COLOR!COLOR!

Issue #5March / April 2011

Guide toDecorarar tive Livingngn

::Surroundings::Decor * Events * Travel * Trends * Ideas

2

Why Designers Love Webster & Company

Behind the Cover A few weeks ago, the nice folks at the Webster & Company showroom at the Boston Design Center were kind enough to let photographer Michael J. Lee and me take over for a few hours to create our cover shot. The week before the shoot, I walked the showroom floor to gather together a collection of furnishings, art and accessories that would become our cover story. I believe that the dual themes of color and early springtime were captured in this beautiful collection. Webster & Co. was founded in 1991 by David Webster at the Boston Design Center in only 3,500 sq. ft. Today, the showroom has over 21,000 sq. ft. of some of the most luxurious furnishings, fabrics and accessories that you’re going to see all in one space.

2

1

4

63 5

7

Get the look:

1. Oil on Canvas by Bill Fisher

2. Carlisle lampshade in Capri Silk by Vaughan

3. Biarritz Crystal Table Lamp by Vaughan

4. Root Table by J.F. Chen

5. Ceramic Pear by Dennis & Leen

6. Louis XVI Side Chair by Dennis & Leen

7. Gilded India Tea Paper by deGournay

All items available to the trade through

Webster & Company.  Price upon request.

“Webster & Co. showcases the perfect blend of traditional & contemporary.  I love the furniture, fabrics, and lighting and I've always found the staff to be very pleasant & helpful.” Rebecca Wilson, RW Interiors

“Simply stated, the best of the best is to be found at Webster & Co., all showcased in a stunning showroom.  It's my personal dreamworld - a true source of design inspiration. The staff could not be more helpful or friendly. Always a bright spot in my day at the Design Center.” Beverly Rivkind, Beverly Rivkind Interior Design

“I love Webster & Company’s many lines of furniture, lighting, accessories and fabrics. It is a delightful experience to use the showroom. The displays are elegant, and their customer service is top notch. I have used several pieces from Dakota Jackson in recent projects.” Leslie Fine, Leslie Fine Interiors, Inc.

COVER CREDITS: photography by: MICHAEL J. LEE • design by: LINDA MERRILL • showroom: WEBSTER & CO.

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living

“Webster and Co. is always one of my “go to” showrooms. They have such depth of styles and trends, as well as the classics.  I particularly love the depth of their wallpaper collections. When looking for something fun and unusual, such as Studio Printworks, I can always count on Webster.” Edwina Drummond Boose, Edwina Drummond Interiors

Greetings!

For better or worse, I tend to be a seat of my pants kind of person. If I get the urge to try something new, then I go for it and figure it out as I go along without a lot of pre-planning. And so it’s been with this digital magazine. I felt the desire to amp up my standard company newsletter and in Summer 2010 I published my first issue. At only 12 pages, I was hardly expecting to compete with the new slate of digital shelter magazines that are popping up, some with upwards of 300 pages. However, over the last four issues, I’ve come to realize that it’s totally okay being the “small but mighty” publication. You can read it in one sitting and refer back as needed. I’ve also garnered fairly impressive reader stats along the way and have been honored by the mentions and attention I have received.

The biggest honor, in my view, was when photographer Michael J. Lee agreed to come aboard as the cover shoot photographer for ::Surroundings::. Three of my past four covers were in fact his photography so it only made sense. (And it’s worth noting that the one issue

that featured my photography on the cover has had the lowest readership!) But his proposal that we create vignettes using some of the area’s beautiful showrooms and stores was brilliant and one that I jumped on with alacrity. Along with this new change, I felt that the petite nature of the publication leant itself to having focused themes and this issue is all about color. Future issues will focus on kitchens, beach houses and outdoor living, upholstered furniture and holiday.

I hope you enjoy!

IN THIS ISSUE

Behind the CoverPhoto shoot at Webster & Co. Page 2

The Artful Hand: The Artistry of Catherine Nolin Page 4

Design Podcasts: Talking Color at The Skirted Roundtable Page 7

The Color Toolbox: Trends, Ideas and Information Page 8

What’s on Our Coffee Table: Colorful reads from Linda & Friends Page 12

Credits and Contacts Who, What, Where & When Page 13

Lindalinda.m.merrill@gmail.com

X

March / April 2011

Joi

n m

e Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living 3

Linda Merrill and Michael Lee at an IFDA summer 2010 social.

!The Artful Hand

••••••• “I think about color all the time.” •••••••The artistry of Catherine Nolin

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living4

Andover, Massachusetts native Catherine Nolin has always been fascinated with color. Even as a young girl, she would think about how colors worked together and come up with interesting color combinations in her head. As a young adult, she worked in the fashion industry for an upscale boutique as a buyer. She was inspired by the beautiful clothes she came across, especially the colors and textures of the textiles themselves. After a few years in this world, Catherine married and began her family. At this point, she became a full time stay-at-home mother to a growing household of young boys. As with any creative personality, however, her need to express her artistic side did not diminish under the pile of diapers and play dates. Catherine began to create custom t-shirts for children with fabric paints that featured her love of a vibrant and bold palette. Soon, she was receiving requests for her hand painted, custom designed t-shirts and was selling them through a growing network of boutique shops.

