G-d is in the DETAILS!

As Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said, "G-d is in the details". This happens to be one of my favorite architect’s quotes. Thank you UC DAAP for my very formal History of Architecture courses where I learned all kinds of fun facts. Here, at Susan Fredman Design Group, Chicago's leading interior design firm, details are what we specialize in. If you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen, go no further! Check out Barb Ince and Sarah Davis' latest kitchen project....here are a few details that reinforce the good ole concept, "Form follows function". -Frank Lloyd Wright. I guess I'm in a “quotey” kind of mood today.

Beautiful Bedrooms

The bedroom is my favorite room of the house. Perhaps it’s because my clothes live there. Or maybe it’s because that is where I keep my shoes. Besides the beautiful city views that I enjoy from my bed I think it’s just a great place to be. Your bedroom is the last room you visit before you go to bed and the first room you see when you wake up...so really, shouldn't your bedroom be FABULOUS? Here are a few beautiful bedrooms for a little inspiration plus a few of my favorites from our team of Chicago Interior Designers! Let me know what you think!

La Jolla bedroom designed by Susan Fredman and Barbara Ince

Relax...this is a before photo of the bedroom below!

Even the Chicago Tribune and Henriertta at Home thought this was such a great room. Designed by Aimee Nemeckay and Sarah Davis.

This bedroom is eco-friendly! If you want an eco-friendly home, contact us. We have a staff LEED designer, Jase Frederick who designed the bedroom pictured above along with Susan Fredman, Aimee Nemeckay and Jamie Myers.

Feeling a SHIFT

Shift Art Gallery, a brand new venture launched by longtime art guru Jeanne Landolt Masel, is not your typical retail gallery. This on-line gallery roams Chicago, setting up exhibitions at special events all over the city. This year they will be roaming over to Susan Fredman! Masel's gallery, Shift Art will help sponsor our event ‘The Art of Design’, a celebration of visual arts and the one year anniversary of our home store At Home in the City.

The Gallery presents rising and newly established artists who work in a variety of different disciplines. We are lucky to have one such artist, Tracy Silva Barbosa, show off her work at our upcoming event! Reflected by her concern with traditional landscape issues in our modern environment, Barbosa’s contemporary work is far from ordinary. She addresses these issues through her use of birds, nature, and number patterns, while adding various touches of gold, silver, and copper leaf to make her work truly unique. Check out some of our favorites by Barbosa below, but don’t forget to see her work in person at our ‘The Art of Design’ event on October 29th! Please email jmaremont@susanfredman.com if you would like to receive an invitation to our exclusive event.

For more information on Shift Art Gallery, visit: http://www.shiftartgallery.com/index.php

Go Bright, Go Bold, Go Bizarre

Goodbye standard, white, and ceramic! Hello rare, colorful, and hand-made! With an extensive palette of colors and limitless tile types and finishes to chose from, there is no excuse not to liven up your kitchens and bathrooms with unique floors and walls! Take a look at these exceptional tiles featured in Luxe Magazine, ranging from one-of-a-kind hand-cut murals to millions years old semiprecious stones, you are sure to find pieces that make your room truly special.

See how our designers have created exceptional spaces incorporating unique tile designs into interiors rooms.

This colorful array of glass tiles serves as a frame to this back lit bathroom mirror. Protruding off the tiled backdrop, this mirror creates the perfect centerpiece for the bathroom vanity posing as a piece of furniture. Design by Karen Straub

Used in another bathroom, only this time in the shower, we see concrete tiles grouted with pebbles. See this project in July's Shore Magazine! Design by Susan Fredman

In this dining room, a blend of Italian glass tiles by Bisazza make up this unique fireplace. Glistening from the reflection of the overhead light sculpture, this tiled fireplace defines elegance. Bisazza just opened a fabulous showroom in Chicago!

http://www.bisazza.com/usa/

Lean, Mean and Green by Jase Frederick, LEED AP

(Photo from a green project, Cooking Light Magazine's showhouse in Lincoln Park where Jase was part of the design team along with Aimee Nemeckay, Jamie Myers and Susan Fredman)

Guest blogger Jase Frederick, ASID and LEED AP of SFDG, lectured on how being green can save you money at our 3rd annual Revive your green Retreat last month. Jase now shares this valuable information for our readers who missed out on the event! Just wanted to give a little shout out to Jase for passing two sections of the NCIDQ exam! Great job Jase! She'll be taking the other half of the exam in the fall.

Enter Jase Frederick, stage left.

Quick, visualize Green home. Some remote hut with no light or heat or style – right? Wrong! A green home can have all the necessities and amenities of a conventional home, and it can be beautiful. Not only that, but it can save you money, improve your health, and help preserve and protect your piece of the planet.

Greening your existing or soon-to-be-built home is easier – and often less expensive – than ever. If you’re ready to jump into the deep end, check out alternative energy options such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Geothermal systems use the constant temperature of the earth to heat and cool your house. They can be retrofitted to your existing home and long-term energy and emissions savings can be substantial. Solar and wind energy are becoming more feasible and more efficient for your home than ever. Depending on your property, small-scale wind turbines and photovoltaic films are great ways to get off the grid. Many states and funding organizations offer rebates, incentives and tax credits for installing alternative energy sources.

