IN CONVERSATION WITH SUZANNE RHEINSTEIN

 

Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Masterful designer Suzanne Rheinstein creates traditional, but not stuffy or ostentatious spaces that feel comfortable yet luxurious. A Southern Belle after my own heart, Suzanne’s motto “Every day is all there is”, encapsulates the philosophy behind my mother’s way of life and the way I was raised back home in Mexico – stressing the importance of enjoying the beautiful things in life daily, not just for special occasions (such as ‘the good china’ or having fresh flowers at home).

 

Her designs have been published in all of the top design publications (including Architectural Digest, Elle Décor and House Beautiful), as well as her own book - ‘At Home’ which was released in late 2010. In addition to the success she has had with her interior design, Suzanne also has a very successful line of fabrics with Lee Jofa. A stunning collection inspired by antiquities which includes needlework, prints, linens, flocked patterns, textural solids, elegant silks and (my favourite) plush mohairs.  Lee Jofa is also planning a carpet line with Rheinstein which will be released later this year.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

I am so thrilled to have this interview with Suzanne and cannot wait to hear what she has to say about design today. Please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein –I grew up in New Orleans, and I absorbed a love of architecture from living there. I was always very aware of my surroundings.  And I grew up during a time when the mothers were very interested in their gardens and houses…my mother certainly was and my next door neighbor was Gerrie Bremmermann, a doyenne of decorating in New Orleans.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - What is your process to find that unexpected elegance in your designs?  Each of your rooms always have a moment that is unexpected and beautifully thought-out. Does the piece inspire you to create a room around it, or do you create the room and find the perfect piece to fit into it?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein - My decorating is object driven…I do love it when clients have, or I find for them, one of a kind things for a room…I do create rooms with a certain calm as my clients tend to have very busy and somewhat hectic lives.  An elegant and calm room is quite nice to come home to, whether it is rustic or more city.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - It is more than evident that you have a long relationship and love for beautiful antiques; or in other words, you are very selective in what goes into your designs, what makes a piece important enough to be used in your projects?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein  - I don’t go for importance as in provenance or grandeur, but in a certain shape and patina or well worn paint or something that is a bit magical about it…and I do like pieces that show the hand of the maker

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - Hollyhock has become the place to go for quality handmade pieces for many designers.  How did your love affair with quality antique pieces begin?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein  - I was exposed to them because they were in so many houses and then my interest took off.  My favorite period is the late 18^th century and the beginning of the 19^th…in several countries…Louis XVI and Directoire style in France and the slightly wonky way the Italians interpreted that, Gustavian in Sweden and Regency in England….I love painted finishes espcecillay but I think they need to be mixed with woods too, unless you were doing a period room, which I don’t do.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - We love the elegance and the comfortable sophistication of your fabric line by Lee Jofa - What is the inspiration behind it?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein –I was thrilled to be asked to do collections for Lee Jofa and I thought of fabrics I wished we had in the  library at my studio…one of the designs I wanted to do was a floral that my most sophisticated clients would like …I wanted to do a floral that looked like the wrong side of  one of the Lee Jofa hand blocked linens…I love to use the wrong side of them…and I did that with Garden Roses…it is soft and beautiful and it is only about 1/3 the cost of the hand blocked ones

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - What is the most practical thing that you own and what is the most rare?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein – The most practical thing is the Hollyhock racetrack ottoman, which is slip covered in a check in our library and covered with books and many times, feet!  The original was a Napoleon III window seat that I bought at auction…the man who ran Rose Cummings was in town when I opened and he bought it but not before I copied it…I have been making it since 1988.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - What is your favourite element in nature and why?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein – That’s not easy, but I would  have to say foliage…our garden is mostly shapes in every shade of green and gray, with plants that just happen to bloom, flowers aren’t the point, shape and shadows are. But when the roses are blooming, as they are now (May), they are other worldly, rambling up all of the walls – and over the roof of the Back House…Reve d’Or, Mme. Alfred Carriere, Blanc Double de Coubert, Jeanne d’Arc (insane! Reaching up to the roof of our two story house) and Sally Holmes, a strumpet who runs wild.  Then when this blooming madness is over the garden is all about green and gray and shapes again.

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - Your book "At Home" is a great lesson in how to live with handmade pieces and how to recognize quality while maintaining an elegant simplicity - What motivated you to write this book?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein - I wanted to show how  these families live with beautiful pieces as well as comfortable upholstery  with children and dogs and having friends over and bringing leaves and flowers inside and really living in their houses…how having fewer things but better things is a good way to go, and how to decorate so that it evolves with your family.  I am happy to say that the book is in its fifth printing and people I meet tell me that they really read it!

 

 

Iván Meade - What is next for Suzanne Rheinstein?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein – I have a  rug collection coming out in the fall at Lee Jofa…it will be stocked…and I am excited about it!

 

Interiors by Suzanne Rheinstein

 

Iván Meade - Lastly, you have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles, what would you like your legacy to be?

 

Suzanne Rheinstein -Happy and inspiring memories for the people who lived in the spaces I created…and the same for the people who have discovered  my work in books and periodicals

 

I invite you to visit the stunning body of work of Suzanne Rheinstein’s website:

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

EYE CANDY OF THE WEEK – NEST BOWL BY stephane parmentier

 

 

 

PRODUCT

Nest Bowl

 

MANUFACTURER

Christofle

 

DESIGNER

Stéphane Parmentier

 

FINISH

Silver Plated

 

DIMENSIONS

Extra Small with Spoon, Small, Medium & Large

 

DESCRIPTION

I love the clean lines of this piece.  Simple, yet unique.  This is the type of piece I wish I had designed.   Interior Designer Stéphane Parmentier had the opportunity to collaborate recently with Chirstopfle in a new exquisite line of decorative pieces.

 

The silver-plated Nest bowls come in four sizes: XS, which is lilliputian and includes a spoon for salt and pepper; S, M and L, which can be used as centerpieces to hold fruit, for example, or simply as exquisite decorative objects.

“I wanted to express the ambivalence of opposites,” explains Stéphane Parmentier. “A juxtaposition of extremes, between linearity and curves. Paradoxes condensed into a single object, where the boundaries are imperceptible. ”

- Christofle

 

YUMMY FACTOR

Scrumptious!

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

designers garage sale

The Vancouver Island Chapter of IDIBC is organizing a DESIGNER GARAGE SALE  to raise funds for Amber Kingsnorth’s   Designer Survivor's Tour Team participating in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer this June and we need your help!

 

Location
355 Catherine Street, Victoria, BC V9A 3S8

 (Map)

 

Date & Time

Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Liesch Interiors Office Interiors Parking Lot
355 Catherine Street (across from Spinnaker's Pub) Victoria, BC V9A 3S8

 

Contact
Amber Kingsnorth

 

Last year, I received one of the most encouraging and surprising gifts I have ever received in my entire life.  I have to say that I tear up a little when I read Amber’s inspiration page and what it was all about. You can’t imagine the strength I received with this gift  – My good friend and colleague Miz Amber Kingsnorth will be participating once again  in a two-day cycling event to take place this June. During this bold cycling journey, Amber will ride for two days through the scenic Pacific Northwest.  Amber’s vision is clear - A World Free From Cancer.

 

If you cannot attend the DESIGNERS GARAGE SALE this weekend – I invite you to support her clicking the the image below and give, give, give… Remember, she is biking a lot and she needs LOT$$$$$$$$$$ of motivation.

 

 

Here is Amber’s Statement:

 

The adorable Miz. Amber Marie Kingsnorth

 

As an interior Designer in Victoria BC I have seen a number of individuals in my industry affected by Cancer.  Colleagues who have undergone treatment and come out survivors (!) including Kimberly Williams, the woman who gave me my start in this business and for whom I am ever grateful.  These are my Designer Survivors and the inspirations for my ride! 

 

Last year I rode for my good friend and colleague Ivan Meade of the Meade Design Group who was undergoing treatment at the time.  I wanted to help him in anyway that I could and knowing that treatment is an unbelievable struggle, I thought; why not go through a little struggle of my own ... ride a bike for two days straight! :)  I am over-joyed to report that he is now in remission!!!  This year I'm keeping the momentum going and hoping to get more people involved.  If you'd like to join the DST team, drop me a line.

 

Donations, no matter the size, all help to support breakthrough research, exemplary teaching, and compassionate care made possible through BC Cancer Foundation, a leader in cancer research and care.  Please help me reach (and hopefully exceed!) my goal of raising $5000.00 for this amazing cause!

Thank you for your help and support,

Amber

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

IN CONVERSATION WITH DEANNA sellyeh

As seen in SNAP Victoria – May 2012

 

Deanna Sellyeh

 

Today I have the opportunity to introduce readers of SNAP! and the blog, to a new talent in town. Fresh from Vancouver Island University, interior designer Deanna Sellyeh has recently come to Victoria to bring her unique design approach to our neighbourhood.

 

Deanna was born in Ontario, but moved around a lot growing up, spending time in Bermuda and the Yukon. After high school, she went to the University of Ottawa (fun fact I must interject: her job while in University was a white-water-rafting guide!) to study for a career in Psychology; but when she found herself drawing floor plans in the margins of her notebooks, she thought it may be time to switch majors. So, in her 3rd year, she transferred her credits to VIU’s Interior Design program.

