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Designer Secrets & Sources: J C Woodworking and Reclaimed Relics

The J C Woodworking showroom is like an amazing candy store for architects, interior designers, and property owners. These exceptional materials and some imagination can be combined to create rustic furniture, quirky accessories or to design a truly unique space!

Reclaimed lumber in a vast array of wood species is just the beginning. Tobacco sticks are my favorite, and in a future post I will show you how I used them in a few design projects.

You can find vintage doorknobs, rusty cut nails, stained glass windows and Gothic railing salvaged from churches. Relics include a vintage GE fan and organ pipes. The showroom and out buildings house all these treasures and many more!

I first met the proprietors Jay and Ricki Chaikin when I was searching for a cabinet to use in an Art Deco – Mid Century Modern Kitchen. There were unusual specifications the piece needed to meet. By chance, the TV was left on the National Geographic Channel and a show called “oAbandned” started playing. Jay and his team visit buildings that have been abandoned for some time, looking for objects to reclaim. They were filming an episode at the Pabst Brewery in Wisconsin. They found a doctors instrument cabinet in the infirmary. I began tracking down the piece to see if it was still available. It turned out that their business; Reclaimed Relics is right here in Pennsylvania.

Jay salvaged many rare items and artifacts from all the extraordinary places included on the show, Abandoned.  He was also featured with his team on another show called Restoration Wildwhere they renovated or built spaces using reclaimed materials. Over time Reclaimed Relics and J C Woodworking has developed a reputation as the place to contact for buying and selling reclaimed materials. This results in an inventory that is always changing.

Jay is also an artist and craftsman who will repurpose salvaged items to create furnishings and art installations. My favorite is his wall display depicting a fish and tackle forged from peculiar components.

Poised to Revisit the Victorian Era

Interior Design and Fashion Design often take cues from history.  Interior Design and Decoration have been quickly cycling through the design periods of the 20th Century. We’ve celebrated Art & Crafts, Art Nouveau, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Mid Century Modern.  Currently, with the popularity of Bohemian Chic we are embracing the Hippie era.  You can even buy Macrame wall art on Etsy!

In the 1980’s Traditional styles were revived.  It was a mix of Queen Anne, Chippendale, Victorian and French styles.  The dark colors from the Victorian era were reinterpreted as jewel tones.  Window treatments and upholstery featured swags, jabots, fringes, and trims. Fabric houses were again weaving tapestries, velvets, and damasks.

It used to take decades for fashion and style trends to spread across the globe.  Instagram, Pinterest, online magazines, and blogs allow new ideas to spread around the world in minutes. Home furnishings, haute couture, and ready to wear have cycled through a Century of styles in less than two decades.

Rooney Mara graces the cover of Vogue magazine October 2017 issue.  The Valentino dress she is wearing is the essence of Victorian fashion.

A recent analysis of style trends by state found that Victorian was most popular in many states, including Pennsylvania.  This finding has piqued the interest of influencers in the design and real estate industries.  Many articles have been written on the study including this one from Domino.

The newly released film Victoria and Abdul is also of the era.

The 2017 Bucks County Designer House and Gardens, Hill Crest Manor is a classic Victorian home.

Color Theory for Interior Design: Munsell’s Color Notation – What are Hue, Value, and Chroma?

Albert H. Munsell (1858–1918) was an artist and a professor who recognized the need for a clear consistent method of communicating color.  A group of people look at the same shade of blue, one might call it sapphire, another deep blue, the third person might say navy, etc.  Instead of names for color Munsell developed his Color Notation system in 1905. The Atlas of the Munsell Color Order System was published in 1915 and is still used today.

There are three parts to each color, the Hue or color name, the value, and the chroma or intensity.  There are 5 hues red, yellow, green, blue, and purple.  The colors in between are red–yellow, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.

Hue families are given a letter and a numerical notation 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10.  A pure Red hue would be 5R, if the red has some yellow in it 7.5R, or if it is slightly red-purple 2.5R. A pure yellow is 5Y and pure blue is 5B.

