Studio tour: Oliveira Textiles in Bristol, RI

The East Bay is teeming with talented designers. Take Dawn Oliveira. I discovered her and Oliveira Textiles at an ART Night Bristol and Warren tour when I first moved to the area a few years ago. Ever since, I've been plotting how to incorporate some of her beautiful, sustainably produced textiles in a KHS architecture and design project or in our own home.

Well, the wait is over. Dawn has printed some of her stunning patterns on hemp/organic cotton for us to use at our place. I'm thrilled that a couple of her abstract "floral-esque" patterns, which are mostly hand-printed with water-based dyes at local mills, will grace a smattering of our furniture. I've been encouraging a client to consider one of her sea-inspired themes for his built-in bench, too.

Here's a peek at the freshly printed patterns I selected.

That's "Madeira Vine – shale sand" in the foreground and "New Madeira Vine – citron/brown " in the background. So lovely.

Contact Dawn for an appointment to see her designs in person at her studio. Soon you'll be plotting your own project with her textiles.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

KHS work-in-progress: O&G seating samples at Touisset small-house renovation/addition

Earlier this week, folks from Warren's O&G Studio were kind enough to bring barstool and chair samples to the Touisset small-house renovation/addition, so we could have a looksy in situ. We wanted to see which would fit best in terms of style, size, and color with the mahogany custom table and banquette, the jatoba bar counter and the (newly installed) antique southern yellow pine floors, as well as the overall updated cottage/arts-and-crafts/industrial-lite aesthetic.

The winner was the Wayland lowback sidechair and fanback barstool in the absolutely gorgeous Azimuth blue stain on maple. Can't wait to see our selections, when complete, in place!

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

KHS work-in-progress: Touisset small-house renovation/addition update

Here are more progress shots of this small-house renovation/addition. Note the newly installed jatoba bar-top high counter, built-in banquette with custom mahogany table, down-draft range along the windows, and enclosed porch-like addition that I discussed in an earlier post.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

Design snapshot: PEM historic arched-top tall windows

I was back in Salem, Mass. over the weekend for a photo shoot (updating the KHS website) and stopped by my favorite room in the upper level of East India Marine Hall at the Peabody Essex Museum. Constructed in 1825 to house artifacts collected by the East India Marine Society from beyond the Cape of Good Hope or Cape Horn, the Hall's original architect is currently unknown.

The height and shape of the windows in combination with their arrangement and glazing pattern make a striking impression. Despite their towering size, I believe the windows are single-hung. The surrounding trim emphasizes the windows' shape much as eye liner calls even greater attention to the eyes they trace. The windows' reflections on the floor are not to be overlooked, nor the different types of glass that form the window panes. I don't know if the original design called for the use of different glass types, but the result creates a somewhat abstract collage-like more modern effect.

The airy daylight in this grand space inspires most visitors to lower their voices and stand in admiration of the space before venturing to the rooms edges to look at the artifacts housed there. It's a must see/must experience if you find yourself at the PEM.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast

A Newport secret garden

Thought I'd share one of the sweet secret gardens from this year's tour in the Point neighborhood of Newport. I'm always impressed with the many and varied layers of interest the homeowners of these secret gardens are able to pack into a small space. This one, like others on the annual self-guided spring Secret Garden Tour in Newport, takes advantage of the placement of outbuildings and fences relative to the footprint of the main house to create a compelling outdoor room. Like many of the houses in my upcoming book The New Small House, this compact garden provides delightful additional season living space.

The Tour is also a great opportunity for an idjit gardener, such as myself, to learn about new plants, shrubs and trees and in what conditions they thrive. I always add the common names of new favorites to a notepad (on my phone, these days), so I can consider them for my garden next planting season. The Secret Garden Tours also offer a fall tour in different areas of Newport that you might want to mark on your calendar now. I haven't been on one of the fall tours yet, but maybe this fall will be the year to start another annual tradition. Funds from the Newport Secret Garden Tours go towards enhancing arts education and cultural programs in Aquidneck Island's public schools.

by Katie Hutchison for House Enthusiast