Design Archives - Page 19 of 22 - Kelley Astore Interiors

THE DOWAGER DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE, PHOTOGRAPHED BY BRUCE WEBER AT CHATSWORTH, 1995.

Celebrating Women’s History Month: My Favorite Trailblazers

March is Women’s History Month: a time to celebrate women and challenge the barriers we still face today. According to Zippia: The Career Expert, women make up about 75% of the United States interior design industry but still tend to be paid less (female interior designers make an average of $55,179 per year compared to the $55,546 of their male counterparts). Additionally, men tend to be able to enter the industry at an age 7-8 years younger than women. And this is just for the interior design sector, the statistics are much starker for architects.

Needless to say, progress must still be made. As a female designer myself, this is something close to my heart. I have always been influenced by great women designers now and throughout history. Keep reading to learn about my favorite trailblazers: two historic women designers who inspire me every day.

Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford Cavendish: the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire

The Duchess of Devonshire is one of my favorite style setters, and where I draw a lot of my inspiration from. I’ve always admired English design, but the energy and spirit that Deborah attacked her designs with always inspire me.

Born to barons in 1920 and the youngest of six daughters, Deborah was deemed to live an extraordinary life. She married Lord Andrew Cavendish who became the 11th Duke of Devonshire upon his father’s death in 1950. Deborah quickly found herself the chatelaine of the extravagant 297 room Chatsworth house, which she had referred to as “a fabulous mess” following the two world wars. She wasted no time in bringing Chatsworth house back to life and into a major English historic site.

IMAGE FROM CHATSWORTHHOUSE.ORG

Chatsworth House is breathtaking, to say the least. It is the epitome of grand excellence, wealth, elegance, and beauty – all at the hands of the 11th Duchess of Devonshire. However, what Deborah did following her husband’s death in 2004 is where the real show is.

Deborah was instructed to move out of Chatsworth House upon her late husband’s passing, so that her son, the 12th Duke of Devonshire could take over Chatsworth House. Deborah moved into the Old Vicarage, an 8-bedroom country house less than a mile from Chatsworth. Once again, she wasted no time in using her magic to refurbish her new home and garden. Even in her 80s, she was working tirelessly to create a place to call home for the rest of her days. Seen planting rose bushes and turning each room into a unique celebration of the old and new, I consider her to be one of the original “grand millennial” style setters. She filled her home and garden with unique bespoke pieces and souvenirs, each with personal sentiment. The pictures alone speak for themselves.

Diana Vreeland: A Woman Who Refused to Apologize

Diana Vreeland is another one of my favorite women in history. Most known for her fashion authority and being the editor-in-chief for Vogue Magazine in the 60s and early 70s, she also had a passion for architecture and decorating. But perhaps the most remarkable part about her was the unapologetic passion and daring vision she brought to every project she worked on. In fact, it was this that brought her a certain amount of notoriety. It’s said that many of her employees would leave the office crying, when she wouldn’t take no for an answer and when she allowed her creativity to run with no bounds. I can’t help but wonder if she really was the “tyrant” that some tabloids enjoy making her out to be. When I look at her story, I see a woman who refused to be held by the barriers of her time, even if that meant being painted as a “monster.” She knew that she wanted to change fashion and make history, and that’s exactly what she did.

Her creativity wasn’t confined to just the magazines she worked on. Her New York Apartment is an ode to her eclectic vision and understanding of color. She once said, “I want my apartment to look like a garden: a garden in hell!” Her apartment is a wonderfully varied composition of bold colors and patterns. While most people may not describe wanting their home to bear any semblance to hell in any shape or form, it goes to show that Vreeland truly embodied the idea that her home and her art was for her and her only.

A Lesson in History

Today, women across all industries are still expected to apologize for being bold, accommodate the male ego, and follow the status quo. These two women bravely embodied their creativity to the fullest extent, despite what may have been expected of them. They were unapologetically bold in their vision, and that is the spirit that I want to carry with me throughout every project I work on.

