right, the fixtures were perfect, and the movement of necessities was spot on.  There were more things to take in than I could have even begun to dream of.   I really felt that Tammy listened to me and sorted out what was at the core of what I was looking to achieve.  She understood the essence of what I had to say and translated it perfectly.  The best thing about Moxie by Proxy is that the plans are laid out so easily.  All the information you need to execute what you want is presented in a fashion that is easy to read and understand.  What can I say, I am in Love!  Can’t wait to do the Kitchen!”

Why did I create Moxie by Proxy?  Sometimes you need a good map to get where you’re going on your own, along with really great advice from an experienced tour guide, but don’t have the desire or the budget to have that tour guide personally accompany you on your journey.  You deserve a good trip too, and confidence that you won’t be stuck in a swamp somewhere spinning your wheels and swatting mosquitoes.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (1)

The 5-Second Rule…and Beyond

May 10, 2010

First impressions count.  We’ve all heard this cliché.  It’s a cliché because it’s so very universally true.  But it’s not only about the type of impression you make on others, it’s also about the impressions that people, places, and things make on you.  “Follow your instincts,” “trust your gut;” why are these common phrases so alien to us that we need to be constantly reminded to do what’s natural?

The bottom line is if it takes you longer than five seconds to decide if you like something, then you don’t like it.  It’s that simple.

Don’t force it.  Whether it’s a piece of furniture, a paint color, a tile, a faucet, or a pair of shoes, it should feel good, real, right, inexplicably correct, authentic and calming. 

Ah, I’ve found you.

If you have to convince yourself of any of those feelings, then you’re trying too hard and creating tension for yourself.  Let it go.

Of course, it doesn’t end there.  Not for me, anyway.  That’s just the first step.  I’m a designer, and so I respect your emotional reaction, but I want to know why.  Why do you feel that way?  I want to get into your head and understand what makes you tick, what attracts you and what repels you.  Can you pinpoint it?  It could take some soul-digging, and memory-searching, but it’s worth it. 

Just as songs and smells and certain places remind us of long lost loves, past tragedies or embarrassments, and childhood insecurities, so too do colors, shapes, patterns, and even furniture styles.

Does that shade of green remind you of the wallpaper you had in your room as a child that you hated?

  Designer: Hey, look at this fabulous shade of green.

                You: I hate green.

Designer: Why?

     You:  I don’t know, I just do.

Designer: You’ve got to give me more to work with than that!  Tell me about your childhood.

You: Mom always made me eat pea soup, which I didn’t like.  It was gritty and had chunks of ham fat floating in it, and she wouldn’t let me leave the table until I choked it down.  Then while I was away for a sleepover once, she redecorated my room and papered one of the walls the same color green as that awful soup.  I tried to get her to take it out, but she refused.  So not only did I have to endure eating something I hated; now I had to look at it all the time as well!

Designer: Okay.  Now I get it.  You were not able to control how your room looked, and it reminded you of something else you couldn’t control: eating something yucky.

Therefore, unconsciously, Green  =  powerlessness.

Does a tufted leather chesterfield sofa remind you of your grandfather and the flavor of pipe tobacco he liked best?

Restoration Hardware Kensington Chesterfield Sofa

                You: Oh, I love this chesterfield sofa!

Designer: Really, why?

You: When I was little I stayed with my grandparents during the summers, and they had a chesterfield sofa in their den.  Every afternoon, my grandfather would let me sit on his lap while he smoked his pipe and read the paper.  I remember smelling his pipe tobacco and dozing off and feeling so comfortable.

Therefore, chesterfield sofas  =  comfort, family, affection, security

Identifying your emotional response to something is like a signal, a key to a lock, a sentinel at the gate.  Understanding where it came from clears a path- for you and also for everyone in your life that needs to communicate with you.  When you understand why you really like what you like, it’s easier to surround yourself and populate your life with more of That, whatever That is for you.

May your week be filled with more chesterfields and less pea soup.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (0)

No Excuses

April 21, 2010

Thoughts for the day- Earth Day:

A couple of days ago, I watched a show on the Science Channel about the first moon landing.  It was called First on the Moon: The Untold Story.  In it, I learned that the astronauts inadvertently broke a little control switch that just so happened to be the switch that turned on the engines of the landing module, without which they would not be able to take off from the moon and get home.  So, what happened?  Buzz Aldrin used a ballpoint pen to fix it.  In our modern-day parlance, he MacGyver’d it.