White and Green roofs are a great alternative if you’re looking for something with a bit smaller price tag. A white roof reflects the sun’s heat back into the atmosphere, cutting your energy use by up to 20%. And a thousand-square-foot roof can equal 10 metric tons of CO2 reduction per year! Reflective roofing materials, as well as membranes and coatings applied to your existing roof, are all available. A green roof, in addition to being beautiful, acts as insulation against the sun, and plants create oxygen and absorb CO2, cooling and cleaning the air.

If you’re lucky, your home gets lots of sunlight. But sunlight has its drawbacks such as unwanted heat, UV fading, and glare. Managing daylight with awnings and window treatments is the best way to get all the benefits while minimizing the negatives. Daylighting can help reduce the use and expense of electric lighting, elevate your mood, and contribute to your overall sense of wellbeing. Awnings can reduce heat by up to 65% and 77% on south- and west-facing windows respectively. Blinds are great for adjusting light volume and direction and can reduce heat gain by around 45%. Finally, adding functional draperies can reduce heat loss or gain from 10% to 33%.

Now let’s talk about windows. Energy efficient windows are great and will help you manage the heating and cooling that come with the sun -- or the lack thereof. If your windows are older, but could be made more efficient by weatherizing, consider that step before replacing them and adding your old windows to the landfill. You’ll save the expense and the planet will thank you.

Want to save still more money? Your appliances, light bulbs and plumbing fixtures are all potential sources of money and energy savings. In 2008 Energy Star products in the U.S. helped consumers save $19 billion on utility bills and reduced CO2 emissions equivalent to the emissions of 29 million cars. Energy Star kitchen and laundry appliances, room and central air conditioners, water heaters and small electronics are all widely available.

So if there’s a lightbulb switching on above your head for a great idea you just had to green your home, make sure it’s an LED or CFL. Both are more energy efficient and longer-lasting than traditional incandescent bulbs, and all are available to fit existing lamps and fixtures. LED (light emitting diode) bulbs are initially more expensive, but last up to 50,000 hours – that’s almost six years! CLFs (compact fluorescent lights) last up to 10,000 hours but contain murcury, so handle and recycle carefully. Color rendering is still a work in progress with CFLs, and the more you spend for an LED bulb, the better color you’ll get.

Showering with a friend is one way to save water, but there are lots of stylish, functional and well-priced water-saver faucets, showerheads, and toilets out there.Outdoors, capture rainwater for you lawn and garden, sweep instead of hosing your walk or driveway, and avoid watering on hot or windy days.

Of course you’re interested in saving money, but don’t overlook the priceless health and environmental benefits of greening your home. That new paint and carpet smell are actually bad for your health. Easier breathing alternatives, such as Colori paint, and carpets with environmentally friendly adhesives, are readily available. And there are plenty of eco-gentle cleaning products to keep your newly greened house clean. Products vary in green-ness and effectiveness, so read labels carefully. You may need to do some trial and error to find the ones that are right for you.

Finally, Re-use, Recycle and Renew. Be thoughtful about the quantity and quality of the products you bring into your home and eliminate waste where you can. Ask yourself, “do I love it?” and “do I need it?” If the answer is no, hold out for what you do truly love and need. When the things you put into your home fit your budget and newly green lifestyle, you will keep and enjoy them longer – and that’s the greatest money-saving value of all.

Crazy about Cabinetry

Guest blogger Karla Krengel from Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry, shares with us the latest trends in cabinetry and kitchen design. Sneak a peak at what we are seeing in this year's kitchens, and take a cue from these fabulous designs for your own home!

When it comes to trends in cabinetry and kitchen design, we’re seeing a lot of transitional looks – plucked directly from the Traditional aspect of design. Many details from historical elements (which are not new in kitchen design), are now being used with a Contemporary feel – which is new. For example, instead of a very detailed piece of moulding at the top of a run of cabinetry, the moulding would still be used, but, with fewer and cleaner lines.

Also in the Traditional and transitional styling we’re seeing brown undertones (versus that of red, for example). In Contemporary cabinetry design, the clean lines are favoring undertones which are black. And not just black, but a “black-black,” as seen in Wood-Mode’s photo of this penthouse kitchen.

Photo Title: A “black-black” undertone is prevalent in this Contemporarily designed kitchen. The exotic bamboo veneer, with the dramatic high contrast of the dark Cherry on the island, offers a Contemporary option for fans of “Black & White” kitchens.

In the Chicagoland area, more so than in other areas in the U.S., the Arts & Crafts Movement is still making an impact on our kitchen designs and cabinetry choices. While it’s been around for a while, this design genre is working through variations. The movement favored light finishes for many years. In our area, it now favors darker finishes.

Photo Title: At every turn the eye finds delight in fine detailing, beginning with inlaid parquetry panels in the mantle hood and the breakfront. The cabinetry features inset styling and full over-lay styling on the doors, both with a Burnished finish on Oak. Style, with straightforward, unadorned lines. Inlaid, iridescent mosaic tiles add visual interest to the center serving area, the cook center, and the tall storage/refrigeration center. Plain and mullion glass doors, as well as decorative hardware with a hammered finish, complete the detailing.

One of the reasons dark finishes are popular for cabinetry is today’s open floor plans in our homes. They translate to the eye moving from the living room to the dining room to the kitchen - all while you stand in one spot. Finishes being used on pieces such as dining room chairs and living room side tables are darker today. In light of the open floor plans, we’re opting for the warm to dark finishes in our kitchens, because the color will carry in a continuous flow from the other rooms.

Photo Title: Wood-Mode Fine Custom Cabinetry’s Connoisseur Design Theme features Cherry Vanguard perimeter cabinetry in a stain finish and an exotic Macassar Ebony Island.

Speaking of color, the economy is definitely making a statement when it comes to design. Pops of color are being spotted more often than ever. Yellow has found favor because it is bright, optimistic and cheery. Green is popular because of green design; it ties together nature and our move to recycle and to be kinder to Mother Nature. Sage green, a favored neutral in homes, will be around for another 10 years. The key to using color is to use it sparingly and elegantly. One color to avoid in the kitchen is blue. Unless it is Mediterranean blue, food does not reflect food well and we associate it with mold…something unhealthy.

Photo Title: Whether a summer home on Lake Michigan or a year-round dwelling, the soft earth-tones, open floor plan, and simple accessories of a Cape Cod theme create a space that is warm, welcoming, and unpretentious. Wood-Mode’s Cape Cod kitchen features the Lewisburg Raised door style in two finishes: Opaque White on the perimeter, and a stain finish on the island cabinetry.

Photo Title: This kitchen features Wood-Mode’s Regency door style in a Vintage finish. The Classic Arch drawerhead and arched hood, as well as the apothecary drawers, various turned posts, and French Quarter doors - all enhance the English Country styling.

For more information on Wood-Mode visit:

http://www.wood-mode.com/MAIN_SECTIONS_about_wood-mode/main_introduction.asp

Moody Hues

Colori color therapist, Michelle Quaranta, shared her knowledge of 2009’s color trends at our 3rd annual Revive your Green Retreat on May 3oth. Take her fun color quiz and find the perfect colors for your home! The answers are listed below- no cheating! Drop me a line and let me know how you did!

Color Psychology Quiz

Question #1- What Color is the most attention getting?

Black

Yellow

Red

Question #2- Villains usually wear what powerful color?

Black

Red

Blue

Question #3- What is the color of royalty?

White

Purple

Green

Question #4- People lose their tempers most often in rooms of what color?

Black

Yellow

Pink

Question #5- Hospital rooms are often painted in what relaxing color?

Pink

White

Green

Question #6- In Ancient Rome, public servants wore clothes of what color?

Blue

Brown

Red

Question #7- What solid, reliable color implies genuineness?

Green

Brown

Black

Question #8- What color can cause people to lose energy?

Green

Blue

Pink

Question #9- While brides in the West wear white, traditional Chinese brides usually wear what color?

Red

Beige

Green

Question #10- What is the least appetizing color?

Black

Yellow

Blue

Answers

#1- Red. Red is the most emotionally intense color. Red stimulates your appetite and increases your heart rate.

#2- Black. Black symbolizes authority and power and can be overpowering which is a perfect fit for villains.

#3- Purple. Cleopatra loved purple; it designates luxury, wealth & sophistication.

#4- Yellow. Yellow is the most difficult color for the eye to take in.

#5- Green. Green is the easiest color on the eye. It causes people to relax. The “green room” is a waiting room used to calm guests before a TV appearance.

#6- Blue. Blue symbolizes loyalty and is still used today and worn by police officers.

#7- Brown. Brown is the color of the earth, a color of reality.

#8- Pink. Studies have shown that bright pink can make you feel tired.

#9- Red. Red is good luck in China.

#10- Blue. Blue is the least appetizing color because it is rare in nature, spoiled food often turns blue – color of mold. Do not paint a dining room blue.

2009 Color Trends

2009 color trends were mostly driven by the current economy and the hopefulness for the future.

Purple isn’t going anywhere; it was heavily influenced by the election and fashion trends of 2008. When choosing purples use the following:

1-Choose complex purples such as C2 Bohemian

2-Choose a grayed out violet that works as a neutral as well as an accent such as C2 Pale Granite

3-Choose a red plumier purple such as C2 Curtain call

4-Choose a bluer influenced fuchsia such as C2 Bombay

Blue is the new green. The demand for a greener world is now a given but consumers are looking to bluer greens in 2009:

1-Choose watery blues such as C2 Mikonos or C2 Raindrop

2-Choose a color like C2 Churchill, which is more reminiscent of a sea teal

Complex neutrals are here to stay. Consumers are still very attracted to neutrals but look to complex neutrals to bridge the gap between black and brown, try:

C2 Saddle, Woodpecker, Barnacle, WoodAsh, Quahog, Bramble and Burlap

Yellow= Energy. Consumers need energy as we rebuild the economy so yellow is the color of 2009. Use bright, vibrant yellows such as:

C2 Daffodil or Torch

Source: Colori Chicago, http://www.colorichicago.com