Archive for October, 2009

VW Home Roundtable Event – Preston Bailey

Posted by Vicente in Events, Friends, Video on October 29, 2009

Preston Bailey and I have been friends for almost as long as I’ve been in this business. It’s been so wonderful to see him follow his own path and becoming as successful as he has become. At the recent VW Home Roundtable Event he shared with guests how he got to be this successful by following his own ideas and doing things his own way.

He truly is Mr Fabulous!

13 Comments

VW Home Roundtable Discussion – Amsale

Posted by Vicente in Events, Friends, Video on October 28, 2009

Here’s Amsale talking about how she got started in the wedding dress design industry – and you know she’s made it big!

Check back tomorrow for more from this event.

2 Comments

VW Home Roundtable Discussion – Michael Bruno

Posted by Vicente in Friends, Video, VW Home on October 27, 2009

Many of you have asked me to share the video clips of the roundtable discussion we has at VW Home on October 7th and I am happy to oblige! Here is Michael Bruno, founder of www.1stdibs.com, talking about how he got to be successful, doing things his own way.

Part 2

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more clips from this informative evening.

4 Comments

Ask Vicente: Shades

Posted by Vicente in Ask Vicente on October 27, 2009

From: Diane Kasparek

Subject: Vicente, I need your advice!

Hello,

House Beautiful feb08 Questions for the gauze linen roman shades you had in House Beautiful February 2009 / Page 72. What gauze linen weight was used, what clutch system to rise/ how many seams in the larger windows.. 4? Made with transparent tape? Can you see a view out the gauze linen roman shades? I live on Orcas Island the below is my view out the windows..lucky me!

Thank you for taking the time to reply,

Diane Kasparek

Vicente Responds:

The fabric is the Linen Gauze from VW Home – it’s translucent and drop dead gorgeous. The seams depend on how wide the window is. In the job you are referring to no tape was used, it’s all stitched.

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Ahead of the Curve – here's the video!

Posted by Vicente in Events, In the news, Video on October 22, 2009

As most of you know, I was part of the Ahead of the Curve panel discussion at the Las Vegas Market in September 2009. For those who were not able to attend (in person or via the web), here’s the video where I presented my key trend-findings and we discussed it with the panel. Be sure to watch the other parts of the panel discussion too.

5 Comments

Ask Vicente: The Initial Consult

Posted by Vicente in Ask Vicente, Interior Design Business on October 21, 2009

Name: Andrea V.
Comment:

Hi Vicente-

After stalking your blog fanatically for the past few weeks, I thought of something to ask you.

What types of questions do you ask your clients in the initial consult? Do you find that it’s difficult for the client to articulate what it is that they are seeking within the interior? If so, what are some methods to navigate the forensics and psychology of building a concept that incorporates both your and the clients vision?

I recently had the misfortune of a client not liking what I pulled together. Which really struck me as odd (and made me kinda want to crawl in a hole, too), because he loved it during the presentation and from my point of view, it was a concept that pulled the whole house together. The whole home lacked cohesion and I absolutely tried my best to give it a better sense of calm and flow (which is what he told me that he wanted, but I digress). It was a really strange situation, but it made me second guess my interviewing skills. So much that I figured I must have not done enough due diligence during the consultation phase. Maybe that’s not what happened and he ultimately didn’t want to spend the money. I’ll never know. But I’d like to gain more insight on how to go about getting the client to build an honest rapport and spill the beans about what they desire and of course, what they want to spend! (Always the hardest part!)

Thank you for having this feature on the blog. I think that your humble nature is incredibly inspiring and I love the open dialogue feeling that you have created in this little corner of the internet Keep up the great work!

Andrea V.

Vicente Responds:

Hi Andrea -

I don’t ask them for specifics of what they want that room to be, I ask them what is the emotion that they want the room to have. If you ask for specifics, they are going to tell you they want this chair and that sofa and that is not what you want. Here’s my list of questions – feel free to use this as a base and adapt it as you see fit.

GENERAL

What colors do you like?
Are there particular colors you dislike?
Do you like textures?
Do you like stone?
Are there certain metals you like?
Antique pieces?
Do you have any allergies or back problems?

FABRICS

Silk, wool, cotton, linen?
Rough, smooth?
Stripes?
Leather

LIVING ROOM

Entertaining
How many people would you like to seat?
Do you like deep seating?
Do you like loose cushions?
Tight cushions?
Slipcovers?
Area Rug?
Window treatment?
Floor treatment – stone, wood?
Table surfaces? Large, small?
Colors?

DINING ROOM

How many people would you like to seat?
Do you like service in the dining room (side table, etc) or service from another room?
Area Rug?
Window treatment
Floor treatment
Colors

KITCHEN

Entertaining
How many people would you like to seat?
Appliances?
Window treatment?
Floor treatment?
Colors

MASTER BEDROOM

What size bed do you like?
Would like you like book storage?
Lounge chairs?
Wall to wall carpet?
Area Rug?
Window treatment?
Floor treatment – stone, wood, etc.
Table surfaces? Large, small?
Colors
Special Lighting

FAMILY ROOM

Entertaining
How many people would you like to seat?
Do you like deep seating?
Do you like loose cushions?
Tight cushions?
Slipcovers?
Area Rug?
Window treatment?
Floor treatment – stone, wood?
Table surfaces? Large, small?
Colors?
Office Equipment

BREAKFAST ROOM

How many people would you like to seat?
Window treatment?
Floor Treatment?
Colors
Lighting

GUEST BEDROOM #1 & #2

What size bed do you like?
Would like you like book storage?
Lounge chairs?
Wall to wall carpet?
Area Rug?
Window treatment?
Floor treatment – stone, wood, etc.
Table surfaces? Large, small?
Colors
Special Lighting

Go through the same questions for the Entry, the Office, Kids’ Rooms, Powder Rooms and Bathrooms or other rooms that are not accounted for here.

