The Fresh and Stylish Designs of Tamzin Greenhill!

Today's designer certainly gets the prize for most creative and sleek website-but that's not really what's important. Spotted on 1stdibs, one photo of one room had us convinced she's one of our favorite designers we've seen in a while, and perusing her portfolio lets us know for sure she's a skilled designer.

We really are bowled over by these images found in designer Tamzin Greenhill's portfolio. The first and most overwhelming word is "clean." We don't mean devoid of dust bunnies (though we bet that's accurate), we just mean that the design is very streamlined and tight. There aren't frivolous items in rooms, and each interior is carefully put together to elicit just the right response.

We also feel like these spaces are very fresh. Fresh in the sense that they all feel very light and airy (yes, even the rooms that feature darker color palettes.) Each room has this amazingly strong "uplifting" feeling to them; I can see where someone who has been in a bad mood all day could be instantly recharged by just walking into one of these spaces.

These interior projects are also fresh because they have a very subtly unique style, that is very modern in that it seems to be combining a number of styles. None of these rooms are strictly contemporary; you spot modern elements, but also vintage elements-all of these mixing and melding to create intensely personal spaces.

Her use of colors and patterns is deft and skilled, and we never feel over- or under-whelmed by anything we see incorporated. Of course, the fact that she gets the opportunity to work with some gorgeous architectural spaces certainly doesn't hurt, but she always respects the structure of a room-working to enhance the natural architecture, not distract from it.

Love what you see in this post but want more? Like fun perfect pairs, designer influence profiles and profiles of contemporary designers? Thank goodness for you we've got a Facebook page and tweet a lot; you can keep up with everything Swank Lighting does.

The Bold, Contemporary Designs of Tara Bernerd

I know it sounds a bit snobby to say, but anytime we see an interior designer describe themselves as an "interior architect," we know we're in for a good time. Why? Because someone who understands that interior designers do more than just pick out fabrics are who call themselves interior architects. Interior design is about using the interior of a space to mold a person's feelings and mood. And none do that quite as uniquely as Target Living's Tara Bernerd. 

 

We first spotted Tara Bernerd's work on 1stdibs, and were blown away from the get go. She designs the furnishings and interiors for some really stunningly designed architecture spaces. The modern ones we are loving the most. One, for example, is a tall, streamlined room lined in warm wood.

By itself this room would be a warm, almost Scandinavian-inspired space, but Bernerd adds to it an amazing amount of luxury by taking on a monochromatic but dramatic dark plum color palette and incorporating some pretty swank ceiling light fixtures. It's amazing how the space is transformed, and how a complex conversation is started between the interior architecture and the interior furnishings.

Other residential spaces display a similar level of humor, wit and charm, like a modern apartment in London full of pop art mixed with transitional furnishings. A deft mix of styles gives each space an incredible amount of personality and uniqueness, which clients no doubt love.

She's of course not afraid of color, which is always fun to witness in interiors, truly. A particular favorite is a modern, sleek bathroom in one of our favorite colors, a deep, fire-hot, red-orange. If you are looking for modern spaces with personality, feeling and depth, Tara Bernerd can deliver a large dose of inspiration!

 

Love what you see in this post but want more? Like fun perfect pairs, designer influence profiles and profiles of contemporary designers? Thank goodness for you we've got a Facebook page and tweet a lot; you can keep up with everything Swank Lighting does.

Featured Blogger: Delight by Design

It's been a while since I've written posts for our blog because Adrienne Breaux has been so busy providing us with so many great articles over the last year. Adrienne also works for several other blogs and we are going to be competing for her time this year so I have to step in and fill in the blanks. I will let you know right up front that I'm not a writer. Just a retired old magazine publisher who just happened into the best retirement gig in the world.... Swank Lighting. Most of you know the story of how my partner Doug Taylor and I stumbled on this great adventure, or I should say we were showered with blessings when we founded Swank, so I won't bore you with it again here. All of that said, one of my favorite former blog duties was reviewing other design blogs. When I started searching for a great blog to review the other day, I was very disappointed to find that most of the popular design blogs now are so modern in focus. So many blogs about sleek, contemporary, stark, stainless steel & white, green design.. etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that... But, where are all the great, daring bloggers who see the beauty in the classic, glamorous, over the top swank of the Hollywood Regency style?? Well I found a great one today. Blair Friedeman of Jackson Hole, Wyoming founded delight by design in 2008 as an outlet and a way to publish her musings on how to inject style in dwellings. I love that Blair sees the beauty in a room with brown painted, or gold gilded paper walls, floor to ceiling drapes, 4 poster canopied beds, plush floral design rugs and yes even glitzy over the top table lamps. Please visit Blairs blog and start enjoying her daily musings.

Enjoy

Ed Sexton

Swank's Lamps Used in Award Winning Bathroom

Congratulations to Barbara Heath of The Mercantile Atlanta for winning 1st. place in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle Magazine's "Ultimate Luxury-Bathrooms". Barbara used these beautiful teal blue vintage Murano lamps from Swank as inspiration. In addition to owning The Mercantile Atlanta, Swank's dealer there, Barbara is one of Atlanta's top interior designers.

