NYC: Wall Street Architecture

When I was in New York earlier this month working on the Upper East Side Reno I spent an afternoon walking around the financial district on a sweltering hot Saturday afternoon.   Although I happened to have my DSLR with me it wasn't a pre-planned photoshoot destination but once there I was simply overwhelmed by the architecture that surrounded me.   I had never been to Wall Street before nor did I know much about this iconic eight blocks except for the image I had in my head from movies, television and the media in general.  I've been to the city many times but honestly I had never really had any interest in visiting Wall Street or given it much thought at all (what can I say, I live in the world of Design not not high finance!).  You can imagine how ecstatic I was to discover this haven of architectural beauties.  How did I not know about this!?

Its difficult for me to find the right words to describe my impression of Wall Street,,,because it was so unlike anything I had imagined it was or expected it to be.  The sheer towering scale of the buildings viewed from the very narrow streets is sensational, the neighborhood is strikingly charming and quaint in a way (?) with its centuries old architecture, cobblestone walkways, a Tiffany's,  and the historic Trinity Church holding court at the end of the street.  The street is a pedestrian only zone with no vehicular traffic and facades are void of signage or advertising only flags, all this completly evokes a feeling of being in a world of another time and is so unlike a typical urban streetscape.   Since I'm really not doing a good job here of describing what I saw, how about I just show you a few of the photos I took.....

What I love about the buildings here is that the colours are all so grey toned that even when you shoot and view the images in colour its very monochromatic looking.  All the images above are shown in colour except one!

I'm a complete amateur photographer but it is a passion of mine.  I love to shoot landscapes and streetscapes particlarly, I don't use photoshop or edit my photos in any way except to convert to black and white or crop images.  When I want high quality prints made for framing I send the image off to Elevator Digital and they take care of all the technical issues for me (resizing etc.).  Mostly, I like my images to remain true to the way I shoot them without any enhancing or special effects.  Sometimes I like to shoot slightly overexposed, sometimes underexposed depending on the mood I'm trying to capture.  What I love to do with my photos the most is have them printed and framed for wall art, sometime for myself, sometimes for clients.  When you frame an image it takes on an entirely new dynamic, I'll be getting several of these printed and framed and they'll be something like this...

Unless I'm doing one large oversize print, I try to group images into groups of 2, 3 or 4's combining both landscape and portrait orientation as I did above.  Once I've decided on which images I like grouped together, I'll decide if I want them printed in black and white or colour.....

....and then I figure out my final image sizes, matt sizes and decide on frame colour by doing mock-ups similar to these (very rough above!), often I do this on a scaled elevation of the wall and I'll normally include the frame too (not shown on the above).  For frames I always do a simple rectangular profile in white, black, silver or natural wood.  Lately I've been doing a lot of white framed coloured photography, which I LOVE.  Then once all this is figured out I send the original image files off to Kevin at the printing lab who takes care of printing, matting and framing for me.

If you ever visit NYC I highly recommend a visit to this neighborhood whether you're passionate about architecture or not, its simply an experience like no other.

All Photos:  Carol Reed

Weeping Willows

I love the colours of early spring,,,,when the fresh green leaves are so bright they practically look neon.  It can be especially surreal looking at dusk as the sun is low and the fresh leaves are illuminated in the sunlight.  Its still too cold here for the cherry blossoms to make an appearance or the magnolia buds to bloom (I'm anxiously waiting and watching, camera in hand) but today I came across the most beautiful setting of weeping willows that were a sure sign that spring has finally sprung.   The willow buds were a bright fresh chartreuse green they were almost glowing, the sight of them against the calm blue water and the bright green grass was spectacular.  Although I could have sat there for hours and just stared, I only spent about 20 minutes taking this series of photos today.  Some of them I'll have printed and framed up in contemporary frames for client spaces (or my own) one day, I just love the modern element photography adds to a room and that the subject matter and colour palette is limitless.  

