you too?

Photo Credits: via Architect Design, via Urban Grace, The Barn at Blackberry Farm via Town and Country

Two of my most important tools are my scale ruler and my measuring tape. I draw my floor plans in an architectural program on the computer, but I first learned the basics of hand drafting in design school which you can easily do. If you don’t have a scale ruler I would encourage you to get one and understand how to use it. Michael’s sells them and so do most art supply stores. They have tons of numbers all over them but over time can be a great tool to understand. Here is a classic six sided 12″ trianglular scale ruler which has twelve scales. I usually use only two or three of them (1/4″, 1/2″ & 3/8″) , but if you have a house plan on one large piece of paper it will be in a smaller scale so that you can see it all at once.

Up close a 12″ standard scale ruler looks like this. If you want to make your scale 1″=1′ (meaning one inch on the piece of paper corresponds to one foot in your room). If you take a piece of paper and want to draw a room that is 10′x15′ in one inch scale you use the side that has a big 1 on it (below left). I think that it is easiest to learn with the 1″ scale and then move to the others. The portion before the zero is to use if your wall or furniture is not on a perfect foot mark, for example 4′-6″.

The basic principle behind the scale ruler is being able to put the dimensions of a room onto a piece of paper and see it all to scale (floor plan). If your floor plan is not to scale correctly, you might think you might have room for a bigger sofa than you do. While this all sounds like common sense, I stick to it down to the half inch. I have had many conversations with clients, contractors, architects and vendors about inches on coutertops, furniture, lighting etc. Every item needs a dimension and a plan. This is the beginning of a harmonious and balanced space. I have a few scale rulers so I am going to show you that sometimes you read them left to right (as above) and sometimes you read them right to left (below) depending which scale you want and where it is placed on the ruler.

When plans are drawn the scale is always given in the title block. This means that the scale below in the plan I drew one quarter inch on the plan equals one foot in a room. Once you understand how to draw with a scale ruler you can dimension walls, doorways, windows, where outlets are in the walls, where AC vents are on walls and floors, and then you can draw in your furniture. When drawing furniture in a room use the outermost dimensions. If legs on a chair flair back use them instead of the back of the chair, those few inches could take away from pass through space around a table.

This is a 10′ x 10′ room in a 1/4″=1′ scale. Once you start to add in your furniture to scale you can see how much room you have to work with.

You can also use scaled graph paper and there are web sites which allow you to print them out for free. Click HERE to get it.

This is a close up of the shot of the dresser in a teenage boys bedroom. I know exactly what dimension I need. I don’t have any wiggle room.

If you want a better understanding of proportions and how to make a room right I highly encourage you to purchase a scale ruler and work on it. Sorry no pretty pictures today, but I hope that this post is helpful.

]]> http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/15/how-to-start-a-room-with-a-scale-ruler/feed/ 8 http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/11/dear-spring/ http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/11/dear-spring/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:35:41 +0000 laura http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/?p=5752 So nice to see you this week, I have missed you.

I will take your showers and warmer temperatures over mr. winter any day of the week.

Please stay and inspire all sorts of loveliness and maybe even some spring cleaning

Here’s the deal…you stick with me, and I will stick with you.

You’ve got nine days to pull a fast one on me before you are official.

Happy Spring (almost).

Photo Credits: Lucyina Moodie

I will be starting a new series called Time Traveller exploring past architects, artists, designers, historians, styles and other design influences. Here is a recap on what I have done so far in case you missed any of my early posts….

After reading Pillars of the Earth I wrote about the Gothic Revival style,

and Ancient Greek and Roman architecture set impeccable architectural standards and has since inspired architects and designers. Greek Revival style as seen in a restored home by architect Gil Schafer in NY

and the Greek Key, a design motif often used.

Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and his Palladian influences are seen all over the world.

I wrote about the timeless style of David Hicks and his influence on contemporary design, and

back when I was a newbie blogger I looked at Piet Mondrian and the influence of his work.

Tori Mellot picked up on it in the February 2009 issue of Domino.

One of the masters- Le Corbusier- and his exponential influence on modern architecture, design and furniture and also

William Morris& Elsie de Wolfe and their influences on classical architecture, interior design, fabrics, wallpapers and furniture.

Thanks to Tina for inspiring a more concise blog series for these posts.

Where should I time travel to next? Modern, classics, the Far East. I will get to it all, just stick with me.

]]> http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/08/time-traveller/feed/ 10 http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/05/end-of-the-week/ http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/05/end-of-the-week/#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:09:44 +0000 laura http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/?p=5847 A few things that help me end the week on the right note are the right amount of sunlight coming through,

flowers making all the difference

a swing arm lamp next to the bed

a hint of red in just the right spot

and an old birdcage anywhere.

Enjoy the weekend.

via pink wallpaper, Thibaut paper, via Ticklish from a Distance, Bunny Williams, via vtInteriors Library

]]> http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/05/end-of-the-week/feed/ 14 http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/03/past-present-pauline-de-rothschild-tory-burch/ http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/03/03/past-present-pauline-de-rothschild-tory-burch/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:00:56 +0000 laura http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/?p=5844 Style icons Pauline de Rothschild and Tory Burch with two similar looks, fifty years apart. Pauline de Rothschild’s Parisian bedroom in 1960. She decorated it herself with antique Chinese export paper. I like that she included all parts of the door and door frame.

Tory Burch’s apartment designed by Daniel Romualdez with Gracie handpainted wallpaper.

Click over to  The Peak of Chic to see the new Tory Burch ad campaign photographed in her apartment. Which one do you prefer- old school (PdeR) vs. new guard (TB)?

Photo Credits: Horst P. Horst via An Aesthete’s Lamente; Francois Halard for Vogue via Habitually Chic

The Rug Company website shows a range of their rugs designed by some of the world’s top designers.

A life in full color, right up my alley.

click here for the Vogue Article and click here for the Rug Company site.

Photo Credits: Francoid Halard for Vogue (1-5), the Rug Company

Can I get my little guys in these?

and for super cute baby gifts…

These are going up in a bedroom soon…

and you know I secretly wish I was Ina Garten’s assistant.

All orders placed get a 15% discount by entering the code LC15 at checkout.

Thanks Magpie Lovely and happy shopping!

]]> http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/02/25/my-favorite-things-magpie-lovely/feed/ 9 http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/02/23/one-honeycomb-mirror-three-ways/ http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/2010/02/23/one-honeycomb-mirror-three-ways/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:55 +0000 laura http://www.lauracaseyinteriors.com/blog/?p=5812 This mirror is one of my favorites and works well in a variety of styles. Albert Hadley put it over a console in a dining room. Don’t you love the blue leather on the chairs? Turquoise is a big color to watch for this year.

Charlotte Moss features it over a fireplace with traditional sconces flanking it.

Eric Cohler combines a more transitional and different look with the mirror and a photograph.

updated: Thanks to Style Court for bringing this Miles Redd one against lacquered walls to my attention.

Which one is your favorite?

photo credits: Albert Hadley, House Beautiful April 2009, photographed by Christopher Baker; Charlotte Moss in A Flair for Living; Eric Cohler in Inspired Styles. All photographs scanned from my copies.

Updated Post 4th image: Miles Redd photograph via Style Court

They also have it broken down into many categories as well…(with more on the site)

Now I just need a few interior tours from the original architects. Happy Clicking.