MH Studio and the Holiday House Renderings

Interior by MH Studio, Renderings by Michelle Morelan

Interior Design and Photography MH Studio – from the Holiday House Website

Last year, I met the ladies of MH Studio in NYC…they are super talent, and warm, and their studio itself is stunning with views of the Chrysler Building. This is the second project I have done for MH, and was thrilled to see the after shots of the space they designed for the Holiday House in NYC for the Susan G Koman Foundation. It’s also fun to see the after pictures to see what has has been changed from the spec.

Shari has also posted about their experience with the Holiday House on their blog…she says “it’s not for the faint of heart”

MH…Great job, it’s beautiful!

If you would like a rendering of your space BEFORE it’s built, like MH, then contact me for more info.

info@michellemorelandesign.com

 

Best, Michelle

Interior by Kelly Wearstler

Ode to Kelly Wearstler…The Viceroy in Palm Springs…things are busy around the Schematic Studio, but I did this rendering a few months ago, and wanted to share a favourite interior to start a great new year. When I think Kelly, I think colour…wonderful vibrant hues ;)

Happy New Year!!!!! What a great one it’s going to be.

A Commission, Christmas Greeting and a Hanukkah Wish

A recent commission…Interior Design by Karla Amadatsu, Rendering by Michelle Morelan

 

And for my friends who have just celebrated Hanukkah, this one is for you…Beth, Sam, Joni…

Rendering by Michelle Morelan

Happy Christmas Everyone!

May Peace, Love and Good Health be Yours!

xo  Michelle

NYC November 2010

   

interiors by MH Studio, renderings by Michelle Morelan

I love this city…I can’t get enough of it, and this trip was one of the best yet. Carol, an interior designer from the blog CREED and of Carol Reed Design, out of Toronto joined me for a week-long whirlwind trip to the city. We started with Kipps Bay, took in the work of renderer (or should I say artist) Jeremiah Goodman at the NYSID, had dinner with the wonderful Patricia, of PVE at Swizz…shared lunch at Carmines, dinner at Ruby Foos, saw “Promises, Promises” at the Broadway theatre.

We walked through the park, ate gelato…yes it was that warm…t-shirt weather, actually. We stopped by to see Francine at Interieurs…her showroom is so amazing! I met the wonderful women of MH Studio in NYC…they are doing beautiful work, and their office looks right at the Chrysler Building. I also had the pleasure of meeting new designer friends, Lisa, Doreena and Oregon designer, Barbara, once again. My husband showed up for the last night, and we went for a nice lunch and shopping at Macy’s, where I scored a Calvin Klein coat for 50% off…it truly is a wonderful life!

Since my to do list is longer than my unanswered emails, and Carol has now brought me into this Twitter world, which I can already see is going to consume even more of my time, I am going to share just SOME of the highlights of my trip, and get right to work.

Kipps Bay Show House

the work of Jeremiah Goodman at the NYSID

we missed Bergdorf’s windows, but the tree at Rockefeller Center was being craned into place

  

Central Park

Lots more to come…very exciting news!!!

Best, Michelle

Six Objects de Vie – Ivan Meade

Ivan is a multi talented friend…his education and upbringing have moulded him into someone who is passionate, chivalrous, driven and caring. He has a magnetic personality, at ease in the elite design world, or with helping a student during a practicum in his office. As my design friend once said…”his mama raised him right”. He is also open and sharing with his business; I was lucky enough to be invited to an appreciation event the Victoria community put on for him earlier this year. That says it all about Ivan.

Recently, Ivan and his wonderful team completed a home in LA that took my breath away…with a great client at that!! It’s not a surprise he was the designer she chose, his knowledge and the way he makes you feel like it was your idea is genuine, yet calculated for your benefit…like a breath of fresh air.

Ivan understands the connection between arts, enjoying the good things in life, like friends, art, food, music and laughter, giving him a great balance. It’s my pleasure to share Ivan’s six objects he uses everyday.

Thanks for participating Ivan! Hmmm…that’s why you always smell so good!

Go and tell Ivan you were here….and leave him a nice comment ; )

Meade Design Group – the blog

Meade Design Group: Ivan Meade, Jeff Michaud, Sarah McNeil, Natasha Duff, Echo Eaton

 

Best…Michelle

Six Objects de Vie…Carol Reed of CREED

I came across Carol’s blog last year, and was instantly attracted to her renderings…then I took a look at her portfolio, and was smitten…Carol is a professional Interior Designer, and it shows…her work is programmed, and the design work is stunning, but you can still see the client in them…the way they live. Not just a pretty face, Carol is someone to watch for. Even know she is Canadian, I think we have the best chance of meeting up in NYC…I look forward to it!

Thanks to Carol for participating…she is the 4th plate in my series, and I am having fun introducing you to, and sharing a snippet from the day of these fabulous designers.

CREED- the blog

Carol Reed Interior Design

NYC in 2 days...NYIGF

This trip to NYC had a couple of major screw ups…first, and I NEVER do this…I got a connecting flight. As you may have read in my profile, my hubby is a commercial pilot, and I am not inexperienced with these buses in the sky, so I am surprised I did it. It’s also the first time I took Delta…NEVER again on that one too!!  (I’m only linking to them, so they may find this complaint)

They left us one hour to make a connection, clear customs in the connecting city, grab our bags, drop them again, and make it to a new gate. We had to wait for 15 minutes in the hot plane…they couldn’t open the doors because the customs paperwork wasn’t faxed from Vancouver. With this flight leaving so early from Vancouver, customs wasn’t even open, so that’s the reason we had to clear customs in the connecting city, which was Minneapolis.

The most hilarious part of the whole thing was when we were all stressed, and talking to each other in the customs line about not making our flight (2 windows open for 200 passengers), the third of the customs agents comes out, and says “You might as well relax, because most of you are not going to make this flight…Delta knows that they need two hours for a connection, and it was too bad for us”. Great…Mr. Personality….and of course, you can’t say anything! Such A__ H____s these guys. How about, get behind one of those booths and try to do something to help the situation????

So, I (and another 100 people) missed the connecting flight, on a Saturday, in the middle of the country, when I only had two and a half days in NYC, and I was pissed to find out I had to wait five hours for the next one!!!! GRrrrrr.

I arrived in NYC at rush hour, finally got there late Saturday, and was so tired, I crashed big time. Every flight was packed full, and it was awful.

The city was, in fact marvellous, especially Saturday when I arrived, the weather being perfect, but the next day was so so humid, it felt like you were in a steam shower…that, was of course the two days where I NEEDED to look composed for some business I was taking care of in the city. My hair was like straw.

Looking forward to my next trip in January!!…can you tell I’m not a hot weather girl?

Thanks for letting my vent and rant….now onto the good stuff….

The Gift Show at Javitz Center/Piers was really huge, and really beautiful…a few things I loved….

Effortless arrangements….Dash and Albert Rugs and Throws…Remember when I used the throw for this campsite post?

Rustic boards, furniture, John Robshaw (of Wandrlust/Woodson and Rummerfields) bedding…loving colour!

 

Me and a Chicken foot stool/sculpture from The City Girl Farm in Lyons Kansas. Mom, Susan is and Interior Designer, and her two daughters Emily and Sally are both Architecture and Interior Architecture/Product design students. What a creative team. They were influenced by Francois-Xavier Lalanne’s sheep ottomans. Pendants, lighting, spheres and natural curiosities were abundant…this vingette was especially pretty…I forgot the source…if you know it, please email me.

Armand Diradourian Cashmere pieces were nothing short of pure loveliness…I wish I had touch-a-vision, because they feel like butter…small scale iconic furniture for the kids at Little Nest was so adorable!

Oh, and I did some shopping as well…these great permanent pleat pants are from a textile design team in Austria called Yummy.

I bought the gold earrings at The New York Look on 5th Ave…they are my new favourites, but couldn’t find a website. You can see the polishing marks on the disks…I love that detail.

The neck piece is from db Sources Limited…they show at High Point, Dallas and NYC.

And, a new coach wallet/wristlet I can use inside a larger bag…I love the colour orange right now.

So, even know it was rushed, I had travel problems, and didn’t have time to contact anyone, I had a great time at the show, just wandering and asking questions… I feel inspired to think outside the box, and have some great new resources to share with my clients.

 

Best… Michelle

The Watercolour Renderings of Mita Corsini Bland

The interior renderings of Mita Corsini Bland are so beautiful, and made me want to pick up the watercolours again. They are part of the book by Susan Bartlett Crater and Libby Cameron. Look how stunning this bedroom designed by Albert Hadley looks…it’s so timeless.

#2 Greet’s Office – The Video Tutorial

Rendering by Michelle Morelan, 2010

Interior Design by Lefevre Interiors and Greet Lefevre of the Blog Belgian Pearls

For this tutorial, we are working from photo. This office/library designed by Greet Lefevre has deep shadows and fine liner work, because of the panelling, which also requires some lighting and wood graining techniques. Don’t be afraid of dark shadows; they will give your drawing dimension. And be a little looser in applying your colour and pen weights- that’s the charm of a hand drawing.

