In Conversation with Asli Tunca & Carl Vercauteren

Asli Tunca & Carl Vercauteren
photo by House and Garden

When I first discovered Asli Tunca’s site I was amazed at her beautiful interiors. Asli is a master of creating unique, minimalist layouts with interesting furniture – they can be antique, modern or highly detailed but she always uses an amazing character piece. A striking white-washed patina is often found throughout her projects and creates the perfect backdrop and ambiance for her creations. Her finished product resembles an art composition with a beautiful balance of colour, proportion, scale, light, texture, shape and value.

Asli was born in Istanbul, studied in Switzerland and Paris and has been around the world with her projects. Before she began her interior design business, Asli was already a leading name in fashion design, she now has a line of furniture with her husband, Carl Vercauteren to add to her growing list of talents. Her combination of talents and experiences are evident in her work and I strongly encourage you to check out her website at:

http://www.aslitunca.com/

Iván Meade - What was your first experience with design?

Asli Tunca - That's so long ago , I cannot remember! I have 14 years of experience in antiques, furniture and decoration and 12 years in fashion before that. My mother also attended an Academy of Art. I guess I must have started to create when I started walking and talking!

Photographs courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - What was the transition like from fashion to interiors?

Asli Tunca –It was extremely smooth for me as I had the chance to do a lot of traveling and was able to see beautiful places at an early age, I realized that a big part of what I do now was hidden in me! I find if you do anything with art, you will not get lost when you change it to another form.

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - What does your fashion background bring to your interiors?

Asli Tunca - A knowledge of fabric, leather etc. is naturally deeper. I guess I also know how to create a harmony with different groups of objects and furniture in the same way (nobody matches their shoes and bags perfectly anymore, the same idea works for a space too).

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - How has having a knowledgeable partner in design (Carl is a trained sculptor and antique expert) affected your work?

Asli Tunca - In a wonderful way, both for my life and in my work, I sometimes think does he really know all? It turns out that he really does !!!

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - I read on your website that you and your husband are working on an Ottoman-inspired design line. It is such a great experience to design a line that showcases your heritage. What Turkish elements will you be featuring in your pieces?

Asli Tunca - In ottoman/hand crafted art in contrast to European past culture there is a lack of 3 dimensions, they created quite simple and flat shapes. They compensated with beautiful decorations, incrustations, tiles etc. when we design in this style we try to stick to the rules.

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - You always respect the traditional with a fusion of modernity. I believe this is what makes your style. How do you achieve this?

Asli Tunca - I don’t think about it much differently than one would make a soup; you have to add salt and pepper in the right amounts.

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - Do you have a name for your design style? If not, how would you describe it?

Carl Vercauteren - We design first of all for our clients without losing our own style. Somehow along the way it has become a style even though our clients are many different characters with different tastes, and there is a big variety it has become recognizable. It is hard to give it a name though.

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - What do you look for in a furniture piece? Or, in other words, you are very selective in what goes into your designs, what makes a piece important enough to be used in your projects?

Asli Tunca - We look for the quality and finishes and how well it has or is going to age. Don’t get me wrong, there is a chopping block in the middle of our living room, it is a beautiful one and it stands close to a wonderful gilded 17th century furniture but they match so well. I think furniture and objects also have a certain soul by carrying their past lives and their makers emotions. Anything can fit together - it is a feeling, an experience I guess. There is no way to describe it.

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - What is your favourite furniture piece?

Asli Tunca - the ones which look wonderful where they stand!!

Photograph courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - The walls in your projects have an incredible patina and warmth. Many North Americans want to eliminate their white walls, especially if they have patina. If a building does not have these already do you create them? If so, what is your process? Do you feel these walls will work in any project?

Carl Vercauteren - The technique used here is a stucco and was done to make the building look genuine and neutral so that it could receive a wide variety of furniture and objects. The patina comes naturally by applying the stucco to the wall which makes it look very real.

