Taxing Task/Accounting for every Dime

My latest project was a CPA firm in Charlotte NC. The firm added offices due to expansion, preparing for the upcoming tax season which lasts from January through April 15th.

The project began with the existing cherry wood desk which included a black leather work area. A white file cabinet, leather side chair and wood table with glass, was purchased in a liquidation sale. I painted the file cabinet and table black to begin the color palatte. Added the black pole lamp for uplighting. Purchased a new lamp shade for the existing wrought iron lamp base. Keeping the shade off white brought out the color on the wall and in the photographs, certificates and art.  The rug tied in the black, cherry and off whites beautifully!

White 4" wood blinds will be added to complete the office.

Adding my client's personality into the office, I found this horn which worked great for holding a light touch of greenery. The clock matched the wrought iron lamp base and included an old world backface.

A fica tree was placed in the far corner of the office for balance and warmth, a cherry leather side chair was added between the plant and the desk for guests.

The collage included the Account/CPA's certifications mixed with pictures of his favorite musician and sports figures. (New frames on two of the pictures are in process)

The rug acts as a focal point, when entering the office, and pulls the colors from the art above the lamp.

Accessories, were selected with my clients love for history,family,music, sports and his home state of Tennesse.

The project totaled 300.00, which was the budget. I guess you can say I passed a taxing task and designed this office on a dime. Form fuses beautifully with function preparing this accountant to prepare his clients taxes and budgets in a relaxed peaceful atmosphere. "All it takes is a little to add a lot".

The firm of Davis, Goldstein and Associates has been voted the best tax firm in Charlotte. The firm offers a wide range of services to  individuals and business clients. Because the firm is relatively small, their clients benefit by getting personalized quality service that is beyond comparison.

I found their newsletter and financial tools informative for tax and accounting tips.

Shelving Design

This storage unit operates like an accordion, similarly to Molo’s Softwall. The same functionality and flexibility applies to both Molo’s soft wall and de Jong’s REK bookshelf. Although different materials and operations are in effect, the idea is the same. The exterior of REK is finished with a white high gloss laminate and the inside in a warm-grey satin laminate. Even without the need for flexible storage, REK is a beautiful piece easily likened to a piece of art.

Throughout life we acquire possessions: from books and small objects purchased throughout travels to meaningful gifts. They end up stored in cardboard boxes, unappreciated or displayed somewhere within our homes. Rotterdam-based designer Reinier de Jong introduces a storage solution to accommodate our ever-changing needs: REK is an expandable bookcase that grows with your collection and is always full, regardless of the quantity of books and objects it holds.
Like the Toto’s expandable v-bed, REK grows with you and your space. “The more books, the bigger the bookcase,” according to the designer. Although the basic idea has been around for centuries, the application is entirely innovative. Kitchen bowls of varying sizes fit within each other for consolidated storage, and Russian nesting dolls which decrease in size, are placed one inside the other. These objects have the ability to be space-saving in their consolidated form, but individual components can be expanded out from each other to reveal themselves. The same ideas apply to REK whose five components are like puzzle pieces. “When in use, the zigzag shaped parts slide in or out to accommodate books in the resulting voids.” The relationship between solid and void changes as it is reconfigured, resulting in more or less storage and taking up more or less space. REK is anything from a solid sculptural object to a series of large open bookshelves.

Designer's View

In this article, I am going to critique each of these rooms, it is usually what a designer sees when she/he walks into a room. I feel this room has balance and the colors blend beautifully. First of all your focal point is the sofa, then the eye moves toward the black in the accessories and pictures, the next thing that makes this room blend beautifully is that the colors in the rug are picked up with the choice of colors reflected in the pictures and the paint on the wall. The plant to the left keeps warmth in the room and balance with the window. Placing the lamp on the opposite side allows, once again ,balance. The sheer black window treatment keeps the room contemporary, light and airy!!! I would give this a WOW great job!!!

First look, you see lovely furniture and balance with the lamps, plant and picture. YIKES, the wall color is way to harsh. It conflicts with the bright blue in the picture. The wall color should be the subtle color of blue/grey in the rug.

