Local spotlight: Laura Fuller/Fuller Glass. When Art and Design (fabulously) collide...

COUNTING DOWN the days until the PSO Designer's Showhouse!

I moved to Maine in May of 2010, to an area called Munjoy Hill. I would walk the golden retriever past this beautiful studio and peer into the windows...it became quite a habit. When I found out I was going to participate in the PSO Designer's Showhouse, I summoned up the nerve to introduce myself to this awesome artist!

Maine artist, Laura Fuller lives and works in Portland, Maine. She grew up in Bath, Maine and has also lived in Paris, France. Laura was a founding owner of the Hay Gallery in Portland, Maine and now has the Laura FullerGlass Design Studio and Gallery on Munjoy Hill in Portland (my hood!)

Laura has been working in stained glass twenty years. She began putting three-dimensional objects in her panels while still in school. When discouraged by her instructor from this innovative technique, she committed to the craft of incorporating found objects into her complex glass pieces. Each unique relief expresses not only her story, but also that of the objects incorporated within.

For Laura, each object is a reflection of the complex narrative of life-- past, present and future:

"Life is change. That is the only reliable certainty. It is constantly and continually progressing and altering. Unexpected and uncertain in outcome, it is certain in process.Objects are our representatives. 'Living' solid, fruitful, domestic, useful lives: indepedently functional. These objects, having given 2 to 200 years of faithful service, became hidden. In drawers, closets, dumps, underground, and in the ocean --waiting.
Now newly born, part of a different whole. Suspended to be gazed at, in reverence. In honor of their, and our, past lives. The beauty is in the years of touch as marked by many hands. The experiences portrayed trigger memories, of events lived and imagined. And of what will become."

Laura finds inspiration in "Light, memory, love and the beauty of an unexpected line, artists like Mondrian and Kandinski, seeing a beautiful, old, stone building covered with scaffolding, the blending of sleek and worn, ancient and modern"

I commissioned a piece of Fuller Glass for the showhouse, and working with her has been a joy. I walked into her gallery a total stranger with a crazy idea, and have found a kindred spirit passionate about supporting the arts...and creating her own special space within the showhouse. She has combined the spirit of the Symphony Orchestra, Interior Design, our shared organic and the modern influences, the proximity to the ocean....all in one piece. Here is about 25% of the piece, a partial sneak preview:

My inspiration for "Adagio" was the simple, elegant beauty in the shape of a violin. And a sense of peace.-Laura Fuller

Nope! That's all you get to see! So far every person who has seen this piece has been amazed, I couldn't be happier with the response. I chose a great crystal flushmount light fixture for the space that casts tiny rainbows on the walls surrounding it-the tiny entry now feels like another world.

When asked for a favorite quote or words to live by, her response was "Do all things with love."
Hmmn....is that why I love her work?

Laura Fuller, FullerGlass      Laurafullerdesign.com

129 Congress street Portland ME 04101

Portland Symphony Orchestra 2011 Designer's Showhouse Countdown!

One week to go!
I have been getting MANY questions about the process, so lets address them...

149 Western Promenade, Portland!

For those of you who are wondering, gracious homeowners (Ed Gardner and Steve DiMuccio) moved out of their home and allowed 17 designers to each have their own space to design, create, and often demo/rebuild. Each designer funds their participation. Why? Because this is the largest fundraiser for the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and only occurs every 2-3 years. Hundreds of volunteers participate.
The designers compete to earn a spot within the house. We submit proposals, and a board/committee chooses which design they feel best fits the space.

Showhouse board members Tracy Davis, Susan Dench, and Ed Gardner contemplating my presentation.

More of the other presentations in the background, mine is in Susan's hand.

We install our designs from August 4th-August 31st. This year was a bit different as the projects included a kitchen upgrade/remodel, new tile in the upstairs bath, and a complete remodel of the master bath. Many of the spaces had only a few days to install because of the construction debris. It was a bit like an episode of Extreme Home Makeover! So far all of the results have been beautiful and the remodeling is a beautiful mix of modern technology with respect to the historic character of the house.

The September 2011 issue of Down East magazine contains the designer profiles as well as a schedule of events, which can also be found on the PSO page HERE

I can finally show my design presentation  for my space. Many changes occur from concept to completion, so I am not giving anything away. This is simply a peek into how my creative brain works.

This was my inspiration board created MANY months ago. Highlighting local artists, Maine's history, organic colors, and art noveau lines.

My concept for the first floor

My concept for the second floor

TICKETS can be purchased through PORTtix or by calling (207) 842-0800. They are $25 and you view ALOT of amazing square footage for that price! Tour is open September 10- October 3rd.

Featured Listing- 190 Edwards St, Portland ME

Located in the lovely Rosemont neighborhood of Portland is 190 Edwards St, a 3bd 2bath home that was a joy to stage. I love it when homes are in move in condition, it makes my job easier.

Listed with Glenn Reeves of the Maine Real Estate Network glenn@themainerealestatenetwork.com

MLS/Source ID: 1027038

Breakfast Nook

Dining Room with Large Window Seat

I love deep spice colors, for they are rather nuetral and pair well with other colors.

