Studio Happenings: Draperies Installed Finally

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Veronica Solomon

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As I always say, nothing makes a room like adding draperies or curtains. They are great for a focal point in a room, they add color and coziness and pulls a room together.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you will no doubt be familiar with my 1905 Victorian house that I am fixing up as my design studio. It has been a few months since I got my hands on this hidden gem, and since then I have been slowly reviving it from the beautiful mess it was.

Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio located at 5602 Franz Rd Katy TX 77493

Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio located at 5602 Franz Rd Katy TX 77493

I have been trying to stay true to the charm and character of this 1905 historical home, while recognizing my personal design aesthetic, and of course keeping my eye on the bottom line.

The concept behind the decoration of my design studio, is to create a home-like atmosphere centered on hospitality, so that my clients and potential clients would feel almost like they were invited into my own home. That way they can see themselves in a Casa Vilora Interiors designed space – even if it is not necessarily their personal design aesthetic. It is more of a mood and feeling that I am trying to capture.

I brought in comfortable upholstery to allow clients to sit and relax and talk freely about their interior design dreams. The dining room/conference room vignette also boasts a settee and upholstered chairs instead of typical dining room chairs. It is all about comfort and homey-ness.

It is still a work in progress, as there are still a lot of small projects to be done, but I am definitely on a roll.

This past Saturday, I finally had the draperies installed in three of the room vignettes – the living room or reception area, the dining room or conference room, and the study or where all the paperwork happens

I will share some of the pictures taken with my iPad, but I will be bringing in a professional photographer after it’s all done.

First off the living room/reception area. These are lined pinch pleat drapery panels in a blue and white cotton damask fabric. The custom pillows for the sofas are still in production for the room, and those will definitely help to finish the room.

This next picture is the dining room or conference room vignette. This room is where I will sit down with clients and show them all the wonderful ideas I came up with for their projects.

These draperies are a beautiful linen cotton blend. I just love the colors

Casa Vilora Interiors drapery panels

This is the study or the room where the magic happens There are actually a total of six drapery panels in this room, but the room needed a bit of organizing at the time of the photos

I just love this beautiful geometric Kravet linen fabric

Here are some other views

I added a piece of art done by my daughter when she was in 8th grade. It was judged for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, but wasn’t selected. She insists she doesn’t like it at all….I mean she has gotten so much better now, but I just love this piece. I framed it in an inexpensive Ikea frame, and I think it looks like a million bucks! You can see more of my daughter’s work from a previous Artist Spotlight post. Click here

There are quite a few more projects I will be tackling before the Spring Open House in April.

Paint the small powder room including the cabinets, trim, and even the old claw foot tub
Paint the kitchen cabinets
Decorate the powder room and kitchen vignette
Finish hanging plates from my white plate collection
Build plate rack for wall in kitchen
Add spring flowers to the front porch

Wow, still a long laundry list of items to be done, but I’ll get there!

Thanks for checking out my design studio happenings. More coming soon so stay tuned!

I am heading off to Dallas for the next few days for Spring Break, so I won’t be posting for a few days. But be sure to check in on my Facebook page for updates about my Spring Break trip to Dallas. You won’t want to miss my visit to The Dallas Market Center. I know it will be amazing!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Be Inspired!

Casa Vilora Interiors

Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com

Weekend Spray Painting Party!

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Veronica Solomon

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Ok, it’s not really a party! But it got your attention

This weekend was spent spray painting a pair of lamps and a bunch of accessories for the design studio.

I think I spray painted everything but the kids and the dog So, I will apologize now for any typos or mistakes in this post, since I might still be a bit high from all the spray paint Just kidding; I did wear a mask. I am now regretting not wearing gloves, however

Here’s a snap shot of what I worked on

It all started with this pair of lamps that I have had for a long time. I bought them for a project I was working on about three years ago, but never ended up using them at all. They have since been sitting in the storage closet of my design studio. I like the scrolls and the details of the lamps, but I didn’t really like the dark finish, nor the shades that they came with.

