Ann Decker Design

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Vibrant vestibule

Published on March 27, 2020April 1, 2020 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

The inspiration for this vestibule was my clients original artwork by Rainer Gross. Gross was known for his “Twin Paintings” which were almost mirror images of each other. His process included applying thick layers of paint on each canvas and pressing them together to “cure”. Once dried he pulled them apart to reveal layers of paint that had adhered to each other, creating a crackled impasto.

Phillip Jeffries, Chromatic wallpaper provided the perfect backdrop for these bold paintings. Its texture and saturated color only highlighted the layers of paint on each canvas. Making this vestibule a very special way to enter a lovely home.

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Wayne Basement Renovation

Published on February 26, 2020February 29, 2020 by Ann Decker Forster

This young family needed more space in their traditional Cape style home and going up was not in the budget so they decided to go down into their dark, completely unfinished basement. This new space, although not without challenges; electrical boxes, an old oil tank, sump pumps, HVAC, sewer pipes, and low ceilings, gave them a great new area to entertain friends and family.

We framed out the beams and added baseboard heat.

Installing a French Door in place of a solid one makes the basement feel more like part of the rest of the house.

A well lit staircase is a great way to highlight the entrance to your new space.

Pocket doors with glass are another way to add separation without impeding light.

The new floor plan gives an overall open feeling to the space while still allowing for designated areas like laundry, storage, utilities, child play areas, as well as adult play areas.

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This is no mellow yellow

Published on November 26, 2019November 26, 2019 by Ann Decker Forster

The laundry room is a very important space in a home that should not be ignored. Most people do at least one load of laundry a day and why not spend it in a room that is happy and bright and makes you smile?

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Family Room Blues

Published on August 19, 2019July 24, 2020 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

From the start of this project my client had a really good idea of what she wanted. A family room where she could entertain, as well as a space for her kids to play comfortably.

The sofa was the one piece of furniture that was to remain and my client was not too excited about it so I had to find a fabric that would enliven the room as well as her love for the sofa.

This teal floral Thibaut fabric did the trick and it became the generator for the entire space. Teal is such a great hue because it works well with many different colors and the oversized florals make the fabric whimsical and fun for this young family.

A bar area was also added for setting out hors d’oeuvres or making a quick drink for friends. A 5′ alcove was the perfect spot to house a custom bar equipped with a wine fridge, wine rack, glass storage, and a countertop for serving.

In order to balance the room, cabinetry was added for toy and game storage. A custom cushion in a striped Crypton fabric on top could be used as a homework spot or for extra seating when entertaining.

The final touch was the artwork. My clients grandparents were accomplished painters but it was a matter of total happenstance that each piece complimented the design beautifully and completed the room.

You’ll never be blue in this Living Room.

Published on March 25, 2019March 25, 2019 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

This spacious Living Room in a beautiful old stone colonial needed a little freshening up. My client wanted to get rid of the salmon and pink that adorned the room and bring in more blue and green. I felt the best way was to start with the walls and Farrow and Ball’s Cooks Blue, was the perfect color to do it. A gorgeous Stark carpet already lived in the room however, it wasn’t big enough for the main seating area. I pulled the blue from the Stark and selected a wool Karastan to go underneath the matching sofas. Together the two carpets worked seamlessly to bring the seating area into one cohesive unit.

The slipper chairs were reupholstered in a durable Robert Allen fabric and dressed with a beautiful Scalamandre tape along the bottom of their skirts. Throw pillows were added to both sofas and the chairs to bring in a little color.

Lastly, Sconces on dimmers were added along the perimeter of the room to allow for accent lighting when needed. The antique brass against the crisp blue walls was the perfect detail to finish off the room.

Painted and waiting patiently to be upholstered

Final material selection

Armchair before….