Iván Meade - I've noticed that you have unique architectural features in many of your projects, such as the hallway step pictured on your website. Do you often collaborate with architects?

Asli Tunca - The staircase was designed and conceptualized by Carl, he approached it as he would a sculpture.

photo by House & Garden

Iván Meade - Your showroom is stunning and unique, the building itself is amazing as well. What is the story behind your space?

Asli Tunca - The basement is the oldest part of the building. When I purchased it that was the part i fell for. We were expecting to find more of these original features with the same “wow” factor in the rest of the building, but unfortunately the building was completely spoiled by concrete columns and supports in order to reinforce its structure. We decided to break it down and make it look as original as possible by using products and finishes which would age well and fast. It had to look as if it had always been there as it is now.

Photographs courtesy of Asli Tunca

Iván Meade - Lastly, you have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles. What would you like your legacy to be?

Carl Vercauteren - We create for our clients. If their children will still like what we did it in the future, it would mean we have achieved our goal of creating something timeless.

Photographs courtesy of Asli Tunca

Asli Tunca and Carl Vercauteren's combination of talents and experiences are evident in her work and I strongly encourage you to check out their website at:

http://www.aslitunca.com/

Bedroom Paint Color Dilemma!

Bill Baccini, Modernism's trusty color consultant, recently received this question from a reader. If you have color questions, please send it with your snapshots to jen@modernismmagazine.com. Ideas for this reader's color dilemma? We invite you to post a response!

I have a color dilemma that I’m hoping you can help with. Please take a look at the attached photos of my master bedroom. The walls are painted a very pale purple. I think the color is called “American Beauty.” (I bought the paint from MAB a few years ago.) The color is so pale that in some lights it looks white and other times it looks blue. I like that it’s got some life to it but doesn’t compete with my modernist furniture. The problem is that I recently got married and my husband thinks the color is too boring. We live in the Pocono mountain area of Pennsylvania, and I’ve tried to go with light colors and earth tones. My husband prefers bolder colors with more pop. Can you suggest a new “compromise” color that would work for this room? FYI, the adjacent hallway is a light brown called “Irish Cream”. I’ve attached a photo showing the bedroom, looking from the hallway. We can’t afford to change all of our accessories, such as our purple duvet. Do you think a medium brown might work well in the bedroom? Would a darker purple be too overpowering?

Dear Perplexed Pocono Dweller,
While I believe marriage is all about compromise, this may be a battle neither of you has to pick. Though the design community is presently really hot for accent walls whether wallpaper or paint, I choose to be judicious on its recommendation. Your space and situation, however, lends itself perfectly to this solution. Lavenders with taupes and browns are wonderful and chic combinations. I would paint the wall behind the bed a grayed milk chocolate - not too deep, more of a mid tone. This would be a beautiful backdrop for the wood headboard, a nice contrast with the window above and add an inviting warmth that presently is a bit stark. You could then leave the rest of the room its present color or paint it (ceiling too) a shade deeper lavender, still keeping it light but with a bit more personality. In this case I would keep the purple shade fairly neutral (not too red or blue). I would also recommend a smattering of another accent color for room accessories in perhaps a dusty apricot. I do however have one last thought - why no rug? Move away from that wood heavy gymnasium look and throw down an area rug with a range of plush brown and lavender stripes. Sweet dreams!

My Dad's Kitchen

Dagny from Beautiful Living tagged me to do a post about my kitchen...

Well, the thing is, I don't really have my own kitchen! since we're in the process of looking for homes now :) My mom & stepdad's kitchen is in the process of being redsigned (I will show before & afters as soon as we're finished!) so I'll have to show you my dad's kitchen, which we're in the process of decorating now. (I did a post on this kitchen when I first started the blog, so I apologize for the repeat for those of you who read it the first time, but I've tried to include some more details & before pictures in this post!!!)