Beautiful setting, love the patio set. Now it needs a center piece with whites, greens and purple to pull the colors out of the cushions for a focal point. Weather permitting, an indoor/Outdoor rug, accenting the same colors from the cushions would warm this great patio setting.

Nice color balance here, the only thing I would change is the height of the picture. It needs to be moved up on the wall. The rug is acceptable but I feel it needs to be more in the taupe color like the wall. A great accent rug with taupes, white, reds and yellow would really make this room POP!!!!

Nice balance here, lovely blend of colors. Great accent pattern on the pillows and love the fringe! Good balance with the lamps and pictures. Love, love, love the fabric on the sofa and chairs.

Ultimate in Bathing

In the master bath, Wolf placed Clodagh aCollection's Zen cast-concrete tub on a concrete slab inside the glassed-in shower enclosure to make it "a sculptural focal point." Faucets and shower fixtures by Waterworks. Wolf designed the nickel and mahogany console-style vanity and fitted it with glass Vitraform sinks. Floors and walls are honed limestone.

Step into the Medicis copper tub by Herbeau and it feels as if you've stepped into another era. An antique Italian chair follows the curve. Inlaid Indian Almirah armoire from Charles Jacobsen.
 

Bathroom by Stephen Shubel


To complement the black-and-white master bedroom, the walls of the master bath were painted in bold black-and-white stripes.

Bathroom by Lawrence Rizkowsky


The master bath has an authentic period look. The 1920s tiles are from Scott Wells; 1920s chandelier is from Remains. Walls are Clarence House's Les Fougères in Bianco; curtains are Cowtan & Tout's Trailing Leaf in white. The 1870s faux-bamboo mirror is from Hideaway House.

Bathroom by Jill Sharp Brinson


The Waterworks Cambridge tub was a birthday gift from Brinson's husband. "I wanted it to feel like a trough in an old barn, with the faucet coming directly out of the wall." A mirrored cabinet hides a television.

Warming Things Up

A design so logical it belies its status as wall art: the Glascia from Skope. An attractive wall mount towel warmer, the look is entirely contemporary. Focused on a winning combination of glass and stainless steel, the look is streamlined and up-to-date. Glascia gives off a cozy heat that keeps your towels, but also your bathroom, dry and fresh. The modular styling of the radiator means that you can pick from one to four panels to make up the towel warmer. It’s a great choice for large or smaller spaces. A welcome choice that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing – the Glascia from Skope.

Beautiful Things

While shopping for a few furniture items today I found a great shop and the name truly says it all, " Karen's Beautiful Things", they began in 1986 as Karen's Boutique, located in the quaint Reynolda Village in Winston-Salem, NC, adjacent to Wake Forest University. The small but charming boutique was filled with exquisite lingerie and romantic dresses, reminiscent of the Victorian Era. Being a designer myself, I was very impressed the way the store was arranged so beautifully. Everywhere your eye roamed, there was another breathtaking item, I spent over 1,000. in my mind immediately!!!!! I did purchase the animal print ottoman shown in the last picture, it worked well with my pillow and animal/oriental accents. I already have plans to purchase a lovely animal accent chair next month, which will complete the finishing touch in my family room.


During time in Winston-Salem, Karen was a flight attendant for the former Piedmont Airlines. On one of her flights, she met her future husband, Bobby Holder, who owned an Art and Antiques business. They married in 1991, merged their businesses, and relocated to historic Dilworth - a suburb of Charlotte. The business was renamed "Karen's Beautiful Things", inspired by many customers who came into the shop and commented on how BEAUTIFUL everything was. They soon outgrew this location and the business moved to McMullen Creek Marketplace south of Charlotte. After 3 more years, they moved to the Park 51 Shopping Center south of Charlotte and filled it to the brim with treasures from all over the globe.

