2014 Interior Design Trends...Gold mining

Gold is back and coming on strong!

From small doses to all out all over...gold is becoming a scene stealer!

 Mixing metals is no longer taboo...this is a question I often get from my client's  "Can I mix metals?" ANSWER: YES!

Living room by Kimberlee Jaynes Designs Inc.

 I used gold-kissed starburst mirrors traveling up the wall over the fireplace, a gold accented rug and pillows on the chair and sofa to complete the look. Gray,brown and gold look fabulous together ...don't you think?

WOW the gold sofa below is over the top...but it works perfectly in this city apartment with steel gray walls. Like the fashion runway...some of the styles are over the top...you can pull in a metallic pillow or ottoman to freshen your look without overwhelming your current decor. Have fun...go gold mining!

Personality Plus! What does your home say about you?

Kimberlee Jaynes Interior Designs was initially hired to design the entry and guest bathroom only, in this beautiful Elizabeth condo located in the Pearl district of NW Portland. It all transpired while my client went on a trip to Italy.
Upon her return she said " Good news and bad news, the good news is I love what you've done ! The bad news is I don't like the rest of my condo!" The design challenge: Bring the whole space up to speed and introduce much needed visual interest to each room.

The entry now has a bold playful runner beckoning you to come further and explore. Metallic gold backed grass cloth in the once dark entry, lights up this space and adds texture and visual warmth. The red lacquer mirror is just what was needed over the console table topped with the silver ceramic rectangular lamp and mesh shade.

I used a warm brown with subtle flurries of silver hand painted wall paper from Maya Romanoff in the guest bathroom. The one of a kind graceful curved shelf /sculpture is just what this previously barren bath needed. I had a metal fabricator execute my design. The shelves are remnants of rich brown/gray paper stone (a solid surface product) and the metal tubing is powder coated in a silvery taupe, it won't rust in the most humid conditions.

In the living room I added a flue-less fireplace complete with a granite mantel that ties in with the adjoining kitchen counter tops. The maple wood panels compliment the kitchen cabinetry. Ann Sacks tile in a luminescent Carmel surrounding the firebox continues the reflective elements I have spun throughout this condo. As permanent as the fireplace looks it is simply hung with a French cleat! The client can take it with her if she moves. The living room rug is called "Daisy Mae" from Tufenkians. It adds the punch of color that I needed to bring this room to life.

The lipstick red hide-a-bed carries the "I'm not afraid of color" theme from the living room into the TV room.

The bedroom and en-suite bath are awash in serenity and artistry. I used metallic paper in earth and silver, shot with small irregular pin dots of teal blue in the bedroom. (The cement pilaster is no longer the focal point ) The French Quarter linens and pear shaped glass chandelier with mirrored bed and side tables and opulent draperies all say" I'm ready to relax in luxury." Another Tufenkian area rug under the bed repeats the atmospheric blue I used in the ceiling color. The artwork from Butters Gallery adds the modern touch to this classic timeless bedroom.

My client was a delight to work with and I applaud her willingness to stretch her design boundaries and am grateful for her trust in me.

click on the photo to enlarge.

Steve Jobs a brilliant designer

In honor of a brilliant designer I share his quote:

"Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works." - Steve Jobs

My new home at Urban ID Design Studio!

Skips ears are down because he knows better than to be up on this love-seat! I snapped a quick photo before I shooed him off!

























































Skip and I had a delightful weekend in the Pearl at my new home in the design studio Urban ID. Proprietress Laura Evans invited me to join her group a little over a month ago. Laura's concept is a design collaborative with seven independant designers sharing this lovely work/showroom space! I'm thrilled to be part of the group and throughly enjoyed working this last weekend in such a beautiful design studio!

Some of the benefits : Lots of product lines that I can purchase from for my clients, shared knowledge from other designers, and the comraderie of the wonderful women!

I have been on my own for 18 years and I can't tell you how much I enjoy kibitzing with everyone!

I am in studio two days a week (my schedule varies each week) and every seventh weekend Sat. and Sun. If you are coming to the Pearl please email or call me to see if I am working I would love to see you!

Kimberlee Jaynes

Day six of ten days of interior design things I Love

Eva Zeisel Coffee Table

Born in 1906 and still designing today, Eva Zeisel is continually intrigued by what she calls her "playful search for beauty." Zeisel is world renowned for her ceramics, and when she was in her early 80s, she started designing tables. The medium may have changed, but her Coffee Table (1993) is still very Zeisel with its whimsical lines and ornamental motifs. A person of delightfully defiant spirit, Zeisel was just beginning her career when she declared war on the fashionable avant-garde. "I didn't accept the purism of modern design," she says. "In my definition, if it gave beauty to the eye, it was beauty." Even when MoMA was an advocate of straight-lined Bauhaus design, Zeisel gave them curved feminine forms. The result of such an approach is a design that's truly timeless. "I always live life in the present," says Zeisel. "Eternity is only in the present." In 2005, Eva Zeisel was awarded the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Lighting is the true star of any room decor!

Lighting is as important to your room decor as the furnishings that are in it!
Take a close look at the photo...there are three light sources.
1. Ambient light (overhead can lighting)
2. Hanging chandelier over dining table.
3. Table lamps.

Create "pools" of light in your home.
To see the "before photo" visit www.kimberleejaynes.com

Nurture your life

I believe that being surrounded by an environment that you truly love can nurture your life and soothe your soul.

