The Spaces of Our Lives

I am working on a new residential project for a family of five…and two dogs.  A family whose main project objective is to have a home where they can entertain and have a well worn comfortable feel. 



Dining Room
Interior: Christopher Gaona, Inc.





Entry
Interior:  Christopher Gaona, Inc.



As I worked out the details of their living room space plan I was listening to some Shirley Horn.  At some point Here’s To Life queued up.

The craft of design has always been something I have cherished and make every effort to bring my clients along for the ride.  As a craftsman, you are always looking to improve, to build on past projects, and gain a deeper understanding of the rituals of our lives.  As such, I enjoy making sure every detail is set in a home and exiting the party before it starts.  Part of that is a selfish desire to keep my imagination actively engaged in the space.



Outdoor Dining Space
Design: Christopher Gaona, Inc.



My most successful client relationships has been those in which I have been afforded the ability to live in the imagination of my clients and have them live in mine for a while.  That's a small often overlooked pleasure of working with clients.  To see life, not necessarily through rose colored lenses, but optimistically, full of hope and share in their dreams of a happy home bustling with festive occasions for family and friends. 

A good friend gone to soon
Interior:  Christopher Gaona, Inc.



Landing
Interior:  Christopher Gaona, Inc.



I always remind my clients that the interior should also be an intensely personal reflection of themselves.  If photography is an interest incorporate it.  If your dogs have run of the house we will make sure your furntiure is dog friendly.  I can't do anything about the hair...yet.  Fill your home with photos of friends...even the  ones you no longer speak to.

I also always remind my clients not to cut corners in the areas that really matter…bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and the like.  In fact I have often encouraged clients to begin their decorating in the bedrooms, so that the areas they enjoy the most are completed first…private luxuries.  After all, those are the luxuries that matter.  What good is it to have a beautiful living room, if your closet is a mess and you don’t have a comfortable and inviting bedroom. 

Master bedroom
Interior: Christopher Gaona, Inc.



Mrs. make-up vanity
Interior:  Christopher Gaona, Inc.



Mrs. Dressing Room
Interior: Christopher Gaona, Inc.



Friends at home.

 

So here's to life...and here's to you.

Bye for now.
CG

The Goods: Le Deun Luminaries

Much has been written about the transformative power of lighting in a room.  We have all heard that good lighiting is key to good design.  But as with most things, not all lights are created equal.  Some lights transfix the eye and become an object of art wholly unto themselves. Le Deun Luminaries is just such a light and I had to share them with you.

In production since 1997 in France this young company designs and produces both a collection of LED lighting and collaborates frequently with designers, and architects on bespoke installations. 



Rewired for the 21st Century with LED lights



The lamps are not only a source of light but have a sculptural quality that is both sophisticated and casual.  The quality of the components and the refinement of the metal is superb.  These lights would work equally well in a contemporary or traditional setting. 

Nothing creates a more stirring sensation in an interior as when a modern element blends effortlessly into a contrasting period environment.  My favorite example is the dining room of Waddeson Manor with it's Ingo Maurer chandelier, Le Deun certainly captures an inevitability reminiscent of the Rothschild style.



Waddesdon Manor
The Rothschild Collection
Dining Room
Chandelier:  Porca Miseria by Ingo Maurer



Le Deun: Bespoke installations

For more information on Le Deun, visit http://www.ledeun.com/ 
For more information of Waddesdon Manor, visit www.waddesdon.org.uk/

Bye for now.

CG