Value is the lightness or darkness of the hue. Munsell’s model has a central column with white at the top designated as 10, black is 0 and at the base of the column, lightest gray is 9, and darkest gray is 1.  Contrasts in value accentuate differences, putting a middle gray (5) on white (10) or black (0) makes the gray appear darker. Similar values blend, putting a middle gray (5) on a gray (4) or a gray (6) will make it appear lighter. The value chosen can also enhance sustainability because the value affects the light reflectance of the color.  White will reflect the most light, but as the value deepens the reflectance decreases until you get to black, at the opposite end of the value scale, which absorbs all the light.  The higher reflectance values require less artificial lighting and can help to reduce your energy bills.  In a commercial building that is working toward a LEED rating the reflectance value will affect the score.

Chroma is also referred to as Intensity or Saturation.  The chroma is neutralized or dulled closest to the gray in the center at a value of 1.  To dull a color you continue to add its complementary color until it turns neutral. To brighten or intensify the color you use less of the complementary color so it becomes purer or clearer, the brightest level is 16.

There are more lighter yellows because yellow is naturally light, and more darker purples because purple is dark.  The Munsell notation for a clear yellow would be 5Y 8/12 a clear red 5R 4/14.  Yellow is clear at a lighter value of 8, and red is clear at a darker value of 4.

View our previous posts on color temperature and the color wheel.

The Color Wheel: Important Tool for Interior Design

In 1660, Sir Isaac Newtown directed a beam of light through a prism which created a rainbow effect – the light was split into a spectrum of colors which was linear with red tones at one end and violets at the other. By joining the two ends of the spectrum Newton formed the idea of the color wheel.

M. E. Chevreul (1786-1889) was a French chemist and head of dyestuffs at the Gobelin Tapestry Works.  In 1825 he published The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colors, which expanded on the color wheel theory.

In 1876, Louis Prang (1824 -1909) advanced color wheel theory and developed a color wheel which is commonly known as the Artist’s or Prang color wheel.  This may have been the color wheel that you were introduced to in elementary school.  According to Wikipedia, Prang was a printer and developed a four-color printing process known as chromolithography.  Prang’s system was the first workable system to reproduce color in print.   He is sometimes referred to as the father of the American Christmas Card.

The color wheel consists of three primary colors: red, yellow and blue, between the primary colors there are three secondary colors: orange, purple and green. These secondary colors are created by mixing the two neighboring primary colors.

Tertiary or intermediate colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color.  The tertiary colors are yellow-orange, yellow–green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, and red- violet.

Working with the color wheel as a guide there are several types of color harmonies or schemes that can be created:

Monochromatic color schemes use only one color from the wheel.  Interest is generated by using different values of the color ranging from light to dark.

Analogous schemes are also referred to as Harmonious schemes; the colors used are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.  Three to six colors are used with one predominating.  Success with this type of scheme relies upon using a variety of values and intensities and varying proportions of each color.

Complimentary schemes use colors that are opposite on the color wheel, opposites intensify each other.  There are several variations of complimentary schemes:

Direct compliment –uses pairs exactly opposite such as red and green.

Split compliment – the base hue and the two colors on each side of the compliment such as green, red-orange and red-violet.

Triadic compliment – uses three colors equidistant on the wheel such as green, orange and violet.

Double compliments – would be two pairs exactly opposite such as red and green with blue and orange.

Chevreul believed that complimentary schemes more beautiful than analogous schemes.  All schemes are more aesthetically pleasing when used in unequal proportions with one color dominating.  View our previous post on color temperature here. Look for our next post on Munsell’s color theory.

Kathy Appel, ASID presented with Design Award

Kathy Appel, ASID was presented with a 2018 IDA (Interior Design Award).  The IDA’s are a biennial interior design competition open to all commercial and residential interior designers and architects in the greater Philadelphia region. The design industry sometimes focuses on New York or Los Angeles.  There is world class interior design talent in the Philadelphia region and the IDA’s were created to recognize that talent in our own community.