That got me thinking….

If Buzz Aldrin can jimmie the engines on the first lunar landing module with a ballpoint pen (!), then:

  • Replacing your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, or better yet, LED fixtures?  Simple.  Do it.  No excuses.  Compact fluorescents are readily available in home improvement stores and even local grocery stores.  LED’s are still a bit more of a specialty item right now, but they are worth the search and the price.  They don’t have mercury in them, they don’t get hot, and the life of the bulb is, well, mind-bogglingly long.

 

  • Recycling?  Easy as 1-2-3. Reducing and Re-using?  Well worth it.

Imagine for a moment that the garbage man didn’t exist….if no one ever came to pick up your trash, what would you do?  Where would it go?  Would you be more inclined to think carefully about your consumption and your disposability habits?  Every piece of plastic wrapping, Styrofoam packaging, tin foil, yogurt cups, milk jugs, diapers, tissues, napkins, and junk mail, plastic bags and baggies, chicken bones, blister packs and plastic-coated twisty-ties, those little thingamajigs that the dry cleaner uses to hold the shirt sleeves together on a freshly pressed shirt (I asked my dry cleaner, by the way, and they will take those back and reuse them.  Same with wire hangers.), the dreaded toy packaging that requires a hacksaw and scissors to open, and the plastic toys in them, etc. etc.  The list goes on and on.  How lucky and totally spoiled we are that all we have to do is put our crap in a bag and someone comes and takes it away!  We don’t even know where it goes, and unfortunately, some people don’t care.

Well, a few guided meditations on how your house, street, and neighborhood would look if trash pickup didn’t exist, and it doesn’t take long to start looking at your throwaways in a whole new light.

My city started a program called single-stream recycling. (http://www.broward.org/waste/allinone.htm)  No more separating paper, plastic, glass, metal, whatever.  All of it goes into one single recycle bin.  Easy as a Sunday morning.  What kind of recycling program does your city and/or county participate in?  Not sure?  Ask.  If they don’t have one, demand it.  Or you could kindly explain to your city government at the next council meeting that their mothers don’t work there, and ask them just what century they’re living in.  In the nicest possible way, of course; good manners are important.

  • Washing all your laundry in cold water?  Are you kidding me with this?  A total no-brainer.  Just set it once and never think of it again.   Since I began using cold water and non-chlorine bleach for all my laundry, everything turns out brighter and doesn’t get worn out so fast.  And hey, I’m saving money on my electric bill by reducing the amount of water heating.  I like saving money, don’t you?

 

  • Turning off the water while brushing your teeth?  Puleeze.  Seriously.  Buzz Aldrin fixed a spaceship with a pen.  A pen, people!  Turn off the water.

 

  • Bringing your own bags to the grocery store?  A cakewalk.  Save a plastic tree and bring your own bags.  Embarrassed by your mish-mosh of odd-sized tote bags?  Check out these super stylish ones from Baggu.  Here’s my secret tip to making this into a firmly entrenched habit:  keep them in your car at all times.  I’ve also found that one must be quick at the checkout line to keep the bag boys from robotically loading your stuff into the dreaded evil plastic bags.  My reusable bags are the first thing on the conveyor belt, and I announce it to the cashier and the bag boy, “I have my own bags.”  It felt weird at first, and totally flummoxed the baggers.  They had no idea how to fill them properly, but they got the hang of it, and I feel really righteous.

These tips are, of course, the very least that everyone should be doing and can do easily.  These things aren’t hard.  Fixing spaceship engines with a pen – that is, I think, the definition of hard. 

There are so many more steps we can all take, little by little, to reduce our consumption, save energy, save our money, and stick it to the Man.   It just takes a little bit of conscious effort, and the realization that all the choices we make affect everyone, not just ourselves.

If not us, who?  If not now, when?

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (1)

Small Changes, Big Difference

April 7, 2010

This has been a busy spring for me, personally and professionally.  Now that our unusually cold (for Florida, anyway) winter has ended, the weather has been so breathtakingly gorgeous, it’s been difficult to plunk myself down in front of the computer.  I just want to be outside! 

Spring is a time of renewal, rebirth, rejuvenation, activity, energy, goal-setting, and cleaning out the closets.  I also discovered (or perhaps, rediscovered is a better word) something else, about myself, my home, and houseplants.