In the midst of all this, Catherine’s youngest son was diagnosed with Autism, which required all her strength and focus. The t-shirt business was set aside, but not her need to create. She continued to receive special requests for her t-shirt art and eventually there came orders for work that could be framed. As her work moved beyond

the t-shirt, her designs began to expand and incorporate chairs and other furnishings and details. This artistic expansion made her realize that she should be working on canvas and over time she basically taught herself how to paint and developed methods and techniques that worked for her. With the help and support of her large extended family (Catherine is the youngest daughter in a family of six girls and one boy) supporting her on the home front, she was able to start doing a few shows and get her work into some galleries. Over time, her son was placed in an excellent program that supported his needs and allowed Catherine the time to once again focus on her art. It’s not a new concept that art can be an amazingly therapeutic endeavor and Catherine was able to use her work to create rooms, spaces and worlds where she was fully in control. And clearly, she has the talent to render her vision in a remarkably bold, yet accessible, manner.

Catherine’s love of art is deep and she likes so many different styles that she regularly incorporates references to artists such as Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Magritte in her stylized room settings. Vistas of far off places and gorgeous botanicals are regular features as well as hints of a passion for music and spirituality.

She gathers inspiration from everywhere such as a robin’s egg found on a walk that inspired a series of paintings to the color of leaves and other natural elements. Never at a loss for inspiration, Catherine has more ideas than time to render them. [Continued on next page]

“The Writer’s Room”

ARTWORK ON PREVIOUS PAGE: (top) “The Italian Job” (bottom, L-R) “Sunflowers and Blue Moods”“Story of a Flower” “Reflections in the Key of Gray”

New Year’s in Manhattan by Catherine Nolin

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living 5

ARTIST INFORMATION: Catherine Nolin, Andover, MA

WEB: www.catherinenolin.org

BLOG: www.catherinenolinfineart.blogspot.comETSY: www.etsy.com/shop/catherine47?

ref=top_trail

[Continued]

Over the last twenty years as her three sons have grown, Catherine has been able to hone her craft and branch out in her marketing. She sells her work at various art shows (where her husband often acts as her more gregarious sales agent) and online through her very successful Etsy shop. As she looks to her bright and colorful future, Catherine is hoping to return to her early days working with textiles to create designs for a line of fabrics or wallpapers.

A rosy future indeed.

The Writer’s Room by Catherine Nolin

•••••••

6

Prudence’s Calling by Catherine Nolin

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living

Design podcasts In 2009, I partnered up with Megan Arquette of the blog Beach Bungalow 8 and Joni Webb of Cote de Texas and created a “radio” podcast chat series that we called “The Skirted Roundtable” (with a little nod towards The Algonquin Roundtable). We fashioned ourselves after “The View” (only nicer) with conversation about design and blogging. Sometimes its just the three of us and sometimes we’ve invited other interesting people to join us. Since we began, we’ve been lucky to have hosted some of the biggest names in the design field today and these episodes have become something akin to a “masterclass” in interior design.

Tobi Fairley, Mary Douglas Drysdale and Alessandra Branca are but three of a stellar group of design stars we’ve chatted with over the last nearly two years. For a complete list of our recordings, you can visit our website at www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com.

X

NEW FOR SPRING 2011

781-455-0505 www.kpowers.com info@kpowers.com

You can also subscribe via iTunes!

Talking Color

Tobi FairleyMary Douglas Drysdale

Alessandra Branca

Joi

n m

e Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living 7

It sometimes seems that the single biggest source of fear and angst for homeowners when they are decorating is how to select paint colors. It’s a reason why so many homes are painted white or off white - there’s a fear of getting it wrong and having to live with the mistake. Pity, because paint really i s t h e l e a s t expensive part of a home’s interior, especially for DIY types. In fact, the biggest mistake people make is not the actual color selection, it’s starting with the paint color first. Perhaps that sounds a little counterintuitive, but it’s not.

Our homes are made up of a lot more than the color on our walls. There are floors, furniture a n d w i n d o w t r e a t m e n t s t o consider. And, of course, in the kitchen and bath, we have cabinetry, counter surfaces and appliances that play an important role. The most successful color schemes require that

we consider the whole and then determine the details.

Color is fun and nourishing for the soul. And the best part? It’s easy to figure out a great color combination, if you have the tools.

