Leah Richardson

For weeks I have been working with my webmaster, Joy Todd, to update, change up and create my new website.  Her tireless efforts and talents always bless me as she perseveres to create something that reflects who I am and what I do.  So…. PLEASE CHECK OUT my website HERE.

What do you think?  Also check out the new SHOP page.  Some of you asked about the availability of the pillowcases monogrammed with Scripture. Good news!! Now you can order them from that SHOP page.

Do you have a prayer request?  Then go back HERE and watch for the the email Leah page.  I would love to pray for you. Please don’t hesitate, your privacy is very important to me.

Have you read Interior Wisdom yet?  HERE you can read what women are saying about Interior Wisdom, and order a signed copy with the option of adding a personal message.

The deepest desire of my heart is to be a blessing…   As you browse through LeahRichardson.com, I pray something in it will bless you.

Remember,

whatever it is you do-

DO IT ALL TO THE PRAISE AND GLORY OF THE LORD

with THANKSGIVING!

Have a wonderful long weekend!  Thanks again for your love and support.

xoxo   leah

When I am looking for a chair with a fluid, sculptural-like quality or strong geometric lines, McGuire is the catalog I habitually pull from the shelf, or go on-line to view.  This furniture manufacturer has made an indelible mark on the design industry for mixing modernist sensibility with classic details, while maintaining perfect proportions.

I love to walk in a room,

and immediately notice…

the shape,

the lines,

the color,

the texture,

the fabric,

that something special about ONE CHAIR that captures and holds my attention.

You’ve all met people like this.  I love to place a chair in the room that does this too!

These wonderful CHAIRS look great from any angle.

Many double as 3-dimensional art.

Can you visualize how just one of these CHAIRS can add AMAZING interest and beauty to the design of any room?  If you want to see more, check out McGuire Furniture  HERE.

Sooooooooo, one afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I saw this

on the side of the road in someone’s trash pile.  I did what most interior designers would do… I turned around, pulled into the driveway and loaded it into my Jeep!  I had a before picture with the 1970s tapestry-like fabric on it, but I dropped my handbag and busted my iphone!  After removing the fabric, straw stuffing and a gazillion staples, this is what is left-  good bones!  I plan to strip off this out-dated crackle paint and…well, you will have to keep watching for the end result!

While spending my Saturday afternoon with this ONE CHAIR, I was reminded of what my

mom said quite often…

You can’t judge a book by its cover!

OH SO TRUE!! Just like this one chair, true beauty can be found in the most unexpected places if we will look past outdated and stained fabrics…the fabric of most peoples’ lives.

So often, the very one who feels overlooked and cast off is the very one we need to

stop and notice-

stop and take care of…

Truly we will never know the value of one until we do.

Who knows,

just one smile,

just one kind word,

just one “can I give you a hand?”…

just might give this one life-saving encouragement.

I pray that we don’t just sigh and go about our day…let’s look around us for that one.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love ONE another:

just as I have loved you, you also are to love ONE another.

By this all people will know that  you are my disciples,

if you have love for ONE another.

John 13:34-35

just like ONE chair can make a difference in a room…through love, You can make a difference for Jesus in some ONE’s life …

Have a wonderful week!  My parents are visiting so I know I will!!

xoxo   leah

Recently I found a magazine spread by an Alabama designer, Andrew Brown.

The photographs of this beautiful interior drew me in…

the simplicity of the designer’s calming, tranquil, neutral style,

and his conscious and subliminal use of the

design principle of repetition.

Notice the louver-look of the cabinets repeat the look of the louvered french doors.

Look at the wall behind the vanity.

I would love to see more of this bathroom!

The creamy white envelope sets the stage for each carefully, quite obviously, selected piece.

Look how simply he addressed this fireplace opening.

Take note of all the curves…

The curve of this arch frames the focal point and draws you in to discover more.

Repetition is an important principle

thoughtfully followed in good design…

see how the designer repeats the arch for the fireplace opening,

curve on the coffee table and chair legs,

and curve-back french chair in the distance and foreground.

Very interesting art wall that appears effortlessly random…not easy!

As a designer, I am always interested in WHERE THEY PUT THE TV!!!

The bane of a designer’s existence…the TV.

Notice how he hung it above the art and lamp on the right.

Again, repetition in multiples…

art, tiers in the chandelier, chairs, openings.

Repetition in the x-pallern of the island and the grain in the cabinet doors.