I have seen design literally change peoples lives...I bet you're saying to yourselves "Oh sure design is life changing...please!" But I have seen it many times. When you have a comfortable, pleasing place to sit and talk to other people, read a book, entertain, pay bills ...you get the idea... you will feel connected with your life. (The opposite is true if you don't have these spaces.)

When you are organized your life has room to grow. When your living environment is orderly and pleasing to your eye, you can rest in that space. And de-cluttering is the first part of the step towards living with the things you love and creating space in which to "see" those things.

Cleaning out the clutter in the hidden spaces is just as important as cleaning the public areas. If you open a drawer and everything pops out like a jack in the box, you will feel unsettled.

I just took a break from organizing my bookcase in the photo above. It had a smattering of cookbooks, sunglasses, pottery, etc. I took everything out and started over. I like the repetition of the Pellegrino bottles ...it soothes me to have some bold statements and to cut down on the clutter.

I have bookcases in other rooms that are real work horses, so this high profile bookcase off my kitchen could become more pleasing to my eye with some editing.

Nurture your life and soothe your soul by getting rid of the clutter.

I encourage you to "edit" and feel the freedom!

2009 News Years DESIGN RESOLUTIONS

The new year is soon upon us and I bet I am like the rest of you...I wonder where all this STUFF came from???

It seems like I shovel it out each year...20 pound garbage bags worth of clothing and other odds and ends make there way to the Good Will. It seems like I still need to purge more!

Design Resolutions
1. De-clutter.
2. Only live with things you love.
3. Motto for the year: Less is more.

Missy Gerber is the owner of Organizers NW her motto is "Less mess. Less stress.Better life." (You will love her!) she sent me these helpful hints on -
Getting Ready for the New Year -Preparation and Prioritization

December is more than half over and the new year is on the horizon. January is GO (Get Organized) Month and at Organizers Northwest we are gearing up for a busy year. You can start planning now and get a fresh start for 2009!

Quick Tips to get you organized in the New Year. Tackle one, two, or all of these items to feel revved up and ready to embrace the months ahead.

Calendar. Now is the time to decide if you are going paper or electronic. Get your special occasions and recurring events added.

Kitchen. Check out your countertops. Horizontal surfaces are notorious for collecting clutter such as seldom used appliances. Keep only appliances that you use regularly on your countertops and relegate all others to a little used cupboard.

Pantry. Now's the time to take stock of your pantry items. Toss expired items and replace if necessary. Donate food you won't use. Check dates on herbs and spices and head to your grocery store's bulk bins to replenish and reuse those containers. Winco, New Seasons, and Whole Foods have a great selection of bulk food items.

Refrigerator. Pull everything out and wipe, wipe, wipe! Vinegar and water make a great natural sanitizer and kill lingering odors. Clean the shelves, drawers, door storage, and any other nooks and crannies. Wipe down bottles and containers as you return them to the fridge. Toss out old food that is expired. Add a new box of baking soda to keep everything smelling fresh and clean.

Utensil Drawer. Take everything out of the drawer then take inventory. Do you really need 2 banana slicers, or even one for that matter? Donate duplicate and unused items to charity. Don't forget to wipe out the drawer before putting everything back.


Oregon NAPO Vendor Expo
Want some free advice to help tackle a New Year organizing project? Bring your project pictures and measurements to the Multnomah Athletic Club Jan. 31st from 10am to 1pm. Local organizers will be available with suggestions that will help get you started. There will also be experts to answer questions about senior housing, document shredding, junk hauling, small business accounting, and more! Don't miss this opportunity.

Missy even has a podcast: Organizing with Missy
In her new show, Missy offers sound advice on keeping your life organized by reducing the mess and the stress. This new bi-weekly podcast delivers quick tips and tricks that you can start implementing now.

Check her out on the web at www.organizersnw.com

Missy Gerber Organizers Northwest503-245-3564

http://www.kimberleejaynes.com/

It's a Ralph Lauren Christmas!

I had sooo much fun today, decorating one of my client's homes for the holidays!

My client loves everything French . I am a big fan of this casual chic Euro look too. I took my own advice and made sure that the decorations did not detract from the home's existing colors of cream, milk and chalk.

Boxwood garlands abound on stairways, wrapped around the Christmas tree, draped over the entry hall hutch, tucked into silver bowls and white milk pitchers. I used a theme (natural and green ) and just added to it in every nook.

I uncovered a very large elk horn in my mother's basement last week. I thought it would be the perfect touch on the dining room table ...so it's now on loan for the holidays. I draped her antique pine table in a heavy white quilt. Nestled among the horn is a slightly tarnished sterling silver bowl filled with green apples, it's a family treasure. Fir and cedar bows are tucked underneath. (See photos below.)

The entry hall begged for a grand gesture, so I pulled in a cement urn from outside dusted off the snow and filled it sky high with greens and berry covered branches. I made a "collar" out of leftover boxwood garland.

The fireplace is so beautiful I didn't want to draw your eye away from it ...so I banked two cypress trees on either side. Instead of pots I wanted a softer look so I wrapped their bases in cream colored broad cloth .

The accessories that I had put together before Christmas for the mantle, worked perfectly so I left them up.

We bought VERY little to decorate this home...I used family treasures and a few borrowed items to complete this nature inspired French country Christmas.

Hope you have fun decorating your home for the Holidays!

http://www.kimberleejaynes.com/