Luna Faucet

Luna Faucet via Meade Design

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver. Here we write about lifestyle

and WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.

2012 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Patricia Gray Shaw TV Interview

Patricia Gray Shaw TV Interview 

What a week we had. Last Friday I was contacted by Shaw TV to be featured on a segment on their Dream Homes show. Tuesday morning Shaw TV showed up with camera crew and shot for three and a half hours to get approximately four minutes of air time. Although it was quite exhausting with many retakes it was a lot of fun and the weather that day was perfect. Here is the link for the preview of the segment as it aired on Shaw TV Channel 4 yesterday. There will be a another segment airing next week. Stay tuned!!!

YouTube link Patricia Gray Shaw TV Interview 

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver. Here we write about lifestyle

and WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.

2012 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Let There Be Light

Have fun with accent lighting. Finding just the right lighting is one of the most difficult things for me as an interior designer, but when it happens it is magic. I think of the room as the perfect little black dress with the perfect cut, the one that dresses up or down according to the occasion, and the perfect lighting fixture is the jewelry that finishes off and compliments the little black dress.

I have written an article for West Coast Homes and Design, a supplement in the Vancouver Sun Newspaper,on how the right lighting is one of the most important aspects in achieving atmosphere in a home. Lighting is a discipline all to itself and often is one of the most important parts of an interior. Bad lighting can ruin a good interior: good lighting can almost salvage a bad one. For example….. (more)

In kitchens it is particularly important to get the lighting right as food preparation along with the eating and social aspects that go on in this room are a vital part of our lives and involve all of our senses. Kitchens need to be well lit with good overall ambient lighting and task lighting over islands and countertops. Add a little fun and pizazz with accent lighting as I did over this island.


Lighting in a bathroom and bedroom needs to make you feel refreshed and energetic in the morning, ready to face the challenges of the day ahead, but at night should engender a feeling of relaxation and harmony. In a bathroom, good lighting for putting on make-up should come evenly from either side of the mirror so shadows are not cast on the face. The rest of the room needs to be lit evenly from overhead, but be careful of placing recessed pot lights that are directly over your head when standing in front of a mirror or else you will have shadows under your eyes. I put the lights for the make-up lights and the overhead lights on different switches to further enhance the options to create different moods.

Left: Wall mounted LED swing-arm lamps were used in this bedroom for task light.
Right: Candles can add to the mood and ambience in a room and make a dramatic statement.
Click on the PDF icon to read the whole article

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver. Here we write about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2012 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Highlights from Paris - My Paris Restaurants

 

Café Campana at the Musée d'Orsay Paris

After an inspiring stroll through the new Impressionist Gallery on Level 5 of the Musée d'Orsay you arrive at the breath taking new new Pavilion Amont, the station's former engine house, and the Café Campana with futuristic décor by the Brazilian Campana Brothers. It is a provocative jumble of orange twisted coated wire fencing, sea anemone chairs by Edra, gold laser-cut lampshades resembling bells and the magnificent station clock as the focal point. This restaurant/cafe is not to be missed on a trip to Paris! Make sure that you sit facing the clock as you can actually see the hands moving and you have a beautiful view of the city of Paris. I had the most delicious salad – Comme une Niçoise with heart of cos lettuce, cherry tomato, anchovy filet, potato, tuna, hard-boiled egg and olives. See the menu here.

Cafe Flottes, 2 rue Cambon Paris

I fell in love with this Paris restaurant. It was close to my Hotel and it is on the same block as Chanel’s original store at 31 rue Cambon. Flottes serves the best home cooked French food in a casual atmosphere, and it is a favourite with the local Parisians; and rightly so. The atmosphere is bustling and friendly and the food is

  
simple, robust and excellent. I ate there three nights in a row and every night I had a glass of their Bordeaux wine with the special of the day followed by desert and an espresso of course. I had, respectively, the Beef bourguignon, Confit de canard, Piece de boeuf de Salers with béarnaise sauce and frites. For desert I had, two nights in a row because it was so good, tarte des demoiselles Tatin with crème fraîche - an  upside down caramelized apple tart. I wish I had taken pictures of my food but I was too busy eating it. You can see the menu here. They also have a cookbook which I wanted to buy but my suitcase was already full. A nice touch to the restaurant is that Mademoiselle Flottes was bustling around the restaurant all three nights I ate there.

