Wednesday, July 8

Rammed Earth Walls

I recently returned from a road trip through the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. The Okanagan Valley is the home to a budding Wine Industry. I was pleasantly surprised with our stop in Osoyoss to visit The Nk'Mip Winery and Resort. NK’MIP Winery Resort is a four-season aboriginal tourism resort destination that features deluxe accommodation and visitor experiences including an award-winning winery, gourmet dining, desert golf, a cultural centre and full-service spa

It was a feast for my eyes to view the wall of the Cultural Center from the parking lot at Nk'Mip Winery. I was struck by the beauty of this facade that looked like a giant slab of the most sumptuous marble. On closer inspection and inquiry I was informed it was a "Rammed Earth Wall".

Rammed Earth Wall NK'MIP Winery Osoyoos Rammed Earth Wall NK'MIP Winery Osoyoos
Rammed Earth Wall at
Nk'Mip Winery and Resort

(above left) Notice how thick this wall of rammed earth is - approximately 20% thicker than standard concrete walls.
(above right) The rammed earth walls are formed in layers of approximately 6" thick , which gives this beautiful horizontal variegation resembling quarried marble.

Rammed earth, also known as pise de terre or simply pise, is a type of construction material. Pise de terre walls are an ancient building method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods. Traditionally, rammed earth wall buildings or pise de terre wall buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply.

The basic recipe for rammed earth walls starts and ends with plain old dirt.

RECIPE FOR RAMMED EARTH WALL
Soil - about 5 litres
Water - about half a litre
Cement - 10 percent
Pigment - 1 percent (about 1 tablespoon)

The mixture for rammed earth walls is compacted in layers between forms. Each layer of the rammed earth wall is approximately 6 inches deep. As each form is filled, another form is placed above it, and the process begins again. This is continued until the desired rammed earth wall height is achieved. Forms can be stripped off as soon as the form above is begun, as the compressed rammed earth wall is self-supporting immediately. Most rammed earth wall builders use pneumatic rammers to compact the earth within the forms.

Rammed Earth Wall NK'MIP Winery Osoyoos
Deep inset Window detail in Rammed Earth Wall Nk'Mip Winery. My Dad and me.

Some interesting facts about Rammed Earth Walls and Rammed Earth Construction:

  • Rammed earth walls are 20 percent thicker than most concrete walls so it is better insulating against heat and cold.
  • Rammed earth walls improve Indoor Air Quality because of the simple finish of exposed rammed earth walls have no toxic finishes.
  • Rammed earth walls are so solid that they boast superb acoustics and rank with the best in terms of fire resistance.
  • Because rammed earth walls don't rely on wood the structure will never rot, nor will it be host to carpenter ants or termites.
  • Rammed earth walls evolved in hot dry climates, where wood is too rare and precious to be used as a building material.
  • Rammed earth walls have been the standard in house construction in Southern Europe and the Middle East since biblical times.
    Rammed Earth Walls - Great Wall of China Great Wall of China - Rammed Earth Wall construction

  • None other than the Great Wall of China, or at least most of it was built of rammed earth wall construction.

    Does anyone know why it is called Rammed Earth?

    Rammed Earth Wall Construction
    Rammed Earth Wall Construction in Residential Bathroom with a Stump window made from base of tree that was growing on the house site.

    Rammed Earth Wall Construction
    Iron oxide layers have been added to this rammed earth wall in sedimentary layers with inset of abalone.
    Above 2 photos Terra Firma Builders

    Rammed Earth Walls Rammed Earth Walls Construction
    The Rammed Earth House Book available at Amazon - details the construction of building homes with Rammed Earth Wall construction techniques.

Additional Resources on Rammed Earth Wall Construction
Wikipedia Rammed Earth Walls Construction
Terra Firma Rammed Earth Builders / Why Rammed Earth Walls in Construction?
Walls of Earth Rammed Earth Walls
DIY Rammed Earth Wall Construction
Mk'Mip Winery and Resort

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia
Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Thursday, June 18

Mixed Media Painting Techniques, Frottage and Grattage

Frottage 1 - 24" x 36" Mixed Media Painting: Pastel, Acrylic, Gesso on Glassine

For this summer's program of continuing education (last summer I studied Architecture in Italy), I have embarked on a course in 'Mixed Media Painting Techniques' at Emily Carr University of Art. The course teaches the process of image-making on built surfaces and works with a range of materials such as gesso, plaster, paint, ink, charcoal, and various papers. I am learning to explore 'expression and emotion' through layering, drawing, brushwork, Frottage and Grattage following in the footsteps of the greats in mixed media painting like: Max Ernst, Mark Rothko, and Paul Klee. I particularly like my teacher, Diana Kubicek's style of teaching. She teaches us to explore the various techniques fearlessly and says repeatedly there are "no mistakes"in painting. As a matter of fact "mistakes can be the building block of a great masterpiece". I like that!