I'll keep my eye on these weeping willows in the coming weeks,  maybe if I'm lucky I'll catch them on a misty morning or basking against a colourful evening sky.......

All photos:  Carol Reed

Countdown to Spring

I'm fascinated by how beautiful winter is and could never imagine living without it.   I never complain about the snow or ice unless it intereferes with travel plans.  I happily bundle up in boots and scarves and parkas, I'll drive in the snow, walk in the snow, but the best of all is sitting inside all cozy and warm looking out at the snow! : )  Two weekends ago it starting snowing heavily late on Saturday night and I stayed up really late into the night/morning just watching it come down, it was so still and quiet it was breathtaking.

I grabbed my good digital camera and sat on the front porch for a while just snapping away, handheld, no flash, no tripod.   I loved the effect of the streetlight and the snow and how it created this sepia effect.

The way the snow covered branches look like a painting, it was so surreal.  I feel a bit sad when I think of those who don't experience winter where they live and have never seen the pure beauty of it.  When absolutely everything is coated and weighted down in fresh white snow its magical, you can't help but stop and stare in wonder.

Despite the fact that Spring is less than two weeks away we're still in the midst of blustery snow and sleet every day here in Toronto.  As much as I enjoy winter, this one has felt unusually long.   I've been indulging in all the good things winter has to offer for what seems like forever; wood fires, hot chocolate, fur blankets, sweaters, boots, hearty soups and comfort food,,,,and I'm more than satisfied that I've had enough already.  I'm ready for a change and all the fresh new starts that Spring brings.  I'm looking forward to wrapping up projects I've been working on since early fall and gearing up to start some new ones.  

I'm off to the fower shop to pick-up some blooms, I just can't wait for mother nature any longer - I'm craving all things Spring right now!!

All Photos:  Carol Reed

Brian's Condo - Guest Bedroom

Its been a crazy week of deliveries and installations at Brian's condo and with today, February 1st, being our deadline we are about 90% complete, and I'm happy to say we also seem to be reasonably on-budget.  A few pieces of artwork to be hung, small accessories and finding the right nightables are left on the 'to do' list.

One of the areas of the condo that we deligated the least amount of the budget to was the second bedroom.  Brian's intent was for this to be used as a home office space for occasional business related work but mainly for personal use and home finances etc.   A small file cabinet and printer would be stored in the closet directly beside the desk.  In addition to a desk area he would need to accommodate an overnight guest every once in a while but he didn't want to dedicate the space for a bed so we opted for a sofa bed which would allow him to enjoy the room on a day to day basis with a comfy sofa for reading.  The room is quite irregularly shaped so there wasn't too many options on where the desk or sofa bed could go.

The first image above is the design concept for the room which illustrates all the key pieces I sourced.  I opted for a simple work horse style desk with metal frame legs and glass top - this keeps the space open looking and definitely is keeping in style with our "vintage-modern with a touch of industrial" look.  I chose the black nickel saw horse desk from West Elm, the price was right and it was in stock!  

The next big 'splurge' for the room was for a desk chair.  I actually had found a sled base chrome and leather chair at a consignment shop for just $100 but Brian really wanted a chair that swivelled.  I was a bit torn on this one with the budget,,,,my own opion of desk chairs is that you might as well either go - super cheap $29.99,,,,or go for the best which are super expensive.  Everything else seems to fall in the 400-700 dollar range, they look better than the 29.99 cheapies but aren't that much better in quality, in my opinion.  During my 10+ years of experience in commercial design I've spec'd thousands of contract quality desk chairs and know them all.  At the retail level, what you mainly see in the home furnishing shops are knock offs and I'd just rather get the real thing - it will last you forever.   Having said all that, I did happen to stumble across a rather sweet deal on a floor model of one of those knock-off versions that made the decision for us - cash'n carry,,,I took it with me. 