So simple, so beautiful!

If you scroll back up, you will see that he repeated the

chocolate brown color throughout the home.

The oversized window with the seeded glass for privacy looks great and, again,

you see a repetition in  the curve of the tub and the frame of the window,

along with the curved shape of the stool.

—————————–

There is a fine line between too much repetition,

which makes for boring and cluttered

and

too little repetition,

which creates a disconnected interior,

one that does not flow from room to room.

————————

Are you up for a field trip?

Take a few minutes and walk around your home with an keen awareness

for the principle of repetition.

You might find yourself moving a few things around!!

Careful and thoughtful repetition in our homes and lives

will make a huge difference on how we impact those around us.

Is our repetition boring others to death

or

creatively connecting the dots

revealing what is truly important in our life.

What are the top 3 characteristics

that others naturally associate with you because they

echo

reoccur

rerun

replay

repeat

continually…

Top 3?

hoping I am connecting dots…

xoxo    leah

HAPPY MONDAY!!  Yesterday, I hopped on this…

and rode around while Jim enjoyed the PGA Golf tournament on TV.  I took my camera so you could enjoy my journey too!

Come along…

I started noticing garage doors-  really liked these!

this should be a “before I changed my garage door” picture!

The garage doors are tucked neatly behind the low left wall.  A great way to disguise garage doors on the front of a home.

Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

Proverbs 4:26

Although I was unsure of my route…just riding an exploring…I found that most paths lead to water.

There is a good mix of architecture in the area, but I love, love, love the Spanish Colonial style architecture that is so prevalent in Florida.

White exteriors, clay tile roofs, arched courtyard entrances and the wrought iron ornamentation…

such as the grill work over the small windows.

I wonder if the ones with the cross are a statement by

the owner-  I am a Christ-follower!

In keeping with the architecture, there is something quite charming about

the open carport to house the car instead of a more modern-day garage.

The house and garage here is under major renovation.  Can you see the charming garage doors under the open carport?  Maybe the garage will turn into a carriage house and the car will be housed in the open area?…

I found myself at the beautiful Rollins College nearby.

Everywhere I turned there was a “vista” or opening that enticed my eye to

“come see more”!

Come see the focal point.

And arches that led your eye down a path…

Look at this beautiful hexagon terra cotta tile porch floor.

I wonder if the grills were for security, and they found a way to make the practical beautiful too!

These little openings in the stucco wall entice my eye too.

Let’s peak inside…

WOW!  What a vista!

While Jim and I were in Santiago de Compostela in Spain, we asked the locals the meaning of the Scallop Shell we saw in numerous places.

They said it was considered the symbol or emblem of James, son of Zebedee and was popular with pilgrims on the Way of James in Spain.

Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to the shrine often wore a scallop shell symbol on their hat or clothes.  The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell with him, and would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys and homes, where he could expect to be given as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop. So even the poorest household could give charity without being overburdened.  The alternate version of the legend holds that while St. James’ remains were being transported to Spain from Jerusalem, the horse of the knight fell into water, and emerged covered in these shells!!   We saw an entire house made of scallop shells in Northwest Spain…it was quite amazing and I just love the idea… but I love shells.

Look at the library.

I could read a book here, while looking at

this!

As I rode back to our apartment, I began to appreciate the architecture even more.

At every turn, I felt like a young girl with my first Cracker Jack box!  Remember how you found that surprise inside.  Well, if you made it this far in my blog

I have a surprise for you!!

my first GIVEAWAY!!

If you will post a comment (go to the top of this post), your name will be entered into

my first GIVEAWAY!!

3 readers will be randomly selected to receive a pair of pillowcases (F/Q or K)

monogramed with Scripture.

You can enter 4 times.

1.  Post a comment here on my blog

2.  Post a comment on Facebook

3.  Share this post with a friend and comment again here to let me know that you did.

(see button at bottom)

4.  Tweet it and comment again here to let me know that you did.

I am excited…hope you are too!

My prayer for you this week…

Hopeful expectation of an Ephesian 3:20 kind of a week!

(do look it up)  (:

xoxo   leah

Last week, in the middle of downsizing and moving back to Florida, I received my ATLANTA HOMES and lifestyles magazine.  If you miss Southern Accents, Atlanta Homes is a wonderfully inspiring Southern Shelter magazine.  So at the end of a very long day of yet more eliminating, organizing and editing, I flipped through and found myself smiling and nodding exuberantly!   The designers of the 2010 Cashiers Designer Showhouse were featured and asked…

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS TO…

Here are some of the answers that I have tried and found to be oh so true.

