Without even seeing the rest of the house, we can probably guess how it will unfold. Because the homeowner, actress Diane Keaton, took a theme and ran with it. With the help of interior designer Stephen Shadley, Keaton’s Spanish Colonial home in Beverly Hills, California turned into an exquisite example of tasteful “flow through.”  In the loggia above we see brick colored floor tiles, white plaster walls, dark wood beams, vintage Spanish style furniture, amber and iron lanterns, and arches galore. Well, guess what the rest of the house contains? Yes, you’re right! The same theme is repeated in a beautiful variety of ways from room to room. Let’s take a look.

We are gazing through three arches here. Standing outside the office, we look over it’s tile table, through the central courtyard, and into the loggia on the far side. Careful attention was paid to creating the longest possible view. Notice how the painting is centered on the very farthest wall. This is a great technique to engage in your own interior design, regardless of the style. As you move from room to room, pause for a moment and see what your eye takes in. When it doesn’t disturb the flow of traffic, adjust the placement of your furniture to create a pleasing composition from each viewpoint. This attention to detail can turn a good house into a great house.

Monumental arched front doors open directly into an entry which is cleverly used as a library lined with Keaton’s extensive collection of architecture and photography books. Surrounding the border of the shelves is the boldly painted motto “The Eye Sees What the Mind Knows.” Tile floor, darkened wood, and an drum shaped rustic amber pendant lamp repeat the theme and carry through the finishes with consistency.

The kitchen is a lighter brighter room, featuring a pair of wonderful inverted lampshade fixtures in stitched parchment. I love the oversized cactus in terra cotta pots. Exagerated scale adds quirky drama to a space. Imagine if the cactus were only half the size…..ho hum, right?

Another great addition to a space is a collection of something…almost anything will work to entertain us. In this case, vintage dishes in bright colors make delicous eye candy.

This is a well planned, inviting living room. In such a large impressive home, the fireplace might have been cavernous and overdone. But, instead, it’s very plain. A simple arch of bricks with a brick hearth makes a modest historically accurate statement. The sofas are actually vintage Monterey pieces. The painting on the far wall is William Ritschel’s 1912 Desert Wanderers.


It’s always fascinating to see the exterior of a house after viewing the interior rooms. This one looks like a big old Spanish mission at festival time.  Spanish Colonial Revival is one of the most ubiquitous and charming architectural styles in southern California. It is repeated everywhere and in all variations from tiny cottages to enormous mansions. They are easy to spot because of the trademark red tile roofs with (usually) white stucco walls, arches, wrought iron grates, center courtyards, terra cotta tile floors, cactus and bouganvilea. And if they are lucky houses, they will have an owner who treasures them.

Photographs by Scott Frances from Architectural Digest / November 2008

Is it possible to make a small space seem large? To visually double it’s size? Yes. Absolutely! Most of us know that this challenge can be met by simply choosing the right colors, the right furniture and the right furniture arrangement but….it’s so hard to actually pull it off. You are about to see a textbook perfect example of how to make a small space appear large. 

This Soho (New York) pied-a-terre is a long shoe-box of a place measuring only 20 feet at its widest point by 100 feet long with three windows along the street side, and no other exposures. Intruding on that space is a stairwell and elevator shaft. Bottom line…this is less than 2000 square feet. But by the time interior designer Martin Raffone finished working his magic, the place appears to be much much bigger.

Painting the entire space white, including the ceilings and exposed pipes, was a great place to start. White brings light into darkness. Choosing contemporary furnishings was another brilliant choice. The sofa is sleek and deep. If you are looking for a reasonably priced contemporary sofa like this one you might want to check out the Mezzo sofa from Bo Concept. Could the table pictured above be any more minimal and linear? How about the plain (but beautiful) unembellished kitchen cabinets? Every element is distilled to its most simple form.

Notice that there is no clutter at all. (Can we actually live like that? ….well, maybe for the photo shoot). The only real pattern in in the room is the horizontal poplar plank wainscoting which cleverly encloses the seating area as a space divider. Fabrics and upholstered pieces are all solid colors giving the eye a chance to rest. Ah-h-h….rest.

Like we were saying….rest the eye. There’s no need to fill every nook and cranny with “stuff.” Using negative space as a design element is a clever way to create the illusion of large-ness. This fabulous bentwood chair is by Marc Newson.

More empty space with an exposed brick wall painted white. Again…no clutter. It’s elegantly simple.

Another “trick” that expands this space is the neutral color palette. White, black and various shades of tan and taupe. There is nothing loud and busy here. I feel calm and peaceful looking at this sleeping nook and bath. The floor is an ebonized maple. Very sophisticated.

The floor of this master bath is oiled recycled cypress and it extends into the shower with 1/4 inch gaps allowing for drainage. Wherever a flooring material can continue without a break, space will look bigger. In this instance, it is functional as well. The neutral colored mosaic tiles extend floor to ceiling making an interesting quiet little pattern.

The master bedroom continues the minimal theme so beautifully. Although I love the great Luc Ramael table lamp, here’s an alternative lamp that might do just as well for less money.

How do you make a small space feel spacious? Do it with authority! Paint it all white. Carefully place a few pieces of contemporary furniture within (leaving much of it empty). Clear out the clutter. If you aim for that and miss by a little bit, you might still love the results.

Photographs from Interior Design magazine / September 2008

Who would ever guess that old spoons, used ten penny nails, bits of well worn leather shoes, discarded tractor parts and unearthed soda cans can come together into a most enchanting work of art? Seattle artist Don Charles has a remarkable gift for seeing the future in certain everyday items that attract his fancy…..items that we might send to the trash bin. To give you an idea of the scale, most of this artist’s pieces are approximatley 24″ to 48″ tall. As you scroll down, imagine what an intriguing focal point could be created in any interior design situation.

The dynamic sculpture above is called “Wind Shear.” It is one of a kind, as are all of this artist’s pieces. The face, arms and legs are hand carved out of yellow cedar and painted to capture the feeling of a pantomime street player. The boots and straps and retro style helmet are from leather. The platform is a tightly packed bed of nails. I can feel the excitement as this figure tries to catch the wind with his hand crafted wings. As well, I can feel the fear of falling into the abyss. A metaphor for life….perhaps?

Here’s “The Walrus” which measures 55″ x 45″ x 16″, to give you an idea of the scale of these pieces. The artist has most recently become fascinated with animal images which will be featured at his one man show at Patricia Rovzar Gallery in Seattle, Washington. November 6 through December 12, 2008. There will be rhinos, sheep, yaks, birds and more - all portrayed in Don Charles’ matchless style. Following are “Rhino” and “Songbird”……..
                                                                  

Is the artist creating an image of himself?  Sculpting a bust with the most extraordinary rams horns. The large and small metal wheels at the base add an antique charm to the piece. Entitled “The Sculptor” this piece stands 42″ tall and sold for $13,000.

Notice the sculptor’s clothing made up of antiqued leather strips attached with burnished nails.

Horses are a favorite theme. Here is “The Outrider” measuring 33″ x 18″ x 38″. $10,5000

“The Favorite” measures 27″ x 33″ x 16″. $8,500

Biographical Notes: Don Charles graduated with honors from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (this is also where I received part of my art training, although Charles had a much more impressive academic career than I did). He spent the majority of his “working” life at Boeing where he rose to become Director of Worldwide Advertising and Promotion. About ten years ago he decided to leave his corporate life behind and devote his time to the creation of these enchanting and whimsical sculptural visions. Is his work in demand? Absolutely! And I have just the spot for one of them in the front entry of my home.