After all the holiday decorations come down, the house seems to become a bit dull. Liane Rigano of Decor and You would like to share some helpful tips to "light up" your house again.
What used to be the focal point of the living room during the holidays, may now seems empty and bare. Now is the time to make that space even cozier with a new area rug that defines a special conversation place. Perhaps some throws in winter white or ones with warm and colorful colors or a few throw pillows can be placed in the room to draw people into that comfortable space. Consider adding drapery to bare windows or even a "wall of curtains" on a bare wall to give it much added warmth and the illusion of having even more windows in your home. Also, consider bringing in live plants. One great choice would be Paperwhite Bulbs, which can be forced to bloom in mid-winter and bring a different shade of green to your post-holiday home.
Good interior design often involves simply changing items around. Bring in your favorite chair from another room or place some "new" artwork that has not been used on the walls. Take advantage of making those small changes to always give things a fresh feel.
Celebrate each and every day, not just the preordained holidays in November and December. The winter is a beautiful time of the year. Take the time to reflect that and in turn, your mood will be as bright as a warm summer day!
For more tips and assistance in getting your home back in gear, contact Liane at (914) 273-2870.
Cottage School's Rooms for Hope By Jeanne Morgante
Published June 6, 2011 A
favorite blanket or pillow and a comfy bed to call your own seems a
necessity for every child. But what about children who become homeless
or must go into foster care? Do they have they have a bed or bedroom of
their own?
Armonk 12-year-olds Amanda Morgante and Zoe Kreutzer were saddened by this thought and decided that they wanted to help kids their age who are less fortunate than they. In addition, they would build upon this issue to allow them to earn the second highest award in Girl Scouting, The Silver Award. Amanda and Zoe contacted Phina Geiger, Director of Volunteer Services at the Pleasantville Cottage School, and were inspired by what they learned. Continued
Meet Liane Rigano, Interior Designer
May 22, 2011 When interior designer Liane Rigano goes into a home, she is respectful of a client's taste. "I'm not going to change everything they have and decorate to my taste, I decorate to their taste," she says. "I don't decorate in my style, but I aim for the same quality and comfort that I would want in my home. I get to know the client and their taste by meeting them at their house, and touring the space." Getting to know the client's style and tastes is of utmost importance to Rigano.
"A home space should be the ultimate comfortable zone. The most important room is where you spend most of your time, the family room or the kitchen.
"I have them clip pictures out of magazines to get an idea of what they aspire to. They might walk into a show room and like a bunch of different things, but I find stronger opinions usually lie in dislikes. I try to get into their head and see and understand their vision, before I make any plans or pick out a piece of fabric.
"With the vision in place, we'll go piece by piece. First, we identify the main piece in the room, what will make the biggest impact. For instance, in a powder room, the statement piece will often be the floor. Sometimes the statement piece is something that is already in the room, like a work of art.
"The budget is of course very important and you have to be honest upfront. Each project is different and we work at all levels. Sometimes I'm called in for just one room, say the powder room, and then they decided from there they needed to do the living room."
Rigano says you can marry two different styles. That's often how a home will become an unique, personal space. She likes to provide several pieces for the same spot so clients will have a couple of different choices. And accessories are key--framed art, vases, potted plants, mirrors and so on. It's all about the right accessory in the right room. "A room might not need a lot of accessories, but you need something to give a little juice."
Accessories, like everything else, are based on personal taste. Liane recounts finding a painting of zebra's behinds for a client. "He loved it. Those zebras were not for everybody, but I knew he would love it, he's a daring a person.
"I love plants personally, but if you have a plant you have to take care of it. Some people don't want the upkeep of live plants, so then there's always silk plants. They have some beautiful silk plants that you don't even know are silks. It's beautiful to have the green of nature in a room. You can bring in different shades of green and have new flowering plants for the different seasons. Plants are a great way to fill a space and they are not usually that expensive."
Rigano also emphasizes which family members will be using the room. "Are the kids going to use the room or are adults using the room? Make sure you have enough space to get around and be able to appreciate what a piece looks like. Traffic flow is very important.
