How to decorate for Christmas? Here are some tips from Meade Design Group

 

 

Last Friday we decorated our studio for the Christmas season. This year we decided to do a red, different silver textures with a subtle tartan theme a la fashion designer Vivienne Westwood & interior designer Scot Meacham Wood aka Mr.Tartanscot.

 

Much like our studio we kept it classic with a modern edge. Country meets Scotland with a touch of Meade Design Group (lol)

 

 

Little silver chubby birds put the holiday spirit into our Flos Chandelier.

 

 

We created a sense of rhythm with 3 arrangements for our meeting table made with fresh pine, pomegranates, and tiny sparkle apples.

 

 

A splash of festive colour in our working space.  We added some topiaries with ribbon and we create our popular “cheater pillows”.  Here is the recipe you just need to add ribbon, double side tape and Chinese silk buttons. A quick fix up for every seasonal pillow.

 

 

"More is more" when it comes to our Christmas Trees. Our tree is towering at 9' tall and is filled with over 350 ornaments and 1000 lights.

 

 

This year we got new stockings with a beautiful red embroidery detailing.

 

 

I found this very innocent tartan teddy bear by Ralph Lauren at The Bay and I just had to have it – It needs a name, Any ideas?

 

 

Some chrome twig - style reindeer adorn our book shelves.

 

 

To finish our seasonal decor we also got 3 over scale chrome spheres and we hang them in front of our windows.  Just to share the cheer with the street.

 

I hope we were able to inspire you to bring some cheer into your home this holiday season.   The secret is to keep it simple, no more than 2 colours, choose one metal either silver or gold and a constant theme throughout and yes, lots and lots of Christmas spirit. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

In Conversation with David Hicks

 

David Hicks

 

I'm sure many of you are wondering how it's possible to get an interview with the late David Hicks, infamously bold designer from the 50's to 80'; and of course, that is not the case here - it is my pleasure to introduce our readers to a brilliant designer from down under (to those of you who haven't seen his work already), who's hot designs are sure to make him a household name all his own, stepping out of the shadows of his eponymous and distinguished predecessor.

 

David's namesake firm is based in Melbourne, Australia and caters to a multitude of design projects including residential, retail, commercial and hospitality, from architectural to decorative. He has over 14 years of experience and formed his company in 2001, after graduating from RMIT with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design (with honours), working with well-known architectural and interior design firms, and receiving the Young Designer of Year award in 1998.

 

A strong portion of the firm's mantra is collaboration; with the client and with other consultants to ensure that the project has been delivered on budget, on time, and will function well for the end user overtime. His interiors are also clearly influenced by a collaboration of different design periods, styles, colours and textures to create a beautifully layered space.

 

I can't wait to showcase Mr. Hicks's work and learn more about the man behind his amazing designs, please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

 

David hicks –as a child i was always fascinated by architecture. I sued to built my own little houses in the sand pit out of sticks and pieces of found objects.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - You always respect the traditional with a fusion of modernity.  I believe this is what makes your style.  How do you achieve this?

 

David Hicks – I appreciate the modernist aesthetic and way of planning but also have a very decorative side to me. I love modernist design form the 50’s - How pared back minimalist spaces were overlaid with Persian rugs, knoll furniture, antiques and chandeliers. Very glamorous. This has become part of my signature allowing me to incorporate pieces in my work that have history, nostalgia and significant importance as pieces in themselves.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade -The selection of your furniture pieces is always exquisite - What inspired you to include pieces in your projects that are no longer commonly used in today’s homes?

 

David Hicks – I am constantly learning about furniture and decoration and have a passion for travel so i come across many beautiful pieces. I include these in my design as a point of difference. I use practical furniture in areas that it is required and then combine pieces that are more like sculptural artwork for the wow factor.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - What do you look for in a furniture piece? Or, in other words, you are very selective in what goes into your designs, what makes a piece important enough to be used in your projects?