I have always been interested in drawing and sketching since my days in Design School, but find that I never have the time to take a brush to paper and do larger abstract paintings and works of art. So this course is a perfect opportunity to allow myself the freedom to explore different mixed media painting techniques.

The last class we spent exploring the technique of Frottage (from French frotter, "to rub") a surrealist and "automatic" method of creative production. Frottage was developed by Max Ernst.

Frottage 2  - 8
Frottage 2 - 18" x 24" Mixed Media Painting: Ink, Acrylic & Pastel on Paper

In frottage painting the artist takes a pencil or other drawing tool and makes a "rubbing" over a textured surface. The frottage drawing can be left as is or used as the basis for further refinement (which we are supposed to do for homework with the pieces we created in this class). While this technique is superficially similar to brass rubbing and other forms of rubbing intended to reproduce an existing subject, frottage painting differs in being aleatoric and occurring by chance.

Frottage was developed by Max Ernst in 1925. Ernst was inspired by an ancient wooden floor where the grain of the planks had been accentuated by many years of scrubbing. The patterns of the graining suggested strange images to him. He captured these by laying sheets of paper on the floor and then rubbing over them with a soft pencil.

In my Frottage Paintings 1, 2 and 4 the textured surface that I used to make the Frotage rubbing was a bamboo mat, string, and screen. In Frottage Painting 3, I did the rubbing over a Gessoed canvas that was prepared with the free form focus on the bark of a tree. As I was doing Frottage Painting 3, rubbing on the Gessoed canvas, it slowly evolved to resemble a Japanese mountain landscape with a waterfall collecting into a pool at the base of the mountain. Our teacher guided us in exploring this technique in creating our Frottage paintings which is based on Surrealist automatism*.

*Automatism is a surrealist technique in painting, practiced without conscious aesthetic or moral self-censorship. Automatism has taken on many forms: the automatic painting and drawing initially (and still to this day) practiced by surrealists can be compared to similar, or perhaps parallel phenomena, such as the non-idiomatic improvisation of free jazz.

Frottage 3 - 18
Frottage Painting 3 - 18" x 24" Pastel on tracing paper

Frottage 4 - 12
Frottage Painting 4 - 12" x 18" Mixed Media Painting: Acrylic & Gesso on paper

In the first class we explored the technique of mixed media painting starting with a base of Gesso.
11
Study 1 - 11" x 14" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso, Acrylic and Watercolor on Card Stock

Gesso is an art supply used as surface preparation or primer for painting and sculpting. Gesso is believed to have been developed in Italy, since the word gesso is Italian for 'chalk'. Preparation varies according to intended use, but usually consists of mixing glue with plaster, chalk, or gypsum. (Gesso is the perfect base for starting a mixed media painting.)

Gesso resembles paint, but is thinner and dries hard. Gesso is applied with a brush and must dry before the surface can be painted. This technique of applying Gesso was first created for use in painting, in order to give the surface the right properties to receive paint. In Gothic and Renaissance panel painting, the technique of applying gesso over a panel of wood was used in order to give the paint something to adhere to. It created a slightly rough surface and prevented the paint from seeping into the wood.

We were taught to apply the Gesso to our surface of our mixed media painting with a palette knife using broad strokes to building up the surface. Then various tools are used to create the textures. In Study 1 I used a metal clay sculpting tool with a comb like ridge to scrape across the wet Gesso. I then used the edge of my pallet knife to scrape in the diagonal ridges, then finished off with blotting areas with a sponge. I let the piece dry and then applied watercolor and acrylic in layers to the painting, while at the same time using a roller to take off the excess wet color on the surface so that the paint pigment settled into the crevices of the Gesso. I used the side of my palette knife to scrape off the raised portions of the diagonal lines to reveal the white Gesso below - a technique called Grattage*. Also the Gesso doesn't extend to the edge of the paper and gives it an interesting border.