Dianne Estes says…Clean out the unnecessary, outdated items, (I won’t elaborate on this but you know that it is an absolute must to get a new fresh look)  and SHOP YOUR HOME AND MOVE ITEMS FROM OTHER ROOMS TO CREATE A FRESH LOOK. I have never quite put it that way, but I love the idea of shopping in your own home.  So often when I am redesigning a room for a client, I open hall closets and linen drawers looking for treasures that the client has not considered using.  Truly, I have never been disappointed!  I always find Something to bring out into view that enhances and adds beauty to the room.  When it comes to moving things around, I like to gather everything and put it in the middle of the room on the floor and start placing things in new and unexpected ways.  Here are some pictures of our new little apartment.  I had to be very selective in accessorizing.  Since I have very little table top space, I used the Dining Table to display some things I enjoy.

I enjoy living with books and browsing through my design books in the evening.  With no shelving in this home, I stacked them and made a book table.

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS TO…

Francie Hargrove says…By changing out lampshades- it does wonders.  Note the oversize lamp shades I have chosen.

When you have artwork you love, but little wall space, remember you can stack art too.  Here is an example that works well.  Why?  I stacked a smaller, unframed canvas over a larger framed one.

My creative solution to the “downsizing” challenge of where to place my big, white Jardinere, that I dearly love-  We have 2 entrances, so I blocked the rarely used front door!  Beauty and Security!

What TV?  I admit I am in complete denial about the TV.  I just pretend it is NOT THERE!!

If you move into an older residence, it might not have overhead lighting.  My solution is to use lamp light evenly placed around the room.  I have to admit that it gives a beautiful glow and creates an intimate atmosphere in the evening for dinner.  Make sure you use a 3-way bulb.

Melissa Key gave me this stunning little canvas framed in metal by her husband, Rob.  Every time I sit down here, it reminds me that the most beautiful thing I can possess is a “grateful heart”.

The Master Bedroom is only 11 x 14.  Large mirrors duplicate the space.  Go big when it comes to mirrors in a small space. They create a wow factor and the reflective quality opens up and layers the room.

THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE A ROOM IS…

Suzanne Kassler says…EDIT.  (She is my kind of girl!) CLEAR OUT A ROOM AND START AGAIN WITH YOUR FAVORITE PIECE; THEN, BUILD THE ROOM FROM THERE.  This way you will be living with things you truly enjoy.

Corbin Bronze named this small sculpture Lyric, but she received a new name in my home.  I call her my “Hallelujah girl”!!  Today I am reminded that she was the first image on my first blog one year ago this week. I want to say thank you for your support and encouragement.  We are not connected by chance.  There is one true living God in Heaven who carefully and thoughtfully orchestrates our world…downsizing and updating each and every day!

If you are reading this, know that I thank my God each day for YOU!  And I pray for YOU too!

Now, what do the words DOWNSIZE & UPDATE mean to you?

And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every disciple who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.

Matthew 13:52

Keep those old, time honored and trustworthy truths while opening your life and heart to the new and vibrant because both have life-giving potential. Downsize yet update…nourish your life in the variety of God’s infinite wisdom.

xoxo    leah

Still in hot pursuit of the perfect kitchen design for my current project…    It is all about creating interest and dimension with CONTRAST & TEXTURE.  As you scroll down these gorgeous images of kitchens I found in Coastal Living magazine, note the CONTRAST & TEXTURE.

CONTRAST & TEXTURE is accomplished by juxtaposing

light against dark,

smooth against rough,

shiny against matte.

——————————————-

glossy tile wall set against satin cabinets and ceiling-

bright white CONTRAST dark chocolate brown-

What a wow effect with the TEXTURE of the woven basket light fixtures over the island!

CONTRAST & TEXTURE combined in

white paint and smooth stainless steel

against tactile feel of dark wood counter top and floors.

Art and airplane are a clear focal point that stand in stark contrast.

Note baskets here too.

you try…

All these wonderful windows bringing the landscape in…which provides

CONTRASTING TEXTURES and great light too.

Great outdoor kitchen using CONTRAST & TEXTURE.

Even the light filtering in adds dimension and light-dark contrast.

I love the use of flowers to bring in the contrasting punch of color!

