Eye Candy of the Week – Allegra Hicks for West Elm

 

ARC CHAIR

 

OLIVER CHAIR

 

CHAUNCEY CHAIR

 

PRODUCTS

Arc Chair - Oliver Chair – Chauncey Chair

 

MANUFACTURER

West Elm

 

DESIGNER

Allegra Hicks

 

MATERIAL

• Solid wood frame.

• Upholstered seat and back.

• Slightly angled and curved silhouette.

 

DIMENTIONS

• Arc Chair 27"w x 28.4"d x 29.9"h
• Oliver Chair 24"w x 28"d x 27.5"h
• Chauncey Chair 27.75"w x 28.4"d x 32.5"h

 

DESCRIPTION

These chairs are proof that good design doesn’t need to be expensive but it needs to be designed by a keen eye like Allegra Hicks who is bringing her sophisticated and relaxed designs to West Elm in a collaboration that speaks to her casual and eclectic design aesthetic.

 

PRICE TAG

$399.00 – $499 + Shipping

 

YUMMY FACTOR

Complimenti al Cuoco!

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

IN CONVERSATION WITH GREGORY VAN SICKLE

 

Gregory Van Sickle

 

I had the pleasure of meeting Gregory Van Sickle while attending a brunch in honour of  Barclay Butera in Vancouver last year. He is a very talented designer based in Vancouver with his namesake firm, 'Van Sickle Design Consultants Inc.' which was formed in 2000. Van Sickle specializes in "providing unique 'individual interiors' tailored to the client's own personal style", and filled a void that Gregory found within the Vancouver design market: a smaller, more customer-focused, residential interior design firm.

 

Gregory is a firm believer in the benefits and guidelines of the organizations in which he is involved, including the NCIDQ and IDIBC. Mr. Van Sickle began his education at the University of Manitoba, where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design in 1986. He then went on to gain experience with prestigious design firms in Toronto and Vancouver for 14 years before opening his own business. Throughout his design career he has earned several accolades from IDIBC, Street of Dreams, and the Georgie Awards.

 

The Van Sickle aesthetic is clean and simple with nods to styles past in a fresh, modern approach - one can see the possibility of several influences, such as Mackintosh detailing, Asian elements, and of course - the world around him, with the West Coast style. That's not to say that Gregory is not able to completely adapt to a client's needs however; there is a beautifully executed, very traditional home in his portfolio as well which is proof that he does not impose his own style on his client's homes. He has also created a custom line of products including case goods, upholstered furnishings, and custom lighting to help complete the desired look in his interiors.

 

I am greatly looking forward to getting to know Gregory better, please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

 

Gregory Van Sickle - When I was in high school I was on a family trip to Baja, Mexico with a stop over in Los Angeles for New Years. We were traveling with a friend of the family who happened to be the interior designer and sculpture Gene Adcock. We were invited to stay at Genes. I was fascinated! The penthouse was so exciting in its approach to design. I loved the way the space felt, the depth of texture and the light. Until that point I was on the path to archaeology but after the few days in LA I knew that interior design was my true calling.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

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

 

Gregory Van Sickle - I feel it very important to respect a clients past and to create a continuity between the past and present.  Also very important to have the depth of a layered interior but not to create a period space. We are in the 21st century and our life style are so diverged from the 19th and early 20th century way of living. The counter balance of a regency piece of furniture with the contemporary painting or a African sculpture on a clean stone top- I love the contrast and complexity of the subtle colours and textures.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

Iván Meade - You have a very distinctive colour palette - What are your influences when selecting colour?

 

Gregory Van Sickle - The colours I gravitate todays tend to be deeper neutrals. I like think it is the subtle, ingrained Belgian genetics but I suspect it is more a nature of the Pacific Northwest climate. The warm neutral bounce the light and help to create the glow of sunlight so often lacking here on the coast.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

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

 

Gregory Van Sickle - Foremost it is a relaxed elegance! Filling the homes with warm textures and very liveable finishes and furniture but with out using anything too precious. The west coast life style is so relaxed that clients need to be comfortable in even the most formal areas of their home. It really is a jeans and shorts  or as I heard it referred to " country club" lifestyle and the interiors reflect that. One additional element that is so important here is the lighting which always take a very important role in the final project.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

Iván Meade - What would be your dream project?