 

David Hicks – I like to use pieces that have design integrity and that will hold their value. I select furniture that has personality and combine things that do not traditionally match. My designs are more of a collective process giving the client an interior that has soul and that tells a story. I may mix a Frits Henningsen wingback chair with a knoll sofa and a vintage baker coffee table all sitting on a Persian rug with a 19^th century chandelier. It is all very calculated while looking explorative.

 

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

Iván Meade - What is your approach to lifestyle and design?

 

David Hicks – For me lifestyle is design. I am constantly looking at things from a design perspective. I am a very visual person and I do like to be surrounded by things that please me. I enjoy what I do so tend to bring that into every aspect of my life. I am constantly perfecting modern luxury.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - All your projects have a very distinctive characteristic - They are "elegant", how do you achieve this characteristic for all your projects from residential to commercial?

 

David Hicks – What interests me is luxury and quality. In an ever increasing fast paced world this is being forgotten. I approach each design the same way irrespective of budget. I always strive for a quality outcome and over the years have perfected my detailing and material usage. This is what has led to my projects being consistently elegant and luxurious. It is my trade mark.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - What is unique to Australian Style?

 

David Hicks – Australia is a large country with a small population which is geographically isolated. This condition has made for a highly competitive environment where everyone strives for the best. Therefore we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to design, we look abroad, up and down, sideways and everywhere we can for inspiration and then take it all and edit it into our own personal style. I would say Australian style is highly international while having a unique slant on things.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - Some styles are a matter of fashion or trends, or a nation’s tradition and history, others are from sheer practicality. Is this a direct result of the Australian culture or the Australian landscape/climate or is it mostly just the visual appeal?

 

David Hicks – Design in Australia, particularly architecture, can be dictated by climate to some degree, especially north Australia where the weather is hotter. The culture in Melbourne, down south, where I am based, is very European, probably where i get the elegance from in my work. It has a darker more sophisticated feel than Sydney and is a design hub within Australia for both fashion and architecture. In my design I tend to forget where i am and concentrate on the quality and detail. I suppose that is why i have worked all over Australia and now internationally, as my look is very transcontinental. It has a European flavour with an American touch and undertones of Asia. I have made this look my own and do not really consider it to be due to location. I tend to stay away from faddish or trend based design as it has no longevity and to me that is not luxury.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - How you will describe the value of design?

 

David Hicks – Design is an integral part of everyday life. Everything you use or see has been designed by someone or by nature. Taking time to appreciate these things is very important to me as it makes you realize the value in life. When I am putting a scheme together I always look for the value in a piece, now this can be looked at in terms of design value, monetary value, aesthetic value, etc. if you cannot notice these values then you cannot evaluate it, and if you cannot evaluate it then it has no value to you.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - Who would you like to design something for?

 

David Hicks – There is no one person I would like to design for, but someone with an affinity for my design would be high on my list, like Tom Ford, or someone with pure elegance and glamour like the late Audrey Hepburn. I would have liked to have designed her apartment in the 50’s. Nothing thrills me more than to design for a client who really appreciates what i do and that can understand the importance of each piece that is out together.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - What is your newest venture in design?

 

David Hicks – Every venture is new! We are currently designing numerous penthouse apartments including a development of 11 in Melbourne, Australia. We are working on some hospitality design in the Middle East and hopefully soon will look at opening an office in the us. Which I am very excited about.

 

Interior Design by David Hicks

 

Iván Meade - You have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles, what would you like your legacy to be?

 

David Hicks – I would like my legacy to encourage other designers to give it all they have. You only get one lifetime and in that you have to fit all this knowledge. There is just not enough time!

 

I invite you to visit David Hicks’s stunning body of work at:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Kravet Inspired News – Hollywood Glamour

 

Thank you KRAVET for including our Sherman Oaks project in the most recent issue of INSPIRED.NEWS.

 

 

We are so excited that our first project in  Sherman Oaks, California was selected to be feature by KRAVET INTERNATIONAL.  This project is very special for us as we have the most amazing client and also to the fact that this project was our first project in the United States. 

 

You can read the entire piece by clicking the image below:

 

 

Living Room

 

Dining Room

 

Living Room

 

 

Installation Day – Sneak Peak

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Eye candy of the week – Tofinou by Philippe Stark

 

Tofinou 12 by Philippe Starck

 

Looking down into the saloon -On the left, the water point

 

Overview of the salon

 

Exterior

 

PRODUCT

Tofinou 12

 

MANFACTURE

Latitude 46

 

DESIGNER

Philippe Stark

 

MATERIAL

All the yachting classic materials, from precious woods to leather and beautiful metal pieces in polished stainless steel can be found in the boat.

 

As of the companionway, the two sections (bathroom and water point) are in rosewood with a stainless steel frame, a large mirror for the shower section, mirrors halfway above the water point, facing one another in perfect symmetry.

The saloon is now a welcoming heaven, with warm leather from the floor to the top of the roof, ensuring the greatest comfort: wide curved seating, large cushions, elegant leather storage pockets customised by Goyard, varnished painted oval table and mirror polished stainless steel mast support.

 

EXTERIOR

With his ingenious creativity and his undisputed love for sea, Philippe Starck has designed this first unit, which will be unveiled at the 2010 Paris Boat Show.

- The carbon wheels are silver grey painted and leather covered;
- Two storage units have been added in the cockpit;
- The hull color is warm gray, with no waterline or decoration and just a Philippe Starck's signature.

 

DESCRIPTION

The fifth Tofinou 12, currently being built at the Latitude 46 boatyard, has been designed by Philippe Starck.   This morning I received this press release and It couldn’t arrive in better time as I was searching for my Eye Candy.    I love the clean lines and the warmth of its interiors.  A classic has re-born with the talented hand of Monsieur Starck.

 

"A Tofinou doesn't exist. It's just a dream, an evocation, a breeze, a sigh of happiness. So little materiality, so elegant. The perfect quality and timelessness of Tofinou born within the natural intelligence of the relationship between the sea and man. A dream." - Philippe Starck

 

YUMMY FACTOR

Cest Fantastique!!!

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

The Designer Survivors Tour

Last week, I received one of the most encouraging and surprising gifts I have ever received in my entire life.  I have to say that I tear up a little when I read Amber’s inspiration page and what it was all about. You can’t imagine the strength I received with this gift  – My good friend and colleague Miz Amber Kingsnorth from INOUI design collective will be participating in a two-day cycling event to take place on June 18-19, 2011. During this bold cycling journey, Amber will ride for two days through the scenic Pacific Northwest.  Amber’s vision is clear - A World Free From Cancer.

 

Miz Amber Kingsnorth

 

The money she raises for The Enbridge Ride to Conquer cancer will benefit BC Cancer Foundation and support leading clinicians, scientists, and researchers whose search for new discoveries and improved patient outcomes will have a real impact in our communities throughout the province, across Canada, and around the world. In other words, your participation will accelerate the conquest of cancer.

 

Amber has taken this ride even further in her support not just to Conquer cancer but for all of us.  The design community; designers who are currently fighting or have survived cancer.

 

Please read her entry and if you like design or you are involved in our design community she needs YOUR SUPPORT to achieve her heroic goal. 

 

PLEASE [CLICK] THE IMAGE TO SUPPORT & DONATE

 

The Designer Survivors Tour! My Ride to Conquer Cancer®

As an interior Designer in Victoria BC I have seen a number of individuals in my industry affected by Cancer.  Colleagues who have undergone treatment and come out survivors (!) including Kimberly Williams, the woman who gave me my start in this business and for whom I am ever grateful.  These are my Designer Survivors and the inspirations for my ride! 

 

Included in this group is my good friend and colleague Ivan Meade of the Meade Design Group who is currently undergoing treatment.  I wanted to help him in anyway that I could and knowing that treatment is an unbelievable struggle, I thought; why not go through a little struggle of my own ... ride a bike for two days straight! :)  Although this could never compare to what he is going through, I hope that my efforts and the monies raised through your generosity will fuel his ever-positive attitude towards beating this thing!

