In working with my clients, comfort is perhaps one of the primary considerations in selecting pieces of furniture. While certain furnishings can be selected from catalogues (for example, casegoods), I always insist that my clients try out upholstered pieces to ensure that each item selected and purchased is absolutely comfortable to them as individuals.

When choosing an upholstered sofa or chair, there are many features to consider, including:

• loose pillow  vs. tight back cushions
• down feather cushions vs. firmer, down alternative cushions
• seat depth
• back angle

In many of the projects that I work on, I am able to provide my clients with custom upholstery that is made to their unique specifications. A recent project called for two lounge chairs in a couple’s master bedroom. The wife had a back problem and needed firm cushioning; the husband loved a softer feel. The solution: we purchased two identical chairs but the fill was different in each chair to satisfy the needs of the wife and husband. Success!

According to Susan M-Geough of M-Geough in the Boston Design Center:

Comfort is indeed the ultimate luxury in seating.  Scale and proportion are where it starts. A. Rudin, a fourth-generation family-run upholstery company represented by M-Geough, are masters of both. Scale—seat height, seat depth, cant of the back, height of the arm and back all combine to give comfort. The proportions of each of those elements to one another give the pieces their beauty.  Comfort and beauty are a winning combination.

One of the most comfortable pieces in the A. Rudin line is the 2634 sofa that has built-in lumbar support. You’ve got to sit in it to believe it – really amazing!

I love to tell another story about upholstery and comfort. Years ago, I had a client leave his office in the financial district to meet me at the Boston Design Center  - in the middle of his hectic day but just for a quick visit to find a sofa for his home office. After trying out a few different possibilities, I found him taking a quick snooze on one particular sofa. That was a deal clincher, and that sofa style was the one that ended up in his office. Comfort rules!

Do you have a favorite sofa or chair in your home that you find extremely comfortable? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

I’m counting the days and hours until the Design Bloggers Conference 2012 in LA which starts this Sunday evening, February 26th. With last year’s fabulous conference still fresh in my mind, I look forward to this year’s event with great anticipation as the agenda is packed with fabulous speakers and an amazing agenda PLUS I get to see IRL (in real life) old and new design/blogger friends that I’ve “met” through social media.

I’ll be tweeting from the conference (follow me @lesliefineint) and I’ll be updating my status on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LeslieFineInteriors). Of course, I’ll also be posting here on this blog!

Check in regularly for updates on this phenomenal design event!

From a design point of view, a kitchen island provides an opportunity to add personality to a utilitarian space. You can take a few risks with the island by choosing a bold color or selecting an interesting piece of furniture. There are so many ways of making the island functional, fun and fabulous!

Sometimes bigger is better. A large island provides plenty of prep space as well as a spot to grab a bite to eat. A large island is also so functional for entertaining since it’s a great place to set up a buffet.

Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc.

Re-purposing a piece of furniture will add personality to your kitchen. A kitchen island can go beyond standard cabinetry.

Elle Decor

This kitchen island is proportionate to the large volume of space. The simplicity of the design is well-suited for the aesthetics of the kitchen and provides plenty of space for prep, eating and gathering.

Elle Decor

The island in this urban kitchen takes advantage of the home’s greatest asset – the view. Imagine cooking here while gazing at the Boston skyline and the harbor!

Leslie Fine interiors, Inc.

An island is a great place to add a jolt of color to a kitchen. You can keep the color neutral around the perimeter of the kitchen and then have some fun with the island.

Elle Decor

Ready for a kitchen renovation? Let Leslie Fine Interiors guide your project from conception to completion with our hands-on construction phase design. We’ll take the stress out of the renovation process by working with your architect, builder, lighting designer and kitchen designer. We’ll also weed through various material options and help you select all fixtures, cabinetry, appliances, stone, tile, flooring and hardware for your renovation. You won’t be overwhelmed by the details, and you’ll get to enjoy the renovation process!