The seafood bar at Flottes restaurant in Paris is on the sidewalk and you can watch the seafood platters being prepared the as you walk by.

Flottes restaurant cookbook features the dishes they serve at the restaurant that have made them a favourite with the local Parisians.

Le Grand Colbert, 2 rue Vivienne Paris

On my visit to Paris I wanted to eat at Le Grand Colbert in Paris because of the history of the restaurant dating back to 1637, and the name taken from Louis XIV’s finance minister, a man well versed in cuisine, and also because my girlfriend had her wedding dinner at this restaurant….and if that is not enough, it is Le Grand Colbert restaurant is in the movie with Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, and Jack Nicholson – Something’s Gotta Give. Well the food was not the best I had eaten in Paris, but I ended up having a great time, as I spent the evening in conversation with the German couple sitting next to me who were in Paris for the Chanel haute couture fashion show at the Grand Palais that very day. They have been haute couture customers of Chanel’s for quite a few years and get an invitation to the show twice a year, as well as going to the famous Chanel workroom on 31 rue Cambon the day after the show to choose the pieces from the collection that will be custom made to measure for Mademoiselle. I found myself living vicariously through them; their telling me about the show, the background of haute couture, the goings on behind the scenes, etc. The show this year (I don’t know how Karl Lagerfeld does it) tops all other shows. It was set in an airplane and there were two shows back to back – one for the haute couture customers (of which there are merely 200 in the whole world) and the other show for the press. You never know who will be sitting beside you when you dine in Paris. You can download an app to your iPhone or iPad of the fashion show here. Oh, and Mademoiselle has promised to send me photos when her haute couture gowns arrive!

 
At Le Grand Colbert restaurant in Paris I had Belle Sole “meunière style” and for desert traditional French Crêpe Suzette flambéed with Grand Mariner.

Au 35, 35 Rue Jacob

The restaurant Au 35, was recommended to me by the concierge at my Hotel at the last minute. I asked for something simple and easy as it was my last evening in Paris. Au 35 was a 5 minute walk from my Hotel. When I walked into Au 35 I instantly felt good about the place.  It was cozy and authentic, and featured delicious French food made with the freshest ingredients. The entree I had was probably one of the best seafood dishes I have ever tasted, and I mean seriously, it was superb. It was a piece of local white fish on a bed of the most delicious tasting potatoes. It is one of those dishes I will dream of at night and when I think of it, I will be transported back in time to that moment in Paris. My entree was listed on the chalkboard menu as: Filet de julienne à la pomme de terre ceraxi. For desert I had crème brûlée with salted butter fudge – yumm!

Filet de julienne à la pomme de terre ceraxi at Au 35 restaurant in Paris

 
Au 35 restaurant Paris

Au Sauvignon, 80 Rue des Saints-Pères

This wine bar, Au Sauvignon, was recommended by the concierge at my Hotel. He says it is a place that he likes to go to with his friends for a drink before dinner of going to the theatre. It is one of he busiest and most chic spots in Paris, thanks to its location in the heart of the Left Bank, nestled among small designer boutiques and art galleries, just a stone's throw away from Au Bon Marché and across the street from Hermes’ newest store. The specialties are its tartines, or open-faced sandwiches made from pain poilâne and a single page of the compact menu and offers whites, reds and a few rosés, either by the glass or bottle.

 
Au Sauvignon Wine Bar Paris staircase

A steep staircase leading up to the restrooms at Au Sauvignon displays a clutter of posters celebrating the arrival of new vintages of Beaujolais, cartoon, caricatures, and paintings of Paris, including one of the bar itself. Amongst all this it’s easy to miss an inconspicuous hanging metal sign displaying the maxim “Le prix attire la clientele, la qualité seule la retient” – The price attracts the customer; only the quality brings them back.