*Grattage
is a surrealist technique in mixed media painting in which (usually dry) paint is scraped off the canvas. It was employed by
Max Ernst and Joan MirĂ³

Detail of  11
Detail of Mixed Media Painting Technique: Study 1 above.
10
Study 2 - 10" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Masking Tape, Gesso and Watercolor on Glass

7
Study 3 - 7" x 10" Mixed Media Painting Technique: Gesso and Watercolor on Paper

Emily Carr University of Art  - Patricia Gray

What are your plans for this summer?
Have you had any experience with Mixed Media Painting, Frottage or Grattage or other Mixed Media techniques?
Please let me know by leaving a Comment
.

Another post you might be interested in:
Abstract Art - Go Big or Go Home
Abstract Art Slide Show

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia
Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Tuesday, June 16

The Best Garden Pathways





This is the time of the year, summer, glorious summer to spend time outdoors. Renew, refresh, get inspired. Visit your favorite garden or park, or dream about making your garden a little more special. I love gardens with pathways that invite exploration. Gardens that make you want to meander, to spend time and to contemplate the finer things of life. I love all the different colors of green in gardens. You don't necessarily have to have color in flowers to make a garden pop. Try different textures, shapes, and colors of greens. A well placed statue or urn gives the eye a place to focus and center on. A water feature can add a cooling element, and a splashing fountain can be a calming and soothing to the soul. Well designed gardens with meandering pathways with well placed plantings and focal points are truly works of art using nature as the canvas.

veranda veranda

Smell the lavender as you walk down the gravel path (right picture) to the fountain with
lily pads awaiting you. I imagine that this pool is filled with Koi and that there is a bench or comfortable seating on the other side to sit and contemplate.

veranda

What a feat of design this elliptical planting between the slate pavers is.
A well placed statue draws you to the end of this pathway.

veranda
Still there are moments when the shadows fall
And the low sea of flowers, wave on wave,
spreads to the pathway from the rosy wall
Saying in coloured silence, "Take our all;
You gave to us, and back to you we gave.
Vita Sackville-West

This beautiful arbor is supported by a brick wall. It reminds me of the gardens that English poet and novelist, Vita Sackville-West created at Sissinghurst Castle Garden. In April 1930 Vita Sackville-West and her son, Nigel, were looking for an old house where she could make a new garden. Vita fell in love with Sissinghurst Castle and bought it, along with 400 acres of farmland. She spent the next 30 years planting and designing the layout of the garden using the walls & buildings already in place. She was also the first to plant an "all-white garden" because she wanted the color of the flowers and foliage to act as an illuminating factor to prolong the daylight hours and hence to be able to extend the time she could spend in the garden. I spent a delightful summer, several years ago, reading her book: Garden. The gardens at Sissinghurst that Vita so lovingly created, are now part of the National trust and are open for public viewing.

villa san michele
Villa San Michele, Capri
The house was small, the rooms were few
but there were loggias, terraces, and pergolas
all around it to watch the sun, the sea
and the clouds -- the soul needs more space than the body.

Reading this poem just makes me sigh and relax. It is so true that "the soul needs more space than the body" and how wonderful to recharge by spending time strolling under this pergola and hearing the soft crunch of the pea gravel under your feet - A thing of beauty is a joy forever! Excerpt by Axel Munthe from La Strada della Dolce Vita
veranda5 davidduncanlivingston photographerveranda7 veranda4
The best garden pathways can be the simplest, like this cut grass pathway (left).

courtyard
I love the use of old brick for garden pathways. Old brick has a character and charm that is hard to duplicate with new materials.

michael van valkenburgh associates1
Garden on Turtle Creek, Dallas TX, (photo above and below) was designed by renowned Landscape Architects, Michael van Valkenburgh.
The backbone of the garden is a continuous path of varied walking surfaces and garden pathways that flow from the house down the slope.
The meandering stainless steel planks are hollow underfoot altering the pace of the walk through the garden.
A brilliant juxtaposition of materials!

michael van valkenburgh associates

Versailles

And who is not in love with the beautiful gardens at Versailles. The French really take their strolling in garden pathways seriously!

Some of my most memorable and refreshing times have been spent in gardens walking their beautiful pathways while taking
in the sights and smells around me.

What makes a perfect garden pathway for you?
Please leave a comment and let me know.



Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Monday, June 1

Patio Furniture Deluxe

Why is well designed outdoor furniture so hard to come by????????? Everywhere I look I am visually assaulted by poorly designed and equally stinky, (as in smell) off-gassing furniture manufactured in China. I have through diligent searching found some truly amazing, beautiful to look at, and environmentally friendly outdoor furniture that is not manufactured in China. FYI Knoll practices Sustainable Design. All Knoll Space seating is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® for low-emitting products.