To learn more about me and what I built with Kelley Astore Interiors, click here.

Designing Your Home Office: Window Treatments

We’re back with another installment of tips and inspiration for designing your home office! A well-designed home office is a perfect example of when functionality and aesthetics go hand in hand. As discussed in a previous article, it’s best to choose a room with a lot of windows for your home office to allow you to work in natural light. But what happens when you have an important meeting and there is a terrible glare on your computer? That’s where window treatments come into play.

If you’re unfamiliar with the ins and outs of interior design, you may be surprised to discover how many different curtains, shades, and draperies exist, and how they each have a specific function and look. You may feel overwhelmed at first, but we’re here to help. Keep reading to find out the 3 best window treatments for your home office!

Top Down Bottom Up Shades

Top Down Bottom Up Shades are perfect for any home office. As suggested in their name, they allow you to bring the top of the shades down and the bottom of the shades up, and even do both at once. This provides the most flexibility in how you position them against the light. It allows you to block out any direct sunlight that is interfering or distracting you from your work, while still letting enough natural light in. If your home office is facing the street, top-down bottom-up shades are great for giving yourself some privacy without blocking out all the light.

Roman Shades

Roman Shades have a beautiful shape that cannot be denied! They add beautiful texture and shape into a room when they are pulled up. When they are down, there are no creases and they are visibly smooth. Roman Shades are great if you have narrower windows or window panels. Having separate Roman Shades again provides you with some more flexibility. You’re able to bring some of them down and leave some of them up whether you’re seeking to block out direct sunlight or get some privacy. Unlike Top Down Bottom Up shades, it’s easy to get your Roman Shades lined with a black-out material, meaning that no light will get in when they’re pulled down. Black-out lining is typically white, which pairs well with all colors and tones.

Pairing Roman Shades with a matching valance adds additional texture to the overall design…especially when the Roman Shades are down. It prevents the windows from looking flat.

Drapery Panels

Drapery Panels are a gorgeous and luxurious choice for your home office. Floor to ceiling drapery panels makes your ceilings look higher, due to the vertical folds in the material. These work very well for larger and wider windows, especially when there isn’t a deep window sill at the bottom. For deep window sills, I would recommend Roman Shades. Drapery Panels are also easily lined with black-out material, which is perfect for keeping the sun out during all those important Zoom calls when you don’t want a glare on your computer screen. Additionally, I like to interline my drapery panels with English Bump Cloth, which insulates and keeps out the cold during the winter and the heat during summer.

Mix and Match!

Out of all the different types of window treatments, my favorite is to mix and match! Having Top Down Bottom Up shades is great for during the day. Pair them with some floor-to-ceiling drapery panels to pull closed during the evening. This is advantageous during both winter and summer, as they’ll help regulate the temperature of your home office overnight so that you’re ready to work in the morning! Layering or even using different types of window treatments on different windows in a room adds a beautiful dimension to your home office.

This room was designed to be both a living room and a home office. On the right-hand side of the room, the built-in fixture was designed with 2 desks for a home office behind the double sets of retractable doors. The desk chairs were also designed to fit behind the double doors! So the room has a double purpose, a family or hearth room with four big club chairs in front of the fireplace and a home office. We used the floor-to-ceiling drapery panels for the larger windows opposite the built-in fixture, and roman shades for the smaller windows on either side of the bespoke fireplace.

Having Trouble Choosing? We’re here to help!

Make your home office uniquely your own with custom-made draperies and shades made in our workroom. This combination of unique textiles and custom designs allows each project to have its own aesthetic, pairing form with functionality based on the room function. From measuring the windows to designing the window treatments to the installation we are truly a one-stop-shop.

Preparing for Spring: Four Ways to Brighten Your Home

Spring is just around the corner which means warmer weather, budding plants, Easter celebrations, more sunlight, and new life! This time of year is often bursting with hope and excitement for the coming summer, and there is plenty to do to prepare your home for this new season. Keep reading to find out four easy ways to prepare your home for spring.