That’s Jim and me-

JUST KIDDING!

We not only see a great use of CONTRAST & TEXTURE, but

Pattern too.  Not something I use frequently, but it works well here.

If you scroll back up, you will see a more subtle use of pattern in pillows.

It’s there isn’t it, but very simple and clean.

When you choose this look, use wood cabinets with a distinct grain, which creates CONTRAST & TEXTURE.

I love love love the contrast of the slick stainless steel against

the industrial matte metal light fixture.

The CONTRAST here is not only created by the TEXTURE of the two,

but the stark style imposed against the clean white envelope.

You can use CONTRAST & TEXTURE throughout your home to create interest, diversity and dimension.

If we think about it…

CONTRAST & TEXTURE

add interest, diversity and dimension to our life, and faith, as well.

How?

—————————————

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your

FAITH with GOODNESS,

and GOODNESS with KNOWLEDGE,

and KNOWLEDGE with SELF-CONTROL,

and SELF-CONTROL with PERSEVERANCE,

and PERSEVERANCE with GODLINESS,

and GODLINESS WITH BROTHERLY KINDNESS,

and BROTHERLY KINDNESS with LOVE.

2Peter: 1:5-7

hopefully adding a bit of CONTRAST & TEXTURE to your day!

xo   leah

This Sunday we CELEBRATE freedom…independence...the 4th of July!

I love gathering ideas from Martha Stewart and the Food Network!

Please enjoy these beautiful and creative images I found on both websites.

How fun to take the extra step to make the table decorations and food celebrate

our RED, WHITE & BLUE!!

So I guess we should have a little meal with our dessert!

Oh my!  I might have to go get a burger for lunch TODAY!!

Or a dog…

By the end of the day…I will probably be waving a white flag of surrender!

Because as most of you know…I LOVE TO EAT!

Where ever you find yourself celebrating the 4th of July,

I pray you remember

true freedom always comes with sacrifice.

Then give thanks.

If you are in the New Orleans area this Sunday, please join Jim and me at

Victory Fellowship Church on Airline Drive.

Each year this awesome church throws a wonderful outreach celebration…

A FREE FOOD-FEST!

FEED THE MULTITUDES

There will be lots of good food and music, but that’s a given…we are in New Orleans!

The church is giving aways bags of groceries, and there is a medical and spa tent.

This year there is a foot-washing tent and new shoes will be given away too!

Is is truly for

FREEDOM THAT JESUS SET US FREE!

Celebrate all the sacrifices made on your behalf

and then

GO BLESS SOMEONE ELSE ON THIS  4TH OF JULY!

Remember this tip:  advance preparation keeps the stress out of any celebration!

xo- much!

leah

Hello friends!  Please forgive the absence of blogs last week.  Between awesome revival meetings at church, traveling to Florida and making some important decisions on DESIGN DETAILS on a current project, I lost track of my days.  If your Spiritual life needs a bit of reviving, I will share some of my thoughts on that in my Friday blog, but today, I wanted to share some of the DESIGN DETAILS I am pondering.  As I often say…THE DIFFERENCE YOU SEE IN A WELL-DESIGNED INTERIOR IS FOUND IN THE DETAILS.

The FIREPLACE as a focal point…

Important considerations are the size- prominent but not overwhelming.  The material- real stone, a composite, wood, concrete?  My clients desire a very monochromatic envelope, so we are choosing a stone-look Fireplace in French Cream from Franscois Fireplaces, which will continue the look of the creamy French limestone floors and cream-colored walls.  We are considering a pale driftwood-stain on the ceiling beams that will add just a touch of interest and bring your gaze upward.

If you are considering a Fireplace on the first floor, you must know the exact placement before the slab is poured.

The STAIRCASE as a focal point…

The staircase in the foyer of this home is designed with a gracious curve.  We have decided a bronze-toned iron will be beautiful with the creamy stone floors.  One detail we are still pondering is the handrail and the stair treads and risers. The handrail…wood or iron?  The steps…continue the stone from the floor or switch to wood.  If we choose wood, we have decided to bleach and lime Oak flooring, which will be a continuation of our color palette.  I suggested that the iron design combine curve and scroll detail, along with some straight-line geometry.  This will be a lovely blend the feminine and masculine, which blends the personalities of my clients as well.

