As we kickoff 2012, we take time to reflect and evaluate on all that we’ve learned and experienced in the past year.  We are embracing the new beginning as an opportunity to come up with innovative ideas that will yield bigger, better results and accelerate future growth.

Knowledge is key for growth in any business, and I am excited to announce the launch of the latest outlet to share knowledge – our new blog, Open Studio!  Open Studio is intended to be an exhibition for communicating thoughts, information and ideas.  It is a place to come to get fresh perspectives on art and design from Merida’s community of design industry professionals and allows for freedom of thought and expression.

Similar to an artist’s open studio experience, this new blog is accessible to all and is a place to view artistic and creative work, read and collaborate. It is a platform for design enthusiasts to share their thoughts related to the industry, findings in the marketplace, inspirations and new trends.  It is a way to add value and inspire the world of design.

We hope that you will find meaning in our observations and discoveries, and we vow to research and curate to collectively build knowledge and create growth for all in 2012!

Those of you that picked up the November issue of House Beautiful probably saw the stunning CA home that the talented Parrish Chilcoat and Joe Lucas of Lucas Studio Inc. designed. We were blown away by the project and how Lucas Studio was able to seemingly effortlessly achieve a laid-back masculine look that is still “pretty”. We were so intrigued that we had to learn more about the project and the fabulous company behind it, and fortunately Joe Lucas was kind enough to chat and answer some of our burning questions.

Photo as seen in House Beautiful Magazine

When taking on this project Lucas and Chilcoat drew their inspiration from the innate architecture of the home and its natural surroundings. From there they settled on a soothing color palette of grays, blues and taupe tones. In getting to know their client – a 29-year-old professional hockey player – Lucas quickly realized that the house would have to be able to withstand a lot of wear and tear. Creatively they incorporated outdoor fabric in the living room that will prevent stains and hold-up for many years.

Photo as seen in House Beautiful Magazine - Kyoto Glacier Rug Featured

To add visual interest to the space Lucas and Chilcoat carefully selected textural pieces with unique and interesting shapes. As Lucas said, he selected “shapes that are pretty but masculine”. From the stunning acacia slab coffee table and mahogany dining table to the grass-cloth walls and zinc wrapped table in the bedroom, the majority of the interesting shapes came from natural elements.

Chilcoat and Lucas also added interest in their careful color selection. Color masters, Lucas says that “color is always key – it can make or break a house”. The most striking use of color in the home is the bold use of gray in the kitchen. The kitchen in this home is open and visible from the living room, so it had to be a cool color. The deep gray grounds the room and gives it a substantive, unique feel.

Photo as seen in House Beautiful Magazine

Photo as seen in House Beautiful Magazine

Lucas and Chilcoat’s skillful job of blending high and low price point items impressed us in this project. Lucas says the key to pulling this off is to determine where the budget is to gain a clear understanding of the client’s priorities and where they are willing to invest in expensive pieces. For areas that aren’t as important to them he searches for unique lower price point items from different places so that the overall look is layered and real.

We absolutely love Lucas and Chilcoat’s work and are enamored by all that they have achieved. Recently they relocated their lovely Harbinger showroom from the quaint Almont Yard to the flourishing La Cienega Design Quarter to rave reviews. We can’t wait to see the new space for ourselves!!

Interested in the Kyoto Glacier rug featured in the living room of this project? Email us for more info > or Call (800) 345-2200 to order.

It is hard not to think of the phrases “black and white,” “nature,” “décor,” and “art” together without thinking of Ansel Adams. Adams was one of the greatest American photographers, but also had a profound impact on the development of an environmental consciousness in the United States.

Jeffrey Pine

Born in San Francisco in 1902, Adams had a somewhat lonely childhood since he was an only child and troublesome student. He found respite in nature, but also learned of its power early on, after surviving a damaging earth quake with only a broken nose. He taught himself how to play piano, which he then pursued as a career. Playing the piano taught Adams how to use his creative and calculative abilities to hone a craft. Later, he used these skills to photograph Yosemite National Park while participating in trips hosted by the Sierra Club. Adams became especially fond of Yosemite and began working with the Sierra Club – participating and sometimes leading excursions.  On these outings he perfected his photography techniques.

Northern California Coast Redwoods

His work was first published in the 1922 Sierra Club Bulletin, and quickly gained popularity. He became a well-respected photographer across the nation, and used his influence to advocate for the National Park System and for wilderness preservation. His photos all portrayed the natural beauty of landscape and reflected his strong conservation ethic. In fact, some criticized his work for not containing any human figures, saying that this overly-idealizes nature. However, these photographs have helped conservationists permanently protect much of the land Adams photographed.

Another reason his photographs seem idealized to the modern viewer is because most of his work is in black and white. His few colored photographs were often sold to gas stations and other corporations for advertising purposes. Adams saw color photography as a way to make money, while using black and white as a medium for his art. For him, black and white more accurately portrayed nature because of the “infinite scale of values in monochrome.” At the time, color photography was just being developed and the primitive stages of the technology did not provide the same austere beauty that made his photos famous. Adams wrote in 1967 that there is a “greater sense of color through a well planned and executed black and white photograph.” It is hard to argue with him after looking at his unmatchable work in black and white.

Portrait of Ansel Adams at Work

photos courtesy of AnselAdams.com

Our theme for November is Black and White, in honor of the new book Black and White (and a bit in between) by one of our favorite designers: Celerie Kemble. The book, which hit shelves on November 1^st, features black and white themed interiors by various acclaimed designers and of course, Kemble Interiors. The gorgeous full-color photographs are supplemented with descriptions, decorating tips, and fun anecdotes, which is sure to be a great read since Celerie is known for her fabulous sense of style, humor and candor. Kemble explores the iconic aesthetic of black and white décor with a well-rounded point of view, and shows readers how using black and white can be chic and modern, yet still inspired by nature.

To celebrate her new book, Celerie and Merida have teamed up to design a line of complementary black and white abaca – Belted Stripe in 3 unique colorways Tuxedo, Feather Gray, and Dove – to be unveiled this winter. Abaca is the perfect natural fiber for Celerie’s line because Merida’s abaca area rugs are hand-woven which gives them a beautifully unique texture.

The high contrast of the black, white and grey palette is sure to dramatize the textures of the materials even more. As Celerie states – “Belted Stripe is all about presenting clean, graphic lines on a natural fiber. So often geometry is shown in context that seems machine-made and overly perfect. I wanted to create patterns where strong graphics retained a warm sensibility by selecting a particularly interesting construction of abaca.” Stay tuned for this beautiful collection coming soon!