CURATED BY CLAUDIA

By Claudia Ricciardone Photography by Laura Sumrak Interior Design by Claudia Josephine Design

How to Get the Designer Look

QDear Claudia,

I constantly see Instagram photos of beautifully designed spaces and wonder why my home don’t have the same feel, no matter how hard I try (or how much money I spend!)? It always looks unfinished or like a hodgepodge of choices that don’t quite work together. Do you have any tips for giving a home a “designer” feel?

Thanks, Julie in Avon, Connecticut

ADear Julie,

I understand your frustration! First, what I tell my clients is that everyone has different talents and gifts. Sure, I could try to stumble through filing my own taxes; however, investing in the skills, training, and experience of an accountant ensures my returns are accurate (and saves me major headaches!). It also prevents me from making costly mistakes!

The easiest way to get a well-designed home is to hire a designer whose aesthetic you admire. A good designer can make excellent use of your investment, helping you to bring together a cohesive look. However, if you want to design on your own, there are some tried and true guidelines that can help!

RETREAT

CONSTRUCT A PLAN

Preparation is key to creating a functional and attractive space. Get out your tape measure and develop your floor plan. Whether you use old-fashioned graph paper or a floor plan app, you need to create a layout. Do you have adequate flow? Is there space to comfortably maneuver between furniture? Is the scale right? Does your room have a focal point and are you utilizing it to your advantage? Think about how you intend to use the room. Is it for lounging and TV watching or is it for conversation? The purpose of the room will help you create a floor plan. Don’t forget to consider any accommodations you need to make for pets, children, or elderly family members.

CHOOSE A COLOR PALETTE

Will your palette be colorful, neutral, or monochromatic? A favorite piece of art, an heirloom rug, or a beautiful fabric can determine the colors of the room. Pull your primary and accent colors from your inspiration. To make your room more interesting, use contrast. If your main color is a cool color, like a gray blue, balancing it with hits of a warm color (or wood tones) keeps it from feeling too cold. Is your palette muted or fresh? Generally, muted colors pair well with oth-

er muted tones and fresh (or “clean”) colors play nicely with other clean colors. I also like to carry at least one color throughout the home to make it to feel cohesive.

EDIT YOUR BELONGINGS

One of the biggest design mistakes I see is having too much stuff. Collections of small, random knickknacks and rooms crammed tight with furniture can detract from otherwise well-designed spaces. Don’t underestimate the value of empty space which allows the eye to rest and for movement around the room. Cull the clutter by getting rid of what you don’t need and utilizing attractive storage solutions for the rest. I myself have been guilty of this misstep (to which my husband will heartily attest), which is why it takes regular purging and Marie Kondo-style editing to keep a home organized and clutter-free.

DON’T FORGET THE LAYERS

Even if you have a stellar layout, an attractive color palette, and a carefully edited home, you still need layers! Items such as wallpaper, grasscloth, lighting, throw pillows, window treatments, art, rugs, and accessories add additional layers of color, pattern, and texture. In our recent remodel pictured here, we painted the cabinets in a fresh coat of off-white paint and applied grasscloth to the back of the shelves. Coordinating throw pillows in a fun mix of pattern and texture provide visual interest to a quality, neutral sectional. Colorful art provides a focal point. Carefully edited accessories, in a combination of personal treasures and new objects, complete the look.

So Julie, while hiring a good designer is a great way to create an Instagram-worthy home, these tips will get you off to a good start should you choose to do it yourself!

XOXO, Claudia

If you have design queries, feel free to reach out. Send your questions via direct message on Instagram @claudiajosephinedesign. Please be sure to include photos, if applicable. Your question may be answered in my column!

DESIGNED FOR LIVING

BUILT FOR LIFE

creating homes that manage to be both lavish and livable. Pike is a luxury residential home builder in

Charlotte, NC, and in 2019 they set out to build a home that would stretch both their creative abilities,

as well push their craftsmanship to another level, and this one certainly hits that mark.

Located in the Mammoth Oaks neighborhood, this home is over 4,800 square feet, spread out across three levels and has all high-end finishes and design touches you could ask for. As you approach the home, the first thing you notice is that the front entry is flanked by a set of oversized copper gas lanterns that are as beautiful as they are bold.

Stepping foot inside, white oak hardwood flooring spans throughout, and matches function with style thanks to an eco-friendly Rubio Monocoat finish. In order to preserve the clean look of the kitchen, they designed custom cabinet panels that hide both the refrigerator as well as an oversized pantry.

Wine lovers will fall in love with the custom wal-

nut wine racks that were incorporated into both the kitchen and scullery. A bluestone terrace with gas fireplace is ever so cozy and the perfect spot for cheering on our Carolina Panthers on a refreshing fall day.

Everyone at Pike are huge dog lovers, and so whenever possible they like to cater to man’s best friend. On this project, they designed a built-in dog bowl feeding area, complete with a pot filler for refilling Fido’s water bowl in the mudroom.

Retreating into the owner’s suite is pure bliss whether you’re enjoying a soak in the freestanding tub or freshening up using the Restoration Hardware mirror.

Designed and crafted with consideration to everything and everyone, this residence defines what it means to be at home.

HOME

WHAT’S NEW IN WINE CELLARS

by Allison Parker

With the bevy of holiday cheer coming in the winter months, many folks enjoy a flute of bubbly champagne or an elegant pour of wine. With entertaining in the home becoming a common staple, wine storage has become more of an accent piece and focal point as well as a functional collection area.

When asked about the current vibe in wine cellars, Owner, Karen Torbett, of Cellars South, explains it is a bit of the old ringing in with the new.