Also, sometimes a gesture of an object is better than too much detail. Just like Interior Design, you read it as a gestalt, not as individual objects.

#2 Greet's Office from Schematic Life on Vimeo.

You can watch it in full screen mode by clicking the arrows beside vimeo :) It’s recorded in HD, so keep the HD on.

Thanks Greet!!

Gone Campin’

 

Have you been over to visit Tobi Fairley during her Design Summer Camp?  It looks like a great escape…I wish I was there in person  to attend. I’m taking a bit of time off this summer, but it got me thinking about a segment I did for Breakfast Television a couple of years ago. They asked me to talk about outdoor living; I started with the simple idea of a woodpile (I have a thing about woodpiles), and ended with this feeling of a fun campsite, with netting, games, furs, hot chocolate and games…all in the TV studio. The combination of luxury and rustic is one of my favourites.

I’ll be around the campfire :) See you there!

http://tobifairley.com/blog/

Six Objects de Vie…Dale Kosowan of HD Inspiration

To satisfy my ongoing curiosity about others, I’m proud to introduce my new series “Six Objects de Vie”…a look at a featured designers favourite daily items. All of my designer/blogger friends are so suave…maybe you will be introduced to a new item you will fall in love with. If you would like to contribute…please contact me…I’m curious about you already :)

I’m starting with a fellow Vancouver Interior Designer; Dale Kosowan is an Associate Interior Designer at MCM Interiors in Vancouver, and I have followed his blog for a couple of years now. If you want to know what is cutting edge and new in the world of Hospitality Design, go over and visit.

Thanks so much for being my first guest designer Dale! Loving your items…I use the same Coach bag for my computer, and I’ll be making a trip to Urban Fare :)

Gifted Grecian

A “student” of mine from Greece has been sending me updates on his rendering skills, since discovering my blog, and I have been blown away by his progress! Recently I received this project presentation board which made me giddy with excitement. I’m thrilled to share Anastassis’s progress with you (with his ok). He has used SketchUp to create a basic drawing of the space, producing a measured perspective, then drawn in all of the details by hand. It’s tricky to know how far to go with each, but my opinion is that he has done an amazing job. The shadows, the woven details on the chair, representation and choice of materials…all great :)

Oh to live in that climate!!

I truly believe that hand drawings are more helpful for the designer and the client. They don’t expect later, that he sofa be that exact wood tone, or colour. Computer rendered drawings don’t leave room for that; a client looks at it, and thinks they are getting EXACTLY what they see. With hand renderings, you are able to give a feel for the space, without the expectation to convey every detail.

Just like interior objects, I feel we are going back to things made by hand, and the interface of the computer, in my opinion shouldn’t be used from the beginning of the design process until the end…something is lost. Design and drawing go hand in hand, one cannot happen without the other.

My husband says I need to teach whether people want it or not…it’s true;  this feeds that inner teacher in me…

“Hi Michelle! Would immensely appreciate your opinion about this presentation I'll be making of a patio makeover. I felt brave enough to hand-render the patio proposal, so would like to know what  a rendering master thinks about my humble attempt!...
I'm also sending you the CAD proposal for the interior (living and dining areas). I would immensely appreciate any comments and crit about the design. The client said she would appreciate a harmonious transition from the outside in, so I went a bit Tuscany (baked clay, corn yellow, soft greens etc)
Hope I'm not using up any of your valuable time, if not left with any, just drop me a quick line about the hand rendering!
Thanks a million, a very good morning from (sunny - and bankrupt!) Athens, Greece!
Anastassis”

Other than the sofa needing a bit more depth, I see nothing about this rendering that isn’t amazing! I think your design talents shine through, and hope your client signs off on everything!! Thanks for sending this Anastassis :)

Rendering to Finished Space

Designer Jacquie Cao hired me last year, and has been gracious enough to send me updates…here is the finished kitchen, and the original rendering from floor plan and specs…the lighting is stunning isn’t it? It’s from Remains. There is a great pantry around the corner…you can see it in the video. Beautiful job Jacquie :)

When you see a project in 3D, you can see what you love, and what needs tweaking, before it’s too late. 

For rendering services contact me: www.michellemorelandesign.com

 

Rendering and AVI by Michelle Morelan, 2009

Steven Gambrel

I can’t tell you how much I adore the work of Steven Gambrel…his town and country portfolio is eye candy! The nautical references get me all fired up…I love the look.

Interior Design, Steven Gambrel, Rendering by Michelle Morelan, 2010

 

photo from Steven Gambrel’s website