With a personality and demeanor as approachable and colorful as her products, it was a pleasure to meet Annie and to discuss the release of her new book. She also spoke passionately about her other interest – the Berkshire International Film Festival as well as her recent trip to the Sundance Film Festival to preview films for the upcoming Berkshire event.

After a wonderful dinner with Annie and her staff, her marketing consultants and several other design bloggers, I left the event with a beautiful tote stuffed with goodies.

Of course, my very own copy of Fresh American Spaces, signed for me (and with a lovely, very personal note) by Annie:

Along with a yummy, soft fleece robe, beautiful linen napkins, lovely, ruffled pillowcases from Annie’s Pine Cone Hill line – all stuffed into a fabulous tote bag from Annie’s Dash & Albert Rug Company line.

A fabulous evening! Check out Annie’s new book as well as her beautiful products!

Need more seating around a big family room coffee table? Add a pouf!

A children’s bedroom needs some indestructible seating or a climbing toy? Pouf, please.

Want to add a touch of color to an otherwise neutral palette? A pouf will do the trick.

Well, you get the idea . . .

House Beautiful

Image via Pinterest

Design by Chris Kraig as seen in Elle Decor

Image via Serenity in Design

Elizabeth Martin in Elle Decor

I would love to help you make your home a functional and beautiful space – with or without a pouf! Please call me to discuss your next interior design project.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter! I am busy tweeting about interior design and happenings in the Boston/New England area all the time.

So, what makes a great spa experience? I love getting massages, and I’ve had many, many over my lifetime. Some masseuses are just better than others. Some environments are more appealing than others. But put a fantastic environment together with an amazing technician, and you’ve got an extraordinary spa experience.

The Spa at the St. Regis Deer Vally is perhaps one of the most luxurious, most attractive, and most serene spas that I’ve been. The calming environment is set as one walks in the door to a beautiful and comfortable lobby, with large, welcoming sofas. The desk attendants are friendly and knowledgeable.

Both the women’s locker room and relaxation room are just magnificent. Spacious areas for changing, every amenity imaginable, steam rooms, saunas, a spacious hot tub and comfortable chaises and sofas to rest, relax and rejuvenate . . .

I loved the experience so much, I booked a massage every afternoon after skiing! What a treat.

For more on my fabulous vacation at the St. Regis Deer Valley, click here.

Located slopeside at one of my favorite ski destinations, the St. Regis Deer Valley in Park City, Utah is everything (and more) that I hoped it would be!  Since there are so many aspects of the resort that I would like to cover, I’m going to do this in several posts – so here is Part 1:

The Suite

Our suite was – how do I express this adequately – pure comfort and luxury! With 900 square feet that included a powder room, a kitchen, eating area, living room, a master bedroom and bath, I just might move in there permanently!

And with a “to die for” view!

With a full sized kitchen, top of the line appliances (ie, SubZero refrigerator) and a comfortable and attractive eating area with a large dining table and a beautiful, upholstered bench seat, one would never even need to venture out for meals (but we did because the hotel’s restaurant – J & G Grill – was wonderful, and we didn’t want to miss that experience)!

A comfortable sofa, gas fireplace and large screen TV completed the space!

The bedroom suite was fabulous! With another gas fireplace, beautiful slopeside view, another large TV and comfortable sitting area, the bedroom was extremely comfortable and inviting.

I love this  hide bench that was in the sitting area of the bedroom – very chic!

The master bathroom had every amenity you could imagine: nice soaking tub (and you know how much I love my baths), double sink with an in-mirror TV, large, walk in shower with a regular shower head and a rain head, and a separate water closet.

I love this design detail: plantation shutters between the master bathroom and the bedroom.  In the evening, the shutters were closed and were opened again in the morning!

All of the little details were superb and well thought out: check out the ring holder, for example, and the pretty little bud vase.

And, if all of this wasn’t enough, there was also a beautiful, spacious powder room!

The suite at the St. Regis Deer Valley is beautifully and tastefully decorated. The fabrics and furniture finishes are top quality and and the decor is comfortably elegant!  The style of the furnishings is what I consider transitional – not traditional and not modern – but a nice mix that is appropriate for the setting.