Karen's Beautiful Things is proud to announce that as of June 1, 2009 they have left the Park Rd location and moved to a Beautiful and more exciting space. They are now centrally located in the Arboretum Shopping Center. (see Map below) They still have all the Beautiful Things, Clothing and Accessories that Karen's is known for as well as delightful vignettes with new home decor and furnishings, antique furniture, and home accessories from as far away as England and the Netherlands. Karen and Bobby stay busy on frequent buying trips, always finding unique and unusual pieces! They now have a quaint area filled with vintage clothing & accessories reminiscent of the days gone by.


Brian, their son, is a partner and buyer for the business. He graduated from Kings College with a degree in Retail Management, Purchasing, and Advertising. He brings with him over 18 years of retail experience. Brian has managed stores from Gadzooks to Stein Mart and decided to follow his family's dream and become a part of Karen's Beautiful Things.


And the MOST unique feature of Karen's Beautiful Things - is their Unique Greeter - Gracie! Gracie is a small Yorkie with big personality. As Karen's "Official Greeter", she is a major contributor to the charm and "GRACE" of Karen's Beautiful Things.
While browsing, I found Gracie sleeping on the ottoman I was interested in buying, I thought she was a toy until she raised her sweet head to look at me, startled me because I thought she was a toy.

You'll always be well taken care of at Karen's Beautiful Things. Karen greeted me, complimenting me on my choices of lamps which were gorgeous oriental and of course, my taste gravitates toward the most expensive everything, however, the price was quite resonable for the unique quality and size.

There are always New Arrivals!!

8042 Providence Rd, Suite 900 Charlotte, NC 28277

Arboretum Shopping Center at the corner of Pineville-Matthews Rd. and Providence Rd.

If you live in Charlotte, the shop, is a must visit. If you are visiting Charlotte you can ask anyone on the street where the Arboretum Shopping Center is located and they will know, it is one of our cities quaint shopping experiences in the city.

Tile Trends for 2010

Last year I introduced you to Ideal, Tile Studio Group, Giuseppe keeps me informed of all the new lines. I love these and I know you will find them unusual and classy as well.

Portable Warmth

A more traditional coffee table with smokeless biofire designed by Planika Studio. The square shape and brown colour make it ideal for modern yet traditional interiors. Arranging Square in the front room, you will add the luxury of design and the richness of real smokeless fire to your living space. Employing the patented Glassfire® Technology, Square allows you to enjoy real flames without worrying about installation, smoke or ashes.

It’s a “lighthouse” in every sense of the work – a beacon in outdoor entertaining, a portable outdoor fireplace that runs on ethanol. According to its maker, Planika, the main idea behind the Lighthouse fireplace was “to adorn spaces and to navigate people to wander inside a fire lit dwelling. People are naturally attracted to beauty and have been naturally attracted to fire ever since the first spark.” A simple stone base is capped by an artistic web which encloses the fire itself – the real star of the show that burns a clean-burning fuel. These portable fireplaces help make your outdoors warm, alive with dancing light and buzzing with conversation. For more info on the Lighthouse ethanol fireplace, visit Planika.

Futuristic Faucet

Making bathroom tasks less of a chore, these amazing futuristic faucet designs by Hego WaterDesign are the latest and greatest must-have. I.WO and I.WO.e are the newest series of smart faucets designed by Davide Vercelli, featuring two interfaces – a mechanical design that lets you control the water temperature and the flow separately, and an electronic design which puts the controls at your fingertips with touch buttons. The stylish one-touch bathroom faucets look cool too, boasting a sleek stainless steel style suited to any contemporary bathroom. And adding ergonomics into the fix, this modern faucet comes with a spout which can be angled to your needs, bringing customizable comfort to your bathroom. Check out these amazing one touch and mechanical touch bathroom faucets at Hego WaterDesign.

Spark Fire

(Bethel, CT, November 2009) Spark Modern Fires, award winning manufacturer of modern, clean, and elegant gas fireplaces announces a totally new direct vent “slim” fireplace designed to hang on the wall. With a viewing area of 46” X 12”, this striking new fireplace provides substantial visual impact; while its depth of only 8” presents an exceptionally lean profile. Called the Direct Vent Slim 46”, this new fireplace saves space as well as time and cost of installation. Just vent through an outside wall or the roof, hang it—and enjoy. SPARK’s signature Fire Ribbon look has never been easier.