The

COLOR Toolbox

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living8

Following trends can be a tricky business. Each year, the color forecasting experts at Pantone release their “color of year” pick. This is the color that they’ve predicted will be the hot color in products, fashion or home interiors. Lots of time, effort and money goes into these predictions and major manufacturers spend top dollar gaining access to this information so that when the time comes, their products will be right “on trend” to catch the consumer’s eye. And so, each year with great fanfare, the

color of the year is announced. If you follow fashion news and trends, you might be well aware of all of this. But, does it mean you should run out and re-paint your living room to be on trend? Clearly, the answer is no. Unless the color of the year is one you love, in which case, paint away. But, it’s never a

good idea to slavishly follow a trend in home decor - it’s simply too expensive. Naturally, a throw pillow here or a new area rug there can spice things up, but in general, it’s always best to stick with what you love and ignore what you don’t.

It’s also important to note that these color predictions are just that - predictions made well in advance with no guarantees that the colors will take off. It’s a

gamble. While 2010’s Turquoise continues to be very popular, 2011’s Honeysuckle will only appeal to a limited audience. 2009’s Mimosa yellow barely made a dent while 2008’s Blue Iris, seems to have presaged a return of jewel tones into our interiors.

And the takeaway? Trends are fun, but only in small doses.

The Takeaway on Color Trends

2011

2010

2009

2008

Mother Knows Best!

Fontage from Designer’s Guildh t t p : / /www.designersguild.com/f a b r i c - a n d - w a l l p a p e r -showroom/all-collections/racine/fontange/

Barcelona Fabric collection: Designers Guild http://www.designersguild.com/f a b r i c - a n d - w a l l p a p e r -showroom/all-collections/barcelona-fabric/

Barbara Barry for Ann Sachs Frame Tile http://w w w. a n n s a c k s . c o m /o n l i n e c a t a l o g /

BM Cool

Blue 2058-40

BM Buttered

YamAF-230

BM Starry

Night Blue 2067-20

BM

Kiwi 544

BM

Sunflower2019-30

SW

Balanced Beige 7037

SW

Blue Cruise 7606

SW

Leapfrog6431

SW

Gulfstream 6768

SW

Sandbank6052

X * Colors selected using Ben. Moore iPhone app

* Due to variations in screen colors and technological limitations, always double check the results of any color app with actual paint samples.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/

* Colors selected using Sherwin Williams iPhone app

Deerly in Roan by P a l a c e P a p e r s h t t p : / /www.palacepapers.com/wallpaper/?FID=8&FIID=146

Mid-Century Stacked Ball lamps from Swank Lighting http://www.1 s t d i b s . c o m /furniture_item_detail.php?id=328200

John Derian Moroccan P o u f h t t p : / /www.johnderian.com/i m p o r t s / p o u f s /orange.html

Ornament 6 in Frost, New Moon Rugs http://n e w m o o n r u g s . c o m /i n d e x . p h p ?option=com_rsgallery2&page=inline&id=2005John Derian Moroccan Pouf

Mid-Century Stacked Ball lamps

from Swank Lighting

Barcelona Fabric collection

from Designers Guild

Conway Fabrics - Designers Guild h t t p : / /www.designersguild.com/fabr ic -and-w a l l p a p e r -s h o w r o o m / a l l -c o l l e c t i o n s /

Conway Fabrics - Designers Guild

Big Jar series from Lyons Glassworks

http://www.lyonsglass.com/bigjars.html

Big Green Bowl from Elizabeth LyonsBig Jar series from Elizabeth Lyons

Barbara Barry for

Ann Sachs Frame Tile

Deerly in Roan by

PalacePapers Ornament 6 in Frost, New Moon Rugs

h t t p : / /w w w. l yo n s g l a s s . c o m /decorativeobjects.html

Fontage from Designers Guild

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living 9

Nature

Looking to nature for the perfect color combinations

The

COLOR Toolbox

16 Color Resources for Inside & Out

HGTV’s Paint

Glossary:

Paint, Color & Tools

Better Home’s & Gardens

Color-A-Room

Sherwin Williams

Color Visualizer

Benjamin Moore

Personal Color

Viewer

Pantone Color

InstituteHouse

Beautiful The Best of Paint Colors

Color Me Happy by

Maria Killam

Integral Color by Barbara

Jacobs

ColourLoversIdeas &

Inspiration

Hue: For the Love of

Color by Rachel Perls

Colorbudz: Where Color Knowledge Blooms by

Lori Sawaya Blogs

Inspiration

How

-Tos

Tools Behr

ColorSmart

This Old HouseHow to Choose the Right Colors for your Rooms

Colorful House photography on

Flickr

Colorful Interiors A Google Photoset

Historic Color

Palettes from

California Paints

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living10

The

COLOR Toolbox

X::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living 11Donated Ad Space

House Beautiful Color For Your Home

A hands-on, easy to use book that details the colors used in some of the most beautiful rooms by today’s hottest

interior designers.

