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Warm and Cozy
I have a new mantra now that the weather has turned in Minnesota – “WARM and COZY”. What I wear, where I go, what I eat and drink … all of these decisions will be subjected to the same question, “Will this make me feel warm and cozy?” Even things I love get the cold shoulder (pun intended) if they can’t cure a chill. Sayonara, sushi. Thankfully, winter brings with it a myriad of delicious opportunities.
Interiors
If you are a Huntley & Co. client, your interior will typically lean warmer. And if we start work on your project in winter, you will definintely end up with velvet, mohair, wool, and/or suede in your home. Thankfully, these materials are perennially chic.
above: A scheme devised for a Huntley & Co. home office.
Fashion
I prefer colder weather fashion. Don’t most women? The sweaters and boots and wraps and coats and …
above: A montage of F/W street fashion and 2 close-up’s of my own favorite cozy outfits.
Sustenance
Perhaps the best part of the cold weather months is THE FOOD. There is nothing like a rich, savory meal when the weather outside is frightful. Thank God for the bulkier, layered fashions above because the foods seen here are not low-cal.
L to R: Gourmet cheese and caviar on display in Beverly Hills; an English grocer with pasta that’s almost to pretty to eat; prosciutto wrapped figs
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More Confidence on the Job Site
Building a home? Have a renovation project in the works? Or are you a designer who wants to be empowered on the job site?
If you are (and are overwhelmed) I’ve created a guide that can help. Get your complimentary copy on the H&Co. website and gain control of your project!
* If you have used the guide in your project, I hope it was helpful! Share a message below if you have a comment or question.
TRICIA HUNTLEY | HUNTLEY & CO.
“The glamorous space where tradition and modernity collide.”
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The Elegance of Etiquette
The topic of manners came up this week. It related to job site etiquette, but it’s worth revisiting as a general modus operandi. I find guidelines and rules delightful in most cases. Having a framework in place makes life easier and frees me up to “do” instead of think. I’m also a contrarian, so don’t assume I’m going to follow your rules if they irritate, offend, or don’t make sense. My 4th-grade, Catholic school teacher said this was an attitude problem; I think it’s emotional intelligence. I’m a major champion of procedures and systems (see below), but I think a healthy dose of common sense and scrutiny makes the world a better place.
Job Site Etiquette
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to “What is proper job site etiquette?”. The size, scope, contractor, and cost are all determining factors. I share my thoughts on the subject in the following video and responded directly to the questioner, Kate, with the answer below.
Send in your questions! I answer reader’s questions weekly via our Instagram ‘Asked and Answered’ feature.
Since job sites are my happy place, it’s worth sharing how magically they transform (as seen here). It’s one of the best parts of my job – gathering with the team, talking shop with talented craftspeople, walking through the skeletons of future rooms, and of course, seeing my designs develop from plans and elevations into actual livable structures.
above (counterclockwise): The lifecycle of a Huntley & Co. job site from start to finish.
My Favorite Forms of Etiquette
How I love a code of conduct (aka, etiquette). Any situation can benefit from it. Here are three that I recommend.
Grammar
The use of proper grammar says something about the speaker. You value quality over convenience. You want your thoughts conveyed with clarity. You appreciate the beauty and nuances of y/our language. I believe there is glamour in grammar … as evidenced by my copy of Roy Peter Clark’s book.
Table Setting
Setting a table according to a particular framework isn’t about being fussy, it’s about creating order. When everything is in its place, the beauty of the meal shines through and you create a consistent experience for your guests.
Driving
This will seem like a controversial stance to those who have driven with me. Do I have a reputation for cussing while in the car, yes. Is this ladylike behavior, no. In my defense, my anger is born from my enthusiasm for rules, and I find the lack of vehicular awareness and consideration of those written and unwritten absolutely maddening. Left lane drivers, I despise you.
Stay in the right lane, pass on the left. Watch for the light to turn. Keep an eye out for your exit. And for all that is good and sensible, get off your phones!