First the UGLY........

0080659970375_150X150 0080659908726_500X500
image

Okay that's enough of that, now for the sublime...................

image

These chairs are so beautiful and sculptural and are appropriately call "The Clover Chair"

knoll bertoria chair & paper clip table

A truly classic and timeless design by Knoll - the Bertoria Chair and
the appropriately named Paperclip Table

bertoria chair
I am partial to the Bertoria chair in white powder coated finish with a white vinyl chair pad.
It also works equally well indoors.

one cafe phillipe starcki
This is a design by the prolific Philippe Starck called One Cafe

one cafe stool one cafe stool slipcovered
The One Cafe also comes in black/ivory and a bar stool is available
with slip cover options in white cotton.

dr no chair phillipe starck for kartell

Another design by Philippe Starck called Dr No by Kartell is stackable.
The Dr Na aluminum table is practical, simple and a perfect companion piece.

lord yo chair

The Lord Yo Chair (above) designed by Philippe Starck, is a take-off on the classic Lloyd Loom chair.
I like the cotton slipcover. They also come with Leather Slipcovers so you can take them
indoors in the winter for an attractive addition to your kitchen or dining room.

Knoll Noguchi Cyclone Table kissi-kissi table driade designer miki astoria driade one cafe table by philippe starck

Knoll Noguchi Cyclone Table Kissi-Kissi Table One Cafe Table

bo chair miss lacy by philippe starck toy chair phillipe starck

Bo Chair Miss Lacy Chair Toy Chair

Now for a few divine settings to get you in the mood for those lazy, hazy days of summer

Patio Furniture Deluxe
martha stewart living
gasl outdoor rooms
Mary McGee
House Beautiful
gramercy park hotel
Michael Taylor
kettal spain
kettal spain
kettal spain
kettal spain
kettal spain
Tobi Tobin
Veranda
cecconi simone
achchitectural digest

Sigh

What makes a perfect outdoor setting for you?
Please leave a comment and let me know.

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Wednesday, May 27

Passion - That is the Key

Wolternick 21Wolternick 1
Wolternick 2Wolternick 20 

"Passion - that is the key in Interior / Exterior: the urge to beautify and capture reality and to inspire others."

This is an excerpt taken from the book: INEX by Wolterinck.  It is one of my favourite books as it features the interiors of homes and shows how the surrounding gardens have been designed to compliment the interiors, creating a total lifestyle concept. This concept is especially more relevant at this time of year when the weather is warm and invites us to spend more time outdoors, thereby extending our useable living spaces.  In 1986 Marcel Wolterinck opened a flower shop in the village of Lauren, Holland. His concern for perfection and versatility later resulted in his own furniture range and his passion developed for incorporating the interior of the home with the gardens. 
The above pictures are part of the garden that surrounds an updated 70's house.  Both the garden and the house breathe an Oriental atmosphere.  The garden by the bamboo planting around the house, and a Japanese touch is provided by the oak fence which turns gray when weathered.  The garden fountain is lead produced by W, and the table in the upper left is a work of art in bronze by the Dutch Sculptor, Huub Kortekaas.  The garden chairs are teak and metal.

Wolternick 8Wolternick 5
 Wolternick 7Wolternick 6 

This Provencal Villa (above and below) is situated in St. Tropez. where the emphasis is placed on the exterior life.  This is expressed in an outdoor room and outdoor terraces.  How very pleasant to sit at the large, wooden table with a zinc base underneath the pergola overgrown with Wisteria.  The presence of an outdoor kitchen provides an additional dimension to being outdoors and can be used as an exterior fireplace lit on summer evenings. The planting is a combination of old and new.  An age-old olive tree dominates the view (below) and is surrounded by a row of box trees and a wealth of plants such as Santolina, Pittosporum, Senecio, Helichrysum, Laurus nobilis, lavender, thyme, and Westringia fruticosa, all creating a subtle interplay of greens and grays and a perfect match for the various local types of stone. 

Wolternick 3 

  Wolternick 14Wolternick 16
  Wolternick 15Wolternick 4

Paradise in Algrave: This beautiful villa (above) is located in Portugal.  Wolternick arranged the seating areas surrounding the villa like rooms.  The floor lamps, tables, and chairs with cloth upholstery have been assigned a permanent place in these comfortable outdoor areas.  Taste and rhythm also apply to the exterior kitchen with its fireplace to grill dishes.  Meals can be prepared on the worktop that flanks the fireplace on either side.  At right angles with the fireplace is a bold U-shaped zinc table surrounded by delicate director's chairs.

