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A NEW HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN TALENT TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Whenever I come across remarkably high quality interior design, I like to share it with everyone I know. And for those of you who have been reading for a while, you know that my philosophy on the best high end interior designers is that they are able to draw out what’s in someone’s heart and soul and turn it into the perfect environment for them.

That’s what high end interior designer Sasha Bikoff recently did for her client, an Iranian ballet star. This 25-year old talent used color, pop culture reference, and furniture choices to reflect the energy and creativity of the artist she worked for. That’s why she’s going to be a high end interior design talent to keep an eye on!

5 HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN DEFINITIONS WITH AUDIO ONE’S DAVID FRANGIONI

I’m not easily impressed, but when it comes to Audio One’s David Frangioni, I am constantly blown away.

As a one time amateur drummer in Queens, I remember it being tough to get a gig in someone’s living room. David, on the other hand, was playing full-time in clubs around New England by the age of 17 and already experimenting with electronic drums. From there, he became a world renowned expert in audio technology, whose amazing list of credits with rock legends is too long to list here (Aerosmith, Ozzy….well, just click here to read his whole story).

These days he lives in Miami, and he’s the go-to guy for top Miami interior designers (and far beyond) who want their clients to have the world’s most state-of-the-art sound systems in their homes. We love working with him and I’m thrilled to be able to call him a friend.

So naturally we asked him to participate in our “5 Definitions” series where we ask leaders in the world surrounding high end interior design to give their personal definitions of some concepts that makes the best home designs happen.

Let’s listen.

What’s your definition of…?

Luxury
Luxury is enjoying the best of the best in all aspects of life. Home(s), Cars, Jewelry, Service, restaurants, Hotels, etc.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle is the level at which you can enjoy luxury. The more luxury, the better the lifestyle. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing.
Beauty
It truly is in the eye of the beholder. Sleek lines, statuesque physique, clean appearance is beautiful to me.
Taste
There’s great and there is everything else. Those with taste, know what’s great. Frank Sinatra, Elvis, the Beatles. Italian cars. The list goes on.
Quality Interior Design
Quality interior design makes the most of a given space, bringing to life an area that otherwise is un (or less) inspiring. The design of home is the pulse of one’s every day life so it needs to capture the essence of the home owner and go beyond. Of course, high-end technology makes it even better.

MIAMI INTERIOR DESIGNERS: A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK

Miami interior designers are often known for the luxurious end product they create. That’s why in this episode of Design TV with Steven G., we thought it’d be fun to give you a behind the scenes look at the warehouse where the heavy lifting really happens.

It gets noisy, so make sure you’re ready before diving in.

THE BOB MARLEY GUIDE TO DECORATING UNDER PRESSURE

I love being an interior designer. And believe it or not, one of the things I like best is helping my clients with the stress and indecision they feel when they enter this scary new world of redesigning a home.

I grew up in Jamaica, and I think that has helped me play that role well. As a rule, we never think anything is a real problem. We tend to think we can work things out as long as we keep the right attitude.

Our most famous native son, Bob Marley, had this attitude and shared it around the world. If you’re making interior design decisions, you can learn a lot from this reggae superstar.

IS THIS LOVE?

One of the first things you have to do when starting any quality interior design project is take the floor plan you have and match it with the right furniture, fabric, and lighting. Making these decisions can be stressful and challenging because you’ll literally have to live with the result.

In one of his most famous songs, Bob Marley asks the question, “Is This Love?” You need to do the same. After you’ve given your interior deign a whole long of thought and have gone through all the options, you need to trust in your feelings.

For example, If you make a “Pros” and “Cons” list and still feel sad when one of the decisions has more on the “Pros” side, trust your gut and go with the “Cons”. Because what that’s telling you is that it is love after all.

STIR IT UP

While peaceful is nice, even the most high end interior designs need a bit of spice to get you excited about walking into your home. In his song “Stir It Up”, Bob Marley mixed his mellow rhythms with the mention that you sometimes have to take a stand and do something controversial. You should do the same.

For example, if you have a contemporary high end interior design look going, introduce one or two classic antiques. Sure, the rulebook may say it doesn’t “fit” but that’s exactly what’s great about it.

Sometimes just knowing you can break the rules can take a huge weight off your shoulders.

EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT

Your home is important and so is your interior design, but the truth is that any decision can be changed in the long run. It’s not life or death. So make some decisions, have fun with it, and just go for it. As Bob Marley said, everything is gonna be alright.

HOW TO GET QUALITY INTERIOR DESIGN IDEAS FROM GREAT TV

As high end interior designers, we’re inspired from all different sources. For me, I’ve got to admit that I take a lot of inspiration from TV.

Sometimes I’ll catch a piece of furniture, a glimpse of wallpaper from yesteryear, or an entire set, and I come away with a new way to deal with an interior design problem I’ve been struggling with. Pound for pound, there’s no better source of inspiration than the AMC show Mad Men.

That’s what Monica Parga talks about in detail in her latest blog post “Mad Men’s Interior Design and Set Decorations.”

I strongly suggest you check it out.

Click here to see Monica’s article on Mad Men and interior design>>>

MY FAVORITE HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN BLOGGERS KEEP HITTING IT

Whenever Susanna Salk and Stacey Bewkes from Quintessence release an episode of their web-based high end interior design video series, I find that I have to blog about it. The material they put out is some of the most charming and engaging stuff out there.

