houzz interior design ideas

Archive for the "furnishings" Category

Allegorical Art Celebrates the Feminine

  When Carol’s daughter grew up and left home, she wanted her daughter’s room to be done over as a guest room that her daughter would still want to enjoy when she came home to visit.  She asked her daughter to choose a new headboard, and when it was in place, Carol felt stymied about […]

I love It When a Plan Comes Together!

The Bauman family recently inherited two magnificent ancestor portraits, which deserve to be prominently displayed in their living room.  Fortunately, when we remodeled their living room four years ago, we added new recessed lighting, even though adding lighting wasn’t on their original list of “must haves.” (See my very first post on this site–put title “Tricks […]

Repurposing Prexy

  Last year I was asked by my alma mater, Reed College, to help with the re-design of the Prexy Building on the college campus.  It was designed in 1914 by the renowned Portland architect, A.E. Doyle, as a home for the college president, hence its name.  The building was subsequently used as a boys’ […]

Chew on This!

It’s not often that I design a room around a dog, but Samoa is a very special dog.  She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog, and it was her chewing behavior as a young dog  that prompted her owners, Sue and Bob Van Brocklin, to ask Emery & Associates to redecorate their family room.  Eventually we worked […]

Combining Households–How to Make It Work

Susan Bach and Doug Egan combined their households some years ago. When they asked Emery & Associates for help redoing the entire house, it was apparent that what they needed help with the most was integrating Susan’s family pieces and whimsical country style with Doug’s more formal, traditional French style.  We began in the TV […]

Redesign–What does it mean?

Emery &  Associates did a major remodel of a client’s living room fireplace several years ago (see my previous post  “Hot New Looks for Old Fireplaces,” February 24, 2011).  The clients liked the remodeled fireplace so much that this year they rearranged their furniture so that the sofa faces the fireplace, which has become the […]

Always Sunny in Portland, Oregon

  Yes, I’m kidding.  But even on  dark and rainy days the mood in this room is sunny and warm, like a day in Provence.  When we first started talking about what kind of changes they wanted in their home, Sue and Bob Van Brocklin let me know their color and style preferences, and we […]

Winter White–A Budget Makeover

When it comes to interior design, most people think of me as a colorist.  Fact is, I think of myself that way.  But recently we needed to replace the flooring in our guest room, which is on the lower level of our home.  After consulting with my good friend, interior designer Jamie Devlin, who works […]

High Summer Dining–Bon Appetit!

My clients are having some friends over for dinner tomorrow evening, and I told them I’d bring the flowers for the table since the room is now completed and I wanted to photograph it.   The hostess is using her mother’s Spode china (“Buttercup”), and her own coral red place mats and napkins.  This space […]

Outdoor Rooms and Fresh Looks for Summer

Now that summer is officially here, how about a few ideas to freshen up your home for the season?  One of the easiest ways is to add garden flowers–if you don’t grow your own, you can stop off at your local farmers’ market for a large bouquet for just a few dollars. Another idea is […]

houzz interior design ideas