I rearranged the furniture in my Family Room.  I’m not normally prone to doing that unless there’s a good reason, and my good reason this time was my sister’s bridal shower which I hosted in March.  Is your Family Room like mine?  The television is the great big warm sun, and all the furniture in the room are subordinate little satellites, bowing to the TV gods and thanking them for their mere existence.

I also bought some flowering houseplants to use as party décor.  This was after spending two hours roaming the aisles of the local party superstore in complete disgust.  Did they have cute, pretty, colorful decorations?  Yes, they did.  However, all I could think about was, what am I going to do with all that plastic, non-compostable, non-biodegradable junk after the party is over?  Store it forever in my already overfilled closets and/or garage?  Throw it out?  Most of that stuff is not even recyclable.  So, I bought simple white, eco-friendly paper plates and napkins and made the decision that I would decorate with plants. 

With the bridal shower about to begin, I realized that TV-watching was not the priority for the room, so I angled my sofa and angled the lounge chair and ottoman directly opposite the sofa.  It worked great for the shower, because everyone was able to converse and interact in an all-inclusive manner.  It wasn’t until a few days later that something amazing happened.

Now that the TV isn’t the main focal point of the room, the energy moving through the space has completely changed- for the better!  It’s a palpable, positive flow.  The Family Room feels bigger, and more inviting.   Everyone can still watch TV comfortably, but I swear: my kids are fighting less.  Seriously.  Weird, but true.  And bringing plants back into my house, after many years of self-imposed exile, has heightened this sense of living, dynamic energy as well.  When my children were toddlers I was petrified they would nibble on the houseplants and poison themselves, so I got rid of them.  Thankfully, they are past that stage, and I’ve eagerly summoned my inner gardener once again.  I’m babying the plants like newborn puppies; checking that they have enough water, moving them around to catch the right amount of sunlight.  What a welcome and unexpected transformation.

What have I learned from this series of small changes?

  • There is always more than one way to arrange a room
  • A simple change of direction can dramatically change the ambience and feel of a space, even if you don’t buy anything new
  • It took an outside force ~ the catalyst of a party ~ to realize I was in a rut with my furniture layout.  I’ve been looking at my house with new eyes and eager dreams ever since.
  • It’s time to stop creating shrines to the television.
  • Houseplants are awesome.  I didn’t realize how much I missed them. (Though I will say that azaleas seem to need an awful lot of water or they get droopy really quick.  I don’t think they’re hardy enough to handle the climate I’m in, so the azalea will have to stay in a pot in my house.  But peace lilies and orchids seem to be pretty carefree.)
  • And lastly, small changes can make a big difference- to not only your house, but your health, your attitude, and your family vibes.

Try something new that’s been nudging you for a while and leave a comment.  How did it go?  What did you notice?

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (0)

The Man Room

March 24, 2010

This is a trout.

 

More specifically, this is my husband’s prized trout.  Weighing in at 10.85 lbs, it was caught on a Penn 610 reel with 30 lb. test, which, by the way, is heavier line than one would normally use for trout.  You see, my husband had actually intended to catch a snook on that particular day, and ended up with a monster trout instead.

OMG, Tammy, why on earth do you know all this?! I know all this because Snaggletooth here has been hanging on my wall, in every home we’ve lived in, for the last fifteen years.  I am part of a group of women friends whose husbands are avid fishermen, divers, and surfers, and who have learned to live with and yes, even love (sort of) (but don’t tell anyone that) the fish stories and the taxidermed trophies of humongous fish and giant crustaceans (that’s a fancy word for lobsters) that go along with them.  For most of our marriage, I have lovingly referred to it as “every interior designer’s worst nightmare.”  But I have a slightly different and more forgiving take on it now.

Agh! You say.  Why don’t you put that thing out of sight?  Put it in the Man Room!

The Man Room.  You know, the Man Room.  It’s that running joke between you and all your girlfriends.  It’s that room in your house where you put the not-quite-ready-for-primetime accessories, the leftover wall décor from your college dorm room that you just can’t part with, your partner’s collection of… (Fill in the blank with all that ugly kitschy stuff that you thought was so cute when you first met but now that you’re respectable won’t dare show in public).  It’s that room in your house where your husband’s personality resides, along with his balls. 

Remember that movie Juno?  The married couple that was supposed to adopt Juno’s baby, played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, lived in a beautiful home.  It was truly lovely: manicured lawn, located in an affluent neighborhood.  Every room was so elegant, classy, and tailored.  And also sterile and lifeless.  The most fascinating and authentic room in the house was the husband’s “room”, where he kept his guitars and music collection and obscure movies, and the only place where his wife allowed these things to exist.  It was a little grungy, but it was where he felt the most at home and at ease in his entire house.

Shouldn’t every room of your house make you feel that way?  (Not grungy, but at home and at ease.)  You may always have your favorite nook, spot, or hideaway in your house, but it should be because it contains a higher proportion of all your favorite things and not because you were banished there.  And a little “quirky” combined with your really awesome (and all grown-up) furnishings goes a long way to keeping your home authentic and real.

Now I do have my limits.  (Hmmm, maybe I should create a list?)  Autographed and framed-for-display sports paraphernalia, for instance, does not belong in your dining room, or your bedroom for that matter.  If there’s no sensible and tasteful way to work it into your décor, put it in storage or bequeath it to your favorite 10-year old.  (In case you think I have no experience with this, I will make an embarrassing admission.  I had a life-size cardboard stand-up of Boba Fett from Star Wars- The Empire Strikes Back- an original one from 1981- that I just couldn’t part with until pretty recently.  And yes, it was mine, and I am still a very proud Star Wars fan.  I finally did gift it to a wide-eyed and astonished-at-his-good-fortune 10-year old son of a close friend.  It is now enjoying a second life in this boy’s Star Wars-themed bedroom, and I can visit Boba Fett whenever I want.) 

It’s best to get an objective third party to help with combining you and your partner’s furnishings and belongings, whether you’ve just gotten married and are setting up a new household, or even if you’ve been together for a while and need to reassess your living quarters.  Just not your mother.  Or your partner’s mother.

Anyway, back to Mr. Trout here.  I’ve found ways to work it into my décor, willingly and gladly.  It takes moxie, and some confidence.  It’s not because I love mounted fish.  I don’t, but what I do love is seeing my husband’s eyes light up whenever someone asks where it came from and how he caught it.  That, my friends, is what makes a house into a home.  So bring your husband out of exile.  Let your home show off the personality traits that make you and your partner the really cool people that you are, and ask for assistance if you’re not sure where to draw the line between “quirky and cool” and tacky.

What crazy thing have you incorporated into your décor that breaks the rules, flexes your moxie muscle and just seems to work?  Be brave, and share it.  If I can own up to Boba Fett, you really have nothing to fear.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (1)

Memories of Brooklyn

March 15, 2010

I was in Brooklyn last month, and saw some really cool people, places, and things.  I wish I had had more time to explore and take it in, but my overall impression of Brooklyn was quite different from the vibe one feels in Manhattan.  It was cozier, friendly and more hometown-like with quiet neighborhood streets.  Luckily, I had my Brooklyn resident brother to show me some of the great places that non-residents might not get to see so easily.  I can’t wait to go back (when it’s warmer!).

 

This building facade is someone’s home in the Boerum Hill area.  Painstaking, breathtaking, detailed mosaic work covers every surface; the sidewalk, the railings, the brickwork, all of it.  It’s incredible, sparkly, bohemian and positive.

Brooklyn also just got itself a Jonathan Adler store!  It’s on Atlantic Avenue, and it’s chock-full of all the Jonathan Adler goodness that could fit into this fabulous little store.  Check it out if you’re ever in the area and give the storekeepers some love.  These are some of my new favorite items:   wool needlepoint zodiac pillows, and alpaca squares throws (I love this color combo).

What was left of the dregs of snow was creatively handled by my husband, my brother, his girlfriend and myself…..voila’:

 This is what I call an example of scale.

Also a wonderful discovery was the Brooklyn Flea Market at 1 Hanson Street.  In a beautiful former bank building for the winter, we saw vintage clothes, maps, jewelry, artwork, and inexplicable kitchen utensils.  I bought a great pair of earrings from a local artisan named Joan Huggard.   Iridescent glass drops encased in silver bands.

And last, but not least, I’d like to profile what creative ingenuity can accomplish in a small space.  This home office was able to overcome its small size and low ceiling by using paint in an all together fantastic way.  This is why I love paint; it’s versatile, the color choices are endless, and it’s the master of disguise and flattery.

