Brass to the Past

Here are KAID, we do a lot of custom pieces because we like things to be PERFECT!  Oddly enough, doing custom pieces is often cheaper and quicker than purchasing from a vendor... who knew?  Anyway, in the process of creating some MAGENTA Louis XIV commode pieces, we needed to find hardware and ormolus for the piece.  Searching all over the internet, we found some great antique ormolu pieces, but finding vintage-esque handles and escutcheons was proving to be nearly impossible.  We did some research and discovered you can age brass...  Soooo, with lots of trial and error, we discovered the most efficient was is as follows:

1.  Make sure your brass pieces are REAL!

2.  Most newer brass pieces have a coating on it.  We got lucky and had the kind of coating that comes off with acetone.  If you have the stubborn coating, you're on your own!

3.  After removing the coating, rinse off the hardware with water and dry.

4.  Once dry, you'll need to submerse the pieces into Brass Darkening Solution J-3499.  Buy it HERE!

5.  It has all the directions on the back of the bottle, so just follow them from there!
6.  If you leave it in too long, all you have to do is polish it up a bit.  We always use Brasso, you can buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot in the cleaning department.

7.  Let us know how this works for you :)

RESULTS 

By Kim Armstrong Interior Design

If You Can't Find It, Make It

KAID prides itself on never settling for something that just works; we strive for perfection.  Having these kinds of standards often makes it really hard to find what we are looking for.  In order to create what we see in our heads, we have to go to our many great vendors and resources and have it made.

Here are some photos of a couple custom things we've done.  If you are interested in customizing your home or space, you know where to go!  www.interiorsbykim.com

We created the "Madhatter" chair and the drapes.  The photo is BAADD, but we will get you some good ones soon.  Custom is just what it takes sometimes to create that brilliant concept sitting in your head.

Another iPhone photo, but notice all the great pieces.  The two club chairs, pillows, sofa, and drapes are all custom made.  Also, the amazing striped chairs are, you guessed it, custom-made for the space.

Hand-carved French daybed and custom pillows and upholstery.  Turned out so beautiful.

Custom host chair made of a Ralph Lauren wool  We wanted to keep it a modern shape with a traditional, masculine print.  You don't see this everyday.

Just Wallpaper It

Wallpaper, the keystone to creating a bold and vivid space, is making a dramatic comeback.  We, here at Kim Armstrong Interior Design, have a bit of a fetish for our statement-making friend.  Here are some simple tips and examples that can give life to any space. 

Below are two photos of a room we recently designed using bright pops of pink and gray.  As you can see in the “Before” photo, the room seemed nearly complete, but there was something not quite right.  Finally (in the “After” photo), we concluded that the back wall needed a pop of pink in order to tie in all the blocks of color from around the room.  The paper we chose was a subtle pink with a geometric pattern in a sheen.  It doesn’t steal attention, it creates a better opportunity for all our custom pieces (like the headboard, bedding, and daybed) to be noticed. 

BEFORE 

By Kim Armstrong Interior Design
http://interiorsbykim.com/

AFTER

By Kim Armstrong Interior Design
http://interiorsbykim.com/

In this next room, the wallpaper sets the tone of the entire space.  It is apparent that whoever designed this loft fell in love with the paper, and then designed around it.  The space, while it looks complexly designed, has a flawless and easy formula.  They picked the deep purple paper as the inspiration, chose a soft gray as their main color, and added pops of a brighter purple for interest. 

Source

Here’s another example of keeping things simple while creating a to-die-for look.  They chose a foil based paper with a contemporary print; it reads pretty neutral which leaves opportunity for color to be incorporated.  In keeping the bedding and décor modest, this allowed for bright pops of yellow from the lamps, which really grab your attention.

Source

Now that you’re an expert, I’m sure you can see the formula used here.  The theme here seems to be what I would call “colorful calm”.  With the focus being on the green bedding and big tufted headboard, the paper acts as the subtle accent, pulling the space together.  Serenity at its best.

Source

To sum it up, use a wallpaper which anchors the room’s eye-catching details.  Some words of wisdom for picking that perfect paper: if you know you want a big colorful print, pick it first so you can build around it.  If you know you want to stay in the neutral sector, develop a room concept first, then pick the paper.