 

Gregory Van Sickle - I have several- One would be a classic Arthur Erickson  home. When ever I have been in his projects there is just such a beauty to the architecture. I would also love to do another country house in Italy. I designed the interior for a country house in Umbria and I loved the process. I only wish I could have spent more time in Italy during the process!

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

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

 

Gregory Van Sickle - Adrian Zecha founder of the Aman Group. He has such a perfect sense of warm contemporary architecture combined with regional Asian accessories.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

Iván Meade - What is the best advice (design related or otherwise) that you have ever received?

 

Gregory Van Sickle - "God is in the details" Mies Van der Rohe. I did not get that advise from Mies but his spirit pervaded the School of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. It is classic and always applicable where for a contemporary space or a more transitional space.

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

Iván Meade - Are there any design rules that you think were meant to be broken?

 

Gregory Van Sickle -  Never mix black and blue- I never understood why that was a problem!  That s the only rule that ever comes into my head!

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

Iván Meade - What are 5 things you can’t live without?

 

Gregory Van Sickle - My jack russell terriers, a large painting by Peter Aspell (when I purchased It I finally felt like I had adult art!), an French Art Deco Mexican rosewood cabinet I bought at a time when I really could not afford it but I had to have it, my garden- I spend as much time as possible there, and a collection of 11th century Khmer mirrors (I love the simplicity end elegance of the oxidized bronze and the sculptural quality they have in groupings)

 

Interior Design by Gregory Van Sickle

 

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

 

Gregory Van Sickle - The best legacy would to be simply to be remembered after I have gone. I work to keeping my projects classic and timeless but time shall tell if that is the reality. There seems to be a swing to branded products and designs and perhaps less appreciation of the custom, bench made types of project. Lets hope that Mies van der Rohe's advise rings true through time!

 

I invite you to visit Gregory Van Sickle’s website at:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Eye Candy of the Week–Illusion End Table

 

 

PRODUCTS

Illusion End Table

 

MANUFACTURER

Anthropologie

 

MATERIAL

• Lucite, rope, metal

 

DIMENTIONS

• 18"H, 18" square

 

DESCRIPTION

Nautical rope handles are the only giveaway as to the location of this sleek cube of crystal-clear Lucite. – Anthropologie

 

I like the rustic feel of the handles with the contemporary edge of the clean translucent Lucite.  This piece will be a great way to add something unexpected to any space.  The Nautical look is classic and is always on trend in different incarnations.

 

PRICE TAG

$998.00 + Shipping

 

YUMMY FACTOR

Nauticalicious!!!

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

In Conversation with Bruce Wilson – In Memoriam

Ce qui embellit le désert, dit le petit prince, c'est qu'il cache un puits quelque part...

Antoine de Saint Exupéry

 

Bruce Wilson

 

Obituary.-

 

WILSON, Bruce Cameron May 21st,1958 June 19th, 2011 Passed away unexpectedly and too soon. Bruce was born in Vancouver and resided at 8049 Angus Drive with his loving family. He graduated from Magee High School before studying further in France, California and back to UBC.

 

He established his own interior design business in Vancouver and eventually moved his office to Victoria. Bruce was a creative and energetic entrepreneur. His ideas and designs were especially popular with executive home owners and small business, and had been published in trade magazines over time.

 

Bruce is pre-deceased by his mother (Peggy) father (Bob), and is survived by his brothers Rob and Tom (Sharon), nephews Stuart, Trevor and Kevin; nieces Jennifer, Meagan and Shannon. Friends and associates should join for a celebration of life at 4:00 pm on Thursday, July 14th at the Swans Suite Hotel, 506 Pandora Avenue, Victoria, B.C.