  The bold and wide orange stripe is painted at eye-level.  It focuses the eye upward, and creates a great backdrop for the wall art.  I especially love the way the artwork overlaps the stripe.  It keeps the eye interested but not bouncing up and down too much.  The stripe says, “hey look at me, up here!  Don’t look down there where it’s cluttered and the furniture might not quite match.  It’s way more fabulous up here!”  And orange continues to be one of my favorite colors.  It’s a spicy, jazzy, happy color.  Don’t you feel happier now?  What kinds of amazing things have you managed to do with a simple can of paint?

Last words on Brooklyn: art and artistry abounds.  Creative people are everywhere. 

Make it a great week.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Featured Posts | Comments (2)

Is your Clean Green?

March 9, 2010

Last week, while doing my grocery shopping, I came across a new product I decided to try.  I needed kitchen sponges, and in the cleaning products aisle I found these eco-friendly kitchen sponges and scouring pads right next to the regular ones.  Now, one thing you have to know about me is that I’m always excited about finding green, eco-friendly cleaning products, household objects, and such.  I have experimented with cleaning my bathrooms with vinegar and baking soda (it bubbles furiously and makes the bathroom smell like a nice salad), and I have even downloaded recipes for making my own non-toxic bug repellant.  But alas, I must admit, I prefer a prepared, ready to use product that doesn’t require too much prep time, because when the cleaning fairy waves her wand over me, I have to act quickly before the feeling passes. 

I buy these eco-friendly products whenever I can, but many times I glumly pass on them because green cleaning supplies are more expensive (sometimes many times more expensive) than the conventional toxic stuff.  The reason my curiosity was piqued with these kitchen sponges was that they were the exact same price as the conventional ones.  They were a new introduction from the same company that normally makes non-green sponges, and there they were, side by side; the green ones taunting me with their recycled content and natural agave plant scrubby fibers.  I compared them, I checked again and again to make sure I was seeing the price correctly, and it was true.  They cost the same!  My heart leapt with joy- “I can be green without blowing my budget today!”  And I bought them, with gusto and no guilt.  Now, the cynical side of me says, “Maybe this is their way of test-marketing a new product and getting people to try it and then they plan to raise the price.”

I sincerely hope not.  I love eco-friendly, green products.  I’m like a kid in a candy store when faced with beautiful, lush organic produce and products so non-toxic you could practically eat them.  I’m also one of those people that consciously thinks about garbage and where does it all go?  I live in south Florida.  It’s flat here.  The tallest hills around are the landfills, and they get taller and taller every year.  But my desire to buy green is quickly tempered by my pocketbook.  Changing the habits of people with regard to their product choices has to do with a willingness to try something new and feel like they’re doing something good for themselves and the planet, but that only goes so far. I understand the manufacturing processes may be different and therefore the goods cost more.  I get that and I’m sympathetic, to a point.  I think the biggest determining factor for most people is price.  If the price differential is too large, it’s not going to fly.  Equalizing the prices for eco-friendly products is going to go a long way in taking the movement mainstream instead of something that remains available only to the affluent.  So for now, I’m going to cheerfully scrub my pots and pans with my earth-friendly scrub sponges, not worry about the local landfill when they get thrown into the bin, and keep my eye on the price whenever I’m passing through the cleaning aisle in the hopes that soon those will be the only type of kitchen sponges available and the price will be reasonable. 

Don’t make me start growing my own agave plants just so I can harvest them for kitchen sponges!  But hey, wait a minute.  Isn’t tequila made from agave plants?  Hmmmm…..

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Are you Eclectic?

February 27, 2010

Lots of people claim to be, or claim to like a vague, indefinable style called “Eclectic,” but what does that actually mean?  My Webster’s dictionary defines it as: selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles; composed of elements drawn from various sources.

Eclecticism can make a room bold and invigorating if it’s done right, but more often than not, I find the term used as an excuse for liking everything and yet nothing.  The danger is in spreading yourself too thin, weakening and diluting your passion, your decorative statement and style-sense.  Do you accommodate too many others’ styles, furnishings, and expectations to the point that your house and all the things in it don’t reflect you anymore?

There are three steps to make “eclectic” décor live together happily, and keep your home-sweet-home from becoming a repository of unrelated junk.

  •  Edit (the nice way of saying “get rid of it”)
  • Change it
  • Harmonize

Edit

So many times we take in hand-me-downs, leftovers, inherited furnishings, salvaged items.  It’s not always because we love these things, but because we want to please others, avoid hurt feelings, or prove that we’re economically sensible (hey, that’s a perfectly good dining set!  Three-legged chairs with shag upholstery were all the rage back then!  Do you know how much it would cost to buy that now?).