A Rule that Pays Off
As mentioned above, I’m a champion of systems. And there is one rule, that if you implement it, you will thank yourself for down the road. Systemize your files. It may not seem critical, but trust me, it’s worthwhile. Whether it’s an exterior trim paint color from a client’s vacation home, a photo from a site visit in March of 2018, or an antique I saw in Palm Beach on a trip 10 years ago, We Can Find It. I’ve had clients call and ask the most obscure things and 9 times out of 10, I have the answer in 5 minutes. Why? Because our internal files are organized according to a standardized system from which we do not deviate. Knowing how to find anything in 18 years of data saves time, avoids stress, and makes us look like miracle workers to boot!
Here’s our secret sauce for labeling H&Co. site visit files.
Sequence:
- Site Visit (aka subject)
- Year-
- Month-
- Day
- Underscore
- Room or Leading Topic
- Underscore
- Additional details to make info easier to find
I really let my type-A shine this week!
Hey Insiders – I love hearing from you, so share your comments below!
TRICIA HUNTLEY | HUNTLEY & CO.
“The glamorous space where tradition and modernity collide.”
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Unleash Your Power!
The last 24 hours have not been easy. To see a fierce, beautiful, intelligent, and accomplished woman lose to a (insert reader’s choice) has me reeling. Yet despite the shock and distress, we have seen nothing but grace from her. Typical. Just like a woman. It just proves how awe-inspiring women are. Goddam we’re fabulous. So if you have held back, stayed small, or lived in doubt – now is the time to DO YOU. Wear what you want, speak your mind, start that business, move abroad (not a bad idea). The braver, fiercer, bolder version of you is waiting. And we are here to cheer you on!
Multi-Dimensional
Contrary to a certain, popular narrative, women are not one-dimensional. A woman can be ambitious and sensitive, athletic and feminine, creative and type-A (yours truly). Case in point, the Huntley & Co. vibe. It’s a study of contrasts, eclectic and somewhat disparate. Not everyone gets it, and that’s OK. It resonates for me and feels like home.
My Secret Point of Power
Perfectly inline with this week’s topic, is one of my favorite things to use in the studio – PowerPoint. I’m not kidding. I have learned to exploit this software within an inch of its life and it always has more to give. I do create the occasional slide show, but you wouldn’t believe how many other uses there are for it.
3 Unexpected Ways I Use PowerPoint:
1. Vibe boards (e.g., like the one at top)
2 Our huntleyco “roomXroom” files:
For our projects, we collect images of furnishings, lighting, etc. and copy them into slides, sort, and label them by room. We hyperlink all of the photos and delete and replace them as the design develops.
3. 3-dimensional elevations
The room shown here was created in PowerPoint. It’s not as robust a program as SketchUp or Revit, but it’s a thousand times faster and easier … and creates beautiful results!
Screenshot(s) of the Week
Rebranding chocolate as “Wenge” is genius marketing. It didn’t need to be done, but I dig it.
I wish I could properly credit these gorgeous photos. @wittok1 is a curator, not the source.
Here is to the women who fight the good fight, stand tall, and persevere. Bravo!
Hey Insider – If you are noodling on a problem or project, I may be able to help! Share in comments.
Otherwise, I will see you next week or on social media. Links below.
TRICIA HUNTLEY | HUNTLEY & CO.
“The glamorous space where tradition and modernity collide.”
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What Will Make a Difference in Your Interior?
What Will Make a Difference in Your Interior?
I have been inside a lot of homes recently; early fall is house-tour season here in MSP. A few I visited were spectacular (bravo!), some were nicely done, and most were perfectly fine. Those that caught my attention typically had good bones, quality hardware, better finishes, and a unique point of view. The unfortunate reality is that most projects require value-engineering. Deciding how and where to uplevel makes the difference between the “perfectly fine” homes and those we remember.
Behind the Design
The photos below are behind-the-scenes shots of our cover star, the primary bedroom of our H&Co. Greenwich Village project. What decisions made a difference in this project? 1) Drenching the walls and ceiling in a similar hue/tone to minimize the impact of the bulkheads. 2) Installing custom cabinetry at the perimeter so we could eliminate furniture. Architecturally, this room has a lot going on, so it was necessary to reduce clutter and quiet the envelope. 3) Finding the vintage, hand-painted, silk folding screen and mounting it behind the bed. What an impact!
