Interior Design Today
By Annie O’Carroll, Principal, Annie O’Carroll Interior Design
Look outside and you will find just the right palette for your home’s interior design plan. Study the different colors, textures and shapes in nature and you will be inspired by what you see.
Tranquility expressed in a sitting room was achieved with a soft, neutral sofa dressed in shades of yellow and lavender pil- lows. I glanced outside at the homes’ surrounding vistas, and saw the joyful, yellow flowers of the chamisa shrub, their gentle, gray-green foliage and vibrant purple asters. In that instant I was aware of the influence of nature in my work.
My emphasis on our stunning surroundings in Santa Fe will help guide you to make the right choices for your interior de-
sign plan. Sunrise lighting up the velvet blue sky with gold, yel- low, orange and magenta inspires a bright, bold interior. Think of the silvery, blue-green sage shrub against the rich topaz of the earth and the horizon of an aqua sky. This suggests a gently muted palette. Our changing seasons present interesting choices. On a sunny, winter day you may see a dusting of snow on our evergreen trees, a bright crimson cardinal bird and his mate in shades of olive green.
Together we will draw from nature in Santa Fe and create an atmo- sphere to reflect your design style. Santa Fe has been my home for more than 20 years and the spirit of our surroundings continues to whisper to my imagination.
Posted on: December 14th, 2011
Melanie and Edmund just remodeled their kitchen complete with new appliances, cabinets and countertops. The remodel was scheduled to take 3 months however, 6 months later and 50% over budget it was finally finished. They were ready to entertain for their much anticipated “gourmet” dinner when they noticed the obnoxious fingerprints on their new honed black granite kitchen countertop. Yikes!
q.
Why Do Certain Slab Materials Show Fingerprints?
a.
Countertops that are prone to show fingerprints are honed granites and darker colored composite materials such as Caesar stone and Silestone. When dark granites are honed it actually opens the pores of the material which allows for easier absorption of oils etc. Polished granites actually tighten up the pores in the material. Along with this polishing the material creates greater reflectivity that is measured at the factory to produce consistent, high quality material. The lack of a polish enables oils to be seen more easily and the darker the material the more probable you will see the reflectivity of the material. A leather finish provides a variable textured finish and is a great alternative to a polished finish.
Posted on: November 29th, 2011
This article appeared is the August 2011 issue of Home|Santa Fe Real Estate Guide, a monthly magazine of The Santa Fe New Mexican.
Click to enlarge
Posted on: October 3rd, 2011
During October please listen for my on-going commentary on “All Things Real Estate” Oct 09 and Oct 30. between noon and 1:pm on 1260am. You can also link to www.sothebyshomes.com and go to the All things Real Estate link.
Posted on: October 1st, 2011
