Tips for Displaying Books - Od to the Bookshelf

I have been obsessed with book shelves. Not the actual bookshelf  but more arranging the books. As a designer I come to this subject slightly askew because I love how books LOOK on a shelf  MORE than actually finding or reading them. I know, I know.... it's bad.... soooo if you think you must use the dewey dicple system  to organize books.... turn away...now,  so that I do not offend.

Midway client 2016-
 photographer Lindsay Salazar

This obsession started a couple years ago when I created a book shelf wall in my own home. We had a lot of book in boxes that had never been unpacked. It was during the height of the recession and my commissions at work were at an all time low. Buying a quality piece was not an option. I was just lucky to just have a job in design. Many of my friends had been laid off or and companies were going out of the business.  In my low income state, I made the best of things to fulfill my furniture addiction. So I decided to up-design a cheap IKEA bookshelf

Tips:

• Paint the back panel a contrast color

• Mix in art

• Create rhythm with stacks of book coordinated by book color

Union Park client 2015 books aranged by size and color
- photographer tkdesign

Turning the junk paperside out,
It can create a consistent rhythm and simple look
photo -tkdesign

Recently I found a idea I really like, take the  paper side of books and face them out. My client Kim  let me use this look.I have to point out if you need to actually find a book this is completely impractical. Kim is editor for text books, She had a grundle of books that she was going to dump at a second had store so she did not care about seeing or reading the books. So the book became a little fluff for her book cases. I love the texture and rhythm that the books facing backwards give.

adding paper covers to books adds interest to a plain bookcase.

Tips:
4) flip the books paper side out
5)  mix in accessories that mimic the color scheme
6) wrap books with paper to coordinated with room
7) Last but not least color code the books together blue together, reds together, yellow together and arrange them in stack by color.

Midway Cleint  book cases are Important and how we accent them.
photo Lindsay Salazar Photography

Happy Book arranging All!

   

  

Happy Wife , Happy Life.

Nothing is more exciting than creating a room that matches a clients personality. My cute client Emily Ballsteadt build a charming home in Midway Utah ( a quaint little community above Park City). The town was originally founded by Swedish immigrants. Nestled above in the Wasatch mountains.  If you close your eyes you can wouldswear you are in the Swiss Alps.

This bedroom is an extension of Emily's vibrant personality and fits into the  northers European culture of the area. An infusion of sunflower yellow, turquoise,  grey, and white on white walls, create  a room that would makes you want to spring out of bed and wake up happy every day.

 

Help me, my husband's boss is coming to stay.

I bet you didn't know there can be interior design emergencies . Yes, yes, when your husband announces out of blue  big boss is coming into town next week for a fishing trip and  the basement is stuck in 1998. Of course the basement is conveniently right next to the guest room. This constitutes an interior design emergency.

 Most of the furniture I sell at Ethan Allen is ordered on with a lengthy lead time. So when my client Katie Barnard came into the design center for help, it felt find of like the reality tv cooking show Cut where you are given just a few ingredients to  make something fabulous.

 Well I impressed myself with this one. It turned out pretty fabulous.

Raspberry and Marine Blue at City Creek tower

Just completed a few basic furniture pieces for my clients the Dunbars. They wanted to infuse fresh colors into their empty nester condo in the City Creek Tower. Rasberry and Marine blue added the pop they were looking for.

Keeley's Chartreuse Update

Making  clients that turn into friends make my job as a designer even more rewarding. Keely was one of those clients. Her goal for her room was to create a vibrant , graphic family friendly room using the chartreuse color to pop the room.  A Very fresh Look, don't you agree.

Wedding florals

I LOVE doing florals.

Many years ago in an act of desperation  after my husband had lost his job I  took a position as floral designer doing silk and dried flower arrangements. I loved it!!!  I made 100s of arrangement that were shipped to furniture stores all over the country. When my husband got a new job I started my own business  from  home doing custom floral design. I did many  Boutiques  including Swiss Days (the mother of all Craft Boutiques in Utah) It was a great job for a stay at home mom.

When I became a single mom and started working  as full time Interior designer, My floral design opportunities dwindled as well as the time I had available to do them.  Occasionally I do an arrangement for clients when ever the opportunity presents itself.

Bridal bouquet for Challyn my new daughter in law

My new favorite thing is designing fresh flowers for my family. Corsages at Prom time. Of late I did the Bridal bouquets for my son Riley and Bobby's Brides as well as other arrangements for wedding. Fresh floral are a little imitating  because fresh flowers are living things with each variety having a personality of its own. I am still getting to know the little  guys. 


In June I did all the florals for my son's best friend Nate as a service. Nate was raised by a single mom and never knew his Dad. Most kids in that situation are a little wild. Not Nate he was caption of the football team, graduated from high school with a 4.0. He was a great friend to my son Brady. .  Long story short I wanted to do an amazing job because they were the cutest couple ever.

Me with all of Brady's friends at Nates wedding
(Brady was still in China  So.. I represented"  and yes thats me in the middle with a bunch of young stallions)

The bride Tanner. Bouquet had garden roses, Hydrangea, Peony, roses with pearl cuff and pearl accents.

Brush with the Famous


Occasionally I stumble into clients that are kinda famous. This last year I was able to help Heather Armstrong with a few pieces for her lovely home up in Federal Heights area. Heather has one of the most read blogs in the country.  I  really liked her a lot.  Her hilarious blog. http://dooce.com/daily-style is pretty fun. I'd like to say I did the design but honestly she already has a great sense of style so it was just fun to collaborate with her.


   We designed 2 of these Giselle chairs for the family room



Cute Shaw Chair  from the floor sample Clearance sale

Heather's Daughter on the Emerson Chair with wicked cool Ikat fabric