Get over it.  You don’t have to keep everything that comes your way.  Check with other family members and friends to see if someone else can provide a loving home for old Uncle So-‘n-So’s dining set, or donate it to a good cause.  This is your home, filled with items you’ve acquired because you love them, they make your heart sing, and support your life energy.  Be selective.  Be choosy.  Don’t horde crap.

Change it

The power of transformation.  Reupholster.  Put slipcovers over chairs.  Repaint.  Refinish wood frames.  Use a high-gloss or matte finish solid color paint to change the appearance of an old-fashioned and dowdy piece of furniture into something modern, daring, and whimsical.  I don’t recommend this for real antique furniture, but most furniture is not so precious that it can’t be altered.

Technically, an antique is defined as something at least 100 years old or more (except cars, which are considered antiques at 25 years or older).  Anything less than that is vintage, and if the original color or finish doesn’t work for you, change it.  Don’t be afraid; the decorating police won’t come knocking at your door.

Here’s an example of a transformed item I used in a home.

This mirror has an ornately carved, gilded gold frame.  It’s very traditional, and wouldn’t work with the new, more contemporary interior design I planned, so I painted it.

 

Now, with the frame painted a solid color, it has become more of a sculptural, funky piece that retained its traditional form, but now harmonizes with the modern interior.

Harmonize

This is the trickiest of the three steps; creating harmony amongst disparity.  It’s a step that requires a good eye for color, form, and scale.  It’s okay to use very different styles of furniture together, as long as there is some element that is similar about them- a through-line, a common thread.  It could be color, or maybe the shapes of the different items, or balancing the scale and proportion of the pieces.

Curvy chairs with a straight-lined table, or vice versa.  Maintaining a certain amount of similarity in the shapes of furniture from different styles and periods can help them work together in the same room.  Are the curves organic and random, or rigidly geometric?  In the mirror example above, the through-line to mesh the furnishings was the color.  The traditional style of the frame used with the clean-lined shelf, floor lamps, and pool table created a focal point for the room and the style differences are balanced. 

Play with different arrangements, try things out.  And trust yourself.  Most of the time, you’ll know instinctively if a furniture grouping is working or not.  It will feel right, easy, calming.  You can feel it in your body if you pay attention and are in tune with your physical presence in time and space. 

Some people are completely oblivious to these types of physical signals.  They throw whatever furniture together that comes their way, because of utility, price, convenience, or someone else’s opinion.  These are the people that live a superficial, one-dimensional existence.  They’re not the happiest types.  They’re usually nervous and high-strung, or apathetic.  We all know these houses and have encountered these people before.  Their homes are uncomfortable, and you feel uneasy.  As a guest, it’s impossible to get a good night’s sleep there.  Hopefully, that doesn’t describe your house!

“Eclectic” is sometimes a catch-all term that really indicates indecision.  Be clear about what you like and dislike. Take the time to weed out the ugly and unnecessary, change and improve furnishings that can work together, and find the shared elements that make seemingly mismatched furnishings look great together.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

The Boundaries of Style

February 19, 2010

This past week I attended one of the most auspicious and prestigious events in the world.  On display were fabulous hair-do’s, sparkling jewelry, gowns and tuxedos, and very famous competitors with fantastic names.  There were surprises and upsets, protests even!  Glamour, glamour, everywhere.  This week was the incredible spectacle known as the Westminster Dog Show.

I have watched the Westminster Dog Show every year for many years, offering commentary to my television as only an armchair quarterback can do, and am continually amazed at the sheer number and variety of canine breeds.  Some breed names are so long and complicated they are typically reduced to initials only, or include  parenthetical titles for distinctions.  My favorite of these is the PBGV (say that five times fast!) which stands for Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. 

Being there, in the thick of it, and staying in the same hotel as many of the dogs, was a completely different experience all together than watching it on TV, and quite fun.  The dogs were gorgeous, continuously coiffed, meticulously clean (I saw some wearing booties during their walks), and easy-going even with all the noise, people, and other dogs.  These dogs are calm, cool, and collected, and their names are thunderous, stupendous examples of Style, with a capital “S.”