Sexy and Sweet Sweet Dining Chairs

Published on February 28, 2019 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

These Dining chairs were so much fun to redesign. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to change the overall look and not just reupholster them. The first step was finding the right material to really make them special. The original armchairs had fabric on their backs and leather on their fronts while the armless chairs were all leather. My client and I looked at mohair, wool/silk blends, velvets, leathers, and finally landed on this amazing paisley fabric. In my opinion, a paisley print can look too sweet if not executed properly, so I had to give it an edge. Thats where the red vinyl tape and nailheads came into the design. The tape also created a seamless transition from back to front on each chair. When upholstery is wrapped around the frame like this there has to be a way to finish it. Cording along the back edge was an option, however, I didn’t think it would hold up as well over time. Ultimately, my client and I both liked the sleek profile that the tape with nail heads added to these beautiful new custom chairs and it gave them the ‘look’ we were trying to accomplish.

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Dining Room Delight

Published on October 26, 2018March 13, 2019 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

This room got a major refresh when my client said “YES” to painting the walls a deep blue. Farrow and Ball’s, Drawing Room Blue, added the right amount of drama to make this young family’s dining room ready for entertaining. Lucite sconces over the buffet and a sleeker chandelier modernized the traditional dining room table and chairs. The Roman shades, as well as the painting done by local artist, Jeannie Wolfington, were the pieces that tied it all together and gave this room a new life. The final touch will be a custom carpet to add a little softness to this beautiful room.

A Master Bedroom to love….

Published on July 12, 2018July 12, 2018 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

When this client sent me an inspiration picture of a bedroom created by a Designer that I love, I was more than excited to work on her Master. The room already had a lot of great design elements like a Thibaut grass cloth on the ceiling, a four poster bed, a chair upholstered in a blue bird print and a window seat. The room just needed to feel like a bedroom that she LOVED walking into and I think we achieved that.

A Modern Family Room

Published on October 29, 2017March 21, 2018 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

This modern family room is a great representation of the way we live today. A multi purpose room that is used for watching tv, a children’s playroom, lounging, and entertaining. When clients ask me to assist them in kitchen renovations more often than not they want a design that opens up the kitchen to an adjacent family room and this project was no different. A wall separating the two rooms was removed and replaced with a Carrera marble peninsula creating an easy transition from one room to the next. Since the first phase of this project was the kitchen, the family room fabrics had to coincide. Another consideration was that space is used for entertaining both adults and children so the fabrics had to be sophisticated yet durable. The white sectional sofa allows for optimal seating and is upholstered in a high performance Perennials fabric. For the drapery, a simple lightweight fabric was selected to allow for optimal light. A five inch Schumacher tape was chosen to line the interior edge of each panel along with a beautiful brass rod with lucite finials and rings. The rod added sophistication and glamor to this window decor.

Kitchen Roman Shade

Master Bedroom Makeover

Published on June 3, 2017January 6, 2021 by Ann Decker ForsterLeave a comment

After living in this Master Bedroom for thirty-five plus years, my clients decided it was time for an update. Their stone colonial has all of the beauty and character of an older home, but with that character comes small closets, limited lighting, and very few electrical outlets. It became obvious that the main objective for this project was to achieve optimal storage space. Unfortunately, creating a larger footprint for the room was not a possibility. In order to optimize storage, I designed custom bookshelves with docking stations, accompanied by high hats over the bed, and outlets in the baseboard. I also added a seven foot closet with built-in drawers and shelving, a window seat with storage inside, and an additional closet for shoes.

Having skilled carpenter, Mark Campbell on board was very important to the success of this project. He was able to repurpose old doors saved from previous renovations and reuse them for the new closet. A key factor to the design of the room was to keep the same characteristics of the woodwork which Mark was able to do by matching the new trim, molding, and baseboards.

At the start of this project my client told me that she wanted her new room to “feel happy and bright.” A floral Kravet fabric that was selected for the window treatments was the key ingredient to bringing in a variety of accent colors. The crisp white built-ins and Aberdeen Green walls were the final elements that tied everything together to make their new Master Bedroom feel updated and fresh. Check out the before and after photos below!