 

The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting BC Cancer Foundation, is a two-day cycling journey through Canada's Pacific region taking place in the summer. It will be a challenge in a number of ways, but with my bike, my helmet, and your generosity, a real impact will be made!

 

Please contribute to this history-making event with any donation you can. Donations, no matter the size, all help to support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care made possible through BC Cancer Foundation, a leader in cancer research and care.  Please help me reach (and hopefully exceed!) my goal of raising $5000.00 for this amazing cause!

Thank you for your help and support,

Amber Kingsnorth,

 

PLEASE  [CLICK] THE IMAGE TO SUPPORT & DONATE

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Modern View – Kitchen and Bath Ideas Magazine

Today you have a new reason this week to go to the magazine shop - you need to pick yourself up a copy of the latest issue of Kitchen & Bath Ideas  by Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications (December 2010) out on newsstands now. 

 

 

I will admit, I'm spreading the word because our kitchen project in Spring Bay has been featured in the "Best Small Kitchens Ever!" section of the issue. 

 

As you can imagine, we are more than happy to have 2 big media features coming out  just a week apart showcasing Meade Design Group interior design work from Victoria B.C., not only in a Canadian publication, but also in an American one. 

 

You can find the article “Modern View” on page 41in the glossy pages of the most recent issue of Kitchen and Bath Ideas. 

 

 

An open layout transformed the gallery kitchen of a 1960’s bungalow.  The partition at left has squares openings that allow light and views into the kitchen from the living room.

 

One of my favourite elements in this particular project was the fact that we used the repetition  of square elements in the space creating a sense of consistency, rhythm and balance.

 

We were very pleased to see our Spring Bay kitchen being presented as one of the Best Contemporary Kitchens in one of Better Home & Gardens Special Interest Publications.   The text by Gary Thompson describes the process of the project and the challenges in a very accurate way and once again Jo-Ann Richards photography is stunning as always.

 

Related Posts:

Spring Bay - A Success Story

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

In Conversation with Windsor Smith

Windsor Smith

 

Master of eccelectism, Windsor Smith has made a name for herself as a "Lifestyle Architect". With a flair for layering different texture, sheen, pattern and style combinations - never without antiques, she achieves an elegant, well lived-in and comfortable aesthetic. Windsor pays special attention to the details - rumour has it she once visited her glass-maker while he was working on one of her projects to make sure the leading would have just the right amount of "wobbling" to mimic glass from days gone by.

 

Interior designers world-wide are familiar with Windsor's fabric collection for Kravet which is full of crisp linens with geometrics, seersucker, stripes and beautiful solids in a multitude of materials and colours, she also has a collection of furniture including ottomans, chairs, pillows, mirrors, rugs and case goods.  She has also been featured in magazines such as Domino, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, Vogue Living and Veranda. An interview with Style Compass magazine even reveals that Kansas-born Windsor was not only a Roller Dance champion when she was 8, she was also the most profitable girl scout in her region, when it came time to sell cookies young Windsor donned tap shoes and a feather boa to give her a leg up from her competition.

 

Windsor Smith’s Fabrics for Kravet

 

Windsor's design sense is self-taught, but she has a world of experience in the arts field; previous careers include theatre, dance teacher, and an award winning children's fashion designer (with her friend) of a line called "Baby Duckies". After her success with "Baby Duckies", Windsor wanted to be able to spend more time with her young sons; she had always had a passion for antiques and decided to go to Europe to bring some finds back to California where she opened her own antiquities shop. This move ignited her design intuition and she began creating spaces for clients, eventually moving into design full time - Windsor's studio is now based out of Los Angeles, California where she lives with her husband, two sons, and dogs.

 

I love the description she posts on her website about why she loves her career: "I like to create libraries where men with names like Howard, Bing and Spencer sat in cashmere sweaters and contemplated the 13th hole on the Bel Air golf course. I am drawn to a simple but elegant time when the women were so legendary that surnames weren't necessary.... Slim, Babe, Coco... I'm so fortunate. Imagine... a career that beckons me to blend architecture and style with the romance of history.... I can't think of anything more delicious."