 

IN CONVERSATION WITH BRUCE WILSON – IN MEMORIAM

January 30, 2009

 

The passing of Bruce Wilson is a lost for the Victoria Architecture and Design Community.  I believe that his work really represented him and I encourage you to explore this interview I made with Bruce 2 years ago.

 

Bruce Wilson is one of “Canada’s 100 most talented designers” according to House and Home, and his work has been recognized internationally. His company, Bruce Wilson Canada, specializes in creating exterior and interior concepts for new homes. Bruce’s attention to detail and ability to create custom pieces for each of his elegantly refined spaces always results in a stunning building – inside and out, residential or commercial, in a style all his own.

 

Iván Meade – "What is your favourite design find? Where did you get this item – how long have you had it?"

Bruce Wilson - My 2 Arne Jacobsen Egg Chairs. I bought them at an auction in Denmark about a year ago.

Iván Meade – "Why is it important/inspirational to you?"

Bruce Wilson -These chairs were designed in 1958 for the Radisson SAS Hotel in Copenhagen in 1958. What I like about this designer ~ and so many others like him at the time ~ is that he took a total design approach to the project that he worked on. In design spaces for his clients, he attended to every aspect of the project ensuring that everything turned out perfectly.

He not only designed the interior and exterior of the hotel, but created a harmonious line of furniture, lighting, carpets and other related furnishings. We take a similar approach in our projects. Typically when we are hired to design a house for a client, we create the landscape and garden plan, the architecture, a fully detailed interior including all the finished and materials, including the fireplaces, banisters, mouldings and other trim appointments, kitchen and other cabinetry. We are also asked to do the interior furnishing and decorating, providing a comprehensive and personalized interior.

 

Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

Photograph by Iván Meade

 

Iván Meade - How does this item reflect upon your personal design philosophy?

Bruce Wilson – One of the biggest challenges facing a designer is to breathe soul into a project. These chairs are well used and the leather is worn in all the right places. They look like a couple of old friends and have history that new store-bought purchases cannot be expected to have. They add that element of ‘quirky’ that personalizes a room.

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

Bruce Wilson – My father was an appliance wholesaler and would bring me home refrigerator boxes out of which I would make houses. I would fashion doors, windows and window boxes and fill them with flowers from the garden. By the time I was 11 or 12, mother entrusted me to decorating the house choosing carpet, wall colours, furniture & fabric art and accessories.

 

Midland Residence

 

Midland Residence

Midland Residence - Dining Room

 

Midland Residence - Dining Room

 

Iván Meade- Who or what has influenced your style?

Bruce Wilson – That’s always a tough question. It’s like asking about one’s favourite authour. Joe D’urso, Thomas Pheasant, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies van der Rohe, Michael Graves, Christian Liaigre & Issey Miyake.
It would be an understatement to say that my travels have influenced my work. I went to school in the south of France when I was 18 and lived in Rome when I was 22. Certainly my experience in architecture school in Los Angeles during the 80’s has shaped my approach to design. It was the hotbed of new design with the likes of Gehry & Morphosis leading the pack.

 

Moo Manor

 

Iván Meade - What is your design process?

Bruce Wilson – I am not a designer who imposes my preconceptions on a client. If fact, my role in any project is to listen and interpret, provide supporting information and to make the process as pleasant as possible. I don’t take pen to paper until I have established a budget, a programme and wish list from the client. My only desire as a designer is to do my best work and to delight the client. I work hard to cultivate a good working relationship with my clients and most often we become friends. I take a very holistic approach to design, typically starting with a landscape plan, house design both inside and out and often I am retained to do the furnishing and decorating.

 

The Temple Restaurant

Iván Meade - What do you consider to be your greatest strength and weakness?