 

Detail Shoot – Interiors by Deanna Sellyeh

 

Miss Sellyeh feels her life experiences have probably influenced her design perspective and her focus on ‘community spaces’, where she enjoys creating designs that encourage guests to feel welcome – while maintaining her signature ‘less is more’ aesthetic. She also has a penchant for working on projects with uncommon circumstances, particularly those with atypical sensory perception where factors such as way-finding, emotional effect and a subconscious flow are particularly important.

 

Deanna has a great career ahead of her, and has already had the opportunity to work on a stunning project in  Bermuda which I want to share with you in particular, but I know her keen eye will take her far in the design world. Please read on to get in on the conversation…

 

Iván Meade – What was your first experience with design?

 

Deanna Sellyeh – I grew up in Whitehorse and kids in the Yukon spend a lot of time building forts in the bush. In the winter (which was most of the year) we'd build snow forts. I'd carefully extract sheets of ice off the windshield of my dad's car which I would inset into the walls of my fort to create ice windows. It would be dark by the time school let out, so we'd put candles inside to light up the snowy interior all blue and gold. We'd make furniture out of wood or snow and rig up an alarm system with string and a bear bell. I think all kids play like that when they are young but some people stop when they get older...I don't know why.

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 
Iván - What is your favorite local find? Where did you get this item – how long have you had it?

 

Deanna Sellyeh – I picked up a hitchhiker near Mill Bay who gave me a Curious George fridge magnet as a thank-you. I suppose that's more of a gift than find, but it's my favourite object from the Greater Victoria Area. This was in 2007, after my first year of design school.

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design
 

Iván - Why is it important/inspirational to you?

 

Deanna Sellyeh – Hitchhiking is in an interesting thing because you have to have faith that the universe will provide you with opportunities and that people are generally good natured. It's funny, because most people who pick up hitchhikers have hitched rides themselves, so there's this whole community of people who get it. The magnet I was given reminds me to relax and enjoy the ride.

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade – Did you always want to be an interior designer?

Deanna Sellyeh - I always had design related interests but I didn't know that interior design was a career until relatively late in the game. If you'd asked me at age ten, I probably would have said I wanted to design cars or be a carpenter.

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade - Do you consider being young in the business as advantage or a disadvantage?

Deanna Sellyeh - Youth can be an advantage but inexperience can make the job more challenging. The upside of inexperience might be that when you don't have a set of go-to solutions you've devised over the years, you're perhaps more open minded in your approach.  

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade – How would you describe your style?

Deanna Sellyeh - For myself, I tend to like old but simple things with texture and a story. For a client, I can appreciate any style, though my focus tends to be on concept, space planning and millwork.

 

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade – Recently you had the opportunity to complete a stunning commercial project in Bermuda – How was your experience?

Deanna Sellyeh - Thank you! It was a great experience and I learned a lot on this project. I did the design work in Canada in conjunction with SOS Design in Victoria, but I was happy to be invited to a few of the site meetings in Bermuda.

We used local suppliers as much as possible but just about everything in Bermuda is imported which has a considerable impact on cost and lead times. Also, things tend to corrode and get dirty a lot faster on the island, so that's something you have to consider in material selection. The space was very white, which most people assume is high-maintenance, but we used acrylic paints, finishes and textiles that are easy to clean. The client didn't want it to look like a typical office and I think we succeeded in that.  

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade – What are you excited about right now in the world of design?

Deanna Sellyeh - Biomimicry in architecture.

 

Interior Design by Deanna Sellyeh/Akureyri Design

 

Iván Meade – What would be your dream project?

Deanna Sellyeh - To design a school building to help reduce the anxiety a lot of students can feel in typical educational facilities. To start, this school would have no fluorescent lighting. It would have flexibility to do your class work sitting or standing, the materials would be chosen to reduce echo, noise and glare, it would make use of colour psychology -- not just the typical white, blue and burgundy due to a lack of conceptual alternatives. It would have living walls, flexible spaces and integrated way finding techniques and it would have lots of fresh air and natural light, especially in the hallways. To me, interior design is more about how space functions and how it makes you feel and that's a combination of all your senses. My primary interest in interior design is finding ever more seamless ways for space to work with people, as opposed to a world of people just working within space. I think schools are a great place to start investing in this kind of effort.

 

SOS:NDSS Thesis Project by Deanna Selleyeh

 
Iván Meade – What is your next design venture?

Deanna Sellyeh - My mama's front porch.

 

 

I invite you to visit Deanna Sellyeh’s website at:

 

 

 

Interior Photography by: Josh Nychuk

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011

Designing for generosity

Today I had the pleasure to see this wonderful video via Patricia Gray.  I would like to share it with you as it really resonates with me.

 

Enjoy!

 

MEADE DESIGN GROUP - THE BLOG. Copyright 2007-2011