“The hottest trend over the last 5 years has been what is called the ‘transitional’ look. Which is a warm contemporary. It mixes older cellar standards with newer materials like metal, acrylic, wall pegs and rods in various colors, etc.… Also, we are doing more painting of wood racking due to the openness and placement of the wine cellar in the homes. Full frameless glass doors and walls are used for full viewing.”

Torbett notes the wine cellar is no longer just a storage area and not just for the eclectic wine purveyors.

“With the increasing number of wine enthusiasts over the last 5-7 years, wine cellars have come out of the basement, they are not just for the collectors anymore. They are being placed on the main floor and living area of homes as a focal point, much like a work of art. We have created several in dining rooms, kitchens, living rooms, even foyers.”

Exploring the wide array of materials, designs and accents available, a novice wine drinker or an experienced wine collector can appreciate the opportunity to add on to or introduce a wine cellar into their home.

Wine cellar designs are abundant. A great spot to explore curiosities is the Cellar South’s informative blog: cellarssouth. com/blog.

With the festivities calling in the next few weeks, it is a pleasure to share how the ambiance and elegance of a creatively designed wine cellar can enhance any home and add pop to any holiday event.

cellarssouth.com/consultation-design

Champagnes

2007 TAITTINGER COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE

The Wine Advocate says “On the palate, this is Taittinger at its best: clear, fresh, lush and elegant, offering both sensuality and noble elegance. The 2007 reveals great finesse and is a perfect expression of both the Taittinger style and the Côte de Blancs.” Average Price : $120.

KRUG GRANDE CUVÉE 168TH EDITION DOM PERIGNON VINTAGE LENNY

Krug Grande Cuvee 168 is one of the best Champagnes to buy KRAVITZ LIMITED EDITION right now.This is a serious Champagne that justifies its steep price tag 2008 was dominated by grey, overcast skies – an exfor those looking to splurge. It’s highly expressive on both the nose ception in a decade characterized by bold, generous sunand palate, with aromas of dried lemon peel and candied ginger, and shine. Just when the harvest was getting underway, the flavors of toasted nuts, brioche, and honey. Average Price: $180. weather conditions were finally perfect: blue skies and prolonged north-northeasterly winds. The grapes were riper than anyone dared hope, and had truly outstanding DELAMOTTE balance. The vines were in perfect health. - Dom Pérignon. Average Price : $199

BLANC DE BLANCS

Made from Grand Cru Chardonnay, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs exhibits absolute purity, with the vinification process taking place in stainless steel tanks. Blanc de Blancs is a mineral champagne, with a chalky sensation achieved by a modest addition of reserve wine. This particular note is the very essence LOUIS ROEDERER BRUT VINTAGE 2013 of our vineyard and its Chardonnays, which Made from Grand Cru Chardonnay, Delamotte Blanc de Blancs exhibits absolute grow in a pure chalk soil.- Delamotte. Average purity, with the vinification process taking place in stainless steel tanks. Blanc de Price $60. Blancs is a mineral champagne, with a chalky sensation achieved by a modest addition of reserve wine. This particular note is the very essence of our vineyard and its Chardonnays, which grow in a pure chalk soil.- Delamotte. Average Price $60.

2020 THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY WINE LIST

Unlike most consumer luxury gifts the legendary vintages of Latour and Krug cannot be reproduced - making the worlds rarest wines the ultimate stocking stuffers - you can't clown first growths.

CASTELLO DE RAMPOLLA 2010

D’Alceo fully reflects the characteristics of the vineyard from which it comes. Intense, warm, refined and elegant. The ripe red fruit blends perfectly with the notes of delicate cigar and tobacco. An incredible concentration without heaviness. For once we are not talking about a wine, but about the personality of a vineyard planted by Alceo, who could not have imagined having found the excellent combination of exposure, soil and vines (Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot). - Castello de Rampolla

LE SERRE NUOVE DELL’ORNELLAIA 2017

“An integrated, ripe red with currant, berry and light tobacco character. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A Second wine of Ornellaia.

2017 TENUTA DELL’ORNELLAIA

Ornellaia, one of the world’s iconic wine estates, announced the release of Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2017. The estate’s “Grand Vin” has finally emerged from the hills surrounding Bolgheri and from the cellar where it rested at length during aging and refinement. “Solare” Average Price : $199.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER

Grand Cru Classé de Graves 2016 The unbroken period of beautiful weather was favourable to full maturity of the red wine grapes, and refined their tannins immensely. The harvest dates for each plot could be chosen with great precision, by tasting the berries, and there was no need for haste thanks to the fine weather.

LANDIUS PINOT NOIR 2017

1996 PAUILLAC, 1 CRU CLASSE, BORDEAUX

The wine from Chateau Latour is made from the best vines of the estate enclosed vineyard. The latter overlooks the Gironde estuary. The beautiful dark color of this wine shows real signs of evolution. The nose is fine, complex and evolved. The finis is long and complex. This wine was produced during a great vintage. Average Price $725. A WÖLFFER WHITE HORSE SELECTION White Horse wines embody the strong heritage and high quality of Wölffer Estate. This Pinot Noir is food-friendly, true to the variety, and true to our region. Concentrated and elegant flavor with a finish that is complex and balanced. AverWhites age Price $45.

EISELE VINEYARD

Sauvignon Blanc 2016 “At first, the nose expresses varietal notes of boxtree and fresh cut grass, then opens up with intense tropical fruit, white peach, Meyer lemons zest and fresh notes of white musk. The palate is round and creamy. Tension and minerality carry through the lingering finish. A superb vintage for Sauvignon Blanc.”

2012 DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC

A beautifully elegant wine. There are subtle notions of honeysuckle, tropical fruits and citrus. A medium-bodied balanced wine.