Rooms to Inspireby Annie Kelly with

photographer Tim Street-Porter“Chapters like “The Definitive Warmth of Red” and “The Diverse Range of Gold” keep me immersed in the book for hours, and of course, the photography of Tim Street-Porter is perfection!” Michelle Morelan, The Schematic Life

Farrow & BallLiving with Color

by Ros Byam Shaw“This book explains how to use Farrow & Ball paints and wall papers to create beautiful rooms.They limit their paint colors. Each color is wonderful and classic, so you can use them in any design style from traditional to modern.”Brooke Giannetti, Velvet & Linen

Colors, Pattern and Spaceby Tricia Guild

Fabric and pattern designer Tricia Guild is known for her sumptuous palettes and detail. This colorful book will certainly be a pick-me-up on a cold winter day.

Linda & Friends:What’s on our coffee tables

Colorful reads

Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments

by Florence De DampierreA gorgeous book that showcases

sophisticated wall decoration ideas from around the world. Murals, decorative

painting, wallpapers and wood panelling are illustrated and explained.

Parish HadleySixty Years of Design

by Christopher Petakanas“For photos of beautiful rooms in all kinds of gorgeous colors,  PARISH HADLEY by Christopher Petakanas is my favorite.” Jennifer Boles, The Peak of Chic

h t t p : / /www.amazo n . c o m /g p /

h t t p : / /www.amazon.co m / g p /p r o d u c t /0847829170/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag

http://www.amazon.com/gp/p r o d u c t / 1 8 4 9 7 5 0 3 8 6 /r e f = a s _ l i _ s s _ t l ?ie=UTF8&tag=chameleoninte-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1849750386

::Surroundings:: Guide to Decorative Living12

h t t p : / /www.amazon.com/g p / p r o d u c t /1 5 8 8 1 6 7 3 9 9 /r e f = a s _ l i _ s s _ t l ?ie=UTF8&tag=chameleoninte-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=15

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847835944/r e f = a s _ l i _ s s _ t l ?ie=UTF8&tag=chameleoninte-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0847835944

h t t p : / /www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847835065/r e f = a s _ l i _ s s _ t l ?ie=UTF8&tag=chameleoninte-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0847835065

INTERIOR DESIGN:: Portfolio:: Design Services:: Virtual Decorating:: Press:: Bio

BLOGS:: Surroundings::

:: Silverscreen Surroundings::

:: Master of your Domain:: The Skirted Roundtable - podcast

PRESS:: ShelterPop

:: The Boston Globe Style

:: The Boston Globe Magazine

:: Alluminaire

:: The Decorating Diva

SPEAKING:: Jr. League of Boston on Decorating “Secret Splurges”:: Boston Society of Architects RDC show on Social Networking

FREELANCE WRITING:: Perspective - digital magazine:: Networx.com:: Divine Caroline:: Huffington Post

CREDITS:: Written and edited by Linda Merrill:: Cover photography by Michael J. Lee

MEDIA KIT:: View Media Kit Here

PAST ISSUESPast Issues - Click Here

CONTACT & ADVERTISINGLinda MerrillLinda Merrill Decorative SurroundingsPO Box 1206Duxbury, MA 02331781-585-0275linda.m.merrill@gmail.comwww.lindamerrill.com

Linda Merrill Decorative SurroundingsDESIGN | BLOGS | PRESS | PUBLIC SPEAKING | FREELANCE WRITING |CREDITS

Guide toDecorative Living

13::Surroundings:: Magazine for Decorative Living | ©Linda Merrill | 781-585-0275 |www.surroundingsmagazine.com

LINDA MERRILL, PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Linda received her design education at the acclaimed Boston Architectural College after a long career in public television marketing and product branding. She has decorated homes throughout Greater Boston, the South Shore & Cape Cod and across the globe via her virtual design services. Her love of interiors is but one of her artistic pursuits and her studies in music and the fine arts continues to influence her design aesthetic. In addition to her blog ::Surroundings::, she has written a regular newsletter to a mailing list of nearly 1,000 (and growing) loyal readers for nearly 8 years, and is a regular writer for Networx.com. She is the founder and moderator of radio/podcast series called “The Skirted Roundtable”, available on iTunes. www.lindamerrill.com

MICHAEL J. LEE, COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Michael received his design training at the Wentworth Institute of Technology and, prior to becoming a professional photographer, worked as a interior designer for award winning designers Richard FitzGerald and Celeste Cooper. His design training has given him a unique perspective as he approaches a photography assignment. He understands a space and knows how to make it shine. His work regularly appears in all the regions’ major publications. www.michaeljleephotography.com

h t t p : / /surroundingsmagazine.com/

©2010 Linda Merrill Decorative Surroundings

www.lindamerrill.com

::The End::