Spring Cleaning

Perhaps the most obvious thing to do in preparation for spring is…spring cleaning! Something about the end of winter and the new year makes people want to do a deep-clean and declutter of their home. The concept of spring cleaning dates back hundreds of years and often is signified with major religious holidays such as Easter, Passover, and the Persian New Year.

Going through each room in the house and getting rid of clutter and scrubbing all the corners is the best way to feel refreshed with the weather. Spring marks a new beginning, and thoroughly cleaning your house is one of the best ways to feel that. If you can, try to spread your spring cleaning over a few days or even a couple of weeks to make sure that each corner, drawer, and closet in your house is getting the attention it needs. Get the whole family involved with different tasks for everyone. Practicing spring cleaning each year will help establish good cleaning habits with your children. Start by creating a to-do list of everything that needs to be done, split the tasks up, and plan a small reward for the family once it’s done. If done properly, spring cleaning will surely get you in the right mindset for the rest of the year.

Just add color

Color and spring go hand in hand. If you’ve opted for deeper colors and neutrals this winter, try to find a way to add nice pops of color into your home. This year, a lot of interior design trends are about bringing elements of nature into your home, as we discussed in our previous article, 5 Unmissable Paint Trends of 2021. As you walk down the street, you may be greeted with budding yellow tulips, soft pink cherry blossoms, and fresh green grass. Don’t be afraid to bring these colors into your home! An easy and cost-effective way to quickly introduce new colors into a room includes switching out throw-pillows, cushions, blankets, and bedding. Additionally, switching a lamp-shade to a brighter color, or even swapping out decor can quickly brighten up any space.

Houseplants and fresh flowers

Quite literally, spring is the time of year that new plants begin to grow. It’s the perfect time to bring some foliage inside the house as a joyful reminder of the springing new life outside. Additionally, house plants are very trendy at the moment, so will make your house look amazing! When deciding what houseplant to get, be sure to decide where in the house you’d like the plant to live. Take note of how much sunlight or indirect sunlight this area gets, and be sure to keep that in mind as you choose which plant to buy. Most garden center staff will be able to help you choose a plant that’s right for you, and advise you on how to look after it. Opting for a variety of sizes, colors, and type of plants will give your home the best look. Ask the garden center staff about materials to buy to look after your plants.

In addition to potted plants, one of the easiest ways to brighten up any space is with fresh flowers! Sticking with flowers that are in season adds the perfect pop of color. Additionally, fresh flowers can bring a beautiful smell into your home. Putting the fresh flowers in a colored vase is another easy way to add color. After purchasing a bouquet, be sure to cut the stems of the flowers at an angle and add some plant food into the water. Regularly switching this water out will ensure that your flowers stay fresh for as long as possible.

Prepare Your Garden

Your home doesn’t end with your house – it extends into your yard, and nothing is better than a beautifully landscaped garden. Gardening is an activity that the whole family can do. Whether you want to grow flowers, trees, or fruits and veggies, there is something for everyone! According to Psychology Today, “There is substantial evidence that frequent contact with natural environments [such as gardening] has beneficial effects on both physical and mental health, including reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, enhanced longevity, and for our interest, today, lessening symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety.”

Now is the perfect time to begin preparing your garden for some spring planting in a few weeks. Whether you need to create garden beds, do some gentle weed-pulling, turn your soil, or contact a landscaper, there is plenty to be done in time for this planting season! Now is also the perfect time to start planning what you want to grow, how you want your garden to look, and to do some research on how to best achieve your vision.

Need help?

Looking to do some renovation this spring? We provide a full range of renovation and design services to bring our clients’ designs to fruition. We oversee and manage the entire remodeling and decorating process. We have ongoing relationships with a range of licensed contractors and skilled craftsmen who work under our supervision on all our projects. They include cabinetmakers, tile setters, upholsterers, furniture makers, carpenters, electricians, and a drapery workroom. Visit our services page to find out more today!

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