New Series: “Breathing Room” With Kelly…..

Space planning is essential when it comes to creating an inviting space.  However, I think many people are thwarted when it comes to furniture placement.  Awkward layouts thanks to lack of walls, window placement or the odd angle can make creating the perfect space challenging if not frustrating.  It’s one of the top things I know clients ask of most designers, so I thought it would be fun to bring in my friend and fellow designer, Kelly,  on a monthly basis to answer questions and give her take on the perfect layout of rooms to giving you the breathing space you desire…….

I’m Kelly Finley, an interior design/owner of Joy Street Design and the author of Joy of Design blog.  I’m very excited that Courtney has invited me over to discuss how to properly plan a space. One of my favorite parts of any interior design project is designing the furniture layout and planning the space.  I believe that space planning is the most important part of any project and should always be done before purchasing any furniture or making any final decisions on the layout of the space. 

 

So what exactly do I mean when I say space planning.  In a formal sense, space planning is the act of creating a layout of furnishings and items in response to and coordinated with the physical space of a structure while performing an analysis of design and spatial requirements for the occupants.  In normal words, space planning is the exercise of ensuring that the required furniture and other elements in a room are properly scaled and positioned to ensure a proper flow for the occupants.  This process is critical at the beginning of a project to ensure that future purchases will work in the space. A well-designed space provides comfort and harmony to a room.

Before studying interior design, I don’t think I ever specifically thought about space planning in the traditional sense.  When setting up the rooms in my house, like most homeowners, I didn’t think about the proper amount of space between the chair and the table or the proper height of a side table.  I saw furniture that I liked and “eyeballed” it to determine if I thought it would look good in the space. We’ve all been there – we order a piece of furniture and then we get it into the house and it’s entirely too big or too small.  It looked perfect in the store but now it’s completely useless or overbearing in the space that we need.  (The idea that the item won’t fit into the space through the entry door is an entirely different post about planning for the space but, unfortunately, I’ve been in that situation too. )

However, the more I think about this, the more I realize that this attitude that I didn’t previously think about space planning may be simplifying it too much.  When buying any furniture, we all clearly think about the distance between the furniture and whether the table is entirely too small for the sofa chair.  Indeed, I believe that every time you walk into a room, you are judging whether the space was planned correctly even if it’s not by official space planning terms. 

The difference between a professional and an amateur is taking the time to officially put the space plan down on paper ensuring that you make more informed decisions and hopefully fewer mistakes when shopping in the store.   This process of creating a space plan also provides you with new options that you hadn’t previously considered or solidifying that your initial plan is the proper one.  Through future posts, I’ll provide different methods of planning a space along with examples and actual projects to show the process in action.  Hopefully this series will provide you with a few tricks and tips to make your space planning much more effective and useful when you don’t have a professional to help. 

Thanks Courtney for inviting me over!

I am excited to have Kelly on board the team and am looking forward to fielding questions you all on the topic.  If you  have a question that you think Kelly can answer about space planning, send your question and pictures to lifeoutloud[at]gmail.com!

[photo credit: Joy Street Design]

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Talking Out Loud: Drygoods Design….

Talking Out Loud is where I talk to young entrepreneurs and artisans about their careers, the path of how they got there and what lies on the horizon for them.  It’s their thoughts, their words and their journey…….

This time around, I was lucky enough to talk with Keli Faw, owner of the Seattle-based fabric and craft store, Drygoods Designs.  I was introduced to Keli and her store through mutual friend and fellow interior design, Beth Dotolo.  Nestled in the historic Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Drygoods Design is unlike any fabric store I have entered.  Sparkling wine is chilling in ice buckets for harried patrons to sip and while their children play in a designated kid’s area.  Fabrics are displayed along side jars of old-fashioned candy; a riotous explosion of print and pattern that is actual eye candy for the textile soul.  And in the center of it all is Keli……

Why opening up a fabric store? There are so many different types of retail stores to open, so what was it about the Seattle landscape that promoted you to open a retail fabric shop?

The retail storefront turned out to be a byproduct of my online shop. I started an online fabric site in the spring of 2011 because I wanted to grow my small line of handmade goods which were carried at some local shops. By the beginning of 2012 I was growing out of my small office space and had several local customers that wanted to come and see the fabric, pick up and have a more personal experience but my tiny office wasn’t working. I no longer had time to make my line of goods but was now helping others find fabrics they couldn’t find easily in other parts of the globe, the US and even Seattle. While some of the local fabric retailers carry some assortment of modern motifs, there’s never been one that felt edited. My customers seemed to like the online experience and so my goal was to make that happen in the brick and mortar version as well. Now that we opened the sewing studio, the focus shifts to not just what people want to make but how to make it too.

Did you have a previous career before opening up Drygoods Design? If so, what was it and has it helped you with the current business?