 

Vignette by Windsor Smith

 

I am delighted to post this interview and get Windsor's input on design. Please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

 

Windsor Smith - I was designing tap dancing costumes at 5 and incessantly moving around my canopy bed as a child. Either in front of the window where it captured the light,  to the middle of the room, never against the wall, that was too ordinary!

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - You always respect the traditional with a fusion of modernity.  I believe this is what makes your style.  How do you achieve this?

 

Windsor Smith - By adhering to classic principles of design, and then infusing our new lifestyles and sensibilities into them.

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - Your furniture line is exquisite - One of my favourite pieces in your collection is your Entry Round Settee, What inspired you to include a piece that is no longer commonly used in today’s homes?

 

Windsor Smith - It inspired me that is is no longer commonly used in today's homes!!! Its the NEW Victoriana! I love the romance of it and the fact that it can hold 4 handbags or napsacks and a clutch of coats! civilized without the fluff and pomp! I favour it covered in a broad cloth or linen rather than velvet......

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - What do you look for in a furniture piece? Or, in other words, you are very selective in what goes into your designs, what makes a piece important enough to be used in your projects?

 

Windsor Smith - That if functions well in a space, that its proportions are graceful, that it evokes a mood, and that we know we will look and feel good sitting on it!

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - What is your approach to life style and design?

 

Windsor Smith - That now more than ever, we must blend the two. A designer must be diligent in ensuring that design supports our lives that are spinning out of balance. We must design how we live through our environments, by providing rooms with purpose. Rooms that actually navigate the energy of the household, and promote togetherness with our families and friends. We are at risk of that which is soulful and romantic in life evaporating with technology driving us all into individual exiles with our computers, blackberrys etc. Our children are socializing virtually, we are texting in the shower, language, folly, and the art of communication must be worked into our rooms. It is more than just beautiful rooms, we need to create sanctuaries, meeting places, dining opportunities that draw us into those spaces thus into those vital experiences. We have put the "living" back into our living rooms!

 

Iván Meade - You have accomplished something very unique with your fabric collection for Kravet - The patterns you have created are obviously inspired by your travel experiences and have become trademarks under your name - How did  you achieve that?

 

Windsor Smith - I was hungry for simplicity in pattern without losing vibrancy. My first fabric collection really speaks to that desire. Iconic graphic patterns that simply imply their origin. I wanted a collection that was easy on the eyes while inviting us to play! You will see an expansion of this philosophy as I have expanded the collection and am currently designing my new outdoor collection coming out in Spring. Think Tahiti or Acapulco in the 1950's. Glamorous Polynesian but again using simple iconic elements that simply evoke a feeling. Textures that remind us of thatch, palms and block print turtles that look almost like labyrinths, and then there is matte gold and lots of white. My palette is soft shell pink, citrine, verdant green, aqua and sand. It is really a dreamy collection. Also infused with wovens which is new for my line.

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - What is the message behind your title "lifestyle architect"?  I think is a very clever statement but what does this phrase mean to you?

 

Windsor Smith - I have always felt an awesome responsibility to help build ceremony and opportunity for nostalgia into the architecture of every room. Though I love a pretty room as much as the next designer, we have much more to do than simply that. I believe that the architecture of a room can forge a deeper relationship between siblings, enhance a marriage, designed with thought and care, good design can actually transform lives.

  Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - Who would you like to design something for?

 

Windsor Smith - I would like to design a school for autistic school children

  Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - What is your newest venture in design?

 

Windsor Smith - I am building an equestrian estate and working on a book that is as much philosophy as it is pretty pictures!

 

Interior Design by Windsor Smith

 

Iván Meade - You have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles, what would you like your legacy to be?

 

Windsor Smith - That my rooms fill the pages of family photo albums and my furniture is handed down through the generations!

 

Ivan,

Thank you so much for finding my work worthy of your journalism! I am honoured to be among the talents you have illuminated!

Warmest,

Windsor

 

I Invite you to visit Winsor Smith website to discover more of her fantastic body of work.

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011