Saturday, June 14, 2008

Welcome to my blog

Who am I? I often wonder myself...
My career has spanned so many different areas, but all had to do with design, in one form or another - being able to see what to do next - in an organizational way as well as trend setting/ forecasting for my positions. I have been able to apply my 'eye' and my knack for color and design to all of the different positions I have had.

For as long as I can remember I have loved design – even when I didn’t know that’s what it was….. I loved coloring, painting and just creating. Throughout school I tried all different forms of art from the basic classes required, to the more technical like photography. I loved to play with light, color to see how different combinations made me feel.On a dreary day bright colors can make you feel happy, brighten your day. Color can be illuminating! As on a cold day, warm colors like reds and browns can make you feel cozy. In college my favorite classes were the three hour art labs, where you would just sit and work, create and learn about art; what it was about, how you can manipulate shapes, light and color to look differently, to create a harmony. Now in my career I am most happy when I am creating; a room for a family, a bedding set design, packaging or showroom design for my employer, or yet another room design in my home. My daughters know that I live to design, so they always want their room renovated, repainted and redone. I will be posting many images of our re-dos for you to see - from little girl to teen, to college adult.

I have always had an eye for design. It seems to come easy to me, at least that is what my family, friends, employers and clients have said. When working on an interior design, I like to understand the person whose home it is, and what they love before I suggest colors or ideas, so that it fits who they are. I do not feel design should define who you are, rather, it is you and your feelings that should define how you design a room; your home. It is important to identify what a room is going to be used for, what your lifestyle is and try to address the needs of each room individually as well as a part of a whole. What are you going to be doing in this room? Who will be using this room? Will it be used to entertain, to relax, to read or to get away from the everyday stresses that life can bring.

To me, although a large budget (and the funds to back it) is always a plus, I have always believed that it is not about what you spend on room, but how you arrange it, what goes into it… from what you own, and what you add to it – you do not always need to spend a lot of money to make a room what you want, or to give you the feeling you want when you spend time in that room.

During my career I have always been involved in design; apparel, interiors, home textiles and gift ware. I believe a person is influenced by their feelings. People reflect their feelings about themselves and their mood at times with how they dress, the colors they choose to wear. Although for many years the apparel business led the fashion world and determined the colors that we would then see months or a year later for our homes, I feel that these two worlds work more simultaneously now than they ever did before. People will fall in love with a scarf, or a leather shoe, and now they want these colors to surround them in their home as well.

There are so many options for your home, many people ask where do I start? I'm going to try on this site to help you with that.... where to start... how to achieve your goals... where to buy great items... how to buy... what to buy... what to look for... how to experiment... questions to ask when hiring a contractor, painter or designer. I hope to shed a little light and some color into your day!

2 comments:

Norma S said...

I love your blog! I am not a very creative person but I do love having my home look beautiful.

I am redecorating both my bathrooms in my townhouse. Do I start with a general color scheme or do I shop around for tile, countertop, bathtub, etc first?

Norma

Dawn Rochelle Fields said...

Hi and thanks for the nice comments! There are many ways to approach this and so many things to address! I will try to be brief, but I love looking at the whole picture.

I would start with a color scheme, as you want the bathrooms to fit your lifestyle. I would look through home decorating magazines to get an idea of what you like. Start a collection of images by tearing out the ones that speak to you. This can be your jumping off point. Let's look at your master bath; you probably want a soothing color palette, as you start and finish your stressful day here.

Although you want to have in mind what type of bathroom cabinet you like ( white, dark or light wood) I would first shop around for tiles. There are so many options, with wonderfully decorative tile for the walls near the shower / tub. The wall tile can add great color, which will become the base for the room. Small mosaic glass tiles have become available in many colors and add an illumination to the room, great for a bathroom without windows. You can then choose a more neutral, larger tile for the floor. Countertops in natural stones like granite and marble come in many shades that will work back to the floor tiles and can work with various cabinet finishes. I would address the height of the cabinet if you are renovating the entire bathroom. The older the home, the lower the cabinet, so many need to be raised to a more comfortable height. I wouldn't mix too many colors - this is why I suggest choosing a color scheme first.

As far as the bathtub or fixtures, I like to stay neutral; white is my favorite, but almond is very popular as well. Using colored fixtures often can date a room. The last but not least is choosing the towel and rug colors. Bring tile samples with you.

Have fun, choose a palette that makes you feel good!