Susannah West Interior Design

Sep 2013

This is a tiny bathroom: the footprint is only 5 x 9, and this includes the tub, water closet and vanity. The actual floor space is less than half that figure. The challenge, of course, was to make it appear bigger. I did this by expanding the mirror over the sink to be the full width of the wall, and by using a reflective wall paneling on the opposite wall. Also, replacing the old medicine cabinet with a high quality cabinet the same height as the wall mirror creates a continuous corner of reflectivity, adding to the illusion of space. The wall hung vanity also makes the room more spacious. This apartment building is about 30 years old, and due to the way the plumbing was configured, it wasn't feasible to change out the water closet. So we chose white grout for the tile, to help minimize the old fixture. This space has been completely transformed. It is dramatic and sophisticated, and the owner loves it! We had a great time working together on this long distance. The entire project was designed and executed via phone and email. The client really enjoyed getting involved in making personal selections, and particularly the hand-painted shower curtain . For more detail on this project, including sourcing and elevations, please visit my blog --- click "bathroom".

San Francisco, CA

Sep 2013

This project has been one of my all-time favorites. I worked with this client in North Carolina, when he lived here, and when he moved back to San Francisco, he asked me to coordinate his move. We started with the space planning for his mid-century modern furnishings, and the placement of his art collection. He chose to move into the same apartment building that he had lived in several years ago, because he was able to get the top floor apartment, and the view was FABULOUS. But the kitchen was not! Not only was the kitchen very old apartment vintage, but the layout cut the space in half. An interior designer hates to see that kind of floor plan! I was itching to change it into what I knew it could be. So after he was settled into the space, we started the process to renovate the kitchen/dining/living area. I began with the concept of opening up the kitchen to the dining area, and also utilizing the area between the 2 spaces for beautiful storage. We lowered the wall between the 2 areas, and added electrical outlets and warm wood drawers to create a built-in dining credenza that he can serve from. We selected Ikea for the cabinets and dining credenza. Ikea is reasonably priced (since he does not own the apartment), and well designed. We replaced the low grade apartment carpeting with dark bamboo flooring and added a custom Tai Ping area rug to the living area.

San Francisco, CA

Jan 2012

This client is a young bachelor in the founding stages of his own start-up in San Francisco. The objective in this project was to take his empty apartment, and furnish it as quickly and inexpensively as possible, so he could get on with the business of developing his company. (For more information on budget, please visit my blog.) We maximized the spectacular view of the park, and used warm textures to balance the cool tones of the reflective surfaces. This young man has begun to collect art, and we started his color scheme with his Mondrian print, and with his own travel photos from his trips to Machu Picchu, Tasmania, and Europe. It is a simple, clean, uncluttered design, which is restful for a young man who spends a lot of his time in algorithms and codes. The shell is static by design, but the dynamic element is the park across the street, where there is always activity - trees rustling in the breeze, friends meeting in the park, and happy dogs bounding up the paths! Activity is also experienced on the large TV screen, which he uses in his work. And during the day, you can see the streets of San Francisco reflected in the screen. It's a carefully edited space, in which "less is more"!!

San Francisco, CA

Jan 2011

The inspiration for this Fireplace came from the commissioned art that hangs above it. This is a really interesting story! When I first entered this client's home, I envisioned original art as its crowning feature. After we designed and implemented the necessary changes in the home, we began to explore original art for the downstairs spaces. We found several wonderful pieces that the clients were in love with, and we installed them. There was one spot, however, that we didn't find the right size piece for, so the gallery suggested that we commission the artist to make one in the right size. We did that, but when the piece came in, the colors were not exactly what we had asked for, so the gallery agreed to take it back, and we would start over. But the clients loved this piece and didn't want to part with it! So they moved it upstairs into the master bedroom, and the colors there were perfect. The piece was magnificent on the wall at the foot of the bed. But it needed something to anchor it, as there was nothing else on that wall. Also, the space was very small, which precluded a piece of furniture. So as the clients sat there in bed admiring their beautiful art, the wife had the idea to build a fireplace under it. It is always a challenge to tell how something new is going to look in a room. When we were working on the downstairs renovation, I taught these clients one of my primary principles of design practice: VISUALIZE. We installed cardboard paneling in their kitchen office before we decided to spend the money for the real thing. So when the wife got the idea for a fireplace, she made it out of cardboard, and called me over to help with the decision. It was a no-brainer! It was the perfect solution for the room, and established the necessary grounding element for the wonderful painting. We then went ahead with the execution of the plan: perfecting the dimensions on the model, drawing the details, and meeting with her carpenter. We also examined several samples of stone before selecting the travertine for the hearth and front face. They are thrilled with the result. The room is warm and inviting, and reflects the very personal process of selecting commissioned art and creating their own work of art. When the wife asked me if I thought it needed anything else, like a fire screen, or a plant, to make it seem more like a real fireplace (this fireplace is non-operable), I said "Absolutely not." In my view, the empty fireplace reminds me of a Rauschenberg piece that I saw in the Art Institute when I was in college. For an artist, stripping the extraneous and getting down to essence is at the heart of his art. (Think Picasso and Andy Warhol too...) So I view this Fireplace as my client's work of art, which she conceived to enhance the piece that she commissioned from Leslie Tejada. We don't need to make it seem like a real fireplace. It is an architectural element in this room, and is in itself a work of art. It is complete just as you see it.

