{designer feature : Design by Lisa}

Lisa, Design by Lisa

The Twin Cities is filled with lots of great design, and lots of great designers! With such a thriving design community right here, we thought it would be fun to get to know each other better through some local designer and design blogger features. A few weeks ago we featured Kim from Lark Nest Design, and today we’re visiting with Lisa, the designer behind Design by Lisa.

Tell me a little about your background – what did you do before starting Design by Lisa? How did you get started in the design industry?
Before working in interior design full-time, I worked for several years as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines. I have a degree in Textiles, but while I was a flight attendant I studied Interior Design at the University of Minnesota and for several years I worked part-time in design while still flying full-time. In 2000 I left flying and worked full time in design at a large firm. In 2005 I started Design By Lisa.

Describe the services you provide your clients through Design by Lisa…
Almost all of my projects are residential rather than commercial but they can run the gamut from helping someone select a paint color to getting involved in a new construction project and being involved in the entire process. Variety is a great aspect of this job and working on projects of all types helps to keep things interesting.

A recent project that Lisa worked on

Congratulations on winning Houzz’s Best of Remodeling Award for 2012! Can you share with us a little about that project? Was there a particular aspect or element of that project that you think made it exceptional or set it above the others?

{gifts for mom from Hirshfield’s}

“A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.”
- Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul

Moms give us strength, encouragement and a loving place to call home. The least we can do in return is show our appreciation on Mother’s Day!

The team at Hirshfield’s paint in the Twin Cities and surrounding area knows that moms do a lot inside and outside the home to keep things running, organized and looking beautiful. So why not offer her a little reprieve or assistance with these tasks this Mother’s Day?

A Hirshfield’s gift card allows mom pick out the right paint, stain and/or window coverings to create the living space she has always dreamed of. And like they say, a gift card is always the right size!

Wall: Hirshfield’s Millennium line: Still Creek

Mom might also like to be treated to a Hirshfield’s color call. Whether she is looking for a fresh coat of paint on the interior or exterior of her home, a Hirshfield’s color professional can come out for an in-home color consultation to help her select the perfect color. To read more about how a color call works, check out our blogs on Hirshfield’s Color Calls and Painting your Home’s Exterior.

Dining room background is 0401 Bamboo Forest and 0634 Day Spa is the accent color. Bachman’s Fall Ideas House 2011.

Happy Mother’s Day from the team at Hirshfield’s. And if there are any moms out there reading this post, we would like to honor you with the Mom’s Opera Saga! (And feel free to send this blog link along to your family members as a “hint, hint” for gift ideas!)

{bits & pieces: mother’s day market event}

Lark Nest Design has all the details on the 2012 Mother’s Day Market. Here’s the link, follow it, if you want to treat yourself to a quickie get-away for Mother’s Day.

{creating a safe home}

While it can be hard to protect our children 100% of the time when they’re out playing or at school, there are things we can do at home to make sure we are creating a safe environment for our kids.

Window Coverings
Windows serve more that just an aesthetic purpose in your home. They are also an important safety feature. The Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) recommends homeowners and renters replace all window coverings in the home made before 2001 with today’s safer products, including cordless window coverings. Hirshfield’s offers a variety cordless options for your home that will fit right into your home’s design and safety needs. The LiteRise system allows you raise and lower your shades or blinds with just the touch of a finger and eliminates any dangling cords in your home. LiteRise is available on several Hunter Douglas window fashions.

Duette Top-Down Bottom-Up with LiteRise

Paint Disposal
Paint should be kept out of the hands of young children not only for safety reasons but also so you don’t end up with a mess! Store your paint well out of reach of children and follow these tips for proper storage and disposal of paint:

{window treatment wednesday}

Silhouette with LiteRise® lifting system

Innovation, quality, functionality, beauty and style. The newest products from window fashions leader Hunter Douglas have it all, according to the just-announced results of the annual Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) Product Awards.  For the 17th consecutive year, the company has won more awards than any other manufacturer – an outstanding 27 out of the 50 conferred this year. In addition, Hunter Douglas captured the coveted Product of the Year for the 12th year as well as the prestigious Judges’ Award reserved for a submission selected by the panel that exhibits measurable benefit or standout aesthetic appeal to end-users.

Product of the Year went to Silhouette® window shadings with the LiteRise® lifting system. Soft, sheer Silhouette shadings, unrivalled in the industry for their beauty and performance, have another important feather in their cap. Silhouette® with LiteRise® features an innovative cordless operation that not only makes raising, lowering and tilting the shading for variable light control easy, but eliminates the need for cords of any kind. No cords makes it especially ideal for homes with young children and provides a clean, uncluttered look at the window. A soft-touch handle allows for simple, convenient operation. For taller windows, a pull tassel is easy to install and use.

This product was also awarded Most Innovative Overall Concept in the “Health and Environmental Safety” Green Category of the awards and Best New Technical Innovation in the Miscellaneous Products and Specialty Applications Category.

Congratulations to Hunter Douglas on being recognized as the industry leader in the world of windows. Hirshfield’s is proud to represent such an outstanding company to our customers.

The Silhouette® is on sale during Hunter Douglas’ Celebration of Light spring sale, now through, June 17, 2012. In addition to the Hunter Douglas savings, Hirshfield’s is offering a FREE LiteRise® cordless lifting system upgrade...that is a $60 savings.

Come in and see all the fabulous window treatment options Hirshfield’s has to offer or make an appointment with one of our Shop at Home designers.

{friday finds: redecorating on a budget}

April is National Decorating Month. And while I’m sure some of us would love nothing more than to do a complete overhaul of our home’s decor to celebrate, not all of us have it in our budget to do so! So to satisfy your inner interior designer without completely damaging your bank account, here are our favorite budget-friendly redecorating tips!

Think quality over quantity: You don’t have to reupholster your whole couch or buy all new bedding to make an impact. Find a fabric you absolutely love, and then purchase just enough to make curtains or cover a pillow or two. These small accents will bring big changes to the look of your space! Tip: It takes about a yard and a half for a short curtain or half a yard for a 16-inch pillow.

Fabric by Kravet, available at Hirshfield's Design Resource

{window treatment wednesday}

Alustra® Woven Texture® Roman Shade without privacy lining

Alustra® Woven Texture® Roman Shade shown with privacy lining

Behind the scene with the Alustra® Woven Texture® showing the privacy lining on a Roman Shade

Alustra® Woven Texture Shade without privacy backing

If you are looking for something different and versatile, take a look at the Hunter Douglas Alustra® Woven Texture® line. The Alustra® Woven Texture® is available in a roller shade and roman shade, with 20+ different fabric options.

The roman shade has an optional liner shade in the back, that operates independently for complete privacy or room darkening. During the day you can enjoy the shade down and still have a diffused view, and at night total privacy.

The texture adds a natural and organic feel to your space, but the fabrics are much easier to care for than a traditional woven wood. The Alustra® Woven Texture®  stands on its own or looks great layered with side panels.

Check this product out next time you are in. You will be happy you did! Your style. Our expertise.

Guest post from Jill Henneberg, Hirshfield’s Edina

{friday finds: pottery barn diy video & kids colors spring 2012}

Bring excitement into your child’s room with a can of paint and a little imagination.

  After watching this video from Pottery Barn, painting numbers and letters on a wall never looked so easy. Maura Garrity, decorative painter for Pottery Barn, does an excellent job demonstrating this DIY painting project. This is an affordable, DIY project that transforms a room from plain to ” I love that room.” That’s what paint is all about.

Do you see a paint color in Pottery Barn’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection that reflects the vibe you want for your child’s room? Or a color you both can agree upon? This paint collection is a good starting point, along with stopping at one of the many Hirshfield’s locations for your painting needs.

P.S. If a family member has asthma or is sensitive to odors, Benjamin Moore has Natura, which is a zero VOC paint, and Aura, which is a low VOC paint. No odor and low odor. Something to keep in mind.

{friday finds: 50′s revival and what a hoot}

Audrey Jeanne

Vtwonen European paint colors

J. Crew

The appearance of coral and gray upon the color scene has been subtle, but it’s there. Coral and gray sightings started with a French illustrator on Decor8, and her adorable gray and coral owl postcards. Next were the European paint colors on the Dutch magazine, Vtwonen’s site. Lastly, an e-mail from J. Crew featuring soft coral, silk taffeta bridesmaids’ dresses on a pale gray background, and all this in the last couple months.

 I ran my “I think gray and coral are going places” theory by Greg at Hirshfield’s Design Studio, and he agreed. He has recently seen coral and gray combos in a number of European magazines; he also feels it is a revival of the colors of the 50′s.

{getting your home cleaned and organized for spring}

Spring has finally arrived in Minnesota! This is probably the one time of the year when the word “cleaning” actually has a positive connotation! It just feels so good to get the whole house cleaned and organized after the dreary winter months. Here are some tips for getting your home in fabulous spring form!

• Swap out those heavy quilts and blankets for lighter-weight bedding. Store your winter blankets in under-bed boxes, zippered bags, or vacuum-seal storage bags, which save space and protect against insects. Insert cedar or lavender sachets for extra freshness.