Blog of Gallerie Nouveau

It is hard to imagine becoming a designer for the Street of Dreams, let alone receiving an award.  However, that is exactly what happened.  This year instead of walking through the homes as an observer, I got to actually participate as one of six interior designers in this year’s show of dreams.  What a dream for me!!

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Mark Lisac and his brother Brian, who own Lisac Brothers constructio.  Their house named “Suede” was originally built as a home for Mark to live in.   He built it to fit his lifestyle; successful professional, with no wife or children, but lots of friends and company to entertain.  As a result, he built a fully functional main level with a gorgeous master bedroom and all the necessary amenities suited for a bachelor, most importantly a game room next to the wet bar, kitchen, great room and outside patio.  For him going upstairs was only something he did when he needed to get something out of the attic. 

As I stepped into this project, I realized this was the perfect home to design for the Street of Dreams.  It was smaller at 4,300 square feet verses the typical 9,000-12,000 square feet homes and it had a warm contemporary style to it, so it didn’t require going over board on accessorizing. 

Here is how the home wasbefore I, and my two assisting designers, Michelle Pointer (Whirlygig Designs) and Sara Peterson (Golightly Designs), started.  The biggest challenge was also the biggest advantage: This home was not originally built as a Street of Dreams home.  When we stepped into the project all the surfaces and hardware was selected and installed.  We didn’t have a blank canvas to design.  We had to create what was already in place and create a Street of Dreams show home.  Fortunately, and one of the reason I agreed to jump in, the builder had a fantastic eye for style and texture.  The blueprint he created was a strong beginning to what needed to be done.   I loved the challenge because I had a fantastic team.    

All the walls, trim and doors were painted white.  All the lighting was recessed into the high ceilings and there were lots of large  windows and walls, but no coverings.  It really was a white canvas to start from.

Media room upstairs

Thanks to Lee Dietz, owner of LEE/Eastman Contemporary Design Studio  , we were able to create the award winning home chosen as “Best Home Furnishings” according to the Professional’s Choice.  If you haven’t visited their showroom located between  Bridgeport and Claim Jumper in Tualatin, you should.  The sales associates are successful designers just waiting to help you turn your home into a casual contemporary show place.  They offer name brands like Nicole Miller, Berman Falk, Carter and Weiman.  The showroom is also filled with gorgeous area rugs, accessories and original artwork.  It is a must see if you are thinking of redecorating or buying any new furniture.  Tell them I sent you. 

Here are some pictures of what the finished product looked like.   All the furniture, except the billiard table, and accessories were furnished by LEE/Eastman.  For more pictures and info on the house you can go to my recent projects page.  Enjoy.

 

The home, “Suede,” is an inviting contemporary style with a fully functional living space on the main level.  This floor not only features a gourmet kitchen with bamboo cabinets and flooring, but also includes a gorgeous master bedroom and nontraditional game room adjacent to the great room and kitchen.  Upstairs hosts two additional rooms and an entertaining media room with a breath taking Northwest view of the areas topography.  While this home is contemporary with vaulted ceilings, oversized windows, straight lines and minimal decorative accents, it isn’t a cold box.  This contemporary home is welcoming with a relaxed, yet sophisticated environment to retreat, work or entertain.  It is a modern residence with a common appeal for stylish livability in a scaled down and balanced home. 

One of the unique interior designs of the home includes a game room on the main floor with a wet bar and large space for a billiard or other game table in what typically is a kitchen seating area in other homes.  The thinking for this was based on functionality.  The kitchen and adjacent great room is usually the area where most people gather when entertaining, so why not design a room that offers the perfect party flow.  This way people don’t have to go upstairs to a bonus room everything is contained in the most popular area of the home.  The patio is also conveniently accessible to the kitchen so the host &/or hostess can easily invite the company outside to enjoy the outdoors, a BBQ or a friendly game of bocce ball on the lawn.

Some of the unique materials we used included a faux metallic custom wall finish, designed and applied by Shakti Space Designs on the 16’ Foyer Wall.  Rich metallic paints are featured throughout the home.   Bamboo was used for all the built-in cabinets and wood flooring on the main level.  A 1×1” Ohara Silk Glass tile was used on the great room and master bedroom fireplaces.  Riff sawn oak vertical grain book matched cabinets & woodwork throughout house.  Infer red dynamics sun pak on patio.  Bosch espresso built into kitchen cabinet.  Blanco Spex Square stainless steal sinks and Hans Grohe Axor faucets & plumbing fixtures are throughout the home.  