I come from a background in business, PR and communications. You’d think that I would be really proficient at promoting my business, however, almost all of our retail business has been by walk-in and word of mouth. I didn’t want to promote it until I felt we were really ready as it’s not a traditional type of place. I think what’s helped me most is trying each day to think about our customers. I try to approach my business by thinking about what I most enjoy in a shopping experience and service versus what’s the most profitable or cost-effective. It’s important it makes business sense, but I’d rather have gradual growth born out of customer care versus rapid and impersonal.

What is it about fabric that interesting to you? What intrinsic or aesthetic qualities about the material/medium drew you to it?

About six years ago I inherited an old sewing machine and taught myself how to sew and in doing so discovered that there were some affordable and modern fabrics out there. I became addicted to not only making things but the search for beautiful fabrics. I am a stickler when it comes to the hand of fabric – how it washes, drapes and feels. We are touched by cotton everyday and that is what I love most about it. You don’t have to like to sew or craft to appreciate textiles or be drawn to them.

Where do you get your fabrics from for the store? What criteria do you use to select fabrics to present to your customers?

While the majority of the fabrics we carry are deemed mid-weight or quilter’s (for its ability to shrink equally on the warp and the weft) cotton, we also stock home decor, apparel and outdoor fabrics. For almost all I work with the manufacturers or their reps, but some I have to find brokers or “jobbers.” I typically buy by color versus collection as I want to have different prints work across all the companies I carry versus people be locked into buying from one collection. Almost all the fabrics we carry have to be either a customer request or something that I truly love before it comes into the store. You hardly ever like all the songs on an album and to me fabric is very similar, so I try to edit down each of my buys into the best of the best. It’s really hard since there’s so many amazing options and I can’t carry everything. For example, I would love to carry Marimekko but at $40+ a yard and Crate & Barrel carrying it, it doesn’t make much sense. I try to tame my wish to carry more by also stocking complimentary products like packaging, gifts and cards that work well with the fabric.

In your opinion, what makes a “good” fabric? Has there been any fabrics that has made you stop in your tracks recently and say “wow?

While it depends on its use, I think ‘good’ fabric is a textile that invokes an emotional, almost visceral (in a good way) response. Sometimes it’s merely the weave or the texture that can have you smitten but most often it’s the motif or print that draws us to one print over another. Color is a huge factor as well. Novelty fabrics certainly have their place but just like anything, I love fabrics that don’t hit you over the head with their intended use or theme and let you draw that out or shift it by your eye deciding how you want to live with it. The second part is the quality of the base cloth. It has to feel right and drape in a manner that lets you see the possibility of what it is on the bolt. My current loves are illustrated geometrics and a return to the combinations of yesteryear with tight florals and geometrics playing off each other. We stock Liberty of London Tana Lawns and seriously, it’s like they were woven by angels. I have some Japanese fabrics headed in that I ordered at least five months ago and they will definitely have the wow factor.

How would you say living in Seattle has informed your selections for the store?

While I have lived in Seattle almost 10 years, I still don’t consider myself a local. A great deal of my influence is probably from living outside of the Northwest. I believe though that being in Ballard, the old Scandinavian fishing village/neighborhood of Seattle, definitely impacts my responses when I see vintage Scandinavian, viking motifs and subtle nautical prints. And we probably don’t focus too much on resort style prints given that it’s nice about three months out of the year here.

So you own a fabric store, so it begs to be asked…do you sew? If so, what is your favorite thing to sew?

Thanks to the opening of our sewing studio, I am sewing more now than I have since I opened up the shop, which is a great deal of fun. While I am starting to really enjoy sewing apparel – my favorite sewing is for those I know and care about. Being able to envision the person(s) using what I make, it’s truly what it’s all about for me. Those projects range from baby goods to accessories that they can use and enjoy.

If money was no object, is there fabric that you would go out and buy for yourself?

More Liberty of London Tana Lawns to keep, original supina ikat, more vintage fabrics.

You opened up what many would say is a non-traditional retail store and have succeeded quite well with it. What piece of advice would you give to a budding retailer who is looking to open up his or her own store?

Thanks for the kind words! It’s all about knowing that no matter how hard people might tell you it is and how much work it will be, you have to know your own limits because until you’re in your own experience you won’t realize it’s even harder than one could imagine. I don’t regret my choice but it is not for everyone. You have to love, I mean really love, interacting with all kinds of people and working around the clock. I am still in the thick of it as it appears I like to add a new layer every six to eight months:). My husband and two kids definitely sacrifice for this to build up and I can’t wait to repay all of their support.

Fabric is often used as a metaphor to describe the interwoven qualities of life. As a fabric retailer, your products find themselves in the most intimate aspects of your customer’s lives – from their children to their homes. What would be the highest compliment you think you could receive from a client who used on of your products?

That’s a great question (and so hard to answer). I feel really lucky to have the online and in-store customers that we have. Until we opened the studio, it was the feedback around customers feeling taken care of and cared about when they shopped, both online and in-store that really made each day. Now with the studio, it’s really amazing to see people learn and grow confident in their own ability to make things. That injection of creativity and community is truly incredible and I pinch myself that I get to be a part of it. It is a derivative of a ton of work but worth it all.