My dad lives in our old 1920s family cottage in Antioch, Illinois, a little lake town outside of Chicago:

So, we've completely renovated the cottage & are now in the process of trying to bring back some of its old charm. (I live vicariously through my my dad & he lets me make the design decisions although we've had some battles!! Believe it or not my dad is very into Italianate, ornate, more is better type of decorating!!! ahhhh) Anyway, below is the kitchen after the house was gutted (and all new natural-finished hardwood floors installed) but before cabinetry & details were added. The cabinets you see are "temporary" cabinets & islands & that type of thing:

And here is is now:

We used standard Home Depot cabinetry & had my dad's (amazingly talented!!) carpenters from GPS Constuction add in custom details, saving a ton of money. They lined the sides of the cabinets with beadboard, added corbels to the island, built a custom stove hood and put beadboard & beams on the ceiling. They also created 2 arches & put the stove in the nook created by on of the archs.

Below, yes that is a TV in the dining room. (My dad's a bachelor.) No worries though- that baby's history!! (See pic beneath)

More of Home Depot's standard cabinetry was added into this nook & we removed the wood panels from the upper cabinets & had glass put in so we could showcase my Grandma Maestranzi's china, which has been in the house since the 50s. As you can see, adding hardware to the cabinetry is still on my to-do list. The backsplash here is beadboard and the carpenters matched it up perfectly so it continues right into the uppers:

I had so much fun displaying all of my Grandma's old china. She had a hodgepodge of different collections & over the years at the lakehouse so much of it has been broken, because it's what we use for daily use, but it all works really well together:

Check out some of the hysterical details below. Do you see above the high chair that I had hung some of my Grandma's china mid-construction?!! I am such a nut & was just so excited to get it up there. And the clock too? The truth is, my dad just got so used to his "temporary" kitchen that we never thought he's finish it, so I just started hanging things! (OCD much? haha) Even now my dad refuses to get rid of his hot pots and convection oven & all of the little gadgets he used "before the kitchen." (Thank goodness we have a ton of storage- it's all under the island now!)

Here's that area of the kitchen now (below) It's hard to tell but the ceiling is inset with beadboard and you can see in the center of the beam there's a little electrical hole where I'm putting another chandelier to match the one in the dining room.

Here's the chandelier (by Currey & Company) in the dining room & I'm sort of obsessed with it. It's a cross which is really special to my family & it's such a strong, rustic element. I love it's heaviness against all the white. It's also strong enough to handle the farmhouse table beneath.

Now, I need some honest opinions about the chair situation. These are the antique chairs we've had for years that I stole from another room for this picture. They're all mismatched but they work nicely together... (in fact I love them) BUT my question is... should I go for new ones in here (because I will have to either replace these in this room or the other room I took them from) for this room? My original thoughts were these wingchairs (below- check out the nailhead detailing) on the ends in a neutral linen-like sunbrella fabric (we are messy!) and then go with hard-backed dining chairs in for the middle chairs. OR should I keep it as it is? (A rug's going down & natural shades & linen drapes are replacing my boughs of fir but I was thinking I still probably needed some more fabric/ layers in the room... so what do you think??) Just a bit more info---- it's freeeeezing a lot of the year so I like the wingchair idea but it's also a lakehouse that sees lots of traffic in the warmer months... Has anyone used sunbrella for something like this? (And you know I want it fairly light) Any pros/ cons/ advice??

Here's a close-up of the wooden bowl I found at Volo Antiques. Fell in love with it & thought it was so unique & am seeing them everywhere now... I think because I'm noticing them now that I have one! But really, everything looks good in it (We had family over the night before I took these pics & served french bread in it & I cannot tell you how insanely happy it made me to have this finished kitchen & everything so easy & pretty)

Here's my little guy's highchair. (I love these Eddie Bauer highchairs because they're so pretty & still so functional... I have a pale wood version of it at home & my cousin has the cherry version- THE BEST! People told me my house would be all babied-out & I was so scared of all the plastic and primary colors but there are so many grat companies out there making stylish baby stuff now!) (Also, you can see those plates still hanging there!! haha)

Below if a close-up of the custom hood. I was surprised by the shape/ size (distance-decorating is not always the easiest!) but now love it:

Above, the vintage linen dosh towl is also from Volo (I promise to do a post on it next time I go!) & I framed prints & hung them over the stove for a makeshift backsplash. Below, I was having such a good time putting things on the island. I made a million arrangements I was so happy with it but this was left ovr from the nigt before. (I know those birch candles should be so cheesy to me because they go against certain principles I have, but for some reason I love them!!)

Below are some apothecary jars I found at Target to use as food cannisters:

And (below) here is a pair of wooden candlesticks I found at Volo for $5!!

Below, I set the table with my grandma's old china & mismatched silver and mixed in some pieces I found at Volo (the sprarkely glass cups, large center plates and aluminum bowl the flowers are in) and Target (mercury candle holders & linen napkins) I had so much fun doing the flower arrangement as it was the first on I'd ever done with the spongey thing -an oasis I just learned!- inside.

We're in the process of decorating the rest of the house now & I can't WAIT to show you!!!!

And here are the questions from Dagny:

1) What color is your kitchen? Home Depot's "Raffia Cream" and dining room base is "Gobi Desert"

2)Describe your kitchen. (I showed pics for this one.)

3) Describe your dream kitchen. Very similar to this one but I would love to have gray slate or soapstone or concrete countertops... No uppers & a huge window instead of uppers accross the back. Big island with lots of seating is a must. I would do lots of family dinners right there. Beautiful lighting.

4) What's your favorite activity in the kitchen? Hanging out with friends family & eating/ drinking/ preparing food... socializing

5) Name one thing this kitchen is lacking/ missing: lighting!!! Still on the to-do list is to get lighting in the glass cabinets, undercabinet lighting & also that second chandelier!!

6) Do you cook & bake a lot? Not as much as I used to when I had my own kitchen... Now we trade-off cooking nights & I find it's just not as satisfying when it's not my own kitchen :(

7) What don't you like in your kitchen/ what would you like to change? In my dad's kitchen, I would change some of the smaller details (which I'm pretty much over now) like some of the moldings used I think are too flowery/ feminine for such a simple space, the corbels were more ornate than I would've liked... (It really is hard to do some of that over the phone) oh yeah.. and that faucet is OUTTA THERE!!!! ;)

8) What do you love about your (dad's) kitchen? I just love the feeling, the spaciousness, the simplicity & how easy it is to work & entertain in it.

9)Worst kitchen activity? Definitely cleaning up.

10) Tea or coffee? "Meh" to both although I sometims get really into mint tea...

11) Chocolate ore vanilla? hmmm.... gotta be both!

12. Prepare food, or eat it? I like both too! I love to eat & I know just what I love so I guess that's why I like to cook!!

13. Do you prefer to serve your meals in the dining room or the kitchen? Really depends upon my mood/ level of exhaustion.

So there you have it, the kitchen I pretend is mine until I have my own:

Instead of tagging 3 of you lovely bloggers (because there are so many of you whose kitchens I'm dying to see!!!) I'm just kind of tagging everyone & whover wants to do this post can put a link to it in the comments section.

can't wait to see them!!!

xoxo,

lauren

Crossing Boundaries - The Travel Experience -

I just received this press release and I had to share it with you. Designer Vicente Wolf brings Crossing Boundaries to LIFE.

Vicente Wolf

Travel to Thailand with Vicente Wolf and learn to see through the eyes of this iconic interior designer.

Have you always dreamt of learning to bring global cultures into your home? Do you long to travel and explore the play of composition, scale, color, contrast and light as they are perceived by people living in a world unknown to us? Want to be inspired by these cultures and learn to see your space as a reflection of a global human spirit?

Over the last 30 years, this has been the basis of Vicente Wolf’s work as an interior designer. In October 2009, Vicente will take ten inquisitive travelers with him to explore Thailand and discover the nuances of scale and color that Vicente has come to know exist only there. On this first of a series of international trips, he will share his global vision of design in a uniquely experiential way – guests will be able to see and touch all that he does in real time and experience how the elements outlined in Vicente’s second book, Crossing Boundaries, are represented in the places that he visits, watching it come to life in the items selected in the markets of the world.

Thai Temple - photo by iccaworld

But it’s about more than just traveling to an exotic destination with one of the world’s favorite designers. Vicente is offering a full-circle opportunity that starts with the option of an in-home consultation prior to the trip for him to analyze the space and ascertain what opportunities can be found in the travels. With this visit setting the stage for what’s to come, Wolf will guide guests, once abroad, first to see the global context of where they are by visiting sites personally selected by the designer, and then assist them as they shop the wonderful markets with expert input to ensure that they bring the world into their home – on a personal basis. Once the goods arrive, Vicente will make a second trip to the guest’s home to assist in their placement so that the items can fully represent the guest’s education.

Interiors by Vicente Wolf

Author of two books, Learning to See (Artisan, 2002) and Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design (Monacelli Press, 2006), Vicente Wolf is most passionate about empowering others. The decision to bring the Crossing Boundaries experience to life is a natural procession for this sincere teacher, who lectures annually at Parsons and other interior design schools and, as public speaker, regularly enthralls audiences with experiences gained across the globe.

AVAILABLE HERE

The cost of traveling with Vicente is $15,000 per person, which includes one-on-one time with the designer, but excludes the cost of travel for Vicente to visit each guest’s home and all travel accommodation and fees for guests. Travel arrangements will be handled by Sterling Brownell Travel and in Thailand, luxury tour operators Abercrombie and Kent will take care of guests.

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact travel@vicentewolf.com

Or visit

www.vicentewolftravel.com

The Library : Modern Baroque Interiors by Daab

Modern Baroque Interiors by daab

This post’s featured book is Modern Baroque Interiors by daab.

My good friend Antonieta D'introno recommended this book to me. She said - this book has your name all over it. So I had to get and I have to say that I really have enjoyed it.

This is a must read for those who enjoy blending classic, traditional and modern styles; it is particularly interesting for those who are redesigning an older space but like modern styles (or vice versa). The book is filled with colour photographs of recent projects in the modern-baroque style. Heavily decorated walls, lighting fixtures and draperies contrasted with sleek, modern furnishings in current colour palettes. Each space feels rich and luxurious without looking stuffy or old; reflective surfaces abound. Another great feature of this selection is the variety of projects featured, each project shows a different approach by a different designer in 5 languages (English, French, Spanish, German and Italian), and while most books are a specific feature on well-known designers, this book features a multitude of up-and-comers.

The book itself is an easy read, mainly images with small blurbs but the photography is showcased in a crisp and clean manner. The chunky proportions of this 9” x 9” book makes it great for display, layering horizontally on shelves and coffee tables or upright in a bookshelf.

I really enjoy the design approach featured in this book and it showcases one of my favourite styles for Vancouver Island homes, it is a perfect fit for many of our buildings and residents. I think this is going to be a huge trend for a while, it has already taken off to a great start!

In Love (design-wise!): Atlanta Bartlett & Foster House

I cannot get over Atlanta Bartlett. She is the author of one of my favorite books, At Home With White, and I honestly don't know why I hadn't looked her up sooner. Below = perfection.

Anyway, Atlanta is an interiors stylist who works with her husband, designer Dave Coote. They own The Beach Studios, an agency in the UK that provides shoot spaces for the film, photographic and television industries. There are so many amazingly beautiful locations that it will take me a bunch of posts to get through them all so for the next few weeks/ months/ however long it takes me, I'll be doing Atlanta Bartlett & The Beach Studios location posts.

First, I just want to show you some photos of her work so you can get a feel for her beautiful, relaxed style. Below, a more modern bedroom:

Here is her more formal, French-inspired location:

A country kitchen (below). You'll see lots of grain sacks & linens throughout her work.

Would love to sit down to a lunch here:

Her styling is amazing: (Seriously? making an unmade bed look so good?!)

How pretty (below)? You know I'm loving the linen!

Love the floors & the round window (below):

How gorgeous are these velvet drapes below?! I love how luxurious they are, but how casually they're hung. perfect! And below is a series of photographs of Foster House, one of The Beach Studios' locations. (There are so many!!!) It's "Only one and a half hours from central London... Fabulous new house location in the heart of the Kent countryside only 10 minutes from the coast. Arranged over 3 separate buildings set in 3 acres of grounds which also boast 2 vintage Airstream trailers."

It's described as a "stunning 6 bedroom New England style property. White weather boarded exterior." Downstairs accommodation comprises one 32ft/10m L shaped reception room with tongue and groove walls, an open fireplace and a modern style Baltaup kitchen at one end.

I've been noticing these shalves lately that go accross the whole wall. Wouldn't this be the best place for an ever-changing display?!!

The table (below) is so perfectly worn:

Hutch-love (below): "A separate living room with an inglenook fireplace and wood burning stove." The wood nook (below) is on my list of things that is definitely happening in my house (as soon as I get one! ;) I just love the warmth it adds to a room & it's so incredibly functional too.

"A generous hallway and a tiled scullery. All other floors downstairs are dark stained fumed oak boards." I love the tongue-and-groove walls & ceilings!!!

How beautiful is this little marble-topped console?!

I just love the mood of all of the spaces in this house.

"Upstairs offers 3 bedrooms for photography. Bedroom one has an antique iron bedstead, windows on 3 sides and pale grey painted floorboards. " I want to go on vacation here. WOW How could you worry about anything here??!!

I LOVE all the windows in this bedroom. It's like a treehouse! I really can't get over it. It's amazing.

And what a beautiful idea with the baskets under the bed for pretty storage:

"Bedroom two has a french antique carved wood bed head, Neisha Crosland wallpaper on one wall and pale grey painted floorboards. " I often see wallpaper in these "attic" rooms & I think it does a lot for the small spaces. Put behind the bed the way it is done, below, makes the bed the focal point & also adds some height to the wall.

"Bedroom 3 has original beams, and an upholstered bed head covered in original 18th century embroidered linen and painted bone wood floor."

I love all the nooks & crannies this house seems to have:

So, isn't Foster House beautiful?!!! It is THE perfect country house to me. (Because I'm really ever going to have a country house! hahah ;) Below are more photographs from a variety of locations. This little work area below is so great. I think there's room in lots of living areas to put a little workspace like this in. (perfect for bills, emails & blogging! ;)

Again, loving all the white (below) and the books make this space for me:

Below, I would possibly have to stuff my cat & keep him there on top of the chair because he looks so perfectly there!! (No, I'd seriously only do it if my cat was really old ;)

hahaha I love the pattern in the curatins (below):

Love the horizontal paneling in the room below: Definitely putting me in the mood for DC cherry blossoms & springtime!!!

Below, a perfect little party:


Welcome home: (Such a beautiful & creative alternative to a wreathe!)

Below, more of those grainsacks we've been seeing so much of lately!!!

Pretty little vignette:

More pictures from the more formal French-inspired location:

LOVE these floors below: What a gorgeous silhouette!!! (below) The pop of green makes this picture for me.

Another beautiful "messy" bed:

Definitely feeling insired to do my family photo wall!!! (I think I may really do it soon!!!) I have been collecting the pics for years & have never gotten around to it! I just adore the picture below. The little guy playing onthe sofa & the lived-in, beautiful room... all the white! :)

Ooohhhh another kitty ripe for the stuffing!!

This dining room table mathces that beautiful coffee table from a few pictures above. I wonder who make them?

Loving the stripes (below): Below, a great way to turn every day objects into art:

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this peak at Atlanta Bartlett's work & I will be showing lots more if it in the next few weeks/ months/ however long it takes me to share it all (because it's all this amazing!!) hope everyone had a great weekend!!

xoxo,

lauren

ps- i do love cats, i promise!