Here is a short list of some of my very favorite champion dog names from this year’s show:

  • Ch Bodacious In Enemy Territory (a Bichons Frises)
  • Ch Blackwater’s Breaking N Entering NJP (a Belgian Tervuren)
  • Ch Chaoyang Chick Magnet At Asia (this one’s a Chinese Shar-Pei)
  • Ch Fuzzy Farm Devil Made Me Do It (a Havanese)
  • Ch Gladrags Original Buttonfly (a Curly-coated Retriever)
  • A Sussex Spaniel named: Ch Erinhill Cpnwy Mr Fuzzywrinkles

And my personal all-time favorite is the moniker for a Maltese named (drum roll please):

  • Ch Ta-Jon’s Whose Your Sugar Daddy?

How awesome is that?

I learned that STYLE has no bounds, and we should all have a Champion name.  Something that rings true for each of us, a secret (or not-so-secret) reminder of our nature, our authentic self that’s stupendous, incredible, funny and oh-so-stylish.  I’ve already decided on my children’s champion names: Ch Bossy McGee and Ch Sassy La Rue.  They are free to change these, of course, when they become grown-ups!  Today, my champion name is: Ch Dive Right In The Water’s Fine.  (I reserve the right to change that at any time!)  

What’s your Champion name?

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (1)

A Little Bit of Moxie- Service Packages

February 13, 2010

Targeted design solutions to enhance, complete, or dynamically alter a room that’s already got it goin’ on.

Custom Cabinetry Design

Your room looks great, but it needs a custom storage cabinet, or a Media cabinet to display your TV and hold your DVD collection.

  • Bookcases, Bars, TV/ Media cabinets, storage cabinets

I just need some information first:

  • Answers to the Design Questionnaire
  • Photos of the room or rooms, plus your Design Homework*
  • Inventory of items to be housed in the cabinet (stereo equipment, TV’s, quantity of books/CD’s/DVD’s, appliances- such as ice-makers, wine coolers, bar sink, mini fridge, etc)
    Measurements of the area where the cabinet will be located (see instructions for Measuring a Room here)
  • This service does not include Kitchens, Libraries or Home Offices. For extensive millwork and cabinetry that encompasses a whole room, see Moxie by Proxy or The Full Moxie.

Total: $ 750.00 each

You will receive:

  • Drawings of the cabinet to give to your cabinetmaker
  • Finish and material suggestions
  • Useful information and tips to help you discuss your project knowledgably with a cabinetmaker

Color Consultation

Are you in the process of staging your home for sale? Do you like your existing furniture and room design, but the colors need some sprucing up? Fresh paint colors can make a huge difference for a relatively small investment.

I just need some information first:

  • Answers to the Design Questionnaire
  • Photos of the room or rooms, plus your Design Homework*
  • Measurements of your room with a schematic drawing of your furniture arrangement (see instructions for Measuring A Room here)
  • Send me samples of any existing colors or fabrics that will remain in the space

Total: $250.00 per room

You will receive:

  • Paint samples and source recommendations
  • Schematic Floor Plan showing paint color locations
  • Schematic Wall Elevation showing paint locations (if necessary to describe a special pattern or multiple colors on one wall)
  • Useful information and tips to help you discuss your project knowledgably with a painting contractor

Accessory Ideation

Your room looks great! But something’s missing. It needs that finishing touch. I don’t like to fill up spaces with clutter and junk, but even a minimalist space needs some objects and decorative accessories to imbibe it with that lush, lived-in-by-worldly-interesting-people feeling (that would be you!).

I just need some information first:

  • Answers to the Design Questionnaire
  • Photos of the room or rooms, plus your Design Homework*
  • Photos of any accessories you already have that you intend to keep

Total: $ 250.00 per room

You will receive (electronically):

  • Picture montage of accessory ideas
  • Pictures of accessory item suggestions (coffee table books, small lamps, knick knacks, picture frames, artwork ideas)
  • Source list for purchasing the items suggested

The end result: That little extra bit of awesome that your room needs. Let’s get started! Contact me.

Download the Design Questionnaire here
Download instructions on Measuring a Room

* Your homework assignment is to collect pictures, magazine pages, ads, catalogs, website links, favorite movie sets, and any other visual aids and references you gather to guide me in understanding your likes and dislikes.

Terms and Conditions

Are these solutions too targeted for you? Need more help? Perhaps a full room redesign is best for you. Check out Moxie by Proxy for full room packages.

By Tamara Dalton | Posted in A Little Bit of Moxie | Comments (0)