Before Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy hit, I had the pleasure of attending several studio tours in my new hometown of Warren, RI. Twice, I dropped in on the studio of Pat Warwick who creates one-of-a-kind ceramic surfaces.

If you're a New Englander, you may recognize Pat's embossed ceramic tiles which depict elegant sea creatures and insects set in simple white tiles. I did. A couple of years ago my sister-in-law picked up a fish tile by Pat in Woods Hole as a gift for us. Then, this fall we received the tiles shown here (on our kitchen counter) as a gift from our art-savvy realtor, Paula Silva. Just lovely.

So I jumped at the chance to drop in on Pat's studio during the recent Warren Walkabout and ART Night Bristol and Warren. The great thing about a studio tour is it shares much of the appeal of a house or garden tour. It offers a rare opportunity to glimpse how someone has shaped their environment to suit, reflect, and enhance who they are, who they want to become, and how they choose to interact with the greater world. Of course, the added advantage of the studio tour is that a piece of the artist's unique world, their work, is generally available for purchase.

I'm already scheming how to incorporate some of Pat's work into my own home, and how her work might make for a nice accent as a backsplash in a client's powder room.

Check out open studios in your area for insight into your local artists and their work. This weekend consider attending open studios at Holliston Mill, in Roslindale, and Waltham Mills. 

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

The Cape house form is a timeless charmer. This mini example is no exception. It's "mini" in that there is only one window (pair) on either side of the central entry. (A full Cape has two separate windows on either side of the central entry.)

Its use of casement windows (instead of double-hung windows), an arched entry porch roof, and a slot-like shed dormer all set it apart from more typical Capes. And, yes, I can't help but anthropomorphize its appearance; the two horizontal awning (or hopper?) windows in the shed dormer sure look like eyes hovering over the arched-roof nose.

The landscaping, which features a natural cedar rail fence, central gate, flanking robust hydrangea bushes and flanking neat privet hedges, reinforces this Cape's appeal. Check out a sweet three-quarter Cape here and my Recipe for Architectural Charm here. You don't have to look far in New England to find a Cape charmer.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

I stopped by my local paint retailer the other day to pick up some samples, and noticed that they had painted one of their display walls a dark, dark chocolate brown as a backdrop to some celadon-colored vases. The intensity of the celadon in the foreground was heightened by the warm, rich dark background. 

This black door and black flower urn do much the same for the gorgeous bright green and orange of this blossoming topiary and miniature primroses.

Dare to indulge in dark, dark chocolate, black, or even green backgrounds to enhance show-stopping foreground color by contrast.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Sometimes we don't know where the notions we have come from. They're simply there, at the ready, when we need them.

Last week, while meeting with a client to choose the exterior and interior color and finish palette for her renovation/addition project, we paused to ponder our selections. We both realized that one of our earlier color choices had been left out of the mix. Red. Not just any red, C2's Vixen red. But where to put it? Red can be so powerful. Suddenly, it dawned on me. How about if we make the rake and eave trim at the entry roof Vixen red, while keeping the rake and eave trim C2's Chelsea (butter) color elsewhere? Yes, my client chimed in, and a Vixen red entry soffit.

Funny, then, that, today, while combing through my photos for a potential "Design snapshot" to feature, I came across this photo. The red rake accent (complete with rafter tails) must have made a subliminal impression on me. It, in combination with the red umbrella and red door, pop and please. I took and stored this photo on my computer several years ago, and, apparently, I stored it in my subconscious, too.

This type of seeming serendipity is exactly why I recommend that folks involved in the design of residential projects take note of their environment; photograph and consider intriguing compositions, moments, and details. The more you train your eye, the more it will train you.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast