[vc_row row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” padding_top=”87″ background_color=”#ffffff” padding_bottom=”95″ background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1404757822645{margin-top: -20px !important;margin-bottom: 15px !important;}”]

Principles

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” position=”center” up=”5″ down=”20″][blockquote text=”I believe that your home not only reflects who you are, but who you might be – it can be an opportunity to share another side of yourself with the world.” show_quote_icon=”yes”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1404757834803{margin-top: 35px !important;}”]I have to preface my statement of principles by first saying that interior design and an appreciation of architecture have always been an integral part of my life. Consequently, I did this kind of work long before being paid for the opportunity to do so, and most likely will continue, no matter what the circumstances.

I’m visually obsessed and I find beauty everywhere; as a result, I feel compelled to incorporate that appreciation for natural elegance into my design projects. I can imagine how I would restore or redesign just about every building, house or apartment I visit, based on the themes I see and feel from a single object that inspires me. On the other hand, I also possess an innate sense of knowing when something is too good to change. In fact, inspiration doesn’t always come from the obviously-good things about a space. Cracked plaster, peeling paint or what might be above a dropped ceiling can sometimes be the key to an entire new environment.

Taking what most may see as a boring, low-ceilinged box of an apartment and giving it a sense of architecture and simple grandness is great fun for me. While it’s wonderful having an open-ended budget to work with, the challenge of a smaller, fixed budget can give me an opportunity to use standard building materials in new and unusual ways. For example, inexpensive pre-fab kitchen cabinets can be easily customized; then, splurging on great appliances can give a kitchen a major European Design feel at a fraction of the price.

Creating interiors that evoke a particular period from the past in a 21st century home can create a lovely sense of history. Although, for me, a strict replica of any period can simply feel too forced – or outright artificial. If you’re going to go to all the trouble of an exact duplicate, why not enjoy the real thing in a museum? The result of a balance of classic and modern sensibilities is a space that does not ascribe to one taste or another, but allows that space to speak for the people who inhabit it. In my view, perfection is where new and old effectively engage in an ongoing dialogue – a conversation in which, because each is up to the task of the other, there is an alluring tension – but no animosity.

When I see something as being right, it doesn’t matter if it goes with something else: eventually, all will come together. Not every piece in a room has to make a powerful statement; simply-upholstered, clean-line furniture can create the opportunity for a unique storage unit, a collection of objects, or your favorite family antiques to present themselves as works of art.

Luxury, to me, is when you can turn in any direction and see something of beauty. It may be the way a painting defines the breadth of a room, or the way paint colors deepen or fade with changing light. Or it may be waking up from a nap, your eyes fixing on an object from your first trip abroad, and it hits you: it is wonderful to be home.

An architect conceives a building with a sense of purpose, intent on creating spaces of integrity, where choices serve continuity and flow. I respect that original conception, adhering to those same principles and combining them with the client’s needs for the foundations of a new design. Too often I have encountered homes or apartments that have been altered over the years with additions, embellishments and materials that were simply never meant to be there. I endeavor to see beyond those alterations, to return the place to the original perspective while bringing new life to it.

Many clients I meet with say they know what they like or dislike about a space, but cannot imagine how to change it. That’s when I use my ability to see things from a totally new perspective. For example, I may suggest where to take out or extend a wall; introducing new and varied surfaces, or even just new colors, can create a chain reaction. Excitement builds, and suddenly, a new space is created that is greater than the sum of its changes.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”10″ down=”10″][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”10″ down=”10″][vc_separator type=”transparent” up=”5″ down=”20″ position=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][action full_width=”yes” content_in_grid=”yes” type=”normal” show_button=”yes” button_target=”_self” background_color=”#c0c0c0″ button_text=”Contact FRG” button_link=”https://www.frgdesignart.com/contact/” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_hover_text_color=”#a2a2a2″ button_hover_background_color=”#ffffff” button_border_color=”#ffffff”]

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