Jessie Davidson Interiors

Thicket by Jessie Davidson Interiors

Musings of a Design Maven

April 2015

Hello and Happy Spring to you!

It has been a year since we last published Thicket and much has transpired during that time.

An extensive tour of private gardens in Amsterdam last June sparked my often subconscious desire to expand interior rooms to exterior spaces, creating comfort and beauty throughout one’s property. And, as always, I have been drawn to the study of people who care deeply about their craft, insisting on quality verses quantity at every turn.

With that in mind, I have presented two experts in their respective fields below in Around The House. Be sure to watch the video of Marthe Armitage. She is a total inspiration. I would SO love to meet her!

Also enjoy studying the website for Restaurant DeKas in Amsterdam from our In The Garden section. It is one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever had the opportunity to explore – inside and out!

Finally, I look forward to awakening that subconscious desire to create exterior rooms for friends and clients. I will spend the first quarter of 2016 in London studying design at the English Gardening School with Rosemary Alexander at the Physic Garden in Chelsea.

Wooo-hooooo!

April 16, 2015 by Jessie Davidson

Around The House

Seasoned Designers

Two remarkable designers, who practice their hand-applied craft with seasoned skill, evoke inspiration in very different ways!

Matt Nafranowicz of the The Straight Thread has been developing a custom line of upholstered furniture under the name Designed & Built. Matt and partners are combining their design and construction knowledge to create "a collection of furniture designed and built in our workshop that is rooted in the ideals of the upper Midwest. It is understated and matter-of-fact."

I love the clean lines and unadorned simplicity of Matt's work. He has a great design eye and applies skills developed during his tenure as an apprentice in a Parisian Atelier.

In England, Marthe Armitage, artist and wallpaper designer, still prints papers on a lithographic press she has used since the 1960's. Marthe works tirelessly creating beautiful, intricate new designs that are now in a collection called Wit & Wisdom sold through Lewis & Wood .

March 22, 2015 by Jessie Davidson

In The Garden

Once a Municipal Nursery….

Imagine a crumbling municipal nursery paired with the vision of one Michelin Star top chef, Gert Jan Hageman...

The result is a glorious spot in Amsterdam - Restaurant De Kas - restaurant surrounded by nursery, encased in a spectacular  8 meter high glass greenhouse sitting in the center of Frankendael Park. I had the very good fortune to visit and enjoy lunch sitting in the herb garden at De Kas this past summer and it was an experience I will never forget. De Kas is a thriving, exciting place to gather and savor meals made with seasonal ingredients grown in their greenhouse and on their nearby farm.

March 22, 2015 by Jessie Davidson

Around The House

Murals Add Depth & Interest

Designers have been using murals for decades to spark interest and add illusion in dining rooms, grand entrance halls, even powder rooms. Familiar companies who have been creating hand painted papers for murals are Graciede Gournay, and Zuber to mention just a few. Gracie, founded in 1898 by Charles R. Gracie, remains today a family run business, an example of their craft is above. And, de Gournay makes fabulous artisan-created papers as well as elegant porcelain, custom furniture, and mirrors that are truly custom works of art. Enjoy this video segment from Zuber et Cie, it will give you an idea of how labor intensive creating these murals can be! 

I love watching the addition of pigment to a medium.  It’s a bit like cooking!

We recently approached a client’s entrance and stair hall with the idea of installing a wallpapered mural, but found that the space could be overwhelmed by the visual denseness of most murals.  Instead we commissioned a local artist, Julie Lawrence, to create a hand painted, garden inspired mural throughout the narrow space.  We were able to control the number of visual elements, their placement on the walls, and deliver specific plant material that the client loves.  It has become such a refreshing and open area, transitioning to the main living spaces of the home.  We’re all thrilled with the results!

March 14, 2014 by Jessie Davidson

Page 1 of 8 Next