The Direct Vent Slim 46” is the perfect width for those looking for something between SPARK’s three foot and six foot wide direct vent fireplaces. And as a hanging unit, it does not require extensive cut outs or framing. In addition to its attractive size, this innovative fireplace features a porcelain enamel interior to reflect and enhance the beauty of the flame, as well as sleek surrounds in stainless steel or black satin. Also included is a fully programmable, thermostatic remote to allow lighting and control from anywhere in the room.

About Spark Modern Fires


Spark Modern Fires was co-founded in 2005 by Tom Healy, a former custom home builder who for two decades successfully built custom homes in VA and Washington, D.C. As a custom builder, Tom found that commercially available fireplaces most often did not match the distinct décor required by the designs of the homes he was building. As a result Tom was forced to fabricate special parts for each fireplace; a process that was costly and time consuming. Seeing a need in the market, Tom set out in 2003 to develop a product line and a company that made it easier for designers and builders to use a gas fireplace as a design element in custom and unique environments. In 2005 Spark Modern Fires introduced its first Fire Ribbons which were shipped in early 2006. The market enthusiastically accepted the new products, with many being installed in high end locations such as the Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Hotels, and “W” Hotels. The new products were so well received that in 2007 and 2008 Spark Modern Fires was nominated to participate in the prestigious Interior Design Award for Best Architectural Product of the Year, winning the award in 2007 for the Fire Ribbon and finishing among the top four in 2008 for The Linear Burner.

Color Trends for 2010

Hot off the press!! As interior designers we have access to the HOME INDUSTRY COLOR FORECAST months before being released to the general public. (Choosing paint colors made easy) provided us with the colors announcement.

The popular paint colors of nature continue to dominate the color trends for 2010. However the uncertainty about the future, leads to a new direction of personal discovery and alternative thinking. Gone is the harshness of Black Satin from the 2009 palette but the carbon grays and earthen browns are again present in the 2010 three color trend collections. Gold and bronze metallics are still trendy paint colors, adding optimism in our chaotic world. The infrequent presence of blue in the three collections implies a reminder to conserve water. Vision of hope for the future is seen in yellow rays of sunshine that are sprinkled in each collection.


May the 2010 Color Schemes for Home Decorating Inspire You...

EARTHEN GODDESS


Hybrids, sustainability and concern for the earth’s vulnerability are the core of this collection. Reducing one’s carbon footprint, buying natural materials and organic food permeates our lives. When deciding what colors to paint a room, nature provides the solution.
The colors of Earthen Goddess range from moss of the forest floor to the tan and gray stones of the riverbed. Blasts of color are extracted from fruits and vegetables. These earthen organic paint colors seem to make the home feel healthier.

INNER OPULENCE


Richness in life is personally defined. Discovery of one’s uniqueness, harmony of life, and well being gains new importance. Adventure has no global boundaries. Inner opulence is complete with romance and passion.
The Inner Opulence collection has rich shades of passion purple interspersed with mulberry and fades to a pale pink. Gold metallic provides the confident luxury while soothing hues creates the harmony. Unexpected bold shades provide the adventure of the Inner Opulence.

PLAYFUL PANACHE


Playful Panache is composed of artistic, technical, and intellectual inventiveness. A new culture emerges that is daring, entertaining and flamboyant. Multitasking creates a universal need for multifunctional products. Vitality and youthful spirit crosses all generational groups.

Brilliant colors add zest to the Playful Panache collection, and dazzling bronze provides the intellectual energy. The techno green and mysterious blue are never to be seen without a color in between. Medium shades associated with the earth’s natural habitat complete this collection and provide the neutral paint colors.

New Year's Sylish Glassware

I love unusual accents and accessories, these are fabulous finds for your New Year's party and great conversational pieces for any gathering, functional and works of art