Raleigh, NC

Jan 2011

This client and her husband moved to Cary to be near their daughter. They chose new construction at the Carolina Preserve Retirement Community in Amberly. I assisted them from the ground up. They had some nice dining room furniture that they wanted to keep, but needed new upholstery, occasional tables, and kitchen table/chairs. They collected art, and the wife has a beautiful assortment of blue/white china pieces which we used throughout the spaces.

Cary, NC

Jan 2010

These clients own a wonderful home in Anderson Heights in Raleigh, not far from Five Points. They have lived there for years, and love the neighborhood so much, that they decided to stay where they were and renovate. They hired an architect to do the required drawings for the city, and they added this Music Room above the old garage. When I first saw the empty Music Room, I envisioned it as an art gallery. There aren't many walls, but with proper selection of original art and custom area rugs, we could make the room a peaceful yet dynamic experience. We also renovated the Dining Room, which is adjacent and open to the Music Room. We chose to wrap the exterior of the Music Room with linen drapery panels, to improve the acoustics for the piano. I designed a simple pleated panel with horizontal tucks at the top and the bottom. The sheers are fully operable, to provide protection from the direct sun in the morning. Then we began the search for the art. For more detail about that process, please see my blog post on Scott Upton. Once we had selected this beautiful blue painting, the next step was the area rugs. It was critical to choose a color combination that enhanced the Scott Upton, as well as flowed with the rest of the downstairs. And it needed to be simple enough not to detract from the painting, but still have enough detail to be interesting and balance with the rest of the traditional decor in the home. When we arrived at the right rug for the music room, the challenge was to come up with a design for the adjoining Dining Room space, which is just a few feet away and completely visible from the Music Room. We explored many possibilities, and eventually chose a design that is actually a continuation of the border scrolls in the Music Room. But in this rug we used a plain double border, and let the scrolls dominate in the middle. For more detail and tips on custom designing rugs, please visit the same blog post. The final touch in the room was the custom fabric selection for the dining chairs. We also renovated the adjacent kitchen office space. I designed custom wainscoting and a leaded glass window to upgrade the space and take advantage of the exquisite new landscaping and brick wall right outside that window.

Raleigh, NC

Jan 2009

This client bought a townhouse with a fixed floor plan, and pre-selected cabinets, appliances and granite countertops. All the townhouses looked the same. Her goal was to personalize her space to reflect her individuality, as well as that of her 2 teenage sons. I selected travertine mosaic for the backsplash, and created a focal point over the range with custom glass tile accents. The main challenge in this space was to transform it from standard issue townhouse to a custom look, using only backsplash tiles. The space over the range was not dramatic. In fact, it was quite awkward looking. By framing the diagonal mosaic with the custom glass, we succeeded in transforming that area into a pleasing focal point. The kitchen is warm and inviting,and has a totally custom look, and the only expense was the tile work and the design fees.

Cary, NC

Jan 2009

These clients bought a lovely home in Governor's Club, and wanted to update it to suit their tastes. However, it was necessary to perform quite a few structural renovations before we get to the fun part of completing the window treatments and area rugs! I have assisted them with consultation on carpet, flooring, custom paint colors, window treatments, and general design concept questions.

Chapel Hill, NC

Jan 2007

This project involved a complete house remodel. The clients loved the neighborhood, but the house was too small for their large family. An architect was hired for the structural additions, including a second story. The client had originally intended to handle the project herself. However it proved to be much more difficult than she had imagined, so she contacted me to help straighten out the initial mistakes she had made and to coordinate all the rest of the interior details. This included review of the architect's plans, recommendations for changes, and interface with the contractor. The former kitchen was completely gutted, and a new layout was designed, expanding the area to include a spacious breakfast space and family area. I also did space planning for the placement of her existing furnishings, and purchase of new items where necessary. I assisted with finish and paint selections, lighting, flooring, window treatments, and the design of the exterior of this 3600 square foot home. This project was designed and executed completely long distance, using email, fax and phone. The family is thrilled with their new space. For more detail on this project, visit my website.

Norman, OK