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Today we need to talk about Kevin McCloud MBE, our #mancrushmonday #mancrushforever.  Our favourite middle-aged man in a hi-vis jacket brought unusual modern architecture into the mainstream and we love his scepticism and his learned, on point summaries at the end of each programme.  

His approach continues to inspire our own Sturman & Co. philosophy that thoughtful and considered interior design can make living not only more beautiful, but better, simpler and happier.   

Kevin also endorses homeowners’ decisions to re-use and reclaim items, as well as mixing old with new, which we love.  A particular favourite episode was the coloured art deco bathroom featured here.  Look out for a re-run of the programme, as the pictures really don’t do the finished room justice.

http://www.salvonews.com/story/tracy-and-the-multicoloured-mishmash-of-gorgeousness-from-mongers-x85361x9.html

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Is your Heirloom Furniture an Elephant in your Room

Victorian Saddle Chair meets Bo Concept Sofa and it's love!

Designed by Bess Sturman in 2014, this dark-walled living room started with the client’s heirloom Saddle Chair (left of image)

Do you have one?  A heirloom piece of furniture, a picture, or a clock that you really like.  But every time you look at it it makes you feel your room isn’t really working.  Honestly, does it really go?

Maybe it was inherited through generations of family, a vintage find, or a much-coveted recent purchase from a cool shop.  So why is it that you can like something SO much and yet it loses its edge when it crosses the threshold of your home?

At Sturman & Co. we love mixing items from different eras and, when we design a room, we look first for items that help us to define our client’s personal style.  Often this is where we first encounter The Elephant – a Victorian Welsh Dresser too tall for the modern lines of a new build family kitchen (or even three dressers, really!), or a Wedding Present set of crockery that just must be displayed.  What shall we do?

There are two solutions – one is the Marie Kondo approach of waving farewell to these objects and starting afresh.  This works, but there’s a guilt to getting rid of perfectly good furniture, particularly when you really like it.  If you know it’s the right decision there’s always the option of selling.

But the second option can be much more interesting – work out why it isn’t working for you, then move it, change it, invest some care into your plan for the room and make The Elephant the personality of the room. This takes confidence and often experimentation.  BUT if you can get it right, it’s really right.  A confident statement of your originality and style.

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@tomdixonstudio is today’s #mancrushmonday inspired by the beautiful copper chandelier centrepiece created at​ #TheChurch2016 recently (top image).  Mr Dixon’s trademark metallic pendants have been around just over a decade now and continue to inspire many excellent copycats, but in our view he remains the one to beat. 

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Our First Woman Crush Wednesday starts with a classic, Marilyn Monroe. We’re inspired by her very own Manhattan apartment coming on the market this week – with classic style and beautiful views, it pretty much sums her up.  

If Marilyn were still around and had asked Sturman & Co. for a scheme to liven up this elegant room, we’d suggest introducing a stronger colour theme, a more interesting rug, like one from www.frontrugs.com (it’s a dream budget, right?) and some layered lighting as a start, but we’d sure keep that herringbone floor, Mr President.

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The ELEPHANT in the Room

Do you have one?  A piece of furniture, a picture, or a clock that you really like but every time you look at it it makes us feel a bit yucky inside about your room scheme.  Honestly, does it really go?
Maybe it was inherited through generations of family, a vintage find, or a much-coveted recent purchase from a cool shop, but why is it that you can like something so much and yet it loses its edge when it crosses the threshold of your home?
We love mixing items from different eras and, when we design a room, we look first for items that help us to define our client’s personal style.  Often this is where we first encounter The Elephant – a Victorian Welsh Dresser too tall for the modern lines of a family kitchen, or a Wedding Present set of crockery that just must be displayed.  What to do?
There are two solutions – one is the Marie Kondo approach of waving farewell to these objects and starting afresh.  This works, but there’s a guilt to getting rid of perfectly good furniture, particularly when you really like it.  If you know it’s the right decision there’s always the option of selling.
But the second option can be much more interesting – work out why it isn’t working for you, then move it, change it, invest some care into your plan for the room and make The Elephant the personality of the room. This takes confidence and often experimentation, but if you can get it right, it is the best way add originality and style.

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