Choosing a color palette can be daunting, especially when starting from scratch.  Some places to start are on the wall with your favorite piece of art or in your closet with your shoes or blouse. Any of the things you love are great inspirations for color.  It can come from the color of a breath taking flower, a colorful painting, a dress or pair of shoes.   What colors are you drawn to?  What are the colors in your closet?  What colors make you happy?  Sometimes the answer is right in front of us.  We just need to open our mind’s to see it.  

 If you still can’t come up with the perfect color another great way to get inspired is by flipping through fashion catalogs and magazines.  Did you know fashion and pop culture influence the color trends in interior design?  Just open a Nordstrom or Coach Catalog or flip through the pages of In Style or Vogue magazines.  The models are adorned with all the latest textures, trends and colors.  What you see on these pages usually come to life in the stores we love like Pottery Barn. 

August 16-September 14, 2008;  Altmont on Mt Scott in Portland

Gallerie Nouveau Interiors was chosen to lead the interior design project for the Lisac Brothers Street of Dreams home in this years show.  We are busying getting all the designs finalized in time for the show.  The home will feature furniture from LEE/Eastman Contemporary Home Furnishings in Tualatin, near REI and the Claim Jumper.

Lisac Brothers Construction, Inc.

Mark and Brian Lisac

503-970-7223

mlisac@comcast.net

http://www.lisacbrothers.com/

There is no debating the issue that sustainability is more than a fad…it is here to stay. What many reading this article may be unaware of is that sustainability has taken the design world by storm. Incorporating carbon friendly, sustainable characteristics into the design of your work or living space is not only affordable and socially responsible, but it is also design chic. Design trends are ever evolving and have a strong influence on how we work and live. How you design your work or living space not only makes a personal statement about you, but it also significantly impacts livability, usability, functionality and several other key factors that improve quality of life.

Let’s begin by providing a broad definition of sustainability and what it means to you, our economy and the planet as a whole. While much has been written of late on this topic most people are still wondering what it means and how it affects you. The truth is it means different things to different people, but it affects all of us. From the smallest change like turning off the lights to buying local products everyone can participate in some small way. Even if you don’t believe in global warming, it’s hard to argue against improving the balance between our environment, economy and culture.

Sustainability is as much about products and people as it is about the planet. In order to sustain as a culture and planet we need a healthy economy, environment and society to ensure balance. Buying from local businesses and supporting local products can be as important as conserving energy. These three spheres working together define sustainability. An example of these three spheres working together is the consignment and resale industry. Have you ever thought about recycling your furniture or clothing for profit? How about reducing your shopping expenses by purchasing reusable designer clothing or furniture?

If you’ve ever consigned your furniture or purchased an outfit from a vintage retailer you’ve contributed to sustaining our local resources. The economics are simple. These retailers are local businesses. They sell local products for a profit and consumers are able to reduce their costs by purchasing re-useable items. The environment benefits since no additional resources are used to produce these goods and they are recycled instead of ending up in a landfill. The social aspects involve a common connection with one need filling another. All three spheres are maintained and sustained when you recycle your furniture and clothing or purchase from a consignment or resale retailer. It’s an easy way to affect change and do your part to sustain. What’s hot and what’s not? The bottom line is that it’s no longer in vogue to try and out spend one another in an attempt to beat your peers, but rather what’s hot is to get the most you can at the least cost, while being socially responsible and design chic. Creating sustainable elegance is affordable, feels good, looks good and makes you the envy of others for all the right reasons…If you’re not sure if your décor would fall under the category of sustainable elegance contact Gallerie Nouveau for a free no cost assessment.

Maureen Pulicella is an Interior Designer and the CEO of Gallery Nouveau. She holds a B.A. from the University of Washington. She has over 15 years of design, management, sales and marketing experience. She is a member of the Portland Metro Home Builders Association, Ladies who Launch and the Oregon Entrepreneur Network. Most recently, Maureen has been featured on AM Northwest as a leading authority on interior sustainable design. Some of her services include: Style and color scheme, complete design concepts, window treatments and bedding, repurposing spaces and furniture, as well as commercial and new home design.

To learn more about Gallerie Nouveau please visit www.gallerienouveau.com,call 503-467-4648, email us at Maureen@gallerienouveau.com or stop by theGallerie located at 8601 SW Terwilliger Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97219

At Gallerie Nouveau, we’ll take care of the marketing and selling for you. We provide consistent advertising, decorative staging and stylish showcasing in an elegance environment for your furniture, so it sells at a fair market price in a timely manner. We take the cost and risk of selling your furniture out of your pocket and home. You won’t find another consignment furniture store in town like us. We are friendly and focused on customer service like no other. Our store is filled with beautiful furniture from antiques to new with stylish accents and an interior decorator ready to help you with any of your decorating challenges.

Effective January 15, 2008, Gallerie Nouveau will offer a 50/50 split on all consignments.