Since Brian is starting from scratch he doesn't have a collection of artwork nor do we have room in the budget for Picasso's,,,,,,so the next best thing to original art is your own photography.  Brian had some old photos from past travels and I took the negatives to Elevator Digital where Kevin truly worked some digital magic on them.  He scanned the neg's at super high resolution, cleaned up the digital images and made large b&w prints for me which I put into ready made frames.  Certainly this isn't a cheap process as these are really the best quality images we could get from old negatives but its an affordable and personalized solution to starting a collection.  Below are low res scans of what we started with, a photo of the Grand Canyon taken from a helicopter and a photo taken at Pebble Beach golf course.  

Above is a mock-up I sent Kevin of what I wanted to do with the photos.  I like that both the images had similarities, a horizon with winding roads amongst peaks and valleys and I think they translated well to black & white - I picked them up on Saturday and I absolutely love the way they turned out!!

The last key item was the sofa bed - it was kind of a no-brainer to go with the Ikea Ektorp model, we splurged on the sofa in the living room so we had to 'save' on this one.  The style and size would work and the slipcovers make it versatile and practical for him.  Best of all,,,,its in stock and ready for delivery.   Over the past couple of weeks the rest of the room has been filled in with some great vintage finds and  some handsome window coverings - this spare room is really turning into one of my favorite spaces.  Here's a sneak peak at what it looked like yesterday when the window coverings were being installed.....

For before photos, floor plan and previous posts on Brian's Condo project:

Brian's Condo - A New Project

Brian's Condo - Dining Rm Update

Brian's Condo - Front Entry

Hung Up on Gallery Walls!!

Photograph by Anson Smart, via Desire to Inspire.

I admit - I'm obsessed with gallery walls.  I had to acknowledge this the other day while I was searching thru my archive photos and discovered an unusually large quantity (hundreds!) of photos illustrating gallery wall installations, I just can't get enough of them!  But they also happen to be one of the most common requests I receive from clients when addressing the finishing details of their homes, to create a gallery wall - actually, I've yet to work with a client who hasn't had it on their wish list!  Its easy to understand the appeal of these installations, much like how flowers and books instantly make a room feel lived in, a gallery of photos or artwork has the same effect.  A display of any collection gives the feeling that these things were collected over time and the fact that they've been put on display shows that these things provide a great sense of pleasure to their owners. Even more so, when you really get down to what is dearest and nearest to our hearts,,,,our photos, our collections of memories, and our ties with the past hold the highest material value to us as they truly express who we are as individuals, where we've come from, what we've experienced and who we treasure most in our lives.

No matter how many thousands of dollars or hundreds of thousands have been spent on renovations, for stone countertops, new floors, to-die-for soaker tubs,,,european faucets, state of the art appliances,,,and no matter how many months you searched for that perfect sofa or light fixture, or maybe even taken delivery of brand new furniture for your entire house - in my experience, nothing gets a more positive response or a bigger reaction from homeowners than when their personal photos or personal collections get hung on the wall! Its that 'transformation' moment.......when their space becomes a home.  Its no wonder in the event of an emergency like a fire or flood - these are the things that everyone will desperately try to save, forget about the $10,000 sofa. 

This week one of the things I'm working on is a small photo gallery wall for a client which will be installed on a tall staircase wall and comprised of travel photos she's had stored in boxes and on CD's for many years.  When I started planning out the image sizes and the frame finishes last week I searched through my image archives for photos of some of my favorite gallery walls to help me communicate with my client what I was envisioning.  As you'll see from the images below - there really aren't many rules with this process, whether its all photos, or a mix of various media, all black and white, all colour,,or a mix of both, each installation is always unique (which i think is another reason why they're so appealing to everyone). I do think certain interpretations may appeal more to some than others and the approach can be be either contemporary or traditional.   So if you've always loved the idea of creating a wall of your favorite photos or artwork but never dreamed you could put one together on your own, browse the images below and see how they all make it look so easy.  But be warned,,,,, you may soon become as obsessed with them as I am!

An eclectic collection of what looks like mostly old photos.  Photo source unknown.

