Room of the Week

{image source}
Michael Smith's new home away from home in New York City
as seen in Elle Magazine this month

Firoozeh Khorrami
DesignSchematic

Chinoiserie Wallcovering

Chinoiserie is the French term meaning Chinese-esque, a style that became popular in Europe from the mid 17th century and peaked in mid 18th century. Chinoiserie was only expressed in the decorative arts, and was used to decorate all forms of furniture, wall covering, porcelain, and even buildings. Since Chinoserie was the work of European artisans it depicted life as they had imagined and not just with the "Chinese taste", but also with influences from India, Japan, and Persia. In France Louis XV style gave a great opportunity to Chinoiseri as it blended well with the Rococo style. Whole rooms were painted with compositions in this style, no court residence was complete without a Chinoserie room.
With the rise of the neoclassic movement, Chinoiserie lost some of it's popularity. In the world of antique and collectibles, Chinoiserie has remained very popular, and Chinoserie wall covering has become somewhat of a craze.

{image source}

Kelly Wearstler has used this beautiful blue in BG (Bergdorf Goodman's restaurant)

{image source}

The Japanese influence of this paper works well in a contemporary room by designer Windsor Smith

{image source}

With so many colors to savor, there are dozens of schemes that are inspired by these wall coverings

{image source}

Another gorgeous room brought to life with this beautiful hand painted paper by Gracie

{image source}

de Gourney hand painted wall paper, I frequently visit their website for inspiration

Firoozeh Khorrami
DesignSchematic

Affordable Housing Design Competition

Earlier this week I attended the kick-off event for the Southern California Chapter of the The Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America (ICA&CA-SCC) and Habitat for Humanity 2010 Multifamily Housing Design Competition, hosted by Waterworks in their beautiful West Hollywood showroom. Last years' competition was for single family housing, 25 teams submitted designs and the winners were announced at a gala event on July 16th at Waterworks. This year promises to be even better with the award ceremony and gala reception at Janus et Cie's showroom in West Hollywood. The winners will have their designs published in a pattern book to be distributed by Habitat for Humanity.
The goal for this competition has been to inspire neighborly, affordable, sustainable, housing projects to be built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers. This is a way for the many talented designers and architects in our community to reach out and help provide a well designed, aesthetically pleasing solution to the critical need of safe and decent housing for families in Southern California.

You can see some of the winners from last years competition here

About the ICA&CA-SCC
The ICA&CA is the leading national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the practice and appreciation of the classical tradition in architecture and the allied arts. The organization fulfills its mission through four program areas: education, publications, awards and advocacy.

The Southern California Chapter regularly produces unique events, home tours, lectures, continuing education courses and discussions with architects, authors and designers committed to advancing the institute's core values.
For more information, visit www.classicist-socal.org

About Habitat for Humanityof Greater Los Angeles
Habitat For Humanity Of Greater Los Angeles strives to eliminate poverty housing through advocacy, education and partnership with families in need to build simple, decent affordable housing. Since 1990, HFH GLA has built and renovated nearly 500 homes locally and worldwide, transforming the lives of hundreds of individuals.
For more information, visit www.habitatla.org



If you are interested in participating or sponsoring this competition please send me an email here.

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Home Office

As I sit here behind my computer working I'm reminded of one of my goals for the second quarter of 2010, to fix up my office at home. So I started to flip through some pictures for inspiration.

{images source unknown}

I like the zebra rug and Lucite chair....to be continued

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Nowrooz

Image Source

Today is Nowrooz marking the beginning of the Persian New Year 1389. Nowrooz always begins on the first day of spring at the exact time of the vernal equinox, this year it was at 10:32 am PST. Nowrooz means "new day" in Farsi symbolizing a new beginning and the celebration lasts for 13 days. The history of Nowrooz dates back to the great Persian Empire. It is a holiday celebrated not just by Iranians but by many different countries in the middle east. Nowrooz is a very exciting time in our house, the weeks prior are spent cleaning and preparing for the festivities. There are many parties to celebrate the "new year" and the kids are especially excited since they receive "eidy" or gifts.
I wish you all a wonderful spring season, may your "new day" be blessed with prosperity, hope and peace.

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Depression Glass

Depression glass is clear or colored glassware manufactured from the late 1920s to the early 40s. During the Great Depression this colorful glassware, a cheerful and inexpensive antidote to the dark days of that era, could be purchased at the dime store for about a nickel. Companies like Quaker Foods would place one in the box as an incentive for purchase, theaters would hand them out if you purchased a ticket. Very inexpensive to manufacture, from cheap material and free power in the mid west, by more than 100 companies depression-era glassware was massed produced from molded glass in many bright colors. Pink, cobalt and green are colors most in demand today, depression glass also came in amber, yellow, opaque white known as Monax, and iridescent. Some patterns buyers seek today are Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess and Royal Lace.

Depression glass with other vintage finds from the antique market.

image source

These green cake stands would look beautiful at the dessert table filled with cupcakes.

image source


image source

Finding and using amber Depression Glass to set a beautiful table.
The amber centerpiece bowl below makes a beautiful container for flowers

image source

Depression glass was also manufactured in yellow, it is hard to find and one of my favorite colors
image source

Next time you go antique shopping keep your eye open for this beautiful glass and start a collection, mix it in with the tableware you have and use it everyday or display fresh cut flowers from your garden.

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Oscar weekend

Which one would you wear on the red carpet?

images {Mario Sierra photography}

Have a glamorous weekend

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Green

image{Veranda}

In the past few years the color green has been associated with the environment. Green building, sustainability, and our carbon foot print. In the building industry environmental awareness is very important, from demolition, to building with sustainable products, to reusing and recycling materials, and finishing with products that have little or no off gassing. But there use to be a time when "Green" was a color. A color that came from nature, the backdrop to all the other beautiful colors inspired by nature. Sage, celadon, moss, chartreuse, hunter all different shades of green, by adding or subtracting gray, yellow, or brown, green can take on a new identity.
Sage gets its softness and neutral quality because of the gray undertones, while celadon is rich due to the subtle browns that make it a neutral color. Moss, has been around for centuries, a timeless shade of green, often used in period interiors and historic preservation, and a favorite color of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Here are some inspirations in green...

image source

image source

I love the chinoiserie hand painted wall covering, especially in this bright green color, it can be very refreshing in the dining room.

image source

The Beige walls and cream colors in this room, designed by Tobi Fairley, help bring down the intensity of the green on the drapery and the lounge chair covered with the toile, while the bright green fabric covering the wing back chairs make the room bright and adding a punch of color, at the same time making a traditional piece of furniture modern and fun.

image source

Tory Burch's New York apartment, used as the site for the photo shoot of her spring collection.
This is the living room, all the walls have been upholstered in moss green velvet, including the sofa with green leather chairs.

image {Met Home June '08}

The green of the Murano glass brings the outdoors in to this beach inspired living room. Other accent colors include turquoise blue, and brown, all complimenting the mossy green of the chandelier.

image {Chris Barrett}

The only way to bring any space into life is with the use of plants and flowers. It doesn't matter what style or colors you have used greenery, and elements from our natural surrounding, add character, charm, and beauty. I guess that's what makes green such a timeless color.

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Spring is in the air

In less than three weeks it will be spring, and already the sky is bluer, the sun shines brighter, and I'm getting started on spring cleaning. Every year around this time I get the urge to de-cluttered, reorganize, and refresh everything in my life. I start with my closet, and move on to all the closets and cupboards in the house. I also spend much time sole searching and letting go of grudges, and making amends with old friends, I slow down a little to call and catch up with friends and family that I haven't had a chance to recently, because of my hectic schedule and life. Usually by the time spring arrives my home is clean, and organized, with room in the closet for new stuff. My office is also reorganized, goals I had set in January revisited, and plans for the next season under way.

image source

I love spring, it's when nature is reborn, and a time to make a fresh start.

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Violets are blue

Blue is a popular color due to it's versatility, and changeability. It can be bright, sedated, classic, modern, or trendy. It's both liked and disliked by designers, being a cool color, it can actually cool down the room, and if not properly used it can be quite unflattering to the complexion.

Chinese blue and white pottery was a craze in Europe, cobalt blue which was an expensive color to obtain was used to decorate this beautiful pottery, still very fashionable and widely admired

I love the Robin's egg blue tile on the back splash, it helps keep things cool in a hot kitchen

Ice Blue, fresh and youthful and appropriate to this season of cold weather

{ image 1 Horchow., 1image 2&3 Suzanne Kasler, image4 Elle Decor ,}

I like blue. How about you?

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Roses are Red

image source

Red is a color that stimulates, as an accent, red draws the eye like these red murano glass chandeliers.

image source

In this living room designer Kendall Wilkinson has used the color red to help direct attention around the space, from the area rug to the lounge chairs, to the red drapery panels that move the eye up, and make the room appear taller.


Lets not forget the Red Room at the White House. This room has made the color red a classic.


Red and gold tray and dessert plates for serving wonderful chocolate treats on Valentine's day.

image source

Valentine's day is almost here, it's a good day to let all your loved ones know how special they are.

Firoozeh

DesignSchematic

Romance

Even though Valentin's Day is on February 14, it seems the entire month of February is full of love, romance, flowers, chocolate and of cource it is the middle of winter.

image source

Isn't this romantic?

Stay warm,

Firoozeh Khorrami

DesignSchematic

Gray

From cool to warm, light to dark, Gray is a beautiful nuetral that can work well with other neutrals and calms bright colors. I have always loved using it and although I hear it is going to replace brown, I love using gray with brown

image source unknown

All neutrals, except the painting on the wall. There are different shades of gray, beige, and browns in the room this is a sophisticated palette, a palette that can only come together with the trained eyes of a professional designer.

The house below is designed by Jill Brinson and published in House Beautiful December 2009

image source

It's a lovely example of the color gray and how it can work in any style. The color of the cabinets in the dining room, the gray of the wicker chair, the sourond on the bath tub, it makes for a very well thought out palette.

Gray and orange
image source


image source

image source

image source
image source
Gray and Turquoise

image source
Gray and yellow

I can probably write and post 100s of images,

Which one is your favorite?

Firoozeh

DesignSchematic