Clockwise from upper left: (1) a better view of the cabinetry and the terrace; (2) a detail of the vanity mirror; (3) a hidden door on the bed wall leads to the bath; (4) my all-time favorite flower/plant, aka “monkey balls” found their way into the corner of the cover photo.
3 Details Worth the Investment
There are three details that I consider mandatory in a custom home. Keep an eye out for these the next time you visit, what is considered, a custom / luxury / high-end home. It should have these details, full stop.
1. LUTRON DESIGNER STYLE LIGHTING CONTROLS
The lightswitch controls at right are ganged in a screwless, satin finish plate with dimmable capabilities. Worth it.
2. CUSTOM VENT COVERS
The decorative vent cover at right has a design motif specific to the home’s vernacular, and again, no screws are visible. Worth it.
3. STONE COUNTERS
The real marble at right has veining with layered, nuanced hues and movement that is natural in its unpredictability. Worth it.
How to Prioritize Like a Type-A
Want to know a secret? Type-A’s are not born, we’re made. My love of systems and spreadsheets developed at a young age as a way to manage overwhelm. That turned out to be fortuitous since – as an interior designer – I’m responsible for overseeing, tracking, and implementing thousands of details. From problems come opportunities! I now have a multitude of procedures, and templates in my arsenal. Some are elaborate in their construction (20-column matrices, anyone?), but others are really simple – just habits really. This is one of those little tricks.
Daily Prioritizing Process
// Every morning I do a “brain dump”. I pull these to-do’s from my week’s priority list (on another page) and add anything else that comes to mind.
// To combat the paralyzing issue of priority, I do a quick run-through of the list and number each task with a #1 (must do today), a #2 (important, but not critical), or a #3 (can roll over to tomorrow, but let’s not forget about it). Suddenly, it’s no longer a laundry list of action items; I’ve essentially broken it into thirds and the first third is the only portion that needs my attention right now.
// To clarify further, I will circle one (or two) #1 tasks if they are screaming for priority.
As you can see there is other coding that develops as the day goes on: checkmarks, X’s, arrows, and strikethrough’s. I will explain those details, and the other blocks of my DAP (daily action planner) for another day.
Footnote: The use of cursive is not accidental. This practice is going the way of the Dodo bird, but I will tell you nothing gets thoughts out of your head and into actionable tasks faster. I rediscovered this skill when I started my own firm and #cantlivewithout it.Asked and Answered | our new Instagram Q+A feature
We have started a new, regular feature on Instagram called Asked and Answered. I will answer interior design questions in a weekly IG post from readers/viewers who (1) follow us on Instagram, (2) sign-up for our newsletter, and (3) DM their inquiry. More details are available on IG: click the image at right and look for the 10/30 carousel post with “High Expectations?” in the first photo. Send in your questions!
Hey Insider, Luxe & Lucid will have more frequent drops moving forward, so I will see you next week!
In the meantime, I would love to connect with you via our social media platforms. Links below.
TRICIA HUNTLEY | HUNTLEY & CO.
“The glamorous space where tradition and modernity collide.”
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West End :: The Reveal
This reveal has been a long time coming. Not because it was only just installed, but because Luxe & Lucid was tied up in a parallel universe after we moved the Huntley & Co. website to another platform. The technical side of small business is the gift that keeps on giving. So we thank you for your patience, and without further ado, we reveal our West End project installation!
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Making it Move-In Ready
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Obviously before our clients can move in, we have to install carpet, light fixtures, wallcovering and window treatments. Then, with our backdrop complete, our team is ready to bring in the furniture and accessories.
(top L to R) Living room chandelier install; Master bedroom carpeting in progress; Wallpaper in the third floor den; Installation of master bedroom roman shades.
(bottom L to R) The crew unloading the truck; Opening artwork; Vintage Italian barcart.
(L to R) Setting the stage with flowers and accessories; Paper template for a tricky mirror install; Preparing a vintage music montage for the dining room.
Welcome Home!
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Alas, our vision for a classic interior full of cosmopolitan flair has come to life. This is, hands down, our favorite part of the process!
(top to bottom) A custom dining table paired with vintage chairs; Mixed materials in the entryway; A bespoke vanity in a teeny tiny powder room; Unexpected lighting in the kitchen; Dining room details; A chic Italian sofa with lyrical curves anchors the living room.
(top to bottom) Master bath wrapped in handmade tiles and featuring vintage lighting; An engaging mix of pattern and texture in the third floor den; Bespoke linens in the master bedroom – how luxe!
And That’s a Wrap
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A big thank you to our wonderful West End collaborators. We hate to say goodbye, but we’re off to design more beautiful spaces …
Tricia gives the resident pup, Barney, a tour of his new home.
To see the gorgeous professional photos of the West End project, visit the Huntley & Co. portfolio. Or take it one step further and help us win a Luxe RED award by voting for this project! Voting closes January 25.
xo huntleycodesign
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West End Process :: Furnishings
Bespoke, turn-key interiors are a signature of Huntley & Co. First, the architectural envelope and materials are perfected. Next, we turn our process to furnishings and softgoods that complement the space and the client and are unique to the project. Lots of love and labor goes into the design, drawing and specification of these goods.
| FURNISHINGS |
// Living Room channel-back chairs
We custom designed a pair of channel back lounge chairs to maximize flow, circulation and style. Visits to the workroom gave us the opportunity to make adjustments to the design, layout fabric and to monitor progress.
L to R: Leg finish selections; our chair frame gets mocked up in muslin; laying out the large scale fabric.
// Living Room armoire
We source a lot of antique and vintage furnishings for our projects. Sometimes, however, these pieces need modifications to “fit”. This armoire was the perfect scale for the open concept living area and provided much needed storage, but modification to the finish and interior were necessary. New hardware and shirred curtains turned this beauty into functional storage.
L to R: Removing the old finish; specifying all the new details; installation in progress.
// Master Bedroom canopy bed
Each project has its share of logistical challenges – and we love a good challenge because it inspires us to get extra creative. Our process never leaves things to guesswork. When we discovered that the bed, as originally designed, could not be brought up the stairs or through the windows, we had to go back to the drawing board (literally) to custom design a version that would fit.
L to R: Verifying stairwell and doorway dimensions; studio drawing of the custom pieces and parts; Ironware‘s workshop with assembly pre-shipment.
| SOFTGOODS |
// Master Bedroom roman shades & softgoods
Tailored, functional, bespoke. We designed the window treatments and pillows to complement the quietly sophisticated scheme in the master bedroom. Troubleshooting tricky corners and sourcing one-of-a-kind details makes all the difference.
Top: Detailed site measures and schematic review; finished product! Bottom: A pillow workorder; a treasure chest of trim; a well-styled bed.
Stay tuned — Next week we’ll bring this project full circle and share our install with you! And in case you missed the other West End posts, check them out here and here.
xo, Huntley & Co.
Subscribe to our newsletter or find us on Bloglovin’ and you won’t miss a thing ; )
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West End Process :: Envelope
For Huntley & Co., the first and foremost concern in design development is the “envelope”. TH can’t talk about it enough! Getting the envelope right – spacial relationships, interior architecture, materials and finishes – means a thoughtful, comfortable home that needs less stuff to look good.
| CONFIGURING THE SPACE |
Reconfiguring an interior is a process – it requires a lot of drawings and plenty of site meetings. It’s important to be as technical and thorough as possible while understanding there will likely be a few surprises and adjustments along the way.
Top photo: One of the pages in the H&Co. drawing set. Bottom L to R: Meeting with the contractor; a study of the circulation in a tight area; drywall in progress.
| MILLWORK |
Millwork is one of the most impactful aspects of an interior. When it’s done well, it can make the house. When it’s done cheaply, it’s like bad teeth – it doesn’t matter how pretty the face is. With this project, our main focus was to reconcile the incongruous architectural details throughout the home and create a more finessed envelope. This included doors, crown, paneling and custom mantels as shown below.
The mantels were designed to complement adjacent millwork for a quieter, more elegant presentation.
| MATERIALS |
Material selection – wood, stone, tile, metal finishes – sets the tone for the home’s atmosphere and lays the groundwork for decorative elements. When selecting a material, we keep everything else in mind. In a bathroom for instance: Are the windows facing north? What type of glass do the vintage sconces have? How white is the tub? These details are part of the “conversation” and influence what marble slab I approve and tile colors I select.
Top L to R: Slab for a fireplace surround; master bath materials, final wood selection for the library.
Bottom: The tile layout for the master bath was a hands-on (and ugh, thighs and knees) process that took several hours. Click photo for a video of the legendary H&Co. attention to detail.
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We hope you’ll join us next week when we’ll share more about the process of specifying furnishings and softgoods! Or take another look at our Concept: West End post to see how this project began.
xo Huntley & Co.
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West End Process :: Concept
One of our favorite Huntley & Co. projects this year was for a young couple who hired us to design and renovate their newly purchased townhouse in the West End neighborhood of Washington. Much to our delight, the duo brought a combination of sophistication and excitement to the endeavor. Translating that into a concept and then into a finished product was a multi-step process — and worth every minute.
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| THE CONCEPT |
Our clients inspired a decidedly cosmopolitan aesthetic. Accordingly, we imagined an eclectic mix of vintage and antique furnishings, unexpected stone and tile, and layers of complex colors and tones. As shown below, the mood board we created conveyed our idea of an elevated yet spirited home – a true classic that’s never boring.
Selected photos clockwise from top left: Cartier Tank watch via Goop; Timothy Corrigan vignette; a crisp Madrid living room by Isabel Lopez-Quesada; a bedroom from Architectural Digest; a corner of Sandra Nunnerley’s home featuring “Diamond” artwork by Kenneth Noland; an austere and elegant marble bathroom.
| HOW WE GOT THERE |
The start of a project is full of excitement and potential. Before diving into design, we take time to fully understand both the space and the client. On the technical side, we site measure the building and generate CAD drawings for study and revision. On the conceptual side, we issue a questionnaire and cull images related to our clients’ answers. The questions range from pedestrian to abstract and are intended to give us practical information as well as insight into their lifestyle and aesthetic.
// Question & Answer
A two page questionnaire sheds light on what’s important.
The client questionnaire is a key part of our initial survey and analysis.
// Pulling Together a Visual Story
We pull images that reference our clients’ feedback … and they share photos as well.
TRAVEL // From a honeymoon spot to favorites in Paris and NYC, these hotels topped our client’s list. L to R: Royal Mansour Marrakesh; George V in Paris; The NoMad Hotel in NYC.
FILM // Playful, witty and adventurous. L to R: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Amélie; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
MUSIC // Eclectic and soulful music that bridges time and genres including the Hamilton soundtrack and Carla Bruni’s album, Quelqu’un m’a dit.
FASHION // Classic, all-American cool c/o Vince, J. Crew and Celine.
INTERIORS // Rich and sleek. Warm and bright. Tailored and organic. L to R: Interior by Joseph Dirand includes works by Anish Kapoor, Pierre Jeanneret and Paavo Tynell; Patricia Urquiola collection for Georg Jensen; a sculptural Alvar Aalto chair; master suite cabinetry seen on Pinterest.
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We love the conceptual stage of a project. Engaging in a thorough deep dive to excavate both the practical and the magical is the difference between a good project and a great one. Stay tuned for our next post where we transition into design development and project management — when we make the concept a reality.
xo, Huntley & Co.
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DESIGNING WITH PASSION :: THE COLORS OF VALENTINE’S DAY
I love the colors associated with Valentine’s Day. Red, garnet, blush, pink, plum — they’re all so delicious and sexy. This is a palette that seduces in design, fashion, and even nature. I suggest that you soak in the gorgeous inspiration of our post today, especially if you are spending the holiday sans sig-other. There is no balm for the soul like beauty. Well, that and a really good bottle of pinot noir and dark chocolate.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
** Sources/links for the photos above can be found on our Pinterest page … along with other Valentine’s Day inspiration.
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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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THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