Bruce Wilson – I have always struggled with paint colours. One time early in my career, I specified a paint colour for a 10,000 square foot office. The colour was fleshy and looked to be the colour of ‘bad nylons’. The electric blue trim colour I chose didn’t help. I walked in for the first time to meet with the client and I tried desperately to hide my alarm. The truth was, they liked it, but I don’t think I ever recovered from that design blunder.

 

Barclay Penthouse

Iván Meade - What is the most unusual request that you have ever received from a client?

Bruce Wilson – That I would be available to read bedtime stories to the client. I’m not sure that his intentions were entirely noble.

 

Duncan Residence

 

Duncan Residence - Dining Room

 

Iván Meade - What project are you most proud of?

Bruce Wilson – The Vancouver AIDS Memorial. I won the commission in an open competition to sculptors, artists and designers around the province. Arthur Erickson ~ my lifelong hero~ chaired the jury and voted for my entry. It was an unpopular project at the time ~ fuelled mainly by homophobia ~ and it was a struggle that required tireless commitment by all those involved. My proudest moment was at the unveiling where I was asked to speak about my experience in completing the project.

 

Vancouver Aids Memorial

Iván Meade - I have to say that your “Aids Memorial Installation” in Vancouver I believe it is one of your most beautiful works. It was really interesting to see something modern, minimal and clean looking depicting a message of hope. How did you arrive at the design that became your end result?

Bruce Wilson – It was a strange and wonderful process ~ the brief was simply that it had to be a names memorial and there was no site chosen. Feeling under pressure to address such an important task, I looked to a playwright friend who had passed away from the disease. He spoke to me in a dream. He told me that it had to be about the names, removed. I knew it had to be indestructible and would be subject to vandalism and graffiti. For this, I chose a bridge-building material called Cor-ten ™ steel, which develops a protective coating of rust. Graffiti could be pressured-washed away and I design the panels and footings to withstand extraordinary forces. The names were water-jet through the steel, giving the otherwise opaque material a diaphanous quality, and creating an interesting light play.

 

Baynes-Channel Residence

 

Iván Meade - Speaking of Vancouver, you have recently opened a second studio in Yaletown. How do you find the market in Vancouver different from Victoria?

Bruce Wilson – Vancouver has proved to be a difficult market to break back into, even though it’s my hometown. I have enjoyed the phenomenon of being a medium-size fish in the small pond of Victoria. I have done mainly retail design in Vancouver for the Boboli-MaxMara group. I recently completed a sweet boutique for them downtown called Blubird, a brand new store concept for them. Having said all that, we have a couple of houses under construction in West Point Grey for a developer-friend. With luck, they should open up some possibilities for us.

 

Donington Farm

Tuscan Villa

View Royal

Iván Meade - You are extremely well know for your residential spaces in Victoria, but what some may not know is that you have created some of the most beautiful retail spaces in Vancouver as well. When you are designing retail spaces you often have to follow the requirements of the brand, how have you achieved cohesiveness between your style and creativity and the clients needs?

Bruce Wilson – Certainly retail and office spaces are the most design-intensive because there is an overriding need for function. These are working spaces in every sense of the word. Such projects really separate the men from the mice. Only a Master can find harmony in the requirements you have outlined. I love doing them, because they are always novel and challenging.

 

Suburbia Studios

Iván Meade - How do you help your budget conscious clients achieve an expensive look without breaking the bank?

Bruce Wilson – I started out in design during the recession of the early 80’s, working with shoestring budgets. Once such project was for my employer at the time ~ KARO ~ for whom I designed their 10,000 square foot offices. We built the entire project for $20 per square foot at the time, which barely gets you paint and carpet in today’s market. I created a simple floor plan which reversed the normal layouts for office at the time. The offices were centered in the middle of the space while the open workstations lined the perimeter, by the windows. I spent a lot of time in lumber yards and hardware stores seeking humble construction materials and industrial fixtures and fittings. That same year, I won the best in show from the IDIBC, a new category they created for my entry.