Thank you Keli for sharing your insights with us!  I now need to learn to sew so I can put all the beautiful fabrics from Drygoods Design to use……

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Talking Out Loud With Beth Dotolo…

I wouldn’t call myself jealous but there are times the green-eyed monster pops up.  I don’t understand how the Kardashians are famous (jealous).  I am annoyed by how handsome Chatum Tanning appears to be in magazines – I pray it’s just lighting and air brushing (royally jealous).  However, when it comes to talented people, like Beth Dotolo, I just have to give her my proper respect because girlfriend is working it!

One half of the design firm Pulp Design Studios , Beth along with her design partner, Carolina V. Gentry have been designing beautiful homes across the United States with their signature modern design aesthetic with a dose of the unexpected.  The duo have recently expanded their design prowess to retail with the opening of Pulp Home.

I sat down with Beth to discuss the launch of Pulp Home and her picked her brain on a few other topics…..

1)  Congratulations on opening Pulp Home!  With a successful commercial and residential business in Seattle and Dallas steeped in custom design, why open a retail store?  What drove you and your business partner to this decision?

Thank you, Courtney! Carolina and I have actually been designing custom items for our design projects in residential and hospitality for our entire careers. And, now, we are launching our own line of home goods, both licensed goods with established companies and some we are having manufactured on our own. With a launch in 2013 of our own line, we thought it was only natural to have an online hub to house our goods! Plus, offering all those stylish goodies that have been curated from our designs was an answer to all the requests we get from fans of our work who have seen our interiors online.

2)  So what can people expect to find at Pulp Home?  What are the three things in the store now that you wished you had for yourself?  Are there any favorite pieces that found themselves into the store mix after appearing in client homes?

We are offering items in three different categories… Of course, our Pulp Home original goods. But, we’re also offering items curated from our design projects and a new made-to-order concept. ‘Custom by Pulp’ allows customers to have furniture and pillows that we’ve designed previously tailored and customized just for them and their needs.

My very favorite item in our shop is our first Pulp Home original piece… our Starburst Pull. It’s available for pre-order now, and can update the look of a piece of furniture in an instant. We’ve been putting it on client’s pieces for a while now and when they arrive in the shop I plan to get my hands on some for my home, once and for all.

3) Now that you are in Seattle opening up the West Coast branch of Pulp Design, has the Pacific Northwest informed your design choice?  If so, how?

The one thing I’ve found from living in the Pacific Northwest is that people here are incredibly practical. At Pulp we pride ourselves in designing with purpose. We design for a lifestyle, we design with specific budgets in mind, and we design to create a space that people can actually use… and, use well. I think that coming to Seattle has been a natural fit for our design philosophy and, if anything, I think we can elevate the lives and style of Seattleites by educating them on the value of great design.

4)  A common theme that keeps reappearing among readers is designing a space when you have a toddler, which I know you do.  Any tips for how to have a stylish space that is toddler-tested and designer approved?

Let’s be honest… toddlers are like gremlins. They’re destructive little monsters, aren’t they? Mine is anyways. Here’s what I think: You should design for durability and clean-ability whether you have a toddler or not. In the spaces that you live in and use, nothing should be too precious that you’re afraid to make a mess. Besides, a glass of red wine can be a lot more dangerous than spilled milk. Homes are for living in and they should be designed that way regardless of age.

[Editor's Note: Beth practices what she preaches since her son Maxton is seen below building  forts with the family's Verner Panton S Chairs, Philippe Starck Ghost chairs, and a luxe, but washable, Peacock Alley throw.]

5) You are an accomplished designer and now retailer, so what would be the one piece of advice you would tell an aspiring interior designer who is just starting out in their career?

Educate yourself! Design mistakes can be costly. If you aren’t aware of things like fabric durability, correct heights and measurements, building codes, and materials… one little mistake can cost you and your client a lot of money. Arm yourself with knowledge and if you don’t have a formal education in interior design then research, research, research!

6) I always end all my interviews with a variation of this question……life (business or personal) is about not being afraid to take chances, such as you have done with Pulp Home, essentially to be out loud and open with your dreams and wants.  So tell me, what does it mean to you to be fearless and live your professional life “out loud”?

To me vulnerability is the biggest form of fearlessness you can have. While it’s ok to be afraid of failure, you’ve got to let yourself be vulnerable and open enough to take a risk, share it with others, and do your best to be successful while others are watching. We’ve created a great little community here on the world-wide web and it’s wonderful to have a platform to share new adventures. When you open yourself up to sharing and invite others in there is always a risk, but it’s with that risk that you have a community that will rise up with you and support you when you jump off that cliff.

Now do you understand why I can’t be jealous of this lady?  She lets her son build forts with awesome furniture and she isn’t afraid to fail for the sake of learning…..honestly Beth is my not-so-secret designer crush de jour!    Be sure to follow Beth and her design partner Carolina at their blog Hello Splendor .

Thank you Beth for sharing with us your new retail venture!  And on a side note, if you need someone to *cough* test those pulls *cough*…call me… *cough*

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