J Myers & Associates

We are honored to be one of the chosen designers to feature an exhibit this year at the Portland Fall Home and Garden Show!  Our Smell, Sip, Smile vignette, is one of the 20 designs chosen to be showcased in this years Serving Up Style.

J Myers & Associates has been working tirelessly for the past few days to set up our dining experience.  Serving as a fund raising benefit for Molly’s Fund and Lupus, Serving Up Style is sponsored by Houzz.com and has been asking select designers to create dining inspired rooms for the past three years.

Please come to the Portland Expo Center and check us out!  Our work is being featured on Houzz.com (link at the bottom) for the public to vote on the People’s Choice Award, nationally.  There are so many exciting and unique designs, so please come see our Winemaker Dinner inspired room along with the many other creative rooms by the other designers.  If you can’t make the show, you can go on-line by using the link below and see the photos of the vignettes and vote too!

http://www.houzz.com/discussions/208614/

Thanks for looking, and please vote!

*We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who have helped make our Serving Up Style vignette a success.  A special thank you to Phil Brodahl with his incredible planning an orchestrating for the booth fabrication and installation-made our step up days go incredibly smooth.  We also want to thank and give special recognition to the many other hands that helped with set up and installation, Keith Knowles, Dave Brizek-Mountain View Painting, Kim Hancock-KBH Inc Tile Installation, Randy Myers, and Leonard Bleth-Contract Furnishing Mart.  Thank you to the many vendors and suppliers that contributed to Smell.Sip.Smile

One idea we have seen at J Myers & Assoc. is the copper bucket sink, seen below – we liked the idea of using something created for a different purpose and making it into this wonderful sink.  This is a great example of taking something you would find at a flea market or country store, and converting it into a stylish, eye-catching, piece.  You could do copper, as seen in the first picture, or leave it galvanized steel, as seen in the second example — what’s your design style?

Another different, but not too different, idea is to have a stone bowl sink.  There are a few of these below.  You can pick the color and type of stone to go with your overall design style.

We’ve saved the most “unique” for last!  The internet lately as been showing these fish-tank sinks!  This is quite a statement piece that in the right home would be an amazing conversation piece! It is truly creative, to say the least.

Well, there you have it, a few examples of sinks that can really make your powder room unique, show a bit of personality and your design style. The powder bath sink is a great way to be a little different.  Thanks for reading!

There are so many fun ways to make your theme come to life.  There are also MANY  ways to express your theme.  You can choose a fun, humorous style, an artsy style, even a more “classy” style.  That’s right, I said “classy” when referring to a Man Cave/Room, but I promise it can be done!

First things first, what are your hobbies?

Hunting? Outdoors? Sports? Cars? Movies?

Below you will see a hunting/outdoor man room.  It has a beautiful antler chandelier that really ties the feeling of the room all together.  While the theme is understated in this room, you can still get a sense of the owners personality.

There is also, of course, the sports themes.  Which is what many picture when they hear “Man Cave/Man Room.”  Below you will see that themes (sports for example here) can be carried out however you want, sophisticated, contemporary, and fun!

Directly above is a picture of a sports themed man cave that J Myers & Associates created for a model home.

As you can see the amount and type of décor available for your Man Cave is limitless.  From antler chandeliers, sports themed lamps, even walls and ceilings painted to go with your theme.

Re-purposing is a great way to decorate your cave.  In the picture below you can see that kegs were made into leather-seated bar stools and a CAR was made into a very original sofa!  Unique and fun!

Once again, you do not have to go with “traditional” man cave ideas; you can go with a more classic man cave.  Classic man caves may not necessarily have a theme, unless you consider “classic” a theme.

The Man Caves above are timeless and do not necessarily follow a theme.  The point is that your Man Cave should be what you love.  It should be a place to relax and enjoy yourself, while having a little fun.

Thanks for reading another J Myers & Associates post, we want to help you turn your dream Man Cave into a reality!

For our first blog we would like to tell you a little about the founder and owner of J. Myers & Associates, Jennifer Myers.  Jennifer began this company in January of 2008.  It is the culmination of 20 plus years of professional design experience.  The firm is based in Portland, Oregon while serving clients throughout the Northwest and the nation.

From show houses to model homes and personal dream homes, Jennifer Myers designs award-winning interiors that bring superb materials and style together. Her lifelong passion for homes and design began with her first job working for her father, a builder. Since studying interior design in college, she’s worked on both sides of the business.  This experience includes leading her own interior design firm since 1985, being the interior designer for a Design-Build firm in Austin, Texas focusing on custom multi-million dollar homes and being a partner in a custom residential building firm and a multi-family townhome/condo developer/builder firm.

Whether your style is contemporary, classic, or eclectic, J. Myers & Associates collaborates with you, your architect, and builder to maximize the experience of light and space.  Our adept use of textures and materials adds warmth, style, and uniqueness.  Below you will see an example of just some of the design work J Myers & Associates has been a part of.

So, please come join us on this blog.  In the coming weeks we will show you many different ideas for design and interior decorating and hopefully give you some new insightful ways to make your home even more of a home!

By Jennifer Myers

Today’s home design is all about choice. When purchasing a home there are endless design styles, architectural styles, and products available to speak about who you are and what you value in your sanctuary – your home.

Think about the homes you are considering in three dimensions

One fresh idea is to think about the homes you are considering in three dimensions. You can really start to see great potential by thinking of your new home in 3D. Is the architectural detailing in a room highlighted? Or is a room enhanced by natural light, adding brightness and interest?  You may find that often buying a bigger home isn’t necessarily the answer.  Instead, find a home that has added character, charm and visual interest on all levels.  Often times we look at the cabinets, counters and flooring but forget all about the ceiling.  Picturing your new home in 3D means looking at the ceilings for detailing with beams, wood cladding or soffits. Add detail between rooms or create a transition in the open floor plan living of today – create an archway or differentiate ceiling height between spaces.

Look beyond the surfaces for value added items such as details, character and charm

When purchasing or building a new home there is often a list of the design features you want to include, maybe it’s granite or natural stone counters, stainless steel appliances or hardwood floors. When visualizing your home in 3D, look beyond just the surfaces for value added items such as details, character and charm. A fresh idea might be to add a niche at the end of hall or in a stairwell, or use those spaces next to a fireplace for built-ins or an alcove. Construct a niche under the staircase or have a focal wall with a signature paint color or an interesting wall covering.

Look for detailing on all surfaces to give awe and that wow factor

In the past we often looked for those volume ceilings and rooms that were huge and grand – a fresh idea now would be thinking about rooms that fit the human scale and are designed with detailing on all the surfaces to give awe and that wow factor.  Put together a plan when placing windows –perhaps a corner window that adds visual interest and naturally increases the sense of space from inside to outside.

When purchasing a home, consider one you can be inspired in daily

Imagine beyond the typical list of features and amenities when searching for your new home and start assessing the three dimensions of the homes you tour. Have you ever visited the showcase, parade or street of dream homes or perhaps read an interior design magazine and thought, “I love how that looks?” Most often it is because what you are seeing is a home or a room that has been thought of in 3D. The three dimensions of a room are like accessories to the furnishings, just as jewelry is a fashion accessory to an outfit – that’s what pulls it together and makes it unique, realizing the potential in design. When purchasing a home, consider one you can be inspired in daily.

Jennifer Myers, NWSID is a board member of the New Home Council and is the Principal/Designer at J. Myers & Associates. “Market Matters” is the council’s weekly column offering insight into the housing market. For more information on home buying, visit TheNewHomeCouncil.com.