Openings as a focal point…

My clients love natural light filtering in all the rooms.  To take that a step further, consider not only the shape, but the placement of the windows and doors.  Vistas take your eye on an adventure from one spot to another.  Whether the opening is a window or door, consider the detail of where it will take your eye.

ready to unwind…

I love to add an interesting shaped window, like a piece of art, to a room.  This little round window draws me in…I want to walk over and peak outside!

I would add a screen and keep this door open year-round to the beautiful landscape!

This be a wonderful view from your window or door!  And look, you have yet two more openings on either side of the fountain that draw your eye.

Since this is where many of us spend a good bit of time…make it special with a view too!

I can not emphasis this enough-

THE DIFFERENCE YOU SEE IN A WELL-DESIGNED INTERIOR IS FOUND IN THE DETAILS.

Hoping you are considering the DESIGN DETAILS of your Spiritual house too!

By Wisdom a house is built

through Understanding it is established

through Knowledge it is filled

with rare and beautiful treasures.

Proverbs 24:3-4

xo   leah

This past month has been “mentor” month.  I am so thankful for opportunities to sow encouragement into the lives of young designers and design students.  Twenty plus years ago when I was pondering going back to college to get a degree in Interior Design and starting out as a young designer, I remember women who took time to encourage and help me.  My field, probably like yours, can be very competitive…especially when it comes to our coveted “resources”!!  Young designers are always so surprised when I open my crammed-full rolodex and share who and what I know.  Be assured, Stacy and Chelsea, you blessed me far more than I did you!

Recently, while on a design consultation in Mandeville, I noticed some wonderful abstract paintings in my client’s home. Ann’s daughter, Sarah Satterlee is a Baylor graduate with a degree in Interior Design who has a passion for art, architecture and design.   AND, as she says, for connecting these things to her identity as a Christian.

This last piece is my prayer for this precious young artist!  Arise and Shine!!

Sarah shared that she has a heart for missions work in Kenya and her artwork funds her work with a church there…

“We mostly work with men and women living with HIV-

we train them in artisan skills and find markets for their goods here in the US.

I love that the process of creating art to make someone’s home beautiful here

can actually have an impact on someone living in poverty and sickness so far away.

Another example of how God redeems brokenness into beauty.”

To go to Sarah’s website click HERE.  If you don’t have any student art or art from this up and coming generation, I encourage you to add a piece to your collection.   Support this young Christian woman as she uses her gifts and talents that the Lord has so blessed her with to help those in need.

Who can you encourage this week?

Who has God placed in your life that needs a helping hand?

Arise Shine…for your light has come!

xo   leah

Last week as I strolled along Magazine Street with a good friend and client, we discussed how many artists, designers and architects we know who were formerly attorneys.  That day, we found yet another attorney who decided to make a major work-life change and open a wonderful little shop.

Karina’s shop is located at 3652 Magazine Street and she has it filled with treasures.  If you plan to stop by you might want to call first (504-905-8504) because most of the summer she plans to open by appointment only so she can spend time with her young children.   As I chatted with Karina and looked around, these HANDMADE French parchment paper napkin rings caught my eye.

And since Jim and I were giving a small dinner party that weekend…

I decided they would look wonderful on our table.  They are milky white…which goes with everything!  I also love the mix of texture and color…smooth yet thick white paper attached to a twisted grapevine ring.  Simple yet beautiful!

These little jewels are HANDMADE by a young woman whose company is French Blue & Co. (check out the website HERE)

I can remember as a teenager MAKING flowers with tissue paper BY HAND, but these stunning little creations take that to another level adding such a relaxed elegance to our table.

And afterward, I found a home for them in this shallow hand-built pottery bowl.

There is just something about being HANDMADE that draws me in.  I want to touch it and feel it, wondering who, how long, how…I am definitely the romantically curious type.  You and I are HANDMADE, we bear God’s stamp as His creation.  So the next time you come upon something HANDMADE, remember that you too are a special, one-of-a-kind treasure made by the Hand of God.  That reminds me of another attorney who changed his profession…Paul, attorney turned Apostle, spoke to the men in Athens reminding them that there is only One True Living God whose boundaries are infinite and hand made everything.  He alone is worthy of our worship.

The God who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in HANDMADE shrines (made by man).

Acts 17:24  Amplified Bible

No, God dwells in us…He chose our HANDMADE hearts MADE BY HIS HAND!

Have a wonderful week remembering in Him, BY HIS HAND, we live and move and have our very being when our HANDMADE hearts are surrendered to His Son, Jesus.

xo     leah