I needed some lamps for the design studio, but they had to be lighter and a bit more feminine. Giving the lamps a light coverage of white semigloss spray paint, allowing the existing crackle finish to peek through a bit, seemed like the perfect solution. Why buy new ones when I can use ones I already own?

Here is the “BEFORE” shot of the lamps

The lamps before

The lamps before

Here are the lamps after spray paint. I like them so much better now. What do you think?

I took it a step further and added a tiny metallic paint detail to the base of the lamps.

casa vilora interiors spray paint lamps

It’s a very subtle detail, but it adds a custom touch to the lamps. I will share pictures of the lamps in place with the new shades very soon.

Here are some of the other items I worked on……

These are some ceramic fruits I have had for a very long time in my kitchen at my old house. This was when my taste was a bit more on the traditional side. I decided to spray paint them and use them in the dining room vignette of the design studio. The spray paint didn’t come out that great on the ceramic fruits, but they are still useable

I also spray painted a couple of clay flower pots that will house some beautiful succulents.

I also added the metallic silver detail to the flower pots. These are going to look great with the color of the succulents.

Also a couple of candle holders and a garden sculpture.

As you can see, I was pretty busy.

These items will be strategically placed in little vignettes all around the studio. I can’t wait to share pictures with you

The moral of today’s story: Repurpose, reuse, recycle! Look around your home for items you no longer get excited about. It’s quite possible that you may still like the shape and size, and it is the color or finish that you are no longer crazy about. You can use them in the same way you always have, or find a different purpose.

Spray painting is pretty simple but here are some tips:

Use a high quality spray paint with primer, easy coverage, and dries quickly
Wear a mask and gloves
Do it outdoors and make sure it is not windy out
Prepare the surface of the item to be spray painted by lightly sanding and dusting
Using back and forth movement, apply several thin coats instead of trying to fully cover in one application
Allow the paint to dry in between coats

Like I always say, “spray paint is your best friend”, so have fun spray painting!

Be Inspired!

Casa Vilora Interiors

Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com

Studio Happenings: To Paint Or Not To Paint

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Veronica Solomon

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My Restoration Hardware vintage wooden carousel horse arrived this week and I am super happy! You may recall from a recent post that I ordered it for my old Victorian design studio.

I found it and fell in love with it while shopping for a client, and of course ordered it, not quite sure where I was going to place it.

Here’s what the carousel horse looks like incase you missed the recent post where it was featured

Source: Restoration Hardware Baby and Child

Source: Restoration Hardware
Baby and Child

The wooden carousel horse is artisan crafted by hand, and no two are exactly the same, so I was anxious to see what it would look like when it arrived.

It was slightly darker than the photo on Restoration Hardware’s site, but that was to be expected. I love the graceful shape and scale of it, and I am very happy I bought it!

I decided to place it in the dining room/conference room vignette of my design studio, and I really like it there. The scale is perfect and it enhances the focal point of this room that is really devoid of any real architectural features to speak of

Here is the carousel horse in a room vignette by Restoration Hardware. This will hopefully give you an idea of the scale of it

Source: Restoration Hardware Baby and Child

Source: Restoration Hardware Baby and Child

(Fortunately the horse wasn’t a little bit further to the left in this picture. Look carefully ) Ok sorry, couldn’t resist

The darker oak finish works great in the vignette above, but seems a bit too dark for mine. I have been trying to decide whether or not to give it a lighter finish. Maybe paint it white with a bit of distressing and antiquing to really make it look old. Right now it just feels a bit too new and too much of a contrast in my design studio.

Maybe something similar to this…….

Take a look and tell me what you think.

