ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996 TAG: 9612030123
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLYNE VARKONYI FORT LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL|
The long, white limo pulled up in front of the Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. to pick up our motley crew of five students wearing rubber-soled shoes and casual clothing that would allow us to stretch, bend and haul furniture. Over our shoulders, we carried our survival kits - beige tote bags containing our notes from the Visual Coordination workshop.
For two days, we watched Carole Talbott and her assistant, Linda Schilling, coordinate a home and preach their design gospel. Now, it was time to prove ourselves in our first project.
Talbott prefers that clients leave and call in for updates, but only the woman of the house left. Her husband preferred to stay home to work.
``You can't force people out of their homes,'' Talbott said. ``We try to convince them the best way to do this is to leave and come back so they can have the element of surprise.''
Our challenge was a one-story house on the north end of Palm Beach near the former Kennedy estate. The furnishings were an eclectic mix of antiques, modern pieces and varying styles of art and accessories. (The owners asked that their names not be used for security reasons.) Evaluation
The main design problem was a Steinway that once belonged to the husband's mother. The large open top of the black grand piano jutted out into the long, rectangular living room, making everything else look dwarfed. Two white love seats, placed across from each other with a coffee table in between looked disconnected. Overall, the furniture appeared scattered. And the largest pieces - the piano and a tall chest - were at the far end of the room, making the room appear off balance.
``We will work these pieces one at a time,'' Talbott told us. ``Stay quiet. Stay focused. Take your time.''
Before anything was moved, we were instructed to take ``before'' photographs from each corner. The first student stuck a red dot on the floor under her right foot and a green dot under her left foot so we could use the same angle in the ``after'' shots.
Breaking down is vital because it allows the room to be coordinated in a day or less, Talbott said. We moved everything into the dining room, starting with accessories. To save time, every item was grouped together by color or theme. Next we removed the wall art and lined it up in a nearby hallway, keeping pairs or collections of art together. The furniture was the last to go.
``All artists start with a clean canvas,'' Talbott said. ``We start with a clean room.''
Now that the room was bare, we were asked to read the room shape (rectangle). And find the architectural focal point (the windows).
``Do NOT think ahead,'' Talbott warned us. ``When you are placing furniture, do not think about where the art will go. Do not think of accessories when you are hanging art.''
Typically, Talbott's first move is to put the largest piece of seating furniture facing the architectural focal point. But this time, the piano was the prime problem. Once the room was bare, the piano placement was obvious to most of us. It was already in the only place where it would fit without obstructing doorways - a corner at the end of the room. But, to minimize its bulk, we turned the piano around so its back nestled in the corner.
Another problem was the tall chest that was originally across from the bulky piano, making one side of the room appear too heavy. Talbott's ``tacking'' rule applied here. A bulky or heavy item needs to be ``tacked'' or counterbalanced with something of similar weight or height in the opposite corner. Simple enough. But we faced two obstacles. The tall chest would have to be placed in front of a heating vent and too close to a closet door.
Luckily, after we talked to the husband, we realized the vent was no longer used. When we opened the closet, we discovered it contained holiday decorations and the door could be opened enough to get them out.
Next came the architectural focal point - the front windows. Since the love seats were equal in size, we placed one facing the window and lined up the other adjacent to it. Where they formed a right angle, we placed an Indian wooden table we found in the den. This grouping allowed the three pieces of furniture to appear connected. Then we put the coffee table in front of the love seats.
Using Talbott's ``put like with like'' rule, we placed two white Oriental chests with brass accents together. Then two matching chairs were paired with a pink-and-white painted table between them.
Smaller chairs and a bombe chest naturally fit into the other open spaces. A carved wooden table stayed put; it was the only piece that would allow the air conditioning to vent properly.
``The furniture is now clustered,'' Talbott said. ``Like is put with like and it allows you to weave around.'' Lighting
Lamps should be placed on the diagonal or in a triangle. We formed a triangle with two matching table lamps on the Oriental chests, a lamp on the table between the love seats and a light on the small table between the matching upholstered chairs.
Next came the rest of the layering - art and accessories. Here are some of Talbott's art tips:
nShape of the furniture and art should be the same. Don't hang a single tall vertical piece of art over a sofa or love seat. Don't mix vertical with horizontal shapes unless you use a pair or set of art.
n``Ever look at art and furniture and feel something isn't quite right?'' Talbott asked. If art is hung too far from the furniture, it will appear to be disconnected or floating.
nAlways hang mirrors across from a window to reflect the light and create a feeling of openness. When mirrors face the room, they create confusion. Or for function, put them in a foyer or above a dresser.
nKeep ``like with like.'' Pairs and sets should be together, and so should colors, finishes and themes. We put the mandolin wall sculpture with pink ribbons near the piano and over a chair upholstered in white with pink ribbons.
Accessories are the icing that makes the room look finished. The most common mistake people make, Talbott said, is to scatter them. Group like things - candlesticks, crystal, mugs. Here are more of Talbott's suggestions:
nArrange them so they make peaks and valleys on shelves, mantels and tables.
nNotice the size and shape of the furniture. Put a tall accessory on a tall base to make tall look taller and vice versa.
nPlace at least one tall or vertical piece on your coffee table so it can reach up to the large open space above.
CHECKPOINTS
Did we create peaks and valleys with furniture and art? Yes. Did we create weaving traffic patterns by placing the furniture away from the wall? We sure did. And was our lighting placed in diagonal or triangular pattern? Affirmative.