 

Nyren-Russell Residence

 

Iván Meade - What do you think most Victoria homes will have in the future?

Bruce Wilson – Sustainability and energy efficiency. I plan to be a certified LEEDS consultant this year. I think the era of concept-driven architectural expression is drawings to a close. It will take a backseat to greener buildings. Here is a link to TED that everyone should see:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/william_mcdonough_on_cradle_to_cradle_design.html

Iván Meade - What would be your dream project if you were given carte blanche?(Would it be a whole home or just one room? Would it be commercial or residential? And what would you do with it and in what style?)

Bruce Wilson – I have always dreamed of designing a public building, in particular, an art gallery, a performance art hall or a museum.

 

Nyren-Russell Residence

I invite you to discover Bruce Wilson’s stunning body of work at his website:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

IN CONVERSATION WITH TILTON FENWICK

 

Tilton Fenwick

 

Tilton Fenwick co-owners Suysel dePedro Cunningham and Anne Maxwell Foster have recently had their New York based firm named as one of Traditional Home's "20 New Traditionals". The team expertly blends whimsical elements, recurring motifs, layered patterns, contemporary, vintage, and traditional pieces with bold art and colour selections. The pair met through a mutual friend and couldn't believe their shared love of both Boston, and interior design. It was inevitable that they would become business partners and dear friends.

 

Suysel was born in Puerto Rico and was brought up immersed in culture and design (she is the daughter of a fashion designer and architect). She graduated from Tufts University and in 2001 began working with well-known decorator Markham Roberts. Roberts opened up a whole new world of design for Suysel with a range of influences and styles, as well as echoing the words of her father that 'life is infinitely more beautiful when you pay attention to detail'. Four years later she found Anne, and the rest is history.

 

Tilton Fenwick – Curators of Chic

 

Anne's design career began after her time at Boston College, where she graduated with a degree in Art History. She climbed the ladder of design opportunities all the way to New York where she gained experience at two renowned firms: Ashley Whittaker Design and Brockshmidt & Coleman. Here is where she fully cultivated her style and passion. She then went on to graduate architecture coursework at Pratt Institute and subsequently formed Tilton Fenwick with Suysel.

 

Suysel dePedro Cunningham & Anne Maxwell Foster

 

I am delighted to have the opportunity to interview both Suysel and Anne for our blog, read on to get in on the conversation...

 

Iván Meade – What was your first experience with design?

 

Suysel dePedro Cunningham – I was born into a world of art & design.  My late father was an architect and a fashion designer in Puerto Rico.  I grew up amidst blueprints, pageant gowns and carnival costumes.  My father taught me that beauty in design is in the details.

 

Anne Maxwell Foster – While I didn’t know it at the time, insisting upon a black and white styled bedroom at age 7 (complete with black – not white- painted walls) was one of the more concrete indications of my future career as an interior designer. My parents could not have been more supportive of my creative instincts and unique “taste” and allowed me to forge ahead with a truly black and white schemed bedroom.  They did, however, negotiate for just one black accent wall and the little designer in me was thrilled!

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade – Who or what has influenced your style?

 

We are constantly looking through our collection of design books for inspiration and love a wide array of designer from past to present ranging from – Dorothy Draper, Madeleine Castaing & Billy Baldwin to Kelly Wearstler, Celerie Kemble and the Novogratz. 

 

Living in Manhattan has also hugely influenced the Tilton Fenwick style – walking around the streets of this incredible city, we are always soaking up our surroundings, brainstorming about projects and merging the two!

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade - How would you describe your style?

 

We hope our style is both a reflection of our interior design backgrounds but also clearly our specific point of view.  We are grateful for an extremely educational experience at three prestigious design firms where we learned formal design principles in space, color, proportion and lighting.  From this starting block, we inject our own flair for color & pattern.

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade – What does it feel like to be announced as one of Top 20 Young Designers in America by Traditional Home?