Here it is in my studio

What you are looking at is the main wall as you walk into the dining room vignette of my design studio. It is anchored by a tufted settee with a skirted console table behind it. The horse sits perfectly on top of the console table. On the wall is an arrangement of some of my white plates (still missing a few that I just cannot find time to hang ), and the round dining table with a faux orchid floral and two ginger jars in the foreground. I will share pictures of the finished room very soon.

My faux painter would do an amazing job of “aging” it for me, so I am not that worried about how it will turn out. I just hate to alter it in any way. Maybe it’s the OCD nature in me

So what is your take on this? To paint or not to paint? Feel free to chime in in the comments field below.

I think I will wait until the room is completely finished, and maybe live with it for a couple of weeks after that, before I decide to paint or not to paint.

Decisions, decisions

Hope you all have a great weekend! I will be spending a big part of mine spray painting some lamps and accessories for the studio.

Be Inspired!

Casa Vilora Interiors

Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com

Studio Happenings: Styling The Cocktail Table

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Veronica Solomon

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If you’ve been following my blog for a while you probably know that I have been tinkering away at finishing my old Victorian house turned design studio for a couple of months now.

I have been consistently and inexpensively adding new pieces. This week, I added the new slip-covered sofas, and a few more accessories. Last week was the area rugs. Next week will be draperies, and I am super excited about that addition!!

A few days ago I received a nice bouquet of tulips to cheer me up after a long weekend. Tulips are my favorites, and what better way to display them than on the cocktail table. To complete the cocktail table vignette, I added a few design magazines and books I had on hand from my vast collection, a horse head chess piece that was sitting unused in my garage, a tiny trinket box from my home, and a terrarium left over from a previous project.

You can see a glimpse of one of the sofas in the background. They are still missing pillows and maybe a throw but soon those will be added to finish the look

Here’s what the cocktail table looks like now

Here’s a before shot of the cocktail table

You can see that it is all a work in progress. But soon will be awesomely beautiful!

I have been obsessed with the Instatus photo editor lately, so here is the same picture after being edited with Instatusapp

The key here is that you too can style a cocktail table on a budget using pieces that you already own.

Start with fresh flowers that you can pick up from your local grocery store or cut from your own garden
Books and magazines are beautiful and are wonderful to use for decorating. They are great space fillers or for adding height to an object in a vignette.
“Shop” your home for any decorative objects that you can use to finish the look. You’ll be surprised what you will find, even inside your kitchen cabinets
Check out garage sales or estate sales for unique finds. Refinish or spray paint if you have to
If you are crafty, You can make something unique to display

Here are a couple more styled cocktail tables for your inspiration

Source: Chic and Glamorous

Source: Chic and Glamorous

Notice how books are used generously.

Source: Sweet Nothings

Source: Sweet Nothings

What decorating projects have you been working on lately? tell us about it in the comments below.

Hope you all have a terrific Thursday!

Be Inspired!

Casa Vilora Interiors

Veronica Solomon, Casa Vilora Interiors
VeronicaSolomon.com

Casa Vilora Interiors Design Studio

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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About a year ago, after much thought and prayers, I decided to move forward with my dream of opening a design studio where my clients could come to (if they chose to) and be inspired with everything that they see. The design studio is more of an “idea studio” instead of a retail storefront. I wanted to create a welcoming, comfortable environment, that felt more like a well appointed home with beautifully designed room vignettes for my clients to get ideas and be inspired. The space is about 1050 square feet and the space plan will accommodate two living room vignettes, a dining room vignette, a bedroom vignette and the work areas and sample/resource library in the rear. It is located in a beautiful building called Chelsea Market built in the 1980′s in the middle of Houston’s Museum District.

