Stupid Paint Color Name of the Week

Cool Local Find: Namuh Design

We met Eric, Joe and Scott, designers at Namuh, at the recent Serving Up Style event and it turns out they are our neighbors!

Namuh is a lighting company with a distinct product line of chandeliers, pendants, portable luminaries and other alternative lighting. They also specialize in custom light fixtures and light branding. We stopped in to see some of their creative work; two of our favorites are “The Medusa Chandelier"and "The Classy Chandelier."

Along with producing quality and original work, Namuh strives to stay sustainably minded and support local. They design products that have minimal impact on the planet, and leave a long impression. We think Namuh is a great new company and look forward to working with them on future projects.

To learn more about Namuh, visit: www.namuhdesign.com

Solution of the Week: Library Makeover

To create a more pleasant space for our clients to study and read, we changed the light fixtures and added layers of lighting. The new lighting is soft, but powerful enough to illuminate the whole library. Brighter accent fixtures light the bookshelves.

The walnut cabinetry was custom built for this library. It creates more places to shelve books while lending to greater organization, which makes the library feel larger and less cluttered.

Superstar Vendor: Rainbow Lampshades

The owners of Rainbow Lampshades, Louise Myers and JoEllen Lyster, are seriously creative people with seriously expansive knowledge about lampshades. Rainbow specializes in custom lampshades and has helped SRM create beautiful shades for many of our clients’ lamps. Since they make lampshades in their shop, shades can be designed specifically for your project. Here, SRM and Rainbow are creating custom lampshade possibilities for our client’s lamps.

Visit our vendor: www.rainbowlampshadeshop.com

Stupid Paint Color Name of the Week

Cool Local Find: Kurt Van Vlack

Kurt Van Vlack is a local Portland artist who makes these incredible Raku pots that we just have to share with you. Raku is a Japanese technique that differs from traditional Western pottery in a few ways. Western pottery remains in the kiln during the warm up and cool down process, which can take up to 24 hours. Raku pottery is put in a kiln that is already heated and is taken out before it cools. The pottery is immediately put in a container with combustible material, like sawdust or leaves, and left to smoke. The smoke creates a metallic and cracked glaze, which gives Raku pottery its distinctive look.

Like what you see? Visit www.caplanartdesigns.com for more of Kurt's work.

Solution of the Week: Woven Drapes

Woven window coverings are a great middle ground between the harsh, bright light of bare windows and the darkness of thick blinds or curtains. Woven drapes give you privacy-- you can see out, but neighbors can’t see in-- while still letting in soft light.

Our client’s breakfast nook is situated in the corner of the condominium and receives bright sunlight through the three surrounding windows. SRM added these gorgeous woven drapes so that our clients wouldn’t have to start their day squinting over their cereal.

Visit our vendor: Hunter Douglas

Stupid Paint Color Name of the Week

Super Star Vendor: Jill Hodge

SRM has worked with Jill Hodge of Custom Frame Design on many residential projects. Her frame consultation firm offers private appointments and service to ensure that our clients get the right frame for their artwork. Here’s an example of her framing work for a painting belonging to one of our clients.

Solution of the Week: Drum Stand

SRM found this drum pot at Room & Board and thought it was perfect for our client’s living room. But the drum felt a little too simple, and needed some alterations to jazz it up.

To add character, we had our favorite metal worker, Gregory Miller, make a metal stand to lift the drum off the floor. This made it feel lighter, while also adding some complexity to the piece.

Visit our vendor: Room & Board

The Butterfly Project

We showed you the butterflies in progress, and here they are as completed pieces! We were so happy to sponsor Serving Up Style at the Home and Garden Show. The event was a benefit for Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus, an organization very close to our hearts. In the hands of local artists, the butterflies were turned into incredible works of art, and helped to make the event a smashing success.

For more about the artists involved in The Butterfly Project, please visit Caplan Art Designs.