If you have had the pleasure of eating at any of these Paris restaurants, please let me know your experience by leaving a comment here.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver. Here we write about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2012 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Highlights from Paris - Maison et Objet 2012

I have just returned from Paris where I attended Maison et Objet. Maison et Objet is Europe's biggest décor show where I got the first look at the products, colours, and styles that will set the trends for the world for 2012 in interior design. 

      
The Spanish furniture Company Baltus regards the creation of a piece of furniture as a work of art. They create avant-garde pieces with simple geometric shapes in amazing lacquer finishes. Maison et Objet 2012

        A new line of bedding from Diane von Furstenberg. Maison et Objet 2012

Missioni - bright, colourful, and fun! Maison et Objet 2012

Ideel Contemporary Furniture incorporates salvaged antique teak ceiling beams and posts from Indian architecture into unique furniture pieces. Maison et Objet 2012 

An coffee table from Fendi that is lit with battery powered LED lights. Maison et Objet 2012

A TV incorporated into a mirror in the Fendi showroom. Maison et Objet 2012

Charlotte Moss and me at a presentation of her new line of fabrics for Fabricut. Maison et Objet 2012

A show stopping display by the Italian stone company, Antolini Luigi. The models were painted to blend into the slabs of granite and marble. Very evocative and very Italian! Maison et Objet 2012

   
Lighting by the German Company Anthologie Quartett. Maison et Objet 2012

I wish Kitchen Aid would offer sleek products like this for the North American market. Maison et Objet 2012

Hay Shop from Denmark – a climbing wall of towel rings. Maison et Objet 2012

 
Designed by the French designer David Turpin this contemporary styled Bluetooth handset has an integrated iPhone charging dock. Check out their web-site as they have some very innovative products. Native Union Maison et Objet 2012

From Tokyo porcelain cups by Ken Noborumurata. Maison et Objet 2012

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver. Here we write about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2012 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

5 iPad Apps for Interior Design

I got a new iPad this summer as a gift from dear clients on the completion  of their  home and it has changed my life and the way I do business. No longer do I have to carry around my laptop – the iPad does every thing  for me and more when I am out of the office that I used to bring my laptop for. With some clever apps I have a virtual box in my hands. These are some of the iPad Apps I am using that are proving to be indispensable:

1. Dropbox is a service that lets you bring all your photos, documents, and videos with you. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your iPhone and iPad. With the Dropbox app you can take everything that matters to you on the go. It is very easy to use – you just drag the file you want to transfer into the Dropbox folder on your computer and it almost instantly shows up on your iPad. Magic! You can share folders on line by giving others access by email. I have used it recently to transfer photos and drawings to a client and my contractor. It saves sending numerous emails and you can send high resolution images seamlessly.

2. Evernote turns your iPad into an extension of your brain, helping you remember anything and everything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, you put it all into Evernote and it instantly synchronizes  between all your devices – iPad, iPhone and Mac or Windows desktop. No more having to plug your devices into each other.

3. iBooks is an Apple app that comes on your iPad. You can read books on it much like Kindle, but what I really use it for in business is downloading PDF documents such as CAD drawings, specifications, manuals etc. What makes the iPad so unique is that you can enlarge just the areas you want to see by dragging your fingers over the screen – it works like a magnifying glass. I recently downloaded the PDF of my camera & lens manual and it is now always with me.

4. Flipboard was named Apple’s iPad app of the year and rightly so. It is a fast, beautiful way to flip through the news, photos, videos and updates on social media sites. It is now my preferred way of bookmaking and browsing my favourite websites.

5. Microsoft Tag lets you instantly connect to a whole new world of information. there is not need to type long URLs, you simply scan the Tag. Microsoft Tag multicolored barcodes transform traditional marketing, such as print advertising, packaging, LDC displays etc. into live links that immediately access info, videos, and other material online.