This time instead of going on and on about it, I’m just going to let you watch for yourself. Enjoy!

DECORATE LIKE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger was “The Governor” or the “Terminator” he was a legendary body builder. Arnold created an amazing physique allowing him to be a seven-time “Mr. Olympia”. Now I am sure you are wondering how body building can be compared to high end interior design, but there is a lot to learn from Arnold when making interior design decisions. They both depend on a visionary goal which is achieved by a well-structured plan.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s gorgeous home

THE SMALLEST DETAILS MATTER

While Arnold’s vision was a “pumped up body,” a designer’s vision is a beautiful and functional space. For Arnold to be able to achieve Mr. Olympia he needed to implement a plan where he paid attention every detail.

In the world of design this is no different, as it is essential to always take into account how one decision will affect the next. A well-structured plan will keep you from creating mistakes that may cost you time in the long run as well as help you achieve your desired goal of creating a space that all of your friends will admire.

Another shot of Ah-nuld’s high end interior design.

“REPS” ADD UP

Arnold won so many titles by creating the perfect diet and establishing healthy habits that he stuck to religiously. And he never skipped a day of training—he always stayed true to his plan and built his body rep by rep.

Whether you’re a high end interior designer, a client, or someone just making design decisions for your home, you should follow his example.

The best way to stay on track is to create a list of all of the elements each room will need. From there it is important to find inspiration…such as a picture you saw in a magazine or a color palate that evokes a stimulating feeling. You can start by picking an area rug that will dictate the direction of the room or a piece of art that you love and adding on to the design from here. Just keep in mind that a well-designed home is built one piece at a time layer by layer.

Proof that Arnold is lifelong learner.

WORKING WITH A PRO CAN KEEP YOU FROM GETTING HURT

Arnold did not win seven titles and create the ultimate physique on his own. He had the help of the sport’s most knowledgeable professional, Joe Weider. Having Joe on his side helped him create the perfect body and avoided him from making costly mistakes.

Just as Arnold had Joe Weider, working with a quality interior designer can also help you prevent unforeseen problems regardless of how good your taste may be. A true professional will help guide you through each step of your project making sure that you do not create costly mistakes along the way. Walking you through your detailed plan checking off each item on your list one by one until your vision becomes reality.

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WHY THE RIGHT ART IS SO IMPORTANT IN HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN

High end interior design at its best should have the appearance of being surrounded by the items and images you love. That’s why I feel it’s so important for anyone trying to make quality interior design choices to become familiar with the best art out there…so they can choose the pieces that resonate the most with them.

In today’s episode of DesignTV With Steven G., I’ll be talking about a beautiful sculpture by the surrealist artist Ernest Trova.

OUR FAVORITE HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Since our blog is called The Psychology of Design, it’s a given that we talk a lot about how quality interior design can affect your state of mind. So when we came across this great blog post about the actual interior design of therapists’ offices, we were obviously intrigued.

The result was everything we could have hoped for and more. It turns out that actual shrinks, from Freud forward, pay a whole lot of attention to how the environments make their patients feel.

No matter how you’re feeling, there are a whole lot of tips you can apply to your own interior design choice to make sure you always feel good in your home.

Check it out for yourself!

Click here to read Apartment Therapy’s post “Why Psychoanalysts Care About Interior Design>>>”

5 HIGH END INTERIOR DESIGN DEFINITIONS WITH ALEXIS AUDETTE

When we asked Beacon Hill’s Operating Vice President Alexis Audette take part in our “5 Definitions” series, we didn’t entirely expect her to put in quite as much effort as she did. But really, we shouldn’t have been surprised. The quality of their fabrics and furnishings (one of our favorites) are a product of such painstaking attention to detail that we should have know they wouldn’t submit anything but the best.

For newcomers, the “5 Design Definitions” series is where we ask people in industries connected to the high end interior design world to define a handful of concepts we feel are central to truly high quality interior design.

Alexis didn’t just define the topics we gave her, she sent images and histories to go with each one.

So without further ado, let’s hear what Alexis has to say. I think you’re really going to enjoy this (and you might even learn a thing or two)!

1. Luxury

Luxury is that which is rare, beautifully crafted and brings pleasure.
Biedermeier chairs demonstrate the clean lines of today’s contemporary furniture, and they’re as comfortable as when they were made in the nineteenth century.

2. Lifestyle

Lifestyle is how we live based on our values and choices.
Paulette Tavormina addresses beauty and ephemerality through her still life photography. Her images suggest a lifestyle wherein beauty resides in the every day and time is treated as a gift.

3. Beauty

Beauty is the Golden Ratio.
As demonstrated by Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture (the Guggenheim Museum), the right geometry can lead to divine aesthetics.

4. Taste

Taste is a discerning eye that is refined through education and exposure.
Growing up in a family of art historians, conservators and artists (the painting is by my mother) trained my eye, and helped me understand that cultivating taste is a lifelong pursuit.

5. Quality Interior Design

Quality interior design reads like a beautifully edited autobiography.
This image of Annabelle Selldorf’s New York apartment, with its historic and contemporary touches and restrained palette, is like a portrait of the architect herself.

About Beacon Hill: Beacon Hill brings exclusive, finely crafted fabrics, trim and home furnishings to the high end interior design trade. Inspired internationally and designed for luxury, the offerings are truly one-of-a-kind. Beacon Hill has a tradition of using refined materials, an opulent color palette and sophisticated construction to provide understated elegance for those seeking a gracious style of living.

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