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EDGEMOOR SUNROOM :: THE REVEAL!
The Edgemoor sunroom has been installed! Installation days are such a highlight for interior designers. They represent the culmination of months of hard work, careful planning and patience. Considering this project started in the summer of 2015, we were thrilled to see the room finally come to life. So it is with great delight that we report that the room is even more beautiful than we expected. We always have an idea of how an interior will look, but we can’t necessarily anticipate how it will feel. Being in a space where the architecture, the decor and the surroundings truly sing makes all the trials and tribulations of the previous months disappear. We’re thrilled and our clients are thrilled. Santa couldn’t have brought us a better present for the holidays. Enjoy!
|| Pre-Install Site Review ||
We scoped out the site the day before to ensure that there were no surprises on install day. Thanks to the contractor, all of the construction debris had been removed and the floors and glass were clean. This is a small, but important detail when delivering a room full of fresh, new [and valuable] furnishings. And with a blank slate before us, we were finally able to appreciate all of the beautiful architectural lines and the gracious volume of space.
|| Design is [not] glamorous ||
Installations requires a mix of muscle, troubleshooting and finesse. Pillows get fluffed, furniture placement tweaked, and motorized curtains programmed and dressed. One of the trickier exercises of the day was hanging the porcelain Fenella Elms artwork. Both delicate and heavy — and weighing in at well over 100 lbs — it took four men and two very nerve-wracking attempts to hang it on the wall. Needless to say, we all gave a cheer and a generous sigh of relief once it was in place.
|| A Beautiful Finish ||
Just as we were finishing the installation, the sun came out and cast an ethereal light into the room giving it a magical sparkle. The shadows danced off the porcelain artwork, the plaster walls, and the mother of pearl inlay on the pedestal table top. Simultaneously, the light saturated the drapery with warmth and illuminated the dramatic skylight overhead. Enveloped by so much natural beauty, it’s easy to envision spending hours in this space lounging, reading, socializing or napping.
|| Taking Care ||
Our work here is done! Well, almost. Installations require guidance regarding the care and maintenance of the space. We strive to ensure our client’s satisfaction by giving them the tools they need to enjoy their homes for years to come. Our care packages vary depending on the scope of a project and specific needs of the client. However, they generally include care and maintenance instructions, mechanical specifications and a paint+finish schedule. In this particular case, we also included a separate artwork care package. The art we installed is fragile and valuable, so we provided our clients with handling instructions along with extra porcelain pieces. And of course, we packaged it beautifully in a Huntley & Co. box with ribbon – something befitting the showstopper art piece itself.
We hope you enjoyed following our Edgemoor series. In case you missed anything, check out each phase here, here, here and here. We will be signing off for the next few weeks to enjoy some R&R. We will post again in 2017 with new installations, discoveries and our behind-the-scenes adventures. Until then, Huntley & Co. — and our mascot Nina — wish you and yours the happiest of holidays!
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EDGEMOOR SUNROOM :: PART III
Developing a thorough drawing set is critical to the success of all Huntley & Co. projects. It’s the technical backbone of the design, ensuring precision and accuracy. The Edgemoor sunroom features two expansive nano walls, a seamlessly integrated reflecting pool and a dramatic skylight. With fenestrations composing 90% of the room, it was important to consider the furniture and its arrangement carefully. We worked through an endless stream of floorplans to maximize circulation, engage the views and allow for both conversation and lounging. And we selected pieces that spoke to a luxurious “camp” style (think Out of Africa or Lawrence of Arabia). An abundance of comfort promises a room that is open, yet absolutely intimate.
— The Floorplan —
It always starts with the floorplan; a birds-eye view provides a wealth of knowledge. Drawing everything (walls, windows, doors, floor vents, etc.) to the exact measurement is critical. Because an inch can be the difference between a flawless installation and a costly mistake.
As shown in the floorplan above, pulling the furniture into the center of the room creates circulation space.
— The Study of Furniture & Lighting —
Each and every piece that goes into our projects is vetted for size and scale. We collaborate with our vendors to verify, and sometimes adjust, dimensions down to the 1/16″ — ensuring the best possible function and fit.
Drawings above include the custom console and sofas, pedestal table and the Huntley sconce from Urban Electric Co.
— The Perspective Drawing —
Perspectives are exciting because they allow us to “pull a design up” and study the relationship between architecture and décor. The Edgemoor sunroom is visually complex – from the dramatic skylight to all those windows – so it was important to implement décor that would complement, not compete with the envelope. A neutral palette, low slung furnishings and layers of softness add the right amount of quiet.
Our perspective drawing illustrates how open the sunroom becomes when the nano doors are retracted. The layered rugs and sheer drapery panels at the perimeter help create intimacy.A room like this is, without a doubt, a design challenge. Generating meticulous drawings allowed us to tackle the project in an informed, confident manner. With that, seeing our drawings “go vertical” during the construction process is when the real fun begins. Well, typically. Our next post will include on-site progress photos replete with a little unexpected drama. Stay tuned!
xo, Huntley & Co.
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Time for Reflection
The end of the year is indeed a time of reflection for many. But rather than wax poetic about 2014 and all it meant and what we learned (blah, blah, blah), I choose to look back in a more literal and playful manner. Using mirrors, and the magic of reflection, is one of the most beautiful and effective tools in my designer bag-of-tricks. Regardless of shape, size, provenance or patina – mirrors bounce light, enlarge a space and add a hint of enchantment to any room. So let’s say goodbye to 2014 not with regret or melancholy, but with anticipation for the year ahead and all that 2015 has in store for us … while taking one last glance in the mirror and congratulating ourselves for all that we accomplished this year ; )
| HUNTLEY & CO. REFLECTIONS |
(photography by Kevin Allen, Angie Seckinger & Tricia Huntley)
Wishing everyone a festive new year’s eve!
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Light it Up
I enjoyed some exceptional work days last week. I was in Charleston visiting The Urban Electric Company. Urban Electric is a lighting company with a distinctive vision, brilliant products and a stellar team. I have been using their light fixtures in my designs for nearly a decade. In recent years, I started to design custom fixtures for them to produce. In an exciting development last year, UECo chose to select one of those designs for their permanent collection. The “Huntley” was born as a sconce for a client’s Bethesda home and can now can be found in residential and commercial projects in the US and abroad. As part of their BEHIND THE SCENES video series, Urban Electric invited me to Charleston to discuss the Huntley, my other custom fixtures and the method behind my design process. UECo filmed while I toured their production facility, met with craftsmen and talked with the team about what inspires me. I’ve shared our behind-the-scene shots of Urban Electric’s headquarters and the day’s activities in the photo album below.
A sign that embodies Urban Electric’s stylistic heritage and the spirit of their manufacturing environment.
Touring the metalworking areas with the Urban Electric team.
Learning more about each process. Fascinating.
Lantern multiples prior to welding. A craftsman at work.
Detailed finish work on the second floor. Discussing the components of a custom piece.
Individual parts of The Huntley await assembly. A finished Huntley sconce on the shelves.
Pendants and lanterns from the UECo collection hang throughout. Speaking with visionary owner Dave Dawson during the tour.
Filming the interview.
Huntley sconce installations including a Huntley & Co. foyer and a London department store.
(photos at left and right c/o The Urban Electric Co.)
Many thanks to my Urban Electric hosts for their gracious southern hospitality.
Tricia xo
THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
