An Interview with Glenna Stone, Interior Designer

During times of uncertainty, it’s important to find leaders who continue to move forward.

Glenna Stone of Glenna Stone Interior Design, is such a leader. She is using her time at home to create new opportunities for her clients and her team.

“We have all been so busy and rushed before all this. Now, we have a chance to slow down and decide what matters.”

“We are taking the opportunity to work with our clients to define what they love and because they have the time, they are enjoying the process.”

Our clients enjoy the fact that they now have the time and the energy to focus on completing their projects. They no longer make knee-jerk reactions due to the stress of their own work deadlines.

She also notes that everyone she is working with is enjoying the extra time spent with children as a family. Her clients are treasuring this time and working the ideas that emerge from these experiences into future home designs such as places to play games, planning outdoor spaces for gathering around fires for storytelling, etc.

Using Zoom meetings, she has moved seamlessly from live meetings to remote with hardly an interruption.

Glenna provides her clients with a defined process as well as important tech tools that move the engagement forward. These include measuring tools, instruction on how to photograph/video a room or a home, and resources for ways to use space in multiple ways.

Her clients love the convenience of meeting from their home. They receive the same process in every way that includes personal conversations, definition of the work, creating a mood board with colors, textures, lighting, fabric choices – all these delivered by mail or dropped off.

“I love the magical process of design where we start with an idea and work collaboratively to create spaces that are a reflection of the client”

Glenna can be reached at [email protected]

 

 

The Story Behind “Simply White” – Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Color of the Year

2016 Color of the Year Backstory: Last week we hosted a designer luncheon along with Benjamin Moore to discuss color (of course) and the current trends in the painting industry.  While some may think that “Simply White” was not truly a “color”, after hearing the story of how Benjamin Moore’s research team arrived on this choice, we all walked away with a deeper knowledge of how the color trends emerge each year.
After traveling the world observing trends and looking for patterns, the new Louis Vuitton Foundation building in Paris left the biggest impression on the Benjamin Moore team. Being compared to a ship with billowing sails, the light and airy feel of the space led them to consider white for 2016, but with over 250 whites in the Benjamin Moore collection, deciding which white was the “right” white was still a difficult task. Staying in the mindset of the artistic world, and drawing from the Frank Gehry design, they imagined the life of various artists and set out to create the perfect backdrop for a traditional painter as well as a digital designer, and all of those who fall in between.


One of the keys to successfully using white to create a backdrop is to vary the tones and sheens of the paint. Pairing Simply White with Ballet White or Mascarpone creates subtle variations in color while leaving an overall freshness in any space. Using a high gloss finish on trim along with a matte finish on wall can also break up what could otherwise become too monotone when using one white throughout an entire space. Simply White also creates the perfect backdrop for more bold colors such as Black Ink, Patriot Blue, and Ravishing Red. The more we learned about white, the more we all realized that “white is not just white”, and the final conclusion of the Benjamin Moore color team was that white truly is an essential color in all decorating palettes. Whether your goal is to create a completely neutral backdrop or infuse a pop of color into a room in your home, choosing the right white to achieve your goal is just as important as choosing any other color. Here’s to white finally getting the credit it deserves as an integral color in home decorating.

 

 

What’s Your Design Philosophy?

During a recent trip to Phoenix, Az for a painting convention, I chose to use my few free hours on Sunday afternoon to visit Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s final residence. I knew a bit about him upon my arrival, but was astounded by the details of his life and career as recounted by an architectural student/guide on my 90-minute tour. After five years in the painting and decorating industry I walked away with a whole new outlook on design. What’s your design philosophy?
First and foremost – you don’t have to be a designer to have a philosophy on design. Frank Lloyd Wright believed that everyone’s home should be a reflection of you as an individual – a “mini museum” if you will. He also believed that form and function can and should co-exist, using nature as his proof that this is an achievable goal. Lastly, he always emphasized the use of natural light, for there is nothing more flattering and believed it should be taken advantage of to the fullest.

So how does this translate into the world of painting and decorating? Well, without a clear vision as to what inspires you, it can be difficult to create a living space that is inspiring. We often do this subconsciously, but if you truly take the time to figure out what you love most and find a way to incorporate it into your everyday life, every time you walk into your bedroom, family room, kitchen, etc, you will do so with a smile (or a sigh of relief as you finally crawl into bed at the end of the day).
So where do you begin? If you have a piece of artwork or a collection you would like to display, you can start there, but choosing a paint color is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make when trying to establish your tone. It can be used as a subtle backdrop for everything else you plan to fill the space with, as an accent to define a specific area you would like the focus to fall upon, or the color/finish can be the focal point in itself. Whatever the case may be, keep in mind the natural light in the space, and how it changes throughout the day. Use a light color to brighten up a space with minimal natural lighting, or a deeper shade to absorb excess light.
The key is to be patient with the process, taking the time to really determine how you want to feel in each room in your home. Then, choose what’s right for you, keep it simple and make it beautiful. Til next time . . .
See John Neill Painting Services.
John Neill Painting Service Areas: Philadelphia, The Main Line, Center City Philadelphia, Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Narberth, Penn Valley, Merion, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, Wayne, Devon, Berwyn, Paoli, Malvern, Chester Springs, Newtown Square, West Chester, Blue Bell, Gwynedd, Jenkintown, Rydal, Meadowbrook, and Chestnut Hill.

 

 

2012 Color of the Year

The Pantone 2012 Color of the Year is Tangerine Tango.
Tangerine Tango
Growing steadily in popularity over the past few years, a sophisticated reddish-orange has finally taken it’s place in the spotlight.
The 2012 Color Forecast also contains some lovely neutrals that will help set the backdrop for versatile rooms that can be refreshed by simply updating your accessories each season.
To see the full Color Forecast, visit our Color Trends page.

 

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