 

Thrilling! We are still pinching ourselves. We are really the “new kids on the block” being in our infancy as a company. We had been in business together a mere 7 months when we were chosen.  The honour gives us the confidence to continue to follow our instincts and take joy in all milestones – no matter how small!

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade – Browsing through your portfolio one can see that you are not afraid of colour or pattern. What is your favourite colour and pattern to design with right now?

 

When asked what his favourite color was, Marcel Proust brilliantly answered “Beauty lies not in colors but in their harmony.”  As decorators it is our job to uncover those hidden harmonies; to put together things that may not (at first glance) go together.  Merging, blending, and layering unexpected colors and patterns is where we start the design process.

We are currently loving Pierre Frey wallpapers - their patterns can be both bold and intricate. We actually chose one of their wallpapers to decorate our own office in a pink color way! While we typically don’t decorate with a lot of pink, we love it in our office paired with a beautiful Prussian blue that is always a favourite.

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade - I believe one of your strengths is styling; your vignettes are always exquisitely well done –Any words of styling wisdom? Where do you get your inspiration?

 

Such a compliment – thank you! We are certainly detail oriented and just plain have fun when it comes to accessorizing and styling a room!  Without this final layer an interior, however beautiful its bones, can look unfinished and bare. Our best advice is to have fun with this part of decorating your home and not get tied to the predictable! We certainly use plenty of “expected” home accessories which can be beautiful – books, trays, candles – but we love infusing personal items that feel unexpected (a statement necklace hung on the corner of a stack of books, a kitchy painting of a squirrel hung on the front shelf of a bookcase, a glass container filled with wine corks as a bookend!)

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade – What are you excited about right now in the world of design?

 

In purely the sharing of information, the internet has really changed our business.  From reading blogs and online magazines to making connections with people (like yourself!) via Twitter (@tiltonfenwick) to discovering new products and sources, much of our day is spent researching, reading and connecting on the web.  Our first real exposure and design project publication was through the new online magazine, TradHome, so we are especially grateful and connected to this new medium growing so rapidly for shelter magazines.  We are also always trying to maintain an awareness of new eco-friendly products available in the home category.  For our own office, we used Venetian plaster finishes on the walls and water based stain for our floors.

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

 

Iván Meade – As a blogger myself, I was very excited to find your blog and to see the personal side of your knowledge and opinions in interior design. How has the creation of your blog benefitted you?

 

Our own blog is just another source of expression that we take very seriously and very much enjoy.  Our premise for the blog content is simply to share what’s going on in our everyday as NY designers: from new (or timeless) sources we can’t get enough of, to design work we’re loving, to events. It’s a forum to quickly share what’s going on behind the doors of Tilton Fenwick.  We truly enjoy sharing what’s going on for us and reading each day what’s happening in the global design blog community!  The connections and relationships created through blogging is such a valuable forum for us.  We have connected with bloggers from all over the US and Canada, to places as far as Israel and Singapore. 

 

Interior Design by Tilton Fenwick

Iván Meade – What is your next design venture?

Right now we’re working on designing a room in this summer’s Hampton Designer Show house (www.hamptondesignershowhouse.com) sponsored by Traditional Home to benefit Southampton Hospital.  We’re creating a family lounge (formally named the “Rec Room” in the basement) that’s comfortable, lounge-y and (of course!) bright and colourful for a Hamptons beach house!  We are so honoured to be considered peers with incredible designers also participating in this year’s show house, including Katie Ridder, Haus Interiors, Tobi Fairley, and Meg Braff.

 

Iván Meade –  Lastly, you have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles. What would you like your legacy to be?

Our website says “there’s nothing we’d rather be doing” and it’s entirely true! We love what we do each day and hope that joy and gratefulness will always be reflect through into our design work and for our clients.  To be known for not only aesthetically beautiful but joyous and fun interiors would be an incredible legacy to create for Tilton Fenwick.

 

I invite you to visit Tilton Fenwick’s – Curators of Chic website at:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011