At Home with Winter

Interior Styling for the Seasons

By Gina Jacobson, Owner/Interior Designer, CL Designs

As preparations for snowy weather and large get-togethers begin, having engaging surroundings gains importance for many of us. With so many décor options available, I make my best choices after carefully considering what already exists in a space. In this house, expansive windows drew my eye and naturally highlighted the darker pieces in my table arrangement. Curvaceous Moser furniture offered the perfect inspiration for the twists in each centerpiece, and the russet hues in the countertops became the impetus for more warm wood features and golden lights throughout.

Gina Jacobson, Commercial and Residential Interior Designer/Owner of CL Designs, arranging winter décor

While complimenting the home’s fixtures, the decorations also provided a healthy alternative to synthetic objects. White candles added a crisp touch to the plant clusters, as well as innocuous flames to spotlight the details. At the same time, a bar of soap anchored the vanity with its neutral color and served as a hypoallergenic resource for handwashing. A round ice sculpture mimicked the numerous circles already in the vicinity, as it showcased herbs and, perhaps most conspicuously, vibrant flowers, local greenery, and organic produce, yielded a fresh aesthetic and wholesome nutrition for later consumption.

The finished dining table and mantel centerpieces include Suzanne Caporael’s “Silo Ridge (Hazard)” print from Tandem Press

Copper-wired and natural light draw the eye to the table’s local juniper and produce

A ripe pomegranate rests with real stems and blooms

Handmade snowflake ornaments hang from a custom eucalyptus wreath by Gina of CL Designs

A bar of soap rests on a vintage wooden dish by the sink

An icy ring of herbs and spices contrasts the lit candle it encircles, while greenery, warm lighting and a mini-wreath by Gina Jacobson/CL Designs, accent the two

A non-toxic candle surrounded by evergreen branches highlight Caporael’s “Job Island”

When incorporating seasonal furnishings into the heart of any house or office, I consider not only the environment as it is, but also its occupants’ physical well-being. During the colder months, styling projects are usually undertaken in order to satisfy clients’ desires for inviting and one-of-a-kind surroundings where visitors can gather. But my seasonal work may be just as important as a means of modernizing the entire dwelling or place of business for both that time frame and beyond.

To do that, I refer to comprehensive design principles, develop customized proposals that fit my client’s wishes, and prioritize clear procedures for each task I perform. I weigh other aspects of green interior design as well, including the recyclability, durability, local sourcing, and energy efficiency of anything I procure. I believe that the areas we inhabit can be functional, beneficial, and beautiful at the same time and that the combination of those three is what will make them truly great.

Overall, as a passionate and focused interior designer specializing in healthy products for both residential and commercial sites, I have a strong drive to create aesthetically-pleasing, intuitive, and welcoming areas. I usually find that my clients enjoy fine art, unique touches, and environmentally sensitive products. Whatever your reason, if you decide to utilize my design services this winter, you can expect the process to start with a meeting. At that time, I will observe your space and get a sense of your priorities for its design. Whether for one room or the whole building, I will then devise a detailed, personalized plan that may include everything from furniture layouts to accessories and ornamentation. Once that plan is in place, we will meet again to finalize it and agree upon implementation dates, understanding that their fulfillment signals completion of the work. Lastly, with your approval, I will photograph the outcome for future use.

Update your space with Gina

Owner/Interior Designer CL Designs:

608.556.1887

hello@cldesignsfit.com

Monday – Friday

8:00am – 5:00pm

Photo of Gina Jacobson • Owner, Founder CL Designs in Duluth, MN, USA • All rights reserved

Fall 2019 Interior Design Tips

Featured photograph: Full-Service Interior Design Plan Board and Design by Gina Jacobson, CL Designs, mixing a fresh flower arrangement with calming furnishings and fixtures for the mild-to-cooler months. Visit CL Designs’ Full-Service Seasonal Residential Interior Design services page here, or find Full-Service Seasonal Commercial Interior Design services here.

Having pared down our interiors for the freshness of spring, then cultivated the outdoors for summer, it’s time to enjoy the harvest. Here are some tips on how:

Celebrate the lighter colors that the season brings for a fresh look in September. 
Summer squash, multicolored carrots, corn and potatoes are great inspiration right now.

Those velvety, rich-colored accessories and tablecloths can also easily make their way back into your living and working areas for the extra comfort they naturally add.

Keep some outdoor living areas furnished for that “golden hour” when the air and light is just right to start a fire.

Focus on the fireplaces, indoors and out. Store the indoor fireplace screen and add some accessories.

Add throw blanket storage area and warm lighting to your more sparse summer seating areas.

Fall is a great time to transition the outdoors from party-central to cozy by the fire, and the indoors from cool and calm to energizing for gatherings and parties.

Entertaining staples for the indoors, like ample seating, and special glasses and dishware are primed to take center stage in the interior of your home or work space again.

Fall 2019 Necessities
Fire irons
Favorite vases, in various sizes
Lanterns, indoors and out
Decorative storage for throw blankets and Pillows
Blooming, native flowers

Why Healthy Interior Design?

So many things in our built environments have harmful components. By eliminating them as much as possible, we can be more at ease, fit and productive, overall.

Have a look at the following for a quick overview of some of our everyday products’ ingredients and effects.

 

Adhesives – carbon tetrachloride – damages our hepatic system (the system that makes proteins, breaks down food & purifies the body) (1)

 

Formaldehyde – found in pressed woods, particleboard, plywood, fiberboard, permanent press fabrics, paper coatings, certain insulation, and glues – classified as a human carcinogen by IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) – irritates eyes, nose, throat, skin; can cause occupational asthma (2)

 

Fabrics – sulfur, arsenic, copper, lead and mercury, among others – cancer, wide-ranging illnesses (3)

 

Stain-protectors – PFCs (perfluorochemicals) -tumors, immune system and hormone malfunctions (4)

 

Insulation – spray foam – flame retardants and other carcinogens – asthma, watery eyes, sinus congestion, headaches (5)

 

Plastics – “Journal of the American Medical Association published a study involving 1,455 American adults, which linked high urinary levels of BPA to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver complications.” (6) “…tests have shown that the chemical (bisphenol-A, aka BPA) can promote human breast cancer cell growth“(7)

 

Finishes – VOCs (volatile organic compounds) – “2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside, regardless of whether the homes were located in rural or highly industrial areas.” – liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage; cancer (8)

 

Metals – mercury, lead, cadmium, aluminum- “…impairment of cognitive development (e.g. developmental disorders), degenerative diseases of the nervous system, which would include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS), problems with skeletal development and maintenance (e.g. osteoporosis), kidney disorders, and blood disorders.” (9)

 

Now that you know more about what to look for, if you cannot find an ingredient list and production information for your products, consider not buying them.

Choosing companies that are providing the above information may encourage them to continue to do so.

As always, if you would like more assistance with choosing healthy interior design products, contact CL Designs