Contemporary Grid style gallery wall.  Show home by Canadian House & Home.

All black & white photo gallery on chocolate brown wall.  Photo source unknown.

Gallery of vintage colour posters.  New York Apartment photo via Desire to Inspire blog.

A traditional grouping that integrates a mirror and wallsconces.  Despite the irregular shape, the arrangement is very symmetrical with each side almost mirroring the other.  Room design by C.W. Eisner.

A graphic grid style display of black and white photos.  Image by Photographer Morton Holton, via Desire to Inspire.

I'm CRAZY for this!!!!  Its like the armoire becomes part of the grouping of art.  Apartment of designer Thomas O'Brien, via House & Garden.

Classic and gorgeous.  Gold & Black & White.  Patric Johansson via Desire to Inspire.

Modern and dramatic black with colour.  Living Etc. July 08.  

The dark sofa helps to keep this balanced.

Modern and eclectic grouping of b&w photos mixed with some oil paintings, all cleverly arranged around wall sconces.  Room design by Katie Hume.

Black and whites surround a single coloured image.  Room design by Alexandra Rowley.

Elclectic gallery wall in the living room of Canadian House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma.

Photo source unknown.

This kitchen gallery wall just oozes LOVE & Happiness!  Photograph by Mark Lund.

Domino April 07.

Domino.

Colour images on coloured wall.  Designer Show House, room design by Carrie & Co., via Habitually Chic.

This one is probably my all time favorite!!  Its also very similar to the look we're creating for the current gallery wall I'm working on as we have white walls and a large Moooi Random light fixture exactly as shown above.  Patric Johansson Photographer, via Desire to Inspire.

Black & White on an accent colour, stunning.  Domino magazine.

Modern black, white and graphic.  Photograph by James Tse for Canadian House & Home.

TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN GALLERY WALL:

1.  Rules of thumb - there really aren't any hard rules,,,,but if you've never attempted a gallery hanging before try this no fail method of combining pieces that have at least one consistent theme ie; all b&w photos, or all white mats, or all black frames or keep all your spacing equal. Obviously this rule of thumb can be broken (see images above) and yield fantastic results but often takes more confidence and a keen eye.

2. Starting point - start with your largest or your strongest piece first then work out, up and down from there.

3. Lay it out - if starting with 3 or more pieces,,lay them out on the floor first until your happy with the configuration, then note the dimensions of each piece in relation to the other so you can recreate that placement on the wall.  While its still laid out on the floor, it also helps to measure the overall width, and the overall height of the grouping which will give you a centre point to use for reference.

4.  As Seen on TV - this Hang & Level gizmo is a fantastic tool for hanging artwork and makes quick work of hanging multiple pieces.

5.  One is enough - pick one location for a gallery wall in your home, unless your home is incredibly expansive, more than one will look too busy.

6.  Renting - if you're weary about putting dozens of holes in your landlord's walls, you can create a gallery effect by layering and leaning multiple pieces of art along a shelf, a bench, a mantle or a credenza.

7.  Instant & Inexpensive - if you've got a lot of blank walls but not a lot of collections or cash......go for high impact with a grid style installation by purchasing 9 or 12 inexpensive ready made frames with mats and insert a series of prints or photocopies or book pages.  These can always be replaced in future with more significant images but in the meantime, you'll have an instant and dramatic gallery wall.

8.  Grid vs. Random - A random grouping can look extremely interesting and eclectic and is in my opion more casual looking than a grid layout, but some may find the concept intimidating to lay out and or install, although as you can see from the photos above its hard to go wrong.  The benefit of this method is you can start with only a few pieces and continue to grow and grow as long as you still have wall space.  A symmetrical grid installation is classic and can be a bit more formal looking.  The multiple use, repitition, of the same frame creates a dramatic graphic effect which in itself has a lot of impact.  This method is ideal if you have a collection of similar items or series of items, or as noted in no.7 above, if you need an instant completed installation using a set of frames rather than accumulating a collection of different frames and pieces over time.