Stay tuned for follow up posts that cover the public spaces of the resort (wait until you hear about the ski valets!!) as well as the spa (certainly one of the nicest spas I’ve ever been to).

Have you been to the St. Regis Deer Valley? If not, it’s certainly a destination that I highly recommend! Top quality accommodations, excellent service and a great location – what more can one ask for?

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

In the spirit of the day, I wanted to share some home decor items that should keep the loving spirit going year-round.

John Derian has an extensive collection of heart-shaped decoupage plates. These plates would be a sweet addition to a dressing table or writing desk.

John Derian

Typography continues to be a hot design trend. This LOVE poster has a great 1960s vibe.

Print by Jennifer Ramos via Etsy

Jonathan Adler’s lively needlepoint Love Pillow would perk up any room. I picture it propped on a mudroom bench shouting out a cheery welcome to family members when they arrive home.

Jonathan Adler

Only a true romantic would select sheets sprinkled with pink hearts! Porthault sheets in their sweet Couers Pink pattern are the ultimate luxury.

Interior design by Rita Konig

Please click the photos for more information.

Enjoy the day with ones you love!

What’s your favorite color? We are asked this as small children – and even small children have definitive answers to this question. As we mature, we learn which colors affect our moods, which colors we enjoy being around and which colors we like to wear. Color  . . . it really shows our individuality. What is appealing to one person can be distasteful to another. I guess it’s one of those things that makes the world go ’round!

I recently participated in a Twitter chat called #IntDesignerChat (Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. EST). The topic this week was all about color. The participants had great ideas about how color influences the overall perception of a space. Here are some of the comments:

@todaysnest: Color is everything. It is the design glue that holds all of the other pieces together.

@FirmAbility: In some cases color is more important than the space itself, the power to transform.

@PJohnsonInt: Color sets the mood and creates the environment for the design.

@PlacesInTheHome: Color influences the visual satisfaction but completes the vision.

@mcalpinetank: The perfect color can absolutely make a room sing. Conversely, a bad color can wreck it.

@EdytaAndCo: Color has a massive impact on the mood and feeling of a space.

@sdevon: Color has emotional and physiological impact. People react on an often subconscious, very personal level.

@DesignWiseCO: Color is a powerful element in any space –  it provides mood, personality and helps to tie in all other design elements.

As an interior designer, I have very strong feelings about color. And I’m not talking about any colors in particular, only that I know that color is such a personal expression of individuality. When I work with my clients on their projects, any bias that I have about any particular colors is a non issue. My goal, always, is to ascertain which colors my clients like to live with and work to utilize that color scheme in their home. To further explain my theory of color selection, here are some of my tweets about color that I shared on the above referenced Twitter chat:

Color selection can make or break a space. It sets the overall tone and environment.

 

Color is by far the most personal aspect of interior design.

 

Live with the color(s) you love, NOT what is trendy.

 

I ask clients: What color makes you feel happy?

 

I present colors to clients based on what they love and want to live with.

 

Sometimes it is one item or color that the client loves that sets the entire design scheme of a space.

 

There is no right or wrong when it comes to color in a design scheme. Does the client love the color(s) and does the design scheme meet the goals of the project?

 

Color is so personal. Your home should reflect the YOUR personality (and not your designer’s).

 

All photos from the portfolio of Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc.

What is your favorite color? Leave me a comment and let me know! (Mine is chartreuse – click here to read about my favorite!)

The Gary table is a beautiful piece with its antique pine surface and handcrafted trestle base. I love the juxtaposition of the clean lined base and the more roughly hewn top. It certainly has a rustic chic vibe.

The table works in a variety of decors. The table would be right at home in a traditional kitchen or dining room and paired with classic upholstered chairs. Match the table with sleeker, more contemporary chairs and it will feel quite modern.

Here is a peak at David Powell and Fenwick Bonnell’s interior design portfolio. The duo are interior designers in addition to furniture, lighting and textile designers.

 All photos via Powell and Bonnell.

What do you think of the Gary table?