  Wolternick 12Wolternick 19
  Wolternick 18Wolternick 13

The above photos are part of a 20-hectare estate in Bremen, northwestern Germany.  The 16th century farmhouse on the estate is surrounded by ancient trees and hedges.  The farmhouse court, where horses once stood, was all stone, but was given an intimate character by Wolterinck by means of 60 year old beech hedges, walls, and trained box trees.  The garden has many exotic varieties of plants.  "The people who used to live on estates like these traveled extensively and brought back with them plants from distant places.  This is how many exotic varieties ended up here, like Brugmansia, Hibiscus trees, Agapanthus, lemon trees, figs and PlumbagosIn summer these are put outside in pots, in autumn they find shelter in the orangery". The teak bench from the Lister Collection in the top right picture is in the style of the English Architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944) who collaborated with Gertrude Jekyll the renowned English artist and gardener.

What is your most favourite garden?
What makes a garden special to you?
Please let me know by leaving a comment.


INEX Wolterinck
Photos and excerpts from: INEX Wolterinck
Photography: Sigurd Kranendonk

 Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Wednesday, May 20

Making Orange Work with Sherwin-Williams

The following is an article I was interviewed for in this month's issue of Sherwin-Williams Stir
on how to successfully incorporate orange walls in your home.


Making Orange Work
By Holly O’Dell Sherwin-Williams

You can successfully incorporate orange walls in your design by choosing the right rooms, complementary colors and accessories.

Orange is a vibrant, happy, social color. An orange wall can bring a dynamic energy to any room. It can simultaneously brighten a space while warming it up. Paired with the right colors and accessories, a large swath of orange can make a room really shine. But orange walls haven’t always been an easy sell to homeowners.

An orange wall need not look like a giant homage to the citrus fruit; many different hues of this inviting, invigorating color exist in the paint world. Patricia Gray of Patricia Gray Interior Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, has selected three Sherwin-Williams paint colors that she feels illustrate the diversity of orange:

  • Husky Orange (Sherwin-Williams 6636): "Husky Orange features rusty tones with more brown in it, and I find that this color is a lot more acceptable to a broader range of people. It is one of my favorite colors for using in living rooms, libraries and family rooms."
  • Tango (Sherwin-Williams 6649): "Tango Orange is what I would call more of a mid-range orange, a current and hip color. I would use it for a focal wall in the living room or dining room; it would also be fun for an entryway."
  • Kumquat (Sherwin-Williams 6648): "Kumquat is beautiful because it tends to go into the peach tones, but it’s an upbeat and livelier tone than what we were inundated with in the ’80s. I find that Kumquat is very relaxing and soothing, which makes it ideal for a bedroom, sitting room or anyplace where you want a quieter mood."

Like any dramatic color used abundantly, orange needs its counterparts.
"White or cream help balance the heat of the color," Gray says.
"Chocolate browns and charcoal grays are also accents that balance and coordinate nicely."

Jeffery Bilhuber

An example of what Sherwin-Williams Husky Orange might look like on a wall in a living room or family room.
Photo Jeffery Bilhuber

Antonia Hutt

An example of what Sherwin-Williams Tango Orange might look like on a wall in a dining room. in a dining room.
Photo Antonia Hutt

Jennifer Gilmer orange backpainted glass Sherwin Williams Orange

An example of what Sherwin-Williams Kumquat Orange might look like
in a kitchen on a backsplash of back painted glass. The glass gives this color more vibrancy.
Photo Jennifer Gilmer

** Colors may show differently on computer monitors than in real life.
I always recommend painting a sample test.

Have you used orange paint in your home?
Do you think that you are likely to use orange in your home in the near future?
If so please let me know about it by leaving a comment.


Read full article at Sherwin-Williams Stir
Read another article on The Color Orange where I give examples of Benjamin Moore Colors.
The Color Orange

Thursday, May 7

These Colors Make Me Happy



hermes_china

The hand painted burnished red on my Hermes cups

Polyvore

My favourite orange T on the weekend

These Colors Make Me Happy

A clear blue sky on a warm day

via Life in a Venti Cup

The creme on my morning espresso

photo by Tria Giovan

Live green branches against a white wall

Isle de France Saint Barths

All white bathrooms

Look around you and notice what colors make you happy
and please leave a comment and let me know.

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Thursday, April 30

15 Top Posts on Color Trends

Hover mouse over picture to see title.
Click on picture to go to post.