I left the living room rather open, as its large enough to fit a number of different furniture configurations. I have a hunch when this listing sells (quickly) I may keep the bench for myself and not put it back in my warehouse.

Fiore Interiors is a residential interior design company in Portland, Maine. I (Vanessa) also own my own staging inventory. Applying good interior design principles to homes yields better results than style "advice" from people not in the design field. Makes sense, doesn't it?

For more information, contact info@fioreinteriors or 207.318.0795

PSO Designer's Showhouse Preview Party-Celebrating the Arts in Maine

Click to Enlarge Full Screen (to see your invitation!)

Now, what to wear?

A Designer's Yard Sale...sort of...

Every now and again I sell off excess inventory. I don't like using the same pieces over and over again.
Here is what is currently for sale:

This is a gorgeous French Style, uber heavy armoire. You can use it as a closet or elegant way to hide a tv. it has pieces for both.
New it would set you back over $3500. I think $900 is reasonable for used. If you have an offer that you think is reasonable, let me know.
The bottom portion has drawers behind the doors. The upper portion as a removable closet rod for hanging clothes OR a wooden insert that can fit DVD components and a TV. It has removable outlets inside it for cord control.
Overal dimensions: 88" high 27" deep 50" wide
The top piece is 56 high, bottom piece is 32" high. The two pieces are currently connected but come apart for moving. Its made WELL, heavy beautiful wood so it needs to be moved in two pieces.
If you are wanting to put a TV inside it, here is the interior space: 22.5 deep width 45.5 subtract 2" for outlets 48" tall not including curve.
Color is much deeper and richer than the photos.
YOU WILL NEED TO BRING MOVERS. Preferably 2 guys with moving straps. I like to use a local moving company, they are priced awesome and have moved this before. localmuscle@gmail.com, think the owner is Alex.
It is currently in my storage unit on Read St between forest and ocean. It is available by appointment only.

MORE DETAILS:

Also for sale, dining set that expands to seat 6. dimensions and details to follow. Solid wood, I LOVE THIS SET, antique from the 1920's. The legs do not detach so it makes home staging cumbersome for me. Comes with 4 side chairs and 2 arm chairs. one side chair and one arm chair need reupholstering. I think the whole set would look great reupholstered. Solid wood, no veneers, I can help load. $275 very VERY firm on price.

Preview:

You can contact me via: info@fioreinteriors.com OR the old fashioned way: 207.318.0795
Thank you!
-Vanessa

Designing around children...the 4 legged kind.

Bella and Cole, A (designer) Love Story.

What do you do when you have two friendly, rambunctious dogs and an ambitious remodeling project? Enlist the help of an interior designer who understands both aesthetics and function.

Here are some helpful hints from a project in Orange County, CA.

(Hi, do you have cookies?)

I love using darker grout as it is less likely to show dirt.

Lovely new kitchen, down to the the granite and backsplash. The wood floors, however....

 Are tile! Yes, tile. Those wood floors are tile. They are made in both Italy and China (guess which is cheaper and which is higher quality?Yep). Using this type of type of tile requires a PERFECTLY level floor because we didn't use grout. A good tile installer is a valuable asset and often a rare treasure.
Cole, seen above, likes to swim in the pool and bring all that lovely water inside. The rug sample he is posing on is 100% tufted acrylic. While it looks like wool, it's actually indestrucible, much like the one Bella is modeling below:

Not all man made rugs are the same. Some off gas (which is bad), others at Home Goods fall apart in weeks. If the rug is going to receive high traffic, let a pro guide you. Its worth the extra time to learn. The rug above still looks new (a couple years later).

The "formal" living room is very hard to damage. We added quite a bit of lighting to balance the dark colors. The palette of chocolate, cream, blues, and bronze tied the first floor together.

Formal drapery can also be a challenge with pets and children.

In the dining room we used exquisite faux silk panels. If anyone tries to tell you that silk drapery can be easily cleaned, fire them immeadiately. It is VERY difficult to find a company that can properly dry clean silk. Hence, faux silk which is easier to clean and much harder to get dirty! We did sheer panels that had a chocolate background with blue pattern. Since dogs like to look out the window and protect their domain, accept the fact their fur is going to rub against the fabric-and design around it! Which we did.

The living room drapery was also faux silk. We did pattern on these windows as all the upholstery was solid.

Sit, Bella. Good dog!

Inexpensive Backsplash Solutions-Tips from a Maine Interior Designer

I am often asked about backsplashes-are they really that important? YES. Yes they are. How clean is the wall behind your stove right now? That's what I thought....

Home sellers are often trying to improve on a budget. My #1 recommendation is to use the simple glass tile to update. Several recent home staging clients asked for other ideas,so here are my favorite alternatives:

Bead board/wainscoting, use sparingly!

TIN and painted tin-don't do the fake tin/plastic adhesive tiles, either. Do the real ones they are not expensive. Great improvement on a budget.