The 2018 awards were presented on Friday evening April 20th at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia.  The Guest of Honor was Mark Strauss President/Publisher Interior Design Magazine and Media 1994-2016.  Mark entered retirement briefly but interest in the WELLbuilding standard lured him back into the industry. Award recipients were announced by Master of Ceremonies, Mark Clement, the co-host of “My Fixit Up Life”.

Projects are entered according to project category.  Designers must convey the details of the project with a limited number of words and photographs. Documents are uploaded electronically and must be free of identifying materials.  The blind competition ensures that the projects are judged solely on the merits of the project design.  Judges are selected from across the country and include prominent architects, interior designers, and university professors.  Two judges are known for the professional quality of their blogs PLiNTH & CHiNTZ and Architect Design blog.  Erika Heet, the Editor in Chief of interiors magazine and Kadie Yale, the Editor in Chief of interiors + sources rounded out the judging panel.  The judges are not announced until after the competition, another strategy to keep the focus on the merits of the project design. There are ten judging criteria for which points are awarded.  The judges' scores are averaged together and the highest scoring projects are awarded.

Understanding Color Temperature for Interior Design

Color is the keystone to successful interior design.  A quality space is attractive, functional and comforting. Color has emotional and physiological effects which play a part in how productive and comfortable we are within our interior environments.

You may have had an experience where you selected a particular color and once you placed it in the room it was not at all what you expected.  Understanding color theory can help you make sound choices when designing your rooms.

The colors we see are the visible colors in the light spectrum.  Red is at the one end of the spectrum ranging through yellows, then greens, then blues to blue-violets at the opposite end of the spectrum.  Infrared at the one end and Ultraviolet at the other end are invisible to the naked eye.  Yellows and reds are perceived as warm colors and can make us feel physically warmer.  Blues and greens appear as cooler colors and can make us feel like reaching for a sweater. This physiological effect may come from the fact that we see the sun and fire in tones of red and yellow and associate warmth, while the blue of the ocean and the sky seem cool to our senses.

Now here is where it gets confusing, the actual temperature of light, which is measured in degrees Kelvin, is the opposite.  When looking at a flame you will notice it is blue in the center where the flame is hottest, yellow in the middle and red at the outer edge of the flame where the temperature is coolest.  A red match flame is approximately 1700 K, an incandescent light bulb about 3200 K, and daylight measures around 5500 K.  So a fluorescent bulb with a temperature of 5000 K or higher will have a blue tint and will make the room feel colder than a yellow incandescent bulb at 3200 K.

We continue to refer to color temperature as we perceive it, not as it is measured.  Reds, yellows and oranges as warm colors and blues, greens, and violets as cool.  When working with the perceived warmth of color keep this in mind: warm colors advance and appear to be nearer to us while cool colors recede or appear to be farther away.  This is something to consider when painting an accent wall.  If you have a long narrow room, paint the back wall a warm tone to visually shorten the room.  If the room is shallow consider a dark color so the walls recede.

The next article will discuss the color wheel and color harmonies.

Designer Secrets & Sources: Artist David Stier

A well-designed home interior should provide physical comfort and nurture our spirit.  A secret to achieving that is creating relationships between the elements in the space.  Fine art is an integral part of an interior environment because it can engage us on many levels.  One of my favorite sources for fine art is David Stier.

I first viewed David’s work at the Silverman Gallery in Buckingham.  I’m drawn to his paintings.  It is the warmth of the earthy color palette he uses. I also see his compositions as uncluttered with simple lines, and yet not one single detail is missing.  We each have our own reaction to different pieces of art.  At a glance, we may decide that we like a creation, or do not. The works that we choose to surround ourselves with usually evoke a deeper response.  The appeal may be emotional, intellectual, spiritual, or a combination of triggers.

We know that art and design impact the human condition.  Understanding how and why can be elusive.  Following are some thoughts on why David’s art is so compelling.

He has done studies of the Moravian Tile Works, that subject matter connects on several touch points.  Whenever I walk the grounds of Fonthill and the Tile Works I am in awe of Henry Mercer’s abundant accomplishments.  Mercer constructed those buildings when he was fifty plus years of age.  That thought energizes me and reminds me that there is still time to reach my goals in the latter years of life.  The Tile Works is also a beloved historical, architectural icon of the Bucks County community.  David’s paintings mentally transport me to that place inducing an emotional sense of connection to my community and sparking the same spiritual reaction felt when physically present at that property.  Are you a Bucks County native? Have you visited the Tile Works?  Does that place hold a special meaning for you?

In David’s piece Still Life with Magnolias, a beam of sunlight comes through the window and plays across the surface of the dresser.  Immediately the scene brings to mind the joy of a warm, sunny spring day.  Is your mood elevated at the sight of a sunbeam on a beautiful day?

That illustrates a few ways that art can provoke our psyche.  How does our overall living and working space affect us?

Depending on the time of day and current activity our living/working spaces need to offer us stimulation, rouse our minds, or provide solace and sanctuary.  Let’s focus on sanctuary and save the stimulating spaces for another discussion. Family rooms, bedrooms, and spaces for entertaining should offer rest and relaxation.  The art selected for those rooms should bring joy, offer comfort through a sense of connection, and bring to mind pleasant thoughts.

l’ osteria e’ salone (The Bar and Lounge) was the space Hearth & Hedgerow created for the 2015 Bucks County Designer House & Gardens.  Our goal was to create an inviting room for family and friends to gather and celebrate life.  Thousands of visitors toured the home and were amazed at the transformation.  Our space was designed to mentally transport them to an Old World tavern somewhere in France, Italy, or Spain.  We succeeded, tour guests commented that they were reminded of their European vacation, or they wanted to open a bottle of wine and stay awhile.

The various elements used in the space; David’s paintings, embossed leather chairs, distressed wood, and wrought iron all relate to each other.  Earthy textures, mossy colors and natural materials form a harmonious arrangement. Even the subject matter of David Stier’s Tile Works studies relates to the room and the home.  When Mercer built the Tile Works he was inspired by the Spanish Colonial architecture seen while traveling throughout South America.  Of course, that style has Mediterranean roots.  The existing bar and the home of Villa Di Braccia, were also built in a Mediterranean style.

This does not imply that art should match the furniture! In fact, the opposite is true, art is not supposed to be identical.  Creating relationships is not the same as matching.  One quirky item creates interest.  Too many disparate items can be discomforting.  Fine art and design are not all about the eye candy, it is about affecting the human experience on an emotional, spiritual, or intellectual plane.  A composed room or painting is successful when the relationship between the parts invokes a cohesive human response.  Striking the right balance is a skill that develops with education and experimentation.

Fonthill Castle Project Featured in The Intelligencer

This photo and caption were published in The Intelligencer, Community News section on April 27, 2015.  It features a window treatment that was recently reproduced by Hearth & Hedgerow Ltd. for Fonthill Castle.  Fonthill is Henry Mercer’s unique home which was constructed between 1908 and 1912 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.  Funds to complete the reproduction were raised by the Pennsylvania State Questers and the Fonthill Questers Chapter.

The original window treatments were removed during the 1970’s – 1980’s.  This photo of the original was taken after removal. As you can see decades of sunlight faded the Verdure Tapestry and Brown Corduroy Trim that Mercer had used to fabricate the original design.

Kathy Appel of Hearth & Hedgerow Ltd. worked with Ed Reidell, Cory Amsler and Sara Good from the Bucks County Historical Society to source materials. A new tapestry featuring the same design motifs as the original Verdure and a matching brown corduroy were specified. Kathy then created a work order that the fabricator could follow to be sure the new piece was the same size as the original.