We passed. And it was easy.
Talbott warned, however, that too much confidence is the enemy of a Visual Coordinator.
``Every job you go into is like the first one you ever did,'' Talbott said. ``The minute you say it's going to be a piece of cake, it's the job from hell. It's humbling work, but it's also rewarding work.''
X X X
(c) 1996, Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services. |By CHARLYNE VARKONYI| |FORT LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL|
The long, white limo pulled up in front of the Chesterfield Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla. to pick up our motley crew of five students wearing rubber-soled shoes and casual clothing that would allow us to stretch, bend and haul furniture. Over our shoulders, we carried our survival kits - beige tote bags containing our notes from the Visual Coordination workshop.
For two days, we watched Carole Talbott and her assistant, Linda Schilling, coordinate a home and preach their design gospel. Now, it was time to prove ourselves in our first project.
Talbott prefers that clients leave and call in for updates, but only the woman of the house left. Her husband preferred to stay home to work.
``You can't force people out of their homes,'' Talbott said. ``We try to convince them the best way to do this is to leave and come back so they can have the element of surprise.''
Our challenge was a one-story house on the north end of Palm Beach near the former Kennedy estate. The furnishings were an eclectic mix of antiques, modern pieces and varying styles of art and accessories. (The owners asked that their names not be used for security reasons.) Evaluation
The main design problem was a Steinway that once belonged to the husband's mother. The large open top of the black grand piano jutted out into the long, rectangular living room, making everything else look dwarfed. Two white love seats, placed across from each other with a coffee table in between looked disconnected. Overall, the furniture appeared scattered. And the largest pieces - the piano and a tall chest - were at the far end of the room, making the room appear off balance.
``We will work these pieces one at a time,'' Talbott told us. ``Stay quiet. Stay focused. Take your time.''
Before anything was moved, we were instructed to take ``before'' photographs from each corner. The first student stuck a red dot on the floor under her right foot and a green dot under her left foot so we could use the same angle in the ``after'' shots.
Breaking down is vital because it allows the room to be coordinated in a day or less, Talbott said. We moved everything into the dining room, starting with accessories. To save time, every item was grouped together by color or theme. Next we removed the wall art and lined it up in a nearby hallway, keeping pairs or collections of art together. The furniture was the last to go.
``All artists start with a clean canvas,'' Talbott said. ``We start with a clean room.''
Now that the room was bare, we were asked to read the room shape (rectangle). And find the architectural focal point (the windows).
``Do NOT think ahead,'' Talbott warned us. ``When you are placing furniture, do not think about where the art will go. Do not think of accessories when you are hanging art.''
Typically, Talbott's first move is to put the largest piece of seating furniture facing the architectural focal point. But this time, the piano was the prime problem. Once the room was bare, the piano placement was obvious to most of us. It was already in the only place where it would fit without obstructing doorways - a corner at the end of the room. But, to minimize its bulk, we turned the piano around so its back nestled in the corner.
Another problem was the tall chest that was originally across from the bulky piano, making one side of the room appear too heavy. Talbott's ``tacking'' rule applied here. A bulky or heavy item needs to be ``tacked'' or counterbalanced with something of similar weight or height in the opposite corner. Simple enough. But we faced two obstacles. The tall chest would have to be placed in front of a heating vent and too close to a closet door.
Luckily, after we talked to the husband, we realized the vent was no longer used. When we opened the closet, we discovered it contained holiday decorations and the door could be opened enough to get them out.
Next came the architectural focal point - the front windows. Since the love seats were equal in size, we placed one facing the window and lined up the other adjacent to it. Where they formed a right angle, we placed an Indian wooden table we found in the den. This grouping allowed the three pieces of furniture to appear connected. Then we put the coffee table in front of the love seats.
Using Talbott's ``put like with like'' rule, we placed two white Oriental chests with brass accents together. Then two matching chairs were paired with a pink-and-white painted table between them.
Smaller chairs and a bombe chest naturally fit into the other open spaces. A carved wooden table stayed put; it was the only piece that would allow the air conditioning to vent properly.
``The furniture is now clustered,'' Talbott said. ``Like is put with like and it allows you to weave around.'' Lighting
Lamps should be placed on the diagonal or in a triangle. We formed a triangle with two matching table lamps on the Oriental chests, a lamp on the table between the love seats and a light on the small table between the matching upholstered chairs.
Next came the rest of the layering - art and accessories. Here are some of Talbott's art tips:
nShape of the furniture and art should be the same. Don't hang a single tall vertical piece of art over a sofa or love seat. Don't mix vertical with horizontal shapes unless you use a pair or set of art.
n``Ever look at art and furniture and feel something isn't quite right?'' Talbott asked. If art is hung too far from the furniture, it will appear to be disconnected or floating.
nAlways hang mirrors across from a window to reflect the light and create a feeling of openness. When mirrors face the room, they create confusion. Or for function, put them in a foyer or above a dresser.
nKeep ``like with like.'' Pairs and sets should be together, and so should colors, finishes and themes. We put the mandolin wall sculpture with pink ribbons near the piano and over a chair upholstered in white with pink ribbons.
Accessories are the icing that makes the room look finished. The most common mistake people make, Talbott said, is to scatter them. Group like things - candlesticks, crystal, mugs.
LENGTH: Long : 226 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Matching table lamps and two Oriental chests form aby CNBvignette and allow proper room lighting. color.