12 Comments

LXTV's OpenHouse

Posted by Vicente in At home, In the news on October 19, 2009

My bathroom Thank you for all of your concerns and good wishes. Happy to say I’m home and on the way back to living a normal life, a little paler than I was two weeks ago, but in good spirits.

I got released from hospital on Saturday and spent most of the weekend in bed, gaining my strength back. As one does when the energy to do much else than lie in bed is missing, I was flicking through the TV channels when I stopped on NBC’s OpenHouse show on LXTV. They had filmed my apartment a while back and I knew it was bound to be aired at some or other point this month, and there it was!

What a great boost to see my apartment on such a popular show. If you missed it, you can watch it via their website here.

11 Comments

Pneumonia…

Posted by Vicente in Random on October 15, 2009

If you’ve noticed a bit of a lull in the blog lately, it’s because I’ve been in hospital with a pretty serious Pneumonia since last week Monday and we’ve had to resort to posting some ‘stock’ from the ‘Ask Vicente’ pile.

After much prodding and draining, an operation on my lung and lots of resting I am now in the recovery phase and breathing is getting easier. I hope to be released this coming Monday and after almost two weeks here – as much as everybody in the hospital have been just so nice and almost saintly with their kindness and their devotion – I want to get the hell out of here! It’s reached a stage where I feel like I’m part of the inquisition and I am sick of being tortured – even though it is all for my own good.

You know, day by day we go through with our little inconveniences and annoyances and keep accepting whatever comes our way, but when you get really sick, it puts into perspective what it is that is really important.

It’s the friend that’s there for you, it’s the client who says, “don’t worry about it, we’ll install the job when you’re better”, it’s the supplier that jumps in to try to make things go smoothly, and it’s the wonderful employees who really try to keep everything on an even keel. And when you have other clients that say ‘I don’t care if he’s sick but I want my furniture’, you realize that whatever the amount of money you’re making, it doesn’t pay, because in the end it’s about dealing with good people who are empathetic, kind and who want to be a partner with you in good times and bad.

54 Comments

Ask Vicente: Window Dressing

Posted by Vicente in Ask Vicente on October 15, 2009

From: Jane Ellison

To: info

Subject: I need you help, Vincente!

Hi Vincente,

I love your work and have all your books.

Window Dilemma Just moved to this great house with wonderful sunlight but in the warmer months it is too much light(Southwest facing)…I know, complain, complain, complain

How would you dress this window so the skylight (knee window) and window below are the same treatment?

Need to block out enough light during summer months?

Thanks,

Jane Ellison

Vicente Responds:

Jane, most of us would kill for that much light!

Consider doing shades from the bottom of the skylight window to the floor – this can be in a gauzy fabric. And then do another shade to cover the skylight part (the fabric will form the base of a triangle with the two sides of the skylight window). Use a solid fabric in the same hue as the sheer shade for this one to block the most light. Get a window-dressing specialist to help you figure out the system so that it is easy to open up during the cold months.

3 Comments

Ask Vicente: Railing Dilemma

Posted by Vicente in Ask Vicente on October 14, 2009

From: Jennifer Ramage
To: info
Subject: Staircase design dilemma

Dear Mr. Wolf,

full stair rail I am currently building my first house, and I am completely distraught over a design decision I have to make. Would you be willing to offer your advice? Your work is amazing, and I would be honored if you could take a moment to give your thoughts.

I have attached two photos of my current stair railing above. I am unhappy with both. My house is a two-story Mediterranean style home with a clay tile roof and stucco exterior. The staircase, when completed, will have talavera tile on the risers and Saltillo on the tops. I live only two miles from Mexico (in Texas), and because of my location I really wanted a design that reflected local culture. Instead, because of decisions my builder made without consulting me, I am faced with the choice of a railing that ends one step shy of the bottom of the staircase, or with something that I’m concerned looks “tacked on” and out of place.

builder solution Because of the spindle spacing, the only solution I have been able to come up with is to add one spindle to the outside of each end of the middle section, stretching the length there while keeping the first and third sections on the staircase the same length. This would get rid of the “tack on” while bringing the rail to the bottom.

My builder is extremely irate about taking the railing down and redoing it, and now I’m not even sure that the solution described above will look right. My budget is fixed and I have to work with what I have to make this palatable. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Vicente Responds:

I’m not a person that believes in sets or everything matching. So the shape of the steps is so clean looking, very much in the Barragon style and that railing just has nothing to do with the rest of it. It’s pseudo antique…So if one has to stay with what’s there, what choice is there?

Glass would have been great so you could just see the shape of the tread and the riser. Wrought iron with movement to it would work well. If this was my house I would replace the railing. If you cannot do that at this time, I figure you will have to live with it for a while. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.

6 Comments