The dream so far has been very slow to become reality. In fact, the studio is still very much a work in progress. It is partially furnished and doesn’t quite resemble the vision in my head just yet. Because business has been a bit slower than anticipated, I am waiting or the financial resources to get the dream back on track without having to compromise on the vision. In the meantime, I work hard, and network a lot to build business. I know the big pay off is somewhere on the horizon

A shot of the studio entrance from the beautiful courtyard

A shot of the studio entrance from the beautiful courtyard

The space before I got my hands on it

The space before I got my hands on it

The space After

The space After

Another "After" shot

Another “After” shot

My design studio was also meant to feature the work of “starving artists” whose wonderful creations sometimes go unnoticed by the major art galleries here in the Museum District. This was my way of giving back – by helping someone to get a running start at their creative dream. Eventually I will have “Art Nights” twice a month to feature pieces from a few artists and have them meet and greet patrons and give a bit of background information about their creations.

One such artist is my very good friend Aimee Chaison. She is a fabulous artist who works in acrylic, oil and resin. She is very creative and does everything from jewelry design to canvas to wall murals. Some of her work can be found on her Etsy shop RedNCKDebutante. She is the wonderful talent behind this beautiful wall mural in my design studio. Take a look

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This mural was done by painting the walls in a gold metallic house paint from Ralph Lauren’s Regent Metallics Collection. She then made a grid on the wall using painter’s tape (the grid gets the proportions and scale just right) and then sketched out branches in pencil and then she painted away. The mural took her a couple of weeks to finish, painting maybe an hour or two a day. Everyone who walks into my design studio swears it is wallpaper! She did a fabulous job, and these pictures do not do it justice!This area will be the dining room vignette in the near future.

Meet my friend Aimee Chaison:

Aimee Chaison working on the wall mural

Aimee Chaison working on the wall mural

Aimee Chaison and Veronica Solomon at Fashion Week Houston

Aimee Chaison and Veronica Solomon at Fashion Week Houston

She has been a very great encourager and supporter of my dream and I am happy to call her a friend.

I will have wonderful pictures of the completed space hopefully in the very near future.

Here are a few of the quotes that keep me going even in tough times:

Thanks for taking the time to read today. I appreciate every one of my loyal readers. Please leave a comment below with any questions or if you need information about my design services. You may also contact me here. And as always, please share this post.

Have a magnificent Monday!

Be Inspired!

Studio Time: Fabric Sample Collection

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Veronica Solomon

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It has been a crazy few weeks for me with the move, and I am finally back in the studio full time this week. Trying to play catch-up is a bit overwhelming, but I am getting it done, little by little

Of course being back means that I get to go through the new shipment of fabric sample books that arrived during my absence. For those who don’t know, I’m a bit of a fabric connoisseur (If I do say so myself ). It is my absolutely favorite part of my work as an Interior Decorator. In fact, I have decided to give you all a brief “behind the scene” look at my vast fabric sample collection.

My design studio located in the heart of Houston’s beautiful Museum District is still a work in progress, so you will get to see pictures of the entire studio in the near future, but for now, here is a rare glimpse of where the magic happens

These are new arrivals from Norbar Fabrics

This is where I sit to pull preliminary fabric selections for projects I am working on

One wall of trim books!

These are hanging samples or my loose samples that are not booked.

Believe it or not, there are lots more that are not shown, but you get the idea

I love having a large selection for my clients, and I am always seeking out new and exciting sources. This allows me to give each client a unique, custom design that they will love for many many years! There is something for everyone here. From time to time I cannot find just the right fabric I have in mind, so I visit the Decorative Center Houston, where most of my favorite fabric houses have a showroom: Kravet, Duralee, Fabricut, Pindler & Pindler and Schumacher…..It’s like a kid in a candy store when I visit! One of my future goals is developing my own line of fabrics, that way, I will always have exactly what I have in mind!

I want to give my clients the same experience of a kid in a candy store when they visit my design studio: A welcoming, comfortable and inspired feeling, where there are lots of choices to suit their taste, lifestyle and budget……and they leave happy and satisfied!

You are welcomed to visit Casa Vilora Interiors design studio anytime! Please contact me if you are interested in finding out more about my design services or scheduling an appointment.

Don’t forget to comment and share!

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Be Inspired!

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