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IN THE NEWS
Excerpt: As an example of how her services can assist a couple, she recently was involved in the construction of a 7,000-square-foot home on the seacoast designed by an architect for a couple with two small children. The home was exceptional, with a billiards room and all manner of high-end accessories. It was a superb example of the architect’s vision and the couple’s adult style, but as Bottner looked at the plans, she realized: “There were no play areas. “In a couple of years, the children will be inviting their friends over for play dates,” she said. There was no place for the kids to entertain.”
Excerpt: Feature Story “…Their house is a two-family colonial style. Tucker explains, ‘It needs some TLC, nothing bad, just cosmetic….’ Nicolle is most excited about what the house represents. ‘It will be like a fresh start for our new life together. And, we can paint the place any color we want. I want to get some color in my life rather than living with white walls!’ Interior designer Sharon Bottner, of Panache Interior Design in Rye, agrees that for immediate impact, homeowners can look at color for making the most dramatic difference. ‘That’s definitely the way to get the most impact for the money. Paint is inexpensive — you can brighten dark spaces, create illusions of larger space with the use of color, and make a big vast space feel cozier and more intimate….’” “For young couples like Tucker and Nicolle, Bottner has some practical design advice. ‘You need to keep in mind that form must follow function. If I go to a young couple’s house with two young children and two black labs, and they’ve always dreamed of a white couch, it will probably look poorly in six months. It’s trying to figure out what will make sense for you in a couple years when your family gets older.’ Another important consideration might be how to blend the tastes of multiple homeowners. Bottner explains how she often hears from couples that they have exactly the same style, only to find that when they individually present clippings of favorite looks from magazines, or describe how their space is used or should be used, they are on totally different pages. Bottner is trained as a psychotherapist, though no longer practicing, and often calls upon her therapy skills to resolve these design dilemmas and find common ground. ‘I’m able to listen and interpret to find a compromise, because it is often the case that people come in with two different ideas….’” Practical Design Sidebar “Sharon Bottner offers three practical tips to achieve maximum impact on any budget. 1. Use color. You can paint an old flea market find, or yard sale piece of furniture, headboard, or chest of drawers. Paint is definitely the first way to make changes and get the most impact for sure! 2. The second thing is surprising to a lot of people — using tile. People think of it as being a very expensive undertaking, but it can be as inexpensive as $2 to $3 per square foot, and it’s dramatically more impressive than linoleum that scuffs, stains, and never looks good when it becomes dated. With tile, you can totally transform a space. For example, using tiles for a backsplash is a tiny amount of square footage, but has the impact of making a kitchen look more finished and complete. 3. Create a mix of small touches as opposed to one big item. For instance, place a pretty valance on a window to make a room look more finished and complete. Nice knobs, a colorful area rug, throw pillows, a slip cover on a piece of furniture, a new bed covering, or a set of colorful shams — these simple things can transform a space completely! As exciting as it is to tackle a new design project, Bottner also urges almost a controlled approach, especially for new homeowners. ‘Don’t be afraid to live in a space to see how rooms look in seasons, how they look at different times of day, to see that this room is always cold or always dark. This dictates the choices you make for the room that you can’t always know when you move in. It’s okay to slow down and take your time.’”
Excerpt: “…. In our house, the kids favor the playroom….I realized that other than the kitchen …and my bedroom …there is no space in the house that can be defined as mine. That is when I decided to call for help. I contacted Sharon Bottner, interior decorator and owner of Panache Interior Design of Rye….She recommends that moms create for themselves a cozy nook in the house where they can reflect, relax and feel nurtured….To set up your special nook, follow Bottner's five steps. 1. Identify the way you want to use the space. Some ideas include: reading, drawing, knitting, journaling, listening to music, writing letters, meditation. 2. Select and define one space. If your stuff is spread throughout the house, gather it into a basket and place it in the nook. 3. Define a time when you will use your nook. 4. Label your nook in a way that informs the entire family, ‘This is mom's space.’ 5. Accent your nook! This step should be fun, not stressful. Find a few candles, a vase, a picture of your old college friends or whatever might brighten up your space. After my conversation with Bottner, I was eager to set up my nook. Her final words stuck with me. ‘Just get started; it doesn't have to be perfect!’ I took a trip to my basement to see what treasures remained inside unpacked boxes. Sure enough, I was able to resurrect a few forgotten framed pictures and some unusual artwork that never made it onto the walls. I grabbed an old basket and spray-painted it green (that was the only color available in the basement), then filled it with parenting books, note cards, a journal and my knitting (still unfinished after seven months). The basket found a home on the floor, just beside the couch in the playroom, the most logical spot to curl up and nurture myself…. Bottner also suggests throwing a coat of paint on a nearby wall for an inexpensive way to change the mood of a space….My nook may change over time; become more cluttered, more stylish, more peaceful. Who knows? What matters is that I now have a space in the house defined as mine.” |
“Bottner looks at what she does as helping people assert themselves in the design process, and for couples especially, she helps them find common ground. This is where her brand of couples therapy comes in, as she separates the wants and desires of each and then finds ways to unite them.
For your next interior design project, contact Sharon Bottner. |
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Your inner Panache awaits. |