*Best of all Dropbox, Evernote, iBooks, Flipboard and Microsoft Tag are all free iPad Apps
Check out my Post on 5 iPhone Apps for Interior Design

Please let me know what iPad Apps you have found helpful by leaving a comment here.

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm in Vancouver writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Dreaming of Summer

Summer is just around the corner – or is this wishful thinking on my part? At this time of year my thoughts turn to thinking of summer and imagining the warmth and taking time to relax outside. So my attention was rightfully piqued when I saw these beautiful pieces of furniture. I always look for a theme when I am captivated by images, and these pieces have canopies over them, thereby eliminating the need for an umbrella. I like the fact in design that ‘form follows function’ and especially when function can be made inherently beautiful.  In other words these loungers are self-contained and functionally-integrated escapes from the sun.

 Hemisphere Lounge Chairs,Cocktail and Side Tables, Orbit with Canopy - Richard Frinier for Dedon

  
Daydream Daybeds, Cocktail and Side Tables - Richard Frinier for Dedon

I can just imagine sitting in the warmth in these beautifully designed and functionally-integrated pieces of furniture.
What about you? Are you dreaming about summer?

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, lifestyle, and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

5 iPhone Apps for Interior Design

I got a new iPhone in December and I have been getting familiar with iPhone Apps. These applications or Apps (for short) are wonderful software programs that are installed directly on the screen of your iPhone - most are free to download, or have a nominally small fee.

These are the iPhone Apps that I have downloaded so far that are proving to be very helpful:

1. Flashlight iPhone App - This App fills the screen of your iPhone with bright white illuminating light. I used it on a job-site last week to look behind a wall to check the position of the gas line in a kitchen renovation. I will also have it handy next time I am in a dimly lit restaurant and can't read the menu!

2. iHandy Level iPhone App - very handy for leveling pictures on the wall, checking that a table is level, etc.

3. Digital Mag iPhone App - great for magnifying those hard to read dimensions on floor plans....also works great to read small print disclaimers, menus, etc.

4. Ben Color Capture iPhone App - I love this one. You take a picture with your iPhone and it matches it up with the exact Benjamin Moore paint color.

5. MacBox Units iPhone App - Units is a really useful app for the iPhone that lets you easily convert from various units into lots of others. Units can convert Area, Currency, Energy, Temperature, Time, Length, Weight, Speed, Pressure, Power, and Volume. As an added bonus Units also has a built in ruler, for doing small, quick measurements when the need arises.

*Best of all Flashlight, IHandy, Digital Mag, Ben Color Capture, and Units are all free iPhone Apps

Please let me know what iPhone Apps you have found helpful by leaving a comment here.
Comments

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Whats Hot? Fuego Outdoor Living Grill

I am in the process of designing an outdoor patio for clients. It is a challenging project as well as being very exacting, with a lot of technical details to take into consideration (gas lines, water lines, electrical panel load limits, permit approvals, etc), before I can even start on the ‘pretty stuff.’ This outdoor patio is on the roof of a penthouse, with a spectacular view of the ocean, mountains, and city of Vancouver. It is a breathtaking 130 feet in length, and is probably larger than most people’s back yards. 

Every once in awhile I come across a new and innovatively designed product that causes me to stop and take notice, and with a sigh of relief, that I have found an esthetically pleasing alternative to a category of product design that generally leaves my visual sensibilities assaulted. Finally an outdoor grill (notice that it is not referred to as a BBQ - ‘Grill’ is the operative new terminology), that shakes up tradition, and is beautiful to look at. “A campfire for modernists,” “a social magnet with a great sense of style.” Attaching a label to this Fuego outdoor living grill is trickier than throwing a salmon – wild, rubbed with herbs and spices – on an open flame. As well as Fuego being a top rated grill, it has a modernist design aesthetic with sleek-lined minimalism. One that I wouldn’t mind gracing my clients’ patio.

 
Fuego Catalogue

 
Fuego Grill 01

What do you think?  Would you like to have this Fuego grill gracing your patio?
I’ll take the pool!

PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™