Turquoise Aquamarine     Farrow & Ball Lauch 18 New Colors      Beige IS Magic 

The Color Purple     The Best Yellows      Think Pink

Color of the Year - Mimosa     Blue the new Black     The Color Orange

 Turquoise Bliss     Back to Black     White Bedrooms 
 
Beautiful Brown      Benjamin Moore Virtual Fan Deck     Green Chic

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog, 2009

Tuesday, April 28

Interview on All The Best

The following is an interview posted today on me by Ronda Carman on her fabulous Blog: All The Best
Profile: Patricia Gray by Ronda Carman

I adore the words of Jan de Luz, "Style…isn’t something that you apply like hand cream. It comes from within, as an emanation from your own being.”
Vancouver based interior designer Patricia Gray is the perfect case in point. For those of us who follow her blog, we are well versed in Patricia’s inimitable style. Her designs are both studied and precise, while being completely livable and inviting. It is one of the main reasons Patricia never fails to excite and inspire.

As I have alluded to numerous times, my design tastes run the spectrum. Patricia’s timeless and classic designs, with an undeniable modern edge, are the perfect prescription for my neuroses.

Patricia received her training at the Parson's School of Design in Paris. She is a member of the Inter-Society Color Council of New York, the National Council for Interior Design, the Interior Designers of Canada and a certified Feng-Shui practitioner. Patricia's portfolio includes feature projects throughout the US and Canada, as well as in Japan, Singapore and Africa. A few notable design clients include John Travolta and Rob Feenie.


How would you describe your design style?
I like furniture to have good lines, rooms to have good ‘bones',
juxtaposition of good antiques and artwork with modern design.

What inspires your creativity and designs?
Travel, being around young people, the ocean and the desert.

What is your most prized possession?
I don’t know if you could call her a ‘possession” but my 4 ½ pound Yorkshire Terrier, Nicole.

What is the one thing in life you cannot live without?
My cup of coffee in the morning.

Who are your style icons?
Interior Designers: Michael Taylor, Andree Putman, Antonio Citterio
Fashion: Coco Chanel, Dianna Vreeland

Who would you most like to collaborate with on a project?
The great Albert Hadley.

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Travel. The best holiday I ever gave myself was a cruise from Rio to Barcelona.
10 days at sea crossing the Atlantic. It was the most relaxing time I have ever had.
Nowhere to go, nothing to do….eat, sleep, eat some more.

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
Clients that allow me be creative.

Past or present who has most influenced your direction in life?
My Mother for nurturing my creativity in childhood.
My Father for teaching me good values: integrity, self reliance, and perseverance.

Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
The dowager Queen Noor of Jordan. I have admired her for years from a TV
interview with Larry King. Her style and humanitarianism left an indelible
impression on me. However she would like to spend it!!

Profile by Ronda Carman
To see this interview in full visit All The Best and please leave a comment for Ronda.
Thank-you Ronda!!!
Photos by Roger Brooks

Thursday, April 23

Be Faithful to Your Own Taste.....Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan

"Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style." ~Billy Baldwin

I thought the above quote by Billy Baldwin was very fitting to describe the exclusive outdoor furniture collection which was originally created by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan in the mid-1940s. Just after World War II, the furniture designer Walter Lamb, began experimenting with bronze and copper tubing salvaged from sunken naval ships at Pearl Harbor and constructing prototypes incorporating canvas and yacht roping. The result was a collection defined by it's sculptural curves, sturdy construction and superb comfort. Today, Walter Lamb's furniture is still as timeless as ever and is still handcrafted to Lamb’s rigorous specifications by Brown Jordan. For modern use Brown Jordan has replaced the bronze pipe with weatherproof brass, which over time will develop a rich patina. Vintage pieces of Lamb's are now selling at starting prices of $5,000.00. Which goes to prove that nothing that is well designed and well crafted is 'ever out of style'.

Walter Lamb Brown Jordan

Walter Lamb Brown Jordan


Walter Lamb Brown Jordan Walter Lamb Brown Jordan

Left: Vintage 1940's Walter Lamb Brown Jordan Rocking chaise in bronze, canvas and yacht roping.
Right: Vintage 1940's Walter Lamb Brown Jordan Bronze chaise rewebbed in cotton yacht cord.

Patricia Gray writes about 'WHAT'S HOT 'in the world of Interior Design, new and emerging trends, modern design,
architecture, and travel, as well as how your surroundings can influence the world around you.
© 2007-2009 Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog