Hand Made Windsor Chair

We delivered this chair yesterday to a client which was hand made by a local New Jersey Craftsman who specializes in Windsor Chairs.  What a beauty! 

Neutral Foyer

This striped wallpaper by Cowtan & Tout elevates the space and works beautifully with our customers new wool carpeting.  

We also added Molding around the doorway to emphasis the front entrance. 

A neutral entrance is always inviting and just in time for the holidays.  Merry Christmas to all!

A pair of Settee's were given a facelift!

We re-upholstered a pair of settee's in a GPandJ fabric called Oriental Bird Eau De Nil and they looks stunning. We also stripped and painted the old wood trim to give it a fresh look! Before & After shown below!

Totten-McGuirl Interiors is opening a showroom with JS Audio Video!

New Showroom Opens – Combining Services of

JS Audio Video & Totten-McGuirl Interiors

Pictured above are company owners: Bob VanArsdale, Dan Hahn,

 Linda McGuirl, Matt Lombardi & William Totten.

Imagine a living room where the blinds, lighting, television and music are all controlled from a hand held remote.  The speakers are hidden behind walls and well placed among the ceiling lights. The furniture layout is designed perfectly for conversation as well as television viewing and music listening and the art and accessories are hand selected working harmoniously with one another.

This is the new showroom of JS Audio Video and Totten-McGuirl Interiors. The two companies have joined together in one showroom to offer clients full service audio-visual as well as interior design services.  The owners of both companies decided to join forces so that all aspects of their clients’ homes would be considered from the beginning of the design process. “Combining our services into one showroom offers our customers everything they need for their home design in one location,” said Bob VanArsdale of JS Audio Video.

Together the two companies will determine the best place for the television to be, the appropriate scale of the furniture, where the furniture pieces fit best in the rooms, what type of sound system meets their clients’ needs, where the speakers should be, what kind of lighting is needed and where it should be placed, what window treatments, flooring and wall coverings should be used, what architectural elements should be highlighted and/or added and what art and accessories are needed to complete the design.  “It is wise to consider all aspects of your design from the beginning to the end including both the function of each room and the overall style of your home.” said Linda McGuirl of Totten-McGuirl Interiors. “We will even integrate your television, iPhone, iPad, computer and stereo with one another”, added Dan Hahn of JS Audio.

Both JS Audio Video and Totten-McGuirl Interiors are owner-operated and offer both excellent products and outstanding customer service.  They are two local companies that are now sharing one showroom, offering both full service home audio-visual and full service interior design. To learn more about the two companies please visit their new joint showroom at 912 Mt. Kemble Avenue in Harding Township (Rt. 202 on the Country Mile). The can also be reached by telephone on 908-630-0040, JS Audio Video and 908-580-9572, Totten-McGuirl Interiors.

Our Summer Column, "How to decorate joining rooms that are contained in one large open space."

This living room was separated from a family room by adding a wall with an archway.  

Peggy of Reading Township emailed us and she asked:

“"My Living room and dining room are contained in one large open space. Should I paint them the same color or treat them as separate rooms and paint them different colors?"

Many of today's modern homes are built with several open rooms, so we are often faced with the challenge of unifying the joining rooms while still differentiating the spaces. It is most important to be sure there is a visual flow between the rooms. This will create continuity and will allow the eye to flow around the space.

While every home is different, in most cases we suggest painting both joining rooms in the same color. Try adding architectural details between the two rooms such as columns or arched passageways to give the rooms the appearance of being separate. In many cases you can even add a wall between the two rooms leaving a large opening.  Also consider the use of a chair rail and applied molding below the chair rail in one of the rooms. Then paint the chair rail, below the chair rail and all of trim in both rooms the color of the trim. This will accent the woodworking of both rooms. 

It is important to decide on an overall style of the joining rooms and incorporate it into both spaces. For example, if you decide you want this area of your home to be a more contemporary formal area, do not decorate one room with cottage style furniture and the other with updated formal furnishings.  We often mix antiques with new items, but being consistent with the style is of the utmost importance. The style of your furniture and lighting in both areas should work well together and your accessories need to coordinate with one another. In addition, all artwork should be of the same style and framed similarly.

Be sure to select fabrics for both rooms that coordinate well together. Keep in mind that you may pull a chair or two from one area into the other area when entertaining, so the chairs should look great in both rooms. In most cases, when the rooms are one open space, the window treatments in both rooms should be made of the same fabric.  If the window shapes are different then you may want to treat them with different shaped treatments using the same fabric. Try to incorporate two different, but coordinating area carpets in each the space. This will add interest while helping to distinguish the two areas.  If the rooms already have wall-to-wall carpet, you can still lay area carpets on top of the carpeting for added design and visual appeal.

In conclusion, we usually recommend painting the walls in the same color and using some architectural elements to define the spaces. Make sure all fabrics coordinate in both rooms and pay attention to the overall style of each area, coordinating the furniture, fabric, lighting, art accessories and carpeting. As always have fun and good luck! Linda & Bill

Our Spring Column - Incorporating Antiques Into Your Home!

Robert of Far Hills emailed us and he asked:

“"I've recently inherited some antique furniture, can I incorporate it into the contemporary decor of my home?"

This is a question we are frequently asked and the answer is “YES”! As designers we often like to incorporate antiques into design projects of many styles. We have discovered that they offer warmth and are an interesting counterpoint to newly acquired furnishings, especially in more contemporary interiors.

Antiques can blend well with many design schemes, as long as the wood tones and scale of the pieces are in harmony with the rest of the furnishings in the room.  If the wood color of an antique does not coordinate but the scale and form look well, we might suggest refinishing the piece or alternatively applying a coat of paint in an unexpected color.

Although we never advise the painting of a valuable antique, this is a wonderful solution when using less valuable pieces.  If for example you had a 19th Century reproduction of a Louis XVI commode, painting it brilliant red would make quite a dramatic statement!  We have also found that Victorian furniture, with its undulating curves, becomes almost sculptural when given a coat of high gloss paint in white and other colors as well.

While French, English, and Victorian antiques tend to look best in more formal settings, early American and primitive pieces lend themselves to the informal areas.  The rustic finishes of the early American and Primitive pieces can add warmth to the "family" areas of the home, and can be functional as well.

In many cases the antiques one acquires are not furniture at all but are decorative items such as mirrors, art, and collectibles. These items are often much easier to include in a home, as they do not require valuable floor space.  Mirrors and art are easily placed in most rooms and, when hung over a sofa or mantle, they can become a much-needed focal point. Smaller objects such as china, crystal, old books and sculptures can be placed on surfaces throughout the home or displayed in cupboards and bookcases, adding a personal touch.

When incorporating antiques into your home, you should remember that form, color, and scale are of the utmost importance. Assess all areas of your home to determine where your antiques will function and look their best.  If you are considering painting or altering a piece in any way, it is advisable to have the piece appraised beforehand to avoid a costly mistake.

We hope our answer has helped you, and we wish you luck with the placement of your antiques!

Best wishes, Linda & Bill

Look at one of our latest creations - A cabinet with a hydraulic lift cabinet.

We just love this TV cabinet.  The TV works off a hydraulic lift system.  With the touch of a button it tucks away! This can be ordered in in almost any size and finish! Please contact us for custom orders! 908-580-9572 or tottenmcguirl@aol.com

A Coffee Table can be a beautiful focal point in a room!

A coffee table can be a beautiful focal point in a room.  Here is our latest creation which we designed for a clients family room.  The finish is hand painted with some gold line work. It is slightly distressed to give it an aged look.  Our clients just love it!

Chair Lift!

We gave this old wing chair a longer life and younger looking appearance by reupholstering it! Give your old chairs a lift today!

Our Winter 2011 Column is published!

“Ask The Designers”…

Written by William J, Totten & Linda Guy McGuirl of

  Totten-McGuirl Interiors

www.totten-mcguirl.com

Mary of Basking Ridge emailed us and she asked:

      “How do I choose the right lighting for my home?”

Selecting the right lighting from your home is key to any good design. The correct lighting is an imperative part of designing rooms from both a practical point and a decorative one. 

To begin, it is important to determine the function of your rooms and choose lighting that supports it.  For example, in a kitchen there is a definite need for task lighting for cooking.  It is important in these spaces to have overhead ceiling lights, countertop spotlights and a decorative chandelier over the main dining area.  When task lighting is placed effectively, this form of lighting will help eliminate eyestrain while performing everyday duties.  In both kitchens and built-in home offices, under cabinet lighting offers functional light to your countertop workspace and creates a warm glow to your work area at the same time.  Task lighting is usually more about usefulness than beauty, but it can also be decorative and good looking.  For instance, a chandelier can add a lot of light to the dining area and be a beautiful focal point as well.

We suggest you vary your lighting throughout your rooms. We usually use high hats in the ceilings of kitchens and bathrooms as well as other rooms where there is not a lot of room for ornamental lighting.  It is our preference, however, to avoid ceiling lights and use more decorative lighting in the other rooms whenever possible. We usually suggest using wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps, lanterns and chandeliers wherever appropriate throughout your house.  In bathrooms, in addition to ceiling high hats, we love to use wall sconces and usually locate them near the mirrors for added ambiance. In bedrooms, we often suggest using a pair of swing arm wall lights on each side of your bed instead of table lamps.  Wall lights free up space on the bedside tables while providing movable reading light.  It is also good to have a lamp or pair of lamps for the bedroom dresser and a floor and/or table lamp near any reading chairs.  If you are lucky enough to have high ceilings in your bedrooms or bathrooms, you might consider the use of a chandelier or a lantern in the center of these rooms as decorative focal point.

Remember to select lighting that is consistent with your design style and your home’s architecture. Include both new and old light fixtures that honor your home’s architecture to add interest to a space. This will help your rooms look like they evolved over time in a historically correct way. When making your lighting selections it is also important examine the natural light that comes into your rooms and evaluate the need for lighting during both the daylight and evening. As the day progresses and the intensity of the light changes, color variations can be observed. These variations can affect your choice of lighting. To help with the changes in natural light we suggest adding dimmers to the switches so that you can control and vary the light according to the daylight and the mood you would like to create.

It is also important to consider the type of light bulbs you want to use as well in your lighting fixtures. For example, most often we suggest using halogen bulbs for under cabinet lighting and overhead high hats, as they are designed to emit a pure, white light that mimics natural daylight.  In addition, halogen lights are more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs and will last longer, meaning you will be spending less time changing light bulbs! They are now making Halogen bulbs for lamp lighting as well. Although florescent bulbs are also energy efficient, we suggest avoiding using these in residential homes, as they tend to create a cold and impersonal feeling rather than a warm and friendly atmosphere.

The key to good lighting design is to determine the function of the room and choose the appropriate lighting for both function and style.  Use a variety of lighting fixtures within your rooms and be sure to evaluate the natural light that comes into your home. Use dimmers whenever possible and carefully choose the correct light bulbs for your lighting fixtures.  Lighting is extremely important and can drastically affect the mood, feeling and function of your home, so take your time and have fun!

This Kitchen includes an antique chandelier, high hats in the ceiling and under cabinet lighting.          

                       To help with us with our next column, be sure to email your questions to the designers at 

                                                                              tottenmcguirl@aol.com

    

Custom Chair is ready to ship

We are excited to hear that a chair we were having made is ready to ship!   It is made from a 

F. Schumacher fabric and will be going into a living room in Martha's Vineyard. 

Primitive Mural - Bernards Township

My partner, Bill Totten, is busy working on a primitive mural of Bernards Township for a client of ours.  He is including some great historical elements, including a home once owned by our clients family.  This is sure to be a very beautiful and personal space.

"The Schooner Elsie Martin Welch Master"

Found this beautiful painting for a client this week. :-)
Thaddeus Bannister (US 1915-83) Oil on canvas, "The Schooner Elsie Martin Welch Master"

Converting an Living Room to an OFFICE today :-)

Add caption

How to Accessorize your Rooms

We can't believe how fast time is passing and we hope you are all enjoying the holiday season! Our Fall Column was published in October and we thought we would finally share it with you. This article is about how to accessorize your rooms and it was featured in the fall issue of the Bernards Ridge Connection Magazine.  Feel free to email us your design questions and we will try to answer them all! Attached is our recent publication for your enjoyment: http://files.me.com/tottenmcguirl/jfx4o6

Warmest Regards,

William Totten & Linda McGuirl

Totten-McGuirl Interiors

Webpage: www.Totten-McGuirl.com
 908-580-9572

Decorating Express

 

Here is a picture of our  Drive by/Hand OFF at the D&D building yesterday.  We needed to find another trim fabric for a client as the one we selected was discontinued.  My partner Bill was in the building and I was in the city on other business, but I had the main fabric.  I decided to drive by the D&D and since there is NO STOPPING on 3rd Avenue (unless you are a bus) we quickly handed off  the fabrics out the window! We do what we can do!   

Picture Frames - How to Hang Them Properly

As seen in doityourself.com, here’s how to hang picture frames properly:http://www.doityourself.com/stry/hangpicturehelp

Is Wallpaper In or Out?

Wallpaper is definitely "In"! It is important to choose the right wallpaper for the rooms that you have decided to paper and do not over use it. In choosing the correct wallpaper you must consider the scale, pattern, color, texture the durability of the papers and then balance your selections with the other non-papered rooms in the house. Many people consider wallpaper to be "old fashioned". This could not be further from the truth as there are a myriad of new exciting wallpapers on the market now. Choosing a few appropriate wallpapers and coordinating it with the other textiles in your home is crucial to good design.

To begin, do not over use it in your home. Choose some rooms that would benefit from the use of wallpaper, and then consider straight paint and glazed finishes for the other areas. In the 1950's through the 1970's there was an abundance of wallpaper usage and many homes had wallpaper in virtually every room. In the 1980's through the 1990's many homeowners replaced all of there wallpapers with decorative finishes such as ragging, sponging and stippling as will as faux finishes which included faux bois (French for fake wood) and faux marble. In the past decade we have seen a trend towards too much straight paint. The key is to balance the use of wallpaper coordinating them with some straight paint as well as some decorative finishes throughout your home.

It is also important to consider is the scale of the wallpaper print in relation to the space. For instance, in a two-story area, we often choose large-scale patterns to fill the wall space. In smaller areas, such as a powder room, we might opt for small or medium scale prints. Sometimes, however, we select large-scale prints in smaller areas for a more dramatic effect. Selecting the right pattern for a space and varying the patterns throughout your paper selection is imperative. In rooms with low ceilings we tend to select papers that have upward vertical patterns, such as a stripe or a climbing vine, as these patterns add to the illusion of height. In large open areas we often use larger patterns to fill the walls. In smaller area's we usually select a small or mid-scale geometric pattern, or an overall scenic print. In addition, be sure to vary your pattern selection. For example, if you choose a stripe for one area, you might consider using a geometric pattern for another space or an alternative vertical pattern if the space requires the illusion of more height.

Be very careful to select wallpapers that have colors which coordinate well with the other rooms in your home and choose the type of paper based on the room’s usage. We often use wallpaper in an entrance hall as it adds immediate interest and sets the tone for the rest of the house. Since foyers are most often adjacent to the main rooms of the house, it is vital that you choose a color and pattern that will blend well with the colors in the other rooms. Be sure to keep in mind the other textiles and coordinate the wallpapers with the fabrics and rugs throughout your home. Try to vary the textures of the wallpapers that you select for your home and choose them according to the way in which the room will be used. For example, if you have fine smooth wallpaper in one area, you may want to select a highly textured one for another. In large high traffic areas , such as a family room, choose a more durable paper such as grass cloth wallpaper which adds great texture and warmth. For smaller high traffic areas, like a powder room, consider applying the wallpaper above a chair rail to avoid damage to the paper. Finally, when using the finer more delicate papers, apply a coat of Ronan Decorators Varnish in dead flat, which never yellows and helps to protect the paper.

The key to good design with wallpaper is to select the right scale, vary the patterns, choose co-coordinating colors, add some interesting textures, consider the usage of the space and then balance the use of wallpapers with some straight paint, and decorative finishes. You will be amazed how wallpaper can enhance your home when chosen correctly!

Thank you PM Magazine for your great Press!

Before, During & After Pictures of a Showhouse Room.

  The Library/Game Room - Princeton Designer Showhouse and Gardens XVI

We just dismantled our Library/Game Room at the Princeton Designer Showhouse and Gardens XVI and thought some of you might like to see some before, during and after pictures. Below are two photographs taken of the formal library when we arrived to look at the space in February.  The room was very dark and dreary.  The woodwork was beautiful, but it was dull and tired.  The window treatment was designed with too many straight lines for the room and the fabric selection did not compliment the wood which dominated the space.  The floor was covered with a wall to wall carpet and it was dry rotted. We had our work cut out for us!

First we evaluated the architecture and decided to create a Library/Game Room. After designing the room layout, we went to the Decorating and Design Building (D&D) in NYC and selected our fabrics.  We needed color, interest and reflection in the room and we looked for fabrics that would bring the room to life. We were very excited when we found a Ikat patterned cotton velvet by F. Schumacher and Co. http://www.fschumacher.com/ in the bright and warm colors of red, brown, orange and cream.  This was the fabric that we based the rest of our selections on.  It was warm to go with the existing chestnut bookcases, but bright and bold and a great scale for our space.  It was also very luxurious and a classic design that would fit right into this Georgian Style home. We decided to create soft roman window shades with side tails from the fabric and trim the bottom of the window treatments with a fun wooden bobbin trim from Samual and Sons http://www.samuelandsons.com/ for added interest. 


We found a coordinating great brown fabric from Duralee http://www.duralee.com/ that replicated burlap, but it was softer to the hand as it was made from recycled fabrics.  We decided this fabric would be perfect to cover a game table and we found a wide trim from F. Schumacher and Co. in red and gold that we positioned near the bottom of the skirt.  In the meantime, we contacted our furniture maker and he graciously volunteered his services and created the game table for us. We also called our local glass shop they offered to donate the glass top.  We are feeling the love.

For the chairs in our room we needed something zippy. We were excited to discover a new fabric by Brunschwig and Fils www.brunschwig.com called Zig Zag that was a red and orange chenille and full of energy.  It was also reversible so it gave us some options in how we could use it.  Initially we intended to show the side that showed more red, but as the room evolved we flipped it to the orange side and the balance was just perfect.  Our upholster worked hard on creating these chairs and they were a show stopper. 

We had decided to remove one section of bookshelves and create a bulletin board area where we would show off game scores and ribbons.  We found a great oversized  red and gold trim, but finding a simple red fabric that worked with the other reds was one of the hardest tasks in this room.  Finally, after several shopping trips, we found a cotton fabric from Pindler and Pindler www.pindler.com that fit right in. It was the least expensive fabric in our space, yet the most difficult to select due to the fact that colors look very different in the rooms they are in.  Be sure when you are designing a room to look at each of the fabrics in your space both night and day! Fabrics have a way of changing with the light and the space they are in.

For the ceiling we chose a reflective gold wallpaper that simulated Chinese Tea paper.  Our first selection was back-ordered for 12 weeks and we only had 8 weeks to design our spaces, so we found an alternative from Cowtan and Tout www.cowtan.com and we liked it better then our first selection. We love when "upsets" work out for the best!  For added reflection, we applied acrylic strips of mirror to the back of the bookcase.  Since we could not install mirror perminently, this was a safe alternative to the glass mirror and it was a very easy installation.  It does attract dust and dirt and is hard to clean, so we woudn't recommend it for a home, but it was perfect for our temporary showhouse room.

Lighting was our next critical design task.  We replaced an old flush mounted fixture that was very small with a beautiful brass lantern with a leaf motif from Vaughn Lighting.  www.vaughandesigns.com  We then found a great pair of floor lamps from Vaughn as well in the shape of twigs that coordinated perfectly.  Vaughn was kind enough to loan us their lighting and it was very well received by the visitors of the showhouse. We also included an old pair of Brass Repousse Sconces over the fireplace.  To balance the formal elements in the room, we selected a chuncky hand-spun jute carpet.  Once we pulled up the old carpet and discovered the beautiful wide plank wood flooring,  we decided to use the jute as an area rug.    

We cleaned the bookcases with Min Wax and faux painted (Faux Bois) the switch plates to make them look like the wood. We washed the windows and cleaned the floor.  Back in our Design Studio we created planters which were glazed and then decoupaged with 18th century playing cards.  We filled them with Ivy and placed them on three of the deep window sills. We then went antique shopping and found wonderful objects and old games and placed them within the shelves between the books.  We also contacted local artist and found some wonderful paintings for the room which we included on the shelves and the walls.   Finally, we set the game table up for some poker and included a bar area filled with Root Beer.  Let the games begin!

Special thanks to all of our contributors especially those who donated their goods and services including Intradex Upholstery, Debbie Fico, Scott Hain, Mauro Rigante Woodworking, R.B. Electric, Woven Floors, Dave Jergenson Paper Hanging,  Fiberseal of New Jersey, Basking Ridge Glass, Queripel Interiors, G. Evans LTD., Sign of the Tymes, Sweet Peas, Debbie Seymour and Studio 7.