Photos from Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Joe Cariati Part Deux

Early this spring we'll introduce the second edition of our very popular Joe Cariati line of table lamps.We only have a few of the original offerings left. Phase 2 will be all new designs and made with translucent and opaque glass. We'll post updates as the design and production proceeds and an official launch will include listings for all designs and colors. We're really pleased with the designs and colors Joe is creating and we hope you will be as well. Here is a sneak peek.

Ed & Doug

IPad Gresso

IPad Gresso

Designed by 4a Architekten.

Therm Wien SpaDesigned by 4a Architekten.

Fine Chair by Olle Gustafsson

Fine Chair by Olle Gustafsson

Incoqnito The Necktie

Incoqnito

Bird Salad Bowl and Server Set

Bird Salad Bowl and Server Set

Tetris Sugar designed by Danil Zdorov.

Tetris Sugar

Japanese studio Isolation Unit.

KIZUKI + LIM by Isolation Unit

KIZUKI, the latest branch of the rapidly growing japanese company Less is More is located in the prestigious Raffles Hotel in the center of Singapore.

The very contemporary setting, merged into the large, history-charged space, reflects the spirit of the young japanese stylists, who came to tropically hot Singapore with their ‘cool’ styles and ideas.

A ‘glacier’-like structure dominates the space and separates it into reception, cutting and shampooing area. In the cutting area, large pivotable wings with mirrors fold out of the wall.

When they are closed flush into the wall, the room becomes a spacious location for events and concerts. The timbered reception ‘hut’, includes a small gallery space that works as a platform for local artist.Japanese studio Isolation Unit.

Ant Table by Oliver Nikolic

a modern take on a coffee table that emphasizes simplicity and functionality by using simple materials; wood and glass. Two tabletops at different levels are connected with gently curved legs. Look closely and you may see how it got its name.Ant Table by Oliver Nikolic

Cat Friendly Planter Table by Emily Wettstein

Emily is 25-year-old designer from Brooklyn, NY and this table is a part of her application to grad school for architecture. The table is made from reclaimed walnut and steel with a removable planter that can hold a variety of plants, in this case wheat grassCat Friendly Planter Table by Emily Wettstein

LINK lighting

Like the skyline of a great city… The modules of the Link lighting system allow you to create silhouettes and volumes on the ceiling to suit every room and every location. Link consists of four modules in different sizes and heights, which connect to one another, to offer a wide range of geometries perfectly fitting into the architecture of the ceiling. They only require one electrical connection and their light source is dimmable and efficient.

The modules of the Link lighting system connect to one another on any of their four sides, requiring at least 14 cm of overlapping surface area. All the shapes are electrically connected to each other, so that a single electrical connection on the ceiling is enough for up to 25 modules.

Designed by Ramón Esteve, Link makes it possible to exploit the path of the light as it passes through the different angles in each module to create highly pleasant indirect ambient lighting, with an effect similar to that of natural light, as if the sun’s rays were shining into the room through the different volumes of the fitting.LINK lighting by Ramón Esteve for VIBIA

Contemporary Designer Profile: Madeline Stuart

All interior designers, in one way or another, are masters of presentation. That's part of what they are called into projects for, isn't it? To create a home that presents itself to guests deliciously, and also, that presents itself to you as welcoming, comfortable and "home." As we are usually wont to do, we chose a contemporary designer to highlight today that excels at an aspect of interior design, and Madeline Stuart excels at presentation.

 

Though we have never gotten to physically walk into any of these spaces, we imagine if we did there'd be audible gasps on our part. Rooms are layered, sophisticated, dramatic, comfortable, elegant, lovely and even witty, too. It's not easy to create spaces that embody so many desirable adjectives, but Madeline seems to do it pretty effortlessly. 

Or at least she gives the impression of effortlessness. That's also another great trait to look for in designers, because you never want your rooms to look like they are trying too hard. She seems to have in her arsenal of skills quite a variety of ways that she creates rooms that are so darn lovely. 

Bold colors balance with neutrals. Busy patterns lie with simpler ones. Interesting and showstopping pieces get to know tamer, more sturdy pieces, but they all work together like one big, happy interior furnishings family. 

Bold colors balance with neutrals. Busy patterns lie with simpler ones. Interesting and showstopping pieces get to know tamer, more sturdy pieces, but they all work together like one big, happy interior furnishings family.

Although Madeline's able to design for clients who want a medley of different styles like "modern," "traditional," "contemporary" and more, you don't really sense those distinct styles because she really primarily designs just good-looking homes first. You really get the sense that she's designing for the clients' specific needs, not to try to satisfy what a certain "style" is supposed to look like.

You'll definitely get lots of inspiration from this designer, so please visit her online portfolio to get ideas for your own home. And-be sure to catch all the fabulous lamps and lighting fixtures she uses! Love what you see in this post but want more? Like fun perfect pairs, designer influence profiles and profiles of contemporary designers? Thank goodness for you we've got a Facebook page and tweet a lot; you can keep up with everything Swank Lighting does.