A punch of color!

How do you add a splash of color to a room without changing the entire room?  Well in this case we did it with the draperies!  The owner of this traditional style Dining Room needed window coverings that would bring together the colors from the area rug, dining chairs seats and the wall color.  Also the drapery design needed to reflect the quality and traditional style previously established for the home. 
Before....

After...

A printed fabric with a coral color background was choosen as the body for the drapery.  The fabric has a soft green garland design accented with aviary details in gold, green and pale blue.  The draperies are further accented with a tassle fringe which helps define the edge of the panels and adds dimension to the overall design.

An evening for Jerry!

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a truly special event.  The event was designed as a fundraiser to benefit a longtime CNN professional video photojournalist and his family.  Jerry Thompson a veteran of CNN, had blazed countless trails covering many of our nations past news stories and news events.  Jerry, recently diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer, has an array of incredible friends who worked hard to make this fundraiser happen.   

Titled "Our Friend Jerry Thompson Fundraiser" was held at the way cool Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar near Chinatown in Washington DC.  Over 475 people crowded the floor including many top CNN and FOX news anchor men, women and staff.  Cuba Libre provided incredible treats and lots of Mojitos!  A live band performed throughout the evening and both a silent and live auction also helped bring in the funds!

 




Schelfe and Associates donated a block of time to the Silent Auction to be auctioned off with all the other items including several week long stays at incredible beach houses, a former STYX guitar signed by the band and many other cool items.  The evening was a huge success and as of the count this morning over $75,000 had been raised for Jerry and his family.

If you get  a chance please click on the link, there is always time to still help Jerry and his fmaily!

Tim

The Jerry Thompson Event at Cuba Libre!

OK, it did get a little crowded!

Tim yucking it up with veteran CNN anchorman Wolf Blitzer.

Tim shaking hands over a drink with anchor John King of CNN.

If you can please reach out and help support Jerry and his family during their time of need.  During this Holiday Season, don't we all have so much to be thankful for?

Our Friend Jerry Thompson Fundraiser
Jerry and his Family.

Designer Vicente Wolf

A few weeks ago I had the fortune of attending a seminar hosted by Vicente Wolf.  Vicente is one of those rare designers who throughout his career has taken his work into many facets of design.  His love for photography and his enthusiasm for travel are often visual clues to the interiors he designs.  I still remember the first time I heard him speak at a Design Conference in Washington DC over 20 years ago!

For this most recent seminar Vicente talked about his current work and some of the challenges his firm also faces in light of the recent and still recovering economy.  He was refreshingly open and honest with his comments and his dialog with the attendees.  At the end of his seminar I had a few moments of time to talk one on one with him as we discussed the future of design and what makes a "professional Interior Designer".

Vicente thank you for your views, your love of design and of course the work you shower us with!

Tim...

Tim, Vicente and Marlene at Vicente's book signing!

It is great to share in the success of others especially those who give so much of their creative talents to help shape, transform and mold the spaces in which we live and play!

Check out Vicente's newest book; Vicente Wolf "Lifting the Curtain on Design", available at:
http://www.amazon.com/Lifting-Curtain-Design-Vicente-Wolf/dp/1580932673/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289360465&sr=1-1

Why an Interior Designer????

...why not just have my friend who is “good with colors” help me or perhaps the furniture store showroom employee?

Well, why go to a Dentist, when all you need is your friend who is good at pulling out teeth OR why go to an Accountant when your Uncle is really good at math and worked for a fortune 500 Company? OK, get the message? People hire professionals when they want it done right! What could be more important than your own home when you want it done right???

Since all of our staff designers are members of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers), a requirement for working at S&A, and Tim is a Past President of the ASID Carolinas Chapter and currently sits on the National Board of Directors for ASID I thought I'd look to see what ASID had to say on the subject. While on their website at http://www.asid.org/ I came across this article (in red) that I thought was interesting!

Hiring an Interior Designer

Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling a single room, you want the finished space to be attractive, comfortable and functional. It needs to fit the way you live, as well as reflect your personal style and taste. Images of beautifully appointed and arranged rooms are usually what first come to mind when one thinks of interior design. Color, fabric, furniture, art and ornamentation are indeed important elements in the overall design. How the environments we inhabit look and feel greatly affect our mood and sense of well-being.

Interior Design also involves many practical and technical considerations that affect comfort, function and safety. Among these are lighting, acoustics, space planning, organization and storage, scale, accommodation of special needs, fire safety and compliance with local building codes. Interior projects include new construction, renovation, historic restoration and model homes. Specialty areas within the home include the kitchen, bath, home theater, home office and home health care and fitness areas.

Professional interior designers can do so much more than recommend furniture, fabrics and colors. They have a creative eye and artistic flair, but that’s only the beginning. An interior designer has aesthetic, practical and technical expertise in all the elements that make up an interior environment. He or she understands how people use and respond to these elements, not just individually but as the elements interact with one another. When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.

©2010 American Society of Interior Designers

So while “your friend” may be good with colors, our ASID designers have the education, experience and examination to have each facet of your project realized. Yes, the furniture showroom employee can sell you some fabulous furniture but does he or she really know how it will work in YOUR home with YOUR lifestyle and coordinate with the rest of YOUR home? Our designers look at the whole home regardless if you are only currently designing an entire house or only one room. At Schelfe and Associates we have the experience, talent and training to make your project great!

-Ruth Anne

Summerhouse at Everett Bay!

Schelfe and Associates is proud to showcase its latest Clubhouse project, Summerhouse at Everett Bay, located north of Wilmington, NC in Holly Ridge. This project is another incredible community developed by Waterfront Communities of Charlotte, NC. JDavis Architects of Raleigh along with Charette Architects of Charlotte design designed the Clubhouse. Schelfe and Associates provide interior design services throughout the interior. The Clubhouse is scheduled to open later this Spring. Hope to see you there!


Entry marquee


Gatehouse and Main Entry


Clubhouse (under construction)


Marlene (hard hat and all!)


Tim (checking in with the Project Manager)


Front view of the Club

Click on the link below to find out more about Summerhouse!
http://www.summerhouseoneverettbay.com/

Raleigh coming alive!!!

This New Years I stayed in Raleigh and experienced my first ever "First Night Raleigh". Yep, I headed downtown with my wife and kids and experienced bringing in the New Year, Raleigh Style!

It was a blast and I am so excited about the re-birth of this city. Raleigh has come a long way and the re-opening and re-design of Fayetteville Street City Plaza will hopefully foster even more excitement and growth. New restaurants, shops and museums now dot the downtown area. People are not only traveling downtown for fun but for living as well. The RBC tower has led a big push in the redevelopment of downtown Raleigh as a place not only to work and play but also a place to live.

If you have a chance spend a day or weeknight downtown in the new Raleigh!

Enjoy! - Tim


Fayetteville Street Fireworks


Artist Rendering of City Plaza


Artist Rendering of Fayetteville Street

Way cool Light Fixtures!

A few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas with my wife Ruth Anne, attending the annual Business of Design Conference 2009 (BOD09). Although confined to a conference room for almost two full days we did have time to tour the incredible Encore Hotel where we were staying. I have included some photos of the Encore and some way cool light fixtures from Alger International.

Enjoy - Tim


Me in the Encore Casino.


a really cool light fixture!


The Encore and Wynn hotels.

Viva Las Vegas!!!!!!!!!