Designing the Life: A Blog by Uma Stewart and Friends

Materials: Otherworldly Marbles

Posted on June 19, 2013 by uma

OMG, right?! Aren’t these marbles just mind-boggling? I went to a yard with my client to select slabs for her kitchen, but we got WAY distracted. These swirls here remind me of some Chinese artworks I have seen. I want to use this as a beautiful wall installation somewhere! The color palette is divine.

Can you tell that this veining has a purple tint to it? This would make some amazing countertops.

I though this black and white quartzite was just simply glam. It was so polished and reflective that it was hard to photograph. I could see this in a high end modern kitchen.

Totally wild! The bright purple marbling looks like the abstract figures in Matisse’s cut outs, right? Maybe I would use this on shower walls.

This happens to me and my clients every time we go to see slabs. Have you ever gotten totally sidetracked in a marble yard?

Swipe This Look: Lauren Santo Domingo’s Dining Room

Posted on June 18, 2013 by uma

The carefully composed dining room in this photo belongs to Laura Santo Domingo and her Paris apartment (featured in Vogue, September 2012). I’ve been staring at it wistfully, contemplating the sophistication as well as the edginess of it all. Alas, it seems best to just Swipe the Look, in as many ways as we can. Live it, wear it, love it…and get the goods below!

Go for a mix of modern with classical furniture pieces. Live It: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

A mix of tough and glam pieces magnify the contrasts in this dress and the inspiration.

Wear It : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

These are little ways to feel that you really do have it all. Love It: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Inside the Project: Modern Rustic Kitchen Renovation

Posted on June 17, 2013 by uma

Hi everyone! Hope you had a great weekend. We are kicking off the week with a sneak peek at design plans for a kitchen renovation I am working on for a long time client. I started working on this home over five years ago and I have been waiting to get to this: the kitchen! Certainly the center of my culinary school trained client’s home, this kitchen needed to reflect her taste, work with the rest of the house, and be downright fabulous.

Here is a peek at the materials board and some of the pieces we are considering for this project. The client wanted a modern rustic kitchen. We are doing a variety of woods, white, grey, and the surprising addition of polished brass! Here are the pieces highlighted above:

1. Custom rangehood by RangeCraft mixes two metal finishes for a beautiful and distinctive look.

2. My client had to have a Lacanche range. We went with the classic black with brass details mixed in.

3. The entire kitchen design started with the idea of a brass faucet that my client loved. This style has a graceful gooseneck and modern styling to keep the kitchen looking fresh.

We will be keeping you posted on the renovation details throughout the summer. It will be exciting to see how everything comes together! Are you planning any summer renovations? Do tell!

Photo of materials board by Jill Bremner.

The Scoop: Father’s Day Lunch

Posted on June 16, 2013 by uma

At the last moment this morning, my family and I decided to forego lunch reservations and all meet at my home for a Father’s Day Celebration. At 10:30 AM I dashed off to the store as a first task in preparing for a 1:00 PM crowd. Yikes!

Somehow it all came together. I set a casually pretty last-minute table to honor the dads, made one of my signature dishes, and several cooks contributed to a really lovely and tasty lunch that mixed Indian, Middle Eastern, and American flavors.

We were so happy to all be together, enjoying food, watching the kids play, catching up on everyone’s news. I feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful family. We realized this may be the last get-together we have in my current home, since I am set to move in July. I am thankful for this memory. I am also thankful for the awesome Dads in my family. Especially my own father who has been a pillar of support and love in my life, no more so than this year. And my husband who does so much for me and our son on any given day of any given year. I love you Michael. I love you Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

Photo by Uma Stewart.

Personal Project: First Painting

Posted on June 15, 2013 by uma

Given my last post, it occurred to me that I have recently employed turquoise paint in yet another way. I made a small 4 x 6 painting in a first attempt to revive my dormant love of painting. It was such pure, child-like joy to mix lovely colors and test out a variety of paintbrushes. My favorite part? Working with the metallic gold paint to add some sparkle.

This little piece is perfect for tucking into a display on a bookshelf wherever I need a spot of bright color. I love it alongside this graphic black and white bone inlay box.

The reason I started painting again is because I personally want to create a piece of art to hang in the living room of my soon to be new home. I have an image of what I want and I really feel the need to make it on my own rather than buy a piece. I’m starting small and plan to increase the size of the canvas with each attempt until I am ready to tackle my living room masterpiece. I’ll share the paintings along the way. I hope you’ll see my art improve!

Photo by Uma Stewart.