"I ask what a room will be utilized for. For instance, with a desk in the kitchen, will you use it for paying bills or for an office area. It's sometimes a good idea to combine those areas, to conserve space. The right spot for a piece optimizes use without losing the piece's beauty.
"Overall, it is about space and how things fit in a space." No matter how many or how few pieces and accessories are in a room they must be in a harmonic dialogue. "The height of the ceiling is relevant, as are the windows, how tall they are and where they are placed."
Rigano's past includes planning and building offices in the corporate world. She always loved interior designing. Her friends and family would ask for her help in choosing colors. "I looked at interior designing a couple of years ago and was ready to make the change. I told my kids I was like a little bird waiting to jump out of a nest, and then I made the leap, starting with courses at Decor and You.
"Most people want their space to be comfortable for themselves and their guests. They want a place where they feel like they want to come and sit and be welcome and that is what I am trying to create for people, a comfortable and inviting space."
Cocobolo Interiors - A Home Furnishings Boutique by Nomi Schwartz
January 30, 2012 Cocobolo was the exotic name given to an interior design and home furnishings business started on Main Street in Armonk about two decades ago. The business was named for a South American hardwood, so costly that its current uses are for small pieces such as knife handles and fine musical instruments. Today, in its Maple Avenue location, Cocobolo offers a showroom filled with lighting fixtures, home furnishings, decorative objects, and hundreds of catalogues for wall coverings, window treatments, upholstery fabrics, rugs, and furniture.
Although chock full, the store is airy and bright, with a large table in the center to calmly peruse the books or talk to one of the designers.
Julie Owen, the store’s current owner, bought the business in 2009. Her background includes an MBA in Finance and years of corporate experience, and then a degree from the New York School of Interior Design and some years working as an interior designer. She had returned from several years in England, and was ready to begin her own business, and the founding owners of Cocobolo were moving on to other ventures.
Owen and her experienced staff handle complete design services at any level -- a young couple with a brand new 6,000-square foot house, empty nesters moving to a Manhattan apartment, or a busy working person with a weekend house in the Hamptons.
Some people want to be very involved with every step of the process, Owen said. But others don’t have the time and want it to all be done for them with a minimum of consultations.
“We offer people whatever they are comfortable with. Some people are looking at the very high end, but many people are on a budget and we want them to have the best quality at the best price.”
Designer Susan Montgomery commented that people are often intimidated by interior designers, thinking that that designer will come into their homes and judge them. “That’s the last thing we want to do,” Montgomery laughed. “We want to make them comfortable and help make their living spaces functional and beautiful for them.”
A common misconception, Owen explained, is that using an interior designer will make any decorating project much more expensive. This is not true, particularly with a full-service shop like Cocobolo.
According to Owen, “We can show our clients everything locally, in our shop, avoiding trips to Manhattan and the D&D building. It saves so much time and is much more convenient for them. And as an established shop, we have direct relationships with suppliers so the costs are actually lower - we don’t have middlemen. If a client shows us something that she can get somewhere else at a better price, we’ll try to meet that price.”
They also can help clients avoid costly mistakes, such as ordering rugs or furniture on a whim without a plan for the entire room.
Cocobolo Interiors begins the design process with a complementary consultation in the prospective client’s home. There the designer can get a feel for the scope of the project and the lifestyle of the occupants.
Owen and Montgomery agreed that today’s clients have changed from more formal and ornate styles of decorating to a more casual sensibility. “Less clutter, less fussy, made in USA,” are some of the current trends.
It’s impossible not to notice that right outside of Cocobolo’s quiet, elegant shop, is a large construction site, the future home of Armonk Square-- a mixed-use center complete with supermarket, retail shops, and lots of parking. Owen realizes that some noise and disruption are inevitable as Armonk Square develops. “But,” she said, “it will be good for all the businesses when people come to the downtown to shop. It’s a great opportunity for more people to find out about us. We’re looking forward to it.”
Cocobolo Interiors, Inc. is a home furnishings boutique with interior design services located at 37 Maple Avenue, Armonk. You can Cocobolo Interiors at (914) 273-4485 or at www.cocoboloarmonk.com.
